The Right Reason

It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.

Proverbs 29:25 (GNT)

It seems I go around this mountain way too many times. I am one of those who had (and sometimes still do have) a performance based behavior. I will get into that mode where I feel that if I do something good or if I look a certain way or I dress a certain way, then people will like me. I've been going to the gym for over 10 years and when I first started I was going for health reasons. Then I started seeing results, I.E. muscle, and I started to like what I was seeing. But somehow, over the course of the 10 years my reasons for going to the gym changed to where I was going because I wanted to grow more muscle BECAUSE I wanted people to be impressed with me. The more muscle I would see, the more I would want to build more muscle, and yes, some people were impressed. But you know, that is not the reason I should go to the gym. In fact if you or I do anything with the purpose to gain the approval or acceptance or respect of others, then we have crossed over into a performance based behavior and into a dangerous area. Why? Because if we do gain their approval and acceptance, then we have to continue whatever we are doing forever in order to maintain their approval and acceptance...and over time that will wear us out. The writer of Proverbs 29:25 knew where we should look for acceptance and approval, and that is the Lord. It doesn't matter what we do, His approval and acceptance is always there and it will never end. I'm not saying to stop doing things, but you should do those things because you want to do them, not because you are trying to impress someone. God is already impressed with you, you don't have to perform for Him to accept you...He already has!

Take Away: Stop trying to gain people's respect and approval. Look to God for your acceptance and approval and Him alone. Ask Him to help you get out of that performance based behavior.

Worship Song of the Week...

End of Days by Hillsong Young and Free

The Appointed Time

For everything there is an appointed time,
and an appropriate time for every activity on earth

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NET)

Many years ago God told me that I was going to be in a band. I got so excited about this because I had been praying for this for several years, and I thought Wow! It's finally going to happen! Days started to go by with no band, then weeks started passing, then months had started passing and still no band. So I made the decision to start a band on my own. I even prayed about who is to be in the band but all I got from God was silence. So when I found someone who played an instrument, I asked them if they wanted to be in the band. I went to several musicians asking this and eventually, over time (and I would say several months) I had a band. We then started rehearsals which went every way but smooth. I had members who wouldn't show up, ideas clashed constantly...it was something that I could certainly say wasn't of God! Eventually the band broke up. When it did, I asked God "what happened, You told me I was to be in a band, I got in a band, why didn't it work?" At that point the silence broke and God told me "now wasn't the time for the band, I will tell you when." It wasn't for another 7 years that the band God told me about happened. When God tells you something that you are to do, or something that is going to happen, He is telling you for a reason, and not that it is going to happen tomorrow. There is a "preparation time" that you need to go through before whatever it is happens. During that preparation time, you need to be patient, listen to God about the steps you need to take which may include work on your heart and work on your mind. If you are patient and do what God tells you to do, whatever it is He told you are to do will happen flawlessly and without any effort on your own. He will do it!

Take Away: There is an appointed time for everything God tells us. When God tells you something that you are to do or something that is going to happen in the future, be patient as you go through the "preparation time."

Worship Song of the Week...

Ernest Angely and High School

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Luke 6:37 (NET)

When I was in high school and had just rededicated my life to Christ, I read this verse and really didn't give it much thought. Meanwhile, there was this evangelist on television named Ernest Angely. He spoke with a "different" accent (yes he was an American), he acted different than what most people would call normal. He was quite wide known at the time and a bunch of us in school would were always making fun of him, mimicking the way he talked and so on. Interesting that after I read that verse, I noticed that whenever I would make fun of Ernest Angely, something bad would happen to me. And it wasn't just once or twice, it was every time I made fun of him. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me that although he may sound and act different gives you no right to judge and criticize him. Every one has a past that has dictated the way people think, act, talk, whatever, including you and me. To judge and criticize people because they think and behave differently than you or I do is really saying we are better than they are. In reality we are no better than the other person, we just have different histories and pasts. We, as Christians, as the body of Christ, need to be flowing in more mercy and in more forgiveness and in more understanding towards other people. God didn't say its alright to criticize if they are doing something really bad, He never says that! What He does say is to love them, pray for them, and forgive them.

