Adam's Top Life Tips In Order
- Adam Garrett
- Dec 11, 2022
- 1 min read
Above: The former Lt. Governor of VA who had his position while in a wheel chair. I was his page for a few months.
1. Seek Jesus
Jesus is the source of life.
Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
1 Chronicles 28:9
“And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever. (ESV)
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Those who seek Jesus seek wisdom naturally. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)."
Those who seek Jesus seek love. As 1 John 4:16 states, "God is love."
2. Seek Wisdom
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7
Love in the absence of wisdom is sloppy, misguided, & ineffective. Wisdom without love isn't wisdom; it's intelligent but ultimately foolish. Hitler was highly intelligent, but his hate for Jewish people evidenced the absence of holistic wisdom that yielded the destructive power of millions of lives.
2. Seek Jesus' Love & to Reflect that Love
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Read or listen to Crazy Love by Francis Chan.
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4: 16
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments." John 14:15 (Jesus)
" 1“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. 17“This I command you, that you love one another."
John 15:1-17
In John 15:1-17 we see how abiding in God & His Word, keeping his commandments, and having his words abide in our hearts enables us to love in a way that we can't apart from Him, and doing so produces lasting fruit & joy.
Love for God without love for others isn't true love for God.
1 John 4:20 "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."
2A. Seek Jesus' Love & to Reflect that Love: The Biblical Importance of Love
See also 1 John 4:7-21 in its entirety.
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres... 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:1-7 - See also 1 Corinthians 13 in its entirety.
For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14
...All that matters is faith, expressed through love (Galatians 5:6).
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22: 36-40
2B. Seek Jesus' Love & to Reflect that Love: Love is Spiritual & Physical
Love for others is both spiritual & physical.
2So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2-4 (See vs 5-Acts 7:60 where Stephen, chose to be one of those deacons selected to "serve tables" isn't limited to that, preaching boldly to the point of martyrdom.)
7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised. 8For the One who was at work in Peter’s apostleship to the circumcised was also at work in my apostleship to the Gentiles.
9And recognizing the grace that I had been given, James, Cephas,b and John—those reputed to be pillars—gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. Galatians 2:7-10
Love for others is physical:
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 25: 31-46
"15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." James 2:15-17
Love for others is also spiritual:
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these [others do--with total commitment and devotion]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I [b]love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16Again He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with total commitment and devotion]?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me [with a deep, personal affection for Me, as for a close friend]?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you [really] [c]love Me [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend]?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You [with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend].” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep."
John 21:15-17
4. Seek Self Discipline, Including But Not Limited to Time Management
Read or listen to Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster
Read or listen to Boundaries by Henry Cloud.
Use time management devices as well as apps/programs on your computers, tablets, phones, and other mobile devices with them available.
I use the following:
Outlook (Calendar on phone & laptop)
StayFree (App) which blocks my access to certain sites/apps at certain times of the day that I personalize (times & sites/apps) & where I set daily limits on certain things (i.e. Facebook, Youtube)
Stay Focused (chrome extension) accomplishes similar things vs StayFree on my computer
App Usage (App) here I can track how much time I'm spending on various apps all in 1 place
Habitica (app & online) which gameifies good and bad habits; I use the free version
WebTime Tracker (chrome extension) which tells me how long I've been on various websites actively
Visual Timer (app)
Secura 7.5-Inch Oversize Visual Countdown Timer, 60-Minute Kitchen Timer | Time Management Tool for Kids, Teachers and Adults (Blue) (at my Newport News Office) with a similar version that has a ticking sound for my home office.
5. Seek Holistic Health: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Educational, Financial, Relational
Spiritual health should naturally lead to health in every area of your life. Seek that above the others; it feeds the others. To abandon other areas of health with a spiritual premise is likely not theologically sound spirituality, with very few exceptions.
Physical:
Exercise daily & have a routine for it if you don't naturally get plenty of exercise from your work/leisure activities & don't forget to stretch. Have a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, and be sure to take care of yourself, including your teeth and appearance. Have a regular healthy sleeping schedule.
Emotional:
Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Educational:
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Proverbs 4:7
Financial:
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7
Relational Health:
"The prerequisite for spending time with any person is that they nourish and inspire you. They feed your flame." Will Smith
"A wise man is strong, and a man of knowledge enhances his strength. Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors." Proverbs 24:5-6
6. Seek Excellence Diligently & Work Hard in Whatever You do
Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure people. Proverbs 22:29
Colossians 3: 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
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