Do You Envy?

Remember the story of Cain and Abel?

That’s a story of envy. And it’s the story of the entire human race. It’s a story that is replayed over and over again in families, in organizations, in churches, in offices, in schools…

Cain and Abel were brothers. Cain and Abel offered a sacrifice to God and Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and Cain’s was not. Result? Cain envied Abel and killed him. (Genesis 4:6-8)

       The spirit of Cain is the spirit of envy—and it continues today.Today, we want to cast out the spirit of Cain from our lives.

Problem: We Don’t Know We’re EnviousMany envious people don’t know they’re envious.

       In fact, right now, you might be tempted not to read, saying, “Nah, not my issue.”

       Actually, envy is as common as the common cold. But it’s as deadly as cancer. It’s like a mental cancer that destroys your life, your relationships, and your happiness.

       I repeat. Often, we don’t know we’re envious.

       Let me give you two examples.

I know of a young woman who fights with her sister all the time. She doesn’t know it, but everyone around her knows she’s envious.

I know of a prayer group leader who is always talking about the mistakes of another prayer group leader. He’s not aware of his envy. But all his friends know. He actually envies this other leader because his prayer group is much larger than his.

Oh yes, envy is alive and well in Church. 

In fact, I’ve seen religious groups split and fight each other simply because one leader was envious of another leader.

But here’s the thing: the leader doesn’t think he’s envious. He thinks he’s correcting the other leader’s pride. He thinks he’s mandated by God Himself to correct this other leader and save the group from total destruction.

But ironically, the very thing that will destroy his group is his own envy. An envy he doesn’t know he has.

Envy is one of the most destructive things on planet earth.

Let me say it again. Envy kills.

The Two Phases Of Envy

       Envy is a green monster that doesn’t begin monstrous.

This monster begins tiny.

I believe there are two phases in the growth of Envy.

Phase 1:

Meron Ka, Bakit Wala Ako?

(Why don’t I have what you have?)

       When I was in Grade School, I remember one of my classmates. His name was Ariel.       I remember him so well because he had everything I didn’t have. 

For example, his grades were always excellent. One day, our teacher distributed our report cards in class. When she gave

Ariel’s report card to him, she announced, “All of Ariel’s grades are above 90.” When she gave my report card to me, one my classmates shouted, “All of

Bo’s grades are below 75.” (Actually, that was a lie. All my grades were below 78. Hmph!)      

Ariel was also an incredible athlete. You name it—basketball, baseball, football, running—he was the star player.

One day, Ariel saw us playing marbles. He joined the game and beat all of us, bringing home all our marbles.

The next day, he saw a bunch of girls seated playing jackstone. Ariel joined them and beat all of them as well. (He made exhibition tricks with the jackstone that will astound Houdini.)

To top it all, he was also handsome. He had a fans club of girls following him.  At that time, I didn’t know how that felt. (Now I know. J)

As a kid, I asked God many times, “Lord, why did you make Ariel so gifted? And why did you make me so ungifted?”

It was a question I asked for a long time.

It wasn’t like I had zero gifts. I knew I had at least one gift: I knew how to draw well.

One day, our homeroom teacher raffled off our names in class. We picked one classmate and made him a greeting card on the spot.

I smiled.  I knew I was a pretty good illustrator.  So making a greeting card was a cinch. 

I remember drawing Superman in my greeting card.Finally, when our teacher told us to give our cards to each other, guess who

came to me? Ariel. He picked my name. And he handed me his greeting card. When I saw it, my jaw dropped. 

His card was so beautiful, you’d think Hallmark did it. Ariel was ten times better than me in drawing.

To this day, I still remember his card. It had a professionally drawn luxury ship.  It said, “I like blue ships, I like red ships, but most of all, I like friendship. Ariel.”

Before that day, I wondered if I was the most ungifted person in the entire world. That day, I stopped wondering. I knew without a shadow of a doubt.

I was it.       I remember asking God, “Lord, why do you love Ariel so much? Why don’t you love me?”       That’s what Envy is.

It makes you focus on the blessings of the other person.       In Phase 1 of Envy, we ask, Meron ka, bakit wala ako? (Why don’t I have what you have?)

       In Phase 1 of Envy, we don’t want to kill anyone. I didn’t want to harm Ariel.

       But Phase 1 Envy ends up killing the envier himself.

Envy “Kills” The Envier

I repeat. Envy is mental cancer.

It’s like a tumor that keeps growing until it kills you.

Another analogy: Envy is a lethal, slow-acting poison.

It doesn’t kill you right away. But over time, it kills.

The Bible is so graphic when it describes what envy does to you. It says, envy rots the bones (Proverbs 14:30).

Many psychotherapists say that almost all mental diseases will have envy in its core.

Why does envy kill the envier?

Because envy, once nurtured, always comes with shame.

And shame always kills the spirit.

I should know. I was filled with the spirit of shame for decades. Even to this day, though I’m already free, I still feel the scars left by shame in my heart.

You feel ashamed of yourself because you don’t have what others have. Shame shouts in your ear, “There’s something wrong with you!”

Shame will make you do crazy things, just to get accepted.

Let me tell you about Carla.

Carla was a manager in a bank. And she became friends with some of her rich clients, all successful businesswomen.

Everytime they met, she’d see her friends carry Prada and Louis Vuiton bags.

But all of these were beyond her small paycheck. She felt envious. To keep up with her friends’ lifestyle, she used her 3 credit cards. Before she knew it, she was buried in a huge mountain of debts.

But if we keep on nurturing Envy, it graduates to Phase 2. 

And Phase 2 Envy is even more dangerous.

Phase 2:

Wala Ako, Dapat Wala Ka Rin!

(If I don’t have any, you shouldn’t have any too)

 

       This is when envy becomes cruel and destructive not only to yourself, but to others. Envy will now kill two people—the envier and the one being envied.

       My analogy: Envy is like a cannibal. But an insane cannibal. He eats others and eats parts of himself as well.

Emily and Pam were both sales agents. But after two years, Pam got promoted as sales manager. Emily was happy for her best friend. Or at least, she pretended to be happy. They even had a little party together to celebrate Pam’s promotion.

       But as the weeks went by, problems came up. Pam couldn’t believe Emily’s transformation. From being her best friend, Emily became her worst enemy. Emily would criticize Pam in front of others. Emily would gossip about her and tell all kinds of lies about her. 

       What was Emily’s problem? Phase 2 Envy.

       Phase 2 Envy is Cain’s Envy. (Genesis 3:2-8)

Cain used a rock and bashed it on his brother’s head. 

We don’t use physical rocks but we use something as deadly—the rocks of our words.

We may not desire his physical death. But we conspire for some kind of death.   What kind? Social death. We want the person we envy to be humiliated. To lose face.

How Do You Know If You Have Envy?

You won’t know if you have envy by asking, “Am I envious?” Because we’re usually blind to our own envy.

Here are three questions to ask to know if you have Phase 2 Envy.

Question 1:

Is There Anyone I Don’t Like?

 

Sometimes, we don’t like someone because he offended us or hurt us.

But sometimes, we don’t know why we don’t like someone. We can’t explain it. 

This doesn’t automatically mean you have envy. But it means you’ve got to ask the second question.

Question 2:

What Does He Have That I Don’t Have—

But Want To Have?

If the other person has something you don’t have but you want to have, then it’s probably envy.

When a woman envies another woman because she’s sexier, thinner, and more beautiful, she’ll start poking holes on her life or his character. 

“Yes, she’s sexy, but she’s unhappy with her marriage.” Or, “Yes, she’s physically beautiful, but I think she’s very self-centered.”

When it gives you pleasure to criticize the other person, then you can almost be sure you’ve got Phase 2 Envy.

Question 3:

Will I Be Secretly Delighted If He Falls?

You know you’ve got Phase 2 Envy if you secretly delight to hear the falls, faults, fumbles, and failures of the other person. We find delicious satisfaction in knowing he’s getting his just rewards for being “too proud”.

We even spread the “sad” news around. If we’re religious, we justify spreading it around by first saying, “Let’s pray for Sue. The one you see driving a brand new Mercedes? Yes, that’s her. I heard that her marriage is falling apart…”      

Going To The Root Of All Envy

       Envy is only a symptom.

The root of all Envy is Emptiness. 

Envy isn’t about the other person. Envy is always about a deep dissatisfaction with yourself. 

Here’s the point: A person who is happy with himself—and profoundly satisfied with himself—cannot envy others. It’s impossible.

Where does the feeling of emptiness and insecurity come from? It comes from fear. Specifically, the fear of worthlessness.

       And friend, there is only one thing that can fill your emptiness and heal your fear of worthlessness: God’s Love.

Two Powerful Steps To Get Rid Of Envy

Last week, I said that the antidote to impatience is trust in God’s Love.

Today, I’d like to announce to you that the antidote to envy is gratitude for God’s Love.

You show gratitude in two ways. And I believe these are the only two ways to get rid of Envy.

Step One:

 Celebrate Your Abundance

 

Many years ago, Dad gave me his second hand car.

       It was a wonderful car. It was a 12-year old Mitsubishi Galant, but even if it was old, I still loved it.

       I loved the smooth ride. I loved the cool aircon. I loved the cassette player. (This was really a long time ago.) I loved its powerful engine.

       Even if it was ancient, it never gave me any problems on the road.

       I remember sitting on the driver’s seat, patting it on the dashboard, and uttering, “Thank you Lord for my wonderful car.”

       I was so grateful to God.

       But one morning, my friend came to the house with his a brand new Nissan. He was a salesman and his company gave him the car. He said, “Bo, I’d like you to be the first person to ride my car.”

       We took it for a spin. 

       Man, the ride was fantastic. You’d think there were no bumps on the road. And I almost froze inside—the aircon was really strong. And the stereo sounds were superb, it was like Gary V was in the car with us, singing his songs live.

And most importantly, it had that new car smell. 

Ahhh….

That day, when I went back to my old car, I had a problem.

All of a sudden, it wasn’t so wonderful anymore. 

I could feel the bumps on the road that I didn’t feel before. I now could hear squeaking sounds that I didn’t hear before. 

And the smell—it had that old car smell! (I could smell Tinapa!)

Instantly, my gratitude was gone.

But when I noticed the lack of gratitude within me, I stopped the car, closed my eyes, placed my hand on my dashboard, and started thanking God for what I had.

I began to recount the blessings of having a car.

Slowly, feelings of gratitude returned.

From my experience, when you’re grateful, you’re satisfied with what you have. And when you’re satisfied with what you have, envy will have a hard time finding a foothold in your heart.

When you’re grateful for God’s blessings in your life, slowly, you’ll be grateful for God’s blessings in the lives of others too.

I also did something else: I started thanking God for my friend’s brand new car. I prayed that his job be blessed even more.

And that brings us to Step Two.

Step Two:

 Celebrate Their Abundance

 

       Be genuinely happy for other people’s successes.

       Share in their joy. Share in their victory.

In fact, I don’t want you just to be happy when it happens.

I encourage you to pray that it happens.

Pray that your officemates get the promotion, your single friends get married, your siblings get good breaks. 

When you do this, something magical will happen to your life. Because there’s a Law in the universe that states that what you give, you’ll receive in abundance. (Luke 6:38)

Here’s what I believe: If you envy the blessings that other people receive, you’re driving away those blessings from your life. But if you’re genuinely grateful for the blessings other people receive, you’ll attract those exact same blessings into your life more easily.

Once you experience this genuine happiness for others, that’s the day you know that you’re free from envy.

And this is where other people’s success becomes a real inspiration. “If he can do it, I can do it too.”

Is There Such A Thing As Positive Envy?

Someone asked me, “Bo, isn’t there some type of positive envy? For example, when you see your friend’s business booming, you work hard so that your business will boom too?”

Perhaps it’s not envy but encouragement.

It’s easy to know if it’s envy or encouragement.

       Do you wish him ill? Or do you wish him well?

       If you wish him ill, then it’s envy. But if you wish him well (that he prospers more in his life so you’ll even be more inspired), then it’s encouragement.

Encouragement says, “If he can do it, I can do it too.”

       Envy says, “Who does he think he is?”

       Envy comes with anger. Encouragement comes with an abundance mindset—that there’s more than enough for everyone.

You Need To Believe In Abundance

I got this analogy from Brian Kim’s blog.

       Imagine watching a movie with a very large bucket of popcorn. The bucket is so large, it’s as big as a bathtub. (Okay, slightly smaller, or you won’t fit on your seat.)

       When you pick up the first kernel, it slips through your fingers and falls on the dirty floor of the movie house.

       Question: Will you pick it up and eat it? I doubt it. Because there’s still a gigantic bucket of popcorn in front of you.

       This is what I mean by having an abundance mindset. 

When your friends get blessed, it doesn’t lessen your chance of being blessed. Because you don’t live in a limited universe.  In God’s Kingdom, there is no scarcity of blessings.  There is only abundance. The universe is a giant bucket of blessings that will never run out.

Envy lives in a universe of scarcity.Love lives in a universe of abundance.In fact, I’m praying that all of you become wealthy in every area of your

life!Be free from envy.

And truly love.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Are You A Beggar Or A Farmer?This is God’s big message for you today: God gives seeds, not fruits. When God gives a fruit, He’s really giving the seeds within the fruit.I now understand why people think that God is a miser.Because they expect God to keep on giving them fruits.But God doesn’t keep on giving fruits. He gives seeds. So that you’ll always have fruits anytime you want.My Little Boy Loves To SingEveryday, my 5-year old Francis would sing.In fact, he doesn’t stop singing.One day, we were travelling from Cubao to Alabang—an hour-long ride. From the moment we left Cubao to the moment we arrived in Alabang, Francis sang out loud, Tomorrow. It was a loop. The moment he ended the song, he’d begin the song again.After we listened to the song 6 or 7 times, I told my 5-year old boy, “That’s enough, Francis.” But he objected. He said a line that shocked me. He said, “But Daddy, that’s how I’ll get better.”Yes, he wants to be better.That’s why he sang that song 28 times in that trip.Why? At 5 years old, he knows the importance of growing God’s blessing.Two Types Of PeopleLet me repeat God’s big message for you today: God gives seeds, not fruits. But we love the fruit, not the seed. So we eat the fruit and throw away the seeds.That’s crazy.Let me tell you how crazy that is.Imagine you’re a multi-millionaire. And you decide to give your friend a million pesos. So you stuff a million pesos in a box and wrap it up. You walk up to your friend and deliver your big gift. Your friend says, “Wow, thank you so much!” As she opens the gift, she says, “The wrapper is so beautiful!” She then throws away the box and walks away, the gift wrapper in her hands. Foolish? That’s what we do when we prefer the fruit over the seeds.Here’s a very important spiritual point: There are two kinds of people when it comes to receiving blessings. (Actually there are three kinds, but I’ll talk about the third later…)1. Beggar2. FarmerQuestion: Who are you?

1. Beggar Mindset Many religious people have a beggar mindset. They want God to give them fruits. But they’re not interested in planting and growing the seeds—so that they’ll have a lifetime supply of fruits. Please know that we all start with as beggars.I’m sure that when you were born, you didn’t come out as a 35-year old guy with a moustache. Or a 42-year old woman with cellulite on her legs.You came out as a baby.If a baby cries because he’s hungry, you don’t tell him, “Look for your own milk! You fat, lazy baby!” Or if a baby cries because he’s wet, you don’t toss a diaper in his direction and say, “Change yourself!” Babies are beggars. Here’s the problem. Some people never grow up! They remain babies for life. The Israelites began in the desert as beggars. When the Israelite slaves escaped Egypt, they had to cross the desert. When they got hungry, Moses prayed to God to feed them. So one morning, when they woke up, they saw white, fluffy stuff hanging from the trees. The Israelites looked at it, picked it up, touched it, smelled it, tasted it, and asked, “What is this?” That question is the literal meaning of the word, manna. Can you imagine? That’s like waking up one morning, looking out your window, and seeing pan de sal hanging from the trees. Wouldn’t that be fun? After a few days, the Israelites began to complain. “Wala bang palaman?” (Our sandwiches are empty.) So God sent low-flying, slow-moving, foolish birds called quails that said, “Catch me, catch me!” And the Israelites grabbed the birds, put them in their bread, and ate to their heart’s content.Imagine eating food falling from the sky. (My kids and I watched a cartoon movie, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatball. If you watched it, you don’t have to imagine.)How can life be better than that? But alas, there are problems.My Experience As A Beggar When I had my spiritual conversion 30+ years ago, I remember depending totally on God’s manna.For a time, I didn’t even accept my salary as a missionary. I wanted to be totally dependent on God. I remember not having money for transportation.

After preaching at a prayer meeting, I’d sometimes be the last person to leave, because I had no money to go home. I’d wait for someone to invite me for a ride or to pay for my bus fare. There were days when I’d be walking in EDSA, praying that someone would recognize me and give me a ride. Suddenly, a car came by my side. I got excited. Yes, God answered my prayer! The driver lowered his window and asked, “Puwede magtanong? Saan ang Aurora Boulevard?” (Can I ask a question? Where is Aurora Boulevard?) When I gave him the direction, he thanked me and sped off. I ended up walking a few more kilometers that night. Finally, 13 years ago, a group of friends pooled their money together and gave me a car! Oh yes, being a beggar had its high points. It was thrilling to see manna from heaven, fall from the sky. I had a beggar mindset all the way until I got married.Before I asked for Marowe’s hand in marriage, I needed an engagement ring. But I had very little money. I went to a Jewelry shop and asked for diamond rings. The kind saleslady showed me a lovely ring. I asked how much it was. When she gave me the amount, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I asked if she had another ring without the three zeroes behind it. So she showed me another ring. As hard as I looked, I couldn’t see a diamond. I asked, “Do you have a microscope?” But alas, even that, I couldn’t afford.A friend heard of my predicament and said, “My mother gave me a ring. If you want it, it’s yours.” So on that fateful night, I knelt down before Marowe and asked her, “Will you marry me?” When she said “Yes”, she never knew that I was so poor, I was giving her an engagement ring that wasn’t mine. Oh yes, being a beggar had its benefits. It was so exciting to see how God provided for me. But in hindsight, I realized that being a beggar had two big problems: Problem 1: Beggars don’t grow much.Problem 2: Beggars don’t give much.Problem 1: Beggars Don’t Grow MuchBecause of manna magically appearing before them, the Israelites never learned how to till the soil, how to plant the right seeds, how to take care of the crops, how to sell their product.

All they had to do was wait for food to fall from the sky.In other words, they didn’t grow in their farming skills, their marketing skills, their teamwork skills, their management skills… They never learned how to save, how to invest, how to multiply their resources… And more importantly, they also missed out in growing in their character—their perseverance, their patience, their ability to do hard work…For example, when I had a beggar mindset, I had zero financial literacy. I knew nothing about money management. I knew nothing about savings, investments, or entrepreneurship.But begging has another problem…Problem 2: Beggars Don’t Give Much The Israelites found out that when they kept manna for the next day, it would rot. You had to go out and get fresh manna everyday. The Bible says, “This is the food that the Lord has given you to eat… Each had gathered just what he needed.” (Exodus 16:15) The wonderful thing with manna was that it was exactly what you needed. The not-so-wonderful thing with manna was that it was exactly what you needed…only!I always hear Filipinos say, “Makakain lang ako ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, masaya na ako.” (If I eat three times a day, I’ll be happy.) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this line from very pious people. On one hand, he’s simple. Content. Happy. Satisfied.On the other hand, he’s selfish!Because he’s only thinking of himself. And many religious people are trapped in this beggar mindset. They think it’s pleasing to God. Not realizing that, yes, we all start as beggars. But it’s not our permanent state. From the desert with manna, He wants us to move to the Promised Land where there’s milk and honey flowing.Two Levels Of Blessing You can live in either two levels of blessing.There’s “Enough” and there’s “More Than Enough.”Where are you living right now?In the Bible, God calls Himself El Shaddai, the God who is “More Than Enough.” Friend, God wants to move you from “Enough” to “More Than Enough.” The only thing that prevents you from moving from “Enough” to “More Than Enough” is your mindset.

I remember meeting a friend, a preacher like myself.He asked me one day, “Bo, does your car run on faith too?”I asked, “What do you mean?He told me his story. “Usually, I don’t have money to buy gas. So every morning, I look at my gas gauge. If I see it pointing to “E”, I put my hand on the dashboard, close my eyes, and pray. I say, Lord, I now claim in faith that ‘E’ stands for Enough! And you know what Bo? I drive and arrive at my destination.” And in that place, someone will give me money to buy gas…”He then asked me, “Does your car run on faith too?”I said, “Yes. Once upon a time, I used to do that too. I’d drive into a gasoline station and ask the boy to put in P20 worth of gasoline. But today, God has blessed my small businesses. Now, when I go to the gasoline station, I say, ‘Full Tank please’.”God has given me seeds. I’ve grown those seeds.Don’t just be a Beggar.Learn to be a Farmer.2. Farmer MindsetWhen the Israelites finally left the Desert and entered the Promised Land, the Bible says that the manna stopped falling.The manna stopped falling then, and the Israelites no longer had any. From that time on they ate food grown in Canaan. (Joshua 5:12) Why? Because they can now plant in God’s fertile land.So from beggars, they become farmers.In other words, they just don’t receive their blessings. They receive and grow their blessings.And when you grow your blessings, you grow you. You grow in your skills and character.There are 4 Steps In Farming.1.) Plow2.) Plant3.) Persevere4.) ProduceEach step is crucial to having abundance in your life.Beggars want to jump to Step 4. They want to produce and harvest right away.But Steps 1 to 3 are crucial to growing you.Let me share one last tiny story.Twice in my life, I received a car—gratis et amore. Without cost, it came in a silver platter. Each time, they were extremely happy moments.

But last month, I bought myself a brand new car with my own money—earned from my small businesses. And I was equally happy.But it was a different kind of happiness.When I received my car for free, it was the happiness of grace. When I bought my car last month from the sweat of my brow, it was the happiness of growth.Why? The car wasn’t just a car. It represented my growth as an entrepreneur. It felt very good.The Final TransformationLet me share my last point.When you grow in the spiritual life, beggars become farmers.But as I discern the movements of my soul, I realize now that to be a farmer isn’t the final goal of our spiritual journey.There is a last stage that you need to make: To become a beggar-farmer.You come full circle. I call this the second innocence. What does it mean to be a beggar-farmer? When you hold your bountiful harvest in your hand, you realize how everything—even the fruit of your labor—still comes from God. At the end of the day, nothing belongs to you. Everything is a blessing—whether seeds or fruits. And you give it all back to God. My dear friend, may you reach this stage and become a beggar-farmer for Him. May your dreams come true, Bo Sanchez

“Lord Disturb Me”

       I have an announcement to make: You’re a hero. 

I can hear objections. “No Bo! I’m not a hero.”

I understand your objection. 

Tell me. What is the one thing that is common among Lapu-lapu, Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, and Ninoy Aquino?

Answer: All of them are dead.

But if my best friend comes to me and says, “Bo, I want to be your hero. I want to die for you!” I’ll tell him, “Can you just live for me instead? I want you to be with me!”

I need living heroes more than dead heroes.

I repeat: You’re a hero.

Why do I say that?

Because at different moments in your life, you cared for someone more than you cared for yourself.

My mother is a hero. Today, I poke fun at her strange ways. When we’re at a restaurant, she’ll forever read a Menu, not being able to choose her own food. She’ll constantly look at the prices, unable to buy anything because everything looks expensive.

Finally, she said, “I think I’ll pick this. It’s cheap,” pointing to an item that’s P50.

I groan. “Mom, that’s extra rice.”

“Or how about this?” She points to another item that’s P40.

I shake my head. “That’s extra gravy.”

Why is she so thrifty?

Because all her life, she had to be thrifty. For the longest time, there was very little money in her hand. And her six children had to be fed, clothed, and sent to school.

While I was growing up, I don’t remember my mother buying anything for herself. It was always for her kids.

No doubt about it. My mother is a hero.

       My wife is a hero too.

Some of you know this fact already. My wife teaches our kids at home. 

One night, after a severely tiring day, she talked to me. Our kids are wonderful kids. But there are days when they don’t act so wonderful. And it was one of those days. With tears in her eyes, she asked me, “Can you tell me again why I’m doing this? Why am I teaching the kids at home? Why am I not just sending them to school like everyone else?”

I said, “Because once upon a time, you decided that this was the best for our kids. Because you care for them more than you care for yourself.”  No doubt about it, my wife is a hero.

I’m Surrounded By Heroes

Each week, I lead a large prayer meeting called the Feast.

Do you know why our weekly Feast runs smoothly in PICC?

Because we have 600 heroes who volunteer at the Feast. (Why so many? 5000+ people attend the Feast.)

Without those 600 heroes, this Feast won’t happen.

600 ushers, greeters, singers, teachers, intercessors, lay ministers, and more… They spend their own money to dress up in their uniforms, come here earlier than everyone else, and go home later than everyone else. And they don’t get paid.

Our volunteers are happy people. Because they care for others more than they care for themselves.

Here’s my message: God made you to be a hero.

Why does He want you to be a hero?

Because He knows that the only way for you to become authentically happy is to become a hero.

There’s no other path to happiness!

Unless you care for someone else more than you care for yourself, there’ll be emptiness in your life.

       At the end of this series, my goal for you is that you become more available to God’s assignment for your life.

       Just like Nehemiah…

You Can Be A Nehemiah

 

       How did Nehemiah become a hero?

       It all started when he asked one simple question, “How are the Jews back in Jerusalem?”  (See Nehemiah 1:2-4)

With that one question, Nehemiah’s comfortable world in the palace was turned upside down. Shattered. Disturbed!

Heroes are born that way: You become a hero when God disturbs your comfortable, predictable world. You allow God to give you His burden.

Let me give you a little background about Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a very cushy job. He was cupbearer of the Emperor! He lived in luxury. He lived in the imperial palace. His future was set. Secured. Guaranteed.

His life was totally comfortable.

But one day, he felt another person’s pain.

And their pain became his burden.

The Bible said “for several days” he mourned and couldn’t eat.

This is a requirement to become a hero.

       You feel someone’s pain and make it your own.

       If you want to be a hero, you need to do one thing.  

You need to allow God to disturb you.

       I believe God is searching for people like Nehemiah.

How To Become A Hero

 

       God wants to use you.

God wants you to somebody’s hero.

If you want to become a hero, you need to allow God to disturb you. Specifically, you need to allow God to disturb 4 important things in your life.

 

Here are the 4 steps on how to become a hero:

Step 1: Disturb Your Asking

Step 2: Disturb Your Associations

Step 3: Disturb Your Affections

Step 4: Disturb Your Actions

Step One: Disturb Your Asking

 

We usually pray for our needs. Our problems. Our worries. Our fears.

Nothing wrong with that. God wants you to do that.

But if you want to become somebody’s hero, you need to start praying other kinds of prayers.

If you read the prayers of St. Paul in his letters, he rarely prayed for himself. 95% of the time, he prayed for others.

Disturb how you pray!

Here’s my suggestion. Every morning, pray, “God, help me to bless somebody today.”

       Believe me, God will answer that prayer.

One day, I was in a bookstore. All of a sudden, a lady came up to me and asked me, “Are you Bo Sanchez?” I said, “Yes.” And right in front of me, she started crying.

She said, “I read your blog this morning. And I was so touched. And I asked God, Lord, I want Bo to pray for me. And here you are!”

I told her, “God answered my prayer too. This morning, I prayed that I meet someone who I can bless today.” 

And right in the middle of that busy bookstore, I laid my hands on her and prayed for her. When I opened my eyes, there was 2 other people in line, wanting to be prayed for. We were going to have a prayer meeting in that bookstore!

Disturb your asking.

Next…

Step 2: Disturb Your Associations

 

Disturb your associations. Disturb your schedule. Disturb your itinerary. Shatter the protective glass of your comfortable world. Puncture your self-absorbed, materialistic-obsessed world deliberately.

How?

Everyday, expose yourself to suffering.

Get out of your usual route.

Break your pattern.

Here are three suggestions.

1.Mingle with the Lowly

Talk to the janitors. Chat with the security guard. Listen to the vendors. Rub elbows with the small people. Get into their world. Find out about their issues. 

You’ll be surprised. 

We think we’ve got problems. Wait till you hear their problems—and you’ll realize you don’t have problems.

That’s why I love my Caring Group with my maids. I’m reminded of a world very different from the world I’m living in. One of my helpers said that her 2 brothers are in the province, and she’s praying that they have better jobs. I asked how much they’re earning. She said her brothers are earning P1500 a month. This brother has a wife and a baby. And he’s supporting a family with P1500 a month.

Let me say it again: You think you’ve got problems? Think again. You don’t!

When you expose yourself to suffering, you give room in your heart for God to give His assignment. Perhaps He wants you to do something about it.

2.Volunteer in Ministries

       Go out of your small world. Volunteer. By serving in ministries, you serve people you don’t know.

       People who won’t be able to pay you back.

3.Meet Non-Religious People

How can you bring the unchurched to God if you don’t talk to them?

Many times, we only talk to religious people. 

But all around you, so many people need God’s Love.

So many people are lost.

So many people are living without direction.

Go out of your way and love them.

Be Jesus to them.

Invite them to chat over a cup of coffee.

Listen to their story. And share your story of how you’ve experienced God’s Love

Step 3: Disturb Your Affections

       Let me tell you a true and sad story.

One day, a young woman named Catherine was going home to her apartment. Suddenly, a man named Winston attacked her and stabbed her with his knife. She screamed, “My God! I was stabled!” When she screamed, the man ran away. There were 38 people who were around the area who heard her scream. But not one of them approached her. When the man saw that no one came to help, he went back to the woman and finished her off.

       By the time the police came to apprehend the man, the woman was dead.

