Alive and Active Life

Have you noticed a lot of unrest all over the world recently? It’s sobering. And it affects people. Even folks who feel pretty stable are wondering – “What is going on these days?” There’s a complete lack of contentment, and people want to know how to respond to all this unrest. In a world of upheaval, what hope is there to regain a life of contentment?

Jesus gives really great advice about contentment, and I think it’s super relevant right now.

I discovered the most interesting fact recently as I was reading my Bible. Several passages mention “sound words” or “sound doctrine.” I don’t know how I missed it all these years, but there is a footnote on some of those. I checked out a foot note for the word “sound.” Get this. It said, “healthy!” That’s right – HEALTHY! I love that definition of sound. I’ve been writing about healthy living for years, based on Scripture, to have an Alive and Active Life! And there it was – in my Bible right in front of me.

At the very top of living a healthy life – is contentment, particularly when the world is unraveling.

The dictionary says contentment means “the state of being contented; satisfaction; ease of mind.” (dictionary.com) That means unrest is absent. Peace is present. Worry gets the back seat. No matter what the scenario – you’re good to go!

Contentment is being healthy.

If you were to measure your level of contentment today, where on the scale would you be? Let’s suggest a scale of 1 – 10, with 1 being not content at all and 10 being utterly content. I would guess most people would measure somewhere in the middle. Being content when life keeps shifting and throwing issues at you is challenging to manage.

So, are you living in contentment? Where do you land on the 1-10 contentment scale?

Most people swing a bit when it comes to contentment. Yet, Scripture indicates contentment is critical for holistic health – and it’s available for everyone. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1 Tim. 6: 6) It appears a person can find a “sweet spot” on the contentment scale, even with some fluctuations. Have you found your sweet spot?

Peace and joy from a content heart are like medicine, a good cup of coffee, or a cold glass of milk. Living in contentment can be your norm.

So, what perspectives do you need to change to gain contentment?  What action steps are you taking?

Did you notice? There are four questions posed so far. In case you missed them, here they are again:

So, how do you answer these four questions? Do you realize your answers can put you on a path of change in your contentment score? You can get closer to a 10!

For starters, let’s explore questions one and two. They help you assess where you are. It’s critical to identify where you are in order to move forward. So –

To get into what Jesus says about contentment, we’re going to look at question three from above.

3. What perspectives do you need to change to gain contentment?

Jesus’ teachings give perspective. If you practice His teachings, you can progress toward contentment even during times of upheaval. Jesus always starts with God’s Word. Even answering His own temptations, Jesus turned to Scripture. Do you turn to Scripture first?

Everyone who trusts God’s love and obeys His Word gets His help. Scripture changes you when you believe and obey it. Scripture says, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart so I will not sin against You.” (Ps. 119:11) This is where you start to gain perspective. It’s a healthy choice toward contentment to hide God’s Word in your heart.

God’s promises literally let you “participate in the Divine Nature.” (2 Pet. 1:4) That means you can live inside the Source of contentment. Whether your life issues are tidy or not, finished or not, comfortable or not – you can be at peace – content. No matter where you are on the 1-10 scale, participating in the Divine Nature means participating in God’s very heart and nature. And – He invites you into relationship AND contentment.

Contentment is available to everyone. But to enjoy this state of living requires willingness to do some things.

The Psalmist says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105) “Your rod and staff comfort me.” (Ps. 23:4) He is welcoming God’s correction, direction, character, and protection. He is choosing healthy action steps to participate in contentment. In fact, he invites it. In Ps. 139:24, the psalmist gives this incredible open-ended invitation to God. “Point out anything You find in me that makes You sad.” Why not have a healthy heart? Welcome and invite God’s instruction and help.

A person who refuses to look at help available through God’s Word is “. . . conceited and understands nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth . . .” (1 Tim. 6:4-5. God’s words, not mine!)

Oh dear! Not healthy. Not sound. But it sure describes the unrest we observe around the world today.

You can’t go wrong making choices to believe Scripture. Why not set yourself up for contentment? Believe everything God teaches you. Submit to His training. Invite it. This makes your mind healthy.

Scripture promises “everything needed for life and godliness.” (2 Pet. 1:3) What else is there?

So, if you hide God’s Word in your heart and match your life with it by obeying, you gain peace, joy, and contentment.

Meditating on God’s Word day and night (Ps. 1) is a powerful action step. Jas. 1:22 gives another action step that nurtures a healthy spirit inside you. “Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourself. Do what it says.”

The more you claim and obey God’s Word, the more content you become. And the more seasoned, stable, and peaceful.

Everything we’ve looked at won’t make a difference in your life unless you answer question four. And you need to answer with practical application in your daily life.

4. What action steps are you taking?

If you are going to be healthy and get a better score on the contentment scale, there are three deliberate choices you will need to make.

Align your heart with God. Agree with Him about everything in life. You will need to surrender your life to Jesus, your preferences, your wishes and dreams – all of it. This is a step into being healthy in your heart.

Partner with Him. Practice Jesus’ teachings. Instead of your own logic and thinking, choose to think God’s thoughts. Is. 55:9 says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Instead of doing what you think, ask God what He thinks you should do. This is a step into a healthy mind and behaviors.

Align your heart with God. Partner with Him by believing and obeying. But only God can transform you. So, ask Him to do just that!  He won’t force change if you don’t practice His ways. So, it’s really you preventing change in you. That’s not healthy.

In the Old Testament, Job said he would trust God even if God killed him. (Job 13:15) That’s radical resolve. He carried out action steps that align with God’s principles no matter what the outcome. Yet, Job suffered many unexplainable losses. Still, he chose to be healthy (sound). He had radical resolve.

Even with all his questions, Job was content. Do you have radical resolve?

How did you answer the four questions for yourself?

A couple more questions:

Get closer to a 10 on the contentment scale. Make three choices:

* Material for this article is developed from 1 Timothy 6:1-10 as laid out in my book More E-pistles For An i-Generation.

