Month: October 2024

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.” Psalm 34:17 (NLT)

You’ll hear it from many places these days: People are basically good and unselfish. It’s their environments that turn people’s hearts toward evil.

Unfortunately, that theory just doesn’t match with what we see in human nature. If you’ve ever been around small children, you get this. They’re born with a selfish nature. Phrases like “Feed me!” “Care for me!” and “I’m the center of attention” are the rule rather than the exception.

Human injustice throughout the world and in our own communities also shatters any misconception we have that humans are all basically good. Left to our own devices, we oppress other people, hoard our food, and generally think about ourselves much more than anyone else.

And then it seems as if God looks at the humanity he created and says, “Okay, you think you’re basically good? You think human nature is basically unselfish? I’ll step back and let human nature take its course in the world. You’ll see what happens when I’m not in the picture.”

What’s true in children and society in general is also true in our lives today. You and I are treated unfairly all the time. But here’s something you may not have considered: You treat people unfairly from time to time as well, and so do I.

Our inclination to treat one another unfairly doesn’t surprise God. In fact, it shows why we need Jesus.

The reality is, without God in the situation, people treat each other inhumanely. That’s the heart of injustice and unfairness in our world—from despotic dictators to crushing poverty to racial tension in our communities.

One day God will judge every person on the planet for the injustices they commit against others. Because God is just, there must be consequences for how we treat others.

That means we need mercy. All of us have been unfair with others. We’re not just the victims of injustice. We’re perpetrators, too.

This unfairness shows us we need Jesus. God wouldn’t have needed to send his Son to die on the cross if people were generally good. The vast injustices in our world make it clear that humans can’t live moral lives on their own.

Next time you’re treated unfairly, let it be a reminder: Every person on this planet—including you and me—needs Jesus.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)

Unfairness is part of the human condition. You can’t live on this earth for long without feeling like someone has treated you unfairly. Maybe it’s a parent who put you through a miserable childhood. Maybe it’s an employer who treats you more harshly than they treat your coworkers. Maybe you feel like you were handled unfairly by the legal process. Maybe you didn’t get the opportunity you thought you deserved.

You can choose to respond to the people who hurt you by hurting them. That’s the easiest choice to make, no doubt about it!

But God gives us another option in his Word: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44 NIV).

When people hurt you, they expect you to retaliate. They expect you to seek revenge. But God wants you to do the exact opposite: He wants you to respond in love.

If you respond to mistreatment with love, you’ll keep the other person from controlling you. You can’t control when another person treats you unfairly. You can control whether you get bitter in the process. You can control your response to injustice.

Just because you respond to an offender lovingly doesn’t mean you continue to allow injustice. On the contrary, we must lovingly seek justice. We must work for justice in the world without retaliating. The Bible commands us to be “fair-minded and just. Do what is right!” (Jeremiah 22:3 NLT).

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a great example of this. He fought against injustice without violence. He overcame evil through the power of love. He followed the example of Jesus, who chose to forgive his persecutors even as they were killing him.

That’s our calling as followers of Jesus. Unfairness and injustice may be part of the human condition, but we must not feed into it. Instead, God calls us to respond in love.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do.” Job 5:2 (GNT)

If you hang on to resentment, it will always hurt you more than anyone else. Resentment is self-destructive and counterproductive.

Resentment doesn’t make any sense!

If anyone ever had a reason to be resentful, it was Job. He was a godly man, who had everything he wanted—wealth, fame, and a great family. One day he lost it all. Enemy nations killed all his livestock. All of his children were killed. He got a terrible disease. He literally lost everything he had. All he had left was a nagging wife. Then his friends came along and said, “Job, it’s all your fault.”

Though Job had every reason to be resentful, he says in the biblical book named after him that resentment is a bad idea. Job said, “To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do” (Job 5:2 GNT).

