Author: tommestevenson@gmail.com

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I AM THE STORM

Fate whispered to the warrior, “You can not withstand the storm. ” The warrior whispered back, “I am the storm.” This quote is from an unknown author, considered Genghis Khan around 300 BC. I wear this on my wrist to remind myself that I am the storm. If I live within God’s will for my life, I am an unstoppable force. No force in this universe can stop God from achieving His will in your life but you.

There’s good news for those who are besieged. Jesus Christ can give us the strength not only to stand but also to soar above the storm.

If you have God’s blessing upon your actions, you are the raging storm. Any problem in your life must be faced by the army God has put at your disposal. What stops us from being that storm is uncertainty. We struggle to believe we have the correct answer to one or both of these questions: Am I genuinely living within God’s will, and does God care about what I am going through?

Fate’s Storm
Genesis 1:26-28, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

We live in a broken world. We know that but forget that God has not relinquished control. He allows certain things because He has given man dominion, and He will not go back on His word. This commitment by God seems counterintuitive at times. Man creates so many problems for himself. If God can solve all problems, why doesn’t He? We have a lot of biblical theories about that; along with these theories, we must realize that no one knows God’s mind.

Romans 11:34, "For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?"

With our dominion, God also keeps control. He did not condemn us to a world out of control. God allows us to choose, and some choose unwisely. If we continue to seek Him, He will save us. See the story of Job. God made a wager with Satan when God stacked the deck in His favor, and He could not lose. Satan still doesn’t get that.

Matthew 28:18, "Jesus drew near and said to them, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.'"

The fall of Adam and Eve has opened the doors to sin and evil. Sin and evil do not always visit us because of our actions but because of the fall. We experience turmoil and uncertainty every day. No one has been protected from calamity. We have all suffered.

Jeremiah 25:32, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Behold, evil is going forth from nation to nation, and a great storm is being stirred up from the remotest parts of the earth."
God’s Storm
Ezekiel 38:9, "You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."

We are the storm. With the power of God, it is we that fate must withstand. We rage against all things, not of God. God gives us stamina, discernment, patience, wisdom, and power to overcome the world. When we see the tsunami of life building on the distant horizon, we should turn to God. What will hit our shore may be a gentle wave or a rough sea, but never a tsunami.

James 1:6, "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind."

We must calm ourselves, look fate directly in the eyes, and whisper, “I AM THE STORM.” I am God’s chosen. I am unstoppable. There is no need to blare and bluster. 

Job 30:22, "You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride, And You dissolve me in a storm."

Fear not, for God is with you.

Psalm 18:30, "What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him."
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Forfeiting Your Soul

Forfeiting your soul sounds drastic, even unthinkable, but very possible. I just returned from Honduras; I have twenty-one business cases to review and countless other tasks. My internet has been out, so I am far behind. All the “good” I intended to do is now a rat race against time. I replaced the compassion that drove me from the start with an urgency to finish.

Matthew 16:26. "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"
MY SOUL

I’m not concerned with losing my salvation; God is too loving and compassionate for that. I am concerned with losing the soul of my being. In my quest to serve, will I lose the very essence of servitude? The most outstanding achievers in this world, who sacrifice to be the best, are selectively neglectful. They intentionally chose not to let certain things enter their lives that might distract them from their goal. Many of these people go on to achieve great things but, in the end, regret what they sacrificed to achieve it. Interestingly, we realize the importance of things only late in life. The important things turn out to be people.

Just think, you’re here not by chance but by God’s choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else – You are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can’t give you. He has allowed you to be here in this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation. – Roy Lessin

We try to be significant by being successful, smart, famous, rich, strong, popular, or good-looking. But there is always someone more successful, smarter, famous, richer, popular, and good-looking. If worldly standards define your significance, you will always come up short.

Jesus told the young rich ruler, “Sell all your possessions and give them to the poor.” But that wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was, “Then come and follow me.” We think the hard part is giving our wealth to Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, or Honduras or giving a week or two to serve others. But it’s not. The hard part is living like Jesus every day.

