Passive to Purpose

What is your day-to-day life really like? Is it something that just kind of happens? Or do you take a more conscious effort to make choices during your life? I mean, think about every day. Every day is just another day. You've got to get through it. In fact, if you had to describe your day, pick a word, one of these two words, to describe your day and that approach to that day. What would it be? Would it be passive or purpose? Passive or purpose? I mean, is it possible to have a more thoughtful, a more interesting, a more godly spiritual life? Or is it one of those things that's just hopefully going to happen? Hopefully it'll come about. But can it really be reflected in my family? Can it really be reflected, well, here in our congregation? Can it be reflected, perhaps, even at our jobs? Is that possible? I mean, no doubt, we are given a new day. Every day we wake up, we're given a blank canvas, you might say. And we have the opportunity, then, to paint life. We have that opportunity. So we have to ask ourselves, am I painting with purpose? Or am I just living in a default kind of a mode, in reaction to the things that occur all around me? I mean, when you think about the way that God has set things up, He's definitely told us we have a choice. He says He's on our side. He wants us to do well. He says, choose life. And so, as we get going in these things, it seems like sometimes we just get so busy that we really just don't take the time to proactively choose and decide, what do we want out of this day? What do we want out of this week, this life? Because sometimes you might catch yourself. I know I've caught myself saying, well, who said life's going to be fun? Maybe you've said that, well, you can't do anything about it. Just the way it is. Well, that's life. You better grow up and get used to it, because that's what being a grown-up is all about. And we say those kind of one-liners, and we use it as an excuse to kind of live the passive whatever kind of ordinary day that life brings. But is that the way it should be? Is it possible to live with a perspective where I feel positive? I feel fulfilled. I can live a more godly type of existence and move from the passive to the one with purpose. Can I live that way? Can I really make it happen?

I think when we read through the words of the Bible, God says, yes, life is really what you make it. So how can I do that? How can I move from the passive to the purposeful? How can I be intentional? How can I be deliberate and proactive in my choices? God wants us to live that way. So let's think about a number of ways we can do just that.

Here's one that I think can be a challenge but is so critical. Make it fun.

Do we really make life fun? I mean, think about that for a moment. Can you imagine a time? Can you remember a time that you were just having so much fun that you just lost track of time? It's like, wow, this is so amazing. It just went the day just went like that. I was enjoying things so much and it just zipped right by. You remember a time like that? How cool is that? Because it seems you can make anything boring if you want it to be boring. And I think it's true on the other hand. You can enjoy things if you make it enjoyable. Because all too often we may think of that biblical passage. You know that passage that says, thou shalt not have fun.

Wait a second. Is that in the Bible? Nor shall you smile all the days of your life.

Right? We think that's in the Bible. Is that in the Bible? That's not in the Bible. No, God wants us to have a good time. Is it a sin to enjoy life? Sometimes we may think, well, maybe that... Well, no, it's not a sin. In fact, God wants us to enjoy life. Yes, He tells us Colossians 1, 17. We know we need to live with a godly perspective. We know what that says there. Whatever you do, it says, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father. Yes, we have to live our life. We have to have fun, do entertainment, the things that we enjoy with a godly perspective. We know we're held accountable for that.

But how many times in Scripture are we told to make it fun? Do you know how many passages there are in the Scripture that tell us that we need to make it fun? There's 8,330 passages. No, there's not. Just having fun with you. There's a lot. There are a lot of passages. Turn with me over to Psalms 1, 18, verse 24. Psalms 1, 18, 24 is a fantastic passage that is such a good reminder that this is a choice we have to make. It's something that needs to be intentional, something that we deliberately have to choose to do. Notice what Psalm 118, verse 24 says. Psalm 118, verse 24, a powerful passage, a proactive passage, an intentional passage, a short one too. You know it. It says, This is the day the Lord has made. Oftentimes, we'll think about the Sabbath. God made this day specifically for us, for His people. But it's not only limited to the Sabbath. God has made every single day. He's made every day for us, every day. So it says, This is the day the Lord has made. What's my reaction to it? We will rejoice and be glad in it. Well, will we? Or is it just going to kind of happen? It's just another day, whatever. Whatever happens. No. How will you rejoice in the day? You got out of bed this morning, it's the Sabbath. How am I going to enjoy this day? What am I going to do to make this a day to rejoice in? To really be glad in it? To have fun? Make it fun. How am I going to make today fun? Is that something you ask yourself first thing in the morning every day? How am I going to make this a fun day? How cool is this day going to be?

