Air and Opportunity

When I was a kid, we would constantly be playing games at recess.  Dodgeball, kickball, freeze tag, smear the…oh wait, I don’t think I can say that game these days and not get into trouble.  Anyway, you get my drift.  Most days, that end in ‘Y’, there would be arguments that would break out during those games.  Then the most life altering words would be issued just after those arguing would challenge each other to a fight.  You know, the playground duel to decided the Ruler of the Big Purple Rubber Ball!  One would always tell the other,

There is nothing between you and me but air and opportunity!

Nothing but Air and Opportunity

Pushing would ensue then came the tackle and rolling on the ground clenched in a bear hug because neither combatant really knew how to fight.  A circle of kids would surround those who were hugging and rolling on the ground and start yelling.  Then the teachers would come and break up the whole thing.  It was the most exciting 45 seconds of recess.  It was the precursor to MMA…but we didn’t know it.

Opportunity is a funny word.  It is a word that deals with moments in time.  We all have those moments in time that we are faced with that can change our life if we take advantage of it.  In Athens, Greece, there is a particular statue that is called the Opportunity Statue.  It is of a Greek god named Kairos.  He was the personification of opportunity or good luck and favorable moments.  It is one of the strangest looking statues that I have ever seen particularly his hair.  He is described with one lock of hair.  This hair is different as it sticks straight out…from his forehead and the back of his head is bald.  Talk about needing today’s Rogaine…

Kairos, the Greek god of Opportunity and good fortune.

Greek mythology tells us that Kairos anyone who wanted to catch this god of good fortune would have to grab him by the lock of hair as he approached you because if he somehow got by you, he was gone.  This is where we get our modern day sayings like, “take advantage of the opportunity”, “opportunity is staring you in the face”, “opportunity is knocking”, “make the most of your opportunity” and so on.  Opportunities are fleeting!  Opportunities are many!  Opportunities come and go!

Sometimes, we are presented with more than one opportunity and have to make a choice which one to grab.  There are moments in time when games are changed by a single action or play.  There are turning points in marriages that can either unravel the vows taken or strengthen the cord of unity.  There are moments of decisions on jobs that can propel an employee to the top of the ladder or take them to the basement of unemployment.

This opportunity thing can seem overwhelming.  If you are like me, maybe you always question if this is the right opportunity.

Not every opportunity that comes your way is the right opportunity.  Not every opportunity that you encounter is from God.

I want to share with you some ways that I determine if an opportunity presented is good for me and I should grab hold of it or let it pass me by and look at the back of its bald head as it passes by.

The Opportunity Filter

I use a filter for my coffee.  It helps keep the grounds out of my drink and keeps me enjoying my cup of joe.  I use the same idea when dealing with opportunity.   I call them opportunity filters.

Opportunity Filters

1. Prayer – Most of the time we see prayer as our last line of defense and it is usually done in desperation according to how pressing the situation is.  Pray first!  Philippians 4:6-7 says,  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.“
2. Questions – Become a toddler when it comes to opportunities.  Ask questions!  Who, What, When and the dreaded Why can all be used to filter out opportunities that you are faced with.  I especially like to ask God the question, What…as in, what are you trying to show me through this opportunity?
3. Requirements – Always take into account what will be required of you in this opportunity.  If it is a job and will require you to be away from your family 3 out of 4 weeks of a month…is that what you want to do?  Does this line up with God’s purpose for your life?  Psalm 27:4 says, “The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.”
4. Results – The opportunities that you say yes to should produce results.  That means your gifts and abilities will help you achieve desirable results.  The spiritual connotation is that it produces fruit.
5. Rewards – Opportunities should bring fulfillment to you.  You should enjoy them.  John 10:10 says it this way, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

One of my biggest filters...Katie

What opportunities do you need to take to God in prayer…First?

What are the things you have said “yes” to requiring of you and does it line up with God’s purpose for your life?

What results are you seeing from your opportunities? 