I bet your life is like mine. We are different as individuals, yet surely there are similarities! Let’s start here. Is your life ever filled with challenges and difficulties, losses and disappointments? Have you ever been pierced with tragedy? Have you experienced health issues? If you’ve lived several decades, you likely have more questions now than when you were younger, right? You might have had seasons of unexpected, undeserved poundings! Your sufferings may be from someone else’s terrible choices. So – what do you think? Any of this sound familiar? Is your life like mine?

I could add even more to that first paragraph, but I won’t. Why? Because although there is more I could add of life’s hardships, trials, and challenges . . . there is another similarity also true for your life and mine.

Our lives are filled with God’s blessings – all the time, every day. So many things to enjoy from relationships to creation to adventures to pleasures to advancements. The best blessing is God’s presence. These all co-exist alongside our difficulties.

The person who is conscious of God and His blessings is the person who does well, even in a broken world. This person gives thanks always. They set the pace.

So, I ask you again. Is your life like mine? Are you enjoying God’s blessings around you?

It’s challenging enough to figure out who you are. Then to figure out who God is – well, that seems impossible. What would you think if I told you – you can do both. Of course, your knowledge, conclusions, and understanding will be limited. But you can know yourself and God much better than you do now (no matter how well you know both of you right now)!

Let’s talk about God. The Apostle Paul presents a good picture of God. He calls Him “the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God.” (2 Tim. 1:17) Lots of big, significant words. They are even a bit difficult to digest. Still, these words are a life changer, and a world changer. It helps to realize these words are the beginnings of adventure, new growth, and increased understanding. So rather than seeing them as a threat, welcome these words as a new opportunity to know God. He has invited you. And He wants to be all those great, powerful things for you.

But Paul doesn’t stop with those big concepts about God. He adds qualities more common to our thinking. For example, what ideas would come to your mind if you considered how to interact with such a great Person? I’d start with gratitude, respect, and allegiance due to such a great King. Sure enough, Paul introduces these new words to help – “honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (v. 17) You can give honor and glory to God!

Let’s try to unpack this. It’s critical to be able to wrap your arms around these concepts – at least enough to begin the journey of discovery. Let’s start with God.

The “King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God” died for you because He loves you. He is powerful enough to rise from the dead – which He did – for you. In addition, He calls you to Himself to live as a close, personal friend to Him. When you trust Jesus for salvation and forgiveness, you become part of His family, a royal heir, with all His kingdom rights and resources available to you. So, you see that God isn’t just that untouchable, great, “out-there” person. He is very interested in your life and wants to invest in you.

God wants to help you unpack your life, as well as His own life – which is made available for you. This intimate bond is the original design from before creation. God loves you. He made the human race for Himself – His children. But He also gave each person a free will to decide if they want to be His child. No forcing.

The original design is an unthinkable reality. No one is worthy of that gracious, generous offer. Not you. Not me. Scripture says we were once enemies of God – by out own choosing. (Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21) In fact, let’s call it what it is. We are sinners – bad people with bad hearts. But God showed us mercy and kindness through Jesus for our ignorance and unbelief. He built a bridge over our bad choices.

This mercy and grace is not just given to us. It is quite literally poured out into our lives – abundantly. The only missing piece is the “receiving.” Have you opened your life to receive from God like a flower opens to the rays of the sun?

In a broken, pounding world, God shares His great resources to fill failing hearts with love, faith, and hope. This is your new reality in Christ – every day. The cross changed the landscape so people could change sides – from the enemy’s side to God’s. No longer chained slaves to evil, we are now royal heirs! Simple, sincere repentance and faith in Jesus gives you forgiveness of sins, resurrection from death, and eternal life. Plus, you get dearest friendship with this great King. What a jackpot!

As you take in Jesus each day, He pours His life and power into your fragile heart, even in our contemporary, difficult times. His own heart is strong and steady. He is extravagantly gracious, causing the sun to rise on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Mt. 5:45) He is loving and kind toward all He has made. (Ps. 145:9)

So, having identified His goodness, I can safely say your life, indeed, is like mine. It is filled with an underserved future, powerful resources, daily delights, and unfathomable friendship with God. If you are alert, humble, and thankful, you will notice many blessings that co-exist alongside the difficulties in your life.

In free countries, it’s hard to think of daily battle. Yet, every day, you need to fight to hold onto your faith. Work hard to keep good conscience. Navigate life’s waters without shipwreck. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33) He gave you the “heads up.”

As you troubleshoot through life’s hardships, please remember and cherish the co-existing good all around you. God has not abandoned you.

The first part of your application is to review the above questions in each section. I’ll list them here again for your convenience.

Set One

Set Two

Set Three

Set Four

Set Five

Ponder and record answers to those groups of questions in your device or journal. Then, jot down your difficulties, trials, and painful losses. After that, jot down your blessings. I bet you’ll find your life is like mine.

Your life gives you the privilege to focus on God’s blessings more than your troubles. Trust God in your hardships. Claim His promises. Obey Him. This will keep your heart alive in His hope. Have an Alive and Active Life.

Content taken from More E-pistles For An i-Generation, Sess. 71 and from 2 Tim.1:12-20. Check out this fabulous Bible study book – and more tools to help you grow in your walk with God.

I love autumn colors! I wait for them every year. In fact, autumn is my favorite time of year (next to Christmas celebrations). Incredible displays of color, the crisp, magical feel in the air, the cheer that rises. Gorgeous skies. Backyard firepits, s’mores, and hotdogs. Pulling out the warm, cozy sweaters. Yet, even as I enjoy the splashes of color that cheer the world, and as I indulge in the entire experience, the colors remind me of something else. It’s something that helps me, but it’s also rather sobering. It challenges me, too. And it all has to do with true colors.

(Your area of the world may have already finished autumn colors, and you may have snow! Perhaps your area of the globe is warm year around. The lessons of true colors are still applicable to every person!)

Before getting into today’s content, would you like to see some community colors? The trees on a walk through my neighborhood are majestic and beautiful. They give so much joy and draw my heart to the Creator. Notice the gorgeous colors against the moody fall skies. Some of the trees look like a paintbrush that an artist dipped outer edges into bright colors.

