‘To whom much is given, from him much will be required.’ Luke 12:48 NKJV

One author writes: ‘It took me half my life to discover the great power of choices and chances. Good relationships are God’s gift to you; what you do with them is your response to Him. Too often we drape our passivity, or lack of courage, or disregard for our relationships in the frayed tapestry of fate. We weave excuses and give alibis to our guilty hearts, which failed to alter circumstances. We then dismiss our responsibility like a cheap attempt at religious absolution, living in denial that things could have been better in our relationships had we taken action sooner. The worst part of it is that many foolishly charge God and hold Him liable for relationships they themselves could have changed. God’s grace gives us opportunities, each relationship being a gift to be unwrapped and enjoyed. We must seize each precious moment as an adventure. If we are aware of the potential of each relationship, our hearts will be penetrated by the urgency to make each encounter the very best. You had a chance not to marry her, or to make that call, or to be the first to apologise, or to embrace your heart’s desire. The choices are yours. So, you must say every day, “I’ll take my chances, activate my choices, go through my changes, and make my decisions.” And when the day is done, you will say to yourself, “It was my life and my relationships, and I am responsible for both.”’ Jesus said, ‘For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required.’ Do you have a relationship problem? Take action!

‘Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.’ Psalm 62:10 NIV

Let’s settle it once and for all. If God can trust you with something small, He will trust you with more (see Luke 16:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11). But His blessings come with certain conditions, and here are four you need to honour. 1) Don’t try to claim credit. God told the Israelites, ‘You may say to yourself…“My hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord…for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…If you ever forget…you will surely be destroyed’ (Deuteronomy 8:17-19 NIV). 2) Don’t forget others. The Bible commands ‘those who are rich in this present world…to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds…generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves’ (1 Timothy 6:17-19 NIV). 3) Don’t become arrogant. Jeremiah admonishes us, ‘Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong…of their strength or the rich…of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord’ (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV). 4) Don’t allow anything to take God’s place. ‘Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?”’ (Proverbs 30:8-9 NIV). Remember, you don’t own anything – you’re just an administrator of God’s estate and an executor of His will. It’s an awesome responsibility, so make sure you do a good job.

‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

Who in the Bible would you say had the best marriage? Adam and Eve started in Paradise, and it all went downhill from there. Abraham lied and said his wife, Sarah, was his sister, then impregnated her servant, Hagar. Isaac and Rebekah spent much of their marriage battling because he favoured Esau and she favoured Jacob. Jacob had children by two different wives, and the wives’ servants. All we know of Moses’ wife is they had an argument over circumcising their son and she called Moses a ‘bridegroom of blood’ (Exodus 4:26 NIV). David was a disaster as a husband, and Solomon was worse. When Job’s life got hard, his wife told him, ‘Curse God and die!’ (Job 2:9 NIV). In fairy tales, life is a difficult adventure until you get married – then you live happily ever after. But nowhere in the Bible does a couple get married and then live happily ever after. Marriage doesn’t save anyone, only Jesus does. Yet how often in churches do couples sit in silent agony? They have an image of spiritual success to project, but they don’t enjoy intimacy. Or there is abuse going on. Or their young daughter is pregnant, and they have no idea what to do. Or one of them is a closet alcoholic. Or they’re facing bankruptcy. Frequently people who need help the most receive it the least, because they would have to step down from their pedestal. But what if real people could be as truthful as the Bible about marriage? In Scripture, marriage is a place where we learn, receive God’s grace, and grow together in love. 

‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.’ Colossians 4:2 NIV

The word ‘watchful’ is a throwback to the Old Testament-era practice of sitting on a city wall and keeping watch. Watchmen were the first to see attacking armed forces or travelling merchants. They had the optimal vantage point. They saw what nobody else saw. They saw them sooner than others saw them. That is exactly what happens when we pray. We see what nobody else sees, and we see them sooner than others see them. Why? Because prayer provides us with a God’s-eye view; it enhances our awareness and gives us a sixth sense that allows us to perceive spiritual realities. In their classic book Geeks and Geezers, business gurus Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas make an interesting observation about a common denominator among successful leaders in every field. Bennis and Thomas call them first-class noticers. ‘Being a first-class noticer allows you to recognise talent, identify opportunities, and avoid pitfalls. Leaders who succeed again and again are geniuses at grasping context. This is one of those characteristics, like taste, that is difficult to break down into its component parts. But the ability to weigh a welter of factors, some as subtle as how very different groups of people will interpret a gesture, is one of the hallmarks of a true leader.’ Prayer turns us into first-class noticers. It helps us to see what God wants us to notice. The more you pray, the more you notice. The less you pray, the less you notice. It’s as simple as that. Here is a Bible formula for success in any area of life: ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.’

‘But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.’ 1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV

The Bible says, ‘“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit’ (vv. 9-10 NKJV). The Holy Spirit compensates for our sensory limits by enabling us to conceive things we cannot perceive with our five senses. Think of Him as a sixth sense. That sense must be cultivated, matured, and fine-tuned. And that can only happen when we spend time meditating in the Scriptures and fellowshipping with God in prayer. Until we are awakened by the Holy Spirit, we are unaware of our need for God, of the spiritual warfare that is being waged all around us, and of what God is doing all around us. One night Jacob had a dream in which God appeared to him and said, ‘I am with you and will keep you wherever you go’ (Genesis 28:15 NKJV). When he awakened the next morning, Jacob said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it…This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’ (Genesis 28:16-17 NKJV). Jacob went to sleep and woke up in the same place, but he woke up a different person. After his wake-up call, Jacob saw God every place he looked. Today ask God for a spiritual epiphany. Pray, ‘Lord, show me what You want me to see, teach me what You want me to know, lead me step-by-step in the path of Your perfect will.’ That’s a prayer God will answer!

‘My children, listen as I teach you to respect the Lord.’ Psalm 34:11 CEV

Smithsonian magazine once featured a British master stonecutter named Simon Verity. He restored thirteenth-century cathedrals in Great Britain. As the authors watched him work, they noticed something fascinating. ‘Verity listens closely to hear the song of the stone under his careful blows. A solid strike, and all is well. A higher-pitched ping, and it could mean trouble. A chunk of rock could break off. He constantly adjusts the angle of the chisel and the force of the mallet to the pitch, pausing frequently to run his hand over the freshly carved surface.’ Verity understood the importance of his task. He knew one wrong move could be devastating, causing irreparable damage to his work of art. His success was rooted in his ability to read the signals his stones were sending. If you’re a parent or someone who works with children, you need to hone your skills at listening to them, especially during times of discipline and guidance. It takes a great deal of patience and sensitivity to interpret a child’s responses. But if you listen carefully, they will tell you what they’re thinking and feeling. And God will help you to do it: ‘The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season’ (Isaiah 50:4 KJV). Each changing season in a child’s development raises different questions, calling for different answers. To have the right answer, you must be tuned in to the question they’re asking at the time. Not only will you be imparting to them the wisdom they need at that time, you will be teaching them how to do it with their own children. 

‘The Spirit of truth…will lead you…and …tell you what is to come.’ John 16:13 NCV

Making decisions without seeking God’s guidance is like trying to fly without radar and a compass. You can do what makes sense based on your past knowledge and experience, but what ‘looks right’ can end up destroying what’s most important to you. The Bible says even the most profound human thinking is foolish to God (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-20). He alone knows the way, and He wants to go ahead of you. It’s a mistake to assume that every opportunity that comes along is from God. Paul says, ‘Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light’ (2 Corinthians 11:14 NCV). And while his invitations are packaged to look like he has your best interests at heart, his way invariably leads to ruin (see John 8:44). God’s Word was designed as ‘a lamp for [your] feet and a light for [your] path’ (Psalm 119:105 NCV) to guide you in the ways of righteousness. That’s why it can be fatal to pursue a path that seems right to you without first consulting Him. Jesus said, ‘When the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words, but…only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come’ (John 16:13 NCV). The truth is that most of us don’t naturally seek God. It’s only as His Spirit speaks to our hearts that we start desiring His will. Take time to seek the Holy Spirit’s direction. Trust Him. He understands the ramifications of your choices. He will show you ‘the big picture’ and help you stay on the right road.

