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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 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!

This Laundry Won’t Fold Itself

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 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!

If I Could Be Like Mike

Like Mike…if I could be like Mike. Hidden in this catchy advertisement jingle for Gatorade is a universal truth about humanity. Quite simply, everyone yearns to be great. We all want to make our mark on this world. Before our time is up on this spinning globe, we hope our life will matter. Our dream might not involve possessing the ability to dunk from the free throw line; making so many all-star games you lose count or being in the running for the greatest basketball player of all time. For some, the drive for greatness centers around the business arena, academic institutions, art world or focused inside the home.

The problem is that our view of greatness has been drastically skewed from God’s original intent. In fact, over time God has gone missing from this picture of greatness. Instead, people are scrambling to make much of themselves. The most basic response of our fallen nature is to draw attention to ourselves.

Our culture adds to the pressure we feel to promote ourselves by stressing that we must take responsibility for our own satisfaction. This message causes despair and hopelessness because we worry that we have failed or missed our shot at greatness. So, we work even harder to prove that we matter and manage our image so we look great to others. When we fall into the trap of grabbing for greatness, we are prone to find our sufficiency and satisfaction in things that disappoint and ultimately leave us longing for more.

Pride requires a disconnect from the reality that says this world is not about you. Pride says I matter and must make certain of that fact. It is based off the assumption that no one else cares as much about you as you. This line of thinking comes from the often-quoted notion that God helps those who help themselves. Nowhere in scripture does this message appear. Instead we read in James 4:6 that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Until we realize that God has made a way for us to be complete, we will continue to cling to every shallow advantage to prove ourselves, justify our worth and compensate for what we perceive that we lack. Pride is fueled by our need for security and satisfaction. What we have to realize is that we do not have to grab what you’ve been given. Our faith is found in our security in His faithfulness.

Our soul’s desire is fulfilled when we simply delight in Him by surrender our desire for control. God has made a way for us to be complete, both satisfied and secure. We are free to live the life we have been given. Yet, this only comes as a result of humbling ourselves through the act of surrender.

There is a lot more to humility than just being good. It is not simply a nice character trait to make you more likeable and easier to be around. Any definition of humility that begins, ‘humility is seeing yourself as…’ is wrong. Scripturally, humility is not seeing yourself at all because you are looking at God. Humility takes root in our heart only when we kneel before Him and surrender all of our lives before Him. The only antidote to pride is the act of kneeling. Author John Piper puts it this way, “humility can only survive in the presence of God. When God goes, humility goes. In fact you might say that humility follows God like a shadow.”

In God’s economy, humility is the very path to greatness. Our prayer should be that we are humbled by God’s presence in our life so that we are not humbled by our circumstances that happened by our poor choices driven by pride.

• What places in your life are you currently being “graspy” in search of control and significance? What would it look like for you to surrender these areas to God and trust that He is the ultimate source for your security and satisfaction?

• Read Luke 9:23-25. Comfort, pride, feeling you’re owed, the desire to control. What is inhibiting you from surrendering this area to God?

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!