Under Construction!

Buildings seem to be popping up all over the place. The building process in life is much like the literal building process. In order to build a happy productive life I believe we can look to the construction workers for great tips!

      Demolition- In order to build something new, we must rid ourselves of the old things that stand in our way. We shouldn’t just build around past hurt and pain. We need to demolish those feelings in order to build a new foundation.

Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” We must turn from wrong, demolish sin and not return. Just as Christ forgives our wrong likewise we must forgive others as we prepare to rebuild.

2    Break Ground- After the demolition it’s time to break up new ground, meaning take the steps necessary to begin building something new. You may need to change your surroundings or even your circle of friends.

Jeremiah 4:3 says, “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns.” During the ground breaking process location is very important! Spiritually this means make sure that you are preparing to rebuild your life in a place of peace and not begrudging

 Lay the Foundation- Once the ground has been properly broken, begin pouring a new foundation for your new life. The best foundation there is is the Word of God. Find a good church home; get in God’s word; and follow Christ.

I Corinthians 3:11 says, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (Enough said!) 

Solid Structure- When the foundation is complete, the real building process can begin. Make sure to use sturdy materials, such as prayer, fasting and studying God’s Word, as well as positivity and self-determination to erect a structure that can shield and protect you for the rest of your life.

Psalms 104:9 in part says, “You have set a boundary that they may not pass over.” The “You” here refers to Christ. Allow Him to build your structure so that it is strong enough to help you withstand difficult things that may come your way

Exterior and Interior Design- Finally when the structure is properly fitted into place on the foundation, the decorating can begin. Dress the exterior walls with a strong reliable substance with a barrier to protect from weather and other hazardous elements, such as gossip, hatred, and depression. Then move to the inside and deck it out with beautiful things like joy, peace, patience, and faith.

So if your life is under construction, make sure you have the proper tools and are willing to work to build the best life possible.

Think about it.

Tweet this!!!

Social media reigns supreme in the lives of most Americans. Not only in America is it dominating the airways but all over the globe including Third World Countries. There aren’t many restaurants or public places you can go now where Wi-Fi is not available. We use technology and social media on our phones, to pay our bills, as well as to reconnect with long lost friends and relatives.

It seems foreign to us now to think about leaving home without our cell phone or to plan a road trip without GPS in place. Some may feel that my generation is too dependent on social media and technology.  No doubt there are people who abuse these methods of communication and even some who are addicted to them.

Night after night all over the world the last light to be turned out in millions of homes is the glaring light of computer screens, tablets, and I-pods. Nowadays even children know how to log on or pull up games on Droid phones. Personally I use social media and technology on a daily basis.

One of the largest online forms of communication is Twitter. Twitter Stats by Twitter Counter currently reports that there are over 24 million Twitter users. Everyday millions check in to see what celebrity, political figure, or even their mom has tweeted. Lady Gaga currently has 31,025,617 tweet followers; this is 8,119,686 more than President Barak Obama who has 22,905,931!

Can you imagine then how important it is to tweet positive images as well as verbiage?  Jesus had multitudes of people following Him on a daily basis, hinging on His every word. In our day and age countless number of celebrities and political figures tweet every day, many of them tweet negative or even racial slurs.

Now can you imagine if “tweeters” made the decisions to tweet words of inspiration? Many pastors and ministers frown on the use of social media. I feel that they should take advantage of it and use it as an opportunity to speak to the masses like Jesus did. Romans 10:14 in part says, “How then shall they call on Him who they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?”

So instead of condemning social media junkies, “like” their pages; “send” them a friend request, “tweet” and let them know about the saving power of Jesus Christ!

Think about it!

Throwing Stones

Have you ever heard the expression “throwing rocks and hiding your hand?” This slang expression is used to describe someone who intentionally hurts another and then does all that they can to hide their indiscretion. In John 8:1-12 we find the story of some scribes and Pharisees with literal rocks in their hands. They approach Jesus accusing a woman of adultery saying that they caught her in the very act. Don’t get me started on the “why” of why they were in a place where they could actually see someone in the act of adultery; that’s another article.

 

Verse 5 tells us that the men were seeking Jesus' advice on whether they should stone the woman or not, and verse 6 says they were testing Jesus. Quick question: “When you test someone, shouldn’t you already know the correct answer?” Anyway, initially Jesus ignored them because he knew they were testing him and speaking foolishness. We should try this method; ignore people who are trying to test us when it comes to our everyday lives as well as our spiritual and political convictions. 

Finally Jesus acknowledged the woman’s accusers and simply said in verse 7, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” Needless to say the men where quickly detoured; they dropped their rocks, turned, and walked away, no doubt mulling over their own sins in their minds as they left.  In light of the recent election and all the political stone throwing that went on in our world of late, isn’t it important to consider your own downfalls before pointing out the missteps of another?

Matthew 7:4-5 says, “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye?” “Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

No one is perfect, but it behooves us to make a conscious effort to live in a Christian manner at all times rather than always searching for faults in others. The majority of the time when you throw a stone at someone or something, you are intending to cause harm. Let us be careful when it comes to pointing fingers and throwing stones because you never know when those stones will be wrongfully hurled in your direction. We reap what we sow.

Think about it.

WARNING: "There will be side effects!"

I’m sure everyone who owns a television, and watches it, has seen those commercials about new medications. Medicines for everything from ingrown toenails to balding are advertised daily. One thing these commercials and products have in common is they all warn you of specific and some dangerous side effects that can occur with use.  Some of the side effects are minor like dizziness and some as severe as DEATH!

Life in general carries with it many side effects. Broken relationships, new jobs, and loss of loved ones all come with different side effects. Just as there are side effects in the natural, there are in the spiritual as well.

Have you ever heard the cliche “If you pray you can stay; if you fast you can last?” How about “pray about everything and worry about nothing; or “if you don’t stand for Christ, you’ll fall for anything.”  They may sound funny but there are scripture references to back them up!

Luke 18:1 says, “Then He spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart (or faint). This scripture lets us know that one side effect of not praying is losing heart. To lose heart in something is basically to give up on it; the last thing we need to give up on is God.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him.” Here we find the side effects of lacking faith are disappointing God coupled with no reward.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In this scripture there is one side effect we want and one that we certainly do not! Living for Christ offers us the opportunity to live prosperously here on Earth and eternally in heaven. However neglecting to have a genuine relationship with Christ promises a loathsome demise.

Just as we read the warning labels on our prescriptions, let us refer to the Word of God as a guide to natural and spiritual health. The beneficial side effects of serving Christ whole-heartedly are immeasurable.

Think about it.