This recent season in my life has been quite difficult. I’m not sharing this to complain, but really the exact opposite. I have seen God do some incredible things all around me which has been amazing and quite fulfilling. Yet, the fact remains, it has been a struggle.

The reason I bring this up is that I had a revelation of sorts this weekend. I was contemplating the incredible people that the Lord has placed in my life. I have an amazing support structure in place. I have some close and very wise people who help me when I’m struggling as a husband. Another group of people to assist when a business crisis arises and some others who are there if I want to run an opportunity by them to see if I’m on the right track. I am truly, truly blessed.

I had a meeting last week with my mentor. He is an incredible leader and I feel closer to him than a brother. We have a deep love and appreciation for one another and I am so thankful for him. I was sharing some of my recent life happenings and he said, “Whew, no wonder I’ve had this heavy burden to pray for you the past 10 days or so. Jim, I’ve been praying a lot for you…much more than normal.”

Upon hearing this, I was undone. I began weeping right there. I was instantly struck by the amazing love of God. He loves me so much that when I was struggling, He made an impression on my mentor’s heart to pray harder for me. Wow.

This weekend, it hit me. It was because of my struggles that I experienced God’s love at a deeper level. So often I have equated positive things with His love. However, I had a realization that we cannot truly experience the depth of His love unless we are going through struggles. I’m not saying we should seek struggles out, but rather embrace them and be on the lookout for His amazing love.

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4

My daughter Molly was in town this weekend (she lives a few hours away from us) and it was so great to be with her! Though she was only here for a couple of days, we enjoyed some great time with her.

One thing you must know about Molly is that, though she is beautiful and has a very friendly and outgoing personality, she has never dated anyone…until this past fall. She met a great guy named Daniel, who was in town for only 24 hours, and she quickly learned that he was on leave from the Royal Air Force in England. To make a long story short, they have fallen madly in love. Daniel has been to visit Molly a couple of times since then and they have talked by phone every day since last September.

Molly was explaining to me about how Daniel’s mom has been frustrated with him lately because he is now saying, “like” quite often (eg. “Like when we went to the store,” etc…). Because Daniel is very eloquent, this has been annoying to him as well and he has no idea how this has creeped into his vocabulary. During that conversation, Daniel caught Molly using “like” repeatedly and he said with a laugh, “It’s you. You’re the one who taught me this!”

This is very interesting to me. We are called on by Jesus to make disciples (see Matthew 28:19). A disciple is someone who is following a mentor and trying to model his life after that mentor. In many ways, Molly has discipled Daniel to say “like” a lot. And she’s done this just by spending time with Daniel. While this is not what Jesus had in mind, Molly has definitely had an influence on the way Daniel speaks.

Hearing Molly’s story made me wonder if we aren’t making the idea of discipleship too difficult. We have courses. We have books. We have all sorts of tools to help in making disciples of Jesus. Perhaps all we need to do is learn from Molly and take a simpler approach. I have heard it said that discipleship is more caught than taught…so true.

What do you think might happen to your influence on others if you:

• Sought to live like Jesus with God’s help;
• Spent time with those you influence;
• Let the way you live your life speak louder than your words?

You just might be surprised at how God uses you to impact others.

I recently walked by the fish tank in our family room. I noticed our sucker fish just hanging on the side of the tank (see the above picture). The other fish were swimming around and acting like fish, but he was acting more like a leaf on a tree. I had this thought, Is a sucker fish really a fish? If so, this one sure doesn’t act like one.

Connie has told me that she purchased this fish because he actually sucks algae off the glass of the aquarium. Though he’s a fish, his primary job is to suck algae. How’d you like that for your job description?

Let’s picture this sucker fish in Heaven. Wouldn’t it be preposterous to think of God saying to him, “You didn’t do anything of value, all you did was hang out for the majority of your life stuck to a piece of glass!” Of course it would. God would never say that to him…because this fish was doing what he was uniquely gifted to do.

In just the same way, wouldn’t it be silly to think of this sucker fish saying, “Wow, I don’t swim like these other fish and I get bored with it really easily. What’s wrong with me? I must be a reject.” Sure it would. He is gifted to clean the tank, not to swim like the others.

