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Sunday Sermonettes | 7 Secrets of How To Be Friends with God

Sunday Sermonettes #031

Who is your best friend? Surely good moments you had together and memories might flood your mind even as you think of him or her. What if Jesus is your best friend. It is possible. For Jesus told his disciples, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15).

#1. Love

The first thing about friendship is love. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). When he bled on the cross he showed the full extent of his love for all he called friends. And those stretched out hands on the cross is welcoming you to be friends with him.

#2. No Secrets

The second thing about friendship is that there are no secrets between friends. Jesus said, “I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:15). Jesus took time to be with his disciples telling them about the kingdom of heaven and what the future is going to be. You too can have intimate friendship with Jesus. Tell him everything—your good and shameful thoughts, your worries and anxieties, and your desires, both good and bad. This habit will bring you closer to Jesus.

#3. No Barriers

The third thing about friendship is that there are no barriers separating friends. When it comes to friendship with God; the separation comes only because of sin. God forgives all your sins through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. You need to turn away from what is not pleasing to God and ask him to cleanse you through his blood. Then the dividing wall will come down and there can be continual friendship with God.
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#4. Quality Time Together

The fourth thing about friendship is that friends invest time to build the relationship. Friendship grows over time. It happens through a lot of conversations, sharing, and caring for each other. Sometimes we neglect this principle when it comes to God. Do you give him quality time? The kind of time you spend with God and the time you spend on social media: Which is more important to you?

#5. Desiring the Best

The fifth thing about friendship is that it is desiring the best for the other. Surely, God desires the best for you. Our friendship with God is often strained when life doesn’t go as we hoped. When our plans don’t work out, we might miss this truth: God could be redirecting us. He might be trying to get our attention to lead us toward something better that he has lovingly kept in store for us.

#6. Access

Now think about this. What if you were friends with the President or Prime Minister of your country? How privileged you might feel? What if you had the freedom to speak to them over phone any time of the day or night 24 x 7? That might not be practically possible. But when Jesus says, “I call you my friend,” you have absolutely continual and unrestrained access to God through the blood of his cross.

#7. Guard Your Friendship

Finally, good friendships are about jealousy too. You guard your friendships; don’t you? Likewise, the Bible also warns against things that destroy friendship with God.

James, a brother of Jesus wrote: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4 NIV)

John, another friend of Jesus, wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15, 16 Berean Standard Bible).

Yes, to safeguard friendship with God, you must say NO, jealously, to every distraction.

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Sunday Sermonettes | The Great Kitchen Debate: Distraction or Devotion Which Is Better

Sunday Sermonettes #027

The Complaint: My, Me, Myself; a Victim Story

Martha opens her house for Jesus and makes herself busy trying to prepare; probably a meal. See, hospitality was held in high esteem in the culture of those days. The story says that she was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. It leads us to the “Great Kitchen Debate. Distraction or Devotion Which Is Better?”

Now she had a sister named Mary. She came and sat at Jesus’ feet listening to his words. This troubles Martha. She comes and asks Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.”

This seems to be a normal complaint and request in this context. One person is doing all the work. The other is simply chatting with the guest. Martha feels herself a victim left alone to do all the work.

Don’t you also feel like complaining when others seem to take it easy while you alone shoulder the burdens at work, whether it be home or office?

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The Response: Nailing the Problem Which Is Lack of Focus

What makes this normal situation different is Jesus’ response: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus is not finding fault with Martha’s hospitality. But Jesus is pointing out that she is worried and upset about many things. The language that Jesus used tells us about a person being pulled in different directions at the same time. There seems to be a lack of focus.

Isn’t it typical of many of us? Aren’t we pulled in many different directions when it comes to work? When that happens, can you stop for a moment and try to prioritize. Look at what is urgent and of utmost importance at that point in time. Then focus on that one thing. It will make a difference.

Which Is Better: Distraction or Devotion

Jesus is trying to point out to Martha that her value in life does not come from what she does. God does not give us marks according to our performance even though he has promised many crowns and rewards to his faithful followers.

Jesus is present in her house. He was welcomed as the guest. Yet Martha is now very busy, distracted with preparations, her many tasks, and much serving.

She failed to value his presence. She failed to value his words—his words which Peter once described as words of eternal life (John 6:68). More than that she feels herself to be a victim of the situation when she could have had the joy of having the companionship of the Son of God in her home.

Martha is someone with great faith as her extraordinary declaration of who Jesus is shows (John 11:27) while at another time she conversed with Jesus by the grave of her brother Lazarus. But on this occasion, she is making her kitchen the greater priority.

Always put people first and tasks below them in your priority list whether at home or the office. You will be blessed and you will be a blessing in doing so.

God Is Valuing Your Companionship Not Your Busyness

We live in a fast paced world. We are busy all the time. We are dominated by the chores of life and its dull routines. Unless you make a deliberate effort to sit at Jesus’ feet, you will miss him altogether even when he is present with you.

Jesus in his response to Martha tells her that the better choice is devotion. Spending quiet and quality time with him is more important than attempting to do something for him.

So many of us are trying to do things for him. He doesn’t find fault with that. But he is asking us not to lose focus. Not to miss the better thing.

Life’s moments might not repeat themselves. So when you are with someone who loves you and cares for you, give him or her the fullest attention you can possibly give. That is the better thing than the good things you might be able to do for them.

Choose Devotion: Spending Time with Jesus

When was the last time you enjoyed the presence of God in your life? It is not something dramatic. It can happen in the kitchen in the ordinary routines of life. Just think on God. Thank him and praise him. Tell him you love him.

Will you not take a few moments to stop and talk with Jesus. In the words of Robert Frost,

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Choosing to spend time with Jesus who bled and died for you on the cross is a choice very few make on a daily basis. That is a road that is less travelled by. But if you choose to go that way, the way of love, adoration, worship, and devotion; it will make all the difference.

Featured image: Photos by Monika and Elina Fairytale from Pixabay | Adobe

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Sunday Sermonettes | The Power of Prayer: Discovering How Prayer Works

Sunday Sermonettes #025

Disappointed with Prayer

Most of us do not know how prayer works. When you discover it; you will be confident to pray. And also experience the power of prayer. The truth is that most of us are disappointed with prayer. Simply because God did not answer prayers according to our wishes; many of us have given up on praying to God.

Encouragement to Pray

This post is an attempt to encourage you to pray. For God is always listening to your prayers. There might be a lot of doubts in your mind about prayer. All of them cannot be answered.

But I can assure you one thing–-If you keep on praying in spite of your doubts, and your feeling that God is absent and not listening; there will come a day and a moment when you will have the joy of knowing that none of your prayers were lost.

Prayer Is About Seeking and Finding God

Remember, God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, He has promised that when you seek his face (that is his companionship and not his gifts), you will find him when you seek him with all your heart.

Yes, you will find him if you are earnest in prayer. Finding God and discovering more about him is the great encouragement and joy in prayer.

Prayer as a Relationship Based on Love

Prayer is not all about asking; even though God encourages us to ask, seek, and knock. He delights in us asking him because those who believe and trust in the name of Jesus are his children. So prayer is a joyful time of sharing things in your heart with your Father in heaven. So it is based on a relationship of love and not on fear.

Prayer Is the Ability to Listen to God

Prayer is also the ability to listen to what God is saying. He mostly guides us through words from the Bible. When God speaks there is an unmistakable certainty about it. It will be specific with a calm assurance of God’s peace.

When he speaks he will never contradict what he has already said in the Bible. Jesus has promised his gift of peace to us. So if you have an impression in your heart and it takes away your peace and brings distress and conflict in your mind; know that it is not from God. When God speaks, it will also come with his peace in your heart.

Prayer and Emotions

Prayer can become a time of display of strong emotions too. Sometimes we are too burdened to even utter a word. There is an inward groan from the heart for help while the lips are silent. Often we cry in our distress.

God collects all our tears in his bottle and records them in his book or scroll says the Bible. So there is nothing to be ashamed about crying or weeping as you pray. The shortest verse in the Bible says: “Jesus wept.”

Prayer as a Discipline

A life without prayer is like a barren desert. There is no refreshing, no renewal, no reviving or recharging. If the Son of God could not live without prayer while on earth; how can we?

Even though it is possible to pray anywhere and everywhere at any time during the day or night; it is good to set aside time for prayer regularly at a place which is quiet where no one will disturb you. A place where you can be alone; talk to God and listen to him.

Prayer and Action

A day begun with a prayer of thanks for the gift of a new day, and a seeking of help and wisdom for the activities of the day, will be a day accompanied by God’s blessings. Instead, we often rush to work, get too busy with our daily routines, and forget God.

Prayer is also work. So much can be accomplished if people would pray more for God’s guidance and help and knowing his will than trying to achieve everything in their own strength and knowledge.

It is prayer that gives you the courage, wisdom, and strength to make your faith become action.  It assures you of success in your efforts because God is involved in your attempts because you prayed.

Prayer and Distractions

A problem with prayer is that a lot of distractions come to mind when you try to pray. Why? Because the devil knows that if someone gets connected to God; then he has to flee. So he prevents that from happening.

