Christian Living

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Things you can do to make your life better
By Chaplain Dan Langerock

Most people would admit to wanting a better life than what they are now experiencing. How about you? Are there things in your life you would like to change? For instance, are you getting the nutrition you need to be able to enjoy life? Here are a few suggestions to help you in this area:

Nutrition
Do you eat regular, well-balanced meals? This is so important especially when you are taking medications. You could get some microwave-safe dishes, divided or not, and portion out your meals when you make a lot of something at once—then label and freeze them for later.

The foods you enjoy or buy a quantity of, can be bought in bigger amounts, divided into smaller packages and frozen so you always have good ingredients on hand when you need to make something.. You can do the same with canned and non-perishable items, buy them in quantity and store them so you don’t have to go to the store for an item or two.

Get on the internet, look through magazines and cookbooks to find different recipes, so you don’t get bored with eating the same thing prepared in a similar way. By changing a couple of ingredients you can give a whole new delicious taste to a favorite dish.

If you have too much food for one meal, share with someone you know who is lonely or not feeling well. Perhaps you could go eat with them now and then to vary your routine. This will give you both company, and you won’t have to eat alone.

Companionship
My grandfather and his neighbors used to take turns calling each other during the week to check up and see if each one was okay. You don’t have to talk a long time, but it will give you interaction and something to look forward to each day.
Check out senior and day care centers for adults. Some of these even serve lunch. Do this a couple times a week if you can, and you will see a change in your outlook for the better. If you really want to do something about it, there is no need to be lonely. .

Attitude
Look honestly at yourself and see if there is anything in your personality or outlook that could keep you from having the friends you desire. Are you opinionated, controlling, monopolizing or argumentative? These are attitudes that can drive potential friends away.

Would you consider yourself to be a friendly person. This does not mean you have to be gushy in the way your friendship is expressed, but sincere. Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that has friends must show himself friendly” (KJV)

Are you a judgemental person? Luke 6:37-38 states, “Do not judge ,and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
What kind of a friend have you been? Is it a give-and-take relationship or does it all have to be your way or not at all? Are you there when others need you?

Hobbies
Many of the people I speak with over the course of a day, do not have any interests. Make a list of the things you enjoy or would like to pursue, then search for others who enjoy the same things. There are lists of hobby-oriented groups and meetings in your local newspaper each week.
Talk to your friends and neighbors and you will find many who enjoy some of the items that you do.

Goals
This is an important part of life at any age. Just because you may be older does not mean you should disdain setting goals for yourself. When you had a job, you had impearatives that had to be accomplished that day. It will give you a sense of accomplishment and help to improve your outlook if you will do this.

Forgiveness
Is there someone in your life who needs to be forgiven? Grudges will alienate you from others and hurt you in the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realms. This is a proven fact. Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (NIV) The longer we hang onto anger, the more the enemy can use it to hurt us.
Shun evil

Don’t compromise the truth.
There are no gray areas with God. When you know something is wrong, don’t let your mind “play with it”, because the longer you let this happen the harder it will be to defeat.

Remember when Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan? As Satan challenged Him with each temptation, Jesus didn’t ponder whether He should do it. Instead, He used God’s word as a weapon to overcome the temptations set before Him. If He had “played with it” in His mind, seesawing back and forth about what to do, it would have been disastrous. Saturate your life with God’s word so you can stand when temptation comes as Jesus did.

Reach out to others
John Donne, the 17th century poet, wrote “No man is an island unto himself.”. There are so many needs around us, but we need God’s wisdom to discern the ones He wants us to accomplish..

When you do nice things for others, don’t brag about it—keep it between you and God. He will reward you for what you have done when you follow this principle. If you brag about what was done, you already have your reward, Jesus said, and you are doing it for the wrong reasons. God will bless you abundantly when you seek His favor, rather than man’s.
Are you a giver or a keeper? Develop a giving attitude and God will bless you. Money is just the beginning. There are time, talents, skills, mentoring, and a host of others that you can use to glorify God in your life.

Make God your source
It is easy to believe that your source is your paycheck, social security check, dividends from stocks and bonds, or wherever your money comes from. But if you are a Christian, God wants the glory for what He has provided for you. He has given you the resources to accomplish what you have done.

Watch your words
Do you encourage others or discourage them? Do you think about the consequences of what you say before you say it. Be conscious of what comes into your mind as well as what goes out. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in this aspect. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Matt. 12:34b (KJV)

Be consistent
How you react in each situation gives a better witness than what you say. Do you vacilate when moral choices are at issue? Do your beliefs match how you actually conduct yourself?

How is your integrity?
Can people depend on you to be on tme? Are you honest? Can you be trusted with money? Does it mean anything when you give your word to do something? Are you truthful? These are all elements of integrity.

Counsel
Whom do you run to when trouble comes or you need an answer? Do you come to God first, friends, co-workers, etc. Where you turn in these times says a lot about who you are and what you believe. If you study the life of David, you will see that he consistently turned to God when trouble came. Psalm 70:5; Psalm 91; I Sam. 30:6-8

Commitment
Are you committed to the person you married? To the church that you joined? Your job? Friendships? Just about any facet of life you want to name involves commitment of one kind or another. Are these all-out commitments or just lip service to make you look good? What we commit to and how we follow through with them are all part of our witness. Your life will be richer when you make commitments in these and other areas.

These are but a few ways you can better your life if you really want to. Many of them require just studying how your daily life is lived out in practice. Ask God to show you how to implement these and other ideas into your life. He knows best what is needed in your life, if you will trust Him. He loves you very much and wants what is best for you. Even when bad things happen in your life, God is not surprised by these wayward circumstances. His plan for your life is still intact, but the hard part is to trust Him in the midst of such trying developments. Trust and obedience are the keys to a wonderful life in Him. .

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