The same is true with us:

• We have different roles where we work;
• We have different roles in our homes;
• We have different roles in our communities;
• We have different roles in our churches.

And this is by design. Our Creator planted in each of us desires, passions, abilities and talents to do what only we can do. I recently heard a quote that I love: Comparison is the enemy of contentment. So true. You don’t need to be someone else. You were created in God’s image as a unique person, unlike any other. You are God’s masterpiece. Wouldn’t it be a shame to trade in your masterpiece (who God made you to be) for a forgery?

Note: if you are interested in discovering your purpose, I have some free tools that might help you here.

At lunch last week with a friend of mine, he was describing his foray into working out again after some health issues had sidelined him for the past year. The day before our lunch was his first day working with a trainer.

He said he began on the leg press and his trainer said that a good goal to work up to was to do his body weight on the leg press. So, to begin, my friend selected a weight on the machine which was well below his body weight. He did it easily seven times. In a surprised voice, his trainer said, “You did that really well!”

My friend replied, “What’s the big deal, it’s only 114 pounds.”

His trainer said, “No, it’s 250 pounds!”

He embarrassingly told me that he had selected 114 thinking it was pounds but it was actually kilograms (which is the equivalent of 250 pounds). He said that had he known it was 250 pounds, he may not have been able to do it so easily.

Hearing this story makes the words of Paul, in Philippians 4:8, make a lot of sense: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. What we think about is so important and can have a great impact upon our level of success.

So consider this before…

• Telling yourself that you can’t get in shape or lose weight;
• Telling your child that he can’t do something;
• Sharing with an employee that you think getting the project done on time is impossible.

Our words mean things and can have great impact, both positively and negatively. Faulty thinking can cause our words to be faulty. So be transformed by the renewing of your mind! (see Romans 12:2)

I was recently at a memorial service. As happens at many such services, we recited the 23rd Psalm. Because this is something I memorized long ago, when I recite it, I often don’t really think about what I am saying. This particular service, I was drawn to a line in this great Psalm, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” What does that phrase, the valley of the shadow of death mean?

One thing that is required for a shadow to be present is light. This is really a tremendous promise to us. The fact is, in this life we will have trouble (Jesus promises us this in John 16:33). Yet, He promises in that same verse that we are to “…take heart! I have overcome the world.” In other words, do not worry. Don’t be anxious. Don’t fret. I, Jesus, have it handled.

Here’s another great promise from Jesus that I chronicled in my latest book, Calming the Storm Within:

At the time of this writing, my friend, Thomas Ramundo, is Superintendent of the Southern Michigan Conference of the Free Methodist Church. While filling the pulpit at my home church, he shared this touching story:

“Of all the times I know God has not forsaken me, disregarded me, left me in a helpless state or relaxed his concern for me, the most vivid memory happened on December 19, 1975. I, being a young pastor, was in my office preparing a Christmas message. The church phone rang and when I answered, I heard my wife’s panicked voice screaming at me to hurry home. I sprinted FROM the office, THROUGH the church, OUT the door, and ACROSS the parking lot to our home next door. As I burst through the doorway I saw Noni holding our infant son, Samuel. Beside her our three year-old daughter, Theresa, stood confused and crying. ‘Samuel isn’t breathing,’ sobbed Noni. I scooped our son into my arms, ran to the car and headed for the hospital, crying and praying at the top of my lungs as I maneuvered my speeding automobile through the streets. 

“‘Somebody please help me!’ I cried as I ran through the emergency room doors. A nurse stared at my blue, without-breath boy, then GLARED at me and asked, ‘What did you do to this baby?’ Ignoring her insensitive stupidity, I placed

Samuel in her arms, then waited while they went to work. They called a code and people in white coats came scampering from every direction; then two personal friends, the hospital chaplain and social worker appeared, a sight for my tear-filled eyes. Then Noni arrived, brought by a neighbor. But the defeated shrug of the doctor’s shoulders said it all. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said gently, ‘we just don’t know why this happens to infants. There wasn’t anything we could do.’