Well, a lot of it depends on us. What about the good times in your life? Are they only limited to few and far between? Boy, when we have those opportunities to really enjoy life, we can look back on those fun times, those enjoyable days, which should be a whole lot more than the ones that aren't. And we can look forward to the time that we will continue to rejoice and be glad in the days that God has given us. And you know, if we do that, if we really take the time and decide and intentionally choose to make it a fun day, it's going to give us better health. Proven by Mayo Clinic Research. You can go to mayoclinic.com. Go online. You can read the research that they've done. And there is no doubt there are short-term and long-term benefits to having fun, to enjoying life, to appreciating humor. They'll tell you it'll activate your stress response. It will relieve stress. It'll soothe tension. It'll improve your immune system. Having fun improves your immune system. Studies have proven it. No wonder God says, rejoice in the day. Be glad in it. I mean, it's also amazing. Mayo Clinic studies have shown enjoying life, having fun, making it fun, relieves pain. It's hard to remember, oh, I'm aching and I'm hurting when we're enjoying things. Isn't it? It's hard to think about those things. They even say it increases your own personal satisfaction. It changes your mood. Now, that's something God knew all along. In fact, if you're still there in the Psalms, well, maybe fast forward to the Proverbs. Just go over to the Proverbs for a minute. Proverbs 17, 22. God didn't need a Mayo Clinic study to prove this. He knew it all along. Notice what the Proverbs say. Solomon, in his wisdom, reminds us of these things. Proverbs 17, 22, a merry heart does good. Having fun, enjoying life? That's like a good medicine. It's good for us, like medicine. And if we're a grouchy sourpuss, broken spirit dries the bones. It just wears you out. It just wears you out.

God recognizes this. He wants us to enjoy life. He wants us to be spontaneous. He wants us to be creative. Life is too short to spend down and frowning all the time. Have we ever considered this? I mean, over and over and over again, we're told, let the righteous be glad.

Take a look through the Psalms. Page through them. Psalm 68, verse 3 reminds us of that. Let us rejoice before God. And there's this connection between having fun and rejoicing, which takes us beyond just being happy, but rejoicing before God. It's not based on circumstances. It's based on our purpose. It's based on what God has in mind for us. In fact, maybe we should turn over there because that's a remarkable passage.

Psalm 68. Psalm 68, just a couple of pages over from the Proverbs here. Verse 3, it's said more like this is something we need to do. Make it fun. Don't hope it'll be fun. Don't wish it to be that, but do it. Do it more like a command, isn't it? Take a look at verse 3. Let the righteous be glad.

Not like, well, it would be nice if you guys had fun. Be nice to enjoy life. No, make it that so. Let it be that way. Let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, not just a little bit, not just sort of, not just kind of having fun. He says, yes, let them rejoice exceedingly, exceedingly. Sing to God. Sing praises to His name. That puts it in context. Extol Him who rides on the clouds. Wow, think about that.

That almost brings a smile to your face. How does that work? How does God ride on the clouds? Have you ever thought about that? I don't know how He does it, but it sounds like fun to me. Does that sound like fun? It says, by His name, YAH, rejoice before Him, Father of the Fatherless, Defender of the widows.

God is in His holy habitation. How cool is that? And that's why God wants us to view life. And I wonder if we've taken the time even to think about how does God ride on the clouds? I got to think about that for a minute. Have I really pondered? How can I make it fun? How can I choose that?

Are there ways that I could sit down? I could list ways to make my day fun and encouraging? Is that a way to do that? I mean, what could I do? You see, that brings us back to the passive or the purposeful. Well, I want to have a fun day, want to have a good day, but if I don't choose it, I don't make it happen. Probably won't. It's something I've got to be intentional about. I've got to deliberately decide, I'm going to have an opportunity today and I want to make that happen.

And so I've got to choose it and then I've consciously got to bring it about. In fact, if you're still there in the Psalms, look at chapter 5. Chapter 5 verse 11 kind of puts this into context. Psalm 5 verse 11, talk about being thoughtful. Think about being purposeful and attentive. If I just hope it to happen, I know if you're like me, it's wishful thinking and boy, those opportunities escape.

And they go by without it really happening. But here it says, verse 11, Psalm 5, let all those who rejoice put their trust in you. Frames the issue. Have God as the framework for this fun and enjoyment we're going to have in life. And when we focus on God and the encouragement that we can have, what happens to our problems? What happens to the difficulties? We kind of fade away. It's harder to focus on the problems that I'm having if I'm focused on the encouragement and the fun. Focused on God's way, focused on His peace, focused on His joy. Wouldn't that move me from being totally stressed out to a different frame of mind?

I mean, wouldn't it move me from, I'm not in survival mode anymore. I'm just trying to get through the day to, wow, there's some great things about this day. I can live a day that will be encouraging and exciting and fun. In fact, in one of the most dreariest books in the Bible, it talks a lot about having fun.

It's in Ecclesiastes. Vanity, vanity, all is useless. So life is just useless. And so we get down and just... But you know, Ecclesiastes says a lot about enjoying life. And sometimes we read over it because oftentimes those entertaining things and those fun things lead to sin that are outside of the way that God wants us. But when we do it God's way, when we keep His perspective, and we do it in a godly manner, fun is good and is great. If you look at chapter 8, verse 15 of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes chapter 8, this is right after the Proverbs, we can find Ecclesiastes. And here it's kind of interesting because as Solomon is coming to these conclusions, interesting what he says about enjoyment or fun, depending what translation you read. Notice verse 15 of Ecclesiastes chapter 8. I'm going to read this in the New Living Translation because it uses the word fun. It says, so I recommend having fun.

