The Quiet Place

Life gets pretty loud.  Alarm clocks ring...kids cry... bosses yell... and our pasts scream at us from thoughts we wish we could forget.   Things get hectic... and if we’re not careful, we’ll let the noise win...  We are often told how much God wants to say to us... so why is it so hard to hear His voice in the midst of life?

Because God wants us to find a quiet place and just listen.  He says in Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God;”

How much of your day is spent just being still?   Peaceful?  Quiet?  If you’re like many..not much...and the elephant of distraction wins out.  You have to make the intentional decision to get alone with God.   He won’t shout above the noise of your day... He’ll simply wait until you can hear Him.  He doesn’t signal us in shouts or yells or pointed fingers or accusations.  God whispers.  He nudges.  He speaks to us in the quiet spaces of our heart... not with judgment but in love.  We just have to quiet our spirit enough to hear Him.  

Retreat to where the sound isn’t... open up the Word... and listen for the gentlest voice you can hear.  God has something to tell you.

Hurt

Pierre Renoir was a famous French artist who was known for his paintings, mostly depicting family life. But there was one disease that tormented this gifted artist -- he had arthritis that plagued him to the tip of his fingers. Each brushstroke forcing a grimace to his face... It took him a long time to finish one masterful work of art. One of his friends urged him to stop painting and focus on his health. Renoir kept going... even though it hurt.  

For so many... pain is very real.   Sometimes it comes from a physical condition...other times it’s emotional scarring... relationship damage... poor choices... or even self-inflicted loathing or pity.  In any case, it hurts.  Badly.  But one thing I’ve found in all my years of ministry... pain precedes progress.  What we see as a hindrance...a barrier... God allows into our lives so that we can develop the necessary skills and character to become an overcomer... a person who knows what they’ve been through so they don’t have to be scared about what’s coming.  

If you are hurting right now as you read this, hold on.  Don’t quit.  I know it hurts.  But I also know this... breakthrough is coming.  Pain is temporary...God is permanent.  He’s not going to give up on you and you are going to be different as a result of your perseverance.   

Real

Pastor Stephen Kingsley walked into a restaurant to have a warm bowl of chili.  It was freezing outside… the snow piling up just outside the front door.  He walked to the counter, ordered his food and coffee, and waited patiently.  In the corner of the room, an image on the television caught his eye.  It was a closeup of a fireplace… it’s flames dancing randomly across the screen.  He says that maybe it was just because it was cold outside… but he couldn’t take his eyes off the video fireplace.

Have you ever seen anything like that?  A fake fireplace?  All image but no heat?  Maybe not, but you might have known someone like that.  All commitment, no execution.  All talk, no action.  All carrying on, but no carrying out.  The Bible tells us not to be like that phony fireplace on the screen in James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  James tells us… don’t just look the part… don’t just say the words… don’t just promise yourself you’ll change… actually do it!  Be the real deal!  The world isn’t looking for fake fireplaces… they are looking for genuine believers fired up to be the light in this dark world.

A Little Ground

A group called the Worldwide Marriage Encounter has certified that Wilbur and Teresa Faiss of Las Vegas, married in April 1933, are America’s longest married couple.  As they celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary, the couple was asked the secret to a lasting union. 

What do you think it was?  Love?  Admiration?  Trust?  While all of these are essential in a relationship... they actually said: "It's very simple. It's give and take and compromise."  The Bible tells us in Romans 12:10 to “prefer one another in love.”  To put the other person first... out-serve them... and most of all, be willing to give a little ground so that both sides win.   Remember, relationships are not about being right... they’re about being honoring... and when we seek Godly unity over victory, we’re on track for a long and fulfilling time together.

His Eyes

In Wellington, New Zealand, scientists discovered the remains of the very rare colossal squid.  During their examination, they measured the creatures eyes... and were shocked!  Each eye was 11 inches across... the size of a regular dinner plate!  Can you imagine how intimidating and scary it was to those swimming through the ocean? Divers simply minding their own business being stared at by a huge undersea creature... with giant eyes that seemed to be sizing them up... ready to attack!

