"Know Your Calling" (Part #1)

20, June 2017

"Know Your Calling" (Part #1)

‘What is that in your hand?’ Exodus 4:2 NIV

When God called Moses, one of the first questions He asked him was: ‘What is that in your hand’?  Moses was holding his shepherd’s staff—the one he used each day to lead and protect his sheep.  But God had a different plan for it—a greater one!  He used it to part the Red Sea and lead Israel into the Promised Land. When God asks you, ‘What is that in your hand’?  He wants you to think about your talents, experiences, relationships, education, resources, your mind and your temperament.

‘Signature strengths’ fall into six categories:

(1) Wisdom and knowledge. These include things like curiosity, love of learning, sound judgment and social intelligence.

(2) Courage. This includes perseverance and integrity.

(3) Humanity. The capacity for kindness, and the ability to express mercy.

(4) Justice. The ability to bring about fairness and leadership.

(5) Temperance. Qualities like self-control, prudence and humility.

(6) Transcendence. An appreciation for beauty, the expression of gratitude, the ability to hope and the capacity for joy. We all have the capacity for each of these strengths, but the ones that resonate most deeply within you are your ‘signature strengths’.

Once you identify these you begin to understand your calling. But be careful; the enemy wants to convince you that God can’t use you because of your weaknesses, when in fact the opposite is true. Who can speak to those who are grieving better than those who’ve suffered loss?  Chuck Colson was the chief White House lawyer until Watergate.  But only when he became a convict was he equipped to begin his ministry, Prison Fellowship.  So, know your calling.

"Be proactive"

20, April 2017

"Be proactive"

‘How long will you neglect to go and possess the land …?’ Joshua 18:3 NKJV

When it comes to building good relationships, you must be proactive. This calls for knowing who you are as a person, and what you want from the relationship. While it seems counterintuitive to focus on who you are individually versus who the two of you are as a couple, the whole is only as strong as the parts.  Great relationships are based on each party being truthful and up-front about their real needs, desires, feelings, and values. While as a couple you must make decisions together, decisions about who you are as a person and what you want your life to be are yours alone to make. Allowing someone else to make those decisions for you is a mistake. When you let someone else decide who you are and what you want, you give away the power that God gave you.

Understand this: (1) Doing nothing is not making a decision.  (2) Sitting back and pretending not to see a situation for what it is, is not a decision.  (3) Procrastinating about what to do until something happens where you’ve no choice but to go one way or the other is not a decision.  It’s passivity, and in the end it won’t serve you well.

Sometimes you have to accept unchangeable circumstances, but you always have the choice to decide what you want to be within them. This principle is taught clearly by what God told His people on the threshold of the Promised Land: ‘How long will you neglect to go in and possess the land which the Lord… has given you’?  So, be proactive.

"Anger"

19, April 2017

"Anger"

‘They do not know what they are doing.’ Luke 23:34 NIV

Max Lucado writes: ‘It begins as a drop of water … Someone gets your parking place, pulls in front of you on the motorway, a waitress is slow and you’re in a hurry, the toast burns … Get enough of these seemingly innocent drops of anger and you’ve got a bucket full of rage … We trust no one … bare our teeth at anyone who gets near … become walking time bombs that, given the right amount of tension and fear, could explode … We can’t deny … anger exists.  How do we harness it?  Jesus said about the mob that killed him, “Father, forgive them … they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NIV) …

He saw this bloodthirsty, death-hungry crowd not as murderers, but as victims … He saw in their faces not hatred, but confusion … He regarded them not as a militant mob but “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34 NIV). “They don’t know what they are doing …”

Think about it … they hadn’t the faintest idea …They were a stir-crazy mob, mad at something they couldn’t see so they took it out on, of all people, God. They didn’t know what they were doing, and for the most part neither do we.

Much as we hate to admit it, we’re shepherdless sheep … born out of one eternity and frighteningly close to another … We can’t answer our own questions about love and hurt … can’t solve the riddle of ageing … don’t know how to heal our own bodies or get along with our mates … My point is: uncontrolled anger won’t better our world … sympathetic understanding will.  Once we begin to operate not from a posture of anger but of compassion … we realize the lights are out … a lot of people are stumbling in the darkness … So as Christians ... we must light candles’.