Are you enjoying the fulfillment in life through the rewards you are experiencing?  

Carpe Diem!

 

 

Speed Bumps vs. Potholes

One day, while driving down the road, just minding my own business, I went through this neighborhood to take a shortcut.  As I was driving, I came upon one of the biggest speed bumps, aka sleeping policemen, that I have ever seen.  In fact, here is a picture of it.

See...it says it! The Mother of all Speed Bumps!

Okay, so maybe it was just a little smaller than this one.  But it felt like this one.  Lets just say I hit this speed bump going a little faster than I should have been going.  Sparks may have flown behind my wife’s van that I was driving.  But I can’t really remember because of the trauma I inflicted on my head when I hit the ceiling of the van.  Yes, my seat belt was on.  After the cobwebs cleared and my blurred vision had returned to normal, I inspected my van and then looked at the speed bump in disbelief.  It should have been labeled as a road hump, not speed bump.  Speed bumps are designed to help drivers slow down on roads that speed limits should be observed.  Usually these streets are in neighborhoods or parking lots and designed to keep drivers from going more than 25 mph.  Why?  It is totally for safety.

On the other hand, there are these little marvels of road nature that occur from time to time that are known as potholes.  I believe that there are actually magnets in these little wonders of nature that are placed there by wheel alignment shops all over the world.  They always seem to sneak up on you.  And when you see a pothole, it is almost like a bug zapper light for the bug, I seem to be drawn to them.  Especially if there is water in them.  Potholes do nothing but damage.  There is no awe or amazement after going through a pothole.  It just frustrating!  Now, every time I hit a pothole, I think of this…

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So why am I writing about the different road conditions?  Well, so many times in life, we can be traveling down the road and things seem to be clicking along pretty well and then we hit a speed bump or even worse, a pothole.  When you hit one, it seems like there are many of them now that come to light in our life.  There are times when we even question God by asking, What in the world did YOU let this happen for?  I know a guy that had to go on blood pressure medication who was in his 20’s!  Talk about a road hazard!  It was an eye-opening speed bump of life.  Without that speed bump, he would have never done the necessary things to get his health in order.  What are the potholes in your life?  Maybe you discover one and then after that discovery, it reveals more that are in the immediate future.

Jeremiah 29:11 says,

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Sometimes life takes you down roads that have speed bumps in order to slow you down.  Maybe its to appreciate the things that you have or maybe its to see that there is more to life than just rolling down the road at break neck speed.  Maybe it is time that we actually just slow down and take a look at the things that God has put in our lives before we hit those dreaded road humps.  Spend time with our family, take your kids camping or fishing, ride a bike together, take your wife out on a date (yes, I need to do this…and soon!) or even just take a day to relax.

Sometimes life takes you down roads that are full of potholes.  You hit the first one and it leads to another, then another, and so on.  That is when the damage is done.  Your emotions, confidence, life, health or finances have to go into the “shop” for repairs.  Why?  Because, just like a car, you are out of alignment.  God didn’t intend for us to be out of alignment with any of these things or especially Him.  In fact, Paul writes in Romans 8:28,

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

It is easy for us to get off the road He has prepared for us.  Sometimes it is damaging if we stay on the road or travel too fast down the road we are on.  But one thing I am sure of is this…we have to trust Him…with everything!  It is easy to say, but harder to do.  Will you trust God today?

Will you trust God?

What speed bumps are you facing in your life’s journey?

What potholes have you hit?

How can you help other people avoid the potholes you have hit?

What do you need to trust God with, specifically, today?

Heart Check

For me, winning and losing has always been a huge player in my life.  I love to win, but I am not the best at losing.  In fact, that was ingrained in my mind at a very young age.  My dad always used to say,

Show me someone who likes to lose and I will show you a loser!

My coaches would tell our teams, “Second place is first place’s loser.”  or “No one remembers who came in second.”  I grew up with a desire to do my best at all times.  That is where I learned my definition of excellence.  Doing the best I can with the talents, resources, and time that I have in the place where I am.  Coach John Wooden has a  great definition of success,

Being the very best ‘you’ that you can be.