Job was a wise man. He knew he didn’t have time to be resentful. He knew it was foolish, senseless, and illogical. If you think back through experiences in your own life, you’ll probably agree. We can do silly things when we’re caught up in resentment. We’ll say things like, “I’m going to get him!” Then we often do the ridiculous to make that happen. When we give in to resentment, we act in self-destructive ways and hurt ourselves much more than those we’re holding grudges against.

For example, I remember one time watching the old comedy act, The Three Stooges. Mo kept hitting Curly on the chest. Curly said, “I’m going to get even with that guy. I’m going to stop him!” So he took a stick of dynamite and strapped it to his own chest. Then he said, “Next time he slaps me, it’s going to blow his hand off!!”

That’s what happens when we’re resentful—we do really dumb things to try to get even with people. Worse yet, resentment isn’t helpful. It makes us miserable in the process. It never ends with us getting what we want.

So why do it? Don’t hold on to your resentment. Forgive, and let it go.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  Luke 6:31 (NIV)

One of the greatest tests of your character is how you treat people who are trying to serve you. Whether it’s a waitress, a waiter, a clerk, an employee, a secretary, your children, or your spouse, how you treat those who serve you tells me a great deal about you.

In fact, when I was involved in hiring decisions of church staff, I often took people to restaurants to see how they interacted with the server. Someone who was rude and demanding in those situations has a character flaw that I didn’t want as part of our team.

Jesus tells us, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31 NIV). That may be the simplest yet most important character test in the Bible.

Social psychologist Eric Hoffer once said, “Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” It takes no intelligence at all to be rude.

The best place to practice this important character trait of respect is at home. More marriages are ruined by rudeness than anything else. When I used to do marriage counseling, I was amazed at how many marriages are buried by one little dig after another.

Have you noticed that sometimes we’re the most disrespectful to the people we care about the most? Our homes should be safe places to express our emotions and practice forgiveness and grace—but they are too often the place where we think we can get away with the most unkindness. I know people who treat their families in ways they would never treat a stranger. Yet even in our families—especially in our families—we need to be understanding, not demanding, and forgiving, not finding fault.

Courtesy is just love in the little things. It’s showing grace, because we understand there are hidden hurts everywhere. It’s showing respect for people by being kind, even in the smallest areas of our lives.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Show proper respect to everyone.”  1 Peter 2:17 (NIV)

Respect has become an endangered value.

Yet the Bible makes it clear that stable families—and stable societies—are built around respect. The Bible commands us to honor our parents, respect civil authority, and respect church leaders. Wives are called to respect husbands in Ephesians. In the book of 1 Peter, husbands are called to respect wives. Just to make it clear that God leaves no one out, the Bible also says, “Show proper respect to everyone” (1 Peter 2:17 NIV).

Everyone, regardless of beliefs or behaviors, is worthy of respect.

Why?

God made everyone. Psalm 8:5 says, “You made them inferior only to yourself; you crowned them with glory and honor” (GNT). God doesn’t make junk. No one is worthless. People make wrong decisions, but they are still valuable to God. Even the most unlovable person in the world is loved by God. When you show someone respect, you show them their value as God’s creation.

Jesus died for everyone. The Bible says, “God paid a ransom to save you . . . he paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19 TLB). You may not place much value in certain people, but God does. In fact, he says every person you meet is worth dying for. Doesn’t that change the way you look at people?

It shows you know God. The Bible tells us that God is love. If you know God, then you’ll fill your life with love. The Bible says, “If a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love” (1 John 4:8 TLB). Love always treats people with respect.

You’ll get back whatever you give out. It’s the law of the harvest. Whatever goes around comes around. If you want to be respected, then treat other people with respect. Galatians 6:7 says, “You will always harvest what you plant” (NLT).

By learning to love each other, we become “eager to show respect for one another” (Romans 12:10 GNT). You’ll more easily respect others when you recognize what God has done for them and try to love them more like he does.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.” Ecclesiastes 10:15 (GNT)

You’re not God. You don’t have all the answers. You can’t do everything. If you’re struggling to find balance in your life, those admissions can transform everything.

