Category: Tĩnh nguyện

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.”  Proverbs 17:9 (TLB)

The Bible says wisdom “is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds” (James 3:17 NLT). In other words—even when people mess up, sin, fumble, and fail—it’s wise to show grace.

God is both the wisest and most merciful being in the universe. Everything you have in life—even your next breath—is a gift from him. If we got what we deserved, we wouldn’t be alive. Yet God gives us exactly what we need, not what we deserve. He’s full of mercy.

In the same way, wise people give others what they need, not what they deserve. Wise people don’t emphasize other’s mistakes; instead, wise people are merciful. They cut people slack—because they know God cuts them slack all the time.

When you judge, you’re being foolish. But when you’re merciful, you’re reflecting God.

Proverbs 17:9 says, “Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends” (TLB).

I saw a beautiful example of this in Mike, a man who had been on the Saddleback facilities staff for many years. I ran into him on the day he and his wife, Sally, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Sally was getting ready to drive off, so I walked over to her car to congratulate her. I asked her, “What is the secret of a 50-year marriage?” She looked at me and said, “Pastor, I never tried to change him.”

After she drove off, I walked over to Mike and said, “Mike, what’s the secret to 50 years of marriage?” He said, “I never tried to change her.”

Through 50 years of marriage, Sally and Mike surely had seen each other fumble and fail many times. But, instead of foolishly judging, they chose, as Proverbs 17:9 says, to forget each other’s mistakes. They wisely showed mercy over and over again.

Today, tomorrow, and the next day, choose to show mercy to the people around you. Living a wise life that’s full of mercy will pay great dividends for you in the long run.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”  James 3:17 (NIV)

Do you know two of the biggest mistakes people make in relationships? One, they react to what someone says without considering how that person feels. Two, they invalidate someone’s feelings because they don’t feel that way themselves.

The antidote for both of these is the same: Simply be considerate.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these mistakes and what you can do instead.

Mistake #1: Reacting without trying to understand.

People often pay too much attention to someone’s words and not enough attention to the emotions behind the words. When a person is angry, they often say things they don’t mean. They exaggerate and use words they didn’t intend to use. Instead of just listening to the words, look for the emotions behind the words. People don’t always say what they mean—but they always feel what they feel.

If you’re wise in relationships, you’ll be considerate of feelings. Don’t just focus on what your kid, spouse, neighbor, or boss says—words that may trigger your anger. Instead, be mindful of what those people may be feeling. When people are rude and unkind, they are screaming to the world, “I’m in pain!” Hurting people always hurt people. And it’s actually the unkind people who need your kindness the most.

Mistake #2: Invalidating any feelings that you don’t feel yourself.

When you don’t feel the same emotion someone else feels, you may dismiss their feelings altogether. Can one person be cold and another be warm while being in the same room at the same time? Yes. So why try to argue people out of what they feel?

When you dismiss someone’s feelings, you minimize the other person. Someone may say to you, “I feel stupid.” Don’t dismiss it by saying, “You’re not stupid.” Instead, ask, “Why do you feel that way? What makes you say that?” You need to look beyond the words and get to the real issue.

Feelings are neither right nor wrong. They’re just there. No one has to defend their feelings. They just need you to say, “I hear you.”

The Bible says, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV).

With heaven’s wisdom, you can stop ignoring and invalidating other people’s feelings. You can let your friend feel tired and not try to talk her out of it. You can let your spouse feel sad and not try to talk him out of it. Wise people are considerate of other people’s feelings.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them.”  Proverbs 20:3 (GNT)

Wise people are peacemakers, not troublemakers. Wise people don’t carry a chip on their shoulder. They’re not always looking for a fight. And they don’t intentionally antagonize other people.

The fact is, if you’re around someone for any length of time, you’ll figure out what irritates them. Then you may file that information in the back of your mind as a tool to use when you get into an argument. When the person says something that hurts, offends, or slights you in any way, you may pull out the information you filed away and use it against them. You push the hot button. And it works every time!

You know what the Bible calls this kind of behavior? Stupid! It doesn’t get you any closer to resolution or help your relationship. In fact, it hurts the relationship. It’s not wise.

