No Regrets

Psalms 10:5-7

His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies. ⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will 

ever shake me.”  He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

⁷ His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

Have you ever noticed there are a lot of people who talk about living a life 
without regrets? They are also always doing something that a person with more
life experience can say, "you are gonna regret that."

God Is Frantically Searching For You

Luke 15:8
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?

Think about the last time you misplaced a $20 dollar bill, or a $100 dollar bill, remember how frantic you were when you were looking for it, and how relieved you were when you finally found it? Can you imagine God being that frantic about reconnecting with you in a personal way?

When I try to imagine God searching frantically for a way to help me understand how much He loves me, I don't think of Him as desperate for me to recognize that he can supply all my needs, if I would just settle my heart, and mind, and simply put my trust in Him.

In what way does God demonstrate that He is frantically trying to show you how much He loves you?

Horoscopes, Phsychic Readings, Tarrow Cards, and Fortune Cookies

Leviticus 19:31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.

In the past I would ask the question "why?" If those things are so "bad," why does it seem like the Bible is so general and vague about providing answers to everyday situations? My Horoscope, Phsychic Readings, Tarrow Cards, and Fortune Cookies are very specific. They tell me specifically that a good experience will happen this year, and to watch out for it. They tell me things about myself that I agree with, and I find to actually be true. Yet the only thing I find in the Bible is general guidelines like Jerimiah 29:11 I have plans to give you a hope and a future.

I have not found anything in The Bible like "you are upbeat, yet cautious, and full of wonder this week." It does say in many places "you are stiff necked and rebellious," but that is not the kind of answers I am looking for.

Today I recognize that my relationship with Gods is what guides me to the answers I need. He deals with the attitudes in my heart, as well as the reality of the situation. If you had your arm cut off in an accident, and someone offered you a band aid, you would know they are not trying to help you. That is what these fake future telling spirits do. They defile your faith in Gods ability to bring you to a place where the attitude in your heart, and the reality of your situation are dealt with.

What are some area's where God seems to ignore the reality of the situation and as a result your heart starts to form an opinion about how much God loves you?

Keeping Your Word

Psalm 15 starts off with the question, Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Then the rest of the Psalm answers that question. Psalm 15:4 who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts,and does not change their mind; I have had many opportunities to live out this truth. I have said "I will never speed" and then found myself late to an appointment. My driving record will let you know well I kept my word that time. I have said "I will never jump to conclusions" and then my kid came home late for the 32nd time saying that they had a "flat tire." There are of course more extreme examples of this truth in action. It seems so hard to be someone who keeps their word, even when it hurts, or even when it doesn't really hurt, but it is a little inconvenient. Good Luck!

Talking About Difficult Things

Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, But the mouth of fools spouts folly. Have you noticed that there are times when you feel more like a fool spouting folly, then a wise man making knowledge acceptable? Our home is one of constant communication. I initiate conversations all the time, I make sure I talk about everything with my wife and kids. Sometimes instead of being the the brilliant communicator I set out to be, I just frustrate the rest of the people in the house, Either I have not been sensitive enough, or I have been sure to communicate my side of the situation, without taking enough time and effort to see there side of things. I have found that when these situations happen, the only thing I can do is decide I will try again. I cannot make it so that my family members do not feel offended. I cannot make it so that they thank me for taking the time to fully explain my side, and forget to fully understand their side. I cannot fix it so that the emotions that got involved were never really there. I can say I am sorry that time did not work out, and I can try again to communicate better next time. There are many issues where I am still testing this theory. Luckily my kids are not all 18 and out of the house yet, so I still get to keep on practicing. James 4:1-3 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

What About This Entitlement Generation?

Entitlement is a word we hear frequently mentioned in our society. Usually we use that word to label people who are not working, still living in their parents basement, or people who keep expecting someone else to solve their financial problems. I think that is because money comes in contact with just about every area of our life. So when someone has an entitlement attitude about money, they become someone with an entitlement mentality, or part of the entitlement generation. They also tend to be someone that we feel we cannot rely on.


Proverbs 10:26
As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so are sluggards to those who send them.

Have you ever let someone down because you felt like you were entitled, or deserved something better than what your friend or relative offered you?

I think we have all been offered a job, or been referred by a friend to a job, that we thought was gonna be great, until we actually worked our first day. By the end of that day we knew this was not for us, and we were faced with the reality we were going to have to let our friend down, because we deserved something better than what we just experienced.

If your experience was anything like mine, the next job you took was not that much better. Because having an entitlement attitude is a lot like thinking you deserve something better. The challenge is, that often times we believe we deserve something better without being able to demonstrate why. People who have an entitlement attitude want the benefits without the effort.

This is not just an attitude that shows up in work, it manifests in relationships, hobbies, and even getting an education. Feeling like this should be easier for you, or you deserve better, simply because you should not have to put up with whatever you think you do not have to put up with. That attitude is described in The Bible as a sluggard, and people who want to justify their entitlement attitude, will immediately reply with some statement that proves they are not lazy.  (insert your statement here. I am not lazy, I....______) I once heard it said, "being lazy is not a lack of activity, it is being unwilling to do the right activity at the right time, in order to fulfill the right purpose." When people are acting out of an entitlement attitude, they are more worried about what they think they deserve, then the work they need to complete. Regardless of the facts of the situation, or the area of their life that is being negatively affected.

Proverbs 13:4
A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

Proverbs 15:19
The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

Proverbs 20:4
Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

Proverbs 26:16
A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.