Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
How To Change Your Life
How does one make significant spiritual changes? How do you improve your service to God? How do you break the old patterns and undergo a complete paradigm shift to make fundamental changes in your life? These five key points will help, if you take them to heart.
1. Listen to life-changing truth with passion. I’m in favor of doing things “decently and in order,” but if you park your brain in the vestibule, sit down on a pew and vegetate, you won’t get very much out of a sermon. Take your physical and mental intensity to the next level!
2. Raise your personal expectations. “Excel still more” (I Thessalonians 4.1, 9-10; Philippians 3.12-14). A famous success coach says, “We must remember that the same level of thinking that brought us to where we are today will not take us where we want to go tomorrow.” The Bible puts it this way: “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or wisdom in Sheol where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9.10). I do not agree with all the personal philosophies of Nelson Mandela, but he is right when he says, “There is no passion to be found in playing small — in settling for a life that is less than what you are capable of living.”
3. Harness the power of faith in God. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4.13). You have this built-in God-given capacity to be all that you can be — to dream big dreams, to make a profound difference for good. Do you believe it? Part of the secret is replacing your limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs. You’re not just a “victim” of circumstances beyond your control. An example of a limiting belief is found in the lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5.5-7). He was preoccupied with finding someone to put him in the pool when the water was stirred, while the real answer to his problem was standing right in front of him, in the Person of Jesus! We have all been conditioned to think a certain way, but in reality, we have the power to accomplish a whole lot of good things if we believe, with God’s help, that we can put these virtues into action (Luke 17.6)
4. Model successful godly behavior. Success leaves footprints. Someone has said, “Do what other successful people do, and you will be successful.” This is as true of spiritual success as it is in any realm. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12.2). Follow the example of your Savior! Other Christians can help as well. Do you want to do something well in the Lord’s work? Then learn as much as you can from someone who’s doing it well. Find a mentor, ask for advice, and then follow his or her godly example.
5. Decide to succeed at all costs. Successful people are not lucky. “Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.” You’re going to make some mistakes along the way. A successful businessman turned an indecisive, insecure secretary into the finest secretary he’s ever had. He told her: “Make some mistakes. Do the 1best you can, but let it rip and just1 start making decisions... There isn’t anything you can foul up that we can’t fix.” That little piece of advice changed her life! Too many Christians suffer11from paralysis of analysis. In your effort to honorably do the Lord’s work, you’re going to make some mistakes. It is better to go forward and learn from these mistakes, than to remain inactive. Be clear on the goals you would like to accomplish, and prayerfully commit yourself to them. Indeed, “the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10.2).