Tragically, many see God in a similar way...  Huge eyes glaring down from Heaven with an intimidating and judgmental gaze... ready to punish and discipline if they make the slightest move.  But that’s not the God we read about in 2 Chronicles 16:9. It says: “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”   His eyes aren’t hunting prey... they are searching for those in prayer.   He isn’t seeking someone to make an example of... He’s looking for someone to make whole again.  God’s eyes are loving... and they are everywhere at the same time.  As you start your day today... close your own eyes and thank God for always watching out for you... Thank Him that He never blinks or removes His gaze... You are His child and He is vigilantly looking for ways to strengthen you for what lies ahead.

God's Little Pencil

Mother Teresa once said, “"No one thinks of the pen while reading the letter. They only want to know the mind of the person who wrote the letter. That's exactly what I am in God's hand--a little pencil."

When you woke up this morning… how did you see yourself? The star of your own one-act play called life? A doormat? A VIP? Or maybe as someone who is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. In any case, I want to assure you this morning that you matter. You were put on this earth for great things. But that greatness might not be for what you think.

You weren’t put here on this planet to be great for your own sake but for God’s.

God must get bigger and we must get smaller.

Scripture says it this way in John 3:30 “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.”

Let that sink in a second. Life isn’t about you. It isn’t about me either. We are tiny pencils writing God’s story that will impact the world. Some of us will write beautiful stories of love, sacrifice, dedication, and a willingness to serve others. Others will defy God and scribble out a message of selfishness and greed. Which are you?

God wants to write a new chapter for this world using you. Are you willing to let Him? Are you able to accept your role as HIS pencil and not your own? Are you ready to surrender your agenda for Christ’s? Today, take a minute and thank God that He uses broken pencils like you and I to impact His creation for good.

Running the World?

A father was talking with his 8 year old daughter... “Daddy, who do you work for?”  The father replied “Myself!  I’m my own boss!”   The little girl replied “You’re the boss?”  The man said confidently “Yes, I’m the head of my company and I’m the head of this house!”  After a minute or two, the girl looked up at her daddy and said, “That might be true... you might be the head of this house... but I think mommy is the neck of the house... and she can turn the head wherever she wants it to go!”

All of us answer to someone.  A wife, a husband, a boss, a teacher, or a parent.  And just when we think we are in charge, we often get reminded that we aren’t.   Scripture tells us that no matter where we are in life... no matter what rung of the ladder we find ourselves on... that all of us ultimately need the same reminder.  God is in charge.  In Romans 14, God says that “... every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise.”   We don’t have to run the world.  In fact, we aren’t supposed to.  We have a God in heaven who has things firmly under control... And while He loves us with all of His heart, He doesn’t require a co-manager.   Ambition to lead is good... but when your version of the world is driven by a desire to control it... stop and remember who created you.  He’s the only One with that ability.

Leaving the Harbor

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said, “A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”                                                                    

One of the single greatest tragedies in the world today is unused talent.  God-given ability sitting in port doing nothing.  Wasting away beneath the excuses of “no time”, and “no opportunity”.  This is especially true in the church.  Many don’t get involved because they feel that their skill set doesn’t match the needs of the family of God. Not so.  Paul addresses this in Romans 12.  He tells us to get out and use what we’ve been given!  Pull up anchor and get involved!   Take what we know how to do and help others find Christ!  No matter what our profession.. God wants us to use the gifts He gave us for His Kingdom!   We were built to change the world for Christ... but it won’t come to us.  Let’s leave safe harbor and do what we’ve been called to do...with every talent we have.

Jogging Or Sprinting

The other day I read that the earth spins 1000 times faster at the equator than it does at either one of the poles.  In fact, that’s why rockets are launched closer to the Earth’s midline than further away.  When a spacecraft is launched from around the equator, it is already traveling at a considerably faster speed… thus making it more fuel efficient and quicker to enter orbit.  

Isn’t that true in our lives as well?  The closer we are to the center of things…the faster paced life is.  Some thrive in the environment… while others do whatever they can to retreat to the slower pace of the poles.  But what speed does God want us to live?  

Galatians 6:9 tells us: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”  We have to remember that It’s not about the speed of life…it’s about staying at it and not quitting.   There will be times in our lives where we’ll sprint…and others where we’ll jog.  What God is concerned about is our priorities and our perseverance.  At whatever speed you’re living… are we putting Him first?  Are we loving and serving others?  If so… run on.  Don’t give up on the dream that He’s put in your heart long before you were born.  And whatever you do… in whatever season you find yourself in… at whatever speed life is coming at you…. don’t quit.   Breakthrough is coming… and God has big things planned for you!