With the mobile in our hands; it is quite an easy thing to keep us buried in the entertainment it brings. Even the good things you watch can take away the best time you can spend in prayer.

Prayer Starters

The miracle of prayer is that even a child can pray. No qualification is required for you to start praying. If you don’t know how to start praying, why not just say, “O God, I love you.” It is a good starting point.

Or say “Hallelujah.” it means Praise the Lord. All heaven resounds with joyful notes of thundering Hallelujahs in song and praise to the Lamb of God. Oh, it can bring down God’s presence to surround you!

God’s Help in Prayer

There is also God’s help and assistance in prayer. God the Holy Spirit from within our heart, lifts up our inmost desires and heartbreaks to the throne of God. the Father. The Bible presents God as our Saviour who daily bears our burdens.

Jesus, present at the right hand of God, always lives to intercede for us. He shared in our human experiences and prayed to God while on earth with loud cries and tears. So when prays for us, he is merciful and compassionate and a great friend to bring our needs before God.

Jesus the Only Mediator Between God and Men

See, there is no need for any other person, past or present, to come between you and God. For the Bible declares that Jesus is the only mediator between God and men.

He is your advocate who speaks in your defense before God. He speaks on your behalf and through him alone you can approach God in prayer.

The Name of Jesus carries authority. God listens when you pray in the Name of Jesus for his precious blood always speaks the word of forgiveness for you when you are broken in heart and turn away from your sins.

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How to Pray

You can pray anytime. You can keep your eyes open or closed. You can stand, sit, walk or kneel, or prostrate yourself face down and pray. You can pray while in the kitchen, while you are driving, or while you are attending a business meeting.

You can pray in any language or just pray to God silently. Sometimes God gifts you a language you might not know, a language that is angelic or human to help you pray.

What to Pray For

You can ask for help, for wisdom, for guidance, for strength of mind, for grace to forgive others, for courage to face difficulties, for receiving favour in the eyes of others, for health and healing, for mercy and forgiveness; and patience to wait for God to act in your life in his time.

You can ask God to gift you his peace and joy in all your troubled situations and even ask God to help you to pray in the right way. .

If you have sinned against God; ask for cleansing through the blood of Jesus from all that defiles heart and mind.

You should pray for the Spirit of God to touch you with God’s everlasting, unfailing, and compassionate love, because God pours out his love into our hearts through the Spirit of God.

Prayer Changes and Transforms Us

Prayer also changes us. God uses delays and frustrations and cries of “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” to break our wills and make us humble. He prepares us before he blesses us. Therefore be bold and confident to pray to the God of all hope and mercy.

He first of all encourages us and makes our heart strong before he answers our prayers. He also prepares circumstances so that the time of our relief and deliverance will be of maximum impact to strengthen our faith in him.

The New and Living Way Opened for Us to Pray

When Jesus shed his blood on the cross and his body was broken on that tree; the huge curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom supernaturally. It indicated that by the blood of Jesus a new and living way was opened for all to approach God with boldness and freedom. Yes, you have access to God the Father 24 x 7 through the blood of Jesus and the Spirit of God.

Peace as a Sign of Assurance in Prayer

Then, there is the peace of God which guards our hearts and minds like a battalion of soldiers and secures it against all invading worries. It can happen even in the most trying circumstances when we pray.

Therefore we need not be anxious because the peace that comes from God in answer to prayer surpasses all logic and human understanding. Yes, God will gift you his peace and make you bold. The assurance in your heart comes even before the answer to prayer comes and no change is seen in the negative situations you are in.

Why Prayers Go Unanswered

Even though there are so many things that put a roadblock to effective praying; there are a few things that need to be highlighted:

  • If we cherish sin or wrong things in our heart; God cannot answer prayer.
  • If we harbour unforgiveness in our heart; God cannot answer prayer.
  • If we ask with wrong motives, God cannot answer prayer.
  • If there is a lack of faith and there is doubt in our heart; then God is not pleased with that prayer.
  • And if we do not ask according to his will for our lives; God cannot answer that prayer.
  • And often we give up praying before God’s answer reaches us. See he is shaping and moulding your character and strengthening your faith while the answer is on the way. But a lack of persevering prayer can cause us to miss God’s best in our lives.

Start Praying Now

So my dear friend, why not start praying. Come to God with a child-like expectation. Be honest about anything and everything. God listens and he already knows what you need even before you ask him. And all heaven notes a man or woman who prays.

It is a blessed joy and great honour to have an audience with God every time you pray. And signing off prayers, “In the Name of Jesus,” aligns your requests to God’s character and his purpose for your life. Amen (it means “so be it.”).

Discover How Prayer Works

There is no way that any one of us will ever graduate in prayer. Prayer is like an ever-deepening river. You learn to pray by praying. The more you pray, the more you discover about prayer and the God who answers prayer.

As said in the beginning, prayer is an expression of a love relationship. You are God’s child. So talk to your Father in heaven. You can talk about anything; even your secret innermost thoughts and struggles of the mind which no one else can know anything about.

Whatever is your concern; is his concern too. Prayer helps you know God and discover him as your Comforter and Friend and Guide and Helper. May God gift you joy in prayer as he has promised in the Bible.

Simplicity in Prayer

The Bible says in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

God is asking you to call on him. He promises to answer you. You have direct access to God through Jesus. He will show you things you do not know in response to prayer. Just call him.

And speak to him as you would talk with a friend.

The Power of Prayer

Prayer is powerful. It is your direct connection with God. Prayer has got the power to demolish strongholds of negativity and wrong thoughts in your life. Prayer has got the power to move mountains that stand in your way. Prayer has got the power to change the hearts of people. Prayer has got the power to bring you angelic help in times of distress. Prayer has got the power to open doors in your life. Prayer has got the power to make God’s promises real in your life.

So “pray continually,” “pray without ceasing,” “never stop praying,” “pray all the time,” with thanks in all circumstances to experience the power of prayer.

Fight Discouragement in Prayer

The greatest weapon the devil uses to get people to stop praying is discouragement. He will tell you that God will not answer your prayers. He will discourage you through opposition even through your close relatives, family, and friends.

Discouragement can come when you prayed for something positive but its opposite happened. Discouragement can come through delays to getting answers to prayers.

But Jesus is encouraging you to close the door and pray in secret to God and not give up praying. Do not doubt God’s Word. Throughout the Bible we find God answering prayer on behalf of his children. Therefore you need to fight discouragement that comes and go on praying.

Ask | Seek | Knock | Receive

Let me end with this encouragement to pray from Jesus’ words in Luke 11:11–13 in the Bible:

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Read more on The Holy Spirit Who is our Helper in Prayer

Featured image courtesy: Photos by Israel Torres on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

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Sunday Sermonettes | Making and Giving Excuses: The 9th Habit of Highly Ineffective People

Sunday Sermonettes #023


Understanding the 9th Habit

Stephen R. Covey wrote about The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. And he added an 8th one which says “Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs.” Here is the 9th habit which can undo you. It is the habit of making and giving excuses. They are the hallmark of highly ineffective people.

We learn to make and give excuses at home to avoid punishment, practice it at school to fool teachers, and bring it to perfection at the workplace to cover up our inefficiency. It is a blessing for the lazy and a mask for the perfectionist who never gets started. But it is a habit the 9th one that will undo you.

The Parable

Jesus talked about people making excuses. He told a story or a parable to illustrate it. He spoke about a man who was preparing a banquet and had sent out invitations for the feast. When the time for the feast came he sent out his servants to bring in the invited guests. And surprisingly all those who had earlier accepted the invitation began to make excuses.

The first one said, “I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.” The second one said: “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.” And still a third one said: “I just got married. So I can’t come.”

At first look, you can’t find fault with any of them. They gave legitimate excuses. But if you think why Jesus told this story; then you will understand what these people missed.

The man who hosted the feast is God himself. The invitation is to enjoy God and be part of his kingdom. In that sense, the invitation was to be seen as a huge privilege; much greater than a personal invitation by The President of the United States of America.

The Excuses

Now let us look at the excuses: There is the tragedy of the present and now; toppling the eternal. There is the disaster of earthly things crowding out spiritual things. There is the sorrow of priorities being misplaced.

Business and work or career and personal relationships are important. But they should never crowd out your love for God and seeking him.

What Happens When You Reject God’s Invitation?
God will simply bypass you to extend the invitation to those whom you think are not worthy to be part of God’s kingdom. In this story the man sends invitation to people in the streets and alleys of the town to bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.

Yes, when you make excuses to God, he will be extending the invitation to people you will never normally accept to be part of your group.

And even after all these things had been done there was still room. So he sends invitation far and wide for people to come even from far away. He also added this warning: Not one of those who were originally invited will get a taste of my banquet.

As you look at the life of Jesus we find the religious people of his day rejecting him. But he was welcomed by the sinners, the common folk, and the social outcastes. People who were looked down upon by the society found a great welcome in Jesus’ invitation to be part of God’s forgiving love.

Know that Jesus accepts you just as you are with all your sins, mistakes, faults, and failures.

