Our greatest battles as Christians are in our minds.
I have noticed in my life that whenever I face a challenging situation (aka opportunity for growth) I almost always have to go through the same three steps…
- I have to open my mind to a new way of thinking or doing something
- I have to make a decision to do it
- Then I can take action
I have found that when I am challenged by something, I either open my mind to the possibility of it or I don’t. If I do open my mind to it, then I have to count the cost to decide if I want to do it. If so, the last and often easiest step is to just do it.
For example: Before I started walking with God and even a couple years after, if I thought about sharing the Gospel with someone, I would not have opened my mind to it, because that was something that, “I would not do.” My mind was completely closed to the possibility of it and I would not even entertain thoughts about it.
As I grew in my walk, God helped me open my mind to the possibility. I was still convinced that it was something I would hopefully never have to do, but if God really, really needed my to, I would.
Well, guess what? It wasn’t much longer before I was faced with the opportunity. Now I had to decide. My mind was telling me 50 reasons why I should not as I argued with myself trying to come to a decision. It was a very fierce battle, but the decision was made and it was all down hill from there. Actually taking action (talking to the person) was easy. None of the stuff I was afraid of happened (got mocked, spit on, etc.), The hardest part was actually DECIDING to do it.
It has been very difficult opening my mind to things that were different. It is easy to do things like you always have, but opening your mind to change is difficult. It can be a painful experience to realize that maybe you have been wrong about something all your life or that there was a better way that you didn’t know about. But what option do you have? We can either bury our head in the sand, or humble ourselves and open up to the possibility of changing.
The Parable of the Rich Young Ruler
This story provides a good example of someone who was not willing open his mind to changing his ways.
Matthew 19:16-22
And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Then he said to Him, “Which ones?”
And Jesus said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER; YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER; and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
He probably had all of his identity tied up in his wealth, which is why when Jesus challenged his thinking by telling him to give his stuff away and follow him he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t open his mind to the possibility of not having all his wealth. He had been given specific instruction on what he needed to do to go to Heaven - yet his closed mind prevented him from following through.
He might have been thinking a lot of the same things we think when faced with the decision of whether or not to get out of debt. Like:
- Am I still going to be able to go buy new clothes once a week?
- Am I going to be able to go out to eat as much as I would like?
- Am I going to have to do things that don’t feel good?
For the Rich Young Ruler, the challenge was opening his mind to the possibility of not doing things the way he always had. He was probably raised having everything He wanted and couldn’t imagine the thought of giving it all up. It wasn’t the act of giving the money away that was the challenge, it was the fact that he couldn’t even open his mind to the possibility of not having his wealth.
He could have obeyed Jesus and used his wealth to greatly benefit the lives of others. His problem was that he was unwilling to open his mind to the possibility of giving it away. Without opening his mind to the possibility of it, he obviously would never be able to DECIDE to give it, so would also never be able to give it.
I have found that the greatest breakthroughs in my life came as a result of opening my mind to a new way of thinking. It requires humility to admit that something you have always done or always thought is not necessarily the only way or correct at all. These mindset changes can be very difficult, but they are absolutely essential to follow God and accomplish anything worth accomplishing in life.
Getting out of debt is not a one-time decision
I wish getting out of debt, losing weight, and exercising were one-time decisions, but they are not. They need to be decided over and over again. Every time you get tempted to buy something you don’t need, or have a potluck at work, or just feel like sitting on the couch - you have a decision to make. Are you going to do what you should do, or what you FEEL like doing?
You probably know what most people do most of the time - what they FEEL like doing. You are obviously different. You wouldn’t be reading this if you were like most people.
So, you may have “decided” to get out of debt, but as we go through the rest of this series you will probably be faced with some ideas that are challenging. You first need to open your mind to them, then if they are right for you, decide to do them and then of course, take action.
In Part 3 we are going to look at the reasons for creating a balance sheet…
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It is easy to fall into the mentality of just focusing on our problems here in the U.S. To make matters worse, we often seem to think that we have “problems,” when by comparison most of us have not experienced “problems.”
For example, if you make $50,000 in the U.S. you are richer than 99% of the rest of the world. You can see where you rank here.
But as far as inflation goes, we as a country are calling our 4% inflation a “problem.” While I agree that we should try to make our country the best it can be, sometimes we just need to see things like this to put things into perspective.
