What Is Your Aim?

A year ago, we were different than we are today, and one year from now, we will have changed somehow. This new year many make overly optimistic plans for this new year, yet optimism is no guarantee of success.  Others think that a good intention means a new beginning, and they can make a fresh start whenever they want. That would be nice if it were that easy.

This time of year, many get out their mental calculators, keeping scores of their victories and losses. Most of us hope this year will be better than last.  Maybe we can change our perspective from ‘this is how things should be? It’s not easy to let go of all the mental stuff we insist we need for tomorrow and all the other things we continue to haul with us from our yesterdays.

When you get up in the morning to face a day, what do you say to yourself from the beginning to the end of the day? So many could say, “I don’t even think like that; I just get up and do what I’ve got to do.” It’s evident in the Bible that God wants us to aim at something more meaningful.

We make it our aim to be well pleasing to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9

Being aimless is like leaves blowing in the wind in the backyard. The wind blows that way; they go that way. They tumble, bounce, and press against a fence but have nowhere to go, like so many who are in a hurry with no place to go.

God did not create us in his image to be like leaves blowing in the wind. He has so much more for us. One thing that we can all count on this new year is change

Some changes we gladly choose, and others we don’t. Yet, despite our high hopes and best efforts, we often fail to change in the ways God desires. We can’t just grit our teeth and force ourselves to act with compassion. It’s not about trying harder on our own.

Yet, many of us have become far too passive in our pursuit of change, wholeness, and peace. Could it be in our therapeutic age we have fallen into the passive mindset of “I’m just dealing with my issues” or “I’m trying to survive.”

But I see a more non-passive approach to change in the New Testament. Namely, set your mind.
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth.” Colossians 3:2

God has something far more different in mind for us this new year. There is a better way. 

Live for what matters to God
We are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing the God whose world it is and who runs it. Knowing God is to first know His character and His ways. Knowing God is life’s greatest pursuit and crucially important to the living of our lives.

Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me. Jeremiah 9:23-24

If you’re making plans today, submit them to God. If god’s answer is different from yours, be ready to embrace His plan. His way is always best!

We cannot change things and people, but we can leave a lasting impact on other people’s lives if we choose to live for what matters to God. God has been changing the hearts and minds of people and nations for thousands of years, and He desires to change yours’ and mine, too.

Here’s the deal: God significantly changes our lives when we live out a heart's cry of, “Not my will, but thy will be done. What do you want me to do for You Lord?” And that will be enough. The God that does not change changes everything!

Be grateful that His love for you will never change! That’s one thing you can count on today and forever!

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and relied on your faithfulness. Psalm 26:3; 33:22

 

What to Do With An Unwanted Gift?

 

Today even before we open a gift often the giver will say, “Don’t worry I have a gift receipt. If you don’t like you can return it.” For many Christmas can have a way of intensifying our highs and our lows. We can celebrate our highs yet our lows can seem lower.

Part of the Christmas story is one of an unwanted gift|
There is not much mentioned about Joseph. There are no recorded words of Joseph, but he was not a passive bystander. He was faced with one of the most unwanted gifts anyone could ever imagine. His response changed his life and has the power to change yours’.

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was ‘pledged’ to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.  Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph was ‘pledged’ to Mary, in other words, they didn’t meet on Match.com or dated to see if their relationship would develop into something more serious. Their marriage was arranged by their families. It’s possible they didn’t know each other all that well. Their betrothal period lasted six months before the consummation of their marriage.

We read that Joseph was a ‘righteous’ man. He was consecrated in his Hebrew faith. He faithfully attended the synagogue, he knew, memorized, and kept the Torah and observed the Jewish feasts. Being called a righteous man meant he was well respected in his community.

Joseph could have heard rumors about Mary’s pregnancy before Mary told him the father was the Holy Spirit. It would be understandable that Joseph was deeply disappointed in Mary and hearing the news from the village gossip. His parent’s dreams for him and his own were absolutely shattered at the news of Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph was heartbroken and dismayed.

The consequences for an adulterer would be a public stoning. After hearing the news no wonder Joseph was considering divorcing Mary, but to save her from public humiliation and disgrace he kept his vow to marry her. He was a good man. There was no requirement for Joseph to bring Mary on the long difficult journey to Bethlehem. Could it be that he took her to protect her?

