Unpaved Roads…

If someone were to ask you what an unpaved road makes you think of, what would you say?

You could say any number of things…gravel roads leading to a quaint country cottage, dirt roads that stretch out to the horizon across a peaceful prairie, or even a logger’s rutted-out trail through deep woods.

For me, an unpaved road means a journey that takes time.

In today’s culture we like superhighways because we want to get to our destination as quickly and smoothly as possible. But the Christian life is not like that at all.  It’s a journey that takes time.  It’s a journey that calls for us to deal with and overcome obstacles, hardships and difficulties.  It’s a journey that can be filled with peace and joy if we’ll refuse to be idealistic.

It’s human nature to fear the many unknown things we will encounter along life’s  way.   But God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight.  As we explore this new path before us, we learn that the most important part of the journey is simply having the faith to overcome our fears and continue to move forward.  We don’t have to be experts, the results doesn’t have to be picture-perfect, we only need to trust Him.

We need to have spiritual balance…

This is part of our personal life.  2 Peter 3:18 says, “Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Here are two ways you can grow as a Christian:  You grow in grace and you grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ.  You can have intellectual growth where you know about the content of the Bible. You also grow in grace — that’s character. Grace allows for one to know God personally, intimately and joyfully. When you discover His nature and character the relationship becomes very pleasurable and enjoyable. Yes, it’s possible to enjoy God.

A lot of people grow in knowledge.  They know about God.  They know the books of the Bible.  They’ve memorized verses.  They know who Nebuchadnezzar is.  But they seem to never relax and just enjoy God. You’ve got to have balance in your spiritual life. You can know Him and enjoy Him. In fact knowing Him should cause you to enjoy Him. Though this doesn’t seem to be true for all the people that I know. But if you know Him and enjoy Him, you will only want to know Him more.

Commitment is overbilled…

Someone may take me task over this but I believe commitment is over billed in the evangelical community, just as joy is misunderstood in the world. Don’t get me wrong commitment is important. Commitment is the basis of our relationship with God as well as our family and friends, but it is not the driving compelling force for me any longer. Enjoying God, enjoying life, enjoying family and friends, that is what it’s all about to me. Enjoying these can actually lead a person to do what commitment alone will never compel them to do. God’s commandments are not grievous when you are in love with and enjoying Him.

It took me a long time to realize this in my marriage. I was committed. I was loyal, faithful and true to my wife Anne. I had resolved to meet her needs. I had resolved to spend time with her, be kind to her, and remember our anniversary. I was committed to her and to doing all these good and noble things.

But commitment alone never met her deepest needs. She did not want to know I just stayed with her and did all these things because I was committed. She wanted to know that I wanted to be with her, that I enjoyed being with her, and that the commitment to do these things came as a result of my love for her and joy of having her as my wife. There is a world of difference.

Has you spiritual life allowed for you to truly enter into enjoying God as well as knowing Him?

To know Him is to love Him, and to love Him is to be committed to Him.

 

Do you have a teachable spirit?

“Teachers are like candles. They extinguish themselves giving light to others.”  - Unknown

Anyone who has taught will tell you that it is one of the most exhilarating feelings to pour yourself out before a group of people or a person who WANTS to learn!

I was in a situation last year where I observed the SAME message given to two different groups, one right after the other. In the first session, the teaching was a smash hit! People were being touched, they were responding, there was buy-in, and you could feel the enthusiasm for the message. Speaking the same words to a second group (though similar in make up), the message was received with a ho-hum, lifeless response. Same message, same messenger, same enthusiasm, same day, yet a completely different response. What was the difference?

My observation was that the first group for some reason had a teachable spirit and was ready to receive, while the second group just wanted to listen and leave.  Employers, teachers, ministers and trainers across America come into contact with these two groups of people on a regular basis.  Little league coaches contend with these two types of players. And, if all other things are equal, the coach will play the kid who exhibits a desire to learn and the employer will retain and reward the employee who has a desire to be taught. In today’s competitive employment environment, you need every advantage you can get to be retained and/or promoted.

A teachable spirit is composed of one part humility, one part gratitude, two parts desire, and one part common sense. This formula may sound too simplistic, but consider for a moment these facts.

“It takes ten pounds of common sense to carry one pound of learning”.

Many people ASSUME from the get-go that they know it all, and that they can do the job better than anyone else, even though they’ve never been exposed to the job. We’ve built into the American psyche an “arrogance without merit.”

“Lord, I pray that humility, gratitude, desire and common sense be mine today.”

 

How to Deal With Your Critics…

Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.  Proverbs 14:7

Jesus never wasted time answering critics.  You see critics are spectators, not players.  My good friend Rick Godwin recently preached a message entitled, Posers or Players.  Many people are not players.  They simply sit on the sidelines or in the stands and pose, as someone who always knows what others should be doing.  David described them in Psalm 1 as those who sit in the seat of the scornful.  Critical people are usually disheartened people who have failed to reach their desired goals.  Someone has said, Criticism is the death gargle of a non-achiever.

