brotherpaul.net

Seems like a pretty simple statement.

But, it’s not quite that easy.

Let’s change something really big that we
just can’t stand.

How about the Iraq War?

I don’t care whether you want to bomb Iraq
back into the stone age, or if you want to
bring the troops home.

What kind of commitment will it take to
accomplish that?

1) Run for President, so you can make the
call.

Okay, that means that you have to put
together a political machine that can
accomplish that. And, by the way, both
sides of the Republican and Democratic
sides are filled with also-rans that want
to try and be the next Pres. (One of them
is even hiding his real party-affiliation to
do it. Not saying he is wrong, just that
he is doing it.)

You could give up your job, and focus all
your attention on that task, in doing what
ever it is you need to do to
make those changes.

But, if you’re not willing to do that, you
won’t change it.

Let’s say that your passion is stopping
pedophiles from raping 3 year olds.
Outside of protecting your own
3 year olds, what can you do?

You could focus all your attentions again on
doing what it takes to become a
congressman or a prosecutor
or a judge. Now, realize that some of these
careers take 8 or more years to accomplish,
plus you have to deal with a lot of things
that have nothing to do with your cause.

Or, you could build communities
far away from schools and children and make
them available to the pedophiles. But, you’re
going to need money, and you’ll have to put
up with their personalities and lifestyles to do
that.

Again, if you are not willing to do what it
takes, then it is not a cause, and you are
tolerating it.

But, what about your environment that you
have control over. Your weight, your
appearance, your job.

Those are things that you can do something
about. You can take immediate action to do
something about those things.

The Apostle Paul, (by now you know), wrote
that whatever situation he found himself in,
he was content.

When he was imprisoned along with Silas, he
sang.

Why?

Because, when he chose the path that God and
Jesus had chosen for him, while he was on the
road to Damascus to go and kill more
Christians, he had to accept his calling.

And that was why he was in that prison. Yes,
the Roman guards put him there, and that was
also somewhat beyond his control.

But, yet Paul also mentioned, in a different
passage, that he buffeted his body daily,
and that he fought the good fight.

What’s the difference?

The difference between being content and
toleration is your degree of control over the
situation. The more control you have over
something you despise, the quicker and more
effectively you can change it.

Just like Paul chose his path to accept his
mission, he also chose his battles.
And he knew that he could win the ones
that he had the most control over.

So, if you decide to follow a cause, and you
have to set yourself on that path to be in
the position you need to be to change it, be
content, and put all into mastering the things
you need to accomplish so that you can be
effective in that cause. Do the tasks as
unto the Lord. Work as if Jesus was your
boss at mastering these matters.

Just remember, the more control that you have
over a situation, the more you can change it.
The more you are willing to do what you need
to do to change something, the more effective
you will be.

Make it a great day in the Lord!

Brother Paul

Okay, then. Here’s my question to you:

If you have arrived, are you in heaven or hell?

Because that’s really the only two destinations of having arrived.Everything else is about a journey. The apostle Paul, (by now you know that ain’t me), said, “I fight the good fight.” and “I continue to strive.”Not “I fought the good fight.” or “I have striven.” (Or is that strove? Oh who cares, you get the point) You need to realize that everything on this earth is but a journey. And, like all journeys, if you’ve made a mis-step, you can correct it, or find a different route to get to where you’re going.

But, you need to stop thinking about having arrived. If you continue to go with a direction, and continue in that direction, you can accomplish more.

But, if you’ve chosen a goal and then reached it, you’re done.

Now, that doesn’t mean that every path is right for you. You may have to re-evaluate when opportunities arise, (which is not once in your lifetime, but actually come once per week) to see if you are on the right path.

But, now we’re talking about things that are not just physical. For example, when you hit your target weight, if you’re losing weight, you’re done right. So, then that’s not an arrival that has put you in heaven or hell.

So, here’s what you need to say: “I am maintaining my ideal weight.” Not, “I have reached my final weight.”

Because if you don’t, the nature of things is to take you on to a path that may not necessarily be right for you.

But, this even applies more to when you’re discussing things that are not physical. “I am becoming more at peace with myself and the world,” not, “I am at peace with myself and the world.”

Do you see what I’m trying to say to you? Is it making sense?

Life is continuous. Once it stops, you’re on your final destination to heaven or hell.

Success is continuous. It’s not a destination. Even if you have enough money to be what the world terms as successful, do you then have enough time to enjoy the things that matter the most. Then, that’s the new path you need to travel.

Many people think that goal setting solves the problems. It will help, but it’s not the final solution.

The final solution is to make your affirmations in a state of continuance, not a final destination.

Your brain will believe whatever you tell it, and if you tell it that something’s done, it can’t continue to improve on it.

And, you need to contiually improve.

More next time!

Make it a great day in the Lord!

Brother Paul