       Where does our apathy come from?

       Why do we not go out and help?

       Because something in our brain tells us, “It’s none of my business.”

       The same voice that spoke to Cain. Once upon a time, there were two brothers, Cain and Abel. Out of envy, Cain killed Abel. And when Cain was running away, God asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

       And Cain answered, “Am I my Brother’s Keeper?”

       When Catherine was murdered, there were 38 people thinking like Cain. They were asking, “Am I my Brother’s Keeper?”

       The story of Cain and Abel is found at the third chapter of Genesis, right at the start of the Bible. And it’s as though the entire Bible is answering that question with a resounding “Yes!”

Friend, God is searching for heroes.

       Next…

Step 4: Disturb Your Actions

       A whole army of psychologists made numerous experiments to find out why those 38 people didn’t help Catherine.

After years of research, here’s what they realized: Those people didn’t help because they depended so much on what others were doing. Because no one was helping, the others didn’t help too. We practice “group-think” so much more than we realize.

If at least one of those 38 bystanders helped that girl, many of the others would have helped too. 

But that was the problem.

Because no one dared, everyone didn’t dare.

       That’s how most people make their decisions. Most people don’t want to lead. Most people like to be safe and just follow.

       So here lies the importance of at least one person becoming a hero.

       Friend, can you be that one person?

       Can you lead a movement of love?

       Tell someone beside you, “Lead.”

Start Small

Nothing dramatic, mind you.

Act small.

You don’t need mutant powers to be a hero.

You don’t need to be bitten by a radioactive bug.

You don’t need to rescue the world from an alien invasion.

One day, the husband told his wife, “I will do anything for you. I will cross the Pacific Ocean for you!” The wife said, “That’s nice. But I’d rather you carry the garbage from the kitchen to the backdoor every night.”

       Perhaps you can give an encouraging word.

       Or you can smile at someone.

Or you can invite someone for coffee and just listen.

Or you can pat someone on the back.

Every encounter is an opportunity to be a blessing for that person.

       God said to Abraham, “I will bless you so you can be a blessing.”

       This is the reason why He wants to bless us. So that we can be a blessing to others. This is the reason why He wants to give you a miracle. So that you can be somebody’s miracle.

       Here’s what I believe. If you won’t share your blessings to others, you won’t receive the maximum amount of blessings that God wants for your life.

       Everyday, God wants you to be a hero to somebody.

And it’s not complicated. 

Just be kind.

As a mother. As a sister. As a cashier. As a saleslady. As a teacher. As a manager. As a nurse.

Do It For Someone Who Can’t Repay You

       It’s easy to do something good for someone who can pay you back. But when you do something good for someone who can’t pay you back, the Lord will pay you back.

The Bible says, Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. (Proverbs 19:17)       You’ll be happier.

What Happens When You Don’t Care?

       Some time back, I already shared this simple yet powerful story with you. But let me share it again…

One day, a mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.  He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.       The mouse told all his animal friends: “There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The chicken said, “Mr. Mouse, I’m so sorry to hear that, but that’s not my problem.” Being charismatic, the chicken said, “I’ll pray for you…”

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mousetrap in the house!”       The pig said, “I’m so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it.”       The mouse turned to the cow and said, “There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The cow said, “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s not my problem.”

So, the mouse returned to the house, dejected.That very night a sound was heard throughout the house – the sound of a

mousetrap catching its prey.       The farmer’s wife went out.  In the darkness, she did not see it.  It was a poisonous snake whose tail was caught in the trap. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. 

She developed a fever. The doctor said “She needs chicken soup.”  So the farmer took his knife for the soup’s main ingredient: Chicken! 

But his wife’s sickness continued.  Friends and neighbors came to visit.  To feed them, the farmer thought of serving them pork adobo. So the pig had to go.

But, alas, the farmer’s wife did not get well… She died.        So many people came for her funeral. And the farmer had to slaughter the cow to feed all of them…       The lesson?

       Don’t ever say, “It’s none of my business.”       We are indelibly intricately connected with each other.       When our brother is in pain, we should be in pain too.

God Will Always Repay You

       25 years ago, I looked at my 4 pairs of shoes.

       Suddenly, I received an inspiration. I felt God telling me, “Give your shoes to your friends who need them badly.”

       It was true. My friends needed new shoes. Their shoes were very Christian—because they were smiling.

       So I gave away 3 pairs of shoes to them.

       And my friends were extremely happy. One of them said, “Bo, I’ve always wondered what would it be like to stand in your shoes. Now, I don’t have to wonder…”

I gave away three pairs and I kept one for me.   I used this one pair for weddings and mountain climbing.

       Two months later, a couple approached me after the prayer meeting, bringing a box with them. The wife said, “We wanted to give this to our son, but it didn’t fit him. Can we give it to you instead?”

       They opened the box. They were giving me Bally shoes. 25 years ago, they cost P5000.

       “Do you think it’ll fit you?” she asked me.

       I smiled, “Don’t worry, I’ll make them fit.”

       I began to laugh at God’s message. It was though He was saying, “Bo, you can’t defeat me in this contest of generosity.”

       When you start living your life for others, God will take care of you. You can never out-give Him.

To end, pray with me a prayer written many decades ago…

Disturb us, Lord,When we are too well pleased with ourselves,When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,When we arrived safelyBecause we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,To venture on wider seasWhere storms will show your mastery;Where losing sight of land,We shall find the stars.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

ESFJ___Providers take it upon themselves to insure the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the Guardians, and thus are the great nurturers of social institutions such as schools, churches, social clubs, and civic groups. Providers are very likely more than ten percent of the population, and this is fortunate for the rest of us, because friendly social service is a key to their nature. Wherever they go, Providers happily give their time and energy to make sure that the needs of others are met, and that social functions are a success.

Highly cooperative themselves, Providers are skilled in maintaining teamwork among their helpers, and are also tireless in their attention to the details of furnishing goods and services. They make excellent chairpersons in charge of dances, banquets, class reunions, charity fund-raisers, and the like. They are without peer as masters of ceremonies, able to speak publicly with ease and confidence. And they are outstanding hosts or hostesses, knowing everyone by name, and seemingly aware of what everyone's been doing. Providers love to entertain, and are always concerned about the needs of their guests, wanting to make sure that all are involved and provided for.

Friendly, outgoing, neighborly - in a word, Providers are gregarious, so much so that they can become restless when isolated from people. They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind. Friendships matter a great deal to Providers, and their conversations with friends often touch on good times from years past. Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, Providers show a delightful fascination with news of their friends and neighbors. If we wish to know what's been going on in the local community, school, or church, they're happy to fill us in on all the details.

Providers are extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, which makes them perhaps the most sympathetic of all the types, but which also leaves them somewhat self-conscious, that is, highly sensitive to what others think of them. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved

in return. In fact, Providers can be crushed by personal criticism, and are happiest when given ample appreciation both for themselves personally and for the tireless service they give to others.

ENFJ---Even more than the other Idealists, Teachers have a natural talent for leading students or trainees toward learning or as Idealists like to think of it, they are capable of calling forth each learner's potentials. Teachers (around two percent of the population) are able - effortlessly, it seems, and almost endlessly-to dream up fascinating learning activities for their students to engage in. In some Teachers, this ability to fire the imagination can amount to a kind of genius which other types find hard to emulate. But perhaps their greatest strength lies in their belief in their students. Teachers look for the best in their students, and communicate clearly that each one has untold potential, and this confidence can inspire their students to grow and develop more than they ever thought possible.

In whatever field they choose, Teachers consider people their highest priority, and they instinctively communicate personal concern and a willingness to become involved. Warmly out going, and perhaps the most expressive of all the types, Teachers are remarkably good with language, especially when communicating in speech, face to face. And they do not hesitate to speak out and let their feelings be known. Bubbling with enthusiasm, Teachers will voice their passions with dramatic flourish, and can, with practice, become charismatic public speakers. This verbal ability gives Teachers a good deal of influence in groups, and they are often asked to take a leadership role.

Teachers like things settled and organized, and will schedule their work hours and social engagements well ahead of time -- and they are absolutely trustworthy in honoring these commitments. Valuing as they do interpersonal cooperation and harmonious relations, Teachers are extraordinarily tolerant of others, are easy to get along with, and are usually popular wherever they are.

Teachers are highly sensitive to others, which is to say their intuition tends to be well developed. Certainly their insight into themselves and others is unparalleled. Without a doubt, they know what is going on inside themselves, and they can read other people with uncanny accuracy. Teachers also identify with others quite easily, and will actually find themselves picking up the characteristics, emotions, and beliefs of those around them. Because they slip almost unconsciously into other people's skin in this way, Teachers feel closely connected with those around them, and thus show a sincere interest in the joys and problems of their employees, colleagues, students, clients, and loved ones.

Idealist women tend to be very romantic. They love to give and receive tokens of affection, such as an original poem, a hand carved box, or an item which reminds them of some shared experience. Men often appreciate their compassion and empathy along with their belief in others. When dating, they hope they'll get to know each other through deep conversation.

Bethany is an Idealist Teacher (ENFJ). She was fairly popular in high school and had her pick of young men. Later, she continued to find it easy to find dates. Her real problem was that she just couldn't find what she was looking for. She joked that she was like Goldilocks. Bethany finally realized that she was

holding onto an ideal that no man could match. She began dating an old friend and discovered that a relationship doesn't have to be perfect to be satisfying and fulfilling.

Guardian women look for traditions to start or maintain. They are generally suckers for flowers, cards, chocolates, and the like. They are among the most likely to notice and appreciate signs of status unless these signs are flaunted, such as entrance into an exclusive club and being welcomed by name at a trendy restaurant. Men often appreciate Guardian women who lavishly pamper their partners.

Sheryl is a Guardian Provider (ESFJ). In high school, she was fairly popular and had her pick of dates. Now married, she usually greets her husband while wearing one of his favorite outfits. Dinner is almost ready, and the house is immaculate. Thursday night is date night when they go out to eat. At times, Sheryl complains that her husband doesn't really appreciate her. She'd like for him to spontaneously bring home small reminders of his affection and pick up his own socks.

The Helper (the Two)

Helpers are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific. Share fun times with me. Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours. Let me know that I am important and special to you. Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

Reassure me that I am intersting to you. Reassure me often that you love me. Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a Two

being able to relate easily to people and to make friends knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better being generous, caring, and warm being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a Two

not being able to say no having low self-esteem feeling drained from overdoing for others

not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

Twos as Children Often

are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding are outwardly compliant are popular or try to be popular with other children act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted Twos), or quiet and shy (the more

introverted Twos)

Twos as Parents

are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)

are often playful with their children wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable

damage?" can become fiercely protective

The Peacemaker (the Nine)

Peacemakers are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.

How to Get Along with Me

If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure.

I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advatage of this. Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit. Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and

nonjudgmentally. Ask me questions to help me get clear. Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery. Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings. I like a good discussion but not a confrontation. Let me know you like what I've done or said. Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life.

What I Like About Being a Nine

being nonjudgmental and accepting caring for and being concerned about others being able to relax and have a good time knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and

facilitator my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe

What's Hard About Being a Nine

being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth

personally being confused about what I really want caring too much about what others will think of me not being listened to or taken seriously

Nines as Children Often

feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant tune out a lot, especially when others argue are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves

Nines as Parents

are supportive, kind, and warm are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective

The Magic Sauce Of All Success

I’m a semi-old man today. 

I’m 45. (According to my wife, I’ll always be her young boyfriend forever, but that’s another topic.)  

The older I get, the more I believe that commitment is the magic sauce of all success. It’s the secret ingredient. There can be no success without commitment.

What is commitment?       Let me throw away complicated and boring definitions. Let me give you my very simple, homespun, easy-to-understand definition: Commitment is doing the hard stuff. 

All success comes from doing the hard stuff.

Why do we have cellphones? Once upon a time, there were no cellphones. We used clunky, heavy landlines. (For those my age: Do you remember we even had partylines? We used to say, “Excuse me partyline, it’s our turn to use the phone.”) 

We have a cellphone today because there was one man by the name of Martin Cooper who committed himself to make it happen. He was an engineer in Motorola, and he sat down in front of thousands of tiny electronic spare parts and told himself, “I’ll make a cellphone. I won’t stop until it’s done.” And he made it. He did the hard stuff.

Sure, it was as huge as a brick. It was as heavy as a brick. And it was as expensive as a gold brick. (The first commercial cellphone was worth P150,000 each.)

The easy stuff you enjoy today—the phone, the car, the computer—exists today because someone did the hard stuff. 

Another example?

We call our prayer meeting a Feast.

Three years ago, there was one Feast.

Today, there are 29 Feasts in 21 locations in Metro Manila and suburbs. (Many more around the world.) We make it easy for people to find God. But that’s

because our army of volunteers do the hard stuff—preparing, practicing, coming early, serving God’s people week after week after week…

Here’s my message: If you want to succeed, you’ve got to do the hard stuff.

I’m not discounting God’s power. In fact, I’m counting on it. Without God, we won’t succeed. But from experience, God’s power works through our commitment.

Daniel Did The Hard StuffIn the Bible, Daniel was committed to his work. He did the hard stuff.

Because of this, the King wanted to promote him as governor of the entire kingdom.  (When you do the hard stuff, get ready for promotion. And if your boss won’t promote you, don’t worry. God will promote you, if not in your company, then in another company.)

But Daniel had enemies. Some of the King’s other advisors didn’t like him. They said, “What’s this foreigner doing here? Who does he think he is?” Their insecurity fueled their envy. And envy blinded them. They hated him so much, they wanted to kill him.

I want to warn you. When you do the hard stuff, get ready for promotion. But get ready for persecution as well.

Because when you do the hard stuff, you stand out.  You make waves. And you attract enemies. Why? Because you live in a world where everyone likes to do the easy stuff. When you do the hard stuff, you make everyone else look bad.

So Daniel’s enemies manipulated the King. They flattered him. They told him, “You’re so handsome, King. Your shirt fits you.  We like your hair. You smell nice. You know what?  You’re not a man, you’re a god. Oh King, decree a new law and prohibit anyone from praying to any god except you! And anyone caught should be executed.” It was a trick to kill Daniel. They knew that Daniel wouldn’t stop praying to his God.       And that was exactly what happened.       Daniel was committed to God. In fact, the reason why he was committed to his work was because he was committed to God.

God Honors Our CommitmentPraying was easy for Daniel.

But when that crazy law was made, praying became hard.

But Daniel kept doing the hard stuff.

That was commitment.

       And Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den.

       In a miniscule way, I can relate. When I went to Bangkok, I walked into a cage with a real live, gigantic Siberian Tiger. (Oh, the crazy things we do to get a photo to post on facebook!) Yes, there was a chain around his neck, held firmly by his trainer, and the big cat probably took a couple of sleeping pills. But it was still scary.

       But Daniel was thrown to a pit with hungry lions.  (Plural.) Perhaps there were 10 ferocious beasts that hadn’t eaten for a week.

       But God rescued Daniel. He turned those lions into kittens. He shut their mouths. All of a sudden, they weren’t hungry. I don’t know what Daniel did. Daniel was vegetarian so he probably lectured them on vegetarianism. (That never worked because after a few hours, the lions ate his enemies.) And Daniel was saved.

       The point? I believe that God honors those who are committed to Him.

       Today, you may feel as though you’re in a pit with huge, hungry lions around you. You’re surrounded by big problems that are ready to eat you alive. You feel you have no hope.

But friend, God honors your commitment to Him. God will shut the mouths of lions. God will rescue you. God will see you through. God will deliver you. You’ll overcome. You’ll win. Remain committed to Him. And you’ll witness how God will honor your commitment.

God Cannot Fully Use You Without Commitment

Let me give you an analogy. 

You’re the boat. God’s power is the wind that will push the boat. And your commitment is the sail of the boat. It’s your commitment that catches the power of God. 

The power of God is always available to you.

But are you using that power?

Mind you, without the sails, the wind can still push the boat. But it’ll be very slow. It’s your commitment that uses the power of God to do great things.

God cannot fully use a person who isn’t committed.

Do you want to do great things?

Be committed to your dreams.

Every success in the world happens because of commitment.

Henry Ford is known as one of the richest men in history. But five times in his life, the man failed in business and became totally bankrupt. But Henry Ford didn’t stop. He kept doing the hard stuff. Finally, he built the Ford Motor company—now the second biggest carmaker in America. What made Henry Ford succeed? Commitment.

Rowland Macy failed in 7 businesses. Can you imagine how depressing that was? But he had commitment. He didn’t stop. Finally, he built a store named Macy’s in New York. The rest is history. Macy’s is now the largest department store in the world. It has 800 giant stores in America. What made Rowland Macy build his store after failing 7 times? Commitment.

Col. Sanders was rejected 1009 times by restaurants who didn’t like his fried chicken recipe. He later built KFC, which has 20,000 restaurants all over the world. What made Col. Sanders go knocking on the doors of 1009 restaurants, selling his fried chicken recipe? Commitment.

Stephen King submitted his book manuscripts to 30 publishers. All rejected his book. He was so discouraged, he threw away the manuscript in the trashcan. But his wife picked it up and mailed it to another publisher. They accepted it. Today, Stephen King has written 49 books and has sold 350 million copies. What made Stephen King submit his manuscript to 30 publishers? And what made his wife pick up the manuscript from the trash to submit it to one more publisher? Commitment.

Friend, it’s always commitment that will make you succeed.

Here’s another definition: Commitment is stickability amidst difficulty.

What dreams in your life have not yet come true?

Do you want to be wealthy? You need to be committed. You can’t be wishy-washy. You need to be committed to increasing your financial IQ; You need to be committed to living simply, discerning your wants vs. your needs; You need to be committed to investing a part of your income every month for the next 20 years.

Do you want to be healthy? You need to be committed to eating fruits and veggies. You need to be committed to exercise. You need to be committed to avoiding useless stress.

Do you want a fantastic family? You need to be committed to spending time together. You need to be committed to communicating from the heart, expressing love in practical ways, and forgiving each other.

Do you want to be successful in your spiritual life? Same thing. You need to be committed too.

Relationships Die Without Commitment

       The world avoids the hard stuff.

       We worship the god of convenience.

Proof? In America today, the average marriage lasts for 8 years. Sadly, where America goes, the whole world goes.

For many, marriage vows are no longer “till death do us part” but “till boredom do us part.” If you bore me, I’m out. If you stifle my personality, I’m out. If you hinder my plans, I’m out.  If you pull me down, I’m out.  If you make me do the hard stuff, I’m out.

       But no relationship will flourish without commitment. 

Let me talk to singles. If your boyfriend says, “I’ll love you as long as I feel like loving you,” will you marry him?

I hope not. Run away from someone who can’t commit. Because the basis of a successful relationship isn’t compatibility but commitment.

       And as a Christian, you need to be committed to two very important relationships…

First: Be Committed To God

 

For many people, God is like the fire extinguisher at the corner of their house. He’s only there for emergencies.

When there’s a fire—or intense problems in their life—God becomes the go-to guy. He suddenly becomes the most important person in their world.

But when there’s no fire, God is forgotten. He collects dust. He’s taken for granted.

Today, I invite you to commit to God. 

God isn’t a fire extinguisher. God is water. He just doesn’t put off fires. You need water everyday to drink, to bathe, to wash, to nourish the plants…

Be committed to God.

       Here are a couple suggestions:

1.Connect With God Daily

I have a great marriage. (I didn’t say perfect. No such animal this side of the universe.)

And when people ask me, “Can you give me one tip to make my marriage better?” I tell them, “Have a romantic date with your spouse at least once a week.”

I swear by this practice. My wife and I have been married for 13 years, and we’ve never missed a date. 

That date is written on stone: Tuesday night is hers. It’s sacrosanct. I won’t cancel it except for a few exceptions. First, if the Pope will call me on a Tuesday night to consult me on some Theological issue he doesn’t understand. Or if President Obama will ask for a conference call on a Tuesday night, to ask for my advice on how to solve the economic recession in America. Otherwise, I won’t cancel.

Because relationships thrive on commitment.

Commitment is the oxygen of relationships.

Without commitment, the relationship dies.

In the same way, your relationship with God needs commitment. Commit to spend time connecting with God daily.

Even if there are days when it’s hard.

It’s really up to you how you’ll connect with Him.

If someone tells you that there’s only one acceptable way of connecting to God, don’t believe him. 

I’m convinced God has given you a unique prayer language based on your God-given design. It includes your personality, your preferences, your passions…

Examples?

Because I’m a writer, I love writing my journal everyday and writing my thoughts to God. That’s how I pray. 

My other favorite way of praying is walking around my village and chatting with God, going over my day with Him.

One of my friends loves music.  He prays by listening to his iPod and singing worship songs. He swears by this way of praying. He simply loves it.

My other friend is a quiet person. She loves sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour. In that beautiful silence, her soul is transported. She tells me that she meets God this way, and I don’t doubt her.

For 60+ years, my parents connected with God by going to Mass every morning.

I don’t know what your prayer language is. Commit yourself to connect with God daily using your prayer language.

I also encourage you that you read God’s Word daily. Nourish your soul. My recommendation is to use a Bible guide, such as Didache, Companion, and Sabbath.  I hear that the guy who publishes these devotionals is brilliant, handsome, but prone to delusions.  (These are available in all major bookstores around the country. You may also order online at www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

2.Connect With God’s Family

Connecting alone to God is wonderful.

But it’s not enough.

Because He created you a social being. 

Face it. I need you and you need me.

That’s why God invented spiritual communities. Church is His idea, not ours.

For over 30 years now, I’ve been part of a Catholic spiritual family called Light of Jesus. It’s been my lifesaver. I meet with my friends each week for Worship and Word.

Last week, I felt very encouraged. After the Feast, a woman came up to me and said, “Bo, I can’t thank you enough. Ever since I’ve attended the Feast, you can’t imagine the blessings I’ve received. My family is stronger. My husband loves God. My kids are serving in ministry. I’ve been promoted twice in my job. You’ve changed our entire lives!”

I smiled, “I’m happy for you. But sorry, I didn’t do that. You and God did all that. You were committed to come to the Feast. And God honored that commitment.”

She nodded her head. “Bo, do you know that even if there’s a storm, I’m here. But it’s funny how my friend doesn’t attend just because it’s drizzling…”

I laughed. “I know of someone who doesn’t come to the Feast because the air is moist…”

Here’s the reality: If you don’t want to come, you’ll find a reason not to come. But if you want to come—and receive God’s Blessing—you’ll find a reason to come.

Be committed. Do the hard stuff.

Second: Be Committed To God’s People

God didn’t create you for you.

God created you for others.

You’re not here in this planet for yourself.

You’re here to be a rich blessing to others.

The Bible says He’s prepared good works for us to do already. God wants you to bless specific people He has brought to your path. These people are your “God-assignments”.

Obviously, He has assigned you to bless your family.

But you have other “God-assignments” that aren’t part of your family.   Officemates.   Business associates. Gym-mates. Former classmates. Facebook friends.

Here’s my recommendation: In a small card, write down the names of 7 people whom you believe you can bless and bring closer to God.

Here are the 7 things you can do for these 7 people:

1. Pray for them daily

Put the card in your wallet or handbag. Pull it out and pray for them everyday. This, by itself, is a huge blessing to them.

2. Serve their needs in practical ways

Call them up. Visit them. Meet a need. Give a useful gift. Serve them in a small way.

3. Listen and respond with empathy

Sometimes, the best gift we give to people is our presence and our acceptance. Don’t speak first. Don’t give advice first. Listen to them first, understand them first, and show empathy.

4. Share your experience of God’s Love

You have a personal story to tell. Perhaps it was when God became real to you. Or when God answered your prayer. Inspire them.

5. Pray with them

Invite the person to pray with you. Don’t use big words to impress, such as, “Thou art Almighty, transcendent beyond illumination…” Talk to God instead using the simplest words.   Pray for the person’s need.

6. Invite them to your spiritual gatherings

Don’t rush this. But at the right moment, when you feel the person is open to it, invite him to your spiritual events. Because you want to give the person a spiritual family that will help him grow in his faith.

7. Ask them to be a blessing to others too

Invite him to pay it forward. Invite him to share God’s Love to others too. In the same way that you blessed him, tell him to bless others as well.

God Honors Your Commitment

       Friend, God is committed to you.       His commitment to you is like a rock.       Yes, He’ll do the hard stuff for you.

You may fail in your commitment to Him, but He’ll never fail in His commitment to you.

God isn’t a fair-weathered friend. He’s here for the long haul. He’s here for keeps. He’ll never give up on you. No matter what.

But here’s the truth: When we’re not committed, it’ll be very difficult for us to receive all His blessings. We’ll receive some blessings. But not all. Because many of His blessings only come to those who are committed.

My Story In The Lion’s DenMany years ago, I felt like I was thrown in a den of lions.For 20+ years, I was a broken man. I was locked up in a shame-based

personality. Each morning, I woke up ashamed of myself. It was so bad, I was ashamed

that I even existed in the world. I didn’t like myself. I was ruled by my fears. I was afraid of what people will say about me. I would bend over backwards just to make people like me. If I learned someone didn’t like me, I’d panic.

I was a big mess.My lions weren’t physical lions. My lions were in my mind. They were

eating me up. I was dying inside.But God rescued me from the lion’s den. God shut the mouths of the lions in

my mind. And God told me, “Son, there’s nothing to be ashamed of anymore. And what if people will not like you? It doesn’t matter. I like you. More than you can imagine…”

Here’s the miracle.If you told me ten years ago, “Bo, one day, you’ll be preaching to 5000

people in PICC every week,” I’d tell you, “Haha. Nice joke. Nah, that’s too big a dream for me…”

But that’s what God did. He took someone who was very broken—and used him to bless the world.

Friend, maybe life has not worked out for you. Maybe you’ve recently gone through crushing disappointments. Maybe your marriage failed. Or maybe the person you thought you’d marry didn’t work out. Or maybe you didn’t get the job you’ve been praying for. Or maybe you feel stuck in your finances.

Here’s God’s word for you: Don’t give up. Don’t think small. Say it out loud, “God will rescue me.” 

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Do It Afraid

Today, I’d like to talk about courage.

If you want to fulfill your dreams, you’ve got to have courage.

Because what stands in between you and your dreams are your fears.

Read carefully: Your fears can either be a Wall and a Way. 

For many people, fear is a Wall. When they smell fear, they run away. They give up their dreams.

For some people, fear is a Way. It’s a door to a whole new world of abundance and blessing. When they smell fear, they know that abundance is near. All they need to do is walk through the door of their fear. 

Thank God For Fear!

Does being courageous mean not being afraid?

Not at all.

God gave us fear for a purpose. That purpose is to take us out of danger. 

For example, I thank God I’m afraid of snakes. If I see a cobra in front of me, I won’t stand here and say Hi. I won’t go religious and pray in tongues and cast out the spirit of snakeness from the snake. 

You’ll see me running away as fast as I can.

Thank God for fear.

But be careful with fear. Because when fear becomes overwhelming, it’ll control you. When it does, fear won’t only take you away from danger and death and destruction. It’ll take you away from your dreams too.

You’ve heard this many times. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is doing the right thing in the midst of fear. 

When your heart is pounding. When your knees are shaking. When your sweat is dripping. And you do the right thing anyway. That’s courage.

Last week, I defined commitment as “Doing the hard stuff”.

Today, I define courage as “Doing it afraid”.

Unless you do it afraid, you’ll never achieve any success.

Perhaps you’ve failed in your business. Perhaps you’ve been rejected by people. Perhaps you’ve been booted out of your job. So right now, you’re afraid of being rejected again. My word to you? Do it afraid. Trust God and go out and try again. And believe that God has something great in store for you.

Are you single? Perhaps you’ve been hurt by a man before. Perhaps he used you, walked out on you, and chose someone else. Right now, you’re afraid of being hurt all over again. My word to you? Do it afraid. Learn from your mistakes. But trust in God and open your heart to the new person that He will give you.

Once upon a time, there was a woman who “did it afraid”…

How A Woman Saved A Nation

Let me tell you the story of Esther.

Esther was a beautiful Jewish woman who became the wife of the King of Persia.   But Persia had a wicked Prime Minister named Haman who wanted to kill all the Jews. He was like an ancient Hitler who wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth. 

The Jews’ only hope was Esther. She was the only one who could stop the massacre.

Married women might say, “Oh, that’s easy. All she has to do is tell her hubby to throw out the prime minister. Or it’s the couch for him tonight.”

It didn’t work that way 2500 years ago in ancient Persia.   

They had this crazy law: It was a crime against Persian law for anyone to appear before the King uninvited. Even if you’re the queen. Anyone who does so will be executed.

But Esther was a woman of courage. She told the Jews to fast and pray for her. She said, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. If I must die for doing it, I will die. (Esther 4:16)

In fact, this was what almost happened. When the King saw Esther in front of him uninvited, he got very angry. But he took pity on her and asked her to come to him. When Esther told him about Haman’s evil plan, he had Haman executed—and the Jews were saved.

God says to you, Be determined and confident.  Do not be afraid of them. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

What Are You Afraid Of?

       Think about it.

The same person, the King of Persia, could execute her or save her people from annihilation. The King was both the source of her fear and also the source of her freedom.

       Remember my lesson earlier: See your fear as a door. It’s not a Wall, but a Way. Walk through the door of your fear and you’ll walk towards your dreams. Everything that you want in life—happiness, friendship, abundance, blessings—is right after the door of fear.

       Let me say it again.  Esther didn’t get rid of her fear. She just did it afraid. She did the right thing even when she was still afraid.

       But that’s the secret to overcoming fear and achieving great success.  Esther’s love for her people was bigger than her fear. That’s why she faced the King of Persia at the risk of losing her life.

       In the same way, make your love bigger than your fear—and you can do anything. You can reach your dreams.

