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.

The Rich Life

Well, the Easter Pageant is over and all went well, according to overwhelming amount of feedback we Well, the Easter Pageant is over and all went well, according to overwhelming amount of feedback we received from audience members. I must admit, I enjoyed every tiring minute of the whole process. There were long days and nights, many rehearsals without the entire cast in attendance and many rewrites of the script. Yet God put it all together and we had three wonderful performances. I can praise the performances because it was God, not I, who made them happen.

It seems when we give control to God everything turns out as it should. Of course, like all of us, I have a problem with giving up control. It’s not that I don’t trust Him it’s just that I have this inherent desire to see things work out the way I envision them. Perhaps this comes from years of corporate training geared to manipulate the outcome. Perhaps it’s just human nature, which refuses to allow anyone or anything take control. But, when you think about it, it may just be the fear that overtakes each of us when we realize there are so many things in life that are completely out of our control; things that can have profound effects on our lives. No matter the reason, we all desperately want to control our own destiny while knowing, deep inside, that we can’t.

The scariest part of God’s calling for any of us is the fact that we must give up control. God knows this and it’s an important part of His calling. He understands our resistance knows we will experience tremendous personal growth when we let Him lead. After all, He created each and every one of us. He wants us to rely on Him so He can bless us with a life that far exceeds what our limited minds can conceive.

So I ask you to learn from my experiences. Don’t fight the one who knew you before you were born. We all have a deep yearning to know the reason for our existence. Don’t suppress it. If you truly seek the answer, He will respond. Don’t take my word for it. Expectantly ask God to prove His existence to you and He will in a unique way that will leave no doubt He is real and loves you.

 

I spent over 40 years of my life, many of those years as a believer, ignoring His call and living with a thirst for meaning because of it. Don’t make this same mistake. Don’t live your life trying to bury your emptiness. Listen for His voice; a voice that will call you to a life of serving others and caring about them that will richly reward you. Listen to Him and enjoy the unique life you were created to live.

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.

My Most Important Calling

Today, I celebrate 30 years of marriage to the most beautiful woman in the world. And I can’t wait to see what Jesus has in store for us over the next 30 years. Today, I’m also reminded that being a husband is one of my callings. A calling I don’t take lightly because to do so would inflict pain and harm on my precious wife. I thank God for her, and for reminding me of my love for her whenever I entertain the idea of treating her as anything other than the most important person in my life; my life partner.

We all have those times when we lash out, or want to, at our mates. At those times, Jesus reminds me of all the wonderful qualities my wife has. He reminds me of how well she compliments and completes me. When I get my focus on those qualities quickly enough, I’m able to avoid acting in a manner that is damaging to our relationship. And when I don’t, He blesses me with such guilt as to cause me to ask His and her forgiveness. I pray that I always focus on her wonderful qualities before I assert my selfishness.

How does this apply to my calling? Simply put, God calls me, as a husband to be the spiritual leader of my wife and family. He places this awesome responsibility on me to care for my wife and children the way He cares for us. Jesus gave up His life for me and it is my duty to be willing to do the same for my family, especially my wife. He also made it clear that the body of Christ, the Church, is also my family, so I must be willing to sacrifice myself for the benefit of all believers. And, I must reflect His compassion for all unbelievers because we are all His creations.

Does this mean I will always be perfect? No. What it means is I must strive to first seek His guidance in every situation, thus avoiding damaging conflict in my marriage. However, God knows I won’t always succeed in keeping my selfishness in check; He knows I will act stupidly at times. But when I do, He will gently bring me to a mindset of repentance, forgive my mistakes and lovingly restore my right relationship with my wife and with Him, if I’ll simply drop my ego long enough to hear Him. And the really good news is that He will do the same for you.

So Darling, I’m sorry for all the times I let my ego override my love for you. I do and will always love you more than myself. Thank you for 30 great years of being my wife, my friend, my lover. Words are inadequate to express how deep my love is for you and how grateful I am for all you are and do. I thank God for bringing you into my life.

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.

How Do I Recognize His Call?

In Exodus 3:4, Moses heard God’s voice in a burning bush and in Isaiah 6, Isaiah saw God in a vision and heard Him speak. But these are exceptions when it comes to hearing the voice of God. We all hear God’s voice. Believers hear Him through the Holy Spirit and unbelievers hear Him through their consciences. No matter which way we hear Him, we know when He is talking to us, we know the sound of that quiet voice inside us that urges us to do or not do something.

