Simply Spiritual

We have all heard about forgiving and forgetting.  But how easy is it to forgive, far more to forget?

When you hold hatred and malice in your heart you rob yourself of happiness and peace.  It literally destroys you.  You know, when somebody does you wrong, intentionally or otherwise, they may at some point, feel sorry for what they have done to you.  If they seek forgiveness from you, give it to them.  Let go of the hurt and pain and move on with your life.

“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent’, forgive him.”  Luke 17:3-4 NIV

Another thing to keep in mind is, when you hold a grudge against someone, you are actually doing nothing to them.  They would probably go about their lives normally and happily, while you make yourself sick with feelings of hate and revenge.  It really makes no sense doing that to yourself.  The best way to avenge anyone is to show them love and leave their actions up to the Lord.

“Dear friends, never avenge yourselves.  Leave that to God.  For it is written,

‘I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it, says the Lord’. 

Instead do what the Scriptures say: ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.’ 

Don’t let evil get the best of of you, but conquer evil by doing good.”  Romans 12:19-21

Most importantly, when we forgive others, we allow ourselves to be forgiven also.  You must remember our lives are infallible and there may come a time when we may do something to offend someone and look for forgiveness.  If you don’t know how to forgive, chances are you will not be forgiven, especially by the one who matters most – God.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins”.  Matthew 6:14-15

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too”.  Mark 11:25

If you find your prayers are not being answered, it could be you have animosity towards someone.  Check it out, forgive and experience the peace of mind you deserve.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”  I Samuel 16:7

What does it mean to judge?  In this instance to judge means to form an opinion, to criticize or to assume or suppose something.

But how does this relate to having peace of mind?  Well for one thing, it can save you a lot of embarrasement.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Susan Boyle.  She was the woman who made an appearance on the British talent show, Britains Got Talent.  When she appeared on stage, she caused quite a stir with her ‘frumpy’ look.

People in the audience laughed at her when she said she wanted to be a professional singer like Elaine Paige.  They were all very skeptical.  But when she opened her mouth and began to sing, she shocked everyone, including the judges and she instantly became an overnight sensation.

See the video.

This is a classic case of judging by appearance.

We should never judge a person by their looks, attitudes or by what other people say about them.  It is always better to get to know the person personally, or find out more from someone close to them if necessary.  We should follow the Lord’s example:

“…people judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions.”  I Samuel 16:7b

You see when you judge you also put yourself in a position to be judged by others.  Don’t do to others what you do not want for yourself.

We all make mistakes, it is a part of life.  Never see yourself as better than anyone else for that is what you do when you judge others. 

“Stop judging others, and you will not be judged.  For others will treat you as you treat them.  Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged.”  Matthew 7:1-2

Be sure that your heart is pure when that time comes for you to be judged.

girl worrying

“So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing.  Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things?  Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God our primary concern”.  Matthew 6:31-33

In today’s current financial climate, what is commonly called the ‘global economic crisis”, it is difficult not to worry about what the future holds.  People have lost jobs, their houses, cars and are generally finding it difficult to make ends meet.

“Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere” – Glenn Turner

Worrying really gets you nowhere.  As a matter of fact there are two things you can do to stop worrying:

1. Don’t put yourself in a position to worry, and
2. Find a solution to your problem.

Let’s look at the first point.

What is the most common thing that most people worry about –  Money.

A lot of people spend more than they earn.  They borrow to get what they want quickly.  This causes debt and debt makes them worry about their finances.   Of course sometimes there is no choice to borrow money, but there must be proper planning, and proper planning is the key to living a successful life.

Then there are those who prefer to sit and worry about situations instead of finding solutions.  There is a solution to every problem.  Let’s use finances as an example.

You are in debt.  You are having diffulty paying your bills, and that has you worried.  The best thing to do is find a way to get out of debt.  Talk to your creditors, together you all can work out something.  When you have gotton rid of your debt, start saving and don’t put yourself in a position to be in debt again.

