ARE YOU JUST LIVING?
JUST GOING THROUGH THE DAYS; GOIN' TO WORK,
MAKING AN INCOME, PAYING YOUR BILLS,
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
JUST DOING WHAT YOU DO.
BUT AS I SAY TO YOU, RIGHT NOW, ARE YOU ENJOYING YOUR LIFE?
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SAY, "NAH--NOT REALLY.
I'M JUST TRYIN' TO GET BY." WELL, GOD WANTS YOU
TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, WE CALL OUR PROGRAM,
"ENJOYING EVERYDAY LIFE," IS BECAUSE IT TOOK ME SO LONG,
TO LEARN HOW TO DO THAT.
AND I WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED AND ASTOUNDED WHEN I DISCOVERED,
IN THE WORD OF GOD, HOW OFTEN JESUS SAID THAT HE,
WANTED US TO ENJOY THE LIFE, THAT HE DIED TO GIVE US.
JOHN 10:10 IS A WONDERFUL SCRIPTURE,
IN THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE.
IT SAYS, "THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO KILL TO STEAL AND DESTROY."
ALL THE DEVIL WANTS IS TO MAKE YOU MISERABLE,
TO STEAL EVERYTHING THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE.
BUT JESUS SAID, "I CAME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE,
AND HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE (TO THE FULL,
UNTIL IT OVERFLOWS)." WOW, WOW, WOW.
WELL, I'M GONNA QUOTE THAT SCRIPTURE AGAIN.
"THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO KILL TO STEAL AND DESTROY."
BUT JESUS SAID, "I CAME THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE,
ABUNDANTLY (TO THE FULL, UNTIL IT OVERFLOWS)."
JOHN 16:24, SAYS, "ASK AND RECEIVE THAT
YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL." JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT PRAYER.
BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY HE TELLS US TO PRAY IS,
DON'T TRY TO MAKE THINGS, HAPPEN YOURSELF.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THINGS, BUT PRAY, ASK, AND THEN RECEIVE.
LET GOD TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROBLEMS,
THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.
SO, I WANNA TELL YOU TODAY, TAKE TIME TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
IS LIFE PASSING YOU BY IN A BLUR?
YOU KNOW, LIFE GOES BY REALLY FAST.
IT REALLY DOES.
I MEAN, EVEN IF YOU LIVED TO BE A HUNDRED YEARS OLD,
IT GOES BY FAST.
AND WE ALL ONLY GET ONE LIFE.
AND BOY, I DON'T WANNA SEE ANY OF YOU GET
TO THE END OF YOURS, AND HAVE NOTHING BUT REGRETS.
YOU KNOW, WORK IS REALLY GLORIFIED, HERE, IN AMERICA.
AND MOST OF US PROBABLY WORK TOO MUCH, AND WE DON'T TAKE
ENOUGH TIME TO ENJOY THE FRUIT OF OUR LABOR.
LIVE CAREFULLY BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE SHORT.
EPHESIANS 5:15-17, "BE VERY CAREFUL, THEN,
HOW YOU LIVE--NOT AS THE UNWISE BUT AS WISE PEOPLE, MAKING
THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL."
NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE TALKING ABOUT, A LOT
OF THINGS, "MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY."
BUT TODAY WE'RE GONNA APPLY IT TO WHAT I'M TEACHING, AND SAY,
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO LAUGH.
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY
YOUR CHILDREN.
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THE THINGS THAT
GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.
"THEREFORE DON'T BE FOOLISH, BUT UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE LORD'S WILL IS." YOU KNOW, I HAVE A PRETTY HOUSE.
I LOVE THE WAY IT'S DECORATED.
AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE-- I PROBABLY DON'T DO IT ENOUGH.
BUT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, I'LL JUST SIT DOWN,
AND JUST LOOK AROUND.
AND JUST ENJOY MY HOUSE, FOR A MINUTE.
BECAUSE YOU CAN LIVE IN A HOUSE, SPEND ALL KINDS OF TIME
AND MONEY DECORATIN' IT, AND THEN, NEVER REALLY PAY
ANY ATTENTION TO THE THINGS THAT YOU WORKED SO HARD
TO PUT IN IT.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS GONNA, MINISTER TO SOME PEOPLE TODAY.
YOU'RE JUST RUSHING HERE, AND RUSHING THERE.
AND TRYIN' TO GET THINGS DONE, AND TRYIN' TO MAKE MONEY.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.
SOME PEOPLE YOU ASK 'EM, "HOW ARE YOU?"
"I'M BUSY." WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK
WE SHOULD HAVE A GREATER TESTIMONY THAN, "I'M BUSY."
