Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

Don’t Wait For Happiness To Come To You

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You know all too often, we hit periods of time where for one reason or another, we just are not happy with ourselves or with the current status of our lives.  It may be circumstances with our work, maybe our career is not going the way we want to go, maybe things are not as happy as they should be in the home with strained relationships with one’s spouse or even children.  Maybe you have lost sight of God in your life because of circumstance and not sure he is playing a roll in your life.  It could be anything.  Many of us, including me ,have come to points where we are just flat our miserable and not sure when things can get better.

When we hit these points of depression and unhappiness we often find ourselves in a more negative state.  It becomes difficult to be positive and your not sure how thing can get better.  Like I said, I am no different.  What in the world do you do with that?  How can you get yourself out that rut and move toward a point where you are happy again with life and your direction?  I certainly had those questions.  About 8-9 years ago, my career was at a point where I was flat miserable everyday.  Nearly 4 years ago, I lost my Dad in a tragic accident and thought, what does anything matter anymore.  I was in bad way mentally, even though most people would not know it.

First over the past couple of years, I chose to walk closer with God each day and that reestablished my relationship with Christ.  Then I realized, no matter what they situation is, I have to make the choice to get myself out of a rut and find the happiness that helps me come alive again.  I have done a lot of reading and a lot of soul searching in recent years.  I’ve quoted Earl Nightingale many times especially from the “Strangest Secret” when he says, “We become what we think about.”  If we set our mines on the negative we will never find the positive.  We have to gear our minds to think toward the positive, to think toward the goals we want, to think toward happiness.  It is all purely mental.  You have to have the  mental toughness to not let circumstance keep you from reaching your potential.

Going back to Earl Nightingale, he also said, “Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”  We have to find what makes us happy.  We cannot wait for it come falling in our laps because it won’t.

I’ve come to realize that our time that God gives us on this Earth is very precious and is gone in the blink of an eye.  Don’t stand by and let it move past not make the most of the time you’re given.  It can be gone in a snap.  Don’t waste your time on the negative.  Things will happen in life.  It is a part of life.  But you need to have the mental toughness to bounce back and move forward with life.  Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  You have to fix your mind on the positive.  Fix your mind on what is worthy and not where the adversary wants you to go.  Fix your mind on Christ and he most definitely will guide out of the difficulties you face to freedom and happiness.  You have to make that choice and not wait for it come to you.

All Things Are Possible With God!!!

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Every morning I get up and spend at least a good half hour or so in God’s Word.  I started this habit over a year and half ago and it has been a powerful part of my daily life.  For years I was partially engaged and learned the popular versus out there, but never fully dove into the Word and studied it.  I set my reading each day using a set of reading plans that help to guide me through the Word and better absorb what I am reading so as to not just wander all over each day.  Something struck me today as I was reading and it really showed me how God was at work as I spend time in his Word each day.  I always follow each days reading accordingly and think about and pray about it.  What really hit me today is just how relevant each days reading seemed to be to this very moment in my life and how each encounter I have with His Word or in thinking about God in someway brings to light something new that is so relevant to my daily life.  It could be situations with family, with my work, or any other aspect of life.  It’s quite amazing to see Him this way as each day He gives me something to read that has so much relevance to goings on today.  He may provide answers to questions or He may give me guidance in how to handle particular situations.  This may come as not surprise to some of you, but it was funny how it just hit me that way today.  God reveals Himself through the Word in ways that are always meaningful to us if we take the time to really stop and think about what it is He is showing us.

I came home from the office today and when I walked in, my kids were watching a great movie, “Facing the Giants.”  If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it.  As a part of my daily reading a prayer, I typically will pray for my wife and children and pray that my children will live a life in which they seek God each day.  I was very intent about that prayer these last few days.  My kids are always asking questions about the Bible and take an interest in so many aspects of it.  Again, it may seem so minor, but seeing them so intently engaged in a movie like this that ministers to the heart the way it does, is awesome.  It felt like my prayers for their hearts to seek God were working.  They don’t watch this movie just because it is good.  They are engaged in the message that no matter what faces us in life, all things are possible with God just as Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 and again in Mark 10:27.

It is so awesome the work that the Lord does in our lives.  Everything we encounter in life is because He allowed it to happen.  God can open or close any door He wants to in your life.  Spending time each day intentionally reading and meditating on His Word will help you to see those doors that are opened and close.  God has revealed so much to me each day I spend in the Word.  I am thankful for all that He has shown me each day I spend with Him in reading and prayer.  If you don’t have this as a part of your daily routine, think about making it so.  In there you will find so much relevance to your life.  You may burning questions about any part of life be it in your own faith, the relationships with your family and friends, your work, or your purpose in life.  I promise you, He will reveal Himself in the Word.  Take time each day to read and pray on what He is showing you.  You will find so much clarity in your life and will help you learn to live your life for Him and to glorify Him.  You do that, then all things are possible through God.

