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One Mishap

It wasn’t a bad day in the sense that EVERYTHING went wrong. In fact there was really only one mishap last Tuesday, but it was a big one. Big enough to change and ruin my mood.

And so I lost it!

The meltdown took place while driving home from an unsuccessful event. Stuck at a traffic light my fist started pounding the steering wheel, my face was red with anger, my voice screaming at the top of my lungs.

Oh, I’d tell you what I said – but they’d never repost it here – not on a religious site. All you need to know is that in that moment, My One Word was made up of only four letters, and it was directed at God. I was cursing Him – literally cussing God out!

It must have been loud. I think the woman in the next lane heard me. The windows were up, the radio and air were blasting, but she knew what I was saying. She had to! She gave me one of those looks. You know the type. Your eyes meet and then the other person nervously glances up, scrambling over the sky – in search of that pending lighting bolt.

This month we’ve been asked to talk about surrender intervals –shorting that period of time between those occasions when we turn everything, including our behavior and actions (our word) over to God. Truth is I really didn’t understand the concept until now.

Looking back it wasn’t so much a case of something going wrong, as much as it was that things didn’t go exactly the way I had hoped.

Just a few hours earlier it really felt like God was in action. He was opening doors, providing opportunity, making promises and coming through. Only – in the end- He didn’t come through – not in the way He should have- at least not in my way.

Why? What’s the reason? Did I get it wrong? Was my discernment off? Was it a physiological thing where I just created all these signs, all these coincidences in my head? Or was the other possibility true? Even though it’s not Biblically sound a big part of me was wondering if God had purposely deceived me. If He gave me false hope only to pull the rug out from underneath.

We’ve all been there. But we never talk about it. To do so would play up our doubt, to ruin our image as the perfect Christian – to make us appear weak and fragile.

My friend John is the exception. For the last several years he’s felt as if God was making a promise. If only he could keep the faith and stay the course then God would come through – at a predetermined  hour and place. The problem is that time has come and gone yet my friend’s circumstances haven’t changed.

“Yeah, I was mad at Him,” John told me on the phone shortly after  my blow up. “ In a way I still am. I don’t think He lied to me – that goes against what I know of his character. But it does feel like he allowed my mind to go down a certain path even though He knew what I was hoping for wasn’t meant to be.”

“Character” was an interesting choice of words.

Surrender intervals work to help us mold and change who we are – to transform us into His image. First on a weekly basis, then every few days- and finally moment to moment. Other people have already written about the process. But what my friend knows is that Surrender Intervals are most important not in those times when we fall short –when it feels like we let God down, but rather when it feels like He let us down.

“What happened brought me to another point of choosing. Was I going to change course, or continue moving forward with Him.” And then my friend quoted scripture – although I am not entirely sure he meant to do so “ Where else would we go?”

Perhaps it is in getting it wrong that faith reaches the ultimate interval. It no longer is about the future, what’s down the road and where we hope He leads us. Instead it becomes about just the next day ahead.

And so when the face returns to its normal color, when the voice has lost out to the screaming and the fist have gone sore- you decide to move forward – one day at a time.

That’s what my friend did a few months ago- and it’s what I am attempting to do now.

Maybe today God will reveal what all this was about. Maybe by the evening it will all make sense and be clear. And if not – then maybe I’ll give Him tomorrow, too.

Doug Wahl is an award winning broadcast journalist and the author of the book Gradually to God. You can find out more about Doug at http://www.dougwahl.com/

Everything Matters

Everything matters. In God’s economy, there are no insignificant moments or wasted opportunities. But He has not simply left us here to figure it out on our own. As we prepare to engage in the world around us, it is important to do just that–ENGAGE. We are to be proactive simply because your part matters.

Ephesians 4:16
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The body is an amazing things. It reproduces itself. We grow new cells continually. Our bodies are continually building themselves up. And the body of Christ is no different. The whole body is held together. Your part and mine are both included. It is important to note the source of this ability. It come from Him. It is found in Him.

It is from Him that we derive our strength and the nourishment that others may need. And that last part maybe the most important. Your part might be the place where God’s strength flows through in order to bring nourishment to some other part. So once again, we are reminded to pay attention to God’s work in this world. We are challenged to surrender our agendas to take up His. Believing and trusting that this time and this place that I will occupy today will be useful to fulfilling God’s purposes here in this world.