"Do you believe this"?

16, April 2017

"Do you believe this"?

‘I am the Resurrection and the Life … Everyone who … believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this?’ John 11:25-26 NLT

We struggle with the idea of our own mortality.  It’s alleged that Florence Nightingale feared death so much, after the Crimean War she went to bed and basically stayed there until she died in 1910.

Chuck Swindoll says we skirt the subject by using:

(1) Humor.  Making a joke of it keeps death at a safe distance so we never have to face reality.

(2) Denial.  King Louis XIV of France wouldn’t allow the word “death” to be uttered in his presence.  But on September 1, 1715, he discovered that death can’t be wished out of existence.  People spend so much on anti-aging creams, Botox, and plastic surgery to avoid seeing evidence of death’s approach.

(3) Romanticism.  A man in Europe built a special room where he can live with his dead wife.  His bed is next to her casket.  He decorated the room with flowers and candles. He writes her poetry every day in a romantic attempt to avoid the pain of her passing.

(4) Fear.  Observe fellow passengers on an aeroplane when turbulence causes sudden drops and vibrations. Young and old alike scream and cry out’.  The good news is you don’t have to fear death!  The One who defeated it said, ‘Because I live, you also will live’ (John 14:19 NIV).

When you repent and commit your life to Christ, you have His personal guarantee of eternal life.  After Lazarus died, Jesus told his sister Martha:  ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life … Everyone who … believes in Me will never ever die.  Do you believe this?’  If you do, you’ll live forever with Christ.

"Keep The Fire Burning"

15, April 2017

"Keep The Fire Burning"

‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us …?’ Luke 24:32 NKJV

After the resurrection Jesus met two of His disciples who’d seen Him crucified and didn’t know He’d been raised from the dead. Then later as He ate supper with them at their house, an interesting thing happened: ‘Their eyes were opened … they knew Him … and they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”’ (Luke 24:31–32 NKJV)

This story has much to teach us about keeping the fire of love and devotion to Christ burning in our hearts. As you walk with Jesus and spend time in His presence, He talks to you and reveals Himself through the Scriptures. We all know that to keep a fire burning you must tend it, stoke it, and keep fueling it.

Why do some of us go on to higher heights and deeper depths in our walk with God, while others seem to go around in circles without getting anywhere?  Because one group commits itself to pursuing God until His presence becomes a daily reality in their lives, while the other group doesn’t. It’s that simple. The question is, which group are you in?  If you’re lukewarm and half-hearted in your walk with God, today He is saying to you, ‘Return to Me … and I will return to you’ (Zechariah 1:3 NKJV) .... Or in layman’s terms: ‘Turn around and come back ... You’ll find Me where you left Me.’

So the word for you today is:  keep the fire burning.

"Were You Really ‘Born That Way"?

10, April 2017

"Were You Really ‘Born That Way"?

‘I was a sinner when my mother conceived me.’ Psalm 51:5 GWT

Whether your struggle is with alcohol, drugs, sex, anger, gossip, unforgiveness, arrogance, stealing, lying, or gambling, one thing’s certain—we are all born with a propensity towards certain behaviors.  So it’s not a genetics issue, it’s a spiritual issue.  It’s not about science, it’s about sin.  Any of us might find ourselves struggling with these issues—not because we inherited a gene for it, but because we inherited Adam’s fallen nature the day we were conceived.

David said, ‘I was born guilty.  I was a sinner when my mother conceived me.’  Solomon said there are no exceptions:  ‘Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins’ (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT).  So the answer is yes, we were all ‘born that way’.  The reason these behaviors come naturally to us is not because we ‘can’t help being the way we are’; it’s because our sin nature is stronger than our desire to please God.  Even when we try, at times we lose the fight!  Paul, the greatest of Christians, admitted to failing when he tried to do right. ‘I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out’ (Romans 7:18 NIV). So if we are all born that way, what’s the good news?

Paul gives it to us: ‘Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God!  The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Romans 7:24–25 NLT).  When you were born you received Adam’s corrupt nature; but through the new birth, you receive Christ’s sin-conquering, life-changing, righteous nature!

