From Pity to Praise

There are three fundamentals qualities we have to possess to enjoy and fulfill the mandate God gave us here on earth

Self-Control, Self-Discipline And Sound Mind

These are interconnected traits that describe a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. They enable us to live with stability, wisdom, and purpose rather than fear. These represent the Holy Spirit’s influence that allows tempered emotions, wise choices, and controlled desires.

Without self-control, we are destructive not only to ourselves but to God’s purpose for our lives. Without self-discipline, we remain defeated by all kinds of circumstances. And without a sound-mind, we are invaded by things that cause us to be unstable in our convictions.

Self-Control

Being self-controlled is the very foundation for living a life of righteousness and selflessness that reflects Jesus and brings glory to God. We have the power to bring sin under control when we have self-control. But without self-control, sin controls us.

“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” -Proverbs 25:28.

A city without walls simply means we are exposed to any kind of sin, lies, manipulation, fear, sexual immorality, pretence, and anger. Basically, anything can come through our thoughts, control our actions, shape our habits, and form our character.

The problem with sin is that it wants to grow. Whenever sin is given a doorway, it is not satisfied with being a little secret, sin grows and ultimately destroys whatever thing it inhabits. Like a thief, it comes to “steal, kill, and destroy us” (John 10:10). Lack of self-control will destroy marriage, career, relationships, and our lives.

Without self-control, we can destroy in one day, what took us years to build. We are the ones who bring a threat to every heroic thing we’ve done.

Psychology defines self-control as “The ability to manage one’s impulses, emotions, and behaviors to achieve long-term goals. Self-control serves as an executive function necessary for individual goal attainment.”

Biblically, self-control is not only an ability to impose restrictions and boundaries on ourselves to achieve end goals, but it’s a “fruit of the Spirit” that produces the glory of God. The difference here is that self-control is not something that comes from our desire to achieve something, but it is a virtue that emanates from our spirit. Self control is something we do as a result of the person in the presence of the Holy Spirit inour live lives. This means a self control is an act of our spirit over our flesh, which is evidence of the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

In fact, self control is a spiritual practice that keeps us grounded in our godly nature. Self control is not what we do to get somewhere in life, but something we do to remain where we are in God -righteous and holy.

As human beings we are habitual beings, we live better when we have established habits. Good habits, benefit, and power, our well-being, inspire our development, and inspire success in our lives. On the other hand, bad habits caused us our time, rope, help, and money And deprive us of the life. God intended us to have through his redemption.

If we want to change how things are in our lives, we need to change our habits, change how we spend our time in the comfort that we have cremated through our old habits and replace them with new habits.

Self-Discipline

We can turn our spiritual convictions into habits, with self-discipline and repetition. Subjecting our bodies to strict rules to gain control of the key. Our willingness to suffer temporary pain, being inconvenienced, and delaying gratification to experience joy and freedom in our spirits is what matters most. In other words, make our bodies a slave to our spiritual convictions so that our spirit can be free to worship, serve, and live for God.

Self-discipline is the steady determination to keep going come hell or high water. Discipline is what makes us choose to do what ought to be done, when flesh tells us to do what we want. Self-discipline is not optional it’s a virtue, and sometimes we have a hard time choosing it. But if we practice it every day it becomes a desire that helps us grow and become more Christlike. The best thing we can do is to cultivate it. It is by discipline that we take hold of the means of grace of God has provided for our spiritual flourishing.

Thankfully God has given us the source of discipline by giving us His Holy Spirit. This means He has given us the power to actually be self-disciplined. But, it needs to be cultivated.

We need self-discipline in order to achieve anything of significance.

Sound Mind

A sound mind is a right judgment of things based on the Word of God. Having a sound mind is to have and maintain God’s perspective of oneself and our surroundings. It is to have an elevated outlook informed by God’s Word and inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is not something that comes naturally to us as humans. The Bible warns us that in the world we will have many troubles but it goes on to say in John 16:33, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God is the One who gives us a sound mind but it is up to us to keep it.

“For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind” -2 Timothy 1:17 (KJV).

A sound mind is interpreted as self-control, self-discipline, and good judgment. I believe that Paul was saying to Timothy, do not be intimidated but rely on the Holy Spirit who gives power, love, and a stable mind.

