Good Advice?

A number of months ago I had the privilege of hearing a speaker at a conference for pastors and leaders.  I so appreciated his approach:  he used humor to communicate and though the points made had depth, it was the method he used that opened my heart to receive them.

So, in typical fashion, the advice he gave us came in a back-handed way. 
The Title of his talk was "5 Keys To Crash and Burn Well":
1.  Let fear rule you
2.  Work at daily pushing away loss
3.  Work hard at being someone that you're not
4.  Do not deal with people conflict
5.  Ignore your basic human needs

It's pretty obvious that he wanted us to do the opposite of what he was saying, and if you look closely you will agree that what he was presenting really was good advice.  But I wonder if we have trouble receiving genuinely good advice sometimes?

Listen to this passage from 1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.  If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?  Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

How often do I hear this advice but live the opposite way?  How often do I misinterpret what being 'responsible' is by thinking that spending my life and my resources on myself and my family, without ever allowing myself to really believe that God is calling myself, and all His children, to "lay down our lives" for each other?  If you're like me I ask "HOW"?  How do I actually live this way and not put myself and my family in a horrible position?  How do I give more time to others when it seems that I don't have enough already?

Here I need to stop.  Period.  Go back to the beginning--to the basics.  I need to hear what God says to me, and He says love others with time and resources.  If He is the God of all resources then He can provide what is needed for everyone.  He might not make more hours in a day, but He will change things to make possible what He asks us to do.  I don't have to know 'how', I just need to be willing to step into it.

Not easy, but really doable!

So here is my 'good advice' as I hear God speaking.  Here are "5 Keys To Ignoring God Well":
1.  Do not listen to God
2.  Make sure that you only care about yourself
3.  Always avoid sacrificing for others
4.  Do not believe that God can change you
5.  Do not believe that God is able to overcome our circumstances

Lord, help us to really hear your voice--deep in our bones.  Shake us out of disbelief, and help us to actually step into what you have for us.

BT