You're Responsible for What You Allow in Your Mind

By Rick Warren — Nov 17, 2015

"A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash." (Proverbs 15:14 NLT, second edition) Our minds control everything else about us. Our thoughts influence our feelings. Our feelings impact our actions. What you think matters, because everything starts in the mind. To be a responsible person, you have to control your thoughts. But let me relieve you of a little false guilt: You're not responsible for every stray thought that passes through your mind. Stray thoughts enter our minds for a variety of reasons — conversations you hear by accident, things you see, stuff the devil puts in your mind, etc. You're responsible for how you deal with those stray thoughts. Martin Luther said it like this: "You can't keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair." God will hold you accountable for what you allow to enter your mind. I'm amazed by what some people watch — not to mention what they let their children watch. Many true followers of Jesus spend their time watching trashy TV and listening to trashy radio. They pay good money to see deviant behavior as entertainment. People watching such shows have told me, "When I go see those kinds of things, it just doesn't phase me. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't affect me." But that's just not true! Scientists have done study after study that says you never really forget any scene you see. Even if you don't consciously recall the scene, that idea will come right back to your mind — in living color — when something else stimulates the thought. In other words, "Garbage in, garbage out." What you put into your mind will inevitably bear fruit in your behavior and beliefs. In fact, when trashy entertainment doesn't bother you anymore, it's a warning light that you've already passed the threshold. One of Satan's greatest tricks for attracting you to sinful lifestyles is comedy. That's why on television or in movies, deviant behavior always starts in a comedic situation. If Satan can get you laughing at something that is sinful, you've already lost the battle. Sin isn't funny. Sin put Jesus on the cross. What are you filling your brain with?

it aint so easy

Meditate On

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:8

What's On Your Mind?

It takes a positive thought to replace a negative one. You cannot eradicate negative thoughts just by using your willpower. God's Word tells us, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6–7).

If you read on, it also says, "…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."

So beloved, replace your thoughts of worry with thoughts of His pure, immeasurable and unconditional love for you. Turn your cares into prayers by casting all your cares to Him as you meditate on how He truly cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Don't hold on to your worries any longer. Let go and let God be the Father of favor, wisdom and supply that He wants to be to you. Keep meditating on His promises for you in His Word. Thank Him that because of Jesus, you have a blood-bought right to have a mind free of worries and stress today!

_______________________________

but still, His manna is enough, a day at a time. albeit deeply painful circumstances at times, all for the molding of our earthly characters, isn't it?

Meditate On

…"I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Daniel 3:25

God Is With You In Your Fiery Trial

When Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, were cast into the fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar, guess who showed up? Jesus! He was there in the furnace with them to protect and deliver them. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego came out of the fire totally unharmed—"the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them" (Daniel 3:27)!

My friend, when you go through a fiery trial, the Lord is not somewhere far away, saying, "Yep, from the comfort of My heavenly throne, I can see what you are going through. Even though I'm not with you, I can see you, so just hang in there, okay?" No, He is right there with you in your trial. Not only that, He will protect you and deliver you. The Bible says that "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

So whatever the fiery trial you are going through today, God is right there with you. He will protect you, comfort you and make a way of escape for you. Put your hand in His hand and let Him bring you out of the "furnace" without even smelling of the smoke of your negative circumstances!

come weekend come

too much negative energy these days at work.. yet too little energy and health at home each day.

battling with the devil seems all too common every waking hour

what I read, I thought I digested. when tested, I fail.

all is too much. trying to prove anything to anyone, im done and over with it. if ppl's expectations cant be met and neither can I change them, I should just learn to ignore them esp if they are not for the betterment of my soul.

Soul prosperity.. mindset of kings and priests... even when doing lowly things of the world.. I am set apart, and I am the righteousness of Christ Jesus. In, but not of the world.

Amen!