We don’t have a sound mind when our mental framework is subject to fear, past trauma, and low self-esteem. A good example of this is what happened during COVID. People were going crazy, because of the fear that the government, and main mainstream media were telling people. Now the same thing I’d happening with some who are fighting laws that have been on the books for a few hundred years, thinking it’s something new. When we respond to our circumstances, opportunities, and challenges through clouded emotions such as fear, instead of self-control and correct interpretation of things based on the view of the Spirit which leads to calmness and confidence in God it can lead to disaster.

A sound mind isn’t something that just happens to us by default. We need to be self-disciplined and in control of our thoughts and imagination. The Bible asks us to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) and seek things that are above where Jesus is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1).

“Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is good, well pleasing, and perfect will of God” -Romans 12:2.

“If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God“ -Colossians 3:1.

The ability to control our thoughts is very important in maintaining and enjoying liberty in Jesus.

God has given us so much through His promises and blessing through His Son, but we do not get to fully experience them because of the lifestyle we subject ourselves to. We are already free, but that freedom depends on our lifestyle, we can undermine or uphold our freedom by how we think and conduct ourselves. It all begins with our thoughts.

No matter what life throws at us if we maintain a sound mind and keep in mind Jesus and all He has done for us, we can trust that God works for our good (Romans 8:28). A sound mind is a gift from, God, never surrender it to any circumstance or situation in life.

The life we are called to live is a life of warfare. We are in a constant battle to subdue the desires of the flesh, (Galatians 5:19-21) and to reject every opinion/imagination that is against God in our lives (2 Corinthians 10:4-6

The way to win this battle is by “walking in the Spirit”

“So, I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” -Galatians 5:16

There is no benefit in the flesh, no matter how much we go out of our way to satisfy it. Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life.”

I pray that we gain back control of our minds, and have dominion over our flesh. And our habits come from our convictions, and we are fruitful and effective in our knowledge of Jesus and a life worthy of the calling we have received. Amen

The Psalms of ascents 120-134 refer to the physical journey up to Jerusalem and the Temple or possibly the ascent of priests up the temple steps.

I learned these because of my Pastor. He sends out a Psalm every week for us to pray.

Lying is trivialized in society, but scripture reminds us that there are profound implications. Proverbs 26:38 tells us, “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”

Lying may be considered a harmless act or a necessary evil. Yet, the Bible consistently teaches that lying lips have spiritual consequences. It affects our relationship with God, others, and us.

Here are a few ways it is going against God:

1. Lying is a sin against God

The ninth commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” It is written in Exodus 20:16, and Deuteronomy 5:20.

Lying is contrary to the nature of God, who is truth, and is associated with Satan, who is called the “father of lies.

2. Lying is an abomination

Proverbs 12:12 says, “The wicked covet the catch of evil men, but the root of the righteous yields fruit.”

The wicked crave dishonest gains, while the righteous, are rooted in integrity. The wicked envy the illicit, “stolen” gains of other evil people and desire to catch prey just as they do. They are never truly satisfied and often rely on traps or schemes to get what they want.

Lying or wickedness stems from an internal emptiness, chasing external temporary things.

I learned from a very early age that if I wanted people to think I had a “normal” childhood, I would have to cover up, my pain and suffering, the emptiness I felt inside, I used to justify it by thinking no one would believe me anyway. The issue wasn’t lying to hide my past, it was because it caused me to believe I could lie for my gain too. It turned into a vicious cycle of lying, and then trying to remember each one, lying leads to more sin. It was a disaster that just led to depression and more hurt.

3. Lying destroys trust

Truth is the foundation of healthy relationships. Lies breed suspicion and division making any hope of reconciliation difficult.

4. Lying injures others

Lying can ruin reputations and cause emotional and sometimes financial harm. Proverbs 25:18 tells us, “A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.“

5. The personal consequences of lying

Proverbs 19:9 tells us, A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will perish.”

Thankfully Jesus gave us a way to escape the consequences of lying when He died on the cross.

We can ask for forgiveness (repent) and commit to truthfulness, even when it’s difficult.

Lying may seem like a small sin, but its consequences are severe, both spiritually and relationally. As followers of Jesus, we are called to walk in truth.