Before the angel confirmed Mary’s explanation Joseph was afraid of what would happen next. Why was he afraid? His mind was racing knowing his decision would be extremely costly in taking on a wife that was thought to be an adulterer. He knew that his son was not his and would be constantly called nasty names growing up.

Perhaps Mary’s family and friends would shun her and or worse yet disown her? Maybe their families would not attend their eventual wedding day? Would his good reputation be mired forever in scandal?  There was a lot on the line for Joseph. He was in a place of, ‘I don’t understand God, I’m afraid, what are you doing here? I really need to hear from you.’ Have you ever been there? Most of us have.

Three Ways We Can Respond to this story 
Don’t be afraid
“and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)
God did address Joseph’s fears through the angel that God was with Him in his overwhelming situation even though it would continue to be very hard for him. God promises that He is with us in whatever situation we’re facing no matter how long and despite how difficult.

Take a risk
Joseph took an unbelievable risk in taking Mary as his wife. To choose to love Mary knowing that the future would be hard for both of them, but somehow God would make a way. Joseph’s love, faith, and perseverance deeply mattered to God. So does yours’ and mine.

Commit yourself to God

Do you think Joseph regretted his decision in taking Mary as his wife? He didn’t have a gift receipt to return the gift he didn’t want or ask for. Despite all the tribulations Joseph would endure because of his decision do you think he regretted seeing his son grow up and teaching him his carpentry trade?

Do you think he regretted the long walks and conversations with his son? Do you think he regretted seeing his son’s gracious wise counsel to those he met? It was hard to hear the slurs about his son, but do you think he regretted seeing his son redeem people’s lives? God rewarded Joseph’s commitment to Him.

What about you? Like Joseph will you trust God that He will be ‘with you’ in your difficult circumstances? Trust that whatever is on your plate God is more capable than you expect. 

Although you might not see it now if you take a risk to commit to love someone God will reward you in ways you never imagined. Perhaps like Joseph, you’ll see your commitment bear fruit that will change people’s lives forever.

Standing Strong When Life's Impossible

Often in everyday conversations, we use colorful clichés to describe how we’re doing. When things are going well, we say things like, 'I’m on a roll, I’m on the top of the world, my head’s in the clouds.'  When things are not going well, it’s 'I’m down in the dumps, I’m hanging in there, I’m burned out, stressed out, wiped out, bummed out.'

When we’re in dire straits we can say things like, 'I’m in hot water, I am in over my head. I’m coming apart at the seams.'  

Three common clichés 

I'm between a rock and hard place - a predicament with no apparent solution.

There’s no light at the end of the tunnel – feeling like there’s no hope for the future. 

I’m at the end of my rope - we’re running out of options.

Some of you can relate to one or more of these clichés as you think about some aspect of your life. If any of those clichés describe you continue reading.  

In chapter two of the Book of Daniel, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream which is more like a nightmare and cannot sleep. Maybe you can relate to that? You have a dream you can’t remember, but you want to remember, but can’t you can’t get back to sleep. You’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and can’t sleep.

Because the King’s astrologers and fortune-tellers cannot tell the king the dream nor interpret it the king is furious and decrees that he will destroy them along with all the other wise men of Babylon including Daniel and his friends! They’re between a rock and a hard place; there’s no light at the end of the tunnel; they’re at the end of their rope.

At this point, Daniel did not know the dream or its interpretation. He was clueless about the dream, however, and it is a big however Dan was confident ‘where’ he would find the answer. Here we see Dan’s faith. He made a decision to trust God that put him out on a limb.

Faith is a decision to trust God 

Dan made a decision to trust God for the answer. Faith is not a feeling or some state of spiritual consciousness. Faith is nothing when there’s no action or response involved. Faith is making a decision to trust God for the outcome.

Sometimes we make faith so complicated, but it’s not. We express faith every time we make big and little decisions to trust God for the outcome, in getting out of our comfort zone. Faith is all about stepping out and making a decision to trust God when we don’t know or can’t control the outcome. 