What is missing inside me

Gentleness Is an "Inside" Job

By Rick Warren — Oct 21, 2015

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV) Gentleness is an important quality for you to practice. It diffuses conflict. It disarms critics. It's persuasive. It's attractive. It communicates love. Most importantly, gentleness makes you more like Jesus. Matthew 11:28-29 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (NIV). Wait. Does this mean that the stress you're feeling in your life and the pressure you're feeling in your life is because you are not gentle? Yes. Because the Bible says that the more gentle you become, the more Christ-like you become and the more at rest you will be. Do you want to be at peace? Do you want to be like Jesus? You can't just walk out your door and force yourself to be gentle. You can't manufacture gentleness, because inside you're still going to be under stress. It's got to be an "inside" job. It has to be the fruit of God's Spirit inside you. Jesus is gentle and humble. When you let him share your burden, you will walk with him in a close relationship. You will learn how to be more gentle and humble, and he will give you rest and peace, not stress and pressure.

Love this guarantee and reassurance

How God Uses Your Job To Provide For You

By Rick Warren — Oct 13, 2015

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 ESV) What do you put your security in? If you put your security in your bank account, your job, or your investments, that means you are an insecure person, because you can lose all of those things. You have to put your security in something that cannot be taken from you — God! If you want God's blessing in your life, you have to depend on God's wealth and not your own. Here's what the Bible says about God's wealth: "And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19 ESV). Your job shouldn't be your security. Your job is a channel, but God is your source. If you understand this, you'll have so much less stress in your life. Let me say it again: Your job is a channel, but God is the source of your supply. If you were to turn on the faucet in your kitchen and no water came out, what would you do? Would you say, "Oh my! The world has run out of water! There's no water coming out of the faucet, so there must not be any left in the whole world"? Of course not. You'd know the problem is not with the source. There's plenty of water in the world. The problem is the channel; it's gotten blocked one way or another. If one channel gets blocked in your life and the faucet stops working, God can turn on another faucet just as easily. If God closes a door in your life, he can open another door. And if another door closes, he can open a window, and you can crawl through it. God is not limited to your ability and capacity. Your job is a channel. If you think that your job is what keeps you financially secure, you're going to be insecure your entire life. You've got to understand that God is the source of your supply, and you can depend on him to know exactly what you need and give it to you. Jobs may come and go. Bank accounts rise and fall. Economies go up and down. Stock markets can go bull or bear. It doesn't matter! You can trust in God's wealth for your security.

looking past the pain.

God Uses Your Problems for Good

By Rick Warren — Sep 22, 2015

"Even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials …. This is no accident — it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold." (1 Peter 1:6-7 Phillips) Life is not a series of random, freak accidents. Life is not totally unplanned. Life is not without meaning. God knows what's going on. He's weaving the tapestry of your life, and it has light and dark threads — happy and sad times — to give richness and texture and color to your life. Nothing can come into the life of a child of God without God's permission. Everything is Father‑filtered. Don't misunderstand. I am not saying that everything that happens to you in life is God's perfect will. That's just not true. There are a lot of things that are not God's will. If you go out and sin, that's not God's will. If somebody sins against you, that's not God's perfect will. But God does have a permissive will. If I go out and I overeat, I pay the consequences. If I go out and wreck my body, I pay the consequences. God does not cause evil and God does not cause suffering. But he does allow them because they have a purpose. God permits them, and then he uses them. God is an expert at bringing good out of bad. He could have kept Paul out of prison in Philippi, but instead he let Paul go to prison, and the jailer became a believer as a result. God could have kept Jesus from the cross, but he let him go. He let his own Son suffer and die. Did he bring any good out of that? I'd say he did! God loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections. The things you wish were most removed from your life are often the very things that God is using to shape you and make you into the believer he wants you to be. He wants to use that problem for good in your life. There's something more important than your pain. It's what you're learning from that pain. God is in control. So what's the key? What's our response? Our response is to look past the pain. "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever" (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NLT, second edition).

Reminder

i will remember this day, this pain, this frustration.

It'll make decision making on the day to come, easier.

