Category: Purpose

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Overcoming Challenging Times

Isolation with too much social media can amplify the challenges in our lives. We should view these challenges as a means to display God’s power and glory. Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. It is the result of living in a broken world. Making sense of it will drive you crazy. But there is one part that has to make sense. We want to know why when it happens to us.

Psalm 139:15-16, “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Darkness is relative. The darkness in our lives is relative to the life He has given us. Some of us will never experience what it feels like not to know when we might eat again. Some of us may cruise through life without ever losing someone without whom we cannot exist. Some of us will not fight addiction or fear or anxiety. But we will all drop into darkness at some point. The depth of that darkness is directly proportional to the degree that we experience hope.

Ephesians 1:11, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”

I have lived through very dark days. My rock is knowing Christ was with me every step of the way. My thorn was uncertainty. I know that my life has meaning. I understand that each morning when my eyes first open, I have a purpose. I know that the God of the universe, the most amazing being ever to exist, loves me. But when the path ahead of me is unclear, I fear. I do not fear the ending; I fear the journey.

Psalm 71:5-6, “For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you, I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.”

Challenges are God’s way of showing just how much He cares. It is in the dark times His light shines brightest. It is when we cannot help ourselves, that He demonstrates why we should rely on Him and why we should always have hope. The journey is sometimes difficult, the path steep and narrow. There may be times when we don’t think we are up to the task and prefer to quit. But it is at that moment, the darkest of all moments when we should take God’s hand and rise.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

He is always with us. He wrote your story before you came into existence. He is the author of your life. Your life is not pulp fiction; it is an eternal biographical classic. Every story has to have moments when it seems all is lost. It is in these moments we see the glory of the author as He pens the impossible, comes from behind, overwhelming all odds rescue. That is our rescue, yours and mine.

Isaiah 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'”

Tough times will come. They will try men’s souls. If we let them become only tough times, we have wasted everything. If we use these tough times to experience the glory of our maker, we have chosen life over death. He will use us to demonstrate His power to the world.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

God loves you, unconditionally. He will fight for you even when you don’t have the strength to fight for yourself. He created you for great things. We know the ending, do not fear the journey.

Psalm 33:11, “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”  

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Thoughts on John Lewis

It is unfortunate the truly great stories in life start and sometime live in hardship. To truly be a great man of God, when fighting injustice, means that tragedy, pain and isolation become your traveling partners. Few of us, myself included, have the perseverance. But those who do, leave a lasting legacy.

Today I was reading about the passing of John Lewis. I am not a fan of much of John Lewis’ politics. We differ on issues which do not impact salvation. But one must separate the man for the issues.

John Lewis was from Alabama in the 60’s. Those were my formative years and I remember them well. Living in a small farming community in Illinois, far from the violence of desegregation, I felt its touch. I didn’t grow up around any African Americans, but I felt the sting of their conflict. It wasn’t the riots and protests that left a lasting memory, it was the anger on men’s faces from the picture on the news. It was an extreme, visceral, fanatical anger. It was terrifying. I feared it would rock my world.

What separates the man from his ideology is character. John Lewis graduated from American Baptist Theological Seminar in Nashville. He then received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion from Fisk University. At age 21 he was one of the original 13 freedom riders that travel from Washington DC to New Orleans to protest segregation in busing. He was beaten, bloodied, arrested and jailed (sounds a lot like Paul) for his efforts. Lewis was one of the few to make the complete journey.

“Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle for good to overcome evil is already won.” – John Lewis

By age 23 he was one the organizers and speakers at the 1963 March on Washington. By 25 he was standing in the oval office for the signing of the Voting Rights Amendment.

As a people, we should always strive to separate the person from the politics. Politics are complicated by environment. We do not all walk in the same shoes. We don’t experience life the same way. Much of that experience crafts our positions. John Lewis was a man who stayed true to his character when fighting for what he believed.

