How Can I Live My Best Life Now?

Review

Ok Guys. Good evening! Before we get started I want to do a quick recap of last week. Who remembers the three kinds of thirsts we talked about last week?

Thirst of Empty Soul, Dry Soul, Satisfied Soul.

When we were talking, I was thinking about how almost everyone in this room has had a thirst of the dry soul. It can be really hard to be content or “thirsty well” can’t it?

I was pretty depressed my sophomore year of high-school. My church wasn’t healthy, my relationships with my friends were stale, and I was craving water but it was that dry thirst we talked about last week. I was never picked on for my faith much, but I was still faithful I guess. I wasn’t content though. It took some intentional involvement in my church, learning to love my new summer job, caring more deeply for others, and learning how to be grateful that helped me learn to be content and happy. It also took people to come alongside me and love me through all of my much. I made my mom cry my senior year when I told her I was our prom king (no I didn’t do any sports but was kind of a music, goober, guy who loved Jesus).

Introduction

What I want to do tonight is spend some time thinking about living “your best life now.” Not in the weird, power of positive thinking way, but in the God honoring way.

How many of you have been picked on because of your faith, going to church, or even just believing in a God? How many of you knew that there are, from scientific studies, proofs that all of these things are good for a person’s health, and not having can actually put a person in a more dangerous place?

Here’s going to be the format of the lesson. I’m going to tease out 7 ideas in the bible, and give you some scriptures to support these ideas. Then I’m going to share what some of these studies show. By the end of this, you should have a pretty good idea of how living the Christian life is actually good for you, and not only because the Bible says so. When your peers, either now or later in life, mock your faith, you can be assured that life may not be as bad as it could be and maybe even give some answers to their questions. But before we start, let’s pray:

Prayer

Evidence 1

People who go to church are happier and healthier

The scriptures encourage believers to go to church. In the book of acts, we read about the early church:

Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

We’re also told by Paul to Col 3:16

Colossians 3:16 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

The ideas of devotion to teaching and fellowship, sharing a meal and praying, letting the word of Christ dwell in us, admonishing with wisdom, singing together and being thankful are all part of the church life.

There’s a Harvard Study done by a guy named Tyler Vanderwheel. It’s a long complicated study but here are some of the main points that he brings up:

He calls going to church “magical medicine” for your health

It’s better than eating fruits and veggies regularly

Almost as good as if you were a smoker and you stopped smoking

It will make you less likely to be depressed, do drugs, and have alcohol intake

It is the best preventative against suicide

People who struggle with this are 5x less likely to kill themselves

This kind of benefit doesn’t show up in things like joining a rec sports team or a golf club or mathletes. It is only seen in church.

But, I thought that being a Christian in this life would be hard?? Matthew 16:24

Matthew 16:24 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

I mean I have to carry my cross and that sounds bad and I have to follow all of these rules. What’s so great about going to church that would make me happier and healthier?

This is all true! However, the bible shows that going to church for our regular fellowship gives us that spiritual spring in our step that we can rely on to get through hard times. The Vanderwheel study I mentioned only affirms this.

Your friends may make fun of your churchy habits and faith, but know that it’s for your good that the church exists.

Evidence 2

Love is the Most important thing

As Christians we know that love is the heart of our faith.

1 John 4:8 ESV

8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

John 15:12 ESV

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

The ultimate way we know what love is is because Jesus laid down His life for us.

1 John 3:16 ESV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

People will often say that they believe that “all you need is love,” or, “love is at the center of the universe.” Christians are the only one’s who literally believe that is true.

There’s another Harvard Study that addresses love. This study has been going on for 77 years so it began in 1945. The study shows that young people see their happiness dependent on fame, wealth, and success.

Do you know what actually kept them the happiest?

It was good relationships with family and friends. You can’t have good relationships without love.

Evidence 3

Helping others is good for us

Acts 20:35 ESV

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Mark 12:31 ESV

31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 10:44–45 ESV

44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 16:25 ESV

25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Clearly the bible wants us to help others. Can’t you miss out on opportunities for yourself by helping others though? Like, “what’s in it for me?”

Well, what if there really is something in it for you?

Even social scientists show that caring for others is better for the helper’s mental and emotional benefit more than the person being helped.

Worshipping ourselves ends up making us deeply unhappy. It’s not freedom, it’s more like imprisonment. Christians are selfish people. Not too different than anyone else. We don’t live up to Jesus’ standard, but we know we need Jesus’ forgiveness everyday.

