Tag: Life

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Purpose and Meaning, Aspiration, Not Occupation

Can we find true purpose and meaning through aspiration, not occupation? In today’s world, people often associate their identity with their careers or vocations, believing that their worth and purpose are tied to what they do for a living. However, Christianity offers a different perspective: true purpose and meaning come not from occupation but from godly aspiration—seeking to live out God’s calling and aligning our lives with His will.

“View yourself as a precious vessel He crafted for a unique purpose.” – Patricia Ennis.

The Power of Aspiration

In Christianity, aspiration is about more than personal dreams or ambitions. It reflects a desire to glorify God and live according to His purposes. When we aspire to love, serve, and reflect Christ’s character, we tap into something far more significant than worldly success. This change in thinking can take many forms: fostering compassion, spreading the Gospel, advocating for justice, or cultivating spiritual growth. These aspirations serve others and bring us closer to God, aligning our hearts with His divine plan.

Isaiah 43:7, “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Occupation vs. Aspiration

“What you are is God’s gift to you; what you become is your gift to God.” – Hans Urs von Balthasar.

While jobs provide necessary structure and support, they do not define us in God’s eyes. Many people feel unfulfilled in careers that do not align with their faith or deeper values. This discontent stems from the realization that work alone cannot fulfill the soul’s longing for meaning. The Bible reminds us that whatever we do, we should do it as unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people.”

Whether we are teachers, office workers, or stay-at-home parents, it’s not the job itself that gives meaning but how we use it to serve God’s purposes.

The Transformative Journey

“You were made by God and for God. And until you understand that, life will never make sense.” – Rick Warren

Even mundane tasks take on new significance when we focus on godly aspirations. Teachers may see their role as educating and shaping young minds for Christ. An office worker might find purpose in being a beacon of integrity and kindness in their workplace. By centering our lives on Christ and aspiring to live out His love in every action, our daily experiences become opportunities to witness and serve.

2 Timothy 1:9, “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.”

Cultivating Aspiration

“Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

To embrace this Christian view of aspiration, we must seek God in prayer and reflection, asking Him to reveal His plan for our lives. The Bible encourages us to set our hearts on things above, not earthly matters.

Colossians 3:2, “Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth.”

We discover our true purpose by nurturing aspirations that align with God’s will—loving our neighbors, spreading the Good News, and growing in faith. Surrounding ourselves with a faith community that encourages spiritual growth can help us stay focused on what matters eternally rather than temporally.

Conclusion

In the Christian pursuit of purpose, it’s essential to remember that our worth is rooted in being children of God, not in our jobs or worldly achievements. When we nurture our aspirations following God’s will, we unlock a more profound sense of meaning that transcends occupation. This perspective enriches our lives and enables us to fulfill our higher calling—to serve God and impact the world for His glory. Embrace your aspirations in Christ, for they are the accurate compass guiding you toward a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

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Pick a Fight

Fight the Good FIghtPick a fight, really? I was reading Regi Campell’s book Radical Wisdom, and he talked about picking a fight. In it, he said, “It is one thing to defend ourselves when we are attacked. Most people will do that out of necessity. It is another to go pick a fight on behalf of someone or something.” He says, “It is a clue as to why Christians are so passive- they haven’t picked a fight. They’re just sitting in Church learning more stuff. They’re useless… as Jesus said, ‘like salt that’s lost its savor.'”

Isaiah 42:13, “The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.”

Behind my desk, and always within my sight, is a wooden statue of Don Quixote. It has been with me since I first read Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s novel in High School. When the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha came out, I loved it. This line in the song “The Impossible Dream” defines me, “And the world will be better for this, that one man, scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star.”

Two critical images came to mind when reading this passage by Regi; the first is that Regi still speaks to me beyond the grave, and second, this is the hole in my heart that God has been trying to fill since my creation.

Deciding to Fight

1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith.”

