Responsibility: Peak Performance

Just last weekend, I got a new phone. I didn't need a new one until the sales person convinced me that I did! I was dazzled by all the incredible features that would be at my fingertips, with download speed far superior to what I had on my existing phone. My connectivity would be enhanced, and I would experience far fewer dropped calls. I'll be the first to admit - I didn't know how handicapped I was! Frankly, my "old" phone could pretty much do what the new one does. I don't notice that things download faster, and since I wasn't really experiencing dropped calls, I guess I don't see much improvement! What hooked me was the possibilities of what I could do if I utilized this piece of technological wizardry to its full potential. Like my old phone, this new one has functions that are truly amazing, but unless I take the time to learn how to use them and perfect my use of them, my phone will simply remain a very powerful, but under-utilized tool.

Those of us who call ourselves Christians are too often not unlike these very powerful pocket-sized computers we carry around - we are designed for "greater works" (John 14:12), but we aren't fulfilling our potential. We know that we have access to connectivity that will empower us to carry out our mission (John 14:13,15-17, 26; John 15:5,7), but we don't always take the time to learn how to access that source to put it to use. 

As our kids at church wind down their focus on responsibility, they are asked to consider, "What in the world am I doing to show others God's goodness." That's a question most of us should ask ourselves, and I have certainly been giving it lots of thought. In fact, God has been making sure I have been reflecting on my own response to the responsibility he's given us as Christians.

In Matthew 5, Jesus doesn't hold back. He tells us what our attitudes should be - the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) - and then follows those by placing on our shoulders the responsibility to be "salt and light" to the world (Matthew 5:13-16). I like his illustration - people don't buy lamps just to hide the light they provide. In other words, we want to get the full potential and peak performance from the lamp. 

Even though I have heard and read these verses many times in my life, I was drawn to the phrasing of the verse about salt - "...but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned..." (Matthew 5:13). What caught my attention was the "it" in the phrase "how shall it be seasoned." I wondered could the "it" refer to the "earth," meaning those who don't know the Lord. Supposing that relationship in wording exists, I was convicted of the responsibility I am shirking when I fail to be "salt and light." If we as Christians fail in tapping into and utilizing the resources we've been given so that we operate to our fullest potential, we are not accomplishing our commission. We may function on a basic level, but we are far from the dynamic power-tool God designed us to be.

I have been reflecting lately on the notion that as Christians we have one priority - to serve God by serving others, thus making disciples. When we allow the Holy Spirit to activate that service through us, we bring honor and glory to Him. Others will "...see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). 

God must have known that we really aren't very good at multitasking. He asked one thing of us, and he promised to take care of the rest. Jesus knew the people hearing his "Sermon on the Mount," and all that followed, must have been a bit skeptical. Just as we are, they were most concerned with the day-to-day realities, not with learning how to be "salt and light." But here's what he promises: "...your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:32-33). 

For me, putting first things first is going to be a discipline, an act of faith, but if I believe that God is who he claims to be, then I must trust that if I allow him to use me in service to others, he will make sure that I have whatever he knows I need. I have a responsibility to allow the Holy Spirit to activate fully the functions I've been given to do the work to which I've been called. I want to be working at peak performance! 

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much...." Luke 16:10

Heavenly Father, on paper, the responsibility seems so simple. Putting it into action isn't when I take on jobs you haven't given me to do! Please help me to keep my priorities straight and trust you to take care of everything! Help me to be "salt and light." I want to be counted faithful. In your name, amen.

"Circuit Training" in God's Devoted Follower's Boot Camp

Have you ever stopped to think how lucrative the exercise equipment business is? Buff guys on television "paid programming" make the latest, greatest, "get rock hard abs like mine" machine look so effortless. It's easy to morph into a fit body with sculpted muscles in just a few minutes a day - more like a quick look at the machine - if we can believe the advertising pitch! And it's crazy how many people do believe! We hope that if we have that miracle-working piece of equipment, we will somehow develop the self-discipline it will take to actually use it consistently so that we become fit, like the guy in the ad, without breaking a sweat, and in just a few short sessions. 