I’m guessing some of you need to make a decision right now that you don’t know the outcome of? It’s risky because you know that if you might get shortchanged, but you’re going to have to trust God! 

The first thing Dan does is go to his three trusted friends to explain the dire straits they’re in. Can you imagine the conversation, 'If we don’t interpret his dream we’re toast!' 'What, are you kidding me?' 'I told the King NO problem.' 'You said what, what are we going to do?' We could miss this, but something significant is going on here.  

We need support in times of trouble!

Some people think they’re weak if they need people to support them. Dan was a man of incredible personal strength, yet when he finds himself at the end of his rope he goes to his friends and includes them in his and their dilemma. 

Daniel is not the only one who understood this. The Apostle Paul was a rugged tested man who had been in prison, shipwrecked, beaten, stoned and left for dead. While in prison in the final days of Paul’s life he asked that a young man named Timothy would, “Make every effort to come to me soon and bring Luke and Mark with you.”

No matter who you are or how strong you are you need others. Even Jesus during his greatest trial in the garden of Gethsemane he asked Peter, James, and John to be with him for support and prayer. Jesus had three, Paul had three and Daniel had three friends. Who are 3 or 4?

When you’re at the end of your rope who do you call for support? In such a hyper-individualistic world many think they can make it on their own. I can pick myself up by my own bootstraps. I’ll make it alone. I’m self-sufficient. I’m good.

Really? Is the best way to go it alone? God provides friends for our support in times of trouble. Ask yourself, practically speaking, whose list are you on? Who could you call or turn to? Dan had his list, Paul had his list, Jesus had his list of friends. Every one of us needs a list. To be on one and to have one of your own. 

Join us for the continuation of this blog next time.

My Way or God's Way?

In the previous blog we looked at how the word ‘submission’ has been radically misinterpreted. Unfortunately, history is full of women and other people groups that have been marginalized by unbiblical ‘under my thumb’ interpretations of submission.

So, it’s understandable this reality has impacted the how people view submission. Some think that submission means being used and abused by letting someone walk all over you to make them happy. That's not at all what it means. For some submission is all about getting their way.

My Way
Being exhausted of earning other’s approval for far too long can turn into my way This can look like ‘my way or the Highway.’ ‘This is the way things ought to be. If I ran everything, everything would be great!’

Women have come a long way since the Apostle Peter wrote about submission. The point of what Peter said in 1 Peter 3:3-4 was not meant to be a legalistic banning of beauty products or that women cannot improve their appearance. More importantly Peter empathizes the vastly superior value of the inner beauty of a woman in contrast to the danger of extravagant enslavement to fashion.

I think a little boy said it best when he asked his mom why she put so much stuff on her face? Her response, “Honey, if the barn needs painting, then I better paint it.” So, relax Mary Kay fans. But there is   a much better way to live.

God’s Way
A better way to see submission is being unselfishness. We need to learn to be unselfish in all of our relationships. But here’s the problem - we don’t think we are.  “I’m just fine, I’m getting what I want so why do I need to be unselfish.” I’m not selfish I just know what I want when I want and how and where I want it!”

James tells us that selfishness is a source of constant conflict

 
For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice… What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
                                                                                                                              James 3:16; 4:1

When you boil down many conflicts someone in the conversation is being selfish and it’s always the other person!  God’s way of submission is seen in Christ’s submission to His Father’s will.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage, but rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:6-8

 

Under intense pressure and deep anxiety in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus submitted to His Father’s will, “Not my will, but thy will be done.” The result of that ultimate act of surrender revealed the heart of Jesus for His Father. Aren’t you glad Jesus’ submission to His Father brought you forgiveness and new life? 

When we bow our heart towards “Not my will, but thy will be done” we will not only experience true life-giving freedom, but it will also benefit others.

What Is Submission Anyway?

An important quality that is deeply needed in relationships is submission. Does that sound odd to you? In today’s culture the concept of submission has a negative connotation. Unfortunately, history is full of women and other people groups that have been marginalized by an unbiblical ‘under my thumb’ interpretations of submission. 

So, it’s understandable this reality has impacted the how people view submission. Yes, the word submission has an image problem, but what does scripture say?