As humans, it is easy to become defensive. Some of us are extroverts and can’t hold back, while others are introverts, allowing it to fester within. Neither of those choices is particularly the correct answer. We become defensive when we perceive our territory is under attack. Fight or flight kicks in when another is maligning something personal to us, and we mobilize.

Regi and Don Quixote make the point that there are issues out there that require our defense. God did not create us to let the fight come to us. He created us to take the fight to the enemy. It is about taking territory for Christ. Very seldom is that standing nose-to-nose and fighting until the last one standing. Mostly, it is about being obedient to God’s call.

Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

National Guard

I think of it as God’s National Guard. It is a voluntary organization comprised of like-minded people who freely give their time to prepare for war or disaster. When the time comes for action, they follow orders and enter the fray. They use all their previous training to overcome a wrong or defend others. In this case, we are to defend the underserved from the evil that has existed in the world since the fall.

“If we don’t stand for something, we’ll fall for anything.” – various sources.

Psalm 18:39, “For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.”

Each of us should define our field of battle. It can be homelessness, fatherlessness, loneliness, human trafficking, hunger, medical assistance, education, employment, or anything else. The person God created you to be has the skills and resources to enter the fight against something. We will never know what we are made of or made for until we pick a fight.

A fight musters resources, pumps adrenaline, creates urgency, and clarifies calling. Big fights force you to create alliances. It requires us to attack and defend, always keeping an eye on our adversary. Guess what? God is a master at this. He will ensure you have the resources you need to advance His kingdom. You’ll never fight alone as long as you do God’s will.

Luke 10:19, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”

The fight is not ours to win; it is ours to participate in. God, and only God, has the resources to overcome.

Echoes of War

Earlier, I mentioned that I realized that Regi was still talking to me from the grave. His voice echoes long after his passing. The fight he chose goes on even when he is not here. We each have that potential. Most of us either don’t believe it or choose to ignore it. Pick a fight. Make your moment count. Somewhere, sometime, someone will hear the echo of your existence.

Deuteronomy 20:4, “For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.”

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What is Your Art?

Spiritual Gifts

What is your art? That was the question Charlie Paparelli posed this morning. Charlie is what I would call a distant friend. He is one of the great minds in the Atlanta entrepreneurial ecosystem. We often met through High Tech Ministries, but I always considered him a rung above me; Charlie drew me in through his directness. He would ask the crucial, tricky question without sugarcoating it.

This question is one of those critical, challenging questions. What do you care so much about that you don’t care if other people find it acceptable? Charlie gave the example of his sister, who became a well-known artist in South Florida. Early on, when her art was still unpopular, Charlie asked why she didn’t paint more pictures that people liked as opposed to what she liked. Her answer was that she was an artist, not a commercial painter. What she did was deeply personal and important to her.

Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.”

This concept got me thinking about my art. Now, pragmatic solutions and logic are my entire world. That is how God wired my brain. That type of personality doesn’t lend itself to natural creativity as one would traditionally think of creativity. Things like music, art, or poetry are not in my wheelhouse. So, what is my art?

Philippians 2:13, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

MY ART

For me, I would guess it is human potential. In my lifetime, I have met some extraordinary people. People who soar above me on eddies that I find unreachable. When I listen to great music, it brings me to tears at the beauty that one person can create. The emotion is so unfiltered I don’t know how they channel it. Sometimes, I find an artisan who created such an extraordinary piece that I want to gently slide my hand across the surface to feel the texture; the love that went into it is tactual. The greatness that humans are capable of is beyond my understanding. It reminds me that God put people on this earth to use their gifts to glorify Him, and that glorification takes us all to deeper meaning.

All the passion, talent, skills, and drive to create great things are gifts from God that we can use to honor Him or ourselves. The flaw I find in people who are never satisfied is that they are living for themselves, not their maker. They will never achieve their true potential until they use their God-given gifts to honor Him.

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

I can’t say I care if self-absorbed people believe this or not. My reaction is the same as not believing in gravity; it doesn’t mean you can fly. You can go through life denying this and wander in an emotional desert, or readjust your thinking and have joy and contentment. It’s your choice.

