Dealing With The Stuff

by Bruce Brady

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Ephesians 5:15-16

Those of us who are business minded will read these verses and focus on seizing every income producing opportunity. And there’s nothing wrong with that, if we keep our focus on God. However, many of us will ignore the spiritual opportunities and only see the promised earthly rewards.

 

Now I’m not going to tell you that everything on earth is evil. In fact, things are neutral, neither good nor evil. Things are just things. They’re only evil if we allow them to steal our focus. To me, the greatest danger of things is in the accumulation of them. The more we own, the more time we have to spend maintaining them. They are great robbers of time.

I love stories that teach or make me feel good and gadgets that make life easier. I’ve accumulated a lot of books, DVDs and various “time-saving” widgets. Now I’m faced with what to do with my things.

I’ve spent countless hours working to get them, accumulating them, using them, cleaning them, storing them, rearranging them. Once again I find myself planning the best way to store and organize them, and deciding what to keep and what to give away. Wondering if I really need them, the Spirit gave me a glimpse of how much more time I’ll spend on these things in the future.

Then the Holy Spirit showed me the real problem. Every minute I spend in thought and action with regards to my things, I’m robbing myself of time with God. Time that could be so much more valuable to me. That’s when I realized that the time spent on the maintenance of things is one of Satan’s greatest tools. The Devil loves it when I’m focused on my “stuff.” And he uses this tool with great subtlety.

So, I’ve decided a major cleaning out is in order. I know it’ll take more of my time but I’ll realize a great time savings in the future, time I can spend with my Creator. And time spent with our Creator is always time well spent.

If you find yourself dealing with a lot of stuff, physical or emotional, it’s time for a “deep cleaning.” Give away anything you haven’t used in a while and give all your mental stuff to God who’ll deal with it much more efficiently. Then, you can seize the opportunity to spend time with the Lord and enjoy the peace and comfort that comes with relaxing in His love.

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?

A Note To Mom

by Bruce Brady

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day; a time when we all stop to remember mom. But do I really honor her as commanded in Exodus 20:12 and Ephesians 6:3? Sadly, I’ve often only honored her the way most of the world “honors” their mothers, with material gifts and a quick phone call.

Today, God has placed a burden on my heart, for which I’m thankful because I need to reflect on all she’s done for me. Yes there have been those times when she acted selfishly, she’s human after all. But most of the time she sacrificed her desires and her time for my sister, my brother and me. And I don’t thank her enough. Even when I’m helping her, I get bogged down in the task and forget to let my actions show how much I love and appreciate her. So, I’m determined to change that.

Mom, I love you, more than I’ve ever expressed with words and actions. I appreciate all you did and the sacrifices you made to raise me. I’m sorry for those times when I dishonored you through my mistakes, and my half-hearted compliance with your requests. I regret the many times I disappointed you, and treated you with disrespect. Forgive me for all the times I’m sure I hurt you by acting selfishly.

I love you, mom. I would not be here, writing this note and pursuing a writing career if not for your encouragement and guidance. Left to my own devices, I’d probably be dead. I know you did the best you knew how. It wasn’t easy raising three children on your own, especially three very independent children. I appreciate all the times you comforted me when my heart was broken. I’m grateful for your efforts to ensure I had a happy and prosperous life. I understand you did what you did because you wanted a better life for me.

I also admire how, as a young woman suffering the pain of a broken marriage, you packed up a newborn baby and two very young children, moved us 1500 miles to a place where you only knew your brother and his family, and started a new life for us. Thankfully you instilled that same courage and tenacity in me. I’m thankful you never made choices that put us in harm’s way. I appreciate that you worked a second and sometimes third job to make sure we always had food, a safe home and clothing. I’m grateful that you sacrificed to allow us to pursue our educational and extracurricular interests. And I’m thankful that you devoted yourself to spending as much time as you could with us.

Mom, you’re a wonderful woman. And though I can’t be there, I want you to know that, in spirit, I’m with you this Mother’s Day weekend, admiring the amazing woman you are. I hope you can feel my arms embracing you as I say. “I love you, mom, more than words can express.”

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.

Frantic is Fantastic!

Today I'm highlighting a man, husband, father and author who is following his calling. Mike is a cancer survivor who helps others as a Physical Therapist. When he's not working, he and his wife, Jen, are busy loving and raising four beautiful daughters. So, he has little time to devote to writing. Yet, he is obedient to his calling and does his writing very early in the morning to ensure he doesn't neglect his family.

