Tuesday, July 14, 2015

[size=18pt]Happiness and the Golden Rule[/size]

Jesus Christ said, "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets."1

"A fascinating study on the principle of the Golden Rule was conducted by Bernard Rimland, director of the Institute for Child Behavior Research. Rimland found that 'the happiest people are those who help others.'

"Each person involved in the study was asked to list ten people he knew best and to label them as happy or not happy. Then they were to go through the list again and label each one as selfish or unselfish, using the following definition of selfishness: a stable tendency to devote one's time and resources to one's own interests and welfare—an unwillingness to inconvenience one's self for others."2

"In categorizing the results, Rimland found that all of the people labeled happy were also labeled unselfish. He wrote that those 'whose activities are devoted to bringing themselves happiness … are far less likely to be happy than those whose efforts are devoted to making others happy.' Rimland concluded: 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'"3

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that modern research has proven once again that the teachings of Jesus, as found in Your Word, the Bible, are as relevant and as valid today as they were when written two thousand years ago. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 7:12 (NLT).
2. Rimland, "The Altruism Paradox," Psychological Reports 51 [1982]: 521.
3. Ibid., p. 522. Cited in: Martin & Diedre Bobgan, How to Counsel from Scripture, Moody Press, 1985, p. 123. Source: http://www.bible.org/illus.php?topic_id=697

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Wednesday, July 15, 2015

[size=28pt]What Will Matter[/size]

Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."1

Today's Daily Encounter is taken from Character Counts by Michael Josephson (390.3).

"Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

"So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?

"What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence but your character.

"What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters.

"This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts."2

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live in light of eternal values so that my life will not be wasted but invested in the lives of others for all eternity so that my life will matter. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV).
2. Character Counts (390.3). © 2004 Josephson Institute of Ethics; reprinted with permission. Michael Josephson, one of the nation's leading ethicists, is the founder of the Josephson Institute of Ethics and the premier youth character education program, CHARACTER COUNTS! For further information visit www.charactercounts.org.

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Thursday, July 16, 2015

[size=18pt]Teaching Children (and Yourself) How to Pray Effectively[/size]

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"1

A Daily Encounter reader writes, "How can I explain to my child how God answers prayers. My oldest son, 6 yrs old, has been praying that he would not have nightmares and be scared at night and for help with his behavior at school. How can I reinforce his belief in God when he doesn't think that his prayers are being answered?"

Dear Suzanne (name changed): Actually this is an ideal opportunity to teach your son how to pray so that God will answer his prayers. Explain to him that both of you need to ask God to show you why he is having nightmares, why he is scared at night, and why he is having problems at school. Explain to him that these are caused by other fears in his life that need to be understood so you can get the help needed to overcome them. You can teach him that if God is going to answer our prayers, we need to learn how to pray the right prayers.

His nightmares and problems at school are undoubtedly symptoms of something in his everyday life that he is deeply troubled about. This is why it is important to ask God to show you the cause/s of his nightmares and problems, and to lead you to find the help needed to resolve these fears.

If there is any kind of conflict in the home, if his father has left, if he is having a conflict with a sibling or a bully at school—any of these issues could cause him to have nightmares. Continued nightmares are usually the symptom of some known or unknown fear. I would also suggest that you see a competent Christian child counselor right away to help resolve his fears. Untreated they will only get worse.

For possible counseling resources check our website at: http://www.actsweb.org/counseling_resources.php

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, in all of my personal problems and those of my children and family, please help me to see the cause/s of these problems. To resolve these please lead me to the help I need for myself, my children, and/or other loved one. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Matthew 19:14 (NIV).

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