R-E-S-P-E-C-T

by Bruce Brady

Lately I’ve witnessed a lot of people behaving as if they were entitled to special treatment. They display this perceived entitlement by treating others as inferior people and talking down to them. It amazes me that many of us have come to believe the best way to get respect from others is to demand it. Yet, our human nature causes us to resent and even lash out at those who demand anything from us. So how can we justify mistreating others to get what we want?

In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” There is no mention of God rewarding those who insist on having things their way.  We’re foolish if we expect others to love us when we our actions display disrespect and contempt for them. God very clearly teaches that to get what we want; we must first give others the love and respect they want.

Our call is not to half-heartedly follow Christ in order to obtain our selfish desires, it’s to truly serve others as a way of demonstrating our total commitment to living the life Jesus lays out for us. We are to display the merciful love of Christ toward everyone. It’s okay to hate poor behavior and misguided beliefs, but we must love all people as Jesus does. Rather than condemn, He lovingly corrects our sinful actions, and instructs us to interact with others in this same manner.

Throughout our day, we will encounter people who are behaving poorly. When we do, let’s remember that God loves them as much as He loves us and respond with love and kindness. Doing so will not only disarm them; it will also please our Father.

Amazingly, the self-help gurus tell us the key to success and the best way to get what we want is to help others get what they want. I wonder where they got that idea?

Life Calling

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other (1 Corinthians 12:7).

God has taught me many things over the past several weeks. Because He has demanded my full attention, I’ve been very frustrated. Frustrated because He has not allowed me to write anything except a few quick blurbs on Facebook. I pleaded with Him, but He made it clear that I would not write again until I understood what He was teaching, including being patient and God-centered.

Like many of you, I want to do what I want to do when I want. And I can almost guarantee this attitude will lead to long lessons in humility and waiting on the Lord. Fortunately, our Father won’t allow us to follow our own desires with peace and joy. He’ll fill us with a growing discomfort until we focus on Him.

The above verse has been important in my educational journey. I’ve learned that some would have us believe our spiritual gifts are only for the benefit of other believers. However, the Lord taught me that our gifts are for the benefit of all, unbelievers and believers. Our calling is to be and make disciples, students and mentors, of all people. Teaching the Truth of the Gospel and Christian living is essential to everyone, not just believers. It’s the departure from Biblical Truths that has our country and our world in such turmoil today.

It’s crucial that we teach everyone the ways of the Lord. It’s imperative that we remember we do most of our teaching through our actions, not just our words. We can’t live like unbelievers and “preach” the Word of God. Others don’t care what we have to say until they see that we are truly different, at peace with ourselves and life. We’re given our spiritual gifts to live an exemplary life that will cause others to long for what we have. We’re called to live in such a way that everyone will clearly see what a joy it is to follow Jesus.


Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:15-16).

Show the Way

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16

God never calls us to continue living like we did before. He always calls us to live an exemplary life, one that will display His love, mercy and grace. He calls us to not only follow Him but to show others how to follow Him through our words and actions.

We can’t follow Him and be “Closet Christians.” We are fooling ourselves if we think we can act like Jesus on Sunday and then go back to pleasing ourselves and the world on Monday. Those of us who live that way will, in the end, hear God say, “depart, I do not know you.”

Live as God wants us to live. Love everyone as Jesus loves us. This doesn’t mean we must like what they do; it means we must separate the person from the action. We must recognize that everyone is created by God, so we must love them and help them to see the error of their ways with gentleness and compassion. We must also extend to them the same mercy Jesus extends to us. We can’t take revenge on those who hurt us, physically or emotionally, and expect God to show us mercy when we hurt others.

Because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, God graciously adopts us into His family when we accept His gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus and commit ourselves to following His lead. His grace overlooks our mistakes and considers them erased. So part of following His lead is extending this same grace to our fellow human beings.

All people are created by God and made in His image. He does not make some good and some bad. We choose how to live our lives and must deal with consequences. And His word tells us what those consequences will be, so we shouldn’t be surprised when our selfish actions result in less than perfect outcomes.