"Simplifying Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated"

08, April 2017

"Simplifying Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated"

‘Do not worry about your life.’ Matthew 6:25 NKJV

Thoreau said, ‘Our lives are frittered away by detail … simplify, simplify.’  Jesus put it another way: ‘Do not worry about your life … the birds … neither sow … reap nor gather into barns … yet your … Father feeds them.’ (Matthew 6:25–26 NKJV)

Charlie Shedd pastored a large church with many demands. He and his wife created a simplicity list:

1) Make sure you need to simplify. Your problem may be inertia … because you aren’t doing enough. Selfishness never simplifies—it complicates.

2) Remember why you’re here.  Put God’s will first. You unclutter by having a pivotal purpose on which your life swings.

3) Drop useless goals.  Don’t wear yourself out on meaningless pursuits. You frustrate yourself by dedicating your life to the unimportant.

4) You can’t do everything.  If God intended you to be six people, he’d have divided you up! Leave some ‘world building’ to others.

5) Live one day at a time. Plan and hope for the future—but don’t live there. ‘Each day has enough trouble of its own’  (Matthew 6:34 NIV).  Live well today and tomorrow’s strength will come.

6) Wherever you are—be there.  Stop thinking happiness comes at five o’clock, or at the evening’s party, or when you fall asleep.  Live in the present.

7) Develop a hobby.  A change of activity keeps you fresh. Time spent playing is time well spent.

8) You can’t slow the world, so slow yourself. Learn to gear down.  When you can’t alter the pace, retire to the inner sanctuary and alter yourself.

9) Adopt the perfect pattern:  Christ …  whose life cut history squarely in two ... Follow Him as He lives a mighty life in quiet confidence.

10) ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 2:5 KJV).

"Confront them"!

31, March 2017

"Confront them"!

‘Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”’ 2 Samuel 12:7 NKJV

Can you imagine the courage and integrity it took for Nathan the prophet to challenge King David about his affair with Bathsheba?  Most of us tend to avoid confrontation because we fear being disliked and rejected.  But when you avoid confrontation it often makes things worse.  By hiding his sin, David was robbing himself of the blessing of the Lord.  Looking back, he wrote, ‘If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my … prayer’  (Psalm 66:18–19 NIV).

The tiny growth you don’t want to deal with now can end up becoming a cancer that consumes you in the future.  That’s too high a price to pay.  If you love someone, you’ll take your courage in your hand and confront them in love.  Confrontation is an opportunity to help develop that person—provided you do it respectfully and with their best interest at heart.

Here are ten guidelines to help you confront someone in a positive way:

(1) Do it ASAP. 

(2) Address the wrong action, not the person. (3) Address only what the person can change. (4) Give them the benefit of the doubt. 

(5) Be specific. 

(6) Avoid sarcasm. 

(7) Avoid saying ‘you always’ and ‘you never’ because that's not true. 

(8) When it’s appropriate, tell them how you feel about what was done wrong. 

(9) Give them a plan to fix the problem. 

(10) Affirm him or her as a person and as a friend.  The Bible says, ‘The Lord corrects those He loves’ (Proverbs 3:12 NCV).

So if you love someone, you’ll confront them in the right way.  

"Christ Is In You" (Part #1)

29, March 2017

"Christ Is In You" (Part #1)

‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.’ Ezekiel 36:26 NKJV

When God said, ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you,’ you could call it ‘a spiritual heart transplant’.  Tara Storch understands this miracle.  In 2010 a skiing accident claimed the life of her thirteen-year-old daughter, Taylor.  What followed for Tara and her husband, Todd, was every parent’s worst nightmare: a funeral, a burial, a flood of questions and tears.

They decided to donate their daughter’s organs to needy patients ... And few people needed a heart more than Patricia Winters. Her heart had begun to fail five years earlier, leaving her too weak to do much more than sleep. Taylor’s heart gave Patricia a fresh start in life. Taylor’s mom had only one request: she wanted to hear her daughter’s heartbeat.  She and Todd flew from Dallas to Phoenix and went to Patricia’s home, where the two mothers embraced for a long time. Then Patricia offered Tara and Todd a stethoscope.

