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Monday, June 25, 2007

Is your marriage a success?

A marriage can consist of many successes but undoubtedly will experience some challenges. The key is going from one to the other without losing your enthusiasm for your marriage. What do you do to ensure that you and your spouse are having a successful marriage? How often do you evaluate and reevaluate? What do you do if your marriage is not experiencing success?

Streaming Faith Daily Devotionals
Monday, June 25, 2007

Measuring Success by Dr. David C. Cooper
Everyone wants to be successful. The question is how do you measure success? Webster says that success is "a favorable or desired outcome of something attempted; a prosperous or advantageous issue or the attainment of wealth, fame, and so forth."
I like Winston Churchill's definition better: Success is going from one failure to another without losing your enthusiasm. A Gallup Poll conducted on 1,500 prominent people revealed five common traits of successful people- common sense, knowing one's field, self-reliance, general intelligence, and the ability to get things done.
Is that all there is to success? Jesus responds with a heart penetrating question,"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Matt 16:26).

There are two sides to the coin of success. First, success means to become the person God created you to be. Success is internal before it is external. It is measured by character not circumstances. God's greatest work is not in what He does for us, but what He does in us: "For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" (Rom 8:29).Theodore Roosevelt said, "If you are not actively pursuing the person you want to be, then you are pursuing the person you don't want to be."
Second, success is a matter of accomplishing what you set out to accomplish. It is reaching for your goals. If you find you have the wrong goals then, change them! If your strategy isn't working, then change it! Success is largely a matter of hard work and determination to accomplish what you set out to do. Don't merely try - do!
As Yoda tells Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, "There is no try, only do!"
Go out and face the challenges of life with the will to win, the desire to succeed and the goal to please the Lord!

Dr. David C. Cooper serves as Senior Pastor of Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, GA. He received his bachelor's degree from Lee College, his Master of Education from the University of Georgia, and his Doctor of Ministry from Erskine Theological Seminary. Currently, Dr. Cooper serves as chairman of the Board of Directors and as an instructor in Counseling at the Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.


Signed,
Actively in pursuit of success!

Friday, June 22, 2007

This was a statement I read recently in an article published in the New York Times. I am curious to know if you agree or disagree with this statement?

One of the main reasons there are so few black marriages is that there are so many black men who are financially incapable of supporting a family.


Signed,
Married to a black man who is incapable of being incapable.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Ask God to Guide Your Relationships

This was an email I received from a great friend, who I know is struggling in her relationship. How timely it is! I think it is important that when entering a relationship, you must decide early on what you can(negotiable) and can not (non-negotiable) live with. Then pray that something that was not revealed previously does not reveal its' ugly head! Non-negotiables should be deal breakers. What would be your non-negotiables?

Manipulative Relationships
"Fear of man is a dangerous trap."
Proverbs 29:25 TLB
When you enter any relationship, romantic, social, business or otherwise,be careful what you permit in the beginning because it'll come to be expected. For example, if you have to buy someone's friendship by letting them manipulate you, be prepared to keep paying. And don't plan on changing them. Just think how difficult it is to change yourself - so what are your chances of changing somebody else? Decide now what you can live with later. And stop living like there's no tomorrow - because tomorrow always comes! Solomon said, "Fear of man is a dangerous trap."Relationships can't thrive with one person calling all the shots while the other struggles for approval. Paul said he had no interest in "trying to make people accept him." His only interest was pleasing God. (Galatians 1:10 NCV). God will never ask you to violate your values or disobey His will just to be in the good graces of another person. In fact, it's better to be alone than to allow anyone other than God to control your life. Let people know up front that while you'd like their approval you can live without it if you have to. Respect others, and make it clear you expect the same in return. Above all, never let emotion win out over wisdom, or drown out the voice of God in your life. When you're insecure you can be drawn into wrong relationships. Security is a fundamental part of your identity as God's child. Paul says "you are God's masterpiece . . created . . . a new in Christ." (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)
God wants you free to be who you are. That's why when you ask Him to guide your relationships, He'll help you to form the right ones.

Now, my question for you: How important is it to be in a relationship/marriage with someone who is God fearing and in the case of marriage 'involved' in a church? And by 'involved', I don't mean just in attendance.


Signed,
God's masterpiece