Jesus himself was obedient and submissive to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). In the scriptures Christ followers are to have a submissive attitude towards God, authorities, bosses, spouses and elders. The life of God in us looks like a life of submission. Submission impacts all our relationships.

The Greek word for submission has a military meaning and a non-military meaning. Many have only heard about the military use of getting in line, duty, etc., but the non-military use of submission is a voluntary attitude of cooperating, yielding, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.

Doesn’t that sound like the life of God in us? Cooperation. Yielding. Assuming responsibility. Carrying a burden. This is what we do for each other in the body of believers and it is what we do for those who we live closely with and those who do not yet believe. We submit in such a way that the life of God might be seen in us and help others see Him through our actions.

A better way to understand biblical submission is being unselfish in our relationships and having the courage to give up my rights to meet another person’s needs.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

One main ingredient in living a satisfying life is the ability to be unselfish. We’ve all have choices with the way we choose to live and here are the most common.

Other’s Way – Living to make other people happy

What do you want me to be and do for you? This may include compromising my deepest values. It’s sad to see what people will do to earn other’s acceptance and approval.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. If I seek to please man, I am no longer pleasing God. Galatians 1:10 

You can exhaust yourself and lose your identity in trying to please people and eventually resent it and go underground. We might think that living for others’ ways is submission, but that’s not at all what it means. It’s not being used and abused by letting someone walk all over you to make them happy. There is another way.

My Way
Being exhausted of earning other’s approval for too long can turn into my way. For more on My way and the God’s Way join us for the next blog.

Decidophobia

Princeton philosopher Walter Kaufmann who coined the word ‘decidophobia’ says that human beings are afraid of making decisions. We don’t want the anxiety that goes along with the possibility of being wrong. Decisions can wear us out.

I went to buy some blue jeans. I had to choose from loose fit, boot cut, relaxed fit, distressed, acid washed, stonewashed, pre-worn, straight cut, button fly, zipper fly. Choosing an entree can be so tough that restaurant wait staff help us feel good about our meal selection by saying, “great choice” to any entree decision we make.

Choosing thrills us and scares us
God wants us to learn to choose. Maybe that’s why there is no chapter in the Bible on “Five  Easy Steps to Knowing God's will.

What we do see is “If any of you lack wisdom ask God and he will give generously and not hold back.” James 1:5 and “This is my prayer for you that your love may abound more in more in knowledge and depth of insight, so you may discern what is best.” Philippians 1:9-10 God wants us to be good choosers.

When I’m facing a choice and I want to find God’s will for my life I don’t need to ask which is God’s choice for my life, but rather I need to begin by asking for wisdom. We make decisions and then the decisions make us.

What I think, what I read, where I go, who I’m with, what I do, how I work add up the 1.5 million little decisions we make in our lifetime and what we get is a life. We go through doors and we discover on the other side the person we’ve become.

The people who choose doors well, the Bible calls wise
Not lucky. Not wealthy. Not successful. Wisdom in the Bible is not the same thing as having a high IQ or an advanced educational degree. Wisdom in the Bible is the ability to make great decisions.  

The biggest difference between people who flourish in life and those who don’t is not money, health, talent, connections or looks. It’s wisdom - the ability to make good decisions. Too often we don’t think to ask for wisdom until we’re facing a big decision. But Paul writes, “Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.” Galatians 6:10

Every day we have open doors
Doors are everywhere. Choosing doors is always a process. I see opportunities, identify options and learn. If I only wait for the big decisions to come my ability to choose will be underdeveloped. It’s good to practice ahead of time with everyday street wisdom before the Big Door decisions arrive and they will.

There is always an open door for us to choose! God provides open doors for us to make wise choices. Are you ready for that door? How will you discern which door to walk through and if it is from God?

A New Open Door in 2018

I’m looking out the window in the early morning on a very cold 3 degree Colorado day thinking about the New Year. Who can tell what we will find? What new experiences, what changes shall come, what new needs shall arise? The TV networks look back at the top stories of 2018. While the top story of my life or yours’ in 2018 didn’t make the national or local news we know what it was.

Perhaps you experienced the loss of a loved one, an encouraging word, a lasting memory, a celebration, health issues or a lesson learned? This time of year some have the need to look back by getting out their mental calculators keeping score of their victories and losses. Most of us hope this year will be better than last.