When your fear is the biggest thing in your life, you get stuck. You don’t grow. You remain there for the rest of your life.

Do you feel as though nothing is happening in your career?   In your spiritual life? In your relationships? Do you feel stuck?

Find something that’s bigger than your fear, and you’ll be able to walk through the door of fear.

What Is Bigger Than Your Fear?

 

In my preaching ministry, I had to “do it afraid” many times.

       The first time I had to talk to 10,000 people at the Araneta Coliseum, I was afraid.

       I was 16 years old. While waiting for my name to be called, I was literally shaking in my knees. My heart was pounding in my chest so loudly, I wondered if the people beside me were hearing it.  “Uh, excuse me, those bongo drums you’re hearing is just my heart beating.” I was behind the big stage, awed at the massive audience around me. 

I didn’t help that at 16, I looked like a malnourished refugee. I was so thin, if the fan blew in my direction, I had to hold on to something.

I asked myself, “What am I doing here? What was I thinking saying yes to give a talk to this humongous crowd? For crying out loud, I’m 16 years old.  I have nothing to tell them!”

       But I remember what I told myself that day. I said, “I’m here to love them, not impress them. Let them laugh at me. Let them boo me off the stage. It’s okay. I’m here to love them.”

       My name was called. I stepped on stage. I did it afraid and loved them. Before I knew it, my fear was gone.

       The secret to courage? Make your love bigger than your fear. Make your dream bigger than your fear. Make your God bigger than your fear.

       That wasn’t the last time I did it afraid.  There were many more occasions in my preaching ministry.

       The first time I spoke to an international audience (it was in Canada), I did it afraid. 

The first time I gave a talk to a roomful of Executives, I did it afraid.

The first time I gave a talk to roomful of Judges, I did it afraid. (They looked so stern. And none of them were laughing at my jokes! It was like they were, uh, judging me.)

The first time I gave a talk to a roomful of Bishops and Priests, I did it afraid. I asked myself, “What did I know that they didn’t know? Whatever I’ll tell, they already studied about during their 4 years in Philo and 4 years in Theo!”

       But each time, I stepped on stage and told myself, “Yes, I’m afraid. But I’ll love them.”

       Here’s what I noticed. God expanded my ministry to the degree I was willing to “do it afraid”.

       It’s the same with all of life.

       Your life will only grow in direct proportion to your willingness to “do it afraid”.

You can’t even follow God if you won’t do it afraid.

It Takes Guts To Be Good

Courage is the basic ingredient for any virtue.

Without courage, you can’t follow God. 

It takes guts to be good.

Without courage, you can’t be loving, or loyal, or humble, or honest, or committed, or faithful…

Let me give you an analogy. If the different virtues are different flavors of ice cream, courage is the milk in the ice cream.    You can’t have ice cream without milk. It’s in all flavors. In the same way, you can’t have virtue without courage. Courage is in all the virtues.

He Said, “I’ll Do It God’s Way”

       My friend Tom was a Med Rep for a Pharma company. Tom told me that in his province, it was S.O.P. that Med Reps drank with the Doctors and gave them women. 

In fact, his own Boss told him that he wouldn’t succeed in his job if he didn’t drink with the boys and offer girls to his clients.

       Being the rookie in the job, he felt ashamed to decline. Even if in his conscience, he knew it was wrong.

So he went along with the drinking. He’d try to drink only two or three bottles at the most. And while his companions would take their bargirl to a motel, he’d just talk with the bargirl the entire evening.

       But one day, he asked himself. “Am I more concerned about ‘loss of face’ or ‘loss of soul’?” Mustering enough courage, he went to his boss and said, “Sir, I won’t join you and the guys tonight. And I’ve decided I won’t be drinking and offering women to my clients anymore.” His boss was shocked. He asked, “Are you crazy? Why?”

He said, “I’m a Catholic.”

The Boss said, “I’m Catholic too. But this is our job.”

Tom said, “I’m a renewed Catholic. I can’t go against my faith.”

“Mark my words,” he told Tom sternly, “You’ll lose your job.”

       Tom said, “Watch how God will work.”

       The next day, Tom gave Kerygmamagazine to the Doctors. The next day, DidacheBible Guide. The next day, Companion Bible Journal. He also worked doubly hard.

Result? In three months, Tom became the top-selling, top-performing Med Rep in the entire region.

Simple Examples Of Courage

Without courage, you can’t even do something as basic as tithing. It takes courage to give 10% of your income to God each month. And then believe that God will stretch your money to meet your needs. 

When I was earning P10,000 a month, I found it easy to give P1000 a month. But when I started earning P50,000 a month, I had to swallow hard when I put P5000 in my tithe envelope. I wasn’t used to giving P5000! Through the years, I kept tithing—and saw my income go up.

It takes courage to volunteer in a ministry, sacrifice your time—and believe that God will multiply your time.

It takes courage to disciple someone—loving the person until the person grows in his spiritual life.

It takes courage to die for someone.

It takes courage to live for someone…

Love Even If You’re Afraid

       I love telling my favorite story of courage.

When I was 16 years old, I won a trip to Jerusalem from a Bible Quiz on national TV. Not the “Trip to Jerusalem” where kids circle around chairs. (That’s how Filipinos call the game “musical chairs”.) I really won a trip to Israel.

It was the first time I was going to travel, and I was going to travel all by myself for 41 days, visiting 20 cities all over Europe.

Obviously, as a 16 years old backpacker, I was scared and excited at the same time. My mother sewed a hidden pouch on my socks and inserted my dollars there. Because they were very few. Her instructions to me, “Don’t stay in hotels, stay in convents. Don’t eat in restaurants, buy your food and eat on park benches.” 

My first stopover was Athens, Greece.

I sat in the airport, waiting for my flight to Israel, when a somewhat plumpish woman (okay, really plumpish woman) came walking towards me carrying two huge suitcases.

I ran to help out. I said, “Madame, can I help carry your things?”

She didn’t understand a word I said.

I knew a little Spanish, so I asked, “Puedo llevar tus cosas?”

She also didn’t understand.

Being charismatic, I was tempted to speak in tongues. But decided against it. Instead, I used the universal language. 

I held up my hands as though I was carrying two suitcases.

Immediately, she understood. She handed me her suitcases, thinking perhaps I was a porter.

I then moved my hand like it were a plane, made the “whoooo” sound, and said, “Jerusalem.”  

Her face lit up. She did the hand action of a plane, the “whoooo” sound of a plane, and said, “Jerusalem!” We were going to the same place.

We walked to the airline counter. I gave my ticket and the kindly gentleman gave me my boarding pass. I was ready to fly.

It was the woman’s turn. She handed her ticket with a smile. The man read her ticket, shook his head, and said, “I’m sorry Ma’am, this is an invalid ticket. You can’t ride this plane.”

“Lord, What Do You Want Me To Do?”

She couldn’t understand him. 

They had to get a translator, what language I have no idea, to tell her that she had to buy a new ticket if she wanted to fly.

Tearfully, she told them that she had no money. And that this was a stop over for her too, so she was stranded. The man behind the counter raised their hands in surrender, telling her they couldn’t do anything about it.

She picked up her suitcases from me. She walked to a corner of the airport, sat down, and wept loudly.

I watched her from the distance. How could I leave her like this? But what could a 16 year old kid do?

So I prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”

I learned that was a very dangerous question to ask. Don’t take it flippantly.

Because in my heart, I felt God tell me, “Buy her a ticket.” It was absolutely nuts! Didn’t He know that my dollars was in my socks?

I walked up to the counter guy and asked, “How much is a ticket to Israel?”   He said, “$256”.

Gulp. 

But I knew in my heart that I had to do it. 

A Miracle Happens

I walked up to the weeping lady. 

Through sign language, I told her I was going to buy her a ticket. (I tapped my back pocket and did my plane hand action again.) She understood me immediately. She literally jumped for joy and hugged me. I disappeared in her embrace.

Gently, I brought her down. I checked for broken bones and found none. We both walked to the counter.

“Sir,” I announced, “I’m buying a plane ticket for this lady.”

The man gasped. He asked, “Do you know her?”

“No, I don’t. I just met her here.”

He shook his head. “Are you rich?”

I smiled. “No. But my Father is rich!”

He didn’t want to sell me a ticket. He called his big boss. In a few minutes, the man marched in and they both argued our situation.

Finally, when our flight was about to go, I thought I heard the big boss sighed in exasperation and said, “Okay. Let the lady fly. But don’t let this stupid guy pay!”

I couldn’t believe it. They were letting her have a free ride. My dollars remained safely in my socks.

Both of us boarded the plane. We even sat beside each other and prayed together.

I was sixteen when this happened.

All through my life, there have been many times when I did it afraid.  I believe it’s the secret to all of my breakthroughs.

My friend, do it afraid.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Transform Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life

Do you want to change your life? 

It all starts with thinking God’s thoughts.  

       Transformation starts with the renewing of your mind. (See Romans 12:2)

I believe God has a great plan for your life. He wants to pour greatness in you. But God cannot put great things into a small mind.

When your mind is small, you cannot think great things. You need to enlarge your mind. Enlarge your thinking. You need to think God’s thoughts for you to experience God’s things.

       Your thinking is so important, because whoever wins in the battlefield of your mind will win in the battlefield of your life…

The Bible says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…

Thoughts Are Things

 

Quantum Physics says everything is energy. 

The ground that you’re standing on, the chair you’re sitting on, the sky above, even your human body—all these are really bundles of vibrating energy. A solid brick wall—in its subatomic level—isn’t solid at all, but largely empty space filled with energy. 

And here’s the shocking part. Quantum physics says thoughts are also energy. Scientists say there’s really no big difference between a thing and a thought. In one very real sense, thoughts are things.

That’s why thoughts are powerful. 

Today, I’ll talk about how your thoughts create your reality; How your thoughts create your destiny.

       Here’s the truth: You’re a product of your thoughts.  You are who you are because of the thoughts you’ve allowed to fill your mind.

If you transform your thoughts, you transform your life.

A Shocking Story

Let me tell you a true story.

       Many years ago, after giving a talk, a Filipina and an American walked up to me.   I’ll call them David and Bathsheba. (In a minute, you’ll know why I chose these fictional names.) They acted like they were a couple.  But there was something odd about them.

Not only because David was American and Bathsheba was Filipina.

It was also because David was tall, handsome, and young.  (More or less like a writer I know. Ahem.)

But Bathsheba was not so tall, not so young, and not so beautiful.   And believe me, I’m being very kind when I describe her in this way. If I wasn’t kind, then I’d describe her as really short, really old, and really ugly.  But I won’t say that. 

(Although I already did. But imagine I didn’t.)

As I looked at them, I was guessing the guy was 26, at most 28, and the woman was 42.

Bathsheba was the first to speak. She said, “Brother Bo, I love your talk on God’s Love. I can identify. Can I share our story with you?”

You can imagine I was all ears. 

We sat down and she started talking. 

Bathsheeba said, “I was a prostitute in Olongapo. I was a prostitute for 20 years. I have two kids from two different fathers. Prostitution was the only way I knew to feed my children. But I was so tired of what I was doing, one day, while I was at home, I knelt down. I prayed, ‘Lord, I’m going to ask something that seems impossible. I’m ugly. I’m a prostitute. I’ve got two kids from two different fathers. But I need you to rescue me. Please give me a husband. And if possible, give me an American…’”

I wanted to tell her, “Lady, you’ve got guts.”

“Can I continue the story, Sweetheart?” David interrupted.

“Of course, Darling,” Bathsheba smiled.

“At that exact time,” David said, “I was walking on the street when I noticed a house with an open door. I looked through the doorway, and I saw this woman kneeling down, crying. As I looked at her, I began to cry too. I didn’t know why I was crying.  I walked through the door.  And I noticed, Brother Bo, that the woman was very beautiful…”

I wanted to say, “Are we talking of… uh, her? Or did your tears, uh you know, block your vision?”

Obviously, I didn’t say that. I just nodded my head, realizing once again there are certain mysteries in the world that we cannot solve. The Bermuda Triangle. The Prophecies of Nostradamus. And why David calls this woman beautiful.

David went on. “I introduced myself. We started talking, we started dating, and 6 months later, we got married!”

“Miracles happen,” I said.

“Tomorrow,” Bathsheba said, “we’re all going to the States. He’ll be introducing me to his parents.”

I wanted to say, “God have mercy on you.” My goodness, those parents will need extra-strength grace!

Why I Tell You The Story

Even if this happened many years ago, I’ll never been able to forget this story.

I share with you this story not to teach single women to pray with their door open, in the hope that a potential husband will pass by. That’s not the point and what happened to Bathsheba was absolutely strange.

I share you this story to tell you about the power of thoughts.

Let me ask you. Was Bathsheba ugly or beautiful?

To everyone else, she was ugly.   People called her ugly. People mocked her on the street. Being a prostitute was bad enough. What was worse than a prostitute was an old prostitute selling her old body at 85% discount.

Even to herself, she was ugly.

But one day, someone walks into her life and says, “You’re beautiful.”

What is reality? Reality is essentially a product of our thoughts. 

Imagine if you think God’s thoughts?

Right now, you may be like Bathsheeba. You feel ugly. You don’t like yourself. And other people don’t like you too.

But I’m here to tell you that God thinks you’re amazing. God thinks you’re beautiful. And that “shift of thought” will transform your life forever.

When you think God’s thoughts, three huge things will happen.

The first thing that will change will be…

1. How You Think About Yourself

It reminds me of another David…

When God was looking for the next King of Israel, God asked Samuel the priest, “I’m choosing a King from the sons of Jessie of Bethlehem.” 

So Samuel visited the house of Jesse. “Where are your sons?” the priest asked Jesse. And so the old man called his sons to line up in front of the Prophet. The eldest was Eliab. The Bible describes Eliab was tall, with the body of a body-builder, and good-looking. In other words, he looked like a king.

But God told Samuel, “Not this one.”

I’m sure Jesse was a little bit disappointed. He called his next son to stand in front of Samuel.

And God told the priest, “Not this one either.”

Jesse called the next one. And the next one. And the next one. For every single one of them, Samuel heard God tell him, “Not this one.”

Samuel was confused. So he asked Jesse, “You’ve shown me your seven sons?”

“Yes,” Jesse said, “my seven sons are in front of you now.”

Samuel asked him, “Don’t you have any other sons?”

Jesse said, “I do have one more son. But he’s just a boy. He’s out with the sheep…”

In other words, David was the runt. The youngest. The gofer. The errand boy.  Uneducated. Untrained. Rough. Filthy. Smelly. With calluses on his hands, mud on his feet, and sand on his hair. And he doesn’t wear the right clothes. What Jesse really wanted to say was, “Why bother looking at him? You wouldn’t like him.”

But Samuel said, “Call him anyway.”

He was called. The boy stood in front of Samuel. And God told Samuel, “This is the guy I’m choosing to be King.”

Think about it.

David’s father didn’t admire him. His brothers thought he was a pest. But that’s because they were looking at him thinking their thoughts. They weren’t thinking God’s thoughts.

Today, people around you may overlook you. People around you may take you for granted. And if people notice you, they only notice if you’ve done wrong. How you’ve failed. How you’ve messed up. How you fell flat on your face.

But God thinks about you differently.

He doesn’t major in your mess. He majors in your magnificence. He doesn’t focus on your fumbles, He focuses on your fabulousness. 

Read the Bible and you see this exact thing happening again and again.

God called Gideon a mighty man of valor when he was a coward hiding from his enemies.  God called Peter the “Rock” at a time when Peter was a stumbling, lying, denying fisherman. And God called David “King” when he was but a boy smelling of sheep poop. 

Why? Because while you’re still wrestling with your history, God is already talking about your destiny. While your thoughts are still mired in the quicksand of your past, God’s thoughts are already constructing your future.

The Power Of Labels

When you think God’s thoughts about yourself, people won’t understand you. People want you to remain the same. People want you to be consistent with the poor image that they have of you in their minds.

 You see, people look at you, and they’ve made already a prediction of what will happen to you in your future. And they want that prediction to be fulfilled. 

People have already labeled you “loser” and “failure” and “mediocre” and “hopeless”.  And they want you to be consistent with these negative labels they have given you. They don’t want you to shake up their picture of reality.

I want you to stand up and announce to the world, “I’m not the labels you’ve given me. If God says I’m a champion, then I’m a champion.”

Your Existence Means You Won

By the mere fact that you’re alive, you’re already a champion.

Why do I say that?

Think about it. God pre-selected your sperm cell. Your sperm cell out-swam the millions of other sperm cells to connect to the egg cell. At the very moment of your conception, you already won. You’re a champion!

This ordination, this Divine pre-selection isn’t based on the good that you’ve done, on whether you’ve been faithful in your prayer time, or whether you’ve been doing your Bible reading, or whether you’ve been going to Mass, or whether you’ve been a good boy or a good girl. Because before you were in the womb of your mother, you weren’t praying yet. You weren’t doing any good yet. And yet God already saw something good in you.

The Bible says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God spoke that to Jeremiah but I believe He says the same words to you.

Today, God will re-introduce you to who you really are.

He will lift the curtain, the veil that separates you and who you really are deep in your soul.

People around you will say, “That’s not you. I’ve seen you before. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You’re a nobody. You’re a wimp. You’re a jerk. You’re a coward. You’re a liar.  You’re a hot head…”

You’ve got to tell them, “Yes, that was me. But let me introduce you to the new me. Your definition of me is based on past information. My definition of me is based on God’s thoughts about who I really am…”

And if you think God’s thoughts, something else will change…

2. How You Think Of Your Problems

One day, I was facing a huge problem. I felt so troubled, I didn’t know what to do. I was already having sleepless nights. My wife would wake up at 3am and she’d find me still awake, tossing and turning in bed.

So finally I called up one of my Mentors. I described the problem. Every detail I could remember, I shared to him

My Mentor was very patient listening to my story. 

And then he said something that I’ll never forget. He said, “Is that all? Bo, that’s nothing! That problem is so small, you’re bigger than this. You’re so big, that problem is like dust in your shirt. Like lint in your clothes. Like mud on your

shoes. You’re so much bigger! And Bo, you’ll have more of those tiny problems. They’re so small, just flick them…”

This wasn’t a nice friendly counseling session. He was my Mentor and he had my permission to be brutal with me.

His words changed me. That night, I slept like a babe.

Because he made me realize I was a giant! Why be bothered by tiny problems?

And soon enough, those problems that I thought were gigantic blew away like mist. I troubled myself for nothing.

Here’s what I learned. The reason why we think our problems are big is because we think we’re small. But when we change the way we think about ourselves, we change how we think about our problems too.

And remember: To God, all your problems are small.

       The Bible says, Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning…

       And finally, when you think God’s thoughts, you also change one last thing…

3. How You Think Of Your Future

I love this message because this is my story.

Who would have thought that a victim of sexual abuse would be writing this to you now?   Who would have thought a porn addict of 20 years would write 25 bestselling books, publish 8 magazines, and preach around the world? 

This can only be God’s doing.

God doesn’t define you by what you’ve done. He defines you by what He has done in you.

When God talks about you, He prophecies of things yet to come.

Friend, you’re future is out-of-this-world beautiful.

Perhaps you’re like Bathsheeba. Perhaps you feel this is a dead-end for you right now. That all hope is gone.

But believe that each day, God walks into the open door of your life and says you’re future is beautiful. He will change everything. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. Just keep that door open. Just never give up.

Think God’s thoughts.

And you’ll never be the same again.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Change Your Vocabulary

       You need to learn a new kind of vocabulary. 

Instead of saying, “I have some failures,” say, “I have some lessons.” 

Instead of saying, “I have some problems,” say, “I have some hidden blessings.” 

Instead of saying, “I’m going through a crisis,” say, “I’m going through a transformational experience.” 

Instead of saying, “I don’t have money,” say, “I’m temporarily broke but the blessings are on the way.”

If you want to change your life, you need to change your talk.

Everyday, a tidal wave of words flow out of your mouth.

Studies say that men speak 20,000 words a day. And women speak 30,000.   (I didn’t invent that. Just reporting the facts.  But I’m sure you know of some exceptions. There are men who speak 50,000 words a day, like Preachers like me.)

Don’t be shocked. If you live until 90, a typical person would have spoken 730 million words. If someone just recorded all that you said, and put them in book form, you would have written 14,600 books.

Pretty amazing, right?

But it’s not the quantity of words that’s important. It’s the quality of the words that’s important. The quality of your words will determine the quality of your life—including the life of the people around you.

Do your words bless or curse?

Do your words heal or cause disease?

Do your words give life or give death?

Do your words nourish or poison?

Do your words lift up or lower down?

Do your words encourage or discourage?

Be careful with your words…

3 Kinds Of Bread

You know this already—God’s Word is like bread. It always nourishes. (Matthew 4:4)

But here’s something you may not know: God designed your words to also become nourishing bread.

But in reality, our words aren’t always nourishing. 

In fact, I compare our words to three kinds of bread: wheat bread, white bread, and waste bread.

Wheat Bread has all the nourishment intact. It has vitamin B6, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, folic acid… And fiber. (That’s why it’s chewy.) Fiber prevents heart attacks and sweeps your intestines clean.

White Bread tastes nice and soft and delicious. But it doesn’t nourish. It doesn’t make you healthy. Because white bread is made of white flour, and it’s stripped from all vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Waste Bread is bread that is stale. It’s already covered with mold and bacteria. It can actually poison you and make you sick.

Our words can be like one of these three kinds of bread.

Let me explain…

1. Wheat Bread

 God wants your words to be like Wheat Bread. They nourish you and they nourish others. 

The bible says that what we say should be good and helpful and encouraging (Ephesians 4:29). If it’s not good and helpful and encourage, don’t say it. 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24)

One day, I was going through a crisis. Correction. I was going through “a transformational experience”.

It was a time when both my ministries and businesses were going through a tough time. I felt beaten. Defeated. Worn out. I exhausted physically and emotionally.

Right after the Feast, a woman came up to me. And she said, “Bo, you don’t know how you changed my life. Spiritually. Emotionally. Financially. Thank you so much…”

I’ve heard those lines before. Many times. But at that particular time, when I felt discouraged, those words healed me.

But let’s admit it.

Many times, our words don’t encourage at all…

2. White Bread

Many of our words are like White Bread. We speak without purpose. We speak without love.   They don’t discourage, but they don’t encourage too. We speak uselessly.

Jesus says, You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken. (Matthew 12:36)

What is the Bible saying? Don’t waste your words.

If you have an opportunity to encourage, to inspire, to lift up, and to coach someone—do so. Because people are hungry for nourishment, wisdom, and love. Don’t waste your time by speaking empty words.

And what’s the worst kind of bread of all?

 3. Waste Bread

Like Waste Bread, your words can poison.

Your mouth is a deadly weapon.

Your words can destroy your children and their future. Your words can destroy your families and your friendships. Your words can destroy your world.

One day, I was talking to a young man who was messed up. He didn’t finish school, he didn’t have a job, he was taking drugs…. In other words, he was really lost. 

And then we began talking about his father.

That was when his face began to grimace in pain. 

He said, “Brother Bo, I’m 23 years old. In all those years, I’ve never heard my father say nice things to me. Not once did he say he was happy with me. Everytime he talked to me, it was always to tell me I was wrong. And he kept telling me, ‘I’m ashamed that you’re my son! You’ll never amount to anything!’”

Words killed his future.

Because words can be poisonous.

Everytime you open your mouth, you can choose: You can cure or you can curse. It’s up to you. 

Let me tell you a true story.

There were two altar boys who lived in two different cities serving in two different churches, but both of them wanted to become priests. 

And both of them had the exact same experience.

One altar boy was late for Mass. Because he was in a hurry to do everything he needed to do, he accidentally hit the chalice that contained the wine.

After the Mass, the priest called the boy and shouted, “Get out of here! You’ll never serve as an altar boy!”

At another church, the other altar boy was also late for Mass. And he too hit the chalice that contained the wine, pouring it onto the red carpet. After the Mass, the priest—who happened to be a Bishop—called the altar boy and said, “Hey,

everybody makes mistakes. I’m clumsy too. So you know what? Maybe you’ll become a priest too…” and he chuckled.

30 years later, that altar boys became Archbishop Fulton Sheen, one of the most loved religious leaders in America.

The other altar boy? He became Joseph Tito, the ruthless dictator of Yugoslavia, and an atheist. 

Words are powerful. They can heal. They can bless. They can encourage. Or they can also curse. They can destroy.

Let me give you four examples.

Complement Or Complain

Admit it. Every child is part monster and part angel.

What part will win?

It depends on what part you pour attention to…

Behavior is the plant. Attention is the water.

If you tell your son a thousand times, “You’re a monster! You’re so disobedient!” you’re pouring attention into the monster part. And that monster part will grow, pushing out the angel part—until your child becomes all monster.

Instead of complaining, do the opposite: Complement!

It sounds nuts. But try it out.

For many parents, their preoccupation is to catch their kids doing wrong. Change that. Be preoccupied catching your kids doing good.

If he cares for his baby brother, “Son, I love the way you take care of your younger brother; I’m so proud you’re my son…”;

If you find him happy in your family meals, then tell him, “Thanks for enjoying our time together as a family; it warms my heart that you’ve grown up to be a loving boy.”;

Words like these will change your son.

Remember, your words can bring out the best or the worst in others.

It depends on what words you choose.

Why? People will treat you the way you treat them.

If you keep complaining about their bad behavior, you’ll get more of that bad behavior. If you complement them about their good behavior, you’ll get more of that good behavior.

That’s just how life works. 

Here’s the principle: Your words create your world. 

Which brings me to my second example…

Correct Or Criticize

Don’t get me wrong. You should correct. That’s part of love. You just need to know how to do it.

You can correct to love or you can criticize to shame. Love is both the motive and manner of your correction. 

And always correct within the context of a deep relationship of trust. Don’t correct someone when the relationship isn’t strong.

But sometimes, we go to the other extreme. Even within a close relationship, we don’t correct.  Because we want to be popular instead of loving.  It’s true: Like Wheat Bread, correction is difficult to chew. It’s not as easy to eat as Wheat Bread. But that’s why you have to do it, because it’s nutritious.

Here’s a third example…

Refresh Or Ridicule

When I was a kid, I was never good in Sports.

So I dreaded Physical Education. Whenever I had P.E. class in the afternoon, I’d already be wishing I’d get sick that day. So that I’d have an excuse not to attend P.E. 

Because almost every class, kids would ridicule me.

It didn’t matter if it was basketball or volleyball or soccer.

I was a klutz.

I couldn’t seem to hit or catch the ball. I couldn’t understand why I was so uncoordinated.

When I was 9-years old, my P.E. was baseball. And I was even more terrified.

True enough, at practice, I couldn’t catch the ball—even if I had that oversized glove.

I was so bad at catching, the Teacher assigned me to the farthest spot in the field. And with his booming voice, he told everyone, “Try to hit your ball towards that kid over there,” pointing to me. “Because he won’t catch the ball, and you’ll get a home run!” He laughed loudly, slapping his knee many times. And all the kids laughed with him.

I pretended to laugh too. 

But my little heart was crying inside.

       For the next 15 years, I never joined any sport.

When my teacher ridiculed me, something broke within me. Because my Teacher was a person of authority. In my mind, I told myself, “He must know what he’s talking about. He’s my teacher. He says I’m worthless. I’m the most worthless kid in the universe.”

Be careful with ridicule. Be careful with negative humor. Here’s my realization: Nothing hurts more than words.  The Bible says, The words of the reckless pierce like swords. (Proverbs 12:18)

If you punch someone really hard on the jaw, the swelling subsides after some days. If you cut someone with a knife, the cut heals after some weeks. But if you say something deeply hurting, the damage can remain for the rest of your life.

Society values humor so much, for the sake of making people laugh, we ridicule other people. (I believe negative humor and poking fun at others has a place—between very close friends.)

But I realize that nothing can be more hurting than humiliation. I wish kids would come with a big sign that says, “Fragile—Handle With Care”. So that we won’t be careless with our words.

Don’t ridicule. Don’t shame people.

Use your words instead to refresh others.

Last example…

Gossip

 

When you want to gossip, bite your tongue. It will hurt you, but it won’t hurt your friends.

Someone asked me, “But I’m not spreading gossip. I’m spreading truth. She really is selfish and rude!”

       But even if you’re right, don’t do it.

People are cruelest when they know they are right. 

       There are people who enjoy pointing out the mistakes of others. It’s almost a hobby. It has become second nature. They love sitting down in judgment and telling the world about people’s weaknesses.

       “He’s a good speaker, but he’s full of air.”

       “Shay’s pretty but not very bright.”

       “My boss is a total jerk.”

       “Barry looks like a retard.”

Are you going to say something nasty?

       Just stop.

       And if someone is about to tell you something nasty about someone else, excuse yourself.

       You can say, “I don’t want to color my opinion towards that person.”

If you have no choice but to listen, tell yourself, “I’m not going to believe this one-sided story. I’ll suspend judgment and give the other the benefit of the doubt.”

Instead of gossiping about the garbage, gossip about the good. Spread the good qualities of the people around you!

Gossip Is Difficult To Undo

One day, a young woman spread gossip about an old woman living beside her house. And the old woman’s reputation was tainted forever. After a few months, the young woman had pangs of guilt for what she did.   With much courage, she knocked on the door of the old woman. 

When the old woman saw her, the young woman said, “I’ve done you wrong. I’ve come to ask for forgiveness. I’m sorry…”

The old woman said, “Come in.”

Sitting on the couch, she told her younger neighbor, “I forgive you. But can you do something for me? It’s a special ritual…” She stood up and entered the room and the kitchen. She came back, bringing with her a pillow and a knife. She handed them to the young woman and said, “Please go up to the roof of my house and stab this pillow and rip it.”