True purpose and meaning do not come from the gifts God gave you but from the application of those gifts.

Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” 

YOUR ART

So, what is your art? What are you so passionate about that you will not allow it to be diluted by those who disagree? Now, I realize that internal needs drive many of our passions. The need to be accepted or liked is a prime example. When we feel isolated, we become vulnerable to fake passions. These are passions driven by emotional needs, not God-given gifts.

Ephesians 4:12 “Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.”

I want you to think about what you would continue to do even if all your friends thought you were crazy. It is quite the opposite of emotional codependence; you do it for yourself, not for anyone else. It is the thing that makes you quirky or illogical at times. Your art is also the one that brings you the most joy.

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” –Daniel Goleman

1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”

THE WRAP UP

We can wrap this back around to your calling. What is God driving you toward? I would suggest that your art is part of your calling.

Even small actions driven by passion can have a significant impact. Teaching, sharing, or simply being enthusiastic about what you love can create ripples that influence and benefit others in ways you might not immediately see.

“On the plains of hesitation bleach the bones of countless millions who, at the dawn of decision, sat down to wait, and waiting died”- George W. Cecil.

Do not allow the world to dampen your art, your passion. Do and be; don’t wait for others to come beside you.

Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

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Whispered Moments

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

I don’t know about you, but I tend to travel fast through life. I have this insatiable desire to get to tomorrow. Today is great, and I love living it, but tomorrow is where it’s at. Everything I do builds to a crescendo. Today is not complete; I am not all I can be, but tomorrow, yes, tomorrow. That is the promise of my life.

Proverbs 27:1, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”

I believe that God has this great adventure waiting just around the corner. What corner, I’m not sure. Maybe it is the next corner or the next. I keep moving forward, convinced that my drive is obedience. Obedience becomes a destination, not a journey.

Let me tell you about a rock in my life; I may have told it before. Rocks are the little stories that sometimes go unremembered. I remember this one because it was late fall. I remember it was cold because it was dark early, and I bundled up as I walked from the train station to my destination; not the crisp northern cold, but a Georgia winter wet cold. The type that crawls under your jacket and digs into your bones. I was late meeting a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. Walking head down against the wind, I walked across the courtyard exiting the station and just vaguely remember seeing a shadow of a man. The voice in my head said, “stop.” It seemed loud and natural enough that I came to a halt.

Romans 13:11, “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

I now looked at the man standing in the cold. He had on a trench coat, but it didn’t look warm. He stood looking into the air, moving left, then right. He seemed uncertain as to what he needed to do next. I’m late, I said to myself and started to move on. All I heard was “To the least of these…” nothing more.

God doesn’t yell or intimidate; He reminds us of the great privilege of knowing Him and the great joy we can receive by obeying Him. It wasn’t a command or even a request. It was just a quiet voice of truth.

John 9:4, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. The night is coming, when no one can work.”

I looked at the man’s face. This was the first time I saw him. His eyes were sad and painful. There were a lot of years in those young eyes. He knew disappointment; they were traveling buddies. He had lost something important and was at a loss as to what to do. I knew to speak to him was to take on his burden. Once I knew, I couldn’t turn back. Reluctantly I asked, “Can I help you?”

God is an incredibly loving God. He is amazing. This man’s need was everything to him. It was insurmountable in his circumstances. But to him, it was just another hard day on earth. To me, it was simple. I gave him what I had, and it was more than enough. He stood erect and shook my hand with thanks and a nod. But his eye gave it away. Relief and surrender. I started to walk away, but I stopped. I turned and said, “You know, God loves you; that is why I am here now.” He smiled and said, “Yes, sir, I truly know that.”

Answer God’s call, folks. Be that person. I don’t have words that can accurately paint the picture of how it will change your life forever.

1 John 2:17, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

There are big things that God will nag us over. He will plant the seed. He’ll water and fertilize it. He will come back over and over to prune it. He just won’t let it go. Those things we eventually come around to acknowledging. They’re BHAGs (Big Hairy Aggressive Goals). They take time, energy, and planning, but they are worth it.

Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.”

What I love and crave are the whispered moments when God has a single opportunity to share. God says, “Tomme, see what I have for you?” “Look, it’s over there.” And when I turn, it takes my breath away. I stand in awe. These are the rocks in my memorial. I pick each one up and remember a time when He loved me so much he asked me to be in His plan for someone else. The stones are the BHAGs that I could have never accomplished without Him. The rocks are his way of telling me how much He loves me for the little thing that makes life worth living.

When Elijah was on Mt. Horeb, God was not in the wind, He was not in the fire, God was not in the earthquake; God was in the whisper.

1 Kings 19: 11–12, “The Lord said, “Go out. Stand on the mountain in front of me. I am going to pass by.” As the Lord approached, a very powerful wind tore the mountains apart. It broke up the rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire came. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire. And after the fire there was only a gentle whisper.”

Be that person; listen for the whisper. Be still and make room in your life to stand in God’s presence and listen for His whispers across your heart.

Ephesians 5:15-17, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

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When Humbleness Turns to Insecurity

The title should have been “How to Lift Yourself up Out of the Mud to Stand on Dry Ground,” but it was too long.

We all go through times when life sucks. For some of us, it means complete alienations; for others, it is loneliness, a hollow feeling that hangs over us.  There are times when insecurity engulfs us like a dense cold fog rolling in from the ocean on a moonless night. We all struggle with this at times. For me, it is not a perpetual state of being but a season of unworthiness.

I think of John 11 when Lazarus has died, and Jesus comes several days later. Martha meets Him and asks why He didn’t come earlier when He could have healed Him. Martha knows Lazarus will be raised in the last days but thinks it is too late to save him now. There are times when we should know salvation is ours, but question what about today? There will eventually be joy in Heaven, but what do we do until we get there? Will there be relief this side of Heaven?

WHEN HUMBLENESS TURNS TO INSECURITY

What happens when our humbleness turns to insecurity? How do we cope when we pass over that tipping point and start to believe our trash talk when we start buying into the sin-is-greater-than-love scenario. As humans, we all do this at times. We let our regret and guilt override our knowledge of who we are in Christ.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God forgives, but do we? I know that I am saved by grace and not by works so that no man may boast. But is that enough for me today? Do I find peace in the fact that I have grieved God and others and been forgiven? I don’t know about you, but some days it is not enough to be forgiven; I need repatriation. I need an act of restoration. I need to somehow show my worthiness for forgiveness.

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you were saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a results of works, so that no man may boast.”

I can’t change the past, but I do manage to relive it. I mull it over and over in my mind wishing it had never happened. I punish myself even when God has forgiven me. Why? Because I separate the eternal from the worldly. I accept that I have been given eternal life through Christ’s death on the cross, but I still want earthly peace through some final act of attrition. There are days when I am Martha. God, I get that you love me unconditionally; I get that through your sacrifice on the cross, I will live with you forever in Heaven, but what about the guilt I feel today? Have you arrived in my life too late to heal me of my past?

WHEN DO WE GET TO THE FEEL-GOOD PART?

First of all, try to keep things in perspective. This feeling is an in-the-moment issue; it is not an eternal issue. For Christians, this is not a desperate need for salvation that is already assured. It can seem like a desperate need for acceptance. I made a horrible decision over 40 years ago that was a correction decision to a previous atrocious decision. Unfortunately, that is what happens with sin; sin begets further sin. I have lived with the guilt of these decisions. I see the parties involved from time to time. Each time I see them, it reminds me of my weakness. Had I made the first decision correctly, I would not have hurt so many people afterward.

It has all been forgiven, both by God and the offended parties, but not by me. I know that there was a domino effect from my decisions that eventually made other people better off. I would never want to reverse their future happiness by erasing my wrong decision. This story is part of the “God works in strange ways “discussion, but my guilt remains. It is one of the echoes of the past that makes me question my worthiness. If we are honest with ourselves, we recognize that we have them. They are barriers to living a life worth living.