Lord, today I want to fulfill my part. I hope you will use me to bring nourishment and strength to those I am around. Let me bring Your strength. Again, I pray, use me so that when others see me, they will see You and I will contribute to the body’s increasing strength! Amen.

• If every moment matters, why is it challenging for many to see those ordinary moments of of life as opportunities to make an impact? How can you begin to see these “ordinary” moments as opportunities to surrender your agenda for God’s?

• What ordinary moments are you letting pass you by that could be used to reflect your One Word to others? How does the issue of surrender factor in to your failure to act?

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!

Laundry

As I write these words, a hot pile of laundry fresh out of the dryer sits next to me. Alright, that last statement is not completely accurate or truthful. Laundry is indeed on the couch, but it is not hot. It isn’t even lukewarm. But it’s still laundry. Granted, I am very loose with my definition of “fresh out of the dryer” because I use hours rather than minutes to serve as my measurement.

This afternoon my wife went out with our girls so I could get some writing done. The sole responsibility she left me with was to fold the laundry. To make my task even easier, she took the clothes out of the laundry for me. However, hours later the clothes sit in the same spot. At least, I can tell her I knocked out a huge chunk of this writing assignment. Now don’t get me wrong; I’ve had every intention of getting my task accomplished. I even pictured the joy that would appear on my wife’s face when she’d come home with the clothes not only folded, but also put back in the drawer (since this is her definition of actually doing laundry). When I’d get stuck on a sentence I’d even go to pick up a shirt. My intentions were good, but so far my execution has stunk.

The problem with intentions, even the good variety, is that without action they are meaningless. This truth isn’t confined to household chores or tasks on my ‘honey do’ list. It serves as a universal truth. Think about it for a moment. Most parents don’t want to be described as absent, abrasive or a failure by their children. Every individual who has held a little one in their arms dreams about being able to earn the title of “Mom of the Year” or “Best Dad on the Planet” and proudly display their accomplishment on a coffee mug or t-shirt.

The majority of parents start out with the good intentions of nurturing their child and raising them to become fully functional members of society. Yet, without taking tangible steps towards that end goal, their dream will never become a reality. You don’t just wake up one morning and instantly become an outstanding parent.

A husband can have ever intention of showing his wife how much he loves her, but all the intention in the world will never make the love magically appear in their relationship. Action is needed. One can dream about crossing the finish line after a grueling 26.2 miles, but unless they lace up their shoes and start running, there is close to a 0% chance of them becoming a marathoner. Action is needed. You can desire to reflect Christ’s heart more profoundly in your actions through your One Word, but unless you are willing to take that first step, your walk will remain in a standstill. Action is needed.

Good intention is not the same thing as actually doing good. True faith always leads to action. Movement and momentum define a relationship with Christ. We must live our beliefs and do something with the intentions we feel. Scripture speaks very clearly about our actions not earning salvation, but rather serving as a response to the hope we have in Christ. If we truly believe that Christ is life, then it would be counter cultural for us to live as if this weren’t true. In Matthew 5:13-16, the imagery of salt and light is used to describe the basic character of a Christian’s life:

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Captured in this passage is the reason we must make every effort to be great stewards of the influence we’ve been given and not sit on the sideline with just good intentions. The Greek word for salt is ‘halas.’ They used this term to describe a preservative or something which cleanses and purifies. In essence, we have been charged with doing the purifying work of Jesus here on earth. To be like salt means to add something that is beneficial to the earth. By living your life differently and acting on your intentions, you are adding the essential qualities of Jesus to this world.

This leaves us with some pretty challenging questions we must look into ourselves for answers. How can we be a light to the world through acting on our One Word? Where do my intentions and actions not line up? What must the world see? If we don’t live as the salt to this world then what is the point in being salt in the first place? If I am a believer and don’t try to live as a light to those around me, what is the point? Jesus tells us who we are. We are the salt and light. We are called to make a difference and directly impact culture. If our salt doesn’t add flavor to this world and our light fails to illuminate then what is the point?

As the salt and light we are urged to go out in the world. Not Jesus, but you. God is calling each of us to be a light in a darkened world. But, this won’t take place unless we act on our intentions. Our hope is the way we live our lives will lead men and women to glorify God and catch a glimpse of the transformation which occurs when God captures someone’s heart. Being a light is about point others towards God.

• Read Galatians 5:25. When it comes your One Word, in what ways are you actions inconsistent with your good intentions and desires toward change? What action is needed to push you towards movement?

• Why doesn’t intention always lead to action? What has prevented you from making your intentions with your One Word a reality?

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!