Rick Warren's Blog, page 208

Siembra Desinteresadamente y Cosecha Vida Eterna

“No se dejen engañar: nadie puede burlarse de la justicia de Dios. Siempre se cosecha lo que se siembra. Los que viven solo para satisfacer los deseos de su propia naturaleza pecaminosa cosecharán, de esa naturaleza, destrucción y muerte; pero los que viven para agradar al Espíritu, del Espíritu, cosecharán vida eterna” Gálatas 6: 7-8 (NTV)

El egoísmo destruye las relaciones. Es la causa número uno de conflictos, discusiones, divorcios e incluso guerras.

Santiago 4:1 dice: “¿Qué es lo que causa las disputas y las peleas entre ustedes? ¿Acaso no surgen de los malos deseos que combaten en su interior?” (NTV). Todos los problemas comienzan debido a nuestro egocentrismo.

Es muy fácil que el egoísmo se infiltre en las relaciones. Cuando comienzas una relación, trabajas muy duro para ser desinteresado. Pero a medida que pasa el tiempo, el egoísmo comienza a aparecer. Ponemos más energía en construir relaciones que en mantenerlas.

Si el egoísmo destruye las relaciones, el altruismo las hace crecer. ¿Qué significa altruismo? Significa menos de “mí” y más de “ti”. Significa pensar en los demás antes de pensar en uno mismo y anteponer las necesidades de la otra persona a las propias (Filipenses 2:4).

El altruismo saca lo mejor de los demás. Genera confianza en las relaciones. De hecho, si comienzas a actuar desinteresadamente en una relación, obligas a la otra persona a cambiar, porque ya no eres la misma persona y tienen que relacionarse contigo de manera diferente. De hecho, lo he visto muchas veces: algunas de las personas más desagradables con las que nadie quiere estar cerca se transforman cuando alguien es amable y desinteresado con ellos y les da lo que necesitan, no lo que merecen.

La Biblia dice en Gálatas 6:7-8: “No se dejen engañar: nadie puede burlarse de la justicia de Dios. Siempre se cosecha lo que se siembra. Los que viven solo para satisfacer los deseos de su propia naturaleza pecaminosa cosecharán, de esa naturaleza, destrucción y muerte; pero los que viven para agradar al Espíritu, del Espíritu, cosecharán vida eterna” (NTV).

Este es el principio de la siembra y la cosecha. Lo que siembras, lo vas a cosechar. Dios recompensa el altruismo con la vida eterna. Ha diseñado el universo para que cuanto más desinteresado seas, más te bendecirá. ¿Por qué? Porque quiere que seas como Él, y Dios no es egoísta. Todo lo que tienes en la vida es un regalo de Dios, porque Él fue desinteresado contigo.

Estás más satisfecho en esta vida cuando te entregas a ti mismo. Jesús dijo: “Si tratas de aferrarte a la vida, la perderás; pero si entregas tu vida por mi causa y por causa de la Buena Noticia, la salvarás” Marcos 8:35 (NTV).

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Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Cuál es una de las cosas que más te cuesta dar a otra persona?¿Cómo puedes practicar esta semana dar a otra persona lo que más te cuesta?¿De qué manera crees que Dios te bendice cuando eres desinteresado?Síguenos en Instagram  & Facebook Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .

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Give God Your Best Time

“Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises.”

Psalm 25:14 (TLB)

If you want to build a deep relationship with God, you have to slow down and be quiet.

Friendship with God is like any other friendship—you have to make time for it. If you don’t make time for your human friends, they’re not really your friends. You make time for your friends. If God is going to be your best friend, you’ve got to give him your best time.

The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

To know God better, you have to be still—so you need to have a daily quiet time with him.

Psalm 25:14 says, “Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him. With them alone he shares the secrets of his promises” (TLB).

Many people don’t know God. They haven’t experienced God’s love. They don’t know why he does what he does. Yet the Bible says that friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him—in other words, those who slow down and spend time with him.

What would a friendship be like if you never invested your time in it? Friendships need attention. You will never know God intimately if you only go to church services.

You’ve got to read God’s Word and ask him, “God, is there anything you want to say to me?” You don’t have to use any fancy phrases or words. Just talk to him authentically. And then listen!

The Bible says it like this: “When you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production . . . Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (Matthew 6:5-6 The Message).

Slow down today, focus on God, and listen as he speaks to you about his grace.