So we fork over 4 easy payments of $99.99 plus shipping and handling. When it arrives, we unpack the box with determination, place the "thing" in front of the television, put on our newly purchased work-out gear (it is, after all, all about the look), and begin to exercise, only to discover that the guy on the ad lied. The machine is NOT easy and the effort required to make it work is HUGE! It doesn't take long for our resolve to dissolve and for the equipment to end up in the storage room along with all the other exercise stuff we've accumulated and rejected. 

I wonder if we sometimes assume that becoming a mature Christian is supposed to come without extreme effort, personal sacrifice, and self-discipline. Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the training begins, and it doesn't end until we stand before the Lord, face to face. What is absolutely encouraging is that we have all we need (Phil. 4:19) to develop into "buff Christians." God has given us faith, and he's promised to provide the strength we need to grow in him and to become who he created us to be (Phil. 4:13). He's given us a complete training manual, the Bible, an example to follow, Jesus, and a personal trainer, the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:1-5 is an interesting explanation of the kind of "circuit training" we can expect once we sign on for God's "Devoted Follower's Boot Camp." We discover that first we have entered into relationship with him through faith (Romans 5:1-2). It's this faith that allows us to believe and receive the grace of God and the gift of salvation. It's small faith (maybe the size of a mustard seed - Matthew 17:20), but like muscle and cardio-vascular capacity, it has growth potential! 

Along with this faith, we have hope that, as a result of our salvation, we will know God's glory. Hope goes hand-in-hand with faith (Hebrews 11:1); therefore, hope has room to grow too. But just as muscles and lung capacity don't increase and strengthen by just wishing it so, faith and hope have to be pushed, stretched, and exercised to build endurance. 

God's "training routine" requires that we know "tribulation" (Romans 5:3). But, it's the tribulation that develops patience in us. If we exercise our faith and hope during the tough times, if we stay focused and committed and draw our strength to endure from God, we come out stronger. That strength translates into a "chiseled, Christlike physique," which produces in us the will to keep on following after Christ, doing whatever it takes to become like him. 

The "circuit training" God designs for us follows this pattern - faith to accept salvation, hope for a glorious future with him, tribulation to develop patience, patience to produce experience, and experience that results in more hope (Romans 5:3-5)! 

Romans 8:25 says, "But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." We don't begin our training looking like the physically fit pitch-men in the advertisements, but we do hope that if we are patient (and patience doesn't always mean inactivity) and keep our eyes on the goal, we can develop the fitness God desires for us. 

As we gain endurance, we have the experience to encourage us on to the next level. God wants us to graduate from his "boot camp" fully developed so that on the day that we stand before him, he can say, "Well done! You've run a good race" (I Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1)!


Lord, you know that we need to be pushed to develop into who you intend for us to be. You start our "training" gently, but you know for us to run the race to the finish, we will need more rigor! Thank you for providing all we need to be successful as we mature in our walk with you.

Parenting - The Art of Conversation With God

Communication is a two-way transaction; we speak, and we listen (or we should). My daughters allege that I don't have conversations; I lecture! "Lecturing" doesn't allow for much listening - by the lecturer or by the captive audience! I'm trying to learn to talk less and listen more.


Sometimes, I wonder if God feels that our communication with Him is one-way - us doing all the talking and God doing all the listening. Yet, if we want to know God, we must learn to communicate with Him, by talking and listening. Prayer is the way we talk to Him. Listening to God is another matter. Learning to recognize when He's talking to us is sometimes a challenge.

In our fast-paced, instant everything culture, we aren't used to "waiting on the Lord"; we want to be able to shoot Him an email or text message and get a quick, abbreviated response and then move on. Sometimes, God does work quickly; other times, He seems silent, his response not so obvious. On occasion, God responds, we don't like the response, and we choose to keep looking and listening for one we do like. One thing is certain, though - God always hears and answers our prayers.

Jesus's disciples wanted to be taught to pray; they were given the model we know as "The Lord's Prayer" (Luke 11:1-4), but the verses that follow give additional direction in the way in which we can approach our Heavenly Father (Luke 11:9-13): 

"Here's what I'm saying:

   Ask and you'll get;
   Seek and you'll find;
   Knock and the door will open. 

Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.... And don't you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?" 