“That night, unable to sleep, I rose and reached for my Bible. All night long I read it and prayed. And all night long God was with me. I KNEW He was there. He had promised NEVER to forsake me. And He was there. Then, that gray December morning in the snow-covered cemetery a couple days before Christmas as we put the little white box in the frozen earth, our emotions were wintered-in and withered by a blizzard of grief. But we were not forsaken. Not for a second. For His promise is that He would NEVER, no not EVER, no NEVER, leave us, abandon us, turn away from us, disregard us in a helpless state, or relax his concern for us. After all, he’s not just a God you can have in your heart, he’s a God who has you in His heart.”

Just knowing that brings me peace. Does it for you? To close out his message, Thomas went on to tell us in his poetic and energetic style of preaching that we can’t rely on our feelings and emotions. The only thing we can rely on is our God and His word. “Our feelings fib and our emotions lie when they don’t comply with the word of God.”

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

Maybe you are a high achiever, the type of person that receives ample recognition from your company for your performance. You have received numerous promotions, are often singled out at professional gatherings, and have more plaques and certificates than your wall can display.

Then again, maybe you are not that person. You work hard, striving to do your best, but recognition – if and when you receive it – is rare. Most of us fit into this second category. While the “superstars,” high performers and top executives receive the acclaim, many others toil in virtual obscurity. Perhaps on occasion we even lapse into a “pity party,” wondering what difference our work makes or whether anyone cares about what we do. At such times, remember one thing: There is no shame in being an unsung hero, one that fails to get noticed. In fact, “unsung heroes” often keep things running smoothly.

Have you ever injured one of your joints – twisted a knee, or sprained a thumb? I have done both. Prior to the injuries, I never thought about my left knee or my right thumb. But when pain in the knee felt like a long needle was sticking in it, or when I attempted the simple act of turning a doorknob with my right hand, I became acutely aware of both. Healthy, functional joints are not supposed to be noticed.

Or consider an orchestra. When being played harmoniously, individual instruments do not stand out unless their musicians have been assigned solos. In the midst of a symphony, if you notice a violin or flute when it is not supposed to stand out, you know something is wrong.

This is one reason many people in the workplace do not receive attention very often. They do their jobs without calling attention to themselves by failure to contribute their part to the overall effort. As one former boss once told me, “If you do not hear from me, assume everything is fine.” That might not seem assuring to those needing occasional encouragement, but that is reality in today’s business and professional world. As the adage goes, squeaking wheels are the ones that get the grease.

So how do we react when we feel underappreciated or undervalued? The Bible offers some suggestions:

Remember we are part of a greater unit. Even when we are not being singled out for exemplary performance, we can be assured we are important to the overall effort. A human heart cannot function without the lungs or brain, and vice versa. “The body is a unit…. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be…. As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:12-20).

Recognize our need for each other. Just as the overall enterprise needs our contributions, we benefit from and should appreciate the contributions of others. “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work…. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken”(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

Realize your work matters to God. To use the orchestra analogy again, sometimes we must accept playing solely for the Conductor, an audience of one – God. But that is all we need. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward”(Colossians 3:23-24).

Robert J. Tamasy is vice president of communications for Leaders Legacy, Inc., a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. A veteran journalist, he has written Tufting Legacies (iUniverse); Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace(River City Press); and has coauthored with David A. Stoddard, The Heart of Mentoring (NavPress). For more information, see www.leaderslegacy.com or his blogs,www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com andwww.bobtamasy.wordpress.com.

My son, Robert, and I have been doing a video Bible study from Max Lucado which is called, Max on Life. It has been really good. In the last session, Max shared about the power of a simplified life. In doing so, he mentioned a life proverb that I wanted to share you:

Money can buy you…

• A bed but not sleep;
• Books but not knowledge;
• Food but not an appetite;
• Finery but not beauty;
• A house but not a home;
• Medicine but not health;
• Pleasures but not peace;
• Luxuries but not life;
• Amusements but not joy;
• A church building but not a church;
• A crucifix but not a cross;
• Stuff but not a Savior.

Do you really want to simplify your life? Focus on the things that God gives you and think about the life that is to come. Make your decisions every day preparing, investing and looking toward your Heavenly life and you will find that your life here on earth will be much more gratifying and much more significant.

Did you see this last week? You can actually sign up to receive a one-way trip to Mars. Yep, for real. This is part of a new TV reality show and those selected are scheduled to arrive in April, 2023 (read the article here).

