Did God call you to achieve your current goals? Or did you choose those goals without consulting Him? It is no joy to work for a difficult boss—EVEN WHEN THAT BOSS IS YOURSELF. But when God calls you, you will never doubt that you do not work for others, or for yourself, but for God. Continue reading “It is the Lord Christ Whom You Serve.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Day Jobs and Night Jobs.
My parents were ALWAYS BUSY. The house was always clean. My dad was always repairing something, crawling under the car or up into the attic. The yard was never sloppy. We had home cooking every night, never without a salad. These were two people who absolutely HUSTLED every day. Not everyone is made that way,Continue reading “Day Jobs and Night Jobs.”
The Stress of Being Rich.
Saturday Twila said, “When I see places like this, I just think that inside these houses are all these rich people, just living their rich, happy lives, without any problems.” I mentioned an old cliché: Sometimes when you are wealthy, “you no longer own your stuff, but your stuff owns you.” Do you understand that?Continue reading “The Stress of Being Rich.”
Can You Enjoy Hard Work?
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes: “I took pleasure in all my struggles.” Ecclesiastes 2:10. Have you ever stopped in the middle of hard work and caught yourself enjoying it? A friend of mine was on the rowing team at Rutgers University and worked out so hard that throwing up was an everyday thing. And one day,Continue reading “Can You Enjoy Hard Work?”
No One Will Remember You.
I watched a show by ancestry[dot]com. The host took people through their family trees. One had a cousin who had awarded to President Kennedy the keys to Mexico City. It was pretty amazing to see who they were related to—but also sad that it could be forgotten so quickly. And you and I have amazingContinue reading “No One Will Remember You.”
DON’T LET YOUR GOAL BECOME YOUR IDOL: Enjoy the Process & Trust God With the Results.
Are you goal-oriented? Motivated by achievements? I am. Absolutely. I’m not sure I’m motivated by anything else. I often think about my goals, tallying up whether I have accomplished them—even the meaningless goals. For example, I have written 475 book reviews (reviews, not ratings) on Goodreads[dot]com. My goal is to write 1,000. I have aContinue reading “DON’T LET YOUR GOAL BECOME YOUR IDOL: Enjoy the Process & Trust God With the Results.”
Proverbs: God’s Book on Parenting.
Parenting books are almost as popular as diet books; it’s a huge market. You would think babies were different today—but they are the same as always. And Solomon put the basics of parenting in the Book of Proverbs 3,000 years ago: DISCIPLINE YOUR KIDS. “Discipline your son and it will bring you peace of mindContinue reading “Proverbs: God’s Book on Parenting.”
When You Need Courage.
Have you ever been afraid? Fear is a difficult emotion. Sometimes fear is vague, dull, and unfocused: you feel anxious, but you’re not sure why. Other times it is acute: you know EXACTLY what you’re afraid of! Fear, whether in the form of fright, worry, anxiety, terror, or dread, affects everyone. What is the answer?Continue reading “When You Need Courage.”
The Refinery of Compliments.
Raw products are nearly useless. You cannot clip wool from a sheep and weave it into a sweater until you refine the wool by cleaning it and spinning it into yarn. Ditto for cotton. Crude oil is a great discovery, but little of it is used in its raw state. Instead billion-dollar factories refine oilContinue reading “The Refinery of Compliments.”
Dogs Will Eat … Anything!
Do you know any fools? Have you seen people do crazy things? Most will do it again. Binge drinkers will binge drink. Drunk drivers will drive drunk. Violent, angry people will again be angry and violent. Selfish people will be selfish, unless God intervenes—unless they allow Him to change them. (Have you allowed Him toContinue reading “Dogs Will Eat … Anything!”
Household Words: 