Be A Solutionist

He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. John 21:5
 
God is always solving problems in the Bible. Famine. Illness. Hunger. Barrenness. Death. Eternal death. God uses His people to bring extraordinary solutions to really big problems. Elijah and the widow. Two loaves and five fish. Abraham and Sara. The story of Lazarus. Jesus' death on the cross. These are all examples of God's problem solving throughout history born out of His love for mankind. 

God calls us as His children to be solution-driven. He calls us to be "solutionists", just like He was. Jesus solved a major problem - the eternal death of mankind. And it is by our faith that we are saved and called by His grace to be His representatives in order to establish His Kingdom on earth.

A friend of mine and I went to a fall festival where a woman was selling beautifully-smelling fresh hand soaps. My friend began talking to the woman about the soaps and we learned that this woman had had a really bad skin condition that inhibited her from using regular soaps. She hadn't had any skin problems since creating her own. She solved a problem for herself - AND others with the same condition. And they smelled great too! This is also how we have influence in culture, by solving problems.

The first key of being a solutionist is having intimacy and a love-filled relationship with God. He is able to "whisper in our ear" the solutions He desires to see. We might be experiencing a problem He wants us to solve, like the lady with the soap company.

The second is perseverance. Perseverance to see the solution come to pass, to see the solution through to the end. We need perseverance to get through the tough times, where the solution may be hidden amongst the pain. Sometimes we will want to give up when times get tough. We need to know when we are striving for a losing battle, when we need to press on, or perhaps when our timing isn't quite right. The Bible says, "The sons of Issachar knew the signs of the times..." (1 Chron 12:32) It is out of these solutions we provide others with that God can be glorified through us and His reign established on earth.

What problem today are you called to solve?

Accepting Life's Circumstances

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths." -Proverbs 5:5-6

Elizabeth* went to her job one morning only to be taken aside by her boss, away from the other employees. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth, but your position has been eliminated. Please go inside and pack up your things and go home."

Elizabeth was shocked at the loss of her job. Technically, it shouldn't have been her who got fired. There were several people who had been at the company for less time and others who were paid more than she was. Plus, they were right in the middle of a big project, and her expertise was needed. Nonetheless, no matter how unfair the situation was, Elizabeth found herself unemployed, and uncertain about the future she had been dreaming about. She didn't know now, in the midst of a bad economy, if success in her field was possible for her.

Sometimes circumstances happen that are outside our control. Maybe we took a wrong turn. Maybe somebody else's poor decisions had a direct affect on us. Even so, God is still sovereign, no matter what's going on in our lives. Sometimes we need to activate our faith to trust Him. Other times we need to activate our faith to move forward. Elizabeth decided she would do both.

Applying to multiple jobs with a recruiter, she actively sought out new employment. Unsure of her skills and a bit frightened about the future, she charged ahead anyway, knowing that God would provide. In spite of the less than ideal economy and 10-12% unemployment, she trusted that God would have the job she needed.

About a week later a recruiter called asking for an interview. She didn't feel like she had the best interview, because the interviewers couldn't express whether or not they liked her. On to the next interview, which went fantastic. The offer came, followed by a second from the first company. The two companies were fighting over her! In the end, the first one who ended up offering more pay and more growth opportunity gained Elizabeth as their newest employee.

Sometimes life throws us curveballs. It's what we do with them that determines our course. Will we stand defeated? Or will we trust God and charge ahead, knowing He has our best in store?

Receiving Our Inheritance (Through Steps of Faith!)

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" -Matthew 7:8-11
 
A girlfriend of mine was tithing to church when her debit card number had expired. Normally she had the card number on file, but she had forgotten to change it. The accountant called her to ask her why the card had declined, and my friend gave her the new number. 

My friend said, "You know what, could you throw an extra $20 in there for the offering? I want to sow into my future." 

"Certainly," said the accountant. 

The following week my friend received a raise - of $2/hour! That was exactly 10% of the offering she had given. While we were talking she said, "I remember thinking, 'Aw man! I should have given like $50 or something.' But she had really felt impressed to give an offering during that moment in time. And God had inspired her with the exact amount to give. 

When we move forward in acts of faith, God sees our hearts. God desires that we have good things. He desires that we receive our inheritance in Him. We need to be specific about what we're reaching for. We can pray and ask for different things to happen in our lives, and this is a necessary step. 

However, we also need to back up our words with action. God is not moved by need - He is moved by faith. Faith without works is dead. And yet works without faith is meaningless. We are never to give to get; but there is a natural sowing and reaping principle in the Kingdom of God. 

Are you stepping out in acts of faith in order to receive your inheritance?

Diligent Work

"The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work."  -Proverbs 12:24

Do you enjoy your job? According to Forbes magazine, 70% of all employees hate their jobs.  That’s a HUGE number!  It seems many of us are in jobs where we either don’t enjoy the work, don’t enjoy the atmosphere, or both. 

I know I have been in jobs before that I didn’t particularly enjoy.  I worked as a server for several years and initially I DREADED the idea.  But you know what’s cool about God?  Even if the job is not our natural bent (I was very shy) or doesn't use our gifts and talents, he can still use that job to shape us and teach us things that we wouldn’t otherwise learn if we were not in that situation. 