Then there are situations we have no control over.  Maybe you or someone you know has been diagnosed with a terminal illness such as cancer.  Worrying about death and your family is certainly understandable.  But the whole point of living a spiritual life is to be able to cope with life in general.  You will be able to face any situation that life brings in a confident and faith filled manner.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.”  1 Peter 5:7

And then there are chronic worriers, those who worry about things that are not worth worrying over at all.  It is something that on their own they have no control over, but there is help, there always is.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”.  Philippians 4:6-7

Whatever the problem in your life, there is help.  Worrying will not solve it, but prayer and faith in Jesus Christ certainly will.

In my post “Have Peace of Mind” I listed some things you can do to make life easier on yourself.

Weight loss asked that I expand on them in future posts and since my readers are special to me I shall oblige.  I’ll start with the first point, ’slow down.’

Life is a hustle.  We hustle to work, school or whatever it is that fills up our day.  But have you ever stopped and wondered what all the rush is really about?

Basically we rush because we need money.  It’s all about working towards getting the things we need and want to satisfy us.  Granted we need money to live, and in order for us to get what we desire we must work hard.  Or do we?

Stream

“The Lord is my shepherd;

I have everything I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

He leads me beside peaceful streams”.  (Psalm 23:1-2)

When was the last time you stopped and smelled the roses?  Watched the sun set?  Admire your beautiful surroundings?

Yellow Sunset

I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “God will provide”, and he does.  Once we live our life for him we shall never want for anything.

Of course, I don’t mean to just sit around and wait for things to happen, but life is much more than hustling and bustling to make a dollar.

Yes, there is nothing wrong in wanting the finer things in life, but it makes no sense stressing yourself out to get them.  You might just kill yourself in the process and you will not be around to enjoy everthing you worked so hard for.

Notice anything about the two verses I quoted?  They use nature to describe how God will take care of you.

Japanese Tea Garden

“The Lord will guide you continually watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy too.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-lasting flowing spring.”  Isaiah 58:11

Slow down, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and imagine what your life will be like when you make a commitment to him -  as beautiful as a well-watered garden.

You may not necessarily get everything you want in this life, but look forward to the ultimate goal, and all this will help you to have peace of mind.

“And this is the way to have eternal life – to know you the only true God and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”  John 17:3 

Do you find it difficult to pray sometimes?  There are times in my quiet time with God I actually can’t think of anything to say.  I start saying something but find myself repeating, which just does not make any sense really, but then again I am not a talkative person by nature.  What I usually do in times like these is just to thank God for his many blessings and ask him to continually bless me and my family.

The best type of prayer is simple, spontaneous prayer.  In other words pray whenever you feel the need.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus gives instructions on how to pray.  Here’s what he said in verse 7:

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do.  They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.  Don’t be like them because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

He then goes on to give an example of what to pray for by what we call the Lord’s prayer today.

God does not care about eloquence or how many fancy words you know.  He just wants to hear what is in your heart.  These are the prayers he listens and responds to.

Could you remember a time in your life when there was an emergency or something tragic happened and you called out to God for help?  Do you remember what you said?  It could have been a simple ‘please God, help”.  This would have come directly from the heart without you even having to think about it.

Simple prayers are effective prayers.  If you don’t know what to pray about just take the Apostle Paul’s advice:

“Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”  Philippians 4:6

Girls jumping for joy

If you are a true believer in God and use him to take control of your life, then your life should be filled with joy.  Even if you are going through a difficult time right now there is no need to fill your life with sorrow or negative thoughts.  Times like these do not last forever.

“Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”  James 1:2-4

God is good, he will not allow circumstances in your life if he felt you will not benefit from it.  God does want you to be happy, and everything that happens in your life, happens for a reason.

“But remember that temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience.  And God is faithful.  He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t standup against it.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13

So keep smiling.  Be happy.  Don’t let anyone steal your joy.  A positive spirit will always attract positive conditions in your life.  You owe it to yourself and God to be always happy.  Remember the fruit of the Spirit is joy.

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control…”  Galatians 5:22

Fill your life with joy and you will be able to overcome any situation you face in life.

Holy Bible - New Living Translation

Studying your bible is easy now with modern day technology.  There are also various bible study courses available from numerous organizations.  But you can simply read your bible and gain the inspiration, motivation and encouragement you need to deal with life’s everyday challenges.

Here are some basic tools to help you read and understand your bible.

