Guidelines For Living Devotional

This Is The Truth About Decision Making

It’s an old story but one worth repeating.  A young man who is being promoted goes in to talk to the CEO, who has been with the company for many years.  “What is the secret of your success?” he asks the old gentleman, who replies, “Making good decisions.”  “Yes,” answers the young man, “but how did you learn to do this?”  This time his answer was one word.  “Experience,” he replies.  “I understand that, sir,” replies the young man, “but I haven’t had the advantage of many years of experience as you have.  How do I gain the wisdom of your experience?”   “By making bad decisions.”  Well, so much for experience.

6 Guidelines To Making A Hard Decision

An old legend tells of a farmer who had a beautiful daughter who was courted by a variety of young men, all wanting to marry her.  So, the farmer promised the hand of his daughter in marriage to the young man who could walk through his field of corn, never backtracking, and select the largest, most perfect ear of corn in the entire field.  And did it work?  No, the beautiful daughter, so goes the myth, ended up unmarried.  Here's why.

How To Make Smarter, Safer Decisions

A college professor was striving to motivate his students to make quick evaluations followed by good decisions.  To illustrate a point, he calls on a student who drove a truck in his spare time and asked him to respond to this situation.  "You are a truck driver with a fully loaded semi-truck coming down a steep decline.  On your right is a 500-foot drop off with no guardrail.  On the left side of the road is a mountain bluff.  A few hundred yards distant is another truck.  Suddenly, a passenger car attempts to overtake the truck coming toward you.  Quickly you step on your brakes and your foot goes to the floor.  No brakes at all.  You have three seconds to make a decision.  What will you do?" 

Why Does Hope Matter?

"Hope," said Thales, the Greek founder of philosophy, "is the most universal thing in the world, for hope stays with those who have nothing else."

This Is The Healing Power Of Hope

It happens every day in every major city of the world.  A car is proceeding down the highway when another vehicle pulls directly into its path.  There is the screech of tires as brakes are jammed on, but it is too late.  The sickening thud is followed by the tearing of metal and the shattering of glass, punctuated with the screams of suffering.  A broken, bruised body is pulled from the twisted wreckage, and soon an ambulance is racing towards the hospital with siren wailing and lights making eerie designs on the inside walls.  The victim is unconscious and unaware of reaching the hospital; but upon his arrival a team of specialists go to work to save the life of the accident victim.

Start Everyday With Courage

Ernest Hemingway, when confronted with despairing in his own personal life, took the path of least resistance, and took his own life. In my file is an anonymous quote where somebody wrote, "It takes more courage to be faithful in routine things than to risk one's life in a moment of spectacular danger."  Do you believe that?  Yes, it is one thing to dash into a burning building to snatch a child from the jaws of death, and it is another thing to stand by your sick wife month after month, or to face the routine of a job you don't particularly like. 

How To Prepare for Difficult Times

I often hear from frustrated, sometimes angry, sometimes confused people who ask a lot of variations of the same question:  Where was God when trouble knocked at my door?

What To Do When You’re In Trouble

Whenever trouble knocks at the door of my life, I ask myself three question:  1)  Is God trying to tell me something, and I've been too dense to hear His voice so now He's getting my attention?  2)  Is the trouble the result of Satanic attack? or 3)  Is this difficulty circumstantial--something that possibly I brought on myself, or may have happened simply because I got caught in the wake of a poor economy, or just happened to be in harm's way?

How Do I Grow Spiritually?

It's amazing what parents will do to see growth in their children.  When a parent suddenly realizes that his or her child is significantly shorter than all the others in a given group, most parents start booking appointments with doctors and embark on a regimen of nutrition or medication.  They don't want their youngster to be a "small fry!" 

Does God Hear Your Pleas?

Rick Warren, a pastor who speaks to some 12,000 people every week, says that the question which people ask more than any other is, "Why did this happen to me?"  Has that question ever come from your heart?  A phone call in the night brought news that your best friend had been injured in an automobile accident.  You were laid off at work, replaced by a younger person.  The company that you thought was on the way up went south with your savings.  Just when your husband retired and you thought you could enjoy life, a stroke changed everything.