Friday, March 15, 2024

The 11 components of fitness

 


Fitness is often thought of as a ‘one size fits all’ thing, whereby you are either fit, or you aren’t, but the science of fitness actually goes a lot deeper than that and demonstrates that there are a number of components that go into a person being physically fit.

The strongest, most musclebound person may have no flexibility for example, but does this mean they aren’t physically fit? Conversely, a petite gymnast might be able to touch their toes and perform a backbend, but they probably couldn’t lift the same weights as the person in the first example. Does this mean they are not physically fit? Total fitness is better defined by looking at how well your body performs under different types of scenario.

A holistic approach to fitness

Total fitness looks at different areas and can be broken down into components or parts to make it easier to understand. It also helps you to appreciate the different requirements of different sporting activities, and even the different requirements of different roles within that activity. On a football field for example, a goalkeeper will need to work on different areas of skill than a striker.

Health-related components of fitness

Health-related components of fitness are those that you need to work on in order to improve and can be broken down into the following areas:

Body composition. The division of your body into percentages of fat, muscle and bone will have a direct result on your fitness level. A high jumper for example, will have a lean body composition to enable them to propel themselves upwards, whereas a shotput thrower will need a more solid body composition to generate the strength to throw further.

Cardiorespiratory endurance. Certain sports will need a very high level of cardiorespiratory endurance. Long distance running for example, is dependent on your heart, lungs and blood having the ability to transport oxygen effectively for an extended period of time.

Flexibility. The range of motion that you can move your joints through is a measure of fitness and some sports will require this more than others. A gymnast for example needs to have more flexibility than a billiard player. 

Muscular endurance. This is the ability to continue your performance without your muscles becoming fatigued. A great example of a sport where this would be needed would be rowing, where rowers need to be able to continue the same repetitive movement for a long period of time.

Strength. Strength is a measure of how much force your muscles can exert when they come up against resistance. Wrestling, for example, requires more physical strength than something like badminton.


Skill-related components of fitness

Many sports require different levels of skill-related components of fitness. Gymnasts, for example, have been shown in studies to need high levels of speed, strength, endurance, agility, flexibility and power.2 Skill-related components of fitness are those that can be improved with practice:

Accuracy. Controlling movement in a fixed direction is essential for certain sporting practices, like boxing, where your focus needs to be on a very specific area.

Agility. Be able to quickly change direction in a controlled way is important for certain sports, such as tennis and squash, and would be less important for something like sprinting.

Balance. The ability to control and stabilize the body is a requirement of many sports and is a good indication of fitness for someone like a sprinter, who would need to maintain perfect stillness until the gun sounds and then spring into action.

Coordination. When you are able to use two or more body parts at the same time to do different tasks you could be considered well-coordinated. An example would be dribbling a basketball, where your legs need to move you around and your hand needs to maintain contact while moving the ball.

Power. Power is a key indicator of fitness in sports such as javelin or discus throwing, where your performance is directly related on the distance your arms can throw, having applied great force to the tool while rapidly shifting your arm forward.

Speed. Speed is often used as a reflection of fitness in sports that require you to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, such as running.

Breaking down fitness into these components demonstrates that it is about more than just ‘who is the quickest’ or ‘who is the fastest.’ Fitness is unique to each individual and to each type of sport. The important thing is to use your own capabilities as a benchmark and not compare yourself to other people. Whatever your fitness level, based on any, or all of the 11 components, practice and perseverance can help you improve them all.

Thank You!

The LifePlus Wellness Team

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

A Cool Way to Count Your Blessings

 


As you well know, life can get a bit crazy at times. It is easy to get distracted by that craziness and allow the stress and struggles to dominate your mind and heart. 

Bible verses like Philippians 4:8 can help and even be encouraging. But let's face it, sometimes we need something to actually do to ward off the craziness. 

