Tag: Philippians 2:3

When Success Isn’t Enough: Finding the Way, the Truth, and the Life

Posted in @jimmiekepler, Ancient Wisdom for Today, Bible, Blog, Christian Living, Christian Writers, Jim Kepler, Jimmie A. Kepler, Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Jimmie Kepler, jimmiekepler.com, Poet, Poet's Life, Poets, Writer's Life, WritingLeave a comment

When Everything Looked Right—but Something Was Missing

When I was only twenty-three years old, my life changed forever.

I was serving on active duty as a second lieutenant in the United States Army and the Battalion Maintenance Officer, a job normally held by a senior captain. By almost every outward measure, life was good.

I had a beautiful and intelligent wife. Our first child had been born in January of that year. Professionally, things were going extremely well. My maintenance program had received a commendable rating during the annual general inspection, and because of that achievement, I was named an Outstanding Junior Officer in my Army division.

I was ambitious, detail-oriented, competitive, and something of a perfectionist. I worked hard. I wanted to excel. I wanted to do things right.

And yet, underneath all the accomplishments, I knew something was wrong.

There was an emptiness I could not explain.

Beginning during my university years, I had tried many of the things our culture says will bring happiness. I tried drinking, partying, relationships, material possessions, social connections, and surrounding myself with the “right” people.

Some of those things provided temporary enjoyment, but none of them filled the emptiness inside me.

Something was missing.

I just didn’t know what it was.

Discovering That Achievement Cannot Save Us

At the time, I was attending church. There I noticed a group of young men about my age who seemed to possess something I did not have.

There was a peace about them.

They had a sense of direction and purpose that intrigued me. Eventually, I began attending a Bible study with them.

That Bible study helped change the direction of my life.

I began to understand that the Bible was more than an ancient religious book. It was God’s Word—a guide for life that addressed the questions, struggles, failures, hopes, and emptiness of the human heart.

I discovered that I was not here by accident.

God had created me for a purpose.

More importantly, I learned that Jesus Christ loved me and desired a personal relationship with me.

But there was a problem.

Sin separated me from God.

1. I Realized I Had a Sin Problem

The Bible says:

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:23

That word all included me.

I had spent much of my young life trying to be successful, disciplined, responsible, and good. But Christianity is not based on whether we are better than somebody else.

It is based on God’s perfect standard.

And no one reaches that standard.

Not even a perfectionist.

I could not save myself simply by trying harder or living what I considered to be a good life.

2. I Learned There Was a Penalty for Sin

Scripture says:

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Sin has consequences.

But notice the second half of that verse.

God offers a gift.

Salvation is not something we purchase, achieve, deserve, or earn. It is something God freely offers through Jesus Christ.

3. I Discovered God’s Incredible Promise

Perhaps no verse summarizes God’s love more clearly than John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 John 3:16

God did not look at humanity’s brokenness and turn away.

He came toward us.

He loved us enough to send His Son.

And that included me.

It includes you too.

4. I Learned God Had Already Made Provision

The Bible explains how we respond to God’s gift:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,

and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Romans 10:9

The answer was not another achievement.

It wasn’t another promotion.

It wasn’t becoming more religious.

It wasn’t trying harder to become a better person.

It was trusting Jesus Christ.

The Prayer That Changed the Direction of My Life

I reached the place where I understood that I needed Christ.

I prayed a prayer much like this:

“Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that You died for my sins and rose from the grave so that I might have eternal life with You. I repent of my sins and ask You to come into my heart and life. Take control of my words, thoughts, and actions. I place my trust in You for my salvation. I accept You as my Lord and Savior and receive Your free gift of eternal life. Amen.”

There was nothing magical about the wording of the prayer.

The important thing was the decision of my heart.

I placed my faith in Jesus Christ.

And the direction of my life changed.

What Happened After I Became a Christian?

My life did not suddenly become perfect.

Far from it.

Over the years I have made mistakes. I have made poor decisions. I have failed at times—occasionally miserably.

Becoming a Christian did not make me perfect.

It gave me a Savior.

It gave me direction.

It gave me a foundation.

It gave me Someone to turn to when life became difficult.

The Bible became a source of principles for daily living. Prayer became more than a religious exercise. Faith became something I could carry into marriage, family, career decisions, disappointments, grief, uncertainty, illness, and all the unexpected turns of life.

Most importantly, I learned that I am never truly alone.

The peace I had tried to find through achievement, recognition, relationships, possessions, and experiences could finally be found where it had been all along—in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Can an Intelligent Person Believe in Christianity?

