فصل 31

CHAPTER 31

Stay Passionate About Life

If you want to become a better you, it is imperative that you appreciate the good things that God has done for you. Too many people have lost their passion for life. They’ve lost their enthusiasm. At one time, they were excited about their dreams. They got up every day with purpose and with passion. But now because of the time that’s passed, the disappointments they have experienced, and the pressures of life, they’re not excited about them anymore. They’ve lost their fire.

At one time maybe you were excited about that person to whom you are married. You were so in love and so passionate, but now that relationship has become stale. You are going through the motions of life, getting up, going to work, coming home. But God does not want us to live that way. We should get up every day with enthusiasm, excited about that day. We should be grateful that we’re alive, grateful for the opportunities in front of us, grateful for the people in our lives.

Understanding that most of life is rather routine, anything can become stagnant if we allow it to do so. You can have an exciting job, but it can become boring. Or you can be married to a fine, loving, caring person, but if you don’t nourish that relationship and put something into it, over time, it is likely to get stagnant. We have to work at it if we’re going to stay fresh. It doesn’t automatically happen.

We need to stir ourselves up every day. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “Fan your flame.” He was saying, “Timothy, don’t let your fire go out. Stay passionate about your life. Stay enthusiastic about your dreams.” Maybe right now, you are having difficulty being excited about your life, but keep your hope alive. You may have just a tiny flicker, and that fire is barely burning. You’re about to give up on one of your dreams. Or maybe in that relationship, you’re not excited about it anymore. But the good news is the fire is still in there, and if you will do your part to fan the flame, it can burst forth into passion once again. That means instead of dragging around finding every reason you can to be unhappy, you must change your focus. Quit looking at what’s wrong in your life and start being grateful for what’s right in your life. Your attitude should be: “I am not going to live my life defeated and depressed. My dreams may not have come to pass yet; I may have some obstacles in my path, but I know God is still in control, I know He’s got great things in store for me, so I’m going to get up each day excited about my life.”

The Bible says to “never lag in zeal, but be aglow and on fire serving the Lord.” Do you get up each morning passionate about your dreams? Are you grateful for the home in which you live?

We need to recognize that every day is a gift from God. What a shame to live any day in a negative and defeated mind-set.

Certainly, we all have obstacles in our path and challenges to overcome, but our attitude should be, “Thank God, I’m alive. I live in a great country. I have family. I have opportunity. So I’m going to make the most of this day and give it my best.”

The Scripture says, “When we are willing and obedient, we will eat the good of the land.” It’s one thing to be obedient. That’s good. That’s better than not doing it. But if you really want to experience God’s best, you need to be more than obedient; you have to be willing. You have to do it with the right attitude.

For instance, it’s one thing to give because you have to. It’s another thing to give because you want to. It’s one thing to go to work to pick up a paycheck. It’s another thing to go to work to be a blessing to somebody else. It’s one thing to stay married to that person because it’s the right thing to do. People may look down on you if you don’t. But it’s another thing to stay married to that person and to treat him or her with respect and honor and help your partner reach a higher level. That’s being willing and obedient. When you do the right thing with the right motives, there’s no limit to what God will do in your life. It is important that we get beyond mere obedience. That’s easy, anybody can do that. To become a better you, take the next step and be willing to do the right thing with a good attitude.

Roger was down and discouraged so he went to see his minister for some advice. “Nothing’s going right in my life,” Roger said. “I don’t have any reason to be excited.” The minister thought for a moment and then said, “All right, let’s do a simple exercise.” He took out a legal pad and drew a line right down the center. “On the left side, we’re going to list all of the good things in your life, everything that’s going right. And on this other side, we’ll list all your problems and all these things that are bothering you.” Roger laughed skeptically and said, “Okay, but I’m not going to have anything to put on the asset side.”

The minister said, “Fine, let’s just go through the exercise.”

Roger put his head down.

The minister said, “I’m so sorry to hear that your wife passed away.”