The question is:  when they listened to the healthy rhythm, whose heart did they hear? Did they not hear the still-beating heart of their daughter?  It indwelt a different body, but the heart was still the heart of their child ... And when God hears your heart, does He not hear the still-beating heart of His Son?

Paul said, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me’ (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).  The apostle sensed within himself not just the philosophy, ideals, and influence of Christ, but the person of Christ.  Christ moved in—and He still does.  ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ (Colossians 1:27 NKJV).

"Enjoy Each Season Of Your Life"!

25, March 2017

"Enjoy Each Season Of Your Life"!

‘Which yields its fruit in season.’ Psalm 1:3 NIV

Your life is lived in seasons, and to be fruitful you must recognize the season you’re in and maximize it. ‘How can I tell when a season is ending?' you ask.  Because the grace that accompanied that season will lift, and what was once rewarding will start to feel unrewarding.

The Bible says a successful man or woman is like a tree planted by streams of water ‘which yields its fruit in season’.  You can only be fruitful in your season! That’s where blessing and success occur. You can’t just do it whenever you want to; it has to be in your appointed time. When the right season comes, it’s effortless for a tree to produce what’s stored within.  And there’s fruit within you that will be produced when you understand what season you’re in.

But there are rules for each season; let’s look at them.

Spring—is for training and discipline. That’s when you begin to see God’s purpose for your life and prepare for it.

Summer—is for maturing what spring started. The seeds you sowed and nurtured then will grow and multiply now.

Autumn—is when you no longer have the passion of youth but the steady calm of the seasoned veteran. If you’re wise, you’re now working smarter instead of harder.  It’s time to transition and prepare for the upcoming winter.

Winter—is when you assess your accomplishments, enjoy your rewards, pass on your counsel, and take your bows. You have fought the good fight, kept the faith, and finished the course (see 2 Timothy 4:7).  If you do it right, each season can be the best season of your life!

Recognize and walk in your season.

"Teaching Children Patience" (Part #3)

24, March 2017

"Teaching Children Patience" (Part #3)

‘For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.’ Hebrews 10:36 NKJV

Do these three things:

(1) Don’t be Mr or Mrs Quick-Fix-It.  Your kids need to learn to respond the right way to difficult conditions.  That means dealing with frustrations, not being rescued from them. Overprotecting produces a sense of inadequacy and powerlessness in them.  By quick-fixing everything, you’ll rear children who cannot handle life.  They’ll expect to be rescued from all trouble, and become overly dependent on others. The Bible says, ‘Problems and trials … help us develop endurance’ (Romans 5:3 NLT).  Allow your children to experience age-appropriate challenges, and they will thank you later for the strengths and coping skills they’ve developed.

(2) Prepare them to wait.  When you know in advance that your child will have to wait (for instance, in a doctor’s office or an airport and later in life, that promotion), help them prepare for it.  ‘Make the most of every opportunity’ (Ephesians 5:16 NLT).  Have them pack items they enjoy.  When they chose the items, they will feel they invested in the process.

(3) Keep a positive attitude.  If you constantly complain while waiting in traffic, or for someone who’s late, your children will do the same.  Instead, try saying, ‘This delay gives us time to tell each other about our day’ ... Or, ‘Even when we feel frustrated about waiting, God’s timing is always perfect’!  Teach them God’s perspective on patience:  ‘Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains’ (James 5:7 NIV).

"Teaching children patience" (Part #2)

23, March 2017

"Teaching children patience" (Part #2)

‘Bring forth fruit with patience.’ Luke 8:15 KJV

Here are five more teaching tips:

(1) Teach by experiment.  Toddlers through ‘tweens’ can appreciate the time it takes a plant to grow, so involve them in planting a seed and watching it grow.  Explain how everything in life takes time to change and develop. Teach the meaning of Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV:  ‘To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven.’

(2) Make use of visuals. Younger children especially need visuals when waiting for an event to happen.  If it’s 4:30 and dinner is at 5:00, use a timer.  If it’s eighteen days until the family holiday, let them mark the days off on a calendar.  Often their problem with waiting is not knowing when it will end.

