No Retreat

 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Researchers have discovered that athletes have a higher pain tolerance than non-athletes. It seems both men and women who play team sports can stand more pain than those involved in other less intense activities.  Their recommendation?  If you deal with a lot of everyday pain... get active... you’ll feel healthier and more resistant to discomfort.  

Great advice!  But when it comes to the pains of life... many of us do the opposite.  When it hurts...we retreat... we become afraid.  Timid.  Unsure of what God can do or if the pain will ever end.  Scripture tells us in Joshua 1:9 to be strong!  Be courageous when it hurts because God is with us!   When life gets challenging, don’t shrink back or  just stand there in pain... step boldly forward... stay active and connected to God...  and soon you’ll find yourself stronger and more tolerant to what used to hurt you.  

Preparation

     Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired help. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Angered by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

You can already feel the first raindrops on your face.  The clouds are gathering and the storm is coming.  You can’t stop it or wish it away.  You are about to deal with something you never thought you would or could ever get through.  Trials, diagnoses, lay-offs, betrayal, divorce... the list goes on.  The storms of life rage and all we can do is hope to endure.

Or is there more?  What if we could anticipate trials and be ready for them?  What if we knew that no matter what happened, we had everything tied down?  What if we didn’t have to live afraid of what might be and could enjoy what is?

Today’s verse talks about just that... being prepared.  It says that “Wise people treasure knowledge”  The writer meant much more than just what you see there.  He was saying that those that are prepared for what’s coming are those that keep, process, and apply what they learn.  These are the people who read God saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” ... and keep it in their heart.  These are the people who hear about the cross and remember that what Jesus went through during the crucifixion was for them... and that He knows our pain... and that He paid the price for our sin through it.  They know that God offers 17th chances... that we won’t always understand why things happen but will always know Who will see us through... and they know that even though they walk through a valley, like David, they won’t be walking alone.  

Knowledge is much more than facts.  Treasuring and remembering what you know prepares you for the storms of life.  It ties down what might blow around in the winds of uncertainty and fear.  What you do with what you know prepares you for what’s to come.

Last Day

62 year old John Brandrick was given a grim diagnosis.... pancreatic cancer... 6 months to live.  John decided that he was going to go out in style!  He quit his job, stopped paying his mortgage, emptied his savings accounts and sold all that he had.  He lived lavishly... enjoying expensive dining, entertainment, and travel.  Problem is... 6 months passed and Mr. Brandrick’s health remained the same.  No deterioration.  No pain.  A follow-up scan revealed that he didn’t have cancer at all.  He never did.  He had been misdiagnosed.  And while relieved, John now faced financial ruin due to the error.  

John lived carelessly because he feared that he was dying.  Some of us live exactly the opposite... we live carelessly because we feel we’re going to live on earth forever.  We build wealth without being generous... avoid a relationship with God because we think we’ll have the chance later... and spend a majority of our time on things that won’t come with us when our life is over.  If this is you... it’s not too late.   Ask yourself... How would life change if tomorrow were my last day of breath?   What would I tell the people in my life that I hold most dear?  What would I do about my eternity?  Scripture tells us in James 4 that we shouldn’t think we know what tomorrow holds... So why not do those things now?  Today.  Secure your place in Heaven by allowing Christ to lead your life.  Tell those around you how you feel about them.  Invest your money in eternal things through the local church.  Make the choice to live with purpose and intentionality... knowing that life truly begins when we prepare ourselves for what happens when it ends.  

What We Leave Behind

Have you ever stopped to pick up a shell at the beach?  There are so many beautiful shapes and colors...it’s hard to resist not bringing one home.  Have you ever thought about how they got there?  Shells begin their journey in the ocean... far from the shoreline.  They are carried for many miles in the surf and washed up unceremoniously on the beach for us to discover.  We don’t always see the wave that brought them... just the beauty that stays ... It got me thinking about things that get left behind... about legacy... about what remains...  

Let’s look at an example from scripture:

“The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.”  Acts 5:12-16

The disciples left behind whole, healed bodies and souls.  Where they went they brought miracles and hope.  

What about us?  When we encounter people... what are we leaving behind?

Are we healing more than we hurt?  I’m not just talking about physically.... emotionally, relationally, and spiritually as well.  Are we more concerned about being right than being restorative?  Do we dedicate our time to healing and helping... or breaking up and bowing out?  While we may not be able to cure like the disciples... we can spend much more of our time as peacemakers, heart-healers, and hope-bringers.   What you and I leave behind in this area will be remembered long after what we thought was important.  Trophies tarnish... raises get spent... but a legacy of kindness, servanthood, and benevolence will affect generations of our families far more.  

I want to leave you today with a challenge.  For the next 24 hours...  keep that in the forefront of your mind.  Ask yourself the question “when I leave a situation... what will remain?”  

Have I... 

Changed the climate from hostile to God-honoring?

Brought joy where there was despair?

Reflected Christ’s character?

Healed a heart or made it worse?

Improved the morale of the team?

