5 Inspiring Thoughts to Brighten Your Day: Courtesy of Mother Teresa
Looks like she's having a pretty good day.....huh?
1. “Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand.”
Today, let’s keep an eye out for some low hanging “fruit”. Go out of your way to hold the door for someone. Let someone ahead of you in traffic. Give an intentional smile to someone who needs it. Let’s seek someone to serve. Let’s sow seeds of love….let’s do it today.
2. “I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”
Let’s give part of ourselves away today….the things we most treasure. Freely give all credit for an accomplishment to others. Freely accept all blame for a situation. Take all possible discomforts upon yourself to increase the happiness of those around you. Be the last to begin eating, be the first up to do the dishes. Give a back message while your back is killing you. Sacrifice yourself for others in every possible way today…..see what happens.
3. “If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”
Christ taught the principle of the 99 and the 1. Every soul is precious in the sight of God. The worst thing we can do today is feel that we can’t make a difference. Let’s set a goal right now to touch at least one person in a positive way today. I promise you that it will happen, and the effects will be profound.
4. “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
Nothing will keep you further from happiness today then judging others. It literally sucks the life and energy from you as well as those around you. Remove this negative energy from yourself today, and fill the void with compassion and a genuine desire to serve others. Seek out those you are most inclined to stand in judgment of and make their happiness your priority. Pray for help, and then make it happen. You’ll be amazed at the results. Don’t wait for tomorrow…..do it today!
5. “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.”
Matthew 25 is the mantra of my life: “What you have done unto the least of these my bretheren you have done it unto me.”, Christ taught. Take this teaching literally. Sense the love and appreciation you have for Jesus Christ and project it onto others. This is a life changing paradigm because it changes the lens through which you see the entire world. Every person in every situation is Christ. Imagine smiling at Him, letting Him in front of you in line at the grocery store, giving Him money, or a job, or even a hug. I have written of my own personal experiences living this principle and simply can’t say enough about the happiness and peace that it has brought into my life.
I have gratitude for the life of Mother Teresa; for her words, and for her inspiring life which was the embodiment of selfless service. Let’s all be inspired to make a difference today. A line from one of my kid’s favorite movies just came to mind, “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift….that’s why it’s called the ‘present’”. Let’s make today count!
Comments are welcome and appreciated as always. God Bless!
Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur: How I met Jesus in Fort Worth Texas.
Sometimes opportunities arise when you least expect it!
Here’s yet another post in my series “Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur”. This was an awesome experience I had in Texas while attending a three day swimming pool construction course.
Many of you have heard this experience before, but it was one of my first posts so it got no love, plus I wanted to re-post it as part of this series anyway. I wrote the following story the night it happened. It will always remain an experience that’s near to my heart.
It was about 9:00 pm and I was walking down Houston Ave in downtown Fort Worth, Texas desperately seeking a hot meal. It had been a hectic day of travel that included a full blown sprint to catch a flight, lost luggage, “misplaced” hotel reservations, and no food. It was cold, I was tired, and my quest for an authentic Tex-Mex meal was looking bleak, so I compromised and settled for some Applebee’s wanna-be.
By this time I had reached caveman status so I grabbed a seat and ordered way too much food. While anxiously awaiting the arrival of my meal I tried to distract myself by reflecting on the purpose of my trip. I had traveled to Texas to attend a three-day course to be further trained in the arts of high-end residential swimming pool construction…...and I was pumped. An opportunity to learn, meet new people, and…never mind here comes my food.
My meal finally hit the table and I was ready to dig in when some dirty guy taps on the window, points to his wide open mouth and lips the word “homeless”. So I kind of look down at my food for a split second and think, ‘this is awkward’, but instantly look up again to gaze at the man.
But when I did it wasn’t the same person. In my eyes his appearance had completely transformed. You see, in that split second I looked down, I remembered something I had read in the Bible that changed the way I saw the world as well as everyone around me. It is one of Jesus’ teachings found in Matthew chapter 25.
He taught “what you have done to the least of these your brethren you have done unto me”. When I looked out of the window the second time the person I saw was Him…..literally. So, let’s pause to ask ourselves an honest question: If Jesus tapped on your window and asked you for help how would you respond? Probably exactly as I did. I got up, went outside and talked to Him. After we exchanged a few words I gave Him some money (I mean come on, it was Jesus, the least I could do was give Him ten bucks!). At that point his eyes welled up with tears and he said “I just want to give you a hug”. Then we embraced. So not only did I meet Jesus in Fort Worth, but He gave me a hug as well!
This was an experience I will always treasure. It has little to do with giving to the homeless and everything to do with the little opportunities we have on a daily basis to serve others. It’s been rare occasions like this, when I completely forget my own selfish desires and see Jesus’ face in those I serve, that I find anything close to real joy which is the kind of happiness that endures. All other types of pseudo-happiness eventually wither and leave us empty and alone. But this requires a change of focus, a paradigm shift. It’s extremely difficult. Only the best people in history have even come close to it, only One has ever done it perfectly. Serving others is not about the why, the where, or the how….it is about the Who.