I always wanted to be on the best teams.  In fact, I had never played baseball in my life when I tried out for the best team in Dixie Youth Baseball.  I heard things from friends like, “You won’t make that team, you have never even played baseball.”  “You can’t play for them, they are too good, they haven’t lost in 2 years.”  When I came across this little sign, it reminded me of those days.

You may have heard it said, “Those who can, do.  Those who can’t, tell others they can’t either.”  All of those people who I thought were for me, were really just afraid to try.  I am convinced of this…we have an enemy that will do everything in his power to convince us that we aren’t good enough, we aren’t talented enough, we don’t have what it takes in our marriages, parenting, occupation, hobbies, recreation, or friendships.  He will do everything possible to make you hate yourself…it is all based out of fear.  It is the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of man.  2 Timothy 1:7 says this,

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

We can be sure that when ‘fear’ enters into the equation, it is time for us to check our heart and see what the root of the problem is.  I can guarantee you that it doesn’t come from God.  When you think that you can’t, you can!  Paul wrote to the Philippians in Chapter 4:13,

All things are possible!  Does that mean that you shouldn’t or won’t have dips in the road?  No way!  But it does mean that there is someone who loves you and cares about you and will help you to overcome those obstacles that you face.  Believe it or not, there are actual real human beings that are in your corner too!  There are people who want to see you succeed.  There are people who believe in you!  When you are given the “You Can’t” speech, give your heart the EKG test…

 

1.  Evaluate whose you are!  1 Corinthians 6:20 says,

for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

You are important enough to God for His Son to be sent to die for you!  He doesn’t bring fear!

2.  Keep honoring God with all you have!

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  Matthew 22:37

Feelings come and go!  Emotions go up and down.  Regardless of what you are feeling or what peak or valley you may be facing…honor God with your whole heart!  That is the most important thing you can do…EVER!

3.  Give your worries, fears and opportunities to Him!

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

When you hold on to your fear, worry or things that cause you stress, in essence, you are saying to God that you can handle those things better than He can.  Guess what?  You can’t!    Give it to Him and let them go!  It sounds easy, but it is one of the hardest things to do.  Trusting God just rolls off the tongue so easily and it actually sounds good…but its harder to do.

Don’t let others tell you, you can’t…because a lie believed as truth, becomes truth!  Don’t fall victim to a lie!  Don’t let it take you to depths you were not intended to go.  As the old saying goes, “You can’t soar with the eagles if you are scratching with the chickens.”  Its time for a heart check!  It is time for you to soar to heights you never dreamed possible!  Remember this…A heart is a terrible thing to waste!

What dreams have you put on the back burner because someone told you, “You Can’t…”?

What steps can you take today to rid yourself of the weight that is slowing you down to attain your divine destiny?

How can you help someone else reach their dreams?

When will you take action and begin to soar?

FAITH, FOCUS, FINISH

Stay off the Sidewalk!

If you are like me, you have probably heard the old saying,

“If you don’t like how I drive, stay off the sidewalk!”

Okay, time to start today with a confession.  Yesterday, I was driving through the Walmart parking lot and almost ran over a lady who was standing partially in the road and partially on the sidewalk.  It was scary and its not what you think…I couldn’t get over.  Had she not dove into the arms of her husband, it could have been really bad.  She got up and stared at me.  I stopped to see if she was okay and her husband said it was fortunate that I was able to swerve…okay, here is the lesson behind this…when you pay attention to the road, there are always going to be things that will cause you to turn left or right…things that you don’t want to hit because it will cause damage.  Damage to you and damage to others.

Interesting story huh?  Jesus would tell stories to the masses of people that would follow Him and they would become confused by the stories and what He was actually trying to teach.  Even those closest to Him had a hard time deciphering what He was trying to teach in the story.

