Everywhere we see how people destroyed their lives, and it all started with this eeny weeny feeling of wanting something they do not have. ENVY. There are different kinds of envy – it could be physical, relational, talent, and material. The Bible has lots of stories about envious people; there’s Cain, Rachel, Leah, Saul, Joseph’s brothers, and this angel Lucifer. All of them are ordinary people (except of course from that bad angel), who knew God, but like us they were also plagued with this illness. A regular guy may say, “Oops that’s not me. I don’t kill over an iPod.” Or “Why? Is it bad to want something that you do not have?’ But this is not the point. Wanting is a part of our nature, being human with insatiable wants and needs. But if we are going to understand the true meaning of envy, in God’s point of view, we can now put boundaries as to what and how we could manage our cravings. ENVY IS RESENTING GOD’S GOODNESS IN OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES and at the same time IGNORING GOD’S GOODNESS IN OUR OWN LIFE. As we understand this truth we’ll get to realize that there’s no small or big envy, that nevertheless, the temperature is the same whether you dip your toe or dive in headfirst. This bitter feeling is of the devil, as stated in James 3: 14-16, for a simple feeling of jealousy might lead us to stealing, lying, and eventually murder (ok, that one is too much). So, what shall we do with this sickness within us? First, we should not compare ourselves with others. 2 Corinthians 10:12 says, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves…” There are only 2 things that might happen to us if we compare; if we see someone better we become envious, or, if we think we are better than that person we become proud. On the other hand. if we compare one person to another, we breed contempt and hatred in their hearts.
Celebrate God’s goodness to others. If somebody else get hold of something you are hoping for, it is just right to rejoice with that person. King Saul’s son, Jonathan, has all the ingredient there is to resent David. Instead, “Don’t be afraid”, he said, “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. 1 Samuel 23:17 As we learn to be happy for others, we leave no room for envy to linger in our hearts, for evil cannot have a grip wherever God reigns.
Embrace God’s goodness to you. “Better what the eye sees than the roving of the appetite. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Eccl. 6:9 Not being grateful for our blessings means insulting God’s goodness to us. If we give in to each and every jealousy, you’re in to a slippery slope; the “resentments” are never-ending. But if we focus on what the Lord has given us the “thank you’s” are boundless. Let us be appreciative of God’s graciousness, His gifts are new everyday. Do you have a problem of envy in your heart? Go back then to God’s words –“…God our Savior showed us His kindness and love. He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit…” Titus 3:3-5– A place to live, food to eat, clean air to breath, another day to live, God gave us everything we need, to the point of sacrificing His only Son to ensure our place in heaven. What else can you ask for more?
The Bible says, after we die, we either suffer eternal separation in hell or experience eternal celebration in heaven. Just two destinations, both real places. Everybody wants to go to heaven, unfortunately, not everyone wants to have anything to do with God. It’s a shame because it is a fact that our lives are meant to be spent in eternity, but not unless we get to know Jesus this gift of salvation will be forfeited. On the other hand, there are ways if we want to keep this birth right
Acknowledge that we messed up our lives. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All of us are sinners. Refusing to admit it is prideful rebellion, the same sin that caused Satan’s fall – and ours too. At the Cross, all our sins were forgiven - the past, present, and the sins we are about to commit in the future. This means everyone gets a ticket to heaven, all expense paid. All we have to do is to say, “I’m sorry”. 2 short words that mean a lot to God, it means we humble ourselves and we submit to Him who is powerful and perfect. Accept that we need help. Admitting our mistakes is not enough; in fact it’s only the first step. Nobody goes to the doctor unless we accept that we need help. Ironically, Jesus said that He came not for those who thinks they are okay but for us who are sick. He is ready to support us, but unless we admit that we need help and something is wrong with our lives, we can’t be helped. Pride has a powerful way to get through our hearts that’s why some people try to project something in order to cover up their mistakes. There’s what we call the performance lie, wherein they fix their bad habits by doing something good; and the religious lie, these people will try to be very religious in order to patch up the sinful holes in their lives. But come to think of it, since all of us are sinners, everybody then needs help. Everybody is on the same boat as we are, the only difference is who will take the plunge towards Jesus and ask for His help.
