Wise Much?

by Sylvia Gaston

How many decisions do you make each day? Thousands! The average human makes 35,000 decisions a day. Granted, many of these are too small to be of much significance in the grand scheme of life. Things like what time to wake up, what to eat, what to wear, how fast to drive to work or school, etc. are not all that important. Other decisions carry a little more weight and importance such as where to live, what relationships to have, and what larger purchases to make (think cars and houses). And then there are the really big decisions! Decisions like who to marry, how many kids to have (if any), and what to do with your life. This is the stuff that has lifelong consequences.

So how do you make these large and small decisions well? Flip a coin, ask a Magic 8-Ball, phone a friend, or just do what “feels right”? You need wisdom. By definition, wisdom is gained by learning as much as you can, analyzing your experiences and putting your knowledge to the test so you can become a wiser person. In my experience, this is a lengthy and flawed process.

Do you sometimes wish there was a source of wisdom to tap into that could help you always make the right decisions? There is! What?! Oh yeah . . . God. Why wouldn’t you seek the wisdom of the One who created everything, knows everything, and sees past, present and future? Why not ask the Creator who created you with a plan and a purpose?

To do that requires that you know Him. This is the single most important decision that you will make in your life - or not make! To know God gives you access to the Author and Finisher of all things and all people. 

OK, so let’s say you've already chosen to follow God. There was no instant download of all the wisdom needed when you made that choice. So how do you access the wisdom of God?

We read about a man in the Bible, Solomon, who became king of Israel after his father, David, died. Solomon showed his great love for God. God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. This pleased God and He promised him great wisdom because he didn’t ask for self-serving rewards like long life or personal wealth. God said to him, “Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for - both riches and honor - so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.” (1 Kings 3)

According to King Solomon, the wisest king ever, wisdom is from God. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6)

So how do you get it? Fast forward to Jesus’ day - His brother, James, states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

Wisdom problem solved! Follow Jesus, love God, and ask Him for wisdom! Then . . . bring on the decisions - large and small - and see how your life is transformed! 

480 Minutes

by Sylvia Gaston

Four hundred eighty minutes. That’s it! That’s all we have to operate with each day.

In any given 24-hour day, we are given 1440 minutes. Sleeping takes up about 480 minutes and work takes up about 480 minutes. That leaves us with a measly 480 minutes a day to live within!! Are you kidding me?

At the beginning of each year, I typically reflect on how I have spent the past year and how I plan to spend the next one. It’s a great time to think about whether or not I’m happy about the way I spent my time.  If I’m not, it’s a time to make some changes.

My friend, Gracie, recently posted this…

“So I've been thinking a lot about time. We're given only so much of it and it passes so quickly...Frankly, I'm wasting it. I spend so much time doing meaningless things. I need to step away from things that distract my attention and really, really focus on what I have and appreciate…God, my husband, my children, relationships - and just pour into them. With that being said, I've decided it’s time (lol) that social media and I break up -  maybe temporarily, maybe permanently. Not sure yet. This girl is about to go make some time count in her life.”

My best resource for wisdom in my life is God’s Word. The Bible has a lot to say about time.

Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 37:5 tells us, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says, “There is a season for everything, and a time for every event under heaven:  a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted.”

So here I sit with 480 minutes at my disposal each day. Some of that time is used up for necessary (yet evil) things like laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning and driving. And, if I’m being honest, some of my minutes are squandered away on television and the Internet.

In what ways are you squandering your time? Are you held hostage by social media or television or something else?

Here are some shifts in my life that I am implementing to make the best use of my 480 minutes:

• Less TV, more gym time (3-4 days a week – this is a 2-fer because I also get   to spend time with my friend and workout partner, Lee)
• Read non-fiction books in addition to the fiction that I love
• Take an online course to keep my mind sharp and my knowledge expanding
• If I add a new TV program to my DVR, I must remove one (I also do this with my closet – 1 new item in = 1 item must go)
• Once a week, work on 1 home improvement item so that they don’t stack up

But, more importantly, I am looking at everything I do – every minute I spend – verrry carefully to see if it is worth doing. Is it a waste? Is it meaningful?

Before I do any of these things, however, I am FIRST going to ask God how He wants me to spend my time. He certainly knows what’s best for me…and for you.

What are you doing with your 480 minutes? How about adding a visit to the church of your choice in there somewhere? Or set aside some daily time to pray and hear from God about how He thinks you should be spending your time?

It’s 2018, neighbors!! Go make some time count in your life!

Who Are You Talking To?

by Sylvia Gaston

So much tragedy surrounds us – in our towns and in our country. We lost a community leader to suicide last week, there are natural disasters occurring and racial tensions all around us. You might also be experiencing a personal crisis or challenge at home, school or work.

Where do you turn when you need answers? Who are you talking to?

