Tag: Joy

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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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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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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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God is Someone, not Something.

God is someone, not something. He is not a set of rules or an organizational structure. He is not a membership in your church or a certificate of baptism. You don’t get to know Him by attending the right church, attending the proper Bible Study, or listening to the right Preacher. Your membership in a Christian denomination or your strict adherence to theological doctrine does not define God. God is not a possession that you control or an accomplishment you achieve. He is the creator of the universe. Understanding God starts by having an intimate relationship with Him. Christ is your only intermediary.

One of my favorite descriptions of God is “I am.”

Exodus 3:14, “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’”

God is self-defining

God is self-defining. He is beyond description. His ways are above our ways. His actions define righteousness and goodness. Although we are made in His image, we cannot fully grasp the totality of His existence.

Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, and I do not change.”
Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.”
Exodus 15:26, “I am the Lord who heals you.”
Exodus 22:27, “I am merciful.”
Isaiah 51:12, “I am the one who comforts you.”
John 6:48, “I am the bread that gives life.”
John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.
John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd.”
Revelation 22:20, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

These are not the words of a what but of a who. Godliness doesn’t describe an abstract concept meant to keep us in line. It describes a heavenly body that loves us unconditionally and wants nothing more than our well-being.

God is Jealous

Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else nor share my praise with carved idols.”

God is jealous of our attention. But He does not demand it as some would believe; he wants it to be a free-will offering. God does not push Himself on us; He draws us to Himself. He demonstrates the value of taking our comfort in Him, who will never forsake us, rather than worldly endeavors that will fade with time. Eternity is God’s; this world flashes by and then disappears.

Worshiping at the altar of good works, good behavior, or personal sacrifice will not endure you to God. The only path to a meaningful relationship with God is glorifying Him in all we do.

God as our Savior

How do we change from the person always trying to please God through our adherence to rules to freely loving Him for who He is? The foundation is to be in His word constantly. But that activity is to educate; it does not replace the relationship with Him. We discuss head knowledge versus heart knowledge and the transition from one to the other. To truly have an intimate, meaningful relationship with God, you must surrender to His will. We do not aim to please God by doing good; instead, we do good because God finds pleasure in us.

When you can honestly say yes to each of these, you have a meaningful relationship with God, not just the representation of God. Things can’t provide this level of intimacy; only a living God can.

  • I am
    • Forgiven
    • Chosen
    • Significant
    • Not Alone
    • Complete in Christ
    • Loved

These things manifest through a loving, benevolent God who spoke the universe into existence. We should not covet Him as a thing but love Him as a being.

“It is not the objective proof of God’s existence that we want but the experience of God’s presence. That is the miracle we are really after, and that is also, I think, the miracle that we really get.” Frederick Buechner

Don’t kind-of, sort-of, generally believe in Christ. Be all in or all out. Do yourself that big favor, commit to a position, and then live it.

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One Person Can make a Difference

One Person can make a difference. I know many of us don’t believe it can be us. We believe we have an impact on our families and friends, but that is not a real difference in the world. It seems like one more drop of water in the ocean, one more grain of sand on the beach.

The 1969 essay by Loren Eiseley entitled “The Star Thrower” described a man who didn’t look at the totality of his effort but the importance of making an effort. There is a concluding statement that says, “ Only then I allowed myself to think, He is not alone any longer. After us, there will be others.” What gives me hope is not that I would change the world, but maybe, through my actions, there may be others who can and will.

Matthew 17:20, “He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

There are people like Micheal J. Fox who have raised billions for Parkinson’s research. Jane Kristen Marczewski (Nightbirde) used her short-lived fame from AGT to proclaim that we all have a loving God, even in bad times. These are contemporaries who used their circumstances to change the world. They exposed people to needs and provided hope. But most of us don’t have that stage. Our sphere of influence is small; our accomplishments are mundane.

After Us Will Be Others

Eiseley’s “After Us, There Will Be Others” should be our rallying cry. Helping one person a day, week, or month might catalyze world change. Even in our suffering, we can provide hope. There is not even one of us that will not leave a legacy. The question is, what will that legacy be? God has given us everything to stimulate the “Butterfly Effect” for eternity. We can set in motion the dominoes that create change for generations to come. It is our actions that save a life for eternity. It is not the totality of our effort but the importance of making an effort. We don’t know what God has in store.