Sometimes people ask whether an educated, thoughtful, intellectual, or scientifically minded person can believe in God.

Of course they can.

History is filled with scholars, scientists, philosophers, writers, physicians, professors, military leaders, and intellectuals who have believed in God.

Perhaps the more useful question is not, “Can an intelligent person believe?”

Instead, we might ask:

Why have so many intelligent people chosen to believe?

Christian faith does not require us to stop thinking.

God gave us minds and expects us to use them.

Christianity makes extraordinary claims about God, humanity, morality, history, forgiveness, eternity, and the person of Jesus Christ. Those claims deserve thoughtful examination.

Faith and reason need not be enemies.

For me, the journey began by examining what the Bible said about who I was, who God is, and what Jesus Christ had done for me.

Eventually, the question became very personal:

What am I going to do with Jesus?

Jesus Is Still the Answer

Today’s world offers more information than any generation in human history, yet people remain confused about some of life’s most basic questions.

Who am I?

Why am I here?

What gives life meaning?

What happens when I die?

Is there absolute truth?

Can I really know God?

Jesus answered these questions with one of the most remarkable statements in Scripture:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 14:6 KJV

Notice that Jesus did not merely say He knew the way.

He said:

“I am the way.”

He did not merely claim to teach truth.

He said:

“I am the truth.”

And He did not merely offer advice about how to live.

He said:

“I am the life.”

The Way When You Feel Lost

Life can take unexpected turns.

Careers change.

Relationships change.

Health changes.

People we love leave us.

Plans fail.

Dreams sometimes disappear.

There will be moments when the carefully drawn map of your life no longer seems to make sense.

Jesus says:

I am the way.

You may not know what tomorrow holds, but you can know the One who walks with you into tomorrow.

The Truth When the World Is Confusing

We live in a culture filled with competing voices.

Everyone seems to have an opinion about truth, morality, happiness, success, identity, and purpose.

Opinions change.

Cultural standards change.

Popular ideas come and go.

But God’s Word remains.

Jesus says:

I am the truth.

When doubts surround you, return to His Word.

When the voices of the world become confusing, listen again to the voice of Christ.

His truth becomes an anchor for the mind and heart.

The Life When Your Heart Feels Empty

At twenty-three, I had many of the things I thought should make a person happy.

Yet something was missing.

Success could not fill the emptiness.

Recognition could not fill it.

Relationships could not completely fill it.

Possessions could not fill it.

Experiences could not fill it.

Jesus could.

He still can.

Jesus says:

I am the life.

The deepest hunger of the human soul is not ultimately satisfied by what we accomplish, accumulate, possess, or experience.

We were created to know God.

You Do Not Have to Earn Your Way to God

Maybe you have spent much of your life trying to be good enough.

Successful enough.

Religious enough.

Generous enough.

Respectable enough.

Accomplished enough.

But salvation is not a medal awarded for achievement.

It is a gift received by faith.

Jesus already opened the door.

Scripture says:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13

That word whosoever includes you.

Three Things to Remember Today

1. Success cannot satisfy the deepest need of the soul.
Accomplishments are wonderful, but they were never designed to replace a relationship with God.

2. You do not have to become perfect before coming to Jesus.
You come to Christ because you are not perfect. Salvation is God’s gift of grace, not a reward for flawless living.

3. Jesus offers direction, truth, purpose, and eternal life.
When the world leaves you uncertain about which road to follow, remember His words: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

How About You?

Have you ever personally placed your faith in Jesus Christ?

Not simply attended church.

Not merely believed that God exists.

Not merely tried to live a good life.

Have you trusted Christ as your Savior?

That was the decision I faced as a young Army officer many years ago.

Everything on the outside looked successful.

But God knew what was missing on the inside.

Maybe today He is speaking to you about the same thing.

You can come to Him exactly where you are.

A Prayer of Faith

Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned and cannot save myself. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I turn from trusting in myself and place my faith in You. Forgive me, guide me, and become the Lord of my life. Thank You for being the Way when I am lost, the Truth when I am confused, and the Life my soul needs. Help me walk with You each day and trust You with both this life and eternity.

Amen.

Today’s Thought

You may spend years searching for purpose through achievement, possessions, relationships, education, status, or success only to discover that the deepest need of the human heart cannot be filled by something.

It can only be filled by Someone.

His name is Jesus.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 KJV

Written by Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. You are welcome to share or adapt it provided proper credit is given to the author. 

