My son and I were watching this past Wednesday evening as a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers was one out away from pitching a perfect game. The runner was called safe at first base; however, the instant replay clearly indicated that the runner was out. After the game, the umpire admitted that he had made the wrong call. What should go down in the major league baseball history books as a perfect game, will instead go down as one of the worst calls in the history of baseball. The pitcher will get no historical recognition; he'll only get credit for the win on his record (though there's nothing wrong with a win).
We live in a society that loves to make excuses, and one of our favorite phrases is, “It is not my fault.” The pitcher was interviewed after the game, and he did not make one excuse, nor did he accuse the umpire. He took a bad situation and made the most of it. The truth is, if we find ourselves bitter and resentful, it is because we have allowed negative situations to remain with us. It does not take a lot to develop a chip on your shoulder. Anyone can make excuses for his or her bad attitude, poor choices, or hot temper. You may even have valid reasons. Perhaps you’ve gone through things that nobody deserves to experience in life.
We have to learn to let go of the past, let go of the excuses, and even let go of the valid reasons. I want to challenge you to quit comparing your life to someone else’s, and quit dwelling on what could have been, what should have been, or what might have been. You can’t do anything about what’s happened to you in the past, but you can choose how you will face what is in front of you.
Today, make a commitment to no longer focus on the pain or failures of the past. Make an intentional choice to focus on the bright and beautiful future you have with God.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
God Smiles...
I sat with my family last night and watched as hundreds of seniors graduated high school, completing a chapter in life’s journey in our culture. With my son being one of those seniors receiving recognition for 12 years of commitment to education, I thought of how often my wife and I prayed for him and, along with others, made deposits into him for God to smile upon Him, give Him favor, and bring him success.
The Bible gives us clear examples of many lives that gave pleasure to God. One in particular was a man named Noah. In Noah's day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God's. God couldn't find anyone on Earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. But there was one man who made God smile. The Bible says, "Noah was a pleasure to the Lord." Genesis 6:8. God said, "This guy brings me pleasure. He makes me smile. I'll start over with his family." Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today.
What can we discover from Noah’s life that brings pleasure to God?
- Love God more than anything else in the world. (Gen 6:9)
- Trust God. Have faith God knows what is best for you. (Heb. 11:7)
- Obey God wholeheartedly. (Gen. 6:22)
- Praise God for who He is and what He has done. (Gen. 8:20)
- Use the abilities God gave and deposited in you. (Gen. 9:1&3)
The above character traits of Noah’s life could be expounded making this blog long. Instead, I put references from the account of Noah’s life, and ask that you take the time to see how Noah’s life made God smile. The Apostle Paul made this his life goal, “More than anything else, I want to please him, whether here or there." (2 Corinthians 5:9)
When I live in light of eternity, my focus changes from "How much pleasure am I getting out of life?" to "How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?"
Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God won't do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.
The Bible gives us clear examples of many lives that gave pleasure to God. One in particular was a man named Noah. In Noah's day, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God's. God couldn't find anyone on Earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. But there was one man who made God smile. The Bible says, "Noah was a pleasure to the Lord." Genesis 6:8. God said, "This guy brings me pleasure. He makes me smile. I'll start over with his family." Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today.
What can we discover from Noah’s life that brings pleasure to God?
- Love God more than anything else in the world. (Gen 6:9)
- Trust God. Have faith God knows what is best for you. (Heb. 11:7)
- Obey God wholeheartedly. (Gen. 6:22)
- Praise God for who He is and what He has done. (Gen. 8:20)
- Use the abilities God gave and deposited in you. (Gen. 9:1&3)
The above character traits of Noah’s life could be expounded making this blog long. Instead, I put references from the account of Noah’s life, and ask that you take the time to see how Noah’s life made God smile. The Apostle Paul made this his life goal, “More than anything else, I want to please him, whether here or there." (2 Corinthians 5:9)
When I live in light of eternity, my focus changes from "How much pleasure am I getting out of life?" to "How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?"
Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God won't do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.
Friday, May 21, 2010
When God Seems Distant...
It is easy to feel connected to God when things are going great in life—when He has provided food, friends, family, health, and happy situations. But have you discovered that circumstances are not always pleasant? What do you do when God seems a million miles away?
The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering to Him while suffering, and loving Him when He seems distant. Friendships are often tested by separation and silence. In your friendship with God, you won’t always feel close to Him. As one author wrote, “Any relationship involves times of closeness and times of distance, and in a relationship with God, no matter how intimate, the pendulum will swing from one side to the other.” That’s when worship gets difficult.