Maybe He is developing our prayer life, to pray and interceed for a less-than-ideal workplace.  Perhaps He is testing our hearts with how we respond to tasks we don’t particularly enjoy.  But, even if we are working in a less-than ideal environment, if we work as unto God, we will find eternal reward. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3: 23 &24

So even if we aren’t in work we particularly enjoy yet, we can know that the work we do has spiritual value in God’s kingdom.  If we carry a mindset of “I am working as unto the Lord today,” we will find that even the most mundane or uncomfortable of tasks can have eternal value.  When we are faithful in the little things, God can promote us to bigger things. 

Are you a diligent worker? 

The Last Word

"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." -2 Corinthians 4:8-10

In America, we are blessed to be able to take advantage of religious and economic freedom.  We are able to go to any church we choose, build a business, go to school, or pursue a dream.  Even though there are things we might want to change, on the whole, American is unlike many other countries in the world.

I heard a story just the other day about Christians in the underground church in China.  A couple who worked with Campus Crusade for Christ had just come back from 30 years of ministry there.

Many Chinese Christians are still persecuted for their faith in China. So, they often live underground with the faith. Before their death, many of the Chinese Christians would record their testimony on video and request to have it played during their funeral service. During the funeral of the person, many people would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior because of the testimony of their loved one who had passed, but had never been permitted to share this faith until now.

Isn’t that amazing?  What could you do now with the religious and economic freedom you have available to you?  Let's remember to be thankful for the freedoms we have, and do the most we can to magnify Jesus Christ in our lives and share His kingdom with others.

Having a Positive Attitude

"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." -James 1:2-4

You know, in life its pretty safe to say, people don't tend to enjoy being around negative people. There is enough negativity out in the world, coming from the news, our workplaces, and perhaps even our own families. The reality is people enjoy being around people who help them feel better, to look at the positive side of a situation, and who have an "anything is possible" attitude.

The apostle James had this kind of perspective: "...consider it an opportunity for great joy..."

Of course, there are plenty of instances where being overly happy or joyful is not appropriate, such as the death of a loved one or a very trying situation. But, this does not mean we cannot be positive and at the same time empathize with someone's situation. When we're going through something hard, it's good to have good, positive people around who understand.

Winston Churchill said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference." (my emphasis)

Do you need to have a more positive attitude? If you're not sure, ask the people around you if you need to be more positive. One person can either buoy up or drag down an entire team, depending on their attitude.

Jesus' Death Meant We Didn't Have To

"Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live." -Ezekiel 18:23 NLT
 
As a Christian, I have often wondered why people had to die in the Old Testament. It seemed so harsh - why couldn't they just have been forgiven? 

What I didn't realize yet was that Jesus had not yet come to die. There was not yet any power of redemption on the earth. If people committed a sin, they would be subject to judgment, which many times meant death. But God didn't want people to die - He wanted them to live. Jesus' death meant we didn't have to die for our own sins - He had come to die for us, on our behalf. 

How powerful is that! Think about that for a moment - the way the world had been set up until Jesus was such that people did have to die for their sins - otherwise the entire community would be affected, much like a spiritual plague. Since survival of the community was essential, the people who had committed the most offending sins had to be put to death. It was harsh, but it was the punishment our sins deserved. 

But since Jesus came to the earth to die, we don't have to face death anymore for our sins when we ask for forgiveness in Jesus' name. He took care of that. His death meant that sin wouldn't have a hold on us any more if we repented and asked Him to be Lord of our life. This is why the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was such a life-changing and monumental event for the Jews - and for you and me. 

Have you had a revelation of Jesus' resurrection power in your life? Pray that God would give you a greater revelation of this, and that He would help you to walk in strength and power because of this redemption life He has given us. 

"I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying." -John 11:25

Under No Compulsion

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." -2 Corinthians 9:6-8
 
Have you ever heard an offering message and then felt guilty, so you gave? Unfortunately, this happens in many churches. I feel blessed to be a part of a church that talks strictly about not giving when you feel reluctant or obligated, but instead giving from a cheerful and abundant heart. The Bible speaks frankly about this in the verse in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.

But, does this just relate to finances?

Certainly, the scripture above has been used in many an offering message. But what about the rest of our lives? How are we to give of our time, and our talents? We have to work, yes. But does this verse apply here? I believe it does.

Whenever we feel like we have to do something, we are living under a yoke. Would this be God's yoke? Probably not. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:30 So then work, or whatever we put our hands to, when viewed correctly means we take a step back and we do it to the best of our ability. Ultimately, we never have to do anything, although there may be consequences for our lack of action. But our work becomes blessed when we submit it to God. We develop an attitude of being joyful about whatever we're doing with our time and talents to glorify God. Our work becomes a gift we give to others. I know this won't happen to perfection every time, but it's definitely something to work toward. Making this a habit in our lives means we're not under any yoke but God's, and that makes our lives so much easier.

Are you living in freedom in whatever you do?

The Language of Heaven

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14-16
 
A couple of friends of ours came into town for one of our conferences. Afterward they stayed with us as we debriefed from what happened during the event. The question was asked, "From an outsiders' perspective, what do you think we could have done differently?"