THE GOOD PART

Spoiler alert: Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. He was not too late.

Most self-doubt is created by a historical focus overriding our eternal focus. We forget that God put us here for good works prepared for us in advance. (Get the first part in the verse below; We are God’s handiwork.) There is no need to continue to dredge up the past, we will, but it is a waste of time.

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.”

Here is what is essential for those who believe in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

For Christians, it is not The Great White Throne Judgment, described in Revelation 20. God will not judge us for our past sins; they are already forgiven. God will hold us accountable for what we have done for Christ since we knew Him. This judgment is not to determine our worthiness to spend eternity with Christ; we have already been accepted to Heaven; it is a review of our fruit derived from that relationship. 

Romans 14:12, “So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Back many years ago, I was given a cassette tape, you read that right, of a one-person play performed by  Pete Briscoe, “The Judgement Seat of Christ.” This is a link to the video for those of you that no longer have a cassette player. The original book was written by Tim Stevenson, with no relationship. It talks about The BEMA, the judgment seat of Christ that we must all stand before. It changed my view of Christianity. It moved me from a self-view to an others-view. It shifted my focus away from me being a better person to serving others just as I am.

I don’t know that I will ever get over my past sin. I know there will be times when it comes back to haunt me. But if I can check my self-incrimination and turn my focus to why I am here, I can get past it. Life here on earth can be joyful and peaceful. God does not want us to live a life of regret and guilt. He wants us to enjoy the fullness of His presence.

As hard as it is to believe, our past is forgiven and gone. If we waste our time fretting over the past rather than doing the good works prepared for us to do now; well, we build up more regret and guilt.

James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

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Impossible to Unbelievable

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God wants to take you from the mundane to the impossible to the unbelievable.

I grew up in a small town in the Midwest. I kidded about a GED being our diploma and an actual High School diploma being an advanced degree. There wasn’t and still isn’t much opportunity in small-town America. It seems like the only path to real success is either being born into the family business or starting one. I was a kid like everyone else in my class; my future wasn’t bleak; it was confining.

Somewhere along the line, I started to understand that impossible was just a word. It wasn’t because I looked at the impossible as something to be done, as it was that I looked at my past and saw that I had done things that I would have thought impossible; the impossible became unbelievable.

Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I was the kind of kid that people would say; he might get out of High School, but he will never get accepted into college. If he does somehow get accepted, he doesn’t have the tenacity or ability to graduate. Graduate School, not a chance he could get in. I was average, and dreams were bigger than me. I looked at these achievements as impossible, but other people had done it, why not me?

FULTON’s FOLLY

The great thing about chasing the impossible is there is no shame in failure; it is almost expected. In the early 1800s, there was a painter named Robert Fulton. Robert studied art in Paris and London but wasn’t successful in getting commissions to paint. He married the daughter of the American Ambassador to France, Robert Livingston. Mr. Livingston had seen one of Mr. Fulton’s drawings of a submarine and suggested that he go into the business of designing steamboats.  Robert Fulton then had a vision of building a steamboat that would carry passengers up and down the Hudson River. The problem was that no one had ever done that; it was impossible. Steamboats were dangerous and unstable; they were in the realm of hobbies and toys. They had novelty value and nothing more. Fulton had not invented the steamboat; he would be the first person to make it commercially viable.

On August 17, 1807, the Fulton steamboat the Clermont made history. The small, snub-nosed boat made the 150-mile run from New York City to Albany in 32 hours. Regular passenger service was inaugurated, and a new era in water transportation began.

Robert Fulton’s great quest is now known historically as Fulton’s Folly. How would you like to fail on a scale so large that your name becomes a historic by-word? But his name is not a historic by-word because of his many failures; it was his one great success; the impossible became unbelievable. Robert Fulton went from a failed artist to the father of water transportation.