Enjoyment. Enjoyment is what Kings you. Anybody recommend having fun? Anybody like to have fun? Yeah, I like. Yeah, me too. I like to have fun. It's awesome. Great. You think God's against fun? Does God want us to have fun? Yeah, absolutely. In fact, it goes on here because there's nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. Did God make these things not to be enjoyed? He wants us to. Now, we don't want to do them in a sinful way. No, that's not right. But he says this way we'll experience some happiness along the way. Because yeah, there's tough things about life. There's hard work. But God gives us these things so we can enjoy life. In fact, just over a page in my Bible, if you go to chapter 11, notice verse 8. It says, But if a man lives many years and rejoices in them all, yet remember the days of darkness there'll be many. Okay, that's the downer side of things. But some of the translations at the beginning of verse 8, it says, However many years you live, let him enjoy them all. Let them enjoy them all. God gave us life and He gave it to us to enjoy. So we need to make it fun. So too often times we kind of get in this mode. Well, I'll have fun when this happens. I'll have fun when I go on vacation. I have fun and enjoy things when I don't have to do this. And we kind of get in that mindset that it's not about now. It's about some vague time in the future. But does God want us to think like that? I don't think so.

In fact, Christ Himself gave us some interesting insight into this whole concept of making it fun. John 10. Christ gave a lesson. I believe that ties intricately with this very concept of passive or purpose. Passive or purpose? Should I really plan to have fun?

Well, we have to be purposeful about it if it's going to happen. Otherwise, I'll have to wait until some other time and maybe it will, maybe it won't. I don't know, just another day to get through. But that's not the way Christ wanted us to look at it. John 10. Notice what He teaches us about our perspective on life, on His perspective that should be ours. He said in verse 10, John 10, the thief doesn't come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. Well, who wants to steal our time? Who wants to destroy us? Who wants to put us away outside of God's presence? Well, we know where that comes from. That is not a godly perspective. So what's God's perspective? Well, Christ says, I have come that they may have life. And oftentimes we think, yeah, but that's when we put off the fun. When's the fun? Well, when Christ returns, that's going to be fun. That's going to be great. We'll have the kingdom. And when the kingdom comes, then everything will be great. And that's true. Everything will be great. Everything will be wonderful. It will be an amazing time. And yes, He's talking about that future in the kingdom of God, eternal life forever. How amazing will that be? It'll be phenomenal. Phenomenal. But this passage is not just pointing to that time. It's talking about now as well. Because Christ says, I've come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.

That means we can have a different perspective than the rest of the world out here. We know what life's about. We know what God's purpose and what His plan is. And Christ is telling us we can have this exceedingly abundant life now. We don't have to wait for the kingdom. We can have this life that's beyond measure. In fact, some translations say this is super abundant. A super abundant life, both in quality and in quantity. Because we know what life's about. So we can have some of that right now. In fact, some of the translations say we can have a life that overflows. And we can have it because we understand when you have fun God's way. It is awesome. It is a wonderful blessing when we enjoy life. This is a wonderful blessing from God. And so we can choose that. Christ wants us to live that way. He wants us to have an abundant life now. He doesn't want us to have a miserable existence right now until hopefully something better will come along when He returns. Yeah, something better will come along. No doubt about that. But in the meantime, He wants us to enjoy life. So how many of us this morning got up out of bed and decided, I'm going to have fun at church today?

We could. I'm going to really enjoy services today. Or maybe we said, oh, I got to just survive the sermon. Myers is on and it's going to be a long one. Oh boy. You see, that's the challenge. Can we actually determine this is going to be enjoyable? I'm going to make it enjoyable.

And we can actually choose to do that. We can even have fun with His bad jokes sometime. You see, that's wonderful when you do that. You know, there are certain things that you never hear at church, right? Aren't there some of those kinds of things? Things like, wow, I can't wait for my turn to sit in the front row. Okay, you're not going to hear that at church, right? Or the fact that, wow, I was listening to this sermon and it was so enthralling, so interesting, I didn't even notice he went 40 minutes over. You see, those are the things you don't hear. Or the fact, wow, we love our pastors so much, we would love to send them to this amazing Bible seminar in the Bahamas.

Okay, you're not going to hear that at church, I suppose. But think about it. Aren't there so many benefits to just enjoying life? Boy, it makes, doesn't make school a whole lot more fun when you can enjoy things. It makes church enjoyable. It makes, how about your marriage and your family? Yeah, oh, wow, think about this, even my boring job. Could it be fun? It makes things easier, makes tasks a little more easier. Time goes a lot faster when you're enjoying things when you're not. And oftentimes, we don't get Ecclesiastes. We don't get some of the Proverbs that are really telling us fun and enjoyment and entertainment are gifts from God. They are, they are. And it energizes us, it encourages us. It really makes a difference. And we have that choice to move from passive to purpose and make it fun. Make it fun. And so that is such an important principle. Of course, it doesn't stop there. If I'm going to live a perspective where I can feel positive and I can feel intentional and be fulfilled in a godly manner, a second thing I can do is make their day. Not only make it fun, but this day I'm going to make somebody's day. It's about doing something special for someone. When you make someone's day, it can change their world around. Someone that's given a special little something. Somebody done that for you. And you remember that. That was really, it feels good. It feels good to give. And when you're feeling a little down, you're feeling a little discouraged, somebody's upbeat, they're encouraging to you, they're friendly, they reach out to you. It's amazing how they can just turn things around. And you kind of can just absorb some of that energy and that encouragement from them. I mean, think about a time. If you take a moment, what was it that made that difference for you? Who was it? What did they do? Oftentimes it's not some big gigantic thing that they did.