"Talk more about forgiveness," one of them said. "Ah," our other friend at the table said. "The language of heaven."

Forgiveness is so hard sometimes. How can the unforgiveable be forgiven? A molested child, a cheating spouse, murder, neglect - these are difficult things that happen. Even smaller offenses can create huge wounds, too big to heal even with the words, "I'm sorry." But what are we going to do with wounds and offenses when they happen? Certainly a grieving process needs to occur. But what will our end response be? 

I read an article where a young woman was describing how her mom and brother were killed in a terrible shooting perpetrated by the U.S. government. Her mother and 14-year old brother were shot before her eyes as a 16-year old teenager. Her mother had been carrying her baby sister in her arms when she was killed. It took her 10 years to grieve. She says, "I was afraid to laugh because you're betraying their memory. I lived as a prisoner of depression for a long time." But finally, she chose to let go and forgive the perpetrators.

"I hit rock bottom," she said. "I opened up my Bible and read John 3:16. Jesus made himself very real to me. He started healing me of all my pain. No one drug me to a church and started hitting with the Bible. It was more real to me even than (the incident). I feel like a huge weight's come off my shoulders... The anger you hold for someone else imprisons you and keeps you from helping others," she said.

Wow. I pray that we are all able to speak 'the language of heaven', no matter the offense, and let Jesus our Healer heal every wound that's ever been inflicted upon us as we make the choice to forgive.


Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/09/woman-forgives-federal-agents/

Spiritual Strongholds

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." -2 Corinthians 10:4

Have you ever heard of a “stronghold”?  A stronghold in a spiritual influence in our lives that compels us to make decisions that aren’t good for our spiritual or even physical well-being. Much stronger than a habit, a stronghold is something that makes us feel as if we don’t have any control over its influence.  When in fact the truth is, through the power of God’s Spirit, we do. 

Some examples of strongholds are:

• Fear 
• Rejection
• Heaviness/Depression
• Sexual Sin
• Addiction
• Judgment/Legalism

The root of strongholds are either negative memories where the stronghold was allowed to come in, or strongholds can also be passed down generationally. Have you ever noticed how families seem to have the same types of problems unless someone within that family "breaks the mold"?  Pregnancy out of wedlock, suicide, drug dependence and other ‘less serious’ problems can result from generational strongholds. We can also invite strongholds into our lives by our own choices and behaviors. Getting our needs met outside of God's design can open the door to a stronghold. Often we may not be aware of a stronghold’s influence over our lives.

Do you struggle with longstanding behaviors and thought patterns and wonder why you cannot overcome them? You may be influenced by a spiritual stronghold.  Some of the roots of strongolds and their anecdotes are below.  God desires that we be free from strongholds and their destructive influence.  Do you have any strongholds that may be holding you back in your life?

(For more on spiritual strongholds and how to overcome them, see the workbook "Demolishing Strongholds.")

Jesus Left the Competition

"Jesus realized that the Pharisees were keeping count of the baptisms that He and John performed (although His disciples, not Jesus, did the actual baptizing). They had posted the score that Jesus was ahead, turning hHm and John into rivals in the eyes of the people. So Jesus left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee." -John 4:1 MSG

Is competition biblical? In a hurried world where results produce promotion and accolade, it is so easy to get our eyes off where our central focus should be: Jesus. Yes it is right to work diligently and wholeheartedly (Prov 12:27), yes it is good to excel and be faithful (Luke 19:17) - but is it okay to be competitive?

In the Bible there is no mention of the word “competition”, but we can gather from Jesus’ example that He competed with no one. The moment it was suggested that someone was keeping score, Jesus left the playing field entirely.

I remember being a kid in elementary school being put up to the challenge of who could complete the Hooked on Phonics book first. I was definitely up for it, (English was my strong suit), so I worked hard to get the book done before anybody else. It was down to me and the last guy, and I remember staying up late one night to finish it. I was excited to bring that phonics book in complete that day and win the contest. But even though I won, the truth is, it didn’t add anything to my value.

Having a challenge or contest is not wrong, and neither is sports. But when we begin to operate in striving, our worth becomes tied to our performance - and we can miss God’s love completely. Everything we receive comes from Him, not through our own human efforts. (2 Cor 3:5) We have to be careful to check our motives and listen to His heart for us and on behalf of others.

Is there anything you may need to adjust in your life to help you keep a right focus? We don’t need to be bound to performance - instead, we need a greater revelation of God’s love for us, being led by His Spirit, and trust in Him that He will provide for all of our needs.

Obedience Leads to Life

"They refused to keep my decrees and follow my regulations, even though obedience would have given them life." -Ezekiel 20:11 NLT
 
A lot of the time we wonder how following God will turn out. We wonder why we should live by Christian principles, or why God told Adam and Eve not to eat the apple. "Why not?" we wonder. "What's so bad about 'A' or 'B'? we might ask. 

Additionally, sometimes God asks us to step out and do some scary things. We might fear the outcome of following God's leading. What will people think? What will happen? He does not call us to be foolish - but sometimes He calls us to step outside our comfort zone so that more of His kingdom might be present on earth. He calls us to walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7.) 

