This is where I struggle. At youth camp this year the minister, Bro. Soto, preached about being a thermostat or a thermometer. You see, thermostats set the temperature. But thermometers only read and react to the temperature. Do you determine your attitude, or do your circumstances and emotions? A bad attitude is like a virus which slowly creeps in, spreading as it goes. If it is left unchecked it can wipe out an entire system. A bad attitude will slowly poison a person’s life, till every area is contaminated. Their every perspective will reek of negativity and complaint. Negativity stinks.

But even Jesus had to keep His attitude in check. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus didn’t feel like obeying the will of the Father. But disregarded His feelings and His opinion and said, “Nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.” I believe it is God’s will for us to genuinely be happy. Not merely to think happy thoughts, but to have the joy of the Lord in our life. However, our flesh does not always want to be happy. Then you must choose to count your blessings, choose to be thankful, and choose to praise God until His presence brings joy to your situation. You’ll be glad you did.

When you enter a setting such as the work place or even your home, it is easy to pick up or sense the attitude that has been set by those who are there before you. If your co-workers are discouraged or upset, it is easy to let your attitude slowly begin drifting toward theirs. Maybe at first you merely want to be compassionate and understanding, taking time to listen to their problems and frustrations. But listening to people complain, hour after hour, day after day, can begin to wear on you. It is important to decide at the moment you realize this is happening that you will be a thermostat.

You can decide your attitude; you are not bound by your emotions or your circumstance. Determine to set the atmosphere at your work, home and church. Sometimes you must be the change you want to see. If you are tired of people taking you for granted, then make sure you go out of your way to be thankful for those around you. Create the culture you in which you want to live.

First, and above all, is just being in God’s presence, allowing myself to be in a place where I have the greatest possibility of being touched by and spoken to by Him. This often comes from being in His house with other believers. In my case, this includes prayer meetings with the young men in our youth group. These times give me a chance to be spoken to by others – which leads to my second point.

The second thing that keeps me on track is the council and insight of my elders and those in authority over me. I can say that I am grateful for all of the people who have spoken into my life. They have been able to help me see the way God has for me when I can’t seem to get there by myself. The ones who have been instrumental in keeping me on track are people like my parents, my pastor, the elders in my church, and even peers who have a heart after God. I’m so thankful that even through the times where I cannot seem to see through the fog of war to the path Jesus has for my life, they have been there to guide me kindly and show me their examples of how to continue soldiering down the path I am on.

If there is any advice I may offer to those who are going through this experience, it is to continue putting yourself in God’s presence and to surround yourself with people who are able to speak what God wants to communicate to you when you can’t seem to find it for yourself.

To begin with, I will recap the story, which takes place in Matthew 25:14-30. The story begins with a master and three servants. The master is going away on a long journey and so he puts the servants in charge of the “talents”. To one he gives five, another two and to the final servant he gives one, “every man according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15). The master went on his way and the servants were left to do what they would with their talents. The first (with five talents) works and doubles it. The second follows suit. However, the last servant simply hid his talent in the ground. When the master came back he was pleased with the two who had doubled theirs, but he was angry with the one who had simply hidden his.

The correlation which so plainly developed in my mind upon reading this parable is this: where have I invested the talents God has given me? Do I take time to further them? Am I working towards the increase in them? I have found myself in this quandary more than once before; I have the option of developing a musical, writing, scholastic, or spiritual talent… or to fritter my time away gaming or watching videos. I have the option to further myself and increase the assets I have for the kingdom of God… or just take the easy way out.

I have been endeavoring of late to stop taking the easy way out and instead invest in the talents God has given me. Perhaps I’m not always successful, but I’m still trying. I encourage you to do the same, or if you’re already developing the talents God has given you, to continue developing them toward the vision God has for your life.

When I take a step back and consider my life, I have often thought that I might have this multiple personality problem. It seems as though there is one Nathan that wants to do great things and be used mightily by God. A version of me that is slow to anger. This version has a controlled attitude featuring gentleness, patience, purity, and holiness. Then there is another Nathan that is just the opposite.  This Nathan is easily angered, selfish, and lazy.  In fact, as much as I hate to admit it, there seems to be a part of me which actually enjoys sinning.  While I have always known that I wrestle with my flesh and with the devil, the thought that part of me actually wants to sin is a little bit disturbing.