Start a relationship with Jesus. All of us will face The Father one day, and everyone will be judged accordingly, but if we are friends with Jesus He will stand witness for us, that the sins we have committed have been wiped clean and the penalty we have to face have been paid for, in full. You want to be buddies with Jesus? Get to know Him. Read the bible and learn about His life and His promises to us. He’s just waiting for you. Rev. 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Jesus was crucified side by side with criminals, one was rebuking Him while the other asked for His forgiveness and was promised to be with Him in heaven. Between the two, whom can you identify yourself with?
Are you bored? Are you tempted to cheat? Do you blame others for your mistakes? Did you stop your efforts in developing your skills? Are you exhausted? Do you want to give up at this point? If you answered YES to at least 1 of these questions you need to learn the Principles of Work according to King Solomon:
Work with a purpose. Working without a purpose is scary, it devoid us of the happiness, the learning, and the fulfillment. For most of us we get a job just to earn cash, but the problem with working for money alone is that we’ll never be satisfied with the work we are doing – work problems are magnified, bad relationship with co-workers, boring routines. When you work with a purpose, you can bear almost anything; without it, nothing is bearable.
Insists on Integrity. In our workplace, like it or not, we are being assessed in a matter of seconds, based on how we looked. On the other hand, God looks pass our appearance, He fix His gaze into our hearts, looking for integrity. We all have our weaknesses; we may also have uncontrollable circumstances (financial or relational limitations). But these problems are not the issue; the point of the matter is how we deal with these. Are you going to give in to the easiest way out? Prov.12: 3 says. “Wickedness never brings real success…” For what it’s worth, God deliberately allowed these things in your life for the purpose of demonstrating His power through you.
Never make excuses. “The lazy man is full of excuses.’ I can’t go to work’, he says, ’If I go outside I might meet a lion in the street and be killed!” Prov.22: 13 You’ll be surprised how a lazy person can be creative with his excuses. Little does he know that he’s not short-changing anyone else but himself, because excuses makes one lose his chance of growing. Owning up to your own mistake is a sign of maturity and responsibility. Nobody gets killed in the office for accepting his own fault, you’ll get reprimanded of course, but that’s because every action has its consequences.
Never stop learning. “Intelligent people want to learn, but stupid people are satisfied with ignorance.” Prov.15:14 In this age where everybody is “wired’, there’s no reason to stop learning. It is a widely held belief that education is lifelong. Knowledge doesn’t just stop in books – we can learn from God’s word (read the bible), we got to learn from wise people (spend some time with the experts); we learn from our critics and failures (the sad thing about failure is not learning from it).
Economize your time and energy. “There is a right time and a right way to do everything but we know so little.” Eccl. 8:6 To sum it up we have a total of 168 hours in a week, with such little time in our hands we won’t be able to accomplish what needs to be done if we can’t properly manage our time and energy. Prioritize! Work wiser and not harder, any boss worth his salt would agree to that.
Resolve to stick with it. ”Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!” Pr.22:29 Thomas Edison was not successful the first time he tried his very first commercially practical incandescent light. Michael Jordan must have shoot hoops a thousand times before he was able to master his craft. Bottom line is there’s no overnight triumph.
Never give up. One thing that defines a successful man from a loser is that the later commits a mistake and goes home, while the successful one clears up his faults and moves on. Our God is a very personal God, He ‘s not only interested in our spiritual life, but our daily work as well. No job is easy, because it’s work. Let’s be patient then, and pray that God work with us today and give us peace of mind. May He give us a happy heart to welcome each challenges as an opportunity to grow; and His love to see failures as a stepping ground. Live in faith for we do not know what God has in store for us who worship Him. 1 Cor. 2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
*How Jesus Changes Us
Have you ever wish to be on someone else’s foot? Or have you ever wonder how is it to be somebody else? If you can relate, well maybe you want a change of life.