Let’s take up our crosses, go into the world and be shining examples of the wonderful life that comes from truly following Christ. Then, we can be real friends to others, and, in the end, we can hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

True Happiness

by Bruce Brady

In Luke 6:45 (NLT), God tells us, "A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say." This tells us that our actions and words reveal who we really are. And that we best relate to others by being open and honest.

As a writer, I know people can tell if I'm being honest by the words I use. They know if my statements are coming from my heart or from a world view that says, "Tell them what they want to hear, then you'll gain wealth and popularity." However, doing anything just for the sake or earthly rewards will never provide true joy and peace. The only sure way to happiness is to follow the heart God gives us, without regard for material rewards.

It's true that some evil people will experience worldly success. But they will not truly be happy because they have to spend their lives worrying about how to keep what they have from others. And, in the end, they will be placed in a box, dropped into a hole and covered with dirt. All their stuff will be left behind to be divided up by the very people whom they spent their lives trying to keep it from. So what have they really accomplished?

For true happiness, follow God's lead and be true to the heart He gives you. It's your choice. Lovingly share His message to you with the world. Serve Him by serving others in a way that will enrich their lives. Then you will know the joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. And you will have true riches.

Oh, That Face!

by Bruce Brady

Most everyone knows a face that lights up a room. It’s a face you long to see, as often as possible.

I am blessed to know such a face. Whenever I see it, my heart leaps in my chest and I smile, inside and out. I awake every morning wanting to see that face. The vision of that face is the perfect start to my day. It inspires me to do much of all I do. It has affected me like this since I first saw it over 30 years ago.

One of my greatest goals in life is to keep a smile on that face. When it smiles, it takes my breath away and all is right with the world. To see it smile makes whatever I’m doing worth the effort, no matter the task, and it eases my cares.

The face I speak of is the face of my lover, my wife. She is still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known or seen. She is, and always will be, my earthly reason for living. In fact, it is her face that led me to God.

Should you ever find yourself having a rough time, do whatever it takes to put a smile on your lover’s face. I believe you’ll find this will make your day go much better. You can’t have a bad day when you turn your attention to serving others. And that is one of our greatest callings on earth.

Unforeseen Paths

by Bruce Brady

After three months of no response, I assumed the idea was dead. Less than two weeks ago, I was completely surprised when I received a request for the article I’d pitched five months earlier. This request came from an editor I didn’t know; who received my proposal from the woman I originally pitched. Even more astonishing is the fact that this editor couldn’t us my article in her publication. She wanted it to pass on to another editor at a different publication; an editor who isn’t accepting unsolicited articles.

In my soul-searching since attending a writer’s conference last May, I realized I’m most interested in writing fiction. I truly believed that God was calling me to write a novel. After not hearing back on my article proposal, I took that as a sign of confirmation. So I laid aside any thoughts of writing nonfiction and began work on my novel.

Confusion was mixed with elation when I received the request. This editor was offering an opportunity that I’ve been told by many never happens. This wonderful editor was taking a big chance on an unknown writer. With nothing to go on but my written proposal, she is risking her professional reputation by promoting my article to a colleague. In worldly terms, she and the first editor have nothing to gain and stand to lose a great deal of credibility if the third editor doesn’t like my work.

 

Whether or not my article is accepted isn’t the issue. The real issue here is the fact that both of these women are answering their calls and doing a great job of it. God told them to give someone a chance and their making every effort to turn that chance into success. They’re not only answering their calls, they’re going the extra mile by going way beyond the boundaries of their job responsibilities. But they understand for whom they really work. I pray that I will be just as obedient in answering my call. I’m sure God is proud of them, and I will never forget them.

We Rarely Have All the Answers Up Front

by Bruce Brady

Just when I thought I wouldn’t do anything with our church’s drama ministry until Christmas, God lead me to turn an old joke into an introduction for this past Sunday’s sermon. It was a relatively simple assignment, or so I thought. It was a short, 3-minute script that could be easily memorized and performed by four adults. And the senior pastor said it could be worked into the schedule.

However, the pastor said that particular Sunday included “Children’s Time;” a time when all the children come down and sit on the stage steps to hear a story. So, he asked if I could have children play the parts instead of adults. Ignoring the fact that many children were gone on vacation, and that I’d never directed a children’s stage production, I said yes. After all, if God wanted me to cast and direct a children’s production, He would take care of the details.

