Be You

We are not all the same.

Each of us are fearfully and wonderfully made to be the individual God wants us to be. He does not intend for us to be carbon copies of each other. He makes us to be just how we are supposed to be. Oh, and one more thing--God doesn't make mistakes or cheap knock-offs. Everything He makes is a perfect custom build.

My children, and I am sure others will agree, testify to this. I have three, and they are all different. All from the same two parents, all raised in the same home, treated the same, provided for, encouraged, and disciplined the same--and yet, each unique and special. Just as God intended.

Above is a picture of our youngest. She loves sparkles, jewelry, bright colors. She knows no strangers (scares me to death!). She laughs from the time she gets up til she finally giggles herself to sleep. She is our free spirit, our creative, our flower child. The other two--not so much. And that's just fine. No, not just fine--perfect--just as God planned.

It's not easy to be different.

Being different means standing out, taking the risk that you might be rejected, ridiculed, or even rewarded. It takes courage, confidence, and plain old chutzpah.  In short, it takes guts.

The truth is, we are all different. No two of us are the same, no matter how hard we may try to be. It doesn't matter how hard you try to be like someone else, try to imitate their looks, their mannerisms, their speech. No matter what you do, you cannot be someone else. Nor should you try. God made you as you, and that is who you are supposed to be.

The world would have you believe otherwise. For all the talk of tolerance and inclusion, what the world really wants to do is erase individualism. According to the world, boys and girls--they are just the same. According to the world, individual effort is not rewarded--everyone gets a trophy. According to the world, there is no right or wrong--everyone is right (unless you disagree with that!).

It takes courage to stand up to the world.

It takes courage to be you.

The young lady in the above picture is who she is. She knows she's different from her brother and sister--she even says so--and it's not easy. She doesn't like the same things they do, she doesn't act like they do, or talk like they do, laugh like they do . . . She knows this, but she doesn't try to change. That takes courage. At 7 years old, she sometimes has more courage than I do.

I don't know what part of you you don't like--but there's something. Sure, we all have things we should change: Bad habits, sin, and the like. But there are other things, things which make us who we are, that are just fine except . . . we don't like them. They make us different. They make us stand out. They make us--us.

Don't try to change those things. Embrace them. They make you who you are, who God wants you to be. That takes courage.

Be you.

Wild, curly hair, toothy smile, infectious laugh--they make my daughter who she is. She can't sit still at the table for 2 minutes, but she can sit in her "thinking chair" on the porch for an hour, day-dreaming. That's who she is, and who she is supposed to be by God's design.

What makes you, you? Whatever it is, embrace it. Dare to be different. Dare to be who God wants you to be. You might be amazed by how perfect you really are.

Whom Shall I Fear?

Are you afraid?

Sure, we all are. Afraid of the dark. Afraid of snakes. Afraid of failure, success, or mediocrity. We all fear something. But that's not what I'm talking about, and you know it. Today I'm talking about the world financial situation and again I ask, are you afraid?

The DJIA experienced its worst one day drop in history today, over 1,000 points. Yes, it recovered, then fell again to end the day down 588. This after losing 531 points last Friday, and triple digit losses the days prior to that. Markets all over the world are falling, shedding trillions--yes, trillions--of dollars of value/wealth. Financial doom and gloom may very well be on the horizon.

Should we be afraid?

It is going to happen.

One of these days, all of your wealth--stocks and bonds, IRAs and 401Ks, real estate and the cash in your mattress--will be worthless. I can say this with absolute confidence because all of these things are temporary. None of it will last. Not one single cent.

I do not have the foggiest idea when this will happen, but it will. The Bible says so, over and over. In the end, nothing of this world endures. It all burns. Its all destroyed. If that is where your confidence, your hopes and dreams lie, you should be afraid. Very afraid.

You are going to live forever.

No, this isn't some corny fortune-cookie reading. This is Biblical truth. Everyone lives, or at least exists, forever. Your soul is eternal. It cannot be destroyed, extinguished, or annihilated. For time without end, that part of you which is truly you--your soul--will be.  This is God's truth, not mine.

The question, then, is not if you will be, but rather where. You will be with God, or you will be without God. The deciding factor between those two options? Jesus Christ. Oh, and the old saying is right--You can't take anything with you.

Now that is something to fear. 

I fear God.

If you are so inclined, open a Bible and read in the Book of Luke, Chapter 12, verses 4 and 5.  Not a light reading, is it? In fact, in light of eternity in hell, how my retirement portfolio is performing doesn't seem quite so important anymore. A thousand point drop in the Dow is inconsequential. All of the sudden, I don't fear the bankers, the lenders, the government. I don't fear wealth, or poverty, or anything else. In fact, all that matters is God.  The only one I need to fear is Him.

And that is whom I fear.

Do you?

I Was Born to . . .

Bruce Springsteen, anyone?

Were you born to run? Not me. I've tried it. A lot. I've never been very good at it, though. Some people seem to be born to run, but me, I fit into a pair of cycling shoes much better. Some run, some swim, some cycle, and some really crazy people do all three in self-induced torture sessions called triathlons. We are not all cut out to do the same, and that's just fine. Everyone is different, with different gifts and abilities.