Proverbs 20:3 says, “Any fool can start arguments; the honorable thing is to stay out of them” (GNT).

We all use counterproductive strategies in relationships. They’re hurtful, they’re harmful, and they don’t get you what you want. But when we lack wisdom, we use them anyway.

Here are just a few of these counterproductive strategies:

Comparing—Never compare your wife, your husband, your kids, your boss, or anyone else—because each person is unique. Comparing antagonizes anger.

Condemning—When you start laying on the guilt in a relationship, you get the opposite of what you expect. It doesn’t work, and it’s foolish.

Contradicting—William James, a pioneer in the field of psychology, said, “Wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook.” Some things just aren’t worth your attention; you simply need to overlook them.

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:29, “A wise man controls his temper. He knows that anger causes mistakes” (TLB). Have you ever said or done anything out of anger? We all have! When you get angry, your intelligence goes out the window. You say and do foolish things that are self-defeating.

Have you ever thought about the fact that there is only one letter difference between “anger” and “danger”? When you get angry, you are in dangerous territory. You are about to hurt others—and yourself—with your anger.

The good news is that you don’t have to let your anger get the best of you. You can choose to be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. Follow the wise advice of Proverbs: Control your temper and stay out of arguments. You—and the people who have a relationship with you—will be glad you did.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”  Acts 17:27 (NIV)

In Acts 17, Paul gave a sermon to the people in Athens. He said something like, “God doesn’t live in a temple or a little house. He would be confined. He has chosen to live all around the world. God is everywhere.” Why? As Acts 17:27 says, “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us” (NIV). God is close, available, and accessible.

A lot of kids today grow up with absentee fathers. These dads are never home, always gone, never there for the important dates. Even when they are home, they really aren’t there. They’re detached—scrolling their phones, watching television, or working. They may be physically there, but they’re not mentally and emotionally at home.

That’s why it’s important to remember three encouraging facts about the closeness of God:

1.  God is never too busy for you.

Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is near to all who call on him” (NIV). He’s never too busy to talk to you. When you want to pray, God is right there, ready to listen. God has no problem processing everyone’s prayer request at the same time because he’s God. He’s always near. He never says, “Call back later.”

2.  God loves to meet your needs.

He’s not annoyed by your requests. The Bible teaches, “If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11 NIV). Even imperfect parents here on earth like to give their children good gifts. God is perfect, so he’s even better at giving gifts. In fact, he loves to meet your needs.

3.  He is sympathetic to your hurts.

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18 NLT). When you hurt, God hurts. When you grieve, God grieves. When you are brokenhearted, crushed, and think you can’t even get out of bed in the morning, God feels for you. You are never closer to God than when you are in pain. He is there. And he cares.

God wants to meet your needs because he’s caring, consistent, and close.  That is such good news.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father . . . who does not change like shifting shadows.”  James 1:17 (NIV)

You can count on God. He’s dependable and reliable. He is worthy of your trust.

Some of you know fathers who are unpredictable, unreliable, and fickle. They’re always changing, depending on the mood they’re in. Inconsistent fathers produce insecure children.

But the Scripture says God never has a bad day. He doesn’t wake up grumpy. He’s not moody. He doesn’t get up on the wrong side of the bed. He’s consistent and faithful.

2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (NIV). Even when I’m unfaithful, God is faithful. Even when I’m inconsistent, God is consistent. Even when I’m unreliable, God is reliable. No matter what else is changing in the world, there is one thing I can count on: God always acts the same way toward me. He is loving and he is consistent, regardless of my mood. He loves me just as much on my bad days as on my good days.

God says it himself in Malachi 3:6—“I the LORD do not change” (NIV). That is good news!

The number one problem with children and parents—the cause of rebellion, damage, resentment, and hurt feelings—is broken promises. A parent says, “One of these days—I promise.” And “one of these days” never comes.

But God is consistent. “What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true” (Psalm 18:30 TLB).

If God says it, count on it! He’s always faithful. He’s always just the same way.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

At one time or another, you’ve probably been in a situation where you’ve asked, “Doesn’t God care?” The disciples asked this very question in Mark 4.

