Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

How to deal with anger graciously

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. - Proverbs 15:18

Many years ago, a senior executive of the then Standard Oil Company made a wrong decision that cost the company more than $2 million. Everyone at the company knew the executive's career was likely over. And most of the executives were finding various ways of avoiding the company's president, John D. Rockefeller, lest his wrath descend on their heads.

There was one exception, however. He was Edward T. Bedford, a partner in the company who kept his appointment with Mr. Rockefeller. When he entered the office, he saw Rockefeller at his desk busily writing with a pencil on a pad of paper.

Across the top of the page was written, "Points in favor of Mr. _______." There followed a long list of the guilty executive's virtues, including a brief description of how he had helped the company make the right decision on three separate occasions that had earned many times the cost of his recent error.

It can sometimes be easy to lose your temper. That's because so often, reactions to events tend to be just that—reactions—instead of responses. But if you take how you want to react, think it through, and consider the perspectives of others, you'll be much more inclined to respond biblically than react angrily.

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to reveal to you in times of anger how you can respond rather than react. Pray that He would help you see others with a biblical perspective and that you would have a forgiving spirit when dealing with conflict.

[Judy Harder]

How to give with a cheerful heart

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:7

A pastor once recounted how, as a child, his mother sent him to pick a quart of raspberries. Reluctantly he dragged himself to the berry patch. His afternoon was ruined for sure. Then a thought hit him. He would surprise his mother and pick two quarts of raspberries instead of one!

Rather than drudgery, his work now became a challenge. He enjoyed picking those raspberries so much that fifty years later, that incident was still fresh in his mind.

His job hadn't changed, but his attitude did. Instead of focusing on the hard work of picking berries, he focused on how he could use his time to bless his mother. And it was this change in perspective that made his job so much easier.

Many Christians today see giving as a task or a chore that they check off a list so they don't get in trouble. Sadly, because this is their perspective, they miss out on the joy that comes by contributing to God's purposes.

But what if, instead, you thought of giving with the end goal of supporting God's work in mind? You see, when you give, you bless others and you show God's love to those who need it. Giving is not about putting a little money in the offering plate, it's about being an active part of God's work here on earth. And when you see it that way, you can't help but give cheerfully!

Prayer Challenge: Ask God to give you a Kingdom perspective when it comes to giving. Pray that when you give, you would do so with His purposes in mind and because of that, you would give cheerfully!

[Judy Harder]

Finding your true value as God's image bearer

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - Psalm 139:14

Our five senses give us some astonishing capabilities, don't they? The human can see a candle's flame 30 miles away on a dark, clear night and smell a single drop of perfume diffused in a three-room apartment. Our tongues can taste .04 ounces of table salt in 530 quarts of water. Our sense of touch can detect a pressure that depresses the skin .00004 inches on the face or fingertips. And our ears can tell where a sound is coming from even when it arrives at one ear just .0003 seconds before its arrival at the other ear.

Yet as you grow older, perhaps you've noticed that your eyes aren't what they used to be. Maybe your nose can't quite smell roses on a beautiful spring day like it used to. And it's possible that your ears have caused you to lean in a little closer to your friends to hear them clearly when they talk!

Despite these types of problems that everyone faces as they grow older, you are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image. And because the Bible says that "God is spirit" (John 4:24), we know that this image isn't physical; it's spiritual. That means that whatever functions you may lose, you'll never lose the image of God in your soul.

So never forget that you bear God's image, and even when your physical body fails you, your spirit—who you really are—endures forever!

Prayer Challenge

Thank God that He's allowed you to bear His image. Pray that He would help you understand that your true value goes well beyond your physical body.

[Judy Harder]

The importance of praying continually

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

One Sunday in a Midwest city, a little boy was acting up during the morning worship hour at church. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew, but were quickly losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly down the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the foyer, the child called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"

At some point in time, every Christian feels just like that little boy. They're staring in the face of an undesirable outcome and their only hope is to simply say, "Pray for me." But what if, instead of it being a last resort, prayer was the first place you went? What if being in a persistent state of faithful prayer wasn't just something you did when times got tough, but was a way of life?

This is exactly the kind of attitude the apostle Paul wrote about in today's passage. He says that the Christian life isn't just about praying when times get tough; it's about praying at all times—good and bad.

The faith that sustains you when things look the worst is the very same faith that sustains you when things are at their best. So pray continually. If things are good, thank God for His blessings in your life. If things are bad, pray that God would show you His purpose. Communication with your Creator is the key to living a life filled with God's very best!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to remind you to stay connected with Him through prayer in the good times and bad.

[Judy Harder]

Recognizing the Holy Spirit's power in your life

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8

Author Jamie Buckingham once visited a dam on the Columbia River. He noted that he'd always thought that the water spilling over the top of the dam provided the power that was generated the turbines within. What he didn't realize was that the water spilling over the top was just froth, and that deep down, turbines and generators transformed the power of tons and tons of water to electricity—quietly, without notice. What was on top was just a glimpse of a deeper power.

When it comes to walking in the Spirit of God, that's often how life is. Yes, there are those moments when you see amazing things happen by God's power. But the real power of the Spirit often lies deep within, powering the turbines of your soul to become more and more like Christ in everything you do.

It's wonderful when God comes through in a big outward way through healing or some other act. But just as miraculous is what happens deep down below when the Spirit prompts you to act selflessly or spend time reading God's word. That's the power!

So don't let the "frothy" spiritual moments become your standard for seeing God's work in your life. Remember that beneath the froth is a deeper power that can transform every aspect of who you are!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you the eyes to see where His Spirit is at work in the deep places of your life.