The medical field teaches us that one who is suffering from this split personality problem will have two very individual and distinctive ways to perceive and interact with their world. Two diametrically opposed motivations can dominate their life. This is eerily similar to the state in which I sometimes find myself.  One night I can be on my face weeping before God, lost in His presence for hours.  Yet the next morning I am hardly able to mutter a few phrases of what I am ashamed to call prayer while I stumble out of bed.  This is a perplexing and embarrassing (and borderline depressing) way to live life.

What causes this spiritual one-eighty? I am not the only case, because Apostle Paul said that “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” (Rom 7:15-16, NIV) After reading the much of his other writings, it seems to be that inside of each of us there is an old man and a new man. The old man is personality which loves to sin, loves to cheat and steal and is selfish. It is he who must die with Christ. It is he who we must kill daily. Yet the new man, who is free from sin, is born as also Christ rose from the dead. But if it is as simple as that, then why doesn’t the struggle stop? It is highly possible that the answer to this question is far beyond the scope of this article or even of my finite understanding. But I believe I have at least a piece of the puzzle.

Earlier in Romans Paul stated that “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom 6:14) Grace is an undeserved gift. You may not have dominion over sin, but sin no longer has dominion over you.  You may not have everything under control but you are no longer under control. Grace is our undeserved chance to fall on our knees and ask for forgiveness. But more than forgiveness, I find myself asking for the power to change. I find myself asking humbly for grace. I do not have the ability to change, but God is able to transform me, making me new.

So when the dust settles, when the casualties are counted, whether I’ve won the battle or not, I simply pray, “God, let the old Nathan die.”  Then I must remind myself who I am, for I am a new man. I am clean and washed as white as snow. And I begin to let the old man die.

Okay, maybe those are just the questions that circulate through my mind. But, while being on that plane, God was probing my mind in a way that will alter the way I view my life forever.  Through all the turbulence, those ridiculous questions flowed through me, yet a still small whisper put some reason amidst the chaos.

“If you can put so much trust in someone you don’t even know to transport you in your journey across the country, why can’t you trust me, who you do know, to lead you in every decision in your journey of life?”

That one got me to stop and think. Every day gets so mundane that  I get stuck in a routine and I don’t even think to include God in the decisions of everyday. I turn to trusting myself for decisions that will change the direction of my life completely.   Not decisions like, “Should I have cream cheese on my bagel or butter?”  But it has more to do with those choices that shape my character and my ministry in later years. Decisions that lay a heavy weight on me, it can be about education, work, or relationships. I’ve grown accustomed to the heaviness and allowed myself to start doing things on my own. I didn’t think God would care about what lay in front of me; I didn’t think I could trust him. Trust is a hard thing.  I realized just how hard it is when he asked me that small question. He showed me that I wasn’t allowing myself to trust the One who already knows. He knows the paths I’m going to walk; he knows the decisions I’m going to make. He has already planned my life out, before I was even born. To trust in myself, who can’t see the future, is to rob my Divine Planner of the time he took to plan each intricate detail of my life.

To go on that plane, each passenger had to have a level of trust in the pilot. He had one destination to bring all of us and we trusted that he would do it. We didn’t know which route he was going to take, but we all knew that in the end, we would be at that destination.  I’ve learned that I need to stop being the pilot in my own life, because I probably don’t have the highest grade average on the knowledge of life. I’ve learned to allow God, who is the best pilot, to take me to that destination while I sit in my seat, not knowing what route I am going to take, but trusting in the pilot to take me there on the route he sees is best.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”  — Deuteronomy 30:19-20

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  — Matthew 6:33

Like a recurring dream, there is one choice in life that is presented to us over and over again. You have probably made this choice at least once today. You made a choice when you woke up and decided whether to thank God for the day or simply begin your routine. It came up again when there was an opportunity to help a coworker or a schoolmate, but it was out of your way. That recurring choice is the decision to put God first or to please ourselves, but it’s a false dichotomy: Jesus said (in Matthew 6:33) that if we put God first, the things that are beneficial to us will fall into place. He actually said they would be “added unto” us. We don’t have to chase after them, because God is the one who adds to our lives — not us. When we chase after God, we’ll find that He takes care of the things we would have been chasing anyway.

