Reflections

A recent study from the University of Glasgow revealed something quite surprising.  It seems that when photographed, the human eye reflects the person taking the photo very clearly.   Rob Jenkins from the University of New York says that “the pupil of the eye is like a black mirror” and reveals far more than what was first thought.   What usefulness does this have?  Imagine a hostage situation where the kidnapper takes a photo of the person they are holding… computers can digitally zoom into the eyes of the person being held and see a clear picture of the criminal.  

The pupils reflect an image of what’s in front of them.

Our hearts do the same.  So often we put ourselves around people that we shouldn’t… and their influence is reflected in our lives.  We begin to talk like they do… think like they do… and many times slide backwards… away from the life that God has called us to live.   The Bible warns us about staying amongst those that harm our hearts.  Proverbs 22:24-25 says “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”  1 Corinthians 15:33 echoes this concept with “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.”   Find yourself angry?  Bitter?  Anxious?  Filled with gossip or jealousy?  Check your friends list.   Perhaps it is the reflected influence of a “friend” that is causing you to see the world differently.   Am I saying not to have friends that don’t believe like you do?  No.  You will (and should) hang out with people who are still investigating the claims of Christ.   But if you are a Christ-follower, your closest companions…those that have the greatest influence on your life… should follow and live out the values of Christ as you do.  

Repay

If you watch those reality TV court shows, you’ve assuredly seen one of the most common lawsuits out there.  One person lends money to another… and fails to be repaid.   The litigants shout at each other… claim it was only a gift… deny any wrongdoing… and in the end it’s up to the judge as to how to financially settle things.  

Money lending can divide.  It can cause lifelong friends to battle like sworn enemies… and allow hearts to become bitter and untrusting.  Why? Because many that lend expect interest… something extra in return.  Throughout the Bible, we are told to lend when necessary to help those in need… but never make money from our act of benevolence.   In fact, a great way to avoid this type of TV courtroom drama is simply to give someone the gift of financial help. Give with no strings attached…sacrifice willingly… and provide resources to those less fortunate.  We should do so knowing ahead of time that they may never be able to repay us.   And when we do…when we give with a heart filled with generosity… God blesses the relationship and allows it to thrive.  

Time Off?

On average, people live about 75 years.  And while that seems like a long time… let’s break that down.   That’s around 3900 weeks… 27,000 days… or about 648,000 hours.  Now let’s remove the time we spend sleeping (about 1/3 of that if we’re doing it right…).  That leaves us with about 112 hours a week that we are awake.  Now back in the day, the human race spent 70 of those 112 hours per week productively working.  Today is quite different.  In fact, due to some productivity improvements through technology, the average work week is 30 hours.  

And what do we do with all of that remaining time?  The 82 hours that we are awake and active?  Would you believe that the biggest part of that time is squandered in front of a flat screen?  It’s true. According to statistics, the majority of people passively watch television 4-5 hours per day… and spend many more hours staring at tablets, smartphones, and laptop screens.  YouTube logs in billions of views a day… in fact, the average person watches 15 hours of YouTube videos per week.  

What are you doing with your life?  All of those hours… those ticks of the clock… are you leveraging them to change the world?  Or using them to change the channel?  

Did you know that Einstein, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Abraham Lincoln, and your hard-working great-grandparents all had the same 24 hours per day… they all had time management issues… and they all had to decide what they were going to do with their time awake.  

Some make a difference… other make excuses…all have the same amount of hours per day.  

The Bible addresses this issue of time in the parable of the talents.  Three servants are given some money by their master to manage for him.  Two make more money… while one buries it to keep it safe.  Here’s the master’s reply to the one that squandered his chance: 

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it'" (Matthew 25:26-27, NLT).  

The Bible is clear that we are to maximize our time… to see our lives as something given to us by our Creator to invest in His Kingdom and others.  To serve the world… to love those that can do nothing for us in return… to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ… and to enjoy those that God has put around us as friends and family.  

Maybe it’s time to take a technology fast.  Live in the now.  Maybe it’s time to stop seeing the world as photo ops for instagram and maximize your minutes for Christ.   We’ve got one chance on this side of Heaven to change the world for God.  Let’s take today seriously.  There will never be another January 28, 2015.  Ever.  And there will never be another you.  Ever.  Get out there and seize the chance to shine God’s light into a world that is blanketed with darkness.  You’ve got 24 hours… let’s go make a difference. 