Every autumn, I’m in awe at what is beneath (inside) the cloak of green over the leaves. As I consider this, I become pensive about my life, asking myself good questions and pondering my own changing seasons. Here’s a peek into my head during those times:

Let’s back-it-up into summer for starters. All summer we enjoy the living green around us. Deep, rich, vibrant shades and hues of green compliment each other. A beautiful emerald sea. It feels comfortable. Add all the gorgeous blooms and fruits of gardens, the soft coo of mourning doves, and the cheery music of songbirds. Then add the hum of grasshoppers and buzz of bees. Maybe the smell of freshly cut grass. Finish this landscape with a glass of ice tea, sun glasses, and a good book.

But summer days shorten. Crisp air crawls over the earth, and a thin veneer of frost lingers each day until sun rays melt it away mid-morning. Unannounced, quietly, ever-so-slightly the show of true colors begins. Green slowly retreats. True colors give a “first peek” as fall gently nudges summer to the side. A new beauty emerges.

As a child, I remember learning that chlorophyll pulls inward from the outer parts of a tree into the center during winter. As a result, colors that were hidden when chlorophyll was present are then seen. In other words, you see the leaf’s true colors. How interesting. The green was a sort of covering. A temporary cloak. Even a kind of blanket.

Every year this transformation from deep, rich green to colorful fall displays is an opportunity to see what is actually there in the absence of chlorophyll. And it’s a reminder to thoughtfully look at your own true colors. What’s underneath the daily chlorophyll, your covering, where others don’t see. Changing seasons can be a reminder to explore your true colors.

Seasons of our lives shift and change. Some shifts are unpredictable. Some changes are regular and expected – like clockwork. The unique opportunity of shifts gives a peek into what is really going on inside you. It reveals your character, who you really are in your center (your heart), and who you are becoming.

Questions are excellent tools to help you identify and take advantage of your shifting life seasons. Sometimes a change of seasons feels like a threat. We are not ready for what it brings. Other times, it’s a welcome relief that couldn’t come soon enough.

There is good in every shifting season, even ones we strongly dislike, because God has promised to walk with us through each season. He has promised never to leave you. And He has said, “. . . in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)

One of the “dependables” I’ve discovered about life is this. The good things always co-exist alongside the difficulties. There is always something to be thankful for. Because this is true, a person can train their heart to look for God’s blessings – and enjoy them with a grateful heart – even when they go through trials.

So here are some good questions to evaluate your emerging true colors:

Those are sobering, critical questions. They require pensive interaction. Asking and answering them helps you engage an Alive and Active Life.

So what do you see when you look out your window? What true colors are emerging in your yard or nearby park? Similarly, when you peek through the window of your life, what colors do you see? What true colors paint your character and your heart?

Sometimes a person is deeply regretful when they see the colors of their life. Their choices make shame and failure rise up in their mind. This reality is part of the process of choosing to change your colors. If you are truly sorry for past choices, simply tell Jesus. The Bible calls this repentance. Scripture says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9)

Did you get that? Your colors can change. You can find out what your true colors were designed to be. God always creates incredible beauty! That means your true colors are lovely.

It helps to slow down. I like to call that a “pause.” I remember a year when I was so busy – I completely missed the colors of autumn. I was grieved at my loss when I realized it was already done. Since then, I’ve tried to be more attentive to changing seasons and colors. This means slowing down enough to look.

Just like noticing nature’s changing seasons, slowing down means pausing to enjoy the beauty God intends to share with you each day. Ponder His creative power to connect with His colors. See the beautiful display of His love for you.

Slowing down also means connecting with the person God designed you to be. You are made in His image – beautiful and holy. Why not be the person you are designed to be?

Pausing is essential to know God better. You have to know who you are emulating. Slow down (pause) and take a look. “. . . live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God . . .”  (Col. 1:10) You can have true colors of good living. And you can personally know God!

Slow down. Pause. Look at Jesus. Look into your heart and character. Match your life colors with God’s palette of every imaginable color. Be the “you” God designed. Dip the edges of your paintbrush into God’s paint of true colors.

Harvest is part of God’s original design, part of creation and life on this planet. It comes in many forms. Normally for gardeners and farmers, it’s the fruit of the planting, that portion that promotes life, has value, is enjoyable, beautiful, and even profitable.

Harvest isn’t limited to plants, however. Every area of life has a planting, tending, and harvest. Here are some examples of how that might look like:

So, how is your yield this year?

Besides the joy and fulfillment of a harvest for your labors, there are additional benefits of investing in a planting. Some of the best yield comes from hours of careful planning, planting, weeding, watering, fertilizing, and pruning. All of that is a process of patience as you wait for harvest – both from the earth and in the human processes worth investing in.

There are benefits from participating in human planting endeavors. These plantings include things such as education, relationships, community health, research and development, discovery and investigation, and spiritual development. The qualities involved in planting enrich and deepen your life. They are definitely worth investing time, energy, passion, and resources into.

Harvest involves qualities of reflection, planning, discipline, and rejoicing. These qualities certainly refer to harvests of the earth. Yet, they also refer powerfully to harvests of heart and mind.

Let’s look at each quality. As you consider these concepts, stretch your thoughts to apply the ideas to your own heart and mind. Remember, you are a planting of God. Your life is worth time, energy, passion, and resources you have available to you.

How is your yield this year in your heart and mind?

Reflection is the first step of planting. It’s a pensive contemplation of your life seasons. It focuses on the big picture with definite goals in mind. Reflection is a critical component of planning, and planning is futile without reflection.

Engaging a planting season requires thought. Take a step back to view the landscape and associated details. Ask yourself good questions. As you answer those questions, you lay the foundation for a good planting plan. Remember – even though the planting process can be enjoyable despite hard work required, the end goal is harvest!

Here are some questions you might consider. There are many more. These pertain to the soil of your heart and mind, as well as the earth. For example – your relationships, community, education, career. Your heart, mind, well-being. And your future, family, legacy.

What questions have you been asking yourself as you reflect on your planting plan? Remember: these things refer to the earth’s planting – as well as the life plantings of your heart and mind.