(3) Don’t interrupt and don’t tolerate interruptions. Toddlers to teens—kids interrupt!  Adults, too.  Interruptions are usually a rude and frustrating display of impatience.  Unless it’s an emergency, be clear:  kids—and adults—are to wait their turn to speak.  It’s more than good manners—it’s obeying God’s Word. ‘There is … a time to keep silence, and a time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7 NKJV).

(4) Make use of board games.  Most board games require taking turns, which means waiting.  Your kids will hardly realize they’re practicing patience!  Chess and draughts are good for tweens.  Scrabble educates teenagers and teaches them patience.

(5) Reward their patience. When your toddler waits for his sippy cup to be filled while you feed the baby, thank him for waiting so well.  If your teen saves her money to buy a new phone, compliment her wisdom and reinforce it by perhaps donating the last few dollars to her purchase.

"Be Kind To The Unkind"

21, March 2017

"Be Kind To The Unkind"

‘Pray for those who mistreat you.’ Luke 6:28 NIV

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you’ (Luke 6:27–28 NIV). Then He added, ‘Your reward will be great’ (Luke 6:35 NIV). God sees, He records, and He’ll reward you for every kind act you do. It’s easy to be kind to those who are kind to us, but you must grow in grace in order to be kind to the people who mistreat you.

In the comic strip Nancy, the character Sluggo once told Nancy, ‘That new kid in school is nothing but a big fathead'!  Nancy replied, ‘You shouldn’t call people names like that.  I never call people names’.  Sluggo replied, ‘Well, I just got mad when he said you were stupid looking’.  Whereupon Nancy demanded, ‘What else did that big fathead say’?

It’s easy to react to acts of kindness with kindness. The real challenge is responding with kindness to those who lack it.  Os Guinness in "The Case for Civility" wrote about politicians as society’s role models:  ‘Name-calling, insult, ridicule, guilt by association, caricature, innuendo, accusation, denunciation, negative ads, and deceptive and manipulative videos have replaced deliberation and debate. Neither side talks to the other side, only about them'.  Civility—being respectful whether we agree with another person or not—is a good policy!

Every one of us has a ‘kindness kit’ we carry with us everywhere we go. It’s better known as our tongue.  Never underestimate the power of one kind word.

"Judgment Day Will Be A Great Day For You"

20, March 2017

"Judgment Day Will Be A Great Day For You"

‘In this world we are like Jesus.’ 1 John 4:17 NIV

Will you get into Heaven because you  are worthy?  No, you’ll get there because Jesus, the One in Whom you’ve placed your trust, is worthy!  ‘As we live in God, our love grows more perfect.  So we will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment, but we can face Him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear.  If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced His perfect love’ (1 John 4:17–18 NLT).

On the Day of Judgment earthly wealth won’t matter.  Physical beauty won’t be factored in. Fame will be forgotten. You might stand next to Napoleon or Julius Caesar, but you won’t be asking them about Waterloo or Brutus.  All eyes will be on Jesus. Those who ignored Him will hear the words, ‘Depart from Me’  (Matthew 25:41 KJV).  But for those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior ... there need be no fear.  ‘We can face Him with confidence because we live like Christ here in this world’.

Think about that!  God sees you the way He sees Christ—worthy and accepted.  And since you are ‘in Christ’ you can view Judgment Day the way He does—with confidence.  Does Christ fear judgment?  No, a sinless soul need not.  Does He fear death?  No, the giver of life would not.  So should we who are ‘in Christ’ fear judgment or death?  Not at all:  ‘In this world we are like Jesus'.  So Judgment Day will be a great day for you and me!  

"Battling bitterness"

19, March 2017

"Battling bitterness"

‘I had great bitterness; but You … delivered my soul.’ Isaiah 38:17 NKJV

At ninety-two, Jenny never missed a chance to recall how her sister refused to buy her a pair of shoes fifty years ago!  All those years marinating ‘in the gall of bitterness.’ (Read Acts 8:23 KJV)

Anne Peterson says:  ‘An offense burrows into our hearts.  We replay it … creating ruts that’ll be hard to rebuild later … we enlist support, which pushes us further into resentment. We decipher the offense as intentional, and our offender as full of spite.  As we find reasons, real or imagined, to dislike them … we form another layer of bitterness … Then like a beach ball we try to submerge … it pops up … splashing everyone.’