There has never been a monument built to a critic.

Critical people are disappointed and disillusioned people.  They are undisciplined and unfocused people.  They are hurting inside and build their life by trying to bring down or destroy others.

My advice if they refuse to change is to move away from them.  Don’t get me wrong debate is a marvelous arena.  There is a time and place to present facts.  There is a time for exchange of information.  Champions always pursue constructive suggestions.  But there is also a time for silence.

When Jesus was being ridiculed and prepared for His crucifixion, He was silent.  The scripture says Jesus held His peace (Matthew 26:63).  Jesus did not feel obligated to answer his critics.  He never wasted time on people who were obviously trying to trap Him.  He responded to hunger and thirst.  He responded to seekers.

You owe nothing to a critic.  Speak not in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words (Proverbs 23:9).

Criticism is deadly.  Correction is life.  Criticism is pointing out your flaws.  Correction is pointing out you potential.

Many years ago, I sat down at my computer to reply to a critical letter I had received.  I toiled over my reply.  I deleted words and wrote new sentences.  It took me over an hour of exhausting work to carefully state a decent response to the letter.  When I reread it I still was not totally satisfied with my answer.  Then it hit me.  I had spent and entire hour writing a letter to a critic when I could have invested the same hour in writing a dozen notes of love and appreciation to those who have believed in me and supported my ministry.  The one drained me of energy the other could have energized me.  Jesus ignored the critics.   I suggest you do the same.

Admitting Our Weaknesses…

Every person has weaknesses.  I’ve got them and you’ve got them.  It’s not always easy to acknowledge them but they are there nonetheless.  How we handle those weaknesses in our life will determine whether they help us or whether they hinder us.  From experience I know that people want to follow a pastor or leader who’s real.  I learned you don’t have to be super gifted or talented to grow a church, but you do have to be real.  The more open and honest we are willing to be about our weaknesses and failures the more we’re perceived as being real. The more real you are the more credibility you have.  The more credibility you have, the more influence you have.  The more influence you have, the more you can accomplish and help others.  It starts with realness.

So I think it’s ok to share you failures and weakness. I know in my vocation allowing people from time to time see my weaknesses only helped the people in our church. You might say, “If they know your weaknesses they won’t honor you.”  I have not found that to be true. The Bible says, “Before honor is humility.”  From my experience, vulnerability enhances your leadership.

When I would preach about marriage and I would lay it out about how Anne and I had our difficulties you could hear a pin drop because it got people’s attention. Name me a marriage that hasn’t had problems!  If you’ve been married any length of time and you have never had a problem, you’re not being honest.  Because we guys all married a sinner and she married a bigger one.  We need to be honest about our failures and our weaknesses.  It helps people far more when we tell them how we grew through our struggles than if we say  “We have a perfect marriage. I wanted to help and encourage people so I just told the truth. Hopefully this is encouraging to you. So be honest, be real, if you want to help people.

 

 

Everybody Needs Somebody…

Everybody Needs Somebody…

For brethren you have been called unto liberty; only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.   Galatians 5:13

Somebody needs you and you need somebody. Years ago, I shared from the little book of Titus in the New Testament. Paul is writing his spiritual son whom he sent to a city called Crete to establish a church.  It was a hard and difficult place of service. Paul knew it, so he wrote a letter of encouragement to him.  In essence he says three things:  Titus you need Crete. Hard and difficult places and even people are good for you. Crete needs you. The people in this city are spiritually blind and need what you have to offer. And God needs you in Crete.  Though you may not sense it and they may not say it. God needs you there.  So adjust your attitude and get busy meeting and connecting with people..

There are at least two kinds of people in your life.  Those who already know you have something they need.  They know because God has shown them. Then, there are those who do not yet know you have something they need. God will show them.

Somebody needs you, and you need somebody.

Why not search them out. Get up and get moving.  Move toward your neighbors, even members of your family. Pick up the telephone. Go ahead; write that brief note to that close friend.  You may be shy, timid and even feel inadequate, but you will not succeed in life unless you are connected to people. This is the way God made us.

Success involves people.  People who enable you to succeed may not always come to you.  In fact, I’ve discovered they rarely do.  You must go to them.

Ever wonder why coke and ice machines are on every floor in the hotel? Are maybe a Starbucks at ever corner.

Successful people are accessible.  Jesus was accessible.  He went everywhere.  He went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.  Luke 9:6

There is a Law of Relationship that says every person is anywhere from four to seven people away from any other human on the earth.  Think of it!  It could simply mean that you know Bill, who knows Sally, who knows Jim, who knows anyone else you would ever want to know. You could know people that you haven’t personally met yet. Interesting!

But if you really want to know more people you must leave your house, neighborhood, car or desk.  You will need to reach for the telephone.

• Success always begins somewhere.
• Success always begins at some moment.
• Success always begins with someone.

So you must go where people are.   Jesus did.