Maybe they just gave you a phone call. Maybe they sent you a text. Maybe they just said, hello today. I mean, think about whatever that situation was, wherever you were at. Think about how that felt when they made your day. Now, then the challenge for us, if we're going to move from passive to purpose, we're going to make their day. And oftentimes, we find ourselves, I find myself, well, I really want to touch base with them today and I want to try to encourage them. I know they've been going through something and I make a mental note of it.

Time gets away, doesn't happen. But if we were to actually make a list and recognize how amazing it is to make something. And then make it, that's something I've got to intentionally choose to do and not just have it be wishful thinking. To really determine that I'm going to be deliberate and do it. I am going to do it. Because we know Philippians 2.3, that's that passage that says, I'm supposed to treat others better than myself. Esteem others better than yourself. Don't let things be done through selfish ambition or conceit. So I know I'm supposed to do that. I know I'm supposed to look out for the interests of others. God tells me I'm supposed to do that. But then, you know, I'm having a lousy day. It's going terrible. I'm mad. I'm upset about things. You ever been there? Okay, we've all been there. And I'm not happy. I'm not a happy camper. Not a happy camper. Does this ever happen to you? Then I come home, and as I crack the door open, there's our little wire fox terrier. And he's standing there wiggling his tail, just so excited to see me. And so I kick him out of the way, and I'm mad. No, I don't. No, I don't kick him out of the way. He's just really excited, and it doesn't matter how bad a day I'm having or how upset I am. He is just thrilled to see me. And it's hard not to smile. It's hard not to have your attitude turned around when here's this little pooch that just can't wait to see you. You're gonna pet me? You're gonna pet me? Come on, you're gonna pet me! This is so exciting! You're home! And it's so cool that just that little thing can turn us around. Well, can we do that? Can we do that for others? I mean, does it make you smile? Absolutely, no doubt about it. And that's what I mean by make the day. Make their day. In fact, if you look at Hebrews 10.24, this is a passage we often read when it comes to Sabbath services, that we need to be together. We're commanded to come together and worship God. This is a commanded assembly, a holy convocation. Hebrews 10 verse 24 and 5 certainly remind us of that. But there's also another aspect of this that is so important that it's interesting that concept is prefaced with this very idea. Hebrews 10.24, it says, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. And of course, we often focus on not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some, but exhorting one another and so much more the day approaching.

You see, it's not just about assembling together, but the important part is stirring up love and good works. When someone has made your day or brought that little smile to your face, you were in a bad attitude or a bad mood. What was it that turned you around?

Well, you can take that same thing and help others and serve even in this simple way. And it makes life a little bit contagious when we do this, because this is God's way. These are His people. And when we deliberately intentionally choose to do that, it can make all the difference for someone. The simplest little things. I mean, think about how can I make their day? Here's an easy one. Just feel good about life. Feel good about life. Feel good around other people. Who wants to hang around? I mean, life is lousy and it's crabby and I'm upset.

If I can just have a good attitude and feel good about life, feel good around other people. Feel good around other people. Just that simple thing can bring people up. I can get in touch with someone that I noticed they weren't here today. Don't just make a note of it, but call them. Text them. Email them. Get in touch with them, because it means so much. Just the smallest word of encouragement. I think a time when you were encouraged. It probably wasn't the sermon that did it. It might have been just a personal comment that somebody made and it just brought you up with that simple little little call or text. It's just someone saying, thanks. Really appreciate that you did that. That thankfulness. Simple things like that. Letting someone know you appreciate them can make all the difference. Even for a silly reason, it can make the difference. Because it does what Philippians 2 talks about. It takes the focus off of me and puts it on others. And the more we do that, I believe the more impact it has on us. I mean, we could even do the unexpected. Something that people aren't expecting. Be thoughtful. Why should I be thoughtful?

Just because I can. I can. And that's a godly characteristic. And yeah, we're going to run into grouchy people. Right? But we could look at grouchy people as a challenge, couldn't we? Yeah, they're always a grouch. They just tend to be that way. Hopefully you're not envisioning me in that, but sometimes, oh boy. I mean, how easy is it to encourage somebody that's already up and encouraging and with it? Well, it's easy to encourage somebody that's already all of those. They're already in good spirit. So yeah, that's easy. But if we look at these difficult, grouchy people, now you've got a chance to prove yourself. Right? Not a chance to prove you. Pay attention to them. Because what's your normal reaction? Oh, they're grouchy. Stay away from them. Give them a lot of room. Stay away. But that's not what we're supposed to do. We want to draw them in closer. So we need to reach out. Maybe your encouraging word is the whole difference. You making their day might turn around their whole perspective. The littlest things can have that impact. I mean, after all, okay, so it doesn't work. You're not out anything, right? You're not out anything. But if it does work, it'll probably make your day too. And so what a powerful thing.

