Worry versus Concern

By Sean

Two different words – worry and concern. If there’s any difference, why create two separate vocabularies?

 

Worry and Concern are not friends

These entries have been strongly inspired by Harold J. Sala’s book: “Making Your Emotions Work for You”

Worry, as we’ve read from my two previous entries for this series, “Top 5 reasons why you should not worry” and “Worry is a murderer”, is not a very friendly emotion to our health – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It is something that eats you up – literally.

So if worry is such a detrimental emotional state of mind, then what much difference does it make with it’s closely synonymous counterpart, concern?

There’s not much difference, really. Concern is just a form of worry with which you can directly affect with your decision of choice. It is a positive state of knowing the matter at hand and being able to do something about it – and doing it.

Concern, according to Dr. Sala “should be a positive force resulting in our enrichment and betterment.” But don’t take it from him, he just got it from the apostle Paul in the Bible.

“so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” - 1 Corinthians 12:25

In one hand we have worry, which gives you nothing but sickness and anxiety, and on the other hand we have concern, which drives you to do something about your knowledge of the current situation – given that you are able to do something about it with a decision of choice.

It’s not much, but that little difference between worry and concern can mean years of life and wisdom for your everyday situations. So choose carefully and make sure that, with God’s help and wisdom, you are able to identify the fine line between worry and concern in the decisions you face in your life.

Failure is not an option, it’s a necessity

By Sean

This entry is taken from my Multiply account – it’s dated on Nov 7, 2008. But I hope you find it interesting and insightful.

Failure is a necessity in life

The GLS Leadership summit 2 days seminar was a blast! The 200 pesos we paid to attend that seminar is ultimately more than worth it. I would be willing to pay more to hear the wisdom imparted by the speakers in that seminar.

Craig Groeschel talked about IT – How leaders can get IT and keep IT

In the middle of his message he said “Failure is not an option, it’s a necessity.” – this really surprised me and it stirred up my thoughts.

Being a leader, you shouldn’t be afraid to fail. And failure is a part of life. This is such a big message to all of us. Especially to the people who have a lot of pride to keep. Failure can do two things to your pride: It can make it more angry, or it can tame it and break it. Leaders must not be afraid to fail.

I learned this the hard way. I was a leader back then and when you are a leader, there are so many eyes that look upon you, watching your every move. And at times when I failed, pride always had the best of me. I deny, I lie, I hide it. And guess what, it didn’t help me one bit. It made me miserable. It took away the fire of being a leader in me and replaced it with guilt. I have failed a whole lot in my life. And God, repentance and vision, decision and some very special people helped me get up again.

Then I realize that each and every one of us Christians all started from failure – that’s how we come to know God. We have all met a point in our life when we couldn’t make it anymore, when we utterly, miserably failed. And then I realize, Hey yeah, we all start from a miserable failure! And without us failing, there will be no grace. There will be no salvation.

But what then if we do fail?

Then we have to decide: “Am I going to stay down? Am I going to get up but go another direction?” Because you can get up from failure but turn away from God’s calling – because you’re afraid to fail again.

He illustrated a great example: the example of the donkey who fell in a pit. They couldn’t pull the donkey back up from the pit. They just can’t. So they thought “We have to bury it.” So they shoveled up dirt to the donkey and the donkey kept shaking it off. Then the donkey kept stepping up to the dirt that has amassed on the floor of the pit. And that’s how it got out.

So when we fail what are we supposed to do? Shake it off! Step up! You can’t stay in that pit forever. Pride will make you not want to step up again. Sonner or later you’ll suffocate because the dirt has buried you alive. We all have failed and fallen short of God’s glory – of His expectations and standards for us. But then from our failure, that’s where grace and salvation starts. Amazing isn’t it?

At the end of everything, there’s hope.

Never give up.

Because if you do – then that’s the time that you’re suffocating with the pride you’re buried in.

10 Steps to becoming a Better Christian

By Sean

At last! A bulleted outline to pinpoint us exactly how to become a better Christian is here! What exactly is it? Here it is…

1. Read your Bible

2. Pray

3. Read your Bible more

2. Pray

4. Read your Bible again

5. Pray some more

6. Never stop reading your Bible

7. Always keep on praying

8. Keep on reading the Bible

9. Never cease praying

10. Repeat steps 1-9

The First Toy Story

By Sean

No this is not a post about the 3D animated Disney film. This is more about your experience with your first toy. Remember how it went for you when you got your first toy which you dearly loved? Remember how you cherished it and played and spent time with it? Remember how you felt when it broke?

It's just never the same

This entry has been inspired by my relationship with a very special someone with whom I have learned and gained wisdom with.

How did you feel when your first toy broke? Did you feel sad? I know I did. The sadness I felt is unexplainable – it’s as if I’ve lost something that I can never have again even if we knew that mommy or daddy can buy us an exact same replacement.