This is to say, if you claim there's too many other things to do or you don't have time to pursue your calling, the truth is you just aren't prioritizing your calling, or you're stalling due to fear. I spent a fair amount of time with Mike at last year's Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and I can state with great certainty, he is just human. So, if he can do it, you and I can do it. The following is my brief review of his latest book:

All the clichés fit this one; page-turner, edge-of-your-seat suspense, action/adventure thriller. But the real gem of this book is relationships. Yes, the characters and their relationships are endearing and believable. But you don’t just read this story, you live it. I couldn’t and didn’t put this book down. This is Mr. Dellosso’s best work yet.

Marny is a simple guy with a simple life until the beauty of a sad, mysterious girl draws him into an adventure that will change his life, and yours, forever. Mike Dellosso’s masterfully crafted story touches all the emotions. And it shows the true power of faith. If you’ve ever doubted that even the most hopeless situation can end well, you need to read this book.

Frantic is due to release early February.

Have An Affair!

Ever have one of those days when you find yourself wondering why you got married? You know the kind of day I mean—a day, week or month when you and your spouse seem to be at odds about everything.

These dry spells happen in all marriages. They happen when we allow life’s stresses or our selfish natures to consume our attention. If we continue down these paths, our marriages will deteriorate to the point where find ourselves living as two strangers under the same roof. I’ve seen it happen in countless marriages, including my own. This happened to my wife and me because we were certain all was well with our relationship – we took each other for granted.

The truth is that a good marriage is one of God’s strongest forces. He tells us He is present where two are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). He also tells to keep anything from separating us because we are no longer two but one (Matthew 19:5-6). Satan knows these truths and will do whatever he can to destroy marriages. But his attacks are usually subtle. He uses our selfishness and worldly pleasures to lull us into ignoring our spiritual bonds with one another. And, like it or not, we’re human and easily drawn to anything that provides self-satisfaction. We can even be self-serving in our “godly” activities.

Assuming our marriages will last forever, we turn our focus to the niceties of life. Having checked off marriage on our “To Do” list, we succumb to worldly pressures and pursue worldly pleasures. Keeping up with all the latest and greatest for ourselves or even our children steals our focus. Our income, status, family activities and other “stuff” take priority over our relationships with God and our spouse.

So how do we keep the love fire burning? Have an affair! Not with someone else, with your spouse. And be sure to include the Lord.

When I finally got over myself and listened to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, I arranged a 3-day surprise getaway. However, unlike our usual “getaways,” it didn’t involve our kids or grandkids – just the two of us. And it wasn’t anything elaborate, just a 2-night stay in a small town hotel, close to home. The only planned activity was a free, 30-minute drive through a small town that covers its buildings and homes with Christmas lights (my wife loves Christmas). The most important activity was simply finding spending time together. We simply listened to the Lord, looked at each other through His eyes and fell in love all over again, after 30 years of marriage.

Indescribable joy will fill you when you allow the Lord to take charge of your marriage. He will show us perfections where we see faults. He shows us how much more rewarding it is to serve others than ourselves. Seeing your spouse through God’s eyes will result in a deeper love for your spouse, and Him. It was an experienced that brought me to my emotional knees.

  

So stop focusing on what’s wrong with your spouse. Give control of your relationship to the Lord. Let Him constantly remind you of why your marriage is so important. He’ll give you a new perspective and an action plan that will bless your marriage with renewed passion, joy and excitement.

Defenders For Children

By Bruce Brady

We have a local organization called “Defenders for Children” that is fighting to end child abuse in the Greenville, SC area and beyond. I’ve joined this group because I believe children are God’s most precious gift to us and we need to protect them. This can only be accomplished by each of us doing whatever we can to prevent their being harmed, and helping abusers to deal with their issues in a healthy way. Take a look at your community and see what you can do to help put an end to the death of children at the hands of angry and misguided parents and other adults.

As Christians, it’s our collective responsibility to help raise all children. Not just those who are born into our families or are members of our church, but all children. We are called to live lives that set Godly examples for all children to follow. Pray that God will show us how to do our part and that we’ll be obedient to His call. Let’s live our lives as if everything we do is teaching children how to live, because they’re watching.

God bless the children and God bless you. Please watch this BBC News video and share your comments with me and all your friends.

 

America's child death shame

www.bbc.co.uk

The BBC investigates the scale of child abuse in the US.

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.

My Back And I Are Back

by Bruce Brady

The more I pushed myself, the more trouble my back gave me. My plan was to ignore the pain and press on. After all, I had a thousand things to do and only I could do them. So I scheduled several sessions with the Chiropractor and filled the rest of my calendar with “Honey-dos.” However, my back had other plans. And my adjustments and activities just made it worse.

I decided to just give my back a rest while I rested in God. Naturally, that did more good than any treatments I’ve had. Except for the occasional pang, my back is completely normal. As for me, I’m not sure I’ve ever been.