A powerful thing. And I don't think it's that we're not doing these things, but I think we can be more intentional about it. We can be more intentional. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 is a good reminder of that fact. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, and they were a pretty intentional people. They were pretty purposeful. We say that fast five times. Pretty purposeful people, right? They chose to do these things. But it's interesting, the encouragement that Paul gave them, probably to help guide their daily thinking and their actions. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 9. I mean, imagine this being written about us, about our congregation. He says, "...but concerning brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another." Wow, that's great! Nobody needs to tell us about brotherly love because we've got it. We're putting it into practice. We're doing it. We're living it. That's a great compliment, isn't it? And so he even tells them not only, hey, your own congregation, but all those in Macedonia as well. But even though we're pretty good at this, do we say to ourselves, that's good enough?

Well, I do encourage people. I do try to do it. Is that enough? Or should I strive to even do more? And that's where Paul says, even though you've got this down, he says, we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more. So I can deliberately choose to do this more and more in my life. And so I need to ask myself, what is it that would make this person's day? What is it that would bring a smile to their face? What can I do? And it doesn't matter if I'm 5 or 50 or 100. There's something that we can do, and we can choose to make it happen. We can be intentional about making their day. And then that moves us from just wishful thinking and being passive to purpose. All right, there's a third thing we can do. A third choice we can make to have a fulfilling, deliberate, intentional, godly existence day to day. We can make it mindful.

Make it mindful. Yes, I can make it fun, and I can make their day. I definitely have to make it mindful. Or in other words, I have to live right now. I have to live in the moment. I've got to be present right now as I'm interacting with people. I mean, you've been in this situation before. You go out to grab a bite to eat at lunchtime, and not only are you out to lunch, but the restaurant staff seems to be out to lunch too. It's kind of not working too well. All right, how did that make you feel? Not too good. It's like, what are they doing? Are they ever going to come and take our order? What's the problem? Why are they ignoring us? I don't understand. They're waiting on everybody else. They're totally ignoring me. Why aren't they taking the food? I'm sure you never react like that, right? Okay, maybe we're thinking those kinds of things. Or maybe you've gone to the counter, you've got your purchase, and there's the clerk, and they're on the phone. And it's like you're not even there, and they're talking away in their own little world, and it's not even recognizing the fact that you're there. Or they're twirling their hair, or another day I was like, hey! They're talking to their co-worker. Did you know that this happened over here? And they're yelling and talking to each other and having a great time, and I'm like... Yeah. When... Okay, not mindful with the task at hand. Their employees are supposed to be serving, but definitely not living in the moment. We've all experienced that. And the challenge is we're all like that, because there are so many distractions in this world. I don't think it was that they intentionally were ignoring me. They just weren't there. They just weren't with it. They weren't paying attention to things. And we, too, can get caught up into this age of distraction, and we get our mind wandering in a different direction. And so when I say, make it mindful, that means we've got to be focused. We've got to focus the task at hand. And if we're not focused on what is happening right now, or the person that we're with right at that moment, we are easily distracted. And we're thinking about other things. But if we're fully present, when we are deeply paying attention and listening, these opportunities won't get away from us. They won't escape. And so when you think about making it mindful, it means focus right now. Focus on the present, on this moment, on what we're doing.

Oh, I'm supposed to be having a conversation? Probably should turn off the TV. Maybe I better set my phone aside. Oh, what? Oh, it's going off. I better... How frustrating is that? You're having a deep conversation with someone, and it's ding! Oh, and they're looking at their phone. It's like, okay, I try not to do that, but I'm guilty. Because we're so easily distracted. So I got to put it away. Put the screens away. Put the iPad away. Put the computer away. Turn off the TV and focus.

I need to do that because I'm so easily... Squirrel! I'm so easily distracted! And that's the way that it is. And we've got to train ourselves to be intentionally choosing to focus on what it is at hand. And if I do that, it begins to change my life from just... Oh, notification! Check it. Oh, I got a text. I got to read it. I got to read it right now because it might be important. And it's like, oh, no. Okay. What were we saying? Yeah, and that's our mindset. But the benefits of being mindful, being intentional, being in the moment. It's kind of like the Mayo Clinic study. I was reading from a, the senior editor of Psychology Today. His name is Jay Dixit. He wrote something interesting about this very fact of being mindful, living in the moment, focusing right now. He said this, practicing mindfulness reduces stress, boosts your immune system, lowers your blood pressure, and has other beneficial physical and mental effects. That sounds like the Mayo Clinic study, doesn't it? Yeah, about having fun, being in the moment. He also said, mindful people are more secure. They have higher self-esteem and are happier. They're happier. Can we choose to make it mindful? Can we focus right now? I think that is a godly characteristic to do just that. It doesn't mean we're not looking to the future. It doesn't mean those kinds of things. But it certainly means we're not living in the past. We're not looking at past successes or failures to define who we are. We're living right now because this is what counts. In fact, if you go back to Ecclesiastes, notice what Solomon says here. Ecclesiastes 11, 9.

