Encouragement

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THREE COMMANDMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING



The most difficult part of sharing the Gospel is getting started, We are told that” we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us” There is no doubt that we have dynamite in our possession and it has the power to change lives and bring true joy and happiness to find purpose for living. So how do we begin?



First it begins with me. I have adopted three principles to live by. I don’t need ten Commandments. These three keep me on my knees constantly BE A FRIEND. What do I mean by this? It means taking the effort to perform acts of kindness to others that involve swallowing my pride, undergoing some difficulty to do so. And doing them for people who irritate us and get under our skin. It means to surrender what I want to do for the benefit of another. It means to continue those acts of kindness even when our efforts go unnoticed and appreciated. Being a friend means that no one can stop me from doing so. They may never accept me as their friend but they can’t stop me from being a friend to them.



The second is BE A SERVANT. One pastor told me it means performing lowly acts of service (like cleaning toilets). I think he missed the point.. It means getting underneath the heavy load that others have to ease the burden (My definition) It involves a total death to my own wishes and desires in order to help another. The test of my dedication to these principles is tested often in my willingness to be their servant. It means leaving what I am doing to help one with a greater need. Being a servant means that there are always a lot of emergencies that I must answer.



Finally the third Principle is important in my relationship to God and my service to others. BE FAITHFUL When I say I will pray for you, Can they depend on you to do it? When you say I will do it, can they rest assured that they don’t have to call you to remind you? Can you work at your job without supervision knowing your heavenly father is watching you? Am I faithful in what I look at, what I hear, how I respond to temptation? Being faithful applies in so many ways.



In closing, beware of making friends with the idea of preaching the Gospel to them. Eventually, they will open the door themselves when they begin to wonder why you are so different. We will talk about that as we go along but for now ask God to lead you to someone that you can be a friend to. Maybe it means playing golf with him, going fishing, or having him beat you in bowling (My experience) Do things that you both enjoy doing Then be patient for God’s timing.

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