And a few other articles I have been reading this week…
- The masses of humanity live lives of quiet desperation.
- A cool new google gadget for Biblegateway.com
- How to handle unfairness in life
- What we expect is often what we get
- Its worse now for Christians in Iraq than under Saddam
- Why America is failing at life
- Keeping your spiritual gas tank full.
- 50,000 people die everyday, what are you doing about it?
- Christian College kids don’t know Christianity
- 14 things learned from being on a church staff
- Biblical rules for dating
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I really believe that all things to work together for our good (Romans 8:28). It doesn’t always make sense how they will and do, but that doesn’t change the fact that they will. As I have practiced focusing on the truth of that it makes it easier to look that the bright side of challenging situations - gas prices.
Sure, there are ways to save money on gas, but even the best gas saving techniques aren’t keeping up with the rising prices. But I got encouraged when I found this article pointing out a few of the possible benefits. The author mentioned 8 reasons why Americans will be benefited by the higher prices.
1. RIP for the internal-combustion engine
2. Economic stimulus
3. Wither the Middle East’s clout
4. Deflating oil potentates
5. Mass-transit development
6. An antidote to sprawl
7. Restoration of financial discipline
8. Easing global tensions
My thoughts about his list:
1. He is absolutely right about this. It just doesn’t make sense that we can make this much progress in the computer industry in 20 years and yet we are still using basically the same engines in our cars for the last hundred years. When problems get large enough, people work harder to find answers.
3. Wouldn’t it be great not to depend on the middle east for oil? It just seems that not much good has come out of our dependence on the middle east? I don’t know much about our reasons for not drilling in Alaska (there is a lot of oil up there) other than it is a protected wilderness - does anyone know more about it that they can share in the comments?
5. My hometown of St. Louis has historically been lagging behind most other cities in this area. Recently they have made some advancements, but they are still a long way from cities like New York. Even still, I have seen many people switch to public transportation in light of the high prices and I fully expect the trend to continue.
6. This is another trend that has been prevalent in St. Louis. We are a very suburbanized city. The last figures I heard (a couple years ago) was something like a population of 2.5 million with only 200,000 actually living in the city limits. I will say that over the last few years the urban-living trend has brought a lot more people back to the city. Even when the trendy-ness of urban living dies off I think gas prices could keep this trend going in full force.
7. I can look back at some financially difficult times in my life and see that I learned some very important lessons. I learned how to live on a lot less money. It can be difficult adjusting and adapting, but once you do you have the confidence of knowing that you can make it on $xx,xxx. Just like going through boot-camp, it stretches you beyond what you thought you were capable of. Yes, this really is looking at the bright side of the challenge, but it is true.
Technorati Tags: Gas Prices, Fuel Prices
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This is a reprint of an article I wrote for GetRichSlowly a week ago…
John D. Rockefeller founded the Standard Oil company back in 1862. He was also the first to become a billionaire, and was one of the richest men to ever live. I am sure many people today wish they could have walked in his shoes. If, somehow they could, I think some would find it to be eye-opening.
How could I possibly be richer than John D. Rockefeller?
With as wealthy as he was, he could have had anything that money could buy. But what a few hundred dollars may buy today, couldn’t be bought with millions 150 years ago.
Today, we have central heating and air conditioning, cars, planes, Tempur-Pedic mattresses, iPods, and millions of other gadgets. Even Rockefeller in his day couldn’t buy air conditioning. Maybe he had 15 people fanning him on a hot summer’s day (because he could afford it), but I would rather have air conditioning. He probably had chauffeurs to take him by horse and buggy all around town, but I would much rather be riding in a 10 year old Chevy. Wouldn’t you?
So, if we change the way we think of “wealth” and consider our standard of living and compare it to Rockefeller’s - I would say we are doing pretty good. In fact, I would go as far to say the majority of the U.S. lives an all-around more “comfortable” life than Rockefeller did. Who then, is actually richer?
How much does it take to be happy?
I have heard that if your household annual income is over $50,000, then you are in the top 1% richest in the world. (Find out with this tool)And if we can agree that most of us are living a more comfortable life than a billionaire at the turn of the 20th century, then shouldn’t we be content with what we have?
Should the fact that someone is living a more comfortable life than we are make us less comfortable? Or couldn’t we be satisfied knowing that we live a more comfortable life than 99% of the world or than the richest man 150 years ago?