The Impact of Relationships

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As we make our walk through life, we encounter so many different people that can have an impact on you and your own life in some way.  It could be with people you grew-up with, people in your church community, work colleagues, family and friends, or even strangers you have not met before.  When you think about it, every person you come across can have a significant impact on the type of person you choose to be in some way.  It’s like the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life.”  George Bailey was given an opportunity to see a world in which he did not exist.  He realized that his life was a real blessing and his own existence made an impact on so many people in his town.  Life is like that for real.  Everyone we encounter, whether short or long-term can have an influence on you.  Some of those influences are full of love and good and some of those are, more or less evil.  Those good and evil influences will help drive you in a direction that is either good or evil where the adversary always dwells.

When we face moments that we encounter people that tend to bring more toxicity to your life, it can be easy to succumb to that and fall into the trap of being that same type of person.  These are people that will do whatever they can to sever any relationships you have in your own life and bring you down.  We have all seen these type of people throughout our walk in life.  What I want to share with you is that no matter how much someone tries to tear you down and bring you to their level, you can be stronger than them.  Do not let them bring you to a point where you may do something regrettable yourself or take on their same characteristics.  This is when you have to choose to let God pull you from this situation.  Jesus said, “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  This is such a powerful thing.  Even Christ, while he was being hung on the cross prayed out to the Father to forgive those who were carrying out his crucifixion.  It is the most powerful showing of love and redemption ever.  Confrontations may happen, but even after, love and forgive those who may do wrong to you.  They may not accept, they have that choice.  Leave it in God’s hands.

On the brighter side, there are those encounters and relationships with people that just bring nothing but pure love and encouragement.  These are those that stand by you through difficult times or provide you the words that help to lift you up.  We have all encountered these people as well.  I have many them around, from my family and friends, to colleagues, mentors, and even people I may not know as well, but encounter regularly.  There is one gentleman that works out at my gym and everyday he comes in with a smile and walks around shaking everyone’s hand and asking how they are doing.  Have not had the chance to know him personally yet, but he is a guy that just loves life and loves meeting people.  Those types of attitudes are infectious as well.  Like with any situation we can choose to let these individuals have an impact on you and whether you let their kindness reflect in you.

As I said, any relationship we have in our lives has an impact on us.  We have to choose how we let that relationship influence our own self.  The good and the bad will have an impact on you.  Mr. Potter had an influence on George Bailey just as his own wife did.  The negative in life can be so easy to gravitate to.  It’s always easier to fall down that path.  We live in a fallen creation and the adversary is their day in and day out to pull at us in our sinful nature.  You must choose to learn from those good and bad encounters in life and make strides to walk through life in a manner that is positive or negative.  The positive is always harder as temptation is always there, but you can let God take control and he will help guide you through the rough patches and rough relationships.

SpiritofPower

Merry Christmas from 4 Pillar Living

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Christmas has arrived!  This, by far is one of my favorite times of the year and always has been since I can remember.  I fondly remember the years growing up and the anticipation of this day.  Waking up in the pre-dawn hours to sneak down stairs and see what the jolly ole’ elf had brought us.  As a father, that that joy has continued with the joy of their faces on Christmas morning and the wonderful traditions we have established over the last 15 years as a family.  Through all of that, the one that has remained a constant and I strive to ensure my children never forget, is why we celebrate this season.  It is a celebration of the day that God stepped into this world to deliver his promise of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Celebrating the birth of Jesus is near and dear to Christian faith.  It is also a celebration of the peace that is possible in our lives through Jesus and developing that personal relationship with him as your savior.

Often times, people get so worked up and stressed out, especially this time of year trying to find those right gifts, or stressed that they may not be able to afford much for Christmas if anything at all.  Many times, this can cause strife in the home between couples who get more stressed out about finances.  I have been there.  But one thing I have learned through the struggle is that building that personal relationship with Christ and turning back to God is the best way to get through any of those struggles.

I was up early Sunday morning, and watched a sermon from Dr. Charles Stanley from First Baptist Church Atlanta, while the family was still sleeping.  He spoke of Jesus, The Prince of Peace and how peace in our own lives, real peace, was only possible through our relationship with Christ.  Many times in our lives we encounter situations that we just wonder why would God allow this kind of struggle, or why would He allow suffering such as in Newtown, CT.  Dr. Stanley mentioned one thing that was very real and caught my attention.  He mentioned that we do find God when things are great and we have plenty of money.  No, the struggles are when people turn to Him.  These struggles are  wake-up to turn back to Him.  No matter what kind of struggle may be in front of you, whether it is finances at Christmas time or whatever it may be, by turning back to God and to prayer, you will build the foundation to pull from those struggles.  Let Him take over.  He can bring you through any struggle in life and His promise for salvation and peace is so real.

I will approach this much more as we move forward, but with all of that said, I would like to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.  May the Lord’s blessings shine down on each of you and your families.

Take care and God Bless!

Clinton Family Christmas 2012