The young woman was perplexed. But she did what she was told to do. She went up the roof, plunged the knife into the pillow, and instantly, feathers flew far and wide, carried by the wind.

When she went down, she returned the torn pillow and knife to the old woman.

The old woman said, “I have one last thing I want you to do for me. Go out now into the street and collect all the feathers…”

A tear escaped the young woman’s eye.  She knew her neighbor was trying to tell her something. “I’m so sorry, but that can’t be done,” she said. “They’ve scattered into different directions.”

The old woman nodded. “I’m not angry with you. I’m just giving you a correction in love. From now on, please only speak good words. If you have nothing good to say, don’t say it anymore. Because your words will be carried by the wind in every direction—and you won’t be able to take them back.”

And the young woman softly wept.

Friend, you can still gossip. But only gossip about the good in others. Broadcast the wonderful qualities of others to the world.

Conclusion: What’s Your Order?

So far, I’ve been talking about your conversations with others.

But remember, the most important conversation you’ll ever have in your life is the conversation you have with yourself.

What you say to yourself matters, because your words are prophetic.

Because life is like a restaurant. 

And the universe is like a waiter, with pen and paper in hand, waiting for your order. What you constantly say, that waiter will deliver to you on a silver platter.

I know many people who curse themselves with their words.

I know people who put themselves down. They belittle themselves. They shame themselves.

I’ve heard people say, “I can’t do it,” and “I’m no good,” and “I’ll never be successful.” They don’t understand that they’re words are prophetic. They’re creating their world by their words.

I’ve heard poor people say, “I’m poor,” and “I have no money,” many times a day. Their words make their experience permanent.

Make a decision today to bless yourself with your words.

Complement yourself. Say good things about yourself!

Many times a day, announce to the world, “I’m blessed. I’m anointed. I’m favored. I’m a champion. I’m amazing. I’m a wonderful person. I’m rich in every possible way. I’m the beloved of God…”

This truth applies when you speak to others too.

Because you’re the first listener.

If you speak encouraging words to somebody, before you encourage that person, you’re actually encouraging yourself. But if you speak discouraging words to somebody, before you discourage that person, you’re actually discouraging yourself.

Speaking is like holding a knife without a handle. If the knife is sharp, it wounds you first before it wounds others.

Let me repeat: The quality of your words will change the quality of your life.

Speak God’s words and change your world!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

The Magic Sauce Of All Success

I’m a semi-old man today. 

I’m 45. (According to my wife, I’ll always be her young boyfriend forever, but that’s another topic.)  

The older I get, the more I believe that commitment is the magic sauce of all success. It’s the secret ingredient. There can be no success without commitment.

What is commitment?       Let me throw away complicated and boring definitions. Let me give you my very simple, homespun, easy-to-understand definition: Commitment is doing the hard stuff. 

All success comes from doing the hard stuff.

Why do we have cellphones? Once upon a time, there were no cellphones. We used clunky, heavy landlines. (For those my age: Do you remember we even had partylines? We used to say, “Excuse me partyline, it’s our turn to use the phone.”) 

We have a cellphone today because there was one man by the name of Martin Cooper who committed himself to make it happen. He was an engineer in Motorola, and he sat down in front of thousands of tiny electronic spare parts and told himself, “I’ll make a cellphone. I won’t stop until it’s done.” And he made it. He did the hard stuff.

Sure, it was as huge as a brick. It was as heavy as a brick. And it was as expensive as a gold brick. (The first commercial cellphone was worth P150,000 each.)

The easy stuff you enjoy today—the phone, the car, the computer—exists today because someone did the hard stuff. 

Another example?

We call our prayer meeting a Feast.

Three years ago, there was one Feast.

Today, there are 29 Feasts in 21 locations in Metro Manila and suburbs. (Many more around the world.) We make it easy for people to find God. But that’s because our army of volunteers do the hard stuff—preparing, practicing, coming early, serving God’s people week after week after week…

Here’s my message: If you want to succeed, you’ve got to do the hard stuff.

I’m not discounting God’s power. In fact, I’m counting on it. Without God, we won’t succeed. But from experience, God’s power works through our commitment.

Daniel Did The Hard StuffIn the Bible, Daniel was committed to his work. He did the hard stuff.

Because of this, the King wanted to promote him as governor of the entire kingdom.  (When you do the hard stuff, get ready for promotion. And if your boss won’t promote you, don’t worry. God will promote you, if not in your company, then in another company.)

But Daniel had enemies. Some of the King’s other advisors didn’t like him. They said, “What’s this foreigner doing here? Who does he think he is?” Their insecurity fueled their envy. And envy blinded them. They hated him so much, they wanted to kill him.

I want to warn you. When you do the hard stuff, get ready for promotion. But get ready for persecution as well.

Because when you do the hard stuff, you stand out.  You make waves. And you attract enemies. Why? Because you live in a world where everyone likes to do the easy stuff. When you do the hard stuff, you make everyone else look bad.

So Daniel’s enemies manipulated the King. They flattered him. They told him, “You’re so handsome, King. Your shirt fits you.  We like your hair. You smell nice. You know what?  You’re not a man, you’re a god. Oh King, decree a new law and prohibit anyone from praying to any god except you! And anyone caught should be executed.” It was a trick to kill Daniel. They knew that Daniel wouldn’t stop praying to his God.       And that was exactly what happened.       Daniel was committed to God. In fact, the reason why he was committed to his work was because he was committed to God.

God Honors Our CommitmentPraying was easy for Daniel.

But when that crazy law was made, praying became hard.

But Daniel kept doing the hard stuff.

That was commitment.

       And Daniel was thrown into a lion’s den.

       In a miniscule way, I can relate. When I went to Bangkok, I walked into a cage with a real live, gigantic Siberian Tiger. (Oh, the crazy things we do to get a photo to post on facebook!) Yes, there was a chain around his neck, held firmly by his trainer, and the big cat probably took a couple of sleeping pills. But it was still scary.

       But Daniel was thrown to a pit with hungry lions.  (Plural.) Perhaps there were 10 ferocious beasts that hadn’t eaten for a week.

       But God rescued Daniel. He turned those lions into kittens. He shut their mouths. All of a sudden, they weren’t hungry. I don’t know what Daniel did. Daniel was vegetarian so he probably lectured them on vegetarianism. (That never worked because after a few hours, the lions ate his enemies.) And Daniel was saved.

       The point? I believe that God honors those who are committed to Him.

       Today, you may feel as though you’re in a pit with huge, hungry lions around you. You’re surrounded by big problems that are ready to eat you alive. You feel you have no hope.

But friend, God honors your commitment to Him. God will shut the mouths of lions. God will rescue you. God will see you through. God will deliver you. You’ll overcome. You’ll win. Remain committed to Him. And you’ll witness how God will honor your commitment.

God Cannot Fully Use You Without Commitment

Let me give you an analogy. 

You’re the boat. God’s power is the wind that will push the boat. And your commitment is the sail of the boat. It’s your commitment that catches the power of God. 

The power of God is always available to you.

But are you using that power?

Mind you, without the sails, the wind can still push the boat. But it’ll be very slow. It’s your commitment that uses the power of God to do great things.

God cannot fully use a person who isn’t committed.

Do you want to do great things?

Be committed to your dreams.

Every success in the world happens because of commitment.

Henry Ford is known as one of the richest men in history. But five times in his life, the man failed in business and became totally bankrupt. But Henry Ford didn’t stop. He kept doing the hard stuff. Finally, he built the Ford Motor company—now the second biggest carmaker in America. What made Henry Ford succeed? Commitment.

Rowland Macy failed in 7 businesses. Can you imagine how depressing that was? But he had commitment. He didn’t stop. Finally, he built a store named Macy’s in New York. The rest is history. Macy’s is now the largest department store in the world. It has 800 giant stores in America. What made Rowland Macy build his store after failing 7 times? Commitment.

Col. Sanders was rejected 1009 times by restaurants who didn’t like his fried chicken recipe. He later built KFC, which has 20,000 restaurants all over the world. What made Col. Sanders go knocking on the doors of 1009 restaurants, selling his fried chicken recipe? Commitment.

Stephen King submitted his book manuscripts to 30 publishers. All rejected his book. He was so discouraged, he threw away the manuscript in the trashcan. But his wife picked it up and mailed it to another publisher. They accepted it. Today, Stephen King has written 49 books and has sold 350 million copies. What made Stephen King submit his manuscript to 30 publishers? And what made his wife pick up the manuscript from the trash to submit it to one more publisher? Commitment.

Friend, it’s always commitment that will make you succeed.

Here’s another definition: Commitment is stickability amidst difficulty.

What dreams in your life have not yet come true?

Do you want to be wealthy? You need to be committed. You can’t be wishy-washy. You need to be committed to increasing your financial IQ; You need to be

committed to living simply, discerning your wants vs. your needs; You need to be committed to investing a part of your income every month for the next 20 years.

Do you want to be healthy? You need to be committed to eating fruits and veggies. You need to be committed to exercise. You need to be committed to avoiding useless stress.

Do you want a fantastic family? You need to be committed to spending time together. You need to be committed to communicating from the heart, expressing love in practical ways, and forgiving each other.

Do you want to be successful in your spiritual life? Same thing. You need to be committed too.

Relationships Die Without Commitment

       The world avoids the hard stuff.

       We worship the god of convenience.

Proof? In America today, the average marriage lasts for 8 years. Sadly, where America goes, the whole world goes.

For many, marriage vows are no longer “till death do us part” but “till boredom do us part.” If you bore me, I’m out. If you stifle my personality, I’m out. If you hinder my plans, I’m out.  If you pull me down, I’m out.  If you make me do the hard stuff, I’m out.

       But no relationship will flourish without commitment. 

Let me talk to singles. If your boyfriend says, “I’ll love you as long as I feel like loving you,” will you marry him?

I hope not. Run away from someone who can’t commit. Because the basis of a successful relationship isn’t compatibility but commitment.

       And as a Christian, you need to be committed to two very important relationships…

First: Be Committed To God

 

For many people, God is like the fire extinguisher at the corner of their house. He’s only there for emergencies.

When there’s a fire—or intense problems in their life—God becomes the go-to guy. He suddenly becomes the most important person in their world.

But when there’s no fire, God is forgotten. He collects dust. He’s taken for granted.

Today, I invite you to commit to God. 

God isn’t a fire extinguisher. God is water. He just doesn’t put off fires. You need water everyday to drink, to bathe, to wash, to nourish the plants…

Be committed to God.

       Here are a couple suggestions:

1.Connect With God Daily

I have a great marriage. (I didn’t say perfect. No such animal this side of the universe.)

And when people ask me, “Can you give me one tip to make my marriage better?” I tell them, “Have a romantic date with your spouse at least once a week.”

I swear by this practice. My wife and I have been married for 13 years, and we’ve never missed a date. 

That date is written on stone: Tuesday night is hers. It’s sacrosanct. I won’t cancel it except for a few exceptions. First, if the Pope will call me on a Tuesday night to consult me on some Theological issue he doesn’t understand. Or if President Obama will ask for a conference call on a Tuesday night, to ask for my advice on how to solve the economic recession in America. Otherwise, I won’t cancel.

Because relationships thrive on commitment.

Commitment is the oxygen of relationships.

Without commitment, the relationship dies.

In the same way, your relationship with God needs commitment. Commit to spend time connecting with God daily.

Even if there are days when it’s hard.

It’s really up to you how you’ll connect with Him.

If someone tells you that there’s only one acceptable way of connecting to God, don’t believe him. 

I’m convinced God has given you a unique prayer language based on your God-given design. It includes your personality, your preferences, your passions…

Examples?

Because I’m a writer, I love writing my journal everyday and writing my thoughts to God. That’s how I pray. 

My other favorite way of praying is walking around my village and chatting with God, going over my day with Him.

One of my friends loves music.  He prays by listening to his iPod and singing worship songs. He swears by this way of praying. He simply loves it.

My other friend is a quiet person. She loves sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour. In that beautiful silence, her soul is transported. She tells me that she meets God this way, and I don’t doubt her.

For 60+ years, my parents connected with God by going to Mass every morning.

I don’t know what your prayer language is. Commit yourself to connect with God daily using your prayer language.

I also encourage you that you read God’s Word daily. Nourish your soul. My recommendation is to use a Bible guide, such as Didache, Companion, and Sabbath.  I hear that the guy who publishes these devotionals is brilliant, handsome, but prone to delusions.  (These are available in all major bookstores around the country. You may also order online at www.shepherdsvoice.com.ph)

2.Connect With God’s Family

Connecting alone to God is wonderful.

But it’s not enough.

Because He created you a social being. 

Face it. I need you and you need me.

That’s why God invented spiritual communities. Church is His idea, not ours.

For over 30 years now, I’ve been part of a Catholic spiritual family called Light of Jesus. It’s been my lifesaver. I meet with my friends each week for Worship and Word.

Last week, I felt very encouraged. After the Feast, a woman came up to me and said, “Bo, I can’t thank you enough. Ever since I’ve attended the Feast, you can’t imagine the blessings I’ve received. My family is stronger. My husband loves God. My kids are serving in ministry. I’ve been promoted twice in my job. You’ve changed our entire lives!”

I smiled, “I’m happy for you. But sorry, I didn’t do that. You and God did all that. You were committed to come to the Feast. And God honored that commitment.”

She nodded her head. “Bo, do you know that even if there’s a storm, I’m here. But it’s funny how my friend doesn’t attend just because it’s drizzling…”

I laughed. “I know of someone who doesn’t come to the Feast because the air is moist…”

Here’s the reality: If you don’t want to come, you’ll find a reason not to come. But if you want to come—and receive God’s Blessing—you’ll find a reason to come.

Be committed. Do the hard stuff.

Second: Be Committed To God’s People

God didn’t create you for you.

God created you for others.

You’re not here in this planet for yourself.

You’re here to be a rich blessing to others.

The Bible says He’s prepared good works for us to do already. God wants you to bless specific people He has brought to your path. These people are your “God-assignments”.

Obviously, He has assigned you to bless your family.

But you have other “God-assignments” that aren’t part of your family.   Officemates.   Business associates. Gym-mates. Former classmates. Facebook friends.

Here’s my recommendation: In a small card, write down the names of 7 people whom you believe you can bless and bring closer to God.

Here are the 7 things you can do for these 7 people:

1. Pray for them daily

Put the card in your wallet or handbag. Pull it out and pray for them everyday. This, by itself, is a huge blessing to them.

2. Serve their needs in practical ways

Call them up. Visit them. Meet a need. Give a useful gift. Serve them in a small way.

3. Listen and respond with empathy

Sometimes, the best gift we give to people is our presence and our acceptance. Don’t speak first. Don’t give advice first. Listen to them first, understand them first, and show empathy.

4. Share your experience of God’s Love

You have a personal story to tell. Perhaps it was when God became real to you. Or when God answered your prayer. Inspire them.

5. Pray with them

Invite the person to pray with you. Don’t use big words to impress, such as, “Thou art Almighty, transcendent beyond illumination…” Talk to God instead using the simplest words.   Pray for the person’s need.

6. Invite them to your spiritual gatherings

Don’t rush this. But at the right moment, when you feel the person is open to it, invite him to your spiritual events. Because you want to give the person a spiritual family that will help him grow in his faith.

7. Ask them to be a blessing to others too

Invite him to pay it forward. Invite him to share God’s Love to others too. In the same way that you blessed him, tell him to bless others as well.

God Honors Your Commitment

       Friend, God is committed to you.       His commitment to you is like a rock.       Yes, He’ll do the hard stuff for you.

You may fail in your commitment to Him, but He’ll never fail in His commitment to you.

God isn’t a fair-weathered friend. He’s here for the long haul. He’s here for keeps. He’ll never give up on you. No matter what.

But here’s the truth: When we’re not committed, it’ll be very difficult for us to receive all His blessings. We’ll receive some blessings. But not all. Because many of His blessings only come to those who are committed.

My Story In The Lion’s DenMany years ago, I felt like I was thrown in a den of lions.For 20+ years, I was a broken man. I was locked up in a shame-based

personality. Each morning, I woke up ashamed of myself. It was so bad, I was ashamed

that I even existed in the world. I didn’t like myself. I was ruled by my fears. I was afraid of what people will say about me. I would bend over backwards just to make people like me. If I learned someone didn’t like me, I’d panic.

I was a big mess.My lions weren’t physical lions. My lions were in my mind. They were

eating me up. I was dying inside.But God rescued me from the lion’s den. God shut the mouths of the lions in

my mind. And God told me, “Son, there’s nothing to be ashamed of anymore. And what if people will not like you? It doesn’t matter. I like you. More than you can imagine…”

Here’s the miracle.If you told me ten years ago, “Bo, one day, you’ll be preaching to 5000

people in PICC every week,” I’d tell you, “Haha. Nice joke. Nah, that’s too big a dream for me…”

But that’s what God did. He took someone who was very broken—and used him to bless the world.

Friend, maybe life has not worked out for you. Maybe you’ve recently gone through crushing disappointments. Maybe your marriage failed. Or maybe the person you thought you’d marry didn’t work out. Or maybe you didn’t get the job you’ve been praying for. Or maybe you feel stuck in your finances.

Here’s God’s word for you: Don’t give up. Don’t think small. Say it out loud, “God will rescue me.” 

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Loving Someone by Mitsui

Sometimes, in our relentless efforts to find the person we love we fail to recognize and appreciate the people who love us. We miss out on so many Beautiful things and simply because we allow ourselves to be enslaved by our own selfish concerns. Go for the man of deeds and not for the man of words for you will find rewarding happiness not with the man you love but the man who loves you more.

The best lovers are those who are capable of loving from a distance, far enough to allow the other person to grow, but never too far to feel the love deep within your being. to let go of someone doesn't mean you have to stop loving, it only means that you allow that person to find his own HAPPINESS without expecting him/her to come back. Letting go is not just setting the other person free, but it is also setting yourself free from all fears, bitterness, hatred, and anger that you keep in your heart.

Do not let the bitterness pare away your strength and weaken your faith, and never allow pain to dishearten you, but rather let you grow with wisdom in bearing it. You may have found peace in just loving someone from a distance not expecting anything in return. But be careful, for this can sustain life but can never give enough room for us to grow. We can all survive with just beautiful memories of the past but real peace and happiness come only with open acceptance of what reality is today.

There comes a time in our lives when we chance upon someone so nice and we just find ourselves getting so intensely attracted to that person. This feeling soon become a part of our everyday lives and eventually consumes our thoughts and actions. The sad part of it is when we begin to realize that this person feels nothing more for us than just friendship, or the feelings he might have for u is just too far from how you love him. We start our desperate attempt to get noticed and be closer but in the end our efforts are still unrewarded and we end up being sorry for ourselves.

You don't have to be bitter on love. What you need to learn is how to accept the verdict of reality without being bitter or sorry for yourself. Believe me, you would be better off giving that dedication and love to someone more deserving. Don't let your heart run your life, be sensible and let your mind speak for itself. Listen not only to your feelings but to reason as well.

Always remember that if you lose someone today, it means that someone better is coming tomorrow: If you lose love that doesn't mean that you failed in love. Cry, if you have to, but make it sure that the tears wash away the hurt and the bitterness that the past has left with you. Let go of yesterday and love will find its way back to you. And when it does, pray that it may be the love that will stay and last a lifetime.

"When you lose someone... and you think you were the one who loved most, between the two of you... he/she lost more. For someday you can love someone the way that you loved her/him...But he will never be loved again the way that you did"

God Waits For You

May I share with you a love story?

A true love story.

This happened recently. 

In March 16, 1521, when Magellan came to the Philippines… 

Just kidding. 

Let me skip a few centuries and fast forward to 1910… (“Recent” is relative.)

This is the love story of Tomas and Magdalena.

Tomas fell in love with a beautiful young lady named Magdalena. (If this happened today, they’d be called Tom and Maggie.)

Magdalena’s father was a full-blooded Spaniard.

Being half-Spanish, she was a mestiza. And her family spoke only Spanish.

Tomas was the total opposite. He was a brown-skinned fellow who couldn’t speak a single word of Spanish.

Perhaps that’s an exaggeration. He spoke the few words that we know.  Like Pastillas de Leche.  Agua Oxenada. And of course, Poso Negro. 

But he was in love. And he decided to pursue her no matter what. Even if he didn’t know how to speak in Spanish, he decided that he’d just say the three words he knew.

When he knocked on the door of her house, it was Magdalena’s father who opened the door. He almost died.

 The old man said, “Buenos dias, Tomas.” 

Tomas swallowed hard and said with a trembling voice, “Si.” (Okay, he knew four words.)

The father pointed to the couch and said, “Sienta.”

Tomas said again, “Si.”

Magdalena’s father then asked the young man, “Que quieres comer?” (Meaning: What do you want to eat?).

Tomas didn’t understand a thing he was saying.  So he just smiled and muttered, “Pastillas de Leche”.

The older man wondered why Tomas was so specific about what he wanted to eat. He then asked him, “Que quieres beber?” (Meaning: What do you want to drink?).

Tomas was again totally lost. He blurted out the second word he knew. “Agua Oxenada”.

Magdalena’s father scratched his head, wondering what kind of bafoon he was talking to. He asked, “Donde vives?” (Meaning: Where do you live?)

Of course, he had to say the last word he had in his vocabulary. “Poso Negro.”

I’m exaggerating.

What really happened was Magdalena’s parents told her, “Tomas isn’t one of us. From now on, Tomas cannot enter into this house ever again.” During that time, a parents’ word was the final word.

Poor Tomas. Broken-hearted, he went to Hongkong to work in a PNB branch there. He wanted to forget the pain of losing Magdalena forever.

A Marriage To Another Man

A new suitor comes into the picture: Pablo.

Pablo was a Doctor. More importantly, he was mestizo and spoke Spanish. And he was accepted by Magdalena’s parents right away.

And in a few months, Magdalena married Pablo.

But soon, Magdalena woke up to a very harsh reality. She discovered that her husband Pablo was a hopeless womanizer. He would have many, many affairs. His infidelities would wound her heart again and again.

And after 13 years of a very painful marriage, tragedy struck.

One day, Pablo was in his clinic. And a man barged into the door.  In his hand was a long knife. And he screamed, “I will kill you!”

Pablo recognized the man. He was the husband of one of his patients—a woman he was courting.

Pablo ran to the streets. But he wasn’t fast enough. In a busy intersection in Manila, Pablo was stabbed to death.

This crime appeared in the newspapers at that time…

Love Is Sweeter The Second Time Around

A few days later, Tomas was in Hongkong reading the newspapers. He read about the stabbing and said, “Poor guy.” He looked at the name of the man who was killed—and it sounded familiar.

Suddenly, he realized who the man was.

And he packed his bags!

Even after 13 long years, he was never able to forgot Magdalena. He took the next ship back to Manila.

Straight from the port, Tomas went straight to the house of Magdalena.

On that fateful morning, Magdalena couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened the door. It was like a scene from the movie of Bea and John Lloyd.

Imagine it. Framed in the doorway was a familiar figure. It looked like… Tomas! At that moment, time stopped.  Everything became a blur.  Was it really him? The sunlight was behind him. Magdalena looked closer.  For a long time, no one spoke.

Finally, Magdalena said, “Tomas?”

Tomas smiled and said, “Magdalena…”

There in front of her, on her doorsteps, was a man she once loved many, many years ago. 

But for Tomas, it was very different. 

He had never stopped loving her.

So he courted her again and serenaded her again.

And he won her heart. 

One year after, they got married.

They only had one child.

And they named her Pilar.

Pilar grew up, got married and had 6 children.

And named the 6th child, “Bo”.

Grandpa Tomas Is A Little Bit Insane

       If you’re single, I’m not talking to you.

       I don’t want you to be like my grandpa Tomas.

       If your beloved chose someone else, move on. 

       You see, my Lolo was a little bit insane. Who would wait for 13 years when the person you love chose someone else, married someone else, and had a life of her own? (Magdalena had one child with Pablo.)

       But I’m not speaking to singles. I’m speaking to everyone.

       Because my grandpa Tomas reminds me of God.

       God is also a little bit insane.

       How many times have you rejected God? (I know I’ve rejected his call many times.) How many times did you choose someone or something else? Sin? Materialism? Pride? Addiction?

       Yet God doesn’t walk out on you. 

       He doesn’t abandon you.

       He never says, “If you don’t like me, I don’t like you too.”

       Instead, God waits. 

And He won’t stop waiting.

       He waits until you allow Him to love you.

       He waits until we allow Him to become a Hero for us.

God Is Your Hero

       Remember our definition of “hero”?

       Someone who loves somebody more than himself.

       Friend, that’s a perfect description of who God is.

       God loves you more than He loves Himself. That’s why He ended up on a cross—for you.

       God is your hero.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Do You Have Happytudes?

       Today, I’d like to talk about how happiness is an attitude.

       Here’s the truth: Happiness doesn’t depend on your external situation, but on your internal disposition. 

Your happiness doesn’t depend on whether you get a pay increase or not. It doesn’t depend on whether you’ll be able to lose 10 pounds or not.  It doesn’t depend on whether you have an iPhone or not.  It doesn’t depend on whether the stock market is up or not. It doesn’t depend on whether you have a boyfriend or not.

As shocking as this may sound, your happiness doesn’t depend on any external thing. Your happiness depends on only one thing: Do you have a happy attitude? Do you have happitude?       For the next 4-weeks, I’d like to share with you how to be happy. In this series, my prayer is that you’ll develop stronger happitudes. My prayer is that you’ll be a happier person, no matter what is happening around you.

What Are Your Rules To Happiness?Where does happitude come from?Your attitude, whether happy or unhappy, is based on your personal rules to

happiness.Anthony Robbins says each person has his own rules to happiness. We set

them up. We choose them. We design them. We craft them. And we write them in our hearts.

Let me introduce you to two friends. Let’s call them Ernie and Bert. (Any resemblance to two characters who live in a street named after a seed beginning with the letter “S” is purely coincidental.)

Ernie and Bert are very different from each other.Bert is rarely happy. He’s always complaining about something.  He

complains about the food he eats, about the bed he sleeps in, about his neighbor who happens to be a vampire who likes to count… (Any similarity to actual characters is purely coincidental.)

Ernie is totally different. Ernie is almost always happy. Everywhere he goes, he has this big smile on his face, he’s humming a tune. He loves life. He loves people.

Why are these two men different?Think about it. They live in the same apartment. They eat the same

food. They have the same neighborhood. They have the same friends—a giant bird,

a green frog, and a female pig. (I repeat: Any similarity to actual characters is purely coincidental.)

They have the same external situation.But Ernie and Bert have very different internal dispositions.Ernie has lots of happitude. Bert lacks it.Why? Because of their personal rules to happiness.Perhaps these are Bert’s rules to happiness:·        I’ll be happy only if the temperature is exactly 78.26 degrees Fahrenheit.·        I’ll be happy only if my fried egg for breakfast is half-cooked in the

middle but is brown and crisp on the outside. ·        I’ll be happy only if I marry a woman whose vital statistics is 36-24-36,

has won an international beauty contest, is a gourmet cook, is a multimillionaire, speaks French, has the singing voice of Celine Dion, and is insane enough to fall in love with me.

Bert’s rules make it very difficult for him to be happy. Why? Because he set up very complicated rules to happiness.

Perhaps these are Ernie’s rules of happiness.·        I’ll be happy if I laugh with my friends over pizza.·        I’ll be happy if I pray.·        I’ll be happy if I’m able to take a walk on the street and chat with a furry

monster addicted to cookies.·        I’ll be happy if I watch a movie.·        I’ll be happy if I can get a good night’s sleep.A little side note: I always call the Feast, our weekly spiritual gathering,

“The happiest place on earth”. Why? One major reason: Because the people who go there are happy people. Even before they step into the Feast, they’re already happy. They brought the happiness with them.

The preaching, the music, the worship—these are all a bonus. Just by the mere fact that they’re there already makes them very happy. That’s what you call a happitude!

Nothing has to happen for them to be happy. They’ve chosen to be happy, period.

Don’t get me wrong. I always teach you to have big dreams. But even before you reach your dreams, you’re already happy. 

In fact, I’ve realized that if you won’t be happy before you reach your dreams, you’ll never be happy after you reach them.

Let me ask you a question.What are your rules to happiness?

Create simple rules for you to be happy! Set them up in such a way that it’s easy for you to be happy and difficult for you to be unhappy. Don’t complicate your rules to happiness.

Friend, the choice is yours. Allow yourself to be happier more frequently.In the next 4 weeks, we’ll go through 4 powerful Happytudes based on the

Beatitudes of Jesus: Be open, be hopeful, be pure, and be peaceful. Apply these attitudes into your life and your life will never be the same again.

Here’s the first Happitude.Happitude 1: Poor In Spirit

Jesus said, Happy are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:3)What does “poor in spirit” mean?I know many are confused by that phrase. Here’s a common misconception: Being poor in spirit means someone who is far away from God.  That’s not true. (How can that person be happy?)Here’s the best definition for “poor in spirit” I know: Someone who is desperate for God. Someone who knows that he needs God and sees Him as the source of all His blessings.       For years now, I love sharing this story.One day, a younger monk searched for an elderly monk up in the mountains. For months, he searched for him. Finally, hidden in the forest, he found his small hut.He knocked on the door.When the older monk opened it, the younger monk knelt down and asked, “Master, what is your secret of holiness?”       “I cannot tell you. But I can show you, declared the older man. “Follow me.”       Both men walked in silence until they saw a huge river.