In all this, God re-taught me a valuable lesson. I knew it already but lost sight of it in my self-sufficiency. He reminded me that He can do all things, not me. I can do all things, but only through Christ who strengthens me. The key here is He, not I, provides the strength.

So why the back injury? I really needed to slow down and refocus on Him. I had slipped into my all too familiar mode of “Bruce Almighty.” I needed to be sat down. I often do. I was raised to be self-sufficient. My mantra was, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” Paul had his thorn in the side, this is one of mine. Yes, I need several to keep me in line.

God uses many things to get my attention, this time He chose physical aliment. I could have become bitter but knew it was for my own good. Even in tough times, He is still God and I still love Him. No the pain wasn’t pleasant. It was excruciating at times. Had it been tolerable, I would have ignored it, and Him. One of the most valuable things God teaches us is who we are.

If you find yourself hurting, ill or troubled, don’t ask, “Why me?” Instead, ask God to show you why? Sometimes the answer is just that we over did it or we just caught the latest illness going around. But sometimes He is trying to get our attention to keep us from traveling the wrong road…one that would do us much more harm than good.

House on Fire? Go Visit a Friend.

by Bruce Brady

Matthew 6:33 tells us,” But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” Does this mean we needn’t worry about earthly matters? Yes. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to deal with them, it simply means we shouldn’t be anxious about them.


However, we often spend our time fretting over the things of the world. If we measure the amount of time we spend with our Lord as compared to the time we spend on daily tasks and concerns, we will discover God gets little, if any, of our daily time. I’ve often heard it said, “If you want to know what your priorities are, look at your check register.” The implication is that the things we spend the most money on are the things that are most important to us. While I may not completely agree with this analogy, I do think it applies to our “time-allotment” checkbook.

I know that I spend more time with God than I ever have but I spend very little time with Him when compared to what I do with the rest of my time. And I’m not always faithful about my “Time with God” schedule. While I try to start each day with the Lord, I frequently allow circumstances to dictate how I spend my time. I forget the message of Matthew 6:33.


I selected the title for this post because this contrast indicates how God often works in my life. If the world is demanding my attention for something that seems urgent, God usually counters by leading me to do something that seems completely unrelated to the urgent matter. Frequently, following Him doesn’t make sense to me at the time. However, after a while, He shows me how my following Him was the correct response to the situation because it put my attention on the important instead of the urgent.


The message this Scripture verse has for me and all of us is simple. When we focus our attention on God, especially in times of worldly urgency, He will honor our faithfulness by providing the ideal solution to the urgent matter. Despite my natural human tendency to control every circumstance of my life (and often those of the people around me), His solutions are always better than anything I conceive. His love for us will never put us in true jeopardy. Remembering this will help us turn to Him at all times.


So when your house is on fire and you hear that still, small voice telling you to go visit a neighbor or friend, do it. Even if your house burns to the ground and you lose all your earthly possessions, you’ll gain so much more. Of course it will be painful for a time but He is faithful and will not let you suffer beyond what is beneficial to you. And, imagine how profound an impact your faithful obedience will have on your neighbor or friend, particularly when God restores you to better off than you were before.

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.

The Ramblings of a Wayward Writer

(This is the same post as on "Reality Writing." I did this because I was told to.)

By Bruce Brady

I sit here, happy that I can sit for more than a couple of minutes, listening to hear what God has to say to me. I must constantly remind myself that it is difficult to hear Him in this noisy world because He speaks softly. In fact, He speaks so softly that I must make an effort to rid my mind of all external and internal noise in order to hear Him.

It has been 29 long days since I injured my hip on a mission trip. And, with one exception, today is the first day I’ve been able to sit down at my computer long enough to write more than a couple of words. It feels good to write again. Yet, I’ve been beating myself up because I haven’t written anything for a month. But today I heard God and He told me that my self-degradation is one of the most effective tools Satan has in his arsenal. It has been an effective tool since the fall.

We all fear some things in life. However, when we take a hard look at the root cause of our fears, it usually turns out to be the fear of rejection. Deep inside our hearts we know that any failure in our life will be criticized by others, and that potential criticism causes us great emotional agony.

I have recently realized that contrary to what I previously thought, I’ve been suffering that very fear. My inability to sit long enough to write has caused me to fear rejection by my mentors, Edie and Pam. I know that they will love me no matter what I may or may not do, but I’ve still been afraid of disappointing them. They have poured their hearts and souls into helping me succeed as a writer and I’ve repaid them with nothing for several weeks now. And while my hip injury may be a viable excuse, it isn’t a good one. After all, Jesus went through a lot more suffering than I’m experiencing and still pressed on. Paul did also. So, I have no excuse.