Take Away: instead of criticizing and judging people, ask God to help you show mercy and understanding toward others, no matter how different they talk or act.

Worship Song of the Week...

When It Gets Tough, Stand in Faith

David said to his son Solomon: “Be strong and brave! Do it! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic! For the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of the Lord’s temple is finished.
1 Chronicles 28:20

Has this ever happened to you...you've been praying for God to give you a purpose or a calling, or even a job to do, and then right after He shows you, you get all excited and you can't wait to get started. Then when you get started, and it starts to get tough and difficult, you ask yourself or God "what did you get me into?" And then you give up. Yep, right here! I can't tell you how many times God has given me something to do, then I would start it, it would get difficult, then I would say, "well, it must not be God," and then I would quit. Over the years I've missed out on a lot because I stopped and didn't allow God to be God. You see, whenever God gives you something to do, its not based on your abilities, but your willingness to do something. He will do the work through you, He will give you what you need when you need it, such as strength, money, supplies, He will supply them all for you, you and I just need to REMAIN willing and not quit. God is a big God, much bigger than what we give Him credit for, so press on in faith, knowing that He will not abandon you before your work is finished.

Take Away: the next time God gives you something to do, don't give up when it gets tough, but go at it with the confidence that He will do the work through you, give you what you need when you need, and He will see you to the finish!

Worship Song of the Week...

Habits and Freedom

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

Have you ever had a habit of doing something that you really don't want to do, but you keep doing it anyway? I think we can all raise our hand to that, I know I sure can! Fortunately Jesus, when He died and rose again, did something for us that takes care of that, and that is He gave us freedom! He gave us a freedom where we never have to suffer from those things again. Now I know exactly what you are going to say. "Kent, if Jesus gave me freedom, then why I am still doing what I don't want to do." Jesus did give us freedom, however it is up to us to receive that gift and hold on to it. Notice what Paul was saying here, "stand firm and do not be subject again." This means we have to do something. This means that when we are being tempted to do that which we don't want to do, that we have to stand our ground and say with all our being "NO!" It means that whenever we have an opportunity to do that which we don't want to do or even think about that thing (and may I had think pleasurable thoughts about that thing), that we do whatever we need to do to change our thoughts and turn our back on that thing. It took you and I a long time, years sometimes, to get into the mess and behavior pattern that we are currently in. It is going to take some time to stand firm and consistently stand firm before you start seeing that bad habit fade away. And if you slide back into that habit, that's okay, as long as you are consistently standing firm against it and consistently turning you back and changing your thoughts on that thing.

Take Away: if you consistently stand firm and consistently stop putting yourself in a situation where you will no longer go back to that "bad" habit, you will eventually reap the reward of freedom. The key is "consistently!"

The Smallest of Details

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
John 14:14

It seems a lot of people have problems just going to God and praying. We think He is too busy to be concerned with our own daily lives that we only go to Him for the really big things, like praying for someone who needs healing, or praying for a job, etc. But in reality, God is very concerned about our daily lives right down to the smallest details. We think God doesn't care how I landscape my yard, or God doesn't care whether I get a 42 inch TV or a 50 inch TV, or which road should I take this morning...we think those are too small because "God is only concerned with the large things in life." Take a look at the first part of John 14:14, it says if you ask Me ANYTHING. Anything means just that, anything, from the largest of things in life to the smallest of things like which belt am I going to wear today or what road should I take to get to work this morning or what should I fix for dinner tonight. God cares! He wants to be part of your daily life, He wants to be involved in your daily routine. Start today by asking Him for the input into the small details of your life. Then watch and listen to Him!

Take Away: God is not only concerned about the large details of life, but also the small ones. Start praying for God's input into your daily life, even if you think God doesn't care. That's a lie because He does care!

