LIVING ON PURPOSE

Published 1/26/26

Would changing the past make our lives better?

One of the popular age-old thoughts within the human imagination is what we would change if we could go back in time. Would making different decisions help us and others today? Many people have regrets over poor decisions and wonder what they could have prevented or created if they could go back. Of course, this would only work if we had the knowledge we now possess. Some choices involved just ourselves, and no doubt it altered our lives. But how? Guilt and regret are a part of blaming ourselves, while other events were beyond our control. Then some disappointments come as a normal part of life. We could continue with examples, but whatever the case (and each one is unique), we can learn from mistakes and use the past to help us secure a better future.

Allow me to ask: If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now, would you do things differently to fix past mistakes? Do you truly think changing the past would improve your life and the lives of those you love? I was young once and saw life very differently than I do now. So, how can we be sure our changes would help? Today, I place education and living for God as a much higher priority than I did as a teen or in my twenties. I made significant mistakes from poor choices and rarely considered long-term consequences. I look back, and I’m grateful the Lord was gracious and most likely protected me from my own youthful errors more than I will ever know. “History, despite its pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again,” Maya Angelou.

I’m reminded of the song by Garth Brooks that talks about thanking God for unanswered prayers. It’s evident that we often do not really know how to pray. I heard someone say recently that they did not pray to ask God for things; they prayed to know what He wanted. This makes you think about how much a part our free will plays versus God’s will. Remember, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane said, “Not my will, but thine be done.” We know that He allows us to make choices, but we cannot deny the fact that He knows everything before it happens, as Matthew 6:8 says, “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” We also accept that since He is the only one who can see the future, He has the power to prevent or allow our decisions. If He wants to stop us, He can, and if He wants to allow things to happen, He does. In this light, we see that we have freedom to choose, but as the Supreme Judge, He has the final word.

I’m sure that God would be the first one to say He’s disappointed with a lot of our choices, but He also understands better than anyone how difficult it is for us to harness our emotions. We watched a series recently about a man who found a time portal to the year 1960. He could step back to this year and spend as long as he wanted there, and use the same location to come back through the portal to the present. He started thinking that it was his duty to go back and try to stop President John Kennedy, who was assassinated on 11/23/63. He read every tiny detail about what happened that day, then went into the portal and prepared for 3 years. On November 23, he found Lee Harvey Oswald on the sixth floor of the Texas Book Depository building, they struggled, and he killed Oswald before he could fire the rifle. The future was changed.

Of course, it seemed like a great idea, and while you’re watching the motorcade on Elm Street drive safely away from Dealey Plaza, you are relieved that the deadly ambush was prevented. The police arrived on the scene and arrested our guy until they could figure out what happened, and he was later released as a hero. However, when he returns to the present, he does not recognize the world he once lived in. The entire planet lay in ruins as supposedly Kennedy turned into a vicious dictator and a nuclear holocaust destroyed everything. Our man is shocked to realize that he made a horrible decision that killed billions. So, can we consider that changing the past might not always turn out exactly like we think?

Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, teacher, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

LIVING ON PURPOSE

Published 1/19/26

Having faith in God or the world?

Whatever we are concerned about today, faith and discernment are key components of our prayers. Without spiritual sensitivity, we do not understand God’s plans, which is why seeking Him empowers and activates our communication with Him. We believe in miracles because we know that God listens and is the only one who has the authority to restore and provide for us. If someone is having a health crisis, the Bible declares that He is the Great Physician and our healer. This is an exciting truth until doubt and fear sneak through the back door, and Satan repeats the same strategy to deceive as he did with Adam and Eve in the garden. His favorite temptation is to sow seeds of uncertainty and fear in our minds, causing us to question whether faith is real or just an illusion. In our times of trouble, we are bombarded with opinions, but we must become unmovable in knowing that God’s promises cannot fail.

Josh Christmas once said, “I do not believe what I see, but I see what I believe.” This means that followers of God are not to place their trust in speculations or how things appear to our natural senses. Since we are filled and guided by God’s Spirit, we place our spiritual confidence in Him alone. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, which means the answers are ready to be manifested, but conditional on our knowing and believing with our hearts. For example, when a doctor says there is no hope, we must realize that a human diagnosis is not more powerful than God’s final word. Doctors practice medicine, but God is the healer. Our daughter and our daughter-in-law were both told by the experts that they would never have a child. This was not true as the Lord had other plans. Today, our daughter-in-law has three amazing children, and our daughter has a beautiful baby girl. My wife and I prayed about this for years and believe that nothing is impossible with God, Luke 1:37.