The older monk held the young man’s arm and walked into the river.When the water was waist deep, suddenly, without any warning, the elderly

man grabbed his disciple’s head, and dunked him into the river. In the water, the young monk panicked, his arms flailing wildly. He couldn’t breathe! But the older man kept holding him down.       Finally, when the young fellow was turning blue and was about to say hello to St. Peter, the older man pulled him up—and the young fellow frantically sucked air.       Even before the look of terror could leave the young monk’s face, the wise monk looked him in the eye and said, “If you can be desperate for God the way you are desperate for air right now, you’ll be holy.”       Lesson is over.   Class dismissed.      

3 Postures of the Heart       Do you want to be happy?

Let me say it again. Happiness doesn’t depend on your external situation, but on your internal disposition. 

In other words, happiness depends on the posture of your heart. There are 3 common Postures of the Heart: Proud, Pitiful, and Prepared.

Imagine a crazy scenario.Imagine a plane loaded with crates of newly minted money.All of a sudden, two of its engines burst into flames. The pilot realized that

the only way to save the plane was to unload its precious cargo.So at mid-air, they throw away the crates of money.So on a particular area; it began to rain thick wads of cash.There happened to be three people standing under that very unique rain: Mr.

Proud, Mr. Pitiful, and Mr. Prepared.1. Mr. Proud

       Mr. Proud was a boastful man. He acted as though he had everything. (He didn’t know that he was the most insecure fellow in town.)

Mr. Proud had a favorite posture. He always stood with arms crossed in front of his chest.  Always tight. Always stiff. Always closed.

So when it began raining P1000 paper bills all around him, he just looked. “I’m not poor. And I’m definitely not a beggar. Why will I get that money? Maybe it’s dirty. Maybe it’s counterfeit.” So he kept his arms folded across his chest looking smug and didn’t catch a single paper bill.        There are people like that. 

I say this often, but let me say it again: There’s no shortage of God’s blessings. There is only a shortage of readiness to receive God’s blessings.       Recently, I was talking to a friend who was asking for prayers for his son. “He’s been jobless for a year,” he said.

“No job offers?” I asked him. “The problem isn’t the job market. There are many jobs out there. The

problem is my son.  He’s too proud.  He wants to start as a manager!”“Oh no.”“And he doesn’t want to work too far from the house.  Because he doesn’t

want to be seen riding the bus. He said if I want him to work far away, I should give him a car.”

I shook my head. “In other words, your son isn’t desperate. And only desperate people become great successes. Hmm, I wonder. Are you still feeding him, housing him, and giving him a nice monthly allowance?”       With a loud sigh, my friend said, “Yeah.”

       “He’s too comfortable. The only way for your son to go out there and eat humble pie is if he becomes desperate.” I explained, “Desperate people do desperate things. Desperate people work as a janitor if necessary. Desperate people work two hours away. And desperate people ride the bus!”

The Bible says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) I don’t believe God actively opposes the proud. Pride has its natural consequences, and I believe He passively allows the natural consequences of pride to catch up with the proud person. In reality, it’s the proud person who opposes the blessings that are meant for his life.

2. Mr. PitifulThe second person under that very unique rain was Mr. Pitiful.

       Mr. Pitiful always felt sorry for himself. His mind was obsessed with the problems in his life. What was his posture? His eyes were cast downward. His hands were limp on the side.       Because of his posture, Mr. Pitiful doesn’t catch any money falling from the sky. In fact, he was so absorbed thinking of his own miseries, he didn’t even see money falling from the sky.

Recently, I met another jobless person. He told me, “God doesn’t love me. Nothing is happening in my life.”

He said so many things were going against him. He said that he didn’t finish college.   And he was already 46 years old. And he was also sickly.

I asked, “Have you ever tried applying for a sales job?”He said, “I don’t know how to sell. I don’t think I can sell.”“Have you tried applying in a Call Center? I heard some companies accept

people your age.”He shook his head. “I’ll feel out of place. Everyone there is very young.”“How about starting a small business?” “I’ll probably fail.”“Oh, you will fail. No question about it. That’s entrepreneurship. But you

just have to start again.”“I can’t take failure. I give up too quickly.”

       It was impossible to talk to him. He didn’t like solutions. He just wanted someone to pity him. 

Friend, get rid of self-pity from your life. See the blessings that you already have and the blessings that are coming your way. Take on a grateful heart. And you’ll receive even more blessings!

And now the third posture…3. Mr. Prepared

       Mr. Prepared was a man who liked looking up.

When he saw the money falling from the sky, he opened his arms really wide, catching a lot of money.       Do you believe that God’s blessings are falling on you every day? Do you wake up every morning believing there’s abundance everywhere?       If you’re desperate for God, you’re open to receive more!       One day, someone came up to me and said, “Bo, I believe God plays favorites.”

“Why do you say that?” I asked.He said, “Take yourself, for instance. You’re spiritual life is strong; your

ministry is growing; your family life is tight; your businesses are expanding. It only means one thing. God plays favorites and you’re one of them.”

I told him, “I don’t believe that God plays favorites. The Bible says that the sun shines on both the bad and the good and the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). God doesn’t play favorites. We play favorites.”

“I don’t get it.”I explained. “One of my earliest spiritual mentors was a nun by the name of

Sr. Angelina Lim. When I was 13 years old, she taught me that God’s love is like rain that falls from the sky. Some go out into the rain bringing a cup and get a cup full of rain. Some bring out a pitcher and get a pitcher full of rain. Some bring out a pail and get a pail full of rain. Some bring out a drum and get a drum full of rain. Some bring out a swimming pool and get a swimming pool of rain! The container represents the opening of your heart to God.”

“I get it,” my friend said. “But Bo, I still think you’re lucky.”“Yes I’m lucky. But I define luck in a different way. My friend Dean Pax

Lapid says, ‘Luck consists of Preparedness and Opportunity.’ I see the opportunity because I’m prepared.”       Most of my financial mentors started poor. They went through a lot of pain and humiliation. But they became wealthy because the pain and humiliation made them desperate. And desperate people do desperate things.       One of my mentors told me a story.

He said, “When I was a young man, I’d go door-to-door selling window blinds. In one of my sales calls, I visited a businessman, and gave him my proposal written in a letter. The businessman looked at my letter, smirked, and threw it on the floor.”        “That’s terrible,” I said.

“He didn’t have the decency to simply return the letter to him. The man threw it on the floor just to insult me. It was so painful. Do you know what I did?

“What?”

“I picked it up and said, ‘Thank you, Sir.’ I walked out and knocked on another door.   And another door. And another door. I ate humiliation for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

Today, 32 years later, my mentor’s company—which still sells window blinds—now sells over a billion pesos each year.       How come? Because once upon a time, my mentor was desperate.  He explained to me why.

“Bo, when I started, I had no choice. I was kicked out of college. My grades were very bad. So having a job and climbing the corporate ladder wasn’t an option for me. The only way open to me was to build my business.”       I love this passage: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Be humble before God.And you too will receive the blessings of God like a downpour.May your dreams come true,Bo Sanchez

There Are Treasures In Your Trials

Today, I’d like to talk about hope.Let me explain to you how important hope is.May I ask you to do an experiment?For ten minutes, don’t breathe.   After ten minutes, evaluate your

experience. Write it down. Like how you saw a light at the end of a tunnel. And saw Angels for the first time. And then ask Archangel Michael to deliver your written report to my house.

Just kidding.You need oxygen to survive.Well, I believe hope is like oxygen.You need hope to live everyday.May I share? 

I’m not just a preacher. I’m also an entrepreneur. And I teach people how to be entrepreneurs. Here’s what I noticed. I have yet to meet a successful entrepreneur whose is a pessimist. Honest! All the successful people I know are optimists. They have bushels of hope in their hearts.

Why? Because you won’t start a business, or sell a product, or give jobs to people, or do all that hard work, if you don’t have hope that you’ll succeed.

Especially when trials come…The Power Of Perspective

My main message to you today? To have hope, you must believe that there are treasures in your trials.

One day, my wife and I were talking about one of our friends.“How old is she?” I asked her.“She’s forty.”“Wow, she’s young,” I said.And suddenly, it hit me like someone splashed water on my face. My gosh. I

started laughing. Because not too long ago, I used to think that forty was

ancient. Prehistoric. Jurassic. Yet today, I was calling her young. Haha!Here’s a powerful truth: Meaning comes from Perspective.   And Perspective

comes from your Position. Because Perspective comes from where you stand.When I looked at 40 beforeI reached 40, I thought 40 meant “Boring”,

“Staid”, “Old hat”. In my mind you were a decaying fossil. A museum artifact. But now that I’m in my forties, I think 40 is hip, stylish, cool, and gorgeous!In the same way, if you look at your trial unfolding in front of you, it feels

like it’s the end of the world. You feel like you’re drowning. You feel like dying.  But if you look at your trial after it’s all over, that’s when you see God’s

purpose behind that trial. And you’ll say, “Thank God I went through that problem.”

This is my definition of hope: Physically, you’re in front of your trial, but spiritually, you’re looking back at it—after it’s over. When all is well. When you have overcome.

In other words, Hope is taking on God’s perspective. You look at your trial the way God looks at your trial.

That’s hope.When Trials Become Treasures

One day, a friend called me up. Marlon’s voice was heavy with anguish. “My daughter talked to me and my

wife this morning…” 

He explained that 16-year old child, not even in college yet, said the most dreaded words any parent of a teenager would want to hear. She said, “I’m pregnant.”

“Bo, she’s just a baby!” the father cried. “How can my baby be having a baby? She still has Barbie dolls in her room. Brother Bo, it’s the end of the world for me.”

I told Marlon, “No, it’s not the end of your world.” “Bo, tell me what to do…”“Go back to your daughter. No scolding. No shouting. Just love her. Forgive

her. Put your arms around her. Cry with her. And tell her you’ll accept her baby. Mark my words. This isn’t the end of the world. You’ll overcome this.”

Eight years have passed since that trial happened in Marlon’s family. And true enough, the trial transformed them in an amazing way. Today, they’re 10 times closer with each other. They love each other profoundly.

Their daughter has matured too. She’s doing well in her career; She has a new boyfriend who loves her and her child. 

And the baby?  The very cause of all their hurt and anger and fears? The child is now the star of the family. The biggest source of joy for the grandparents!

If you’re grieving now, I want you to have hope. Your storm will pass. Your pain will disappear. And your trial will turn into triumph.

In each Trial, you’ll find these 3 treasures…3 Treasures In Your Trial

       Each trial in your life is like an ugly, crummy, smelly, dilapidated box. On the outside, it looks atrocious. When you’re in front of the trial, that’s all you see. It’s hideous!       But if you look at it after it’s over, you realize it contains 3 beautiful treasures!       Here they are…

1.ComfortThis is the first treasure.When you go through your trial, God will comfort you.That’s His promise. And He never breaks a promise.Everytime I go through a trial, I wait for God’s comfort. Because that’s what

He promised. And without fail, His comfort comes.A few years ago, I was in the middle of a huge storm. I was in a lot of

emotional pain. My closest friends, upon knowing what I was going through, surrounded me with love. My friends were God’s comfort to me.

That day, I thanked God that because of my problem, I learned I had the greatest friends in the world. I’m a truly rich man because of my friends!

The second treasure…

2. Character   Last week, I met a man with cancer.   But he was very different from many sick people I know.   He told me, “I live each day with passion!”    He said, “I wake up looking at each morning as God’s precious gift to me. I now sing more often, embrace more often, laugh more often, play more often, and pray more often. I never did this before I had cancer—because I was too busy making a living, I forgot about making a life. Yes, I lost my health. But I now treasure life itself.”   Wow!   Because of him, I now believe that trials have a way of making us grow in the most important part of who we are—our character.   And the third treasure…

3. CompassionThis is important: A trial may give birth to a ministry.

        The Bible says, Blessed be…the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort that we ourselves are comforted by God.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

One day, I met a young, beautiful woman after one prayer meeting. She had this beautiful smile on her face, and it was like peace was oozing out of her. 

“Can I tell you my story?” she said.“Sure,” I said. We sat down and she started talking.

       “I was raped by my parish priest,” she told me. She recounted her story, how it happened, and how she hated God,

abandoned the Church, and stopped praying. Her heart was filled with rage. But she also told me how God reached out to her, how He touched her, and

how He healed herHonestly, I thought these things happened only in Noli Me Tangere with the

likes of Padre Damaso.       “What are you doing now?” I asked.

“I’m a prayer group leader,” she said. “I minister to many other broken women. I know what they’re going through. I can help them in a way that only a broken woman can…”       The third treasure in your trial is a deeper compassion for people who are going through the same pain you went through.

And They Lived Happily Ever After       When it comes to movies, I’m a sucker for happy endings.

       Well, if you include Heaven in the equation, your life is an epic movie that will have a happy ending.  And they lived happily ever after isn’t just for fairy tales.       It’s your story.       So if you’re going through a great trial now, remember: One day, every problem in your life will be solved.       Every sickness will be healed.       Every tear will be dried up.

Never give up.       Discover your treasure in your trials.       May your dreams come true,       Bo Sanchez

How Grateful, Positive, and Affirming Are You?

How Grateful, Positive, and Affirming Are You?

I need to be more grateful. And positive. And affirming.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Some people will actually say, `But Bo, you’re one of the most positive people I know.`

Yes, I know I’m positive. I sometimes drive my wife nuts because in the midst of a huge crisis, I’m Mr. Cool. As she cries and experiences a panic attack, I put my arm around her and say, “Everything will work out. You’ll see.” Which drives her up the wall even more.

But I’m not all that positive.

To be honest, there are days when I get so focused on my ministry—with all its problems, such as money shortage, relationship conflicts, money shortage, project delays, money shortage, staff problems, and… did I mention money shortage? Because of that, I fail to see how beautiful life is. Or how wonderful people are. And I end up meditating on my petty trials. (Imagine me in lotus position, thinking of nothing else except my problems, and instead of saying “Ommmm” I say “Owwww…” And instead of a tranquil face, imagine the face of someone eating raw garlic.)

That’s when my wife senses my despondency and gives me the hug.

A few nights ago, I met people who were so grateful, positive, and affirming—it was refreshingly inspiring. We were in the happy home of Derek and Amanda Ross, a lovely young American missionary couple. Derek left his profitable construction business in the US to serve here in the Philippines through True Love Waits International.

Munching on pasta with white sauce and gorgeous vegetables, we relaxed and chatted the night away. And for dessert, I ate the best homecooked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies I’ve ever tasted in the world (and I’ve been around the world), baked by their 10-year old daughter, Sunday. Chewy, soft, yummy.

Yes, they have five kids. Sunday (10), Honor (8), Kennon (6), Ada (4), and Eli, a 6-week old baby. For a moment there, I wondered if they were Filipino and Catholic.

But all of them had blond or brownish hair, so Filipino was out. Though Derek impressed with the heavyweight Tagalog words he knew like “karimaldimal” and “kagilalagilalas”. And he mentioned that he already passed the test of being Filipino by eating “balut” through the power of the Holy Spirit.

They’re actually Baptist, but they don’t talk about doctrines or denominations. They simply want to encourage young people to live pure lives—to give them the message that True Love Waits. (Their website has an incredibly cool name: www.wagmuna.com) He’s worked in Catholic and Non-Catholic schools, teaching young people to remain pure. We already invited them to speak to our youth group, and our kids loved it.

As I said, Derek and Amanda blessed me by their character: They were incredibly grateful, affirming, and positive. They kept praising their co-workers (who were not even present) again and again and again. They spoke about how fantastic the people around them are—their helpers at home, the friends they meet, the young people they work with… With glowing terms, they spoke of the Filipino people and the Philippines. They talked about their life and raved about how God blessed them with overwhelming blessings.

I was waiting for the usual complaints about life.

About the heat of the Philippines.

The traffic of Manila.

The corrupt government.

The irresponsible young people.

But none came.

Instead, praise was on their lips. They spoke of how blessed they were. They shared their small and big blessings from God.

Oh sure, they have problems: They wiped out their entire savings to come to the Philippines. They had immigration hurdles for their staff. And they have the usual insane days of raising five kids…

But that wasn’t their focus. They focused on the blessings—which to them was out of this world. And that was the reason why they were grateful, positive, and affirming.

Gosh, it was so refreshing to speak to people like that.

For example, one of Derek’s questions to me was, “So Bo, what do you do for fun?” He was concerned that workers of God don’t have fun. He said, “It’s not all about studying your Bible all the time. God also wants us to have fun.”

“I have dates with my wife,” I answered. (Which is true. One of the happiest things I ever do is being with her.) His questions led me to be grateful for what I have.

The 5 kids were replicas of their parents. Fun. Happy. Wonderfully pleasant.

And this is what I found out: They don’t watch TV in their home. (They watch pre-selected videos.)

I’ve been to a few (very few!) homes where kids don’t watch TV. And I’ve observed that the kids in these homes are more pleasant than kids inundated with TV. I don’t see the typical angst, disrespect, or negativity in them.

Amanda said, “I’ve noticed that among kids who are homeschooled.”

Amanda homeschools all her kids. When we learned about this, my wife and I could only stare at her with our jaws hitting the floor. “Wow, and I have my hands full on homeschooling one boy,” my wife said.

Amanda said, “I’m reading a book now written by a mother of ten kids. And she homeschooled them all.”

I went home with my spirit refreshed. Grateful, positive, and affirming people energize you in that way.

Can I ask you a question?

What kind of effect do you have on the people you meet?

Do they leave your presence refreshed and energized? Inspired and lifted up?

Or do they leave your presence discouraged and despondent, wanting to meditate on their petty trials (in lotus position and saying “Owwww…”)

Lord, help me to be more grateful, positive, and affirming.Help me to bless the world.

When Bad Things Happen To Good People

How To Turn Your Good Friday To Your Easter SundayAre you a good person?If you are, do you wonder why bad things still happen to you?Harold Kushner wrote a book with this same title and it became an instant

bestseller. Because people want to know the answer.Sorry, I’m not going to give you an answer. (Nobody can.)Because the problem of suffering will always remain a mystery.Instead, I’m going to tell you what to do.I will tell you what to do in the midst of your suffering—so that you can

overcome your suffering. How you can turn your Good Friday into your Easter Sunday!

Are you ready?Let me share with you a powerful story…

Your Greatest Curse Can Turn To Be Your Greatest Blessing

Michelangelo had a persecutor who was very jealous of him.(I don’t mean the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but the real Michelangelo.)The persecutor’s name was Bramante, a famous architect during that time.By the way, do you know Bramante? I’m positive 99% of you never heard

of him. Do you notice how persecutors fade away in the dust, but the one they persecute become legends? An important lesson to remember!

When Pope Julius thought of making a tomb, he asked Michelangelo to do it.

But when Bramante heard of it—and thought of the acclaim that Michelangelo would receive from it—he discouraged the Pope from continuing with the project. True enough, after Michelangelo searched far and wide for the perfect marble for the project—which took 8 long months—he learned that the Pope had abandoned the project. Michelangelo was very disappointed.

One day, the Pope thought of another project. Upon hearing about it, Bramante concluded that it would be a time-

consuming project and would receive very little public acclaim. So he told the Pope to give it to Michelangelo. In his mind, it would keep the artist busy for years—and accomplish nothing of great value.

Besides, it was also a painting job, and Bramante knew that Michelangelo was not even a painter, but a sculptor.

Michelangelo saw the trap. He knew it was a ploy by his enemy to destroy him. At first, he declined. But the Pope insisted, and not wanting to deny his Holiness, he agreed.

The project was indeed time-consuming. It took Michelangelo 4 years to finish, and he almost lost his eyesight because of it…

I’m sure you know the project by now: The Sistine Chapel. The grandest masterpiece of Michelangelo. More than anything, it made him one of the greatest painters of all time.

What was meant to curse him turned out to be his greatest blessing.Good Friday was supposed to be the greatest curse.Yet it also turned out to be the greatest blessing.

No Matter What Trials Come, Keep Doing The Good You’re Supposed To Do

I reflect on this story and look at my own life.I’ve been serving God for that past 27 years, and I do get my share of little

“Bramante’s” scattered here and there.But without them, I would have missed my greatest blessings: spiritual

growth, opportunities to serve, and the impact I have on people’s lives.My biggest Bramante’s were the two men who molested me as a child.Because of these indescribable painful experiences, I’ve been able to heal so

many people who have the same inner wounds. (You can read more about this in two of my books, Your Past Does Not Define Your Future, and 7 Secrets To Real Freedom.)

I could also think of my other trials in life… Oh, why do bad things happen to good people?Here’s my great theological answer: I don’t know.But this I know. No matter what trials come, I’ll do the good that I’m

supposed to do.And at the end of the day, I will win.Friend, remain faithful to God in good times and in bad times.And you’ll see how all things work for good to those who love Him.And you’ll see how your Good Friday will turn to Easter Sunday.Don’t ever give up!May your dreams come true,Bo Sanchez

Change Your Words, Change Your Life

Someone asked me, “Bo, I want to change my life.  I pray. I read the Bible. I attend a prayer meeting. What else can I do?”

I told that person, “If you want to change your life, change your words.” I believe that if you change your vocabulary, you change your life story.

Here’s something very few people understand: Your words have physical power. They impact your life. They impact your body. They impact the people around you. They impact your world.

How To Raise A Genius Child       A few days ago, a friend came up to me and asked, “Bo, how did you raise up your son Bene to become a genius? Your next book should be, How To Raise A Genius Child.”        I believe my son is really a genius. 

He wrote a blog when he was 9, wrote a magazine column at 8, became a TV host at 7, and started a business at 5 years old. Today, he can read a thick, fat book in one day.       Let me tell you how to raise a genius.       First, the father has to be a genius. (Warning: Sometimes, he becomes insane too.)       Just kidding.       One reason why my son is a genius? Because I told him so. Because of the power of words.       Since he was a baby, I told him, “You’re a genius.”       When he was a tiny cute thing, and his mother held his little hand and sang, “Close, open, close, open,” and he actually followed her… I’d shouted to him, “You’re a genius!”       Now, I knew that 99.99% of all babies can do that, but I didn’t care. To me, my baby was a genius.       When Bene was a toddler, and he’d pick up a book and open a page, I’d shout to him, “You’re a genius!”   Even if the book was upside down and all he did was drool on the pages. That didn’t matter. To me, he was still my genius boy.       That’s the power of our words…      

Command The World       Let me read to you one of my most favorite stories in the Bible.

On the evening of that same day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake…” (Mark 4:35)Going to the other side of the lake wasn’t the idea of the disciples. 

It was Jesus’ idea. 

The disciples didn’t say, “Jesus, let’s go to the other side of the lake!” Jesus was the one who told them to do that.

I find this remarkable. You see, a lot of people think that because God is guiding them, He will make us avoid all storms.

That’s not true.

Here’s the truth: Sometimes, God will lead you into a storm.

Because storms are good. 

Storms shake you. And shaking is good. 

Shaking takes away your pride. (These were seasoned fishermen. They’ve been through rough weather. But on this day, these fishermen shouted, “Help! We’re about to die!”)

Shaking takes away your complacency.

Shaking forces you to grow.

So they left the crowd; the disciples got into the boat in which Jesus was already sitting, and they took him with them. Other boats were there too.

Suddenly a strong wind blew up, and the waves began to spill over into the boat, so that it was about to fill with water.

Jesus was in the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. (Mark 4:36-37)

The inner world will always control the outer world. In the inner world of Jesus, there was no storm.   There was quiet.

Don’t be afraid of storms around you. Be afraid of the storms inside you.   The stress. The tension. The worry.   I urge you to surrender all that to the Lord.

The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” Jesus stood up and commanded the wind, “Be quiet!” and he said to the waves, “Be still!” The wind died down, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:38-39)

I like to focus on the word, “commanded.”

Words have power. Words created this universe.

In Psalms 33:6, it says, The Lord created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word.

Everything started with the Word. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the word.” In the same way, your words have creative power. 

“Smelly Spaghetti And Muddy Water, Please!”Imagine a man going to a restaurant.He finds a table and sits down.When the waiter asks what he wants, he says, “I want you to give me a plate

of rotten, smelly, stinky spaghetti, with worms crawling on it; a bowl of rancid soup with a huge number of flies swimming in it, doing the backstroke (Note: Not freestyle, not breaststroke. Backstroke only!); And a glass of water from the toilet bowl, with UFO’s—unidentified floating objects—in it.”

The waiter is shocked. He asks, “Sir, are you sure?”       “That’s what I want!” the man shouts.       The waiter shakes his head and walks back to the kitchen.       After some time (it took a long time to gather what he requested), he brings to the man the food he ordered.       The man grimaces as he looks at the disgusting food on the table and says, “Yuuuuuk!”       The waiter scratches his head, and says, “But sir, that’s what you ordered.”

The Meaning Of This Crazy Story       Here’s the truth: Life is a giant restaurant. 

And you’re the customer.And the universe is the waiter. All of God’s creation is waiting for your order.

       What do you want?       Most of what you’re experiencing in your life is a result of what you have ordered.       And hear me out: You order through your words. (You also order through your thoughts and actions, but that’s another article!)

What do you say regularly?·        About your finances? ·        About your health? ·        About your family? ·        About your relationships?

Exactly like this man, a lot of people say terrible things about themselves, about their future, about their lives, they order these terrible things!

The Curse Of Negative TalkI know a lot of people who say again and again…·        “I’ll never be successful.”·        “I’ll always be poor.”·        “My Grandma died of cancer. My Mom died of cancer. I’ll probably die

of cancer too.”·        “My kids are no good. They’ll never amount to anything.”·        “Oh woe is me. My life is a telenovela. My life is one series of never-

ending trials.”When people say these things, they’re actually ordering from the universe

more of these terrible things.Haven’t you noticed?Complainers get more of what they complain about.When you complain about your problems, you’re asking for “larger

servings” of your problems. Because that’s the power of your words.

When I Met A SkepticOne day, I gave this exact talk and one man came up to me and said, “Bo,

with all due respect, I disagree with you. I don’t buy this voodoo stuff about words. Words are cheap. Words are nothing. My words don’t affect me at all!”

So I told him, “Then you’re a perfect volunteer for a big experiment I’m making.”

“What experiment?” he asked.“I’ll pay you P10,000, if for the next 10 days, you’ll say 10 times a day, with

emotion and conviction, ‘I have terminal cancer! I have terminal cancer!”Suddenly, his face turned very pale and said, “Uh, I’m busy.” Believe me, no one will take my offer.Because deep within, we know that our words are powerful.

You Can Direct Your SailsYour words have two kinds of power.First, your words have power over you.Second, your words have power over your world.The first power is easy to understand.Jim Rohn said, “You cannot change the direction of the wind, but you can

change the direction of your sails.”I learned something shocking about sailboats.Do you know that sailboats can sail against the wind?

If the wind is pushing the sailboat towards where it wants to go, that’s great. But what if the wind is going the opposite direction?

I learned that sailboats, by a maneuver called “tacking”, can adjust its sails and move in zigzag fashion, moving towards the wind.

 You’re the sailboat.  The circumstances happening around you are the wind. And your words are your sails.

You can’t control the wind.In the same way, you also can’t control your circumstances. You can’t

control the economy. You can’t control your boss. You can’t control your husband. You can’t control President Noynoy’s lovelife. You can’t control what Kris Aquino is thinking. And you can’t control your mother-in-law.

But this is what you can control: You can control your words. And just like adjusting the sails of a sailboat, by the power of your words,

you can still move against the wind.      

Problems Are Presents       Last week, I felt a heaviness in my heart because of some problems at work. They were the usual problems I have. Nothing extra big.  But though small, they came one after another, like recurring waves hitting me.

Whenever I get discouraged, I’ve learned a very simple technique which I’d like to teach to you today. Everytime I face a problem, instead of calling them problems, I call them presents.  

I don’t call them trials, I call them treasures. I don’t call them burdens, I call them blessings.So I said out loud, “Lord, thank you that my problems are growth

opportunities. I believe that all things will work for good to those who love You. I believe that what was intended for my harm, you will transform and turn it into my good.”        Immediately, I felt the heaviness lift from my soul.

Let The Weak Say I Am StrongThe Bible says, “Let the weak say I am strong.” (Joel 3:10)

       The Bible doesn’t say “Let the weak say why he’s weak, and how he’s weak, and where he’s weak, and talk about his weaknesses everyday…” The Bible says, “Let the weak say ‘I am strong’”!       I had a whole-day entrepreneurship workshop yesterday. It was fantastic. But I felt exhausted. When I picked up my wife last night, she said, “Bo, you look so tired.” I really was. 

When I woke up this morning at 4am, I still felt the exhaustion in my body. I could hardly wake up.

       But I’ve learned this a long time ago: Unsuccessful people use their words to describe their situation; Successful people use your words to direct their situation.       I could have said, “I’m tired; I’m drained; I’m exhausted…”       Instead, I said, “I’m strong. I’m healthy. I’m equipped. I’m anointed. I’m blessed beyond measure. The strength of the Lord is flowing into my body.”       In a few minutes, I felt so good!

Don’t talk about how you are; Talk about how you want to be. Don’t talk about where you are; talk about where you want to go!

Don’t just talk about your problems; Talk about your purpose. Because problems weigh you down. But purpose lifts you up. And I’ve learned that if you pursue your purpose, many of your problems get solved along the way.

So don’t dwell on your difficulties. Dwell on your dreams!If you don’t have money, don’t confess, “I’m poor. I have no money. Oh

woe is me…” If you don’t have money, say “I’m temporarily broke; If you’re poor, don’t say, “I’m poor”. If you’re poor, say, “I’m getting ready to be rich!”

Don’t Be RealisticSome people will tell me, “But Bo, if I say that, it’s not realistic…”Let me shock you. Sometimes, the worst advice you can give to someone is

“be realistic”.

If someone advised the Wright brothers, “Be realistic!” and they followed that advice, we wouldn’t be able to fly in planes today (and go to Beijing for P1,999!)