If we're young, it is the time to focus on now. If we're middle-aged, we focus now. Even if we're old, now is the time. Don't think the best years are gone. I don't think God wants us to think that way. There are wonderful blessings for wherever we are in life. And here in chapter 11, verse 9, he talks to our young people. God records for us, Rejoice, O man in your youth. Let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Be present right now with where... And isn't that the way it is sometimes, though? Especially when we're young? I like to include myself with the young when we talk about these kind of things. Yes, I am a recycled teenager, so I'm kind of young. But I remember I couldn't wait until I could get my permit. Anybody felt that way? Wow, when I get my permit, we'll have freedom! I could drive! And life was nothing until I got that. And then it's like, whoa, life really happens when you're 18. Now, when you turn 18, I'm an adult. I can't wait till I'm 8, or 21. When I'm 21, then I've really... And all these times, we're looking forward to what's next. Well, I can't wait till I'm married. I can't wait till I have children. I can't wait, and we're always looking forward. I can't wait to retire. What was that? What about right now? Do we make the most of now? That's what it says here. Rejoice now in your youth. It's not about, okay, when I'm 18 or when I'm 20. Right now, you can be enjoying life. You can be mindful of the present right now. Right now. And God wants us to appreciate the gifts that He's giving us today. Today, right now. In fact, a couple pages back. Ecclesiastes 3. Ecclesiastes 3.12. This is a beautiful passage that is such a good reminder, similar to the one we read earlier. Ecclesiastes 3.12, I know that nothing's better for them than to rejoice, to do good in their lives. Yet we're living life in a godly perspective. We're taking advantage and being mindful of our opportunities. We're living in the moment, in the present, and we're putting God's focus on it. Drink and eat and enjoy the good of your labor. In fact, he also says a couple verses later, look at 9.9. Ecclesiastes 9.9. Oftentimes, we think of this as a downer passage. Maybe the only time we read this is at a funeral, but I don't think that's the intent overall. Because normally we'll look at Ecclesiastes 9.10 and we'll talk about, yeah, the dead know nothing. They're in the grave. There's no work, device, or knowledge, or wisdom in the grave where you're going. Oh, great. I'm going to die.

What's the perspective on that? The perspective isn't, you're going to die. That's not the perspective. The perspective is, what are you doing now? Are you taking advantage of the present? Because in verse 9 it says, live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life. Can I be intentional? Can I live in the moment? Can I focus on my mate? Can I focus when I'm with my children? Can I focus when I'm with my parents? Yes, I need to do that. So he says that very, be intentional. Be intentional and focus on those things. When you're together, that's it. Don't just wait for the next vacation or the next big thing. But he says, all the days of your life, all the days of your life, be deliberate. Consciously make a choice. Be attentive to that. And oftentimes, we let those things escape us because we want to and we intend to and we'd like to, but we're passive about it and we just don't make it happen. We don't make it happen.

I heard the story about a fellow, and this is a true story, talk about not being in the moment, not being present. He goes to the restaurant. He orders a pretty simple meal. He orders a sandwich, a drink, and I'll have a cookie with that. A checker checks him out and says to him, would you like a cookie with that? The guy's like, yes. He's thinking, I just asked for a cookie. Yeah, I'd like a cookie with that. Then he kind of lets it go. He comes back to the restaurant. A couple weeks later, basically, he orders the same thing. He orders a sandwich and a drink, and he says, I'll have a cookie with that. Of course, what does the checker say once they get it all rung up? Would you like a cookie with that? Yeah, they train them to say that. You've been at those places. Would you like a 99 cent pastry with that? Yeah, they do that. They're trained to just make sure they make the sale, offer a cookie with that. So the next time the guy goes to the restaurant, he's thinking, all right, I want to have some fun with this. So he gets a different checker, checking him out. He says, yes, I have a sandwich. I have a drink with that, and I want 200 cookies with that. The checker rings him up, and you know what he said to him. You want a cookie with that? Yeah, because they are trained to do that. Talk about not being in the moment. Not focused. Not paying attention to what they just got done saying. And of course, we never do that, do we? It's like someone's talking to us, and I'm listening. Yep. What did you say? Never do that. Okay, my wife is nodding her head. Yes, and all the time. We can't do that. If we're mindful, if we're mindful, we're living in the moment. And it's something we can do. A couple of things we can do. Talk about making it mindful, living in the moment. One of the things to do that is to stop worrying about things. Quit worrying about things. There's so many things we can worry about, but Christ said, you know, worrying about things won't add a single hour to your life. Matthew 6, 27. He said that very plain. Because we worry about things. We get caught up in everything we can worry about, and then we're not living. Oh, this could happen, or that could happen. Or we worry about what happened in the past, and now how is that going to impact? And we're so focused on that, today gets away from us. And we can't allow that to happen. I mean, the possible outcomes of worrying about things are, boy, they're endless. And so we don't want to prevent ourselves from living this life right now to the full potential that God wants us to. And so He tells us, don't worry. Don't let those little opportunities slip away. Suddenly it's gone, and I've squandered the chance. I had the opportunity, and I didn't. And in fact, when we're there, I mean, like that checker, pay attention. Just listen. Just listen. What are the benefits of just listening to someone? Step back, take a deep breath, and listen. I shouldn't just wait for my turn to talk. Well, how many times do we do that? But just to simply listen. To intentionally choose that. To give someone our undivided attention.