‘Let us have…no envy of one another.’ Galatians 5:26 RSV

Paul cautioned the early church about envy, and it’s still a problem. Your co-worker gets a raise, a friend’s child wins a scholarship, a neighbour takes a dream holiday. Do you rejoice with them, or force a tight smile? We’re human; an occasional flicker of envy is normal. But beware of harbouring a chronic sense of being short-changed. Tacitus said, ‘When men are full of envy, they disparage everything…good or bad.’ When somebody else prospers, before you ask, ‘Why not me?’ ask yourself if you would be responding the same way if some tragedy had befallen them. Jealousy is like a moth; it nibbles away at clothes until they’re ruined, except envy destroys irreplaceable things like relationships and families. One author reminds us: ‘When we’re…in the valley, it is human to envy those…[on] the mountaintops. It is easy to forget [they] didn’t fall there – they climbed there. Behind the success story is always a courageous decision and a gallant action…If we want to reach them…we have to…climb. Inspiration from someone else may get us started, but the success is in the climbing.’ Imagine a runner striding out; they’re fast, focused, and ahead of the pack. Then they start looking at the competition. Before long they stumble, lose momentum, and drop out. That’s what happens when you let jealousy distract you from completing the course God mapped out for you. Paul writes, ‘You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?’ (Galatians 5:7 NIV). Keep your eye on the prize, and don’t get distracted by what others have and don’t have. That’s none of your business. 

‘If you accept correction, you will be honoured.’ Proverbs 13:18 NLT

Solomon said, ‘If you accept correction, you will be honoured.’ Charlie Shedd gives us ten ways to grow through criticism: 1) Criticism is often a compliment. The barbs in daily life strike only those who raise their heads above ground level. Jesus said, ‘Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down…it means…that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable’ (Luke 6:22 MSG). 2) Accept that you have faults which are open to censure. Stay humble, and criticism won’t rattle you. 3) ‘The words of the godly save lives’ (Proverbs 12:6 NLT). Invite criticism from friends; then when it comes from your enemies, you will be broken in. 4) Let criticism make you better. When you burn with anger, you destroy the passport to your own improvement. ‘When you do right and suffer for it…take it patiently’ (1 Peter 2:20 RSV). 5) Some criticism should be ignored, especially if it stems from false motives. Never give unhappy people the key to your happiness. 6) Keep it in perspective. Everybody hasn’t heard. Most people don’t care. One bad word doesn’t cancel the good in you. 7) Let criticism make you kinder. Remind yourself that you have criticised others too. Is this a boomerang that started in your own heart? 8) Pray for your critics. It will improve them and neutralise your bitterness. Hate destroys your health and steals your happiness. 9) Check with the Master Critic. What does God say? How do things look deep in your soul? 10) When you have checked to make sure you’re right, move ahead. In quiet confidence finish what you started, because God’s promises are to those who endure (see Hebrews 6:12).

‘They shall still bear fruit in old age.’ Psalm 92:14 NKJV

Does the thought of getting older depress you, make you anxious, or make you fatalistic in your outlook? If so, read this: ‘Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing’ (vv. 13-14 NKJV). Here is how to stay ‘fresh and flourishing’ as you grow older: 1) Guard your health. Studies show that good health is the number-one factor in determining the level of happiness in old age. So try to eat healthy, and exercise often if you can. Drink lots of water, take your daily vitamins, and get regular medical check-ups. These efforts will not guarantee you more time, but they will help improve the quality of your time here on earth. 2) Look your best. Dress stylishly at every age, as your budget will allow. When you look good, you feel good – and inspired. But keep your quest for attractiveness in balance. Remember God’s words to Samuel: ‘The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT). Think twice, examine your motives, seek God’s advice, and do your homework before you submit to cosmetic procedures. Some can be costly and downright dangerous. 3) Look for someone to help. Mother Teresa said, ‘We cannot do great things. We can only do little things with great love.’ You will be amazed at the sense of strength, self-worth, and satisfaction you feel when you meet the needs of others. An unknown poet wrote, ‘It’s loving and giving that makes life worth living!’