Practical Application

First of all, are you in the habit of making and giving excuses? Are you even aware that you have this 9th habit which is destroying you and is undoing you?

Secondly, when God gives you a chance, when he is inviting you; show urgency to accept the invitation and be part of his love. Lesser things will take care of themselves; be it career, family, friends, or earthly possessions. God first. Let that be your watchword.

If you have read this much; think of your excuse of not having a closer walk with God. What is the excuse of not coming to accept the love of God shown on the cross where Jesus bled and died for you?

Thirdly, making and giving excuses is a tactic we employ to avoid responsibility. When Prophet Nathan confronted King David telling him that he did great wrong in committing adultery and murder; he humbly accepted responsibility saying: “I have sinned against the LORD.” (2 Samuel 12:13) He did not make excuses for his sinful acts.
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Call to Action

#1. Become aware of your habit of making excuses; for making and giving excuses is that 9th habit of highly ineffective people.

#2. Show urgency to act when God is giving you a chance to put him first in your life without making excuses.

#3. Accept responsibility for your decisions without blaming others or circumstances for your behaviour.

The above post is based on The Parable of the Banquet or Great Feast found in Luke 14:15-24. Featured image courtesy: Photo by Kenneth Surillo on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

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Sunday Sermonettes | You Are No Failure If You Can Tell God, “I Love You!”

Sunday Sermonettes #022

My dear friend, you are no failure if you can tell God, “I love you.” It was Peter who said “Lord, I love you.” after his dismal failure. And it happened thus: It was early morning by the seashore of Galilee.

“Come and have breakfast,” said the Risen Jesus as he invited 7 of his disciples to the breakfast of fish and bread on a fire of burning coals he had prepared for them.

A great drama was to follow. Jesus confronted Peter because of his failure. Peter had denied knowing his Master after Jesus was arrested and taken to be crucified to bleed and die for you and me.

But surprisingly there was no condemnation in the voice of Jesus. Only the question, “Do you love me?” Peter said “Yes Lord, I love you.”
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God is simply looking for love. What God values is your heart. Your simple expressions of love. Just tell him, “O God, I love you.” It doesn’t matter how much you have failed. Simply say: “I love you.”

You might be hurt and broken. You might not feel like saying it. But say “O God, I love you.” You might be afraid of God for many reasons. It doesn’t matter, just tell, “O God I love you.”

You might not be sure whether God will accept you. He certainly will. Just go ahead and tell him of your love for him; however feeble or weak it is.

Jesus had earlier called Peter to help others to experience God’s love for them. In Jesus’ own words, Peter was called to be a “fisher of men.” But Peter was discouraged by his failure. Peter’s heart was broken by that one look from Jesus before he was led away to be crucified.

Peter had gone outside and wept bitterly that night. But Jesus, after rising from the dead, had sent a special message to Peter and met with him one-on-one to encourage him. Yet he went back to his old trade of fishing in the sea and took 6 of his friends along with him.

But that night they caught no fish, nothing. Though they were experienced fishermen they had nothing to show for their labour. Jesus called out from the shore and said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” They did so and caught a huge number of fish.

It was only then they realized it was the Lord who was standing on the shore. That reminded Peter of an earlier miracle which was similar. By the shore of the same sea, Jesus had called him. This was the place of his first love when the holiness and love of God he saw in Jesus had compelled him to forsake all and follow him.

Now Jesus was reminding Peter of his first love. It had grown cold. He was an utterly broken man thinking that God cannot love him anymore.

See, Jesus has nothing to do with people who are full of pride and full of their importance and having no need of God in their lives. But he came to touch broken men and women who are full of sorrow and shame because of their sins, mistakes, and failures.

He is simply asking you, “Do you love me?” Peter was hurt when Jesus asked the same question to him the third time.

But it was love that made Peter say, “I love you Lord,” three times for he had denied his Master thrice. Jesus forgave Peter and got love in return. For Jesus himself had said on an earlier occasion that he or she who is forgiven much, loves much.
Peter was restored to a place of leadership and usefulness. The cowardly Peter, later touched by the Spirit of God, became a bold firebrand for Jesus.

And he truly became a fisher of men because he dared to say, “O Jesus, I love you.” Yes, friend, your life is no failure if with all your heart you can tell God in your brokenness, in your shame, in your defats, “O Lord, my God and my Saviour, I love you.”

Featured image courtesy: Photos by Danny Greenberg on Unsplash and Dark Indigo on Pexels Microsoft Designer
This Post is based on the incident recorded in the 21st Chapter of the Gospel of John in the Bible.

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Sunday Sermonettes | #OpenToWork | Tips to Find Your Destiny from the Search for Lost Donkeys

Sunday Sermonettes #021

The Context

Saul, in response to a request, went in search of his father’s donkeys that were lost. He was an impressive young man, without equal in that land. He went for an ordinary task. But that led him to his destiny. He met with the Prophet Samuel to whom God had already told to anoint the young man coming to meet him, king. This post from Sunday Sermonettes has invaluable tips to assist you in your job search as you are #OpenToWork.

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Be Enthusiastic

When you are #OpenToWork, always be enthusiastic about the work you currently have a chance to do. It might not be something spectacular. But when you do it with diligence and mindfulness, it will lead you to better opportunities.

Believe in Possibilities

When you are #OpenToWork, always believe in possibilities. How can you know if some ordinary task you are doing will not lead you to find a greater purpose in your life? Even after Samuel told him about the kingship, Saul was not fully convinced. When the time came and the people gathered together to greet the new king, Saul was not seen. Finally, they found him hiding behind the baggage.

Your inferiority or insignificance is no barrier for God to exalt you in the time of his choosing.

Seize Opportunities

When you are #OpenToWork, be ready to seize opportunities. It might be a half-chance or might not even have anything to do with your true calling in life. You might get an opportunity for something as ordinary as looking for lost donkeys. But like a goal-scorer in football who anticipates where the ball might come in the penalty area; you should anticipate opportunities to come your way.

Be Aware of What’s Happening Around You

That brings us to the next point. When you are #OpenToWork, be prepared. It requires constantly updating yourself and also having a big picture of trends and changes happening in your domain. As far as Saul was concerned, the political climate of that time was that people were clamouring for having a king like the other nations around them. Even though he least expected it, he became their first king. But you should make yourself aware about what is happening in the job market to be prepared for your opportunity.

Travel with Hope

When you are #OpenToWork, travel with hope. There came a point in their journey Saul was discouraged in his search for donkeys. It was his servant who encouraged him to go and meet the seer (the prophet was called seer in those days because he had a God-given ability to see into the future). His servant told him that the seer would tell them what way to take. As R. L. Stevenson wrote in his essay El Dorado: “To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.”

Sharpen Your Skills

Again, when you are #OpenToWork, sharpen your skills. If your axe is not sharpened, all your efforts at felling trees is not going to be effective. And King Solomon shares his wisdom encouraging you to be skilled in your work: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings, he will not serve before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22:29 Bible)

A Change of Heart

Perhaps, one more thought from the episode of Saul being chosen king is that you and I need a change of heart. Often when you search for a job, you might be rejected multiple times. That can lead to discouragement, resentment, and even a sense of failure. Saul, in response to Samuel informing him that he is to be king, says that his family is one having the least social status in their land. So God had to change his heart to prepare him for his destiny.

Similarly, you too have to realize that your worth and significance come from your value as an individual in God’s eyes. You need to see yourselves from his perspective.

When you are #OpenToWork, do not allow being fired from your work, being laid off, networking without results, enduring long periods of silence when you don’t hear back from your potential employer, or your applications being repeatedly rejected even after many positive rounds of interviews define you or your worth. They are just layers on the core value of who you are in God. He values you for who you are and not based on your performance.

“Follow Me” to Your Destiny

The big lesson to learn is that the lesser things will be taken care of. The donkeys for which Saul went searching were later found. Saul had no role in finding them. But he had found his destiny.

When Jesus asked a man to follow him, he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” What he meant was that he will finish all his household duties and after everything is settled he will come and follow Jesus.

To this Jesus replied, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” What Jesus meant was that those who are not having God’s life in them will take care of the ordinary tasks. You don’t worry about the routine and lesser things of life. But think of the destiny that God has planned for you. Act on it now.

The story of Saul’s search for donkeys and rise to the throne is found in 1 Samuel 9 and 10; and Jesus’s conversation with the man is found in Luke 9:59, 60.

Image courtesy: Luciana Evrard on Pexels and OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

#OpenToWork #JobSearch #Networking

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Sunday Sermonettes | When You Feel Forgotten by God

Sunday Sermonettes #017

At some point in life each one of us might have asked this question, “Has God forgotten me?” We ask this question during the difficult times in our life.

The first thought is that delay to God’s answers to your prayers are no indication that God has forgotten you. Often, in the waiting period, when you see-saw between hope and despair, God is preparing you to receive the goodness he has kept in store for you.

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Secondly, God has promised not to forget you. And he does not lie. He never fails to keep his promises. He has said that it is highly unlikely for a mother to forget her new born baby. God says, even if she forgets, I will not forget you.