They were out in a boat on the lake when the winds and the waves came up. The water started sloshing over the boat and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping. The disciples woke him up and asked the most important question you can ever ask, “Don’t you care that we’re drowning?” (Mark 4:38 CEB).

What about you? Does God care about your house payment, your health, whether you are a success or failure, your children’s education, whether you ever get married or not, about the argument you had with your boyfriend, or about how you feel this morning? God says, “You bet I care! I am a caring Father.”

Matthew 6:31-32 says, “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need [these things]” (NIV).

The next verse goes on to say, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

Scripture says that God is interested in every little detail of your life. That’s so incredible I don’t think it even sinks in. God is a caring God. He is concerned about every little detail in your life.

A while back, a man came into my office and said, “I’m a Christian but I don’t feel like I’m going anywhere in my Christian life. I’m kind of stuck in neutral.” I said, “What do you think the problem is?” He said, “I think my problem is I just don’t love God enough.”

I said, “That’s not your problem. Your problem is not that you don’t love God enough. Your problem is that you don’t understand how much he loves you.”

Love is always a response to love. The Bible says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). When you say, “I don’t love God,” it’s because you don’t understand just how much he really loves you. He cares about every detail of your life. He is a compassionate, caring Father.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“Nothing is impossible for God”  Luke 1:37 (GW)

God can handle any situation you give him. No problem is too tough for him. Nothing is beyond his ability. But the first thing you’ve got to do is bring it to him.

What decision are you facing this week? What mountain needs to be moved? Cancer? Bankruptcy? Your kids are having problems? Can’t break a bad habit? “Nothing is impossible for God” (Luke 1:37 GW).

In Jeremiah 32:27 God says, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for me?” (NIV). It’s almost like God is laying down the gauntlet, saying, “I dare you. Think up a problem that I can’t solve. Is anything too hard for me?”

Many children have said something like, “My daddy can do anything! My daddy can beat your daddy!” I really thought that was true of my father. But as I grew up, I began to have my eyes opened. I realized that when it came to my allowance, my dad had limited resources. When it came to advice, sometimes he was just guessing too. My guess was as good as his because he’s an imperfect father. 

Ephesians 3:20 says, “God . . . is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!” (TLB). I have a pretty vivid imagination. I can think up some pretty big dreams. I can set some high goals. But God essentially says, “My son, you think up the greatest thing you think I could do in your life and I can beat that. I can top that.” He is a capable Father.

What can you expect from your Father in heaven? “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 NIV). He has unlimited resources, unlimited energy, unlimited knowledge, unlimited time.  He can meet all of your needs.

The Lord’s Prayer gives us an example of that. It says that God, as our Father, provides three things:  provision for today (“give us today our daily bread”); pardon for yesterday (“forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors”); protection for tomorrow (“lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”) (Matthew 6:11-13 NIV).

In today’s language, God might say, “I’ve got all the bases covered—present, past, future. Your present?  I’ll provide. Your past? You blew it, but it’s okay; it’s forgiven. Your future? Don’t worry; don’t fear

“I’ll take care of yesterday’s failures, today’s frustrations, and tomorrow’s fears because I am a capable Father.”

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“We are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 (GNT)

When you feel overwhelmed, it’s important to go to God in prayer and confess your inability and inadequacy. If you’re afraid, you need to be honest and tell God exactly how you feel.

In 2 Chronicles 20:12, Jehoshaphat prays, “We are helpless in the face of this large army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but we look to you for help” (GNT). Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like there was a problem in your marriage, your career, or somewhere in your life that you thought was overwhelming? You start at the beginning of the week thinking maybe you can handle it, but by Wednesday you’re out of power.

Have you ever felt like that? You pick up the newspaper, and it looks like the bad guys are winning. The moral and spiritual climate of our society is collapsing. It looks like the bad guys are winning in many ways.

So what do you do? You say, “God, we’re powerless, and we don’t know what to do.” You tell God exactly how you feel.

It’s interesting when you compare verse 12, where it says, “We are helpless” to verse 6, where Jehoshaphat says, “You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you” (2 Chronicles 20:6 GNT). When God has power, it doesn’t matter if you’re powerless. If you put your trust in him, he’ll take care of you.