Once I was in prayer with a group of intercessors when I was 19 years old. One of them said, "You're going to go to a school to learn about God." I thought I was already learning so much about God, but I decided to try and follow God's leading. So I began to look for schools to learn more about God. 

As I searched online, I found a school that taught worship leading, and I was really interested in that! After attending the part-time program, I went full-time for two more years. As a result, I experienced much growth, joy, fulfillment, new relationships and most of all new life as a part of following God's leading. 

We don't need to be afraid of what God calls us to do. His way always leads to more life, and we will grow as a result of following Him. 

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." -John 10:10

100% Faith

"When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice."  -Genesis 22: 9 & 10

I can't imagine how Abraham must have felt after God told him to sacrifice his son.  I mean, what kind of God is this?  God’s people didn’t traditionally offer up their children as sacrifices - the pagan people did that.  Nevertheless, this is what Abraham was instructed to do, and he heeded the instruction.

We never see Abraham flinch as he is going up the mountain with Isaac.  There is no account of him stopping along the way, crying out to God, or questioning his faith.  There is no record of an emotional breakdown, a furrowed face; even a tear.  But, we do know that Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith. (Romans 4:3) It only appears that he had unwavering faith that day, faith that God was good and that He would indeed provide.

Abraham, in spite of getting to the 11:59th hour, stood firm.  The lamb was not provided at the base of the mountain.  Nor was it provided halfway up the mountain.  It was not even provided as Abraham was building the altar.  No, the lamb was provided as Abraham picked up the knife.  This speaks a great deal about TOTAL - not partial or limited - faith.  Abraham didn’t hold anything back.

Then the angel spoke. "Don’t lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son." v.12

What could God do with faith like that?  Do you have 100% faith? 

God Hurts Too

"Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. They will know that I alone am the Lord and that I was serious when I said I would bring this calamity on them." -Ezekiel 6:9, 10 NLT
 
A while back a fairly well-known rock band came out with a song called, "Love Hurts." The song rang with a lot of truths - love, as we know it, hurts sometimes. 

In a similar sense, our relationship with God is a lot like a love story. In the New Testament, God calls us (the church, the body of believers), His bride, and Jesus is the bridegroom. It's an analogy of how Jesus paid the price for our sins, and invites us to live with Him in eternity. It was out of His love for mankind that He made such a sacrifice, and overcame our decision to sin. 

Even though we may think of God as unwavering and unstoppable, so strong and mighty, and He is immune to any harm, that is not the case with God's heart. He cares so much for mankind, that when we do things to turn away from Him, He is hurt. 

This is referenced by the verse above, "They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols." The story between God and mankind was the original love story, with God getting rejected many many times - outside of His perfect will for the world. 

In our own lives, sometimes it's good to think about any areas in which we might need to repent to keep the line open between God in ourselves. Frequently asking Him, "God is there anything I've done that has hurt Your heart?" is a good place to start. We want to be sure we are good with God, at all times.

American Idols

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." -Matthew 10:37, 38
 
We live in a culture today where our idols define us. We may call ourselves a Christian nation, but more so than that, we love the freedoms that we have because of it. There is nothing wrong with living a free life, but without God in it, or at the center of it, our lives will be lacking something great.

I find it interesting that Jesus, when talking about the importance of loving others, goes from talking about loving others to saying, "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." That's a pretty strong statement. I could see some households getting stirred up over that one. But do you know what? It refers to the power of idols in our lives.

Whenever we make something greater in our minds than God, whenever we love something more, care more about what others think, care more about what others do, that person or thing begins to sit on the throne of our heart, where God should be. We do it all the time, even with little things that get in the way. "I can't believe what he/she said about me!" we might say. It could even be ourselves we love more. But anytime other people's words define us that are not in agreement with what God says about us, we are letting that person become an idol to us.

Family is often the primary place we receive and establish our identities. If family isn't present to help with this process and point us toward God as our source for identity, or the effect of the family has been primarily negative, we'll go elsewhere to try and answer these questions: "Who am I, and what am I meant for?" Often the world has a myriad of answers that may not line up with what God says about us. Many of those answers through people we might look up to in music, in hollywood, and in business. But are these people where we should find our identity & purpose in life? Are they correct in what they say (through their example) we should be?

Jesus says in the same passage, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." -Matthew 10:37, 38

Do someone else's thoughts define you? I pray that instead we be overcome by the loving power of God, and that he would sit on the throne of our hearts, telling us who we truly are in Him

God's Timing

"But the angel said, 'I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time - God's time.'" -Luke 1:20

In the Bible, Zachariah was a priest who lived during the reign of King Herod.  He and his wife Elizabeth were God-fearing people, who the Bible says, “lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God.”  (Luke 1:6)

Zachariah and his wife had always wanted children, but they couldn’t conceive.  At this time, they were getting “quite old.” (v. 7)

One day, Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties at the temple, on his assigned schedule.  It was his turn to enter the sanctuary and burn incense.  While he was there, something incredible happened: an angel appeared to Him and told him he and his wife would have a son. 