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” -Colossians 3:9-10

God’s grace is sufficient for us, and His truth can set us free. Living as children of light, and glorifying God with our words and actions will lead us down the right path.

Boundaries have become a buzzword the last few years. I watched a short on YouTube the other day. Where a man was going through a neighborhood asking if he could come in and use their shower. Would you have let him in?

The person who best demonstrated boundaries was Jesus. He had clear boundaries with people in His life, and throughout the Bible we can see why boundaries are important, and even which boundaries are important.

God sets boundaries for us.

The most obvious way the Bible puts boundaries on display is almost so obvious that it’s easy to miss. God set the world in motion with boundaries. There is a law or a rule that the world follows. In the beginning, God started creating boundaries.

Genesis 1:3-4 states, “And God said, let there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”

He set boundaries for day and night, and for land and water. Boundaries taught people God’s holiness. There is a moral boundaries people God’s righteousness. Social and civil boundaries taught us the value of all in the nation (or at least it should).

Later in scripture, God governed His people and showed us how boundaries are meant to protect us and invite us into healthy relationships with Him, and with one another.

God’s Word gives us clarity by showing us the boundaries that He has provided as protection for women, children, and all in society. In the law, God provides those boundaries for Israel as a community. The ceremonial boundaries taught them God’s holiness. The moral boundaries taught them God’s righteousness. The social and civil boundaries taught them the value of all in the nation.

Jesus clearly demonstrated boundaries throughout His life on earth. He often set boundaries by showing us that He needed to go be alone at times. Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Some conversations are meant to happen between us and God.

Others happen with trusted friends, but Jesus was cautious with His relational boundaries. He had varying levels of trust with different people. He also didn’t just give anything to anyone who asked.

There seems to be a culture of shame around saying “no” and wondering if it’s unkind or unloving to set boundaries with people. However, the Son of God wasn’t just a “yes” man. He was intentional in everything He did.

When Jesus had heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days (John 11:6) and showed up when He could. He didn’t let some of His friends demand that He go back on His boundary and change His mind, even in a time of crisis. This account is taught in so many ways, but what I noticed was how intense and personal the conflict was.

If I really need a friend, I would be upset if they didn’t show up for me. But Jesus honored His boundary. Instead, He came when He could. He didn’t apologize for His boundaries. He set boundaries lovingly and intentionally, and we have the freedom to do as well.

When we set boundaries we become more Christlike. We sense that the Holy Spirit convicts us as we pursue lives with greater holiness. We stop watching the television show, we cringe at certain language or at comments that are full of mindsets that don’t reflect the heart of God. We sense a need to spend less time with certain people, and we start to care more deeply for those who God reveals His heart for to us.

Romans 8:5-6 tells us, “Those who live according to the flesh have their mind set on what the flesh desires. But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

As followers of Jesus, we need to set new boundaries to put in place our own actions and thoughts. We are told to think about in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -think about such things.”

God set up boundaries, Jesus modeled those boundaries for us throughout His life, and we are encouraged to continue setting relational and personal boundaries to pursue a life governed by the Spirit.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” -John 10:10

If Satan can still kill and destroy, how do we overcome him? He can steal the word and God promises right out of your head, leaving us with no way to fight. He can cause tragic situations to happen and even kill us. He can destroy relationships and the things that we cherish. What can we do?

We can turn to Jesus and love God with our hearts, minds and strength. Then those things that Satan can do become less of a problem. God‘s abundant and full love overflows within us and gives us the ability to withstand Satan‘s battles.

Here are things Satan cannot do:

1. Make us sin

It’s our own lusts, desires, and selfish wants that make sin appealing enough to cause us to step into it. Then those things more we justify our desires and wants, the more we will want to sin in order to get them.

Our free will causes us to sin. Satan cannot make us do anything. Satan may place a bad idea in front of us, but it’s our fault if we step into it. Sometimes, we only see the full consequences after we fall.

2. Make us fear death

We don’t know our length of Time on this earth, and we don’t know how our end will come about. Fear of death seems natural, there may be pain and suffering involved. There will be pain from losing the good things on earth that we will all miss. And there will probably be regret regarding the times I didn’t live as loving and good stewards.

But those negative ships will only happen in the process of death, not afterwards. The sting of death is gone because of Jesus. He will wipe away our tears, and we will be in a place of warmth and love that we cannot fathom now.

