Let Go, Let God

I have never been a big follower of the trendy fads that follow the religious community. I understand the good that can come from getting people to stop and think, "What would Jesus Do?" (WWJD). I guess it is the commercialization, or the tendency to repeat things without thinking deeply that bothers me.

Sometimes when someone was struggling with certain challenges, or troubles they just couldn't turn loose, I would hear someone say, "Just let go and let God do His thing." I would cringe and think how trite that sounded in the midst of wading through the mire that can overtake our lives.

As I have pondered recent changes in my own life it has become obvious to me that there is some truth in that saying. I left "formal ministry" nearly 8 years ago, but somehow God always found a way to call me back. Whether it was working for a Christian based ministry, or teaching in the Bible school program, I never strayed too far from my roots. Over the past couple of years I have learned that ministry is where my heart is and I believe that is where God can best use me. That realization has forced me to let go of some of my selfish desires.

I really don't know what all that looks like in the future, but through victory and adversity, through trials and success, God has been good to me. He continues to remind me that there is a lot of wisdom in letting go of my own selfish pursuits and seeking a life devoted to him.

Let Go and Let God! I stand corrected - that is very good advice.

Waiting on God

I was never a very patient person - so waiting on God is always a challenge for me. It is especially difficult when the answer seems so obvious to me. "Alright Lord, I need one more account to meet my budget this month, wrapping that up by Friday would be great." Wouldn't it be nice if it worked that way.

Last night I was reminded of how many people out there are waiting on God to answer their prayer for a Christian partner. I was asked during our prayer service to pray for all those who are lonely and seeking a Christian mate. An interesting paradox isn't it: wait on the Lord, or seek a mate? I believe the old proverb, "God helps those who help themselves." It is the law of sowing and reaping. If we want a harvest, we have to sow some seed.

I know a lot of singles who are sitting at home, waiting for God to FEDEX their knight in shining armor. I tried a search on E-bay, but she wasn't their either. Loneliness is a terrible thing because it can debilitate people. Their negativity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. They never find the love of their life, because of apathy and inactivity.

This may sound a little harsh, but if you are lonely, get off the couch - throw on a little make-up and visit a singles class at church, or volunteer at a local charity, maybe even get back to working out at the YMCA occasionally. Guys, you need to shave, put on a clean shirt, brush your teeth and put on a little deoderant.

Since we are all waiting on God to bring us that special someone, we might as well use that time to prepare ourselves for the next great thing He pours into our lives. A wise man once said, "Success is where opportunity meets preparation." You take the time to get prepared and an opportunity will present itself.

Take me Higher

There are certain people in your life who lift you up and make your life richer and fuller. As I look back over 48 years I realize I have been blessed with more than a few of those friends. I have childhood friends I keep in touch with, my college roomate and I get together a few times a year even though he lives in Canada, and I still have close friendships in all the churches I have been priviledged to serve.

This past week has reminded me of the blessings of friendship. There is a fairly new trend on the internet known as social networking. It consists of websites like myspace and facebook. They are marketed as a way to stay connected and they can serve a good purpose, but I think they are only effective when you have built a personal relationship with someone. Every once in a while I get a "friend request" from someone I don't know. That seems strange to me. "You may be an ax murder, but I want you to be my friend."

Maybe I am just old fashion, but I want to see my friends face to face. I enjoy sitting and talking over a cup of coffee. I want to see the gleam in their eye, hear the subtle intonations of their voice as we share our thoughts and ideas.

There are a few people who raise my spirits with an email. I am thankful that I can stay connected with my son who is in Europe, friends across the state, but even those relationships were built through personal interaction.

Now for the inconsistency of this blog. Here I am sharing my thoughts and feelings with my friends through this electronic medium called the internet. If somehow my words have touched you and we are not yet friends - well that just shows what an intelligent person you are. :-)

Band of Brothers

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition. An gentlemen in England now-a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhood cheap while any speaks that fought with us on St. Crispins day. (Henry V, Shakespeare)

The year was 1415 and as the English marched across Northwest France, the men had grown weak from dysentary and morale was low. The French saw this as an opportunity to rid their country of this enemy. They brought 25,000 men up against this struggling band, but Henry rallied his forces and the English lost only 200 men while the defeated French lost 5,000.