Matthew 19:21, "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
THE TRADE-OFF

As a high type “A,” I am goal and commitment-oriented. At times, I am way too pragmatic for my good. The trade-off I face now is: do I achieve a goal and live up to a commitment, or do I serve? Do I take as long as it takes to do justice to those I came to help, or do I meet the minimum standard so I look good in meeting a timetable? Do I gain some level of respect by being seen as a doer, an achiever, or a man of my word, or do I do what is right knowing that it will be an inconvenience in the short term, but in the long term, better serve God’s will in other people lives.

1 Corinthians 2:5, "So that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."

The problem is that, just like myself, people don’t always see God’s plan for their life. Giving food to people experiencing poverty isn’t just about meeting short-term needs; it is more about the eternal impact of salvation. These business plans are not about making a living; they are about using what God has given every one to impact their community for Christ. Rushing through the temporal analysis of the business and not giving justice to the eternal impact the business can have on its community is to nullify the primary purpose.

The business must be successful to sustain evangelism, but an ongoing enterprise without Christ is meaningless.

PRIORITIES

God’s way is better than your way. His plan is bigger than your plan. His dream for your life is more rewarding, more fulfilling, better than you’ve ever dreamed of. Now stay open and let God do it His way. – Joel Osteen

The concern is not eternal salvation; it is losing the soul of your being. Do I trust God enough to set aside my priorities to serve Him? Does my obsession with who or what I think I am or should be, override who God made me to be? Do I trust in God’s outcome over mine?

As I was leaving Honduras, I was physically exhausted, mentally drained, and uncomfortable. In those times, I become very quiet and introspective. I looked over at the phone of one of our Honduras helpers, and her screen said:

1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

God speaks, not in a booming voice, but a whisper. Because He cares for me, He will not waste my time on meaningless tasks. What He has me doing has value in the lives of others even when I don’t see it. It is His plan, His timing, and His outcome. He allows me the joy of being part of it.

When God created you, He created a dream and wrapped a body around it. – Lou Engle

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The Dopamine Experience

The dopamine experience, the runner’s high; gambling, extreme sports, or even drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines provide an emotional thrill. They all give us a sense of being bulletproof and invisible. It is like learning to fly without learning to land. The takeoff is exhilarating, but the ground is somewhat unforgiving, as are the consequences of unbridled emotions.

Ethereal Experience

The easiest approach to life is to let go, abandon all pretense, and allow your emotions to take over. There is something ethereal about not overanalyzing the moment. It can be momentarily euphoric to stop fighting the urge. It is a thrill-seeking behavior where anger triggers dopamine reward receptors in the brain. One of our great struggles is to build a wall between the person we are and the person God made us to be. At the moment, the person we are seems much more attractive than the person God wants.

James 1:20, "for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

Early in my adolescence, I didn’t understand the addictive nature of anger. I was a dopamine addict. Anger became its reward; the final consequences were always destructive, yet I followed the impulses in the moment without regard for them. Weirdly, I perceived the consequences as a result of the other person’s reaction, not my action. I was the victim.

The best revenge is to be unlike the one who performed the injustice. –  Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

We understand the implications of rage, but I think we underestimate its destructive characteristics. Anger is more subtle and less evil. It ebbs and flows with the circumstances of the day. Saint Augustine stated, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Anger is a slow-acting poison; the changes are driven from within, and it is hard for the angry person to notice.

Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry, and yet do not sin."

We all get angry; it is a visceral reaction to what we perceive as injustice. It is that instantaneous impulse to react, to do something. In that dopamine rush, the question is, what? It is tough to overcome our instincts. We are not rational; we are emotional. How do we change that momentum into positive change? It does not happen by resisting the urge but by redirecting it.

Proverbs 19:11, "A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression."

Redirecting

We are become a more unforgiving society. We have our truth, and you have yours, but yours is wrong. I am less and less amazed by people who will stand their ground in light of the onslaught of facts to the contrary. We become so emotionally invested in a position we can not fathom an opposing view. Any fact that disagrees with my position is a lie, a fabrication, and fake news. There is only one truth.

Psalm 8:6, "You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet."

