our blog
Dec
Memories
Living five minutes from the beach in southeastern North Carolina, it’s not uncommon to see some people wearing shorts into late fall. Yet, it has grown increasingly colder over the past few days and the anchor on the Weather Channel informs me the temperature is going to continue to drop. As much as I want to fight it, I realize the time has finally come to drag out the winter clothes from the depths of our closet. While I was searching for sweaters, jackets and scarves, I came across a box on the top shelf.
Inside were pieces of artwork, stories, special projects and school progress reports my wife and I have saved over the years from our two daughters. I carried the box over to the bed and took a moment to go through the contents. It was striking to see the progression of growth that has taken place. In a way, I received the chance to see them grow up again just by looking at each piece.
A report card brought back memories of elementary school when one of my girls struggled in a certain subject. I remember how in frustration she pondered if she’d ever understand. Now, she’s a high schooler who excels in that area. But, there are new subjects that are stretching her and she is wondering again – will I see growth.
Everything in me wanted to grab the box, hop into the car, drive over to the school and take her out of class. She needed to see with her own eyes how far she had come. No longer was she the little girl who couldn’t quite color within the lines, was just learning her multiplication tables or all the state capitals.
Without the opportunity to look back, all she saw was her present circumstances and it made her question will I ever progress. The thing is we all react the way my daughter did. As humans, we are wired this way. Take you for instance. You began this year with the promise of a new start. You were filled with the hope of change.
But, these past ten to eleven months have flown by and for some reason all you can see are the places where you have fallen short of living out your One Word. Old tendencies still rear their ugly head on occasion. Disciplines that you thought would quickly become natural still feel forced from time to time. Granted, you maybe a tad more patient, forgiving or generous. Yet, there are just too many gaps that still exist in your character.
Rather than celebrating growth, the focus is on present day you with all your shortcomings and inconsistencies. My charge for you would be to look backwards. If you are reading this blog entry, it means you are on the verge of making it through your One Word journey. From being intentional about surrender intervals and capturing your thoughts to loving those who get under your skin and impacting those in your sphere of influence, you have almost a years worth of experiences that speak of your growth. Remember, a step, no matter, how small means there is movement in your life. These tangible expressions of growth are reasons to celebrate.
Are you where you want to be? Chances are good, no. Do gaps still exist? Without a doubt. Have you mastered your word completely? No, but like scripture reminds us we are a work in progress. What I hope you are learning from this experience is that you are never done with your Word. It remains with you and becomes embedded in your character. It also leads you to your next word and the word after that. You can have hope that the work that God has been faithful to begin in you, He will be just as faithful to complete. A walk with God means a walk in progress where momentum towards intimacy is taking place. This is the lens I hope through which you now view your life.
- Read Lamentations 3:40. How would you measure your Word’s effectiveness on your life during the past year?
- Why is the journey more important in the eyes of God then our destination?
Sep
A Called Person
Jeremiah 1:4-10 (NIV)
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5″Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6″Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you…
Here we have what is commonly referred to as a “call.” If I were to ask you about your call you would probably have a difficult time answering such a “spiritual” question. But it is not nearly as complicated as you might think.
Basically, God made Jeremiah with a purpose and He will take responsibility for fulfilling it. Your life is no different than Jeremiah. God has created you with a purpose. He is just as committed to completing the purpose He has for you as He was for Jeremiah. Let that sink in! He is just as committed to you as He was to Jeremiah!
We simply have to arrange our lives accordingly. The scene unfolds quite normally—just in the way you might expect. God comes to Jeremiah and declares the fact that He made him. He reminds Jeremiah that He knows him, intimately.
Let those words in verse 5 be spoken to you:
“Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart…”
Those words are almost instantly met with resistance. Ahhhh… God you’ve got the wrong person. I am too young, too old, too shy, too dumb, too whatever excuse you decide to place in this space. God is going to interrupt you for He knows exactly what excuse will roll off of your tongue. He formed you and He knows you. What we begin to see is that we are not called to fulfill God’s purposes in our own strength and resourcefulness. We are to trust in His.
Do you see how this ends? God told Jeremiah I have appointed you. He tells you the same thing this morning. I have appointed this day and this hour. I have appointed you for this exact time for this exact purpose. Today will be one more day in which God’s purposes are fulfilled in your life. What we must do is to stop, listen and watch to see where He wants to use us.
