For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. – Romans 8:5 (NRSV)
What does it mean to set your mind on things of the Spirit? What about setting your mind on things of the flesh? Does it have anything to do with doing good? Does it have anything to do with living well?
The following story was e-mailed to me:
An ancient Indian sage was teaching his disciples the art of archery. He put a wooden bird as the target and asked them to aim at the eye of the bird. The first disciple was asked to describe what he saw. He said, “I see the trees, the branches, the leaves, the sky, the bird and its eye.”
The sage asked this disciple to wait. Then he asked the second disciple the same question and he replied, “I only see the eye of the bird.” The sage said, “Very good, then shoot.” The arrow went straight and hit the eye of the bird.
Unless we focus, we cannot achieve our goal. It is hard to focus and concentrate, but it is a skill that can be learned.
Our goal is to focus on God so we can live according to the Spirit! In life there is so much that goes on that demands our attention, and often God is rarely focused on. So how do we do it? Some say the best way is to give thanks for every little thing that we can think of. That’s probably a good way to start. As we give thanks our attention is always turned again to God. “God thanks for this running water I use to brush my teeth.” “God thank you that I can taste the sweetness of that fruit.” “God thank you for…” There are millions of reasons to give thanks each day. When we do we begin to look at God, until one day, God is all we see.
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Showing posts with label live. Show all posts
Showing posts with label live. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Greatest Power on Earth
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” – Jeremiah 31:3 (NRSV)
How has God been faithful to you? Have you felt the everlasting love of your God? Have you experienced great love from others? How so? What did it feel like? What did it do for you as a person?
The following is a response from Warren Buffet after being asked the question, “What is the best advise you have ever received?” He begins by speaking of his father and then says:
"The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it — it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal — but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being."
Everlasting love, unconditional love, that love that loves us just because, that is the love that grabs us and lets us know that we can become great! God loves us with an unending, awe-inspiring love. Why? Because that is who God is. When we finally realize that it is then we get on living life the way we were meant to live, knowing that we have the greatest power on earth with us, unconditional love. Maybe someone is asking, “How are we meant to live?” Well giving unconditional love in return. Loving God and loving others, and how great would it be if we extended that to all we encountered?
With hope and joy,
Garrett
How has God been faithful to you? Have you felt the everlasting love of your God? Have you experienced great love from others? How so? What did it feel like? What did it do for you as a person?
The following is a response from Warren Buffet after being asked the question, “What is the best advise you have ever received?” He begins by speaking of his father and then says:
"The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it — it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal — but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being."
Everlasting love, unconditional love, that love that loves us just because, that is the love that grabs us and lets us know that we can become great! God loves us with an unending, awe-inspiring love. Why? Because that is who God is. When we finally realize that it is then we get on living life the way we were meant to live, knowing that we have the greatest power on earth with us, unconditional love. Maybe someone is asking, “How are we meant to live?” Well giving unconditional love in return. Loving God and loving others, and how great would it be if we extended that to all we encountered?
With hope and joy,
Garrett
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Why We Live
Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these." – Mark 12:29-31 (The Message)
What does it mean to live this way? Have you ever tried to live this way? How do you think the world may seem if you lived this way? Have you met anyone who tried to live life this way? What was that person like?
I was sent this sometime ago:
When Jewish psychiatrist Victor Frankl was arrested by the Nazis in World War II, he was stripped of everything—property, family, possessions. He had spent years researching and writing a book on the importance of finding meaning in life—concepts that later would be known as logotherapy. When he arrived in Auschwitz, the infamous death camp, even his manuscript, which he had hidden in the lining of his coat, was taken away.
“I had to undergo and overcome the loss of my spiritual child, “ Frankl wrote. “Now it seemed as if nothing and no one would survive me; neither a physical nor a spiritual child of my own! I found myself confronted with the question of whether under such circumstances my life was ultimately void of any meaning.”
He was still wrestling with that question a few days later when the Nazis forced the prisoners to give up their clothes.
“I had to surrender my clothes and he in turn inherited the worn-out rags of an inmate who had been sent to the gas chamber,” said Frankl. “Instead of the many pages of my manuscript, I found in the pocket of the newly acquired coat a single page torn out of a Hebrew prayer book, which contained the main Jewish prayer, SHEMA YISRAEL (Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.)
“How should I have interpreted such a ‘coincidence’ other than as a challenge to LIVE my thoughts instead of merely putting them on paper?”
Later, as Frankl reflected on his ordeal, he wrote in his book MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, ‘There is nothing in the world that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions, as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life…He who has a WHY to live for can bear almost any HOW.’”
Our meaning is discovered in love, and if we are filled with love for God and others maybe we can bear almost anything. During my many times in hospital rooms experiencing unspeakable suffering those who love God always seem to be able to bear what others cannot take. There is suffering in life, but with love burning within us we just might be able to take it all in stride because we know that we live to love!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
What does it mean to live this way? Have you ever tried to live this way? How do you think the world may seem if you lived this way? Have you met anyone who tried to live life this way? What was that person like?
I was sent this sometime ago:
When Jewish psychiatrist Victor Frankl was arrested by the Nazis in World War II, he was stripped of everything—property, family, possessions. He had spent years researching and writing a book on the importance of finding meaning in life—concepts that later would be known as logotherapy. When he arrived in Auschwitz, the infamous death camp, even his manuscript, which he had hidden in the lining of his coat, was taken away.
“I had to undergo and overcome the loss of my spiritual child, “ Frankl wrote. “Now it seemed as if nothing and no one would survive me; neither a physical nor a spiritual child of my own! I found myself confronted with the question of whether under such circumstances my life was ultimately void of any meaning.”
He was still wrestling with that question a few days later when the Nazis forced the prisoners to give up their clothes.
“I had to surrender my clothes and he in turn inherited the worn-out rags of an inmate who had been sent to the gas chamber,” said Frankl. “Instead of the many pages of my manuscript, I found in the pocket of the newly acquired coat a single page torn out of a Hebrew prayer book, which contained the main Jewish prayer, SHEMA YISRAEL (Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.)
“How should I have interpreted such a ‘coincidence’ other than as a challenge to LIVE my thoughts instead of merely putting them on paper?”
Later, as Frankl reflected on his ordeal, he wrote in his book MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, ‘There is nothing in the world that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst conditions, as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life…He who has a WHY to live for can bear almost any HOW.’”
Our meaning is discovered in love, and if we are filled with love for God and others maybe we can bear almost anything. During my many times in hospital rooms experiencing unspeakable suffering those who love God always seem to be able to bear what others cannot take. There is suffering in life, but with love burning within us we just might be able to take it all in stride because we know that we live to love!
With hope and joy,
Garrett
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