The Bible says, ‘Make sure … bitterness doesn’t take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many’ (Hebrews 12:15 GWT).  So remember:

(1) Forgiveness isn’t optional. ‘If … possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone’ (Romans 12:18 NIV).  It may not be possible to live in harmony with everyone, but God still requires you to forgive those who’ve hurt you.

(2) As you forgive, you’re forgiven. The Bible says when you’re ‘full of bitterness’  you’re ‘captive to sin’ (Acts 8:23 NIV).  Don’t forget that Jesus didn’t just die for you, He died for those who offend you.  Do they deserve forgiveness?  No. But then again, do you?

(3) Pray for your enemies.  Ask God to bring to mind the people you need to forgive, and melt the bitterness in your heart towards them. It’s impossible to harbor resentment towards somebody you’re praying for.  Yes, sometimes it’s hard to forgive; but you ‘can do all things through Christ’ (Philippians 4:13 KJV).

"Good Thinking"

18, March 2017

"Good Thinking"

‘We have the mind of Christ.’ 1 Corinthians 2:16 KJV

In his book, Thinking for a Change, Dr John Maxwell gives us eleven different types of thinking; to each we’ve added a Scripture:

(1) Big picture thinking. The ability to think beyond yourself is required in order to process ideas from a ‘faith’ perspective (Ephesians 3:20).

(2) Focused thinking. The ability to think with clarity on issues by removing distractions and mental clutter (Philippians 3:13–14).

(3) Creative thinking. The ability to break out of the box and explore ideas and options in order to experience a breakthrough (Isaiah 54:2–3).

(4) Realistic thinking. The ability to build a solid foundation on facts, to think with certainty (Luke 14:28).

(5) Strategic thinking. The ability to implement plans that give direction for today, and increase your potential for tomorrow (Proverbs 19:21).

(6) Possibility thinking. The ability to unleash your enthusiasm and hope, to find solutions for even seemingly impossible situations (Matthew 19:26).

(7) Reflective thinking. The ability to revisit the past in order to think with understanding (Psalm 1:1–3).

(8) Questioning popular thinking. The ability to reject common thinking and accomplish uncommon results (Isaiah 55:8–9).

(9) Shared thinking. The ability to include others who can help you think ‘over your head’ and achieve greater results (Psalm 133:1–3).

(10) Unselfish thinking. The ability to consider others and their journey, to think with collaboration (Romans 12:10).

(11) Bottom-line thinking. The ability to focus on results, in order to reap the full potential of your thinking (Matthew 25:14–30).

Let’s add: (12) Spiritual thinking. ‘We have the mind of Christ'.  One God-given thought can change your life!

"Value Your Friends"

16, March 2017

"Value Your Friends"

‘It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women … in someone else’s field you might be harmed.’ Ruth 2:22 NIV

Kristin Armstrong advises women: ‘If you have godly girlfriends, love and nurture those relationships as though your life depends on them—because it does.  Everything is better when you “go with His women”… Life is safer, more authentic, longer lasting, and just plain more fun.  God created women to rely on other women.  I’m blessed by girlfriends who lift me when I’m low, level me when I’m high, and show me the face of God on a daily basis through compassion, humor, strength, and unconditional love.  May you cultivate and enjoy the same.’ And not only do women need friends ... men do too.

One of the first things God said in the Bible was, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone’ (Genesis 2:18 KJV).  Solomon writes, ‘A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17 NKJV).  Poet William Carlos Williams wrote: "When trouble comes your soul to try, you love the friend who just “stands by”.  Perhaps there’s nothing he can do—the thing is strictly up to you.  For there are troubles all your own, and paths the soul must tread alone. Times love cannot smooth the road, nor friendship lift the heavy load.  But just to know you have a friend who will “stand by” until the end, whose sympathy through all endures, whose warm handclasp is always yours—it helps someway to pull you through, although there’s nothing he can do. And so with fervent heart you cry, God bless the friend who just “stands by”".