At first, Zachariah didn’t believe him. "Do you expect me to believe this?” he said. “I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."  The angel again confirmed what he was saying, made Zachariah mute, and said, “Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time – God’s time.”(v. 20)

Sometimes in life we can doubt God’s working in our lives.  We may feel we are too young, too old, too ill equipped or too unholy for God to use us.  This is when God shows us we are to “mute our feelings” so we don’t speak doubt and death over His plan for us.  Our part is trusting God, keeping His ways, and living with a “clear conscience” as Zachariah and his wife did.  We can’t make God’s will happen in our own strength.

Are you able to trust God’s timing?

Arrested Development

Photo credit: http://izoooba.deviantart.com/art/Sad-Kid-244199365

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." -1 Cor 13:11
 
Dr. Paul Hegstrom is the author of a book called Broken Children, Grown Up Pain. A psychologist himself, Dr. Hegstrom describes a phenomenon known as "arrested development", in which people are emotionally stunted due to past childhood traumas that occur before the ages of 9 and 12 years old. 

I went through a biblically-based training he developed called Lifeskills, and the knowledge and revelation I received was truly life-changing. Traumatic experiences are classified as emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, neglect, and excessive rejection. When these experiences happen when we're young, we take them in as truth. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." -Proverbs 22:6 The enemy's lies about us and our identity can get planted very early - limiting us from being able to receive God's love for us and understand our true identity and calling in Him. 

Dr. Drew Pinsky, famed celebrity psychiatrist and host of the show Loveline also describes this phenomenon happening in our culture today, as it relates to the increasing trend of narcissism: "As I continue to talk with these people {celebrities}, they usually reveal childhood experiences that were clearly traumatic - the kinds of damaging episodes that are at the root of narcissistic disorders." pg. 106, The Mirror Effect 
 
But, there is good news! God can heal us of any kind of wound we may have experienced during our growing up years. "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard."  - Isaiah 58:8 

Can you see any areas where you might be arrested in your emotions? Can you see where others might have had some wounds in their past? Pray and ask God to help to heal you in these areas, and that you also might be a healing force in the life of someone else. Our heavenly Father desires that we be healed of any lie from the enemy, so that we can grow strong in our faith and know His love, be free from our wounds, and come to full maturity in Him. His love never fails. (1 Cor 13:8)

When God Seems Far Away

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5

Have you ever felt far away from God? I have. I'm sure every Christian, no matter their circumstance has felt far from God at one time or another. But, why do we feel this way? Do we have to feel this way? Surely God doesn't want us to feel or be far away from Him!
 
God, as a loving Father and shepherd, always wants us to live under the shadow of His wing, in His arms, all the time. He doesn't want His sheep, His children to be far from Him. In the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis, everything was perfect. Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God in the Garden. But, once they sinned, their sin separated them from God's presence. (Genesis 3)
 
How can we resolve this dilemma? Because of the sin of the world, we may feel far away from God, even if we're not in direct rebellion. Desert times will come where we may feel abandoned. But it's during these times when we learn to trust Him in spite of our feelings that we can reap the greatest reward by discovering what He has for us. Still other times, we may venture off to places He never intended for us to go. We need to be humble enough to come back into His arms, and realize that it's never too late to return to Him - much like the son in the parable who squandered his inheritance but returned home to his father who welcomed him with tears of joy and open arms. (Matthew 21:28-32)
 
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" -Hebrews 13:5
 
When Jesus came, He was the atonement for our sins. He is the intermediary. He is the way to the Holy Spirit, to God's presence. Whenever we feel far away, we can pray and ask God to embrace us again. We can worship Him, even if we don't feel like it. The Bible says God is a "present-help" in times of trouble. (Ps 46:1) We need to confess these promises over our lives, and go where he is leading us.
 
Does God feel far away? Ask Him to reveal His purposes for you during this season. He is still with you.

"...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." -Matt 28:19-20

Considering the Cost

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" -Luke 14:28
 
If you've ever tried to do something great, you'll know it has a huge cost. Anytime we attempt to accomplish something more than most people will, we'll experience more roadblocks than most people. The question is are we willing to make the sacrifices to do that may be such a challenge? We may discover that when we do, the payoff is much greater than we could ever imagine.

If you want a fit body, there's a cost. It probably involves a LOT of working out. It probably also involves making sacrifices in the type of food you eat. If you want to grow a business, it will cost you time - a LOT of time. If you want an amazing family, it will cost you time, effort, money, blood, sweat, and tears (literally). If you've already made the commitment, for any of those things, then it has become responsibility. But, everyday, we still choose whether to endure the cost and reap the benefit, or to disengage ourselves from the task at hand and become mediocre at what we're doing. It's a "heart-thing".

Jesus' calling had a cost - His life. Sometimes we'll do something that enlivens us -that gives us hope for the future and brings meaning to our lives. We'll discover where we fit, where we belong. We'll discover where our gifts and talents can be multiplied to affect the lives of others for good. When we discover any of those things, we'll know for sure the cost was worth the sacrifice.

