Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What Are You Doing With What You've Got?

Every day we have different opportunities about how to use our time, our money, and our talents. How do we use these things and what could we do differently in the future that would make better use of them? As a Christian I believe that how I spend my time and money as well as what I do with the abilities that I possess is very important. The Bible shows us that God has a plan and a purpose for each person and that He has given each person certain abilities that should be used to serve and glorify Him. When we make wise use of our time, money, and talents we will live a much more satisfying and successful life than if we fail to do the right thing with what we have.

Many people do not realize that God has a plan for their life and that He has given them unique talents and abilities; this is the first thing to deal with. Before we can make a good use of what we have we must realize that we have it! If you don't know what plan God has for your life or what talent He has given you then start with the other two areas of time and money. How do you spend your time and money? Are you investing in things that are temporary or things that are eternal?

One thing that everyone can do is to invest more of their time working on accomplishing God's plans and purposes and investing financially into what God is doing today. This can start with your local church but it also includes what God is doing in your city, state, nation, and around the world. Now I am not saying to give away all of your money or spend all of your time working in the church, but we all should be doing something in these areas. This will help us to discover the unique plan and purpose that God has for our life and it will also help us to develop the talents and abilities that God has given to us. Then, once we are making good use of what we have we need to keep developing our talents and help others to discover their own unique talents. So, what will you do today with your time, money, and talent? Make the most of the opportunities you have and I guarantee you will be glad that you did!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

IN Everything Give Thanks

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

The original idea behind Thanksgiving Day goes back to the early settlers of the United States and a celebratory time they held in recognition of their recent successful harvest.  In 1941 President Roosevelt signed a bill declaring the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.  Sadly, thanksgiving is not something that people do a lot of, either on Thanksgiving Day or during the rest of the year.  In fact, it seems like the closer it gets to Thanksgiving and Christmas the more unhappy and grumpy people get!  People get so caught up in what is happening that they lose their perspective and seem to only think about the negative side of things.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we should give thanks IN everything, but we don't necessarily give thanks FOR everything.  For example, the weather might be cloudy, cold, and rainy, but instead of focusing on the negative we could realize that there is a lot worse weather that we could experience, so a little rain won't hurt us.  We might look at where we live or work and wish we had something better but we can at least be thankful that we do have somewhere to live and we do have a job.  While being thankful does not mean we have to be satisfied with our situation in life we should at least be grateful for what we do have.

It is also interesting to notice how this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 tells us that giving thanks is God's will for us  If we focus on the positive aspects of life and keep ourselves in the attitude of being thankful it is easier for God to work in our life and for us to hear His direction for us.  If all we do is to complain and focus on the negative side of things our perspective is on the wrong things and that will cause us nothing but problems.  So, no matter what day of the year it is, choose to be positive and look for something to be thankful for in every situation.