We all have to make this choice repeatedly. Maybe this time it’s a job or a relationship. Maybe you’re dealing with academic decisions or family issues. Or maybe your choice is too personal for me to enumerate. But regardless of the specific situation, the principle of putting God first holds firm.

There’s a good example of working from principles in the field of aviation. If you were to read an airplane manual or an instruction book for flying a plane, without actually flying one, you might be left with the impression that the important part of flying is the details. There’s the trim, the flaps, the fuel mixture, calibrating the instruments, adjusting the propeller angle… there are a lot of parameters that will affect your flight. But an instructor will leave out those details while you’re learning and will have you focus on a few simple principles. Pull back to pitch up and push forward to pitch down. Left and right tilt the plane in that direction. Point the nose toward wherever it is you want to go. Many forces can work on the craft to affect the outcome, but as long as you continue to follow those principles it will work itself out.

So it is with life. There are billions of unique situations — everyone on earth is dealing with life from a slightly different perspective. But without knowing anything specific, we could still say with confidence that the most important decision is to put God first. Our challenge today? Seek first the Kingdom.

Well, an army is a complicated system. Every officer must answer to another, higher-ranking officer. Battles are confusing and a disjointed. Many men end up killing their own comrades without even realizing it. Some battles become outright massacres if the officers do not coordinate properly. Spiritually, if we do not keep our lives straight we will be in danger of a massacre: total destruction at the hands of our enemies. God has a place for us in His army to destroy those enemies instead, and guide us through our problems. He wants us to join with Him in the fight against our foes.

If we will only put our trust in God, He will guide us through the battle. When we cooperate with Him like a soldier cooperates with their superiors, we are in the undefeatable fortress of God. [Clearly this requires, well, cooperation.  -Ed.] I need to be aware of my mental, emotional, or even physical enemies so He can direct me. If I don’t follow directions, my day is not going to be easy. That’s not to say that following directions is always easy — it’s difficult for many people — but He’s still our superior. And maybe we’ll mess up from time to time because we’re not perfect, but that’s why we have a God to catch us if we fall. Psalms 119:105 says that God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. This means that God will direct us where we need to go: all we need to do is follow.

A faithful soldier who communicates with his superiors is far preferable in the eyes of a general to a “lone wolf”, whose unguided attacks may hinder his own comrades. Likewise, if we are spiritually active but not in agreement with God, we may do more harm than good. Victory over our personal enemies — whatever they may be — is dependent on our unity with God.

More than once I have been completely lost and pulled over to ask for directions. Once when I was especially lost on my way to an event, I pulled over for the second time to ask for directions. Due to the stress of being lost and late, my first attempt to ask for directions had led me down a dead end. Imagine my relief at finding a police officer on his lunch break inside the fast food restaurant! With his directions, I was at my destination within 10 minutes. My crowning achievement was navigating through the tunnels and one way streets of Boston several weeks ago. Though we made a couple wrong turns along the way, we found our destination on time. What a thrill!

Life seems to mimic my road trips. I think I have it all figured out, that I know my way to where I want to go, and I’m determined to get there single-handedly. Sometimes I get turned around. Still I try to muscle through it myself, thinking that I can find my own way even after my directions have proven inaccurate. Sometimes I ask for help from a faulty source of information and end up farther from my goal. But God has something better in mind for me. I don’t have to wander the road of life lost and confused. There are divine directions, more reliable than my trusty Internet map sites can hope to be.