Some things we can do are:
  • pray
  • call a Christian friend
  • have fellowship with another trusted believer over coffee, tea, or lunch (make them pay :0D) 
  • sing hymns and praise choruses
  • dance (hey, David did)
  • look through old photo albums and remember some wonderful times of your life
I'm sure that if you thought about it, you could add a few things to my list. I mean, they just popped in my head as I thought about what to do during those moments when life isn't very fun.



Here's My Suggestion

Grab a writing tablet. Not an iPad or a laptop but rather an actual pen and paper writing tablet.

Write at the top:

My Blessings

Then start listing them one by one. What is so powerful about this is that as you think of one you will be reminded of another. 

Write down every blessing.

Write, "I am blessed because ..."

Before long you will have written many blessings and your focus will shift from the craziness and challenges of life to the joys God has brought into your life.

You're welcome!

Tony
prayerguide4me@gmail.com











Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Anxiety, Low Self-Image, and What to Do

 

Photo by Gadiel Lazcano on Unsplash

Throughout my life, especially the early years, I struggled with a low view of myself. You could say that I had a poor self-image. This came about primarily because when I was in elementary school I was often picked on by the bigger boys in my class. 

You see, I was always the smallest child in every grade right up until the 5th grade. I was even smaller than the girls. For some unknown reason this caused the bigger fellas to possess a great desire to push me around on the playground and try to beat me up after school.  

I often went to school in total fear of being harassed or hurt by the other children. 

In the 1960s and early 1970s bullying wasn't handled very well by school teachers or administrators (at least in my experience). Teachers would merely ignore what was happening or mildly scold the kids if they saw the bullying taking place. 

This constant picking on me caused me to have a view of myself that I didn't overcome until my adult years. I always felt small and inferior to everyone, even though I did my best to hide those feelings. 

In my teenaged years I developed a talent in music and songwriting (limited, but not too bad for a self-taught guy). I wanted to make it in the music business but always thought I wasn't talented enough and my songs would never be accepted by those in the music industry. Those beliefs ultimately caused me to hang up my guitar and walk away from my piano. My low self-image won the day.

In many ways I still possess the scars of the early years. But God is SO good!

There are countless people who have a low view of themselves that has lasted throughout most of their lives. Something happened at some point in their life that caused an indelible mark that they have allowed to define them. 

Oftentimes these people turn to drugs and alcohol or develop a reliance on prescription medication to help them with depression or anxiety. I have always thought that this made for a sad reality. 

Does Anxiety Cause a Low Self-Image?

Indeed it does. This is especially true if the anxiety was developed during childhood. It is so sad to hear or read about the abuse of children. One may wonder how on earth any adult could intentionally cause emotional or physical harm to a child. The truth is that usually these "adults" are victims of abuse themselves. Their abuse of others is simply learned-behavior. That fact still doesn't justify their actions.

There are two responses that I have seen in these victims of abuse once they reach adulthood. Some grow increasingly anxious and depressed. They remain in a state of victimhood throughout their lives. They live in fear, worry, stress, and anxiety.

Others, however, respond with a resolve and determination to rise above their challenges and win a great victory over it. The don't want to live as victims. They choose to live as victors! They try to do anything and everything to blot out the effect and memory of those years of trauma. 

God, the Bible, and the Self-Image

What I came to realize, after I became a Christian in 1979, was that being anxious, worried, afraid, and depressed is not of God. Holding on to these "realities" is our way of saying to God, 

"Even though You value my life above everything else, it's not enough!"

Jesus gave some beautiful truths to a group of people who were always anxious about their next meal or what they might wear. They lived in a world in which these things were far more scarce than they are for us today. But Jesus wanted them to know that they were so valuable to God that they need not be concerned, worrisome, or anxious about any of these earthly matters. 

Jesus said:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

God wants you and me to know, no matter what has caused the anxiety, that YOU are of GREAT VALUE to Him. He has purposed your life for great service and impact for Him, yourself, and those around you. 

When you and I focus on the cause of the anxiety we really are demonstrating a lack of trust in the Lord. 