And maybe we aren’t complaining - maybe we are just using our credit cards instead? Do we really need all the junk we are buying or are we forgetting how good we actually have it?
Why not keep up with the Joneses?
So, what is the point with all this? Why spend energy trying to be grateful for the things we have? Why not just try to keep up with the Joneses?
- Life is far more enjoyable when you are grateful. Grateful people divert their energy to seeing the good things they have been given rather than focusing on what they don’t have. This alone makes them much happier and far more enjoyable to be around.
- You can save a lot of money. When you are thankful that you have a car rather than having to ride the bus everyday, it makes it a lot easier to break the habit of buying a new car every year. This can apply to anything - HDTV is great, but so is COLOR TV. Remember when that was the new break-through technology?
- Forgetting about the Joneses can set you free. Doing things to impress and appease other people is a dangerous trap. So many people voluntarily become “puppets” to those they are trying to impress - trading control of their lives for temporary social approval. Having been enslaved by it for years, I suggest forgetting about what the Joneses think. They are overrated anyway.
- You can actually ENJOY the things you have. Everything loses a bit of its appeal as we get used to it. From a new pair of shoes, a brand new car, a spouse, or anything else - they are all exciting while we are anticipating them. But, once we have them for a while, they just aren’t as exciting as they once were. By genuinely appreciating it and focusing on the benefits of it rather than the “greener grass” elsewhere we can truly enjoy what we have.
“It’s not having what you want, It’s wanting what you’ve got.” -Sheryl Crow
I don’t say all this to suggest that we all should live like we are hovering around the poverty line. But, merely to suggest that maybe, just maybe we have it a little bit better than we think.
Regardless, whether you have 60″ HDTV and new BMW or a 19″ Sanyo and a 10 year old Chevy - be grateful. After all, either way Rockefeller would be jealous.
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In the recent post I did with the 75 gas saving tips - there were quite a few that touched on the techniques of driving. Of course not driving like you are drag racing will save you gas, but there are a lot of subtleties that can save gas as well.
For instance, if you have a manual transmission, it is better to shift to the next gear in the 2000-3000 RPM range, rather than waiting until 4000. It makes sense, since the engine is less efficient at 4000 RPM’s.
From stoplights, you can save a lot of gas by taking 15 seconds to reach your cruising speed, rather than 8 seconds.
Trying to keep rolling towards a red light, so that you are still moving when it turns green helps keep momentum - saving gas as well.
Save gas or save face?
Well, I have been trying some of these driving tactics - slowly accelerating from red lights, and trying to keep rolling up to a red light, in hopes that it will turn green before I have to kill my momentum. The one thing I am noticing is that while I may be saving a couple nickels and dimes each time I drive, people are starting to hate me 
I have no doubt these tactics work, but while I am employing them I can’t help but think, “I feel bad for the guy behind me - if I were him I would honk at me.”
It is a funny feeling being the slow guy. I had always been the first one off the line, always driving in the fast lane, and rarely passed by other cars. Since I have been trying this, it is common for me to see cars pass me on both sides when the light turns green. I feel like my grandma
As with everything, there is a proper balance, in my testing phase of these driving techniques I have been solely focused on getting 75 MPG (I wish) and not very concerned how it affects the traffic around me. So, I am working my way into that balance…
Hopefully, society as a whole will begin to drive more modestly and quit drag racing from the stoplights, but I need to keep a proper balance between saving gas and making everyone mad.
Technorati Tags: gas saving, save gas
This post was featured in the Carnival of Personal Finance.
What do you think? Should you drive how ever you want, because you can? or Should you consider how it affects others?
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The power of saying NO
Learning to say NO to ourselves is one of the most beneficial habits we can develop. I call it a habit because it is truly is. People who never tell themselves NO have a difficult time doing it. On the other hand, people who regularly tell themselves NO find that although it may not be easy, it becomes less difficult the more you do it.
Your success is based on your ability to say NO
It is difficult to find a person who has had success in any area of their lives who didn’t become good at saying NO…
- If you want to lose weight, you have to say NO to your body when it tells you that it is going to die if it doesn’t get a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
- If you want your marriage to last you have to tell yourself NO when you really, really want to say something that you probably shouldn’t.
