CHAPTER 1

LET’S STOP AND THINK
ABOUT THINGS

Opening Thought

As we go through life, it’s beneficial to stop now and then and think about things, especially those issues that have a significant impact on our lives. Therefore, I’m starting this book with the suggestion that we do exactly that—in this case, stopping to think more deeply about God’s role in our lives.

Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about this question:How does God work in our lives and in the world? It seems to me that this is one of the more important questions we will ever have a need to answer. That’s because having an answer, especially one that makes sense to us, can significantly improve the way we live our lives.

I’ve also been thinking about another question:Why is the quality of life declining while crimes and conflicts are increasing in almost all parts of the world? Clearly, people throughout the world are not as happy as they used to be, and many live day to day in fear.

There seems to be a connection between the answers to these two questions. It appears to me that the further we move away from God, unintentionally or otherwise, the more stress and difficulties we have in our personal lives as well as throughout the world.

We need a better understanding of God’s role in our lives and how God can help us live in a more effective and satisfying way. We need to get our thinking straight about how God’s spiritual guidance can help us have a better life and a better world.

The happiness of your life
depends on the quality of your thinking.

MARCUS AURELIUS

Our Outside Lives and Our Inside Lives

In effect, we live two lives: ouroutside or external lives and ourinside or internal lives. Our outside lives include what we say and do each day; our work, school, and exercise activities; and our efforts to look good to others. Our inside lives include the love we feel for those close to us, the thoughts we have that determine the choices we make, and our caring and concern for other people.

We have parents, teachers, managers, and significant others who help us with our outside lives, where most of us focus as we go about our activities each day. We tend to spend much less time working on our inside lives, as we can’t see them or touch them. Therefore, it’s essential for us to stop, think, and determine how well we are doing in managing our inside lives. An honest assessment in this regard can lead us to make some important improvements in the way we are living each day.

Almost every one of us needs to focus more and work more diligently on the management of our inside lives. Our inside lives, without question, are the most important, as they include ourspiritual experiences when we communicate with God and connect more closely with God’s presence in our lives. Not only can God help us improve our inside lives, but when we do so, our outside lives are improved as well.

We do not need more national development; we need more spiritual development.

We do not need more intellectual power; we need more spiritual power.

We do not need more knowledge; we need more character.

We do not need more law; we need more religion.

We do not need more of the things that are seen;

we need more of the things that are unseen.

CALVIN COOLIDGE

Our Need to Stop and Think

Many people go through life without ever giving much careful thought to God’s presence and influence in their lives. I know because I was one of those individuals who, for many years, was more concerned about my career, the size of my house, and my outward success than in achieving any spiritual understanding and insight. Fortunately for me, and maybe for you as well, God never gives up on us and continues to be at work within us, helping us to live better lives.

I’ve attended church regularly over the past fifty-plus years and have listened to hundreds of sermons containing various explanations of where God is and what God is doing. However, like many others, I’ve tended to simp