Our relationship with God develops a deep maturity during times when it appears God is silent or when He feels a million miles away. Many in the community of faith have described these times as “the dark night of the soul.” Henri Nouwen called them “the ministry of absence.” A. W. Tozer called them “the ministry of the night.” Others refer to “the winter of the heart.” In the Bible, David had a close friendship with God. In fact, God took pleasure in calling him “a man after My own heart.” Yet, David frequently complained of God’s apparent absence:
• “Lord, why are You standing aloof and far away? Why do You hide when I need You the most?” (Psalm 10:1)
• “Why have You forsaken me? Why do You remain so distant? Why do You ignore my cries for help?” (Psalm 22:1)
• “Why have You abandoned me?” (Psalm 43:2)
In reality, God hadn’t really left David, and He doesn’t leave you. He has promised repeatedly, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering to Him while suffering, and loving Him when He seems distant. Friendships are often tested by separation and silence. In your friendship with God, you won’t always feel close to Him. As one author wrote, “Any relationship involves times of closeness and times of distance, and in a relationship with God, no matter how intimate, the pendulum will swing from one side to the other.” That’s when worship gets difficult.
Our relationship with God develops a deep maturity during times when it appears God is silent or when He feels a million miles away. Many in the community of faith have described these times as “the dark night of the soul.” Henri Nouwen called them “the ministry of absence.” A. W. Tozer called them “the ministry of the night.” Others refer to “the winter of the heart.” In the Bible, David had a close friendship with God. In fact, God took pleasure in calling him “a man after My own heart.” Yet, David frequently complained of God’s apparent absence:
• “Lord, why are You standing aloof and far away? Why do You hide when I need You the most?” (Psalm 10:1)
• “Why have You forsaken me? Why do You remain so distant? Why do You ignore my cries for help?” (Psalm 22:1)
• “Why have You abandoned me?” (Psalm 43:2)
In reality, God hadn’t really left David, and He doesn’t leave you. He has promised repeatedly, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Let God Be God...
We all have a pattern we follow. We all have a source we lean on. I want to encourage you to let God be your source and supply. You need to tell God that you’re going to look to Him alone to provide for your needs and that you won’t look anywhere else. We get ourselves in a mess when we confuse the channel with the source. God may use your paycheck from work as the channel to supply your needs, but your employer is just the channel for God’s provision—and God can shift to another channel anytime He wants. When you start to look to something or someone else to meet your needs – when you begin to confuse the channel with the source, a warning sign appears: Worry!
So when you look to your job as the source instead of the channel, you may start worrying, “What if I lose my job?” You know what? That channel may close, but the source of your every need is still active and providing for you. When God turns off one channel, He can turn on another one.
Once you know what you’re lacking, you need to give God the right to choose whatever channel He decides is best to fulfill the need. It may be a channel different from one you would choose; in fact, God may deliberately choose a different channel in order to teach you to keep looking to Him for all your needs.
Through following Christ for nearly thirty years, I have learned that it’s exciting to just let God be God. It’s exciting to watch God meet a need in a way that you never thought possible or could have never thought up on your own.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10
God alone is the source of your supply.
So when you look to your job as the source instead of the channel, you may start worrying, “What if I lose my job?” You know what? That channel may close, but the source of your every need is still active and providing for you. When God turns off one channel, He can turn on another one.
Once you know what you’re lacking, you need to give God the right to choose whatever channel He decides is best to fulfill the need. It may be a channel different from one you would choose; in fact, God may deliberately choose a different channel in order to teach you to keep looking to Him for all your needs.
Through following Christ for nearly thirty years, I have learned that it’s exciting to just let God be God. It’s exciting to watch God meet a need in a way that you never thought possible or could have never thought up on your own.
“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:10
God alone is the source of your supply.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Growing Closer
Any successful relationship, whether it is at work or church, or with a neighbor, a parent, or a spouse, is built upon the biblical truth that God designed each of us with purpose -- the purpose to connect to Him, grow in Him, live in community, serve Him, and tell the world of Him.