That's what I CHOSE to do. Even though I still bare the scars of some frightening times, I don't allow those circumstances of yesteryear to define my present. 

At 62 I am still striving to grow deeper in my faith, live a life of service to the Lord and others, and rely on God's Word that reminds me that as far as God is concerned, I am great value. 

So stop worrying and allowing old circumstances to define you. Focus on how God sees you and take each day as it comes and live to honor the Lord in each of those days. 

Now I understand that some who read this may say, "Tony, that's just too simplistic a view. You don't know what I have been through." 

You are right. I don't. 

But I will never believe that what happened to you is greater than God's reply to what happened to you. 

And I certainly don't think that relying on what God has said is too simplistic in any way. 

I do indeed realize that there are some extreme cases and this is where proper diagnoses are required. But most of us need to simply stop focusing on what happened and believe God for the rest.

See yourself as God sees you. Of great value. Of great value NO MATTER WHAT you have faced. 

Blessings, 

Tony Guthrie

prayerguide4me@gmail.com


Grab it right now!

To get the free devotional guide click HERE

Please share this post with anyone who may need to be encouraged. 

P.S. I am currently deep into the initial growth stage of “Project Next.” I am looking for people to join me in this project. A health and wellness company that has been amazingly successful in Europe is now focused on growing in the American market.  The opportunity is HUGE! So much of my time is now reserved for my expanding project team. I am currently looking for 3 people who want to work from home and be a part of something new and exciting. If you are currently dissatisfied with your bigger picture progress in life and would like to learn how the project may help you move forward, send me an email and we can arrange a time to talk. prayerguideforme@gmail.com



P.S.S. Want to detox, rid yourself of extra body fat, and change the entire trajectory of your health in a 21-day window? If that sounds at all appealing, shoot me an email (prayerguide4me@gmail.com)and I’ll share a very unique and effective program that has been massively successful in Europe over the past seven years. I’ll send you a program guide that will allow you to learn the details, and a link where you can move forward if you choose to. As an aside, this program will require some discipline:-) but it’s a lot easier than what I do every day of my life!





Monday, July 24, 2023

Learn the Secrets of Success without Reading 100 Self-Help Books

 



I can't tell you how many books I have read on the subject of success but, trust me, there have been hundreds. These books involve subjects like: financial success, weight loss and health success, business success, relationship success, goal-setting, success in the Christian life and on and on they go. 

Each author brings a different perspective to the subject but many of the principles are repeated, rephrased and/or alluded to in each book. 

I want to highlight the principles that I believe are most significant if you really want to see serious life-change and success in whatever area you want or desire. 

Here's a List of the Principles:
  • A Day that Turns Your Life Around
  • Your Self-Image
  • The Ability to Clearly See What You Want to Accomplish
  • Willingness to Take Massive Action 
Let's Begin with ...

A Day that Turns Your Life Around

I was really impacted by this principle when I first heard it from the late, yet legendary, Jim Rohn. Success had alluded Rohn up until something happened to him at the age of 25. 

Jim tells the story of how he was struggling to make ends meet for his young family. One Saturday morning a knock came to his door. When he opened the door there was a smiling Girl Scout offering him cookies for only $2 per box. 

He wanted so badly to buy a box from her because she was so nice and doing her best to be a good Girl Scout. But Rohn had a big problem. He didn't have $2. Not in his pocket. Not in the house. Not even in the bank. 

After this incident Jim Rohn determined that THAT particular Saturday would be the day that would turn his life around. He was so disgusted with himself for not even having a measly $2 at the age of 25 that he decided, then and there, that he would never be broke again. 

By the time he was 30 Jim Rohn had become a millionaire. 

Rohn taught that getting to a place of absolute disgust with your current circumstance, no matter what it is related to, is the beginning point of turning your life around. 

He said that we should take actions designed to change our circumstances and keep action UNTIL we reach whatever goal we are pursuing, whether it be in career, relationships, weight loss, or whatever!

Next is ...

