[Biblemat] S) "ITS GOOD FOR YOU"

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is a study from my
files.  Use to the glory of God.

"ITS GOOD FOR YOU"

     How many times did  you hear the phrase, "Eat your brocc-
oli, its good for you"?  I suppose every parent in the world has said this to 
a child at some point, perhaps many times.

       In the past few months I have been dieting (doctor's ord-
ers) and I have had to relearn this lesson.  I can eat lots of
green vegetables, but must stay away from starches.  Once
again, even though a grown man, I am being reminded to eat
what is good for me.

     This is a good principle to apply in our walk with God.
There are some simple things we can do that are just good
for us.  Sometimes we forget to do them, or we let Satan dis-
tract us form doing them.  As with our diet, we get into bad
habits that feel good at the moment, but are not good for us
at all.  When that happens, we have to go back to what is good for us.  
Listen to what Paul says concerning what is 
good for us.

     "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!  Let
your forbearing spirit be known to all men.  The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supp-
liction with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehen-
sion, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, what-
ever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if any-
thing worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice 
these things; and the God of peace shall
be with you" (Phil. 4:4-9).  The apostle begins by telling us to 
be filled to overflowing with joy.  Then he gives us some prac-
tical ways to do that.

     Be Kind -- Its Good For You: -- Everyone should see our
forbearing spirit.  This can also be translated as "gentle" or
patiently kind.  The idea is that everyone we encounter should experience a 
gentle, kind attitude from us.  We should
be kind to others in all situations.

     Too often we let bad things derail us.  We get short with
others, treating them poorly.  We let the frustrations of life
keep us from being nice to the people around us.  Paul tells
us to go the other way.  Regardless of circumstances or
frustrations, we should be kind to the extent that everyone
can see our forbearing spirit.

     This sort of kindness does two things.  First, it forces you
to focus on others and not dwell on your problems.  Second,
it helps you feel better as you encounter others, since they
feel better being around you.  When you smile, people smile
back.  So, be kind to others no matter what you are going
through, its good for you.

     Be Content -- Its Good For You: -- Next, Paul tells us to 
give up our anxiety.  Instead, we can experience inner peace.
Too often we let worry absorb our thoughts.  We worry about
money, about our children, about work, about health.  Some-
times we are anxious because we are faced with tough choic-
es.  Paul says we should turn our anxiety over to God.

     Instead of worrying, we should learn to be content.  "Being content with 
what you have; for He Himself has said,
'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,' so that we
confidently say, 'The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid.
What shall man do to me?'" (Heb. 13:5,6).  We should be con-
tent with the income we have, the possessions we have, the
simple things God blesses us with every day.  "And if we have food and 
covering, with these we shall be content" (1
Tim. 6:8).

     Unlike those without faith, we should be content with what
we have.  That frees up a lot of energy we would waste on
worrying.  That calms us, relaxes us and rests us.  You need
to be content, its good for you.

     Be Praying -- Its Good For You: -- The path to this inner
peace or contentment is found in prayer.  In fact, Paul teach-
es us that we are to pray about everything.  There is nothing
too big for God.  There is nothing too small for God.  What-
ever struggles we have, we can take them, big or small, to
the Lord in prayer.  Whatever blessings we have, big or small
we can thank the Lord in prayer.

     The joy God promises, the inner peace we desire, only 
come to us when we spend time in prayer.  Jesus did this.
"And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose
and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying
there" (Mk. 1:35).  If the Lord Jesus saw the need to spend
time in prayer, even if it meant getting up early to pray, we 
should set aside time to go to the Father as well.

     "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give
thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thes.
5:16-18).  Notice again that joy and prayer are connected.  It
seems obvious that we lose our joy, our happiness, when we
fail to pray.  The key for us is to spend time in prayer, giving
our anxieties to God.  Then we can have the joy and peace we want.  So, pray, 
its good for you.

     Be Positive -- Its Good For You: -- Next, Paul tells us to focus our 
attention on positive things.  We are to think about
what is true and noble, what is right and pure, what is lovely
and admirable, what is excellent and praiseworthy.  Too often
we focus on the negative.  We see what is missing in our lives
and miss the beauty, the blessings that surround us.  When
we look at the bad side of things, we will not be joyful or con-
tent.  We will dwell on what is wrong with life.

     It may seem odd, but God always looks at the good side.
When man first sinned, God saw the dawn of a new day, not
the end of His relationship with man.  "And I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your seed and her
seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise
him on the heel" (Gen. 3:15).  At the scene of the first sin,
God tells Satan that Jesus would come and redeem man.  He
promised, way back then, that good would win.

     What is amazing about this is that God keeps on seeing
the good in people even when they seem so evil.  "For God so loved the world, 
that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal
life" (Jno. 3;16).  God could look at a wicked, rebellious world,
and still love it enough to let His Son die for us.

     In fact, God does this with the worst of sinners.  "It is a
trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am
foremost of all" (1 Tim. 1:15).  God saw something in Saul few
Christians would acknowledge.  While this man is persecuting
Christians, God is preparing to forgive him and use him to 
take salvation to the Gentiles.  God sees the positive in peop-
le.

     So, make it your habit to see the good around you.  Even
in our wicked world, there are so many good things going on.
Hurricane relief reminds us that people are still generous.
Holiday food drives remind us that people do care for less
fortunate.  The horrors of Sept. 11 remind us that people are
still courageous and will risk their lives to save others.  In 
spite of the evil in our world, we can still find much positive
to focus on.  So, learn to be positive, its good for you.

     Be Imitating -- Its Good For You: -- Paul encourages us to
find a good example and follow it.  The Philippian Christians
knew Paul well.  They knew his love for them and the lost.
They knew of his dedication to the cause of Christ.  They 
knew his willingness to sacrifice for the body.  So, Paul tells
them to imitate him.  What this meant was what Paul says to
the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of 
Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1).  As Paul modeled his life after Jesus, so
should we model our lives after him.

     Even today you can find good examples to follow.  There
are decent, godly people that God has put around you.  That
is why it is so vital to assemble with the body, so you learn
from others how your life can be lived.  "Remember those
who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and consid-
ering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:
7).  Learn to imitate those whose faith and life are powerful,
its good for you.

     Be Thankful -- Its Good For You: -- As Paul mentions pray-
er, he adds a little phrase that can easily be overlooked.  Our
prayers are to be filled with thanksgiving.  As we unburden
ourselves to God, we should also take time to thank Him for 
all He has done.  This builds our joy, calms our troubled spir-
its, and helps us focus on the positive.  Being thankful is vital
if you want to be happy.

     Again, as we complain about life and its injustices, our
hearts will be weighed down.  If you wan joy and peace you
must learn to give thanks constantly.  At meals, in worship,
in daily conversation we should be thanking God for all He
has done, all He is doing, and all He will do for us.  Give
thanks, its good for you.

     Be Saved -- Its Good For You: -- These principles will help
you even if you are not a Christian.  But, if you want to exper-
ience the peace that passes understanding, you need to be
redeemed by the blood of Jesus.  You need to be cleansed of
your sin.  Paul teaches us to imitate him.  Notice what he was
told, and what he did.  "And now why do you delay?  Arise, 
and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name", "and he arose 
and was baptized" (Acts 22:16; 9:18b).
Imitate Paul and be baptized into Christ today.  You can be
full of joy.  Be saved, its good for you.  ----- David Thurman in
Gospel Minutes, Vol. 55, No. 51, Dec. 22, 2006.
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