When men walk together through life their is something special. When you are forced to join arms and fight, or pull your brother up from a struggle that has ravaged his life you create bonds not easily broken.

I spent two years walking through life with 11 such men. We shared our good times and our sorrows. There were battles and struggles and times our morale was low, but no one ever walked alone. In Shakespeare's rendition of Henry V, he talks of the men who one day will draw back their sleeves and show the scars they carry from the battle at Agincourt. When I think of my own band of brothers, we each bear the scars that life left on us, but we look upon them with honor and with joy. Those scars remind me of the men who joined me in life's battle.

When I think about how great it is to have those kind of men in your life - friends that I will carry with me to the grave, I am also reminded of how hard it must have been for Christ to hang on the cross. Yes the torture of a cross was a brutal and senseless way to kill a man, but I believe the real anquish of our savior was to look out over the angry mob and all but his mother and John had departed. In that moment we see the humanity of Jesus as he cried out, "My God, My God why has thou forsaken me."

Though we are tempted, tried and tested - we never walk alone. We have a deliverer to lead us into battle and a Savior to rescue us from defeat. Among my own band of brothers is an elder brother who surrendered his body and blood for my freedom and security.

Henry V died at age 35, seven years after the battle of Agincourt. Our Lord was raised from the grave three days after his crucifixion, never to die again. Our King leads us to an eternal victory that will one day also rescue us from the grave.

Right or Wrong

I attended a parent / teacher meeting at my daughter' school tonight and I continue to be impressed with the focus and emphasis the school places on teaching the students to make solid moral decisions. While discussing the role of Humanities in their curriculum, the founder stated, "Our goal is not to teach your children the difference between right and wrong, our goal is to teach your children the difference between right and almost right."

That is a very powerful distinction. I know individuals who have lived their entire lives under the shadow of the cross and never learned that lesson. We live in a world filled with situational ethics and justifications for every form of immoral and ungodlly behavior. It is refreshing to find a school where the objective is to shape a child's thinking and not simply monitor their behavior. Thank you FCS.

The Measure of a Man

I have recently been re-reading John Eldridge's book "Wild at Heart." My son and I have both read the book through at least three times. Eldridge does such an excellent job explaining why God created us the way he did.

There is something that captures the imagination of a man as he watches John Wayne draw his pistol from the holster, or Michael Jordan hit a jump shot from 30 feet with the game on the line. We love the violence of hockey and football because of the vicarious thrill of watching men go into battle.

God didn't design men to be spectators, he created us to be leaders. To fight for our families, stand up for the oppressed and defend the truth and honor of the bride of Christ. I believe that Theodore Roosevelt captures the heart of a "real man" in the following statement.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

In a few weeks the men of the Spring Meadows Church of Christ will be studying Wild at Heart on Wednesday evenings. I pray all of our men will come and bring friends. If you are inspired by Henry's speech at Agincourt or how Sir William Wallace rallied his men to go up against the superior forces of the English, or it may be you long to stand beside the 300 Spartan's as they hold off the Persians at the pass at Thermopylae. If this describes you then join us for an epic adventure of manhood.

The God of Second Chances

When Tom Watson was serving as head of IBM one of his top level executives made a mistake that cost the company over a million dollars. Knowing that his job was history the manager walked into Watson's office and said, "I know boss, I messed up and I am ready to quit." Watson responded, "Quit, are you kidding, it cost a million dollars to educate you. It's time to get back to work."

I don't think I ever cost an employer a million dollars, or even walked into an employer's office expecting to be fired, but there have been many occasions when I have been thankful for recieving a second chance.

The other day I was reading Matthew 18 where Peter asks the Lord how many times he should forgive his brother - 7 times? Jesus said, "I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:22). That can be a difficult command to live sometimes, but it becomes easier when we realize that God wasn't just giving us a command, he was giving us an insight into His own divine nature. Our God is a loving, compassionate and forgiving God.

So, next time you feel you have exhausted God's patience, or fallen so far that you will never find the road back, remember that we serve a God of second (third, and fourth) chances. Like the father in the prodigal son, He stands watching and waiting for our return. When we go to him ready to quit, ready to surrender to the obstacles of life, feeling that all hope is lost, you can imagine him saying, "Are you kidding, you can't quit, my son already paid that debt with his blood. It's time to get back to work."