If you are interested, there is a $38 application fee (for US citizens). This is presumably in place to make sure that those who apply aren’t just doing it as a joke. The funny thing is that almost 40,000 people from around the world have already applied (see that story here).

40,000 people have a desire to live on Mars? For real? Apparently.

What does this reveal to us? I believe it can teach us several things:

• If you are in sales, you can be very encouraged. You obviously can sell anything if you talk with enough people.

• People are longing for a purpose and meaning in their lives. Maybe they think a change of locale will help them to find it. If you are looking for ways to discover your purpose, check out my free tools at www.calmingthestormwithin.com and scroll to the bottom and click on “Discover Your Life Purpose”.

• People are hurting and looking for ways to escape. Escape is not the answer. Jesus is the only one who can help to heal the woundedness many of us feel. If you are in this place, I encourage you to talk with a pastor or a godly friend. Asking for help is a sign of strength, so do it.

• Some may think this is getting them closer to Heaven and want to escape the difficulty of this world. True, this world is a difficult place, but again, escape is not the answer. God wants to use us to bring hope and healing to this broken world and He wants us here. The knowledge and hope of Heaven can spur us on knowing of what is to come. For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. (Hebrews 13:14)

All of this can be a reminder to all of us to be on the lookout for those who don’t fit in, who want to escape and who are looking for guidance. Perhaps they have crossed our path for a reason.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Leviticus 19:18b

This past Sunday, Pastor John delivered an incredible message on the topic we all love to tell others they need to do but often struggle to do ourselves…forgive others.

In the message, John shared the following four reasons why we should forgive:

1. Jesus modeled it. (Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34)
2. We get rewarded. (“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35)
3. We need to be set free. (“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:12, 14)
4. Jesus forgave us. (Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13)

In my latest book, Calming the Storm Within, I shared the following about unforgiveness:

Unforgiveness takes place when we feel we have been wronged and we refuse to extend grace to the offending party. Not forgiving is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die…not only is it unhealthy for us, it rarely affects the offending person. Unforgiveness is really saying, “Because you wronged me, I want to control you through my feelings and the way I treat you in return.”

Are you trying to control anyone through unforgiveness and bitterness? Have you fully received the forgiveness that God has offered you through Jesus? If not, simply tell God that you receive His gift of mercy. Then ask Him to release you from the chains of unforgiveness.

If you believe in God, you probably understand the importance of having a good relationship with Him. When you have a good relationship with God, He will help guide you in the right direction so you can make the best choices in life. God is there to protect you and offer you comfort in times of sorrow, and all he asks for in return is that you live your life based on his teachings. Having God as the center of your life is important if you truly believe in Him, and here are some reasons why:

1. Emotional Support
God will provide the emotional support that can get you through troubling times. When a loved one dies or some other tragic situation occurs in your life, God will help you pull through if you make him the center of your life.

2. Positivity
When you make God the center of your life, you will find that your entire existence will be filled with more positivity. Each morning when you wake up, you will be happy to know that no matter what the day may bring, God is watching over you. This thought alone can make both day-to-day obstacle and long-term struggles much easier to cope with.

3. Help
Making a conscious effort to become closer to God will not only help you, it encourage you to help others. God loves everyone and because of this, He wants you to help others who might be less fortunate than you are. Once you make God the center of your life, He will live through you and encourage you to give back.

4. Fear
Placing God at the center of your existence will ensure that you cope with fear in a whole new way, because you know He is always there for you. Life can be difficult and full of frightening situations, but you do not have anything to fear when you make God the center of your life.

5. Relationships
Living by His teachings enables you to have better relationships with others. God is kind and loving, and He wants you to follow his example of how to treat others in a caring way. Once you decide to make God the center of your life, He will gently guide you and help you make good choices when it comes to dealing with those important people in your life.

If you are a true believer, you probably already understand the importance of your relationship with Him. It can be quite reassuring to know that no matter what surprises life may bring, God is always there to lend a helpful hand. Since God does so much for you, it is important that you give thanks by making him the center of your life.

Author Pam Johnson is a psychologist who studies the impact of religion on a person’s daily life. She obtained her degree from one of the Top 10 Best Online Masters in Psychology Degree Programs.