Redirecting our emotions is about reevaluating our perception of that truth. God oversees all things. That truth has the power to overcome any obstacle. I do not have to defend my position or even be right concerning my opinion. God has the final decision. If my position contradicts God, it will fail, even if I prevail in my argument. If my position is consistent with God’s will, it will happen whether others agree.

Read Acts 5:34-39, where Gamaliel says, “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”


The way to redirect anger is to believe that God is behind everything that happens. You do not have to protect yourself from injustice; God will in his time. The timing may not be to our wants, but we don’t have control over it. The underlying feelings of weakness, insecurity, and lack of control are our perceptions, not reality. We can walk away knowing that the God we worship has this. It is not about being right or wrong but about accepting God’s dominion.

Final Decision

That is not to say that we shouldn’t speak to injustice; it is to say that it is not ours to achieve. God’s plan for us may intersect with a particular injustice, but the timing and outcome are still His. Your part is to mirror Christ; His part is to bring about changed hearts and souls.

Ephesians 4:31-32, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."
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The Man in the Mirror or the Man Behind it

My thoughts today began with deciding whether I was the man in the mirror or the man behind it. We have all seen the detective TV shows where the suspect is in the interrogation room, and there is always a mirror on one wall. Both the suspect and the investigator know this is a two-way mirror. The suspects can only see themselves, but on the other side is a mysterious someone watching them. The man in front of the mirror is introspective, the man behind the mirror is judgmental. As I think about the arduous task of loving the unlovable, I realize I must stop being the man behind the mirror and become the man in front of it. I must stop thinking I am the mysterious stranger judging others when I am the suspect seeing myself.

Matthew 7:12, "So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

I can only manage myself. It is God who manages others. It is He who changes hearts and mends broken souls. To many of the people I interact with, I am the arduous task they must perform. So, the beginning is to understand how I would like others to interact with me and then turn that around to understand how I should interact with them.

Being Me

When I am being me, I often stray. Sometimes, I am too preoccupied with my problem to focus on yours; I have an appointment or a call to make. Other times, rather than listening, I want to talk: OK, I understand the problem; here is the answer; let us move on. What may seem earth-shattering to you comes across as trivial to me because I will not experience the aftermath. I become frustrated because you keep talking when I am interrupting. The man in front of the mirror sees a man on a mission; he is focused. The mysterious person behind the mirror sees someone uncaring and self-centered.

2 Timothy 2:24, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil."

There is a term non sequitur; it refers to a statement or inference that is not logically related to the previous context. When people think about themselves and disengage from the conversation, their responses can be non-sequitur. They seem out of the blue, as if the person you are talking with is having a separate conversation. That, my friends, is the first warning sign of the unlovable. That, at times, is me.

Acceptance

None knows the weight of another’s burden. – George Herbert

Dragging me back to reality is not an easy task. After all, if I’m not engaged with your current problems and have become one of them, how do you reengage me? It is not through criticism or judgment. That will only make me defensive. The entire conversation will spiral out of control, and no one will walk away happy. The answer is acceptance.

Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

I have found that when most people get upset, it has less to do with the current environment than previous actions that have finally come to a head. What preoccupies their thoughts is not the person in front of them but something else. Accepting that we are not the center of someone else’s universe is critical to understanding them. Everyone is juggling multiple situations and opportunities. I want people to understand that about me. I want you to know that I care about you but am conflicted by the world around me. It is not that I don’t care; it is, at the moment, not convenient to care. That is selfish and self-centered, but it happens.

Acknowledge, with compassion and love, that I am distracted. Could you help me prioritize my thinking? I may think my problem is more significant or timelier than yours. It may only seem that way because it is mine. When you care about me, I start caring about you.

Colossians 3:12, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

The Ethics of Reciprocity

Luke 6:31, "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

We started talking about about the man in front of or behind the mirror. Now I must switch places. If I want you to accept me for who I am and integrate that person into the conversation, I must do the same for you. I must set aside my agenda for a minute and allow you to express yourself. I must accept that this conversation has more to do with the past than the present. You will start caring about me only after I have shown that I care about you.

