Do you know where the fish are?

Good morning! I hope you had a blessed weekend and are refreshed as you enter into this new week.

This past Friday I had the privilege of joining a group of ministers and lay leaders for a deep sea fishing charter in the Gulf of Mexico. After our 3 hour journey on the water we were finally at our destination about 30 miles out from the coast line. We dropped our lines and….nothing! Twenty-six men went from high expectation to shear boredom. We couldn’t even buy a nibble.

Fortunately for us, we were under the watch care of a veteran sea captain. Our captain knew where to find the fish and so he wasted no time in retrieving the anchor and we set out for a new location. The captain maneuvered the boat into position and told us to drop our lines.

Now let me stop here for a moment and put some application to this story. All of us have had unproductive days of fishing. We’ve been dating for years and haven’t found the “right one.” We’ve been at the company for years and never received that promotion. We’ve been courting that potential client and time after time we hear the word “no.” Unproductive fishing…we’ve all been there. So when we are presented with the opportunity to cast our nets again we have a choice. We can dwell on the past lack of productivity and just quit or we can cast our nets one more time, knowing that a bountiful catch is out there.

Simon Peter’s encounter with Jesus rings true to this thought:

Luke 5:4-7 (NLT)

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper and let down your nets, and you will catch many fish."

[5] "Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, we'll try again." [6] And this time their nets were so full they began to tear! [7] A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

For Simon Peter this issue was trust. Do I trust that this Jesus knows what He’s talking about? Am I willing to risk my pride for the sake of a bountiful harvest? These are the kinds of questions we all face. Can we trust God’s leadership enough to cast the nets again even when the previous attempts have been unfruitful?

This past Friday, we all trusted our captain. Within a matter of seconds every man had a fish on the line. Over the course of the next 3 hours, all 26 of us motley thrill seekers would reel in over 300 pounds of fish. Our trip was so productive that we had hit our limits almost an hour before our fishing time was scheduled to end.

The productivity of the trip came down to these key truths:

• Our guide knew the waters, he had been here many times before
• Our guide could see what was beneath the surface
• We simply had to follow his instructions, trusting that they were reliable

Today you may be asking yourself: “Is it worth casting the net one more time?” I want to challenge you to keep throwing the net overboard. Until God shows you a different course or direction, keep trusting in the outcome. Your time is coming…even if you don’t see it from your current vantage point.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Have you heard...?

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and that you are off and running this morning.

This past weekend my family and I relocated our household to a new place of residence. We are blessed to have so many who willingly gave of their time and muscles to help us undertake this effort. So with sore muscles and joints I bring you this morning’s encouragement.

I want to begin by identifying a few of the most dangerous places in America:

• The office water cooler
• The school playground
• The women’s restroom
• The men’s locker room
• The office break room
• Corner gatherings at the church house

Do you know what these places have in common? What makes them so dangerous? Each of these places has historically been breeding grounds for gossip. We’ve all seen it happen before our very eyes…in fact most of us have been sucked into its grasp at one point or another.

Gossip often disguises itself under good and noble intentions with such titles as “information”, “thought I would let you know”, or “did you hear?” At the heart of gossip is a selfish desire to judge others according to our standards or to place ourselves in a position of knowing another’s business.

The problem with gossip is the fact that human communication is not all that reliable. You remember your grade school days when you played the gossip game don’t you? One student would tell the next student a secret and that student would relay that message to the next student. By the time the message had gotten to the end of the class, it was always totally different than how it began. We listen and speak through our own filter of understanding so our communications are never 100% objective.

Consider what the Bible says about gossip:

Proverbs 11:13 (NLT)

A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

Gossip is like identity theft. It can damage a person’s reputation, career, relationship and even their faith for years to come with little hope for repairing the damage to their name.

The best of friends are those who can hold strict confidences. We need to be very discerning in what we share and to whom we share it with. Some things simply do not need to be shared. Their disclosure benefits no one and in the end the harm done far outweighs any gain that may be achieved.

This week you may have an opportunity to be apart of the gossip in the workplace, school yard or even the church house. I want to challenge you to break the cycle. Remove yourself and make the truth your standard for living.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

People who get on your nerves

Good morning! I hope you had a restful weekend and that you have hit the ground running this morning.

Do you know anybody that is argumentative? It doesn’t matter what the topic of conversation may be, they are going to turn it into an argument. If you say blue, they say red. If you say hot, they say cold. So how do you deal with people who are difficult to get along with…much less love?

In Paul’s letter to the young pastor Timothy these words are recorded:

2 Timothy 2:24 (NLT)

The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people.