DREAMS AND VISIONS

Dreams are things you see in your sleep and dissipate like the morning fog once you arise. Visions are those haunting thoughts that won’t let sleep come quick enough.  Visions are ideas do delicious; you can’t stop thinking about them. Visions are not always impossible, but many seem that way. To change a vision to reality, you need resources, time, and chance. Visions of greatness start as impossibilities. They are long shots beyond our reach. There is so much that has to go right and so little that needs to go wrong that the prize is scarcely worth the effort.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

THE POSSIBLE

Well, I did graduate from college, then I did it again, then I graduated from graduate school. I didn’t get to go to Frat parties or throw a Frisbee across the quad; I worked nights as an Orthopedic Technician in Surgery at a trauma center.  I did it because I had this vision in my head that said this was the direction I was to go. God had a plan for me before I knew what life was about. As a result, I ran companies and built companies; I traveled all over the world. Impossible was a thing I hadn’t done yet. I have never done anything that has never been done before me; I have only done things that I thought I could never do. Now I look back at my life and shake my head; unbelievable. If my sixteen years old self could see me now, what would they think?

Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and replied, ‘This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.”’

All things are possible to those that believe. God made each of us amazing creatures, capable of accomplishing almost anything to which we set our minds. The major constraint before us is not an opportunity, or resources, or chance; it is the will to live the life God created us to live. Something is impossible until you do it, then it becomes unbelievable. I am always amazed at things that I would never have expected I could do that seem mundane once I have done them; mountains do not look as tall from the top as they do from the bottom.

Stop fearing the impossible and start chasing the unbelievable. Become the person that people say, “If they say they are going to do it, it might be unbelievable, but not impossible.” Be the person God made you be.

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

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Casting Out Fear

Fear causes us to live small lives and miss out on opportunities that God puts in front of us. Fear scrunches us into a little ball of mediocracy. Fear stops us from “being all we can be.”

Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

There will always be moments when fear is the natural response to worldly things that happen around us. But I am not thinking of the life-threatening events when fear overwhelms; I’m talking about the day to day encounters. I’m talking about things like fear of failure and fear of rejection, and fear of humiliation. What I am talking about is living a life worth living. I am talking about having the courage to stretch your boundaries, experience God’s power, and live the story He wrote for you.

1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”

Formula for Change

How do we get from who we are to who God made us to be? A formula called “The Beckhard-Harris Change Equation” states that the value of the new state has to be greater than the value of the old state plus the cost of change before change can effectively occur.

Beckhard-Harris would say, Your dissatisfaction with the life you are currently living, plus a vision of what the new life would look like, plus knowledge of how to get to that new life, has to be greater than what you feel you are giving up.

Let’s put this in Christian terms; The value of an eternity with Christ has to be of greater value to you than that of your current life on earth, plus the cost you put on changing. Until we realize that the experience God has written for us is so much better than the life we have planned for ourselves, we will never reach our true potential and will always live desperate lives. If you are a slave to fear, this equation is out of balance. If your vision of a Christ-centered life is blurred, you won’t move forward.

1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but the world.”

Our Current State

We have to accept that we live broken lives. Much of the stress and dysfunction we experience daily is not life; it is life without Christ. We have become so accustom to comparing the quality of our life with the lives around us that we have missed how broken those lives are. It is not about being less dysfunctional than the Jones. The bar is a lot higher than that. Troubles and challenges will come, we know that, it is how we respond to those events that defines our experience on earth and it’s eternal significance.

The Desired State

Now we have to come to believe that life with Christ is a life worth fighting for. Spending eternity  with the author of the universe is exceptional in and of itself, but as a cowboy once said “I’m not afraid of being dead, it’s the dying that worries me.” We still live on a blue spinning orb. We still have to get up every morning and live. Our desired state has to include God’s plan for us while we are here. God made us; he understands what we are experiencing. God created us not just to survive but to thrive. He did not put us here to see what we could endure. God created us to blossom and grow. He created us to be light in the darkness.

