Life's Issues (newspaper article) .

Some of the freest men and women living in the freest nations of the world are more encumbered than slaves and prisoners. Whether it’s having a debt they can’t repay, a lack of priorities, a trail of broken relationships, a mismanaged life, or a faulty belief that life will never get any better, they are imprisoned by their circumstances.

The best way to live with freedom from fear and misery is to renew your mind and strive for the destiny God has prepared for you. God doesn’t want you living with anxiety, pain, sorrow, and in poverty. He wants you to experience abundant joy, peace, prosperity and good health. He wants you to have amazing relationships, an exciting career, and a life of opportunity.

In order to begin living with the freedom you were designed to experience, you need to renew your mind. The Bible tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he lives.” In other words, your thoughts affect your external reality more than anything else. When you begin to think differently, your life changes.

Here are five areas to renew your mind:

1.    You must believe God has a plan for your life. There is a plan for your life and the best you can do is walk down the path to discovering it. It may be to raise amazing children, build a wonderful marriage, create music, teach people to read, play the piano, write books, develop a product or service that will make the world a better place. Whatever it is, understand that God has placed within you special talents and abilities and all you need to do is unearth them. Seek His guidance and He will lead you to your path.

2.    You must believe that what’s inside you – and not your circumstances - controls your life. Your upbringing, education, wealth or appearance does not determine whether you’ll have a good life. Your relationship with God and your willingness to renew your thoughts is where happiness, joy, and freedom come from. This world is not perfect and bad things happen. You will encounter loss and sickness and challenges. But when you’ve got a relationship with God, you can rise above any challenge and achieve freedom and happiness.

3.    Believe that if you give the best, you will have the best. God is a giver and wants to bless you immensely. Give Him your best and you will have the best returned to you. That goes for your relationship with your spouse and family too. If you give one hundred percent to your marriage, you will have the best marriage. This doesn’t mean you won’t have problems, but always give your best to your loved ones. At work, give your best, and in return you will discover the best out of your career.

4.    Arrange your life in a balanced way and keep your priorities in line with God’s will. Your walk with God should be your main priority. Develop a daily prayer life, read the Bible, and attend church regularly. From there it will be easy to determine other priorities. Everyone should include the following five ‘Fs’ on their priority list: Faith, Fitness, Family, Fun, and Finances. A balanced life will lead to fulfillment and freedom to experience the life you desire.

5.    Be excellent. Adopt an attitude of excellence; It’s a way of thinking. Don’t confuse excellence with perfection. People who expect perfection are unsatisfied and unhappy because perfection is unattainable. Instead, strive to be your best, get God involved in your daily living, and continue growing each day of your life.
 

Every one of us has a calling in life.

The greatest fulfillment you will ever experience comes when you find a greater purpose for your life. Your vocational calling may lead you to a career as a doctor, lawyer, preacher, writer, or any number of other fields. Of course, finding your vocational calling is a very worthwhile endeavour and should be a source of much joy and purpose in your life. But it’s not your highest calling. Your number one calling is to help Jesus build His church right here on earth.

Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, “And on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” In a world that is often askew, the church is the only true and lasting refuge from the dark. Its existence was part of Jesus’ purpose for coming to earth. Throughout His teachings, He commands His followers many times to help build the church. More than two thousand years later, His command is as relevant and worthwhile and necessary as ever.

Today, a life-changing church is where people’s lives get saved and their destinies turned around for all eternity. The church is where families grow together, married couples learn to work through their problems and discover a higher level of intimacy, and where men and women find purpose and meaning for their lives. It is a fundamental part of our society.

Governments and institutions may do wonders in pulling a civilization together, but the church is where the foundation lies. A life-changing church is where diversity comes together in unity, where families come together in harmony, and where love conquers fear, hate, and despair.

Regardless of how good a nation’s government is, it can never fill the role of the church in people’s lives. Building it is part of your calling.

So how do you help build Jesus’ church?

It starts by finding one in your local city or town. When you find a life-changing church that challenges you to become your best, make a commitment to regularly attend, and get involved. Every church needs volunteers. You may start out serving coffee and greeting people at the door. Or you may find a spot in the nursery or in the band. It doesn’t matter what you do – as long as you do something that contributes to the growth of your church. Most importantly, make sure you bring your friends and family to church and share your faith in Jesus with others. That is where you’ll discover the real joy of your calling and begin to experience an amazing connection that comes when you help Jesus build His church.  

Here are a few more thoughts:

1.    There is no greater calling than furthering the cause of Christ. The cause of Christ is the hope of the world! To build your local church and help others come to know God is the most important cause on the planet. When you use your time, influence, status and money to further the cause of Christ, you will find immense joy, as well as drive and passion to pursue all your dreams.

2.    You were born with a greater cause than just having a blessed life. If God isn’t front and centre in your life, you will feel unnecessary pain and suffering. There’s something about the cause that gives direction to your life and balance to your dreams. It is an anchor to the soul.