Thirdly, God is teaching you to walk by faith during those times you think that God has forgotten you. When God seems absent, the path ahead might look dark and threatening. Your friends might fall to help you. But your faith does not depend on sight. You learn to take one step at a time in hope.

Again, many times it is written in the Bible, “God remembered” someone. Does that mean God had forgotten them? No. God remembered is an expression which means the season for God to act in their lives had then come. And suddenly things begin to move in their lives swiftly.

Now, does your complaint that God has forgotten you make you an unbeliever? No. It simply tells us how weak we are and how much ẁe need to learn to depend on God to live our lives. God is bigger than we think and he does not find fault with your honest doubt, “Has God Forgotten me?”

One of the things that helps you rise above despair is looking back on your past and seeing how God has helped you. Think about how God took care of your needs during the very difficult situations in your life. He is the same God and changes not. He will not forget you. He will surely come to your help.

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Sunday Sermonettes | How to Get Your Heart’s Desires God’s Way

Sunday Sermonettes #016

The Promise

“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 Bible).

That is an exciting promise. No limits. It simply states that God will give you the desires of your heart. When God’s Word says so, you can put your confidence in it because God always keeps his part of the promise made. As you look at this promise you find God’s part as well as your role in it. God will give, but you have to delight in him.
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God First

In simple words, it means you should not put the cart before the horse. You have to put God first in your life. In all things. It is then that God becomes the delight of your heart.

When your thoughts revolve around God most of the time; he becomes the delight of your heart. This is a simple way of saying it. But it can become a start pointing. Start thinking about God and his everlasting love for you. Think of God sending his Son Jesus to bleed and die on the cross for you. Think of his forgiving love towards you.

Love for God

Delighting in God is all about love for him. He simply desires you to love him “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Love for God and delighting in him go hand in hand.

Again, try to express your love to God. Start to praise him. Just thank him that he has been good to you. Maybe you have gone through great troubles in life. You feel a grudge against God for the bad things that have happened. Still, make a try to tell God that you love him.

It might seem like offering God bits and pieces of a broken toy. But he accepts them all from you because you are genuinely trying to express your love. He accepts it from you as a loving father would accept it from a little child.

Talk to God

If you persist in expressing your love for God and try to talk with him; then over a period of time, God works in your heart. Be honest with God when you talk with him. Bring all your desires to him. And tell him all that is in your heart. He listens to all that you say and even what you do not say. Your heart is an open book before him; so are all your thoughts too. So he knows it all.

When you delight in God, that is when you put God first, something happens. That means you don’t fight with God about your desires. You don’t quarrel with him over it. You just tell him whatever is in your mind.

When God’s Desires Become Your Desires

During this process, God gets the chance to help you understand what his mind is about the desires you have. He will, through different people or situations but mainly through words of the Bible, speak to you. And he will show you what is best or wrong about your desires. And you get a chance to align yourselves with the best that God desires in your life. It is like having the sail of a boat catch the wind.

Then God’s desires for you become your desires. And he will give you the desires of your heart. So delight yourself in the LORD, Let him be first in your life. It will exclude and put to death every evil and sinful desire; and the temptation to do wrong that comes to your mind.

The Cleansing Blood of Jesus

And then when your heart is free of all darkness and is filled with God’s light, there is no limit to God fulfilling the desires of your heart. You might wonder how your heart can be rid of evil! Is that even possible? Yes, it is possible if you ask God to wash you clean by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for you. The power and effectiveness of the blood of Jesus is overwhelmingly real.

Yes, when you delight in God, he will fulfil the desires of your heart. Isn’t that like one blank cheque given you to draw from the unlimited resources of God?

Featured image courtesy: Photo by SLZ on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

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Sunday Sermonettes | Not Rejected and Forgotten but Loved and Accepted as You Are

Sunday Sermonettes #013

So many walk away to the edge because they have failed in life.
So many give up because no one seems to care.
So many find it difficult to handle rejection.
So many are unable to escape the mistakes they made while young.

There are others who have been cheated after having been given false promises. Life is a mess for many. Unable to break habits they are slaves to, many groan and cry in despair.

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Into this brokenness there walks in someone who was himself rejected, despised, wounded, bruised and forsaken.

To those who find it difficult to forgive themselves, he says, “Your sins are forgiven.” To those who are rejected, he opens his arms wide like when they were stretched out on the cross.

You are accepted just as you are no matter how much a mess you have made your life to be. He offers no easy answers. But he shares your pain. And he says, “My peace I give you.”

After all, at the end of the day, you need someone who understands; don’t you? Do not shun him thinking you are beyond help. There is no one else like him who comes to your help when you are hurting.

He never said, “I love you!” But Love was never on exhibit more plainly than when he was lifted up on the cross. He bled for you that you may belong to him. His promise to you is not an easy life but his presence with you in your troubles.

Yes dear friend, he walks in when everyone else has rejected you and walked out on you. His name is Jesus. He is your glorious hope who will make life shine bright once again for you.

Sunday Sermonettes | When You Feel Forgotten by God

Featured images courtesy: Collage of images by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke, Вероника Сбитнева, Nick_the_Photographer, Foundry Co, Alexandra_Koch by Pixabay.

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Sunday Sermonettes | God Motivates You to Cross the Finishing Line

Sunday Sermonettes #011

Can you expect to rise above your defeats? Yes you can, God helping you.

Can you find strength to go on in spite of all failures you have faced? Yes you can. For God’s Word says to you:

“Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” 1

You might have made mistakes; but that is how life is. Not one of us is perfect; and it is foolish to think that all those who succeed do it perfect all the time.
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Now life for you might have slowed down; it might have even come to a standstill.

Hope might be at its last flicker. But there is a God who fans into flame the smoking wick.

He will not give up on those who think themselves failures.

He comes to give you strength. His love is neither weak nor sentimental. What he sees when he looks at you is unparalleled beauty arising out of what has been wrecked.

There is a voice of hope that whispers courage in your heart. He is asking, “What are you doing here lying down on a bed of despair, my child?”

You cannot lock yourself in your room and expect to hide from him. When he has business to do with you; he will walk right in. For he holds the key to your life; didn’t you know?

Your heartaches are his concern even when you think no one cares.

Never will he ask you to walk alone. You might not recognize his presence with you; for he loves to see you walk by faith and not by sight. He is there by your side when you are losing grip on the rocks you climb.

Still believe: When you have lost your strength and you feel that you can longer fly; he will lift you high. And make you climb the heights.

You can soar on wings like eagles on high for it is love that brings him near and touch your hurting life.

Never give up for there is a finishing line. And he is waiting there to see you cross the line.

It doesn’t matter you stumbled and fell many times. But all that now counts is that you did not lose faith in God who bled on the cross for you and did not lose sight of the finishing line.

Featured image courtesy: Image by Satya Tiwari from Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

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Sunday Sermonettes | Your Heart’s Overflow Is What Your Mouth Speaks

Sunday Sermonettes #009


Do you consistently speak words of hope or do you speak words of despair? The power of words we use is immense. Some of their impact even time cannot erase.

But from where do words pour out? Jesus spoke the truth when he said: “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Yes, speech is an outflow of the abundance of good or bad we store up in our hearts.

Words spoken do carry great power. In fact, the wise King Solomon said, “The tongue has the power of life and death; and those who love it will eat its fruit.” It is no secret that words affect us, influence our emotions, and colour our relationships.

So let us strive to build others up through our words. Let us encourage others; and let us avoid diminishing people in front of others. A little bit of kindness in our hearts can make the words we speak have a healing touch. It can become a lifeline of hope to a discouraged person.

But an empty vessel cannot pour out water. Likewise life-giving thoughts have to be stored up in our hearts to give life-giving words to others.

In other words, motivational speaking is effective only when the speaker is overwhelmingly thinking of uplifting the audience and painting for them the possibilities that life and the future holds for them.

His or her words should help the listeners look away from their current reality which might look like a wet blanket of despair to the future that is like a door wide open to what each of those persons can become.

Your words therefore can throw open God-gifted possibilities in the life of people. So store up God’s Spirit-filled wisdom in your heart; and your words will truly ignite hope for others. Let your mouth always speak the good, the lovely, and the inspiring that your heart is full of.

But inspiring words do not happen by chance. It has an intense and intimate connection with what our character truly is. And character is not formed in a day or two. It is shaped over the years.

For we are shaped not only by what we allow to influence us but also by what we make an honest effort to avoid. For if we avoid the baggage of words that are acidic like slander, gossip, and mocking others; our mouths will speak only of the beautiful things stored up in our hearts.

Then when we talk; our conversations will turn out to be pleasant; filled with kindness like food seasoned with salt. It will taste good and preserve relationships in contrast to having a bad taste and destroying others.

Let us therefore keep our eyes and ears open to store up good things in our hearts so that when we speak they will bring words of cheer, hope, and comfort out of the abundance stored up there.