Galatians 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

It is sometimes called an ethics of reciprocity. But I prefer to say it is the natural behavior of someone who lives with God at the center of their life. I must understand that I am in that interrogation room with a stranger behind the mirror every moment of every day. I am either drawing them closer to Christ or pushing them away. People I will never engage with will see my behavior and decide. But am I acting in the way I do to avoid condemnation, or is it because God’s love for me has changed my love for humankind? Is it reciprocity, or is it the natural state of my being? It is a daily struggle for most people because it is reciprocity: am I getting value for my effort? To indeed have a Godly heart is a manifestation of who you are.

Philippians 2:1-3, "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."
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What is Your Gibeonite?

What is your Gibeonite? A Gibeonite is something that seems trivial to you at the time but weakens your dependence on God. There is an exciting storyline in the Old Testament concerning the Gibeonites. The story spans over a thousand years. Here it is paraphrased:

God told Joshua to eliminate all the foreigners in the land he was to possess on the other side of the Jordan. The Gibeonite, seeing the power of the Israelites after the fall of both Jericho and Ai, devised a plan to deceive Joshua, causing him to make a covenant with them before God (Joshua 9-10). God did not punish Joshua and the Israelites but honored Joshua’s covenant. Even the five Kings were not allowed to wipe out the Gibeonites. But when Saul tried to wipe out the Gibeonite years later (2 Samuel 21-22), God punished him by having five of Saul’s sons hung by the Gibeonites. Five hundred years after that, Melatiah the Gibeonite and other men of Gibeon helped Nehemiah rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3). There is a story behind this that has everyday application.

Joshua 9:3,4,6 "However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse:… they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us."
2 Samuel 21-22, "So David asked the Lord for help, and the Lord answered, "Saul and his family are guilty of murder, because he had the Gibeonites killed."
Nehemiah 3:7, "Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth."

This storyline is an interesting discussion topic for your Christian friends. Several nuances within the story create interesting conversation: For example, why did the Gibeonites only mention the military achievements of the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan and not the more current successes at Jericho and Ai? God honored Joshua’s prayer to hold the sun in the mid-day sky so he could complete the battle. Does God change His mind based on prayer?

Application

Your commitments can develop you or destroy you, but either way, they will define you. – Rick Warren

What is your Gibeonite? But today, my thoughts are on how this story plays out in my life. I go to the Lord when I have a big problem or circumstance I can not handle. I seek His council and the council of believers for wisdom, discernment, guidance, and patience. I seek out His will for this situation. At the same time, I may be dealing with a repetitive, monotonous, and mundane issue like dealing with a family member or friend. Maybe it is acquiring something I do not feel is life-altering, like a car or vacation. Do I take the same approach for both?

John 14:14, "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it."

The Gibeonites convinced Joshua that they were not a threat. Joshua seems to think that the decision is mundane; they are not part of the tribes that God has asked him to wipe out. He does not seek God’s advice. Joshua makes a covenant with them; he commits. Even though Joshua disobeyed God, God honors that commitment even when it produces wrong results, such as the false prophet Hananiah.

First Observation: Consequences

Proverbs 29:15, "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother."

One of the first things we observe is that God will honor our good intentions when we try to do the right thing. But he will not protect us from the natural consequences. There are a lot of decisions we can make in our lives that do not have eternal consequences, but they may have earthly consequences. For example, taking the wrong job may challenge our ability to maintain a Christian lifestyle due to stress and anxiety. Still, if we stay true to God’s word, it will not affect our salvation. God will allow us to experience what it is like to not consult God before deciding. It is one of the ways He helps us understand the significance of His presence in all things, even the trivial.

Second Observation: Steadfastness

2 Samuel 21:2, “The Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were descendants of the Amorites. The people of Israel had promised not to kill them, but Saul had tried to kill them because he wanted Israel and Judah to control all the land."

The original covenant that Joshua made with the Gibeonites was around 1400 BC. Saul attempted to wipe out the Gibeonites in the early 1000 BC, four hundred years later. God still honored Joshua’s covenant. Saul’s children paid the price for Saul’s actions. God views commitments as important. When you commit, as a Christian, you are mirroring God. People will judge Christianity by your actions. God takes this seriously. He may disagree with your commitment, but He will expect you to honor it, including the consequences.