Planning is essential as you invest in current and future life harvests. A good plan requires an accurate grasp of facts and proven action steps. Those steps develop from answering good questions as suggested previously in reflection.

Planning is motivated by the rejoicing and hope of anticipated yield. It involves gathering and integrating relevant data with goals you establish. Planning may involve experiences from previous harvests, lessons learned, or research into new approaches. This quality also involves implementing needed changes. Laying out a logical, informed, step-by-step approach develops your plan into a practical document. And that means harvest.

Planning is essential in plantings of your heart and mind. Does your plan include your whole life?

This quality, to a great degree, determines your success. Discipline is essential for any worthy life endeavor. Other words that help define what this means – “buy-in,” resolve, commitment, whatever-it-takes, hard work, never give up, not lazy, etc.

The best way to unwrap discipline is to apply it in regular, daily allotments – whether you feel like it or not. Keep in mind, this strong push for success follows proper planning required so you can succeed. How is your discipline doing?

Rejoicing is a term Scripture often uses when referring to harvest – especially spiritual harvest. It’s a happy time bringing in fruit of much labor. Joy from toil. In fact, it seems almost immoral to ignore a harvest. How terrible to leave fruit to rot in a field or garden. Such a waste – a very sad thing. But to pick, gather, and bring in everything that grows from a season of planting, is fulfilling and happy. This is true for matters of the heart, as well. Relationships, personal growth, influence in others’ lives, knowing God better, and much more.

Whether reflecting, planning, discipline, or rejoicing – it helps to remember utter dependence on God is critical. 2 Cor. 9:10 says, “Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” God works. You work.

Partnering with God for harvest is the only way to grow a crop, and it’s God’s original design. God loves the planting process. He’s quite a gardener. Jesus talked a lot about farming and harvest. His life purposefully engaged reflection, planning, discipline, and rejoicing.

God expects harvest. When Jesus was on earth with His disciples, they passed a fig tree on one journey. Jesus was hungry and looked for fruit on the tree. There was none. He was disappointed – perhaps even upset at no harvest – no fruit where there was supposed to be. Jesus cursed the fig tree to never bear fruit again. (Mt. 21:19; Lk 13:7) Our Creator expects fruit – harvest – from every planting in life.

Perhaps you are tired or discouraged in the planting process. Take encouragement from Galatians 6:9. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” 

Partnering with God involves time and patience, as well as faithful work. It also involves enjoying the privilege of working with God. This is a “rejoicing” that comes even before a harvest begins. Simply doing what God created you to do in partnership with Him – that’s deep, satisfying joy.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep going. Renew your courage with Heb. 12:11, which says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” You have the privilege and capacity to be a disciplined gardener with excellent yield.

Deceptive cycles have trapped most people at one time or other. You, me, pretty much everyone. These cycles are key enemy strategies to get God’s people to fail, live defeated, be burdened, and struggle with discouragement. Deception formed the original temptation of Adam and Eve. So, we are not alone. Still, this was never God’s plan. He wants you free to have an Alive and Active Life.

At first glance you may conclude you aren’t deceived and that you can not be easily tricked. That may be true. Still, it’s always good practice to ask yourself good questions. Self-assessment using God’s Word helps reveal things, if you answer honestly.

I really like good questions. They help you look deeper. Plus, they prepare you to openly receive from God. Good questions help you get on the same page as God.

David is exemplary in being open to God’s assessment. He asked for it. Then he listened intently to hear God’s thoughts. Finally, he did something about whatever God revealed. Every time! In other words, David used the “tool” of God’s assessment for his own self-assessment. That is dedication! Trust! Obedience! Commitment!

Listen to one of David’s recorded prayers. I’m going to give you four versions from Ps. 139:23-24.

I migrate toward the deeply honest expressions and very humble confession of The Message version. It’s not my favorite study version, but it’s an accurate expression of self-assessment using the tool of God’s assessment through prayer.

HONESTY and HUMILITY nurture you to be HOLY as you trust Jesus and obey HIM.

“H” words can change your life.

It can be confusing to begin asking yourself good questions to engage an Alive and Active Life. Here is a starter list to prime your pump. There are so many more.

Some thoughts about those 7 questions.

Warning! Deceptive cycles start easily. Be alert, self-assessing, and in prayer to avoid them. 1 Pet. 5:7-9

People in the habit of asking good questions are usually:

Plus, they trust God!

Answering questions is critical to an Alive and Active Life. Honest answers prepare you to change and heal. You can’t just “love your way” into good habits. You need a good action plan. It’s work. God wants you to use your head, engage your heart, and obey His Word.

Below is an excerpt from SharpShooting: Your Bronze Bow. It gets into deceptive cycles and breaking free! But first, let me describe an incredible marksman who has a reputation of skill and accuracy as He shoots into the human heart.

Jesus is the earth’s best Sharpshooter. He is brilliant, perfect in holiness, accurate in every shot into the human condition, direct, loving, and kind. He sharp shoots a common human cycle: the deceptive cycle.

It’s so easy to get hooked into deception, even for a seasoned, healthy adult. This cycle sneaks in and clouds thinking skills. It limits creative trouble-shooting. And it pulls a person down, affecting well-being, perspective, habits, and relationships.

“The human heart is prone to sin. When it is not surrendered and focused on Jesus, all manner of evil rises. It starts a little at a time, becoming a greater presence with each deceptive cycle. The conscience is seared and the heart desensitized. Relationships are broken. Then one day, you ask, “How did I get here?!”

The enemy has crafty strategies to target body, soul, and spirit:

Your mind is actively involved in all three of these human components. You engage in processes like: justifying, judging, wanting, defending, fighting, ignoring, shutting down, etc. All these are outlets of fear, insecurity, pride, and deception. The fix: “Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (Jas. 4:10)

After humbling yourself comes the step of renewing your mind in Scripture. Following that, you must work out your salvation: do what the Word says! This is posturing correctly with God. Finally, God does what only He can: He literally forms you into His character as you partner with Him. The miracle: transformation.

