31 March 2024
Two-Minute Features | 07 April 2024 | 24 March 2024

Getting to the Root of the Problem, Part 3 (TMF:2325)

Friday, April 05, 2024
Peace to Live By: Getting to the Root of the Problem, Part 3 (TMF:2325) - Daniel Litton
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       I would say that we should not understand being surrendered in everything as a one time decision. Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? I would say that we should not understand being surrendered in everything as a one time decision. It’s not that one day we lift our head up from our hands and say, “From this point forward I am going to be surrendered in everything.” For a few that might be possible. But, for most of us, it is going to have to be an ongoing thing. That’s usually the way our sin-natures work. Dealing with sin often seems to be a daily thing, keeping our thoughts, words, and actions in check so they are pleasing to God. But, as we start to deal with the roots of problems, we start to understand better what is causing evil passions to come up in us. Then, we can surrender the underlying cause of the passion so that the sin is nipped in the bud, at least, for a while until we forget again. For several years I struggled with the strong to desire to met a girl and get married. It wasn’t until I was around 30 years old that I decided I even wanted to get married. Once I did, however, I was pretty eager to make it happen. I would say my desire within myself to do that became too strong. It definitely wasn’t surrendered.

Getting to the Root of the Problem, Part 2 (TMF:2324)

Thursday, April 04, 2024
Peace to Live By: Getting to the Root of the Problem, Part 2 (TMF:2324) - Daniel Litton
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       In the New Testament, James give us some interesting insight on how to think about the things we want in life. These can be big things or small things. We know that generally it isn’t what we want that is bad, but often it is why we want it. This ties into to getting at the root of problems. Anyway, James said that within people there are evil passions rummaging about that cause people to act in bad ways to try to get what they want. And, sometimes, it is true that what we want is something bad. But I think more often it is not. I think we do see a lot of times that we want things that we place before God, on a higher pedestal before God. When we do that, James notes that we become adulterers, loving this world and trying to love God at the same time. That’s why it is important to get at the root of problems, to not just deal with symptoms, to be surrendered in everything. Sounds like a tall order, doesn’t it? I would say that we should not understand being surrendered in everything as a one time decision.

Getting to the Root of the Problem, Part 1 (TMF:2323)

Wednesday, April 03, 2024
Peace to Live By: Getting to the Root of the Problem, Part 1 (TMF:2323) - Daniel Litton
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       What we need to understand, and this is fundamental for any level of happiness to be obtained, is that, in essence, there is a root to every problem. People who aren’t surrendered are run by various insecurities. These can be anger, or pride (self-righteousness), or even fear. People who set high standards for others and even themselves are going to get angry when those standards aren’t being met. Likewise, people who want others to always do a 100% job and demand perfection from themselves are full of pride. Still yet, the person who has a problem with fear is going to see potential problems everywhere, whether these be threats or whether they have too strong of an attachment to whatever. We have to remember that at the end of the day that “All that matters is God.” When we keep God first, and everything else as optional, then we really don’t have to be bothered or concerned about anything. We give everything to God, and we live our lives in true happiness knowing we are in relationship with him.

Wealth Doesn’t Increase Happiness, Part 3 (TMF:2322)

Tuesday, April 02, 2024
Peace to Live By: Wealth Doesn’t Increase Happiness, Part 3 (TMF:2322) - Daniel Litton
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       I just personally don’t see any correlation between wealth and happiness. Wealth can be good if we know what we are doing with it, if we know how to manage it effectively. But we also know that the more the increase, the more things there becomes to be concerned about. Increased possessions causes increased worldly concern. That’s why we know some famous wealthy people live lives of simplicity. I think the important thing is that we have our happiness founded in God and not money. Remember, Jesus said we get to choose. He said we can’t choose both of them, but we can choose one of them. A person can value money the most, or a person can value God the most. I think it is experientially true looking at the lives of those I know and looking at my own life that those who value God more are indeed the happiness. With God comes happiness. With wealth, well there is happiness too, but it is a different kind of happiness, a temporary and uncertain happiness.

Wealth Doesn’t Increase Happiness, Part 2 (TMF:2321)

Monday, April 01, 2024
Peace to Live By: Wealth Doesn’t Increase Happiness, Part 2 (TMF:2321) - Daniel Litton
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       I know, if I think inside my head, that if I was to obtain more money that I already have things I would buy. That means that I really wouldn’t be saving more. I would just be increasing my wants. I mean, think about it. If someone said to us, “I’ll give you a million dollars but you cannot buy anything with it or change your living standards in any way,” most of of us would lose enthusiasm pretty quickly. Funny how that is. We all know that some of the richest people in the world are some of the most unhappy. We also know that some of the most modest people we know seem to be the happiest. I just personally don’t see any correlation between wealth and happiness. Wealth can be good if we know what we are doing with it, if we know how to manage it effectively. But we also know that the more the increase, the more things there becomes to be concerned about. Increased possessions causes increased worldly concern. That’s why we know some famous wealthy people live lives of simplicity.