Proverbs 23:4 - ⁴Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.

What are you living for? Have you asked yourself that question today?…”What am I truly living for?”…That can be a sobering question on some days. I heard a story once about an airline that had a huge meeting to discuss the issues facing the company. They brought in representatives from the CEO down to the janitorial staff. They began the meeting and everyone started talking about the crisis they each had on their hands. Accounts dealing with tracking records, security handling all the customers, janitors with having to clean up after those millions of people… everyone had something that needed ‘urgent and immediate’ attention. After hours of going around and around on all these various crisis, someone noticed that one of the pilots hadn’t said a word. They asked if he had anything to add. “Well…everything everyone said here is very true. The only crisis I really ever have to deal with is losing an engine at 35,000 feet with 100+ souls aboard.” Needless to say, that statement helped give the meeting the perspective it needed to get some things done.

The verse from Proverbs (one of my favorite books from the bible) gives us some good perspective on things today. I often times find myself striving… struggling… stressing… for a few more dollars in the bank account. Verse 5 of this chapter goes on to say:

“⁵Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

It is so easy to let the world convince us that money is what we live for. This blog was in fact started partly with that in mind. I hope that more than that, it was started to help me grow and strengthen my relationship and faith in God, as well as being a ministry resource to those of you on the web. It’s tough to fight the fact that ‘earning a living’ has been ingrained in us from the time we’re old enough to help around the house.

The turning point is shown to us in Matthew 6:33 – “³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “

If we seek His kingdom first…our reward will be given us. That’s the perspective we need. His glory before ours. His commands before our desires. With this perspective… life just starts to make a little more sense and seems to be a little more worth living.

Prayer

Father,

I want Your Perspective…need Your Perspective in my life. Help me to find that in every aspect of my life…work…family…community… Let Your will for me be made known in my life. Let Your Word guide my steps and show me the ‘True Perspective‘…that Your Son suffered, died, and lived again for me. Let that be my ‘Window of Perspective‘ to the world.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

Comment Collaboration: What helps You keep your Perspective?

Revelation 1:8 - ⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

1 Timonthy 6:11-16 - ¹¹But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Your Word is sufficient for me…

Prayer

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

But deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen

1 Peter 2:9 - ⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

You have been chosen. You have been called by God to belong to Him….’a people belonging to God’. He chose you for His own.

The word ‘Belong‘ is a powerful word. Everyone, from the time they are born, searches for a sense of ‘belonging’, or another way to put it, ‘a place to call home’. I think one of the biggest struggles that a young adult faces is this. If it isn’t found at home, it will be sought out elsewhere. This scripture is a comfort to all seeking that place to just be and be at peace. For me, it’s usually not until I go back to the farm place that I grew up on, do I truly feel at home. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been away. Whenever I’m there…I just feel more like me. The other place that I feel like this is at my church. The thing I’ve decided though is that it’s not about the building…it’s about the people that are there. People that I love and care about and that love and care about me.

Do you have a place to ‘belong‘ to? If not, know that God has chosen you and you belong to Him. If you still have other desires to ‘belong to a family’, ‘belong to a church’, or ‘belong to a significant other’, realize that God knows these desires. He placed them within you. He intends to fulfill them in His time.

Prayer

Father,

I belong to You. Praise be to Your blessed name. Thank You for choosing me to be Your child. My identity as belonging to You is the best thing that could ever happen to me. Remind me during the times where I struggle to find a ’sense of belonging,’ that Your will for me is perfect, that Your love for me is immeasurable, and that Your Son Jesus bought me with the sacrifice of His life.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - ¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

What a challenge Paul poses to the Thessalonians in the closing of his first letter to them! ‘Be joyful always‘…that’s a tough proposition for anyone…but should it really be for a true Christian? We have had the ultimate sacrifice paid for us while we were still sinners! We were facing eternal damnation in the lake of fire…and were rescued. Isn’t that reason enough to awake each morning in joyful celebration?!?

Pray continually. I have good days and bad days in this department. I might be the opposite of some people, but I find my self feeling closer to God during the positive in my life and having a strong relationship during those times. During stressful and busy times, I basically can’t find ‘time’ for God, and my prayer life suffers. Really, it should be the opposite.

Give thanks in all circumstances. All circumstances?…Surely he can’t mean this. I mean there are times when you shouldn’t give thanks, right? Like if somebody dies. Why would I thank God for that? This is where we need to take a lesson from Job. ‘The Lord gives and the Lord taketh away…Blessed be the name of the Lord’. In all things we can find a reason to be thankful. When someone leaves us…it’s not permanent. We’ll see them again. Also, we were privileged with being able to know and love that person. We can thank God for all the amazing memories we were able to make. No matter the circumstance, there is something to be thankful for.

Prayer

Father,

I come to you today, joyful in the life You have given me, the blessings You shine on me everyday, and the numerous opportunities I’m given each day to serve Your purpose. I am thankful for all the challenges and joys that each of these brings me. I thank you for the breath I am taking right now. Use each of them to Your glory.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.