No Worries

I read about a woman with an extremely rare condition.  So rare, in fact, that only 400 cases have been reported worldwide.  It causes her to speak without hesitation… jump when others pull back… boldly face danger… and do it all with a smile.  Her condition?  Urbach-Wiethe syndrome… also known as “no fear” disease.

This woman lives with absolutely no external fears.  No sweaty palms.  No elevated heartbeat.  No worry.  She still logically senses incoming danger…  for example, if a car is heading toward her, she knows to get out of the way.   She is able to face external stresses with no fear.  But the internal ones?

Still there. 

Isn’t it interesting that this condition blocks her from being afraid of what she can see… but still allows the mind to process fear on the inside?   The mind is powerful… and if we let it, it will paralyze us in worry and strife.  It causes us to fear externally and internally… spending our days stuck in neutral waiting for things to change.  But did you also know that you don’t need a rare condition to numb you to worry and stress.  In fact, God has already given you the plan.

A plan for you, the worrier.  A hope for you, the stressed.  A peace for you, the burdened.  His plan?  He wants you to get up everyday and internalize these two verses:

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

“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.”  Isaiah 41:10

No fear.  No wringing  your hands over an empty bank account.  No more late night crying sessions over children that have lost their way.  No more feeling the dread of upcoming evaluations… or examinations… or loss.  You weren’t sent here to fear.  You weren’t designed to live in denial.  You weren’t meant to spend every day grasping for control of situations that you can’t possibly bend to your will.  

You were meant to trust.  

You don’t need more faith.  You need to live out the faith that you already have.  Even if all the faith you’ve got left is the size of a pebble… God can move mountains with it.  Take the two verses from today’s devotional and write them down on index cards.  Keep those cards with you everywhere you go… purse, wallet, dashboard, vanity, mirror, etc.   And when the enemy tries to take you down by buckling your knees,  stand strong in the power of these truths from our Heavenly Father.  

Life’s coming at you… and because of these verses, I can assure you that you’ll be ready… not in your own strength, but through the One who walks with you in the valley of uncertainty and challenge.   He’s more than enough and He’ll never let you go.  

One Sheep

It may seem hard to believe, but the United States average high-school dropout rate is 25%.  1 in 4 students decide to leave before they finish.   The question is… what is happening to stop this trend?  What are schools doing to pursue those that want to call it quits?

The church faces a similar situation.  People coming to the end of their faith and deciding that they just want to walk away from a God who seemingly doesn’t care.  So what’s being done?  What is the family of God supposed to do when one of their own drifts away?  Pursue.  Lovingly… and with great passion… go after those that have lost their way.  Scripture tells us in Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?”  We are to go after the lost…the disillusioned…the confused…the broken…and the hurt.  They may be looking to drop out… and it’s that very time that God commands us to step in.  Sometimes all someone needs is the reassurance that things will get better…and that God still cares.  Know someone who’s walked away?  Today…without hesitation…start the process of leading them back.   Both of you will be better for it.  

Wait for the Captain

I once read a story about a young naval ensign on his first assignment.   He was given the responsibility of preparing the ship for launch… and he was nervous.  Remembering everything he’d learned in training, the young sailor yelled commands and readied the vessel for the voyage.  He accomplished his tasks in record time… and with a proud voice… gave the order to leave the dock.  Soon after they were out into open water, the ensign received a message.  It was from the captain.  It read “My personal congratulations upon completing your underway preparation exercise according to the book and with amazing speed. But next time, you might wait until your captain is aboard before setting off.”

Oops… Ever make that mistake?  Have you ever been so anxious and excited that you forgot to put first things first?  Many do… In fact, many take off and do things in their lives without waiting for God to be a part of it.  Isaiah 40:31 says to do otherwise:  “But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.”   Is it ok to be excited?  Ready?  Prepared to set the direction for our lives?  Yes!  However, if we do so without making sure God is onboard first, we will grow tired and quickly drift off course.   Seek God first.  Wait on Him to answer.  And then proceed… and it will be smooth sailing the whole way.  

Professional Student?

I read an ABC news report about a man who has spent his entire 71 years on the planet in school.  Michael Nicholson of Kalamazoo, Michigan has an interesting hobby:  he collects degrees.  So far he has 29 and is on course for his 30^th.  His accomplishments include one doctorate, three specialist degrees, one bachelor’s degree, two associate degrees, and 22 masters.  When asked about it, Michael says that he just loves to learn.   