1 Corinthians 2:9, “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

If you spend the rest of your life impacting just one person for Christ, you may save millions. That person may save two, and those two each save three. This ripple effect continues until Christ returns, potentially saving millions. One person can make a difference.

We Each Have a Story

We each have a story. Our lives ebb and tide with the effects of a fallen world. Unfortunately for the teller but exuberating to the listener, great stories start with great tragedy. The definition of a great tragedy is different for different people. As a North American, we do not see tragedy like a South American might. Many people live everyday lives that I find hard to comprehend.

Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

But all these stories must be lived and told. The overcoming must be passed down from generation to generation so that others might have hope. The overcoming, Christ’s intimate intersection with our lives, must be kept alive. When we see the tragedy as tragedy, we lose sight of God’s great plan for our lives. We come alive when we can see tragedy as the genesis of a great story of salvation and redemption.

James 3:4, “Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.”

Tragedy is tragedy, deep, dark, and depressing. But the outcome, the final scene, does not have to be. It can end as one of the greatest stories ever told, and that story can change the world.

One Person Can Make a Difference

One person can make a difference in the life of another. God planned it that way. Have hope. Seek compassion, love, and grace from the creator of the universe, and he will give you a mighty story that will comfort listeners long after your passing.

Matthew 25:21, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”
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God-Given Gifts

God-given gifts, do we understand the difference between Spiritual gifts and natural gifts? Do we think they are the same? An interesting discussion came up the other day, and it was a subject that seemed so intuitive that I’d never brought it up. What is intuitive to me may not be to someone else—an example. I saw an article in an outdoor magazine (ezine); it showed a tree with a yellow, blue, and red paint stripe. The headline said (paraphrase), “Knowing what this means can save your life.” My initial thought was, if you don’t know what that means, what are you doing in the woods? Then, I recalled that I was not born with that knowledge; someone else gave it to me at some point.

1 Corinthians 2:12, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.”

God prepares leaders with a specific place and task in mind. Training methods are adapted to the mission, and natural and spiritual gifts are given with a clear purpose. – J. Oswald Sanders

Natural Gifts

I spend many waking hours thinking about and talking to others about living within God’s purpose for our lives. It is the most critical aspect of finding happiness, purpose, and meaning. When I think about the elements of my design and the story God has written about my life, I think of talent, passion, resources, opportunities, and experiences. God provides these building blocks as mileposts on our journey, our God-given natural gifts. But we have a choice on how to use them. We can use them to help others and glorify Christ, or we can use them for worldly success and fame. Only one of those will bring happiness, purpose, and meaning; the other leads to hunger.

1 Corinthians 2:14, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”

I’ve mentioned before that the Bushman of the Kalahari Desert has a saying: There are two hungers: the little hunger for food and the great hunger for meaning. We spend most of our lives feeding the little hunger while the great hunger starve. In many cases, we use our God-given natural gifts to chase self-interest to satisfy the great hunger. When we do not achieve a sense of meaning, we try harder. We lead a life of quiet desperation, sometimes cloaked in worldly success. Eventually, the great hunger dies of neglect.

Spiritual Gifts

Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit. – Rick Warren

The magic sauce is Spiritual Gifts. Spiritual gifts are divine enablements for ministry given by the Holy Spirit. It is what God brings to you once you come to know Him. The God-given spirit inside you comes alive. It guides you to another level of awareness. You become less self-focused and more other-focused. But what is different about Spiritual gifts than natural gifts?

1 Corinthians 12:7, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Spiritual gifts are the God-given gifts that the Spirit bestows on us so that we can expand God’s Kingdom. In 1 Corinthians, it mentions apostles, second prophets, third teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helping, guidance, and different kinds of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28, “And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”

I think of it this way: more conventionally. Some of us are very good at memorizing and recalling Bible verses; some are very good at heart-to-heart conversations; maybe storytelling is your thing; others are good public speakers or teachers. We should use these gifts to expand the Kingdom within our natural gifts. If your vocation and talent is teaching in a school system, do you use it to teach at church? Is public speaking an aspect of your job? Do you also use it to spread the Gospel on mission trips, locally or internationally? If you are a project manager at work, do you use it to help plan Christian outreach?