I Didn't Move

A story was told about two couples in the 1950s... A husband and wife, married for many years, were driving down the road behind a young couple in the car ahead of them.  The young couple had a car with front bench seats and the girl was sitting right next to the young man who was driving and had her head on his shoulder. The woman in the car behind sighed and said to her husband, “Do you remember how we used to be like that?  Her husband who was driving looked across the front seat and said, “I didn’t move!”

Sometimes we feel like that with God.  Why did God stop drawing close?  What happened to the way it used to be?   The truth...God didn’t move.  Whenever we feel distant from God, it isn’t Him that does the moving... it’s us.  Problem is, emotions cloud things...  When we’re happy... we feel that God is right there.  When we’re sad... we think He’s moved away.  Fact is... God is always there.  He remains vigilant and steadfast.  Find peace in that truth... walk confidently... knowing that every step you take will have two sets of footprints!

Why Church?

“Me? Go to church?”

“I feel closer to God on my boat!”

“Nature and God are one… so I just hang out in the park”

“Who needs church… I can be religious and not be part of organized religion.”

Maybe you’ve heard someone say things like this before. Maybe you’ve even said them yourself. Who needs church? Why get up every weekend and join a bunch of other people when it’s far easier to stay home?

Does the church matter?

Do they care that I’m even there?

It’s so tempting sometimes to think that a group of people coming together on a Sunday doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. After all, the church isn’t what saves you from Hell. It doesn’t do much other than take up a Sunday morning that could be otherwise spent cleaning out gutters or sleeping. Right? Not quite.

Make no mistake. The church matters and you matter in it. It is the hope of the world… God’s plan A to reach those that don’t have a relationship with Christ. Why do we believe this?

Three key reasons:

1) Christ established the church.

Matthew 16:18 tells us: “Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Jesus knew the church would be powerful…shining the light of truth into dark places. Feeding the hungry. Caring for the lost. And He knew that even the devil himself would be powerless to stop a group of like-minded believers in God from changing the world. Christ founded the church, and because of that, He deeply cares about its well-being and effectiveness.

2) Christ died for the the church

Ephesians 5:25 “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her” Christ gave his life so that we could spend time together each week praising Him. Does the church matter? It cost Jesus his heartbeat.

3) The New Testament prioritizes the church

Hebrews 10:25 “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

We are reminded by scripture to get together as a group and worship.. to not only sing and learn, but encourage and strengthen each other. The local church is far more than just a building. It’s the people. Coming together each week for a time of rejuvenation, inspiration, motivation, education, and celebration makes a difference in our lives. Apart from each other, people have strength. Together in church they’re collectively stronger. More powerful. And the horsepower that emerges from a dedicated group of believers in Jesus can be a catalyst for world-change.

I want to challenge you… prioritize church attendance. Make it part of your schedule. It will radically change the way you live, parent, work, and worship. Don’t let the enemy convince you that you don’t need to be part of the family. Your gifts matter. Using them in the house of God matters. And when you connect with others in the local church… your life (and theirs) will be better because of it.

Make Room

When pop culture icon Andy Warhol died in 1987, he left behind more than just art.  As estate executors went in to clean out his home, they discovered a mountain of clutter.  His five story New York house was so packed full of objects of all kinds that at the time of his death, Andy lived in just two small rooms.  

Sometimes I wonder if we do something similar in our minds.  We live with clutter.  Past messes, mistakes, and missteps...  Things we haven’t forgiven ourselves for take up space... forcing us to live small, cramped, and restricted lives.  If that’s you... it’s time to make some room.  Remember, when we ask God to forgive us, Psalm 103 tells us that He does and separates us forever from what we did wrong.  Box up and throw out those things that have tried to define you, confine you, and remind you of the past.  Dance in the new open space and celebrate the second chances that Christ so mercifully gives.  

No Deals

Joe was driving down the street.  He was late for a very important meeting and couldn’t find a place to park his car.  He looked up to Heaven and said, “God, take pity on me.  If you find me a parking space, I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life.”  Miraculously, a parking space appeared.  Joe looked up again and said, “Never mind.  I found one!”

