Lesson 14
I. Introduction.
Often we fail to look at how we are taking care of ourselves,
especially at work. We are so involved in the task of accomplishing
our job that we take no time to consider our bodies and how we
are treating them.
II. Remember the Phrase: "Being Dead is Bad for Business"
Remembering this really helps to keep things in perspective. For
example, when you find yourself saying things like, "I don't
have time to exercise," what you really should be saying
is, "I don't have time not to exercise."
If you lose your health and sense of well-being, you won't make
it to work at all. In the long run, it takes far less time to
take care of yourself than it does to lose your ability to function
well.
There was a man who was a partner for a large New York law firm. Although he loved his family as much as anyone could, he was burning the candle at both ends. He left early and came home late. He traveled a great deal and was under constant stress. His children were growing up and he was missing most of it. He lacked sleep and exercise. He said, "this pace is going to kill me." To make matters worse, there didn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. The more valuable he became to the firm, the more demands were made of his time.
At some point, it all became too much. After a great deal of personal reflection, he came to the conclusion that, as important as his work was to him, it wasn't worth dying for, nor was it worth missing the opportunity to watch his own children grow up. He decided a change was in order. He quit the firm and opened his own practice. Although he still works hard, he has created a sense of balance that works well for him. Had he continued on the same path, his health and happiness would have continued to deteriorate. It seems that he literally decided that being dead would be bad for business.
Obviously, not everyone can make such a dramatic and risky
change, but doesn't it make sense to eat well, exercise, get plenty
of rest, think positively, and have regular physical checkups?
The major consideration in this regard for the Christian also
is: "Am I treating my body the way God would have me?"
If we do not treat our bodies as the temples that they should
be, we can not be the spiritual factor in the the lives of others
that we should be. 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 9:22-27 Until it is time for
us to leave this body that God provided for us we have responsibilities
to ourselves, others and to God to take care and do the best we
can do in all things. One caution should be noted. Many people
in our society have chosen to pursue the path of concentrating
on this earthly body to the point of neglect of the soul. All
things must be kept in priority order, with spiritual responsibilities
always coming first.
III. When You Solicit Advice, Consider Taking It 1 Kings
12:6-19
It has been observed that people will share something that is
bothering them or solicit advice for a problem that they have,
and completely ignore the advice given to them. Obviously, there
are times when we share a concern simply because we want to vent
or because we want someone to listen to us. But there are other
times when we are genuinely confused about what to do and actively
seek advice. Yet when a friend, spouse, coworker, or someone else
offers a suggestion, our immediate response is to tune it out,
or in some way dismiss it.
How many times have you observed someone else being given advice that they either ignored or made light of, that you took or found some portion of the advice to use in your own life?
I am not sure we can know exactly why many of us tend to dismiss the advice we receive. Perhaps we are embarrassed that we need help or we hear things we don't want to hear. Maybe we are too proud to admit that a friend or family member knows something we don't. Sometimes the advice requires a change in lifestyle or requires extra effort.
We need to be able to admit that we do not have all the answers to all the problems in life. It is important that we be able to listen to, examine and, if it is appropriate, to take advice from others. We need always, however, to look at advice that we are given in light of God's word.
It is important to be willing to admit that other people can
see things about us (or our circumstances) that we may be too
close to or too personally involved with to see ourselves. So,
while you probably won't want to accept all the advice that comes
your way, you may need to become a little more open to some of
it.
Happy Verses: Luke 2:1-14