Many life conditions are the result of hardened hearts, especially in close relationships. Hardness of heart breaks down intimacy. Relationships end.”

So, what’s your part? What should you do when you realize you are in a deceptive cycle, no matter how small? Here are 4 steps to help you get free from deceptive cycles:

What is God’s part? He does what no one else can. You need His part to get out of deceptive cycles and live an Alive and Active Life.

Will you let God do His part? Will you do your part?

Order SharpShooting: Your Bronze Bow. It takes you through Matthew. Each daily session is short and “to-the-point practical.” Even kids have gone through this study and can understand the helpful action steps. Every session has an archer with a “daily quiver” of featured Scriptures to read.

Recently, we explored 12 Qualities Of Noble Character and how critical it is to aim for excellence. In fact, I would add that people with noble character help change the world. We need more noble character around the world. If noble character is that important, and since Motives Matter – how do you measure your motives as you work to increase your own noble character? That’s the content of today’s material.

Life happens! It’s always a challenge to know how to approach an issue, who to talk to, what to say, action steps to solve a problem – all with good motives and wisdom. Life gets complicated and messy. Sometimes it’s hard to consistently adopt a solution-oriented approach while keeping motives in a place of integrity.

Plato said, “The measure of a man is what he does with power.” That’s an interesting place to start – the measure of a man, woman, or even a child. It’s what we do to gain and maintain a level of power that exposes the root of motives. There’s no question every person needs a certain amount of power just to live. But after that is established, what motivates people to attain more?

What motivates you? And how do you measure your motives?

There’s no denying it. Several factors affect motives. To measure your motives, you must look at contributing factors. Let’s look at four of many factors.

Perspective is essential for Jesus followers. This is hard in a broken, fallen world – especially when you are mistreated or have strong opposition. Perspective affects motives, so it’s only reasonable to say that Christ-like perspective is important to aim for.

There’s another root that affects what you do. Desires affect motives. Wants, hopes, dreams, plans, even needs are forces that “weigh in” on your motives. The question is – which of these forces should you listen to? Which of them represents the desires of Jesus?

Sometimes the reason a person keeps doing what they do is because they just want to get through. Not give up. They want to “make it” to the other side of something. So, survival also affects motives.

Love (and caring) affects motives. The strong drive to protect, nurture, and defend another person is a powerful motive. It can propel a person to do things they otherwise would not do. FYI – This motive happens to be one of God’s strong motives for you! In fact, it’s this particular factor, God’s deep love for you, that provides the “safety” you need to evaluate and measure your motives. How does that work? Let’s take a look.

When God’s love lands solidly in your heart, it changes you. It stabilizes and balances you. Courage is renewed and hope restored. God’s love is amazing! It is power! His strong power cord connects to your life, surges through your soul, and binds your entire world into His care. God’s power connects to your motives. That’s good news. His good power helps you set perspective, purify desires, enable your survival, and steady you with His love.

When you are tucked into God’s love by faith, knowing His love for you will never change, you feel protected – enough to look deeper and measure your motives. Love makes things better, safer. Things that felt threatening before don’t matter anymore, so you can be honest to ask good questions and explore good answers as you measure your motives.

Here are examples of some good questions you might ask yourself:

Come up with a list of your own good questions. Then pray and ponder so you can provide good answers.

Even when you are treated poorly, slandered, or attacked, you can trust God’s love and care. He will help you solve the problems and come out OK. But you must “stay in Christ.”

God’s part in your mistreatment? If you “stay in Christ,” He comforts and heals you. He also gives you power and honorable responses like Jesus has. And He works in your difficulty to do what only He can.

Your part? Set your perspective, purify your desires, trust Him for your survival, and let Him steady you with His love.

In other words – God works. You work.

Jesus’ life gives a “real live” example how to approach mistreatment and difficulties. Study His life in the Gospels. Peter learned from Jesus’ example. He offers some good responses. Consider his words in 1 Pet. 3:15-17:

Peter’s advice directly addresses motives when mistreated. James, Jesus’ brother, also has good advice. Pray! “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (Jas. 5:16) Then in Matt. 18:22, Jesus gives help when you’ve been sinned against. He says to forgive – again! Prov. 4:23 adds instruction – setting boundaries. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” In other words, think well enough of yourself to protect your heart – and do what you can to protect your whole person. If God loves you enough to care for you, shouldn’t you be doing the same for yourself?

It’s hard to be blameless. Yet, God wants you to aim for holy, righteous, blameless. (1 Thess. 2:10) This takes willingness to measure your motives.

Wanting results for hard work is normal. When you plant a crop, you look for harvest. When you start a new health practice, you look for better results. Entering a business deal, you want profit. So many life endeavors are launched with specific outcomes in mind.

To get results with godly motives means – dig deep and measure your motives – because they matter.

We already talked about good questions and answers. When you ask good questions, and then provide good answers, you are being pro-active to measure your motives. This helps you have an Alive and Active Life.

The following questions are designed to get at underlying motives so you can identify and measure them. Stay connected to God’s love through His strong power cord as you explore the questions and start to answer them. They may reveal some concerns, insecurities, fears, pride, or weaknesses. Don’t be afraid. You are safe in God’s love.

As you better understand the power God has given you for an Alive and Active Life, you will also discover the measure of who you are.

* Content for this article comes from my book MORE E-pistles For An i-Generation: Relevant In A Digital Age. The Scripture focus is 1 Thess. 2:1-12.

Have you ever thought about how many things you manage in a day? It’s overwhelming. From a home and yard, to your budget. You manage health, weight, and wise shopping for food. How about keeping everything clean, fixed, ready to use? You manage your career, family, friendships. Even time-off needs management for constructive fun and rest. And – seriously – all your techie stuff needs managing. (Have you noticed?!) Computers, phones, devices, apps for everything you can imagine. There’s another thing you need to manage to have an Alive and Active Life. You need to manage your feelings.

There’s a reason this title was chosen for this material. You and I both know that computers have no feelings. And we know the human heart can never be truly compared to devices. Still, there are enough similarities in management of both, that it’s worth a look. Yes, you can manage your feelings – and it’s a bit like managing your technology paraphernalia.