I want you to understand, even those closest to Christ, sometimes, have hard times understanding what He is trying to say.  Nevertheless, we should always try to live according to His will and His ways.  Today, I want to share with you a thought that I got from looking at root systems.  Without  strong Biblical roots, living the life that Christ wants you to have can become a huge uphill battle.

READ:  Luke 8:4-18

In this passage, Jesus tells of 4 different types of soil.  Here is what I find interesting about these soils…I really think He was speaking about 4 different heartitudes of people.  Yes, I just made that word up…Heartitude=heart attitude…now…back to the devo.

4 Types of Soil (Hearts)

1.  The hard soil(vv. 5, 12).  This soil represents the person who hears the Word but immediately allows the devil to snatch the seed away.
2. The shallow soil(vv. 6, 13).  This soil illustrates the emotional hearer who quickly responds to the message, but his interest dies and he does not continue (see John 8:31-32).
3. The crowded soil(vv. 7, 14).  This soil illustrates the person who does not repent and “weed out” the things that hinder the harvest.  There is enough soil so the roots can go down, but not enough room for the plant to grow up and produce fruit.
4. The good soil(vv. 8, 15).  This soft alone is fruitful.  It illustrates the individual who hears the Word, understands it receives it within, is truly saved, and proves it by patiently producing fruit (see 1 Thess 2:13; 1 Peter 1:22-25).

I want you to understand, not everybody produces the same amount of fruit (Matt 13:8), but all true believers will produce some fruit as evidence of spiritual life.

My Caution to You:  Don’t Assume You Are Good Soil!

“I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it.” – Francis Chan

What gets me about this story is that 1 in 4 of the soils are “good” soil.  Only 25% of the soils produced a desired result.  Think about that.  You can read the parallel version of this story in Matthew 13.  In that account of the same parable, Matthew, records that some produced “30, 60 and 100 times” what was planted.  If we look at it in the negative, then 75% of Christians won’t produce anything.  My prayer is that you are not in that number.  I want to be a 25% soil.

How do You make sure you are good soil?

What “things” do you need to weed out of your life in order to be the best soil you can possibly be?

Prayer:  God help each of us to be good soil.  Help us to take your Word and be lights to the world. Help us to produce the desired results that you want us to produce.  Amen.

Shattered…

Cell phones have come a long way!  I mean, I used to carry around a bag phone.  No, I didn’t wear it on my hip or belt…smh!  But now, due to the advancement of modern technology, we have smaller, powerful computerized telephones connected to the palms of our hands.  And, if you have had your phone very long, you have probably dropped it.  The other day, I was coming back from working out, trying to get all my stuff out of my truck and had my phone on top of everything.  I get out of the truck and immediately drop my phone…let’s just say, the concrete isn’t that forgiving…you guessed it, this is what I was staring at…

Not good!  So I had the glass replaced and it works just like new!  However, I can still picture the places on the phone where the cracks were.  I still know where the impact took place when it broke.  I know the scars!

This is alright to talk about when you are talking about a cell phone.  I mean, it isn’t a very personal thing.  But, let me be a little vulnerable with you…at the sake of being dismissed and called a “sissy”.  Some of you know that I am training for my first marathon.  The race is on March 4, 2012 in New Orleans.  This past Saturday, I ran my 20 mile run at White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX.  I take off and have my Ipod playing my playlist and really I am cruising…well, that is my definition of cruising which is more relative than most definitions.  Most of the time when I run long, I use that time to focus on life things.  I pray, I scare people to death by singing with my playlist, I just try to focus on internal things that I need to work on.

On this particular run, at mile 4, the song Our God by Chris Tomlin came up.  This is currently one of my favorite songs!  As I was running and singing this song, the emotion inside of me just kept building up.  For the record, I am not a huge crier, but to be honest, I started bawling like a baby when the chorus came around.  I don’t know why except that God started dealing with me.  His presence was with me during this time of my run.  I guess one thing I learned is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit no matter what you are doing or where you are.