And while we might at first celebrate his decision… it doesn’t take long before we realize the tragedy in this story.  Mr. Nicholson has spent his entire life learning disciplines without putting any of it to use.   He’s filled his head with knowledge and his walls with paperwork… but his legacy remains locked away in his briefcase.  Learning is important… but without utilizing the knowledge we receive… it’s practically useless.  The same goes for our study of the Bible.  James tells us in chapter 1 and verse 22 that we should not merely listen to the word… but we are to “Do what it says.”  Knowing who God is and doing what God wants are two different things… and one without the other is simply missing our purpose.   While it’s very important to study and memorize scripture… it’s equally as important to take the message out of the confines of the mind and into the world through our hands and heart.   

Ten and Two

When I was first starting to learn how to drive, I was nervous.  Hands at 10 and 2 o’clock… feet on the brakes… mirrors adjusted to the right position.  I studied the handbook and knew the proper following distances and sign shapes.  Yes… I was ready… but one thing kept me uneasy… the speed limit.  After all, how was I supposed to look down at the speedometer and up at the traffic at the same time?  What if I wasn’t looking down and started to go too fast… and got pulled over for speeding… or I was looking down to check my speed and rammed into the car in front of me?  I couldn’t keep my eyes on BOTH places at the same time… so what was I to do?

So many times in our walk with Christ we get nervous for the same reason.  I want to keep my eyes on Him… but what if something needs my attention in life?  What if I’m looking to Him for guidance and bump right into a crisis?  The Bible tells us that our eyes are to be in one position only:  Hebrews 12:2 says, “"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith ..."  Unlike driving,  we only have to look in one place to stay safe… and that’s facing God.   Life swerving?  Look and pray to God.  A bad diagnosis?  High tax bill?  Failing in school?  Look up.  Marriage trouble?  Losing your authority over your kids?  Don’t stare at the dashboard of your life trying to figure out your speed… look to the One that knows how to steer through the danger!   It’s when we take our eyes off of Christ and put them on our troubles… that the real trouble begins.   

Too Much of a Good Thing?

It’s a sign of the times.  A hospital in Pennsylvania has launched a treatment center for people who have a serious addition to something that they can no longer control.  Only it’s not for what you might think…  This is a clinic for those that suffer from internet addiction!  According to doctors, this is becoming an epidemic in countries like China, Korea, and Taiwan… with the United States coming on strong.  In May of 2013, it was recognized as an official disorder in America… and one that needed to be dealt with through psychiatric counseling and extended medical intervention.

It’s hard to believe that something as seemingly useful as the internet could one day lead to serious and life-changing problems.   But remember, it’s not the occasional user or even the power user that ends up in therapy… it’s the over-the-top…stop at nothing to go online user that needs help.  Same goes for overuse of anything… food, television, the approval of others… anything that we crave incessantly.  The Bible tells us in Philippians 4…  ^“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”   God instructs us to live with boundaries… to maintain control over our behaviors so that we can honor Him with our lives.   The key to happiness isn’t too much of a good thing… it’s moderation… and without it, what God means to be helpful actually harms us mentally, physically, and spiritually.  You were meant for so much more.

Wrong Wall?

Comedian Fred Allen once quipped: “A celebrity is a person who works all his life to become well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.”

While we may chuckle at this remark, many of us live our lives the same way.  We work hard to get somewhere…only to realize that it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and try to change it.  Why does this happen?  I contend that the biggest mistakes we make in this area are in the very first steps.  We don’t consult God.  We don’t let Him in on the decision making process or ask Him to point us in the right initial direction.  And when our Creator is left out of the loop… we find ourselves careening off in the wrong direction… all the while thinking we are on our way to the top of the ladder of success.  

We may reach the top of that ladder… only to find that it’s leaning against the wrong wall.  And then what?  Do we blame ourselves for poor choices?  Sadly, many times we blame God.  The only way to correct this is to go to God first in prayer… asking Him what’s best… and then having the maturity and courage to follow His lead.  He will make sure that once we get to where we’re going… we’ll be glad we’re there!

Yes I Will

Biblical scholar Howard Hendricks once told his son Bob, “Be so dependable that if you say you will be somewhere and don’t show up, they send flowers.”

Are you thought of as reliable?  Are the commitments that you make as good as done?  If you don’t fulfill a vow to be somewhere… will those you’ve made a promise to think a bad thing has happened?  If this doesn’t sound like you… I’ve got good news:  today is a new day.  Making our word our bond requires a steadfast commitment.   Scripture echoes the importance of being good on our words in Matthew 5:37.  It says,  “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”  If you’re given the opportunity to make a commitment…stop and think about it.  Are you really going to honor it?  Will you really show up?  If so, great!  If not, remember, it’s better not to make a vow, than to make one and break it later.  Be a person of integrity… someone that people can trust… and when you say “yes” or “no” in the future, those around you will know exactly where they stand and what’s going to happen as a result of your decision.  

