A Change Would Do You Good.

How do I know when i’m out of God’s will? How do I know if all the things i’m doing are what God expects me to do or if i’ve just put those expectations on myself? Most of us are doing too much right now. Our schedules are too busy. We have so many irons in the fire that the fire is about to be put out. We’re smothering it.

The answer is simple: If  i’m always tired. It is not God’s will in  life to always be tired. God never intended for us to go around with that heavy a load all the time.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest” (TEV).

What's got you burdened? Most of us carry a yoke of burden that we’ve put on ourselves because of unresolved guilt and unrealistic expectations. We’re trying to prove that we matter.

You matter to God period! You don’t have to do anything to matter to God.

So....What do you need to change? Change may not be easy to do but it is necessary. It may require some sacrifice. You may be misunderstood. But...you will have a sense of relief when you make the change.

What's got you burdened? How should you deal with it?

Does It Matter?

As I look around I can’t help but wonder if relationships and their worth are doomed. Do relationships really matter anymore? We say they do, but I don’t believe that’s true. At least for a lot of people. We seem to be busy doing things, but do the things we do really matter?

When i was experiencing a very difficult season in my life about 4 years ago, the help and encouragement I got did not come from the organized church I was a part of but a few relationships I had maintained over the last 20 years or so. I am so grateful that I had stayed connected to those people. Real relationships are truly the fabric that binds us to one another. Without meaningful relationships, life isn’t living and if you aren’t living you’re dying.

Maintaining and enhancing the quality of our relationships is the most important thing ever. In these times of financial up evil, our relationships should be a place where we should have solace. Banks folding, the stock market on what seems to be a never-ending yo-yo and skyrocketing unemployment, relationships seem to be one of the last bastions of individual freedom and control.

I know this sounds a bit “gloomy” and “dark” but too much attention is focused on items, situations and people that really don’t matter. Our attention has been diverted. We have been “flim-flamed” into believing that possessions of “stuff” will bring us what it is that we seek. I too engage in the “buying” of stuff. We all do but in the end it’s the interpersonal relationships in our lives that bring us fulfilment.

I’d encourage you today to look at your relationships. Without having the gumption and insight to affect change within your personal relationships, you will be a “relationship drifter”. You will continue to bounce from person to person never reaching a sense of emotional satiation or comfort. You are doomed to repeat the same patterns that have driven wedges between you and those that you wanted to love but didn’t know how to connect with.

Let’s face it, when it’s all said and done, nothing will matter more than the value and depth of the relationships that you created. Do relationships really matter? They should to all of us!

What changes should you make in your life order to build healthier relationships?