1. Modern Translations.  There are many versions of the bible available today.  My personal favorite is the New Living Translation.  The New International Version (NIV) is also very popular, and then you have the New King James Version (NKJV).
2. Bible Dictionary.  A Bible Dictionary is also very useful.  Some dictionaries give you information on people and places to help you better understand how things were back in biblical times.
3. A concordance.  A concordance helps you to find a particular verse in the bible by searching for a particular word.  There are simple concordances as well as exhaustives.
4. Computer Bibles.  There are bibles available on CD Rom.  Some of these would give you different translations, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances and even sermons. 

Now there are bibles made to read through in a year from beginning to end.  But it is not really wise to try and read the bible this way, unless of course you really want to.  It is best to pick a section, book or chapter and verse and concentrate on that.  Sometimes I just open my bible and whatever page surfaces I read a chapter or verse from there.  Usually it is very helpful for something I am dealing with at that given point in time.

Always read the bible with an open mind.  Let God guide you as you go along.  Make notes as something you don’t understand at that particular point will be revealed to you at some other time in your studies.

Remember the Bible interprets itself.  Don’t try to put your own meanings into something your don’t fully understand.

“All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.  2 Timothy 3:16

“And the people of Berea were more open minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message.  They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul on Silas to see if they were really teaching the truth.”  Acts 17:11

Tools to Help you Understand the Bible

What are you experiencing in your life now? Abundance?  Good health? Or scarcity and sickness.  Did you know that you can change your life by changing your thoughts?

If you are sick and you constantly dwell on your sickness then you will always be sick and not heal as you should.  If you think lack and constantly worry about money and material things, then you will always be in need.

You are in charge of your own destiny.  Nobody but you can lead you where you want to go.  If you want a different situation for your life, stop thinking only negative and start thinking positives.  Now, you have to constantly think positive if you really want your situation to change.  It cannot be up today and down tomorrow.

Build a relationship with God and see how your thoughts and your life change for the better.

Take this advice from the Apostle Paul:

“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable and right.  Think about things that are pure and good and lovely and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”.  Philippians 4:8

One of the things I learned while attending church many years ago was to make time for quiet time everyday.  Quiet time is the time you set aside praying, meditating and reading your bible.  It is the time you spend with God.

This is a very important aspect in developing your spiritual life.  Your quiet time should not be less than one hour.  You can break this down by spending 15 minutes praying, 30 minutes reading your bible and 15 minutes meditating.  Of course if you can devote more time to your quiet time, that’s even better.

You can add reading a spiritual book, listening to an audio sermon or gospel song.  Either way make God’s time the most important item on your agenda for the day.

If it is possible, try and make it the same time everyday.  It can be early morning or late evening.  Once you’ve developed a schedule it becomes easy.  Of course, with life being what it is, it may not be possible to keep this schedule everyday, however, whatever you do, try not to postpone it.  Always make time for your quiet time.

If you study the life of Jesus Christ, he always made time to pray and prayed often.

“The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray”.  Mark 1:35

“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer“.  Luke 5:16

“One day soon afterward Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night“.  Luke 6:16

Jesus always made time for his quiet time.  Even before his crucifixion, he prayed three times in one night.  This was how he got strength to face his final hours.

“Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane and he said, “Sit here while I go on ahead to pray… He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.  Yet I want your will not mine.”  Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep… Again he left them and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.”  He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for they just couldn’t keep their eyes open.  So he went back to pray a third time, saying the same things again.”  Matthew 26:36-44

Once you’ve gotten into the habit of spending quality time with God, you can face any situation in your life, and thus, strengthen your spirituality.

Holy Bible

Many people view the Bible as an out of date book.  But do you know that the Bible is still the #1 bestseller of all time?  To live a happy, spiritual life, the bible is the first book you should turn to for help.

Those who believe the bible is a dull, boring old book obviously did not have it presented to them in the correct way.  The bible is God’s instruction manual for mankind.  It gives advice on any difficulty you may be having in your life – marriage, family, finance, health, career, religious. 

Don’t look at the Bible as a religious book, but as a resource to help you live a peaceful, happy, righteous and spiritual life.

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible – Our Instruction Manual

The Bible – A Simple Guide to Understanding the Good Book