71a – The Will To Win
Think a minute…A father was trying to get his little boy to drink a glass of milk, but the son kept refusing, so the battle of wills was on. The father then poured himself a glass of milk and challenged his son to a race to see who could drink their milk the fastest. When the son had finished drinking his entire glass of milk, he said: “Let’s race again!”
The will to win is built into all of us, some more than others. In fact, massive armies led by ambitious men like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napolean Bonaparte, marched off to foreign lands simply to conquer them. The military general Robert E. Lee said: “It’s a good thing war is so terrible, otherwise we would like it too much.”
However, the good side of our human drive to conquer has given us tremendous discoveries that have advanced mankind. Like the team that Captain Earnest Shackleton led to boldly explore the bottom of the world: Antarctica. Amazingly, this is the advertisement he put in the local newspaper to attract men to join his team: “Men wanted for dangerous duty. Small wages. Bitter cold. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful.”
Not a smart and appealing advertisement, right? Wrong! More than 5,000 men applied in response to that ad. But why would so many men want to risk everything to be part of such a miserable, dangerous journey? The answer: the human will to win and conquer. It is that powerful.
That’s why it’s so important that we control and use our will to win in a positive, right, and mature way. It also means learning to lose gracefully, while maintaining our good character and relationships as our life’s greatest ambition and goal. We can conquer others in sports competitions, career, or business, but lose the real competition of life: our honest character and right relationship with our Maker and others around us. Only God can help us conquer our own wrong heart and character that causes us to lose at life.
Won’t you ask Jesus to forgive you for not controlling and using your will to win in His right way? Then ask Him daily to help you become the person of honest character with close, caring relationships He created you to be and have. Just think a minute…
71b – Maid to Sing
Think a minute…Years ago many prejudiced white southerners in America treated black, African Americans in cruel, evil ways. Yet there were also some southern whites who were kind and caring to black people. One of these was the Chisholm family in Laurel, Mississippi. Their housekeeper named Everlina had been with them for 45 years and was more than just an employee, she was part of the family. This included Everlina’s young niece who played with the Chisholm daughters.
One day Everlina’s niece said that she dreamed of getting a good education and learning the social skills of a lady in society. Mrs. Chisholm immediately took this little black girl under her wing, gently guiding her in proper social manners and confidence to face the world with dignity and self-respect. Mrs. Chisholm became like a second mother to this young girl so she could learn that the color of her skin should never stop her from becoming all she wanted to be.
During school holidays the young girl would come to help her Aunt Everlina work in the Chisholm house. As this young girl worked throughout the house she sang. In fact, she sang so well that Mrs. Chisholm, a trained musician, immediately recognized how naturally talented this little girl was. The girl had been listening to professional singers on the radio, dreaming of someday becoming a singer herself.
Mrs. Chisholm dedicated herself to helping this young girl reach her potential. She even paid for the girl’s university education to study voice at the famous Julliard School in New York City. Then, the dream of that young girl who worked as a maid in Mississippi actually did come true. She became a famous opera singer known as the Queen of the Metropolitan Opera: Leontyne Price. In fact, she was the first African American to become a leading performer at the Metropolitan Opera, and one of the most popular American classical singers of her generation. She received many awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States.
Maybe you were not made to sing, but you were definitely made to succeed at what you do best in life. You were also made to help others discover what they do best. If you want to discover why you were born, simply ask your Creator to take full charge of your life. Jesus will daily guide and help you with His power to overcome whatever you face in order to reach your full potential He gave you. Just think a minute…
71c – Money Mentality Pt 1.
Think a minute…Not long ago a woman was on trial for the murder of her husband. She told police that she shot and killed her husband after they argued about money. Obviously, our marital disagreements over money should never end this tragically. But money is one of the biggest battlegrounds in marriage. Different thinking, values, and habits with money between a husband and wife can separate, even destroy, their relationship and family. Today and tomorrow, we will discuss how to better manage our money and different money mentalities, so we can enjoy true peace and prosperity in our marriage.
First, we need to understand that our arguments about money are often not really about money, but about our other problems which are deeper. For example, if the husband or wife spends money impulsively, it shows that they will tend to impulsively get what they want in other areas also. They will selfishly do what they feel like doing, instead of making decisions together with their wife or husband for the good of their marriage and children.