Your Self-Image

There is a truth that we ALL have in common. We are all products of our environment and childhood conditioning. The formative years of life, (0-8 years old), are heavily responsible for our view of ourselves and the world around us. 

As children if we are around positive, optimistic people then it is more likely that we will have a positive view of ourselves and the opportunities that life can bring. Of course, the opposite is true as well in that negativity will typically produce a negative view.

The late Bob Proctor spent his entire life teaching basically one principle. That principle? 
If you decide to, you can change the impact of your childhood conditioning

Proctor taught that you can change your self-image. If you don't, then you will continue to get the same unsatisfactory results you have been getting throughout your life.
Overcoming self-limiting beliefs caused by a poor self-image is entirely possible but it takes a strong determination. To overcome the fears that we have carried from childhood into adult life requires a determined decision to break through what Proctor called the "Terror Barrier." Most people never make such a decision and therefore never truly live life on their terms. 
Now let's consider ...

The Ability to Clearly See What You Want to Accomplish

Very simply, successful people paint mental pictures of the life they want to live. They clearly see it in their mind's eye. They don't view what they see as a wish or a hope; they see it as already existing and they are just waiting for it to manifest. 

They NEVER stop seeing it. 

This is called visualization. Countless stories can be told as to its effectiveness. A friend of mine lives in a large house on one of the beaches of Destin, Florida. He first saw the land he wanted to build his dream house on more than 20 years ago. He didn't purchase the land and build the house until just 2 years ago. 

He tells the story of how a friend was visiting him in his new home. The friend asked how long he had lived there. My friend told him that he had lived there for more the 20 years. The friend said, "I know construction and this house is no more than a couple years old." 

My friend replied:
I have lived here in my mind for over 20 years. Since the day I first saw the property, I visualized the house and never let that thought leave me. 

The Bible teaches in Proverbs 23: 7 that "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he." The heart referred to is within the whole of a person, which includes the mind. Whatever we think about ourselves is basically true (unless you like to lie to yourself.)

The late Earl Nightingale famously taught what he called The Strangest Secret which is ...

We become what we think about!

If you visualize weight loss, you'll lose weight. If you visualize business success, you'll have business success. If you visualize successful relationships, you'll have them. 

Finally ...  

Willingness to Take Massive Action

Success will not come around if all we do is visualize. Visualization, however, will fuel the desire to accomplish whatever you have set your mind on. When desire is fueled, action will follow. That's where the magic is. 

Too often people will take a few steps toward a goal and if they don't see the success they want, then that old negative conditioning kicks in and they tell themselves that they can't actually do it. They think thoughts like, "Who am I kidding. I can't do this!"

But people who truly see what they want and have decided to build a positive self-image and actually break through the "terror barrier," will continue taking the action steps necessary to realize the goal. They don't play around with it and do a little here and there. Each day they do all they can to make their goal a reality. They take massive action UNTIL the goal becomes a reality.

I truly hope this has been helpful.

Tony Guthrie

P.S. I am currently deep into the initial growth stage of “Project Next.” I am looking for people to join me in this project. A health and wellness company that has been amazingly successful in Europe is now focused on growing in the American market.  The opportunity is HUGE! So much of my time is now reserved for building my project team. I am currently looking for 3 people who want to work from home and be a part of something new and exciting. If you are currently dissatisfied with your bigger picture progress in life and would like to learn how the project may help you move forward, send me an email and we can arrange a time to talk. prayerguideforme@gmail.com



P.S.S. Want to detox, rid yourself of extra body fat, and change the entire trajectory of your health in a 21-day window? If that sounds at all appealing, shoot me an email (prayerguide4me@gmail.com)and I’ll share a very unique and effective program that has been massively successful in Europe over the past seven years. I’ll send you a program guide that will allow you to learn the details, and a link where you can move forward if you choose to. As an aside, this program will require some discipline:-) but it’s a lot easier than what I do every day of my life!





 

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Does God Still Answer Prayer?