Psalm 33:11, "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations."

Third Observation: Redemption

The Gibeonites help Nehemiah rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall around 540 BC. Nearly a thousand years later, God uses Jushua’s covenant to rebuild the wall around His broken city. God is a master at making lemonade out of lemons. If our heart is right, God will make things right. We should not dwell in the past. Every one of us makes terrible decisions. God understands that about us. God will fix what we broke if our intentions are pure.

Luke 18:27, "Jesus replied, "There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything."

Of course, we can avoid all of this by always taking everything to God in prayer. Nothing is mundane or trivial to God. He enjoys that we respect His wisdom and seek His guidance.

1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing."
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Compassion for a Stranger

Why is it easier to have compassion for a stranger than for those we know? I was watching a police drama on Britbox about a criminologist who had schizophrenia. I’m not sure what the original intent of having this personality type for the show was, but it brought back memories. I lived a while with someone who was mildly schizophrenic. It was difficult on me but far more difficult for them.

The imaginary people that came and went in their lives were people that understood them. Because they were figments of their own making, they carried the same traits as them; they understood them. Imagine what it would be like to find out the only people who truly understood you were imaginary. The people who didn’t understand what you were going through were real. Put yourself in their shoes, going through that disappointment repeatedly; all the people who made you feel better about yourself weren’t real.

Compassion costs. It is easy to argue, criticize, and condemn, but redemption is costly, and comfort draws from the deep. Brains can argue, but it takes heart to comfort. – Samuel Chadwick

1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

Difficult People

Why can we demonstrate compassion for a stranger but struggle to show that same compassion to someone close to us? The compassion we demonstrate is not only relational to our caring; it sometimes is relational to our convenience. People who are difficult to understand take energy and patience; we cope in small measures. Those that we see often take too much energy. That one-day mission trip to the inner city makes us feel good because we can be the person we want to be for a short time. The day-in and day-out struggle to show compassion to those close to us reminds us of how far away we are from that person.

Philippians 2:1-3, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.”

My experience helped me develop patience, which is easy when love is involved. It is much harder to develop when it is easy to walk away. Walking away solves immediate internal problems; staying takes tenacity, patience, and, most of all, courage. When I can take a day to interact with a homeless person in the inner city who has gone through a lot but can walk away at sunset, I can feel self-assured that I did something for another less fortunate person. I feel inadequate and vulnerable when I stare into the eyes of someone I love, knowing I can’t help them overcome their pain. As a human in a broken world, I need all the feel-good I can find.

Difficult Situations

It is three AM, and I am writing this by lamplight, knowing I must wake up in a few hours. But I woke with this in my mind; sleep had abandoned me because compassion overwhelmed me. I know the person I once loved; they reappear occasionally but are mostly lost. I see their struggles in the eyes of strangers. It reminds me that I can not fix everything, even the important things. But compassion for a stranger is easier, and it’s temporary. I am blessed not to live in their world; I can return to mine.

Psalm 112:4, “Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.”

We live in a dysfunctional, broken world that is not fair. People get dealt bad hands. Compassion is about feeling what they feel, with all its pain, suffering, and madness. We are not their savior; only Christ can save them. But we can have compassion for those God puts in front of us. That is what Christ did for us when He took up the cross. Christ felt our pain, suffering, and madness. He paid the price for all the bad in our lives.

We Love Because He Loved Us First.

1 John 4:19, “We love each other because he loved us first.”

We can put ourselves aside for a moment and try to see life through their eyes. We can try to help them feel normal for a few minutes in their lives. Genuine compassion comes at a high price; we must be vulnerable. We must accept that we can’t fix some things, especially people. But we can love them, even at difficult times. Genuine compassion is the ability to do that repeatedly for the same dysfunctional people in our lives. It’s not only mental illness; sometimes, it’s chronic anger, self-centeredness, or general sinfulness that holds them hostage.

We are the lucky ones; we can walk away. They never get to feel that relief.

Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
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We Were Born to Thrive

We Were Born to Thrive is the title of Casting Crowns song. I love the context of their message. God made us for more than ordinary lives. How true. This thinking is the type that raises the average person above the din of everyday life. It is an attitude that helps us live as conquerors rather than victims. I met a lovely teenage girl on the airplane flight back from Honduras. She was reading “1984”. I found it interesting that one of today’s teenagers reading something philosophical. We got to talking about seizing opportunities. God will continue to give us opportunities to excel, but we must seize them. To do that takes courage and faith.

Proverbs 19:8, “He who cherishes understanding prospers.”

Thrive or Survive

Over almost three-quarters of a century here on earth, I have noticed one major difference between those who thrive and those who survive. Those who thrive are constantly looking for new opportunities to exploit. They are in tune with God’s purpose in their lives, and they seek challenges. They see failure as a learning experience. Those who spend their lives surviving are more likely to play life safe. God must hit them over the head several times to get them to move. Failure is a wrong turn or a waste of effort; it is a mistake to be avoided.

Proverbs 14:23, “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!”

God created us to thrive. This idea is not prosperity-gospel; it is spiritual awareness. It is not thriving in worldly fortune and fame but in the spiritual sense of peace, compassion, and love. Worldly prosperity is yours by default if you can achieve those three things. Conventional wisdom is not about what you make but what you spend. God’s economy includes who you spend it on and with.

Proverbs 11:25, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

Even in Darkness

Lauren Daigle talks about how every decision God has put in front of her has led her to where she is today. At sixteen, God had given her a vision of her future. Just as it was starting, COVID shut it down. She recalls 560 days of silence and loneliness—the disappointment was suffocating. God always said to hold it loosely. Her eyes lost sight of who was most important. Now she sings to please Him, to bask in His presence, and success has followed.

Psalms 42:8, “By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.”

Lauren Daigle – You Say

The path forward is not always straight, level, or wide. But the path forward, as directed by God, is the easiest. To truly thrive, we must seize the opportunities He has given us. They are not always easy, and they don’t always make sense. Disappointment will raise its ugly head. Challenges won’t make sense. But they are part of a bigger plan that God has prepared for you in advance. For us to live to our potential is to live for Him.

Conquerors

We are conquerors. We have an army of angelic hosts guarding our backside and God Himself leading us. Wars are fought on the battlefield of life, not in the boardrooms. To win is to have the courage to follow Jesus and seize the opportunities He has presented you. Do not leave this spinning blue orb as something less than God made you. Don’t just go through life; live it as God intended.

Ecclesiastes 3:13, “And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.”

Your life should be a symbolic throne for God to sit on. Don’t look around at what God has done in your life and think you earned it, deserve it, or are entitled to it. Stay humble on the backside of all that God will do through you. Compassion, peace, and love will be yours.

Psalm 122:6, “They shall prosper that love you.”
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A Truer Version of Ourselves

A truer version of ourselves should be the goal of every believer. It is the drive within us to be something we do not quite understand. It is a paradox, a puzzle: a fuzzy image of who we could be if we could stop being who we are.

A speaker at a conference made this statement: “We are being remade into a truer image ourselves.” That sentence echoed through my brain for several days. It summed up my struggle. As I move from who I made myself into being toward what God made me, I am transforming into the person God has always wanted me to be. What an incredible thought.

Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”

 Chrysalis

Within God’s protective casing, He radically transforms who we are.

We struggle for our identity, yet it is already within us; we need to find it. Years ago, I wanted to hike the Estelle Mine Train trail in northeast Georgia. I wanted to travel it because it followed the route of an old narrow gauge mine train that went from Pigeon Mountain, through seven tunnels, to what was once Estelle, Georgia. I thought it would be neat to hike the tunnels. Once on the trail, I realized this “right of way” hadn’t been used since 1924. The tunnels shrouded by time had their entrances partially covered by rock slides and overgrowth. Finding the tunnels took some effort and determination. I had a map and the stories from the internet of the hike. Even with all of that, some were almost impossible to find.