I think of this quote often when trying to separate a man from his issues:

“The will of God prevails – In great contests, each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war, it is quite possible that God’s purpose is somewhat different from the purpose of either party.” – Abraham Lincoln

As Christians we can disagree on worldly issues while still holding to the character of Christ. We can have passion for issues without losing our passion to live as Christ lived. I have a tremendous fondness for those who have what it takes to suffer for what they believe. The greatness in a life well lived is not the overcoming, it is the perseverance until the overcoming happens.

As Christian let us pray that our character overshadows our politics.

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The Privilege of Prayer

We live in busy times. We live in a culture that keeps us moving forward. Benjamin Franklin said, “ When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” This constant need to innovate, to learn, to grow, and to adapt saps us of time and energy. Praying seems like a luxury we can’t afford. It causes us to stop doing what we are doing and focus. We don’t; we’re too busy.

1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”

Jesus talked a lot about prayer. Prayer is the privilege to speak to the God of the universe, the author of all things, the King of Kings. God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, transcendent,  and immutable. What could I say that He does not already know? Do I think I can influence His thinking? My problems are petty and small.

Remember, God is also just, good, faithful, wise, merciful, compassionate, and giving.

I use to treat God like any other person in my life. They had limited time and resources and many demands. I had to gauge my requests. I had to make sure my need was sufficient and worthy of their attention. I didn’t want to abuse my friendship. If I need them to drop what they were doing to assist me, I had first to make sure I had done all I could do to help myself. And then there was reciprocity. I had to be prepared to pay them back when they were in need. I didn’t call them to bring me coffee or change the channel on the TV or help me pick out a t-shirt to wear. I only asked for help when there was no other option. They were valuable to me, and I treated them as such.

How to Pray

Matthew not only tells us how to pray but further down, he tells us what to pray. Pray, with sincerity.

Matthew 6:5-8, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Prayer is not about informing God; prayer is about having a relationship with God. We need to have that constant interaction. We need accountability. We need the affirmation that we matter.

Billy Graham  said, “Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.”

Praying is not about impressing others or even impressing God; it is about communications. Trust me; you can’t impress God. God wrote your story before you came into existence.  He made you; He knows you better than you know yourself. Prayer is what you tell your best friend over a coffee that strengthens your friendship bond. Prayer is when you trust God with your deepest secrets that will never be shared with others that show Him the depth of your trust and caring.

Prayer is the chatter down the hallway that lets Him know you are thinking about Him as He is thinking about you. Prayer is a quick “thank you” for a door that is opened or faux pau unnoticed. Prayer is the acknowledgment that He is at your shoulder at all times. He is walking through life with you, not just dropping in from time to time.

When to Pray

As we walk down the hall of our school or office building, tell Him about our concerns. As we sit in a meeting or a lecture, tell Him of our conflicts and emotions. As we hike, or bike or run, talk with Him about scripture and temptation and anxiety. Be in continual conversation with the most powerful being in the universe. Take advantage of God, tap into His resources, and His wisdom and His compassion.

I have a friend that prays about the silliest of things. It used to bother me, not in a critical sense, but a practical sense. Did God have the time to help you find that right color of paint or that right gift? God was working on the cure for cancer and world hunger. Children are being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Why would he care about the right gift to give a friend? My perception of man flawed my thinking about God. God can do all things at once with equal ease. He is not constrained by time or uncertainty.

God cares about the mundane and the critical. God cares that your friend has cancer, He cares that the neighbor just lost her husband and has two little children to raise, He cares that you lost your job, and he cares that you had a bad day and need some self-confidence. Nothing is too big or too small to discuss with God. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Max Lucado said, “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”

What to Pray

First of all, we need to recognize that all things come from God to be used for His kingdom. Outside of God, we have nothing. Always let Him know, and in doing so, remind yourself that your ultimate desire is to see His gifts to you used to bring about His kingdom here on earth.

