Fake Fire

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.  

Agitation

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.

Keep Going

In 1990, Georgene Johnson turned 42.    Unhappy and out-of-shape… she committed to make some changes in her life to make the second half better than the first.  Her first act of improvement… running.  Georgene decided to enter a 10K race that was coming up in her community.  She prepared herself and when race day came, she was ready to run the 6 mile course.  The race started… and about 4 miles in, she turned to a fellow runner and asked when they were going to make the turn and head back.  The fellow runner looked at her with a puzzled glance and kept running.   Why the odd look?  Turns out, Georgene wasn’t running the 10K she had signed up for… that started at a later time… instead, she was running the Cleveland Marathon!  And 26 miles later, she crossed the finish line.  She had never run that far or that long… but she just kept going.  When asked why she didn’t stop she said, “This is not the race I trained for.  This is not the race I entered.  But for better or worse, this is the race that I am in.”

Have you ever felt like that?  Prepared for one test but given another much larger one?  Underequipped?  Overwhelmed?  Pushed right past your comfort zone into the land of “why me?”  If so, you aren’t alone.  Many find themselves in a much longer challenge than they ever thought they’d get through… faced with the choice of stopping or running… pushing on or shutting down.  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12 that we should keep going… to run the race that has been marked out for us… even when we feel like we can’t pick up our feet.  How?  The verse tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Look to Him when it hurts… turn to Him when we don’t understand.. lean on Him when we struggle… and trust in Him when the course seems never-ending.   You may not see the finish line but Christ does.   He knows you can do it.  And with every bend in the road, He’s there not only cheering you on but strengthening you every step of the way.   

Equator

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!

No Pain?

Isaac Brown looks like any other five year old boy.   He’s learning to read, do basic math, and all of the other things a boy his age would do.  But all is not what it seems…  because Isaac lacks what so many of us take for granted… the ability to feel pain.  He can unflinchingly touch a hot stove, break a bone without knowing it, or step on broken glass.  He knows that when he sees blood, it’s not a good thing… and he needs to seek help.   This extremely rare genetic condition, if not kept under watchful eye, could lead to accidental death or disfigurement due to the lack of a built-in survival mechanism.

Ironically, many in the world envy his circumstances…. they would love to go 24 hours without a single bit of pain.  And not just physical pain… people want to block out emotional and relational hurt as well.  What they fail to realize is that pain is useful.  When we touch a hot stove, the nerve endings signal the brain to remove the hand… thus preserving the skin and our health.  That pain has a purpose.   And no matter how badly you hurt today… yours does too.  Maybe you find yourself going through some other type of pain… a breakup… a loss… a memory of someone who used to abuse you… I want to challenge you to think of that pain differently today. James tells us in Chapter 1, verse 2, that our pain should be a source of joy.  Joy?  We should be happy when things hurt?  Why?  Because we know three things:  God will walk with us through that pain, we will grow as a result of hurting, and that our experience will help others in similar situations in the future.  So today, don’t just wish for the pain to subside… ask God to help you leverage it for growth… knowing that it is through our deepest hurts that our greatest and most life-changing lessons are learned.  

Strong As An Oak

Nature enthusiast, Ilan Shamir wrote a wonderful passage called “Advice from a Tree.”

Stand up tall and proud.  Sink your roots into the earth.

Be content with your natural beauty.  Go out on a limb.

Drink plenty of water. Remember your roots.

Enjoy the view!

Looking through these words of wisdom, I can’t help but see the Biblical parallels.  God has called each of us to live confident lives.. to stand tall in Him.  And as we read His word and begin to grow deeper roots in the truth... we begin to see ourselves in a new light.  We are masterpieces already...right now... the best God can do.  We’ve been created intentionally...to live confidently...to see life as a series of learning experiences even in times of trial and failure.  He is the Living Water... and when we drink in the magnitude of His perfection...and accept His sacrifice on our behalf... our eternity is secure.  We were put here to give glory to Him.  To honor Him.  And when we accomplish what we’ve been sent here for... we’ll prayerfully hear the words from the One who sent us... “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  

I don’t know what you are going through as you listen to this... but I know God does.   He cares.  And He’s never going to leave your side through a second of it.  Stay strong as an oak, as flexible as a palm, and know that your best days are just ahead.  I’m praying for you..  

Survival Techniques

According to the UK Mail... heir to the throne Prince William prepared for the birth of his son in a unique way.   While most dads thumb through simple parenting books, the Prince turned to a book written by former Commando and father of three, Neil Sinclair.  The title?  Commando Dad - Basic Training, a handbook in the style of Basic Battle Skills .  The contents of the book read like guidelines given to new army recruits... it’s pages filled with survival techniques and strategies for soldiers on the front lines.  

While parenting can seem like a battle sometimes, there is a far more effective book to get us started... the Bible.  God’s word instructs like no other... it’s wisdom, clarity, and insight is all we need to raise children that will grow up to be God-honoring adults.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us "And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”   Parenting isn’t about being perfect... or battle-ready... it’s about being intentional.  Teach children who God says they are... tell them how loving and graceful He is... share with them why obedience is important to Him... and great things will happen!  We may not know what to expect when we’re expecting... but by turning to and following God’s handbook... we’ll be ready to equip our children for anything.