Usually, our first instinct is to turn to those closest to us – a spouse, a friend or co-worker. We discuss the burning issue and seek input and wisdom. But what if they have none? What if they feel as helpless as you do?

It becomes even more important to us to have answers when others look to us for direction, wisdom, and leadership. What do you say to your kids, spouse or friend when they ask you to help them make sense out of nonsense or chaos?

Who do you talk to?

You can talk to someone who cares very much about your circumstances. You can talk to someone who can provide wisdom and comfort. You can talk to the One who created you and me and this world and everything in it…God.

You may argue, “Why would I talk to God, who allows bad things to happen?”.  But, you see, God did not create our world to be like this. He created us to love and to love Him. God created us with free will and sometimes we choose wrong. To live in a world without evil and wrong would be to live in a world without personal choice. We have invited evil into the once perfect world that He created. In doing so, we live in a fallen world, east of Eden. Paradise has been lost.

But, He is still the wisdom and comfort we need. He can give us comfort and strength to make it through life’s hardships. He can give you peace in place of worry and faith in place of fear.

Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.” (John 14:1)

Talk to Him. You don’t need to have the words of priests nor the vocabulary of professors. Prayer merely requires a humble heart. Prayer is a conversation with God. He knows you and is longing to hear from you – either out loud or silently. He hears you and you can hear from Him – perhaps not in an audible way but definitely in your heart and mind. You just have to start talking and listening to learn what His voice sounds like inside you.

Where to start? How about with, “Hi, God. It’s me. Here’s what is on my mind. Can you help me out?” or “God, would you please help the hurting families?” or “God, can you show me what I’m supposed to do?”.

He hears you. He loves you. And there will come a day when God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain.” (Revelation 21:3) for those who are with Him in heaven. It starts with a conversation.

Who are you talking to?

5 Ways to Improve Your Life

by Andrew Cromwell

If you’ve spent any time on social media sites recently, you know one of the most popular ways to write articles these days is to make them some kind of list. Whether it’s “Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Peanut Butter and Jelly” or “45 Uses for Egg Yolks that Will Change Your Life”, these articles somehow get us to click on them by promising us life-changing information. Here is my contribution to this oft-repeated genre in the hopes that you will not only “click” but that your life will in fact be changed for the better as you apply the information.

Proverbs is this incredible book of the Bible that contains incredible wisdom for daily living in bite sized pieces. In its pages you find keys for healthy relationships, an enduring love life (including a healthy sex life), and how to succeed in business among many other topics. In chapter three the author gives us six keys to having a long life filled with “peace and prosperity.” Everyone I know wants that kind of life!

Here’s how you get it:

1.    Don’t forget the essentials! The very first key to living the good life is never forgetting the essentials. Just like oreos without milk, life without the right playbook just ain't right! The Bible is that instruction manual for life handed down to us from holy men and women that walked closely with God. It describes to us the way we should live and tells us what things will destroy us and what things will build us up. It’s not enough just to know about the Bible, or even to know the Bible, the key is to actually live differently. That is what not forgetting actually means. It doesn’t do any good to know that the oil in your car needs to be changed every 3,000 miles unless you actually do it!


2.    Be kind and trustworthy to everyone. Do you want a good reputation? Would you like to be respected by others? In short, would you like people to like you? Stop being mean and stop making promises you don’t keep! Far too often we make the mistake of thinking the way to get respect is to demand it. Nope. The best way to get respect is to give it. Be the kind of person that people are attracted to -- and everyone is attracted to someone who is kind, considerate and does what they say they are going to do.

3.    Stay away from bad stuff. We underestimate what clean living can do for the entire course of our lives. We all know how it works. First, we’re curious, then we dabble, then we become fascinated, then obsessed and before you know it we’re hooked and we can’t get away. We do our best to keep things separated so that the “bad stuff” doesn’t interfere with the “good stuff” but we can only keep the plates spinning for a little while before it all comes crashing down.

4.    Give back to God. Every day we make choices of how to spend our money. We pay the mortgage or rent, we pay the credit card bill, we go out to dinner and the movies, and so much more. If we’re not careful, we find that every dime that we spend is on us and our family. There is something incredible that happens when we choose to give a part of what we earn to God. It requires us to prioritize and it reminds us that we are not first -- He is. Don’t underestimate the power in that practically, but it also does something spiritually as well because it opens the door for God to go to work in the area of our finances (and some of us really need that!).

5.    Take it on the chin. Like any good parent, God too sometimes needs to set us straight. When my children start to behave in a way that is going to result in damage to themselves or someone else, I step in. They don’t generally like it, but it saves them from hurt. And on the rare occasions when they recognize that they have done wrong and they actually receive the correction instead of resisting it, they move from just being punished to actually learning something. When God corrects us, He does it because He loves us. Stop being mad at Him for trying to help you out!

Living by these five principles has the power to change your life. Check out Proverbs 3 for yourself and see the other incredible wisdom you can find.