Some believe that a good intention means a new beginning, that on their own they can make a new start whenever they want. That would be nice if it was that easy. Sometimes despite our high hopes and our best efforts things don’t turn out the way we hoped.

What kind of treadmill are you on?
We may not realize it, but maybe we need to look at the treadmills we’ve been on? Do we need to change our perspective of ‘this is the way things ought to be according to me?’ Or, look at how we measure success or living for the approval of others.

These treadmills don’t just distract us from a satisfied life they can consume us. These perspectives can unknowingly trap and rule us. They can suck the energy right out of us and leave us utterly empty. It’s not easy to let go of all the mental stuff we insist we need for our tomorrows. Some have been stuck in a maze of decidophobia this past year with no end in sight. 

This New Year we all have choices to make that will impact our lives
Like bible characters we cannot predict where our lives will take us. In the scriptures we see God’s unmistakable guidance through a burning bush, a fleece, a voice, a dream, an angel. God can also lead us in no less significant ways, like doors.

For some of us a door has been locked or hidden or a door has meant rejection – ‘They shut the door in my face.’ OR an ‘open’ door can be a choice of boundless opportunities to learn, to do something worthwhile or discover purpose and satisfaction.

In Viktor Frankl’s book The Meaning of Man he tells about how Nazis imprisoned him in a concentration camp. They took away his profession, confiscated his possessions, mocked his dignity, and killed his family. They locked him in a cell with no way out.

Frankl found a door that his guards knew nothing about.
Frankl wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Frankl discovered that doors are not just physical. A door is a choice.

Author John Ortberg said about Frankl. “Frankl found that when his circumstances had closed every outer door to him, they revealed to him the doors that matter far more—the doors through which a soul can leave fear and enter into courage, leave hatred and enter into forgiveness, leave ignorance and enter into learning.

He discovered that his guards were actually more imprisoned – by their cruelty and ignorance and foolish obedience to barbarism—than he was imprisoned by walls and barbed wire.”

There is always an open door for you to choose during this entire New Year!  You just need to be able to see them. God provides open doors for you to make wise choices especially when you are assured that your Heavenly Father cares for you.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You.  I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. Psalm 26:3; 33:22

What To Do In Overwhelming Challenges

Ever felt like you were up against a wall? Like a cold, hard, unyielding barrier with absolutely no way out? Stuck? Stymied? You can’t go back, you can’t go sideways and it’s too high to climb. What do you do? Read on…

Last week we explored how we can overcome our overwhelming giants by how we respond to two personal challenges. The last two personal challenges can give us more insight to overcoming life’s hardest obstacles.

The Challenge to Resist Conformity
King Saul dressed David in his own armor to prepare him for the face-off with Goliath, but it was like Andy DeVito in Shaquille O’Neal’s clothes. David told Saul, “Are you kidding me I look ridiculous, I can’t go in these. Saul, this may work for you, but not me."Instead, David picked up five smooth stones.

Sometimes we have to face our Goliath alone. At the end of the day we have to choose who we will battle. We can read all the books on a particular subject and listen to all the experts. We may want someone to make decisions for us. It doesn’t work that way.

No family member, friend, teacher, boss or mentor can choose your armor for you. Your heart, skills, gifts and possibilities are yours and no one can choose your armor for you. Romans 12:1-2

Resist conformity and stand up and be who God created you to be.

The Challenge of the Crisis Moment
Everyone was watching the scene in the ravine between Goliath and David. Reality TV doesn’t get any better than this. What are you facing today? Your giant may overwhelming, but it’s not bigger than God.

Imagine the shock of Goliath? This unlikely victory is all about God and that’s enough! Have you been successful in fighting your battles on your own? Aristotle said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to operate in the face of fear.” Courage is having the right amount of fear directed to the right object for the right reason. Is that the kind of courage you desire?

Face your fears and doubts and then be willing to trust in spite of those things. Goliath wasn’t ready and in fact he never saw it coming up. He didn’t get it until it finally sunk in. Nothing like this ever entered his head.

