With My Own Eyes...

"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last.  And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!  I will see Him for myself.  Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes.  I am overwhelmed at the thought!"

Job 19:25-27

Job was experiencing great personal pain and suffering.  His world had crashed.  Reasons for this season of hurt were lacking.  His only response was to declare what he was sure of:

My Redeemer is real.

His rule is unshakable.

This pain will have an end.

I will see God with my own eyes.

What was true for Job, is true for us.  I've not really spent time thinking about the reality that I will actually see God.  I've never really tried to imagine what that will be like.

I did today.

Like Job, "I am overwhelmed at the thought!"

How bout you?  Have you ever really thought about what it will be like when you actually see Jesus with your own eyes?

To quote my college President, Dr. Don Meyer, "Think about it."

The Greatest Strengths-Based Strategy

I want to be the best.

Like the Army used to say, I want to "Be the best I can be."  The best husband, dad, pastor, leader, and friend.

The strengths-based concept is not new.  It has become very popular in leadership circles.  There are blogs, books, and tons of resources dedicated to helping us maximize our strengths.

And I'm all for it.


But, my understanding of it underwent an upgrade recently.  It happened when I read this in Paul's 2nd letter to the people of Corinth:

"If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth...So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh...Three different times I asked the Lord to take it away.  Each time He said, "My grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness."

Paul flirted with pride.  I can relate.

Paul also thought if he could get past his weaknesses and focus on his strengths he could do more.  Makes sense to me.  Paul is exhibiting a classic strengths-based perspective.  As any good strengths-based adherent will tell you, ignore the weakness.  Go work in your strengths.  That's where your greatest potential lies.

I agree.  Our greatest potential for influence lies in our greatest strengths.


Here's where the revelation came: My greatest strengths aren't mine.


If I had to choose between being at my best or God being at His best, it's an easy choice.  Even on my best day, I can't come close to what God can do.  And He tells us that His power works best in our weakness.

I want to be the best.  I also want God to be at His best.  Do we have to choose?  Can't we have both?  The answer to those questions is "Yes."  I believe we can have both.  But to have both, we have to choose.

In order for me to be my best, I actually have to embrace my weakness.  You see, what I previously understood as my strengths led me to rely on them.  Problem.  When I rely on my strengths, I limit what God can do.  I try to be a good dad.  But there are days I just don't have what it takes.  I get impatient and tired.  When I rely on myself, I come up short.  But, if I could admit my weakness and confess that I'm just too tired and stressed to be a good dad, guess what?

God's power will be unleashed in its fullest expression.  His power works best in our weakness.

So, then, the key for the greatest strengths-based success is to embrace our weakness and recognize the source of our Greatest Strength.  Seems counter-intuitive.  That's how God rolls.

Embrace your weakness.  That's the true secret of strengths-based success.

If you want to be your best.

As now, So then

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming."

What a poignant statement.

The final phrase stands out to me the most, "...for what we are worshipping we are becoming."

Two things stand out to me when I read this:
1. We are a work in progress.
2. We change, whether we like it or not.

I never stop changing. I never stop growing. I'm always becoming something. The powerful thought is that we have the power to choose what we are becoming.

Many people unknowingly forfeit their opportunity to become something great, for the sake of becoming something common.

So what?

Reflect and search your heart. What matters most to you right now? Is that what you want to become?

A few years ago I heard a quote that stuck with me. "As now, so then." What you do today, what you value today, echoes in your tomorrow.  Following Emerson's advice, take care what you worship, what you care about.

Seeker Sensitive

I recently heard Rick Warren share something.  It was an "Aha" moment.  He was speaking about churches and the tension they face between being faithful to what they believe yet at the same time being relevant and accessible to those who have no religious context.

The Problem:
On the one side, some churches make everything so simple and palatable for a guest that they forfeit the power of the Faith-filled life.

On the other side, there are churches that passionately pursue and express their faith, to the confusion of the guests.

The Solution:
What Rick shared was this: We need to passionately express our faith in authentic and genuine ways.  And we should make no apologies for this.  Our honest expression will not be a turn-off to our guests IF...


WE EXPLAIN EVERYTHING.


He made this analogy: He (like myself) does not like opera.  He doesn't speak many other languages, in which opera is often performed.  He doesn't get it.  But, when he attends an opera, they hand him this little program that EXPLAINS what is going on.  It tells him "She's singing this right now" and "This is what's happening here."

