our blog
Feb
Remain Planted
Every four years I transform into the ultimate curling, bobsled and luge fan. It’s like clockwork. For those few weeks, I camp out on the couch and become completely engrossed in all things Winter Olympics. Sadly, this passion is always short lived as my interest in these sports completely disappears the moment the closing ceremony begins.
As proud as I am of my commitment level to watching sports, it pales into comparison to that of a Chicago businessman who recently broke a world record by watching televised sports for 72 hours consecutively. Yes, you read right. He sat in a recliner for 3 straight days tuned into a sporting event.
Other than achieving a little notoriety and feeling like a zombie due to his lack of shuteye, not much was gained from staying put in one place for hours on end. Yet, this doesn’t mean that sticking with something for an extended period of time is a worthless pursuit. Scripture paints a different picture about the benefits of being persistent in our pursuit of spiritual growth. Consider these words from Psalm 1:1-3:
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
The author uses the imagery of a tree to describe what takes place when we keep God’s word before us. Over time it begins to build deep roots in our heart and enables us to bear the fruit we were designed to produce. By arranging your life for growth through the lens of your One Word, you have put yourself in a position where God can go to work on you.
With only a few more hours left in February, we hope you take a moment to celebrate your growth and God’s faithfulness in the midst of the process. It is also our prayer that you would remain “planted” so you can continue to bear fruit as a result of letting the Holy Spirit work in you through your One Word.
Feb
On The Other Side
As the month of February comes to end, chances are good you have settled into a rhythm. New habits you have put into place are producing results and helping you live out your One Word. Yet, there are the those annoying patterns which continue to plague you. They cause you to wonder if lasting change will ever take place. Some times the resistance is so overwhelming you consider giving up and waving the white flag in surrender.
Weak legs that feel like Jell-O make you second guess if getting in shape is really worth the pain. The urges to grab a cigarette, the fridge handle or the television remote seem to be getting stronger. After the workday you just went through, putting someone’s needs before your own is the last thing you want to do. When the alarm clock goes off an hour earlier than usual, the natural reaction is to hit the snooze button rather than start off the day spending time with God.
All of us at some point in our lives have experienced the truth found in Hebrews 12:10-12:
10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
Hitting a wall is inevitable during this journey towards inner change. Discipline comes when you manage to climb over the wall and continue along the path towards growth. Change comes only through sacrifice. Staying focused on the end result will help you struggle in the right direction. If you focus long enough, things are bound to change. Behaviors, which at one time hurt and felt awkward, become normal and natural responses.
This movement towards growth is fueled by the knowledge that something more valuable lays on the other side of the pain. Re-read the verse in Hebrews again. What does the author promise for those who endure? The byproduct of our faithfulness is a harvest of righteousness and peace. Let this promise of scripture sink in for a moment. The author says the result of your training will not be a little change, but rather something which will yield a huge return in your character. A type of transformation where people cannot help but take notice.
We’d love to hear your response to the following question: Have you hit a wall yet when it comes to living out your One Word? How did you respond to the wall? What enabled you to continue along the path towards growth?
Feb
Even “The Flash” Took Baby Steps
My wife and I have learned a valuable lesson: don’t blink or “The Flash” will be long gone. “The Flash” is the nickname we’ve given our three-year-old daughter Paige. To say she is quick on her feet would be an understatement. If you turn your back for a second, Paige is bound to be three-quarters of the way up the stairs, jumping from couch to couch, waving to you on top of the table or dangling from the chandelier (okay, that last one is a bit of stretch, but she is very determined).
It’s funny to think how something which comes so naturally now was so foreign to her just a short time ago. Yet, she wouldn’t be the speed racer she is now unless she took those first wobbly steps. Back then she needed her mommy’s fingers for a sense of security or the edge of the table for balance. There were times when Paige’s eyes would get so big and you could tell she was thinking “Just one step…just one.” As she’d stare down at her knocking knees, she had to have faith to move regardless of the outcome. One foot in front of the other.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned that our walk with God assumes movement through disciplines and requires the same type of faith my daughter had when she started to walk. Whether it is finding new ways to deal with old frustrations, responding to life’s difficulties or being transformed into Christ’s character, it all comes down to arranging our lives for growth to occur. What you’ve probably realized after two weeks of putting disciplines into place is how change is always met with resistance.
It is very easy to come up with excuse after excuse as to why growth can’t happen or explain why we refuse to take steps of faith. Anytime we face a difficult task, we feel a pull to go back to the way things were and remain the same. It might be selfishness, not wanting to appear foolish, fear of failure, or doubt; but whatever the excuse may be it comes down to perception. Inadequacy is not a concern of God’s, but this mindset of inadequacy plagues us from taking steps of faith.
We have been invited to walk–not accomplish. The things we accomplish are simply expressions or by-products of following the footsteps of Christ as we walk with Him. Stop focusing on all the places where living out your One Word still feels awkward and unnatural. This only leads you to focus your attention on the negative rather than celebrating those small baby steps of growth. Continue to take those next right steps of faith. It turns out those baby steps may be the most giant ones of all–paving the way for God to fulfill the purposes He’s established for you. As the life of Christ makes a difference in our hearts and souls, we live this out and God uses us to bring His change to the world around us.
• After spending two weeks setting up disciplines to live out your One Word, where have you witnessed the most growth? Where have you met the most resistance?
• As it relates to your One Word, what do you believe is the next step you need to take? What actions or changes do you need to put into place to make this change a reality?
• Read Philippians 1:6 and Romans 5:1-5. How do these passages give you hope in regards to the resistance you might be feeling with disciplines being formed into your character?
Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010. If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!