Three Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking God’s Will

By Rick Warren — Jul 30, 2015

"The steps of a man are established by the Lord …. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand." (Psalm 37:23a-24 NASB) You may be at what you think is a dead end in your life. "We're never going to get out of debt! I'm never going to have a baby. My dream is never going to come true. How is it ever going to work out?" Right now it may look dark and you may feel defeated and it may seem like a mystery to you. But one day you're going to see in the light of eternity how it all fits together in God's plan. Until then, there are three errors you need to avoid as you seek God's will that will help you trust in him, even when you don't understand. Don't be fatalistic. The idea of fatalism — that everything that happens is God's will — leads to self-pity. It causes us to blame God for everything bad in our lives rather than accepting responsibility that we caused the problem. And, fatalism leads to passivity. It makes us think, "I'm waiting on God to bring me a wife" or "I'm waiting on God to get me a job." God's saying, "I gave you a brain! I gave you two feet! Get out and do something about it!" Don't be frustrated. If you try to figure out everything in your life, you're going to be very frustrated. Sometimes you're going to do what you think is God's will, and it's going to fail. "I thought God was leading me to start this business, but it failed." What do you do when there are no answers? You keep trusting God, knowing that he's working on your character through all of your circumstances and that he has good plans for you. Don't be fearful. What is behind the fear of God's will? The root problem is that you doubt God's love. The Bible says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18a). We always get into trouble when we doubt God's love, because when we don't trust him, we don't obey him. Psalm 37:23-24 says, "The steps of a man are established by the Lord …. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand" (NASB). God's will is an expression of his love. When you don't understand what God is doing, have patience. God knows what's best for you. You can't see the end result, but he can. God's path may be a path of pain, but all those delays and difficulties and problems are building character in your life. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over How would you respond to the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" What have you been waiting on God to do in or bring into your life? What do you think he wants you to do about it? What do you think this statement means: "God's will is an expression of his love"?

still my first love

you will be. 

God bless the kitty souls. Peace be with them. and me. 

Change Requires Honest Community

By Rick Warren — May 23, 2015

"Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body." (Ephesians 4:21-25 NLT) To change the defects in your life, you have to have people in your life who tell you the truth. You're not going to get well on your own; you're going to need other people in your life. You're going to need support. You're going to need a small group. Change requires honest community. There are some things in your life you're never ever going to be able to change on your own, typically the things that are the most difficult in your life and that you don't want anybody else to know about. You're never getting over those things until you share them with someone. You don't have to tell everybody. You just need to find one person who will trust you and whom you trust — someone who will be confidential, love you unconditionally, not be judgmental, and pray for you. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. This does not mean a small group where you get together on a superficial level and everyone is "fine" or "doing great." You have to get to the level of maturity in your small group where you can say, "I had a tough week this week. Life stinks. Here's what happened." "So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body" (Ephesians 4:25 NLT). If you're a believer, you're also a belonger. You belong in the family of God, and every other believer belongs to you. You cannot become until you belong. You can't become what God wants you to be until you belong in a group that's going to have gut-level, honest community. Put away falsehood. Talk to your neighbor. Tell your friend the truth, because we belong to each other. If you are serious about changing the deepest hang-ups in your heart, the deepest defects in your life, you're going to have to face the fear of being honest. You've got to stop faking it. You've got to put away falsehood. You've got to be real. You can go through life with one of two choices: pretending like you've got it all together or getting it all together. But you'll never get it all together as long as you pretend you've got it all together. And you're never going to get well, get healed, get rid of that area that's bugging you in your life until you talk to somebody about it. Talk About It How would you describe your small group's level of transparency? Are you "real" with each other? What has been the result of pretending like you have it all together? How do you feel?

msg to share

Let's not forget to turn to Jesus as we go thru the day. Have a blessed day everyone 😊


May 25

The world is too much with you, My child. Your mind leaps from problem to problem to problem, tangling your thoughts in anxious knots. When you think like that, you leave Me out of your world-view and your mind becomes darkened. Though I yearn to help, I will not violate your freedom. I stand silently in the background of your mind, waiting for you to remember that I am with you.

When you turn from your problems to My Presence, your load is immediately lighter. Circumstances may not have changed, but we carry your burdens together. Your compulsion to "fix" everything gives way to deep, satisfying connection with Me. Together we can handle whatever this day brings.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." —Isaiah 41:10

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." —Zephaniah 3:17

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lorddelivers him from them all. —Psalm 34:19

love this..