Our responsibility is to EXPLAIN what is going on to our guests.  They may not speak our language or understand what's going on.  The solution is not to limit our expression of faith.  The solution is to EXPLAIN our expression of faith.

That is what it means to be Seeker Sensitive.

For us, that means go all out.  Express yourself fully.  Just explain what you're doing for those that don't understand.  There's no guarantee they will embrace what you're doing.  But at the very least, they will understand it.

Step Up or Step Aside

"What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he alright?" Ahimaaz replied, "When Joab told me to come, there was a lot of commotion. But I didn't know what was happening." "Wait here," the king told him. So Ahimaaz stepped aside. - 2 Samuel 18:29-30

King David was eagerly awaiting the news of what had occurred in the battle. Joab sent a runner to deliver the news. Ahimaaz, a skilled and able runner wanted to be the one to bring the message. Joab told him that this was not his day. Ahimmaz pushed until Joab finally relented. Ahimmaz quickly left and ran as fast as possible over a better route. He overtook and outran the other runner. When King David saw Ahimaaz approaching he began to expect good news. Ahimaaz was known for his good character and David expected the same of the news he was bringing.

When Ahimaaz approached, King David presented him with the question above.

Ahimaaz wanted so badly to make a difference, to make his mark, to be used, to make his life count. He left the battlefield and ran with skill and ability to the place where a message was needed. Expectations were high, but he had nothing to offer. He was skilled, able, in the right place, in an urgent situation, and had no substance. His impatience led to his insignificance and he was marginalized and told to step aside.

We are where we are for a reason. To leave the battle early is to arrive at the next opportunity unable to meet the need. We are so easily misled by our passion. We lack the patience to gain all that we need. One day we will arrive in a place where a message is needed, expectations will be high for us, we will be skilled and eager to give it. May it not be true of us that we have left our present battles early and are unprepared to deliver the message.

Step up and deliver.

How Much More?

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him." Matthew 7:11

No question mark. Look. There is no question mark. The writer here isn't asking. He's telling.

I have this fear that if I ask God for something, that He will give me exactly what I ask for. If I ask wrong, I will screw it all up. So I don't ask. I don't want to be responsible for messing up my own or anyone else's life. Shouldn't I just leave that all up to God? So I just throw out a blanket prayer that covers it all: "Jesus, just do Your will here...whatever that is."

But then I run into a verse like this, "Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for." But I don't want to for the aforementioned reasons. I get the whole analogy of a parent thing...if my son asks me for candy, I know he's hungry. Sometimes I give him candy, other times I'll give him some fruit. Because I know what he is asking and what he needs. He trusts me to give him good stuff. So he asks me because he trusts me.

So, if I don't ask God, whatever my reasoning, it follows that I don't trust Him. "He might give me exactly what I ask for and it will hurt me," I think to myself. What kind of God is that? With God's strength I am capable of producing good things. God is only capable of producing good things. If I can give my son good stuff, how much more will God give me good things. No question mark. Statement.

So What? What's the payoff? Ask. Simple as that. Because even if you ask for the wrong thing, as long as our motivation is right, God will give what is good. But only if you ask.

Get up Rock, Get up!!

"So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong."
- Hebrews 12:12-13

A few thoughts on this great passage from Hebrews. The beginning of this chapter encourages the reader to consider the example of Christ, who pressed on and finished the task of laying down His life, even though it was hard. He endured all the pain and suffering that it encompassed and completed His journey.

This verse encourages us to take a firm grip with tired, sore, blistered, aching hands. To strengthen or stand up on our weak, hurting, swollen, spent knees. To pull ourselves up and "soldier on." Nothing changes about our physical condition, yet everything changes about our resolve. In the midst of the hard things we experience in life, the challenging areas, the difficult places, the overwhelming seasons of life, we hear the voice coming from the corner, "Get up...get up...keep going...keep going!!" Never quit. Never give up. Never give in.

And as we do that, we need to set a course, to mark out a straight path, to walk in the right way.

Why?

Because we need to lead the charge. Though we are tired and beaten, we cannot stop leading. Others are coming behind us. And they will experience fatigue and failure. When they do, they will be able to look to you and see you pressing on. As we follow Christ's example, others will follow ours. So, when we set a straight path for our own life, those who come behind us who are weak and lame will not fall, but will themselves take a new grip and get up on those tired knees and finish their journey.

Are you tired? Do you feel weak? Get up...I know you can do it. Keep on. It matters.