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Talk It Over

What distractions keep you from being still before God? How can you limit those distractions?
Why is it sometimes easier or more enjoyable to spend time with your friends than with God? What do you misunderstand about God when you feel this way?
People sometimes over-complicate their quiet time with God. What kind of things can you do to slow down, be quiet, and spend time with God simply and honestly?

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En una Amistad Profunda, Escuchas con Empatía

“Deberíamos ayudar a otros a hacer lo que es correcto y edificarlos en el Señor”. Romanos 15:2 (NTV)

Escuchar es probablemente la habilidad más importante para construir amistades y relaciones, porque no puedes amar a las personas sin escucharlas.

Hay una gran diferencia entre oír y escuchar. Puedes oír algo y no estar realmente escuchando. No puedo decirte cuántas discusiones he tenido con mis hijos o mi esposa porque estaba escuchando las palabras en lugar de las emociones. A veces las palabras ni siquiera importan. Alguien puede decirte: “Estoy bien”, pero la forma en que lo dice te dice que no está bien. Escuchar significa que también escuchas lo que la persona no está diciendo.

Eso se llama empatía. Empatía significa ponerse en el lugar del otro. Conocer su punto de vista. Preguntarte: “¿Cómo me sentiría si estuviera en esa situación?”.

Escuchar con empatía significa escuchar sin interrupción y escuchar miedos y sentimientos. Escuchas lo que no están diciendo. No estás tratando de arreglar la situación. ¡A veces la sanidad viene simplemente escuchando!

Romanos 15:2 dice: “Deberíamos ayudar a otros a hacer lo que es correcto y edificarlos en el Señor” (NTV).

¿Qué significa ayudar a otros a hacer lo que es correcto y edificarlos en el Señor? Eso significa que cuando las personas tienen tanto sufrimiento y están tan dolidas que ni siquiera saben lo que creen, merecen la devoción de un amigo leal, alguien que estará presente y escuchará con empatía.

¿Eres ese tipo de amigo para los demás?

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Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Cómo puedes mostrarle a alguien a través de tu lenguaje corporal que lo estás escuchando?¿Cuál es el beneficio de preguntar, “Cómo me sentiría si estuviera en esa situación”?¿Cuáles son algunas maneras en que puedes limitar las interrupciones y las distracciones cuando intentas escuchar a alguien?Síguenos en Instagram  & Facebook Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .

The post En una Amistad Profunda, Escuchas con Empatía appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Knowing God Is What Matters Most

“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”

Philippians 3:8 (NLT)

You’re never going to become a friend of God in your spare time. To become his friend, you have to make knowing him your number one priority.

Paul says it like this: “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NLT).

Are you doing that? Are you seeking God with all your heart every day?

Remember: You are as close to God as you choose to be. You’re going to become a friend of God only when you decide you want to become a friend of God.

If you feel far from God, guess who moved? You did. You can’t blame anyone else. You can’t blame your spouse, your parents, or your kids. It’s you who didn’t make him the number one priority of your life.

Knowing and loving God is humanity’s greatest privilege. And being known and being loved by God is our greatest pleasure.

I’ve noticed that you can tell what’s important to people by what they brag about. If their kids are most important, they brag about their kids. If their job is the most important thing in their life, they brag about their job. If travel and having experiences is most important, that’s what they talk about. If partying or buying new clothes is what you talk about most, guess what you value most? You brag about what you value most.

God says in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me” (GNT).

Knowing God is what matters most—it’s what life is all about. The God of the universe loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. And getting close to him will give you peace and perspective. That’s good news!

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Talk It Over

How do you need to re-prioritize your life so that getting to know God better is your number one priority?
Based on what you talk about most, what would people say is most important to you?
What you brag about is what’s most important to you. How can you boast about your
relationship with God in your everyday conversations?

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7 Things God Wants You to Start Doing Today!

DOWNLOAD HERE

You may already know that God has a plan for your life.

But what is that plan? How do you figure it out? It isn’t something you can figure out on your own. And you won’t discover the reason you were put on earth from reading a novel, watching TV, or talking with friends. Only God can reveal your life mission.

The good news is, so much of God’s will for your life is already revealed in Scripture. The principles are there.

In this free download, Pastor Rick shares the seven aspects of God’s plan you can start doing today!

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When the Time Is Right—Act!

When the Time Is Right—Act!

By Rick Warren

Every great accomplishment involves the element of timing—and the more you grow as a follower of Christ, the better you get at following God’s timing. Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything” (GNT).

It’s like a football game. A successful catch requires incredible timing between the quarterback and the receiver. It takes skill to know when to speed up and when to slow down. Because if the timing isn’t spot on, there’s no reception and no touchdown.