Things change so fast now. Last month’s smart phone is outdated – pressure to upgrade. Remember those blue internet cables? Now we are wireless. We once used a mouse to pull down electronic files (with a tail that plugged into your computer). Now we touch the screen and “finger place” a file where we want it. Coming: virtual surround computer screens to flip files and components everywhere while you stand in the middle as manager – you know, like Iron Man/Tony Stark.

Our world is fast-paced and increasingly self-oriented. Consider – I-pad. I-phone. I want. I deserve. My life. My space. Then there’s My pictures. My cart. And My preferences.

Self is gaining control. So – you need to manage all that!

In a self-driven environment, it is challenging to understand feelings and what function God intended for them. Folks are so used to getting what they want, getting it fast (or faster), and instant connections.

Let’s look at some interesting comparisons between your feelings and your techie stuff. Then we’ll ask some good questions. First, some comparisons.

Just like you work on your techie stuff a lot, you need to work on your feelings. However, just like the systems, safe guards, and sound technologies of your devices, your feelings need structure, order, processing, and a place to park.

The files and functions of your device do not have random control. If they did, your device would no longer be a resource to you. It would be an undependable risk. However, because your device functions are skillfully crafted and integrated, require time for downloads, provide monitoring for security threats, and often need maintenance updates, they stay under your control. If you do all this for your technology, doesn’t it make sense to do the same for your feelings?

Just like the apps, programs, and operating systems of your device don’t get random expression, neither should your feelings. But you need to know them. They are “granted access” and monitored for proper function. If something doesn’t comply with an Alive and Active Life, it should be reformatted or deleted. In other words, behind all the expressive resources of your techie stuff, there is an intelligent, orderly plan. Parameters of proper function. Protocols. Do your feelings deserve less?

Your feelings are very helpful resources, but they require an intelligent, orderly plan of management. You need parameters for proper function, and protocols. If they go “hay-wire,” you need to perform a virus check. Feelings are not evil. It’s how you implement, express, and apply them that determines morality. How you act on them. What you do next.

Feelings are indicator lights that help you know what’s going on inside. So your feelings are valuable. You need to engage them under supervision of your mind. Awareness is key. Your mind creates gates and compartments to help you manage feelings better. The best mind to manage feelings is the one saturated with God’s wisdom. Is there any doubt why you should fill your mind with truth from Scripture and pour your heart into prayer? Your mind and heart help transform you to be a healthier person. (Rom. 12:2)

Human feelings are so powerful. Many feelings are simply beautiful, delightful. And some are down-right scary. All feelings have definite affect on a person’s countenance. Because there is such an array of feelings, it’s critical to not act on feelings, alone. They need to go through a kind of sieve or grid to help determine the best way to manage them. In fact such a tool should provide measurement of both your feelings and your thoughts. I have just the tool to help.

There is a tool in Scripture that is brilliant for sorting thoughts and feelings. That doesn’t mean it immediately places them or solves the issues surrounding them. Rather, it gives direction in defining and knowing how to respond. Then it helps you know whether your management should involve various actions. Honestly? Some feelings and thoughts would best end up in the trash can outside your heart and mind. Most of them, however, need to be tended to in some manner.

Here is the grid from Phil. 4:8-9. I use this so often, and I recommend it to you.

Finally, whatever is:

 – think about such things. (This includes how you think about your feelings – those indicator lights.)

Then it goes on to address observations of others. This is the part of the tool that helps to look at good modeling. We’re talking about modeling you might receive from someone else, or the modeling you might provide for another person. It says – 

Whatever you have:

 – put it into practice. Keep in mind: your example person must walk in God’s ways to be a good one. And you must walk in God’s ways to be a good example to someone else.

There’s a guarantee for thoughts and feelings you put through the Phil. 4 grid. “The God of peace will be with you.”  This is also in that passage.

Do you want to live in peace? In these fast-changing times, unpredictable and undependable, you need inner peace. True peace comes only from Jesus. He trains us to manage feelings, as complicated and demanding as they may be. The deep mysterious nature of people Jesus created is far beyond the capacity of your techie stuff. Your nature is part of what makes you so precious to God, created in His image. This means God has feelings, too.

Why not be all God created you to be? Pull some of your knowledge and intelligent design in operating and maintaining your techie stuff and download those skills and objective problem-solving tools into managing the depths off your spirit. You are valuable. You matter. And God thinks you are worth investing in. Why not stay current?

More articles to Manage Feelings.

When you think of noble character, who do you think of? Is it a famous person? Perhaps a friend. It might be a family member or a person of influence in your community. Maybe you would choose a person of past history. Whoever you think of, one thing is sure – noble character still matters.

A person of noble character is rare these days. But they are refreshing! As you interact with such a person, you find yourself encouraged. And something about them is contagious. You want to copy them.

I am reminded of an old saying, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” (Oscar Wilde) Here are some simple conclusions:

How do these qualities interface with our exploration of noble character? Well, a person of noble character is worth observing, matching strokes with, learning new action steps from, admiring their heart and motives, and being thankful for.

A person of noble character engages in specific behaviors. It doesn’t matter if they want to or if it’s convenient. They simply choose to do what should be done. This approach to life problems and decisions helps simplify the vast, complicated, sometimes confusing landscape of daily living. To simply choose what should be done helps you navigate through the weeds. It puts the honorable thing – the noble thing – right in front of you on your path (or someone else’s path). And that path is the one that gets traveled on. As hard as it may be to simply choose to do what should be done, it is extremely effective. This practice takes discipline, resolve, and determination.

So what is the proof of noble character in someone? Simply put? Daily life! As a person aiming for noble character lives their life, surrendered to Jesus, their daily life becomes the “proof.” They have decided to imitate Jesus’ life and ask Him to change them. In other words – you work and He works. You do what is in your power to do. Jesus does everything you are powerless to do. You imitate Christ’s life, trust His promises, obey His commands, and rest in His love. What does God do? He transforms you.