Sometimes this sacrifice requires us to die to ourselves, to our own desires. It may require us to overcome our fears. It most probably requires us to lay down our lives at the foot of the cross, saying, "God, use me for whatever purpose you may have for my life." It involves submission. But, once we're willing to do this, we'll experience life to the greatest extent we've ever known. "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

Are you willing to endure the cost for what you feel God calling you to? I pray we'll all be able to endure the cost, whatever it may be, to grow God's kingdom for the good of this world.

Don’t Sell Out! (Purpose vs. Provision)

"For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." -Col 3:3

In life, there is a great temptation to go for the next big thing:  the next big business, the next big degree, the next big job opportunity.  But in the kingdom, things are different.  God works quite differently than we do, His ways are higher than our ways.  (Is 55:9) Sometimes the thing that looks the best may not be the best for us - the best that God has in mind.

Sometimes we can get stuck seeking provision first, instead of seeking our Provider.  Sometimes we can get stuck seeking out approval or affirmation from people, instead of going to God first and experiencing His love. Other times we’ll see our value in our accomplishments, instead of seeing that God created us with value, before we ever did anything to deserve it.  Our value is built upon His love for us.

We can so easily sell out and miss our purpose by seeking other things before God’s will in our lives.  What is He doing? What is He saying?  Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing - nothing more, nothing less.  (John 5:19)

Are we seeking God's kingdom first? (Matt 6:33) Are we putting His purposes first before seeking out provision?  God will make sure our needs are met when we put His kingdom first.  God has all the answers we need for our business, our ministry, our relationships, our finances, and our personal lives.

Today, avoid "selling out" in your calling by putting Him first.  We will experience so much peace and life by keeping Him at the center of our lives, fulfilling the purpose He gave us to do.

The True Nature of God

"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." -1 John 4:16
 
Many times we are taught to believe, consciously or subconsciously, either through culture, the media, or false religious teachings, that God is certain things He is not. I used to believe that God was angry and menacing, ready to strike me down if I sinned! But I have since realized that God is not that way at all... 

Until we have had an encounter with the true God, who knows us completely and loves us so much, we will not know who He really is.

According to the Bible, God is:

• Good (Ps 73:1, Ps 116:5, Mark 10:18, Ps 135:3)
• Just (Hebrews 6:10, Deut 32:4, Ps 52:1, Ps 36:6, Ps 40:9, Ps 94:1, Ps 89:14, Ps 119:142)
• Creative (Genesis 1, 2 Kings 19:15, Job 26:10, Job 31:15, Ps 33:6, Ps 89:11, Ps 104:30, Prov 8:22)
• Merciful (Ps 116:5, Jonah 4:2, Eph 2:4)
• Holy (Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19, 1 Sam 2:2, Ps 71:22, Ps 99:5, Is 48:17, Hosea 11:9, 1 Peter 1:15)
• Defender (Ps 48:3, Ps 68:5, Prov 22:23, Is 51:22)
• Righteous (Ps 89:14, Is 45:21,1 John 2:29)
• Fun (Commanding celebrations & feasts) (Exodus 12:14, 12:17, 12:47, 23:14, Deut 14:26, 16:10, 16:11, 16:15, 16:16, Neh 8:17, Ps 21:13, Prov 23:16, etc., 1 Cor 5:8)
• Faithful (Deut 7:4, 7:9, 32:4, Ps 71:22, Ps 89:8, Ps 98:3, 1 Cor 1:9, 1 Thes 5:24)
• Great (Ps 70:4, Exodus 18:11, Deut 3:24, 7:21, 10:17, 2 Chronicles 2:5, 2 Sam 7:22, Job 22:12)
• All-Knowing (1 Cor 13:12, 1 John 3:20, Ps 94:10, Matt 6:18)
• Savior (Zeph 3:17, Is 45:21, Ps 18:2, Ps 38:22, Ps 43:5, Ps 70:5, Is 43:3, Is 43:11, Luke 2:11, John 4:42, Acts 13:23, Titus 1:4, 1 John 4:14, Jude 1:25)
• Compassionate (Jonah 4:2, Exodus 34:6, Deut 13:17, Ps 51:1, Ps 86:15, Ps 103:8, Mark 1:41, Luke 6:36)
• Available (Deut 4:7, Ps 91:15, Isaiah 58:9, Jeremiah 29:13)
• Sovereign (Gen 15:2, Exodus 23:17, Deut 9:26, Joshua 7:7, Judges 6:22, 2 Sam 7:19, Acts 4:24)
• Slow to anger (Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18)
• All-Powerful, Mighty (Ps 77:13, 2 Chronicles 20:6, Jeremiah 27:5, Acts 4:10)
• Kind (Romans 2:4, Romans 11:5&6, 2 Cor 6:1)
• Love, most of all (1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:16, John 3:16, Micah 7:18, Rom 8:39, Eph 3:18)

God's love comes first. The reason He is everything else He is is because of His love. Jesus is the ultimate expression and personality of God on the earth, because He, too, was God.

Have you experienced God's true nature and His unending love for you today? How have you seen God show up in your life? Why not get to know Him better. He wants to hang out with each of us and help us, in every area of our lives.

