Three Simple Things to Improve Your Day

I have been a pastor and spiritual counselor to people for many years now. When someone comes to me struggling with anything I ask them a couple of key questions. “How is your regular Bible reading going?” and “Tell me about your prayer life.” We all have our dry spell moments. Time seems to get away from us all and we can’t find enough of it. We all have those times when we are fighting doubt and do not understand what God is doing. We all have those moments, even for a split second, where we wonder if all we are living for is even noticed or worth it. There are three things that, if added to your daily routine early enough in the day, will change your perspective on life and the world around you forever.

I have three simple pieces of advice, that if employed sincerely, will change your life forever. I guarantee it! You may say, “I know where you are going with this. How much are you asking me to give to your pet project for this ‘guarantee’?” Sigh…. Many (not all) televangelists and prosperity preachers have certainly tainted the view of people sincerely preaching the gospel. I’m not asking for a dime and I’m not promising financial security or a financial blessing from God because you gave. I’m just as wary of those pitches and promises as you are. The three things everyone needs to add to their morning routine are quite simple and only require a couple of short minutes. Well, standard minutes actually. There’s no such thing as a “short” minute.

First, go to Romans 8:38-39 in your Bible or Bible app. Write it down on a piece of paper, or take a screenshot of it on your smart device, or anything else that will cause you to focus on it. You can even download this PDF and print it out. Now place a copy of it where you will see it every day without having to look for it. You can stick it to your bathroom mirror, hang it on your refrigerator door, stick it to your coffee pot, make it the background on your computer desktop or smart device, or somewhere else you will have it in your face each and every day. Each day recite Romans 8:38-39 out loud. Yes, I said out loud. There is amazing power in not only speaking but also hearing the word of God spoken aloud. Speak it out with boldness and believe it. It won’t be long before you have the verses memorized. Don’t remove the reminder from wherever you put it when you do! It can’t remind you if it’s not there. You can even replace the word “us” with your name and take that passage as a personal message from God to you because it is.

Second, ask God to give you a measure of His compassion for those you come in contact with that day. If you already pray daily, add this to your daily prayer. If you don’t, or don’t know how to pray, just ask God. That’s all prayer is. Just talk to God like you would talk to anyone else. There is no magic formula, just talk. When asking God for a measure of His compassion, you will start to have empathy for people around you. You will start to be less annoyed by the aggressive driver that cuts you off on the commute to work. You will start caring about people that are in a tough place and your heart may even feel compelled to help them. By all means, help! You are the hands and feet of Christ, so go for it! Help when the Holy Spirit prompts you. You don’t need mine or any other pastor’s/minister’s/mentor’s permission. You already have God’s permission. Take a look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:33-45.

Third, ask God to let you see the world through His eyes. This really goes along with the measure of compassion and they work hand in hand. When you combine the compassion of God, who loves humanity so much He sacrificed His own son so we could be with Him and receive His gift for us, with His view of the world, your world will be rocked! Don’t let that scare you, it’s a good thing! We need our world rocked from time to time. It breaks us out of the ruts of life we find ourselves in. We start to see people around us in a different light. You will notice that you start to label people less, and subsequently judge them less. You start to notice the facades that people put up and see through them to the crumbling internal strife going on in their lives. You will see that some of the truly happiest people may not be the most financially secure or have the most “toys”. You will see those that appear to be the most successful on the outside are the ones with the biggest fears and doubts. You will see the causes of people’s attitudes, good and bad, and understand where the attitudes come from.

All of this, when married with God’s compassion, and the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God through Jesus, will usher in a new dawning in our lives. Your world will irreversibly change in a great way. Those dry spells and doubts will become far fewer and shorter in duration. You will find God whispering to your heart in ways that bring you joy and plant seeds of joy in those around you. You will be blessed, I guarantee it!

Three things, friends; just three things:

• Recite Romans 8:38-39 aloud each day.
• Ask God for a measure of His compassion for that day.
• Ask God to let you see the world around you with His eyes that day.

When you do these three sincerely, expect to receive great blessings!