Believers and unbelievers have the option of ignoring that inner voice, God gave us free will. However, if it is He who is calling, that voice will persistently tug on our hearts until we respond positively or repress it so deeply that we can usually ignore it. I know from experience that it’s better to respond positively because the alternative is to live with a nagging discomfort until we do. You see, God loves every one of us, whether we are believers or not, so he gave each of us a conscience to guide us in our life-choices. And because He loves us that much, He will not let us be content when we ignore our inner voice.

It’s better if the Lord doesn’t have to use stronger means to get our attention. Consider the Apostle Paul (formerly Saul) who was so stubborn that Jesus had to physically blind him to get his undivided attention. It is far more preferable to follow the lead of that quiet voice because the God who blinded Saul can still do the same to us today.

So this is how we know it is God calling us, our conscience or the Holy Spirit will continue to give us heart pangs until we respond according to the promptings. Trying to ignore them, suppress them or rationalize them away will only result in an uneasiness that will nag us until we obey comply or die. And that is no way to live.

So when that quiet inner voice begins tugging, listen and act accordingly. Relax in the knowledge that God wants to bless you with good things. It’s okay to ignore the voice once or twice to make sure it truly is God calling. But if it persist and it’s telling you to do something that will benefit others at least as much as you, then it is most likely God’s voice, so act. As an added confirmation, when you respond appropriately, God will bless you with more joy than you ever thought possible.

A Storm's Silver Lining

A storm is blowing into our neighborhood. As I listen to the wind howling through the trees and the rain pounding on the windows, I’m reminded how much my life used to be like this storm. Before I knew God, I would howl and pound, and manipulate, in an attempt to get my own way. And if I failed, I would storm off, absorbed in an inner rage that would rule over me for a long time, the memory of that failure returning often for several months or years after. No different than anyone’s, my human nature would keep me tied up in emotional knots because I failed to get my own way. You see, human nature makes all of us selfishly competitive which leads to all kinds of negative health issues and sinful thoughts. I can’t count the number of times I injured and killed people, at least in my thoughts, because they prevented me from obtaining my own egocentric desires.

Thankfully God didn’t give up on me. Actually, He doesn’t give up on anybody which is why we are still waiting for Christ’s return. Understanding His patience is difficult at best. However, I am eternally grateful that He is patient because it saved my life and my soul. I’m not saying that I became immediately altruistic. Not even close. My self-centered nature fought long and hard to stay in control. But God is patiently molding me into the humble, charitable, unselfish person He created me to be. When I look at where I came from, I can see He has made enormous changes in me over the past 30 years. Today, more often than not, I prioritize the welfare of others over my own. However, His work is not yet done.

One thing I have learned is how wonderful He makes me feel when I answer His call to help others. I’m no longer helping others to primarily benefit myself. He has transformed me to the point where I can honestly help others with no concern for “what’s in it for me?” The real beauty of this is that when I allow Him to work through me to serve others, He provides much greater joy and rewards than selfishness ever could.

So are you fighting His calling like I did? Are you walking with God but not submitting to His control? Why not take a chance? Let Him lead your every step for a month, a week and see if you don’t find much less stress in your life. Let Him take the lead and enjoy the wonderful peace and joy that He provides. Life can be a wonderful adventure if we’ll just let Him be our guide.

It’s Never Just About You…

Today I wrote a brief article for “RealityWriting.net” and realized something that has been true whenever God talks to me, guides me and corrects me. It’s never been just about me. As I was writing the article, the Holy Spirit gently showed me how even my most personal lessons from God have a profound effect on others. He never really does something just for me alone. And that is because He loves us all and wants us all to be positive influences in the lives of everyone else. God is calling all of us to be better people; people who care about others more than ourselves.

Think of Jesus’ life. His whole life was about benefiting others. He promised us that the more we serve others, the more we will be rewarded, but this should not be our motivation. If it is, then we are still all about ourselves. I understand that we begin life with a self-focus. Most everything we do is motivated by how our actions will benefit us. Yet God has promised that the more selfless we are, the more we will truly benefit in an eternal way. And the eternal is so much more important than the now. But He doesn’t ignore the now. He rewards our selfless service by blessing us with great personal joy and by meeting all our needs.