The Gift in Adversity

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." -James 1:2&3

 
I often reminisce on my family history. So much of what we encounter in our daily lives roots back to our childhood experiences. (See Paul Hegstrom's book Broken Children, Grown-Up Pain.) But when I think of what happened then, I no longer see it as something to avoid and diminish as awful. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't fun, and I still deal with the consequences of some of what happened then. But instead of feeling full of dread I am filled with gratitude that God allowed me to be in such a place so that I would need to depend on Him more, and that I would know Him as my Heavenly Father. In place of the pain and hurt, He has placed irrevocable joy.

I doubt many of us that are in or have been in difficult circumstances could call them a blessing. It has taken a lot of time, a lot of healing, and a lot of restoration, but it was so worth the cost. The joy of knowing Christ and experiencing His peace, love and joy in spite of circumstances is better than any diamond, ruby or emerald on this earth, or any comfort we might enjoy. If you've never been through adversity, you'll never know how valuable it is to be without it. And, you'll never know the blessing of the depth of God experiences we need in order to get us through those tough times.


Someone once told my dad, "God must love you a lot. He does not allow such difficult experiences into a life that He does not plan to use greatly."

Have you discovered the gift in adversity?

Garbage In, Garbage Out!

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” -Romans 12:2

Have you ever noticed how certain forms of media, whether it’s the news, music, or movies, can make us feel worse after we’ve been under their influence?  In contrast, have you noticed how certain things make you feel better, feel inspired, or gain a different outlook on life? 

How we spend our time and what we listen to affects our lives, whether we realize it or not.  It may not be apparent immediately, but we may notice ourselves saying more negative things after watching a news broadcast, or being more edgy than normal after watching a certain TV show. The type of people we hang around are likely the type of people we will be. 

Much like diet and health, (we are what we eat), what we pay attention to will likely affect us, in a positive or negative way.  That’s why it’s essential we create for ourselves good habits, for a good spiritual diet.  When we cloud our minds with negativity, we close ourselves off to possibility.  The “can’ts” outnumber the “how’s” when we let outside forces do our thinking for us.  We need to be intentional about what we allow into our lives daily.  These things, no matter how small they may seem, can affect us for the long haul. 

Who, or what, do you want influencing you?  Do you want the media, news and stock reports, and reality TV influencing your life?  Or, would you rather the Bible, good teaching, worship and education to improve your skills influencing you?

What are you feeding yourself daily?

garbage in, garbage out

Remaining Faithful In Spite of Unfaithfulness

"When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, 'Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.' So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son." -Hosea 1:2-3
 
Sometimes, people disappoint us. Sometimes, things don't work out as we want them to. Sometimes, in the midst of our circumstances we are faced with a choice: Giving people a dose of what they may deserve, or remaining faithful and full of hope despite other people's choices. This is invariably difficult. Nonetheless, it is something our Savior taught us to do through his example.

What does this look like in our lives? We may never deal with something as severe as an unfaithful partner in a marriage, but we may. We might encounter let downs in life that leave us feeling like we should let life down as well. But this never produces a good outcome for us. God promises that He is faithful to us. Will we in turn be faithful to Him? "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful" (1 Corinthians 1:9.)

Being faithful means that when our friends let us down, we don't return the favor. We can let them know how it makes us feel, but then we can let it go and be done with it. Being faithful means finishing work projects on time and diligently. Being faithful means moving toward what we feel God calling us to. Being faithful means we have the right priorities - we love God first and love others as we love ourselves. It means we are faithful to God and not our idols. Jesus is faithful to love a bride that often refuses to love Him back. He said and models, "I will never leave you or forsake you."

We are living in a time where unfaithfulness runs rampant. Are we going to be the counter-effect, as Hosea was? Are we going to be the difference people need to see? Are we going to reflect the Christ that is always faithful? However difficult, I pray that we will be. And in turn, Christ's glory through us will be able to shine.

Will God find you faithful in spite of unfaithfulness?

The Gift in Singleness

“But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another.” -1 Corinthians 7:7

Paul talks in 1 Corinthians about the question of whether it is better to be married or single. He expresses the idea that it’s okay to be married, but to not seek out a relationship if you’re single.  (1 Cor 7: 27)

I believe as a culture we’ve done a great disservice to people who are single.  Our churches are filled with families, and often the church can become a “meat market” for getting into relationship with someone.  We may feel pressured to be in a relationship in order to fit in.  We may fear being alone. But, the time when we’re single is in fact our greatest opportunity to serve God and develop a deeper relationship with Him.  (1 Cor 7:32-35) 

Many of us had family situations that were less than ideal growing up. We might have been given a blueprint to look for a dysfunctional mate as a result of our upbringing.  Or, we might still be looking to resolve issues of love, acceptance, and value by getting into relationship with other people, when we need to look to God for that unconditional love and acceptance.

What are some of the things you can do while you are single to prepare for God’s future blessings in your life?

