"Have it Your Way"….sounds great, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be great to get what you want and when you want it? But this brings up a bigger question…do we actually know what is best for us? You might question my sanity at first for asking this…you might ask me who else knows what we want/need better than ourselves. However, you don't have to look very far around to see that our desire to fulfill our short-term wants can have some unintended consequences. Do you think the cheating spouse, the gossiping co-worker, the person suffering from addiction really thought about how much their actions could cost them in the long run?
Fortunately, God is able to see our past, present, and future all at once (remember that foreknowing is not the same as forechoosing). He knows what is best for us, even if we can't see why at the time (see the account of Noah as an example, Genesis 6:9-9:28). Does any athlete really enjoy having to run in practice for hours on end? But this training is necessary for the athlete to be able to perform at his/her best during the competition (2nd Timothy 4:7).
It is easy to think we have all the answers and that the world should run he we see fit. Think about how that would really work out…do you really know how to run the world better than its Creator? How about our own lives? Are we able to do any better there? We need almighty God to make our ways straight (Proverbs 3:6). Isn't it time for us to turn to the greatest Counselor of all time to lead our steps?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
God is Better Than Shaft...
And Kobe....and Tiger….and anyone else we try to line up against God. Hollywood stars, no problem….Political figures, forget about it….Military leaders, please. None of these are able to claim the title of almighty God or Lover and Savior of our souls.
Why then do we pay so much attention to these "stars"? We give them our awe, respect, and praises. Then we so often take what God has done, is doing, and will do for granted…at least until we get in a bind and try to use God as a "spare tire". Imagine for a moment that you were invited (undeservedly) to a party by Tom Brady, Bill Clinton, or Julia Roberts…do we think they would appreciate us making a total mess of their events? How much would they appreciate it if we waited to ask for help when things got way out of hand? Why then do we treat God this way? Don't get me wrong here…we certainly can (and should) ask for God's help when we are in trouble. What I am trying to say is that we often give more respect and obedience to people than we do to the Creator of the universe. We fear the temporary that is right in front of us (Psalm 27:1; Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 51:7; Luke 12:4-7) instead of respectfully fearing almighty God (Proverbs 1:7, 1:33, 9:10, 10:27, 14:16, 14:26, 19:23, 31:30…there are many more). Talk about having things upside-down.
Let's give almighty God the respect, awe, and adoration that He deserves. Scratch that, we cannot ever give God enough of these qualities as He deserves…but that doesn't mean that we can't try our darnedest to do just that. That doesn't mean that we can't appreciate the gifts God has given people to use here on Earth….let's just don't forget who the Greatest really is.
Why then do we pay so much attention to these "stars"? We give them our awe, respect, and praises. Then we so often take what God has done, is doing, and will do for granted…at least until we get in a bind and try to use God as a "spare tire". Imagine for a moment that you were invited (undeservedly) to a party by Tom Brady, Bill Clinton, or Julia Roberts…do we think they would appreciate us making a total mess of their events? How much would they appreciate it if we waited to ask for help when things got way out of hand? Why then do we treat God this way? Don't get me wrong here…we certainly can (and should) ask for God's help when we are in trouble. What I am trying to say is that we often give more respect and obedience to people than we do to the Creator of the universe. We fear the temporary that is right in front of us (Psalm 27:1; Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 51:7; Luke 12:4-7) instead of respectfully fearing almighty God (Proverbs 1:7, 1:33, 9:10, 10:27, 14:16, 14:26, 19:23, 31:30…there are many more). Talk about having things upside-down.
Let's give almighty God the respect, awe, and adoration that He deserves. Scratch that, we cannot ever give God enough of these qualities as He deserves…but that doesn't mean that we can't try our darnedest to do just that. That doesn't mean that we can't appreciate the gifts God has given people to use here on Earth….let's just don't forget who the Greatest really is.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The Receiver’s Mentality
Have you ever noticed how many receivers always want the ball? Have you noticed how some receivers will pout, get angry, and even quit playing as hard because they are not getting the ball as much as they want?
These receivers sometimes say “I want the ball because I give my team the best chance to win.” How arrogant is this? Do these receivers honestly think that their coaches and quarterbacks are trying to sabotage their chance of winning? How poorly must they think of the other receivers and running backs on their team in order to say this?
Now turn the switch…how often do we act like one of these receivers with God? How often do we say that I want what I want, when I want it and not a moment later? How often do we pout, get angry with God, or excuse ourselves for disobeying Him because we feel that He “didn’t answer our prayers”? Did we ever consider that God has other options available that we might not have considered? Did we ever consider that maybe we aren’t ready for the option we want so badly and need more training? Is the route we want to run an option that pleases God? Are we loafing because the ball wasn’t thrown our way recently?
God is the greatest quarterback and wants to use all Christians that make themselves available for His use. However, he won’t use us when we aren’t willing to following His play calls or take plays off when we don’t feel like we are being used properly. It’s a beautiful sight to see a quarterback pick apart a defense. God is able to plow through the defense on His own, but He wants to use us as part of His game plan. So, let’s accept God’s gracious offer to use us as tools to accomplish His great work.
These receivers sometimes say “I want the ball because I give my team the best chance to win.” How arrogant is this? Do these receivers honestly think that their coaches and quarterbacks are trying to sabotage their chance of winning? How poorly must they think of the other receivers and running backs on their team in order to say this?
Now turn the switch…how often do we act like one of these receivers with God? How often do we say that I want what I want, when I want it and not a moment later? How often do we pout, get angry with God, or excuse ourselves for disobeying Him because we feel that He “didn’t answer our prayers”? Did we ever consider that God has other options available that we might not have considered? Did we ever consider that maybe we aren’t ready for the option we want so badly and need more training? Is the route we want to run an option that pleases God? Are we loafing because the ball wasn’t thrown our way recently?