You’ve probably seen it before... “God I’ll do this... if you just do that...” We beg, plead, and do our best to make a deal with the Creator of the universe.  When you think about it... God doesn’t need anything that we can offer.  He made it all and He owns it all.  He doesn’t jump at our command... He doesn’t have a price tag... and His favor toward us is because He is good not because we have earned it.  God simply wants our praise.  Not due to Him having a big ego... but because He deserves it.   Tempted to try to strike a deal with God?  Instead... thank Him for what you already have and praise Him for giving you the opportunity to manage it for a while.

Improvement

Throughout history, people have tried thousands of ways to improve themselves.  Some  are philosophical, some religious, and others scientific.  After 2000 years of self-help, those ways can be boiled down to three common themes.  The first.. if we want to change... we have to alter our surroundings.  Just being in a different space can improve our outlook about ourselves and others.  The next is to watch ourselves carefully.  When we keep track of what we say and do, we increase awareness of what’s not working and can make the necessary shifts.  Finally, the third most commonly used self-help tactic is accountability.  When we partner with others, and ask them to point out what needs fixing, we are more likely to make the adjustments and improve our lives.

It’s no wonder why these seem to be the ways that work the best... they are Biblical!  Proverbs 4:14 tells us to watch where we hang out... “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men”.  Lamentations 3:4 challenges us to watch ourselves at all times...”Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD”  Finally, Galatians 6:1 tells us to set up accountability so that we can become self-aware. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted”  Feeling the need to make some positive changes?  Don’t turn to the huge self-help section in your local bookstore... open the cover of the book you spend time with each morning...the Bible!  God’s word is filled with wisdom to help us keep good company, see ourselves accurately, and include others in our walk as we work at becoming who God created us to be.  

Believe

Dr. Earl Warrick of the Dow Corning Corporation made an interesting discovery in 1943.  As World War 2 raged on, he worked tirelessly to find a substitute for real (and much more expensive) rubber.  The result?  Something we played with as kids... the combination of boric acid and silicone... Silly Putty.  You remember Silly Putty right?  When you pushed on it, you could change it into any shape you wanted.  And when you stretched it out too far... it would snap.   

Have you ever felt like that?  Pushed on... bent out of shape... pulled to the point of breaking?  Many do.  Scripture has good news for us...  In Joshua 1:9, it says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   Today I challenge you... for the next 24 hours... believe and live out this verse...   

Believe that you are strong through God’s power.

Believe that you can be courageous because He protects those He loves.

Believe that you can live fearlessly because God holds the future.

Believe you are never alone because He is with you...even in the darkness.

Refuse to allow life to bend you to it’s shape.. Believe and let God mold you into the person you were created to be.

Building Up

Jamie Scott was trying out for a part in his elementary school play.  His mother said that his heart was set on it, though she feared he might not be chosen.  On the day the parts were awarded, Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement.  “Guess what, mom,” he shouted, “I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer!”

Needless to say, Jamie was not awarded the lead part in the play.  Instead, he would stay on the outside... cheering on those that had all of the lines.  The world would say this was a miss in life.. but scripture says differently.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:11, we read, “Therefore encourage one another and build another up, just as you are doing.”  Playing the role of encourager is huge in the Kingdom of God.   The world is full of those trying to drag people down.  Choose to be different.  Offer a smile rather than criticism.  Be a listening ear and empathize rather than ignore and judge.  I can promise you this, the role of encourager may never put you in a spotlight...but you won’t need it.  Instead, when you choose to become one, you’ll brighten every room you enter with the light of Christ. 

Better

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So l et it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”  James 1:2-4

When I went to college, I played a lot of basketball... and believe it or not, our team didn’t win every game.  As you would imagine, those losses hurt... but I remember an important truth that our coach shared with us.  He said that the wins were better for our reputation but the losses were better for our game.  Why?  Because we discovered what we needed to work on to become even better!

Sometimes in life, we have losses.  Setbacks.  Challenges that appear pointless.   Many of us look to Heaven... asking God that age old question... why?  The answer is simple...If we won all the time...if everything always worked...many would think they didn’t need God.  Failure reminds us that we can’t do it without Him... it teaches us lessons that develop our character... and as James 1 reminds us... it allows our faith and endurance to grow!  I challenge you... the next time you face a setback... see it as an opportunity to get stronger and better equipped for future success.