Even if we were offered another toy, we refuse. Why? There’s just something that we had with that first toy that we know we can never have again with any other toy even if it’s exactly the same.

Toys are fragile and they’re not meant to last forever. You gave your first toy your love and affection and when it broke, it most probably broke your heart too. Thus the unexplainable sadness you felt. You knew that you can never have what you gave away with that toy again. And you can never have that special something with another toy even if it looks exactly the same – because you know that it’s just not it.

So what’s the point?

Okay, this post isn’t about toys (I hope you’re not thinking that it is) but that’s my analogy for the topic at hand.

Toys are not meant to last forever but I believe that unconditional love is. Agape – what God has for us lasts forever. And isn’t that what we vow to have with our spouse on our wedding? When you love someone, you give it your affection and yourself. You can never take that back again. But who says that unconditional love starts in your wedding day?

Like my previous post “I know I loved you before I met you”, we can start unconditionally loving our future spouse even way before we meet him/her.

I know that giving a toy analogy to this topic might seem a bit off, but it’s a perfect example of how, when you give your love and affection away, it will just not be the same as when you saved it for that someone whom God has kept for you.

So I encourage you, young men and women, do not give yourselves away to relationships that are not given to you by God. You are robbing yourself, your future spouse and that someone whom you’re having a relationship with of something that should have been kept for a great God-glorifying relationship.

And the Christian goes poof!

By Sean

Ever seen a magician perform a disappearing act on stage? Amusing isn’t it? One moment you see him clearly with both your eyes, the next instant he’s gone. Have you ever seen a magician making the whole crowd disappear? I haven’t heard of such an occurrence. But there’s a story in the Bible where it predicts just that.

Don't focus on the line - Pursue God's heart

This entry is inspired by the message I’m preparing for March 20, 2010 to be given in Jzone Alabang 4:00pm for the ‘Signs of the times’ series.

I’m sure all of us have encountered the word ‘rapture’ at least once in our lives. The word means ‘to be instantly caught up’. The word is found in the Bible:

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17

We have already established that we are near the time when this event called the Rapture will occur in the series we’re going through in CCF – “Signs of the Times”. But let us review all of the ‘big signs’ that has been revealed to us by current events happening in real-time in our world today.

1: The rebirth of Israel in May 1948

For two thousand years there is no country in the whole Earth named Israel. Prophesied by Ezekiel, this has come to pass during our generation.

2: The rise of Russia and other nations against Israel

Russia and Iran has recently created an alliance in terms of military ties and has set their eyes against Israel. For centuries they have been enemies and their interests with each other has never been more than detrimental.

3: Revived Rome

The EU which has once currency – the Euro. They are composed of 10 nations – the 10 toes of the mixed iron and clay feet of the statue in Daniel’s dream. Their symbols and brands carry images described from revelations.

4: Earthquakes

Need I say more?

Coincidence? How can you conclude that it is when it is 100% aligned with the prophecies in the Bible concerning the end times?

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” – Numbers 23:19

The rapture is real and we have heard so many messages about it already that I would not focus on what will happen but what HAS to happen in our lives now that we know and are filled with the knowledge of this coming event.

We have to realize that now more than ever we know that we are at the hands of the living God.

And if He so chooses, He can snuff the life out of us in a whim. Who can be safe from His wrath? Who can hide from His anger? Only His hand is keeping you safe. Only His will keeps you alive and only His love stays the breath of life in your being.

We have to realize that the times are changing and God will be mightily involved in the affairs of the world now more than ever. Live your life with that in mind. Change your heart and may your desire be for Him – to pursue His heart. Because when push comes to shove and life shakes you then you realize that this world is just an illusion – a facade marred by the sins of mankind and the evil in the hearts of men.

The reality of it all will become clear when Christ returns to take us with Him in that glorious day. Only in that day will your two eyes see what is real – the kingdom of God.

So don’t focus on the line.

Don’t focus on are you going to heaven or hell – for Christianity isn’t about going to heaven or hell. It’s about a relationship. Pursue God’s heart. Know Him for Christ can tell you that He doesn’t know you for you did not have that relationship with Him.

Again we come to the point where we come back to your communication with God which is your quiet time. Your quiet time, which is your time to read the Bible and pray is your time of communication with God. And without communication, a relationship will not grow. So talk to Him. For Christianity, again, is about a relationship –  your relationship with God

Forget the line. Sometimes we focus on it too much that if we are on the safe side we stop looking for God and just paste our eyes on the line to make sure we’re safe and that we’re going to heaven!

How can you face your Lord when all you did was look and make sure you’re on the right side of the line? And when you’re facing the line, you’re surely facing the other side rather than facing towards God and His heart – you’re gonna be thoroughly tempted about what you’re facing. You’re not moving in any way towards Him. But you’re stagnant. Sooner or later you’ll find yourself stepping over with one toe, then with one foot, then half your body, next thing you know, the line’s far behind you and God is nowhere in sight.

