Word of the Week - Life
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
Life is a gift - “Life – A precious gift from God” Psalm 139:14. Every day that we have on this earth is a gift from God and having that perspective is truly a blessing. This is the principal of a “Heart of Gratitude”, and it is a godly perspective that brings life. If we really think about it, the fact that we are alive and breathing is a gift from God, and we should rejoice and be thankful. Life is fragile and can be taken in an instant so count each day as a blessing and a gift. This in itself is enough, but God is so good that he blesses us with so much more such as our family, friends and the opportunities to live and enjoy life through relationship with Him and others in our ministry, life, work and recreation.Count your blessings - I am celebrating my 53rd year on earth today, and as I reflect on my life this morning, I am almost overwhelmed by the amazing blessings I have been given from God. From a heart of gratitude with thanksgiving to the Lord, I would like to acknowledge just a few of my blessing to include: My dear wife Amy who loves me after 30 years of marriage and is excited about growing old together. My 3 amazing daughters Mary Kathryn, Saige and Isabella who love God and are walking with Him. My four precious grandkids: Selah, John Michael, Lilly and Hazel who are the joy of my heart like sunshine on a clear spring morning. My two godly sons-in-law JD and Blake who are great husbands, fathers and providers for our daughters and grandkids, and my favorite duck hunting padnahs. My loving and supportive dad who is still active at 82 years old along with my wonderful sister Leslie and brother Mike and their families, who I love dearly and treasure spending time with. My band of brothers/close friends, too many to name, who have stood with me through the challenges of life and whom I have shared many great times, laughing and enjoying life together, especially at Heritage Farms. My church family led by my friend and pastor, Chris Hodges, who led me to Christ and is a spiritual father to me. Our growing business, Founders Advisors, co-led with my two great and godly partners, Wesley Legg and Zane Tarence, along with an amazing team I feel privileged to lead. And the list goes on and on. I surely don’t deserve any of this, but I am tremendously grateful for every blessing and want to make the most if it for God’s kingdom and glory.Making the most of life - “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 There is a saying I heard at JH Ranch, “We only live once, but if we live well, once is enough”. I believe that this is true if we live our lives in Christ and ask for His wisdom to direct us in our daily lives. I believe the key to living this way is to understanding that our lives and our blessings are not our own; they are gifts from God that we get to steward while we are on this earth. This changes our perspective and gives us a more eternal God perspective that is truly a game changer. The paradox of giving to receive: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses life for me will find it”. Matthew 16:25 The way we make the most of life and get our lives ordered towards God’s priorities is through abiding in Christ. His spirit leads us and directs us along the way. “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and your will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5. I love this scripture in 1 Timothy 6 (1 Chuck Scott YL) about making the most of our blessings and having an eternal perspective, “Command those who are rich in this present world (which is all of us) not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”Living the abundant life in Christ – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10. Out of all the abundant blessings I have experienced in my 53 years on this earth, I can truly say that the most precious blessing I have experienced to date was coming to know Jesus in a personal way almost 20 years ago. It was truly a game changer that has allowed me to grow and flourish in every area of my life. I was truly born of the Spirit and my eyes were opened to whole new way, God’s way. I cannot properly articulate in words what I experienced but I can relate with the blind man in John 9:25, “He replied, 'whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!'" The one thing I do know is that I found the abundant life by surrendering my life to Christ, and I have to continue to do this over and over again because my human nature (flesh) continues to want to take back control. What I also discovered in this process of experiencing the abundant life is that God’s plan for us is much better than our plans for us, but we must take the step of faith to trust Him before we see or know what it is. “God will do immeasurably and abundantly more than we can ever hope or imagine by His power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20. I love this verse and truly feel like this is the life God has blessed me with through my knowing Him.Life is a gift, so let’s live life to the full by being renewed in Christ day by day. This is the abundant life!You are a blessing to me,-Duane