I spend a lot of time reflecting on my life, not dwelling, but taking glimpses in the past to see what worked and what did not. Not only and I trying to avoid my past mistakes, but I am also looking for how the lessons I have learned can be a blessing to someone else. When I see someone headed down a familiar path, I cannot just stand by and watch them step in front of an oncoming train of heartache and disappointment. I feel I have to say or do something to get his or her attention. Now, I have learned that the person will not always listen to me, which is fine, hurtful, but fine. Sometimes in life we have to learn lessons for ourselves in order for them to stick. I mean, honestly, I don’t always listen to my warnings, so I can be mad when someone else ignores me. Nevertheless, I hope this blog will continue to help me and will help someone else who is trying to stay on the path to his or her dreams because I have discovered how to get everything you want in life.

Step One: Offer honor and respect where it’s due

Step Two: Believe in God’s Word

Step Three: Esteem others higher than yourself

Step Four: Yield to God’s Will

You call out to God for help and He helps—He’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, He’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living. Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. …It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21 MSG

I am what some have called, “bossy.” Others have different, less appropriate names for it. But, ever since I was a small child, I have had a knack for commanding people’s attention and getting them to do things my way. As a youngster, I skipped the third grade, so I was always younger than most of my friends. To compensate for being younger, I learned very quickly how to manipulate people into following my lead. Of course, as a child/teenager/young adult, I didn’t look at it as manipulation. I simply thought that everyone recognized that I did things the right way, so why wouldn’t they want to follow me. It is only now, upon reflection, that I realize that I was just plain bossy. So, imagine my surprise when, as an adult, people started pushing back and my way didn’t always get the results I wanted.

“But God,” I would whine, “You said, you would give me the desires of my heart! What’s up?” I seriously don’t know why God even pays attention to me when I am being ridiculous, but He does. I imagine He gets a little bit of a chuckle out of it. He calmly reminds me during my child-like fits from not getting my way, that I forget the first part of that verse, “Delight yourself in the Lord.” Of course, I am sure I am the only one who ever takes Bible verses out of context to make them say what I want them to say (read with sarcasm). In any case, I have learned, many times the hard way, that I must put God first. When God is truly at the center of it all, life is so much easier. Not easier in the sense that troubles cease, but easier in the sense that no matter what happens, I am confident that God knows what He is doing. When we get to that place of no longer having the desire to be in control of everything and acknowledging that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours, it is much more feasible to abide by His will rather than our own.

I love the way The Message Bible interprets Peter’s description of God, the Father: “You call out to God for help and He helps—He’s a good Father that way. But don’t forget, He’s also a responsible Father, and won’t let you get by with sloppy living.” God wants to help us, but He is not going to stand for sloppy living. We need to stop asking God to bless our mess. We need to start asking for Him to help up get out of and avoid the mess in the first place. How do we end up with sloppy living? We yield to temptation instead of yielding to God’s will.

But, Ms. EV, I don’t know God’s will for my life? Well, it’s not a secret. It’s published in the most popular book in the history of the world, the Bible. And, if you don’t know specifically what applies to you, the answer is ALL OF IT, in one way or another. You say you don’t know how to apply it, ASK GOD. Notice I didn’t say ask your pastor or your best friend. Now, God might use those people to answer the question after you ask Him directly, but we have to stop taking the word of ourselves or others more seriously than the Word of God. And, once you know better, then do better. As God reveals His plan, His will for your life, yield to His will. It won’t always make sense, but it will always work out for your good.

So, how do you get everything you want in life?

Offer honor and respect where it’s due
Believe in God’s Word
Esteem others higher than yourself
Yield to God’s Will

OBEY! Obedience is better than sacrifice. All the blood, sweat, and tears in the world won’t matter if you are living contrary to God’s Word and His Will. You may get accolades and possessions, but you won’t enjoy them with any joy or peace. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I wouldn’t want prosperity that I cannot enjoy. To obey God, not for things, but because of who He is and the sacrifice He gave is the key to having everything you want (and need) in life. Ms. EV

I was reading a devotion this morning and it referred to the verse, John 15:5, where Jesus says, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." The devotion went on to ask what the readers felt Jesus meant by saying we can do nothing without Him. It is a good question for which I will attempt to clearly state my answer. 

When I read the verse in The Message Bible, it is interpreted as, "When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing."  Surely, anyone can live his or her life without Christ. We see it everyday in people we know, we  love, and with whom we interact. They live everyday of their lives without Christ. Some of them are very successful at what they do. They have families who adore them, businesses that make great financial gains, and material wealth. If we are honest, most of us know people who seemingly have it all and could care less about a relationship with Christ.

When Jesus said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing," I don't believe that He meant that if we tried to live our lives without Him, we would just shrivel up and die or that we would be incapacitated and unable to function; we can go on living because that is not the way God loves. God's love allows us to make the choice each and everyday of whether we will do life on our own or trust and lean on Him. Nevertheless, I am a witness that when you make the choice to do life with Christ each day, it is a much more fruitful and satisfying life. Others may have a bigger bank account, more loved ones, more accolades for things they did on their own, but with Christ, we have more contentment and satisfaction and peace knowing that we did things His way.

It all boils down to what we consider to be successful. If we want the type of successes that the world holds dear, then we can choose to live in whatever way we please, but we risk trading eternal treasures forever for earthly treasures now. If we want to be productive for the Kingdom of God, we must understand that, though we may never see the fruits of our labor on this side of heaven, when we join with Christ, there is satisfaction in knowing for sure that there will be an abundant harvest. When you have a real, intimate relationship with Christ, anything you try to do on your own will seem meaningless and empty. It is better to listen to God's plan and follow His path because it is what is best for you. Ms. EV

As a songwriter, well, a writer, in general, I pay very close attention to the lyrics of the music to which I listen. Growing up, I had no idea what I was repeating when my sister and I would belt out songs into a little red tape recorder. Thank goodness for karaoke or we would still think that in “Careless Whisper,” and “Take on Me,” George Michael and the lead singer of A-Ha had gone to Tennessee. (I will sing it for you later if you need to know how we came up with that one). Anyway, it is important to pay attention to what we sing, especially when we are singing to the Lord.

I am by no means knocking any songs or songwriters; it is just that sometimes when I listen to songs, I really analyze the lyrics. Like in the classic, “Walk with Me, Lord,” the lyrics say, “While I’m on this tedious journey, I want Jesus to walk with me.” I understand the intent behind the lyrics, but I believe that today many of us are just taking it a little too literally, asking God along for the ride and not really wanting to walk with Him. I think many people, including myself, at times, just want God to come with us and fix the mistakes along the way rather than having Him lead the journey.

Do you let Jesus take the lead? Be honest with yourself. When we give God all of the control, we do not really know where He is leading us; it could be to some place that is unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, we should know that if He leads us there, it is for our own good. I read a bumper sticker once that said, “If God is your co-pilot, SWITCH SEATS!” God should be leading us as we walk with Him. I cannot promise that the journey will be any less tedious, but it will be successful. Ms. EV