our blog
Apr
Facing Fear Head On
Yesterday my oldest daughter came face to face with one of her biggest fears: the fireman pole at the local playground. This contraption has caused great distress and fear in her life for the greater part of a month. Me being the overprotective parent haven’t helped matters either. Luckily, my wife has been encouraging both of us to be brave.
With Madison now in 1st grade, she is tackling things that once terrified her all in the name of being a “big girl.” Climbing the stairs confidently and placing two hands on the pole, she was going to laugh in the face of danger. Yet, as quickly as the confidence appeared, it disappeared. In an instant, the second she looked down, all her momentum vanished. Even though in reality she was only a few feet off the ground, to her it must have felt like miles. The view left her frozen. It wasn’t until she looked at her parents on either side of the pole, cheering her on, that she mustered the courage to jump and slide.
In our efforts to have Christ’s heart formed in us, we all face situations similar to Madison and the fireman’s pole. Our eyes play tricks on us and we are left feeling intimidated and completely out of our comfort zone. In these moments, living out our One Word terrifies us. When we are in the heat of a situation it is often difficult to achieve any clarity of what should be done.
We are so quick to trust our own eyes without realizing how deceiving they can be. Intimidating obstacles and self-doubt cloud our judgment and distort our view. We get to the edge of taking that next step, but instead settle for what we know. Putting our word into action can be so frightening that many of us would be quick to give up and live in the midst of our status quo.
However, if we don’t take those little steps of faith we can never get to our ultimate destination: a life defined by our intense trust in God. How do we take off our limited view blinders and gain a God perspective? This change doesn’t happen overnight, but these few tips will help aid in the process:
- Take A Step Back and Reflect. All of us experience spiritual amnesia when it comes to remembering God’s faithfulness. We get so caught up in the here and now that we forget how many times God carried us through challenging times. Journaling allows us to look back and see how God’s story is unfolding and what role we’ve played in it.
- Refresh Our Eyes. Many times we become our own worst enemy when it comes to taking a step of faith. We define our self-worth solely by our own standard. The moment we think God is asking us to move, we instantly dismiss it by saying, “He can’t be asking me to do this because….(fill in the blank).” Everybody’s excuse is different, but if we are honest with ourselves, we know what excuse we use to justify our standing still. As challenging as this might be, we must begin to define ourselves by who we are in Christ.
- Create A Mental Mosaic. We will never get the entire picture of what God wants us to do all at one time. If we did, there would be no need for faith. We must take time to understand the pieces of the puzzle that God has made clear. These little pieces often provide some insight to what direction God might be leading.
- Practice The Next Step. Focusing solely on the destination can be so overwhelming that we think the entire task is virtually impossible. What we don’t realize is that God isn’t asking or expecting us to jump from point A to Z in one quick action. All He wants us to do is take that next step. Yet, don’t be fooled. This won’t lead to a more comfortable life. God will always direct us to places that require greater faith.
We’d love to hear your response to the following question: One way to gain a deeper perspective on how God is shaping you is by taking that next step of faith. What does the next step of living out your One Word look like for you? What are you risking by taking this next step? What is at stake by staying where you are?
Apr
What Do You See?
A fifth-grade teacher took her class to an art museum. Throughout the day, they looked at numerous pieces of art from all different time periods. The curator of the museum accompanied them to one specific painting that hung on a wall. He stopped the class and asked a simple question: “What do you see?”
For a short time the class was silent. Then, slowly, students began speaking. One little girl said the painting looked like a rainbow caught in a windstorm and all the colors got mixed around. One of the boys in the back was reminded of summertime. Another girl said she liked the pretty flowers.
This went on until finally one boy exclaimed, “If you ask me, it just looks like something my little brother brought home from preschool that my mom put on the fridge.”
Funny how one painting can mean so many different things to different people.
Life is like the painting, and as we look at our lives, our perception is shaped by our personal experiences and circumstances. We each have different lenses through which we see the world. These lenses influence the way we perceive God and faith, and define our views of success and failure.
What you see determines where you are headed. Direction is driven by perspective. If the lens you use to view yourself is focused on failures from your past, it is impossible to see the future God has for you. Vision is simply what you see.
As you engage in this My One Word experiment, clarity and direction are needed for growth to occur. Focusing on your circumstances and the regrets from your past will place your pursuit in neutral and can even shift things into reverse. When you live this way you not only see your past; you also live life running from it. Without realizing it, you are walking into the future backwards.
Why does this picture of your old self remain at the forefront of your attention? Why do you let this become the lens that defines your future? The reasons vary:
- Every time you pay for the mistakes of the past it serves as a reminder of the person you once were.
- Those labels of being worthless and a bad seed are challenging to remove from your heart and head.
- When you’ve been told your entire life you are unlovable you begin to believe the lie and let that define you.
- Old habits die hard and fight to remain in control.
Why do you stay in neutral by focusing on the failures of the past? Where is your lens set? Your Word will be determined by your vision. Instead of spending your time trying not to be the kind of person you once were, place your gaze on the person you want to become.
Apr
The Importance Of Perspective
Trying to type this blog post is getting increasingly difficult. This is not due to writer’s block, but for the simple fact that my eyes are playing tricks on me. The screen to my laptop is one big fuzzy, blurry mess. Each letter glows like a star and I honestly can’t make out anything I type. I’m just hoping that my fingers are steady and that this entry doesn’t come out as complete mish-mash of misspellings.
For the past hour my glasses have been missing in action – the latest victim of my youngest daughter’s grabby hands. What she snatches is never to be seen again. No household item stands a chance. Sometimes it is the television remote. Other times it is mommy’s cell phone. All of her normal hiding places have been checked and so far no luck. I’m sure she had a good chuckle watching me maneuver around the house like a zombie, knocking over anything in my way.
As I scratch my eyes and try to deal with a migraine setting in, I am beginning to realize just how important vision and perspective are to movement.
Without a lens through which to view the world, everything is blurry and we don’t know which way to move. This inevitably leads us to falter and stumble. It is only a matter of time before frustration sets in.
With this in mind, spend the month of April exploring the idea of creating a lens through which to view your One Word. We hope you can see your life and each moment that passes by in a different light through the perspective of your word. It is critical to learn how to recognize opportunities that come your way, to see if your word puts you in a position where God will use you.
To develop such a lens, first search out the needs that exist around you on a daily basis. If your word is “compassion” and you walk into your house, office or neighborhood, your lens forces you to ask yourself, “Where is compassion needed?” Someone whose word is “patience” looks for a way to respond with steadiness in the midst of chaos. For someone with a word like “consistent,” the alarm clock isn’t a nuisance – it’s a reminder of their commitment.
Viewing your circumstances through a clarifying lens helps the quality you want to obtain begin to embed itself in your character. In addition, a shift in perspective not only impacts you – it can also touch those around you. Something amazing happens when your eyes focus on living out your One Word. God begins directing more and more people into your path who are desperate to experience the living love of Christ. Through this lens, we should always view change.
- Read Psalm 119:17-18 and Proverbs 4:25-26. How has your One Word begun to influence your perspective? Where have you noticed a change in the way you would normally view a situation?
- How would you describe the current lens you are using? What does your current lens say about what takes priority and importance in your life?
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 2011. 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!