Three Essentials to Live By
Maybe, you have noticed more negatives than positives in your life. If you accept the idea that through positive thinking, you can somehow overcome the things you can’t control. Good luck! No amount of positive thinking will overcome terminal cancer. The negative reality is firmly established, bad things happen to everyone! The world is a cruel and unforgiving place! To be happy is a noble desire but rarely lasts for any length of time. Since happiness is an emotion and not a certainty, our mood can change in an instant. To be content, on the other hand, is a state of mind and can endure the most difficult of times. Paul was a successful businessman and a highly regarded public official. He gave up everything to follow Jesus and became the greatest evangelist in history. He spent an unwarranted amount of time in prison because of his faith. Through it all, Paul learned the secret of contentment. “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want.” (Ph. 4:11,12)
The secret to Paul's life of serenity, whether in prison or free can be found in the “three essentials to live by": love, faith, and hope. “Three things remain—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (Cor. 13:13) These are three spiritual laws that cannot fail and will remain laws to live by throughout eternity. The kind of love spoken of here is the God kind of love and not the world's kind of love that comes and goes. It has nothing to do with feelings and everything to do with commitment. God loved the world so much that he sacrificed His only son to save it. Faith is the spiritual law that God used to create Heaven and earth. He spoke the universe into existence. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”(Heb.11:1) Hope is the product of love and faith.
It is important in today's world of uncertainty to have an anchor to rely on. Our anchor is Jesus Christ the word of God and beloved son of God. The love of God toward men is the fulfillment of His promises. The faith God has given to everyone can be used to receive His promises, and the hope of eternal life can overcome the negative side of life. Will you choose to live by these life-changing essentials? They are three fundamentals of the Christian life, not learned; they are innate in every person and only need be activated. For more about God's plan for you, read “Beam me up Commander” it's free.
