Edition 385 – This Life Honors God

Colossians 1:19 NLT

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

There is no greater life you could live than to live each day of your life doing good for others. This is the life that truly honors and pleases the Lord. 

This directive from the Lord is and has been the primary purpose of my life for 50 years. It’s a simple concept, not hard to understand, nor difficult to grasp. But it’s a revolutionary way to live. It has infiltrated every aspect of my life. My work, my marriage, my fathering, my day-to-day life in this world, and my focused purpose towards my brothers and sisters in Christ and my fellow man. Every day I wake up with the intentional purpose to do good, kind, useful things for other people. 

Think about this concept for just a minute—how easy it is to implement in our day-to-day lives. It’s a powerful, profound way to impact those around us. It reveals the very heart of God towards us. God is good. God does good. Jesus went everywhere doing good. 

When I get up in the morning, after I get myself ready for the day, I most often begin my day by doing one or two good things for my wife. Maybe sweep the kitchen floor, or wipe all the dirt off of her van, or fill it with gas, or clean the bathroom. I plug in her phone and iPad to ensure they’re fully charged when she gets up. Throughout the day, I look for simple ways to do good for Kathy. It’s a powerful way to make your marriage a wonderful place to live!

This is my mentality each and every day—do good things for others. 

Recently, on a cold winter day, a friend’s battery died. Their life is super stressful right now. So, at 6 AM I went to Wal Mart and bought them a new battery. Later that day we delivered it to them. All free of charge.

A young Christian couple I know were going through a difficult time financially. I heard from a reliable source that the wife wanted to start making her own bread to save money for their large family, but she had no mixer to make it with. I went and bought them a new KitchenAid mixer at Wal-Mart and delivered it to them.

A brother in Christ in Africa was facing an extremely difficult financial situation. When I found out about it, I worked out a way to wire him some money, even though it was quite complicated.

A young man I mentor, going through an extremely difficult trial, found the phone he desperately needed for work and life was broken. I sent him money to buy a new phone.

A neighbor lady’s car wouldn’t start. She needed a ride, in a snowstorm, 15 miles away to work. I drove her, then picked up a battery for her and her kids, gave it to them, and installed it into their car myself.

A young couple I was reaching out to from Chile were expecting a child. They had no insurance. The time was very near for the birth, but no hospital would take them. I made phone calls myself, found a medical college with a hospital to take them, then drove them 4 hours to have their baby.

A friend had to move, but was in very difficult circumstances, with no money to rent a truck. I paid to rent the truck, then helped them pack and load their stuff to move.

A close friend I know of, going through horrible, nightmarish circumstances desperately needed a car. I gave them mine. I try, whenever possible, to change their oil. I even buy the oil and filter myself.

Standing in a line one day at the grocery store, the lady in front of me ran short of cash to pay for the food she needed for her many children that were with her. I could tell she was overwhelmed and needed the food. As she stood there trying to figure out what to give back to the checkout person, I stepped up and gently said, “Don’t worry, keep it all. I will pay the difference on your food bill.”

A young couple with their first child, had no suitable chair for the mother, with back problems, to nurse the new baby. I heard about it and went out and bought them a really good rocker/recliner to use, and delivered it, and set it up for them.

Another friend of mine, going through very tough financial times, had their AC stop working, right during some very hot, sweltering days of summer. I paid to have their AC repaired.

My mechanic, from South America, who works on my car and has his own shop, had business dry up because of COVID and the draconian policies of our wicked governor. He wasn’t going to be able to make his rent payment for his shop. When I heard about it, I went and withdrew a large amount of cash and took it to him as a gift to help make his rent payment.

My job mentality was always: “How can I do good for this company? How can I do good for the employees I work alongside?” I often took on tasks that were not my responsibility, so as to help a fellow employee be more successful at their job.

A young man who worked with me in ministry didn’t have money to take his family on vacation. They really needed to get away, as it had been a season of very intense, stressful ministry work. I gave him all the money he needed to take his family on a week’s vacation.

My wife and I have given clothes, furniture, household items, school items, grocery gift cards, countless hours of acts of serving, all with the sole purpose of doing good for other people who needed help.

We’ve had relatives going through extremely difficult financial times, and have given thousands of dollars to help them, to do good for them.

I’ve mowed people’s lawns. Shoveled people’s snow. Dug up and prepared a garden for a friend who really needed help at the time.

Countless times over the years, I put new strings on my sons’ guitars for them.

This ministry, Strong Disciple, exists for the sole purpose of doing good for you in the most vital aspects of your life—your faith, your fathering, your family, and your marriage, by providing divinely inspired wisdom, instruction, insights, and encouragement to help you succeed in your most important roles in life.

DOING GOOD FOR OTHERS—THIS IS GOD’S DIVINE CALLING AND PURPOSE FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN!

Titus 2:14

He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works!

Titus 3:8

This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.

Imagine what your life, your job, your marriage, your parenting, your church life would be, and your impact on outsiders, if this was the way you actually lived!!!

Imagine the impact we would have if the two billion Christians in the world actually lived this way!!!

To me, this is the most thrilling calling, the most fantastic, meaningful way to live, ever devised in human history. 

Now—GO LIVE THIS WAY!!