Be careful and keep watch for this is the time when you have to pursue God’s heart with utmost intensity. Thirst and pant for Him as David did. Revel in His majesty for even the heavens declare it before us.

Do not focus on the line. Focus on God.

My challenge to you dear readers

Live your life knowing that we’ll be caught up soon with Him. Don’t focus on what you don’t have to do, set your eyes on what you have to do. Christianity can be a religion with a set of rules and traditions or it can be a relationship of love with a person who died for you and is coming to take you away with Him to paradise.

The Wedding Olympics

By Sean

To all the singles out there (me included) we’re most probably hoping to settle down and get married someday, yeah? We’re working hard to earn money for our so-called future. We’re daydreaming of the day when we get to meet our special other and have that magical love story with him/her. We’re competing on something I’d like to call the Wedding Olympics.

 

The Wedding Olympics: doesn't it look absurd to you?

This entry has been inspired by the Single life that I’m living and the urge to marry. It is also inspired by the book “When God Writes Your Love Story” by Eric and Leslie Ludy.

“Listen, kid. A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you aren’t enough without it, believe me, you’ll never be enough with it.” – The coach in the movie ‘Cool Runnings’

It’s not something to set your eyes on

Sometimes we make it the goal of our lives to get settled and rich and to have a nice, secure job and start a family. It becomes a big milestone in our lives. Getting married and settling down has become more of a goal in our lives than we think. And oftentimes this goal we have overshadows our bigger vision of living for God or serving Him and shining our light for Him in this dark, dreary world.

Yes finding a spouse is important and getting married and settling down is outright desirable and very exciting. It’s just that we shouldn’t set our eyes on it so much so that we make God’s plan for us a fallback net to catch us when we lose in the Wedding Olympics.

The gold medal will never make us enough

It was never meant to make us enough. Getting married and settling down is great! It is a wonderful thing. But once you make it your end-goal, hoping that it would make you ‘enough’, you are dead wrong. You will only be disappointed when you find out that once you get there, it isn’t enough for you.

Only Christ can make you enough

If you aren’t enough now without a spouse, do you think getting married will satisfy that? Do you think a wedding can make you ‘enough’? I don’t think so. Just look at all the divorces taking place. A marriage is never meant to make you enough or complete. It is meant for companionship in life, not for filling up that longing for eternity and purpose in you.

So before you pray and seek God’s plan for your life in the aspect of marriage, do your best to abide in Him and develop your relationship with Him. Make yourself ‘enough’ now in Christ so that even when you get into marriage, you would already have been enough in the first place – and in that sense, you can help your spouse become ‘enough’ if he or she isn’t already so. But I would, of course, advise that you look for someone who is also already ‘enough’ by him or herself. Be wise in all of your decisions and lift them all up in prayer to God.

A weekend with Makati Hope students batch 2010

By Sean

The retreat ‘Beyond’ for Makati Hope’s graduating batch 2010 was held March 5-7. I’m honored to have been part of it and to touch the lives of young men and women who are on their way to highschool and college.

There were grade 6 students and high 4 students. I remember when I was in their shoes. Those were years ago. How time flies!

I handled grade 6 students. They’re so cute and bubbly!

Me and my grade 6 group with atchi Joy

I talked on the panel discussion. Answered some questions – the ones which I think we also asked when we were in our highschool and gradeschool years.

It was a fun and quite relaxing weekend for me. I spent most of my free-time sleeping. Haha! Iba talaga pag tumatanda na!

Had so much fun with the teachers, the teens and the young ones during the retreat. I’m still proud that I graduated from MHCS – during the retreat I can see the hard work on laying the foundation of Christ in the students.

And I just have to say: Twice was I thought out to be a highschool graduating student together with all the High-4 youths. O diba?

I praise God for the school. Keep up the good work teachers! You are the mentors of the next generation! And thank you for all your life you’ve invested in us!

Until next year!

Worry is a Murderer

By Sean

As you all know, I am doing a series for Worry. This is the second topic about that series and I’m going to talk about one good reason why worry isn’t a good thing to keep in life – because worry is a murderer.

Previous post: Top 5 reasons why you should not worry

These entries have been strongly inspired by Harold J. Sala’s book: “Making Your Emotions Work for You”

Xanax and friends can only help you so much

Worry can kill. That’s the whole point of this blog entry. It can sap the joy out of you, it can inject stress to your bones and it practically spells out D-E-A-T-H. Literally.