Naturally, God came through. I had four parts, He gave me five kids. Oh boy! I had an understudy. But I only had time for five rehearsals and none of these kids had ever acted before. In addition, Satan tried to make me panic because two of the kids were going on vacation and would miss three rehearsals. I almost gave in. Yet, I knew the Lord had things covered. So I put my faith in Him and asked the parents to help their kids memorize their lines.

This was my third production in less than a year. It was the third time I casted the parts without an audition and no regard for experience. It was the third time I encouraged criticism of my script from the actors, their parents and the church staff. It was the third time I relied completely on the Lord for the results, and was not disappointed.

Through God’s grace, we had three flawless performances and He filled me with a greater love for my little troupe of 10-12 year olds. It was a joy working with and getting to know them better. I know there will be more children’s productions in my future and look forward to them. It’s also a joy to know that God will always provide the perfect people to fill every part, and He will work through them to ensure His message reaches His intended audience.

If God is calling you to do something you’ve never done, listen. Don’t rob yourself of the joy that accompanies answering His call. Remember that no matter how hopeless things might seem at times, He will accomplish His will through you, despite the obstacles. So, follow His lead. Know that He will provide all the answers when they are needed, not before. And enjoy the ride.

Are Friendships A Calling?

I realize it’s been a while since I’ve posted and for that I’m truly sorry. Between “honey-dos,” a writers’ conference and illness, I neglected my blog. So please accept my apology.

I’ve spent some time during the past few days sending out “Thank You” e-mails. I realize hand-written notes would be better but I don’t have the recipients’ street addresses. I was expressing my appreciation to a lot of people who contributed to the very uplifting experience I had at the conference. These wonderful people inspired me to pursue my passion for writing with an even greater conviction and I wanted to let them know how much I value them.

Writing these notes, I realized just how important it is for all of us to express our love and caring for others. Usually we go through life assuming others know how we feel about them, but they often don’t. And if they do, they still like to hear (or read) about how much they are appreciated; how much they are loved. For true love is a deep caring about the wellbeing of another. It is the love God displayed when He allowed His Son to die in our stead so that we may walk with Him now and forever.

The need to be loved is very strong in all of us. This is the way God created us. And if we were created to love and be loved then it makes sense that we are all called to love one another. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He told us that first and foremost we are to love God completely. But He also told us that the second most important commandment is to love everyone as much as we love ourselves, and that this commandment is just as important as the first. In other words, loving others is the most important calling in life, and one we all share.

Although we all share this same calling, we will each have a unique way of expressing this calling. God did not create us to be robots. There are people in the world who can best be reached by me and there are others who can best be reached by you. So if I don’t answer my calling, then someone else will have to fill in for me; someone who will not relate as well to those others as I would. Thus neglecting my calling will result in a less than optimal outcome in the lives of others. And it could result in others being eternally lost because I didn’t express God’s love for them as I should have.

The bottom line is this. If you are certain of your calling, don’t ignore it. Realize that just because it’s your calling doesn’t mean it will be easy. None of us grow form doing what is easy. Our calling will include challenges and the more important the calling, the more difficult the challenges will be. Just remember, the more difficult the challenges, them greater will be our growth in character.

When He Calls, He Provides.

Today is the first day of rehearsal for my church’s Easter Pageant. I didn’t think it would happen. I didn’t think so because I couldn’t see it happening. Just last Thursday, I held a meeting for all cast members and only 8 people showed up; I expected about 20. The other 20 or so parts hadn’t been cast yet. Not for a lack of trying but because our Pageant takes place during Spring Break for our schools. Between the fear of public speaking and Spring Break plans, my casting efforts were met with stiff resistance. I struggled for 3 weeks just to get the 20 cast members I thought I had and our church has between 4,000 and 5,000 members. So you understand my frustration.

Now, another week has gone by and I have all the characters cast with extras I may have to write into the script because I don’t want to discourage anyone. The Music Minister and a couple of members who teach Bible Study classes worked their networks and the additional parts were filled in 4 days. All I did was follow up with a phone call and informational e-mail afterward. It was a wonderful thing to witness.