Change is always equated to risk, because we fear about the future, we still regret our past, and we doubt our abilities. But a closer look will draw us to conclude that change can be more defined as unleashing our full potential. Calling on to God and accepting that we need a changed life is difficult, moreso in facing change in itself, but take heed for God knows this and He has His own way of doing it. First, He will ease our fears. For thousands of years, the devil use fear to distract us and keep us away from God, that’s the very reason why we are afraid to go back to Jesus when we did something wrong. The truth about forgiveness has been covered up with lies about God’s wrath for the sinners. But just so you know, our sins have already been forgiven, and the sins that we are yet to commit have already been paid for. There’s also a bonus, our Father knows our weaknesses in succumbing into fear, for that reason He left us with passages about fear in the Bible, all 365 of them to last us a year. “I asked the Lord for help, and He answered me. He freed me from all anxious fears.!” Psalm 34:4
Second, He will eliminate your guilt. All of us have wounds to heal because all of us are guilty of something, or have been a victim by other people. But who says we need to carry that baggage with us? Didn’t Jesus invited us take His yoke instead for it’s light, why not let Him take over? When Jesus healed the paraplegic man He said “…,friends your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20 A paraplegic man doesn’t look good, but instead of healing his physical malady, Jesus paid more attention to his spiritual illness. This shows how God looks past on our appearance and locks His gaze into our hearts. He does not capitalize on Matthew “the tax collector” today, but excited instead on Matthew “the future evangelist”. Between us and God, forgiveness is not conditional, it is a given fact. Jesus forgives us instantly, freely and completely, all because we are destined to be with Him forever.
He will enable you to do what seems impossible. God maybe telling us some things, things that we deemed impossible – a challenging work, giving up an enjoyable but nasty habit, forgiving an enemy, loving an unlovable person. If it seems hard, then God wants to stretch our faith. Faith is not about getting permission to do what is easy. It’s about gaining the courage to do what’s difficult. It’s not about staying in your comfort zone. It’s about going where God leads you. “Jesus said, ‘Without God, it is utterly impossible. But with God everything is possible!” Mark 10:27 That’s what we call God empowerment!
No one has to stay the same, when we cry for help to change, God is more that willing to help us, despite of the circumstances. We are not perfect because He is not finished with us yet. Through the many changes in our lives, we have to maintain the discipline and temperament of a long-distance runner, who, focused on the end goal, just keeps running through the inevitable bumps on the road. Ask God to take the lead.*
*Are you trying to break free from a dangerous appetite? Have you been meaning to change your habitual anger outburst? Struggling with an addiction? God is ready to step in. Temptation is not a sin, it only becomes one when you give in to it. But if you think that it’s too over powering for you to overcome, then Satan fooled you …because there is always a way out:
Predetermine your pattern of temptation. Ask yourself: when and where you are most tempted; Who are you usually with when it happens; what temporary benefit do you get when giving in to its calling; and how do you feel right before you were tempted (were you depressed or hungry then?). Knowing and understanding yourself will help you guard your reactions when faced with your weaknesses.
Protect the condition of your heart. “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything that you do.” Pr.4: 23 The heart is our inner self; it is who we really are. Negative emotion is the devil’s foothold in our lives. Whenever we feel discouraged, bored, alone, insecure, hurt and spiritually dry, the rock that supports us crack and the devil gets a grip on us, a secure starting point from which further advances can be made. Don’t let destructive feelings eat up your heart, because contrary to our beliefs that temptation lies around us, it actually begins within us.