In the Journey of Life, We Need Each Other!

By Rick Warren — May 13, 2015

"As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:16 NLT, second edition) The Bible says in Colossians 2:6-7, "As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him" (ESV). The Bible often compares life to a walk, because you don't just sit still in life. We are on a journey! Throughout the New Testament we're told to walk in wisdom, in love, in light, in obedience, and in the Spirit. But one of the key ways that God tells us to walk is this: You were never meant to walk through life alone. This has nothing to do with whether you're single or married. Marriage does not solve the issue; community does. And you find community in your spiritual family — the Body of Christ. Some of you say, "What's wrong with walking alone? I like waking alone. In fact, I prefer it. I can go at my own pace. I don't have to wait for anybody." You may like walking alone, but you need others to walk with you through life. Let me give you three reasons. 1. It's safer. Have you ever had to walk through a dark alley at night or down a long road in the countryside by yourself? It can be a little scary. It's safer to walk through life with others. 2. It's supportive. There's an old Zambian proverb that says, "When you run alone, you run fast. But when you run together, you run far." Life is not a 50-yard dash; it's a marathon! The only way you're going to finish the race well and not burn out is by having other people involved in your life through meaningful relationships. 3. It's smarter. You learn more by walking with others than you do by yourself. Proverbs 28:26 says, "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool." In other words, if you're the only one who thinks something and nobody agrees with you, you may be walking in the wrong direction. When you walk by yourself through life, you don't have anybody to go, "We're off the path. We've got to get back on the path and go in the right direction." Ephesians 4:16 says, "As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love" (NLT, second edition). You've got to have other people in your life to help you grow into the person God made you to be. Life is about relationships. God is love, and he wants you to learn to love him and to love others. Those are the two greatest lessons in life. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What does biblical community model to the world? Who are the people with whom you can walk through life and share support? How are you actively cultivating those relationships to make them stronger?

Smell like Jesus

Meditate On

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13

Practice Jesus' Presence And 'Smell' Like Him

Have you ever been in a room filled with cigarette smoke? Perhaps you were in a small restaurant and there were a number of people puffing away. The whole place was smoky and your hair and clothes soon began to smell of smoke. And even after you left the restaurant, you still smelled of smoke!

In the same way, you cannot spend time in the presence of the Lord without His glory, His majesty, His beauty, His power, His love and His peace rubbing off on you. You will begin to "smell" like Jesus, be bold like Him and be filled with peace like Him! No wonder Acts 4:13 records this about Peter and John: "Now when they [the rulers and elders of Israel] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus."

Beloved, practice the presence of the Lord wherever you are. Talk to Him. Spend time with Him. You will experience the undeniable evidence of His presence in your life!

praying continuously means always declaring positivity!

Pray: God, Help Me Hold On and Not Give Up!

By Rick Warren — May 4, 2015

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV) When you go through the delays in life, don't get discouraged. Don't lose heart. Don't give up! The Israelites did, and it kept them out of the Promised Land. Numbers 14:2-4 says, "All the Israelites grumbled against Moses … 'If only we had died in Egypt! …. We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt" (NIV). They gave up on their dream. They had been rescued after 400 years of slavery but then wanted to go back because they were being delayed. Like the Israelites, some people would rather live in slavery than face the fear of freedom. They are not willing to push through and work on the problem until they get it right. They want to give up. They settle for mediocrity in life. Don't settle for less than God's best for your life. If that means going through a tunnel of conflict, take the tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel, it will be dark, and you will want to run back to the light. But you've got to keep going until you come out on the other side into the light. Instead of getting discouraged, be persistent and pray. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This is the law of the harvest: There is always a delay between sowing and reaping. You plant in one season, and you reap in another. God wants to see if you're going to keep cultivating, planting, and sowing. If he sees consistency in your life, then the harvest will come. It will not come immediately, because it proves nothing if he does it immediately — no character development or stretching your faith. Jesus said in Luke 18:1, "[You] must always pray and never lose heart" (Phillips). Those are the two options you have in life: Pray continually, or lose heart. You will always be doing one or the other. If you pray continually, you will not be discouraged. If you don't pray continually, you will lose heart. You will get discouraged by the problems you're facing in your life — whether it's at work or school or in your family. You've got to keep on praying! What do you pray during the delay phases of life? Pray, "Help me hold on and not give up." God will hear you, and he will help. You are not alone, so you don't have to get discouraged, even when you are delayed. Talk It Over What lesson have you learned in your delay? How can you apply that lesson to the pursuit of your dream? What does it mean to pray continually or "always pray"? How is that possible? How has God shown you in the past that he is faithful? Remind yourself of those experiences when you start to doubt his faithfulness in your delay.