God knows what you need to have proof of noble character. 2 Pet. 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” Jesus also gave us the “heads up” before He ascended. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33) How loving that He carefully instructed us ahead of time to help us succeed.

James, brother of Jesus, speaks directly into daily life proof. “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by [what I do].” (Jas. 2:18) This is the guy who grew up with Jesus. Let’s think about this. As a younger brother, James saw Jesus all his life! Day in and day out. He watched Jesus with admiration – and perhaps sometimes with jealousy. What he saw were choices Jesus made each day as He simply chose to do what should be done to please God, His Father.

What he saw in his older brother’s noble character was proof enough for James to go after the same things (his part). As he worked at matching faith and deeds, God transformed his life (God’s part). James became the leader of the first church and provided proof of noble character. He was convinced because He observed – and then imitated Jesus Christ.

There’s another example of proof (among many others in Scripture). Paul, the Apostle, did the same thing. As he realized Jesus IS God’s Son, it was an easy decision to simply choose to do what should be done! In 1 Cor. 11:1, Paul says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

James and Paul both figured out Jesus has noble character! Have you?

What does noble character look like? When you can picture and identify something, it makes it easier to aim for. Here is a list of 12 excellent qualities you and I can imitate with all our hearts. Noble character:

What a list to aim for!

Which qualities are you aiming for?

Do you have daily proof?

Would others agree with you?

Whatever your profession, personality, unique skill set, background, nationality, skin color, or perspective – these character qualities can be yours. And you can “dress for it” each day. Yes – dress the part!

That’s right. Noble character “dresses” a certain way. I’m talking about attire of conduct you literally wrap around yourself by faith and deeds.

Have you noticed you can ascertain things about another person by how they dress their personality, their approach, their demeaner, their communications? When you observe a person of noble character, it’s very attractive.

People with noble character wear:

Noble character does NOT focus on goals like:

It’s not wrong to have a great reputation and to have people think well of you. Hardly! Yet, these are not the goal or focus of a person of noble character. If you are focusing on the previously-mentioned 12 excellent qualities, you will have a great reputation. People will think well of you even if they disagree with you on various issues.

On the other hand, if you focus on the 2 self-oriented goals instead of the 12 excellent qualities, you will find yourself engaging manipulation. Your reputation will become questionable as your conduct literally contributes to people not thinking well of you. Why? Because you will have become untrustworthy.

Trust always focuses on and simply chooses to do what should be done!

First and foremost, noble character practices the “fear of the Lord.” To say it simply – a person of noble character has a deep respect and reverence for Jesus Christ, and that high esteem for Him influences their choices, both in faith and in deeds. Such a person becomes a credible model of noble character.

As you consider your own life, ask yourself good questions to help assess where you are. Good questions deserve good, honest answers. If you apply your heart to this, you can put good practices into place that imitate Jesus and develop qualities of noble character. As a result, you will simply choose to do what should be done!

Remember: You cannot do what only God can do. Ask Him to do His part. But, only you can do your part. Noble character still matters. Why not make it matter in your life every day – and give good proof?

Do you remember the commercial years ago (maybe the 1990’s) – GOT MILK? In the commercial, everyone has a “milk mustache.” No one can argue the value of drinking milk – especially for children. Even adults relish a glass of milk with cookies. That creamy white drink has power to build strong bodies in youngsters as they grow. Babies can’t live without milk. But when little ones grow up they need more than milk to be strong. They need inner power to live an Alive and Active Life. So the question I ask you is – GOT POWER?

When I think about power, I think of:

Power to live an Alive and Active Life certainly includes energy, drive, and passion. It also includes direction, and perspective. Power would be worthless without capability, strength, and supply. This resource enables people and organizations to accomplish life goals, daily tasks, dreams, and healthy living. We definitely need power to live. It’s an essential resource – a critical force.

Still, power is an interesting concept. What is power at its root? Simply – Power is the force that makes things come to be.

Your outer person requires power to live each day. That power is replenished through rest, food, water, exercise, and sometimes medications.

Your inner person needs power for perspective, judgment skills, problem-solving skills, and perseverance. These help you pursue a well-balanced life and healthy relationships.

Inner power helps you exercise your “will” each moment. It’s often called willpower, and it enables you to apply power to your life and choices. These choices often become habits and patterns with certain results. Willpower is a force that functions with or without feelings, desired circumstances, or hopeful outcomes. How you apply your inner power “makes or breaks” daily living.

When a power drain happens, it takes time to replenish reserves. Just as it takes time to recharge your device, it takes time to recharge your inner and outer person.

Have you noticed power drains in your life? Finances, career, time. Certain people eat up your supply. Then there’s necessary perspective, discipline, relationship management, health issues, maintaining your stuff? So many things absorb your power supply. Do you have a good source that doesn’t run out?

I’m sure you’d give almost anything to have power to effectively navigate your life. And I bet you’d love to have an Alive and Active Life each day.

It’s certain – YOU NEED POWER TO LIVE WELL! 

Since willpower is so critical to live well, how can you be sure you are using it effectively? And how do you re-charge when you are low on power?

God holds the whole universe – and your entire life – in place, even while disappointing things happen. Scripture says, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:17) Do you believe this?

Power is a consumable resource. You need a fresh, dependable supply. What is your source? Since God is the source of all power, it’s critical to plug into Him to recharge your willpower. He has an unstoppable supply – for you!

When you reboot with God’s power, you immediately find strength rising to live an Alive and Active Life. This reboot sequence gives you power to do these kinds of things:

There are 3 forms of God’s Word. You need them all for power to live an Alive and Active Life.

Scriptures

The living form of God’s power is Jesus Christ. If you haven’t trusted Him, you are not connected to your source of power. Jesus is before all things, created all things, and holds all things together. You need this!

The written form of God’s power is Scripture – power on paper – Jesus on paper. If you don’t have Scripture in your mind and heart, it will be hard to navigate life, solve problems, know right from wrong, and move forward. You need this!

The infused form of God’s power is His Spirit indwelling your life. This is the secret connect to power that enables you to become like Christ. You need this!