Taking the First Step

Once we see the vision of what life could look like, we need to create a plan to achieve it. We have to know our first step. Once we know it, we have to commit to taking it. Each of us is dealing with our own set of fears. Each of us will attack this a little differently. All of us should have the same objective; get in synch with God’s plan. Some may join a bible study. Some aren’t there yet, what they need is a close Christian friend that can help guide them. All of us need prayer and support through the scriptures. For change to take place you have to take the first step.

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

Change is more about believing in the results than putting in the effort. Change is more about having the faith to let God lead than making an effort to take the lead.

What did Jesus say?

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Isaiah 43:1, “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

The Psalmist said, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Our greatest fear should not be what the world around us fears, but we should fear the lost opportunity to be truly happy living the life God has planned for us.

Don’t be afraid of what God asks you to do; embrace it. More than just embracing it, thirst for it. Make it your mission to stretch your experiences, learn more, be more; grow into a genuine person of God.

Psalm 37:4-14, “ Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”

Life Worth Living

God wants your heart to burst with Joy. He wants to fill you with His spirit to where you can scarcely breathe. He wants you to hate sleep at night in anticipation of what the morning will bring. He wants you to live a life of purpose and meaning. He does not want you to fear the world. He has already overcome the world.

1 John 5:5, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

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A life Worth Living

I got to thinking this morning about how God interacts with me through the Holy Spirit to prod me down a path toward a life worth living. My mind slowly went to why he puts certain people in my life, people with problems. I like problem-solving, but I am a sticks and bricks kind of guy, not colors and hues. The opportunities God presents aren’t always the people or problems with which I feel comfortable. Sometimes, to be truthful, I would prefer not to deal with them, but God sends them to me anyway.

Romans 15:2-3, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

Some problems I just don’t get, they seem petty and small. Some people I don’t understand because their problem never changes; they just can’t seem to act. Most are self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Some situations are so painful I wish I didn’t know. But God sends them my way away.

Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

Now I know that I do not have any vast knowledge or talent for helping others. I have always been a common sort. But I also know that God does not put people in my life so I can show off. He puts them there so that He can show off His power and compassion. I have always thought of it as Him letting me be part of His plan for another. That was enough to spur me on.

1 John 3:17, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

The reality is that God puts people in our lives as part of His plan for us. Through them, He can speak to us. Through them, He can help us see when we are petty. Through them, we can see how we do not act when a solution is right in front of us. Through them, we can see the pain in others and give thanks for sparing us the same experience.

Hebrews 6:10, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them”

God uses these moments to help us see how and when He works. When we are in the depths of our problems, it is hard to be objective. It is hard to step outside ourselves and survey the landscape before acting. It is hard to imagine a solution bigger than our wants.  But God does.

Matthew 25:40, “And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

In my life, God uses me to help others to teach me how He helps me. The scripture that feeds their soul, feeds mine. The intersection of their experience with mine is not just me being part of their plan; it is them being part of my plan. I’m not there to be a lifesaver or a lifeboat. I am on the sinking ship with them watching God save us both.

Philippians 2:4, “not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

One of the things I have learned in my life is that the root cause of all anxiety is faith, or the lack thereof. I may have lost a job or have someone dear to me suffering; my anxiety does not come for the problem, it comes from my non-belief that God both cares about what I am going through and will act. Because I don’t think He will act, I do not see when He does. I start to believe in fate or serendipity or karma. I don’t see how wonderfully and skillfully God works.

Working through a situation with another allows me objectivity that opens my eyes to how God works. It will enable me to be more objective then I would be if the problem were mine.  He helps me see the times He intervened in my life. God may also show me when I could have leaned on Him and didn’t.

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

When you see someone in need, view it as part of God’s plan for your life. There is a lesson to be learned and an experience to be had, that will help them and yourself. Helping others is not about being a good guy. It is not about the glory of moving God’s plan down the road for another. It is about becoming the person that God knows you can be. It is part of the learning curve along the path to a life worth living.

James 2:14-17, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

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