All his life, a Wimbledon tennis champion thought that winning this major tournament would result in life as he had never known it. Following his championship, he said, “The thrill of victory lasts about fifteen minutes.” Most people think that success produces life, but Ecclesiastes 4:8 says that man is always working but never satisfied.

Just because you perform well and produce a lot doesn’t mean that you will experience true life. Jesus said, numerous times over, that He is the giver of life, and He gives it abundantly. Don’t get me wrong: being productive and having achievements in life are important, but we must realize life is more than that — it’s about seeking His kingdom and His righteousness.

Achievements can be a blessing, but they are not to become what we seek. First and foremost, having confidence in His Word, we are to seek God. As we do everything as unto the Lord, we give Him all the glory, because He is the giver of life — peace, joy, faith and hope. The things in this life are temporary, but what we do for God is everlasting.

Let’s learn to be grateful.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Have you ever thought about the statement, “Things happen for a reason”? In some ways, it could be a coping mechanism to get through a difficult or hurtful situation, but sometimes people use this as an excuse to evade responsibility. Other times, people use this reasoning to justify a decision that didn’t work out or to blame God for their circumstances.

For the most part, I do believe things happen for a reason. However, there are many times when our circumstances are a direct result of our own decisions. For example, someone said, “Everything happens for a reason, but sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and make bad decisions.” Sadly, instead of taking responsibility for their lives, so many blame someone or something for their problems.

The first step toward positive change is to take responsibility for your life. Own up to the choices you have made, play the hand you’ve been dealt and keep moving forward. In doing so, you will begin to see your circumstances improve and your life change for the better.

Just a Thought,

PSS

So many people today suffer with all kinds of addictions: the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit forming. When we think of addictions, most likely we think of drugs or alcohol. But the interesting thing is that we don’t hear or talk about the addiction to failure.

Addiction to failure is learned through habitually quitting or giving up and continuing in patterns or habits that produce the wrong results. You can have all the right knowledge, but hold on to the wrong beliefs or behaviors, and you will tend to encounter failure more than success. In turn, you blame someone or something for those results, which gives you a false reason for your failure.

Everybody will fail, but to fail well means you learn from your mistakes and then purpose not to regret them. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.” You can’t play the blame game and expect success. To be successful, learn to persevere — no matter what hurt or difficulties you may experience.

Successful people aren’t the “lucky ones;” they are the people who work hard and persevere — that is, they fail well. You must take complete responsibility for the decisions in your life and purpose to get up every time you are knocked down, then you will begin to break the addiction to failure.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Despite our best efforts, our circumstances are not always good or as we would like them to be. To compare ourselves to others, however, can make matters worse. To compare means: to look at two or more things closely in order to see what is similar or different about them or to decide which one is better: to be as good or as bad as something else.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” In comparing ourselves to others, we will usually come up short because we tend to be harder on ourselves than what’s fair. Likewise, one of the fastest ways of becoming discouraged and getting caught up in the sin of envy is by comparing yourself to others. To do this, however, you are only shortchanging yourself.

We might think the grass is greener on the other side by saying and believing that something is wrong with our lives or that we want to be somebody else or have someone else’s life. But the deception, in comparing ourselves to others, is that we really don’t know what somebody else’s life is like — their fears, their insecurities or what they deal with on a daily basis.

Dr. Harold G. Coffin, Creationist, said, “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” Therefore, count your own blessings — not the blessings of others. To compare everything you know about yourself to what you think or perceive about someone else will only result in discouragement. Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” With that said, purpose to be yourself. Tend to your own life and be grateful for what you have, and you will be more satisfied.

Just a Thought,

PSS

We all have choices in our lives; some are good and others aren’t. But when we choose to give up responsibility and control, it is usually because we are blaming negative circumstances for our place in life. This mindset of self-pity is an excessive, self-absorbed unhappiness over one’s own troubles. This mentality says, “Woe is me,” and cries foul at every turn. As a consequence, you see yourself as a victim who has done no wrong, believing everything is against you and everyone else is to blame.

When you are unwilling to take responsibility for your decisions, you will never be able to grow or move forward in life. It’s amazing how self-absorbed our society has become as a result of this behavior pattern. Not only is this unproductive, but also very destructive. On the other hand, many others have overcome who also had to deal with negative circumstances. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is their attitude and resolve to make good choices — resisting self-pity.

You might say, “Well, you don’t know what has happened to me or what someone has done to me.” Although that may be true, with God’s help, you can choose to move forward and overcome. If you want to see better results in life, quit complaining and blaming others for your circumstances. Otherwise, you will never discover the answers or the solutions to your issues. Therefore, choose to move forward —not by blaming nor by complaining, but by being grateful and learning to forgive (see Zechariah 4:6-7).

Just a Thought,

PSS