The Cyclist and the Car

So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.
Galatians 6:10

I was watching a video of a motorcyclist starting to pass a vehicle, and then suddenly the vehicle that the motorcyclist was getting ready to pass swerved, hit the cyclist and drove off (but later stopped). The motorcyclist was alright, banged up but alright. Unfortunately at the time of the posting of the video his wife that was on the cycle with him was still in ICU. When they found the driver of the car, he said he purposely swerved to hit him and didn't care that he hit the cyclist. What has happened to our society? What has happened that human life means nothing to people anymore? Now I could definitely start venting, but that won't help. What will help is what Paul is saying to us in Galatians 6:10...do good to all people. It is easy to do good to those we know and like, but it gets a little more difficult to do good to those that we don't know, or don't like, or that cut us off in traffic, or are mean to us on the phone at the office. But look at that verse again, it says do good to ALL people, that means everyone, the nice people and the people that, well, aren't nice. Hey, we are not always nice either, but we expect people to extend grace to us, right? If we expect people to extend grace to us, then we better be able to do the same for others. More importantly though, God wants us to be nice to all people, and in this way we are truly witnesses to for Him.

Take Away: let's be the salt of the earth, let's be the ones who make the change to at least those around us...when you have the opportunity to be nice and do good to those that are not particularly good to you, choose to do good...we are the ones that can make the change!

Unjustly Accused

He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7 NET)

Jesus is a perfect example of what we need to do whenever people do things to us that are unjust. He was mocked, accused of things He didn't do, but if you notice, He never opened His mouth to defend Himself. He kept quiet. He knew that His Father, who is also our Father, would be the One to vindicate Him. Over the years I have been accused of things I never did, rumors have circulated about me that weren't true, and yes, I did the exact opposite of what I was suppose to do, I opened my mouth and defended myself. That actually gave fuel to the fire of those accusing me. Most recently I was accused of doing something that I never did and it was even posted in a public forum...and this person accusing me never even asked me if I did what they were claiming. My first instinct was to fire back at this person, but I knew that was not what I was instructed to do by God. I made the choice to keep my  mouth shut and let God do what He does best...be God. I could have defended myself until I was blue in the face, but it would not have changed things. I decided to let God be the One to defend me. I never knew what happened to that person, but I have a peace of letting God defend me. I know it will not be easy, in fact it will be down right hard, but it is do-able!

Take Away: the next time you are unjustly accused of something, make the choice to keep quiet and let God defend you.

Counsel and Advice

When there is no guidance a nation falls, but there is success in the abundance of counselors. (Proverbs 11:14 NET)

We think we can do it by ourselves. We think we don't need anyone, because needing people shows weakness. I use to think that...yeah, that really worked for me...NOT! If we are really honest with ourselves all of us would say the same thing. Oh yeah, it may work for a short period of time, and you may get close to what you were wanting, but the reality is we can't do it by ourselves. We need each other, we need people in our lives, that is how God made us. We were created to be social creatures, individuals with our own talents, giftings and thoughts, but as Jesus said, we are all one body...each person needing the other. The Apostle Paul even said to the Acts church "do not forsake the gathering of yourselves together." Being an only child I got use to doing things on my own, and yeah it worked for me for a while. But as I grew up, I saw the need to have others in my life to give me wise counsel. True, we are the ones that make the final decision, but when we have the advise and guidance of the people around us, people that we trust, our decisions are made with more assurance and wisdom.

Take Away: When you are facing a decisions, seek advise and wisdom from those people around you whom you trust, and above all, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

Are You Willing?

