God knows before we are born the kind of life we will live and the commitment we will make to worship Him. For those who become a follower of Jesus Christ, God lays out a plan and a purpose for our lives from the very beginning, even before we are saved. When God intervenes in our life we are given an unusual advantage even though there may be many times of disasters that occur preparing us for what He wants us to be.

I am amazed as I study my Bible how God talked to Moses, the prophets, Joseph, King David and many others. Today God talks to us through His Spirit that lives within us. As I have written approximately 475 Christian blogs it is exciting to write about certain subjects that come to mind that I believe was Holy Spirit inspired.

My father died prior to my sixth birthday. My grandfathers, on both sides, were ministers. However, I did not grow up as an only child in a Christian household. We lived in a small rural city without TV, radio, telephone or an inside bathroom. My entertainment was playing sports with the neighborhood kids. In grade school, all of my extracurricular activities were sports. I point this out because had I not been involved in sports in high school chances were I would have been a dropout.

Upon graduation one of my best friends with whom I played sports wanted me to join the Navy on the buddy system. Meaning: we would go everywhere together while we were in the service. I thought joining the Navy was crazy. I always had a job since the fifth grade when I had a newspaper route. However, no matter how hard I tried I could not find full-time employment anywhere. He finally convinced me to sign up. We go to Seattle for induction and take all kinds of test and I am sworn in. I then find out he didn’t make it. Probably part of God’s plan.

Knowing very little about Christianity I saw a completely different lifestyle with young men away from home. More than three years I spent overseas. My last assignment was on the staff of the commander of all cruisers and destroyers in the Pacific. We spent most of our time off the coast of Japan on different ships. When we reached port many would come back the next day with stories of their lustful experiences. It was carousing, drinking and women. I learned how many young men of the world lived.

Upon being discharged from the Navy I began going to church and at 22, I was converted. I went to a Christian college where I learned the difference between lust and love. A lustful person is a taker and a loving person is a giver. Most of the world lives lusting and envying. A Christian is taught God’s way is to live life loving. In fact love is what life is all about.

I Corinthians 13:1 – 8 – “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”

I have seen how the world lives and I know how God tells us to live. I can go back to when I was a small child and see where God had intervened in my life. Maybe not the same way He did in Joseph’s life but He allowed many things to happen in preparation for what His purpose in life for me was to be.

The four years in the Navy brought discipline into my life. It provided four years of free education. Being a student at a Christian college allowed me to learn God’s ways of living life through love. I knew what lust could cause in a person’s life and the tremendous advantages of learning how to love. God’s ways helped me to receive promotion after promotion. He allowed me to be a leader in the twelve churches to which I have belonged. He encouraged me to open my own business and helped to make it successful.

During my time in college I met and married my Christian wife. There was a physical attraction but we have had a love relationship. Had we both been lustful and worldly chances are the marriage would have ended in a divorce. But love is patient, kind and forgiving. Living God’s ways, has given us a family who loves the Lord.

As I look back I can see most times God has intervened and directed my life as I prayed that He would. As a result, love for God and Christ has kept me from being tempted and not wanting to sin. True love for God and for my wife has kept me faithful.

The moral of this story is: Do you want to be lustful and a taker or a lover and a giver? One brings tremendous advantages and the other can bring disappointment. It is better to give than to receive or be a taker. It’s all about love. Then if you want God to intervene in your life you must learn to love and refrain from being lustful and envious.

Matthew 22:37 – 39 – “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”