If someone advised Thomas Alba Edison, “Be realistic” and he followed that advice, we won’t be able to enter a room, flick a switch, and turn night into day.

If someone advised to Larry Page and Sergey Brin, “Be realistic”, and they followed that advice, we won’t be able to google a word and get 437 million results in 0.29 seconds!

Listen carefully: Being realistic is the roadway to mediocrity.

If I became realistic, we wouldn’t be holding the Feast (our weekly prayer gathering) at the Philippine International Convention Center—one of the most beautiful conference venues in all of Asia.

If I became realistic, we wouldn’t aim to have 1000 Feasts all over the world. (Speaking about that goal, something great happened last Friday. My friend Obet Cabrillas launched a second session in SM Manila where 400 people attended. On that same day, Alvin Barcelona launched a new weekly Feast in his school, Barcelona Academy, in Marilao Bulacan. And 500 people came.)

Don’t be realistic.  

Because words have a second power…Words Have Power Over Your World

       Aside from having power over you, in some mysterious way, it also has power over your world.

What am I saying? In the long run, the direction of our sails will change the direction of the wind. 

I don’t know how it happens, but it happens.Here’s my only explanation: God does it.Last year, I was on vacation, spending time with my family on the beach. It

was early in the morning when my staff called up.  When she described the problem to me, she sounded like it was the end of the world.  The problem was so big, it was going to literally wipe out my entire business.

I remember being so overwhelmed. I couldn’t do anything else but pray. Discouragement and fear gripped my heart. For a few minutes, I had all these depressing thoughts in my mind. “Oh woe is me, my customers will be angry with me, I’ll lose this business, I’ll have to start all over again…”

But then I remembered the power of my words.I was alone that morning, facing the beach. I stood up and shouted, “God is

my victory. This business is blessed. What was intended for my harm, God will turn it into my blessing. My business is so blessed, I don’t chase after customers, customers chase after me…”

I didn’t feel like saying those words. All I wanted to do was groan and moan! But I said them anyway.

When I came back from the vacation, I attacked the problem with hope and faith in my heart.

Today, that business is going strong. In fact, one year after that problem, my business is now double in size!

Here are powerful proclamations I want you to say everyday…Speak The Blessings

1. Bless Your Entire Life:

I’m God’s beloved and it is His great happiness to bless me. I’m anointed by God to serve and bless the world. God’s river of blessings is flowing to me at every moment of my life. Everything I need comes to me. I’m a blessing magnet. I’m guided by God at every moment. 

2. Bless Your Body:

I’m getting better and stronger everyday. God’s power of health and healing are flowing through my body, my mind, and my spirit. With long life, I will serve the Lord, in Jesus name.

3. Bless Your Loved Ones:

My loved one is growing closer to God. Deep inside, the Holy Spirit is busy working, changing, and transforming this person. This child of God is set free from all addictions. God’s purpose will be fulfilled in this person’s life. I declare that as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord, in Jesus name.

4. Bless Your Relationships:

God is blessing my relationships. Love is increasing. Service for one another is growing. Forgiveness, humility, and understanding flow like a river in my relationships. Old wounds are being healed. Bonds between us are getting stronger and deeper, in Jesus name.

5. Bless Your Decisions:

The steps of the good person are ordered by the Lord. God directs my steps. God helps me to distinguish what is right from wrong. God shows me the paths to abundance, in Jesus name.

6. Bless Your Problems:

All things will work for good to those who love God. This difficulty that I face now shall bless me in a very big way. What was intended for my harm, God will transform and turn into my benefit, in Jesus name.

7. Bless Your Finances:

I’m rich and getting richer. I’m generous and getting more generous. God’s abundance is supplying my every need. Everything I touch prospers and succeeds. New doors will open before me. The right people will walk into my life. God will prosper the work of my hands. As I use my core gifts to serve others, I will be richly rewarded. Money is flowing to me in great abundance. I can earn any amount of money I choose, in Jesus name.

       Go ahead.

       Create your miracles by your words.

       May your dreams come true,

Winners Have A Bias For Action

       Have you noticed?

       Bad things happen to good people.

All the time.

       Did you get stuck in traffic this week?

       Or have you ever lost your cellphone—with all the phone numbers lost forever? 

       Or have you ever had the terrible experience of your computer crashing—and all your files vanishing to oblivion for all eternity?  (I wonder if there’s a data heaven somewhere in this universe?)

       Or have you ever experienced your boss shouting at you for something that wasn’t your fault?

       Or have you ever experienced the pain of your boyfriend or girlfriend dumping you for another person?

       I repeat. Bad things happen to good people all the time.

       I can’t answer why they happen.

       But here’s my bigger question: What do you do when bad things happen to you?

       Do you sulk? 

       Do you complain?

       Do you just stay put and do nothing?

       Or do you have a bias for action?

       Here’s my simple yet big message for you today: Winners have a bias for action. That’s why they’re winners.

       I want you to watch this crazy short video. It’s less than one minute. It’s really funny. 

But its lesson is incredibly profound.

          watch video  (click ‘back’ to return to my blog) 

Insane, right?

But you’ll be surprised that a lot of people do the exact same thing when bad things happen to them.

They freeze.

They get stuck.

They just stay there. 

They complain.

They complain to the world.

       Friend, has a bad thing happened to you?

       Don’t get stuck.

       Don’t complain. It’s useless.

       Stand up.

       Instead of complaining, do something.

       If you can’t run, walk. If you can’t walk, limp. If you can’t limp, crawl. Stumble your way to greatness.

       Why? Because God never said that no bad thing will ever happen to you. But here’s His big promise: That every time a bad thing will happen to you, good things will come out of it. Every time! Because Romans 8:28 says that all things will work for good to those who love Him.

How Do You Respond To Fire?

One day, a young woman came to her grandfather and cried on his shoulder. She told him of her many problems. She felt so overwhelmed by them. It seemed like everything in her life was going wrong.

       After she wept many tears, the old man told her, “Let’s go to the kitchen. I have something to show you.”

       In the kitchen, the grandfather prepared three pots of water on the cooking range. On the first pot, he placed carrots.   On the second pot, he placed eggs. On the third pot, he placed coffee beans. And he lit the fire beneath each of them.

       For twenty minutes, they sat in silence as the fire heated the pots. After twenty minutes, the grandfather said, “If you notice, the fire underneath the pots are the same. Same heat. Same temperature. Yet you’ll notice how different things react to the fire.”

       He fished out the carrots and placed it in a bowl. He made his granddaughter touch it. 

“It’s soft,” she said.

       He got an egg, broke it, and gave it to her. 

“Hard boiled,” she said.

       Finally, he opened the coffee pot—its fragrance filling the room. He poured a cup for her. She took a sip.

       “That’s nice,” she said, “thanks, grandpa. But what does this all mean?”

       He said, “Child, you’re going through fire. You’re going through trials. Everybody does. But how are you reacting? Are you like the carrot who thought it was hard and strong, but when the fire came, it became weak and lost all its strength? Or are you like the egg that had a malleable spirit and a tender heart, but when trials came, hardened its heart? Or are you like the coffee bean? The fire released its flavor and aroma. Your trials can release your gifts and dreams. Your trials can set you free. So tell me, are you a carrot, an egg, or coffee beans?”

Your Trials Can Set You Free

       Did your boyfriend leave you for another girl? You’re now free to find a better man who’ll be faithful to you.

       Were you laid off at work? You’re now free to get a better job at a better company or become an entrepreneur.

       Are you sick right now? This is a wake up call. Your body is telling you, “It’s high time to care for me.” You’re now free to become the healthiest person you can become.

       Eleven years ago, my friend had cancer of the breast. But that cancer set her free. Because of that cancer, she served God more, she loved her family more, and she took care of her health more. She started eating more fruits and vegetables. Eleven years later, she’s a healthier person, she’s a more loving person, and she’s a more spiritual person. Her cancer set her free.

       Did your business fail? You’re now free to start all over again and make it better.

       That’s what happened to me.

Three Men Went Through The Fire

       In the Bible, we read of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 

They went through the fire, too. A literal one.

Because these men didn’t want to bow down before a pagan idol, the king was so angry, he threw them into the furnace—and asked his strongest soldiers to tie them up.

       But when they were in the fire, God rescued them. They were protected. Even their clothes weren’t burned. They walked out unharmed.

       But here’s the amazing part: Nothing was burned except for the ropes that bound them.

The fire made them free men.

From my experience, when I go through fire, my trials remove my chains. My fears. My limited thinking. My small dreams.

Hey, I still don’t like it.

Fire is fire. It hurts. It burns.

But when I go out of the fire, I’m a better person.

Like coffee beans, my aroma and flavor is released.

I’m free to impact the world even more.

Keep Moving Forward!

Psalm 23:4 says, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…

You don’t stay in the valley.

You don’t sulk in the valley. 

You walk through the valley.

You keep moving forward.  You put one foot in front of the other until you get out of the valley.

1 Peter 1:13 says, Therefore, prepare your minds for action.

       Have a bias for action.

From Executive To Farmer

       When I think of action, I think of my friend Rudy Mallari.

       In the 90’s, Rudy was on top of the world. My friend was one of the key figures in the exports garments industry. He was running a huge company and was very well paid. 

But in a blink of an eye, it was like someone pulled the rug from beneath this entire industry. China took over. And the entire export garments industry died (almost).

And overnight, Rudy lost his job and business.

From being on top of the world, he was now at the bottom.

       Did Rudy sulk? Did he simply give up and hang up his gloves? Did he get depressed that the hand that fed him suddenly disappeared?

       Far from it.

       Because Rudy had another love: Farming.

       He kept working, kept acting, kept making mistakes.

       From being an executive, he’s now a “farmer”.

       He doesn’t actually run a farm. But he works with lots of small independent farmers—and he teaches them organic farming. And then helps them sell their products.

       For years, he met with guys in suits, ties, and briefcases. Now, he meets guys in torn shirts, straw hats and muddy boots.

       And in dealing with small farmers and other poor people, he grew in his passion of helping the poor. Thus, he joined Alay Buhay (If you want to vote for them for your party list organization, they’re #66!) that helps small entrepreneurs across the country.

       His tragedy turned into triumph—not only for him but also for many other people.

A True Story That Will Touch You Deeply

       I’m going to tell you a true story of a young woman who went through a most gruesome fire. When you read her story, you’ll realize that your trials are absolutely nothing compared to what this young girl went through.

       It was September 25, 2000.

Maricel Apatan was an 11-year old girl in Zamboanga.

On that day, this little girl went with her uncle to draw water. 

Along the way, four men met them. They were carrying long knives. They told her uncle to face down on the ground. And they hacked him on the neck and killed him.

Maricel was in total shock. Especially that the men were their neighbors. She tried to escape, but the men ran after her.

She cried, “Kuya, ‘wag po, ‘wag n’yo akong tagain! Maawa po kayo sa akin!” (“Don’t kill me! Have mercy on me!”)

But they weren’t listening. With a long knife, a man slashed her on the neck too.

Maricel fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

When she woke up, she saw a lot of blood.

She also saw the feet of the men around her, but she pretended to be dead.

When they walked away, Maricel ran back home.

Her Hands Were Hacked Too

But along the way, she saw that both her hands were falling off. Because the men hacked them too. She cried but she kept running. 

Sometimes, she’d faint and fall to the ground. But she’d regain consciousness and run again.

When she was near her home, Maricel called her mother.

Upon seeing her daughter, her mother screamed in terror. She wrapped her bloodied child in a blanket and carried her to the hospital.

Here was the problem: From her house to the highway, it was a 12-kilometer walk.

It took them 4 hours just to reach the highway.

When they arrived in the hospital, the doctors thought Maricel was going to die. 

But for 5 hours, they operated on her. It took 25 stitches to stitch together the long knife wound in her neck and back. 

Maricel barely survived.

And she lost both of her hands.

Ironically, the next day was Maricel’s birthday.

She was 12 years old.

But alas, tragedy didn’t end there.

Angels To The Rescue

When they went home, they saw their home was gone. It was ransacked and burned down by the goons.

Being very poor, Maricel’s family also didn’t have P50,000 for their hospital bills.

But God sent many angels along the way to help them.

Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, a distant relative, paid for hospital bills and helped them bring the criminals to court. They were sentenced to prison.

Tahanan Ng Walang Hagdan helped her finish her studies.

Today, she’s staying with the nuns at Regina Rosarii with Sr. Eppie Brasil, O.P.

But this, I believe, is the incredible miracle.

Instead of staying down, Maricel kept running.

Instead of cursing God why she had no hands, she now uses her wrists in incredible ways that will boggle your mind.

Maricel was cited as the most industrious, best in computer, and most courteous in the School for Crippled Children. 

In 2008, she graduated from a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She even received a Gold medal for Arts and Crafts.

Today, at 21 years old, Maricel is studying to be a Chef.

Yes, a Chef without hands.

Nothing can stop this young lady from reaching her dream.

Real Winners Don’t Give Up!

Oh, it was a real gift.

Because last Sunday, I invited Maricel to the Feast (Note: This is our weekly prayer gathering. If you want to join us, click here for our schedules or call (02) 725-9999 and ask for the details.)

We saw Maricel in front of us.

And her joy, her smile, her radiance was amazing!

In lovely white Chef’s attire, I asked her to stand in front of the crowd. We cheered wildly.

And then I led her to a table with lots of vegetables on it.

I asked her to make a salad for me.

Using only her wrists, she cut the vegetables and prepared a delicious salad. 

I couldn’t help but cry.

I looked around me and saw many crying too.

Because we were in front of an incredible winner.

                                Don’t Lose Hope

Friend, are you a winner?

Stop focusing on your trial.

Stop focusing on your problems.

Right now, you may be undergoing fire.

Perhaps your marriage is being torn apart.

Perhaps you’re buried in a mountain of debt.

Perhaps the doctor said you’re never going to get well.

Perhaps your child is far from God.

Friend, don’t lose hope.

Don’t give up.

You will win the race.

You will win the prize!

In the fire, don’t be a carrot or an egg. Don’t weaken or harden. Rather, be a coffee bean and let the fire set you free for action!

This fire will make you better.

This fire will make you grow.

This fire will make you succeed even more!

So focus on the finish line.

Focus on your dream.

Focus on the prize before you.

Stand up and keep running!

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

What’s The Best Investment In The World?

When I was a kid, I learned that my mother lived during the war. With great excitement, I asked her, “Did you meet Magellan and Lapu-lapu?”

I was disappointed when she said, “No, I’m not 450 years old.” So I asked, “Did you meet Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio?”

That’s when she explained to me that she didn’t live through World War I but World War II.

She’s 84 years old today and I grew up with her war stories. I remember her stories about the Japanese Peso.“When the Japanese came, they printed their own money,” she

said. “Eventually, we all got used to them. But after many months, the Japanese Peso began to lose its value. Soon, everyone called it Mickey Mouse money. It became play money.”

“Why?” I asked.“Because of the rumors that the Americans were coming back. You won’t

believe me, but when we heard over the radio that the American planes were coming, I remember how I had to bring a bayong of Japanese money to buy a bayong of food. One duck egg cost P75…”

Here’s a photo of the Japanese money at the start of the war…

2 years after, they had to print 1000 bills to cope up with inflation.

                My friend, Nanay Coring, Founder of National Bookstore, also lived during

the war. She too was a young woman when the war broke out. But unlike my mother, she had business savvy. 

With her Japanese money, she bought goods that could be stored until the war ended. Early in the war, she saw what was going to happen. So she converted all her Japanese money to another currency—goods and inventory. 

One day, a Japanese officer walked to her little store and asked if she wanted a warehouse filled with whisky. She said, “Yes, I’ll buy it,” not knowing where she’d get the money. She gathered as much Japanese pesos as she could find and bought the entire stock. When the US soldiers came, she sold every bottle to the Americans who paid her in US Dollars.

Mom didn’t do anything. She kept her Japanese money in her bayong. When the Americans came, the money was all burned because it had become useless.

No wonder Nanay Coring now owns 157 branches of National Bookstore all over the country while my mother runs a tiny bookshop in her house!

          Why am I sharing this to you?Question: Are You Business Wise?

          When you die, all the money you hold becomes Mickey Mouse money. All. The Dollars, the Euros, the Yen, the Yuan, the Peso…

You know that.But are you doing something about it?

          You need to be business wise like Nanay Coring.          You need to start converting your material wealth into eternal wealth. How? Start giving generously to God and to the poor.

Giving to God isn’t just a spiritual thing. At the end of the day, it’s also the wisest, most practical thing to do. It makes all the business sense in the world.

I know of a lot of very rich businessmen who aren’t giving to God or to others. So their wealth will be very short lived. It will only last until their life on earth.

I strongly suggest you convert your worldly money to the only currency that Heaven will accept. Heaven has only one currency: Love. Loving God and others is really the only thing you can bring with you when you die.          Read carefully what Jesus says. You’ll be shocked:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.[1]

          Wow. Can you believe it?It’s actually possible to exchange what you have for the currency of your

future home. While on planet earth, you can actually store great treasure in Heaven.

That’s why I believe generosity is the wisest, the best, the most perfect investment in the world.

 How Much Is Your Balance?          Let me ask you a very important question: How much of your worldly wealth have you used to create your heavenly wealth?          How much investments have you already “wired” to Heaven?          When you put your money in the bank, the bank gives you a bank book. There, you find a history of your deposits. If Heaven issued you a “bank book”, how much deposits have you already made so far?          In other words, how much have you loved?           How much have you served?

How much have you used your material wealth to give love? But Let Me Clarify:

It’s Building Heaven On Planet Earth!Warning: What I’ll say next will be hard to swallow.So chew on it. This is definitely not milk for those starting in the spiritual

journey, but solid food for the mature.I’ve met Christians whose only goal in life is to go to Heaven. Their only

concern is to guarantee a Heavenly visa. To them, this is what salvation is all about. Nothing else.

Friend, I want you to outgrow that attitude.Because I don’t believe this is the point of Christianity.Think with me: Today, there are 25,000 children who die every single day

because of poverty and hunger—and all we can think of is our personal Heaven? Today, there are many people around us who are starving for God’s love—and all we can think of is our personal Heaven?

Jesus didn’t call you to be His disciple just so you can go to Heaven only. Jesus called you to be His disciple so that you can bring Heaven down to earth, specifically to those who are in “hell” right now because of their material, emotional, and spiritual poverty. Jesus called you to be His disciple to love the way He did. Jesus died on the Cross so that you too can die for others.

So what am I saying?Everytime you’re generous because of love, you transfer your wealth to a

particular Heaven that starts now, right here on planet earth. And it’s not a personal Heaven, but a Heaven for others.

I’ve got one last thing to say…Among These 5, Who Are You?

When it comes to managing money, there are five kinds of people in this world. Who are you?

#1: Gloria Gastadora:Gloria Gastadora lives on 100% of her income. Sometimes, when she

borrows money, she lives on 120% of her income. She’s never absent during Midnight Sales. Her credit cards are faded due to overuse. Even if she wants to give to God or invest in her future, she cannot. Obviously, after all is spent, she has nothing to give to God except her loose change. In Church, Gloria Gastadora isn’t a tither, but a tipper.

#2: Kunat Kuripot:Kunat is a frugal and fearful fellow. He lives on 80% of his income, because

he saves 20% or more for his future. He lives in fear. He feels safe only when he knows he’s got lots of money in the bank. It really seems safe, except that he doesn’t know that putting his life savings in the bank isn’t such a wise idea at all. When he retires, Kunat will realize that his savings isn’t enough. And like

Gloria Gastadora, Kunat Kuripot can only give his spare change to God—because he’s always afraid of his future.

#3: Bertong Bulag:          As a kid, Berto was a financial whiz. Upon graduating from college, he already opened a mutual fund. He also started investing in a blue chip company in the stock market, putting small amounts of money every month. He also started a business, and it has done very well. Berto has become wealthy. The problem is that he still cannot give to God, because he sees it as an expense, like it was a luxury he can’t afford. He doesn’t realize that giving to God is also an investment—the most secure and long-term investment of them all.

#4: Wally Waldas:          Wally has no problem giving to others. He is very generous to others, but he isn’t generous to himself. Because he doesn’t invest for the future. Wally just likes giving his money away to people who end up abusing him. His close friends tell him that his giving is no longer helping others, because they have become parasites. But he’s blinded by his need for their attention. Wally, in the long run, cannot even give to God, because his money will be long gone.

#5: Manny Mapagmahal:          Manny gives to God, gives to others, and gives to himself.   After receiving his income, the first thing he does is set aside 10% to God. The second thing he does is to set aside 20% to put in investment vehicles—such as funds, stocks, businesses, and real estate. He also has set aside an Emergency Fund—3 to 6 months of his salary in the bank. The third thing he does is to limit his expenses to 70% of his income. 

Today, Manny is prosperous. He now gives 20% to God, invests 30%, and lives on 50% of his income. In his old age, he’ll continue to be even more generous.  (If you’re interested to become like Manny Mapagmahal, join my TrulyRich Club and get trained in the principles of spiritual and material abundance.           Among these 5 people, who are you?          May your dreams come true,          Bo Sanchez

Be Flexible, Foolish, & Funny…

I just came from a vacation.And I have jet lag.

       When you move from one time zone to another time zone, it’s a killer. I got sleepy all the time. I felt sleepy at 8am, at 11am, at 6pm, at 8pm. And then when it was time to sleep at 10pm, I was totally awake. After tossing and turning in bed, I finally slept at 1am, only to wake up at 3am, totally awake again. It was nuts.       Why did this happen?  

Because though I’ve moved to a new time zone, my body was still operating in the old time zone.       It’s the same with your life journey. 

You’re moving from one spiritual zone to another. From a Doubt Zone to a Faith Zone. From a Scarcity Zone to an Abundance Zone.  From an Impurity Zone to Purity Zone. From a Selfishness Zone to Selflessness Zone.       But because you’re moving from one zone to another, you’re also experiencing a “lag”.       Sometimes, you’re patient. Sometimes, you blow your top. 

Sometimes, you have it all together. Sometimes, you fall. Sometimes, you walk straight. Sometimes, you stumble.Sometimes, you act in love. Sometimes, you act indifferently.I have a simple message for you: Don’t be too hard on yourself.

       Don’t condemn yourself. Or you’ll get worse. You’ll be trapped.        God forgives you. God understands that you’re moving in the right direction; you’re just experiencing a lag. And He says, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. Get up. Stand up again. And move on.”

Hold that thought for awhile because I’ll get back to it later. It’ll be very crucial when you decide to be a Peacemaker…

Two More Strategies To Be A PeacemakerLast week, you learned two very important strategies on how to avoid

unnecessary conflicts from your life: First, be faithful. That means making constant deposits in the emotional bank account of the people in your relationships. Second, be forbearing. That means accepting the weaknesses of others.

Today, I’d like to give you two more strategies, plus one Bonus strategy.       Here they are…

3. Be Flexible       Let me tell you one of my most favorite quotes. It’s from St. Augustine, written some 1600 years ago. He said, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

       I love that quote. If you follow it, you’ll avoid many unnecessary conflicts.

       There are two kinds of conflicts: (1) Conflicts of Principle and (2) Conflicts of Preference.

I’ve realized that most of our Conflicts are Conflicts of Preference, pretending to be Conflicts of Principle. It’s just our self-centeredness and pride that’s causing the conflict.

Think about it.  Why fight over preferences and non-essentials that don’t matter after 6 months? Or after 1 year? Or after 5 years?       Be flexible when it comes to your preferences.

Should Wives Submit To Their Husbands?       One day, a man came up to me and said, “Brother Bo, please tell my wife to follow the Bible. The reason why we fight a lot is because she doesn’t follow the Bible’s verse that says, ‘Wives, submit to your husbands.’”       He didn’t know that his wife was right behind him. She stood beside him and said, “Do you know why my husband and I fight a lot? Because my husband doesn’t follow the Bible verse after that verse. It says, ‘Husbands, love your wives the way Christ loved the church.’”

I laughed. She was right. How did Christ love the church? He died for her.I’ve been reflecting on my marriage, and I really thank God I have a

phenomenal marriage.Why? My wife submits to me when it comes to Conflicts of Principle.  But

because I want to die for her, I submit to her when it comes to Conflicts of Preference. 

Lucky for her (and unlucky for me), 99% of the time, life is about Preferences! So 99% of the time, I submit to her.       Don’t get me wrong.

I always tell her my preferences…Express Your Preferences,

But Don’t Fight Over ThemIn fact, because I take my role as leader in the family very seriously, I plan

for the family. Where to go. What to do. Obviously, I already weave in my preferences in the plans that I make.

In fact, I tell this often to single men: When you’re courting a woman, she is attracted to leadership.

I’m saying this because you may get the wrong idea that to be a peacemaker, you have to be like jello. “Darling, whatever you want, that’s what I want too.”

I tell single men to be a leader in the courtship process. 

Believe me, many women are frustrated because their men don’t know how to lead. 

Here’s a typical conversation women complain about.Guy: “Where do you want to eat tonight?” Girl: “You haven’t planned for it yet?”Guy: “No, I want to go where you want to go.”Girl: “You decide.”Guy: “No, you decide.”Girl: “It’s up to you…”(Repeat 86 times.)Guys, you’ve got to lead.Here’s a better scenario. Express your preferences. Be a leader.Guy:       “I know you like Italian, so I’m bringing you to this nice Italian

restaurant I found in Makati that serves the best pasta. You’ll love their Aglio e Olio.”

Girl:        “Okay. Let’s try it.”Guy:       “After that, let’s watch a movie. The actor that looks exactly like

me has a new movie out now…”Girl: “And who is that?” (raising her eyebrow)Guy:       “John Lloyd. I’m a little bit hurt that you had to ask. Isn’t it

obvious?” (fake hurt look)But let’s say after he says “Italian”, she says…Girl: “I’m not in the mood for Italian. Can we go Japanese instead?”The answer should be…“Guy: “There’s this great Japanese restaurant I’d like to show you too in

Makati. Its sushi is to die for, and the Miso soup is the best I’ve ever tasted…”

In Courtship, we give up our Preferences.In marriage, the courtship shouldn’t stop. Husbands and wives, you should still be wooing each other everyday, trying

to win each other’s hearts.What Is Your Goal?

I just came from a 2-week vacation. As my way of being a leader, I planned for the entire thing. I chose the

flights we flew in, the hotels we stayed in, the rental cars we rode, the restaurants we ate in, and the places we visited. All written down two months before we flew out.

But whenever she told me that she preferred something that disagreed with my plans, I threw away my plans. Why? Because my wife is more important than my plans. 

After 13 years of marriage, here’s one of my most important goals: I wake up every morning and ask myself, “How can I make my wife happy?”

If that’s my goal, why fight over Preference? Parents, Choose Your Battles With Your Kids

Parents, don’t fight over Preferences with your children. If my son comes up to me one day and says, “Dad, I want to wear an

earring,” I won’t declare World War III. I’ll listen. I’ll ask him to think through his decision. But I won’t fight him over it.I won’t fight over musical tastes. No matter how terrible his modern music

may sound to me. I won’t fight over hairstyle. No matter how atrocious it may be to me. I won’t fight over the type of clothes he wears. No matter how hideous they may look to me.

Because they’re preferences.I’ll save my ammo.I’d rather focus on building my relationship with him. Teaching him how to

love God. Teaching him how serve others. Teaching him how to be a gentleman. Teaching him how to earn money. Teaching him how to choose a wife. 

Here’s the fourth strategy, the most difficult of them all.4. Be Foolish

       Jesus said, If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.(Matthew 5:39)

This is one of the hardest Bible passages to interpret.Its nuanced meaning is lost, because we don’t know the culture of that

particular time and place.       Dr. Walter Wink, a Bible Scholar, explains it in this way: In ancient middle-eastern culture, being slapped on the right cheek is very different from being slapped on the left cheek.     First, the left hand cannot be used for slapping, because it was used for unclean tasks.  (I won’t have to expound on this one. Use your imagination.)  Only the right hand was used for slapping.       To slap you on the right cheek, one has to use a backhand slap.       And a backhand slap meant something very specific to the Jew; A backhand slap was how a master slaps a slave, or how a Roman slaps a Jew. The right cheek slap meant, “You’re beneath me! I shame you. I humiliate you.”       When Jesus said, “Give your left cheek,” it meant something totally different. If I’ll slap you on the left cheek, I can’t use the back of my right hand. I’ll have to slap you with a fist or the front of my hand. Which had a totally

different meaning to them. In their culture, it meant, “We’re equals.” You’ve reclaimed your dignity and refuse to be humiliated.       What’s the point? When someone abuses you, God wants you to defend yourself. Not allow yourself to be humiliated.        But He wants you to do something utterly foolish:“When people hurt you, don’t slap back. Don’t strike back. Don’t seek revenge. Don’t punish. Don’t get even. Instead, do good. Hopefully, your goodness will shame them, and their conscience will move them to change their lives.”       St. Paul says the same thing. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (Romans 12:14)       Conflicts are vicious cycles. Conflicts perpetuate forever and last for 500 years because no one disrupts the cycle. Someone has to step in and say, “I won’t retaliate.”        Be foolish and show kindness when someone showed meanness.

Finally, I promised a “Bonus” strategy for avoiding unnecessary conflicts.       Here it is…

5. Be FunnyDon’t take yourself too seriously.

       Here’s the truth: Nobody does. (Ha ha!)       People who take themselves too seriously end up with a lot of conflicts.  Why? Because they get easily offended. Their pride gets easily pricked.        Here’s my advice. Don’t take it too seriously when people disagree with you. Or when people offend you.   Or when people criticize you.       At the end of the day, they don’t matter.       When a driver cuts in front of my car, I don’t get mad. I just smile and say, “He must be in a hurry to get to the toilet.” I don’t take it personally. That driver has problems, not me.       Don’t make people with problems ruin your day.       Why expend energy getting angry? It’s not worth it.