As I eluded to in previous posts, I very recently, December 2010, started a new venture as a writer. I did so at the urging of a good friend and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This was an answer to prayer that I had been seeking for many years. What I didn’t mention before is that 2 months before that, I began another new venture as the director of our church’s Drama Ministry. I also had never done this before but the God assured me that He wanted me to do it. And, last month, I began re-flooring my deck and, with the help of an experienced friend, building a roof over it. So, in three months time I began three new ventures, none of which I had any experience in. I’m not telling you this to blow my own horn. I’m telling you this because I want you to know that when God calls you to do something, He doesn’t care about your lack of experience, or your background, or your age or any other human condition, He only cares that you are willing to trust Him enough to take a leap of pure faith.

I wasn’t what I considered a writer, I’m not an ordained minister or even a staff member of my church and I’m not a contractor or builder. I’m just a man who loves God, is grateful for the price He paid for me and is willing to go where He leads me. At first, following Him was scary because I had no control over where I would go or what I would do, and I like being in control. However, my early baby-steps of faith resulted in unimaginable joy, so now I happily jump when God calls. I sometimes get nervous because I still consider my personal shortcomings, but I know God doesn’t care about those. Thus, it is ever easier and more exciting for me to take hold of the new challenges He sets before me.

Is God calling you to do something completely scary; something you’ve never done before? If so, take a leap of faith. Follow His lead. If you need the assistance of others, He will lead you to them. Remember, He says in His Word that when we put our faith in Him and seek wise counsel our plans will succeed. 

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.

Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days?

Ever have one of those days when you start out raring to go and then one distraction after another seems to suck the day away from you? Well, that is the kind of day I had. After my prayer time and Bible study, “things” came up that kept me from doing what I intended. And when I finally felt I had time to get started on my “to-do” list, it was time for me to start dinner. Maybe I’ll just escort my beautiful wife to the car, brave the rain and cold and take her to our favorite restaurant.

Hopefully your day went better than mine. But it seems that if you live anywhere in the U.S., you probably didn’t have a great weather day either. I do hope you asked God to direct your day and were able to accomplish what needed to be done. I thought my goals for the day were His but I may have misunderstood. Apparently He wanted me to learn how to exercise patience in the midst of chaos. I believe I did pretty well and pray I did well enough to avoid another lesson in patience tomorrow.

One thing He did lay on my heart was the lack of good news we get in this country. The news media seems intent trying to depress us by only sharing the worst humanity has to offer. And most do it with a decided editorial bent. So, we should show people that there is goodness in this world. We should show the world that there is a loving, caring God Who will help anyone who comes to Him.  He wants me to share stories of mankind’s acts of goodness. But not just my stories, He wants your stories too. Therefore, if you know of anyone who has done anything good for others without expecting a reward, please share that with me. Post your stories in the comments and I will publish those that best fit the goal.

Is He Calling You?

When I was first approached about joining Reality Writing, I immediately received a prod from the Holy Spirit. I knew God wanted me to become a part of this exciting venture. I was called! I knew I was called because I have been called before and I’m still doing most of what He called me to do today. In fact, the only things I’m not still doing are those things that were “temporary assignments.”

But how did I know I was called? I knew because I was given a peace about the callings, even though I wasn’t comfortable with any of them. You see, I'm uncomfortable teaching His Word to children and adults, or speaking to a large congregation, or sharing the Gospel with strangers. Yet I do all these things because of His call. And my often fragile ego fears being criticized for my writing. However, I have learned that when He calls, it is best to respond in the affirmative because to do otherwise assures I will be uneasy until I do say yes. In fact, I can’t think of anything more uncomfortable than ignoring God’s call.

Is God calling you? Do you know His voice when you hear it? Are you even listening? My personal experience tells me that He is calling us all the time. But He does so with a quiet voice. So, if you are not hearing Him, it may be there’s too much noise in your life. Learning to hear Him starts by removing yourself from external distractions and quieting your constant inner dialogue. Then study His Word while expecting Him to speak to you. In time, you’ll learn to discern His voice in all situations. Then you too can hear and follow your callings.

So I invite you to join me in my most recent calling, my “Reality Writing” journey of self discovery and public service. And if you too are hearing the call to write or serve, remember there is no reason why you cannot say yes to God. For I am a grandfather of five with very little income, formal training that consist of only one creative writing class over 30 years ago, and limited writing experience that has been almost exclusively business letters and marketing pieces. Despite my lack of experience and training, I thank God for His call and choose to rely on Him to give me the words that will launch and sustain my writing career. This is truly a journey of faith.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)