God is the greatest quarterback and wants to use all Christians that make themselves available for His use. However, he won’t use us when we aren’t willing to following His play calls or take plays off when we don’t feel like we are being used properly. It’s a beautiful sight to see a quarterback pick apart a defense. God is able to plow through the defense on His own, but He wants to use us as part of His game plan. So, let’s accept God’s gracious offer to use us as tools to accomplish His great work.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Country Club Culture
Have you ever gone to church and think that you took a wrong turn and wound up at the country club instead? I’m not trying to run down dressing nice or church programs that develop Christians for service. However, there seems to be a mentality of “what am I going to get out of going to a church” out there.
The last time I checked “big church” was called a worship service. This means that we are coming together as believers to celebrate the almighty God of the universe. It is our chance to give a little back to Him out of the bountiful gifts that he has given us in acknowledgment of all of who He is and what He has done for us. Don’t get me wrong…God doesn’t need us to tell Him that He is great…we need these times to reminded of His greatness and His plans for us.
So, going to worship isn’t about how nice we look, what type of car we drive, or what types of church programs we lead. It is acknowledging how great God is and learning how we can allow Him to make us more like Christ…and lest we forget, Christ was welcomed to the world by dirty, raggedy shepherds (Luke 2:8-20), recruited a tax collector (Mark 2:14…tax collectors were hated back in the day), and saved a repentant criminal while on the cross (Luke 23:40-43). So let us think twice before we judge people for their wardrobe or their church attendance. Let us come instead to focus of the God that is the great Savior of our souls.
The last time I checked “big church” was called a worship service. This means that we are coming together as believers to celebrate the almighty God of the universe. It is our chance to give a little back to Him out of the bountiful gifts that he has given us in acknowledgment of all of who He is and what He has done for us. Don’t get me wrong…God doesn’t need us to tell Him that He is great…we need these times to reminded of His greatness and His plans for us.
So, going to worship isn’t about how nice we look, what type of car we drive, or what types of church programs we lead. It is acknowledging how great God is and learning how we can allow Him to make us more like Christ…and lest we forget, Christ was welcomed to the world by dirty, raggedy shepherds (Luke 2:8-20), recruited a tax collector (Mark 2:14…tax collectors were hated back in the day), and saved a repentant criminal while on the cross (Luke 23:40-43). So let us think twice before we judge people for their wardrobe or their church attendance. Let us come instead to focus of the God that is the great Savior of our souls.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The Ultimate Quarterback
Have you ever watched a football game and seen a receiver leap in the air for a pass thrown over the middle? This type of play especially catches my attention when the defender(s) is (are) ready to knock the receiver’s head off. The amount of trust the receiver places in the quarterback is huge (as his career could be ended by a huge hit on any given play…and this play is particularly risky to the receiver). The quarterback certainly doesn’t want to the receiver to get hit (or hurt) for no purpose. However, making a large gain sometimes comes at a cost (whether it is a hard hit that requires extra time in the whirlpool the following week or a serious injury).
God is the greatest quarterback because he knows what is needed to advance His kingdom. His passes are always on target for the route we are supposed to run. Missed opportunities (incompletions) only occur when we run the wrong route (being in our will instead of God’s) or when we see the defenders lurking (challenges in the world) and refuse to leap in the air for the ball (lack of faith). There are times when our bodies and mind may be rattled by the hits put on us by the defenders, but our obedience advances God’s cause. However, if a Christian’s career on Earth is ended in serving God (dying in the firm grip of His will), he/she has contributed to something much greater than the game of football. God can use our witness long after we have played our last play on Earth (see the account of Stephen’s death in Acts 7:54-60 which led to the conversion of Saul in Acts 9:1-30 as an example).
So, the real question is who (or what) are we willing to leap over the middle for? Do you trust God enough to follow His will? What about when it looks like doom and gloom are all around and just waiting to pounce? Are we willing to pay the temporary price it may take to work as tools for the greatest quarterback of all time to lead His team (that He created…least I forget that God is also the Coach, GM, and owner of His team) to victory? He’s already won the game (so our obedience or lack thereof won’t affect the final outcome), but wouldn’t it be great to be able to be a tool and catch some passes from the greatest quarterback of all time and advance His cause?
God is the greatest quarterback because he knows what is needed to advance His kingdom. His passes are always on target for the route we are supposed to run. Missed opportunities (incompletions) only occur when we run the wrong route (being in our will instead of God’s) or when we see the defenders lurking (challenges in the world) and refuse to leap in the air for the ball (lack of faith). There are times when our bodies and mind may be rattled by the hits put on us by the defenders, but our obedience advances God’s cause. However, if a Christian’s career on Earth is ended in serving God (dying in the firm grip of His will), he/she has contributed to something much greater than the game of football. God can use our witness long after we have played our last play on Earth (see the account of Stephen’s death in Acts 7:54-60 which led to the conversion of Saul in Acts 9:1-30 as an example).
So, the real question is who (or what) are we willing to leap over the middle for? Do you trust God enough to follow His will? What about when it looks like doom and gloom are all around and just waiting to pounce? Are we willing to pay the temporary price it may take to work as tools for the greatest quarterback of all time to lead His team (that He created…least I forget that God is also the Coach, GM, and owner of His team) to victory? He’s already won the game (so our obedience or lack thereof won’t affect the final outcome), but wouldn’t it be great to be able to be a tool and catch some passes from the greatest quarterback of all time and advance His cause?
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