For example, I used to be bothered by people who criticize me.        One day, someone told me to read a blog of a Christian leader. He told me, “Bo, that guy said some nasty things about you.”

When I looked at it, it was true. In his blog, he was lambasting me for being a false prophet—a prophet of the devil. He criticized me for teaching people how to become rich. He said I was dragging people to hell because I was teaching materialism. (He also called other preachers false prophets: Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, T.J. Jakes. Wow, I’m in good company!)        I could have retaliated in anger. I could have answered him point by point and debated with him online.        But I decided it was useless.

Instead, I prayed for him and his family.  I blessed him.  I read his other blog entries… And there, I discovered he was financially

hard up. He was active in ministry, but the lack of money for his family was a burden. He had no stable job. His wife had no job too.  Honestly, my heart went out to them. I wanted to donate money (anonymously) to his ministry.       Here’s what I realized from that experience. Most often, people criticize you because they have personal problems that have nothing to do with you.        When people don’t like you, it’s not about you. It’s about them.

So why be affected by them?       I repeat: Don’t let people with problems ruin your day.       Do you get affected by people who don’t like you?       Don’t be. Instead of retaliating, do the foolish thing and pray for them. Show kindness. 

And then live your own life to the full.Smile. Laugh. Have fun!You only live once. Don’t let the grumblers steal your joy.

Peace breaker Or Peacemaker?              Friend, you have a choice.              You can live your life as a Peace breaker or a Peacemaker.

At the start of this message, I talked about how you’re moving from one Zone to another. And how you’re experiencing a lag.

So I told you God’s message about not to be too hard on yourself.              Here’s God’s other message for you today: Don’t be too hard on others too. Because they’re experiencing a lag, just like you. They still fall. They still falter. They still stumble.

Understand them. Accept them. Love them.And you’ll become a Peacemaker.

              May your dreams come true,       Bo Sanchez

3 Keys To Unlock The Happiness Door

Do you want to be really happy?I’ve noticed that the door of happiness has three locks.To open that door, you need 3 keys.I believe that without these 3 Keys, it’ll be impossible to be happy.Here they are:Key 1: Your ability to select your 90%Key 2: Your ability to surrender your Circle of ConcernKey 3: Your ability to seek your happiness from God’s LoveLet me explain…

Key 1: Your Ability To Select Your 90%I’ve come to a simple yet profound realization.I believe that happiness doesn’t depend on what’s happening around

me. Happiness depends on what’s happening inside you.How come?Because of the 90/10 Principle.Stephen Covey said that 10% of life consists of the stuff that happens to

you. This includes the good stuff. Perhaps you got a job promotion. That’s part of the 10% of life. Or you found the guy of your dreams. As big as that is, that’s still part of the 10% of life.

That 10% also includes the bad stuff.  Perhaps you got fired. Or your boyfriend dumped you for another girl. Or you gained 10 pounds. Or your car broke down. Or your cell phone got stolen. All that is included in the 10% of life.

Because 10% of life consists of what happens to you.What’s the 90%?90% of life consists of what you do to what happens to you. When a trial comes, will you respond with faith or doubt?When a blessing comes, will you respond with gratitude or ingratitude?When hardship comes, will you persevere or will you give up?When irritating people come, will you be patient or be impatient?Friends, your happiness depends on this 90%–what you do to what happens

to you.Your happiness is a choice!Here’s the next key…

Key 2: Your Ability To Surrender Your Circle Of Concern

       One of my favorite passages in the Bible says, Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. (Psalms 55:22)

       Are you carrying a heavy burden right now? I’ve got a very important message for you. You don’t have to carry that burden.  That’s why many people are getting sick today. That’s why many people are getting depressed. That’s why many people have anxiety disorders. Because God didn’t design you to carry extremely heavy burdens for an extended period of time. 

Because God designed you to give your burdens to Him.Aside from the 90/10 Principle, Covey also talked about the difference

between your “Circle of Control” and your “Circle of Concern”.      

Mix up these two and you get into a lot of useless stress! A lot of people confuse the two—that’s where our anxiety comes from.

Let me ask you a question: Does your Job belong to your Circle of Control or your Circle of Concern?

Here’s the answer. There are certain parts of your Job that are found within your Circle of Control. For example, your attitude and performance are stuff you can control. 

But everything else is in your Circle of Concern. You can’t control your boss. You can’t control the other departments. You can’t control the economy of the world. You can’t control the laws that affect your company.      

For example, some wives have this crazy hallucination that their husband is in their Circle of Control.      

I’ve got news for you: He’s not, no matter what you think.      

A woman came up to me and said, “Bo, please preach about smoking. So my husband will stop this terrible vice. I’ve been nagging him to stop, but he hasn’t…”

I told her, “You can’t control his smoking. And nagging doesn’t work. It never has. The only thing you can do is pray for him and surrender….”

I believe we will go insane if we don’t know how to surrender.Because there are many things that you can’t control.Are you a parent? Believe me, you’ll go insane if you won’t trust God for

your kids. Because there are many things you can’t control about your kids. Yes, you can control how you relate to them. How you train them. How you mentor them. How you love them. But the rest? Surrender.

You can’t guarantee how they’ll make their choices. Whether your kids will be successful in their jobs or businesses. Whether your kids will choose the right spouse. Whether they’ll raise up their own kids well.

So what should you do with your Circle of your Concern?

Do what you can do about that financial problem, or physical sickness, or relationship problem. But after you’ve done everything that you can do, surrender.

And finally…Key 3: Your Ability To Seek Your Happiness

From God’s LoveOne day, the disciples of Jesus came back from their mission trip with fantastic “success” stories. What made them excited the most? That the demons fled at their command.

“It was amazing,” they told Jesus. “We just said, Demons, get out! And those varmints scampered like rats in a flood.”       Jesus congratulated them, but after giving them hi-fives, he said something very important. He said, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:18, 20)

What was he saying?“Do not rejoice at your success, but rejoice that God loves you.”

       Why? Because all success is fleeting. Yes, thank God for your accomplishments. But a day will come when these

accomplishments would fade away. Your trophies and plaques and awards decorating your wall will one day be

trash. When you’re gone, one of your grandkids will throw them all in a garbage can. 

Your car, so nice and shiny now, will one day be a heap of rust.Your money, no matter how much you have, will one day be of no use to

you.Your home, so beautiful today, will one day be owned by someone else.So if your happiness is based on your accomplishments, you’ll lose your

happiness rather quickly.       Jesus tells us: Seek your real happiness on eternal things, not temporal things. Seek your happiness on the fact that God loves you, that God has written your name in His heart.        Be happy!       May your dreams come true,       Bo Sanchez

Gratitude Is A Magnet

       Here’s my message today: If you want to receive more blessings in 2012, you need to be more thankful for blessings you received in 2011. Because gratitude is a magnet.

       Let me ask you a few questions.

       Did you have food on your table last year? Thank God. (From the way I see you, you had too much food.)

       Did you have clothes to wear last year? Thank God.

       Did you sleep well at night last year? Thank God.

       Did you have work last year? Thank God.

       Did you earn money last year? Thank God.

Did you have friends last year? Thank God.

Did you serve God last year? Thank God.

       Open your eyes to see that you were swimming in an ocean of blessings last year.

       I looked back at last year and couldn’t help but say, “Wow.” 

I can’t say anything else. Because when I think of the year, I feel overwhelmed at what God has done in my life.

Choose: 2 Weeks Or 40 Years?

       There are two ways of living on earth:

       You can grumble or you can be grateful.

       Both habits are powerful. (I’ll explain in awhile.)

       Do you know how long the Israelites travelled from Egypt to the Promised Land? The Bible says it took them 40 Years. I find that weird. Do you know how quickly it should have been?

       The distance from Cairo to Jerusalem is only 391 kilometers. That should have only taken the Israelites 14 days to travel from Egypt to Israel. But why did they take 40 years?

       Let me tell you one major reason: They followed the grumbling path instead of the grateful path.

       And the grumbling path is much longer than the grateful path. 

40 years longer…

       Think about it. They were rescued from 400 years of slavery. But they weren’t grateful. They saw 10 mind-boggling miracles, from water turning into blood, and a staff turning into a snake, and frogs leaping out of the lake… But they weren’t grateful. They crossed the red sea on dry land. But they weren’t grateful. A pillar of fire accompanied them by night and a pillar of smoke accompanied them by day. But they weren’t grateful.

       I don’t know about you, but I want to enter the promised land quickly. And the way to do that is to learn to be grateful.

What do you have that you did not receive? … Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! (1 Corinthians 4:7-8)

Marriages Can’t Be Strong Without Gratitude

Do you know why married people have affairs? It’s not because of sex. It’s because they grumble instead of being grateful.

Your spouse has 90% of what you need.

But because you’re not grateful for that 90%, you search for that missing 10% in a mistress. Someone fresh. Someone prettier. Someone more affectionate. Someone who smells nice.

But when you go home, your wife smells of paksiw. 

She isn’t affectionate because she’s tired, taking care of the kids the entire day.

So you have an affair. At first, it’s exciting. It makes you feel wonderful.

But one day, you’ll wake up and realize you’re holding Miss 10% in your arms. You’ve lost your Miss 90% to get Miss 10%. 

Gratitude Attracts Blessings

I know some people who can’t be grateful today.

They’re waiting for something big to happen for them to be grateful.

Some people say, “I’ll be grateful if I win the Lotto…” Or “I’ll be grateful if I get promoted…” Or “I’ll be very grateful if I have a baby…” Or “I’ll be grateful if I marry someone like Brad Pitt, or John Lloyd, or Bo Sanchez…” (I apologize for my hallucinations.)

Don’t wait to be grateful. Be grateful now!

Why? Because both grumbling and gratitude are a magnet.

Grateful people get more of what they’re grateful for.

If they’re grateful for happiness and love and friendships, they’ll have more happiness and love and friendships. If they’re grateful for financial blessings, they’ll have more financial blessings.

In the same way, grumbling people get more of what they grumble about.

If you grumble about your problems, you’ll have more problems. If you grumble about lack, you have more lack in your life.

Be grateful.

And receive more blessings this 2012.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Be Grateful Even When It’s Difficult       Once upon a time, in one of the islands of the Philippines, there was a young tree. It was the only tree in that island.

This lovely tree had long branches with leaves too many to count.

       It was a happy tree. It liked looking at the green plains below and the blue sea surrounding the island.

       But one day, the tree noticed that one of its leaves was turning brown. What was going on? This was the first time it happened. It never experienced it before. The tree began to panic.

Soon, more leaves became brown.

And then the impossible happened: One brown leaf snapped off its twig and fell to the ground.

The horrors!

Soon, more leaves fell. He counted them. Gasp! He couldn’t believe it. In one day, 6 leaves fell off from his branches. The next day, another 9 fell. The day after that, 12 more fell. On and on they kept falling.

He was losing so many leaves each day, he blurted out, “I’m dying!”   Everyday, with great anxiety, he stared on the growing mound of brown leaves gathering around His roots. 

He began to lose hope and wanted to end his life.

       That was when a bird flew by…

Three Messages From The Bird

The feathered creature perched onto one of the tree’s branches. The bird asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you so sad?”

       The tree said, “I’m dying.”

“Why do you say that?” the bird asked.

“I’m losing all my leaves! I’ve lost 94 already…”

        The bird was taken aback. “You don’t know do you?” He looked around and realized why. “You haven’t seen another tree in your life. You’re all alone

here. My dear friend, what you’re experiencing is something that every other tree in the world experiences.”

“Huh?”

The bird smiled and said, “ I want to give you three messages today.”

“I’m listening,” the tree answered.

1) More Blessings Than Problems

“First, you say you’ve already lost 94 leaves. You count the number of leaves that you’ve lost. Count now the number of leaves that are still on your branches…”

The tree went about counting. “1, 2, 3, 4….” When he reached 300, he said, “I can’t count them. I have too many leaves!” The tree wasn’t crying anymore.

“Then you’re learning a very important truth. Remember that you’ll always have more blessings than problems. Problems seem more because you count them, you measure them, and you analyze them everyday. But when you count your blessings, you’ll realize that your blessings will outnumber your problems. Always!”

May I interrupt this story by another story?

I was reading about Roger Crawford. When he was born, he had a genetic defect. He was born without two hands and without a left leg. 

But despite his disability, he became a professional Tennis player in America. He became a champion?

How could he play Tennis without two hands and a left leg? I don’t know. But he did.

You see, Roger never complained, “Lord, why don’t I have hands and a left leg?” Instead, he said, “Lord, thank you for what I have. I have arms and I have one leg. What will you do with what I have?”

Roger didn’t bother counting the leaves that fell off his branches. He celebrated the many leaves that remained in his branches.

Let’s go back to my story…

2) More Space For New Blessings

The bird said, “Here’s my second message. I want you to look at your branches. Specifically, at the empty space where your leaves fell from. Do you see them?”

“Yes.”

“Are they really empty.”

“Yes, they’re empty. A leaf was there before…”

“Look closer,” said the bird, “because it’s not really empty…”

That was when the tree said, “Well, I see tiny leaves sprouting in the same place where my old leaves fell from.”

The bird nodded, “If your old leaves didn’t fall, there wouldn’t have been space for new leaves to sprout in your branches. If you want better things to happen in your life, some older things will have to go first.”

“I now understand,” the tree smiled.

Let me interrupt this story again and tell you that this is how life works.

Thank God for empty spaces in your life.

Perhaps a relationship ended this year. Perhaps a boyfriend left you. Thank God and believe that someone new, someone better, will be walking into your life.

Perhaps you lost your job this year. Perhaps your company folded up. Perhaps you were retrenched. Thank God and believe that you’ll get a better job and company very soon!

I remember two women whose husbands left them. Both of their husbands found another woman and walked out of their lives.

       Both were devastated.

       But both had a very different attitude. One followed the grumbling path and the other followed the grateful path.

       One woman cried, “My husband left me. My life is now over.”

       But the other woman said, “My husband left me. My life is just beginning…”

       Like this woman, don’t ever give up. Don’t say, “My life is over.” Say instead, “My life is about to begin.” Because new growth happens only if there are empty spaces in your life.

3) More Nourishment From Your Growth

The bird chirped, “And now for my last message. Do you notice what happens to your brown leaves?” the bird asked.

“They rot,” the tree shrugged, looking at the mound of brown leaves around its roots.

“Yes they do, but for a purpose,” said the bird, “because in due time, these rotting leaves will become part of the soil. These leaves will enrich you. Your roots will drink their nourishment. Causing you to grow and sprout more leaves…”

You Need Trouble To Grow

“Bo, I can’t be grateful for 2011. This was the year my husband left me.”

Or “This was the year our house burned down.”

Or “This was the year I learned I had cancer.”

Or “This was the year my father died.”

I understand. But the Bible says, Give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Yesterday, I was looking back at the year that passed.

I realized something very important. I realized that I grew the most not during the times when everything was smooth. Or the times when everything was going my way. I realized that I grew the most during the times when there was intense trouble. Intense pain. I grew the most when I was attacked from all directions and I couldn’t breathe anymore.

That’s when God stretched me.

I have one word for you about trouble: Get used to it.

Because trouble is the birthplace for your greatest growth.

       Be grateful for the blessings behind your trials.

       May your dreams come true,

Find Your Burning, Powerful, Explosive Why

Do you want to lose weight?

The list of how to do it is endless. 

Will you go through lypo? Will you take diet pills? (I don’t recommend it, but that’s what people do.) Will you go to the Gym? Will you decrease your Carb intake? Will you stop eating meat? Will you do an after six diet?  (My friend uses this diet. Every time he wants to eat, no matter what the time is, he simply adjusts his watch to 5:45pm…)

Friend, do you want to overhaul an area in your life?

Here’s what I realized: Changing your life doesn’t depend so much on your method as on your motive.

If you want to change anything in your life, the most important question isn’t “How” but “Why”. If you want to overhaul your life, you’ve got to find your burning, powerful, explosive  “Why”.

In other words, you change not so much by the greatness of your program but by the greatness of your purpose.

For your life to change you, the purpose has to have two qualities: (1) It’s got to be Emotional and (2) it’s got to be Enormous…

1. Emotional

       Psychology will tell us that we make most of our decisions based on emotional reasons. But once we make them, we look for logical reasons to justify our decisions.

       This fact corresponds to our brain anatomy.

       The newest part of our brain is called the neocortex. It’s responsible for analytical and rational thought.

       The deeper part of your brain is called the limbic brain. That’s where all your feelings reside—happiness, sadness, love, fear, trust… Guess what: This part of your brain is responsible for most of your human behavior. And most of your decision-making.

       Problem: It has no capacity for language. Because the limbic brain can’t explain itself, it will rely on your neocortex to explain why you did what you did.

       Let me give you an example…

This Doctor Didn’t Lose Weight Until…

       Danny was overweight by 55 pounds.

For the longest time, he wanted to start an exercise program. Specifically, he wanted to take a walk every morning. Danny had all the logic in the world—because Danny was a Doctor. Danny’s neocortex was brimming with the right information. He knew all the facts. He read all the books. He knew all the statistics. He knew the lectures.   But no matter how “logical” his reason was to lose weight, he never kept his exercise program. Because his pillow was soft. And the blanket was warm. And the bed was so inviting…

But one day, something happened.

One afternoon, Danny was at home, sipping his coffee while reading the newspaper.  

That was when his little 8-year old girl, wearing a pretty princess dress, complete with a shiny crown on her curly hair and pink high heels on her feet, walked up to him and said, “Daddy!”

“What?” Danny asked, while still reading the paper.

“Daddy!” she shouted louder.

“What is it?” he asked again, still reading.

That was when his little princess pushed his newspaper down, stared straight at her father’s shocked face, and said, “Daddy, will you still be alive when I get married?”

Suddenly, everything stopped for Danny. The walls, the ceilings, all the furniture at home became a giant blur—except for his girl in front of him, asking him this terrifying question.

When she said those words, he felt intense pain. It was so real, it was like someone planted a sharp dagger on his chest.

Slowly, a very vivid picture grew in his mind. He saw himself walking down a Church aisle, beside his daughter, now a beautiful young woman, and giving her away to a well-dressed monster waiting at the altar…

He also realized how he needed to live a long life. Because who will protect his little girl from unscrupulous suitors? In his mind, he devised a plan: The moment a suitor—any suitor–knocked on the door, he’d open it, and without any warning, simply punch the punk on the solar plexus. As the punk crumples on the ground, curling in pain, he’d say in a low growling voice, “You haven’t done anything wrong yet. Wait till you do…”

The next morning, Danny went out to walk. And the next day, he walked again. And the day after. And two years later, he still runs every morning. So far, he’s lost 30 pounds.

Logic didn’t change him. But he found an emotional reason big enough to make him change.

2. Enormous

You’ve got to find a big enough “Why”.

The reason why people don’t change—even if they want to change—is because their “Why’s” are small. 

Here’s a clue: It can’t just be about you. It’s got to be bigger than you. When you do it for someone you love, it gets bigger. 

Danny always wanted to run because he was concerned about his health. But when he was doing it just for himself, it wasn’t big enough. The moment he decided it was no longer about him, but about his daughter, the reason became gigantic in his mind.

But to make it even bigger, don’t just do it for your family. Do it for people for your bigger family—your city, your church, your country. 

TV Had To Go

       When I was kid, I loved TV. I was a walking TV Guide. My sister would ask me, “What’s showing on Tuesdays, 8:30pm, at channel 7?” and without batting an eyelash, I’d say, “Charlie’s Angels”.

       But when I was 13 years old, I felt God wanted me to replace TV with reading. Why? So I could learn more and have something to say as a Preacher. So I gave TV up. I stopped cold turkey. 

       For a 13-year-old kid, that’s almost impossible. But my “why” was gigantic: God wanted to use me to bless the world.

       Let me share with you another story from my life…

I Wanted To Finance The Kingdom

Once upon a time, I was a poor missionary earning P800 a month. And I was very happy. I loved my life.

But my pain came whenever I met a needy person who I wanted to help—but couldn’t. It was utterly frustrating.

I also felt that inner pain when I wanted to launch a new ministry, but I couldn’t, because we lacked funds.   My favorite fantasy? To pull out my wallet and start the new ministry with my own money.

That emotional reason was enough for me to cause drastic changes in my life. I took a crash course on learning how money worked. I launched my businesses, failed, launched again, failed again, launched again… I persevered amidst many failures, until I succeeded.  Today, I run many businesses and manage my ever-growing investments in the Stock Market.

 My desire to change my financial life—from poverty to abundance—came from a desire to bless the world. I didn’t do it just so I could drive a sleek car. The force that woke me up in the morning to work on my businesses and investments was a desire to finance the Kingdom.

What dream can be bigger than that?

Here’s the truth: If you find a big enough reason to change something in your life, you can change absolutely anything.

I urge you to dig deep and find that big-enough reason.

For example, in our spiritual family called Light of Jesus, we have a big vision. We want to build 1000 Feasts in the world. We want to build Feasts even in China, Africa, Eastern Europe… This enormous vision is the reason why I want to be a better husband, a better father, a better friend, a better preacher, a better writer, a better leader, a better person…

To overhaul your life, find your emotional and enormous reason… Talk, walk, eat, and sleep with that dream everyday.

When the “Why” is clear, the “How” will come to you.

And your life will change.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Winners Are Planners

Failures don’t plan to fail; they just fail to plan.Think about it. Have you ever met anyone who planned to fail? Someone

who wakes up in the morning and says, “Gosh, I really want to fail in life. I want to end up totally miserable. I want to end up divorced. I want to be hated by my family. I want to be broke forever and live in abject poverty. I want to suffer from a dreaded skin disease. Let me plan how to do this…”

Nope, I haven’t met anyone who planned to fail.But I’ve met many who failed to plan.Do you want to win in life? Then you have to plan to win.Here’s the truth: Winners are planners.

       A long time ago, a friend who was very religious told me, “I don’t plan. I just trust God. I just accept whatever happens as God’s will.” 

I told her, “I think God wants us to plan.”

“How come?” she asked me.

 “If God didn’t want us to plan, then He shouldn’t have given us a phenomenal brain that can imagine the future. The Bible also says, Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.(Proverbs 21:5)”

       Do you want to prosper in every area of your life? 

Then you have to plan to prosper…

How Long Is Your Timeframe?One of the most glaring differences between successful and unsuccessful

people is the timeframe of their thinking. Unsuccessful people always think short-term. They think about today, about this week, perhaps about this month. 

When I was doing ministry work in a slum area, I’d ask the people there, “What do you want in life?” and they’re most common answer was, “Makakain lang ako ng tatlong beses sa isang araw, okay na…” (If I can eat three times today, I’ll be okay…)

But successful people always think long-term. And the longer their timeframe, the more successful they are.  Successful people think about the next five years. Or the next ten years. Or the next twenty years. (Spiritual people are the most successful because we think really long term. We think of Heaven!)       Let me tell you why it’s important to plan…

Your Life Will Either Come

From Your Memory Or Your Imagination

 

Your life is a manifestation of your most dominant thinking.

In other words, your mind is the computer—and your life is the printout. 

That’s why it’s important to plan.

Because there are two kinds of thoughts: Your memory and your imagination. 

If you don’t plan, your life will be based on your memories—and that’s tragic. Because your future will simply duplicate your past. And that’s why an addict remains an addict. That’s why a depressed person remains depressed. That’s why a fearful person remains fearful. That’s why an unsuccessful person remains unsuccessful.

But if you plan, your life will be based on your imagination.

That’s why Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Let me go back to my computer analogy. 

Some people print out the old files and old data stored in their computer memory. If you do that, you’ll have the exact same printouts again and again. Nothing will change in your life.

 It doesn’t have to be that way. You can write new files. You can create new documents. And you can have new printouts!

People ask me, “So Bo, how do I plan?”

In three words, I’ll tell you how to plan.

Are you ready?

Here it is: Make it up! 

Manufacture the plan from your imagination.  Planning is creating a non-existent, future reality in your mind.

Two Ingredients To Planning

There are two important elements to planning.

1. Be Positive

2. Be Proficient

1. Be Positive

       If you’re not positive, you won’t even bother to plan.

       Before 1954, no one planned on running a mile below 4 minutes. Because in their minds, this was “humanly” impossible. No human being was able to do it.

       But one day in 1954, Roger Banister ran one mile for 3 min 59.4 seconds. 

When news went around about Banister’s feat, do you know what happened next? So many other runners broke the 4-minute mile! (Today, high school kids regularly do it.)  Why? Because people no longer think it’s impossible.

       Are you positive that you can fulfill your dreams? Or control your temper? Or stop your smoking? Or change your finances?

       Many of us aren’t positive, because we have a problem…

You’re Bombarded With Negative Thinking

       Imagine a stranger entering into your house. He sits down on the sofa, leans back, crosses his legs, makes himself comfortable, and starts talking to your 8-year old girl. And he starts telling stories of rape, murder, adultery,… and he uses the foulest language.

Tell me. What will you do?

       You’d get a big stick and drive him out of your house!

       But here’s the sad fact of life: We’ve allowed that stranger to enter our home, enthrone him at the central place of the living room, and even made him enter our bedrooms.

I’m talking of some TV shows that don’t deserve to be in your home. I’m not saying throw the TV.  (Goodness, I have a show on TV.)  TV is a wonderful invention. You just have to choose the shows you watch.

Choose what you receive everyday.

When you watch TV or read the papers, it tells you of corrupt politicians, wars between nations, road accidents, philandering husbands, betraying friends…

       That’s the garbage you fill your minds.

       How do you clean your minds?

       I actually demonstrated this before 6000 people. I got a glass of dirty water and showed it to the crowd. I then got a large pitcher of clean water. I then poured clean water onto the glass of brownish water until it overflowed. And in a few seconds, the polluted water was displaced. A few seconds more, the glass was now filled with pure fresh water.

       In the same way, if you consistently pour powerful, positive, inspiring thoughts into your mind, soon, you’ll drive out all “polluted” thinking from your life.

       I’m happy you’re reading Soulfood. Do this every week. And I believe your thinking will change. 

Two Wolves Inside You

       Remember this Cherokee story?  

Within you, there are two wolves. The good wolf and the bad wolf. The good wolf represents anger, jealousy, bickering, temper, resentment, selfishness… The good wolf represents forgiveness, gentleness, kindness, humility, selflessness… And each day, they’re fighting each other. 

Here’s the big question: Who will win?

The answer?  The one that you feed.

       Feed your mind with the best mental, spiritual, and emotional nourishment the world has to offer!

       Joining our weekly Feast is one of the best things you can do to become positive. Read the best books. (Shameless plug: I just launched a new book, How To Prosper. Find it in bookstores.)  Listen to the best music. Watch the most inspiring movies. And hang out with wisest people you can find. 

       But alas, for complicated changes, being positive isn’t enough.

2. Be Proficient

Imagine if I wanted to build a new house.

So I sketched on a napkin how I wanted my house to look like. I then asked my neighbor, “Neighbor, can you help me build my house? I’ve got the plans right here…” holding up the napkin.

My neighbor scratches his head and said, “Gee Bo, that’s a bit way off my turf. I’m an orthodontist.”

“You have no faith!” I scold him. “Just believe. Be positive!”

Do you think we’ll build a great house?

I don’t think so. No matter how much positive thinking I have. No matter how many times I say, “I can build my house! I can build my house!” it won’t work. 

Let me give you an example in real life…

If You Don’t Have Proficiency,

Ask Someone Who Does

 

I love entrepreneurship. I teach it to others. 

But I’ve seen thousands of failed businesses. 

Why? The #1 reason why businesses fail: They launched their business on positive thinking, not proficient thinking.

There was no business plan. Or if there was a business plan, the business plan wasn’t shown to business mentors. Which is insane.

Listen. Your business isn’t unique. It’s been done in some way or form already by someone more proficient than you. Consult. Seek help. Get guidance.

Let me tell you a story. 

One day, someone came up to me and asked if I wanted to be part-owner of his business. He gave me the financial statements of his little company and I liked the profits of his business.

After a week of studying them, I showed the financial statement to my Business Mentor. Here’s the amazing part of this story: My Mentor looked at it for 12 seconds and he told me, “This isn’t a good business. The margins are too small.” That financial statement was with me for a week and I didn’t see what he saw. But he saw the flaw in 12 seconds.

That’s proficiency.

My Business Mentor saved me from a lot of misery and pain and heartache.

I repeat: Planning requires proficiency. If you don’t have it, get others who have the proficiency.

       How do you grow in proficiency?

Be An Eternal Student

       Here’s some sad statistics. According to surveys, young people spend 8 hours a day for entertainment. Watching TV. Surfing the net. Video games. Facebook.

       8 hours!

       Suggestion? Cut it into half. Spend 4 hours in entertainment and 4 hours in education.  Increase your skills. Develop new ones. Get training. Acquire expertise. Gain proficiency.

       Ask yourself. What skills and habits do you need to accomplish your dream? Perhaps the ability to write. Or the ability to sell. Or the ability to invest. Or the ability to speak.

Imagine if you read one hour a day. That means you’ll be able to read one book a week. In one year, you would have read 52 books. Imagine how proficient you’d become.

“But Bo, I’m not a reader!” some will tell me. That’s fine. Then listen to audio talks, attend seminars, join workshops. 

Because leaders are learners.

Let me end…

Create Your Future

Three years ago, we only had 3000 people attending the Feast. We were still in Valle Verde Country Club. I remember going home after one Feast, and writing a dream in my journal: “One day, we’ll have 8000 people attending the Feast, receiving God’s Love every Sunday.”

People told me that this was a humongous jump. 3000 to 8000 is a 160% growth. But I believed it was going to happen.