At that, Roger snapped to attention. “What are you talking about?” he asked. “My wife didn’t pass away. She’s alive and healthy.” “Oh, really?” The minister wrote on the asset side: “Has a wife, alive and healthy.” Then he said, “I’m so sorry to hear that your house burned down.” “What?” Roger cried. “My house didn’t burn down. I have a beautiful house.”

“Oh, really?” the minister said, as he wrote on the asset side of the ledger: “Has a beautiful house.” Then he said, “I’m really sad to hear that you lost your job. You got laid off.” “Where are you getting all this nonsense?” Roger asked incredulously. “I’ve got a great job.”

Again the minister as he raised his eyebrows and wrote down, “Has a great job.”

About that time, Roger caught on. He said, “Give me that list.” The minister passed the yellow legal pad to Roger, who proceeded to list several dozen more good things in his life. By the time he was finished, he left the minister’s office with a different attitude. His circumstances hadn’t changed, but his perspective was completely different.

It’s so easy to get focused on what’s wrong and to take for granted what’s right, what is going well. When you focus on the good, that’s when you bolster your enthusiasm and passion. If you struggle with staying excited and passionate about your life, you too need to make a list of all the things for which you can be grateful. Write down all the things God’s blessed you with. If you have your health, write it down. “I’m healthy.” If you can see, write it down. “I can see.” If you have a job, write “I’ve got a job. I’ve got family. I have several close friends. I have great children.” Make that list and every day before you leave the house, read over it two or three times. It is important to get your mind going in the right direction, because your life will follow your thoughts.

At the first of the day, set the tone. If you can go out with a grateful attitude and a positive frame of mind, you’ll not only feel better, but you also will draw in the good things of God. We attract what we continually think about. If you get up thinking, My life is dragging; nothing good ever happens to me. I know my marriage isn’t going to last, you attract defeat, failure, and mediocrity. However, if you can learn to turn it around and go out with a grateful attitude, thinking about how blessed you are and how good God’s been to you, then you will draw in the goodness of God.

Years ago, my father and I met Jacques Cousteau, the famous underwater explorer. Daddy and I were on a flight down to the Amazon jungle and Mr. Cousteau was on the same flight, so we engaged in conversation. He was probably in his early eighties, yet he was incredibly passionate about his life. He began telling us about a new project he was working on, excitedly explaining it in great detail. As we were about to leave, he told us about his ten-year plan and all that he hoped to accomplish. I thought, Most people his age are not thinking ahead much more than a week or a month. But Jacques Cousteau is still thinking ten years down the road. No wonder he was so vibrantly alive.

If your assignment right now is to raise your children, do it with passion; do it with enthusiasm. Maybe you have a dream to start a business, a dream to own your own home, a dream to be in the ministry. Keep it in front of you and keep pressing toward it.

The Scripture says in Proverbs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” My dad kept a globe everywhere he worked—at his chair at home where he studied and on his desk at the office. Daddy’s passion was to share God’s love all over the world, and that globe reminded him of that. Even later in my father’s life when he had to go on dialysis, he asked us to check to see if they could do dialysis in India. Although Daddy never made it back to India once he started dialysis, that didn’t keep him from dreaming. In fact, that was one of the things that helped him to get up every day with enthusiasm in spite of his adversity.

Maybe you have some obstacles or challenges in your path as well. That’s fine, but don’t give up on your dreams. God still has something important for you to do. However, if you make the mistake of dwelling on the wrong things, before long you’ll be planning your own funeral. No matter what the situation looks like in the natural, keep your dreams alive. You may be a mother raising small children and you’re facing a serious illness. Keep a picture of your children in front of you. Get up every day and say, “I’m going to be here to raise my children. I’m going to live and not die.” Or perhaps you are struggling financially, but you have a dream of owning your own home. Keep that dream alive. Put up a picture of the home you would like to have. Keep it in front of you. You need something to be striving toward, then work and save and make wise financial choices, and you will be surprised how your dream can become a reality.