The Bible says, “Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work” (Ecclesiastes 10:15 GNT).

It’s foolish to wear yourself out with work. Do you realize that when you overwork, you’re playing God? It’s a way of saying that it all depends on you, that everything will crash down if you don’t keep the world spinning.

That’s just not true! You’re not the general manager of the universe. The universe will not fall apart if you take time to rest and balance your life. God has it under control.

Often we do this to ourselves because we’re trying to please everyone. Learn this lesson today: You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t please everyone! One person wants it to rain. Another one wants it to be sunny. It’s absurd to try doing what even God can’t do.

When you live for the expectations of others, you pile a ton of “shoulds” on your shoulders. You may think, “I should work more hours,” “I should be as active as all the other parents,” or “I should volunteer for this project.” But realize this: No one is forcing you to do those things. Overworking is your choice. You choose to take on the extra work or to say “no.” And you choose the consequences that come with your choice.

When you deny your humanity and try to do it all, you’re robbing God of his glory. The Bible declares this in 2 Corinthians 4:7: “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (NIV).

Paul reminds us that we’re human beings. We’re feeble and fragile. Jars of clay break easily. If you drop them, they shatter. Clay pots have to be handled appropriately and with care. If not, they’ll be destroyed.

But the good news is that through our feebleness, God’s power and glory shine through. Your humanity isn’t something to hide. Instead, you can celebrate the power of God working through your limitations.

So admit it: You’re human. Thank God for that!

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me.”  Exodus 20:9-10 (GNT)

We each must consciously decide to make time for things other than work. If we don’t, we’ll never rest. We’ll quickly burn out!

It’s like a bow and arrow. When a bow is constantly strung tight, it loses its power. It has to be unstrung periodically. You need to force yourself to set realistic hours and then hold yourself accountable—and ask someone to check up on you in the process.

Getting proper rest isn’t pop psychology or just good advice. It’s so important to the heart of God that he put it in the Ten Commandments—along with “Do not murder,” “Do not lie,” and “Do not steal.” “Take a day off every seven days” made it on God’s top 10 list of moral choices. Shouldn’t it make it on ours, too?

The Bible says, “You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me” (Exodus 20:9-10 GNT). We call this the Sabbath, which simply means a “day of rest.” What should you do on your Sabbath?

Rest your body. If you don’t take time off, your body will make you take time off. Your back will go out. You’ll get a headache. You’ll get the flu. God didn’t design our bodies to go without rest. That’s why sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do on your Sabbath is take a nap!

Recharge your emotions. Everyone does this differently. For some, recharging happens through quietness. Others rejuvenate through recreation. Still others reenergize through relationships. Discover what it takes to recharge your emotions, and make it a regular part of your Sabbath.

Refocus your spirit. You need to worship on your Sabbath. Take time to focus on God instead of all your problems. Worship puts everything else in perspective. It shrinks your problems. It reminds you that God is still on his throne and he’ll help you through whatever you’re facing. Suddenly the problem you’ve stressed over all week long won’t be nearly as big anymore.

We all need a Sabbath in our lives. It doesn’t have to be on Sunday. It can be any day of the week, but you need to take one day off each week to rest your body, recharge your emotions, and refocus your spirit.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.”  Matthew 6:33 (NCV)

If you want to live a truly balanced life, you can only look at one person in all of history as your model: Jesus. When you put him at the center of your life, your life will be more balanced.

Think of your life like a wheel. The center of the wheel is a hub. All of the spokes of your life (which represent your relationships, your family, your career, your goals, and so on) come from that hub. We all build our lives around some sort of hub. The question is, what will be your hub? Will it be your family? Will it be your career? Will it be money?

Or will it be Jesus?

