John Harrell's Blog, page 42

Fear of Death

Last August I went to check on a friend of mine who had missed his appointment with his personal trainer, and he wasn’t answering his phone. When I let myself into his home, I found him dead on his kitchen floor. That was not exactly how I wanted to start my week!

My friend, Mark, was only 67 years old at the time of his death. This is my age today, and his death made me start thinking about my own mortality. My eternity is secure by my faith and belief in Jesus. I’m not afraid to die. I’m just not ready!

Everything we do in this life prepares us for eternity. God gave us a purpose to fulfill. Are we doing it? Or perhaps we are spending our time watching television, arguing about politics, or participating in other time wasters.

It’s time to get busy! Our true purpose is calling. We never know when we will breathe our last breath…

Spiritual Abuse

People seek out spiritual leaders when they are in a crisis or they need discernment. The leaders in our churches and synagogues should be trustworthy. People share intimate details about what’s going on in their lives, putting themselves in vulnerable situations.

There has been a multitude of abuses reported in my lifetime. Big names like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker and others disgraced themselves due to sexual misconduct. This has caused many people to turn away from the church and seek help elsewhere. Who can blame them? Yet many good people experience “guilt by association.” If one was bad then they all must be bad.

If you have been hurt by anyone in a position of leadership or influence, I’m sorry. I encourage you to not turn away from God. Turn back to Him. Follow the life and teachings of Jesus as a way to begin.

There are great spiritual leaders in this world. Find them…

As Good As It Gets

There’s a saying that I absolutely cannot stand. When people make reference to “back in the day” I want to pull my hair out. It’s a subtle admission that their best days are behind them. They aren’t.

We have a lot of great memories, no doubt. But our best days are ahead of us. We aren’t done with living. We can make our lives whatever we want them to be.

It’s up to us to choose to live life fully. Or we can fade into the sunset. It’s up to each of us to decide…

Leave ‘em Behind

People come and go in your life. Sometimes they are around for a short time, while solid friends are there for life.

Growth requires change. When we outgrow people, it might be time to let them go. We should always treat others with dignity and respect. Yet some people are determined to remain right where they are. You can’t help them or change them.

Remember, if you aren’t growing, you’re dying. I plan to live a long time. Join me…

Second Guessing

Have confidence in yourself and your abilities. Wherever you are on this trip called life is exactly where you are supposed to be. And since you are reading this, you are still on the trip!

God didn’t create us to live in doubt, fear and worry. We have a great spirit inside of us. Unleash yours and move forward towards your true purpose. There will be plenty of naysayers along the way, but their opinions don’t count. They are simply projecting their lack of confidence onto you. You don’t have to listen to them.

Just keep moving forward, no matter what happens. Don’t second guess yourself. You will reach your destiny if you refuse to accept defeat…

Transactional vs. Relational

Oftentimes life is a series of transactions. When you buy something at the store, you might exchange pleasantries with the person checking you out, but you don’t form an ongoing relationship with them.

Is this how we treat God? We want something so we ask God for it. After all, the Bible tells us to ask. Prayers answered. Deal done. On to the next transaction.

We are God’s children. We shouldn’t treat Him like we are ungrateful teenagers. We can’t manipulate God, nor should we try to. Teens are good at getting their way because parents don’t know all the facts. God knows everything, literally everything.

Let’s take the steps to enter into a meaningful relationship with God. He certainly wants one…

Leave Me Alone

Teenagers usually like their parents to leave them alone. That is, until they get hungry, need money or want to be driven somewhere.

Adults like for God to leave them alone, too. That is, until they need his help to get them out of some mess they created. And when he comes through, we put him on the back burner where we think he belongs until we get into another mess. But is that really right?

God knows what is good for us. He wants to mold us into who he created us to be. Sometimes the molding and the work is painful. But God only wants what is best for us, and he never stops trying or gives up on us.

I’m grateful to be able to worship a God like this. Even when I feel like being left alone…

Talk To Me

What are your most dominating thoughts? Whatever they are will become your reality.

If you spend time doubting yourself, you will be filled with fear and trepidation. You will be hesitant to try something new, and you will become uneasy standing up for yourself.

Conversely, filling your mind with great dreams, fueled by emotional energy will make your dreams soar. You might not fulfill all your goals, but confidence will get you much farther than self-doubt ever could.

Focus your thoughts on what you want to achieve. Do not allow negativity to creep in, either from your own thoughts or from the people you hang around with.

Stay true to what you want from life. And believe in yourself. Confidence begins in your mind…

War

We are closer to World War III than at any time in my life. All the bad actors in the world are being aggressive at the same time. Sometimes you gotta fight, but hopefully things will cool off.

The United States is stretched thin. We continue to supply resources to Ukraine, and the weapons we are sending them are getting more and more powerful. I feel horrible for the Ukrainian people, but their efforts have been on fumes for over a year. Former comedian Zelenskyy is a nice symbol, but he’s out of his league.

Our biggest concern is in the Mideast. Israel doesn’t have many allies other than us. And who knows how many terrorists are in the United States due to the open borders? FBI Director Christopher Wray warned the Senate in April about coordinated attacks here similar to the ISIS-K attack in Russia.

It is my hope that the world cools off from its elevated status. Until then, I encourage you to keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. Be aware…

Unwillingness

Sometimes God puts us in situations that we just don’t like or understand. And God wants obedience from us yet we don’t always want to obey. I would rather do things my way rather than God’s way, and so would you.

This is where trust comes into play. Do I trust God enough to submit to what he wants? The truth is, sometimes. We are rebellious by nature. It was rebellion from British rule that brought the Declaration of Independence into existence. And look at how God has blessed the world through the prosperity and generosity of the United States.

Trusting in God’s purpose is a continuous growth process. Don’t give in to your own selfish desires. If we aren’t always willing to accept what God requires, then do it unwillingly until your heart changes.

God is not going to stop working on us, so let’s work with him, not against…