“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.” — Jesus Christ

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Featured image by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

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This Day Choose

Lady with a lighted lamp

This Day Choose to be positive in spite of setbacks and disappointments that have come your way.
This Day Choose to lend a helping hand to someone who needs your presence or encouraging words even when you are hurting within.
This Day Choose hope even when all your circumstances make it look like you are alone without help in a desert.
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This Day Choose to stand with the truth though it is painful even when it seems easy to speak a lie and get away with it.
This Day Choose to show mercy to others about whom many are speaking slander and gossip.
This Day Choose to love your loved ones even when they are unlovable in their attitudes, words, and actions.Yes, it is all a choice.
We choose to love God or reject him. We choose to bless with our words or wound with our tongue. We choose life or we choose death with the choices we make. We choose what is of the earth and passing away or we choose what is eternal and lasting forever. 
If we don’t choose; we do by habit what we chose the first time when confronted with choices. So change your choices.
Thus change your habits. Thereby, change your life and destiny.

Featured image courtesy: Photo by Ahmed ツ on Pexels
See this Post This Day Choose on LinkedIn

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Your Best Yes Can Be a No

It is impossible to grow in your career without being able to say No. If you say Yes all the time, that means you are being a people-pleaser. It means that you are not focused. It again means that you don’t set priorities. It also means others don’t respect your boundaries or are not even aware of them.

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If you say Yes to everything; you are going to bleed your time, energy, resources, and money for the tasks others are responsible for. That means others easily make you work for them for nothing. A Yes man or woman does not realize that he or she is an individual worthy of respect and esteem like anyone else.

Now the question is how can you say No. You might be afraid that you will hurt people if you say No. That might be true. But we are not talking about saying No to genuine requests for help. Instead, you need to ask questions to find out the real intent of people asking for favours from you. If you discover that, you will be shocked to know that what they said to you to get things done was not sincere but only a mask to conceal the real motive of manipulating you.

Often there are people who want to get things done by dumping the task on the head of someone who is weak-willed. That is not delegation but just making use of you to get them some leisure time.

Now be courteous when you say No. Tell them you have more urgent priorities to deal with at the moment. Point out to them some other method or resource or help they can seek.

A No response comes from your realization of what you are called to do in life. The more you grow as a professional the more focused you should become. That can happen only if you learn to say No to anything that distracts from what you are converging in on life.

Read this article on Saying No on LinkedIn

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Don’t You Quit

There is great power in 3 things when you think about Don’t You Quit:

First of all, trust in God. When things look hopeless and no one is in a position to help you and no door seems to open, God is still there. He is ever willing to help you. So hold on in faith. Don’t you quit.

Secondly, trust in the dream God has given you. There might be things that have gone wrong. You might have made mistakes and have had your share of failures. But the good Lord who put the dream in your heart wants to see it fulfilled. So sharpen your skills, raise your vision to higher goals, and bless people through your efforts. Hold on in faith. Don’t you quit.

Thirdly, trust that a comeback is possible for you. Don’t lie down. Don’t give in to despair. It might take longer than you think. Progress might be painfully slow. But every step you take is forward. Every failure is just going to increase your resolve to succeed. So hold on in faith. A comeback will truly showcase to the world how God showed mercy to you. Don’t you quit just at the verge of victory.
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This post was inspired by the Movie HOOVEY | INSPIRATIONAL TRUE STORY | PATRICK WARBURTON

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Overflow with Hope

Soaring Eagle

Hope is in short supply in today’s world. But let me remind you of how to overflow with hope. If you are feeling tired and having no strength; if you feel powerless and weak; hold on. Even if you think God has forgotten you; don’t give up. For this promise of God from Isaiah 40:31 is for you:
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

What does this promise mean to you today? First of all, it reminds you to focus on God and not your problems. You have to hope in the Lord. You have to make a deliberate effort to turn your eyes away from all your troubles and failures and focus on God and his great power, mighty strength, and infinite wisdom.

Secondly, when you hope in the Lord, you will start to expect God to act in your life. Faith will begin to rise in your hearts. For the Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” This kind of hope is not wishful thinking. Instead, it is based on God’s promise and assurance in our lives that he will not leave us nor forsake us.
Blood Jesus Cleanse

Thirdly, when you hope in the Lord, there is bound to be action. There will be renewal of strength. You will soar on wings like eagles; you will run and not grow weary, and you will walk and not be faint. Therefore, cheer up. Take heart. Make God the focus of your thoughts. And strength will flow into your lives.

Finally, many people lose hope today as they focus on their past sins, present failures, and future worries. See, the blood of Jesus has the power to cleanse you from all your past sins, redeem your life from present failures, and keep your mind in perfect peace as you hope and trust in him.

So be filled with hope today. As Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Let your cup overflow with hope today. God has heard your prayers and seen your tears. From the ashes of your defeat, hope will rise. And God will act on your behalf. Therefore, look to the God of hope today.

Read “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed,” on LinkedIn.
Isaiah 49:23
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Featured image:
Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels.

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January 2024 Inspirational Words & Images

Treasure box

January 1, 2024 | Hope

Welcome 2024 with hope in God. Out of loss in previous years; there can yet come a sprout out of the stump left.

Photo courtesy: Engin Akyurt on Pexels

January 2, 2024 | Treasure Hunt

Life is a treasure hunt. You need to restrain restless pursuit of the things of the world to find things of true value.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 3, 2024 | Taste

What adds taste to life is not salt, sugar, or pepper; but love and togetherness. Even in simple dishes, they add abundance.

Image courtesy: Microsoft Designer

January 4, 2024 | Mirrors

Mirrors don’t tell truth; they only tell us what we like to hear. We look at mirrors that show us our smiling best; but shun God’s Own Mirror which show us as our hearts truly are.

Photo courtesy: Andrea Piacquadio on Pixels | Microsoft Designer

January 5, 2024 | Prayer

We pray to God to change our negative circumstances. But God often gifts you grace and courage to rise above them. He first of all makes you bold before he changes difficult situations. Therefore never lose heart; never lose hope. Keep on praying. God hears. God answers.

Image generated by Microsoft Designer.

January 6, 2024 | Failures

Do not wallow in self-pity when you fail. Instead, look up and rise up now out of your bed of despair. Trust God. There is hope for your tomorrow.

Photo courtesy: Robert Kozakiewicz on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 7, 2024 | Be Still

There are moments in life when the best thing to do is to remain still and trust God to do the impossible. Then it becomes Himpossible.

Photo by Ken Cheung on Unsplash | Microsoft Designer

January 8, 2024 | Space Exploration

Each scientific discovery tells us how small we human beings truly are. The stunning progress of Science and Technology, especially in Space exploration in recent years; should move us to worship God the Creator, who gave us life: for his holiness, greatness, wisdom, mighty power, majesty, and glorious splendour.

The vastness of unending Space; its marvellous beauty; its stillness and laws that govern the perfect order in which stars and planets move; speak volumes of God’s incomparable greatness.

It is not scientific spirit that rejects God or deny his existence; but simply our pride that does not accept our smallness.

Photo of Solar Eclipse by Bryan Goff on Unsplash | Microsoft Designer

January 9, 2024 | Hope in God

God says, “Those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

Photo by Frank Cone on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

Click here to read full article, How to Overflow with Hope.

January 10, 2024 | Gossip

When we listen to gossip, it can crush someone like this beautiful and innocent butterfly. Say a deliberate NO when people tell you negatively flavoured stories of others. Imagine if the story is about you. How would you feel? You can make this world a better place by refusing to listen to gossip. Yes, you can!

Image courtesy: Petr Ganaj on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 11, 2024 | Winning

Winning at the highest level of competitions is all about: One, a burning desire to win, and Two, staying calm under pressure. Without these two; all hard work, game plan, practice, and fan support will go wasted.

Image courtesy: Microsoft Designer

January 12, 2024 | Professional and Personal Growth

God’s best work of art in us comes through cutting away like how grape vines are pruned to produce luxuriant fruit. What are we willing to put the chisel to in our lives that even when producing pain will enable growth and fruitfulness?

Photo courtesy: Kai-Chieh Chan on Pixels | Microsoft Designer

January 13, 2024 | New Every Morning

We all fail miserably at times. And then we feel like giving up and calling ourselves failures. But God is willing to gift you yet another chance; always. For “his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”

Image courtesy: Photo by pressthebutton on Pixels | Microsoft Designer

January 14, 2024 | Your Look Matters

So many of our thoughts start with seeing. Therefore it is important to keep an eye on what we look at. If we look too long at what is not rightfully ours; it can lead to coveting. And that can explode like a volcano; destroying trust and relationships.

Image generated by Microsoft Designer

January 15, 2024 | Smile

Never forget to smile; never fail to shine a ray of hope with your smile. For you are counted richer than a billionaire if you can gift a smile.

Photo courtesy: Dharun dloves on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 16, 2024 | Mockers

Many sit in the seat of mockers in today’s world. They try to outsmart their competitors by laughing at their expense and making fun of them. But it won’t last long. Mockers will surely fall one day.

Photo courtesy: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 17, 2024 | Simple Words

Simple words can have great impact in communication. “I have good news for you,” need not be said as; “The report that I am going share with you is profound and impactful.” Simplicity in choice of words hides greatness within it. So, go for simple words when you communicate.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 18, 2024 | God Remembers You

When troubles come; it is easy to lose heart and get discouraged. But the Hebrew Poet and King David found comfort that God stores all his tears in a bottle, writes them on a scroll, and keeps a record of them. Let us be thankful that God values each one of us as individuals; and he remembers our tears.