Now let’s be honest, some of us, myself included, enjoy a good verbal jousting session from time to time, but generally my enjoyment of these interactions depends on how full of myself I am that day. Truthfully though, rarely is there any positive outcome to these sessions of quarreling. I have made it a personal rule of thumb for many years now that I will not conduct theological debates with people. I may be able to present stellar arguments, but in the end I will rarely change anyone’s theological position and most of the time it simply drives a wedge.

The truth is quarrels don’t draw people closer together, but instead they pull people apart. When we make kindness the order of the day we are making a conscious decision to take the high road with everyone. When we choose to bestow kindness on others, we acknowledge their value as a person. Over time kindness can break through even the toughest of hearts.

When we choose this high road of kindness it makes this final instruction of patience much easier. Remember that your interactions with difficult people are character shaping moments in your own life. When you place value on another then you are willing to extend much more grace and mercy than you might otherwise. For me the rule has been this…every person I meet is someone that Jesus died for. By remembering that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, I recognize the fact that I am no better than anyone else.

Today you may be surrounded by difficult people. Appreciate their uniqueness, take a deep breath and extend a refreshing dose of kindness.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Have you talked to your advisor lately?

Good morning! I hope your Easter weekend was a great time of faith, family and friends.

Easter is always a special time for me. I use it as an opportunity to reconnect myself to the foundation of my faith. Some times it is good to go back to the basics. For me, Easter is one of those times when I go back and re-examine the significance of the cross and the empty tomb in my life. Without either one, my faith would be null and void.

Today I want to talk to you about living your life with purpose. As my backdrop, I would like for you to consider the following Psalm:

Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you.

You’re never too old for advisement. Many of us use advisors as part of our day to day life. Doctors, attorneys and accountants (especially for the next week) are just a few of the advisors many of us have. Even though we will seek advisement for those things, we often are negligent on seeking advisement for the bigger picture of life itself.

The Bible makes it very clear that God has a very specific plan that was specifically designed for your life:

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Before you were born, God knew you. He knew your personality, your strengths, your weaknesses, your successes and your failures. With all of those things in mind, He crafted His plan for your life and it is as unique as you are.

Sadly, even though we know this about God, we are all too often negligent in consulting Him for guidance and direction. If I was taking a long journey, I would most definitely put my beginning and ending point in to Mapquest® and print out a detailed map. If I was going to a new city, I would ask those who have been there what sights I should see and the best way of getting around.

If we will ask and listen, God is more than willing to give us guidance. The danger for most of us is that we don’t ask or we don’t listen. Sometimes we listen and get part of the picture, but then we run off ahead and get off course. The key is to be patient, allowing God to reveal the pathway one step at a time. You can trust His advisement, because He has already mapped out the course. When things don’t make sense, you can still have confidence in the knowledge that in God’s perfect timing the pieces will all fit together.

Perhaps this week you need to clear some time and meet with your Heavenly Advisor. Ask for direction and then sit back and take note of all that is revealed. He won’t lead you astray, His plan is perfectly designed for who you are.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Are you teachable?

Good morning! I hope you are off to a running start this morning, facing your week with enthusiasm and energy.

I remember the final days of my Senior year in high school. I was so excited that my years of formal learning were finally going to come to an end. I had been burdened for so long with homework, exams and courses that seemed to have little meaning for the rest of my life. Little did I realize that the greatest learning times of my life were still to come.

I find myself today, nearly 20 years later, aware of the fact that I must never stop learning or I risk becoming stagnant and irrelevant. Now, I would be lying if I said I enjoy school…in fact to this day, there are fewer places I would rather stay away from, however; the reward of instruction far outweighs the burden.

Look at the following verse from Proverbs:

Proverbs 13:14 (NLT)
The advice of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.

The real issue here is whether or not you have a teachable spirit. Many of us reach a place in our personal lives, our faith, our careers, etc… where we think we have nothing left to learn. We want to be the ones with all of the answers, but we never open ourselves up to be stretched. By our own arrogance we bring our lifelong process of maturity to a grinding halt, never allowing anyone else to impart greater knowledge or wisdom into our lives.

One of the things I have valued over the last 5 years is the relationship I have developed with my mentor. Each month this man has permission to stretch me, challenge me and even correct me. What a blessing this has been. I have grown so much more, because I have allowed myself to remain teachable. I fully realize that there are others out there who by their experience and training have much greater knowledge and insight than I do.

Today, I want to challenge you to always be striving to go higher. Don’t allow yourself to settle for a permanent plateau, but instead open yourself up to be pushed. You are never to old to stop learning…in fact the day you stop learning should be the day you draw your very last breath.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl