Rick Warren's Blog, page 581

Why Do You Think It���s So Difficult to Talk About Death?

Before you can help anybody who is facing death, you���ve got to deal with the fears you have related to death.

Don���t Just Get Rid of Your Stuff. Sell It!

If you���re stuck in the debt trap, you need to get rid of some of your stuff. In fact, you need to have a sale this week if you are paying rent on a storage container. When you���ve got so much stuff it won���t even fit in your house, you���ve got a problem. You���re paying rent just to keep stuff! You need to have a garage sale.

Budgeting: Know Where You Stand Financially

One of the most important steps to financial freedom is making a list of all that you own, all that you owe, and all that you earn. This is called keeping good records! It���s the principle of accounting.

Put God First in Your Finances Through Tithing

Whatever you want God to bless in your life, you put him first in that area. You want God to bless your business? Put him first in your business. You want God to bless your marriage? Put him first in your marriage. You want God to bless your time? Put him first in your time. You want God to bless your finances? Put him first in your finances.

How Do You Strengthen Your Friends��� Faith?

Any major crisis in your life could shake your faith. But it is your faith and your trust in Christ that���s going to get you through it. David, after suffering great loss, including the loss of a child, wrote in Psalm 27:13, ���I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living��� (NASB). He would have given up if he hadn���t believed in the goodness of God.

Your Friends Need You to Share Their Pain

The interesting thing about pain and joy is that whenever you share a joy, it gets doubled. But it���s the opposite with pain. When you share a pain, it���s halved. When your friends are going through a crisis, they need you to help carry the load and lessen the pain.

Real Friends Show Up in a Crisis

Real friends show up when you���re in a crisis. Real friends walk into your life when everybody else walks out. It is in a crisis that you learn pretty quickly the difference between acquaintances and friends. You have a lot of acquaintances. Who is the friend that is going to show up in the crisis in your life?

Jesus Is Praying for You

God knows everything that���s going to happen. He is omniscient. He knows the past, the present, and the future all at once. He already knows what���s going to happen in your life this afternoon. He knows what���s going to happen in your life next week, next month, next year, and the rest of your days. This also means he can pray about it before it happens to you.

You Don���t Need a Plan. You Need ���I Am.���

You only learn what Jesus is really like in the storms of life. You see that he���s not a mere man. He���s not just a nice teacher. He���s not simply an ethical leader. He is God, the Creator of the universe.

Five Things to Do in the Middle of the Storm

When you���re going through a storm, God is not distant or uninvolved. He is ���I Am,��� and he is working in your life for your good. Here are five things God wants you to do if you feel like you���re sinking in a storm.