Matthew 6: 9-13, “This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Thank Him for the little things that we so often take for granted, like food, shelter, family, friends, jobs, etc. Let Him know you trust Him to provide for you because of all He has done in the past. Then you need to ask for His protection. Not so that He will protect you, but as recognition that He does already.

God has a plan for you and everyone else. Pray is not about helping Him implement His plan. It is about recognizing that you recognize He has a plan and want to be part of it. You want Him to use you to bring about His glory.

Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Don’t stop breathing.

Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

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Creating Our New Normal

If you do what you love, you will not work a day in your life. Why is this wisdom so hard to follow? Back in the late seventies, God led me to my passion. I have not worked a day since then. I have had days when I didn’t like what I had in front of me, but I would not trade my lifetime chasing my passion to avoid a few bad days. The problem is, I loved my passion to the point that early on, I would forsake other obligations to pursue it. What I did, overshadowed who God wanted me to be. I was living the wrong life.

The advice I received one day when I was investigating an elbow pain, stuck with me. “It is not the weight you lift, but how hard you grip it.” If I wanted the pain to go away, I didn’t need to reduce the weight but relax the grip. Don’t lower your effort, relinquish control.

God sometimes takes things away so we can either appreciate what we had or give us clarity to see what He wants us to have. Many of us are in that position right now. We now have an opportunity to create a new normal. As we reengage, we can reinvent our rules of engagement. How big a deal is this for us?

Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

I don’t believe God creates chaos; I believe He uses chaos.  He uses our fallen world to achieve the goals of His Heavenly kingdom.

Acts 10:34-35, “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

As we became polarized by the upcoming election, as we became dysfunctional and distracted by worldly views, along came the pandemic. But we are not that easily pulled off of our bias and prejudice; we politicalized the pandemic. The world darkened into lockdown; all of our daily routines were rearranged, our family vacations where rescheduled, relationships were strained, and even our eating habits had to be reassessed. But it wasn’t enough. As tension grew from this new paradigm, frustration reined. Riots broke out over racial injustice and inequality. God uses this time to get us to appreciate what we have or see what He wants us to have.

Colossians 3:10-11, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

God wants you to reassess your priorities. He wants you to take this time to hit the reset button. Hear what God wants you to hear. Feel what God wants you to feel. Don’t recreate the past, but build a new future. Even the Israelites were tempted to go back to slavery rather than face the uncertainty of freedom.

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.”

There are relationships we don’t like, but we don’t care enough to change them. Maybe we have an attitude about work that needs to be improved. Do we have problems communicating the way we feel, perhaps the way we eat is not as healthy as it should be, or we shop when we should save? The new normal does not have to be the same old normal; it can be better.  Maybe we should start making those changes now.

Hebrews 12:14, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

As the world reopens for business, we have a chance to create a new normal. We have an opportunity to start anew. We have an opportunity to live a Christ-centered reality. This moment may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, don’t waste it.

Joshua 1:9,“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

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The Joy of Spiritual Humility

Joseph started out as an arrogant child. Jacob doted on him, and dressed him in extravagant clothes. Joseph tattled on his brothers and even proclaimed that a dream showed that they would some day bow down to him. Being right and doing right are two different things.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.”

Philippians 2:3

Later Joseph would find himself at the bottom of a pit listening as his brothers, his family, haggling with the traders for his sale into slavery. That had to be an “aha” moment in his life. It was a moment of recognition and comprehension of who he really was. It had to be humiliating and scary.

He would eventually become a slave to Potiphar, lied about by Potiphar’s wife and imprisoned. That dream he boasted about must have seemed like a distant memory. It wasn’t because Joseph wasn’t a man of God, it was because he was on a journey. Part of that journey required him to learn a few things. Some of these things can be painful if we let them.

Joseph’s life ended as a life of royalty, family love and peace with God. Because he learned humility, he went from the pit to the palace.

