Get Out of the Penalty Box

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

The past two evenings I watched the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals. One of the unique features of ice hockey is the power play. A power play occurs when the member of one team commits a penalty. When a penalty is committed, the officials levy a 2 minute or 5 minute penalty against the offending team. During this time, the penalized team is required to play with fewer players on the ice than their opponent.
During the power play, the penalized team finds itself playing at a disadvantage, unable to play at a maximum level of potential.

In our lives, God has surrounded us with people who are necessary for us to operate at a peak level. Unfortunately many go through life without realizing this truth and penalize themselves and those unnecessarily. The reasons we penalize ourselves can vary. Perhaps it is feelings of unworthiness, guilt or anger that sideline us.

1 Corinthians 12:20-21 (NASB)
20 But now there are many members, but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”

When we don’t recognize the importance of the roles that each of us plays in the lives of others, we can very easily hinder the potential of ourselves and others. When you don’t do your part, someone else is required to take up the slack. This creates extra burden upon them and may even take them away from their greatest strengths. Additionally, the group misses out on the gifts and strengths that you bring. This lack of people operating in their respective roles creates a loss of synergy within the group.

This week you may be sitting on the sidelines watching the action. I encourage you to get out of the box and back on the ice. Your team needs your skill, talent and giftedness if they are to operate at full strength once again.

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

Carl

Availability

Good morning! I trust you had a very Merry Christmas and were blessed by your time with family and friends.

Each year in the days between Christmas and New Years, I take a prayer retreat. Some years I have been able to go deep in the woods to a secluded cabin, other years I stay close to home, but seclude myself. It is during these times that I reflect on the year past and listen for God’s direction for the year ahead.

One of the issues that surfaces often during these times is the issue of availability. It is so easy to become worried about my abilities and how God is going to use them, but what God is truly interested in is my availability. Take a look at this passage from Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?”

And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

More than God cares about my leadership skills, my speaking ability or my people skills He most cares about my willingness to go. Many of us say that “Wherever He leads I’ll go.”, but would we really? In one of the books I read on a past retreat the author mused that for every person who says they will go “wherever”, how many of them have their passports stamped and active? Do their actions really bear out their words?

There are many reasons that we unfortunately say “no” to God. God leads in a certain direction and we begin to withdraw our commitment. “I can’t afford it!” “I don’t know enough!” “I couldn’t leave my friends and family!” Do any of these sound familiar?

To follow where God leads requires complete surrender and a sold out commitment. In the story of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds were compelled to see Jesus. Nothing else mattered at that point. Are you in that same place, where following Jesus is the greatest passion in your life. I sometimes wonder what blessings I have missed out on by not going where I have been led.

This week I want to challenge you to be available. Are you willing to truly say, “Wherever He leads I’ll go?” Make yourself available to God and His purposes. Ask Him to invite you into the midst of His activity.

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

Carl

Examining Your Foundation

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

This past week I spent some time with a man who is both a friend and trusted advisor. He has taken a great interest in my work over the past 18 months, but has taken particular interest in the church planting ministry that I launched in November. As we were talking, he addressed with me his concern over my foundation. As I probed into his statement, he accurately assessed that I was beginning to rapidly put together a structure, but my foundation was not set. He further elaborated that I may even need to pull back the reigns on the ministry, because the monthly provisions for my family were not fully in place.

There was great wisdom in those words. A structure is only as good as the foundation it is built upon. The foundation determines to what degree and at what pace the structure can be erected. It also determines the longevity of what is built, and the types of adversity the structure can withstand.

This conversation has had me thinking about the following passage of Scripture:

Luke 6:47-49 (NASB)

47 "Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49 "But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

The greatest detriment to the lives we are building is the poor foundation work, we all too often settle for. We may hear the words of God, but how often do we fail to implement those very things into our lives. We know we are cutting corners, but we don’t think anyone will ever notice the shortcuts. Unfortunately turmoil has a way of exposing our frailties, shortcuts and shortcomings. The places we chose to hear, but not obey become glaringly obvious as we watch the structures of our lives come crashing down on the shifting foundations upon which they were built.

Today, I encourage you to evaluate your foundation. Have you taken the time to dig deep and lay your foundation on the bedrock principles of God? If you have, the storms may be fierce, but they will not topple the things God has directed you to build. In the end the structure will stand, unmoved by the tempest, because the foundation never shifted.

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

Carl

Living a Life of Honor

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and find yourself fully energized today.