This doesn't mean that we should view God as some sort of cosmic Santa Claus or over-indulgent parent that gives his child whatever he or she wants. It does mean that when we come to Him, we can be confident that He already knows what we need and is willing to provide for us - we just have to ask and believe (Matthew 21:22). We do have to trust that God knows best for us because sometimes, just as our children do, we ask for things that aren't in our best interest. We don't know the outcome if God were to give us all we desired,  when we wanted it, and in the way we wanted. He does. He knows what we need and provides (Matthew 6:33).

The other half of the communication equation is listening. Listening for his leading is far more difficult than talking to Him. Each of us has to learn to hear from God. He speaks in ways specific to each individual and each situation. The Bible tells us that as his sheep, we recognize his voice (John 10:4;27).The more we learn to listen when God speaks, the more familiar his voice becomes to us. One of the surest ways to learn his voice is to read his word. When God is speaking to us, or when we think He is, we can validate what He's saying by ensuring that what we're hearing lines up with what we read in the Bible. 

Pastor Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Life, provides seven ways to determine if what we're hearing is from God:

• Does it agree with the Bible? (Luke 21:33) - If what you're hearing doesn't line up with God's word, it's not from the Lord.
• Does it make me more like Christ?(Philippians 2:5) - In other words, if what you think is of the Lord will result in behavior unlike that of Christ, then don't do it!
• Does my church family confirm it? (Ephesians 3:10; Proverbs 11:9) - God puts mature Christians in our lives for a reason; if no one mature in his or her faith supports what you're "hearing," reconsider.
• Is it consistent with how God has shaped me? (Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:6) - Each of us is designed for a unique purpose that no one else can accomplish. If what you believe is from God isn't aligned to your "shape," then rethink what you're hearing.
• Does it concern my responsibility? (Romans 14) - We need to be concerned about God's will for our own lives and allow Him to direct everyone else's lives. In other words, we must be careful in assuming we know what God's will is for others. God may have us tell someone something, but Pastor Warren says to consider three things before acting:
  
  
• God will use you to confirm what He's already said to them. 
• If He uses you to help someone else, you may be unaware that what you are saying is meeting a deeper need than you could have imagined in their lives.
• Trust God to speak to that person before you do.  

• Is it convicting rather than condemning? (I John 1:9; Revelation 12:10) - When God speaks to convict us, He is specific and forgives us immediately when we ask; then, He forgets. Satan simply desires to make us feel bad for what God has already forgiven and forgotten and attempts to convince us that we are worthless.
  
• Do I sense God's peace about it? (I Corinthians 14:33) - God doesn't bring confusion. If what you're hearing is from God, you will know peace if you are obedient and act on what He's saying to you. He's not interested in your making a hasty decision, one that causes you to feel pressure and stress; He does want you to make the decision that He's leading you to.

As we grow in our walk with God, we must learn to art of conversing with Him. That does mean we must be intentional in setting aside time to read his word and listen for his voice. We must learn to be aware when He is speaking and respond. For parents, knowing how to talk and how to listen to God is one of the greatest tools we have for raising our children to be fully devoted followers of Christ.


Heavenly Father, I am thankful that you talk to us. My prayer is that we learn to listen, so that we will know your purpose and your direction for our lives. I pray that each of us will rely on you in all things and have the peace that only you can give as we learn to walk in your will.

 

Parenting - Raising Jesus

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be Mary and Joseph, given the unprecedented responsibility of raising God's Son? From the moment of his conception, they knew he was to become no "regular" kid. They not only experienced the same sort of wonder that most parents do at the birth of a child, but these new parents and their newborn child were visited by shepherds, heavenly hosts of angels, and wise men. The Bible says Mary "...kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself" (Luke 2:19). She already knew she had a special child on her hands; she just didn't know what that meant.

We know that Mary and Joseph had to flee their homeland to protect Jesus from the ordered infanticide, and we know they returned when God gave the "all clear" and set up housekeeping in Nazareth.

The next account we have of the young Jesus is when the family made their annual trip to Jerusalem for Passover. He was twelve and doing what the son of all devout Jewish families did, but he failed to make the return trip with the family. After a day of travel, Mary and Joseph realized Jesus wasn't with the group and returned to Jerusalem to look for him. They found him in deep discourse with the teachers in the Temple, astounding those religious leaders with his understanding.