Sometimes we lose our enthusiasm because we let what once was a miracle become too common to us. We get used to it and it becomes routine. For instance, maybe at one time you were excited about your job. You prayed and believed and you know God opened up that door for you. God supernaturally gave you that position, and you couldn’t wait to get to work every morning. You got there and gave it 100 percent. Now, a few years later, the newness has worn off. It’s become routine, and you don’t really enjoy going to work anymore, and you have become discouraged. Do you know what has happened?

You let your miracle become common. You need to go back and remember how God brought you to where you are. You need to fan your flame.

We should never lose the amazement of what God has done. Every time I drive by Lakewood Church, I am amazed. And I’ve made up my mind that twenty years from now, I’m still going to be amazed. As I drive into Lakewood’s parking lot, I say, “God, You’ve done more than we could ever ask or think.” God told some people in the book of Revelation, “I’m not happy with you because you’ve left your first love.” In other words, you’re not excited about what I’ve done for you. Too often, we do the same thing. We let something that was so great at one time become routine and we don’t appreciate it as we should.

Sometimes I hear people complain about their children. “Well, I’d be more enthusiastic if I didn’t have to stay here and take care of my children all day.” No, you’re missing the point. Your children are a miracle, and if you want evidence of that, simply think back to the day they were born. No doubt you had tears running down your cheeks. You were so overjoyed. You knew each child was a gift from God. Don’t allow that sense of awe to disappear with time.

Recently, I was in a hurry to leave the house and trying to get the family rounded up and out the door. Somebody had given us a label maker—a little machine that prints out labels—and our children loved to play with it. Jonathan had the label maker out and was typing a message.

I said, “Jonathan, put that thing away. We’ve got to go.”

He said, “Daddy, just give me a few more seconds. I want to finish this up.”

“No, Jonathan,” I said. “Put it up. We have got to go right now.” He and I bantered back and forth and I was getting all uptight. Finally, he got finished and printed out the label. It read: “BEST DADDY IN THE WORLD.” I thought, Well, maybe we can stay here a little longer and print a few more of these labels!

Sometimes we get in such a hurry that we miss the miracles all along the way. Take time for your children. Look in their eyes every day and tell them how much you love them, how proud you are of them. Think of the joy and the fulfillment they bring you. That alone should be enough to cause us to get up each day with enthusiasm. And when you’re tired of cleaning up after them or tempted to have a bad attitude, learn to turn it around. Say, “Father, thank You for these children. Thank You for each of these gifts that You’ve given me.” Miracles are all around us. The people in your life, the doors God has opened, the things that have happened along the way are not by accident. It was God’s favor that caused you to be at the right place at the right time. You met someone and fell in love. Or you qualified for that home and you know that by all usual means you would not have done so. Or you got that promotion unexpectedly. These are not coincidences. God was directing your steps, so don’t take it for granted.

What are you focused on today? Are you becoming a better you? Is there peace in your home and in your heart and mind? Are you happy, at rest, and enjoying life? We need to make the most of it, and live like it could be our last.

Becoming a better you is all in how you choose to view life. No matter what twists and turns life takes, you can find the good if you look for it. If we have the right attitude, we can see the sun shining even when it’s cloudy. We can stay full of joy and keep getting better, even when things don’t go our way.

My prayer is that God would give us a spirit of gratitude, that we’d always focus on the good and never take life for granted.

As you keep stretching to the next level, improving your life, and reaching for your highest potential, you will not only give birth to your dreams, but you will become a better you, better than you ever dreamed possible!

I believe there is a void in every person that only a relationship with God can fill. I’m not talking about finding religion or joining a particular church. I’m talking about developing a relationship with your heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. I believe that knowing Him is the source of true peace and fulfillment in life.

I encourage you to pray, “Jesus, I believe You died for me and rose from the dead, so now I want to live for You. I am turning away from my sins and placing my trust in You. I acknowledge You as my Savior and Lord, and I’m asking You to guide my life from now on.” With that simple prayer, you can get a fresh, clean start, and establish a close relationship with God. Read the Bible every day; talk to God through prayer, and attend a good Bible-based church where you can find friends who will lift you up rather than pull you down. Keep God in first place in your life and follow His principles; He will take you places you’ve not yet imagined!