Higher Thoughts
There are times I am frustrated with what I see and hear. How about you?
No I don’t mean the driver in the next car or the person at the next check out at the grocery store. I mean things that are closer to me than that. Let me explain.
People that know better should be better. People that know they should leave some of the old garbage behind – from their old life style – hang on to junk. They have made statements that they are different. They have made decisions that others have witnessed and yet they still fall back into old traps.
Worse yet – they themselves see that their actions and reactions are still a whole lot like they used to be. It is like living one long life of “broken New Years resolutions”.
I was reading an article yesterday about Physical Fitness programs and the participants. The author stated that it is well known that 30% of the participants in a program drop out after 90 days. Another 50% will drop out after 6 months. In my mind’s calculation that leaves about 35% of the number that began.
In our city they are building a new YMCA that costs Millions! If these figures are accurate –only 35% of the folk will be paying for the programs(and the building).
I stated at the beginning that “There are times I am frustrated with what I see and hear.” – this is never more so than when I look in the mirror each morning getting ready for another try at being human. I imagine that there are a host of others reading this that are in the same boat.
Most of us – 65% of us – using the fitness illustration above – begin and don’t finish. How do we deal with that? After all, we have all used up 19 days of the first 90 day period of the first group of ‘quitters’ – for 2007.
A very old writer that demonstrates his wisdom over and over again makes a powerful statement for me. He says adamantly that we need to take hold of a thought of our Goal first. Take hold of a ‘Higher Thought’ – one that is out there in front of us. Once we fasten our attentions on that thought we are able to gage our reactions and actions better. We then can get rid of things that have held us back. We can put aside things that have trapped us into quitting so many times before. We can reach the Goals that we set.
Too often we fasten our thoughts on the failures and then simply quit.
I bet this ‘old wise writer’ sounds like some self-help guru talking now. Right? Well maybe – his Name is Paul – ‘St. Paul’ in some folks mind and he has authored a number of good books. They are placed in a one volume set and have been there for ages – most often in dusty old Bibles on dusty old shelves – along with the other ‘self-help’ exercise and other books.
In one of the books he wrote entitled ‘Colossians’ – chapter 3 – you will read some powerful words about ‘Higher Thoughts’. In his first 10 thoughts he outlines some tremendous action steps to get on with life. Let me point these action steps out.
Hey – there is hope for the 65% of us that need a boost to get going again. Personally I am motivated to try again. I am ready to hold on a get by the first hurdle. I have stuff to get rid of too – not just from my very full garage – but from life. This week I tripped over some of the things in my garage – and in life.
How about you?
I have added the text of Paul’s famous book – and the particular chapter I have referred to in the words above. Hope it helps you. Have a great one today. I am off for my walk.
~ Pastor Murray ~
Colossians 3 (NIrV - New International Reader's Version)
Rules for Holy Living
1 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God's right hand.
2 Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think about things that are on earth.
3 You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven's glory.
5 So put to death anything that belongs to your earthly nature. Get rid of your sexual sins and unclean acts. Don't let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil longings. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods.
6 God's anger is going to come because of those things.
7 That's the way you lived at one time in your life.
8 But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths.
9 Don't lie to each other. You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. 10 You have started living a new life. It is being made new so that what you know has the Creator's likeness.
No I don’t mean the driver in the next car or the person at the next check out at the grocery store. I mean things that are closer to me than that. Let me explain.
People that know better should be better. People that know they should leave some of the old garbage behind – from their old life style – hang on to junk. They have made statements that they are different. They have made decisions that others have witnessed and yet they still fall back into old traps.
Worse yet – they themselves see that their actions and reactions are still a whole lot like they used to be. It is like living one long life of “broken New Years resolutions”.
I was reading an article yesterday about Physical Fitness programs and the participants. The author stated that it is well known that 30% of the participants in a program drop out after 90 days. Another 50% will drop out after 6 months. In my mind’s calculation that leaves about 35% of the number that began.
In our city they are building a new YMCA that costs Millions! If these figures are accurate –only 35% of the folk will be paying for the programs(and the building).
I stated at the beginning that “There are times I am frustrated with what I see and hear.” – this is never more so than when I look in the mirror each morning getting ready for another try at being human. I imagine that there are a host of others reading this that are in the same boat.
Most of us – 65% of us – using the fitness illustration above – begin and don’t finish. How do we deal with that? After all, we have all used up 19 days of the first 90 day period of the first group of ‘quitters’ – for 2007.
A very old writer that demonstrates his wisdom over and over again makes a powerful statement for me. He says adamantly that we need to take hold of a thought of our Goal first. Take hold of a ‘Higher Thought’ – one that is out there in front of us. Once we fasten our attentions on that thought we are able to gage our reactions and actions better. We then can get rid of things that have held us back. We can put aside things that have trapped us into quitting so many times before. We can reach the Goals that we set.
Too often we fasten our thoughts on the failures and then simply quit.
I bet this ‘old wise writer’ sounds like some self-help guru talking now. Right? Well maybe – his Name is Paul – ‘St. Paul’ in some folks mind and he has authored a number of good books. They are placed in a one volume set and have been there for ages – most often in dusty old Bibles on dusty old shelves – along with the other ‘self-help’ exercise and other books.
In one of the books he wrote entitled ‘Colossians’ – chapter 3 – you will read some powerful words about ‘Higher Thoughts’. In his first 10 thoughts he outlines some tremendous action steps to get on with life. Let me point these action steps out.
- Action Step #1 – Higher Thought – “Think about things that are in heaven”
- Action Step #2 – “Don’t think about things here on earth”
Hey – there is hope for the 65% of us that need a boost to get going again. Personally I am motivated to try again. I am ready to hold on a get by the first hurdle. I have stuff to get rid of too – not just from my very full garage – but from life. This week I tripped over some of the things in my garage – and in life.
How about you?
I have added the text of Paul’s famous book – and the particular chapter I have referred to in the words above. Hope it helps you. Have a great one today. I am off for my walk.
~ Pastor Murray ~
Colossians 3 (NIrV - New International Reader's Version)
Rules for Holy Living
1 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God's right hand.
2 Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think about things that are on earth.
3 You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven's glory.
5 So put to death anything that belongs to your earthly nature. Get rid of your sexual sins and unclean acts. Don't let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil longings. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods.
6 God's anger is going to come because of those things.
7 That's the way you lived at one time in your life.
8 But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths.
9 Don't lie to each other. You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. 10 You have started living a new life. It is being made new so that what you know has the Creator's likeness.
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Friday, January 19, 2007
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home