Our journey is about spiritually humility. It is about every aspect of our spiritual growth. It has to do with the way we interpret a bible verse, with the way we pray, what spiritual opinions carry the most weight, and how we perceive others spirituality. 

“The will of God is not something you add to your life. It’s a course you choose. You either line yourself up with the Son of God…or you capitulate to the principle which governs the rest of the world.” ― Elisabeth Elliot

“How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.”

Jeremiah 8:8
THE WAY WE THINK

One of the things God wants for us, is that we get the greatest amount of joy out of this life as we can, while chasing after Him. God wants us to enjoy our time here on earth as a testimony to others. He wants our joy to be magnetic, attracting others to Christ. How do we do that?

I believe that the essence of being a positive force for God is intent. Is our goal to truly see others find peace and joy, or is it to prove to them we are right. God wins, we know that, but they don’t. They may not even believe that God exists.  We don’t convince with words; we convict with actions. We all know it is easier to see the speck in another person’s eye, then the plank in ours.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:3-5

How do we rise above the clatter of life and avoid religiosity in our everyday living? The challenge the Pharisees and Sadducees had was that they thought they knew the answers, when they didn’t understand the questions. We don’t convince people to live a Godly life, we demonstrate how to live a Godly life. We are a living testimony of Christ. We want them to want what we have.

Today’s generation weren’t at Calvary, they do not possess firsthand knowledge of Christ’s sacrifice. They didn’t see the whipping, the crown of thorns, or the nails in His hands. They have not experienced what Christ did for them. But they have us. They can see in us, a mirror image of that sacrifice, if we let them.

THE WAY WE ACT

How do I go about living that life? Do I seek solutions that I would want to see, or do I seek God’s will? Does a lack of spiritual humility make them seem to be the same when they aren’t?

“So do not be like them; for your, Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Matthew 6:8,

Is it my intent to further God’s kingdom on earth, or is it to further my vision of God’s kingdom? Can I humble myself and accept His will? That might mean that I don’t get what I want, but I will receive what is best. Do I try to tell God what to do, or do I express my desire, curried in accepting His will?

Do I pray that evil loses, or do I pray that evil finds Christ? Jonah had a big problem with his theology, reward the righteous and punish the unrighteous.  God’s view is greater than my view. His wisdom is greater than my wisdom. He loves me and wants me to experience unimaginable love. He wants that for my enemies that turn to Him and repent.

“I will praise the LORD who counsels me— even at night my conscience instructs me. I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Psalm 16:7-8
FINALLY

Don’t be taken captive by your thoughts. We are experts at deceiving ourselves. We get this feel good feeling and think it is the answer. There is only one real source of understanding; it is not us. The actual answer might be better than we can imagine. Always be humble and seek the truth. Do not just seek information that supports our innate confirmation bias. Seek God’s will first and foremost and you will be an inspiration to others. That inspiration is a life filled with joy.

“All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17
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Fighting Fatigue

I am tired. And I am tired of being tired. Both my morning meditation verse and today’s sermon was about being tired. God wants me to both know it and do something about it.

Proverbs 17:22,” A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

I am tired of the negative political campaigns that try to divide us. I am tired of the conspiracy theories concerning who, what and why of the pandemic. I am tired of the politicalizing of the message of hate. I feel that the world is so hell-bent of distracting me from the truth, that the truth no longer matters. I am tired of people who have been so brainwashed by what they want the truth to be, that they think everyone else is lying. I’m tired of the endless debates, the emotions, the hate.

This morning God reinforced that I was made for a time such as this. This is not a time to lament; it is a time to rejoice that God has opened the world to us.  It is a time to step back and let Him lead. God will fight the good fight for me.

Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

What if every time we are tempted to enter the debate, we chose to focus our conversation, not on what man has said, but what God says? What if we quote scripture rather than the latest media post? What if we craft our position on God’s word rather than our selected party or candidate? What if we focus on the long view, not the short view?

Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

In the end, God wins. He does not represent a political party, ethnic group, or geography. He represents truth as dictated by Him. That truth is grounded in love. If we are tired of all the chaos around us, take a deep breath, and focus on love.

Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs.”

What do you think it would do to your world view if your conversation were to heal the divide not expand it? What if you had so much confidence in God’s omnipotence, that you didn’t feel the need to fight this battle? Sometimes it takes more faith to not fight than to fight. The battle was already won, you can afford to rest in love.

2 Chronicles 20:17, “You will not need to fight this battle. Set yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Don’t be afraid nor be dismayed. Go out against them tomorrow, for Yahweh is with you.'”

This time is a time specifically meant to divide. It is a time to demonstrate to non-believers that God has lost control. It is a time to prove that Christians don’t believe God is in charge; we have joined the fray. We have allowed worldly distress to distract us from the truth. We have become just as stubborn, just as headstrong, just as fearful. And I am afraid that we have become just as hateful.

Now is the time to recapture what we believe. If you are afraid that God will not fight your fight maybe you should reassess either your faith or your battle.

3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

We are all tired of trying to be heard. We are all tired of fighting the good fight. Today’s world is exhausting. God’s word is a day off from the fight. God’s word every morning, means every morning starts with a day off from the fight. Our only job is not to convince others of our world view; it is to show others God’s love and grace. Don’t get distracted.

1 Peter 2:1-25, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

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Finding Peace

Finding peace in challenging times is extremely hard. It is exhausting to filter out the cultural chaos of the constant and sometimes conflicting media reports to understand the truth. Making it more difficult is that we live in a time when the truth is relative. There is so much information; you can prove almost anything as true. The saying is: “Figures lie, and liars figure.”

Even as Christians, we are on opposing sides. After Abraham Lincoln’s death, the following note was found in his papers: “The will of God prevails – In great contests, each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war, it is quite possible that God’s purpose is somewhat different from the purpose of either party.”

During the Civil War, Lincoln met with a group of ministers at a prayer breakfast who tried to encourage him. They told the president that they had prayed that “God would be on our side.” Lincoln corrected them, saying, “No, gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God’s side.”

Remember, God wins.

I rest on one simple fact; God loves me unconditionally and wants the best for me. That is the filter I use to judge all thoughts and actions. We have the Presidential Election, the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter protests all climaxing to distract us from our one real focus. Everyone who prays will not get the answer they desire. Peace will not come from the right party winning or the distribution of a vaccine or even resolution of centuries of bigotry and hate. Something else will always rise to take their place. We will never live in a perfect world this side of heaven.

So how do I stop my mind from leap-frogging from issue to issue seeking peace? How do I convince myself that just like the latest car or a better job or a bigger house won’t provide long term peace, neither will solving worldly problems? It is paramount that we continuously strive to eliminate injustice, famine, and disease, but that fight will never end, it will just change venues, and we should change with it. It is part of our Christian charter to fight evil on all fronts.

If you believe that you can not achieve peace and joy until all of the world’s problems are solved, you will remain an unhappy camper until your death. You have to find something above that. You have to find something that is long-lasting and perfect. Folks, it is not here.

No matter how any of this flush out, I rest in the palm of God’s hand. He will not allow harm to touch me. I may suffer, but it will not shake me. For me to put my peace in the hands of non-believers doesn’t make sense. To have the world work out to the benefit of those who do not love Him doesn’t bring me peace. The only peace I will ever have is the peace I receive because I have accepted His way over mine.

The truth remains that had all of us, worldwide, chose to live according to God’s promise, little of this would have ever come to fruition. We would have solved the problems before they became problems; we would have treated each other with love and respect. But we didn’t.

To expect to have peace only after all have been blessed with peace is foolish thinking. My peace comes from my relationship with Christ, and the world’s peace comes from their relationship with Him. When I make my peace conditional to their peace, I lose.

