Controlled by the Spirit

More and more it occurs to me how important it is to be controlled by the Spirit. When we allow the Holy Spirit to control our mind, we can have life and peace. Romans 8 vs 6 says that this is the real secret to life. Being controlled by the Spirit frees us to think of others, to care for them, and to trust that God will take care of us. When we know He cares for us, then we are free to care for others and help them without thinking of the cost to us. I believe that there are Christ followers that for some reason don't have the desire to seek this type of relationship with the Holy Spirit or God. This kind of relationship is what being a Christian is all about. To continually seek to grow in our relationship with God is what God deserves. After all, He did die for our Sins and make it possible for us to even have a relationship with a Holy God. Isn't it our duty to push ourselves to know Him better and to submit to him more and more? Then we will have a greater understanding of what He wants us to do. The best part is, we receive a gift for our pursuit. We get the real life and the real peace; the peace that passes all understanding.
Taking it to the street:
1.) Ask yourself if there are areas of your life that are not submitted to God.
                               
2.) Ask the Holy Spirit to control your mind.

Pressing on with Excellence!!
Keith

 

Momentum

We all get off track once in a while. One of the things I do to get back on track is to practice excellence in the little things. Do more than what's expected, dig a little deeper and see what you can do to improve a situation. Do it without condemning others though, just because they are not practicing excellence. Most people don't and it is easy to slip into prideful thinking. Do the best you can and leave the consequences to God. In Mt 25:21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" I think this applies to us as well. When I get off track spiritually I have noticed that I slack off in the little things and slip back into mediocrity. One of the quickest ways to get back on track is to practice excellence in the small things. Like when you empty a roll of toilet paper, put on a new one. Or, if you see some trash on the floor pick it up. Or putting the shopping cart back in the buggy parking space instead of leaving it in the parking lot. It is funny how doing this helps you to get back on track and stay on track spiritually. I think it has something to do with thinking about others first.
Taking it to the street:
1.) Ask God to help you to see the things where you are practicing mediocrity.
2.) Think of something you can do above and beyond the normal, then do it.
Pressing on with excellence!!
 Keith    

Expectations

Life was interesting in how others reacted to this past period of unemployment. My mother told me I need to get a job and I think “just over broke”. I wasn't looking for just any job any more. I can get any job but that’s not the point. I wanted to find work that has meaning, something that I love. It’s not like I was just sitting around not doing anything or not looking for work. I was just being a little pickier than I used to be. My brother said that I was lazy. He thinks since I didn’t have a job that whatever I’m doing is not productive or important. I think they don’t understand. That just because what I’m looking for doesn’t fall into their idea of normal, that it’s not right for me. They thought their expectations for me to get a job, for me to be normal, were high. But, for me, it seems that if I settle for just a normal job their expectations are too low and don’t have my best interest in mind. It’s sad really, because I think that if I had listened to them then I might never have found out what God really has for me. To me, it’s more important to find out what God has for me and do that, than to settle for normal. Does that make sense? I’ve begun a new chapter in my life and I will not settle for mediocrity any longer. This life is not like the past and it looks completely different. So I wrote this to say that sometimes we need to ignore some of the closest people around us. Not to spite them, but for our own good. Their expectations may not help us to get where we want and need to go or where God wants us to be.

Pressing on with excellence!

Keith Smith

Killing Time

One of the reasons that I think I used to worry so much was because of lazyness and apathy. If I worried and prayed then that was good enough. If I quit worrying, pray, then get off my lazy butt and make a plan of action, I have just turned worry into concern. I don't have to sit around and worry, I can work on the plan of action or I can focus my energy somewhere else. I have spent a lot of time sitting around worrying instead of taking productive action.
Do what you are able to do. Don't be afraid to ask for help for that which you are not able to do and leave the rest of it up to God. In the long run, I get more peace and feel more energetic than if I sit around and worry. Apathy breeds apathy.


Pressing on with Excellence,
Dr. Worry