There are certain things in life that are needed to make it satisfying, worthwhile and joyful. In my original script I said “purposeful” rather than “joyful”. I changed it to joyful because I am aware that for much of my life I have been too intense. A number of years ago a work colleague described me as “a very serious-minded young man”. I was about 36 at the time. For a long time I saw that as a compliment. That was before I realised that I was inclined to take myself too seriously, and as a result I lacked joy. I was okay with purpose, but not joy. I am pleased to say that joy gets my vote now and has had for a number of years. Here are some other things I have learned about myself since being that “young man”:
Life can become an exhausting round of achievements, most of which cost much more than they are worth. I stopped comparing myself with others, in a competitive sense, a long time ago. I focus now on what is before me, and I am very happy to celebrate the achievements of others and their talents – many of which benefit me!
We live on a planet of great abundance, where there is enough for everyone. So those of us who have plenty should be those who give from that plenty. I am not referring to billionaire philanthropists such as Bill Gates, alone. You don’t have to have that kind of money to have a giving heart.
To love other people enough to want to give to them means that our cup needs to be full to overflowing. It’s not simply a financial fullness I’m talking about, it is also an emotional, spiritual and personal fulness. I don’t believe we can love or even value other people until we first know how to love and value ourselves.
This automatically means that any tendency to perfectionism is never going to fit. We are allowed mistakes in the journey of life. We do need to learn from them though, otherwise we may keep repeating them. They can be blessings in disguise. John Maxwell, the leadership guru, says, “Sometimes we win, sometimes we learn. We never lose”. With that kind of approach and attitude of humility, we will be good enough – even to God.
My past does not have to determine my future. My former limitations do not define who I am now, nor do they determine my destiny. When I stopped blaming my past on others, I set myself free. Another very important thing I have learned: No one can hurt or upset me without my consent: I have to allow it!
I have never been much of a worrier, but there is a lot of it in my family background; especially worrying what others may think. It is impossible to please everyone, so as a Christian I try to please God. I find that other priorities line up very well with that.
What about the expectation others may have of me? Like most people I have my own objectives and responsibilities in life. As a result I cannot say, “Yes”, to all of the requests or demands I receive even though they may be worthwhile. I only have so much time and resources. Therefore, saying, “No”, is something I have had to learn to do (as graciously as possible) when necessary.
I believe in the inherent self-worth of each person. It follows that each of us deserves the opportunity to be true to ourself, without needing to apologise to anyone. Self-esteem is vital to our well-being, so long as we do not allow that to become an excuse for self-interest.
Being powerful is like being a lady, if you have to tell people you are, then you aren't. | Margaret Thatcher |
The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but God will make us good because he loves us. | C S Lewis |
Fear is misplaced faith. | Kris Vallotton |
God has already seen every mistake, every failure and every weakness, and the good news is he's already forgiven you. He is not holding it against you. | Joel Osteen |
God is not nearly so interested in changing your circumstances as he is in changing you. | Joyce Meyer |
Pray, and let God worry | Martin Luther |
Those who never change their mind never change anything. | Winston Churchill |
What you do (for a living) is not who you are. | Celia Apeagyei-Collins |
People who write you off when you fail know nothing about history and even less about life. No person ever fully succeeds until they fully fail. | Lance Wallnau |
There is no uncreated being except God. God has no opposite. Satan, the leader or dictator of devils, is the opposite, not of God, but of Michael. | C S Lewis |
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. | Jim Elliot |
You never know how much you really believe anything until it's truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death to you. | C S Lewis |
If you know you are loved, faith is easy. It's easy to trust someone you know loves you. | David Forster |
Every moment that you spend upset, despaired, anguished, angry, afraid or hurt, because of the behaviour of someone else in your life, is a moment in which you have given up control of your life. | Unknown |
Remember, you do not have to live today by how you feel, nor by what you think about yourself, nor by what someone else thinks about you. The person who created you thinks you are wonderful, and he waits with open arms for you to agree with him. | David Forster |
Shift gears from doing something in God's presence to simply being in God's presence. | Lance Wallnau |
Your future doesn't depend on what is in front of you, it depends on who is in you. | Lance Wallnau |
Did you know that you are utterly and completely loved by God, without doing a single thing, good or bad. | David Forster |
no one knows how bad they are until they have tried very hard to be good.. | C S Lewis |
If we are living daily by faith, we will be constantly over our head; Beyond our ability to do this our that. We should all be in that place in some area of our life. If we are not, we will be like an old wineskin; too rigid and inflexible to receive the Lord's new wine. | Rick Joyner |
For a believer intimacy with God is not an option, it's a necessity. Guidance and direction depend on this intimacy and sensitivity to Holy Spirit. There is no substitute for the latter. | Graham Cooke |
Jesus reveals the Father to us. He gives us peace and rest. He is not a hard taskmaster. | David Forster |
The God who creates everything, pursues you. Don't let anyone tell you you're are worth less than that. | Louie Giglio |
In the kingdom, physical obedience brings spiritual release. | Bill Johnson |
Don't be surprised if you pray for nearness to God and he sends a trial. Nearness always requires dependence. | Desiringgod.org |
Our corporate worship doesn't meet a need in God, it meets a need in us. | Sam Storms |
How you feel is not who you are. Feelings are great servants and terrible masters. | Kris Vallotton |
There is a lot that is good in your life. Don't take it for granted. Don't get so focused on the struggle that you mis the gift of today. | Joel Osteen |
The enemy commits identity theft when you believe you must earn what God freely gives. | Alison Brown |
If you agree with your creator and receive what he freely gives, you will have serenity in your identity and confidence in your countenance. | David Forster |
If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. | David Forster |
A satisfying and exciting life organises around an identity focused on Jesus, not the church.. | Graham Cooke |
Satan cannot impose his will on anyone, he has to have our agreement. | Graham Cooke |
Every day adjust yourself to where God is taking you, that is, toward the prophetic vision he has given you. | Lance Wallnau |
Real faith is not faith in an outcome (of a particular situation or circumstance), it's faith in a person. | David Forster |
Be in no doubt that God will redeem the losses and mistakes of your past life. | David Forster |
God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from himself, because there is simply no such thing. | C S Lewis |
Wealth, women and status; these are the major temptations that can draw a man away from God. Each is morally neutral; yet given the appropriate significance, each can control us. | David Forster |
The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he doesn't exist. | Anon |
Fear is the enemy of love. The two cannot exist together. We have to choose daily: Fear or Love. | David Forster |
You are not saved because of the quality of your faith. You are saved because of the object of your faith; The Redeemer! | Tim Keller |
Revival goes from the bottom up; Reformation goes from the top down. Therefore reformation is institutional and revival is personal. | Lance Wallnau |
Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. | Albert Einstein |
Inner peace is key to experiencing God's presence. Rest is a weapon against the enemy | Graham Cooke |
Fairy tales don't tell children that dragons exist. Children know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed. | G K Chesterton |
When you are at peace with God, you will be at peace with yourself and with other people. | David Forster |
You can believe in Christianity in the same way you believe that the sun has risen; Firstly, because you see it and secondly because by it you see everything else. | C S Lewis |
A little while ago I became old enough to start believing in fairy tales again. This means there are far better things ahead of me then what I have left behind. | C S Lewis |
Your unfinished destiny is your most potent argument with death. | Graham Cooke |
I am not focused on what I am not, I am focused on what he is for me. | David Forster |