How do you know what you’re building your life around? Take a look at whatever you think about the most. That’s what is driving you.

The center of your life is critical to developing a balanced life. A solid center leads to a solid life. A weak, flimsy center leads to a weak life. When people tell me their lives are coming unglued, it usually means one thing: They have a faulty center. Something other than God has taken priority in their lives.

Not only does the hub create stability, but it also controls and influences everything else about your life. Whatever you put at the center of your life will also be your source of power. The power of a wheel always emanates from the center outward—never the other way around.

Make Jesus the hub of your life, and he’ll provide the stability, control, and power you need. The Bible says, “Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well” (Matthew 6:33 NCV).

When you choose to put Jesus at the center, all the other areas of your life—from your family to your career to your goals—will find balance in him. He will direct your life, empower it, and give it stability.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind.”  Ecclesiastes 4:4 (GNT)

We can come up with many excuses for overworking. Sometimes we blame it on needing to provide for our family. Other times we insist our work is so important that to slow down would be negligent.

But usually, it’s a values problem. We start valuing the wrong things. Specifically, we value the acquisition of stuff above all else.

The Bible says, “I have also learned why people work so hard to succeed: it is because they envy the things their neighbors have. But it is useless. It is like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:4 GNT).

God says we have two options: We can either spend all our time keeping up with the Joneses, or we can forget them and reduce our stress level—but we can’t have both.

That’s how this becomes a question of values. Do you want more stuff, or do you want less stress and more time with your family and friends? The choice is yours.

Jesus said it like this: “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36 NIV). Or, “What good is it to become president of your company but lose your kids or your spouse?”

The simple answer? It’s not good at all.

Your work and your worth are two different things. Maybe you grew up being told you’re worthless, and you’re out in the workplace trying to prove everyone wrong. In the back of your mind, you’re telling yourself, “I’m going to show them. I’m going to prove them wrong.” You work harder and harder, but no matter how hard you work, it’s never enough. Just about the time you start to relax, you hear a haunting voice telling you, “Keep pedaling. Somebody’s catching up!” You need to get rid of the voice. It’s feeding you a lie.

As a pastor, I was by many bedsides as people died. I’ve seen many people take their last breath, sometimes at a hospital, sometimes in a home, and sometimes at the scene of an accident. Among all of the people I’ve watched die in my life, I’ve never heard anyone say with their dying breath, “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.”

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“All of us should . . . enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift.”  Ecclesiastes 3:13 (GNT)

In a 21st century world where we’re overworked, overstressed, and over-scheduled, this may be one of the most significant and freeing sentences you’ll ever read: You have just enough time to do God’s will.

That means if you don’t feel you have enough time in your day, one of two things is true.

1) You’re doing things God doesn’t intend for you to do.

2) You’re doing the things God intended the wrong way.

God wouldn’t give you a list of things to do and not give you the time to do them. You’re either trying to do too much or you’re wasting time. There’s really no other option.

Either way, you need to learn to enjoy the moment. The Bible says, “All of us should . . . enjoy what we have worked for. It is God’s gift” (Ecclesiastes 3:13 GNT).

Too many of us fall victim to a terrible trap. I call it “when and then” thinking. We believe “when” we achieve a particular goal, we’ll be happy. Maybe that goal is graduation, marriage, or a financial goal. But you won’t be happy then. You’ll enjoy reaching that goal for three seconds, and then you’ll start asking yourself, “What’s next?” The cycle simply repeats itself.

Are you worn out, burnt out, or stressed out? God wants more for you. If you’re carrying an overwhelming load, it isn’t from Jesus. He says, “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest . . . the load I give you to carry is light” (Matthew 11:28, 30 NCV).

Every moment of your life is a gift from God. He doesn’t want you to miss a single one because you’re focused on what’s next and not on what’s he’s put right in front of you. Don’t wait for something to happen before you are happy with what you already have. God has given you everything you need for joy and contentment right now.