So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say.” (Exodus 4:12 NET)

God will never tell you do to something or give you a calling and then say "Good luck with that, see you later!" However that is what we think. We tell God, "I can't do what you are telling me," or "I don't have the skills nor the talent to do that," or "I've never done this before," and the list goes on and on. We are so worried about what we can't do and we don't even stop to think what God CAN do. God is not looking at your talents, knowledge or skills, He is looking at your willingness. If you are willing, He will teach you just like He taught Moses. God will not tell you to do something and then drop you, He will give you what you need when you need it. I'm not much to look at (you definitely won't see me on the cover of GQ), I don't have a soothing voice, and I don't have a lot of patience, yet God called me to teach and counsel. I fought Him on it for a while, but God being Who He is won the battle. I said "okay God, if you want me to do this, I will do what you are asking me to." God taught me, gave me the skills, showed me what to do and gave me opportunities to practice what He was teaching me. God is looking for people who are willing, regardless of their talents or lack of talents, their education or their lack of education. Be willing to do WHATEVER He asks of you...and the sky will be your limit!

Take Away: Stop looking at what you can't do...and start telling God "if you are looking for someone who is willing...here I am God!"

Training Weakness

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. (1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT)

When athletes train, they fail at times. However it is in those failures that athletes find their weakness. When they discover a weakness, they work on and train that weakness until it is no longer a weakness. Thats how we should be as we grow in the Lord. We will fail at times, but it is in those failures that God is showing us where we are weak. When we find those areas in our lives where we are weak, we are to work with God to make them strong. For example, one of my weak areas was low self esteem. God wanted me to see myself as He saw me, but I always saw my faults. When He showed me that I suffered from low self esteem, at first it hurt, but then He showed me in the Bible how He saw me. I took those scriptures, meditated on them, thought about them, read them out loud until low self esteem was no longer a problem. God is not showing our weak areas to make us feel bad, He is showing us our weak areas because He wants us to train those areas to make them stronger in order that we can win the prize. 

Take Away: when God shows you an area in your life where you are weak, first acknowledge that area as being weak, find scriptures that speak to that area of your life, meditate on them and then rejoice in the fact that God loves you enough to want to help you.

Really? You Want Me?

But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11 NLT)

A lot of us don't feel we have anything to offer God. We think we have no talent, we don't have a degree in a certain field, we make mistakes all the time...the list can go on and on. When God called Moses, several times Moses responded, and I am paraphrasing..."Really God? Me, you want me? What do I have to offer?" We do the same thing when God calls us to do something. You may not have said it, but you probably thought it, "Really God? You want me? I have nothing to offer." I thought the same thing. I thought He would use me in an area that I had talent and knowledge. And while I use those things in ministry, that is not where He has called me. He called me into counseling and teaching, something I never thought I was capable of, in fact I even said that I didn't think God wanted me to teach. The Holy Spirit got a hold of me and since then He has used me to teach in many areas. You see, God doesn't care how much knowledge you have or don't have, how many degrees you have or don't have, or how much talent you have or don't have. What He cares about is a willing heart and a willing mind, someone who isn't afraid to say "yes God, I'll do whatever you ask of me." Stop looking at what you don't have, and start looking at what you do have, God!

Take Away: Stop giving God all the reasons you think you can't do what He is asking you to do, and start saying, "God, I don't have the knowledge, the talent, or the strength to do what you are asking me, but You are with me and that is all I need, so lets do it!"

Drastic Life Changes

Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. (1 Corinthians 7:17 NLT)

It is exciting when we first get saved; the newness of being set free from sin, a new outlook on life, a freedom we have never experienced. And with the newness comes the want to change the world. We get these grandeur ideas of leaving our jobs and going to Africa and being a missionary, or we get the idea of changing our major in college to become a pastor and head up a huge church. At least that is what I almost did. I was in my freshmen year of college at the University of Missouri and my major was meteorology. I had been saved for a long time, however I started attending a non-denominational church and just got baptized with the Holy Spirit...and I wanted to change the world. I wanted to quit school, become a pastor and go to a third world country and get every one saved. Fortunately the Holy Spirit spoke to me before I made those changes and brought my feet back to the ground. During the time I was thinkin of quitting school and becoming a pastor I really felt disturbed, uneasy...and then when the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said stay in school and don't change anything right now, I had a peace inside of me...ie the uneasyness went away. I finished school, and with my job in meteorology, God was able to use me in ways I would never have done had I gone off on those "grandiose" ideas. It is exciting when we get saved and when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, but listen to the words of the Apostle Paul...remain as you were. God will let you know what you need to do when you need to do it.

