John Harrell's Blog, page 52

Ask

What do you really want from life? Have you asked God for it?

This is everywhere in the Bible. Jesus himself told us that “whatever we ask for in prayer, believe you have already received it.” Faith is ignited by our belief. But remember, our motives must be pure, not selfish.

In The Book of James, the author reminds us that when we ask and don’t receive, it’s because we asked with the wrong motives.

There’s no ambiguity here. Proper motives aligned under God’s will have power. We just need to ask and keep asking. Does God need a reminder? Of course not. He wants to see how badly we want what we are asking for.

And if you are unsure, ask God to align your request under His will. He will take care of the rest…

Influences

Who do you admire, and why do you admire them? You can learn a lot about yourself by answering this simple question. This is because what we see in others exists in us. We find our role models both inspiring and relatable.

This can work both ways. The two shooters at Columbine were infatuated with Adolph Hitler. They believed Hitler “got it right.” We know the aftermath of their warped admiration.

Set big goals and see yourself succeeding. Choose positive influences that will keep you inspired. You were born for greatness, not to live, work, retire and die.

Make an impact on the lives of others. Start now…

Twisted

Truth is truth. There’s no denying it. There is no “your truth” that stands out from the rest. We are living in an age where people twist the truth to fit their agenda.

Look at the pro-Hamas riots that are happening on college campuses and in cities. Here’s some truth for you: Hamas is an evil Iranian proxy whose own charter states that they stand for the “annihilation of every Jewish person worldwide.” You can’t twist that into something good.

Here’s another: The 1619 Project wants to rewrite United States history. History is what it was. Not all of it is pretty, but rewriting it is wrong.

If you want to know the untwisted truth, read…

Accepted

Accepting others as they are is important to promoting civility in society. Acceptance is not approval. I can accept you without approving your lifestyle or decisions.

I have witnessed people making demands that they be accepted! Making this type of demand is a sign of defensiveness. Perhaps they should read the book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People.” It might be a great help to them.

Communication with others is the key to connecting with people. It’s not a threat to listen to people you might not agree with. In fact, you grow because you get to see the world through a different lens.

We all want to be accepted, and healthy acceptance starts with accepting yourself. See yourself as the beautiful creation God made. He didn’t make a mistake when creating you, nor does God second guess Himself. That’s good enough for me…

Rushed

People always seem to be in a hurry. Life is stressful enough without feeling like you have to rush around to get everything done.

I believe being rushed is a cultural thing. Europeans seem more relaxed, more laid back. And they have been around much longer than the Americans. Maybe they know a thing or two. Japanese are much like Americans when it comes to this.

Perform your work diligently. Stay focused on doing your best. Everything will come to you in its own time…

Reverence

To revere someone or something means to hold them with great respect. Sometimes reverence can go too far.

I have respect for the dedication and commitment of great athletes. Soon we will see some of the world’s best athletes on display in The Olympics. I know a former Olympian swimmer. I have experienced firsthand how hard he worked to achieve gold in his race.

For some reason, people revere politicians. This baffles me. I suppose I find it puzzling because I have never seen much effectiveness emerge from Washington. From my observations, politicians create more problems. Yet, they want to convince the public that “only they can fix them.” This is not true, but the masses keep buying their bs.

Our greatest reverence should be held for God alone. Without His goodness and mercy, nothing else would matter…

Aligned Properly

Recently, I replaced all four tires on my car. The dealership then aligned them so they would wear evenly. By having proper alignment, my tires will perform at optimum levels.

In life, how well we are aligned under God’s instructions will determine how effectively we live. God has given us a rule book for life on this side of eternity. It’s up to us to follow it. None of us are capable of living a sinless life, but we can sin less when we make the choice to follow God’s perfect advice.

Admittedly, it’s a struggle because as humans, we are selfish. We want our own way. If our way doesn’t align with God’s, chaos begins. And the chaos can be generational unless we choose to change.

If you are experiencing an area of life that’s causing you stress, I encourage you to study what God says about it. Rest in His advice. It’s good…

Walk Away

Setting boundaries can be difficult for many people. That is, until they do it.

Saying “no” to people that don’t enrich your life, or people who just aren’t good for you is the most self-respectful thing you can do. When you say no you are also saying yes to healthier self-esteem. Protecting yourself through setting healthy boundaries will help you grow into the person God created you to be.

Walk away from negativity and don’t look back. Sometimes you have to do this with family members. Do it and don’t take on guilt for doing so. This is your life. Make it count…

Doubting

Why do we doubt ourselves? We didn’t walk perfectly when we started learning how to walk, but we kept trying. Doubt never enters the mind of a toddler. Today we walk wherever we want to and never give it a thought that we might not be able to.

Doubt overtook the disciples. Jesus told them that he would allow his enemies to kill him, but he would rise on the third day. The disciples had witnessed thousands of miracles performed by Jesus. Yet, when his prophecy came true about his death they scattered like cockroaches, fearing for their own safety. After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples now had unshakable faith. Most of them died horribly. You don’t die for a lie.

Life has knocked most of us on our asses several times. Doubt creeps in. I encourage you to jettison your doubts and live fully. Live fearlessly.

Doubts will return, but you don’t have to believe in them. Believe in yourself…

Intentions

Sometimes people do some strange things. Some of those beg the question, “what were you thinking???” Motives are sometimes misguided.

Jesus was the most intentional person who ever lived. He was on a quest, a mission to bring hope to the oppressed and the forgotten. Jesus showed us the character of God. His intentions were pure, and they still are.

Our educational system has been rewriting history for decades. They are intentionally misleading our youth. Purposely misguiding children is one of the most heinous things you can do. Kids can handle the truth.

Every action we take has a motive behind it. Live life intentionally, and bring forth what comes from a pure heart…