Research 101...

Good afternoon all-

I've been spending the weekend resting, thinking and researching.  It's the strangest thing, you can find everything on the web you want and yet how many of us are really seeking the one that knows all?  In college I was a history major and I wrote, read and researched hours and hours.  As I left the school room for bigger and brighter things I found myself less and less about gaining knowledge and more and more about making  money.  This principle can be applied to any facet of our lives.  Today, we spend more time on snap chat, Facebook, Twitter and other avenues of social media then we do in our Bibles. 

This principle of gathering information by searching the web has sped up education in many ways.  Families are able to home school, colleges can provide classes to working men and women and companies can expand their marketing efforts in a multitude of ways.  And there is the fact that the Bible can be seen by any device made.  The ability to gain knowledge is at an all time high so why aren't we doing our research where we need it the most?  I think the answer lies in the world more than anywhere else.  We spend more time chasing the dream of being successful and we forget to stop, question, listen and read the greatest history book of all time.  In one book we can find the purpose for living, find where science began and discover the wonder of a Savior.  That one book provides life and death principles that far outweigh how the Kardashians are doing or what singer tried to kill themselves.  As a matter of fact, if we spent more time in the Bible we may just become experts in the only thing that matters, Christ and the Holy Trinity.

How I even thought of this title was I was researching how to prepare to paint the exterior of our home.  Quitting my very lucrative job and starting my business means that this family is having to watch every penny and yet, this is one job that has to be completed.  So like many things in my life, I've decided to do it and I want to do it right so I researched paint, preparation, when and where to paint and how to apply paint on garage doors.  Basically, I went to seven or more sites and read what others think is important for a non-professional to do it themselves.  And, as you know when you Google something, I found every piece of information I needed.  It took me several hours and several sites and then I went around my house to see what supplies I thought would be needed.  All that research will save me time, money and needless trips to Home Depot.  That's why when I'm going to do something or buy something I research it and gain the knowledge I don't have.  Which brings me back to my point today, how often do we spend hours with the Lord seeking wise advice? 

I'll leave that question for another day but it's a provoking question.  If I were honest, probably 30 minutes of my day is spent in the Bible.  When I was working twelve hour days it was probably, 10-15 minutes,  prayer time on the way to work and possibly as I was coming home.  When I went through my trial, sometimes it was moment by moment.  I spent more time seeking wisdom from God because if I didn't I would have drowned.  In those moments, researching God's divine plan was more important than anything else.  I quit reading for enjoyment, stopped exercising, well basically I gave up everything but breathing and working.  Through it all, Jesus guided me and brought back my passion to research, not about practical things but about Him.  I'm better for it, so if you're floundering like a big tuna in the ocean, start with Jesus 101, He will never let you down.

So as I leave you today, research one thing that's been on your heart this week.  It could be fear, anxiety, worry, provision, need, hurt, joy, pain, just to name a few. Whatever it is, Jesus is waiting for you to open the Bible and find His perspective.  He's the best counselor we could ever have.

By the way, if your going to paint your house by yourself look at Behr paint, its half the cost of Sherwin Williams with more durability.  My little tip for the week!

1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Romans 3:18 (NIV)
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Proverbs 8:17 (NIV)
I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

These are just a few on my list and I researched them in three minutes from Bible.com.  Research doesn't have to take hours it just needs a few minutes to give you hours of comfort!

Jesus I pray that my friends reading this will put the power of their knowledge in Your hands.  That as they spend time on their phones and Internet, their first thoughts would be to find You.  I pray the same for myself, for I know that the world can turn our hearts toward things with no meaning.  You, on the other hand, hold all the keys to our lives and our successes.  I pray over the men and women that read this blog, that believe You are the only way to heaven and that love those that aren't lovable, just like You have for us.  I pray this in Jesus name, AMEN