We all face fear and anxiety.  What Jehovah did for David he can do for you! Whatever the obstacle you face God will meet you there! Is there fear and uncertainty in your future? Maybe there is a deeper fear in you? Maybe you think that God doesn’t really care about you? Maybe someone is more worthy of God’s love than you? Please don’t buy that lie.

If you allow circumstances and people to run your life rather than God’s love and grace you won’t overcome the giants in your life. Your Goliaths can intimidate and convince you to cower and run. If you runaway day after day and you’ll die a little each day and lose heart. Life is way too precious to go down that road!

One stone of God is stronger than anything else thrown at you. So, grasp your stone and realize the battle is the Lord’s. This was not about David’s skill and strategy, but about how God operates.

Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

There’s no need to be eloquent, brilliant and good looking when you place your trust in God. Don’t try to control your giant or trust in your own strategy and ingenuity, but trust Him. I don’t know how big your giant is, but it’s not bigger than God. So, pick up that stone of faith and believe in God’s grace and His ability to help you overcome your Goliath.

Facing Your Giants

While tending his father’s flocks David was unaware of the intense battle scene in the valley of Elah. Concerned, David’s father sends him to bring food and see how his brothers are doing on the front lines. This day will be a turning point for David, King Saul and Israel. These kinds of days come to us as well.

Some have the illusion that they will successfully overcome their giant in the heat of the moment. But, the truth is if you’re unprepared to face your Goliath you won’t do too well. The way you live your life day in and day out is the preparation for your future challenges.

Israel had Goliath Phobia. After forty humiliating and exhausting days they died a little each day and each day they grew more cowardice. Yet, David was not intimidated. David’s focus was on God and NOT in his ability or even on the enemy! He wanted please to God the best he could when his people had forgotten that God had fought for them over the years. They had seen it and heard about it all their lives. Maybe you have too.

You can overcome your Goliath by how you respond to four personal challenges:  
1.The challenge of criticism and opposition has the potential to develop heartfelt courage. David’s brother Eliab railed at his youngest brother, “I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

David’s response: "Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" 

Why the cheap shot? Was Eliab jealous because the prophet Samuel had anointed David with oil in the presence of all his family? Eliab’s criticism and opposition was not even close to being accurate! We all get inaccurate and hurtful cheap shots in life.

Many people do their best to avoid criticism at all costs! David knew who the real enemy was. His brother was not the giant, Goliath was. He knew who to fight and who to leave alone. Do you?

If criticism is not accurate stay focused on what’s most important and if it is accurate then deal with it. Lets’ face it, criticism and opposition is inevitable.

2. The challenge of everyday choices, the daily mundane stuff of life (I Samuel 17:33-37).
David was faithful in watching over his father’s flocks. No one from all of the Israeli troops was willing stand up against Goliath. Yet, David, just a young teenage boy persuaded King Saul to let him face the giant by saying,“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them.”

Whatever our challenges there are no easy routes, but we can get a little bolder when we face the not so glamorous stuff that builds courage and character. If we wait until we see the whites of the eyes of our Goliath we will run just like everyone, but David didn’t. The kind of everyday choices we make can develop our ability to overcome the greater challenges around the corner.

Rosa Parks, an African American woman boldly refused to go to the back of the bus and ignited the 1955 bus boycott in Montgomery Alabama. The boycott became a key victory in the civil rights movement. While her decision appeared to be a spur of the moment act, it was anything but.

Parks spent the previous twelve years helping lead the local NAACP chapter. For years she was studying other bus boycotts and had already been arrested in Baton Rouge two years earlier.

Join us next time as we explore  two more personal challenges.

Not Your Typical Hero

Liviu Librescu didn’t fit the hero mold. As a child, he survived the Holocaust. As an adult, he survived persecution for defying Romania’s brutal communist regime during the cold war. At last, with his children grown he seemed to find a safe haven as an engineering professor at the quiet Virginia Tech University in rural Virginia. 

But trouble found him once more when gunfire rattled through Norris Hall. Lebrescu, 76, closed the classroom door and urged his students to escape out the windows. As they fled, Lebrescu held the door shut with his body as the gunman 23 year old senior Cho Seung-Hui tried to force his way in. 

Moments after the last student leapt to safety Cho succeeding in forcing the door open shooting Lebrescu to death. Lebrescu’s act of heroism saved lives in America’s bloodiest massacre (32 killed and 17 wounded) inflicted on an American campus by a lone gunman. 