3. Take our Stamina

God will always give us the power to withstand temptation when we ask Him. But we need to remember to pray and ask God for strength.

There can be sometimes we think that we are standing strong when we’re only standing in our own pride and determination. And we will soon fall. But when we lean on God and His strength, He is faithful to help us to walk right on by any temptations that threaten us.

4. Pester Us After We Resist

Satan can whisper that we deserve better, he can invite us to get what we want the quickest, easiest way possible. He can even make lies sounds truthful.

But once our mind is made up that we’re going to do it, God‘s way, Jesus will give us the power to follow through with the commitment, and Satan has to flee.

5. Control Us

Once we accept Jesus into our hearts, Satan cannot control us anymore. But he can still pester us before we resist him in any given situation. Satan can still whisper lies that sound true. But he never has control over us.

When we allow God into our souls. Jesus locks the door behind Satan. We have to say yes to Satan‘s whispers, lies, and temptations in order for him to have any power over our lives. Unfortunately, we can still agree with those lies, in a particular moment. And even stepped in the wrong direction. But we can retreat, repent, and head back to the One that our souls really love.

6. Be everywhere at once

Satan cannot be everywhere at once. He can only roam around.

He is not omnipresent, like God. The Lord fills the heavens and earth.

We can never flee from God’s presence -day or night. God is there when we rejoice and worship Him. He is even there when we are in trouble, regretful, or desperately needing help and cry out to God.

Typically, Satan does not show up during those times when we are rejoicing or are desperately in need of help. He doesn’t like it when we rejoice, but he loves it when we grumble. And he is glad when we desperately need help, that is his goal to get us into trouble.

7. Anything without God’s permission

God has to permit Satan for him to take anything away. He had to ask for permission to take away everything that Job had.

Even though Satan does rule the earth for the time being. He does so under tight reign.

God has to allow Satan’s tragedies and temptations. God also gives him limitations to those temptations and tragedies. God only gives him permission when He can bring something good out of it.

8. Steal our faith

Job lost everything: friends, kids, wife, status, and health, but he never lost his faith in God. Sure, he had a lot of questions. He also didn’t understand why God had allowed such things. But he stayed faithful to God.

We can put on the armor of God daily.

We are protected by the belt of truth, as well as God‘s righteousness. Shoes of peace cover our feet and help us share the good news. The shield of faith stopped the arrows of lies that come at us. A helmet of salvation gives us confidence to go forward. And God‘s word gives us the ammunition. Then we can stand firm against Satan’s schemes.

9. Commandeer our future

We may be fighting in the great battle of good vs evil. But we are able to hold our ground because God is on our side. God gives us eternal life, and we will never perish. Problems will arrive in our lives, but as long as we are with God in the long run, they will seem small.

No one can smash us away from God’s love, including Satan, because our Father in heaven is more powerful than anyone or anything. His hand will hold us securely.

10. Win

Many battles will be fought by Satan on this earth comma just like the Confederate army won some battles in the U.S Civil War. In the end, however, God will win the war. The authority of Jesus will prevail by the blood of the Lamb.

The blood of the Lamb creates testimonies of all the people that surrender to Jesus. Every single time that we step away from temptation, a testimony to God’s power is formed. Each time we retreat from stepping into sin, repent, and go back to God, another testimony is forged. And, every time we go through a tragic situation with our faith in God,s goodness intact, another testimony spring forth.

Satan is defeated by rock-solid testimonies of God’s love and grace.

We all need help making choices. The best help I know is found in God.

Deuteronomy 30:19 tells us, “choose life that both you and your descendants may live.”

Joshua 24:15 says, “choose for yourselves this day who you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Adam and Eve had a choice. Noah had a choice. Zacharias had a choice and Paul had a choice.

Don’t let evil convince you that you don’t have the power to choose. God gave us power to choose.

Has anyone ever made a bad choice? I know I sure have, quite a few in fact. All throughout history, there are accounts of bad decisions.

• Sam Phillips sold the small recording company called Sun Records in1955 for $35,000. It included an inclusive contract with Elvis Presley. He unknowingly forfeited millions of dollars in royalties.
• Tom Selleck turned down the lead role for Indiana Jones.
• A thief in America tried to steal two live lobsters, and he decided to stick him down his pants.