3.    Church is a vital part of a good life. Without a church, your life will be off focus. In order to be balanced, you need to be connected to a life-changing church that will help you grow and develop your relationship with God.

Do you get your identity from the past or the future?

When you think about who you are, do you define yourself by where you came from, your heritage, or your background? Do your habits, hang-ups and hurts also define who you are?

Most of us gravitate to the past for our identity. Unfortunately, when we look backward to gain a sense of who we are, it makes becoming a new person in the future almost impossible. Simply put, when you hang on to your old self, it’s hard to get rid of old problems. If you struggle with addictions, hang-ups, destructive attitudes or emotions, it’s likely these past problems will be a recurring theme in your future unless you redefine yourself.

The Bible teaches us that we are to live as new people after giving our lives to Christ. When you enter into a relationship with Him, your old sins are washed away and your destructive habits become part of your past. You are to move forward into a new life as a new person.

A new life that is free of the problems of the past  –whether it’s with relationships, addictions, attitudes or emotions – begins when you establish your new identity in Christ. Read the Bible and discover how much God loves you. Learn about the life He wants for you. It is in developing this relationship and learning about Him that you’ll be given the power to live a new life that is on a higher level than ever before. 

The more time you spend discovering the new you, the freer you’ll become. Focus on the Word of God to discover the abundant life that is yours through Him. Understand that the Christian life is a faith life – what you believe, you experience. Believe that you can overcome any old problem, habit, or nature and that you are a new person in Christ.

Here are a few more thoughts:

1.    What you give attention to will grow in your mind. When you give constant attention to your old self by examining the weaknesses of your character, it causes you to experience your past again. That’s not to say that you can never reexamine your past, but make a decision at some point to let it go and begin living your new life. Instead of focusing on your shortcomings, focus on the power you have to change through God.

2.    If you want to experience an amazing new life with Jesus, you’ve got to die to your old ways. When you give your life to Jesus, you’ve got to consider your old self dead. Jesus says in Matthew 16:25, “Whoever is bent on saving his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for My sake, will find it.” In other words, Jesus wants you to let go of your past and find your new identity in Him.

3.    Don’t spend precious time thinking about old habits and ways at the expense of creating a new you. Renew your mind each day through prayer and meditation, read the Bible and grow in your relationship with Him. Let go of any guilt you may have about the past and ask God to help you live out your new life.

4.    Believe you are a new person in Christ. If you don’t believe you are a new creation in Christ, you will not experience the benefits of being a new person. But once you give your life to Christ, your old life is an illusion and no longer the real you. Believe that God can heal any broken heart, overcome any addiction, walk away from old hang-ups and begin living a new life. Even if you’ve tried in the past and failed, you have the power of Christ helping you become a new person. Let today be the start of your new life.

It was nearly 800 years ago when Saint Francis of Assisi said, “For it is in giving that we receive.” His words ring as true today as they did back then. When we are generous with our money, we reap more benefits than we could possibly give away.

In addition to being generous with your money, you need to be wise. All through the Bible it teaches the importance of using wisdom in your financial affairs. One of the most basic principles is to learn how to live off 80 per cent of what you earn, save 10 per cent for a rainy day, and give the other 10 per cent to God. It is this last principle that many people struggle with.

A fear of lack prevents them from being generous. They are worried there may not be enough money to meet all their needs or get themselves into a financial crisis that causes them much stress and anxiety. They can’t be generous because they are barely making ends meet. But when you put God first in your life by contributing in ways that expand His church, He promises to not only meet your needs but also to give you the desires of your heart.

Here are seven more reasons why it is better to give than to receive:

1.    Giving provides you victory over materialism. When you have a generous heart and you willingly contribute to your community church, you will have an easier time keeping your priorities straight. Greed has a less chance of setting in.

2.    It teaches you to live by faith. When you make a commitment to give a portion of your earnings to God, you’ll find your significance in other things besides wealth and be reminded that your security comes from Him. Too many people make the mistake of thinking wealth can provide them with security and significance. But money can’t do either. Only God can.

3.    It will help you earn respect and attract blessings. When you are generous with others it will help you develop a good name, which the Bible says is to be treasured above wealth. You will find yourself with an abundance of all the things you need in life.

4.    You will discover a real sense of joy. You will experience a deeper, lasting joy when you use your prosperity to help others find a relationship with God and you contribute to making the world a better place.

5.    It frees you from financial enslavement. When you learn to get your security from God, you gain a confidence that will allow you to go into any situation and believe your needs will be met.

6.    It demonstrates your love for God and others. When you are thoughtful and generous with your time and money, you let others experience your love for them. When you spend time picking out generous gifts for your spouse and loved ones, it provides them with a sense of your affection. Similarly, when you commit to helping grow your local church, you demonstrate love for God. 

7.    Giving has its own reward system. The Bible says we can store treasures in heaven far better than on earth. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t save your money for retirement, but remember that your greatest treasures are not in your bank account. They are in your relationships with other people and with God.