Instead of giving in to my pain and discomfort, I should have used the brain God gave me to devise a way of writing without the need for sitting. After all, it is God who gives me the words and He can do that no matter what position I’m in. So I’m recommitting myself to the pursuit of serving Him through the written word, remembering Philippians 3:13-14 which says,”…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Should you find yourself struggling in your quest to reach your goal, forget what is behind and press on. Don’t let the world get in the way of your calling; your purpose for living. Remember we are all created by a loving God who wants us to do well and experience the good things of life. Those who would criticize you are those who are also floundering and want you to be their savior. Of course, you can’t save them but with God’s help you can show them the right path to salvation. And you can do this with the words He gives you.

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.

Excuses, Excuses.

Over the past few weeks I have served on jury duty, been swamped with drama ministry activities, helped my friend frame, enclose and roof my deck, prepare and submit our income taxes, and a few other things. Some were callings; some were just the stuff we all face in everyday life. All have taught me a valuable lesson. I have used my callings and duties to ignore the one calling that promises to pay the bills and bless me with a great sense of satisfaction, my freelance writing. Not only have I allowed other activities to keep me from my greatest love, I have disappointed my mentors and editors in the process; an act for which I am truly remorseful.

We all allow ourselves to be distracted from time to time. Often, our distractions are actually good deeds. However, these distractions aren’t an excuse to ignore the important. Writing is my calling. I may someday be a great writer or I may not, but I know I’m supposed to write. And, there are people and organizations that depend, in part, on my writing. When I don’t write, and do those things that get it sold, I cause those who depend on me to suffer. Not doing what I’m called to do has a profound effect on many others. Most importantly, when I excuse myself from doing what I must, what I love, I do not contribute to family finances and that hurts the one I love the most, my wife.

Now human nature dictates that I beat myself up and spend more time not writing while I wallow in self-pity. We all have those moments when we allow our lack of action to lead to more inaction. Often this results in our giving up. But, I will not do that this time. I’ll rely on the Lord to give me the strength to press on, to run the good race. I’ll do what He has called me to do. I will not let Him or myself down. I’ll swallow my pride, make the proper apologies and get back to fulfilling my calling.

If you find yourself facing a similar situation, don’t give up and don’t give in. Whatever you allowed to distract you, forgive yourself and move on with greater resolve. Remember that there is nothing you can do that God won’t forgive, so afford yourself that same forgiveness. If you’ve hurt loved ones in the process, ask their forgiveness and renew your commitment to those relationships. They may need time to forgive you so give it to them. While you’re waiting, get back to doing what you were called to do. Get back to serving God in the way He created you to.

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.

I Personally Know And Believe In Jesus Christ.

I recently read a Facebook post forwarded from a friend challenging all people to publically proclaim belief in the lordship of Jesus Christ. My first reaction was, “Why is this even out there?” Then I realized that this is not a simple task for most professed Christians. In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commands us to make disciples of all people by teaching them everything He taught us. Yet, you will find very few professed Christians who obey this command. They use many excuses to avoid compliance, but the truth is nearly always fear; the kind of fear that results from worldly pressure.

For years, I lived in fear of being asked the reason for my optimism. I was sure that if I wasn’t threatened by the questioner, I would, at the very least, be completely humiliated by the experience. As I grew in my walk with Jesus, I came to learn from His gentle teaching that my fear was rooted in the fact that I was putting myself first, ahead of Him. Of course I felt guilty when I clearly saw this, but He assured me He still loved me and wanted to walk with me for all eternity. He also assured me that it was normal to have this fear.

You see, we all fear rejection, whether we like to admit it or not. That fear is in our basic human nature. Our human nature is opposed to sharing the “Good News” with others because doing so may cause others to dislike us, or even want to harm us. So, to avoid emotional discomfort or physical harm, we refuse to obey. This doesn’t mean we should be ourselves up about it, it just means we need to see it for what it is, disobedience. When we see this, we merely need to ask God’s forgiveness, knowing it is given the moment we ask if we truly repent, then obey Him the next time an opportunity to share the Gospel arises, and it will.

God has called every one of us to share the “Good News” with everyone we know and meet. However, He did not call us to do so alone. He also promised that He will always be with us; He will never leave us. It is our responsibility to make sure we know and understand the Gospel, for our own benefit and to be ready to answer the questions of others. But He does not expect us to win souls without help. He will always be there to give us the right words to fit every situation and to give us the courage to speak, if we will simply ask Him. And, as an added benefit, whenever we share the hope of salvation with others, God will bless us with a most wonderful joy that words can’t adequately express.

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.