All bad decisions. The key to making wise decisions is listening to God.

In the wise words from Solomon in Proverbs 2, if you want better insight and discernment, learn the importance for reverence for the Lord and of trusting Him. He shows how to distinguish right from wrong and hoe to find the right decision.

If you want to make better decision decisions, listen to God.

There are some practical ways I’ve found to test a decision.

1. The Test: does it line up with the Word of God?

In life, you have to decide what’s going to be the thing you base your life on – what’s going to be your ultimate authority for what you do. You either base your decisions on God’s Word or on what society values.

If you base your life on what the popular opinion of the day is. Things are constantly changing. There is no solid foundation for society is doing at any given time, it’s always on the move.

On the other hand if you face your life on God’s Word, the truth never changes. Truth I’d always truth. If God says something was wrong 5,000 years ago, or today it is still wrong today. I don’t care what the popular opinion poll says. I don’t care about political correctness says, I don’t really care what is pushed on us from the main stream media. If God says it’s wrong it’s wrong. We have a choice to build our life on shaky constantly changing foundation or we can build our life on what God says which never changes and gives us a solid foundation while everything else is up in the air.

If we reject, disobey, or ignore God’s principles we are the ones who get hurt.

The oldest temptation in the book is to doubt God’s Word. Whenever we find something in the Bible we don’t like, think it’s restrictive, outdated, or old-fashioned we start to doubt God. “Did God really say, did God really mean.” Anytime we begin to question the Bible we fall into the oldest trap in the world. It’s Satan’s original temptation, the one he used on Adam and Eve.

So when making a decision the first test is, what does God say about it in His Word.

2. The integrity test: Would I want everyone to know about this decision I am making?

If you were making a decision and you worry about what others will think about it then it’s probably a good indication that it’s not the right decision to make. Bad decision is always lead to secrets, and those kind of secrets will lead to pain in our lives.

Proverbs 10:9 tells us “The man of integrity walks securely but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”

Noticed it doesn’t say might be found out or even if there is a high probability of being found out. It says you will be found out..

When making decisions we have to have integrity.

We’ve all been there. We’re about to make a bad choice we know is wrong and it’s a choice we shouldn’t make, but think no one will find out. I’m we make that decision and start thinking someone’s going to find out and feel the fear that comes from that. That’s when we know we’ve violated the integrity test.

It always helps me to remember Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, and anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.”

The test of integrity is that your public life and your private life match. What’s in your heart and what’s in your life are the same thing. The truth is when it comes to integrity, even if you fool everyone else, you can’t fool yourself or God. If you violate your conscious, you have to pay for that.

James 4:17 says, “To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to Him it is sin.”

There are times I have thought, “I know I’m about to do something wrong, and it has entered my brain, “Even though it’s wrong I’ll do it and God will forgive me.”

The problem with that is God isn’t stupid. If we think we can go ahead and do something that He says is wrong and there won’t be any consequences, we are fooling ourselves. That’s the reason God doesn’t want us to make that decision. There are consequences to every decision we make, and every bad decision always leaves scars.

The Bible says we reap what we sow.

That’s how it is in life. The truth of God does forgive us for all the wrong things we do. But that forgiveness doesn’t free us from the pain and consequences that come from our bad decisions.

When we think about things that we know are wrong, it’s easier than the gray areas. How do you decide what those gray areas are. When in doubt, it’s a violation of the integrity test.

3. The improvement test:

Will this decision make me a better person?

1 Corinthians 10:23 tells us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for Mr, but not all things build up.”

Paul is saying here that some things are not necessarily wrong they are just not necessary. They’re not essential. It’s not a case of good or bad but rather a matter between what’s good and what’s the best. Many choices we make in life are not a case of good versus evil. Most of us don’t get up in the morning and say I will read my Bible or I will become an international terrorist.

The issue is what’s really best for our life. A lot of things are not necessary, they are morally neutral, but they are not necessary. We need to have a higher standard and ask what am I doing to make myself a better person. that’s the improvement test

Many activities in life are morally neutral. They are not right or wrong. It’s just that they are not helpful. They are unnecessary. The question isn’t, is there anything wrong with it? The question is, is it making me a better person?