a very beautiful passage

that answers my prayer already. not that I really need to close one eye or turn a blind eye to things but to.. use the lens of God and give thanks even for the hardest things.. Hard Grace  by Ann Voskamp, from One Thousand Gifts Devotional

Everything is eucharisteo. Because eucharisteo is how Jesus, at the Last Supper, showed us to transfigure all things — take the pain that is given, give thanks for it, and transform it into a joy that fulfills all emptiness. I have glimpsed it: This, the hard eucharisteo. The hard discipline to lean into the ugly and whisper thanks to transfigure it into beauty. The hard discipline to give thanks for all things at all times because He is all good. The hard discipline to number the griefs as grace because as the surgeon would cut open my son's finger to heal him, so God chooses to cut into my ungrateful heart to make me whole. All is grace only because all can transfigure. I take to heart the words of Thomas Aquinas, who defined beauty as id quod visum placet — beauty as that which being seen, pleases. I wear the lens of the Word and all the world transfigures into the Beauty of Christ. Everything could be eucharisteo. Lord of Life, when I am between a rock and a hard place, cause me to know it full well: You make all grace because You transfigure all. Cause me today to believe, right in the midst of hard things, that You are patiently transfiguring all the notes of my life into the song of Your Son. Today, let me do hard things: live the hard discipline to give thanks in hard things. Today, I lean hard on You — who softens my heart. Excerpted with permission from One Thousand Gifts Devotional by Ann Voskamp, copyright Zondervan.

uh-huh

sometimes what matters more isn't really the topic we're fighting over, but the tone that we lash out in.. trying desperately to get our point across obstinately. so hard to practice this love and respect thing especially when u tink the other one is really not deserving of any =p

Communicating Love and Respect in Marriage by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect

God's way of communicating in marriage is to talk with words of unconditional love and respect. "If," comments a wife, "I'm in the middle of a conversation with my husband that has the potential to become heated and a negative thought about my husband enters my mind, I remember the simple advice in Love and Respect that when I communicate with my husband, I need respectful words, a respectful tone of voice, and a respectful countenance. I also remember the simple advice that I need to think respectful thoughts about my husband because he is created in the image of God, and God commands me to respect him." The heart of the wise instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips. — Proverbs 16:23 I also teach "my response is my responsibility." When my spouse and I get on the Crazy Cycle, my unloving words are my responsibility. My wife, Sarah, doesn't cause my unloving words, and I must always ask myself before I speak, "Is that which I am about to say going to sound loving or unloving to Sarah?" A husband comments, "Our relationship changed from frequent nagging and fighting when I realized that my response is my responsibility. I find myself constantly going back to that [truth] in every situation that gets heated. Our relationship has gradually gotten better and better as I try to speak lovingly." It would be easy enough to deduce that communication is the key to marriage, but I don't agree. To say that communication is the key to marriage is to assume that both spouses speak the same language. After more than three decades of pastoring, counseling married couples, and conducting marriage conferences, I have learned that, in fact, the wife speaks a "love language" and the husband speaks a "respect language." They don't realize this, of course, but because he is speaking one kind of language (respect) and she is speaking another (love), there is little or no understanding and little or no communication. Your words are a very good indication of what is going on in your heart — and your spouse knows it. Just about every couple knows what it is like to get into a conflict that escalates into a full-blown argument and they are not sure why it happened. Spouses tend to write off these kinds of arguments, saying, "If only she weren't so sensitive" or "If only he weren't so touchy." But those aren't the real issues at all. Conflict inevitably happens when spouses focus on their own needs and overlook the needs of the other. That's when the issues arise. The wife needs love; she is not trying to be disrespectful. The husband needs respect; he is not trying to be unloving. And once the Love and Respect couple grasps a basic principle — that the apparent issue is not the real issue at all — they are on their way to cracking the communication code. Conflict is inevitable; it is simply part of living together. The key to keeping conflict from escalating is to choose to practice love or respect. When a husband speaks with a loving tone during a conflict, which may range from a mild argument to a more serious disagreement, his wife will feel one with him. And when a wife softens her facial expressions and comes across more respectfully during those times of friction, the husband will feel one with her. Will the disagreement be solved? Perhaps, but more than likely it will still be there. Yet husband and wife can feel oneness because nobody has to win and nobody has to lose. Oneness is, and it is gained when the wife feels loved by her husband and the husband feels respected by his wife. They bond with each other; two, indeed, become one. Excerpted with permission from Love and Respect for a Lifetime  by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, copyright Thomas Nelson.