 

Does God answer prayer

A few mornings ago I was deep into my devotional and prayer time. Honestly I was a bit troubled because the day before I had received some pretty bad financial news. Looking at my bank account only made the troubled feeling worse. Literally, it was all I could think about.

I started to pray about the matter and plead the heart of God for wisdom and direction. That was the prayer. It wasn't a prayer for "miracle" money. It was a prayer for wisdom and direction as it related to the financial matter. 

During that prayer I sensed something that I've never sensed before. I sensed that I was to stop praying and grab my phone. It was so overwhelming that I had to do it. I never scroll my phone during my devotional times but on this occasion I felt I just had to. So, I grabbed my phone.

I looked at it and the YouTube icon seemed more prominent than any of the others. So, I tapped it and as usual my YouTube feed opened.  The first video on the feed was one by Dr. Charles Stanley entitled "Focus on God, not your problems." 


The title spoke to my heart. All I needed was the title. The powerful message of the title was as if it came directly from God as His answer to my prayer for wisdom and direction. I was reminded, by the title, to focus on God and not on the financial situation. By focusing on God I would be demonstrating my faith in Him. I knew that God would see me through this challenge. He would not leave me to face it alone. 

I noticed the video was only about 6 minutes so I watched it ... 3 times. 

In the video Stanley shared that there was a time that he was facing quite a challenge. He told a story of how a certain elderly lady conveyed a powerful message to him. To hear it for yourself just view the video above. Trust me, you'll be blessed if you do. 

Does God Still Answer Prayer?

Indeed He does. 

I got my answer. God spoke in terms I could easily understand by saying,

 "Tony, you're focusing on the problem and that's a problem."

Does God Answer Prayer
God wanted me to live what I have preached countless times for my church members and focus completely on Him during all seasons of my life. The good and the not-very-good times.  

This reminder from God caused me to feel joyous and at peace. 

You may ask, "Do you still have the financial challenge?" At the time of this writing, yes. But God has been doing things that are making it much more of a molehill than a mountain. I'll just leave it there. 

How to Get Your Prayers Answered

Countless books have been written, sermons preached, and Bible studies taught about how to get our prayers answered. I'm sure that most of them contain timeless truths. 

But for me, it starts in my devotional time. I have a set time to pray. I want to spend time with God each day in prayer and Bible reading. During these times I glean so much from the Lord. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 teaches us to pray without ceasing. If your habit is to only pray on a "need to" basis, then don't expect much by way of answered prayer. Prayer should be something that is part of your daily life, not something you turn to only in crisis. It should contain things like praise, thanksgiving, confession, Bible reading, and intercession on behalf of others. 

I am very honest with God in my time with Him. He already knows my sins and shortcomings. I never make a claim to perfection with the Lord. So, I spend some time in confession. Confession is simply agreeing with God that my actions can be, and often are, sinful. 

Then I ask for forgiveness and He gives it

After confession I praise Him for being the loving God of mercy and grace that He is. Reading biblical passages helps with this, especially passages from the Psalms. Reading the Psalms as though they were prayers to God is so uplifting and encouraging. I feel so close to the Lord as I read and pray the Psalms. God often causes me to focus on only one sentence out of an entire Psalm. That will be be His direct word for me at that moment or that day.

I conclude my prayer time by making intercession for others and making my requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6). As I pray I think of so many people that need a fresh touch from the Lord or those who need His grace and mercy. Typically person after person come to mind. I simply pray for them by mentioning their name or sharing a small bit of insight into what they are facing. That is usually sufficient because God knows the details of what they are facing. However, there are situations on which I devote much more of that intercession. 

I never have a list of personal requests. God has done so much for me that personal prayer requests don't dominate my prayer time. But there are times, like this financial issue, that cause me to request His guidance and direction. 

One thing I bring to my prayer and devotional time is expectancy. I honestly expect God to be God in all sitautions as He has always proven to be in my life. He has promised to never leave me nor forsake me and He has kept that promise. There's no reason for me to expect anything other than what he has promised. 