Any parent who has become separated from a child in a store can relate to the panic Mary and Joseph must have felt and to Mary's outburst when she found him: "Young man, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been half out of our minds looking for you" (Luke 2:48, The Message). I easily imagine the tone of her voice! But most of us wouldn't have received a response from our "lost" child such as the one Mary got from Jesus: "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father" (Luke 2:49, The Message)? Again, the Bible tells us that Mary kept this and other "curiosities" of his growing up to herself, pondering them (Luke 2:51).

Mary knew she had been chosen to be mother to Messiah, but she had no idea what this meant. She may have wondered from time to time, "How does one raise Messiah?" It's a worthy question, and as parents we too should ask the question of ourselves, "How does one raise children to know the Lord and choose to live for Him?"

Mary and Joseph lived devoutly before God, setting the example for Jesus. They did what they knew to do in accordance with the teachings of the Old Testament. They knew God's expectations of them by knowing God's Word.

We can set the stage for our own children to know God by knowing Him ourselves. Learning who God is means reading and knowing His words. Our children need to see us reading the Bible, digesting it, and applying it in our own lives. We must read it to our children and teach it to them (Deuteronomy 6:7). We must ensure that we and our children are actively part of a community of believers (Hebrews 10:25).

Mary didn't fully understand who Jesus would become, or what His life would look like as Messiah, but she did know that He was called to a special purpose. Each of us, including our children, have a unique calling on our lives. II Timothy 3:16-17 says that all scripture is "...useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way." Further, these verses go on to say that through God's Word we are "...put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us" (II Timothy 3:17). If we want to know that purpose and live accordingly, we must know His Word.

While we aren't raising Jesus, we are parenting children who are called with a holy purpose (II Timothy 1:9), so as Mary and Joseph lived devoted to God and set the example for Jesus, we too must follow their lead. Knowing God and His Word will give us the advantage of having clarity when making decisions regarding our children, the strength to stand firm in the face of cultural influences that run counter to God's way, the essentials for laying a solid foundation on which our children will grow, and direction when discerning what God has called us and our children to become.

Matthew Henry, 17th century theologian, said the following:

"Those who would learn the things of God, and be assured of them, must know the Holy Scriptures, for they are the Divine revelation. The age of children is the age to learn; and those who would get true learning, must get it out of the Scriptures (emphasis added)....It is of use to all, for all need to be taught, corrected, and reproved. There is something in the Scriptures suitable for every case. Oh that we may love our Bibles more, and keep closer to them!...We best oppose error by promoting a solid knowledge of the word of truth; and the greatest kindness we can do to children, is to make them early to know the Bible (emphasis added)."

Dear Lord, I pray that You will give us the desire for your Word; that You will open our understanding through your Holy Spirit. I pray that we will be deeply impressed with the urgency to teach our children who You are. I pray that we will plant the seeds of your Word deep in their hearts from the very beginning of their lives so they may grow in You and fulfill your calling on their lives. Amen.

Parenting - Raising a "Gifted" Child

Garrison Keillor, author and radio host, is known for his fictional hometown, Lake Wobegon where "...all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." This belief that people from Lake Wobegon are a cut above the rest of us mere mortals has resulted in a name for a very real human tendency to ascribe to ourselves achievements and capabilities superior to those of others; it's called the Lake Wobegon effect!

Years of being an educator and a parent have provided me with too many examples of parents believing their child deserves special treatment because he or she is "gifted" or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, those who believe their child will never amount to anything. Some children are exceptional; truly we do have geniuses and prodigies, but most of us, including our children, are just regular folks.

What has troubled me, though, is the often devastating results the Lake Wobegon effect, and its more extreme negative counterpoint, has on kids. Children take to heart what the parent believes to be true about them and behave accordingly. What I generally observed, regardless of the situation, were disappointed, frustrated, hurt, confused, and angry children, and parents who simply didn't understand what was wrong with their child. All were left feeling as if they didn't measure up.

Here's the good news - we're all gifted! I Corinthians 12 compares the body of Christ to the human body. Just as the human body is comprised of many intricate and complex parts so that it functions at peak performance, so does the Church; God has created each person with a very specific purpose, enabling the body of Christ to operate as He so designed it. No one member of the Church is more or less important than another; each has a significant and crucial role to play. In other words, regardless of who we are and how we measure on an intelligence scale, we all are key players in God's perfect plan.