Livia didn’t fit the typical bravado view about heroes and heroines. You’ve heard it. If you set your mind to it you can do anything! Your sheer assertive determination is enough. It’s the survival of the fittest and victory to the strong.  And so it goes.

We all can have moments of courage, but consistent courage is another thing. How’s your courage doing? Are you ready when the heat is on? Are you quick to quit when facing your challenge?

Maybe you’ve observed along with me that courage is not found in just the one BIG climatic event, but in the everyday choices we make in life. Will I daily stick to my core values or cave in to the convenient wisdom of the day?

Like Liviu, the little shepherd boy didn’t fit the hero stereotype either. He was radically over-matched with his challenger. You just couldn’t ask for a greater contrast between David and Goliath. Regarding outward appearance Goliath had it all. He exuded self- confidence. He was used to winning and at over nine feet tall and 125 pounds of armor you didn’t want to mess with this guy!

Scene #1 – The Israeli troops and King Saul were absolutely consumed with fear after 40 days of the Philistine giant’s daily embarrassing humiliation of Israel. He was taunting the Israeli defense forces by shouting, “You want some of me?” across the other side of the valley of Elah. 

Our giants shout out to us as well from a person, a pressure, or a situation that’s too overwhelming for us. Inevitably, we all will need to face up to our Goliath.

I invite you to join us for our next blog as we discover how we can overcome our Goliath by how we  respond to four personal challenges. 

The Best Decisions in Life

If you want to know how to make the best decisions in life consider…

Stop waiting for an outburst of passion

Many people have the illusion that there is some passion out there just for them. If they discover their passion then every day of their life would be filled with exhilarating emotion and effortless motivation. Don’t wait for passion to lead you some where you’re not. Start by bringing passion to the place where you are now.

Ask wise people to help you
If you need wisdom don’t try to obtain it all by yourself. Get around wise people whose character you trust, who love you and who care about your welfare. Bounce things off of them. Often we see God’s direction better through the rear-view mirror than the windshield with the help of wise counsel.

On our own we can miss open doors. We can seek out information that confirms what we already want rather than looking for the real truth, “Should I buy that or not?” But rather, we could say, “What’s the best way I can use this money.”

Learn by experiment and your failings
Does God ever have guidance for a particular decision? Yes.  Does God give guidance for every decision? No. Sometimes God’s guidance is not so much about what he wants to do through me as what he wants to do in me. Discerning open doors is never the same as guaranteed success.

Having second thoughts about going through a door is not unusual. You might have buyer’s remorse about a choice you made, but there is a better way to go through the door and that is with all your heart. The way to go through one of God’s open doors is with all your heart.  That means that sacrifices are involved - choosing one thing means not using another.

The ultimate door
Wisdom is wonderful. Wisdom makes for better relationships, better workers, better citizens and better parents. But wise people still get cancer, wise people get betrayed and wise people die. Wisdom in the Bible reveals that there are limits to wise human decisions.

All that the Apostles loved and prized and cherished about wisdom they found in Jesus. Wisdom loved and suffered on the cross. Wisdom died and wisdom was raised to life again .Wisdom is far more than common sense and practical advice. Wisdom is alive today and can walk with you through the doors you face. The ultimate door is a person!

“I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.”       John 10:9  

Myths About Open Doors

“This, too, shall pass.” “God helps those who help themselves.”  “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” Sounds biblical, but these phrases are not in the Bible. That happens quite a lot. “God will never give you more than you can handle.”  You’ve heard that before.  The Bible says, God will not allow someone to be ‘tempted’ beyond what they can stand, but the Bible never says God will not allow you to be given more than you can handle. People are given more than they can handle all the time.

“When God closes a door he opens a window.” Yet, the Bible says, “What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open” (Revelation 3:7) Our own desires and ideas about God opening doors can be full of misconception and superstition, maybe even spiritualized wish fulfillment.

People have told their soon to be spouses, “You can’t break up with me; God already told me you’re the one.” Sometimes we cite God opening a door to justify our choices.  When I try to use God the way someone uses a magic eight ball or a horoscope I make God my genie in a bottle. 