Pray for God’s help. Apart from God we are nothing, without His help we cannot do anything. If you find yourself on the verge of sinning, send God an SOS. Don’t be afraid to ask for His help for He would skip the “I told you so” speech, instead He’ll bestow us mercy - for the inconvenience that we’ve been through, and then He’ll shower us with grace - to overcome the lure of sin. Don’t even get embarrass even if you’ve been giving in to the same temptation. Just so you know, you can call on to Him a hundred times a day to defeat a particular temptation, and yet He’ll still be eager to help you out. The Bible says “Call to Me when trouble comes; I will save you…”Ps. 50:15 This guarantee surpasses, million times, the US Secret Service’ job.
Point your attention elsewhere. Temptation starts with a thought. If we were to dissect the anatomy of sin, we’d say it all begins with the attention (the thought), then the arousal (the craving), and finally the action (the decision to disobey). Since the battle for sin starts with the mind, the quickest way to defuse its appeal is to turn your attention on to something else. Because the more we block a thought the more it becomes imposing, the more it consumes us. Don’t fight it, just change the channel of your mind and get interested in other idea.
Participate in a support group. There are problems that are unbearable or sins that are too habitual. This is the reason why God gave us friends. They were given to us not just to co inhabit with, they’re here to help us overcome the calling of sin. We need to unload ourselves to godly friends who would pray for us, guide, and encourage us. The Lord wants us to share our burden with somebody whom we trust because it liberates us, for as we reveal, we heal. Confiding our weakness is not easy, but if we won’t humble ourselves and admit that we need help, then we’re just keeping ourselves from getting better. Are you intimidated by temptations? Don’t be, since every temptation is an opportunity to do good. As the devil use it against us, God utilizes it to mold us. Because every time you turn your eyes away from sin, you look straight into God’s eyes. Whenever we say no to temptation, we nod in agreement to God’s plans for us. If you believe in God and the power He gave us to defeat the power of sin over us, then temptation is just a choice, nothing more.*
Look at the mirror. Do you like what you see? What do people say about you, do they call you names? For most of us self-worth is dependent on our appearance, achievement, other people’s approval, affluence; all of which are, needless to say, superficial and temporary. If we’ll judge ourselves by these, we’ll end up frustrated because we won’t measure up to that standard, the society’s ideals.
The Bible tells us of a story about a man named Zacchaeus (Luke 19 ), who by people’s morals can be considered a midget, a thief, a social eye sore. But despite all of these Jesus chose to speak to Him, amidst the throngs of people, on a first name basis. That is because our reputation as an individual does not affect the way God looks at us. In His eyes we are a prince, created in His own likeness and purchased by His Son’s blood.
There are 3 fundamental truths on which we should base our self-worth:
No matter how insignificant you feel, Jesus notices you. In this world full of important and famous people there may be times when you feel irrelevant. But just so you know, you are not an accident. The thought of creating you excites Him long before you were conceived by your parents. God planned the day you were born and how long you would live; He sculpted your face and the distinctiveness of your personality. Each one of us was created for a purpose and each has its own place under the sun. We are God’s masterpiece and he loves us so. He definitely takes notice.
No matter what others say about you, Jesus affirms you. People may have something to say about you, but who cares about bad rep, the Lord looks pass on who you are right now, rather He is thrilled on who you will become in the future. The bible says, “Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.” Ps.27:10
No matter what you’ve done, Jesus wants you. You may have done something wrong in the past, countless times, but the bottom line is God still loves you. He never stop running after you. The proof of the matter is Jesus, who came not to condemn, but to bridge the gap between us and the Father. All of us is far from Mr. or Ms. Perfect but God doesn’t care. For Him our value does not depend on what we’ve done, but on what Jesus did for us. All He wants is a relationship .
Understanding this truth will free us from the lies of this world and from a rat race existence, this truth shall transform our lives. That is if you open your heart and see for yourself how Jesus looks at you. You are that person who’s picture is in His wallet, He thinks of you day and night. For Him you are one priceless jewel, and why wouldn’t you, your soul cost Him His Son.
The next time a wave of insignificance drives pass you, think about this: I am not what other people say I am. I am not what I think I am. I am who God says I am.