The same is true in your life.

But staying in step with God’s timing is sometimes hard to do. You need to know when to act quickly and when to be more deliberate, when to hurry and when to wait patiently.

There is one thing, however, that God always wants you to do quickly, and that’s show kindness to others.

Who in your life has a physical or emotional need right now? Who needs a simple word of encouragement? God wants you to act quickly whenever he gives you an opportunity to do good.

The Bible says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act” (Proverbs 3:27 NIV).

So often we make excuses and say, “I’ll get to it . . . one of these days.” But there’s a reason you shouldn’t wait to show kindness: You don’t have any guarantee of tomorrow.

Jesus said, “All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end” (John 9:4 TLB).

What opportunities for doing good has God given you? Have you seized those opportunities? Today, God wants to hear you say, “I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands” (Psalm 119:60 NLT).

Download When to Move Quickly and When to Move Slowly

Your life has an ebb and flow. Sometimes God wants you to move quickly, but sometimes he wants you to slow down. Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything” (GNT).

Discover what God tells us about timing with Pastor Rick’s quick-reference guide to knowing When to Move Quickly and When to Move Slowly. Download it here!

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¿Cómo se Genera Confianza en Las Amistades?

“El chismoso anda contando secretos; pero los que son dignos de confianza saben guardar una confidencia”. Proverbios 11:13 (NTV)

Si quieres construir grandes amistades, tienes que ganarte la confianza de la gente. La confianza es lo que marca la diferencia entre un conocido y un amigo. Hablas con conocidos, pero confías en tus amigos.

Todo el mundo necesita una persona en su vida de la que pueda decir: “Esa persona es segura. Puedo compartir cualquier cosa con esa persona. No me van a mirar de reojo. No me van a rechazar. No me va a dejar. Va a estar ahí”. Necesitas una persona segura con la que puedas compartir todo: tus miedos, las peores cosas que sientes sobre ti mismo y tus dudas. Es esencial que lo que se diga entre tu y esa persona se mantenga confidencial.

Si realmente quieres que la gente confíe en ti, no puedes ser un chismoso. Y si te preguntas por qué no tienes relaciones profundas, puede ser porque eres un chismoso. ¡Así que nadie confía en ti!

¿Sabías que Dios odia los chismes? De hecho, está a la altura del asesinato. No creemos que los chismes sean un gran problema. ¡Pero es un gran problema para Dios!

La Biblia dice que construyes confianza en una amistad guardando confidencias: “El chismoso anda contando secretos, pero los que son dignos de confianza saben guardar una confidencia.” Proverbios 11:13 (NTV).

La confianza tarda años en construirse y se puede perder en un segundo por el chisme. Si quieres tener amistades profundas, tendrás que aguantarte los chismes. Solo decide no chismear más. Si no haces ese compromiso, nunca tendrás amistades profundas, porque la gente será superficial contigo.

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Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Tus amigos te describirían como una persona confiable? ¿Por qué o por qué no?¿Qué puedes determinar sobre la persona que chismea de ti?¿Cómo debes responder cuando alguien inicia un chisme contigo?Síguenos en Instagram  & Facebook Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .

The post ¿Cómo se Genera Confianza en Las Amistades? appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

God’s Love Frees You to Love Fearlessly

“Love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid . . . this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

1 John 4:18 (NLT)

Are your relationships characterized by freedom or by fear? 

If you’re like most people, you find yourself in a dilemma: You long to be close to other people, but you also fear being close. You want the freedom of intimacy with others, but you’re also scared to death of it.

Fear often causes a battle for control in relationships. When you’re afraid, you’re insecure. And insecurity makes you try to control others—and resist efforts to be controlled! As a result, you can’t get close to other people because you’re just battling back and forth for control. So insecurity prevents intimacy and destroys your relationships.

If insecurity destroys relationships, then what builds them? Love! Love builds relationships.

The Bible says in 1 John 4:18, “Love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, this . . . shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love” (NLT).

Love expels fear by taking the focus off of you and putting it on others. People often ask me, “Do you ever get nervous when you’re talking to a lot of people at Saddleback?” The answer is, “Of course!”

But here’s what makes the difference: I take the focus off of myself and focus on the people in front of me instead. If I stood there thinking about what they thought of my hairstyle or my way of speaking, I would be afraid. But the minute I start thinking about how much I love my church family, the fear leaves.

It’s the same in any relationship. Focusing on the other person gives you the power to throw fear out of your life.