God began to speak to me about brokenness.  I have been in ministry for more than 20 years and obviously, I still don’t have a grasp on being broken before OUR GOD!  I mean, we, as humans are just clay pots.  Gideon used clay pots to win a battle.  What is the importance of this?  Look what Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 4:7,

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels(clay pots), that the excellency of the power may be of God and not ourselves.”

In order for the presence of God to flow out of us these “clay pots” must be broken.  Like the clay pots of Gideon which contained the torches (Judges 7), the vessels of our lives are meant to be broken before God so that His light can shine.  I have to admit, brokenness isn’t always a subject we like to address or have addressed in us.  It is painful, just like having to pay for a new glass on my phone.  But if we really want God’s presence to spill from our lives, we have to become broken before him.  My heart needs to be broken before Christ…after all, He is the potter, we are the clay.  I choose to let Him put the pieces back together in the form He wants and become what He wants me to become.

Do you need to become a broken vessel before God?

Does pride stand in your way of taking the first steps to letting God put the pieces of your brokenNess back together?

Are you willing to become the clay pot or the shattered Iphone that God can use to shine for His glory?

I pray that you all would become broken so He can re-shape you into what He wants…Amen!

What Are You Really Worth?

Okay…its time for a moment of transparency.  Last week, my son, Cole, had a rough stretch of days.  He got into some trouble at school….nothing major…and then had a terrible attitude at home.  I had to get out the old belt for the first time in a long time it got so bad.  After a dose of corporal punishment was administered, he made the statement to me that really got to me.  Cole said this,

I don’t matter anyway.  I could not even be here on Earth and no one would notice.  Give me one good reason why I matter!

I was taken aback by this this statement and realized that he was speaking out of the dislike for the discipline he had just received.  However, I also know that what is in the heart comes out in the form of words and that he had thought about this before.  I had an opportunity to talk with Cole for a few minutes about this thought and then went and sat down.  I began to think, has my son become so devalued in life at the ripe old age of 10 that he is not sure he would even be missed by his own mother and father?  This weighed on me.  It hurt!  The first thing I told Cole was that he does matter and that his mother and I would miss him greatly if he weren’t here.

Then I started thinking, how many other people go through life thinking that this world would just keep on spinning if they weren’t here?   This feeling of “I don’t matter” is really a feeling of isolation or loneliness.  It also becomes one of the most selfish statements that can be uttered.  Selfish?  Really?  Let me explain…This statement is really based in self-pity.  This self-pity is one that is begging for attention and drudges up thoughts of “not being” vs. “being”.

Why do you think people might come to the conclusion that they don’t matter?

Do you think it is a pity-party or cry for attention or is there some other underlying circumstance that could dictate such a low view of self?

I believe that God has a purpose and a plan for each of us.  In fact, Scripture tells us this in Jeremiah 1:5 where God speaks to Jeremiah and says,

5 “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

Believe it or not, God has got this world and your life under control.  Even though things may not be going your way, He knows where you are.  He loves you.  He has a plan for you and thought that this specific time in history was the best place for you!

I love what God did in Genesis!  Creation!  In Genesis 1:27 the Bible tells us,

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Every day, when you look in the mirror, you are seeing the image of God!  He created you in His image!  Isn’t that an awesome thought?  I mean, sometimes you don’t like to look at yourself in the mirror…but God likes what He sees.  Why?  Because YOU MATTER!

God Says I’m Valuable

How much are you worth?  I’m not talking about money.   Your value has nothing to do with your valuables.

How much are you worth?

I once read an article in the Journal of Hospital Practice that calculated how much each of the enzymes and hormones and all the different things in your body are worth.  The author added them up and if you are an average size person you are worth six-million, fifteen dollars and forty-four cents ($6,ooo,o15.44) based on your weight.  (Some of us are worth more!)

You’re a six-million dollar man or a six-million dollar woman! The article’s author also estimated that, if you calculate the cost of creating each cell in your body, it would be about six thousand trillion dollars.

You are priceless.