Turbulence

Then heavyweight champion of the world Mohammed Ali was sitting on a plane getting ready to take off.  The flight attendant recognized him and gently walked over to ask him to put on his seat belt.  His response?  “Superman don’t need no seat belt.”   The attendant stopped a second looked the formidable man squarely in the face and replied, “Superman don’t need no airplane either!”

There are many who treat God the same way.  God asks something of them… and they tell Him they don’t need to do it.  He gives them instruction through His word… and they shrug it off.  Pride makes them believe that they are self-sufficient… that they are in complete control of their direction with little need for restraint.  Psalm 10:4 tells us “In his pride, the wicked man does not seek him;  in all his thoughts there is no room for God”

Ali couldn’t fly on his own… and neither can we.  God is in control.  He knows best.  And when He tells us that it’s going to get a little bumpy…we need to put on that seatbelt… sit back… and thank Him for guiding us through the turbulence. 

Security

Below the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City sits five stories of priceless gold.  Locked behind a 90 ton steel door… in a maze of over 100 vaults… the precious metal sits protected and safe.  It is said that each vault can house 100,000 bricks of gold… and the total value of the stash?  Tens of billions of dollars per compartment… several hundred billion overall.

It would seem to most people that this gold is very safe.  After all, who could get down there let alone get anything back up.  But no matter how many steel doors you put on a structure, there is still a chance of something turning up missing or stolen.  The Bible talks about our inability to protect our treasure in Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”  Truth is… no matter how secure, put away, taken care of, or protected our stuff on this planet is… it’s still isn’t 100% theft-proof.  Want to have eternal treasure?  Something that lasts forever?  Start building a stockpile in Heaven!  Talk to others about Jesus… invest your resources in the local church…. spend time serving others and taking care of those in need.  It is then that you are generating eternal wealth.  And while it may not glimmer like gold… it is far more valuable.  

More Blessed

There’s an old Chinese proverb that says: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.  If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.  If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.  If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

If you’ve ever come to the aid of someone in need you know the truth in that statement.  There’s something about being there for a person that gives us a sense of fulfillment… a feeling of greater purpose.  This shouldn’t be surprising if you are a Christ-follower.  Scripture tells us in Acts 20:35 that “It is more blessed to give than to receive”  In Proverbs 11:25 we read “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”  Loving others…serving them… is something that God Himself has instructed us to do.  And when we stay obedient in this, the Bible tells us time and time again that we will be blessed. Want more blessing in your life?  Make the decision to reach out.  The world may try to convince you to look out only for yourself… but the example that Christ left us was quite the opposite.  Serving others is part of our calling…our purpose here on Earth… and there’s nothing that makes us resemble Jesus more than when we are putting others first.

Our Ears

According to Prevention magazine, our ears continue to grow throughout the course of our lifetime.  When we are very young, they are proportional to our body size.  After age 10, the growth slows down but continues steadily until we die.  So using this logic, we should have better hearing as we get older… larger ears means better sound processing right?  Not really.  In fact, as we age, our hearing ability actually decreases.  

Sad but true.  

But there is one aspect of our hearing that should improve as we get older… hearing from God.  Why?  Because if we’re doing it right when we’re young… we should be getting to know Him more and more!  Spending time in His word… hearing messages in His church… writing about Him in our journals… telling others about Him when the opportunity comes…  We should be growing closer to Him… and His voice should be getting louder as the shadows grow longer.  2 Corinthians 4 tells us that although we are physically failing over time… we are actually being “renewed day by day” by God.  Want to know what God sounds like?  Spend time with Him.  Pray.  Ask Him to tell you and teach you what you need to know.  And as the years pass… your ability to hear physically may fade… but your capacity to hear from the One that matters will sharpen. 

God Is There

Do you remember playing hide and go seek?  I do.  My brothers and I would play it when we were little… and I was pretty good.  I remember being hidden and hearing their voices as they’d get closer… the butterflies in my stomach as I got nervous they’d find me… the sound of their feet getting louder against the wood floor… all part of the game.  Sometimes they’d discover me, but many times they wouldn’t.  I was good at hiding from them and enjoyed knowing that I could fool them at will.