I have certainly forsaken Him and taken several trips in the ways of the wicked. I have been forsaken by friends I thought would stand by me no matter what. Perhaps I gave them no reason to stand with me. 

But in the seasons of my life when I waded in the mire, God has been true to His promise even when I told Him I didn't deserve His presence and certainly not His grace. 

To get your prayers answered, expect God to be God. 

I don't think there is a set formula for getting prayers answered. I think that loving God enough to spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word is sufficient. 

We love Him, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19) ... right?

Tony

To get the free devotional guide click HERE

Please share this post with anyone who may need to be encouraged. 

P.S. I am currently deep into the initial growth stage of “Project Next.” I am looking for people to join me in this project. A health and wellness company that has been amazingly successful in Europe is now focused on growing in the American market.  The opportunity is HUGE! So much of my time is now reserved for my expanding project team. I am currently looking for 3 people who want to work from home and be a part of something new and exciting. If you are currently dissatisfied with your bigger picture progress in life and would like to learn how the project may help you move forward, send me an email and we can arrange a time to talk. prayerguideforme@gmail.com



P.S.S. Want to detox, rid yourself of extra body fat, and change the entire trajectory of your health in a 21-day window? If that sounds at all appealing, shoot me an email (prayerguide4me@gmail.com)and I’ll share a very unique and effective program that has been massively successful in Europe over the past seven years. I’ll send you a program guide that will allow you to learn the details, and a link where you can move forward if you choose to. As an aside, this program will require some discipline:-) but it’s a lot easier than what I do every day of my life!



Friday, May 19, 2023

The Path to Victory in an Evil World


Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and on His Law he meditates day and night.3 He will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1: 1-3


A few mornings ago I was starting the day with some devotional and prayer time. I usually know what Bible passages I will be reading and what I will be praying about. But on this particular morning I was distracted by unending thoughts about the condition of the world. The evening before I had watched some disheartening news stories that revealed how violent people are becoming toward one another. This same scenario plays out on cable news casts night after night.

Obviously I realize that violence has been a part of our world for centuries but it just seems, at least to me, much more pronounced and announced these days. It seems that virtually every news cycle contains report after report of horrific violence, hatred, and discord. I couldn't get it off my mind.

I paused and asked the Lord to replace these earthly thoughts with something I could praise Him for. Immediately I felt compelled to read Psalm 1 even though I have read it, and even preached sermons on it, quite a few times in my life. 

As I read those first 3 verses I began to focus on the passage in a way I hadn't focused on it before. I mean, it basically says, 
"Don't get your life advice from people who have no love for or loyalty to your Lord, and have nothing good to say about anything. Don't hang out where they tend to hang out. Rather, spend your time reading God's Word and reflecting upon it's teaching and life will be better than awesome for you." 
I normally become very optimistic as I read these verses but on this occasion I kept focusing on the words seat of scoffers

I think that, in general, we all know what God means by scoffer. But one writer put the meaning of the word in interesting terms writing:
A scoffer is typically presented as a kind of fool, one who has rejected the wisdom of God entirely, with a particular emphasis upon his speech. Indeed, scoffer is sometimes used synonymously with mocker to describe a person who is so critical that they have soundly left wisdom behind. ...  “Claiming to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:22). Thinking themselves to be the wisest of all, scoffers mock any real wisdom and plunge themselves into the depths of foolishness.
Another writer likened scoffers to the Marley brothers from the Muppets. These 2 elderly brothers are typically found looking down on everyone and everything in the world and making condescending comments about them. 

I know that scoffers have always been around but it seems that in recent days there has been an enormous surge of them. They seem to be appearing everywhere, but particularly on social media, cable news. and found among many of our political leaders. 

As I have noted before, people tend to be much bolder with social media comments than they otherwise might be in actual conversation. 

My fear is that many Christians are sitting among the scoffers of our day as they see their posts or listen to them on cable news. 