How do you find that power to focus on other people? You start by realizing how much God loves you. The moment you begin to understand how much God loves you, you don’t have to prove yourself anymore. Because you’re secure in God’s love, you don’t have to spend your life trying to impress other people.

Do you know how freeing and enjoyable it is to live life that way? When you’re secure in your relationship with Christ, you’re no longer pressured by everyone else’s expectations. Your identity and self-worth are in Christ—not in what others might think of you.

God’s love frees you to love others fearlessly.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

What insecurities or fears are keeping you from opening your life and heart to someone, whether it’s a friend, spouse, or family member?
When have you experienced freedom in a relationship? What characteristics in you and the other person helped that relationship be free of fear?
How do you think God feels about you? How could that understanding change your relationships?

The post God’s Love Frees You to Love Fearlessly appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Los Amigos Están Presentes

“No se ocupen solo de sus propios intereses, sino también procuren interesarse en los demás”. Filipenses 2:4 (NTV)

El punto de partida para construir grandes amistades es invertir tu tiempo y energía. Las amistades profundas no son accidentales, no son instantáneas y no son baratas.

Las amistades profundas son intencionales, son a propósito, son una elección.

Filipenses 2:4 dice: “No se ocupen solo de sus propios intereses, sino también procuren interesarse en los demás” (NTV).

Si practicas este versículo y te interesas en la vida de los demás, harás más amigos en los próximos dos meses que en dos años tratando de que otras personas se interesen en ti.

No puedes ser un amigo sin tu presencia. Así que recuerda: ¡Aparece! Simplemente, preséntate. La presencia física es esencial para tener una amistad profunda y a largo plazo, en vez de una amistad de simples conocidos.

Cuando alguien te dice: “Estaré contigo en espíritu”, ¿sabes lo que eso significa? ¡Nada! Es una tontería. No puedes estar en espíritu en ninguna parte. Si no estás allí en cuerpo, no estás allí. Los amigos aparecen. Los amigos están presentes.

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Reflexiona sobre esto:

¿Qué te impide poder estar con tus amigos cuando te necesitan?¿Quién en tu vida necesita tu presencia en este momento? ¿Cómo te presentarás ante él o ella hoy?¿Con quién tienes una amistad profunda? da? ¿Cómo has llegado a ese punto de amistad?Síguenos en Instagram  & Facebook Si todavía no has confiado en Jesús y no te has comprometido a seguirlo, ¿por qué esperar más? Si estás listo para cruzar esa línea y tomar la decisión de creer en Jesucristo y seguirlo; haz esta oración .

The post Los Amigos Están Presentes appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

Humility Builds Relationships

“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves.”

Philippians 2:3 (NCV)

Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in a lot of different forms, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality.

The problem with pride is that it’s self-deceiving. When you have too much pride, you don’t see it in your life—but everyone else does!

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin” (NCV). I love that same verse in The Message paraphrase: “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”

While pride destroys relationships, humility serves as its antidote, building relationships instead. Philippians 2:3 tells you how to combat pride by choosing humility: “Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (NCV). 1 Peter 3:8 gives more details: “Everyone must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble” (GW).

How do you grow in humility? You let Jesus Christ begin to control your thoughts, heart, attitude, and reactions. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” (CEV).      

The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with. If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier. If you spend time with happy people, you get happier.

If you want to become a new, humbler person, you need to spend time with Jesus Christ, because he is humble. By building a relationship with him through prayer and reading his Word, you’ll get to know him and become more like him.  

Philippians 2:5-6 says it like this: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (NLT).

Jesus is the ultimate example of humility. He came from heaven to Earth to become a man, live for you, give his life for you, and be resurrected for you. When you spend time with him, it makes you humble. That humility, in turn, builds your relationships.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>

Talk It Over

What are some of the common characteristics and habits of the humble people in your life?
What does it look like to give more honor to others than to yourself?
In what ways do you think God’s Spirit needs to change the way you think to make you more like Jesus?

Are you ready to humble yourself and accept God’s forgiveness?

God promised that for those who believe in Jesus, there is no condemnation. He sent Jesus to save you from your sin. His death on the cross paid for every wrong you’ve ever done or will do. And by sacrificing himself for your sins and giving you his righteousness, Jesus made it possible for you to have a relationship with God, the Father.

And the good news doesn’t stop there. God also raised Jesus from the dead, proving his power over sin and death. And that makes it possible for you to spend eternity with him in heaven.

If you’re ready to humble yourself and surrender your life to Jesus Christ, start by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust him as my Savior and follow him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.

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