Basic Truths | Finding God in Everyday Life

  My right eye has been bothering me for several weeks. It started out as a sharp pain that went away, then became a nagging irritation that persisted.   I finally went to see the ophthalmologist this week and he found a suture from my previous surgery was rubbing against the surface of my eye. He removed the suture and I’ve been fine since then.   We all have irritations that bother us each day. They don’t have to be big problems; in fact, it’s usually the little nagging issues that wear on us day in and day out. They rob us of some of the peace and joy that we are meant to have. We may find it easier to bring the big problems to God because we know that they are too big for us to deal with on our own. We can let the little things fester and make us irritable.   Like my eye problem, we may have to do something about them in order to feel better.   The first step towards living a more peaceful life is to take inventory of who or what may be irritating us...

  I hearkened back to my CPA days this week. September 15 th is the deadline for filing corporation income tax returns. The weeks leading up to September 15 th always got busier and busier trying to get everything done before time ran out. I never minded the rush because I felt like I worked best when I was under a deadline. It forced me to become more focused and single-minded.   Those of us, myself included, who don’t work well without the pressure of a deadline can have difficulty in spiritual matters. We sometimes don’t do the things we should because we don’t feel the pressure to do them now because we feel that we can always do them later.   The truth of the matter is, we face a deadline every day of our life. We are called to live for God today . Whatever plans we may have for the future, whatever we think God may be calling us to do, it all comes down to being the person God calls us to be today and doing the things He wants us to do today . We shouldn’t pu...

  I took my car in recently to get the oil changed.   It’s something you need to do every so often because the wear and tear of everyday driving causes the oil to become worn out and fouled and not as useful. The technician emptied the old oil out before putting the new oil in. That’s a pretty obvious first step, since you can’t physically fill something up that hasn’t been emptied out.   The same thing is true in a spiritual sense. We want to be filled with God’s Spirit but we have to make room for Him in our minds and hearts. Paul encouraged the Colossians, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2). From time to time, we need to look at what we are filling our lives with. How much of the world’s interests, concerns, and values are we taking in instead of spiritual matters and God’s will for us?   I...

  When I was a kid, Labor Day was a bittersweet event. It marked the last day of summer vacation before school started the following day. As an adult, I’ve enjoyed having a three day weekend to relax and spend time with family.   Labor Day has been a federal holiday since the late 19 th century. Its purpose was to recognize the contribution of workers to America’s prosperity and wellbeing.   Labor Day is a good time to recognize the contributions of all Christians who work to build up the Body of Christ. To all of you who are laboring for the Kingdom, I thank you today for your willing spirit and faithful service.   May God bless you and support you in all you do.   I   read when Billy Graham passed away that the one thing he wanted to hear when he got to heaven was, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23). He was certainly deserving of that praise, but all those who serve, whether in big or little ways, can expect to hear that when...