Take Away: Enjoy the excitement of being saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit, but don't make any drastic changes in your life until the emotions have settled. Stay as you are until God tells you to move.

Faults and All

The LORD took him outside and said, “Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5 NET)

Abraham was not the most upstanding individual. He lied, he was deceitful to his family, to the Egyptian king, he walked in a lot of fear, he...well...he was just like us...human. What is crazy is that God still used him, and used him in a huge way...as the father of the nation of Israel. We have gotten into our minds that we have to behave perfect for God to use us. I certainly thought that for many years, but as I look back over my life, I saw how God used me when I was not only behaving in a manner that was godly, but also when I was not behaving very well. While trying to live in a godly manner is a good thing, it is not a pre-requisite for God to use you. Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that we have the license to behave in any way we want to because if you have the Spirit of Christ living in you, you will want to strive to live in a godly way. What I am saying is that we should not think the only time God can use us is when we are behaving in a godly manner; Abraham was a perfect example of that. God knows we are human and that we are going to make mistakes, and in all of that He will still use us!

Take Away: when you start thinking that God can only use you when you are acting in a godly manner, think about Abraham and say, "God used Abraham, faults and everything, and if He used Abraham, He can certainly use me!"

A Wandering Mind

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT)

God wants our full attention, but unfortunately our minds have other plans. When you have your time with God, does it seem like all the thoughts of the world start running through your mind? Do you find your mind wandering the second you sit down and start talking to or worshiping God? Happens to me all the time. What I have to do in those cases and say "Kent, stop it, lets get our focus back on God" and then if that doesn't work, I'll spread out my hands, close my eyes and say "settle my soul Jesus, settle my soul." Honestly I should really do that at the beginning because that always works for me. You may need to find something else that gets your focus back on God. The point is when we have our time with God, we need to keep our focus on Him and not get sidetracked. We need to get control of our minds and not let our minds control us! 

Take Away: if your mind is a wandering mind the minute you sit down to have your time with God, don't let it continue to wander, get your focus back on God

Always There

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

Lets face it, we have finite minds, we can't think of everything all the time. What I mean is that we can't always have everything and everyone in our thoughts all the time at every moment, our human minds just can not handle that. For example, have you gone through a day when you just didnt' think of someone you loved for a period of time, but yet you knew that you knew that you knew that the someone still loved you and was always there. I admit I don't think of my wife 100% of the time, but I know she is always there, and is always loving me. And even when I am not thinking of her, she is still doing things for me, some of which I will never know about because she loves me. The same goes with God. I don't think of God all the time through out my day, but I know that I know that I know that He is always with me, always watching out for me, always having my best interest in mind, always orchestrating events for my benefit and good, EVEN when I am not thinking about Him. The enemy and even our own minds can get us down by saying "you're not thinking of God, you're not meditating on Him, how do you expect Him to help you when you need it." Those thoughts are lies, don't believe them. Like Isaiah said, don't be afraid for God is ALWAYS with you!

Take Away: The next time you hear a voice condemning you because you are not thinking about God, say "I may not always be thinking of God,  but I know He is always there, always thinking of me, and always looking out for me."

Seeking Needs or His Kingdom

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. (Luke 12:31 NLT)

In my last post I talked about how God provides your needs, in fact He is everything for you. He is your provider, He is your comforter, He is the One taking care of you. But there is a caveat to this. In order for God to provide for your needs, you must seek the Kingdom of God above everything. What does this mean? First, to seek something means to search it out through exhaustive measures. If means you must go after it with all you got. The Kingdom of God, as described in Romans 14:17 is peace, righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit. This means you must pursue peace and joy and righteousness...and not only pursue it, but do your best to walk in it! If you are going around complaining about everything and being frustrated, or if you are constantly looking at the bad side of things...then you are not pursuing joy, peace and righteousness. When you start seeking joy, peace and righteousness, as described in Luke 12:31...and also in the book of Matthew), then God will provide for everyone of your needs. Notice that it didn't say seek your needs, it says seek His Kingdom. If you are seeking your needs, then you definitely will not find peace and joy, but you will find frustration and most likely an unmet need.