Fight the good fight. Make a positive difference in the world. Never accept inequality or evil. But remember your strength does not come from the fight, but from the God, for whom you fight. Fight for Christ to rule over all, and peace will follow. Both sides can’t win, accept that God’s plan may not be our plan.

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A Journey to Joy

I have had a few tenuous days. At times I become hypersensitive. I let small things become big things in my mind. Like a petulant child, I stamp my feet and demand attention. I hold my breath until my face turns blue, somehow thinking others will stop me. Mostly it entertains the people around me as they await the body to overcome my silliness with its natural desire to survive.  Today, pure joy has filled my heart.

How do we transition from self-centered hypersensitivity to pure joy? Let me tell you about my journey. It started a few days ago when I felt slighted. The curious thing about this act of betrayal is that the person I perceived slighted me, had no idea of the event. You see, it wasn’t a betrayal, it wasn’t even an oversight, it was a logical decision. But I took offense.

The Takeoff

Now, because I see myself as a good guy, I wasn’t going to draw attention to the offense. Really, why would I air my concern, talk it out, realize my stupidity, and apologize? That doesn’t seem Godly. No, I internalized it. I got whiny and selfish and self-centered. I prayed a lot, I hiked a lot, and I didn’t sleep much. I wrote 2,314 words trying to understand it. Emotions are peculiar things; they defy logic. You can absolutely know something is right or wrong, yet feel the opposite. I know my place in the universe, yet I keep getting lost. I feel God’s presence; I can almost feel his touch, but my garbled inner thoughts are what I hear.  As I said, I’m an ordinary all-American good guy.

This quote ricochet through my mind ““Don’t ruin other people’s happiness just because you can’t find your own.”

The Journey

The way I distract myself is to throw myself into a project. This project gives my mind something to do besides vent. It puts distance between me and the problem. The project I launched into was a project for the very same person whom I thought had slighted me. You see, my father gave me an overwhelming sense of commitment. You say you are going to do something, you do it, end of the story. I don’t know if you noticed, but I am a really good guy, so despite the slight, I will keep my commitment.

It is at this point God said, “Thank you for shutting up; now I can talk.” You see, everything I had done up to this point was to explain to God my righteousness. I was selling God from my point of view. Remember, I am the good guy in this story. I am the offended party. I deserve restitution. Job and I had a long talk about this and concluded I was right to feel offended.

Galatians 6:4 “Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else. “

I needed the official company name to finish the project, so I went to my friend’s website to find it. What I found was the friend I dearly love. They have this incredible way of writing that shows the love of God that is beyond description. At that moment, God settled me down and spoke to me. He took the anxiety, fear, self-centeredness, and turned it to joy. I was transformed in a moment.

James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

The Landing

Here is my advice for overcoming hypersensitivity. Find a Godly author who truly speaks to you, that person, whose cadence, tenor, and flow, is in sync with the beating of your heart. The writers in the Bible all speak and think differently. Contemporary Christian authors each have their distinct voice. When you find your voice in the words of another, treasure it, protect it. In times when your own words fail, you can lean on them.

I have mine, and it is a privilege to know them as an author and a friend.

Philippians 2:14-16, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life”

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Jumping over the Bar

Acts 20:35, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

A hard lesson for me to learn is that life has never been about me. As a strong “A” personality, I never really thought about life being about me, as much as I thought it was about being all I could be. There is a slight nuance in that statement.  The nuance is that I tried to optimize my performance with the resources God gave me, but not for the betterment of anyone else. I wasn’t narcissistic, just ambivalent. It was like God set the bar, and it was my job to jump over it. To me, this was a righteous attitude.

The Approach

My approach didn’t intentionally belittle anyone else, although, in hindsight, it was probably a by-product. Other people had their relationship with God, good or bad, and they had their bar. Their performance was their issue unless it hampered my performance. Then I use biblical principles to remove the obstacle, through mentoring or outplacement (I always hated that term). My life was my little private war. We should all play to win, that is the only way to play.