We need to realize we were created and placed together for relationships and lifelong companionship. We sometimes find that some of our relationships are difficult, complicated, and exhausting, but once you understand God’s plan regarding your relationships (friend, boss, neighbor, spouse, etc.), it takes on new meaning. All of us were formed for God’s family. God made an incredible promise about the gathering of even just two believers: “For where two or three come together in My name, I am there with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
When we discover that God brings us together, whether in friendship or companionship, God is already in that friendship or marriage working to transform and direct the two of you into fulfilling His purpose. Your friendship, working relationship, neighborhood community, church, or marriage is a lab for learning how to love like Jesus loves. Within relationships, God has created an opportunity for us to develop a true genuine and authentic sharing of life with another human being.
If relationships are to move from a superficial level to a deeper level, it will require genuine, heart-to-heart, gut-level sharing where you get honest about who you are and what’s going on in your life. This happens when you can share your hurts, reveal your feelings, confess your failures, disclose your doubts, admit your fears, acknowledge your weaknesses, and ask each other for help.
Don’t forget one of those important relationships we will celebrate this weekend… our MOTHERS.
We need to realize we were created and placed together for relationships and lifelong companionship. We sometimes find that some of our relationships are difficult, complicated, and exhausting, but once you understand God’s plan regarding your relationships (friend, boss, neighbor, spouse, etc.), it takes on new meaning. All of us were formed for God’s family. God made an incredible promise about the gathering of even just two believers: “For where two or three come together in My name, I am there with them.” (Matthew 18:20)
When we discover that God brings us together, whether in friendship or companionship, God is already in that friendship or marriage working to transform and direct the two of you into fulfilling His purpose. Your friendship, working relationship, neighborhood community, church, or marriage is a lab for learning how to love like Jesus loves. Within relationships, God has created an opportunity for us to develop a true genuine and authentic sharing of life with another human being.
If relationships are to move from a superficial level to a deeper level, it will require genuine, heart-to-heart, gut-level sharing where you get honest about who you are and what’s going on in your life. This happens when you can share your hurts, reveal your feelings, confess your failures, disclose your doubts, admit your fears, acknowledge your weaknesses, and ask each other for help.
Don’t forget one of those important relationships we will celebrate this weekend… our MOTHERS.
Friday, April 30, 2010
A Surrendered Life...
Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7
What does a surrendered life look like? A surrendered life means:
- Following God's lead without knowing where he's sending you;
- Waiting for God's timing without knowing when it will come;
- Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;
- Trusting God's purpose without understanding the circumstances.
You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate the situation to your favor or forcing your agenda to the top. Surrender is letting go and letting God work. You don't have to always be in charge. Instead of trying harder, you just trust more.
You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.
Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You are not self-serving, you don't edge others out, and you don't demand your rights.
The supreme example of a surrendered life is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion, Jesus surrendered himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine." Mark 14:36.
Jesus surrendered himself to God's will. He prayed, "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too." Genuine surrender says, "Father, regardless of the problem or circumstance, if it is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my life, please don't take it away!"
This level of maturity doesn't come easy. In Jesus' case, he agonized so much over God's plan that he sweated drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.
Friday, April 23, 2010
You Are Free...
Jesus stated, “He who the Son sets free is free!” John 8:36
The world defines freedom as a life without any restraint—“Do anything I want to do; say anything I want to say, without anybody telling me ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’” The cultural mindset in America when it comes to freedom can best be seen in a song written some time ago that stated, “I did it my way…” Yet, the Bible says the only way to true freedom is through Jesus: When Jesus, God’s only Son, sets you free, then you will be really free.
Real freedom is freedom from fear; it’s where you’re truly free from guilt, from worry, from bitterness, and from death. You’re free to quit pretending because you’re free to be yourself. How do you get to that place in life? By letting God love you! The apostle John reminds us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” 1 John 4:18
When you realize how much God loves you, you’ll begin to live in true freedom. In fact, you worship God when you recognize that “God is love” and that you are the primary focus of His love.
The world defines freedom as a life without any restraint—“Do anything I want to do; say anything I want to say, without anybody telling me ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’” The cultural mindset in America when it comes to freedom can best be seen in a song written some time ago that stated, “I did it my way…” Yet, the Bible says the only way to true freedom is through Jesus: When Jesus, God’s only Son, sets you free, then you will be really free.
Real freedom is freedom from fear; it’s where you’re truly free from guilt, from worry, from bitterness, and from death. You’re free to quit pretending because you’re free to be yourself. How do you get to that place in life? By letting God love you! The apostle John reminds us, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” 1 John 4:18
When you realize how much God loves you, you’ll begin to live in true freedom. In fact, you worship God when you recognize that “God is love” and that you are the primary focus of His love.
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