4. The independence test:

Could it become addicting to me or could it begin to control or dominate my life?

No matter how appealing something is or how cool it seems or how much fun you’ll have -if it starts to dominate your life or control it it’s a bad decision. No matter how popular or something is, no matter how good something is or someone else if it dominates our life, it becomes addictive to us.

Don’t let anything on earth dominate your life.

This is important because whatever dominates your life becomes your God. The first commandment is “You will have no other God before Me.” God knew how easy it is to become addicted to our idols. We think idols are those little stone statues that people put on the shelf and worship. We have idols today. There are a lot of things we can become addicted to. Work, sex, money, or even the Internet can become idols.

Psychologist Stanton Peele named over 2000 classified addictions. But we can become addicted to almost anything. Soda, chocolate, anything that takes over our life.

Ask yourself “What do I think about most? What is it when you’re alone, when you’re relaxed, and find yourself thinking about it again and again? It’s a hard thing to admit, the things that dominate our lives. It’s hard to be honest with ourselves. Are you going to let that control your life?

Only Jesus should have that kind of place in our lives. He’s the only one worthy of that place in our lives. Anything else we put in that place will eventually dominate, control, and ruin our lives.

5. The influence test:

Will my choice harm other people?

One of the biggest mistakes in our life is we forget how much our actions will influence and effect other people every day. We are tempted to make decisions that may be the best thing for us that could have devastating effect on the people around us. We need to ask ourselves will it harm other people? Will it be a stumbling block?

Culture is good at causing us to only think about ourselves -what we need, or what we desire, no one else matters. the truth of it is God expects us to think more about this ourselves. The Bible says one day we will have to stand before God and give Him account on how our decisions affected others. God takes this very seriously.

Romans 14:12-13 says, “So then each one of us will give account of Himself to God. Try to live in such a way that you will never make another stumble by letting him see you doing something he thinks is wrong.

I remember one time I seen some people from church at a birthday party at a bar, I had a soda in front of me, and I immediately thought, “I bet they think Im drinking alcohol. Since then I have not walked into a bar for any reason. I was not in the right by choosing to go to a party at a bar. I could have went to the person’s house and visited them. I may have caused them to stumble.

Whether we like it or not, people are watching. There is no such thing, as it will only affect me. Everything we do has an effect on others either directly or indirectly.

The influence question is whether what I am doing, going to hurt someone else. We should be interested in how we live because we are influencing other people. People are watching, whether we like it or not. We can’t just live our lives where we want to. We have to be aware of our effects on other people. We bear the burden of being considerate of the doubt and fears of others.

Mature people limit their freedom for the benefit of others. Immature people don’t. In situations where there are gray areas we have to ask ourselves. Will it affect others.

6. The investment test:

Is it the best use of my life or time?

Ephesians 5:15-17 tells us to be careful how we live. Don’t live like those who are not wise. Live wisely. Because we are living in evil times. Don’t be foolish with your lives. Learn what God wants you to do.

If you want your life account, if you want to make the best of your life, if you want to make an impact, you’ve got to do one thing. You’ve got to control your time. Your time is your life.

Every one of us has been given the same amount of time each week -168 hours. Time is the one thing in life we cannot get more of. We can get more money, or possessions, but we only have a certain amount of time and once we waste it, we can’t get it back.If you waste you time p, you waste your life. Ask yourself is this the best use of my time.

We need to make decisions with a purpose. If not, you don’t have a basis for your decisions.

Affect people figure out what is essential in life and what’s trivial in my or they spend more of their time doing their essential things and less time doing the trivial things. We can’t eliminate all the trivia in our lives, but we can reduce it. It sounds easy, but it isn’t. Too often it is difficult to choose between what’s best for our lives and what’s easiest for our lives. It’s not an easy thing to choose.

When we’re tired, then we don’t want to do the best thing. We want to do what’s easy. We don’t want to do what’s right, we want to do what’s comfortable. That’s why if we’re going to make something of our lives we have to learn to get some rest. If we’re not rested, we’re tired, and if we’re tired, we do not have the mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual ability to say, “I’m going to do the right thing instead of the easiest.

Don’t go through life just existing, coping, or getting by. We were not put on this just to get by. God made us for a purpose. And it starts by asking the question is this the best use of my life?