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He who walks with wise men will be wise,

but the companion of fools will be destroyed.

(Proverbs 13:20 NKJV)

On our own, we can never be the kind of person God wants us to be. He never intended us to do life on our own. We all need people who teach us, share their lives with us, invest in us, and encourage us to grow. One writer stated we need people who know the way to show us the way so we can go the way!

To be what God wants you to be, you need to learn from at least four different types of people. 

1. Models – These people are successfully accomplishing or have already accomplished what you want to do. Do you know that many of the skills you’ve learned in your life, you’ve learned by observing others? (2 Timothy 3:10, 11) Who do you know could be a model of a skill you need in life?
   
2. Mentors – These are your coaches. I’ve had 12 different mentors in my life. And they are different ages too! There is no one person who can teach you everything you need to know. One person will guide you in one area. Another person will teach you about something else. (2 Timothy 2:1,2) What areas would you need a mentor in?
   
3. Ministry Partners – You need co-workers and colleagues in your profession who will encourage and challenge you to do what God wants to do through your life. (2 Timothy 4:9 – 22) Who is a team-mate who loves you and knows you well enough to support and challenge you in your life goals?
   
4. Man-Friends for Men and Women-Friends for Women – Friends usually are the ones to necessarily help you with your goals. They’re just friends. No matter what you do, they will love you. They will still love you even if you mess up. That’s when you know who your friends are. (2 Timothy 4:11a) Who are your new acquaintances > casual friends > close friends > and intimate friends that will stay in your life when everyone else walks out of it?

It’s not just lonely trying to live alone; it hinders God’s design for us.

Think About It

• Which of the four types of people do I need most in my life? Which do you have the least?
• How can I find these types of people? (Hint: Psalm 119:63, 79)
• Why do I attempt to do life without the assistance of others?
• Does anyone in my life need my support in one of these roles?

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I find November is a particular time of year time to reflect upon what the Bible has to say about gratitude. It is a busy season for ministry and business leaders because we’re preparing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, and even preparing for the following year. Our calendars are full. 

Also, as we enter the year’s final weeks, it’s an important time to reflect upon the past year while preparing for the upcoming year. And gratitude is an essential part of that process.

Reading through Scripture will reveal how vital gratitude is to God. I read that over 400 Bible verses reference Thanksgiving or gratitude. From them came two major themes. 

First, God wants gratitude to be the leading motivation behind everything in our lives. Paul tells us this in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (NKJV).

Next, God rewards gratitude with blessings and benefits. Even scientific studies have shown in recent years the many benefits and blessings. Here are a few and some new ones.

What are some of those benefits?

1. Gratitude can improve brain and physical health.
   
   Doctors and, most important, Scripture says that gratitude is a healthy human emotion. It improves your brain and your physical health. “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22 NKJV).
   
2. Gratitude can increase happiness.
   
   Some of the happiest people are those who are the most grateful. Focusing on the good things God has done in your life will bring you joy. David wrote, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad” (Psalm 126:3 NKJV).
   
3. Gratitude can be the remedy for toxic emotions.
   
   Gratitude defeats emotions such as worry, depression, anger, and fear. It is impossible to be grateful and worried at the same time. 
   
   Here is what Paul says about gratitude and the kind of peace that overcomes negative emotions: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).
   
4. Gratitude can improve relationships.
   
   Whether it’s your relationship with your spouse, children, coworkers, or neighbors, gratitude will improve it. You’ll likely have fewer arguments when you express more genuine thankfulness for the people in your life.
   
5. Gratitude can provide more opportunities.
   
   When you express gratitude, you receive new opportunities you may not have otherwise. People respond to appreciation. 
   
6. Gratitude indicates spiritual maturity.
   
   It is easy to know someone is growing spiritually when you see them express gratitude. Colossians 2:6, 7 says, “As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (NKJV).
   
7. Gratitude will please the Lord and bring his blessings.
   
   God says in Psalm 50:23, “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;” (NKJV). Praising and thanking God often go together in the Bible. It has always baffled me that we spend very little time giving thanks to the Lord on Thanksgiving Day. We spend hours planning for the day with decorations, preparing meals, watching football, and hanging out with family. Then we may spend a couple of minutes thanking God before dinner.
   
   We enjoy hearing our children say, “thank you,” the Lord wants us to express gratitude when we stop our busy lives (or Thanksgiving celebrations).

Let’s make Thanksgiving Day all year long.

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Do you remember the classic song “My Favorite Things?”  It makes me think of my favorite things, especially the four for which I am most thankful.  I could call them “the big four.” And if you trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can be thankful to God for these four things too:

• The grace He’s shown me to bring me into His forever family
• The plan He has for me to live each day of my life
• The home He’s prepared for me is waiting in heaven
• The changes He’s making in me every day

Keep these four areas in mind as you celebrate Thanksgiving this month.  It is easy to get so concerned with planning, decorating, preparing the food, cooking, eating, or watching football that the only spiritual activity that happens at Thanksgiving is a single prayer before the big meal—a prayer usually done by one person.

But I want to encourage you to make this year different.  Spend time on Thanksgiving Day thanking God for all He has done for you—for “the big four” and so much more.

Another “favorite thing” I like to thank God for is the people who receive, read, and apply each edition of my Leadership Helps.  You’re impacting thousands worldwide with the truth of authentic Biblical Leadership, and I am incredibly thankful for you.

Would you write to me and share how Leadership Helps and the Make It Clear Ministries team are impacting your life?  Your letters always inspire our team and all the people whose prayers and support make this ministry possible.  You can write to me at StanPonz@MakeItClear.org

Thank you for your partnership and prayers.  God bless you, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Because I’m thankful,

Stan

Views: 571

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)

The Bible expresses three truths about the importance of faithfulness in our lives:

1. God is looking for faithful people.
   
   God is actively taking the initiative to look for faithful people he can bless. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”  2 Chronicles 16:9
   
   God is looking for faithful people whom he can use.
   
2. Faithful people are hard to find.
   
   The Bible says in Proverbs 20:6, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?” A lot of people talk the talk, but they don’t trust God. They say they believe in God but don’t trust him regarding their finances, health, or job.
   
   Psalm 53:2, 3 says this: “God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Every one of them has turned aside;They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, no, not one.”
   
3. Faithfulness is the key to blessing and victory.
   
   First John 5:4-5 says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 
   
   The Bible says in Proverbs 28:20, “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.” God wants your life to be overflowing with his blessings. But to have those blessings, you must learn to trust him. Will you let God grow you in this area so you can be a person of faith?