God's Help

Anything that I can truly accomplish in this life comes as a result of God's help. He equips me and empowers me - at the very least. Quite possibly, He may even divinely intervene in circumstances to bring about my successful endeavors. So I really have no reason to take pride in myself or my accomplishments. Instead, I have every reason to be grateful to God.

I wonder if the most accomplished people of our world know this.

Humility

Humility has an odd character about it. Mostly it allows us to be content with God's leading in our lives. Much has been written about humility in the Christian life. But I think most of what has been written has missed the most important aspect of humility's nature. We try to put worldly definitions on humility, but it refuses to submit itself to those definitions. No, humility has a mind of its own. As some will joke, "If you think you're humble - then you're not." That much is true. But the more overlooked aspect of humility are the friends that it brings with it: peace, love, submissiveness, thoughtfulness, unselfishness, generosity, mercy, joy, and others. It is as if humility were the driver of the bus, and all these other virtues were the riders on the bus. Without humility, none of them would ever get there.

Workaholic

Working to the exclusion of rest or to the neglect of relationships (including family) may be a cover-up for the inability to trust God to provide for our needs. On the other hand, it could be a sign of greed at level that is perhaps more powerful in our lives than any other motive. Do you suppose God meant for work to be at the exclusion of anything virtuous?

Effective Gospel

Many people will be glad to discuss the gospel as long as it doesn't touch their lives too personally. (For when it touches their lives personally - it usually requires something of them.) So when it gets personal, some will resist. But this is what the gospel is about - God's power to change lives. You see, the gospel is not effective until it moves from principles and doctrine into a life-changing dynamic. When someone resists or runs from your witness, you have undoubtedly succeeded in making the gospel personal.

Poor Success

I think poor people are more successful at relating to God than rich people. It's not that rich people can't relate to God. It's just the poor people are closer to their helplessness and more in touch with their need for God. Rich people seem to be insulated from these realities. Their money and their pride tend to block the view of their helplessness and need for God.

On Trust

Trust is built between people when we live our lives and make our decisions based on a set of shared values. That trust is challenged when there are unanswered questions and unpleasant surprises. If enough of it hasn’t been built before it is challenged, or if the challenges overwhelm it, the trust fails.

So live your life and make decisions based on the values shared by those you want to trust you - and you will find that trust between you will be strong. Eliminate the unanswered questions and unpleasant surprises between you and that trust will endure.

Peace Making

Peace making is not always popular. The glory of fighting is in the hope of winning. But someone must be a loser - and only one gets to be a winner. The glory in peace making, however, is that it may actually produce two winners.