[Judy Harder]

How to have faith in faith

Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." - Luke 18:42

A survey conducted in the 1990s by the American Academy of Family Physicians showed that 99% of doctors believe that a relationship exists between faith and physical healing.

This line of thinking was bolstered by a California study of the effect of prayer on recovery from heart problems. About two hundred heart patients were assigned to Christians who prayed for them, while an equal number, a control group, received no known prayers. Neither group knew about the prayers, yet those who received prayer developed half the complications that were experienced by those in the control group.

A similar study by the Dartmouth Medical School examined the effect of prayer on healing when the patients prayed for themselves. The death rate six months after bypass surgery was 9 percent for the general population but 5 percent for those who prayed for their own healing. And none of the deeply religious patients died during the period of the study.

Study after study shows that faith works when it comes to improving your health. Yet so often, many people downplay this relationship thinking if they can just get the physical problem fixed, everything will be okay.

As a human being, you're more than just a physical body. You have a very real and active spiritual dimension as well. So as you focus on keeping your physical body healthy, remember to also nourish your spiritual well-being!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would help you see yourself as more than just a physical being, and that He would help you keep your spirit healthy too!

[Judy Harder]

Accepting those who the world rejects

The king asked, "Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" Ziba answered the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet." - 2 Samuel 9:3

A true story is told of a British factory worker and his wife who were excited when, after many years of trying to become pregnant, they discovered they were going to have their very first child. So this man relayed the good news of his wife's pregnancy to his fellow workers at the factory, and told them that God had answered his prayers for a child. But his coworkers made fun of him for asking God for a child.

When the baby was born, he was diagnosed with having Down's Syndrome. And as the father made his way to work for the first time after the birth, he wondered how to face his coworkers. "God, please give me wisdom," he prayed. Just as he feared, some said mockingly, "So, God gave you this child?!" The new father stood for a long time, silently asking God for help. At last he said,

"I'm certainly glad the Lord gave this child to me and not to you!"

As this man accepted his disabled son as God's gift to him, so David was pleased to show kindness to Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, despite his condition. Some may have rejected Mephibosheth because he was lame, but David's action showed that he valued him greatly.

In the very same way, our sin has mangled our appearance in the eyes of God. Yet because of His love for us in Christ, He has looked past our iniquities and accepted us unconditionally. And it's by that same grace that we show kindness and acceptance to others when the world rejects them.

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to show you someone in your life to whom you can show the kindness and acceptance that only comes from Him!

[Judy Harder]

What makes you uncomfortable?

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. - 2 Timothy 4:3

Whenever you go to a doctor for your annual check-up, he or she will often begin to poke, prod, and press various places, all the while asking, "Does this hurt?" Now if you cry out in pain, one of two things has happened. Either the doctor has pushed too hard, without the right sensitivity. Or, more likely, there's something wrong, and the doctor will say, "We'd better do some more tests!"

This is often true when pastors preach on touchy subjects, and certain members cry out in discomfort, criticizing the message and the messenger. Either the pastor has pushed too hard, which is possible. Or perhaps there's something wrong underneath the surface.

Today's Scripture is clear that there will come a time when people will stop putting up with sound doctrine. They'll want to hear what makes them feel good instead of the truth. They'll prefer living under the illusion that things are okay with them instead of discovering the truth that there is something very wrong underneath the surface.

The Bible is a tool that the Great Physician uses to poke and prod in order to identify areas of concern in our lives. So the next time you read Scripture or hear teaching that makes you uncomfortable, ask yourself if the pressure is too high, or if maybe there is something under the surface that needs to be checked out.

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to help you discern if there are any areas of your life where you have problems under the surface. Pray that He would give you the resolve to react appropriately when the "prodding" hurts!

[Judy Harder]

The best news you'll ever hear

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. - Ephesians 2:1-5

A farmer went to meet with his banker and announced that he had some bad news and some good news. "First, the bad news... I can't make my mortgage payments. And that crop loan I've taken out for the past 10 years—I can't pay that off, either. Not only that, I won't be able to pay you the couple of hundred thousand I still have outstanding on my tractors and other equipment. So I'm going to have to give up the farm and turn it all over to you for whatever you can salvage out of it."

After a few moments of silence, the banker said, "What's the good news?"

"The good news is that I'm going to keep on banking with you."

With so much bad news in the world today, it's often true that the good news you receive does very little to make you feel better. Yet the greatest news of all, that which is found in Scripture, is the one piece of Good News that can counteract any bad news you'll hear.

What is this Good News? It's the simple fact that if you're in Christ, He's saved you. He's brought you out of the depths of sin and despair and has raised you up to be alive with Him. That's fantastic news!

So whenever you feel overwhelmed by bad news, remember that Christ died for you, and in Him, you have eternal life!

Prayer Challenge

Thank God for the Good News that Christ has died for you and you can have eternal life through faith in Him!

[Judy Harder]

The most destructive force for relationships

A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. - Proverbs 16:28

Winston Churchill quite often exemplified integrity and respect in the face of opposition. During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind him, two gentlemen began whispering, "That's Winston Churchill. They say he is getting senile. They say he should step aside and leave the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men."

When the ceremony was over, Churchill turned to the men and said, "Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf!"

Gossip is one of the most destructive forces anyone can introduce into a relationship. That's because when someone discovers—and they likely will—that you said something bad about them in secret, it destroys the single element on which friendships are based: trust. And once trust has been abolished, many, if not most, relationships will never recover from that trauma.

So instead of gossiping about someone, make one of two choices. Either keep the matter silent, or go directly to the person and talk with them about it. While it may seem easier to talk about others behind their backs than doing either of these, gossip is much more destructive in the long run. So make the choice to preserve trust by refraining from gossip.

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you the strength to refrain from participating in gossip. Ask Him to bless your relationships by keeping them built on trust.