Stuck In A Rut?

How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the LORD’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

(Psa 1:1-3)

The past few years have many feeling 'stuck' or 'in a rut' when it comes to their personal and professional lives. According to research, rates of depression have risen dramatically as the effects of a shutdown have impacted everything from the way we work to the way we now live. Shopping, entertainment, travel, and basic human interaction have been affected. Another sad, sidenote: divorce rates worldwide have more than doubled during the pandemic. From a Christian worldview, the church has seen a dramatic decline in attendance that was already in full retreat before the pandemic but now has seen an even greater falling away from those whose lifestyles changed during the shutdown. Today, more Christians harbor apostate thoughts about the Bible, salvation, and Jesus Christ ever before. 

Satan does his best work with people in isolation, discouraged, and doubting. Our culture is now more susceptible to his attacks than it has been in some time. Yet, I still field calls and questions about what to do to improve a person's mindset? In short, Psalm 1 gives us a prescription not just for today's woes, but for all time. 

1. Stay away from negative people. 
The opening verse says tells us happy people do not allow wicked people to influence us. I didn't say getting your mind right would be easy. Moving on from friends who make you angry, complain all the time, or participate in sinful activity may hurt at first but if you're earnest, God will find you new friends that will encourage you, build you up, and strengthen your faith. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses was told to do these very things to prepare Joshua to enter the promised land: 

But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.”
(Deu 3:28)

2. Read your Bible DAILY.
In verse 2, the Bible says to 'delight' in the Lord's instruction and to meditate on it 'day and night.' This is easy enough to understand. Build a foundation on God's Word each day and then, you will be prepared for whatever happens. Too many Christians today download devotions from various apps and websites and use THAT as their biblical intake. Those things are not bad but they do not replace reading the Bible itself. When people have come to me in the past struggling with various sins, my first question to them is always "How is your daily reading of the Bible?" If they hesitate at all, I tell them to fix this first, and then we can discuss their problems. The reality is, without God at as the base of our lives, we are building on shaky ground and anything we do apart from this will eventually lead to our downfall. Better to get the foundation built first.

3. Be Patient. The Rewards Come Over Time.
Psalm 1:3 tells us that if we are mindful of the first two points I've given here, then we will bear good fruit. It's guaranteed. In fact, verse 3 ends with: "Whatever he (or she) does will prosper. The word 'prosper' doesn't mean that you'll be rich. There's an entire group in the church that has prostituted that ideology for their own gain and God will judge them in due time. Rather the word means you will thrive. Joshua 1:8 adds to this thought when it says:

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
(Jos 1:8)

and 3 John gives us a final word here when it adds:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.
(3Jn 1:2)

So if you truly want to get out of this rut that the pandemic has put most of the world in, start with God's Word. Not books about God's Word. But the actual Word itself. Make a new behavior that you will read your Bible EVERY DAY. There will be days you will not feel like doing so. Satan will do his best to see that discouragement in your new fledgling habit is quashed. DO IT ANYWAY. Ask God to help you to read and understand His Word and see if your outlook doesn't get better.  As the great motivator Zig Ziglar once said: "Your input determines your outlook. Your outlook determines your output and your output determines your future."

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

When Walking Away Makes Sense

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Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble and God's servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient.
(2 Timothy 2:23-24 CEV)

Today's instant communication culture breeds hostility. I'm guilty and so are you. We see or read something we don't like and we feel compelled to comment or send a text that we later regret.

I enjoy a good discussion so yes, I will comment from time to time on the things that interest me. But I must always be careful with the nature of WHAT I say and HOW I say it. Remember, if you are a Christian you are called to serve a God that clearly tells us to be kind, to be a good teacher, and to be patient.

What does that look like? For me, it means to first think about the other person when I communicate. Am I being kind or rude? Selfish? Self-serving? Are my words considerate? Second, if in a position to lead, is my teaching kind? Am I clear in how I communicate? Never assume the other person knows your personality. More and more communication is electronic and body language is unavailable. Be careful with what you say.  And last, show patience. This includes being humble enough to know when you might be wrong and to apologize. You read that right. You might be wrong! Never be afraid to admit that. It makes you a better person and a better leader. Be patient with others. It's easy to fire back some hurtful words when the other party says something bad but remember, "Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments". Know when to walk away and let it go.

Thanks for reading.

Words Matter

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"And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them."

(Ephesians 4:29 TPT)

I've always been a believer in the adage that our words can speak either victory or defeat to those we influence. In my days writing broadcast news, I knew that the opening line had the power to grab a person's attention and move them to action.  Today, as someone who leads others, I choose words carefully so as to give value to those who are listening.

If you really want to make a difference in someone's life, speak words of victory to them. Look for their good qualities, their unique gifts, and remind them how amazing they are. The world spends enough time tearing us down. Advertisers tell us we're not good enough, co-workers with negative attitudes complain about the leadership and how they are never getting ahead, and the news media reports about how awful things are.  As you drive, you see billboards enticing you to want more. Your electronic devices are collecting information about everything you do on them so as to influence you to do what others want you to.

Make it stop. Give your friends and family some real face time and tell them how special they are. For that matter, be careful how you speak to yourself! Negative talk leads to negative results. The automaker Henry Ford was quoted as saying: "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."

Whoever said "words can never hurt me" lied. Words matter. Choose them carefully and spend them wisely.

Thanks for reading!