Most importantly, I was taught another lesson by my loving Father. He reminded me that when He calls us to do something for Him, He provides all our needs. I recalled all the times in His Word when He tells us to keep our focus on Him and He will take care of the rest. In Proverbs 3: 5-6 He tells us that when we don’t rely on our own understanding but think about Him in every situation, He will show us the way to go and what to do. The problem is that it is not natural for us to give control to someone else. Our very nature wants to be in charge of our life. But when we do give Him control, it always works out better than we can do on our own, and in perfect timing. Remember, God is our Father and He wants bless us with good things. So, if we’ll give Him our concerns, hopes and plans, He will show us the best way to handle them.

The Calling Is Only The Beginning…

I recently discovered that I answered several calls from God, asked Him what to do with them, but left Him out of the prioritizing process. Boy, did that take a toll on me. Without asking Him how to prioritize my projects, I dove in, head first, thinking I could perfectly conquer three major projects with no problems. However, God had other plans for my exuberance.

While trying to write, cast, direct and produce my church’s Easter Pageant, I also tried to enclose and roof my deck, and write query letters and articles for my new writing career. Needless to say, all suffered. None were done as well as they could have been if I simply determined to do one at a time and give it my all each time. No matter how proficient we think we are at multi-tasking, we’re never as good as we could be. Simple reason tells us that focusing all of our energy and our best effort on one task will produce far superior results when compared to multi-tasking.

God tells us how important it is to follow His lead and focus on one thing He deems most critical at any given time. Look at His chosen leaders throughout history. Not one of them was a multi-tasker. They all worked with single-minded purpose. And, they all followed God’s lead, working on what He deemed most important, doing nothing independent of Him. That’s the reason they succeeded. And, when they took matters into their own hands, they failed or produced less than the best results. Moses successfully led God’s people for over 40 years. But the one time he pushed God, he lost his chance to cross over into the Promised Land.

The bottom line is that when we are called, it is only the beginning of our journey with God and we can’t say, “Okay God, I’ll take it from here.” You see, He doesn’t call us because He wants us to do His work for Him, He calls us to do His work with Him. The whole purpose of His calling is to cultivate our relationship with Him. It’s not just to have us do tasks. We’re not His employees, we’re His adopted children. He doesn’t call us because He wants us to do the jobs He doesn’t want to do. He calls us because He loves us and wants us to grow into the persons He designed us to be. He calls us because in His entire created universe we are most important to Him.

So, when He calls, answer with a resounding, “Yes, Father.” Then follow that answer with a question, “What do I do now, Father?” Then wait for His answer and follow His lead.

Listening Isn’t Easy!

God tells us to trust Him and He will take care of all our needs, He will protect us from those who would hurt us and He will surround us with people who care about us. So why do we have such a tough time listening?

One reason we find listening hard is because we each have a constant internal dialogue that keeps us distracted, even when we are most focused. It is difficult to turn it off, accomplish complete internal silence and then wait, quietly, for His voice. I know that whenever I try to shut off my internal dialogue, I never completely succeed. The closest I have ever come is reaching the point where my only thoughts are, “I must be quiet.” Of course, that is still internal dialogue. Thankfully, God is able to get my attention long enough to convey His message to me. He is able to do this because He is God and because my heart wants to hear from Him, even though I can’t quiet my thoughts.

Another reason we can’t hear Him is because of our selfishness. Sometimes we just know that if we let God speak, He will tell us to stop what we are doing, or that we can’t have what we want. This is not what we want to hear. Being born with a naturally sinful nature ensures it will take deliberate effort on our part to turn from our own desires and seek His way for ourselves. To reach this point is far more difficult than turning off our inner voice, and far more important. Quieting the voice in our head is just a matter of cutting through the noise, but turning from our own selfish ways and desires takes a deliberate choice that goes against our natural inclination. However, we must accomplish both if we truly want to hear from God, and we must accomplish both all day, every day.

The good news is that God wants to give His best to us. He wants us to succeed beyond our wildest dreams. He wants to bless us in ways we don’t even know we want. He wants us to have great, loving relationships with Him and everyone. He wants us to have earthly and heavenly rewards that will make us better people and give us great joy. He wants to take care of us like nobody else will or can. All we have to do is try to quiet our inner voice, yield our will to His and listen for His calling.