Here are some myths about divine doors.

If I’m unclear about which door to choose I’m doing something wrong.
Big decisions are rarely simple. We can say, “God just tell me what to do.”  Sometimes were not looking so much for God’s will for our lives, but to simply be relieved of the anxiety that comes with taking responsibility for making a decision.  God is the door opener, but not a magical enabler.

God’s will for your life often is, “You decide.” God cares more about whom you are becoming and not so much what you do for a living, were you live or who you marry. He wants you to become a person of character and love.  

Sometimes God may have a specific assignment for you and God is perfectly competent to make this clear. But it’s helpful to understand that a lack of guidance from heaven regarding which door to choose does not mean that either God or I had failed. God knows that I would grow more with having to grapple with a hard decision than if I got a memo from heaven.

An open door means the way will be less difficult or easy.
If I choose the right door, I’ll be able to tell because my life will get easier. If this is my criteria for door judging, then every time I hit “hard,” I can doubt God, myself, and my choice. When God calls people to go through open doors, what generally happens is life gets much harder.

“A wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

                                                                                                                  1 Corinthians 16:9

Not just a door, but a wide door.  Paul knew that resistance and opposition was part of the confirmation of the door God had opened for him. Avoided trouble is tempting, but not the path to maturity. Jesus never said, “Your life will be easy.” Jesus used the word easy only once, but it wasn’t about our circumstances.

He did say, “I’ll give you an easy yoke.’’ A Rabbi’s yoke was a way of saying a follower would take on his way of life. That is, daily receiving God’s transforming grace that brings peace and strength beyond yourself that will enable you to live life to the fullest. Are you?

Join us next time for more myths about doors.
   

The Way of Wisdom

In our last blog we saw some ways we can recognize a wise person. Here are some of the other characteristics of the ways of the wise. They are…

Self-controlled
In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise…The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction… A wise man’s heart guides his mouth and his lips promote instruction. Proverbs 10:19; 16:21, 23

Being careful with your tongue not only builds character, but a reputation as well.

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control. Prov.29:11

The wise control their anger keeping in mind the long term outcome of their words. They can calm animosity and persuade without manipulation, a rare quality. This fourth mark fosters the next  characteristic of the wise. They have a…

Positive influence on others
They are the kind of person who encourages others with patience. They provide a shoulder to lean on, but also a kick in the pants when needed. In casual conversations people take mental notes of their ideas, concepts and connections.

We can learn a lot by standing around the right places and the right people. The wise provide fresh insights with reality oriented knowledge. Their passionate wisdom does not come from an ivory tower. 

The lips of the wise spread knowledge… The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death. Proverbs 15:7: 13:14 Another mark of the wise is that they are…

Peacemakers
A king's wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will appease it… Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger...Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 16:14; 29:8; 12:18

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Mat.5:9

In 1934, Hitler’s plague of anti-Semitism was spreading throughout Europe like wildfire. Some would escape it. Millions would die from it. But an 11-year-old boy named Heinz would learn from it. Heinz was a Jew who lived in the Bavarian village of Furth with his family.

As tension mounted between the Jews and Germans in that community, Heinz’s father, a school teacher lost his job, and his family endured great hardship. Gangs of Hitler Youth roamed the neighborhoods of Furth looking for trouble. Young Heinz learned keep his eyes open for them. Whenever he saw gang of troublemakers, he would cross to the other side of the street. Sometimes he would escape a fight, but sometimes he couldn’t.

One day Heinz found himself face to face with a Hitler Youth. A beating appeared inevitable, but on this day he walked away unhurt, not because he put up a good fight, but because of what he said. Somehow he convinced this troublemaker that a fight was foolish and unnecessary.

From that point on eleven year old Heinz learned the power of words to avoid conflict, and for a young Jewish boy living in such a volatile anti- Semitic climate, that was a skill he used often.

In fact, it was a skill he perfected. Fortunately Heinz and his family escaped Bavaria and made their way to America. As the years have passed, his name has become synonymous with peace negotiations.

He will be remembered as on the greatest peacemakers of this century. You don’t know him as Heinz. You know him by his Anglicized name, Henry…Henry Kissinger.