I don’t have to have power. You don’t either. And you don’t have to pretend that you do. All you have to do is trust in God, who’s got all the power that you need.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“King Jehoshaphat went and stood before [the people] and prayed aloud.”  2 Chronicles 20:5-6 (GNT)

Life includes times when you feel like you’re in an impossible situation, when you feel like you’re being attacked from all sides. That’s what happened to Israel’s King Jehoshaphat, who prayed to God when he faced armies from three different nations. To get through those times, you need to learn how to model your prayers after Jehoshaphat’s so that you can get relief.

Jehoshaphat did three things in 2 Chronicles 20 that you can do too:

Refocus on God. Even with a problem looming before you, shift your focus to God’s character and promises. Jehoshaphat prayed, “O LORD God of our ancestors, you rule in heaven over all the nations of the world. You are powerful and mighty, and no one can oppose you” (2 Chronicles 20:6 GNT). In essence, he was saying, “God, you are bigger than anything I will ever face.” Your problems may be too big for you to handle, but they will never be too big for God. Change your perspective by shifting your focus.

Remember God’s faithfulness in the past. Jehoshaphat recalled all the ways God had worked in Israel’s past. Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past will help you trust him for the future. You need to recall the times God has worked powerfully in your life.

Request God’s help. Jehoshaphat essentially prayed, “My problems aren’t too hard for you, God. You’ve helped us in the past. Please do it again!” God loves you, and he cares about your problems.

Jehoshaphat’s prayer is built around three questions: Are you not God? Did you not help us in the past? Will you not do it again?

When you are overwhelmed, you need God’s help. But it’s important to understand that your Father isn’t a vending machine who gives you whatever you want just because you’ve deposited a few prayers. God wants your worship first. You worship when you focus on him and thank him for his faithfulness. Then you pray and ask for his help.

Jehoshaphat was faithful to worship the Lord and ask him for help, and God delivered him from his enemies. God will do the same for you.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“After this the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat . . . Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance.”  2 Chronicles 20:1,3 (NLT)

Sometimes it seems the odds are against you.

I once read the story of a man named Brian who had a day like that. First, his apartment flooded from a broken pipe. When he went to rent a water vacuum, he discovered that he had a flat tire. He went back inside to phone a friend for help. But grabbing the phone while standing in water gave him such a startling electrical shock that he ripped the phone off the wall. By the time he was able to leave, water damage had caused his door to swell shut, and he had to yell for a neighbor to kick it down. While all this was happening, somebody stole Brian’s car.

That evening, Brian attended a military ceremony at his university and injured himself when he sat on his bayonet. Doctors stitched his wound, but no one could resuscitate Brian’s four canaries who were crushed by fallen plaster from the wet apartment ceiling. On top of all that, when he got back from the university, he slipped on the wet carpet and injured his tailbone.

Brian said he began to wonder if God wanted him dead but just kept missing.

Have you ever had a day like that—or maybe a year like that? What do you do when you’re facing insurmountable, overwhelming problems?

Before you do anything else, you go directly to God. You say, “God, I am overwhelmed!”  And you ask, “God, what do you think about this situation?”

While your perspective is limited, God’s perspective is eternal—he can see the beginning and the end. He can see past, present, and future all at once. You need to get God’s perspective, the bigger picture of the problem that seems so overwhelming to you right now.

Too often we see prayer as a last resort rather than as our first thought. Prayer is usually something we do way down the line after we’ve tried everything else. People will say, “I guess all we can do now is pray!” like it’s their last option.

Prayer should be your first choice, not your last resort. If you want God to help you overcome the odds in any area of your life, you have to turn to him first.

2 Chronicles 20:1,3 says, “After this the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat . . . Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance” (NLT). When verse 1 says “after this,” it’s referring to a great national revival, a spiritual awakening. There was great prosperity and blessing in the land. But soon after, there was war.

With every high, there is a low. After every victory, there is a letdown. And with every blessing, there comes a testing. You may not be in a battle right now, but you’re going to be in one tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. You should expect blessing in your life, but you also need to expect battles in your life.

You’re going to have difficult times. But you should never let an impossible situation intimidate you. Let it motivate you to pray more and turn to God first.