The dream was set in my mind: 8000 people. But dreaming wasn’t enough. Positive thinking wasn’t enough. I now had to create a plan to achieve that dream.

First, I knew we had to relocate. Because Valle Verde couldn’t accommodate 8000 people.

Second, we had to raise up more volunteers, more leaders, and more givers.

I then consulted with wiser leaders of other organizations that grew from 3000 to 8000 and beyond. 

Result? We transferred to PICC, one of the most beautiful venues in the country. 

Today, there are 7000 people coming every Sunday. (Plus, there are still 800 people who attend our Feast in Valle Verde.)

By the way, going from 7000 to 8000 people is no longer a challenge. We’ll reach that number this year. 

But successful people think long-term. So I’m thinking three to five years from now. One day, we’ll have 15,000 people joining us every Sunday, receiving God’s Love.

Why am I sharing this to you?

Because you have your own dreams. I now urge you to write a plan. Create your future reality in your imagination. Chart a pathway towards your purpose. And seek help from others who are more proficient than you are.

       Create your future today.

Today is new. A new slate. A new start. A new beginning.

Imagine your success now.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez

Let No One Fool You: The Real Key To Success Is (Drumroll Please)…

 

I’ve been helping people change their lives for 30+ years.

And I’ve realized that one of the most common reasons why people don’t change is because they wait for the perfect condition to change.

But that’s a recipe for staying the same.

One November morning, an overweight guy told me, “I really want to get healthy. I want to start walking one solid hour every morning.”

“Great,” I told him, “When will you start?”

“I just need to buy a new pair of rubber shoes,” he beamed, “and I’m good to go. I want to walk with those hi-tech rubber shoes with air cushions in their soles. Once I buy that, I’m ready to conquer the streets. Boy, am I excited!”

When I checked him out in December, he said, “Oh Bo, it’s the Christmas season. I’m just super busy now. You know, with all the shopping and late-night parties.  But I promise you Bo, when Christmas is over, I’ll really get to it. Nothing is going to stop me from my morning exercise!”

In the middle of January, I bumped into him. He said, “I’ve not been able to start yet. Gosh, there’s a huge backlog in the office. Let me clear that off first. And I’ll jump into my exercise program right away…”

When I talked to him in April, he said, “Summer is crazy, Bo. My kids taking painting classes and music classes, and I have to drive them to all these classes every day.  After the insanity of summer is over, I’m really going to start

walking every morning. You just wait. I’ll be burning the road. I’ll be sweating like a horse. I’ll be losing pounds….”

When June rolled in, he said, “The kids are back in school. Let me just settle them, buy their books, their uniform, their notebooks, and I’ll reeeeeeeeally start my exercise program in the morning. I mean, I can’t wait to walk on the road. The moment I start, I won’t stop. That’s me. That’s my personality. I don’t want to start anything half-baked…”

When I checked on him in October, he said, “Oh Bo, Christmas season is starting early this year. Let me let Christmas season pass by and I’ll reeeeeeeeeally get started on my morning walk…”

This man will never start.

Do you want to know if you’ll succeed in life or not?

Simply ask this question: Will you excuse or execute…

Just Do It

Let me ask you: What change have you been postponing in your life? What new move have you been delaying, because the conditions aren’t perfect?

Perhaps you want to change your spiritual life.

Or you want to change your financial life.

       Or you want to change your family life.

       I urge you: Start now!

“Just do it” wasn’t invented by Nike.2000 years age, Jesus said the same thing. He said, “What do you think?

There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (Matthew 21:28-31)

At the end of the day, intentions mean nothing without execution.The Three Principles Of Execution

Do you want success in your life? Execute.

For me, execution means three things:

1. Start Now2. Start Small3. Start Again

1. Start Now

       One day, I was walking in a mall when a man approached me. He said, “Bo, I’m a big fan. I read your books. I watch your TV show. What I really want to do is attend the Feast.”

I said, “You’re very welcome. Come!”

He said, “Even when the Feast was at Camp Aguinaldo, I already wanted to attend it.” (Note: That’s what we call our weekly spiritual gathering.)

Huh? We were in Camp Aguinaldo centuries ago. During the stone age, before the ice age made the dinosaurs extinct.

He said, “And when you moved to Valle Verde, I wanted to attend there. And then you moved to PICC, I wanted to join there too. But I never was able to attend…”

“Why not?” I asked.

“I’m just fixing something in my life, Brother Bo. There’s something I’m repairing in my life. Once that’s fixed, I’ll start joining you every Sunday.”

       I told him, “Don’t fix it on your own. Just come to the Feast as you are, and let you and God fix what needs to be fixed together.”

Don’t wait for a perfect condition before you execute.

My Awful Book

I remember the first book I ever wrote in my life. I was 20 years old. The book was entitled, “When My Brook Runs Dry.” 

Honestly, it was awful.

When I read it now, I cringe. I feel so ashamed. I want to dig a hole in the ground and hide my head. My grammar was shameful. My use of adjectives and adverbs was utterly deplorable. 

       I never reprinted it.

Oh, there have been attempts. Some of my friends insisted that I republish the book, telling me that they’ll even pay for its reprinting. I want you to know they’re no longer my friends.

Just kidding.

But no matter how terrible that book is, that was how my writing ministry started. Today, I have written 25 bestselling books. And I wouldn’t be writing my 26th book now if I didn’t write my first “awful” book.

It’s the same with Kerygma magazine.

In 1990, we launched Kerygma.  Do you know what topic I wrote for our first issue?  “Hell”. It was very reader-friendly.

But because of that crazy start, we have 8 magazines today—blessing the world with God’s Love. And Kerygma remains the widest read inspirational magazine in the country.

Do you see a pattern? First things can be awful. But they open the path for the future.

Get Over The First Tabo

       A few decades ago, most Filipinos didn’t use showers.  The shower spout was a décor. Reason: Weak water pressure all over the city.

       So we used the dipper. Or tabo. 

       We also didn’t have water heaters. 

I remember the ordeals of cold mornings. When I took a bath, the first tabo of water was the most difficult.  After that, it gets easier.

My friend had this great idea. He told me, “Because the first tabo is the coldest, I simply throw it away…” (I have very weird friends.)

Haven’t you noticed? When we take a bath, we “just start”. 

We don’t hold the tabo and wait for it to warm. 

We simply grit our teeth and pour the first tabo of water on our bodies and scream, “Brrrrrrrrrr!”

Do you have a project? A dream? A plan?

Just start.

Real Artists Ship

Apple founder, Steve Jobs, said, “Real Artists ship.”

Artists are notorious for not delivering their masterpieces on time. Because they’re not in the mood, or they’re not satisfied with their work, or they’re still perfecting this or that detail. Artists are known for creating beautiful designs and concepts in their minds—but they fail to deliver to the customer on time.

But Steve Jobs says, “Then you’re not a real artist.” Because real artists ship real products to real customers.

One of the reasons why artists don’t ship? Insecurity. We’re afraid of what other people will say if they spot this or that error.

But let me twist Steve Job’s famous line: Real Artists serve.

If you’re after serving others instead of your ego, you’ll bring out your product to the world and let it bless others—even if it isn’t perfect.

Second, don’t wait for big things before you start…

2. Start Small

In other words, catch small fish before big fish.

I know of a man who everyone calls Mr. Billionaire. Not because he’s a billionaire. But because he always talks about the billion peso deals he’s making.

One day, he tells me, “Bo, I’m talking with some Japanese billionaires. They’re selling a prime property of 200 hectares for a malunggay factory.” Wow.

On another day, he tells me, “I’m brokering a deal with the Koreans. They want to invest 100 billion to start a herbal company.”  Amazing.

On another day, he tells me, “I’m talking with the people of Ramon Ang of San Miguel for a possible power plant in Mindanao.”

They’re very impressive projects. And after each conversation, he’ll always tell me, “Brother Bo, once this deal is finished, I’ll donate 25 million to your ministry.”

But sadly, I’ve been talking to the guy for 13 years, and not a single deal has been done.

In the meantime, his friends tell me, “Brother Bo, can you pray for our pal? He’s always broke. He’s renting a rundown apartment and he can’t even pay for it.”

What’s wrong with him? He’s not starting small. He’s trying to catch big fish before small fish. 

Before Steven Spielberg made E.T, Jaws, and Jurassic Park, he started as a 12-year-old kid making amateur movies about their family’s camping trip.

Before Manny Paquiao fought De la Hoya and Marquez, he fought struggling boxers like himself—and lost many times.

       Start small.

Here’s why: When you start, you’ll always make many mistakes. If you start small, you make small mistakes. But if you start big, you’ll make big mistakes. That’s very costly and painful.

       This even applies in ministry.

Jesus said, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

       God will use you in Jerusalem first. Later, He’ll expand your impact to the entire province of Judea and Samaria. After that, the entire world.

       Finally…

3. Start Again

I heard this inspiring story from Les Brown.

One day, two guys were retrenched. And these men went looking for new jobs—but the economy was so bad, there were no job openings.

One guy got discouraged, watched TV, drank beer, became toxic with his wife, and talked negative with his other negative unemployed friends, with topics such as…

“How the economy is going to the dogs.”

“How the rich are robbing us blind.”

“How politicians are destroying the country.”

But the second guy kept applying. But no matter what he did, he was still rejected. The most common reason they told him was, “You’re overqualified for the job.”

But he never gave up. He kept knocking on doors.

One day, in desperation, he said to the one of the bosses he was talking to, “Look, you don’t have to pay me. I just want to be useful.” 

The boss said, “Okay, but don’t expect me to pay you.” 

He came to work everyday. He was the first guy to come in and the last guy to leave.   Even if he wasn’t paid.

Four weeks later, the top manager quit. The owners looked for a replacement. And they remembered that they had this “volunteer” working in their office. They hired him—and that man now runs the company.

       Here’s the key to success: Don’t stop moving.

       When you start and fail, start again.

The old formula for success was Ready, Aim, Fire.

Today, we’re realizing that the real formula for success is Ready, Aim, Fire, Aim, Fire, Aim, Fire…

In other words, don’t aim for perfect execution but persistent execution.

Conclusion: Don’t Bury Your Dreams

I usually do my morning walk around my village.

But one day, I decided to take my morning walk in the cemetery beside our village. I love going there because it’s very quiet. And even if you run and make noise, the homeowners don’t complain.

While walking, I realized I was surrounded by thousands of tombs. But I wasn’t only surrounded by dead people. I was also surrounded by the tombs of dead dreams. Books that were never written. Songs that were not sung. Friendships that were not kindled. Businesses that were not launched. Ministries that were not started. 

Because people didn’t execute.

Remember our passage above?

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(Ecclesiastes 9:10)       Friend, don’t let your dreams die with you.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

Victory Is An Inside Job

        Today, I’d like to start a powerful series entitled, The Fighter. In these next three to four weeks, I want to teach you how to fight temptation—and win. Man, I love this incredible series. (I’ll be speaking from my heart, because much of what I’ll share comes from my personal “war stories”.)

        This series has three myth-busting messages: (1) Focus on the Good; (2) Friend with the Good; and (3) Fight for the Good.

       Today, I’d like to talk about how to Focus on the Good.

       Let me warn you. What I’m going to tell you today is controversial. In this message, you’ll read stuff that you won’t hear very often…

Where’s The Fight Taking Place?

       Do you fall into sin?

       Have you ever fought temptation and lost?

       I’m asking this question because, uh, I can’t relate. Sin is very foreign to me. In fact, I always ask my friends, “Can you describe what it feels like to sin? Because, frankly, I’ve never experienced it.”

Well, okay, I do admit I have one little, tiny, itsy, bitsy weakness…

I lie. 

       Haha.

Okay, no more jokes. If you have sinned against God, then keep reading. Because your preacher is the greatest sinner.   Name a sin, and 99% of the time, I’ve done it.  (I haven’t killed anyone. At least, I don’t remember.)

       So today, I speak to you as one fellow-sinner to another fellow-sinner. I share with you today the lessons I’ve learned while I was stuck in the muck of sin.

Yes, your preacher is bruised, broken, and bandaged—but still blessed by the mercy of God.

Here’s the big thing I realized. When I find myself trapped in my habitual sins, it’s because I was fighting in the wrong arena.

I was fighting outside me when the battle was inside me.

       No wonder I was losing!

       We think temptation is as an external problem. It’s not.  It’s an internal problem.  Because all these external temptations are almost powerless if it didn’t have allies working within me.

       Here’s my big message for you today: Victory is an inside job. 

By the way, failure is an inside job too…

The Fight Is Within You

My mother lived during the Japanese war.

And she has all sorts of crazy stories to tell.

One of them was that before the war began, she said there were Japanese vendors selling their stuff on the streets of Manila. But when the Japanese army attacked the Philippines, these Japanese vendors—who were dressed very simply—turned out to be high-ranking officers of the Japanese army.

It’s like the story of the Trojan horse.

For 10 years, the Greeks were trying to conquer the city of Troy, but with very little success. The city of Troy was impregnable, with high thick walls and a massive gate that the Greek soldiers couldn’t destroy, no matter how hard they tried.

But one day, the Trojans (the people who live in Troy) saw the Greek soldiers sail away. And saw that the Greeks left behind a giant wooden horse.

The Trojans brought the horse into their city as a trophy of war. They didn’t know that the Greeks just pretended to sail away. And that inside the wooden horse were Greek soldiers hiding.

That night, when the Trojans were asleep, the Greek soldiers came out of hiding and opened the gates of the city–welcoming the returning Greek soldiers. They marched in and destroyed the city of Troy.

       Read carefully: You fall not because of the strong temptation outside you but because of the weak situation inside you.

The temptation shouldn’t have been powerful.

But someone opened the gate.

Who is that someone? 

Your Trojan Horse.

This Trojan Horse is the greatest, most powerful, most potent, most deadly weapon of the devil.

The Greatest Weapon Of The Devil

       One day in Hell, there was an Annual Infernal Conference attended by the all devils in the world. The Theme of the Conference was, “Our Greatest Weapon Against God’s People”.

       The first Speaker—a high-ranking devil—stood on stage and announced, “There is no debate about this. Our greatest weapon against God’s people is lust!” All his listeners applauded. He explained, “Even Presidents, Priests, and Preachers are totally defenseless against lust!”  And the entire crowd roared in agreement.

       The second Speaker came up. Wearing a black tuxedo with a thick gold ring on every finger, he declared, “The first speaker is stupid. Don’t listen to him. Because our greatest weapon is greed!” The audience drank his every word. He said, “Imagine the billions of people who are suffering today because of our assistants on planet earth—greedy politicians!”  And the whole assembly screamed, “Yeheey!”

       The third Speaker climbed up on the platform amidst the sound of blasting trumpets. He wore a royal red robe and a golden crown. With extreme arrogance, he shouted, “The first two speakers told you a bunch of crap. Don’t listen to those

ignoramuses. Because our greatest weapon is…” and he clenched his fist in the air, “…Pride!”  The entire hall thundered with applause. He screamed, “Every war in the history of mankind was caused by pride!”

Finally, the last Speaker of the Conference stood up. And when they saw him, the room became deathly quiet. Because everyone knew who he was. He was the devil that brought the most number of souls away from God.

He wore a simple black robe. He spoke quietly. He said, “There is something more powerful than lust and greed and pride. In fact, I compare lust, greed, and pride to wooden toy slingshots. And I compare our greatest weapon to a nuclear bomb. Because with our greatest weapon, you can multiply the power of lust, greed, and pride by a million times…”

By this time, all the devils in the hall were shouting to the top of their lungs, “What is it? What is our greatest weapon?”

He waved his hand to quiet the crowd.

And he whispered, “Our greatest weapon is… self-rejection.”

When External Spiritual Activity Isn’t Enough

       Self-rejection is the Trojan Horse of temptation. It opens the gate of your soul to temptation. That’s why you lose the battle.

       I speak with authority because this was my experience.

Decades ago, I couldn’t kick the habit of pornography. For years, no matter how I tried, I couldn’t get out of its deathly grip. All my energies and time were being consumed by this addiction.

At that time, I asked my religious leaders, “How can I fight temptation? It’s so overwhelming.” And these spiritual people would give me pat, canned answers.

They’d say, “You need to pray more,” or “You need to memorize the Bible more,” or “You need to attend more prayer meetings,” or “You need to avoid the situations that lead you to sin”

       All these advices are great stuff.  (In fact, I’ll give you the same advice in the third part of this series, but from a different angle.)

But at that time, I was shocked when they didn’t work on me.

I still fell into sin. Repeatedly. I still was trapped as ever. I told myself, “Hey, I doubled my prayer time. Why did I fall? Gosh, there must be really something wrong with me!”

Here’s why these activities failed: Because all these good advices was telling me to focus on the fight “outside” me.  “Add spiritual activities, like adding ammunition, and you’ll win.”

Soon, their advices added to my frustration—which made me sin even more.

How?  

First of all, I already hated myself for falling into sin again and again. And now, I had a brand new reason to hate myself. Because I promised to pray more and memorize the Bible more—and I failed to do them too!

This vicious cycle of self-rejection led to more sin.

The Anatomy of Habitual Sin

       Let me tell you something that very few people will tell you…

       Behind every sin is a cry for love.

       Your greatest and deepest need is to be loved. Mother Teresa said, “the greatest poverty is the poverty of being unloved.” When you don’t fill this great hunger for love, you scramble and grab anything that will quiet this hunger.

       So you look for a replacement. A painkiller. An anesthetic.

       That narcotic is sin. 

Because the pleasure of sin is the pirated version of the pleasure of being loved.

The problem with the fake version is that it’ll never truly satisfy your deepest hunger. Instead, it will increase your need. What used to satisfy no longer satisfies. Over time, you’ll need to increase the dose of the narcotic.

 A porn addict starts looking for unnatural sex. A gambler starts gambling with higher amounts of money. An adulterer starts searching for more partners.

Drugs. Alcohol. Sex. Gambling. Materialism. Food addiction.  Approval addiction. At the core of all addictions, they’re all the same: It’s a desperate need for love.

       Let me give you another analogy…

Love Is Expensive

       In many streets of Metro Manila, you’ll see rugby boys. It’s a heart-wrenching sight. I cry whenever I see them. Little boys—as young as six years old—sniffing rugby on the sidewalk, looking at the world with glazed eyes.

These kids are hungry for food. But because food is expensive and rugby is cheap, they go for the drug. To forget their hunger, they sniff the brain-shrinking, neuron-burning chemical adhesive.

But people who have habitual sins are in the exact same boat.

We’re hungry for love. But love is expensive and sin is cheap. So we go for our habitual sin to deaden the inner pain of our hunger for love.

I repeat: Love is expensive.

Believe me. It’s not easy to love yourself. To value yourself. To forgive yourself. To accept yourself. It’s easier to sin than to do the hard work of loving yourself the way God loves you.

How Will You Know If You’ve Got A Trojan Horse?

There are 3 signs to know if there’s a Trojan Horse in you…

First, you don’t love yourself. You reject you.  You hate you. You don’t accept who you are. You don’t celebrate you.

       Second, your most important relationships are dysfunctional. You don’t receive love from your closest relationships. Even if there are people around you who truly love you, you can’t see this nor receive this love.

       Third, you worship a “rejecting” God. A legalistic, cruel, judgmental God. So you don’t receive love from God as well.

       Unless you heal this inner wound and start learning to love yourself the way God loves you, you’ll never be able to win over temptation.

       Next week, I’ll talk about how to do this.

       But let me give you the first step that you need to do to fight the battle within…

Receive God’s Unconditional Love Now

       Let me repeat: The pleasure of sin is the pirated version of the pleasure of being loved. 

Do you want to experience the pleasure of being loved? 

       Receive God’s unconditional love today!

       And take your cue from God.

Don’t focus on your badness; Focus on your goodness.

       Don’t hate yourself. Don’t reject yourself. Or this self-rejection will cause you to sin even more.

       He loves you more than you can ever imagine.

Have you sinned? Have you fallen?

       God doesn’t look at what you did wrong.

       God looks at what you did right.

       God doesn’t focus on your failures.

       God focuses on your future.

       In your eyes, you’re bruised, bandaged, and broken. In God’s eyes, you’re beautiful, beloved, and blessed.

The Bible says, But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. (Romans 8:5, 11)

What is God saying here? He says, “Don’t focus on your sinful nature. Focus instead on your spiritual nature. Can you imagine? My own Spirit is in you!”

In other words, focus on the good.

This is a mind-blowing truth.  That the same awesome power that created every atom, molecule, pebble, leaf, tree, valley, ocean, mountain, planet, sun, star, and galaxy… yes, the most powerful force in the universe… is in you.

And that most powerful force—the Holy Spirit—is love.

Next week, I’ll teach you how to heal the Trojan Horse of Self-Rejection.

       May your dreams come true,

       Bo Sanchez

How Much Do You Love Yourself?

I believe that you must really love yourself to change.If you want to win over temptation, you have to heal your relationship with

yourself. Jesus said, “a kingdom divided unto itself cannot stand.” In other words, can a country win a war if it’s divided within? Of course not.

In order to fight the bad outside you, you’ve got to friend with the good in you. You have to celebrate your goodness.

Last week, I gave you the first reason why loving yourself is necessary for overcoming temptation. Sin is a counterfeit of love. (The pleasure of sin is the pirated version of the pleasure of being loved.) By having the real thing and satisfying your deepest need for love, sinful desires lose their urgency.

But there’s a second reason why loving yourself is crucial to fighting temptation: You don’t have enough “why” to fight.

Establish Your Why

The Bible says, In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  (Hebrews 12:4)

       Are you willing to die in your fight against temptation?

Many people aren’t willing to fight to the death. There’s not enough fight in us. That’s why we lose.

Why?

Because we don’t have a reason to fight.

There’s no fuel. There’s no fire. There’s no fight!

If you don’t love yourself, you won’t fight. If you don’t love your freedom, you won’t fight. If you don’t love your future, you won’t fight.

       If you study men who have gone in the battlefield and fought to the death, you’ll realize that they have a burning “why” in their soul. 

Without this “why”, you won’t bother going to battle.

       You’re in a battle too. There are temptations around you that want to destroy your life. Your marriage. Your finances. Your health.   Your inner peace.

       Will you fight this temptation?

       Here’s the truth: You will only fight temptation to the degree that you value yourself. If you don’t value yourself, you won’t fight.

       This is why I said that the greatest weapon of the devil isn’t lust, or greed, or pride, but self-rejection. This is the Trojan Horse that opens the gate of our souls to temptation.

To get rid of Self-Rejection, you need Self-Acceptance. To explain this, let me tell you the love story of Brad and Angelina (Note: any similarities to actual persons or events is purely coincidental).

How Many Cows Are You Worth?

In a small remote village many moons ago, there lived a people with a peculiar custom. When a man wanted to marry a woman, he had to give a dowry to the father of the bride. Now many cultures had this custom. But what was peculiar was the fact that the dowry had to be a cow. 

You see, cows were prized possession in this village.  And according to local custom, the man must give one to ten cows as dowry, depending on how beautiful the girl was.

       In this village, there was a young man named Brad who fell in love with a young maiden named Angelina. And he wanted to marry her. So after many months of courtship, he finally arranged for a meeting with her father.

He Asked For Her Hand In Marriage

       On that fateful day, Brad was nervous but ready. With sweaty palms and shaking knees, he knocked on the door of her home. And her family was waiting inside. Actually, her entire clan was waiting inside. All 67 people crammed up in this little house. 

The mother of Angelina opened the door and invited Brad to come in. As was the custom, in the center of the room were two chairs prepared.  The father of Angelina was already seated in one of them. He motioned to Brad to take the other seat.

Brad cleared his throat and announced, “Sir, I’d like to ask for the hand of your daughter Angelina in marriage.”

       The father nodded his head and said, “Yes, I give you my blessing.”

       The entire family applauded and cheered. And Angelina gave a shy smile as her sisters gave her a squeeze.

The young man then asked the next big question, “Sir, can we talk about dowry…”

It is here that I wish to give you a little background. 

Angelina was kind and loving and sweet and intelligent. But she wasn’t physically beautiful. Her eyes were too large. Her mouth was too wide. Her lips were too thick. (I repeat: Any similarities to actual persons, events, or circumstances is purely coincidental.)

Because of this, the women of the clan—the grandmother, the mother, and all the aunties—already agreed that Angelina was worth one cow. This consensus was arrived by the women of the clan not on that day, not even weeks or months before, but years ago—as Angelina was growing up as a little girl among them.

So back to the story. The father said, “All I ask is that you give me one cow for my daughter.” Nods of agreement spread across the room. 

       Brad frowned.   He couldn’t hide the dismay on his face. He shook his head and with a firm voice said, “Sir, with due respect, I shall not give you one cow for your daughter. She isn’t worthy of one cow.”

       There was a collective loud gasp in the room. Angelina covered her mouth. Everyone was in shock…

This Guy Is Crazy

The father stood up. With anger, the father said, “Young man, how dare you insult my family! How dare you insult my daughter!”

       Brad momentarily looked at Angelina (who at that point was about to break down in tears), smiled at her, and said, “Sir, for your lovely daughter, I shall give you TEN cows.”

       There was another loud gasp in the room. All the relatives whispered to each other, “This guy is crazy.”

       The father didn’t know what to say as well.  For a moment, he spoke gibberish.  “I… I… uh, but… but… how should I say this… young man, this is tradition. Aren’t you paying too much?”

       Brad smiled, “Sir, Angelina isn’t only beautiful. She is the definition of beauty. Angelina is worth more than the highest price a man can ever pay.” 

       Brad then stood up, knelt in front of Angelina, and sang, “Beautiful girl, wherever you are…”

       A few days later, the ten cows were given. And the wedding took place. And the happy couple walked to their new home.

       And as the years passed, something magical happened to Angelina. Her physical appearance changed. Her face became more radiant. More alluring. More lovely. Soon, she became the most beautiful woman in the village.

       Let me tell you how this happened…

Women Carry This Value In Their Minds Forever

       Women in that village—for the rest of their lives—would carry their “dowry value” in their minds. They would see themselves through that lens—even if they got married 20 or 30 years ago. And they would also be seen by others through that lens.

The village seamstress? She’s a three-cow wife. 

The store cashier? She’s a six-cow wife. 

The wife of the doctor? She’s a four-cow wife.

       But only Angelina was a ten-cow wife.

       So she smiled like a ten-cow wife.  She talked like a ten-cow wife. She dressed like a ten-cow wife. She took care of herself as a ten-cow wife. And everyone in the village saw her as a ten-cow wife!

Your Behavior Flows From Your Belief

What’s my point? 

Your behavior flows from your belief.

       Because Angelina believed she was a ten-cow wife, she acted like one. Soon, her physical body transformed too.

A lot of people try to change their lives by changing behavior.

       Generally, it doesn’t work. Because they think the battle is on the outside. It’s not. Victory and Failure is an inside job.

       Here’s the truth: You don’t change your life by changing behavior. You change your life by changing your beliefs. Once you change your beliefs, you change your behavior. Because behavior flows from beliefs.

 But where does belief come from?

Your Belief Flows From Another Person’s Belief

Brad believed in Angelina. 

He believed in her value. And she caught this belief.  

For the longest time, she believed she was a one-cow woman. But someone walked into her life who had a totally different belief. This guy believed that she was a ten-cow wife.

Because of this, she began to believe in her value too.

Because Brad believed in her value, Angelina experienced a transformation. New behavior flowed out of her new belief.

Belief is like a virus. It’s not taught, it’s caught. No amount of lectures or reading will make you believe in your own value. There’s got to be the presence of another person who believes in your value—and he infects you with that belief.

Belief comes from belief.

The only way to believe in your own value is to witness someone else believe in your own value.  

This is the role of every parent. To announce to your child, “I believe in you so much.” Parents, you need to say this by your actions, not just by your words. By the amount of time you spend with your kids. By the way you look at them, talk to them, and love them. Kids can see in your eyes whether you believe in their value or not.

       When parents don’t do this, children grow up searching for someone to believe in them. And this is where they fall to bad company…

       We need to be re-parented. In my vocabulary, this is discipleship. (This is what we’re trying to do in my spiritual community, Light of Jesus Family.)

Someone Does Believe In Your Value!

Brad paid for Angelina with the highest price possible. 

Friend, you’re like Angelina—because God paid for you with the highest price possible. He gave Himself on the cross.

God values you so much.

Once you “get it”, you don’t want to sin.

The Bible said, Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet… (Matthew 7:6) 

Why do we live with the swine? Why do we act like swine?

       Because we believe we’re swine.

       Why can’t we stop sinning? Because we believe that’s who we are. But if you believe that you’re a child of God, you won’t stay with the swine.

How I Got Healed

I’d like to pray with you today.

I believe miracles happen when someone loves you—and you receive that love.

I believe this because it happened to me. For many years, I hated myself. I just didn’t see myself as a one-cow person. I saw myself as a one-worm person. A one-bacteria person!

I was ashamed of myself. I was ashamed that I even existed.

This belief came from a trauma that happened to me as a child—when I was molested. And it worsened when I wallowed in my addictions. But every time I fell in my addictions, and I hated myself even more, God came and wrapped His arms around me.

God kept whispering to my ear, “I love you. I accept you. I enjoy you. I celebrate you.” The Bible verse that echoed in my heart was, Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… (Romans 8:1)

God is like my second religion teacher. When I failed, He’d come up to me with a big smile on his face and say, “I believe in you. You can do better. Take the exam again.” God is the God of the second chance. And the third chance. And the fourth chance…

       Condemned people act in a condemned way.

       But forgiven people act in a forgiven way.

Slowly, I saw myself differently. I saw myself the way God saw me. And I changed.

Allow God to love you today.

May your dreams come true,

Bo Sanchez