In a recent episode of the Ben Shapiro Show Mr. Shapiro was talking about how pornographic 
people are becoming. He wasn't talking about their becoming porn stars in film but rather in how they present themselves for all to see via social media. 

Shapiro went on to discuss the significant drop in birth rates around the world but particularly in America. He observed several contributing factors but topping the list was the release of the iPhone back in 2007 which allowed people to interact with countless people and media sources literally on a continual basis. The need for personal one-on-one relationships is becoming less important since people can interact in real time with others literally in any part of the world. People are getting their need for "connection" met via social media "likes" and "comments" as opposed to traditional means. This is leading to a scoffing of traditional values among many, even "Christians." One result is that fewer people are getting married and starting families. 

People are increasingly emboldened to scoff at the things God created and designed for mankind. Among them, as noted, are marriage and the idea of starting a family. People are also scoffing at the idea of patriotism and being loyal or patriotic concerning their country. I am stunned by how amazingly ignorant many young people are about our country's heritage and the values which led to its founding.  

Via social media many Christians are "sitting" among the scoffers. This is evidenced by Shapiro's further acknowledgment that church attendance has dropped some 20% since 2007 among adults who claim to be Christians.  

So, What Should True Believers Be Doing?


Obviously we shouldn't be scoffing. Psalm 1 contains an action plan for Christians who see what I am seeing in this world of violence and scoffing. Here's the plan:

... on His Law he meditates day and night.

I have been tremendously burdened in recent days to seek the heart of God through prayer and Bible reflection. I have always been one who prays but there have been few times when I have sensed that prayer was the only spiritual weapon I had. 

The psalmist says, "Instead of listening to the scoffing of the scoffers, listen to God through His Word." The "Law" the psalmist wrote of was the Word of God for God's people prior to the coming of Jesus. These days, however, we understand that our meditation is upon God's Word, the Bible. 

God has impressed this upon me in countless ways over the last 3 years. I have often reminded the Lord that I am, and have been, like Isaiah who said "I am a man of unclean lips and I come from people of unclean lips ..." I have often been no better than the scoffers of this world. Sometimes even worse. 

Yet God reminds me of His grace and mercy. In spite of my many imperfections He wants me to seek His face. He forgives me. He restores me. He loves me. 

He also wants to forgive the scoffers, restore wayward Christians, and demonstrate His love to ALL mankind. 

He wants me to pray and meditate upon His Word every day. He wants each of us who claim His name to "meditate on His Law day and night." Rather than stare endlessly at a 3 inch by 5 inch device in an effort to observe what everyone else is doing, thinking, and saying; God wants us to return to Him and focus on His mercies, actions, and calls for service. 

And the Result?


Not that we would or do deserve it, but God says that if we do this we ...

will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. 

Prosperity is something we all want and even need. I have never enjoyed financial prosperity and likely never will. I am glad that the "prosperity" God refers to is not related to finances. Rather, it is related to healthy spiritual growth. The planted tree analogy the psalmist provides makes that clear. A tree planted by streams of water will produce fruit because moisture is readily available.

The roots of such a tree will literally suck up the necessary moisture to become strong and fruit-bearing. 

As God's children we are planted in His Word. God wants you and me to absorb the spiritual moisture  of His Word so that we can be prosperous for His purposes. 

"In whatever he does, he prospers" can have more application than just spiritual prosperity because God does promise to give us the desires of our heart if we delight in Him. But Paul writes something of great significance to bring some context to that idea: 

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

In Closing

I believe our only defense in this world of violence and scoffing is to reflect upon God's Word and seek the heart of God through passionate prayer. I desire more than ever to seek God's heart for the rest of my life and those that I love. 

Psalm 1: 1-3 gives us ...

A Biblical Principle - stay away from the scoffers and nay-sayers and focus your time and energy on God and His Word.

and 

A Blessed Reward - spiritual growth, closeness to God, and usefulness for His purposes. 

I can praise Him for this. 

I will have much more to share about this matter of prayer in the posts to come.

Please share this with other believers. 

Tony Guthrie

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