Ordinary?

Author Philip Yancey wrote about a television show he watched about survivors from World War II.  On the show, soldiers talked about how they spent a particular day in the foxhole.  They described it as ordinary... a German tank drove by and they shot at it... they played cards... a few got involved in some firefights... just a typical day.  Later, they learned that they had just participated in one of the most decisive engagements of the war, the Battle of the Bulge.  To them, it didn’t feel decisive... they were doing what they always did.  But because they held down their position...just miles away, their fellow countrymen could take new ground.

Maybe today started out a lot like those soldiers.  You hit the alarm clock, dressed, ate breakfast, and went to work.  Just an ordinary day.   But your day is far from ordinary.  God’s is in this day... and He’s making things happen.  You may not see the big picture...your position may seem inconsequential to you... but have no doubt... you play a critical role on this planet.  What you are doing matters.  You matter.  There are no small responsibilities when it comes to serving God and all of our efforts add up... no matter what we’re doing for Him.

Yancey finishes that chapter with this statement “Great victories are won when ordinary people execute their assigned tasks...”  Winning this world for Christ is a team effort.  Be the best you that you can be, honor God with your words and actions, and remember... everything matters...even the things that seem ordinary.  When we live that out, before long, the victory over the enemy of this world will be complete.

What We Have

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,

“I will never fail you.
    I will never abandon you.”  Hebrews 13:5 

How many of you like popcorn at the movies?  Most of us, right?  A study of moviegoers in Philadelphia found that people will eat more popcorn if it is in a bigger box.  We see it so we eat it... even when our stomachs tell us we’re full.      

This got me to thinking about contentment.  How many of us live our lives with our eyes instead of our stomachs. We see more so we want more... even when we know we have enough.  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 13:5 that we should be content with what we have... not spend our time trying to have all of our wants satisfied.  Look around you today... are all of your needs met?  Stop reaching into the box.  Instead, focus on giving thanks for the blessings!

Hearing From God

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. 

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.  

Damage

VanMoof bicycles had a problem.  The Dutch company would ship orders to people that wanted one… but far too many were damaged during the process.  Careless delivery drivers, cargo shifting during transit, and airplane storage problems all took their toll on these beautiful vehicles before they could arrive at the homes of those awaiting them.   The solution?  Not one that you would expect.  The co-founder of the company realized that their bikes were about the same size (in the box) as a large flatscreen television.  He knew that flatscreens arrive at their destination far less damaged than his bikes because those that handle them believe them to be more fragile.  Thus… VanMoof began to print pictures of large televisions on their boxes.  

The damage rate fell 70 to 80 percent.  

People protect what they perceive to be valuable…at least when it comes to televisions and the like.  

What about the things that REALLY matter?  How protected are people’s hearts and minds?  How careful are they about protecting their thought life?  What are they letting in that could permanently damage what God created to be pure?   Problem with most people is that they think the mind is like those bicycles… able to take mental hit after hit and still remain viable and healthy.   It’s just one movie.  It’s only an image on a computer screen.  It’s a tasteless book, a dirty joke, or a friend who’s a bad influence.  Each of these hurt us.  Collectively they can cause our lives to derail, our faith to wither, and cloud our ability to make God-honoring decisions.  

Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:8:  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Great advice.  For some of us this is an hour-by-hour or minute-by-minute commitment.  Some are in environments that are not conducive to Godly thinking.  In any case, take today and recommit to protecting what goes into your mind.  Once it’s there… it’s there.  You can try to imagine it away or think about other things… but when it comes to filling your head with inappropriate images and words… there can be permanent damage.  See your mind like those shipping clerks did when they saw that image of a TV on the box… and handle your thought life with extreme care!

Spot

No matter where you live you’ve probably seen it.  In fact, I would guess that it irks you and may cause you to feel angry and upset.  What is it?  It’s someone who takes up two or more parking spaces with their vehicles.  It never fails… you are desperately looking for a place to park and think you’ve finally found the perfect spot.  That is until you go to turn in and the car next to you is over the line… or better yet… parked diagonally across two or more spaces. 

I ran across one person’s solution to this dilemma. They leave a note.  Not a note that chews the driver out or calls them all sorts of words that you wouldn’t find between the covers of the Bible.  No, this note is more subtle.  They draw a picture of a dog and below the sketch write: “I am giving you this dog, his name is Spot.  I thought you might want him, as you seem to be trying to take as many spots as possible.  I hope this helps.”

Clever, right?

But how does the person receiving the note feel?  If I’m guessing I would say that the message isn’t seen as “kinder”… it’s seen as sarcastic, passive, and unnecessary.  The driver more than likely balls up that sketch and throws it to the ground in disgust… vowing to take up three spaces next time they park.

But why?  It was meant in fun… a sweet reminder that they were out of line.

Problem is… just because we mean a message in one way, it doesn’t mean it has to be taken that way.  It happens all the time… we text something and the reader reacts in a completely different way than intended.  We send an email only to have it returned with question marks and hurt feelings in the reply.

The Bible tells us to watch our communication… in any form.   It is to be Godly and well thought through… each word or image specifically chosen to glorify God, encourage another person, or bring peace to a situation. 

Colossians 4:6

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Proverbs 16:23

“The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.”

Proverbs 18:2

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”

Proverbs 15:1

“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

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.”

While we can’t control the reaction to our words…we can control the words (or images) before they leave our mouths or minds.  Let’s make every effort to bring peace with our speech… in all forms… so that even if the person receiving our communication reacts poorly, we know that we have done our level best to glorify God with every syllable.  

Staying in Touch

How many times do you touch your phone in a day?  Maybe you just tapped the Facebook icon to read this… or to unlock it.  Perhaps you swiped the screen to answer a call, send a snapchat, or make a photo bigger or smaller…  In any case, you probably make contact with the smooth glass screen more often than you realize.  A research study was conducted that found that users average between 2,617 and 5,427 touches in a DAY!  Hard to believe.  When confronted with the data, the people in the study were initially shocked… only to admit that even though the numbers were high it wouldn’t change the amount they used their device.  

But here’s the question… how many touches with God do we have in a day?  How often do we stop and think, pray, sing to, or interact with Him?  My guess is far fewer.  Scripture tells us that we need to be in constant contact…

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." (James 4:8)

“Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Church on the weekend should reinforce the relationship that you spend building all week long through daily consistent interactions with God.  It’s not meant to be the only source of spiritual contact.  Find yourself in a tricky situation at work?  Pray.  Need encouragement and guidance?  Turn to your Bible.  Feeling melancholy or weak?  Write down some scripture that reminds you that you are far stronger than you realize.   It is through intentional touches with God that we are able to have joy in the storms and hope when things seem to crumble around us.  

So today, rather than reaching for your phone every time it beckons… spend some time in the Word.  Hear your text message tone ringing?  See that as a call to prayer.  Feel your pocket vibrate with an alert?  Use that as an opportunity to thank God for what He’s doing in your life.  Keeping up with the world is important… but staying in touch with the One who created you for greatness is even more so!