Title: Four Principles for a Blessed Life
Four Principles for a Blessed Life
(Matthew 6:31-34)
1. A clear purpose of life (Purpose)
Life becomes deeper only when the purpose of life is clear. Many life problems arise from a poor understanding of the purpose of life. The purpose of a believer's life is to “seek the kingdom and righteousness of God” (verse 33). Rather than live happily and happily humanly, try to live happily and well in the will of God. If you do not lose the purpose of your life and live according to God's holy will, the promise in the text, “All these things will be added to you,” will come true.
Why are so many people wandering today, losing their holy dreams? If you indulge in ups and downs and materialism, you lose your holy dream. Even if you are too comfortable with no problems, you lose your holy dream. Also, even if you live with betrayal and hurt in your heart, you lose your holy dream. On the other hand, if we believe that all pain, wounds, and problems have arisen within God's good providence and plan, and do not lose the purpose of life, even death is a victory. If you lose your goal and wander because you don't know where to put your body, put your body in one place and struggle even if it hurts. Wandering is worse than conflict. Conflict strengthens the power of the mind, while wandering weakens the power of the mind.
2. Clear Priority
In Jesus’ words, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”, the word ‘first’ means that there are things to be done later and there are things to give up. People cannot do everything alone, so if you want to do the important things first, you have to give up the less important things. Why are high-end restaurants expensive? Because there are a lot of things that are cut and thrown away when cooking. You have to be able to cut out such less important things to become a work of art. In the end, the question of priorities is not a question of “Which one do you choose between a good thing and a bad thing?” but a question of “Which one do you choose between a good thing and a better thing?”.
If you miss an important point in your religious life, it will become futile. If you go to meetings here and there according to your greed, and if you touch on this and that, your soul will gradually weaken and you will fall into the trap that Satan has dug. Why are there so many people wandering around without deciding on a fortress church? It is a struggle to find the real church. “Where shall I entrust my soul? Where are the living words? Where can we find heavenly peace and comfort through worship?” When you live your life of faith, think of God's will for you, go to a place where your touch is essential, find what you do best, and focus on that work. Then you will gain peace of mind and your brilliant dreams will soon become reality.
3. A clear plan of action
Even if you have a clear purpose and know your priorities in life, nothing good will happen if you don't have a concrete plan to accomplish it. Of course, you don't have to plan in breathtaking detail. However, planning within the framework is essential. There is no subtlety, but there must be thoughtfulness. If we let life just happen without thoughtful planning, great things won't happen and only the tiniest things float around us like the floats of our daily lives.
Make a concrete plan for your life, make a blueprint that you will be like this at age 50 and this at age 70, and show your responsibility to take action from today. True faith also brings responsibility. Take responsibility for what you have to do and what you can afford. If you do not take responsibility and look for only a temporary remedy for your worries, looking for people who have the ability to find irresponsible and absurd solutions, your soul will be weakened and your worries will increase. If you take responsibility for your work, God will surely take responsibility for you in the name and person of God.
4. Pray
Life often doesn't go the way you think or will. In Korea, tobacco consumption sharply decreases in January every year, and then resumes in February. This is because, at the beginning of the year, he decided to “stop smoking this year!” and then gave up quickly. Quitting smoking is not good enough on your own. No matter how good a plan is and takes action for the glory of God, in the end, God must help us to make it happen. So pray to God for help. If God helps, problems will be resolved, wounds will be washed away, and the history of healing and restoration will appear in a mysterious way.
Prayer is the source of problem solving. If you pray earnestly, your heart will be healed, your problems will be resolved, your wounds will be washed away, and the flowers of recovery will bloom in the broken places. In the end, the most important thing in life is to hold onto Jesus' hands and at the same time hold Jesus with your praying hands. If you try to hold on to each other too much in a relationship, you usually get disappointed. However, if you hold on to the Lord with your hands in prayer, that is the way to victory and a way to live happily. Although the word ‘restructuring’ is often mentioned, the most important restructuring is the restructuring of life in which life goals are aligned with God through prayer.