God gives us the map, and He gives us the stories in the Bible, but finding a truer version of ourselves is still hard to achieve. In my case, I try too hard. I feel that God’s actual plan for me is massive and mysterious. It is a grand puzzle I must solve. To get the prize, I must endure, overcome, and remain steadfast, all the superlatives we hear in church. Finding my one true self is the ultimate goal of being a Christian and following Christ. Without sacrifice, it has no value. That’s crazy talk.

Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Imaginal Discs

They are the highly organized groups of resources needed to become who God made us to be.

The challenging part is to be calm, immersed in scripture and prayer, and listen to God’s voice. It is a whisper in the night. It is the nudge that will not go away and the itch that needs to be scratched.

There is a variation of a great quote from CS Lewis that I love: “Give me the longing the scent of a flower I have not found, the echo of a tune I have not heard, and a grace so powerful it changes all the lives I touch” CS Lewis’ quote ended with “and news from a country I have not yet visited” in place of “and a grace so powerful it changes all the lives I touch” The quote I use here came from a Christian work of fiction that I no longer remember and can’t find a reference. I see a grace so powerful in my mind that it changes all the lives I touch as if it were supernatural radiation of pure white light that illuminates everything upon which it falls.

I hope you can think of the imagery: the scent of a flower I have not found… the echo of a tune I have not heard…., and the struggle we feel to find our true selves. The struggle is in the unquenchable desire to be that person. Every fiber of our being longs for it. It is what God made us before we existed. And yet we know it not.

Butterflies

Just like the Butterfly, God created the transformation from a chrysalis to achieve His desired results. The Butterfly does not get to choose; it is simply obedient to the call.

Part of finding and living our purpose is quieting our minds to hear God speak. He gives us all the breadcrumbs through passion, skills, opportunity, and resources. But to apply all of this to His kingdom takes direction. That direction comes from God through scripture, prayer, and council.

Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

You don’t have to reinvent yourself to be a truer version of yourself. It is not a monumental task that takes years to achieve. God has made you to be that person. He has instilled greatness in each of us. But it must be His greatness, not ours.

“Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”  – Napoleon Hill.

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Peter Went Fishing

Peter went fishing.  Sometimes, that is the best thing to do.

John 21:3, "Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing." "We'll come, too," they all said.  So they went out in the boat."

I listened to a sermon last Easter, and this verse stood out.  I thought, how human of Peter.  It is interesting what we do to clarify our thinking; we gravitate to our comfort zone.

After Christ’s Crucifixion, He appeared to the disciples in the upper room to receive the holy spirit.  Even though the disciples, Peter included, saw Jesus alive and touched the scars, it didn’t seem real.  The disciples were heartbroken and disillusioned.  They thought they had followed the savior of the world only to see Him crucified.  How would a dead man, resurrected or not, free them from Roman rule?  They didn’t know what was next.  They knew Christ was the beginning of something great but didn’t understand what that was.

John 6:15, "Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew again to the hillside by himself."

Peter did what we all do: gravitate back to what we know.  We find busy work to occupy our time until we figure out what’s next.

HOW DOES GOD USE THESE MOMENTS

Interestingly, this passage brought back two memories for Peter: good and not-so-good. First, the good: Peter first met Jesus when he was fishing.  He had fished all night, not caught anything, and Jesus asked him to throw his net again.  Jesus’ request of Peter was precisely what happened the second time when Peter went fishing after the Crucifixion. The second memory is Jesus cooking fish over a charcoal fire on the beach.  Peter might have remembered the last time he smelled a charcoal fire; he denied Christ three times.

I firmly believe God does not waste energy; everything has a purpose.  When Peter was at his lowest point, God returned two essential images.  The first was the joy of meeting Jesus and his immediate dedication to Him.  This image had to lift his spirits.  The second was the image of his weakness.  It was a backward glimpse of what the world would be like if Peter didn’t believe.  It brought back all of the pain he felt when that rooster crowed.

I can’t speak for Peter, but for me, it would have reinforced why I have to hold on to the goodness of Christ’s promise and run from my weaknesses.  It would be both a push and a pull: push away from doubt, pull closer to faith.

WHAT TO DO WHEN LIFE DOESN’T SEEM FAIR

James 1:3, "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."

“No matter what storm you face, you need to know that God loves you. He has not abandoned you.” – Franklin Graham.