Acquire and keep relationships .. not.. things.

Life Is About Relationship, Not Acquisition

By Rick Warren — Feb 10, 2015

"But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face." (Psalm 17:15 TLB) Life is not about things. You've got to maintain the right perspective about possessions, or you'll be possessed by your possessions. You've got to realize none of it is going to last. Jesus says in Luke 12:15, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be" (GNT). Never judge your self worth by your net worth. Never think your value is related to your valuables. Realize that the greatest things in life aren't things. You didn't bring anything into the world, and you're not taking anything out of it. Life is not about acquisition or achievement. Life is about relationship and learning how to love God and other people. The best way to remember that your life is not about things is to build your life on eternal priorities. Focus on what will last forever. Every possession is temporary, so don't build your life on acquiring possessions. Only two things are going to last forever: the Word of God and people. You've got a choice to make. The world is telling you that you've got to get more to be happier, more successful, more important, more valuable, and more secure. You've got to decide if you're going to listen to Madison Avenue or the Master. Are you going to listen to culture or Christ? Are you going to listen to the world or the Word? One will make you dissatisfied the rest of your life; one will make you truly happy. Before you can move toward financial freedom, you have to ask yourself, "What is the primary purpose of my life? To just get more? What do I think about, talk about, and give my most to? What am I living my life for? There was a famous millionaire in Orange County who took her own life many years ago. At the funeral somebody said, "I don't understand it. She had so much to live for." I thought, "No. She had so much to live on. She had nothing to live for." You may have a lot to live on, but do you have anything to live for? Do you have a relationship with God? The myth of the world is that you can have it all. The truth is that you can't have it all. And, more importantly, you don't need it all to be happy. You're as happy as you choose to be. The secret of contentment is finding your security and your satisfaction not in what you have but in whose you are. You find it in Christ. Psalm 17:15 says, "But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us. And when I awake in heaven, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face-to-face" (TLB). Talk It Over What are the tangible or intangible things you've been acquiring instead of strengthening your walk with God? How have you sacrificed your relationships in the pursuit of success or status? What do you need to do today to start repairing those relationships? Are you OK with not "having it all"? Why or why not?