Did you know though, that

Christians are 3.5x more likely to give money to charities to help and benefit others and are 2x more likely to volunteer and care for them?

Just because we don’t live up to God’s standard, doesn’t mean that we don’t seek His standard found in Jesus Christ.

Evidence 4

Gratitude is good for us

How many of you like writing thank you cards? Did you enjoy it?

I don’t like writing thank you cards and never have. Even when I received birthday cards as a kid, with NO MONEY IN THEM, I had to write thank you cards back. A card for a card. It’s…silly to spend money on cards.

The bible talks about gratitude like this. Paul tells us to Rejoice Always

1 Thessalonians 5:16 ESV

16 Rejoice always,

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Paul went through all kids of serious trials, shipwrecks, stoning, imprisonment, mocked, laughed at and eventually killed because of His convictions about Jesus and the gospel. Do you think he wrote thank you cards?

Maybe, maybe not. We do know that he expressed thanks over 25 times including in the book of Acts.

Psychologists acknowledge that those who choose to be thankful are happier and healthier than those that aren’t.

It really is a choice to be thankful though. It’s not the “power of positive thinking either. It’s a joyful response to a life-making and life-saving God.

Evidence 5

Forgiveness is good for you

Forgiveness is hard isn’t it!? Jesus makes it harder though.

Matthew 18:21–22 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Luke 11:4 ESV

4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”

Even when Jesus is dying on the cross he tells His people to forgive

Luke 23:34 ESV

34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

That’s some serious commitment to the idea of forgiveness. Jesus isn’t playing around with that kind of forgiveness. It’s a serious thing that shouldn’t be taken lightly

Experts agree with this too. Forgiveness is good for our mind and bodies.

Does this mean that God doesn’t care when we get hurt? We’ll address this in another lesson, but we should remember that over and over in the bible God wants to protect the vulnerable and calls us to do the same

Psalm 68:5 ESV

5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.

The takeaway here for the Christian is that God wants us to forgive as He has forgiven us.

Romans 12:19 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Evidence 6

Grit is Great!

How many of you are familiar with the Lord of the Rings? In the story there’s a character known as Samwise. He’s a nobody really. Just a gardener. But he sticks with his friend Frodo on the quest to destroy the ring! He had no special skills, or fighting abilities. He had low hp and mp probably.

But Frodo could not have done the mission without Sam, making Sam a hero. It’s not because he is gifted and talented, but because he is loving and determined.

You don’t need to be smart enough, or talented enough to succeed in this life, you need something called “grit.”

Psychologists even use this term. It’s where we stick with something even when it’s hard over a long period of time.

What are some examples of the Christian life and grit? How are we asked to use “grit” in our lives?

Matthew 7:14 ESV

14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

2 Peter 1:6 ESV

6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

God doesn’t ask us to manufacture our grit though. He sends His Holy Spirit as a helper for us! He also gives us the companionship of other believers.

John 14:16 ESV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

Evidence 7

Love of Money lets us down

This is the last one we’ll talk about this evening.

I want to start with a familiar story in the bible. Turn with me to Matthew 19:16-26

Matthew 19:16–26 ESV

16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

You can’t buy happiness right?

We have all had experiences where we think money will buy our happiness.

Here’s another study for you:

In 2016, a survey showed that 82.3% of people in the US think that becoming rich is essential or an important life goal.

We just want more and more and more

Experts though are showing that choosing money over friends and family will increase your happiness significantly

We should still work hard and earn money. We should strive to support others in need, and to work unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:23 ESV

23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

The other side of that study showed that

satisfaction in work isn’t based on pay, but on enjoying your work

We all want impressive jobs when we grow ugp, but maybe we just need to be a gardener with all of our hearts. In Jesus’ kingdom, maybe the most unimportant people by the world’s standards are actually the most important.

Matthew 20:16 ESV

16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Application

It’s easy to wish that we had easy lives. Not even just as Christians, but as people. It’s so simple to look at the well-off folks, sports heroes, famous pastors, dancers and actresses and to follow their lead. Even Michael Phelps, the famous Olympic swimmer talks openly about his sense of emptiness and depression. Those with fame and money have the spotlight on them all of the time. Their success is what becomes their identity and it makes it hard to lay that identity down to take up the identity of Christ.

Jesus never promised us as Christians that it would be easy in this life. He did promise that it would be hard, very hard. But He also promised that He would be there with us. Following Jesus and how He taught us to live is actually, really good for us.