• Set out to discover your personality, gifts and talents, and most of all your passion
• Find places to serve God, in your church and community - perhaps even abroad
• Further your skills by investing in training or education
• Develop kingdom relationships with people who have similar desires

Treasure the time you have while you are single.  It is a gift, just as much as being married is a gift.  When you honor God with everything you have and seek Him, He will honor you in that.  We find that when we delight ourselves in God, He will give us the desires of our heart.  (Ps 37:4)

Turn, Turn, Turn

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." -James 4:14

When I turned 10 years old, my parents took me to a really nice restaurant for my birthday. It was called the Sundial, located in the heart of Atlanta atop the Westin Peachtree hotel on the 73rd floor. I was so excited to go - mostly because of what I had heard about it - the floor moved!

When we got there and sat down, it didn't appear that we were moving at all. But in between talking and eating we realized that the next time we looked, we were seeing a different view of the buildings. It was so cool! Within a 1-hour time span we had seen an entire panorama of the city - but we had barely noticed because we were moving so slow.

In Psalms it says, "Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!" (Ps 89:47) Our days are numbered - not that we should live in haste. But it is important that we recognize the value of the time that we have. Are we spending it wisely? Are we not counting our years, but making them count?

During that dinner I remember looking at the floor and seeing the difference between the part that moved and the part that didn't. It was ever so slight. But if I stood in one place for long enough, my parents would have vanished. Isn't that true with us? Because the world is always moving, we need to be intentional about moving forward, so that we won't miss what God is wanting to do in our lives. Faith requires movement, action. Sometimes our action is waiting. But, there is always action. The husband of our worship director once said, "If you're not moving forward, by default you're moving backward."

Are you moving forward in your life? Are you making the moments count? There is so much that could be done on this earth for the good of God's kingdom. What has God called you to?

Following Directions

"Because you Levites did not carry the Ark the first time, the anger of the Lord our God burst out against us. We failed to ask God how to move it properly."  -1 Chronicles 15:12, 13 NLT

Have you ever had to follow directions?  We have to follow directions all of the time in order to have success in something.  We follow directions to get to a particular destination, to make a cake, or to build something that requires assembly.  So why would the assembly of our lives be any different?

Jesus said, "anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand." -Matthew 7:26  It's true that for any area of life, we need to follow directions from someone who has had success in that area in order to see success ourselves.  There are so many people who have had success in different areas of life - in faith, in marriage, in business, in ministry, in people skills, etc.  Do you know anyone who has had success in these areas?

Unfortunately, there is one simple thing that can keep us from the success others have experienced - we fail to follow directions.  (This is especially true of those called to leadership - we are often strong-willed!)  But, in order to gain success in any area of life, it requires following directions from someone more experienced than us.  We need to get over our rebellion (yikes!) and do the thing or things advised.

Uzzah the Levite reached out to steady the Ark of the Covenant in transport, even though he was instructed not to touch it.  Although he did what he thought was the right thing, because he did not follow directions, he dropped dead!
 
Can you think of any areas of your life where you've been given direction, but you need to follow it?  Pray and ask God to give you the grace to follow those directions, and see your life begin to change for the better.

Build and Fight

"The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. All the builders had a sword belted to their side." -Nehemiah 4:17&18
 
Sometimes life requires that we do two things at the same time. Nehemiah was burdened for the city of Jerusalem, and he wanted to rebuild the walls and gates. However, Israel's enemies didn't want them to rebuild, and so they began attacking them at the same time they were building. 

"But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion." (Nehemiah 4:7&8) The Israelites had to both build and fight at the same time. 

The story of Nehemiah is a great example of how life often is. Often we are stepping out in faith, fighting for our promise, and earning a living to take care of our families, using wisdom. Sometimes we are going to school at the same time we are working. Sometimes we are working on our dream at the same time we are working at our "job." As a business owner, you have to go out and build your business at the same time you are doing the day to day activities to keep it running. In sports, not only do you have to play offense, you have to learn how to play defense too. Paul saw himself and others in a parallel battle as Christians: 

"We faithfully preach the truth. God's power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense." -2 Corinthians 6:7
 
Has God called you to build and fight? Ask Him for the grace and strength to do both if you find yourself in such a season today.

Increased Capacity

"And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." Mark 2:22
 
If you've ever been running, you'll know that the body takes an extraordinary amount of energy and oxygen to keep going. If you've ever started a new running routine, it can be overwhelming realizing how out of shape we can be! Running just 300 yards can leave us gasping for air, and frustrated with ourselves. But, just like our hearts, our lungs increase in their capacity as they are worked to improve blood flow and respiration. As we continue to pursue our goals what first seemed overwhelming becomes easier. Soon, running even 3 miles is a breeze as we've trained our lungs' and hearts' capacity for growth.

This is much like our walk (or run) of faith.

As we develop our gifts and calling in God, we need increased capacity so he can rule and reign even more in our lives. Often the old ways of thinking won't do for where we?re headed, and we need a brand new way of thinking in order to keep us on track. (New wine skins.) God is never stagnant.

Although His character remains the same, walking with Him requires us to change, so that we can be continuously renewed. Our minds, souls, and spirits have to "stretch" to allow the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit to rule them, as we allow Him to increase our capacity. Growth hurts sometimes, as does change. But these are two necessary pieces if we are going to move forward into God's plans for our lives.

Are there areas where God is trying to increase your capacity; for love, for faith, for grace? Be open to the challenge. You never know what will come of it as a result.