GOD DIDN'T CALL US TO, JUST BE BUSY.
HE CALLED US TO BE FRUITFUL.
IN PSALM 90 IT SAYS, "TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS."
WELL, WHAT--WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
THINK ABOUT HOW MANY DAYS, YOU MIGHT HAVE LEFT?
NONE OF US KNOWS FOR SURE, WHEN JESUS IS GONNA COME,
OR WHEN WE'RE GONNA LEAVE HERE, AND GO TO HIM.
BUT I REALIZED A FEW YEARS AGO THAT I HAVE--I'VE ALREADY
LIVED MORE OF MY LIFE THAN WHAT I GOT LEFT.
I MEAN, I'M IN THE HOME STRETCH.
AND I WANNA ENJOY MY LIFE.
NOW, I'M NOT GONNA QUIT WORKING, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU QUIT,
ON A CALL ON YOUR LIFE.
GOD'S CALLED ME TO DO WHAT I'M DOING, BUT I WANNA ENJOY
WHAT I'M DOING.
I DON'T WANNA JUST DO IT.
I WANNA ENJOY IT.
AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A JOB THAT YOU HATE, AND YOU DO NOT
ENJOY WHAT YOU DO.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE YOU, TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO,
THAT YOU LIKE.
MAYBE YOU CAN'T JUST WALK OFF, YOUR JOB BUT YOU CAN START,
PRAYING ABOUT WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE YOU DO.
AND YOU CAN START PRAYING, ABOUT LOOKING FOR SOMETHING
THAT, IS GONNA CAUSE YOU TO FEEL FULFILLED.
PSALM 90:12, "TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS, THAT WE MAY
GAIN A HEART OF WISDOM." HELP US REALIZE HOW SHORT
LIFE IS, AND HOW FAST THE DAY GOES BY.
THE OLDER ONE GETS, THE MORE OF A REALITY THIS BECOMES.
THE BUSIER WE ARE, THE QUICKER LIFE GOES BY.
AND LIFE IS VERY BUSY FOR MOST OF US THESE DAYS.
DO YOU FEEL YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DAYS TO DO
ALL YOU WANNA DO?
ARE YOU BUSY ALL THE TIME, BUT DON'T EVEN SEEM TO KNOW,
REALLY WHAT YOU'RE ACCOMPLISHING?
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT.
THEY'RE JUST--THEY'RE BUSY, BUT THEY DON'T EVEN REALLY
KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THIS IS CAUSED FROM NOT LIVING SLOW ENOUGH TO EVEN, REALIZE
FULLY, WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO DO ONE THING AT A TIME.
FOCUS ON IT, PAY ATTENTION TO IT, REALIZE WE'RE DOING IT.
IN OTHER WORDS, LEARN HOW TO BE PRESENT
IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THIS IS ACTUALLY, ANXIETY, WHEN WE SPEND OUR TIME,
RIGHT NOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TOMORROW.
I'VE BEEN TRYING LATELY, EVEN MORE SO, TO LIVE,
MY LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME.
NOW, GOD CREATED THE EARTH.
IN GENESIS CHAPTER 1, IT TELLS US ABOUT CREATION.
AND HE CREATED THE EARTH.
WELL, ACTUALLY, IN SIX DAYS, AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY
HE RESTED.
BUT IF GOD COULD CREATE THE EARTH IN SIX DAYS, WE KNOW
HE COULDA DONE IT IN ONE.
HE COULDA DONE IT IN ONE HOUR.
SO, WHY'D HE TAKE SIX DAYS?
WELL, THIS IS MY PERSONAL BELIEF, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS
SO HE COULD ENJOY WHAT HE HAD DONE.
IF YOU REALLY READ IN GENESIS, CHAPTER ONE,
AFTER EACH THING THAT GOD CREATED, IT SAYS THAT
HE LOOKED AT IT, AND HE SAID, "THIS IS GOOD."
WOW, I LIKE THAT.
"THIS IS GOOD." MAYBE, WE NEED TO,
AT THE END OF EACH DAY, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT
WHAT ALL WE DID, AND SAY, "WOW, THAT WAS GOOD."
OR SAY, "WELL, THAT WASN'T GOOD.
I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT AGAIN." HOWEVER, GOD DID THINGS,
HE WANTS US TO FOLLOW HIS PATTERN.
LET'S THINK ABOUT FOOD FOR A MINUTE.
IF YOU DON'T CHEW YOUR FOOD, AND TAKE TIME
TO ENJOY THE TASTE, YOU END UP FEELING LIKE YOU
STILL WANT SOMETHING TO EAT BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
EATING IS SUPPOSED TO BE ENJOYED,
NOT JUST SWALLOWED.
