The Secret of Living

These are not my words, so I'm not taking credit for them, but I thought they were so inspiring that I'd share them!

The Secret of Living

by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Philippians 1

When money is our objective for happiness, we must live in fear of losing it, which makes us paranoid and suspicious. When fame is our aim, we become competitive lest others upstage us, which makes us envious. When power and influence drive us, we become self-serving and strong-willed, which makes us arrogant. And when possessions become our god, we become materialistic, thinking enough is never enough, which makes us greedy. All these pursuits fly in the face of contentment and joy.

Only Christ can satisfy, whether we have or don't have, whether we are known or unknown, whether we live or die. And the good news is this: Death only sweetens the pie! That alone is enough to make you laugh again.

The Living Bible states: "For to me, living means opportunities for Christ, and dying—well, that's better yet!" (Phil. 1:21). The New Testament in Modern English, J.B. Phillips's paraphrase, reads: "For living to me means simply 'Christ,' and if I die I should merely gain more of him."

What is the sum and substance of all this? The secret of living is the same as the secret of joy: Both revolve around the centrality of Jesus Christ. In other words, the pursuit of happiness is the cultivation of a Christ-centred, Christ-controlled life.

When Christ becomes our central focus,
contentment replaces our anxiety as well as our fears and insecurities.

Thoughts from this morning

I changed it a bit!  It helped me understand it more, and be more motivated!


Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge YOU, in view of God’s mercy, provision and love, to present/offer/surrender your WHOLE self (body, strength, thoughts, gifts, words, actions etc) as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (for Him to own) - this is your spiritual service of worship. Do not conform any longer to the trends/passions/desires of this world, but be transformed/metamorphosed by the constant renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Slowing down

I have been very tardy in my blogging!  It hasn't been a priority, because I've been trying to reorganize my life and what's really important to me!

I am not a fan of new years resolutions, but I definitely love making goals and accomplishing them.  At this time of the year, it's almost automatic to think about the past year, what was good, what needs improvement and to forge ahead in the new year, with lots of unrealistic expectations.

This year, I want my focus to be on what really matters in life.  To change my perspective, to allow the Spirit to move within me, to do the sometimes crazy sounding things God calls me to.  That my relationship with God and doing His will, would be my first priority. That I wouldn't go one day without spending time reading my Bible, praying throughout the day, and longing to hear from God, to be obedient to Him.

So....that will mean there may be even fewer blog posts!  But that's alright, because no one's life revolves around this blog :P