Tag: anxeity and fear

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I will do Anything to Move up the Ladder of Success

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I will be sharing another excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly world,” in a minute. But first I want to let you know that the book is on sale right now on this site. In the retail stores, this book is $19.99, but on this site only it is $15.99. The shipping has been cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00. Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page to check it out.

This book reaches out to those who may be suffering from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

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Today’s excerpt talks about how some of us will do anything to move ahead in the world, even if it means stepping on someone’s toe along the way to do it.

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Chapter 37

 

For Sale by Owner

 

The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.

Proverbs 10:9

 

As some people go through their lives they often plow through their days acting as if they are the king or queen. Have you sometimes wanted to let others know how important you are? Have you looked down on those who may not live up to your standards? Do you get depressed when things don’t go exactly as you want them to? (Come on! Be honest now.)

This thinking often leads to doing things that may be very unethical. What can I do to better myself—no matter what the cost? How can I move ahead in the world?

These thoughts may lead to a “tiny little sin”—maybe just telling a fib about someone, hoping it will spread to others. Soon the little fib has grown into a full-blown lie and the person you lied about suffers because of what you said.

After you have done this and gotten away with it, you decide to take another giant step and plant some damaging information about another employee where everyone can see it. Again the person is given a hard time by the rest of his or her coworkers, and the person you maligned leaves.

Now you’re on a roll! There are only a couple more people in your way, and then you are at the top.

This is probably about someone else, or is it? Have you done something similar to this? Is your climbing the ladder so important that you find ways to advance?

This is playing on Satan’s team—the Hell-Bound Desperados! The prince of darkness is whispering in your ear. He is telling you that hurting others to advance yourself is done by everyone else. Why shouldn’t you do it too?

Here are some other thoughts Satan may be whispering in your ear:

“Go get success at any price.”  However God says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew6:33).

“Seek riches at any cost!” God says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20).

“If it feels so good, do it.” But God says, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 2:42). 1

Doing the evil it takes to advance yourself is like having a big sign on your chest that says, “For sale by owner.” (And the fine print will read: “Sold to the highest bidder.”) This is saying you’re willing to give up your soul to get the prize. You are letting Satan know that your soul can be used by him. You may get ahead in life, but your behind will be sitting in a very hot climate in death.

This all sounds pretty harsh for just telling a few lies so you can step over your fellow workers and advance. But if you feel your life is so important that no one can stand in your way, I have some “Death Valley” property in mind for you that has plenty of heat year-round. There aren’t any lemonade stands to cool you down either.

Are you thirsty for fame, power and material things? You will die of thirst. Those things are like water from the ocean. They don’t quench your thirst; they kill.

You need to hang a new sign on your chest that says, “Under construction.” God is never through letting us grow. We will always be tested. We are always faced with trials. The sign that is selling your soul to get ahead does not need to control your life. Get a scissors and cut that sign off your chest right now!

 

Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives

false testimony against his neighbor.

Proverbs 25:18

 

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ,

who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

Acts 3:19–20 (emphasis mine)

 

(I had to end this with something positive to quench your thirst from all the heat you just read about!)

 

Further Adventures

Everything I said in this chapter probably will never happen in your life. You know what is right and wrong. You know that stepping on others is not the way to try to get ahead. Rising up the ladder of success, no matter what you have to do, is not part of your thinking. Right?????

 

Something to Ponder

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Are you a Just a Church Goer, or an Actual Spiritual Member?

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The book “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, ” is on sale now at the bookstore on this site. In the stores it is $19.99, but here it is only $15.99, and the shipping is cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00. Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page to take a look.

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Today’s excerpt is asks the question, ” Are you just a church goer, or are you you an actual spiritual member?” Many people come to church just to let others see they are going. They may not even bring a Bible. The spiritual members come to worship and praise.

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Chapter 30

 

God Doesn’t Want Shares of Your Life;

He Wants Controlling Interest

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

 

I’m sure there are people in your church who make you wonder why they’re even there. They’re critical about everything—the music, the organist’s clothes, the length and wording of the prayers, the color of the rug, on and on ad nauseam. They gossip about others or sit through the service without listening to the sermon.

In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren talks about these types of people. He says there are two types of people who go to church: the church attendees and the church members.1

The churchgoers come just to be able to say they go to church in order to impress their clients or neighbors—or as a promise to their mother. Often the churchgoers don’t even bring a Bible with them. Instead, they study the church bulletin the whole time, whisper to the person next to them or make out next week’s to-do list. They come only to show others they are going to church—and then they leave. You could ask them right afterward what the sermon was about, and they wouldn’t be able to tell you. They come in order to meet up and go out to lunch with someone from the church after the service is over.

“It is not what you show on Sunday that counts. It is what you show on Monday!”

The other type of church people are the spiritual members. They are members of the body of Christ. They are the ones who come humbly to church to truly worship God. They have their Bibles. They listen carefully to the sermon, taking notes to learn from it. They also are the ones who reach out to the “churchgoers,” to try to help them learn the true joy of learning about God.

When the church attendees come before God on judgment day, God will not ask them if they went to church. (He already knows everything you do.) He will ask them what they have done to deserve to be a part of His kingdom. What close encounters did they have with God? Did they totally worship Him not only on Sundays, but on Mondays also? They will try to convince God that they were very loyal, but He will say, “I do not know you; be gone!”

True members of a church reach out to those in need. They spend hours praying. They get into small groups to study the Bible. They help in the church by being an usher, singing in the choir, greeting at the door, etc. They also worship with the whole body when they are done serving. The members of a church are all part of one body, and we need to help the weaker parts of the body realize that if we lose even one finger from our body, we will suffer. We need the whole body being strong together.

I want to make sure you understand. I am not talking about a person who joins a church by having his or her name added to the membership list. I mean a member of the body of Christ.

I learned from one of the members of my Bible Study Fellowship group that a pastor of a church he knew had borrowed some money from one of the members and then never paid it back. The pastor tried to avoid the church member every Sunday so he wouldn’t have to talk to him about the money he owed the other member.

This member—even though he’s the pastor—isn’t a healthy functioning body member. Instead, he is one of the weaker parts of the body that needs help. Just joining a church “on paper” doesn’t make you a part of the body. All believers are part of the universal (transcending time and place) body of Christ and hopefully also healthy functioning members of a local body of believers called a “church.” It is too easy to “join a church” and then live off the title without ever being a part of the body of Christ.

We each need to decide if we’re going to be a church attendee/churchgoer/“pew sitter” or a true member of the body. If we are a part of the body of Christ, we will want to be in fellowship with other believers in a local church where we can be consistent in our worship of God and service to others. 

Each of us can become a prayer warrior, or be part of a Bible study group. We can help people find their seats or greet people at the door. Or we can just come humbly before God to worship each Sunday. After all, it is called a worship service.

Then we need to take God with us on Monday. Each day we can thank Him for His love. And we can look at others who might be simply “church attendees” and help them to grow into healthy functioning members.

It is often very difficult to approach the church attendees because they seem to resent anyone who challenges them. We need to convey to them that we love them enough to want them to take further steps in their live, to become a stronger part of the body. That may anger them at first, but they may thank us later when they become an integral part of the body and love God more than they ever dreamed possible.

 

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

 

Further Adventures

Take a “home inventory” of your own family. Are they all “members,” or is there one who is only a church attendee? If all families worked on having all their family becoming church members, there would be no need to have other church members try to help you. Even your children can be strong parts of the body of Christ by being examples to the other children in church. They can also get involved by being counselors at youth camps, singing in the youth choir, or helping in a Sunday school class.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that if you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything?

Remember: Never, ever, give up!