You don’t have to look far to find the spiritual equivalent of a police man, with directions and advice you know you can trust.  A few times I got to use a friend’s GPS device. How easy! I don’t need to figure anything out or call for help, I just need to listen. It tells me when to turn, even what lane of the highway I should be in to make that turn. And if a happen to miss my exit? That reassuring voice comes back on, saying “Recalculating route.” Isn’t that wonderful? Even if I mess up, it redirects me back to the right path. That is what God wants to do. If I listen, there is the still small voice of God, directing me to my final destination, and to many good things along the way.

Jesus is exactly like our GPS. But instead of us being in control, our Lord and Savior is. David wrote in Psalms 27:12 “Teach me your way, oh Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.” Just like David asked Jesus to guide his path in every area of life, we need to make the same request. It doesn’t matter if that way is finances, relationships, a career, or teaching a Sunday school lesson. Jesus wants us to rely completely on Him, because He has every direction mapped out already. Unlike a GPS or map, Jesus has every road, every intersection, and every new road in your life laid out.

“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”  – Psalm 77:19-20

We can’t always see where were going. I know from experience that you can’t always find your way on your own! This is one of the reasons Jesus put pastors, elders, etc. in our lives so that we could gain their wisdom. Just like us, they had to submit to God’s GPS. As a result, they probably know more about the situation we’re facing than we do. As much as we know, there is always someone else more knowledgeable. And of course, Jesus knows all!

How many times do we confuse the right way with our own decisions and desires? This is why this is why Psalms 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” With God’s GPS we can’t let our own desires and wants get in the way. We need to set them aside and let God guide us all the way. In the end, like it says in that verse, “He will give you the desires of your heart.” I know I want that and I’m sure you do too! Consider yourself challenged to let go of your own wants, needs, and desires and let God take complete control. Let Jesus be your GPS. In the end, I guarantee it, you’ll be much better off. Do it! Don’t talk or contemplate it, because then it won’t end up happening. Go and do it!

Maybe you already have some experience in letting God direct your life. What methods does He use to do that? How do you make sure that you aren’t taking control again? Encourage someone in the comments section by sharing an example of God’s dependability — better than any map or human technology!

You can pick up the gist of the story in Numbers 22:21-33. Balaam knew who God was and worshipped Him, but apparently he had a weakness. One translation says that he “fell in love with money” and so he agreed to go against God by cursing the nation of Israel. But as he rode to the meeting place, Balaam’s donkey was given the ability to see angels. Since the animal possessed more common sense than its master — as well as a powerful sense of self-preservation — it turned aside. That resulted in a beating, but again the donkey saw an angel with a flaming sword and wisely turned aside. Another beating, another turning aside, and finally Balaam has had it. He savagely beat the animal — and then the donkey began to talk.

“What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” it asked. Balaam gives an unexpected answer: “You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” Wait a minute, Balaam. You know who God is and claimed to serve Him. You gave up your integrity for gold and silver. You’re on your way right now to defy the Living God, and your donkey is acting more intelligent than you. Did the animal make you look foolish, or did you make yourself a fool?

The angel explained the donkey’s behavior to Balaam and then said something very interesting: “The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her.” The donkey would have been spared even if she had gone straight ahead. It was an act of kindness even to turn away. Though the animal couldn’t talk at that point, the message was clear: don’t go this way! There’s a problem. What you’re doing is dangerous. Stop. But Balaam wanted to be in control, so instead of acknowledging his mistake, he stood there and blamed someone else for his own inability to see.

Too often we are like Balaam. We want to be the sole controller of our lives. We no longer respond to God, having become blind to His word, so He sends guides to help us: friends, youth leaders, pastors, and church elders. They try to help us and direct us to the right path or steer us off of the wrong one. It’s possible that they’re just trying to control your life, but usually they see something you and I don’t. To our shame we can often be found accusing them with similar words, “You have made a fool of me! Why do you criticize every decision I make?”

The truth is that no one made you a fool, so now there’s a tough question to ask yourself: did your counsellors make you look foolish, or did you make yourself a fool by ignoring their wise, well-intentioned advice? The quickest way to look like a fool is to stand there and blame someone else for our own inability to see.

What role have role models and authority figures played in your life? Have you found them to be acting in your best interest, or is it better for you to control everything since you know best? It might be good to consider that question a while before leaving your answer as a comment . . .