Take Away: Its not too late to seek joy, peace and righteousness. Make a decision today to seek God's Kingdom instead of your need.

Needs

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NLT)

God will always provide for your needs. He always does, that's one of His promises. We don't even need to ask Him most of the time, He just does it! There are times, however, that we do need to voice our needs. In either case, we just have to have the faith and believe that He will do it! Some of us may want to wait for this big Hollywood-style way of God showing up with a light show and all the works. If you are waiting for that, you will be waiting a long time, God doesn't work like that. There was a story from a while ago where a man was on the roof of his house, surrounded by flood waters, and he asked God to save him. A few minutes later a boat comes by and they say to the man "get in." He said "no, I am waiting for God to save me." A few minutes later a helicopter comes by and they say to the man, "get in." Again, he says "no, I am waiting for God to save me." The helicopter leaves. The flood waters continue to rise and eventually the man drowns. He gets up to heaven and asks God why He didn't save him. God said "I sent you a boat and a helicopter, what else did you want?" All this to say is that God works through people to meet our needs, trust Him that He will do and don't miss out when He does provide your need!

Take Away:  When a need rises in your life, ask God to provide for you. Then recognize the provision when it comes and don't miss out. He may not send it the way you expected, but He will always send it.

Why pray when you can worry

Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? (Luke 12:25-26 NLT)

If there is one thing I know for sure, there is enough going on in our lives and in this world where there is no shortage of things to worry about. We worry about terrorism, we worry about someone breaking into our homes, we worry about not making enough money, we worry if we have a job tomorrow, we worry about this and we worry about that. We worry about the big things and we worry about the small things, but how far have we gotten with worrying about things? Did worrying ever help us? If you answered yes, then you are deceiving yourself because Jesus said reheotorically "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" The answer is an obvious no. Worry can do nothing but cause you physical problems. When we worry, a chemical is released in the brain than causes all sorts of problems. God did not design us to worry. He designed us to live and walk in peace and joy. He made life so that when we have something going on in our lives, we are to give it to Him to take care of so that we won't worry about it. 1 Peter 5:7 says cast all your cares and axiety on Him, and that is what we need to do so that we can live in the peace and joy that He designed us to live in. A pastor in St. Louis that I knew said something that I'll never forget. He said, jokingly of course, "why pray when you can worry about it?" 

Take Away: the next time you have a chance to worry about something, do something different and cast it to God and let Him deal with it. Then, and this is the important part, don't think about it! If you need to do something, He will let you know!

Rushing and Being Still

"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." (Psalm 46:10 NLT)

Rush, rush, rush, that seems to be a common theme among Americans, and quite likely western civilization as a whole. We got to get this done, and we got to get that done, if we don't do it, who will, and it has to be done yesterday. These are all reasons we give for doing what we do, and then we wonder why we are stressed out, getting sick all the time, cranky, and just not a nice person to be around. Wouldn't it be nice to take a few moments and just do nothing? That is what God wants us to do, be still and just know that He is God. He wants us to stop doing, and just be. Joyce Meyers said it very well, we are not called human do-ings, we are called human be-ings. This is so true. God wants us to take time just to sit with Him and just be...and that's all, just sit. In the story of Mary and Martha, Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet while Martha was distracted. Jesus even told Martha to chill and look at Mary as she chose wisely. "But Kent, I just don't have time to stop for a few minutes, I've got a deadline, I've got to get this done." That should be a red flag going up saying you are headed in the wrong direction. Take direction from Jesus, take a few minutes each day to stop and just sit still and be with God. Clear your mind (I know this is a difficult thing to do at times, but it is do-able), and focus on God. You'll find that as you do this more and more, there will be more and more peace coming into your life, and those things you thought HAD to get done, really aren't as important as they once were.