How could this paradigm affect Your Business?
As Christians and especially as Christian business owners we constantly find ourselves presented with opportunities to bless others and bring glory to God. I have no idea how many of these opportunities I’ve squandered in the past, but I consider myself extremely fortunate to have had this one. It has helped shape the way I see others (when I have my head screwed on straight). “The least of these” can literally be anyone in our lives....and in our businesses.
What if we saw the face of Jesus every time we looked out at our customers, employees, and other associates? How would that change the way we do business? How would it change the way the world does business? It may seem absolutely ludicrous to have this mentality in today’s dog-eat-dog climate, but I can testify that when applied it will brings peace and joy to doing business and to life.
What experiences have you had serving others in your life or in your business?
5 Ways to Incorporate Christian Service into Our Busy Lives!
We all have a shortage of time. There just isn't enough to go around. Most folks are overworked, overscheduled, and frankly overwhelmed. So how does a true disciple of Christ possibly find time to make Christian Service an integral part of their life? Great Question! Probably one of the finest, but most difficult questions one can ask. Fine because asking the question demonstrates a desire to be more like Christ; difficult because to genuinely seek the answer forces us to look inside of ourselves to see what really makes us tick. Most times we don’t like what we find, I know I don’t. Isn’t that wonderful! That is the miracle and essence of Christianity. To see ourselves as we truly are, to see Christ as He is, and hold His hand as we bridge the gap together. Bridging this gap basically means throwing part of our old self on the scrap heap and replacing it with something divine. The fact is that all of our souls are cluttered with piles of debris that stand between us and the Savior. Maybe some of that garbage keeps us from providing Christ like Service to others. The following are five simple concepts, or ideas that may help us focus on the “fruit” that comes from serving others:
5 Ways to Make Christian Service Part of Our Daily Lives:
1. See Christ in Those You Serve
Matthew Chapter 25:40 states, “And the king shall answer and say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’ Maybe we should take this counsel literally. Think of how powerful it would be to actually see the face of the Savior in those we serve; to shake His hand or give Him a hug.
2. Make it a Family Activity
Seek ways your family can serve others together. This can be difficult, especially with young families but it is possible. Here are a few ideas:
-young children: have a family meeting explaining how there are many children who do not have toys to play with. Pray together as a family and then ask the children if they would be willing to give some of their toys to other children less fortunate than themselves. Then allow the children to choose any toys they are willing to part with. Never impose or force anything. If a child doesn’t want to give, that’s fine……no biggie. But watch as their siblings encourage them to participate. Watch as they struggle to decide whether to part with a favorite toy. Watch as they smile after the decision is made; a smile that comes from inside out not the outside in.
-pre-teens: consider yard clean-ups or working at a food bank. Anywhere they can burn energy and be productive at the same time.
-teenagers: any situation where they can see that the work they are doing has an impact on the individual they serve. This can have a profound impact on their lives as it puts their life situation in perspective and strengthens their testimony.
3. Remember a Time When You Were Served by Others
When you were broken down on the side of the road…..When you were down and out and needed food, clothing, money, a place to stay……When you sought the counsel of a busy friend who stopped what they were doing to take time with you…..When you were frustrated with life and the world and the smile of a stranger gave you hope. At one time or another, we have all been the recipient of service. Let’s take a minute to reflect on these periods of our life and let this inspire us to do the same for others.
4. Be Honest With Yourself
What has kept us from serving more? What barriers stand in our way? Sometimes the obstacles are extrinsic, but many times they are our own internal thought patterns or prejudices. Ask yourself the following self-searching questions:
-Do I truly see the value of serving others?
-Do I have negative feelings about serving the needy?
-Do I feel that they can and should do for themselves?
-Do I rationalize why I can’t or don’t serve others as much as I think I should?
-Do I fear what other people think or fear being judged by others?
-Do I feel that it is the responsibility of someone else, like the government to meet this need in society?
5. Take Control of Your Life
Who is in control of your life? Who decides how you spend your time? I have news for you: if it ain't you, that’s a problem. If you feel that Christian service should be a major part of your life and it’s not, I would suggest you change that! This applies to anything that you value in life. If you should spend more time communicating with your spouse, having family prayer or scripture study, or anything else that resonates with your soul, you should re-structure your life and put these first things first. No one else can or will do this for you. I’m here to tell you that it is possible! Not because I have achieved it, but because I have seen it achieved by others.
In my opinion there is no better way to become more like Christ than to emulate Him. There is no better way to show our love for Him than to 
see Him in every person we come in contact with and to find ways to bless their lives. We must build our lives around this principle of service. We must make it a part of our family culture. Every one of us has so much God given power to influence the lives of others in a positive way if we will only take advantage of it. The great thing is that this does not necessarily mean we have to work in a homeless shelter every weekend. The ways we can serve others are as diverse as the people we come in contact with. We only need to have empathy toward others, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, and fear nothing!