Image AI generated | Microsoft Designer

January 19, 2024 | Do Not Be Apologetic

You might have heard many speakers begin saying, “I’m not thoroughly prepared,” or “I am not knowledgable about this topic; but will still try to say a few words,” or something apologetic like this. Why spoil audience expectations like this? Instead, start positively and with joy and the audience will echo the same to you quickly.

Image AI generated | Microsoft Designer

January 20, 2024 | God Cares for You

So many of us worry to death each day. The only antidote to worry is to trust in our Heavenly Father who cares for even a sparrow no one is worried about a bit at all.

Photo by Frans van Heerden on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 21, 2024 | Postpone Death If You Can

Almost anything can be postponed; except the day of death. That surely is a compelling reason for mindful living today.

Photo by

January 22, 2024 | The Blood of Jesus

The blood of Jesus on the cross is the greatest hope ever gifted to all.

A poem written on Good Friday, April 6, 2012.

January 23, 2024 | Running On Track

It is not speed, power, or efficiency; but what is more fundamental is whether you are running on track? Planets, stars, and galaxies obey heaven’s laws and follow their God-ordained orbits and there is order, harmony, and peace. So run on the track assigned and find success.

Photo courtesy: Photo by Tony Staub on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 24, 2024 | Follow Up

Call it leadership, management, or plain common sense, “follow up” is what gets things done. Neglect it at home, office, or anywhere else; and you’re undone.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 25, 2024 | We Speak What Our Hearts Are Full Of

Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We have felt the power of angry words bursting forth at us from someone.

Often daily, we too hurt others with words. These are no accidents. It is coming from what we have stored up in our hearts.

Let us try to store good so that what spills out from our mouths even in angry moments are gentle words. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it impossible? No. Let us give it an honest try even though we have failed multiple times in this regard in our speaking.

Images courtesy: Photos by Clara and George Desipris on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 26, 2024 | Authority and Power

Authority and power are given. It is wise to use them with humility; for it is God who changes times and seasons.

Image by Stephanie Albert on Unsplash | Microsoft Designer

January 27, 2024 | A Matchstick Can

You can be a simple matchstick. Yet you can light many torches. Do not look at your insignificant appearance. But look at what God can do through you.

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 28, 2024 | Valentine Gift Heart Love

There is power in love. Not many forget the first time you met true love! Here’s a story of love lifting up someone from the slimy pit; and restoring that person to dignity. Lavished love! Amazing love! Everlasting love!

Read it here: My Heart I Give to You, Oh, My Valentine!

Image by Michael Winkler from Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

January 29, 2024 | Failures Come Because You Don’t Aim High

Some failures, though not all, happen because your goals are meek. Set your standards higher than normal. And that will help to bring out the best in you. Even if you fail then, you would have outshined your previous best. No failure is final when you have the guts to dare an audacious goal.

Image courtesy: Photo by BOOM on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 30, 2024 | Take a Short Break

Long hours of intense coding can break you. Take short breaks in between. For your code matters; but your life and health matters most.

Photo by ThisIsEngineering on Pexels | Microsoft Designer

January 31, 2024 | Forgiven Much, Love Much!

Forgiveness is the true colour of love. When God forgives, he asks no questions why you sinned or failed? He only asks, “Do you love me?” If you are forgiven much, you can love him much more!

Peggy_Marco on Pixabay | Microsoft Designer

 

These are inspirational words & images originally published on LinkedIn in January 2024. They are short snippets of wisdom motivating you to better living. They are words of hope.

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Our Daily Bread

“Give us each day our daily bread,” is a simple prayer Jesus taught us to pray.

First of all it is a child-like prayer to God our Father in heaven. A child simply expects his or her father to provide. It is an expression of trust in the love relationship between a child and father.

Secondly, it is a community prayer. It is not give me and my family our daily bread. Instead, it is a prayer for others included. We are taught to shun selfishness and embrace others’ needs too in our prayers and action.
Blood Jesus Cleanse

Thirdly, it teaches us not to take anything for granted. We may have money and purchasing power. But food and our ability to enjoy its taste is God’s gift.

Fourthly, it teaches us to be thankful. There are many who thank God before they eat. It shows us that we should not forget the Giver of good gifts when we receive them.

Fifthly, daily is a key word. Life is, and should be lived one day at a time. The present moment is of great importance. We should not be paralyzed by our yesterdays nor should we be worried and anxious about our tomorrows.

Sixthly, bread is a result of man’s labour, toil, and sweat. It is a reminder to work hard with sincerity and earn one’s bread. Idleness is not part of God’s economy. When you work with professional excellence, you are being part of the answer to your prayers.

Finally, daily bread can also remind us about feeding on God’s Word each day morning; which nourishes and strengthens our spirit. It can satisfy us more than our daily food.

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” — John 6:27 Bible

Read Our Daily Bread article on LinkedIn

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Are You Unhappy at Work?

Smiling Woman Computer

There is every chance that the title resonated with the pain in your heart; isn’t it? Many people are unhappy at work. Why is it so? There are no easy answers. But let us try to know what can be the reasons and perhaps how to try to get the better of them.

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One, probably your immediate boss is your primary problem.

Always finding fault, always pressurizing you to meet deadlines, perhaps shouting at you occasionally might best describe this person. These are negatives, no doubt about that. At the same time, try to see all this as helping to push you beyond your limits to be the best you can be. This change of perspective can take the focus away from the negative boss to the positive process of growth that is happening for good.

Secondly, your passion might be somewhere else and your heart is there.

There are compromises we all make to meet current realities related to meeting our personal and family needs. No need to become frustrated about that. You need to wait patiently till the pressure of current needs are met and then you can think of switching to a new career or try to talk with your management to help you be in a role that bests suits your talent and passion.

Thirdly, it can be a toxic work environment, a bad work culture, or even your nosey colleagues that can be the problem.

There are no easy answers here. But for the sake of argument, let me say that you will always meet people who create trouble everywhere you go. Learn to avoid being with people who are potential volcanoes waiting to erupt. When they try to pry into your personal lives; don’t fly off the handle but instead with a gentle smile try to steer the topic away to something that is currently in the news. Not easy, but definitely doable.

Fourthly, it can be that you are too focused on the pay packet.

It can be less compared to others like you in other Companies or someone junior to you has been hired with a greater salary than yours. Both are hard to digest. One way to see your job is to see the big picture. If you can find meaning in your work because of the impact and influence it has on people it can make your burden light. Monetary rewards will come when you excel. Focus on excelling in your work even if your salary is not unto expectations at this time.

Fifthly, it can easily be a problem with work-life balance.

Personal and family needs and dull daily routines can take away your happiness at work. But life is real and not a fantasy. Problems are real and can lay their weight heavily on your mind. Try to see if some chores can be delegated. Try better prioritization of tasks and time management. Try talking with your friends. Take some deliberate time for yourself each day and spend it on your hobby. See, most people never ever get started on what they wish to get done in life. Get started now. Even if it is 5 minutes a day.

Sixthly, probably you are carrying someone else’s monkey on your back.

This concept was originally proposed by William Oncken Jr. in a Harvard Business Review article way back in 1974. It is a powerful image pointing to a daily reality at work. You might be saying yes to requests for help coming from others. There is nothing wrong with helping others. But consider whether they are just putting their monkey on your back and taking life easy. You should learn to help without carrying the burden. A gentle, firm, honest No to not-so-genuine requests can make life happier for you at work.

Finally, let me conclude by pointing out something we are all guilty of. Lack of gratitude.

So many of us take things for granted in life. Our loved ones, a home, a job, means of travel, good health etc., are some of the things that we don’t think much about. See, there is much in life we can be thankful to God for. An attitude of thanks and praise to God is a sure way to bring back joy and happiness in your work and keep the hope of a better tomorrow alive.

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Interview Success Is About Your Passion

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Be passionate about one thing. Your passion shouts out loud when you talk. You need not try to convince the interviewer about your passion; it simply shines through. Instead of wasting time mastering interview techniques, take time to be extremely good at one thing. This one thing can be your ability to code excellently well in a particular programming language or your passionate pursuit to excel in a hobby of yours. That will bring you success.

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Now, interviews are won not by the precise answers you give. It is good if you can give the right answers. But it is more about the confidence you inspire in the interview board that enables you to get the job. And it is here that the passion you have will help you.

It is quite natural that the interviewer will, at some point in time, start asking about what you are passionate about. Then you get the chance of your lifetime to showcase your knowledge and expertise. If you say it well, then it will inspire confidence in them.

That brings us to yet another point. How to craft your answer well. The best thing you can do is to write down your thoughts as part of the interview preparation process. The first draft might be just a starting point, the second draft can improve upon it, and probably a third draft after striking out what is not needed can become your pitch for the interview. Many make the foolish mistake of being over confident of their ability to speak off the cuff and nose dive into the pit of failure.

