If you were to do a little fun research to discover the sheer quantity of activities that happen each day in America, you’d be amazed. Consider, for example, the number of cups of coffee consumed, the number of babies born, the number of people who take a taxi, bury a pet, get divorced, go to the hospital, watch prime-time television, ride on an airplane, and go to school.
Read MoreCategory Archives: God’s Will
Radical Adjustments, Part Two
On October 12, 1972, a Fairchild F-227 of the Uruguayan Air Force was chartered by an amateur rugby team. The plan? To fly from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile . . . a flight pattern which required flying over the rugged Andes. There were forty-five on board, including the crew. Bad weather brought the plane down in Mendoza, a small Argentinian town.
Read MoreRadical Adjustments, Part One
Extreme dilemmas are usually solved by radical adjustments. It used to be called “fighting fire with fire.” Minor alterations won’t do. If the situation is getting completely out of hand, a slight modification won’t cut it. It’s get-with-it time. If the tumor is the size of a grapefruit, taking a handful of vitamins three times a week isn’t the answer.
Read MorePrudence
As the great theologian and sage Clint Eastwood once said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Children enter the world with no concept of the word can’t. Soon, however, the world begins to teach them that some things are, indeed, beyond their reach. By the time we reach adulthood, several defeats have helped delineate our capabilities.
Read MoreA Life of Purpose
Some people seem to drift aimlessly through life, headed in no specific direction. Without clearly defined objectives, it is not surprising that many adopt a lifestyle that lacks definition and purpose. I know a few folks who sort of take life as it comes; no big deal. Reminds me of the time I had been invited to a college campus to speak. On my way to the meeting hall, I met a fellow who was obviously apathetic.
Read MoreAll Take, No Give
In our study of what the book of Proverbs says about laziness, we have discovered two unpleasant character traits common to sluggards. We have also considered practical ways to address these flaws. Today, we learn how a prototypical lazy person handles relationships. (You have undoubtedly seen these characteristics in others. Maybe you’ve been guilty at times?)
Read MoreSubmitting As We Serve
He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” (Daniel 4:35). Those are the words of a powerful king—the richest, most powerful man in the world at the time—and he is describing God’s sovereignty soon after his encounter with humility.
Read MoreDivine Perspective
Since our generation so admires human ingenuity and worldly wisdom, we tend to give people praise that only God deserves. A battle is won—and we hang medals on veterans. A degree is earned—and we applaud the graduates. A sum of money is donated—and we engrave contributors’ names on a plaque. An organization stays in the black through hard times—and we grant the CEO a bonus.
Read MoreRewards along the Way
Having thought about procrastination, motivation, diligence, and consequences, Solomon and other wise men wrote the following lines of encouragement: The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. (10:28) Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire realized is a tree of life. (13:12) Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil. (13:19)
Read MoreExamine Your Heart
Two rival foes contend for control of our hearts: Sluggard and Diligence. Locked in a bitter, all-or-nothing struggle for dominance, each uses its most effective weapons to entice us to join sides against the other. Sluggard craves, but he accomplishes nothing. He doesn’t follow through. He postpones: “Maybe someday.” He tries to convince us that the consequences of inaction are negligible and manageable.
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