On the Back

There's an old baseball saying, "You are the ballplayer it says you are on the back of your baseball card."  Baseball players (like everyone else) tend to make up excuses for bad play.  They exaggerate the truth and sometimes blame it on others.  But no matter what they say... the stats don’t lie.  Hits... runs... errors... all there in black and white.  No matter what the front of the card might look like... the real player and his ability (or lack thereof) is revealed on the reverse.

Many of us are just like those ball players.  We choose poorly and blame our environment.  We become disobedient in our giving and blame the economy.  We stop praying and blame God when we struggle with faith.   The Bible says in Galatians 6, “For we are each responsible for our own conduct”  God says... we ARE the player on the back of the card.  He wants us to admit our faults... learn from them... make the changes we need to... and work toward becoming the all-star that He has created us to be! 

Believe

A man once took a tour of Henry Ford’s automobile plants.  Afterward he met with Mr. Ford and told him, “It seems impossible that a man who started with nothing could accomplish all this.”  Ford thought for a moment and replied, “You say that I started with nothing, but you are wrong.  I started with all that I needed.”

So many feel under-equipped to reach their destiny.  They think they’re too young... too old... they feel their bank balance is too low or their contact list is too empty.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we were created by God to do good works, “which God prepared in advance for us to do.”   Don’t let what you see in front of you discourage you from going after what you’ve been created for.  You already have everything you need to be what God made you to be.  He wouldn’t put a dream in your heart without giving you the tools to make it happen!   All it takes is the willingness to trust Him and believe (not hope) that it can be accomplished.

No Power

I read a post on Facebook from a man who’s wife had just passed away after a long battle with cancer.  Here’s what he said: “When people say she lost a battle with cancer, I disagree... My wife didn’t lose a battle with cancer, cancer lost the battle with my wife.  When the body dies, cancer can’t live anymore... but my wife had the greatest victory of all and that’s to walk with the Lord... Cancer died...my wife lived.”

The book of 1 Corinthians tells us that death has no power over those that know Jesus as Lord.   No matter what a Christian may face, battle through, or deal with... the end result will be spending eternity in Heaven with God.  I want to encourage you today... if someone you love has passed and they knew Jesus as Savior... they won.  Death was not the end for them.  They are eternally living... and will spend their forever in the arms of the One who created them and loves them deeply.  Death is painful to those that remain... but to those Christ followers headed to Heaven... it’s a victorious and healthy homecoming.

Unbearable

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she asked: "How heavy is this glass of water?"  Some guessed 8 ounces... others 20 ounces... She replied, "The weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

Stress is the same way.  Hold it for a little while...no problem.  A little while longer...a little more weight.  All day?  A week?  It quickly becomes unbearable.  So how can we control the pressure on our lives?  Take Jesus up on what He offers in 1 Peter chapter 5  verse 7:  “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”  God wants us to turn to Him when times get tough... We weren’t created to carry the weight of the world... so today, let’s choose to trust in His strength and not our own.

Passive Honesty

There is a story about an older couple having dinner in a restaurant. The wife sees another couple about their age sitting in a booth nearby. She sees the husband sitting close to his wife, with his arm around her. He is whispering things in her ear, and she is smiling and blushing. He’s gently rubbing her shoulder and touching her hair.  The woman turns to her husband and says, "Look at the couple over there. Look how close that man is to his wife, how he’s talking to her. Look at how sweet he is. Why don’t you ever do that?"  Her husband looks up from his Caesar salad and glances over at the next booth. Then he turns to his wife and says, "Honey, I don’t even know that woman."

Ever have a chat like that with your spouse?  You ask an honest question... and you get something in return that never helps... sarcasm.  One of the greatest enemies to meaningful conversation in use today.  Sarcastic remarks, snide comments, jabs, pokes, and “just kiddings” are far too often used in place of honesty and openness.

The Bible talks about this in Ephesians 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Sarcasm is a destroyer.  It is passive honesty... used to cloak true feelings in a jab or joke.   It’s used to avoid confrontation... yet often causes it.  If we are going to grow into better communicators, we have to learn to leave sarcasm behind.  It does far more damage than we realize and becomes our go-to conversational escape route if we’re not careful.   Rise above it!  Choose to value the person you are speaking to with a straight (and loving) answer.  Not only will you grow closer to each other... you’ll be honoring God in the process.