Jesus thought this was so important that he took a whole chapter of the Bible to talk about it. In Luke 15 he tells three stories — the lost son, the lost coin, and the lost sheep.  It’s the same punch line in each story.  Jesus says, “You matter!”

You matter to God.  You are valuable.  God says you are valuable because he loves you and he has accepted you in Christ.  It is time that you realize….

Joe Paterno, Integrity and “Not So” Happy Valley

I sit in utter shock, disbelief, disappointment, judgement, and prayer.  As the news of the last couple of days continues to unfold about Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky and those involved in this horribly disgusting events, I have learned a couple of truths that I want to share today.  Merely truths that I have discovered for my life and maybe through all this, you can also take them to heart so that you can avoid some of the major heartbreak that is taking place at State College, PA.

Joe Paterno, the patriarch of College Football…known as a hard worker, blue collar coach, and philanthropist.  He practically built the Library at Penn State from his and his wife’s personal donations.  He was a rock, a source of stability in a world of constant flux in the college years.  Kids dreamed of playing for JoPa and wearing the black and white.  The uniforms were by today’s standards…boring…but that is not how they were viewed by those faithful to PSU…they were classic, solid, traditional, or reflective of the attitude of Penn State.  Joe Paterno built a history and wanted to go out and leave a legacy.  409 wins as a coach…the most wins by a Division 1 coach in history.

At our house, my kids have been drilled with the Bible verse found in 1 Corinthians 15:33 where the Apostle Paul penned the words,

“Do not be misled; bad company corrupts good morals.”

I try to teach them that the people they surround themselves with will either raise you to the next level or bring you down to theirs.  The key to this Scripture isn’t the second part…rather it is the first.  Do not be misled…that is the key.  They get so tired of hearing this, but one day, it will be a filter for them when they become adults.

There are a couple of things that I have learned from this whole tragedy at Penn State University that I want to share with you today…

1.  You can spend your whole life building a legacy and heritage that other people envy that can all be destroyed with one act of your associations.  Integrity is still one of the cornerstones of an individual’s life…it is the one thing that you you either can hang your hat or can destroy your legacy.

What is your legacy saying right now?  Are you putting yourself in the path for destruction?

Proverbs 28:18 says,

“Whoever walks in integrity will be  delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.”

Sadly, we have all been witnesses to this in the past couple of days.

2.  This type of situation with coaches, athletes and their families are the exact reason that I am called to the ministry that I am currently serving in with Game Changers. 

Today, more than ever, people need to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Our world is dark, and unless Christians begin to be the light to the world outside of the church walls and shine…it will become darker.

I have heard it said, “All it takes for sin to abound is for good men and women to remain silent.”  I have a different version…”All it takes for our world to become darker is for followers of Christ not to shine the light of Truth.”

Jesus Christ can be your Game Changer…He can set you free from your sin and the things that you find yourself entangled in…He loves you!  He wants what is best for you!  Will you let him turn the momentum in your life?

Will you let your light shine?

What is your responsibility to our world?

How can you leave a legacy that won’t be tainted?

 

Margin…Making Room In A Crowded World

MARGIN…

we hear about it, we say it easily because it rolls off the tongue so well, we recommend that our friends, family and loved ones have a little in their lives.  We even dream of the days when we will have plenty of the ever elusive margin in our own lives.

What is this thing called margin?  I like the definition of margin that I heard a pastor say…

“margin is the amount available beyond what is necessary.” 

I remember when I was in college majoring in Business and we always had the definition of margin in the financial, business world.  Buying stocks on borrowed money, profit margins and so on.  I have been dealing with this thought of margin in my life.  I talk to countless people who are so consumed with task lists, appointments, kid’s sports leagues, jobs, house, car, retirement, financial security, and the snowball continues downhill until you reach the grave.  It is when your life is slowing down that you realize that life and living it to the fullest, has passed you by.  Your kids are grown and have their own kids.  You remember the days of family vacations when you packed up the family in the old station wagon or minivan and learned the famous arts of compromise, arbitration, mediation, hostile takeovers, love, and corporal punishment (usually administered from the front seat with one hand reaching the side of a leg.)