Lord, I do not feel like a called person. I have my list of reasons why I am not effective for you… but you already know them. I confess my excuses as a lack of faith in Your ability to fulfill Your purposes. I ask for You to reveal to me what my life is for. Give me the patience to discover this as I pursue You. Give me the faith to believe that You have appointed me… Help me to see this today. Amen.
- Why do you often find it difficult to see yourself as someone who is “called” by God to make His name known?
- How could seeing yourself as a “called” person influence your willingness to let God transform your heart through your One Word? As you reflect on your One Word journey, where is one place God could use you to make His name known?
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!
Sep
Tackling Your Opponent
To the chagrin of my wife, football is back and better than ever. Yesterday I escaped to my man cave and watched football from sunrise to sunset. There is just something about football that speaks to my heart. Like most men, as a little boy I dreamed of making it to the NFL. Unfortunately, my career peeked in middle school. My one shinning moment on the gridiron took place while I was playing Pop Warner football in 6th grade.
During the final practice before our first game, the team engaged in tackling drills. When it came to my turn, I looked up to see my opponent, an 11 year old, grown man-child who weighed as much as a grizzly bear and had the facial hair to prove it. Being less than 5 feet tall and a hundred pounds soaking wet, I attempted to sneak my way to the back of the line. The defensive coordinator would have none of it and gave me an earful about what he had taught us about leverage. Reluctantly, I got into my stance and ran full force at Goliath with my eyes closed fully expecting to get leveled. Yet, when I opened my eyes I was on the ground with my arms wrapped around my opponent. Glory was mine. Against all odds, I tackled the grizzly man-child.
Unfortunately, my mom, attending her first practice, bolted from the stands and quickly squashed any hope I had of a football career. Fearful that her baby would get hurt or killed, she forced me to hand in my helmet. This doesn’t take away from the moment or the truth that discipline produces results. My moment of glory speaks to our tendency to shrink away from the challenges before us. I can’t blame my mom for her reaction. Her motherly instinct kicked in. But, I have to be honest. Before tackling Goliath, everything in me was contemplating faking a leg cramp so I wouldn’t have to face my opponent.
Doubt about overcoming obstacles doesn’t just occur on the football field. It carries over to our own personal growth and having our One Word embedded into our character. When the coach calls your name, it takes you awhile to catch your breath and take that first step. All the questions of whether you are up for the challenge run through your mind. The voices of failure, condemnation and doubt are shouting loudly. The fear you are feeling is evident to everyone, including your coach so he grabs you by the facemask and reminds you that the question has already been answered: you have what it takes.
We can walk into the huddle with confidence because we already know the outcome: Christ has conquered death. Scripture, God’s word, speaks to this point time and time again. You have been bought with a price and you belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). You have been redeemed and forgiven (Colossians 1:14). Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). You can be confident that the good work God has begun in you will be completed (Philippians 1:6). God hasn’t given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). If you beat your body, you can make it your slave (1 Corinthians 9:24-25 and 1 Thessalonians 4:4).
After trusting that God believes in you, the next step in penetrating your fortress of status quo and complacency is by creating disciplines that encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and begin to walk with integrity. Throughout the book of Proverbs, we see how discipline leads to wisdom (3:11-13), knowledge (12:1), understanding (15:32), and a way of life (6:23). The point of disciplines is to do something you can do in order to do something you can’t do. Disciplines must remain disciplines for a period of time. This consistency enables them to become habits and then reflexes. Eventually, they are dissolved into your character.
Becoming a person who embodies their One Word does not take place over night. It is a result of taking responsibility for your integrity and character. The key to growth is to be relentless in your walk with God and pursuit of wisdom. Wisdom keeps us focused while integrity protects our path (Proverbs 2:1-15). It is instruction and wisdom that produces this way of honor in us. This is how we glorify God and tackle the obstacles before us.
- If remaining connected to God is what enables character to take root in our lives, how would you describe your current connection? How would you describe your pursuit of wisdom?
- Our character develops more profoundly during difficult times where distress, pain and frustration are present. What challenging situation is God using to shape your character right now?
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!