When Lazarus was dead for four days, Jesus told the people to remove him from his tomb and unwrap his grave garments. His body was starting to smell, and according to natural thinking, this was disrespectful and even insane. However, they did not understand the power of God. Christ commanded Lazarus to live again, and he did! Ezekiel describes a valley of dry bones, and God asks the prophet if he believes the bones could live. He told Ezekiel to speak to the bones in faith, and the flesh came back upon them, and they were restored to life. The reason these stories are recorded is to teach us the importance of spiritual discernment when it comes to hearing God’s voice and knowing His will. Christians are to live with an expectation of the supernatural and to walk in the constant awareness of God’s presence as they trust and obey His instructions. My latest book about healing and miracles contains recent accounts of God miraculously intervening, as Hebrews 13:8 promises that Jesus never changes.

Many people build their worldviews on what they have been told instead of researching for themselves. Beware of listening and seeking the world’s opinions more than learning to know God as true truth. Remember, what we believe becomes our reality. If we absorb what an unbelieving culture tells us, we are vulnerable to being brainwashed and conformed to negativity and doubt. Who do you suppose decides what is truth and what is censored as disinformation in our society? Satan is the father of all lies and never stops influencing chaos and confusion.

Our decision to seek God and know what He is saying, versus accepting the report of natural opinions, is the difference between thinking clearly and falling into a delusion. Every moment we are faced with the choice to absorb the light and life of God, or the deception and hopelessness of a blind and fallen world. You see, faith is not limited to only being associated with positive thinking; it can also be the driving force behind negative attitudes. If we are convinced to accept the worst, we are joining forces with dark energy that will make the problem worse. Unbelief is enmity toward God, Hebrews 3:12-13, Ephesians 4:18. We are not be conformed to the persuasions of carnality, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind in Christ, which means we know that God is who He says He is.

Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com

LIVING ON PURPOSE

Published 1/12/26

There is no substitute for perseverance

When it comes to finding our place in this world, let’s consider two categories. The first one, let’s call “floating down the river.” Imagine someone napping in a small boat without a compass or a paddle and not caring about where they are going. Having a spectator mentality, they have yet to understand the importance of having an intentional direction and instead settle for just hoping for the best. They are comfortable with what they do not know and believe that everything will somehow be alright. Our second way of thinking involves listening and developing an awareness of our personal accountability to ourselves, those around us, and, of course, God, the one who made us. Until we embrace the reality that He has a specific meaning and purpose for our lives, we will not fulfill our potential.

As a substitute teacher, I have the honor to help children learn, and while in this position, I observe different types of personalities and attitudes. I notice that those who are eager to absorb knowledge and excel are enthusiastic about all subjects. I believe when kids are encouraged at home, and education is a priority, this transfers over to the student as it opens their eyes to encouraging possibilities and opportunities. On the other hand, when children are looking out the window and doodling on their papers instead of answering the questions, it seems they are not only bored with the subject matter, but have made a mental decision to refuse to learn. Do some have a resistance to change because they are afraid of failing?

Being a minister, I also volunteer at our local detention center a couple of times a month, where I speak to the inmates about God and the Christian life. For those who ask God to intervene, and agree to let go of their ways, our team will baptize and serve them communion, and try to help them all we can. I’ve heard some heartbreaking stories from these individuals, and often, they testify about having a hard life at home when they were kids. They lost interest in school, started running with a bad crowd, and it’s been a downhill slide ever since. Some admit they are on the bottom, with terrible personal problems, and have burned every bridge, but of course, it’s never too late to ask for God’s help.

God’s love encourages and motivates us, but another aspect of success is to realize there are certain conditions and responsibilities on our part for His plan to be fully activated. It will require surrendering our will to him. You see, with God being the Potter and us being the clay, it’s critical to accept the fact that we do not conveniently add God to the plans we already have, but rather we must allow Him to transform us into His brand new creation. One of the basic attitudes I see all the time is “I don’t care.” So what makes people rise from the ashes of apathy, rebellion, and discouragement? Well, personal change is not easy, and anyone who advertises how wonderful it is to sacrifice, suffer, and step into a lifestyle completely opposite to their comfort zone is not being honest. There’s nothing wrong with reading books about how others have conquered their demons, but even if someone understands what it will take, this does not automatically mean they will do it.

