kenlassblog

Professional boxers step into a ring and, when the bell sounds, proceed to try to punch each other into submission. If one of the fighters is knocked to the floor and can’t get up, it’s a knockout. But often a participant can be beaten and battered and still, somehow, will himself not to go down. It is then up to the referee to determine when the fighter can no longer defend himself, and declare the competition over by “technical” knockout.

God declared us the victims of a technical knockout early on. He knew the temptations of this world would beat us down. He knew all of us would sin. That we would be battered and bruised by greed, pride, disease, worry, hatred, envy, ignorance, over confidence and carelessness. He declared the fight against the devil over before we were born.

That’s why He provided a savior. Jesus revives us, picks us up from the canvas. You can be sure he is always in your corner.

Many people are reluctant to try something new and challenging because they are afraid to fail. Yet I find that most successful and happy folks have failed at least once in their endeavors. It happens to athletes, to business entrepreneurs, to show business celebrities, and just average folks.

Failure can be public and embarrassing. People like to look down on those who have failed because it makes them feel better about themselves. But very few things ever get better without effort. If you want improvement in your relationships, your work, your finances, whatever it might be, try something new. Or commit to do what you’re doing better.

You may fail. Millions of us fail every day. You’ll survive. You’ll learn something. And you’ll be a step closer to succeeding.

People who achieve bountiful success in their line of work often retire and become consultants. They will share their knowledge and insights for a fee. Governments and large businesses will pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get their advice.

It makes me appreciate that the greatest consultant offers His services absolutely free. The others guide you to ways of making money, running a city and growing industry. That’s all well and good, but none of it matters much if you don’t have inner peace and joy in your life. Most of us need help with that as well.

Make God your life coach and consultant. His handbook is readily available, and you can’t beat the price.

Recently I came down with a nasty cold. I had body ache, sore throat, stuffy nose, the whole mess. I was pretty miserable for a few days. My wife Sharon went over to our daughter’s house to babysit grandkids. When she came home, she handed me four pages of folded paper.

Each of our grands had made me a get well card. They drew pictures of themselves with me (mostly stick figures) and did their best to print “I love you grampa” underneath. Immediately, my mood brightened and, somehow, I felt much better. Oh, I was still sick, but I was no longer depressed and grumpy. Their little homemade cards made my day.

There is so much power in little acts of kindness. Try one today.

I’ve always heard that it is not possible to “spot reduce” specific parts of your body. For example, you can’t just reduce belly fat by doing abdominal exercises. You have to lose weight overall through diet and workouts, and your tummy will recede in proportion to the rest of you.

I can only imagine the same holds true for your moral weaknesses. If you struggle with something specific, such as addiction, or profanity, or lust, it takes an overall change to heal. Making godly decisions in all aspects of life will help you eliminate, or at least reduce, your particular problem as well.

We can’t do it alone. We’re not strong enough. Get connected spiritually. The belly fat of temptation won’t hang around.

Recently, my ten year old granddaughter looked at me and, out of the blue, asked “Grampa, what is it like to be old?”

How exactly do you answer that question? Do you explain how your hair turns gray, how you can’t run and jump like you used to, how you start to forget things, how you spend half your life in doctor’s offices, how you have aches and pains where you didn’t even know you had places?

Those are all negative things. After pondering for a moment, I chose to tell her that being old means you have a long catalog of great memories to savor. That you have a lot of wisdom and advice gained from your many adventures. That you have the joy of loving on grandkids, time for doing things you’ve always wanted to do, go places you’ve never been. Time to really appreciate and relish the special people in your life.

“Gee”, my little one replied. “I wish I was old.” I told her that one day she will be. Far quicker than she realizes. But if you live a godly life and treat people right, life gets better every day.

At some point you have probably seen or heard about the difference between mercy and grace. How mercy is not getting something you deserved, and grace is receiving something you didn’t deserve. Or is it the other way around? Sometimes I get them mixed up.

Either way, we usually speak of mercy and grace in terms of our relationship with God. But they also apply to our experiences with others. You are always going to have folks in your life with whom you disagree, disapprove of, or even argue and fight with. Tempers will rise. Feelings will be hurt. The temptation to escalate will be strong.

Showing a little mercy and grace to others will go a long way toward mending fences and restoring loving relationships. God has provided those two blessings to us. We would do well to pass them on.

There are few feelings in life better than when somebody is glad to see you. When we go to our grandchildren’s house, they squeal with delight when we walk in the front door and run to us to give us a big hug. Of course, that will change as they grow older, but it sure feels good now. I guess it’s because we have treated them with all the love we have, and love always comes back to you. (although they are also playing us like a violin)

When you approach friends and family, are they happy to see you? If they are, it’s because you have treated them with love and respect. Sometimes they don’t always show it in an obvious way, but folks want to be around people who make them feel good about themselves.

Want to be welcome everywhere? Treat folks right. Then get ready for hugs and handshakes.

Are you in a good mood today? No? Okay, let’s try to change that. I googled how to get into a good mood. I got an AI answer, and here’s what the technology came up with:

Watch a funny movie or TV show. Play with a pet. Spend time with good friends. Take a walk through a pretty landscape. Get some exercise (it releases endorphins). Listen to inspirational music.

Any of those sound like they might work? Hope so. It would be a shame to waste this precious day feeling grumpy or sad. My prayer is that you will find something, many things, to feel good about today.

Life isn’t much fun if you lack energy. Everything seems so much harder when you are weak and tired. There are any number of commercial supplements you can buy claiming to boost your energy level. But the safest and most reliable way will come as absolutely no surprise to you. It’s what you’ve heard all your life. It’s just being smart and under control.

Doctors say drink plenty of water. Eat a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables, get your body moving every day, get enough sleep, manage your stress, and enjoy a little sunlight. Nothing new there, right? But, of course, doing all of those things is easier said than done. Most of us would rather try a shortcut by taking some sort of pill.

You probably take enough pills. If there’s something you can accomplish without pills, it makes sense to do it. Increasing your energy is one of those things. So go old school. Just live healthier. You’ll be surprised how well you can adjust and succeed.