When you prepare, try to connect some elements of your passion with the job you are being interviewed for. Something like: playing football taught me the art of teamwork; passion for photography helped me sharpen my focus; participation in chess tournaments have increased my ability to concentrate and enhanced my strategic thinking; and so on.

And definitely you should try to organize the points of your presentation. It will demonstrate your clarity of thinking; your level of preparedness; and your ability to inspire confidence. Organising content is not about saying everything about what you know. It is more about choosing the best things and editing out the rest.

If you have played cricket with passion; tell them something about your playing for your school, college, or club; about what kind of player are you; a batsman, a bowler; an all-rounder; if a bowler what kind of bowling you have specialised in: fast, medium, spin, and so on. Highlight some of your best achievements.

If you have captained any team; tell them so and it will highlight your leadership capability; your ability to motivate your team; and so on. And definitely be prepared to answer questions like who is your favourite cricketer and why? Such questions will help you to speak with authority and confidence on what you really know; and your passion will shine through.

Finally, let me say that if you are not passionate about something; it is highly likely that you will not be passionate about anything including your job. If you can demonstrate your enthusiasm and your ability to persevere by talking about your passion; you stand a good chance to clear the interview. So before you think about mastering interview techniques; make it a point to be passionate about one thing. And let it speak for yourself at the time of interview.

Beyond interview success; life is about passions; isn’t it?. As the famed Formula One (F1) Racer Michael Schumacher had written on his traditional Schuberth red helmet at his farewell: “Life is about passions. Thank you for sharing mine.” So having a passion in life is about continuing the journey in hope.

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When You Feel Anxious

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There is not one who does not feel anxious at some point in time. For a student it can be just before an exam; for a professional it can be some pending work or a meeting with the boss. For many others it is fear of the future; health issues; financial insecurity or being late to catch a train. It is natural to feel anxious. But let us try to look at how to manage it.

First of all, look to God.

He is a strong tower, a mighty rock, a shade and shelter, a comforting mother, a helping hand ever present, who lives for ever and never sleeps. He is watching over you all the time. Even when you are struggling he is seeing it and is moved with compassion for you. Cast all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you says the Bible1. So look to God. Make a conscious effort to think about God.

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Secondly, try to declutter your life.

See when we organize poorly; when we accumulate little things over the years; when we say yes to all unimportant requests from people; when we refuse to say No to activities that blurs our focus on what is important; they all lead to anxiety. So take time to remove the weeds that mar the beauty of the garden of your life. When you declutter it will make life simpler.

Thirdly, talk to your friends.

Just admit that you feel anxious. Talking things with your friends can relieve anxiety. They may or may not give advice. What they say might not help or be practical in your situation. But still talking with friends will relieve anxiety. Do not be like a dam with all shutters down; but open the spillways with trusted friends.

Finally, travel with hope.

Life might not be easy. It is natural to fear and feel anxious. But hold on to the firm hope that you will emerge strong in spite of all your anxiety; God-helping you. Never give up hope. Miracles do happen. It might not be like a burst of lightning always; but like the simple ordinary blooming of a flower bud more often.

You can read When You Feel Anxious on LinkedIn

11 Peter 5:7
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A Champion’s Mindset: Raise Your Game to Highest Performance

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Champions have a different mindset. One thing that makes them different from others is their ability to raise their game to highest performance when situations demand it from them. Let us look at some the highlights of a champion’s mindset.

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First of all, champions don’t think defeat.

They are realistic with who their competition is. But they don’t allow that to intimidate them. Often the best opponent and the toughest teams bring out the best in them and help them bring out their best performance.

Secondly, champions enjoy their game.

They workout, toil, and spend long hours in practice. All these are tolling on the mind and body. But they persevere because they enjoy what they do. Even when they sleep they dream of enjoying their game. This undoubtedly makes them raise their game to highest performance while on the field.

Thirdly, champions don’t give up till the very last.

They have the ability to bounce back from early setbacks if it happens. They keep cool under pressure. They anticipate in hope till they catch the opponent relaxing for perhaps a split second and turn the tables around. Often champions show their true colors by unbelievable comebacks especially during final moments of a game. This is performance at its very best.

Fourthly, champions treat victories differently.

They are happy; but they are dissatisfied with even their best performance. Always, they strive to find what they could do better next time. No champion relaxes on reaching a summit. They treat it as history and focus sharply on the next game coming up. Looking forward is one way champions raise the level of their game to highest performance.

Finally, champions sense it when their fans, the situation, and the watching world is expecting them to perform.

They adapt to even hostile situations and deliver under pressure. Perhaps this one distinguishes a champion from others. They raise the level of their game to highest performance when all is against them.

To conclude, you too can be a champion if you strive to win, have that killer instinct, and a never give up hope-filled attitude until you win.

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Run! Life Is a Race!

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Your Look Matters

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Your look matters. What you see is what makes you think. Looking up at the twinkling stars is what made the poet ask, “How I wonder what you are?” Likewise looking at the beautiful can trigger your imagination to see diamonds in every twinkle in the sky.

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That kind of look of wonder and imagination was in the past. Today people are hooked to what they see on the screen or in the streets. When you engage with what you see; you imagine, you think, and you act on your thoughts. So it is important to know that your look matters.

What you look at constantly can feed your mind. It can create a web which links to emotions. So it is up to you to choose what links you like to create. Remember it all starts with what you choose to see. Unlinking the hooks you have created is not easy like how you unlink when you write a piece of code. So be careful for your look matters.

There are a lot of things you cannot avoid seeing. Life is busy and your eyes and sight collide with too much visual information, entertainment, and enticement through the media too. Like there are censoring boards and editors in the movie world, you should consciously have filters in place which will weed out unwanted images and thoughts.

Otherwise, distractions can easily make you slip and fall. And it all starts with what you look at. The choice is yours. Make a wise decision not to look at what is wrong, what is tempting, and what can lead you down to a slippery path to destruction. Please God and you will have the courage to say no to the glittering things of life that appeal to your eyes. So watch what you look at; for your look matters.
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The Mistake in Public Speaking I Remember the Most

I share with you this classic mistake I once made in my speech which I remember the most. The occasion was a sermon I delivered in my Church.

It was a few weeks after the Tsunami had struck South East Asia in December 2004. So I started off talking about it. In the third sentence of my sermon I said, ” A few days later the . . .”

At that point my mind went blank. I was standing in the pulpit. It was a raised platform. Around three to four hundred people were looking intently at me. I had no sermon notes with me. I simply had to go on.

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I knew I had to say a word starting with the letter M. But it was not coming to mind. So I substituted with another word starting with the letter M. And this is what I said:

“A few days later the magnanimity of the tragedy struck us.”

The moment I said that in my mind’s eye I could see blue and red lights flashing and hear alarm bells ringing. But I couldn’t stop to analyze. I had to go on.

The sermon went ahead well with a few more mistakes but not as classic as the one I just mentioned. Truly “magnanimity” was a disaster.

The magnitude (which was the word I should have said) of my mistake is clear because magnanimity means generosity!

Truly a classic mistake.

But the point is that it did not stop my journey as a public speaker. I continue to speak even now.

So also can you. There is no need to fear mistakes. It can come to anyone; to the best of men and women on the best of their days.

Therefore you need not fear mistakes. Let them come.

Often there is nothing much I can do to correct the mistakes made in speech as with the case of “magnanimity” of the tragedy.

So I understand that it simply shows me as a human being capable of making mistakes, maybe time and again.

But beyond that I see that I can trust him who hung on a cross and bled for me to integrate my life’s failures and mistakes into what he is shaping and moulding me to be.

So be encouraged today to speak. Mistakes need not prevent you from achieving the best that God has kept in store for you.

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Conquer the Giants in Your Life


Are you facing giants in your life? They can either kill you or make you strong if you fight and conquer them. The choice is yours. If you decide to fight, here are a few simple steps to remember when you face giants in your life. By the way giants refer to the BIG problems you are facing.

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Some of the names of giants might be familiar to you like fear, worry, laziness, discouragement, depression, suicidal thoughts, feeling like a failure, financial difficulties,  wrong habits, career or marital problems and the like.

The first thing is to realize that every person fights a giant at some point in life. No one is exempted. Your giant might appear small to another; but to you the giant looks imposing. Don’t let that discourage you. The truth is that giants are everywhere and they are meant to be conquered.

The second thing to remember is that God is willing to help you. When you feel powerless, weak, and without strength; look to God for help. Your prayers are never lost. There might be delays; but God will answer in his wisdom with what is best for you. So trust him to conquer the giants in your life.

The third thing to remember is that giants always fight back. They never give up easily. So don’t expect an easy victory. Like the classic David and Goliath fight; the odds might be overwhelmingly against you. But then it was a simple stone slung in faith that felled the giant. Don’t fear when giants advance against you; you can conquer them if you face them with boldness and courage that the God-confidence you have gives.

Fourthly, remember that giants are meant to make you grow in your faith in God and to have courage in your character. Without giants you always will remain feeble unable to face the realities of life. So one of the best ways to face giants is to thank God for them and cherish the opportunity you have to graduate in life. Conquering giants will not only make you strong; but also inspire others to fight and conquer giants in their lives too. Believe it.