That's living in the moment. That's make it mindful. That we get the distractions out of the way, and we put away our agenda. We put away our opinions for just a moment, and focus and concentrate on what my friend is saying. And doing that can change everything. And you know, like the Mayo Clinic study, like Psychology Today, they've done many studies on this very fact, being focused right now. You do that, and it changes everything. I mean, what did you do today? Got up, and I was in a bad mood. I got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Well, get back in, and get up on the other side. Make it deliberate. We have to make it deliberate. I mean, all too often, okay, I've got to get my cup of coffee in the morning. I'll choke it down on the way to work. Well, wait a second. I like coffee. How many times do I make that cup of coffee? I'm just going to sit down, take a deep breath, and just enjoy it.

Sometimes we don't tend to do that. We don't, because there's so many things to do. There's places to go, and people to see, and things to do. I've got to get going. I've got... And so we let those times slip away from us. How about just sitting down and actually tasting our food? It's like, I got to hurry. We got things. We got to go. We got to make it happen. And we get in that mode that we just don't even taste the food that we're eating.

And some of these studies have shown that if we just step back, take a deep breath, and enjoy that meal. If we actually taste and drink that cup of coffee leisurely, or we take a leisurely walk, or walk to the store. There are so many studies that have been done that that does bring an experience of more joy, of happiness. Positive things, positive emotions are a result of just taking the time. And some of these studies even say there's fewer depressive systems by actively savoring the moment. Wow, how wonderful would that be? You know, you've heard this statement where it says, you know, don't let the past or don't let the future steal your present. It can steal, well, literally the present, the gift that God's given to us.

In fact, I ran across a wonderful quote from a man named Robert Brault. He said, enjoy the little things in life. For one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things. You see, enjoy the little things in life because, yeah, we will look back. In reality, those are the big things. When we live in the moment, when we make it mindful, we're making a choice. We're moving from passive to purpose.

Now, another thing that we can do, if we're to be intentional, if we're to be purposeful, we need to make the mood. Make the mood. In other words, choose. Choose life. Choose our attitude. I mean, how important is attitude in life? You know, sometimes you think, well, I don't have a choice over my attitude. Things happen to me and I'm in this mood because look what they did.

Yet, we've got to tell ourselves, I'm not in this attitude because of what they did.

Even though they did these things that weren't very good, I have a choice. How do I react to these things? You know, how did I start the day? Did I actively choose to say, this is going to be a good day. Some great things are going to happen this day and I'm going to really appreciate what goes on. You see, when we start with that mindset and consciously make that choice, I think it does change things because now I'm choosing to put on a good attitude. I'm choosing to put on a positive perspective. Actually, I'm choosing to put on a Christ-like characteristic. And Scripture tells us about this. We're supposed to do that very thing. We make the mood. Colossians 3, verse 10. Let's notice what Paul wrote about this. Here, as he writes to Colossae, he reminds all of us that I can't say, listen, I'm not in the mood for it today. I'm up to hear with it. I say that too many. I think that too much. I shouldn't be that way. I can't blame it on, yeah, it's just a bad day, a lousy day. Well, if I'm going to have the godly attitude and the Christ-like character I need to, I've got to choose my attitude. I've got to make the mood. And God says, yes, it is possible to do that very thing. Colossians 3, 10. We know we have this big event in our life, as he describes here. We put on the new man at baptism. Boy, do we put on an attitude. We say, this is the person we are striving to be. I am striving to be a new creation in Christ. And boy, talk about a mood changer, a defining moment in our life. Absolutely.