- If you want to succeed in your career you have to say NO to your body’s desire to be lazy and work hard and smart (even when no one is looking).
- If you want to get out of debt, you have to say NO to the iPhone (or other fun indulgences) even when everyone else around you has one.
The list goes on and on, but the point remains the same: Get good at saying NO.
“Do something you hate every day, just for the practice.”
-John Maxwell
The point John was making in this quote was that in order to succeed you have to do things you do not want to do. People who achieve their dreams have to pass up a whole lot to reach their destination.
Saying NO to couch-potato living
I am writing to myself with this, but I have found it to be true that a regular habit of exercise (saying NO to our body’s desire to become a couch potato) makes everyday challenges easier to handle.
It’s because exercise is more than just conditioning the body - it conditions and disciplines the mind. As we say NO to ourselves and overcome the temptation not to exercise, we become just a little bit better at saying NO and are better equipped to do it in other areas of our lives.
As I think about areas of my life where I have been able to implement this in small steps, the corresponding rewards have been great. My walk with God, my finances, and my relationships have all seen great progress as a result of saying NO in seemingly insignificant moments.
this post was featured in the Carnival of personal finance
Has anyone else noticed this in their own life?
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When is the last time you tried something for the first time?
God put me on this earth and I have the strongest desire to squeeze every ounce of life I can out of these 100 years or so I get to be down here. If you are bored, try something new!
There is so much in this world to be discovered. There are so many things to learn about, skills to develop, places to see, people to talk to, hobbies to enjoy, etc… I want to do it all!
I don’t remember where I heard this, but I just recently heard a quote something along the lines of:
“They should just tell us all that we are dying when we are born, so that we actually live our lives.”
A friend of mine is a cancer survivor and you can tell within 2 minutes of talking to him that he doesn’t take a single breath for granted. He is so excited and passionate about life and living and he enjoys everything he does.
I want to be more like him.
It shouldn’t take a near-death experience to get us to understand the brevity of life. It’s short. We all know it is, let’s take advantage of everything that God has for us.
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I don’t normally go off on rants here, but I am getting frustrated with credit card companies. I have seen quite a few ads that say, in one way or another, that you should buy stuff (a lot of it) with your card, because YOU DESERVE IT.
What exactly is it that we deserve? To buy something that we are lusting after, that we don’t have the cash to pay for, that some credit card company is going to increase it’s profit margins by?
Why do so many Americans have such an extreme sense of entitlement? Are the ads the result or the cause of our feeling this way?
I don’t know about you, but I deserve hell. Not a trip to Fiji or a 52″ plasma TV. Thank God that Jesus gave up what He deserved, so that we could have what we don’t deserve.
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Because the Bible says so!!
I found a nice little passage that gave me a swift kick in the rear on a few things in my life. I love how practical the Bible really is. The deeper you dig, the more you find.
Proverbs 24:30-34
I passed by the field of the sluggard and by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, and behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,” Then your poverty will come as a robber and your want like an armed man.
What it spoke to me
- Fools don’t maintain stuff. The wise do.
- Laziness causes you to be lacking in areas of your life. Those who are lazy rarely see this resulting effect of their actions coming. It catches them off guard and they wonder how and why it happened.
Anyone else get any revelation from this passage?
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This is a good thing to say when faced with a financial difficulty. It is very difficult to utter those words sometimes, but it is good for us to do so. This isn’t an excuse to be lackadaisical with our money, but it is an acknowledgement that there is SO MUCH MORE TO LIFE than money.
I am all for being a great steward of the resources and finances that God has provided, but when it comes down to it, He is the one who meets our needs! (Philippians 4:19) And last time I read the verse, there weren’t any prerequisites like being extremely organized, being really disciplined, managing our money like a pro, or even not making mistakes. Even with all our imperfections and “human-ness” the Bible still says that He will provide all our needs according to His riches and glory.
So, as difficult as it may seem, next time a financial difficulty arises, push out those three words, “it’s only money.” Just by saying this, you minimize its importance in your life. Money is not supposed to the primary focus (aka Lord) of our lives.
As I am writing I am thinking back to a few difficult times over the last few years where I needed the help of my wonderful wife to help me make that confession. Whether it is easy to say or not, IT IS TRUE. Money comes and money goes. It is ONLY money. Don’t worry about it, just keep trusting God. He is the one who takes care of you.
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
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