These reboot steps keep you connected to your power source.

And that’s your reboot sequence!

God uses the melting pot of life to refine character. Whether through punishment or just because life is hard, refinement happens. God’s original plan did not include suffering. Sin introduced suffering, loss, sorrow, punishment, and injustice into our lives.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23) These are hard words. Yet, they reflect the reality of this broken world. You can take steps to have an Alive and Active Life by connecting with your power source. Jesus is ready to help. Are you ready to receive? Consider these things:

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) He is finishing His good work in your life for His glory. (Phil. 1:6)

God promises to give you power to live. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chron. 16:9a)

As you consider these questions, why not plug into Jesus Christ in all details each day? Jesus loves you – so much! He has your best interests in mind and His sleeves are rolled up to help as soon as you turn to Him in faith.

Get power to live. Reboot – using the Living Form, the Written Form, and the Infused Form of God’s power.

** This post, Day 34, is an excerpt from my book Despicable We: Daily Studies in Ezekiel. Check out Despicable We in my website store.

It’s been a rough couple of years! People are feeling it. Communities, countries, the global community have challenges and threats that are astronomical with limited solutions. In addition, it has become increasingly hard to know who to trust. All this upheaval can sometimes make a person feel – “I Just Don’t Care Anymore!”

(Interesting Picture, don’t you think? The face you see – empty stare, lost hope. The face you don’t see – looking at people, engaged – with a cheerful bouquet.)

If you find yourself thinking, feeling, or saying – “I just don’t care anymore!” – it’s time to pause. You may have “shut down,” and it helps to explore why this happened.

But let’s start with what should still be there for you. People who still care function in these ways:

There are additional healthy qualities we could list. But that list provides a starting point for assessing where you are. If these healthy qualities are absent for you, you need a pause. In your pause, if you commit to be deliberate, constructive, honest, and authentic, you can be renewed. Yes, you can care again.

Evaluate why you are where you are. Sometimes it’s hard – or even impossible – to assess exactly what has happened inside you. There are so many reasons why you may have stopped caring. Some are common. Others are very individual. Here is a small, starter list of possible reasons why you may have stopped caring.

And so, because of these overwhelming conditions/events, you may find yourself shut down or even in a state of depression. Regardless of how you got here, you no longer care about things that used to matter to you. Some days, you may feel you are barely coping. Overall, you just simply don’t care anymore.

There is a little switch inside you that flips OFF when life gets too painful or hard. When it flips, you don’t feel pain as much anymore. You tell yourself you don’t have to keep going. In this place, you start to think there are fewer losses to address. Disappointment slips off and sometimes turn into apathy. Some people settle into a bare-bones approach to survive. This is when you just don’t care anymore.

Every person has a switch like this. It’s actually a safety mechanism of sorts to help you not fall off the edge. Somehow, people instinctively know – in a foggy kind of way – where their edge is. They get really frustrated, scared, desperate, serious, etc. when they “sense” they are close to that edge. Some people get angry. Others finally go for help because they know they don’t have the resources to deal with whatever they might find at their edge. A few stay in this place, feeling desperate and helpless for a long time. For others – their switch flips OFF – and they slip into a condition where they just don’t care anymore.

The goal is to survive, to get beyond the “edge” point, and to become healthy again. And, yes, the goal is to flip your switch back ON again. You can start to care again.

Please don’t stay in the place of not caring. That place changes you – not in a good way. There is help and hope.

Your first reach-out should be God. He absolutely cares about you even if you don’t care anymore. He loves you deeply. And – since He created the human original design – He knows what went wrong for you and how to fix it.

Most communities have programs and counseling services. Explore what options are around you. Pray for guidance and trust God to lead you to the right help.

You can also do some things yourself that often make a real difference. This is what the content of this article is about. You – yes YOU – can invite both help and hope back into your life. You can begin to care again.

We already mentioned the need for a “pause” when you realize you just don’t care anymore. This pause must be deliberate, purposeful. You will never get back to an Alive and Active Life if you don’t determine to get better.

Your value is never in question to God. He equipped you to “make it” in this life. In fact, He’s given you everything you need for life and godliness. (2 Pet. 1:3) This is worth exploring and praying about. YOU are worth a chance at help and hope. Why not invest in your life?

In your pause as you near your edge, you must do some critical things to find your return-to-normal switch. Here they are.

Admit where you are. Say the words – “I don’t care anymore, but I want to. I think I’m close to my edge and I’m scared to death because I don’t know what I will do if I ever get to my edge. I need help and hope.”

In this honest, helpless state – turn your heart to God. He loves you deeply. He cares where you are, near your edge, and wants to help. Why not trust Him by coming near Him? It’s a faith thing you do in your heart. He will reciprocate as soon as you even begin to lean His direction. (Jas. 4:8)

God’s Word is “power on paper.” It is Alive and Active – totally applicable to your life. If you ever believed anything, now is the time to believe Scripture. Read it. Memorize it. Claim it for your situation. Apply it practically and accurately (that’s what comes from meditation). Pray it.

Speak out loud to God. He is with you. Perhaps you would benefit from writing out a prayer. Regardless, respectfully express what is inside you to God. Even if you have negative feelings toward Him, He wants to hear from you. How you talk to Him is a statement about your character. How He meets your faith is a statement about His character. He is faithful – always! How about you?

You are capable of faith. It’s God’s original design. Exercise it. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.“ (Heb. 11:6) You can be faithful. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)

Ask God to help you care again. This might sound too simple. But He can help you overcome fear of caring again. He will teach you how to set good boundaries and rekindle hope. Courage comes from God. Wisdom for problems and relationships starts in God. Healing flows from God. He will help you care again. Will you trust Him?

Listen with your heart to what the Lord is saying to you through His Word. More than any other source of help and hope, you need God. And you need His Word. Here are some ways you can benefit from what He is saying to you:

God is enough! He cares and will help you care again.

P.S. You may need medical assistance. Find a good Dr. who has knowledge and invested practice with helping people who struggle with discouragement and/or depression.

Additional articles to help you care again.