Many feel that way about God.  Over time, they become quite good at hiding from Him.  Or, if not physically, they hide things about themselves from Him.  I guess they figure that if they don’t say it out loud.. He doesn’t know.  Maybe if they avoid accountability, God never finds them or discovers what they’ve done.   The Bible sets it straight in Psalm 139.  In it, David says that no matter where he goes… God is there.  He is all-knowing… all-powerful… and everywhere at one time.  It may be tempting to hide… but there are far greater results when we step out into the light and reveal what God already knows.  When we talk to Him and tell Him what’s inside us… He can begin the healing process in our hearts.  Find yourself in the shadows today?  Spend some time talking with the One who already knows what put you there and wants to guide you back into the sunlight.  

Created for Greatness

Mary Fasano’s parents pulled her out of eighth grade so she could work in a cotton mill in Rhode Island.  Fifty-five years later, she made a major decision.  She decided that she was going to go back to school to complete her education.  At 71, she completed her coursework and received her high school diploma… but she wasn’t done yet!  She signed up for Harvard University’s extension program and took one class at a time.  Week after week, she drove the twenty miles to the school… and did so for seventeen years!  In June of 2003, Mary Fasano graduated from Harvard at the age of 89.

Many called her crazy.

Many would have told her that her dream was impossible.

But what they forgot…?  Something is impossible ONLY until it is accomplished.

Mary lived her life by this truth from Matthew 19:26 “For nothing is impossible with God”

Today you may be facing something that nobody else believes in but you.   It’s a mountain that’s never been climbed… and achievement the world’s never seen… a way of doing something that’s never been done.  Be bold.  Read that verse above over and over until it weaves its way into the fabric of your heart.  You have been created for greatness… and your greatest competition is the status quo.  The odds of success mean nothing when you have God on your side.  He sets the odds.  He gets you through.  And He will equip you with everything you need to push onward.  Seize the day.  Take your dreams back from the critics because someday you will be dancing in victory while the doubters stand silent.  

The Correct Call

At the start of the 2012 football season, the league was forced to put replacement referees on the field as a result of a contract dispute with the real crew.  The fill-ins worked throughout the first part of the season… and made many mistakes.  Maybe no bigger than the ending of the Green Bay Packers vs. Seattle Seahawks game.  In it, the Seattle quarterback threw a desperation pass toward the end zone in the closing seconds of the game.  A Green Bay defensive player intercepted the ball, but the stand-in ref called it a touchdown for Seattle…costing the Packers the game.   When interviewed afterward, the confused referee said that he would not have changed the call even though every replay showed he was clearly in error.

Many of us are just like that referee.  

Sometimes we don’t want to admit when we’ve made a mistake.  Even when it’s obvious.  The crowd points and we turn a blind eye.  The replay shows it… and we turn off the tv.  We blow it… drop it… miscall it… and mess it up.  But why is it so hard to admit our mistakes and make them right?  It’s simple.  Pride.  James 4:6 tells us that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”   Find yourself in a situation where you’ve missed the mark?  Made a mistake?  Humble yourself.  First admit to God how you’ve blown it… then make it right with those you’ve hurt.  God will bless your obedience and you will begin to heal immediately.  Admitting there’s an issue is one thing… making it right, while not always easy, is the always the correct call.  

Appreciating Aggravating Agitators

Have you ever looked inside your washing machine and wondered how it gets clothes so clean?  You might be surprised to know that it isn’t just the soap… or the hot water… it’s that column in the middle that usually has plastic fins that rotate all the way around.  It’s called an agitator… and without one, your clothes would smell better but they wouldn’t be clean.  During the wash cycle, this agitator forces the clothes to move around… from the bottom to the top of the water and back down… preventing laundry from just floating on the surface.  This constant movement allows the soap and water to fully saturate the materials and clean the clothes. 

Agitators in a washing machine make it work to it’s fullest potential.  They do the same thing in our lives as well.  Our agitators take many forms… those that bother us, those that are jealous of us, those that disagree with our decisions, or those that just plain rub us the wrong way.  They agitate, irritate, instigate, and infuriate us to the point that we wonder why God allows them into our day-to-day.  He does it because in dealing with them… we grow.  James 1:3 tells us that testing produces endurance.   Loving those that frustrate us builds character.  Caring for those that don’t care for us allows us to be more like Christ.  Anyone can be friendly to the friendly… but it’s when we extend grace to the agitators of life that we truly exhibit the character of the One who wants to see us grow through the process.