Sadly, many are only trying to survive today, without a desire to plan for tomorrow. If you’ve ever tried to help someone find their direction, you understand when I say we cannot force anyone to do anything, especially those who are not willing to help themselves. In every area of life, the ones who desire a healthy state of being must comprehend the truth about their own responsibilities and be willing to do something about it. Beyond the motivational seminars, the Bible studies, and achievement formulas, it will take a personal revelation, an enlightenment of the mind and soul, to have faith in ourselves the way God has hope in us. Whether we are young or old, being an overcomer requires seeking, praying, and working, and living in denial and blaming everyone for our problems only makes it worse. I have compassion for those whose parents failed them and know those who still struggle from neglect. Life has always seemed like a huge mountain that was impossible to climb. There is no substitute for perseverance, as it’s true, “We cannot lower the mountain, therefore we must elevate ourselves.”

Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about the Christian life at billyhollandministries.com.

LIVING ON PURPOSE

Published 1/5/26

Is knowing and obeying God important to us?

At this time of year, we begin planning our intentions, as January marks a new beginning and is the ideal opportunity to implement physical, emotional, and spiritual lifestyle changes. CS Lewis is quoted, “You are never too old to set another goal, or dream a new dream.” You notice I used the word developing, because whatever our goals, including drawing closer to God, is a process like losing weight, exercising, or any other vision we are focused on. For example, eating a salad today and resisting the pie is not going to automatically make us skinny, but it’s a positive first step. Likewise, being determined to succeed is how we become more aware of God’s voice. Are we spiritually in control of how we speak and act, or do our carnal emotions control us? Are we seeking the easy way to solve our problems, or a lifestyle change that surrenders our thoughts over to God’s will?

One of our most powerful vows would be to dedicate time each day to prayer and meditation. If we are serious about personal transformation, we will seek God’s help to guide us in the things we know we need to do, or that we need to stop doing. For example, I heard someone say the other day that if a person is serious about conquering bad eating habits, they would ask God to help adjust their cravings. I agree, but what if the love of food is more powerful than their desire to become healthy? What if the person does not really want to surrender this powerful addiction? What if a person loves money, pornography, being lazy, selfish, abusive, or smoking, or alcohol, more than they care about what God thinks? Until the desire to change becomes more important than staying the same, our visions are nothing more than dreams. When the mind changes, the deeds and actions of the body will follow. No matter what people say, our body is God’s temple, and the way we treat it is very important to Him.

Do you believe that if we asked God to deliver us from our weaknesses, He would get involved? What if we sincerely asked the Lord that for every time we lusted to do something we know is a sinful negative behavior, that He would make us nauseated? Too extreme, you might say? I believe this is how desperate we must become in order to break free from the chains that hold us in spiritual and mental bondage. Let’s go ahead and try it, I dare us. The reverential fear of God includes having an awareness of His authority. Do we care that when we defy Him and allow sin to govern our lives, we are hurting Him? Do we care what He thinks or how much He’s concerned about our wrong decisions? How much do we meditate on the reverential fear of God, and the price He paid to redeem us from an eternal death?

Spiritual obedience to God and accomplishing His desires come from the inside out. To change what is on the outside, we must first rearrange what is on the inside. When Christ is invited to sit on the throne of our hearts to be the King and Master of our lives, only then can we comprehend what it means to take up our cross and follow Him. The refiner’s fire is not just a religious slogan; it is a requirement to comprehend the difference between a religious masquerade and a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. His salvation is not just Him being a Savior; this heavenly concept is founded on His desire to become our Lord. The question we are faced with is do we really want to be a living sacrifice for Him? (Read Romans 12:1-2).

Our lives are filled with as many distractions as we allow, and we can be as filled and as close to God as we want. We are servants to whom we obey, Romans 6:16. How bad do we want God? Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Romans 8:31 declares, “What then shall we say of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Well, we know the devil is against us, but at the end of the day, our free will to choose is the only thing that can prevent what Christ died for us to be.

Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and author. Read more about the Christian life at Billyhollandministries.com.