We tend to go fishing.  We want to break away from the uncertainty and draw close to something we know and understand.  That is OK for a time, but it doesn’t produce results like Peter.  It is nothing more than a temporary holding place to regroup.

Like Peter, we need to be reminded of the past.  We need to remind ourselves of the great things God has done for us and through us.  The glory of the past leads us toward the future.  We also need to be reminded of what it is like to deny Christ.  As dark as the world can seem, it is nothing compared to separation from Christ.  To live without hope has to be the darkness within darkness.

Romans 8:35, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"

HAPPY ENDINGS

Christ built His church on the rock named Peter.  If you are willing, He will raise you out of the malaise of your life.  He will use all you have gone through to create an even brighter future than you could have imagined.

Matthew 16:18, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

God may not create a worldwide revival through you, but what He will build through you, the gates of Hades, will not overcome it. The power you have at your disposal is incredible; we sometimes lose that. When things don’t go as we think they should, we forget the redeeming power of Christ’s resurrection.

Whenever you feel the darkness closing in, remember Peter.  You and Peter have a lot in common.

John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace.  In the world, you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."
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You are Worth More than you Think

You are worth more than you think. There are about eight billion people on the face of this planet. At some point, I believe every one of them has questioned their self-worth. Not knowing the value you contribute to God’s kingdom complicates your life. You spend way too much time chasing things that don’t matter.

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.” ― D.L. Moody.

How many outstanding achievements have you accomplished in your life that, in the long term, don’t matter? Was it a job title, a promotion, an income level, membership in the right club, acceptance by the right people, or some other recognition that drove you? Maybe it was the belief that significance, peace of mind, and meaning were just around the corner. Was it just one more task away?

Who Am I

The Bible is very clear on this issue. God created us in His image.

Genesis 1:27, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

God intentionally created humanity in his image. He instilled in us an inherent worth and value as humans. God crafted each person uniquely to reflect His image. Humanity has the attributes infused into us by God to be like Him.

Psalm 139:13, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

God has an intimate and personal relationship with you. He intimately forms each person, intricately shaping their innermost being. Furthermore, God highlights the sanctity of life and the profound value God places on each person, even before birth.

Psalm 139:14, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

We should acknowledge that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, reflecting the creativity and wisdom of God. We should have a sense of wonder as we consider the beauty and complexity of God’s design in us. It speaks to the intentionality of our existence.

Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

God has a predetermined plan and calling for every individual, marking them for a particular purpose. This concept reminds us that we are not mere accidents or haphazard creations. God intentionally crafted us with a specific intention in mind. Meanwhile, we possess free will to pursue this intent. It’s crucial not to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. Each of us is unique, with our own distinct journey and narrative. I cannot be you, and you cannot be me.

Psalm 100:3, "Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."

God’s people should foster a sense of belonging and dependence on God, reminding us of our need for his guidance and provision. Hence, we understand we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Why Do I Matter?

Colossians 1:16, "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."

This verse underscores the sovereignty and authority of Christ over all creation. It reinforces the idea that our purpose is grounded in him. Everything is created for Him, not us, Him. God did not create us to seek recognition for ourselves, but to glorify our Creator.

Job 33:4, "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

God’s Spirit reminds us that our existence is not independent of God but depends on his ongoing life-giving power.

Ephesians 2:10. "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We aren’t merely the result of divine creation. Our intricate design serves a distinct purpose, emphasizing the importance of living courageously. These predetermined deeds, prepared by God, are guideposts along our journey. They urge us to lead lives that reflect honor and glorify Him through our actions. Conversely, everything we possess, past and future, originates not from our own endeavors but as gifts bestowed upon us by God, intended to glorify Him.

Revelation 4:11, "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

God created our very existence to glorify Christ. He is worthy of our praise.

1 Timothy 4:4, "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving."

God created nothing that we should look down upon, including weaknesses and faults. We should use all that we are to glorify Him.His power makes us strong in our weaknesses.

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Regardless, God will exalt you for your steadfastness and dedication no matter your path’s length or difficulty. The journey of life was never meant to be without challenges.

1 Peter 5:6, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."
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