 I want to encourage you today in 3 areas:  Personal, Professional and Spiritual Margin from the Biblical story of Mary and Martha…

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Personal Margin – Here is the deal…Jesus is coming to your house to dinner, I mean, this is the Son of God.  You have dirty clothes, dishes, trash to take out, dusting to do, all the things that go with cleaning.  Your guest arrives and your only help is now sitting down listening to your guests story while you go down the checklist.  Your help gets to hear all the stories, all the things that are happening in your guest’s life and you are spraying 409 on everything while they are in the other room experiencing a highly relational time which is was the purpose He was invited to come over anyway.  YOU MISSED IT!  I love how verse 40 says that Martha was “distracted“.  She was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  Guess what, preparations are to be done BEFORE the guest is there…He was already in the house!  What is being said here is that the distractions are no longer necessary.  This is an invitation to personal margin.

Fast forward to the 21st Century…how many of us make time for those relational moments with our neighbors, friends or (drum roll please) FAMILY?  How many of make margin for our relationship with God?  Too busy to pray?  Too busy to stop and let God speak to you?  Too busy to realize that your creator is trying to show you how to slow down and realize that He is for you?  You need margin!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29

Be still, and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10

Professional Margin – I watched a movie starring Jim Carrey that dealt with professional margin called, “Liar, Liar”.  In this movie, he was an incredibly successful attorney while being a total failure in his marriage and raising his son.  While trying to work his way up the corporate ladder to becoming a partner, he lost sight of those he loved.  Great message behind the movie.

Let’s face it, we all have some portion of control of our schedules.  We all MAKE time for those things that we WANT to do.  It is up to you to determine your priorities just like Jim Carrey’s role had to do.  One thing that I have had to do recently is to learn to BE in the MOMENT!  That means, my focus has to change.  I work from my home, and it is easy to get up from dinner and go over to my office and go back to work.  However, that is operating on ZERO MARGIN!  It is wrong!  It is unfair to my family.  It is unfair to me.  It is definately unfair to God.

Spiritual Margin – Every morning I try to get up before my kids and while my wife is getting ready for her teaching job and take some time to just read from God’s Word.  It usually only lasts around 10-20 minutes.  But it has revolutionized my spiritual life.  I do it first thing in the morning.  I exercise my spirit.  Then I head to the gym to exercise my physical.  Create a time, a place that is familiar to both you and God…a secret place.  It may be a chair, it may be the front porch, it may be in your car before your commute.  You are the only person that can control your spiritual margin.  God is not going to call you aside and say…”Don’t you think you should spend time with me?”  He will always be RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT HIM!

11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

Remember one thing: No matter how hectic your schedule, no matter what the bank statement says, no matter what circumstances you are in…ALWAYS keep some margin (dedicated time) in your life for God to work IN you and THROUGH you!

Fear vs. Trust…Round 1

Ding, Ding, Ding…(in my best Michael Buffer voice)Welcome ladies and gentlemen to this epic battle that will last, an unprecedented number of rounds…an entire lifetime! In the blue corner, weighing in at a whopping weight that is solely dependent upon how much of it you have…from parts unknown…FEAR!

And in the red corner, weighing in considerably less (most days), TRUST!

Well, that is only partly true…it really doesn’t have to last an entire lifetime, but can control our lives if we let it.

This topic is something that I am personally dealing with as well as within the ministry in which I serve. Sometimes, it seems that Fear is so much more heavy in my life when I trust less. Battles are inevitable but victory is not. We often find ourselves fighting enemies that are stronger than we are. So how do you stand fearless when there’s so much at stake?

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Well, if God doesn’t give us fear, then who does? It must be from the other side, you know…the Devil! I want to share with you some truths about fear vs. trust that I have learned and am now having to relearn. Fist off, know this…no matter how old you are or how young you may be, everyone has insecurities in themselves…if not, then we wouldn’t need acne medicine infomercials or those zumba dance dvds or P90X for that matter.