The Last Cup

Posted in @jimmiekepler, Ancient Wisdom for Today, Bible, Blog, Christian Living, Christian Writers, Jim Kepler, Jimmie A. Kepler, Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Jimmie Kepler, jimmiekepler.com, Poet, Poet's Life, Poets, Writer's Life, Writing1 Comment

There is a particular kind of silence that hangs over an office break room around two in the afternoon. Everybody’s running on the fumes of lunch, and the coffee pot sits there like a small, sacred machine holding the rest of the day together.

My Story

I have stood in front of that pot more times than I can count, staring down into it, watching that last half inch of coffee swirl like it’s got something to say. Just enough for one more cup. Just enough for me. And if I pour it, that’s it. Pot’s empty. Filter’s cold and used up in the trash. I walk back to my desk three minutes richer and never think about it again.

Or I don’t.

There’s another way to stand in that room. You look at that half cup and you think about whoever’s coming in behind you, some tired soul who’s had a morning worse than yours, who was counting on that same pot the same way you were. And something in you says, leave it. Pour a new one. Wipe the counter down while it drips, and walk away without telling a soul you did it.

Nobody hands out medals for a fresh pot of coffee. Nobody’s writing your name on a plaque in the break room. That’s exactly the point. It’s a small enough thing that it costs you something real, your own three minutes, your own small comfort, and it’s also small enough that you could walk right past the moment and never notice you’d failed it.

I think that’s where most of us live, somewhere between the two responses, not cruel, just hurried. Just looking out for our own cup first, the way most everybody does, the way the world kind of trains you to. Nothing evil in it. Just narrow. Just small.

Scripture

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3 (KJV)

Paul didn’t write to the Philippians about coffee pots, of course. He wrote about a Savior who had every right in heaven to keep what was His, and instead poured Himself out to the very last drop for people who never asked Him to. He didn’t hold His hands over His own portion. He walked into the empty room of our need and filled it, and then He wiped the counter down and told nobody to make a fuss over it.

That’s the strange math of grace. It doesn’t announce itself. It shows up in the little decisions nobody’s grading you on, the ones only you and God will ever know about. A fresh pot of coffee. A kind word held back when a sharp one would’ve felt better. A little patience spent on someone who wasn’t even watching.

Most days I fail that test in ways too small to notice and never atone for. But every now and then, standing in front of that half-empty pot, something quiet in me remembers who filled the pot for me first. And I brew a new one.

Prayer

Lord, soften the hurried places in me today. Let me see past my own cup to the ones who are coming in behind me, tired and thirsty in ways I may never know. Give me a heart low enough to notice small chances at grace, and the humility to take them without needing anyone to see. Amen.

Written by Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Ed.D. Shared under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. You are welcome to share or adapt it provided proper credit is given to the author.

One Way to Prepare For 2022

Posted in Bible, Bible Memes, Blog, Christian Writers, Jim Kepler, Jimmie A. Kepler, Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Jimmie Kepler2 Comments

Two Things Are Critical

As you embark on the journey in the year 2022, two things you do are critical.

  1. The CHOICES you make.
  2. The ACTIONS you take.

One – Choices You Need To Make Everyday

1. Choose to get excited about each new day.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 English Standard Version (ESV),

  • Each day is a gift from God.
  • Make a daily choice to rejoice.
  • Get yourself fired up for having another day of life and be glad.

2. Choose to be thankful.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 (ESV)

  • Allow God’s peace both into your heart and to rule your heart.
  • It’s hard, if not impossible, to be thankful and miserable at the same time. Choose to be thankful.
  • Thank God daily for your daily bread.

3. Choose to be positive.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

  • Don’t say, “Good Lord, it’s morning” but say “Good morning, Lord.”
  • Make sure you get up on the right side of the bed.
  • As the late Zig Ziglar used to say, “Get rid of your ‘stinking thinking.’”

4. Choose victory over defeat.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:4 (ESV)

  • Remember the words of the old hymn, “Faith is the victory.”
  • Never forget it is the Lord who goes with you to battle the daily enemies and challenges. (see – Deuteronomy 20:4)
  • God gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. (see – 1 Corinthians 15:57)

5. Choose to live above the level of mediocrity.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24

  • We are to work heartily.
  • Our work honors God.
  • Remember, in any endeavor of labor, our work honor’s God.