A billboard along Edsa says, “the one constant is change”, sounds like another oxymoron right. Ironically it’s true, these simply illustrates that all of us doesn’t have to stay the same, that changes meant growth. Even a larvae metamorphosed into a butterfly, a pony grows into a beautiful stallion, a tadpole into a frog and if he’s lucky he can even turn into a prince. We came into this world raw and crude, because God Himself wants to mold us into the kind of person he wants us to be and to do this, He uses circumstances in our lives: Crisis. Sometimes it is when we are on our lowest ebb that we say our most honest prayer, we have our most intimate talk with God. Good news is God listens to those who have time to pray and He speaks to those who have time to listen. But this doesn’t mean He will take away our troubles, He won’t do such a thing because He wants us to learn.
The Lord wants us to discover our own weaknesses and strengths. One thing interesting about God is, He’s more concern with our character than with our comfort. What He’ll do instead is guide us with our decisions. When God leads us to the edge of a cliff, only 1 of 2 things will happen - either He will catch us when we fall or he will teach us how to fly. Confession. No change would take place unless we admit our sins and accept our faults. It is when we go out of ourselves that something happens within the self, when we confess our mistakes we become remorseful and humble. God feels these, and that melts His heart into welcoming us in His loving embrace. As far as sin is concern the hardest part is admittance, if we are able to go through this, then conversion is inevitable. The moment we cry for a change, God will clean up all the patches, fill up all the holes and bleach all the stains, slowly but surely. A change of heart will allow God to give us a new identity, a new beginning. He will change us from the inside out. Clean slate. 2 Cor. 5: 17 (NIV) says,” Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come”. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not going to be easy, it may even hurt a little. Yet, we donot have to stay the same – same life condition, same sin, same wrong self- image. God can and will do something about it, rest assured He will not allow us to stay in whatever condition we have. Come to Jesus and ask Him to change you. He will not judge us based on our performance right now, instead He is thrilled on what we will become. As He promised, He won’t let go until He is finished.
The coming of a new year is always a crossroad, or should we say a representative of contemplation on the happenings of an old year, while looking forward to the new one. As we start 2007, let us look back at 2006, which is an interesting year to say the least.
Manny Pacquiao once again made every Filipino proud, not just once this year but thrice; Former President Ford passed away, so was the legendary singer James Brown; Grace Place was launched and attendees grew to 300%;the previous year was plagued with natural disasters such as the restless volcanoes, earthquakes, and torrential downpours; the unpredictable terrorist attacks continues; There’s still no cure for AIDS; Robyn was born and Johann turned 2; and what do you know, the year ended with a bang – Saddam Hussein was executed.
Yes, good and bad things happened last year, there was a time when our laugther pierced the room and a time when tears welled up our eyes, that’s what you call LIFE. There’s a positive and a negative side to most things, and our lives is no different. God himself designed it this way because He knows that apart from loneliness, one can’t truly be happy. Most of us fear what lies ahead, maybe because we care for a person too much or we simply are not ready for change ( who isn’t, the thought of my only son getting sick scares the hell out of me too). This year, instead of patronizing on our fears, why not work up on our faith instead? The Lord did not plant the seed of fear in our hearts, in its place there’s courage and joy - to be able to enjoy life for what it is: unpredictable and complex, and there’s hope - so we’ll be able to find enlightening moments to balance any difficulties.
In a nutshell, New Year is a new beginning, another birthday. New friends will come our way, just as heartaches and pain. But the best part is that God’s love is constant and overflowing. Let us now look forward to a brighter 2007 with hopes for peace and prosperity among ourselves. Let us dream for a better world, let us look forward to a fair and honest election in May, let’s dream but what the heck! Let’s work hard, play hard and pray hard. CHEERS!
The holiday rush is here-your work hours are piling up, you’re calorie-counting like crazy, and love is definitely in the air. But why only during this time of the year, what’s so special about Christmas?