"Misconceptions About Success" (Part #1)

13, March 2017

"Misconceptions About Success" (Part #1)

‘Give yourself wholly … so that everyone may see your progress.’ 1 Timothy 4:15 NIV

Here are some common misconceptions about success:

(1) We think success is impossible, so we criticize it.  We want to believe life should be easy, so we assume anything difficult must be impossible. Then when success eludes us we throw in the towel and say, ‘Who needs it anyway’?  And if someone we consider less deserving than ourselves is successful, we get really upset.

(2) We think success is mystical, so we search for it.  Author/entrepreneur Seth Godin says: ‘We need to stop shopping for lightning bolts. You don’t win an Olympic medal with a few weeks of intensive training. There’s no such thing as an overnight opera sensation. Great companies [and great churches] don’t spring up overnight … every great thing has been built in exactly the same way:  bit by bit, step by step, little by little'.  There are no shortcuts; you must be willing to pay the price.

(3) We think success comes by chance, so we hope for it.  We say, ‘Oh, he or she just happened to be in the right place at the right time’. The chances of that happening are about as good as the chances of winning Lotto—over eight million to one.  If you’re serious about succeeding, you’ll concur with the small-business owner who posted this sign in his store:  ‘The 57 Rules of Success: Rule one: Deliver the goods. Rule two: The other 56 don’t matter!’

Paul shared his formula for success with Timothy, and it’s one that works in all areas of life: ‘Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress’.  

"Give your love away"

12, March 2017

"Give your love away"

‘Let us love one another, for love is of God.’ 1 John 4:7 NKJV

One evening before Mary Martin, the great Broadway musical star, was to go on stage in South Pacific, a note was handed to her.  It was from Oscar Hammerstein.  He had written it to her from his deathbed:  ‘Dear Mary, a bell’s not a bell till you ring it.  A song’s not a song until you sing it.  Love in your heart is not put there to stay.  Love isn’t love till you give it away’.  After her performance a number of people rushed backstage, exclaiming, ‘Mary, what happened to you out there tonight?  We have never heard anything like that performance!  You sang with more power than you’ve ever sung’!  Blinking back tears, Mary read them the note from Hammerstein and added, ‘Tonight, I gave my love away’!

The poorest person in the world has something to give others if he or she has love in their heart.  Love’s gifts take many forms—a smile, a hug, a gift, a note of thanks, a hand up, and just being there in tough times.  Love is the one gift that always fits, is always appropriate, and always in season.  Jesus said, ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’ (John 13:35 NKJV).  Paul wrote, ‘May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all' (1 Thessalonians 3:12 NKJV).  John writes, ‘Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God’.

So the word for you today is:  give your love away.

"Be willing to pay the price"

11, March 2017

"Be willing to pay the price"

‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.’ Nehemiah 6:3 KJV

Success usually comes at the end of struggle; if it came easily, everybody would be experiencing it.  When it comes to success, there are no shortcuts, reduced prices, or ‘special deals’.  The value of anything is determined by the price you’re willing to pay for it.  And when you truly value something, you won’t easily jeopardize it because you remember what it cost you.  What are you afraid of today?  Failing?  Your concern should be the opposite—regret that you didn’t try.

Are you afraid of criticism?  Face it ... as you move upward in life certain people will resent your success; that’s true whether you’re arrogant or not.  We all want to be liked, but at some point you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘How much am I willing to forfeit in order to be liked and accepted’?  Nehemiah, the builder of Jerusalem’s walls, said, ‘I am doing a great work, so … I cannot come down’.   Any time you defer to the opinion of people instead of the will of God, you are ‘coming down’.  Stay up on the wall!  Keep laying bricks—or whatever God has called you to do.

Advancement often brings isolation and criticism ... and God may be grooming you right now for a new level of blessing by exposing you to both.  Can you handle it?  Not everybody can.  But if you’re the kind of person who can’t sit on the sidelines and watch while others play the game—go for it! God will reward every step of faith you take and every sacrifice you make.