When the door closes behind me... are they happy I left or wish I’d stayed longer?  Did I make the most of that last conversation?  When people see me do they think world-changer or whiner?

What we leave behind us matters.  We have a limited time on this Earth to make an impact for God.  Seize each day... make the most of every opportunity to help and serve...  And you will leave a legacy that honors the One who created you. 

Ready for Trials

“Wise people treasure knowledge, 

      but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.”

Proverbs 10:14

““It's not the will to win that matters-everyone has that. It's the will to prepare to win that matters.”  -  Paul “Bear” Bryant

     Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired help. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Angered by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down.

Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

You can already feel the first raindrops on your face.  The clouds are gathering and the storm is coming.  You can’t stop it or wish it away.  You are about to deal with something you never thought you would or could ever get through.  Trials, diagnoses, lay-offs, betrayal, divorce... the list goes on.  The storms of life rage and all we can do is hope to endure.

Or is there more?  What if we could anticipate trials and be ready for them?  What if we knew that no matter what happened, we had everything tied down?  What if we didn’t have to live afraid of what might be and could enjoy what is?

Today’s verse talks about just that... being prepared.  It says that “Wise people treasure knowledge”  The writer meant much more than just what you see there.  He was saying that those that are prepared for what’s coming are those that keep, process, and apply what they learn.  These are the people who read God saying “I will never leave you nor forsake you” ... and keep it in their heart.  These are the people who hear about the cross and remember that what Jesus went through during the crucifixion was for them... and that He knows our pain... and that He paid the price for our sin through it.  They know that God offers 17th chances... that we won’t always understand why things happen but will always know Who will see us through... and they know that even though they walk through a valley, like David, they won’t be walking alone.  

Knowledge is much more than facts.  Treasuring and remembering what you know prepares you for the storms of life.  It ties down what might blow around in the winds of uncertainty and fear.  What you do with what you know prepares you for what’s to come.  

Are you ready for the storm?  Let’s prepare ahead of time together so that we too can sleep when the wind blows.

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!

Preparing to Win

In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 Olympic medals in 5 consecutive Olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic record and tying the world record for the event. As if that wasn’t accomplishment enough... her first medal was in the 1996 Summer Games making her the youngest female gold medalist in Olympic shooting. 

How does this happen?

In an interview with the New York Times, Rhode answers the question of how. She shoots anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rounds every day of the week year around. To save you the math, this is 3,000,000 plus shots with a shotgun. That’s 600,000 rounds per medal.   Over three million practice shots.  Time after time.  Every single day on her calendar.  

Kim would be the first to tell you... it’s all about the preparation.  What you do on your own time is as important (if not more so) than what you do in the spotlight.  Her excellence on the range is due to her diligence, discipline, and perseverance.  In other words... there are no shortcuts.  Gold medals don’t hang around the necks of those that wing it... that hope for the best... that count on good fortune or a favorable breeze.  Champions don’t materialize... they are made.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about this type of preparation.  

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”  

All of us run the race of life.  We lace up our shoes each morning, get on a bus or in a car, and head somewhere that requires us to make a difference.  We make decisions, contribute to relationships, communicate ideas, raise children, and live out the life that unfolds in front of us.  But are we successful?  Do we make the most of every opportunity or do we find ourselves reacting... flat-footed.  Underprepared for the challenges...

Which brings us to the next important question... how much training do we do?   How much of our day is preparation?  How many minutes are spent intentionally trying to better ourselves?  Are we living on purpose?

- How much time is spent reading and meditating on the scriptures? How many Bible verses have I memorized and keep on my heart? 

How many people do I hold grudges against?  Why haven’t I forgiven them?  

Am I raising my children in a way that honors God?  How much quality time do I spend with them?  Do they know Go

Am I being the husband/wife that God wants me to be?  Is most of my energy spent trying to change my spouse or is it spent becoming a better one?

Do I spend my day blaming others or confessing my shortcomings to God?

When was the last time I asked for forgiveness?  Given forgiveness?

Am I living out what I claim to believe?   Or do I tell people I believe it because that’s what they expect me to say?

We can avoid these questions or we can run toward them.  Don’t settle.  Bronze is a beautiful color... but you were created for gold.  The eternal prize Paul was talking about?  The everlasting salvation found in Christ...making a Kingdom difference in the lives of those around you... changing the destiny of someone bound for eternal separation from God into a life-changing eternal relationship with Him.  Growing in Christ... Not surviving life but really living it to its fullest.  That’s what we’re after.  That’s why we train.  To reach the potential that God has placed in our hearts... to fulfill our destiny... to become the men and women that change the world.... and give all glory to God in the process. 

But we can’t do it if we aren’t prepared.  It isn’t easy.   Christ never promised us ease of lifestyle... He promised eternal reward.   The challenges will be hard... the competition fierce... and the opposing team?  An enemy that prowls like a lion just waiting for us to stop growing and start settling.   Ready to win?  Every race... every result... the path to every gold medal was all began the same way.  

Deciding to start.