History dictates that some of the most relevant events in our century was the Pearl Harbor bombing, and man’s first step on the moon. But we believers knew that no news is bigger than God’s coming here on Earth, the headline news could either be, “The World’s First Glimpse of Our God” or “God’s First day On Earth”.
“He became like men and was born a human being.” Phil.2:7 (Amp) If we were on God’s shoes we might have landed here on Earth in a burning chariot, or on a cloud with a million angels. Ironically, He chose to came here in the most humble way, born like any ordinary child, and His finishing touch to this grand entrance was to be confined in a manger. He is every inch a man, like you and me, a good news in itself because He can understand us better this way.
If we were Jesus’ playmate we might have asked Him, “Hey, what brings you here anyway?” No offense meant but Betlehem is no place for a king, lest the King of Kings.
The Ritz could have done better, and yet He came. Jesus came to give us a better glimpse of who God is. Our Father is a loving God, someone we can trust, our strict image of Him is a complete misnomer for His mercy never runs out for us, it’s new everyday; He came and endured the grueling heat of the sun while living in Nazareth just to show us the true meaning of life, which is to live in search of God - that exemplifies living from mere existing. Most importantly, He came so we can have eternity, so we can join Him in His mansion where He guaranteed a place for each one of us who love Him.
So, what’s so special about Christmas then? It’s about JESUS, right…and its about US. For we are the reason that He came. Christmas is God’s desperate way to reconnect with us, when He chose to use Christ to bind us with Him. The next time we see a Christmas belen, stop and reflect on how that kid gave us life, and each shepherd in the manger represents us all, who came to His calling and believed.
Santa’s gift was not the best after all. God’s present is available everyday of the year, wrapped in His blood and bounded by His love…just waiting to be opened.
This Yuletide season, the proverbial greeting is “Merry Christmas”, wherein merry here means joyful. For most of us, greeting everybody with that phrase is just part of the cliché associated with our modern commercialized Christmas. The fact is, Jesus himself commanded us, ” Always be joyful.”1 Thessalonians 5:16.
Look around, are the people we love happy? Are you happy? How come joy is so elusive when God himself presented us with this gift? In this age of instant coffee and on line shopping joyfulness becomes an expensive commodity because we anticipate the wrong circumstances – The BAD that shouldn’t happen and the GOOD that doesn’t happen. It’s funny, but it keeps us from seeking joy as a possibility. At the end of each tiring day, after all the nice things that happened along with the discouragements of the whole 24 hrs, happiness is still a choice. So, how do we make that choice?
Choose to hear the good news. Look at the cross to see the whole story – Jesus came and died on the cross to tell us how much He love us; While waiting for His return He offers a relationship with us so He can make a difference in our lives; He is with us in all our daily troubles and is preparing us an eternal joy, which we can start to have now. There, how’s that for a newsflash, far better than no work holiday, right?
Choose to do what God says. “When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15 Those shepherds must have been scared, confused or even skeptic on what they have been told that time, yet they chose to follow God, and it made them happy. God might be telling us to do or give up some things we really enjoy. We can ignore it, because it’s hard to renounce something we enjoy, but one thing is for sure, ignoring the Lord will make us miserable because all His commands are for our own good and joy.
Choose to tell someone else. Wish you could give more than just presents from a store? If we’ve got our Christmas list covered, or if all our daily needs are met, let’s consider ourselves blessed in many ways and give back to the world in our own way by telling a friend how much joy we have living in God’s love. Share Jesus. Express how a changed life made our life happy. “With joy they should tell what He has done.” Psalm 107:22 Not only do simple acts of altruism benefit those in greater need, stepping outside of ourselves and thinking about others can feed the soul - and in the process, lift our spirits.
Joyfulness doesn’t mean living a problem-free life; instead it is living a happy life despite of. We don’t need self-help books and seminars to have one. Walking with God is the best adventure, finding God is the best achievement, and having God as companion is the best source of happiness! – This is the “New Science of Happiness”. Live life!