I BELIEVE, EATING A GOOD MEAL IS INTENDED TO MINISTER
TO OUR EMOTIONS.
AND WE'RE MISSING SOMETHING IF WE EAT SO FAST THAT WE DON'T
EVEN KNOW THAT WE DID.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY PEOPLE OVEREAT, BECAUSE THEY DON'T TAKE
TIME TO ENJOY THEIR FOOD, SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING
THE EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION OUT OF IT, THAT THEY SHOULD.
SO, THEY ALWAYS WANT SOMETHING ELSE.
ONE RULE OF THUMB IS DON'T EVER, WHILE YOU'RE EATING,
ARGUE WITH SOMEBODY.
DON'T TALK ABOUT UPSETTING THINGS, WHILE YOU'RE EATING.
HAVE SOME FAMILY RULES.
"AT MEALTIME, WE'RE ONLY GONNA TALK
ABOUT POSITIVE THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT GOOD THINGS."
WE TALK ABOUT A LOT OF BUSINESS, OVER MEALS.
WE DO A LOT OF BUSINESS, OVER MEALS.
AND I WOULD JUST BE VERY HAPPY TO STOP THAT.
IF WE NEED TO HAVE A BUSINESS MEETING WE CAN DO IT AFTER
THE MEAL, OR BEFORE THE MEAL.
BUT WHEN I'M EATING, I WANNA ENJOY WHAT I'M DOIN'.
"GIVE YOUR MIND TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING,"
ECCLESIASTES SAYS.
WELL, IF WE DON'T TAKE TIME TO ENJOY LIFE, OR AS I PUT
DOWN HERE, TO CHEW ON LIFE, THEN WE'RE NOT GONNA GET
THE FLAVOR OUT OF LIFE EITHER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF JESUS, I CAN'T IMAGINE
HIM HURRYING HERE, AND HURRYING THERE,
AND HURRYING HERE, AND HURRYING THERE.
I REALLY BELIEVE, WITH ALL MY HEART,
THAT HE ENJOYED WHAT HE DID.
IF WE DON'T TAKE TIME TO ENJOY LIFE, I THINK WE'RE
ALWAYS GONNA FEEL DISCONTENTED.
YOU MAY FEEL LIKE LIFE IS PASSING YOU BY IN A BLUR,
AND YOU FEEL CHEATED SOMEHOW.
I HAVE A BOOK AT HOME CALLED, "DIVINE RHYTHM."
AND IT TALKS ABOUT HOW THERE IS A RHYTHM FOR LIFE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT JESUS WALKED IN THIS DIVINE RHYTHM.
JESUS ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN HIS THREE-YEAR MINISTRY,
HERE, ON EARTH.
YET, HE NEVER SEEMED TO BE IN A HURRY.
LET'S LEARN HOW TO MOVE IN GOD'S TIMING.
AND DON'T BE SO BUSY THAT WE LOSE SENSITIVITY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S PEOPLE ALL AROUND YOU THAT ARE HURTING.
PEOPLE ALL AROUND YOU THAT COULD USE A WORD
OF ENCOURAGEMENT, A SMILE, A HUG.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME, WE'RE IN SUCH A HURRY,
WE DON'T EVEN NOTICE THE PEOPLE AROUND US.
MARK 10:46, "THEN THEY CAME TO JERICHO.
AND AS JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES, TOGETHER WITH A LARGE CROWD,
WERE LEAVING THE CITY, A BLIND MAN, BARTIMAEUS
(WHICH MEANS 'SON OF TIMAEUS') WAS SITTING
BY THE ROADSIDE BEGGING." JUST TRY TO IMAGINE THIS.
WE SEE JESUS-- JESUS' SENSITIVITY TO HURTING
PEOPLE, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW HE HANDLED BLIND BARTIMAEUS.
HE WAS VERY BUSY, BUT HE ALWAYS HAD TIME TO STOP
AND HEAL SOMEBODY THAT WAS HURTING.
WE STUDY THE STEPS OF JESUS, BUT PERHAPS, WE SHOULD STUDY
THE STOPS OF JESUS.
HE STOPPED FOR BLIND BARTIMAEUS.
HE STOPPED FOR THE LEPER.
HE STOPPED FOR THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD.
HE STOPPED FOR THE CENTURION WITH THE SICK SERVANT AT HOME.
HE STOPPED FOR THE WOMAN WHOSE SON HAD DIED.
I MEAN, MY GOSH, HE ONLY HAD THREE YEARS TO ACCOMPLISH
WHAT HE WAS SENT TO DO.
AND YET, HE WAS NOT IN SUCH A HURRY THAT HE DIDN'T TAKE TIME
TO STOP FOR HURTING PEOPLE.