Monday, April 28, 2008

Strength and Peace

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Life is full of adversities that can very quickly sap our strength and rob us of our peace. In a matter of moments illness can strike, the car can break down, things at work can go south and the list goes on… Most of us are living with very little reserve margin as it is, so when these types of issues begin to pile up we begin to feel the weight of our circumstances. It is at these times that we come to the realization that we simply do not have what it takes.

The truth of the matter is that we were never intended to have all that it takes to clear through these difficulties in life. God created us with a need for reliance on His unlimited resources.

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11 (NASB)

I find that in those times where I am truly “tapped out” God willingly provides me with additional resources from His unlimited supply. The only stipulation is that I simply have to ask for them. It is amazing how peaceful I become when I spend some time alone with God in the midst of my turmoils and tribulations. No matter how difficult the situation is, God always calms my spirit and tops off my tank. I may have come to Him declaring that I just can’t take it anymore, but by the time I leave His presence I am ready to take the next step.

Today you may find yourself exhausted by the pressures of life. I encourage you to take some time today and get alone with God. Tell Him what is weighing you down and then sit still and allow Him to refill your tank.

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

Carl

Monday, April 21, 2008

Evaluating Your Foundations

Good morning! I hope you had a refreshing weekend.

Over the past four months, God has been leading me through a time of deep evaluation. This time began with a very simple question: “Am I the Lord over every kingdom of your heart?” As you might expect my immediate response was: “of course You are!” When the question was posed to me again, I knew it was time to look deeper.

As I have continued on this journey I have been led to look at areas that I would never have considered. Things like my philosophy of ministry, my traditions and even my doctrinal beliefs/interpretations have been brought into this process.

It is amazing to realize how much of our “understanding” comes from what others have told us. This is a natural process that begins in the home…it is powerful by design. Sadly, too many of us never take the time as adults to really understand the real reasons we hold these “truths” to be truth. We never really go through the process of truly understanding why we believe what we believe. Notice the following verse from Proverbs:

Proverbs 14:15 (NLT)
Only simpletons believe everything they are told! The prudent carefully consider their steps.

In this time of evaluation the Lord has led me to take this verse to heart when it comes to scripture. I was raised in, grew up in and have remained in a particular denomination’s teaching of the Bible my entire life, so naturally I look at the Bible through that lens. During this time of evaluation, God has caused me to step back and look at His word through a different lens….the lens of fresh perspective. I have been approaching scripture by leaving my understanding at the door and engaging as though I were a child reading those pages for the first time. I will have to be honest with you…my context, my understanding and my comfort have all been stretched. I find in many things, I still hold to the foundations that were laid for me throughout my lifetime, but in others I am seeing places that my understanding was incomplete.

As a natural result of this journey I also find myself stepping back and looking at my life’s work and choices through this new lens as well. Those things I don’t understand or have uncertainties with, I take to God. The real key for me is this: The choices I make in the coming years will probably be the most critical choices of my life. They are the choices that will determine my influence upon others and the legacy that I leave behind. Being one who is not willing to settle for “good enough”, I want to choose those steps that will be God’s “best.”

This week you may need to begin a journey of your own. Begin at the core of your heart and work your way outward. Allow God to ask the questions that challenge your thinking. Even if you change nothing, you will have grown simply by taking the journey.

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

Carl

Monday, April 14, 2008

Back to the basics

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Over the past several months as gasoline prices have continued to climb, I have been looking at some ways to be a better steward of our family finances. I love my pickup truck, but on a good day with a tail wind I can only get about 13mpg. I have an older sports car that does a little better at around 27mpg, but the parts for it are quite expensive. So after much discussion with my wife…we both agreed that a small motorcycle would be a good source of transportation, at nearly 70mpg, to and from the church and my local meetings.

It has been nearly 20 years since I last rode a motorcycle and so I am now in the beginning phases of learning to ride once again. I’m not yet ready to hit the road, I need to go back to the basics. It is with this thought that I bring you this morning’s encouragement.

Hosea 12:6 (NLT)
So now, come back to your God! Act on the principles of love and justice, and always live in confident dependence on your God.

So where do you begin. For me it began at the dealership as I had the technician walk me through the shift pattern, lighting equipment and safety devices. The next step was to read the owner’s manual, to get familiar with the peculiarities of the bike. Finally it was time to do some practical application, the place where the fundamentals get center stage. So for the past two days, I have spent a couple of hours in a vacant parking lot working on releasing the clutch without stalling the bike, balance, left turns, right turns and braking. For hours upon end I have ridden in circles first to the right and then to the left. In a week or two I will go a little further and take a basic rider’s course to further develop the fundamentals. Once those are mastered then it will be time to consider actual road usage.

What I really want to do is put on my helmet and hit the road, but I know that without mastery of the fundamentals, I am a danger to myself and others. The basics are so important. Professional athletes still take batting practice, shoot repetitiously from the free throw line and work on their three and four point stances. If the fundamentals get sloppy, the overall performance suffers.

I find that my life as a Christian is not much different. For me the fundamentals include daily time in prayer, Bible study and simple listening to God. There are many things that grab my attention each day, seeking to draw me further away from these fundamentals. I find that when I don’t take the time to work on the fundamentals my life game suffers. I have to daily make a commitment to spend time in these basics of life. The time I invest into these basics pay dividends in every other area of my life.

This week you may find that your game is not at the level it once was. If that is the case, I encourage you to return to the basics. Start with the simple foundations and work your way forward from there. The basics are the doorway to greater things.

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

Carl

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Are You Hospitable

Good morning from Chennai, India. My team and I made it safely here and have been met with the greatest of hospitality.

This trip has had me thinking a lot about hospitality. The people of southern India take great pleasure in their hospitality. The value of relationship is priceless. We have been invited to share meals in several homes now and we leave each one feeling that our friendship has been cherished and treasured.

So the question becomes what are you doing to make others feel welcome? Throughout life we have the opportunity to turn strangers into friends. This happens in the school, the workplace, the church and the neighborhood.

Most of us have had the experience of being the “new kid on the block.” This may have been your first day of school or a new job in a new town. Those first few days come with some anxiety. Will there be anyone here who is like me? Will I be accepted into this group of people? Is this a safe place? These are all valid questions.

Most of us would agree the transition became easier once we made a new friend. It was that person who took the initiative and introduced themselves to us; or the person who invited us to sit with them; or that person who invited us to lunch. Their willingness to break the ice was the key to relieving our anxiety.

This week I encourage you to look around and take note of the new faces in your midst. Take the initiative to offer the hand of hospitality. Your act of kindness will make someone’s transition in life that much easier….and who knows you may end up with a new lifelong friend.

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

Carl