1. SOMETIMES, I AM AFRAID GOD ISN’T FAITHFUL.
It doesn’t take long for us to wonder, God, where are you in all this I am dealing with? We go real quickly to the other side. One of my favorite people in the Bible is Gideon. Gideon was hiding in a winepress one day threshing wheat when he was confronted with this fear vs. trust thing. Look how Gideon replies to God after being called a Mighty Warrior…in hiding.

“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Judges 6:13

Don’t you just love the word ‘if’? Gideon was afraid that God wasn’t going to be faithful in this upcoming battle. He was full of fear! He was only looking at his own situation.

2. SOMETIMES I FEAR THAT I AM NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD’S PURPOSES.
It doesn’t take me too long to figure out that God has an enormous plan for this thing called mankind. He is the Divine Architect and I am a gnat hanging around fruit and noses of people. Sometimes I even ask myself the question…Why me? Why now? Why this? I am sure you have asked those same questions at one time or another. Well, just know this and let it build your trust in God. God knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He set you apart and thought THIS era in time would be the best place for you to fulfill His plan on this earth. He knows what you can handle and what you can’t and when you feel like you cannot handle any more, His strength is made perfecft in your weaknesses. That is the trust factor.

Gideon had this same issue…

“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15

Don’t you love it WHEN GOD USES AN UNSURE, INSECURE AND FEARFUL PERSON TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE?

Here are some things that I have found to help me through this:

1. WITH GOD, HIS STRENGTH THROUGH YOUR WEAKNESS IS EXACTLY ENOUGH.

The LORD turned to (Gideon) and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out
of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14

The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites
together.” Judges 6:16 

The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. Judges 7:2a

2.  WITH GOD, THE WAY FORWARD IS OFTEN BACKWARDS.

In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,  announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.  Judges 7:2b-3

I often find myself taking little ‘retreats’.  It may be at the gym and I just don’t quite run as far or lift as much as I want to or could.  I find myself going backwards to recuperate.  When I do this, I give my muscles a chance to heal and get stronger.  That is when most of my growth occurs,  physically and spiritually.  Its kind of the ‘one step forward, two steps back’ attack.  One day, I was riding a four wheeler and stuck it in a mud pit…I know, how do you do that?  Well, I had to get someone to pull me out of the mud.  So, they hooked up the rope to the back of my four wheeler and pulled me out…BACKWARDS!  I had to go out the same way I went in.  Why?  Because I could not continue forward any more.

Progress is made through trust!  With that, I leave you at the end of round 1.

Ding, Ding, Ding

Don't Be Afraid of Change

 

Who Are You?

“Sports don’t build character, they reveal it.” – Coach John Wooden

This quote is one of my favorite quotes! It is so true! I just finished watching the Dallas Mavericks sweep the Los Angeles Lakers and frankly, I have never been more embarrassed by a couple of players actions as I was watching Odom and Bynum. Their frustrations were revealed through their character.

The way a person finishes is just as important as how one starts. I heard today that Bynum was fined $25,000 and suspended for the first 5 games of next season. for him, that translates into about $702,000. Now all of you that are shaking your heads in agreement…tap the breaks a second.

This is the same type of character display that was on display when President Obama announced the killing of Usama bin Laden. People were dancing in th streets and partying like it was New Year’s Day. It was one of the most disgusting scenes I have witnessed. The bloodlust that was on display that night and now being stated on talk radio is hugely revealing of the sense of entitlement of the people in this country and throughout the world.

I asked myself, “What should be a follower of Christ’s response to these incidences?”

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:11

Righteous Character are key words in that passage. This is the type of character that can only be given through a relationship with Christ. When dealing with people, no matter how much we may not like or how frustrated we become…we ought to act with righteous character. Christ came to search out the lost and save them…shouldn’t I act the same?

Here is the big question…Who Are You?