Another source of information on Spiritual Gifts is Tim Keller’s explanation, “Decerning and Exercising Spiritual Gifts.”

The Blessing and the Curse

I was given my first management position at 14, detasselling corn. You must have lived on a large midwestern United States farm to know what that is, but it’s irrelevant to the story. It seemed that I eventually managed people in almost every job I have had. Sometimes, I thought it was my curse; I liked being a worker bee. When I left work, I wanted to be given a job and left alone to do it. But that wasn’t God’s plan for me. Once I accepted that it was one of my natural and spiritual gifts, I started seeking to be good at it, which made me like it. It didn’t take long before I led a mission trip and helped to organize volunteers. My natural gift was also one of my Spiritual gifts when I applied it to expanding the Kingdom. We can have more than one.

Romans 12:6, “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly.”

I know some teachers want to get away from teaching outside of school; I get that. But if your spiritual gift is teaching, teach others about Christ, find a way. If you are a nurse, a very demanding job, looking after people when not working may not be in your wheelhouse. If compassion is your Spiritual gift, find a way to use it.

In Summary

Your natural and spiritual gifts do not have to be used similarly. Doing something repetitively will make you proficient but may not indicate your actual natural gift. The desire to make more money can lead us to proficiencies in ungifted areas. I know a lot of managers or “leaders” who are not gifted; they have just done the job long enough to get promoted.

We all have God-given attributes bestowed on us at our creation that we can use as we wish. A great secular songwriter is a great songwriter because of God’s natural gift. We must overlay our natural gifts with our Spiritual gifts to glorify God.

Start where you are, do anything you can do, and do everything you can until you find something you must do! That something is probably your spiritual gift. – Jim George

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A New Creature in the New Year

I want to be a new creature in the New Year. Actually, I don’t really want to be a new creature; I want to learn to recognize the new creature that already exists. I have to find a way of breaking out of the worldly view of human value. This quid pro quo evaluation approach, which works so well in the marketplace, doesn’t work spiritually.

Self Perception

God used events in our lives to shape us; our sin sparks some of those events. Memories of our past can sometimes feel like shackles holding us to failures, regrets, ignorance, foolishness, and sin. God does not want us to live with an image of unworthiness. This year, let us all try to cast off those shackles and strive to see ourselves as God sees us: a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

I bring this up because it is one of my great weaknesses. Many times, I live in the past. Echoes of events long past ricochet through my brain like they were yesterday. With all the intellectual knowledge I have gained about Christ’s love and acceptance of me, I still can not reconcile why. The scale never balances. I always fall short. My heart finds it hard to accept the concept of a God so compassionate that He would forgive all that I have done, some of it willingly and knowingly.

Romans 3:23-24, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Path to Improvement

We traditionally go into the new year to improve who we are, looking at the last year to determine weak spots that need reinforcing. We create plans and goals to make ourselves better. Some of us see the historic trend of sin in our lives that never seems to change. We don’t always sin in the same way, but we continue to sin differently. We see this behavior as beyond our ability to correct it, so we allow it to continue to haunt us. It is easier to dwell on the controllable, even when we don’t control it. Over ninety percent of all New Year’s Resolutions fail, but we try.

God’s Resolution

God makes this proclamation in Isaiah:

Isaiah 43:19, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

If my past life isn’t a wilderness and a wasteland, I don’t know what it is. The old me didn’t start to defy God. I was just ignorant of how much I meant to Him. Because I was ignorant, I wasted my life on earthly treasures with no eternal value. When God sent His son for my redemption, He did something new. He created a pathway from the old me to His throne. God demonstrated His love for me. That started a paradigm shift. God’s vision of my value far exceeded my own. My worldview couldn’t reconcile the difference.

Because of this, I continue to devaluate myself when I consider the price paid to redeem me. In many cases, it causes me to try to earn the difference. I want to work off my salvation. When I realize this, I become distressed because this is impossible.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works so that no one can boast.”

Moving forward is about finding a way to put the past behind us in this new year, just as God has. We, maybe only me, need to see ourselves as God sees us, created in His image. We must go forward this year confident, with firm knowledge, that God loves us unconditionally.

“Let go of the past so that God can open the door to your future.” – Joyce Meyer

Ephesians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ, for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love.”

Then, we can lose weight, exercise more, spend more time with loved ones, and become the superstar we know we can be.

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