Our money and possessions mean more than just those things we buy. For example, a car is just a way to take ourselves from one place to another. But many people buy a more expensive car to try to show how successful they are, even if they cannot afford it. So, their spouse and children end up not having other more important things they need in life. Remember, “A fool can make money, but it takes a wise man to spend it.” Sadly, “Some people are in debt because they keep spending what they want their friends to think they make.”
Today, maybe you realize you need to start changing your money mentality and ways of spending money. As the old song says: “Change your mentality. Wake up to reality.” In fact, the Bible talks more about money than almost any other subject. Jesus taught often about money because He knows that the way we use money shows what kind of heart we have. You cannot change the way you live and use money until you change your heart. Won’t you ask Jesus to forgive you and take charge of your way of living? His way is the only way that you, your spouse, and your children can start enjoying the true prosperity and peace He has planned for you. Just think a minute…
71d – Money Mentality Pt 2.
Think a minute…Just the sound of the word money rings in our ears like the bell on a cash register. But in a marriage, it can be like the bell in a boxing match starting the next round of fighting. Today, let’s finish our discussion of how we can better manage money in our marriage, so our family can enjoy a more prosperous and peaceful life together.
Another money mentality is when the husband or wife uses money to control their spouse. Like the husband who does not let his wife know how much money they have. He checks every little thing she buys, so he makes his wife feel like a child whom he does not trust and respect, instead of his partner in life.
Then there is the “big spender” mentality. Like the “shopaholic” wife who continually buys new things. She’s almost addicted to shopping. She does not put her family’s needs first because she lacks the self-control in her own spending. She needs to grow up and put the needs of her husband and children before her compulsive, selfish spending. Someone said: “Just when you think you can make ends meet, someone moves the ends.” Sadly, big-spending wives and husbands keep moving the ends by their uncontrolled spending.
First and foremost, we must live within the limits of our income. Spending more than you make will only land you and your family into serious, painful problems. Remember: “You’re only poor when you want more than you have.” Learn to be content and happy with what you truly need.
Secondly, the important decisions you and your spouse make should be based on how fair and good it will be for your children. We need to teach our children by our good example how to use money well.
A wise person said: “Money talks and never listens—unless you make it listen.” It is up to you to take control and start changing your way of using money. If you realize that your wife or husband is better at managing the money and bills, then you should let them do more of it. But most of all, you need to ask Jesus to take full charge of your heart, marriage, and way of using money. That is how you can lead your family into His way of enjoying a truly prosperous and peaceful life together. Just think a minute…
71e – Power Shortage
Think a minute…Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution to break a bad habit? You determined to finally make that needed change, but after just a few weeks you were back to your same old habits. So, you think to yourself: “I know what I should have done, but I did not do it!” How many times have you felt that way? It’s a struggle we all fight every day. The constant battle between what we know we should do and what we actually do. Between our conscience and how we really live in our character and conduct. Why can’t we simply do what we know we should? It’s even what we want to do deep in our hearts.
Our problem? We have a power shortage in our lives: a shortage of willpower. We are like this couple whom I know. The husband and wife both are professional marriage counselors, but they have now divorced each other. They have counseled many other married couples, yet they themselves cannot work out their own marriage problems! They know all there is to know about a good marriage relationship, but they cannot do it themselves and follow their own advice.
We all know that honesty is the right, best policy—yet dishonesty, lying, cheating, and corruption is everywhere. People know that loving and forgiving others is the happiest, best way to live—yet we still are self-centered, competitive, jealous, unforgiving, and even hurt the people we want to love. Fathers and mothers know they should spend more time with their children and be a better example for them to follow—yet parents still do not do it.
Is this just the way we humans are? Will we ever have the willpower to do what we know we should? This is why God came to connect us to His power—so we can finally have all the power we need to live up to our potential, and live the way we know we should and were created to enjoy. Jesus came to forgive us so we could live in a right, close relationship with our powerful Creator.
Knowledge is not your main problem. You know what you should do. It’s power that you need. And Jesus has all the power you will ever need, for whatever your struggle is. His empty grave shouts it loud and clear: He has all the power, even over death! And His power is yours! If you will ask Him to forgive you for living your own wrong way, and to take full charge your life from this day forward. Just think a minute…