Proverbs 6:6-11

The sluggard is lazy, constantly making the soft choice, losing one opportunity after another after another after another, day by day, moment by moment, until he lies there helpless in his wasted life.

Here’s three things Proverbs says about the sluggard:

1. The sluggard will not make up his mind (v.9). How long will you lie there? He has no definite answer. He will not give an honest refusal, but he deceives himself by an endless sequence of little compromises.
2. The sluggard will not finish things (26:15). On the rare occasion when he finds the motivation to get going, it is too much for him, and the impulse dies. He does not stick with a task all the way through to a strong finish. He is a shallow person.
3. The sluggard will not face things the way they are (22:13). Rather than embrace the challenge of life, he dreams up excuses: “There’s a lion in the streets!” he says. A lion down on Main Street? I doubt it. What’s really out there is a life, a job, a mission to fulfill for Christ.

[This is taken from the book Proverbs: Wisdom that Works]

Matthew 6:33

Seek first the kingdom of God.

Let your care for your souls and another world take the place of all other cares: and let all the concerns of this life be made subordinate to those of the life to come: we must seek the things of Christ more than our own things; and if ever they come in competition, we must remember to which we are to give the preference.

-Matthew Henry

From day one this has been the principle guiding truth for The Ripple Effect. We asked ourselves, “What if this is true?” What if we put God first in every aspect, minute, and decision of our lives to the best that we know how? What would happen?

We firmly, experientially believe that if you put God first, seeking Him, His kingdom and  ways foremost  in your actual daily living and thinking, that you will have everything you need–that, beyond needs, you will experience abundance of Life that far surpasses mere existence, but metamorphoses into a life of meaning, purpose, and joy.

God desires to hear from us and share in every detail of our daily lives. When we converse with Him, ask for help, share our experiences, we begin to live at another level of awareness. We begin to live in gratitude and peace.

I’ve been thinking that God’s love may be about the only unconditional blessing from God (thank God it is unconditional!). But this elusive life of peace that everyone so deeply desires, but looks anywhere but God for to no avail, is conditional…upon our total surrender to God, upon our obedience to Him, upon our drawing near to Him.

We are told to seek first the kingdom of God, not to merely believe it exists and then sit around waiting to have all our needs met. Not only the needs of food, clothing, and shelter, but of love, peace, and joy.

As we often challenge here at The Ripple Effect, try talking to Jesus more than you talk to anyone else, just for a day even. Try to think about Him more than you think about anyone else, even for an afternoon. Then observe and reflect on what happens in you and in your life. Start to take notice and become a witness of your emotions and circumstances rather than a victim to them.

There is no true inner peace in anything but God alone.

It is our hope, and our sincere prayer, that these daily writings point you to that truth, to God alone through Jesus Christ.