But we know it doesn't stop there. This is a daily decision. In fact, this is an hourly decision I have to make in my life to choose to have the right attitude, to choose godly characters. So he writes to that very fact. He says, yes, that's what we are in Christ is all in all. But verse 12, he says, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, this wasn't just a one-time event that we had. This is our way of life. We have to walk this way. We have to choose this way. We have to be deliberate about this way. So he says, put on tender mercies. Put on kindness. Put on humility. And he's connecting that back to put on the new man. The Christlike creation that you're to be, this new creation in Christ, is one that exhibits every one of these characteristics, meekness and long suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. And it's amazing that he puts it in terms of put this on. Put this on. Make the mood. Choose your attitude. And literally, this word to put on was a word the Greeks would use like you were putting on your clothes. You're putting on your jacket. You're getting ready to go out. You're putting on your shoes. You're heading outside. Yeah, you choose to do that. I'm not going outside. Barefoot is raining out. I've got to put my shoes on. And we make that choice. And so he, I believe, deliberately, intentionally chose this word to put on tender mercies. Put on kindness. Put on humility. First of all, because it doesn't come naturally, but I think most importantly, because we get to choose our attitude. And if we think of it in these terms, when I got up this morning, did I choose, this is the way I'm going to be today. Well, we got up and we decided, I'm going to put on a blue tie today. And we made that choice. I'm actually going to wear socks today. I know some of us don't wear socks, but we chose, and we got to put those socks on. And I got to pull my pants on. I decided to wear this blouse or this skirt. And we make those choices and we put them on. They just didn't get attached to our bodies. We had to make the choice. And so Paul uses that very word. So tomorrow, when I'm getting dressed, I'm going to put on clothes again. And if I'm putting on clothes, let's say I'm going to cut the grass, I'm going to put on certain clothes. I'm going to put on my work clothes to do that. I'm choosing, I'm not going to put on my suit to go out and cut the grass. I'm deliberately choosing the kind of clothes I'm going to wear. And so that's what he's telling us here. Deliberately choose tender mercies. Make a conscious effort to put on kindness. Intentionally choose meekness and humility. So when I pull on my socks tomorrow, can I think, I'm going to be humble today, no matter what happens. I'm going to put on mercy as I pull on my pants. I'm going to choose to be kind, no matter what somebody else does to me. They cut me off on the highway. I don't have to shake my fist at them. I've done the same thing. Can I put on a different perspective? That's where God tells us, yes. And above all, he says in verse 14, put on love. Put on love.

So we can choose. I mean, how different would today be if you chose, I'm going to be mad today. I'm going to let everything fluster me and irritate me today. What kind of day are you going to have? Probably a self-fulfilling prophecy. That's going to be a lousy day. You choose to be like that. All right. What if we choose the opposite? What if I have determined that I am going to put on these godly traits? Boy, the day is going to be entirely different. Even when negative things happen, even when difficult things happen, my reaction to them will be different. I can't stop those things from happening. There are going to be some difficult things that happen. I don't have control over the entire universe, but I do have control over my attitude and over my mood. And I have control. Okay, the weather, that's lousy. Can't help that. Can't help when difficulties happen. I can't help. I got bad service at the restaurant, but he treated me like a jerk. I can't help those things. But I can change the way I react to them. I can change my thinking, and I can shrug it off and not let it affect me negatively. And of course, yeah, there are times in our life there's a lot bigger things than somebody mistreating us at the restaurant or somebody cutting us off. There's really, truly bad things out there, no doubt. Sometimes health challenges. Sometimes the difficulties that life rings, that we cannot control. Yeah, those are definitely terrible things.

But I still have a choice, even in those harsh realities that do exist. I can't ignore them, and those are terrible circumstances. But I can control how I face it, and I can control how I take it. And so God still gives me a choice, even in those most difficult times, to be intentional and to choose our attitude. In fact, maybe Christ summed it up best. Matthew 12, verse 33. In moving from a passive existence to one of purpose, I think Christ kind of just lays it on the line here in chapter 12, verse 33 of Matthew. Because he really says, you've got a choice. It's going to be one thing or the other. And in a way, it's like the choice Adam and Eve had. It's like the daily opportunity every one of us have. And Christ said it a little bit differently, but look at the choice. Verse 33 of Matthew 12, he says, either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for a tree is known by its fruit. It's pretty cool. We're the tree, and who gets to decide the fruit?

Well, we do. We get to decide. We get to decide these things. And so we can choose. And so, verse 35, he says, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things.

What doesn't it say? It doesn't say the man who has good intentions just happens to bring out some good things. You see, it doesn't say that. It shows the deliberateness here. It shows how we're proactive. It shows how we are choosing. The good man out of the good treasure brings forth good things. He's making it happen. He's intentional about these things. He's purposeful in these things. It's not just something that's automatically going to happen, because all too often, we just automatically revert to our human nature, and it doesn't happen automatically. And of course, on the other side of things, the same happens. Out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. Yes, we're going to be held accountable. And Christ talks about that very thing. By your words, verse 37, you will be justified. By your words, you will be condemned. And so Christ says it is about choosing, about making every day count. And it's about being accountable, that we hold ourselves accountable because we each have those decisions to make, and what kind of day we're going to choose to have, what kind of person we're going to choose to be, or what kind of congregation, what kind of church we're going to be. And so God tells us, take responsibility.

Someone once said, not to decide is to decide. It's still making a choice. Take responsibility for our lives, and let's move from the passive to the purposeful, and let's really put it to action so we can choose and be deliberate about making life enjoyable. Live an abundant life. Choose to have this super abundant life that God wants us to have. That it's not just about me, it's not just about mine, it's not just about ours, but it's about them. I want to make their day too. I'm going to love other people and choose to exhibit my care and concern for them. And I'm going to make it mindful. I want to live in the moment. I'm not going to just be thinking about what's the next task, what's the next job, what's the next thing I have. Let's be here, be now, be present, and choose your attitude. Make the mood. We do have an amazing God who has given us a wonderful opportunity to choose to make life what we want to make it. So let's choose life, and let's live it with purpose.