Our children are gifted by God. We may not know specifically what those gifts are, but be assured that each child has been designed with a purpose. Our responsibility is to seek the Lord for direction as we raise our children. We need His wisdom to know how to guide them so that their gifts develop according to God's divine purpose for their lives. We can raise truly "gifted children" by leading them to know their Creator and by praying with them from a young age that God will develop in them His character and their unique purpose. He will give us direction in how to discipline, relate to, and provide for them so their talents and strengths grow according to His best for them.

In God's family, there is no Lake Wobegon effect; we all are precious in His sight, all exceptional and integral to His plan. When we are fully functioning in God's design for us, we will be more than "above average"; we will be "...perfect and complete in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)"

Lord, we don't always feel "special"; we don't always measure up to this world's standard of value. But, we are so thankful that to You, we are priceless. You created us lovingly and for a unique purpose.

Please help us to first know and understand and accept our value to You. Help us to see ourselves as You do. Then, please give us the divine wisdom to guide our children to become who You have created them to be. Help us to identify their strengths and parent them is such a way that their gifts will develop according to your plans.

You have entrusted us with Your precious children; help us to care for them according to Your word and Your ways. In your name we pray, Amen.

Parenting - Understanding Abstract Art

A friend and I visited a local bookstore recently to check out an art exhibit featuring work of an artist from our community. When we saw the art was abstract, we both had to admit we didn't "get it." Since both of us consider ourselves to be rather well-educated (we were fighting a very strong urge to look at the books rather than the art), we did make an attempt to explain what we appreciated about the pieces on display. The colors in some were of particular appeal, we could discern shapes and design, we noticed that framing mattered, and, of course, the price tag attached to each painting assured us that these were valuable works of art! But, in the end, we acknowledged the gift of the artist along with our own lack of understanding - and then succumbed to our love of the written word!

Our experience with abstract art became a metaphor for me. How often do we look at people and fail to recognize their purpose or their value? We see colors and shapes; we even notice their "frame," but we just don't see how they fit. Sometimes those folks are living in our own homes. Do you ever wonder who that teenager requesting funds is? He can't be your kid! Your son wears pants that fit and a belt to hold them up! Your daughter wouldn't turn her beautiful blonde hair that color! What may be even more disconcerting is when we look in the mirror and wonder who exactly we are or of what possible value we hold.

Yet, here's the truth - had my friend and I been with the artist, she could have explained her work, she would have told us the intricacies of shape and color and design and the deliberation that determined the framing. She could have told us the great investment she made to create each unique piece. We may not have become fans, but we would have understood.

Just as we needed the artist, or someone equally well-versed in abstract art, to teach us and guide us, each of us needs the Master Artist to open our understanding of his greatest works of art - his children.

Psalms 119:73a says, "Your hands made me and formed me," and in Isaiah 64:8, we are clay, and God is the potter, "...we are all the work of your hand." God has created us with such intricate design that while we may look abstract to others and to ourselves, we are a perfect work of art with a unique purpose.

The art my friend and I saw had value; some had been sold. Someone had seen the painting and decided it was perfect for a particular purpose. We too come with a price - the perfect, sinless life of Jesus Christ whose death on the cross redeemed us. His death and resurrection purchased us to fill a spot that only we can fill. It's the thing for which we have been created.

As we seek to understand the "works of art" we and others are, we must walk and talk with the Artist. II Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that God's word is provided for us to equip us for good work. We are "...his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.... (Ephesians 2:10)." And, we are works in progress; God continues to put the "finishing touches" on His masterpieces: "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.(Philippians 1:6)"

Each day ask God to give you an "eye for art," so that you can see His unique design and purpose for your life, the lives of your children, and those of people around you.

Heavenly Father, we don't always see nor are we able to appreciate the beauty of Your most loved creation. Help us to know who we are in You, and help us to value others as the unique works of art You have created.

Please help us to guide our children in learning that they are precious in your sight and that You have made them to be one of a kind to serve You as only they can.

Thank you for loving us so much. Help us to love You without reservation. In Your name we pray, Amen.