I know the moment it all changed. I had just given a kick-off talk at our annual all-hands meeting. I was looking over the crowd of employees; there were quite a few. The thought came to me, “What about them?”. What about them; they have their private war to fight. Then the light came on. It was never, ever, been about me. It has always been about them.

Hebrews 13:16, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

The Take Off

I don’t know how I could have been so stupid. If we back up and look at this for a moment, we will see that it is intuitively obvious. God’s greatest joy in life is to serve us. I know that sounds backward, but hang with me a moment. God wants us to be utterly dependent on Him. By God giving us what we need, He experiences joy in that we recognize we need Him to accomplish anything. Everything we have, or ever will have, comes from Him. God gets pleasure from us, asking, and then receiving blessings from Him. The caveat to this, less we start to think of God as Santa Claus, our asking has to be within His will. He will not give us things that are bad for us.

How does this translate back to us? It is not a matter of will I, but I will receive joy by blessing others. I started to recognize, in my little way, God had given me resources that I should use to bless others. I now try to do this at every opportunity and receive great joy because I do. Not that they should become dependent on me, they should always be dependent on God, but God could bless them through me.

Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Think of the good feeling you get when you help someone out of a jam. That is a mild version of what God feels when we turn to Him in our hour of need. Then think of a time when someone was too stubborn to accept our help and how that made us feel. Do you not believe God may have some of that same feeling? God heaps resources at our disposal; it may be material resources; it may be spiritual resources; it may be experiential resources; we have a storehouse of blessings waiting to be distributed. We are part of God’s supply chain. If we hoard these resources, eventually, our warehouse will fill up, and our supply will dry up. One of the silly visuals I have is someone angrily running around reorganizing their warehouse so they can store more things. I want to shout “Dude, give some of it away, then you can get more.”

Malachi 3:10, “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”

The Finish

God loves us. He wants everything for us. There is no limit to the amount of joy He receives by blessing us if we will let Him.  There is no limit to the joy we can experience if we allow God to work through us. The bar in front of us is to serve others in much the same way God helps us. Be a plentiful resource for others. Get joy from their asking and your providing. Always remember to give glory to the provider of all things.

2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

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Don’t Ring the Bell

Admiral William McRaven gives one of the most inspirational graduation speeches I have ever heard.

The culmination of this speech is his final point -Don’t Ever Ring the Bell. He tells of how a Navy Seal recruit only needs to ring the bell, and he can leave training. He can leave behind the exhaustion, harassment, and no one will think less of him for trying. Applicants have only a 6% chance of being accepted into training and a 25% chance of making it through. Admiral McRaven’s last directive is, “If you want to change the world, never, never ring the bell.”

Tenacity

I was reading Psalms 27 this morning. Admiral McRaven would love David. He would delight in the tenacity of David to have confidence that the Lord will save despite his circumstances. Have you ever known someone who would never give up? Someone, who through pure strength of will, would not give up on something for which they had passion. You half admired them, and half pitied them.

Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Edison is the same man who admitted, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” That is how many failed experiments Edison went through before he invented the light bulb.

Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Jesus said, “With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Our Story

The story that God wrote for our lives before we were even in existence is a life worth living. It is an adventure written by one of the most prolific and gifted authors of the universe. Our story filled with challenges, disappointment, love, joy, overcoming incredible odds, and ends in the most beautiful and breath-taking way you could ever imagine. It ends with the triumphant homecoming of a victorious adventurer.

The story you live is His, not yours. He created your story out of love that you might know Him better. God has lined up the floats, and the bands are warmed up, waiting to celebrate your victory. God does not fail. Do not give up on Him.

Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Our Victory

Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?”

We are victorious even before we started. When the world pushes back, remember you are already victorious. When dark clouds gather, and the storm is inevitable, you see the rainbow. It has already been written. Don’t look down, look up. Don’t despair over what you cannot see, rejoice in what is to come.

Isaiah 40:29-31, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

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