6. Choose to put the other person first.

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Philippians 2:3 (ESV)

  • The late Christian motivational speaker, writer, and Bible teacher Zig Ziglar (a Baptist deacon and member of my church) said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

7. Choose to have hope.

Though he slay me, I will hope in him (God);

Job 13:15a (ESV)

8. Choose to keep on keeping on.

  • I had an Associate Pastor named John West that frequently admonished all to “keep on keeping on.” He would say, “Keep trying; keep doing what you are doing. Keep doing your best; never give up and keep on keeping on.”
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1967, “You don’t get to the Promised Land without going through the Wilderness. You don’t get there without crossing over hills and mountains, but if you keep on keeping on, you can’t help but reach it.”

Two – Choose to take ACTION by accepting Christ as Savior.

The only way we can really have a winning 2022 is to know Christ as Savior. Do you know Him as your personal Savior and Lord? Here is how to be sure.

Man’s Problem:

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

Man’s Penalty:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

God’s Provision:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (ESV)

God’s Promise:

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9 (ESV)

To accept Christ as Savior – A Prayer of Salvation:

“Lord Jesus, I confess to you I am a sinner. I believe that you died for my sins and that God raised you from the dead. I ask you to forgive me for my sin right now. Thank you for saving me and for giving me eternal life. In your name, I pray. Amen.”

FYI – I originally wrote this last section in 1988 as an article titled “Our Need and God’s Provision” using the KJV as the Bible reference. It was published in “Motivators for Sunday School Leaders” by the Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources).

One Great Way to Prepare For The New Year

Posted in Blog, Jim Kepler, Jimmie A. Kepler, Jimmie Aaron Kepler, Jimmie Kepler4 Comments

One Great Way to Prepare For The New Year

Two Things Are Critical

As you embark on the journey in the year 2020, two things you do are critical.

  1. The CHOICES you make.
  2. The ACTIONS you take.

One – Choices You Need To Make Everyday

1. Choose to get excited about each new day.

Psalm 118:24 English Standard Version (ESV), “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

      • Each day is a gift from God.
      • Make a daily choice to rejoice.
      • Get yourself fired up for having another day of life and be glad.

2. Choose to be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 (ESV), “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

      • Allow God’s peace both into your heart and to rule your heart.
      • It’s hard, if not impossible, to be thankful and miserable at the same time. Choose to be thankful.
      • Thank God daily for your daily bread.

3. Choose to be positive.

Philippians 4:13 (ESV), “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

      • Don’t say, “Good Lord, it’s morning” but say “Good morning, Lord.”
      • Make sure you get up on the right side of the bed.
      • As the late Zig Ziglar used to say, “Get rid of your ‘stinking thinking.’”

4. Choose victory over defeat.

1 John 5:4 (ESV), “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

      • Remember the words of the old hymn, “Faith is the victory.”
      • Never forget it is the Lord who goes with you to battle the daily enemies and challenges. (see – Deuteronomy 20:4)
      • God gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. (see – 1 Corinthians 15:57)

5. Choose to live above the level of mediocrity.

Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

      • We are to work heartily.
      • Our work honors God.
      • Remember, in any endeavor of labor, our work honor’s God.

6. Choose to put the other person first.

 Philippians 2:3 (ESV), “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

      • The late Christian motivational speaker, writer, and Bible teacher Zig Ziglar (a Baptist deacon and member of my church) said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

7. Choose to have hope.

Job 13:15a (ESV), “ Though he slay me, I will hope in him (God);”

8. Choose to keep on keeping on.

      • I had an Associate Pastor named John West that frequently admonished all to “keep on keeping on.” He would say, “Keep trying; keep doing what you are doing. Keep doing your best; never give up and keep on keeping on.”
      • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1967, “You don’t get to the Promised Land without going through the Wilderness. You don’t get there without crossing over hills and mountains, but if you keep on keeping on, you can’t help but reach it.”

Two – Choose to take ACTION by accepting Christ as Savior.

The only way we can really have a winning 2020 is to know Christ as Savior. Do you know Him as your personal Savior and Lord? Here is how to be sure.

Man’s Problem: Romans 3:23 (ESV), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Man’s Penalty: Romans 6:23 (ESV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s Provision: John 3:16 (ESV), “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God’s Promise: Romans 10:9 (ESV), “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

To accept Christ as Savior – A Prayer of Salvation: “Lord Jesus, I confess to you I am a sinner. I believe that you died for my sins and that God raised you from the dead. I ask you to forgive me for my sin right now. Thank you for saving me and for giving me eternal life. In your name, I pray. Amen.”

I originally wrote this last section in 1988 as an article titled “Our Need and God’s Provision” using the KJV as the Bible reference. It was published in “Motivators for Sunday School Leaders” by the Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources).

Photo Source: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay