Do you know how to live? I mean really live? Do you know how to enjoy a sunrise or the green grass or a flower? Or are you in such a rush that you can't see the beauty in creation and stop long enough to appreciate all that God has given us?
Until you came to know the Lord, you really didn't know anything about living because you didn't know the Giver of Life. But being born again doesn't mean you know all there is to know. Most people don't know how to live. They just exist. They are always looking forward to something else.
They think about tomorrow, saying things like, "Soon we're going to get into the good things of God," or "If only we were able to do this," or "Soon we'll be able to do that," or "When we're able to retire, then we'll live." But that's not living.
Truly living is experiencing the zoe life—the God kind of life—today so that you won't have any regrets tomorrow. By living the zoe life, you won't look back and say, "Oh, man, I should have been having fun. I should have been enjoying life—savoring every moment."
Knowing how to live is an art that must be developed. And as you do, you can daily taste and see that God is good.
Exercise Thanksgiving
I began learning this art in the early days of my ministry when The Lord taught me an important lesson in living. He asked me, "Keith, would you like to enlarge your capacity to receive from Me?"
Well, it only took a split second for me to say, "Yes, yes, and Yes! Please show me how."
He said, "Cultivate a lifestyle of thanksgiving."
To cultivate something means it will not happen automatically. You have to stir it up; pursue it. That's where most people miss it. They think, "Well, I'm basically a thankful person," but they don't put forth any effort to exercise thankfulness.
One of the primary things that will keep you from living the zoe life is being ungrateful and unthankful. It will darken your spirit.
Some Christians are confessing what they want but griping about what they have. They say, "I'm claiming a new car." But they also say, "I can't stand this old junker I have now. The transmission leaks. It's got a dent in both fenders and the air conditioning doesn't work."
But it doesn't work like that. Consider Romans chapter one:
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.Don't be among those who bump along complaining, not enjoying life at all. Don't allow your heart to be darkened by being unthankful. Appreciate the things God has provided. It is part of being a good steward. If you're thankful for what you're given, then you value it.
(Rom. 1:21)
Remember what Jesus said in Mark 4:
Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.Take a look around. The people who are receiving are those who are thankful. They have cultivated a lifestyle of thanksgiving. If you want the capacity to receive more, you must have the capacity to appreciate more.
(Mark 4:24)
No Comparison
The enemy continually tries to influence Christians to be ungrateful. One of his biggest strategies to keep people from receiving is to get them to compare themselves with others. Comparison is the nature of the flesh and the nature of the world's system.
But look at what the Bible has to say about that:
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.Comparing yourself to others goes hand in hand with unthankfulness. When you compare what you have with what someone else has, you unwittingly open the door to deception, confusion and darkness.
(2 Cor. 10:12)
The objective of the enemy is to make you jump to one of two wrong conclusions. One, he wants you to think you're inferior so you will begin to feel sorry for yourself and ignore all the good things God has done in your life.
Or two, he wants you to think you're superior to the person or thing to which you're comparing yourself, leading you into pride.
Don't fall for the comparison trap. Instead, be wise—be thankful.
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