Play Christ's Way

00517 Play Christ's Way "Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15 verse 7) We are faced with decisions every day regarding our relationship with others. Sometimes, there is aggressive behavior. In business, there is competition to get to the top; in school, there is competition to be the head of the class; in sports, there is competition to be number one, etc. It is the way it is. When growing up, I was taught that winning is not everything. It was how you played the game that mattered. In the seventies, I attended a business management seminar sponsored by Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi. The emphasis was on detail, being service-oriented, and planning. Over the years, the operating principles learned at that seminar have made my life very successful. They taught us to have a game plan and work it but alter it as needed. To play by the rules takes faith in yourself and God and love and caring for people. Weekly recipients of my messages vary greatly from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. Two are very successful Christian CEOs, and their companies' behavior matters to them. Christian ethics takes strong faith. No matter where or who we are, fairness and love of others are crucial to success. Then how do we deal with the aggressive ones, such as the inconsiderate neighbor? Cut-throat businessman? The ones that bend the rules? We need to pray for and love our competitors in life. John quotes Jesus in chapter 15:17, "This is my command, Love each other." Thought for Today: This week, let us practice unconditional love. If confronted with opportunistic or aggressive behavior, let us find a way to positively and lovingly through the situation. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, let me reach out to people this week. Please help me understand them and care about them. We pray that we can improve ourselves and our surrounding world through our faith in your ways. Amen

Following the Way

Following the Way "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is... Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." (Romans 12; 1-4) Society does not fit the biblical model we are taught and often desire. Truth, honesty, integrity, love, and many other virtues seem rare. Often, we join in and need correction in our human desire to "fit". It is normal to err and join in. It is also forgivable. In a discussion last week in a business environment, we reviewed several long-term, successful people in business. We compared the successful men with some that were sinking fast or already out of business. Those with long-term success functioned like they had read Paul's message to the Romans. They were not always right but always seemed to grow and strive for excellence. Fairness was their trademark; perpetual growth appeared to be a trait. They earned the respect and trust of those around them and were not "sharks" but win-win businessmen. They incorporated their Christian beliefs into the challenging world of doing business. That is truly doing God's will. Thought for Today: Stand up and be counted; demonstrate our faith in circumstances where we would not normally do so. Demonstrate that we are considerate and Godly in our daily activities. Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, our world is distracting and volatile. We all have too much to do, too many commitments, and too many fears. Throughout all of this, we pray for peace. We pray for our internal peace and the ability to demonstrate the value of peace to others. Amen

Joy

Joy "The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy, and I will give thanks to him in song." (Psalm 28:7) Is there joy in our lives? Let us face it: most of us have more joy (positives) than negatives. Our family, friends, and associates are sources of great joy. It is easy to see spring joy. It is spring, and the grass is green; the trees are budding with leaves, and spring flowers are showing their colors. Many today have a problem seeing the joys in their lives. There are issues caused by COVID-19 that have changed our lives. Even so, there are always positives. Keeping the Lord in our lives through prayer when we are down is vital. Paul told the Romans (15:13), "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Our surroundings and lifestyles create our physical and emotional joys. Absolute joy comes through our Christian beliefs. This belief gives us the "strength" and "shield" mentioned by the Psalmist. Thought for Today: Let us keep joy at the forefront of our thoughts. When challenged with life, let's use our shield - the Lord. Prayer for the Week: Heavenly Father, many of our friends are fighting battles. Illness, unemployment, unwanted career changes, and many others. We pray for them to understand your strength and love. We pray that they may only find the joy through trust in you. Amen