One of the things my dad instilled in me growing up was the importance of a good name. I watched him over and over again make choices that were not always the easiest, but were the choices that were honorable. When opportunities were presented to compromise his principles, he always stood his ground on the convictions that were deep within him.

In one of our most memorable conversations before I left home my dad told me: “I may never leave you vast wealth, property or fortune, but I will leave you a good name.” Those words penetrated deep within me and have taken up residence. I have tried diligently to pass this same value of integrity on to my children.

Every day we are bombarded with opportunities to compromise our principles. People ask us to stretch the boundaries or turn the other way. At first glance it may seem harmless enough, but ultimately those compromises have a lingering effect on our character and reputation. The stench of compromise stays around long after the compromise has been made.

It is no wonder that God led the writer of Hebrews to pen these words:

HEBREWS 13:18 (NASB)
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

One of the most valuable assets we have is our reputation. A reputation can open doors of opportunity or slam them just as quickly. A reputation may be the difference between advancement and resistance and our reputations move beyond us. Our spouses, children, co-workers, employers and even the God of our faith are labeled by our integrity or lack thereof. It is no wonder that the writer of this verse requested prayer over this issue of honorable conduct.

Today I encourage you to evaluate your own conduct. Would you be described as a man or woman who operates with honor and integrity? Perhaps you find yourself this morning being faced with an opportunity for compromise. Consider the cost, shore up your defenses and remember it is your reputation at stake. Ask God to direct your conduct that you may always be known as a person of honor.

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

Carl

Under Your Nose

Good morning! I hope that you had a refreshing weekend.

I meet with a friend of mine every Thursday for lunch. During our time we talk about life and he allows me to challenge him in his Christian walk. Often times I am the one getting challenged as we dialogue back and forth. This week was no exception, as our dialogue helped me to see an opportunity right in front of my nose.

Two weeks I ago I began a new ministry called Simplicity. The basic concept of Simplicity is to develop a network of groups that meet in homes, offices, coffee shops, etc… as macro level church bodies. As my friend and I were talking I was discussing the groups that we have already established and the opportunities we had on the horizon. As part of that conversation I mentioned that I would like to have a group going in the downtown area for business people by January of 2009. That’s when I had my “duh” moment. My friend said, “Why don’t we make our meeting that group?” My friend was seeing the obvious that for some reason wasn’t even crossing my mind.

Numbers 22:31 (NASB)
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.

There are times in our life, when we simply don’t see the opportunities right in front of us. I find that the reasons for this come in a variety of forms. At times it is my preoccupation, tunnel vision or lack of awareness of my surroundings that is the issues. Other times it is not the right time for God to reveal those opportunities, or, as in the case of my friend, God wants to use someone else to speak into my life.

The truth of the matter is that we are surrounded by opportunities every day. These opportunities have the potential for lasting impact on our lives and the lives of others. The only barrier is our ability to recognize them. Unfortunately we miss some of our best opportunities, simply because we are not looking for them.

This week ask the Lord to open your eyes, so that you see the landscape of your life and surroundings as God sees them. Listen carefully to the conversations that you find yourself involved in and listen for the open doors of opportunity. You will be amazed at the opportunities you have been missing that have been in front of you all along.

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

Carl

Your actions define you

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Every one of us leaves a lasting impression. Others define us by what they see in our actions. A good reputation is something to be treasured, while a bad reputation is difficult to put to rest.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the following names:
• Abraham Lincoln
• Richard Nixon
• Vince Lombardi
• Mike Tyson
• Judas Iscariot
• Jesus Christ

The Bible reveals to us a simple truth:

Proverbs 20:11 (NLT)
Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.

The question becomes quite simply: “What are your actions saying about you?” Have your actions earned you the classification of selfish, arrogant, insensitive, bully, drunkard, etc…? On the other hand maybe you have been rewarded with the description of kind, honest, generous, capable or trustworthy.

The great thing about a reputation is your ability to change and improve that reputation. If the choices of the past have labeled you in a less than flattering light, you can simply commit to a change of behavior and in due time find that you are re-categorized. Your greatest tool to changing your label is to choose actions that demonstrate something different.

Recently I participated in a conference call with noted leadership trainer, John Maxwell. During that call John shared with us this thought that drives him every day of his life: “Your life will be summed up in one sentence, determine today what that sentence will be.”

Today as you consider your reputation, determine the sentence that will be written about you in the days to come. Your reputation is a statement of character, so handle it with care.

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

Carl