God’s Gifts for Now

By Rick Warren — Feb 9, 2015

"If God gives us wealth and property and lets us enjoy them, we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God." (Ecclesiastes 5:19 GNT)                                                          The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that God "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (NIV). That's the kind of God we serve. He gave us the world for our enjoyment! But here's the problem: We're so busy getting more that we don't enjoy what we've got. The secret of contentment is to learn to enjoy what God has given you. Ecclesiastes 5:19 says, "If God gives us wealth and property and lets us enjoy them, we should be grateful and enjoy what we have worked for. It is a gift from God" (GNT). You need to pay more attention to what you do have. You need to open your eyes. You need to appreciate what God has already given you. You need to enjoy what you've got. One of my favorite things to do is watch the sunrise from the slope in our yard. I put this ratty old deck chair out there 10 or 15 years ago. I think I bought it at Target, so it's not expensive. It's faded, and a couple of slats are broken on it. I love to sit in that ratty, old chair and watch the sun come up. It gives me great pleasure! Would I have any more joy watching the sunrise if I were sitting in a diamond-encrusted Barcalounger instead of a ratty chair from Target? No. It would not increase my joy one bit. In fact there is an advantage to not having a diamond-encrusted Barcalounger. It's better to have a ratty chair on the slope. Why? Because nobody steals it! You need to ask yourself, "What am I not enjoying right now?" Most of us get into what I call "when and then" thinking — "When this happens, then I'll be happy." "When I get a boyfriend, then I'll be happy. When I get married, then I'll be happy. When I have kids, then I'll be happy. When my kids go off to school, then I'll be happy. When I get married again, then I'll be happy." You are as happy as you choose to be. Happiness is a choice! If you're not happy now, you're not going to be happy later. I could take you to some of the worst places in the world and show you two people living right next door to each other. One is miserable, and one is happy. Why? Happiness has nothing to do with your circumstances. It has everything to do with your attitude. If you're not happy living on what you're living on right now, I can guarantee you that you're not going to be happy with any more. Because you're always going to want a little bit more. Happiness is a choice. Choose to enjoy what God has given you right now for your enjoyment! Talk It Over What has God blessed you with that you have not been enjoying to the fullest? What have you been waiting on to be happy? If happiness is a choice, why do you think people choose to be unhappy?

...

damn cant wait for next thurs to come....

an escape fr all mundaneness.

and the overchging of emotions and fight against self.

battle of the mind it is. whichever circumstances, actually a light-hearted attitude is all I need.

sometimes I wish im made differently and the direct opposite of who I am.

maybe it'll be easier. maybe..

Oh, how we so need to learn...

Master Your Moods

By Rick Warren — Jan 20, 2015

"Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2:5 TLB) If you want to succeed in life, you must learn how to master your moods. When you have emotion that isn't getting you where you want to go, you've got two options: You either change it, or you channel it. Sometimes you need to change what you're feeling. Some emotions are so destructive, so damaging, so hurtful, so non-effective, the only thing you can do is change it. You've got to change what you're feeling. Philippians 2:5 says, "Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ" (TLB). Your attitude includes your emotions, so what you're feeling should be the same as that of Jesus. You need to ask yourself, "How would Jesus feel in this situation? Would Jesus get irritated with this waitress? No. Would Jesus yell at that person? No. Would Jesus be up all night, wringing his hands and worrying that it isn't going to work out? No. Would Jesus be fearful? No." Then, you instantly dismiss any feeling that doesn't make you more like Jesus. If Jesus wouldn't respond to your wife with that emotion, then you shouldn't, either. You drop that attitude, and you figure out what Jesus would do instead. Sometimes you need to channel what you're feeling. When my son, Matthew, died, I entered into the deepest possible grief you can imagine. But my wife and I decided from the first moment that we were going to channel that grief for good and use our pain to help other people. That's one of the reasons we host the annual conference on mental illness at Saddleback Church. I'm not about to waste a hurt I go through. I'm going to use it for good. Your greatest ministry will not come out of your strengths and successes. Your greatest ministry could come out of your deepest pain. What pain in your life are you using for good? If you have been in so much pain you didn't even want to talk about it, then you need to learn to manage your emotions. You need to name the emotion, challenge it, and channel it if you're not going to change it. Then, you use it for good. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick>> Talk It Over Why do you think it's sometimes easier to feel the emotions we want to feel instead of what we know Jesus would feel in that setting? What do you need to do to give yourself time to ask these questions in any situation? What pain in your life can you use to help other people?

Truth is.. God always challenges us to get out of our comfort zone which is contradicting to how we feel.

How to Deal with What You Feel
by Rick Warren

"To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. Those who obey their human nature cannot please God." (Romans 8:6, 8 TEV)

Learning to manage your emotions is the key to peace of mind.

I want to share with you four important reasons from God's Word why you need to learn to deal with what you feel.

1. You need to learn to manage your emotions because they are often unreliable. Your gut is often wrong. Your intuition is often flawed. Your emotions often lead you down a blind alley. You can't depend on everything you feel! Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (NIV). You don't have to accept everything you feel, because not everything you feel is right or authentic or will lead you in the right direction.
2. You need to learn to manage your emotions because you don't want to be manipulated. If you don't control your emotions, they will control you, and you will be manipulated by your moods. And, if you're always guided by your feelings, other people are going to take advantage of you. Worst of all, Satan's favorite tool is negative emotions. He will use fear, resentment, and worry to wreak havoc in your life. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
3. You need to learn to manage your emotions because you want to please God. God cannot rule your life if emotions rule your life. If you make your decisions based on how you feel, then you've made your feelings god, and then God can't be God in your life. Romans 8:6 and 8 says, "To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace. Those who obey their human nature cannot please God" (TEV).
4. You need to learn to manage your emotions because you want to succeed in life. Study after study has shown that your emotional quotient is far more important than your IQ when it comes to success. How many people do you know who ruined their reputation because of something said in anger? Or missed a job opportunity because of their lack of self-control?

The Bible says in Proverbs 5:23, "[People] get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control" (CEV).

When you give your heart to Jesus, that includes your emotions. So when you say, "I gave my heart to Jesus," you gave your emotions to him to be managed by him. Jesus wants to be Lord of how you feel, not just what you think and do. He wants to be Lord of your emotions.

"From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires" (1 Peter 4:2 TEV).

PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

• Do you base your decisions on your feelings? How do you know if a "feeling" is right or wrong?
• Why do you think it's important to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit? How do you do that?
• What about your emotions do you need to surrender to God today?

Three Questions to Manage Your Emotions

By Rick Warren — January 19, 2015

"From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires." (1 Peter 4:2 TEV)

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:2, "From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God's will and not by human desires" (TEV).

What are human desires? It's your emotions and your affections. Now that you are a Christ-follower, your life should be controlled by God's will, not by how you feel.

Let me give you three questions to ask about your emotions when you're trying to figure out how to deal with how you feel. When you're angry or upset or frustrated — whatever you're feeling — ask these three questions:

1. "What's the real reason I'm feeling this?" Maybe the answer is fear or worry. Maybe it relates to something your dad said to you years ago, and when your husband said it to you, he got all the anger against your dad that you pent up.
2. "Is it true?" Is what you're feeling at that moment true? There's a point in the Bible where Elijah gets so discouraged that he went to God and complained, "God, I'm the only one in the entire nation of Israel left serving you." And God challenged him, saying, "Are you kidding me? I've got all these people who are still serving me! You're acting like you're the only one trying to do the right thing in the whole world! No. That's not true."
3. "Is what I'm feeling helping me or hurting me?" Will you get what you want by continuing to feel this way? A lot of feelings we have feel natural, but they're actually self-defeating.

Let's say you go to a restaurant, and the service is extremely slow. You wait a long time to be served, and then a couple comes in 15 minutes after you and gets their meal before you do. You get increasingly more irritated until you feel something welling up inside you.

What's the real reason you're feeling that way? You're hungry!

Is it true? Yes. You're frustrated because the service is slow. But is your emotion helping or hurting? Do you get better service by getting angry at the server? Absolutely not.

Does nagging work? Has it ever worked? When somebody tells you all the things you're doing wrong, does it make you want to change? No! All it does is make you defensive.

When you ask yourself these three questions, you get a better grip on why you feel the way you do and what you need to do to help the situation.

That's called managing your emotions.

Talk It Over

• Why do you think it's hard to sometimes admit that the emotion we think we feel isn't actually true?
• Think of a recent experience where you felt angry or frustrated with someone. How do you think asking these three questions would have changed the outcome of the incident?
• What do you think it means to be controlled by God's will?

Still trying to let go of pride which takes control of my emotions and ultimately, actions. It is only making things difficult for myself in the end. How Lord, do I let go completely and come to You with my new self?

Only by the blood of Jesus who said it is FINISHED. No more works and self-effort.... communion with the Holy Spirit to lead every step ahead, even in my most relaxed and vulnerable mode. Talk to me oh Lord, let me hear Your still voice each moment i'm breathing Your life in me.