Let’s take a look at some of the anti-worry medicines that science has produced today:

Alprazolam Intensol
Alzapam
Ativan
BuSpar
Centrax
Equanil
Inderal
Inderal-LA
Inderide [CD]
Inderide LA [CD]
Ipran
Klonopin
Lexapro ( Lexaprotm )
Libritabs
Librium
Lipoxide
Loraz
Lorazepam Intensol
Luvox
Meprospan
Miltown
Neuramate
Novo-Alprazol
Romazicon
Paxil
Paxipam
Serax
T-Quil
Tranxene
Tranxene – SD
Tranxene T
Valium
Valrelease
Versed
Xanax

Source: http://psyweb.com/Drughtm/jsp/menus/benzo.jsp

Hmmmmm…. Yeah. Worry can kill you.

All of these drugs for worry? Even if you take one capsule of each of these each day, your liver would suffer and your blood would spell “Xanax-and-friends” all over.

Well, God has a cure for worry. I just want to share it with you guys.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety = Worry

Just one medicine for it – prayer. It’s God’s medicine. And it sure as heaven works! How? I cannot explain because it “transcends all understanding” but it’s there. The peace of God is there. You just have to talk to Him about your worries and concerns and He will help you through. BELIEVE IT.

Pain, pleasure and meaninglessness

By Sean

Often we have heard of people making it to the top and they tell us that “there’s nothing there.” in other words, their climb to the top, their rise to fame, their pleasures in life are all meaningless.

This entry has been inspired by the message of Ravi Zacharias “What is worthwhile under the sun”

meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure

Pain and pleasure are two very common things we experience in life. Everyone from great to small has had their share of pain and pleasure. I believe both need to exist for life to be, in a sense, in balance.

If you find honey, eat just enough–too much of it, and you will vomit. – Proverbs 25:16

Now, you have to understand, pleasure is a good thing – it is created by God for us to enjoy and feel. It is something that God has intended for our lives in order for us to feel His hand and hear His voice. It is something God wants us to experience in this World that He has called “good”.

Then why do the people who “get there” claim that life is indeed meaningless? Indeed even Solomon in all his glory found “everything under the sun” (which means outside of God) to be meaningless. I’ve found Ravi Zacharias’ explanation of it (from G.K. Chesterton) astounding. He said:

“Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure. When you have exhausted that last dream and you find it leaves you barren or empty”

I was stunned. Indeed it is when you have exhausted all pleasure and dreams that you find it leaves you empty that meaninglessness seems to take over your thoughts.

And we have to realize and learn from these men who have made it to the top, that everything under the sun and apart from God – is indeed meaningless. Only He is big enough to fill our longing for meaning in life. Pleasure can never replace His purposes.

Experience is the better teacher – handling relationships

By Sean

They say people who have had experience in past relationships are better in handling their next one. I agree. But I believe you don’t have to have a past relationship for you to be the best in handling one.

This entry has been inspired by my relationship with a very special someone whom I have learned and gained wisdom with. And with people who’s lives I have observed and reflected with God’s Word.

This entry is also a continuation of the previous entry: I know I loved you before I met you

Experience is not the best teacher - God is

So I’ve heard…

A girl once told me that she prefers someone who’s experienced in handling a relationship – because he would be more mature as a leader and partner. In all honesty, that made me feel like I’m going to be terrible in one because I have never been in a romantic relationship before.

In essence, what she’s telling me is that she prefers someone who has indulged himself in a romantic relationship and who has learned from trial and error. She’s telling me she wants a man who’s had a give and take of himself with another woman – and has come out a more mature man after he has broke up with his girl. Hmmm…

While I would not disagree that a more mature man is the better choice, I would have to say that there’s another way in becoming the best person you can be.

Experience only knows so much

Experience is a great teacher, don’t you agree? But it’s not the best one. The best teacher would be the One who knows EVERYTHING about life. Experience only knows things through trial and error. It can only know so much. God knows things because HE CREATED THEM. Let me be painfully blunt with you. GOD IS THE BEST TEACHER. And He teaches through the Bible. It is the manual of life – it is GOD’S WORD. I can never stress that enough!

I believe that you can be the best person to handle a relationship through knowing God and reading His word. You can be the best leader in handling a relationship if you let God lead you in life. You can be the best lover when you have known the best lover in life!

I totally disagree with “I want an experienced person because he/she is more mature” thing. No, you don’t have to go through ‘experience’ to be the best person for your future partner.

I’ve seen it

I know for a fact that even if you have no experience at all, you can be the best partner for your special someone through knowing God – gaining wisdom and maturity in and through His Word. And I’ve seen it personally – I am a first-hand witness to love stories that claims the bride and groom to be each other’s firsts.

Do you believe that God can give you that maturity and wisdom through Him – even without the experience of going through a relationship and, of course, a breakup?

I know I do. I believe it with all my heart.

Experience is a good teacher but it’s not the best. God will always be the best teacher – it’s just a matter of knowing Him.