Finally, face giants with hope. There is nothing like  hope that keeps your spirit bubbling and buoyant in your fight against giants. Hold on to hope even when the progress seems snail-pace slow. Don’t lose heart over repeated failures. Simply get up and fight again. You might get hurt but the victory is yours. So get up and conquer the giants that threaten you today.

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Give Me This Mountain

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Have a Healthy Mind

Having a healthy mind is critical to your success in life.  And surprisingly it is quite easy to have a healthy mind. Let me give you some simple tips to achieve good mental health.

First of all, to have a healthy mind, begin the day with a smile, a prayer, and a thankful heart. When you get up from bed; just smile because you have got the gift of a new day. Pray to God to give you wisdom for the day. And be thankful for all the blessings you have in life. In that way a positive environment can be created for having a healthy mind.

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Secondly, to have a healthy mind, have good friends in your life. Friends will share your joys and sorrows. They will motivate you to do better in your studies, hobbies, and career too. They will play with you and talk. And they will team up with you for projects and activities. All these are good for your mind to stay healthy.

Thirdly, to have a healthy mind, try to help someone who is weaker than you. Encourage someone to push beyond what he or she has achieved in life. Most people suffer from low self esteem. Your motivational words can shine a light in their darkness. When you do so it not only encourages them; but will also make your mind radiate with joy. Isn’t that a great  way to stay mentally healthy?

Finally, to have a healthy mind, deliberately say no to gadgets: your laptop; mobile; TV, gaming station etc. They have their value. But too much of entertainment without interaction with people; especially your loved ones is going to destroy your mental health. Addiction is more addictive than you think. The more you can stay away from gadgets; the better your  mental health.

Let me conclude by saying that mental health is of great importance in today’s world. So make a deliberate effort to stay mentally healthy by being thankful, having good friends, helping others and saying no to gadgets. Keep up hope.

You can read this article 4 Simple Steps to Have Mental Health on LinkedIn

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Be Still As Your Success Mantra

“Be still” as your success mantra is easily said than done. Being still is not about switching off one’s mind and thinking; but bringing God into the driver’s seat of one’s mind. It is not a one-time action; but a constant attitude that shows reliance and dependence upon God and his wisdom in the affairs of our lives.

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“Be still” is a command God gives and is much more than just a success mantra. He expects us to pause our worries and trust him for results. Obeying the command “be still,” is like a farmer having done all his hard work and waiting for the crops. There is nothing to do but trust that all will come out well.

“Be still” is however difficult to obey because we always like to be part of the action. But God knows that there are situations where the best thing for us to do is NOT to interfere in what he is trying to do. God’s delays might be to prepare us for the blessing ahead. But if we act without being still; it can be like a child splashing paint on to the canvas on which his Artist Dad has almost completed a perfect work of art. 

“Be still” is also difficult for us because we do not trust God’s goodness. We do not wish to put our entire reliance on God. It is like God sending us an aircraft to fly. But we prefer to drive a car the whole way because we simply find it hard to believe that God is keenly interested in leading and guiding us in ways that are best for us. 

Finally, let me conclude by saying that the ability to “be still” leads us to know God better. Let me also remind you that being still is not passive waiting. Instead it is an eager expectation on our part to see God act on our behalf. At the same time we should avoid to engineer people or situations in our human wisdom which can easily fail to see God’s higher purpose. Therefore a success mantra you can trust is to “be still.”

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This post is inspired by the Bible verse where God speaks saying, “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a)
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What Does the Excuse “I Don’t Have Enough Vocabulary” Mean?

What Does the Excuse “I don’t have enough vocabulary” mean?

First of all, it is another way of saying, “I have a problem with my confidence.”

Secondly, it reveals the thinking that “I need big words to communicate.”

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Confidence depends on a lot of factors. I have written about loss of confidence elsewhere.

But for now, let me mention that even if you communicate with gestures, your face, and your eyes; you probably might be able to communicate many things. And the fact might be that without realizing it; you often use non-verbal communication quite successfully each day; don’t you?

In that sense, let me ask you, “Are words needed for communication at all?” The point is that a limited vocabulary is not a limiting factor if you can use the few words you know, creatively.

But do you really need big words to communicate? I don’t think so. Communicate using simple words.

“The sprout of a lone blade of green grass lifting up its head through the brown mud should fill us with hope,” is a simple sentence that can be easily understood. But what makes it colourful is the images that sentence brings to our mind. We almost see what is spoken; don’t we?

So, the argument, “I have only limited vocabulary,” is simply an excuse you have found to hide and escape from any speaking opportunity that presents itself before you. Instead try saying, “I love to communicate using very few words. And I do so by my creative choice of words.”

There you are! Ready to speak and make an impact with the limited vocabulary you have. What you have now is more than enough to paint a whole world of colours in the mind’s eye of your audience.

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When Problems Appear Bigger to You Than They Really Are

We have, it seems, an in-built microscope which magnifies problems to make them look bigger than they really are. Let us look at some simple steps to zoom them out to normal sizes.

First of all, problems appear big because we despair and give up hope easily. Problems look big because we look at it in fear. Instead look at problems as opportunities to make you strong in your character. This change in outlook can make a positive difference.

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Secondly, problems appear big because you think on it all the time. Probably you are unable to share them with anyone. If that is the case, engage in any activity, hobby, or work that will give you relaxation and joy. The idea is to have something creative to do.

Thirdly, problems appear big because we fail to look to Jesus. The look doesn’t take problems away. But what it does is, the more we focus on him, the more God will appear big to us as he truly is. The more we look, we start to experience the peace of God.

This peace of God is beyond human understanding or logic. Like special security personnel or military forces standing guard, so God’s peace will guard your mind from all anxious thoughts invading your mind or making you to run away from facing problems.

So instead of taking a microscope to look at problems in a magnified way look to Jesus. And as St. Paul wrote: “Do not be anxious about anthing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” 1

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1 Philippians 4:6, 7 Bible NIV 1984.

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Put Off Your Old Attitudes and Put On New Attitudes

Attitudes influence our behaviour. It cements our character. And it can determine our ultimate destiny too. Therefore you need to learn to put off old attitudes and put on new attitudes.

Anything negative, anything dealing with darkness and evil, anything that is self-defeating, anything that is shameful; all come under old attitudes. But whatever is of the light, whatever is positive and creative, whatever builds you up and does not tear you down comes under the colourful umbrella of new attitudes.

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Looking at life, we find negativity everywhere. No doubt, we are influenced by how those close to us look at life. Some of their old attitudes do create dents in our life and we too follow their thinking patterns and even the way they speak.

But life can be approached on another plane too. It is an invitation to rise up and fly high in the skies. Instead of the drag of negativity of old attitudes; you find lift in the positivity of new attitudes.

Without doubt, this freedom and joy of new living is God-initiated to those who choose to have it that way. But to continue in that attitude of positivity; you need to be watchful and you need to be in an attitude of constant improvement. If you neglect your part of the deal; if you become slack; if you become lazy; then like weeds overrunning a neglected garden; so will negative attitudes make a rush in. So be alert.

On the other hand, by welcoming change, by making efforts to conquer bad habits, by mingling with friends who demand that you be at your best; new attitudes do take hold of you. Then you can take off old attitudes; discard them, and put on new attitudes like you put on new clothes. It requires a renewing of the mind.

Yes, the mind is where the battlefied is. Your mind is often taken a prisoner in battle. And you think, speak, and do, what you don’t like. When you find that happening, intensify your efforts to seek after the good, the lovable, the excellent, and whatever spurs you on to have new attitudes that spell life, and joy and the radiance of shining light.

You Can Make Winning in Life a Seven-Step Habit!
Top Ten Attitudes That Will Make You a Winner in Life
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Inspired by Ephesians 4:22–24 Bible.

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Try Again and Again Until You Succeed

Red Lighted Candles Christmas GiftThere is no success, no movement forward, no progress, no growth, and no development if you don’t try. So it is popularly said, “Try again and again until you succeed.” But the question is how should you try. Here are a few ways in which you can and should try.

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First of all, you should try again and again with enthusiasm. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Don’t let anything discourage you. Interestingly, the word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words “en” and “theos”; and it means “in God.” So when you are full of enthusiasm it will be like you are energized with the joy of God.

Secondly, you should try again and again with persistence. It simply means to keep on doing and keep on moving. Many give up after they try a few times. A last final try is built upon many earlier attempts; and all of them go into the making of success. As Former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge said: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.” He added that talent nor genius nor education can take the place of persistence. So persist.

Finally, you should try again and again with hope. There is much in this world that can cause despair. But as R. L. Stevenson said, “To travel hopefully is better thing than to arrive.” You should never give up hope. You should hope for a better tomorrow, always. You should hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. You should hope that love and truth will win over hate and lies. You should hope that your attempts will end in success. So journey in hope.

To conclude, think of what the motivational speaker Nick Vujicic said:

“I am gonna try again and again, because the moment I give up, is the moment I fail.”

Therefore try again and again with enthusiasm, persistence, and hope. Victory is near!

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