Do you know yours?

I'm not talking about athletic abilities anymore. I'm talking about spiritual gifts, those abilities which God gives you to serve in His kingdom. Those are much more important. Why? Well, Paul says it this way in I Timothy 5:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both this life and the life to come. Physical training has some value, but godliness, those matters of the spiritual nature--including spiritual gifts--has value for all things.

So if matters of the spiritual nature have value for all things, and are of greater importance than physical training, should we not know what we are good at? What our gifts are? Yes, I believe we should.

How do I know what my gift is?

Well, what are you good at? That's one clue. Another way to find out is to take one of the many spiritual gift tests which are abundant on the internet. If you have never taken such a test, I encourage it. Even if you think you know what your gifts are, it is good to see it in black and white. If you do not know what God has gifted you with, then by all means, use the tools out there to start exploring.

You can also refer to some Bible references regarding spiritual gifts, including I Corinthians 12:1-11; Romans 12:6-8; and Ephesians 4:11-13. The point of these passages is that everyone has a gift and that each of them is as important and necessary as any other. They are only useful, however, if you use them. To do that in the fullest, you have to recognize what yours is.

We were all born to serve God.

To me, it really is that simple. I was born to serve God. My gifts are teaching and leading. I can do other things, but God has given me special capacities to serve in those two areas. Knowing this, I am able to serve Him better. Since I was born to serve God, I want to know how to do that best. Knowing what tools He has given me is an important element in my efforts.

You, also, were born to serve God, and when you became a Christian (if you have made that most important choice) you also were given an ability or abilities to serve Him. Just to clarify, but not digress, this may or not be the same as a natural gift you were born with. A spiritual gift is given when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us at salvation. When you were born again, God gave you a gift.

Do you know what it is?

We were not made to walk alone

 

Our Christian walk is not one we are supposed to make alone. Even Paul realized that he needed the mutual encouragement of other believers.  In Romans 1:11 he says that he wants to see the believers in Rome so that he can impart to them a spiritual gift to make them strong. Then, as though thinking as he is writing, he clarifies that he wishes that giving to go both ways--from himself to the Romans and from the Romans back to him.

God did not design us to serve Him in isolation. His design, mentioned over and over in Scripture, is for us to be a family, unified parts of one functioning body.  We are together greater than the sum of our parts.

And that is my thought for the day!

Whatever You Do . . .

I took my son on his first road ride Sunday.

Our church had a Summer Picnic Sunday. It was at a church camp about 20 miles from our home. Last year I rode my bicycle out there with a friend. This year my son wanted to try it. I was a little reluctant, as he has never ridden anywhere near that distance in the past, does not have a road bike, and it was about 90 degrees. For an experienced rider, a twenty mile ride is no big deal. For a 14 year old kid who has never done anything like that before, on an unfamiliar bike . . . I wasn't sure. It could be dangerous. It could be frustrating. He would almost certainly slow me down. But, he wanted to go. So . . . I borrowed a buddy's bike, adjusted my bike to fit my son, and off we went.

Everything was going pretty well until the bike I was on blew a tire at mile 8. Not really a big deal, as I had a spare tube. We replaced the tube, aired it up, took off, and had another blowout at mile 8.1. More like mile 8.05. It was hot. I was frustrated. I wanted to just call in the cavalry and have someone come pick us up. But then a verse from the Bible came to my mind. 
     
I Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Could a bike ride glorify God?

Did it really matter if we rode our bikes to the church picnic? No. Did it matter how I responded to adversity, and how my son saw me react? Oh most certainly yes, it did. I wanted to rant and rave, throw things, give up. I wanted air conditioning and a seat bigger than my shoe under my out of shape butt. I did not want to change another tire just to have it go flat also. I wanted . . .

But that verse . . . Whatever you do. Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I don't know if God cared if I got back on that bike or not, but I do believe God cared how I responded to adversity. Giving up when life gets hard does not glorify God. Teaching my son to just take the easy way out was not going to glorify God. Certainly throwing a tantrum along the roadside was not going to bring glory to the Almighty. For me, at that moment, glorifying God meant working through the trials and continuing on. So we prayed. We fixed the tire and started riding again. 12 miles later, we arrived at our destination.

Was God glorified? I think so. Not because I took a bike ride, but because we persevered. Not because of me, but because His Spirit brought that verse to my mind. Whatever you do . . .

We will have adversity.

On a bike adversity means hills and headwinds, traffic and loose gravel, flat tires and equipment failure. A good ride when everything goes well is hard work. A bad ride when things go wrong takes more than physical conditioning. You have to be willing to work through the trials. You have to persevere and do whatever it takes to reach your destination. You have to want it, and not let anything stop you from achieving your goal.

In our Christian walk adversity may mean financial trouble, family problems, a difficult work environment, or any number of hills, headwinds, and flat tires. If we are going to do whatever we do for the glory of God, we cannot let those difficulties stop us. If your marriage is rocky you can give up, or you can glorify God, fix your flat tires, and ride on. If you are struggling with habitual sin you can either just throw your walk with Jesus off to the side of the road and jump in the air conditioned ride of debauchery or you can stay in the saddle and hammer away at the pedals. It is up to you. But remember: Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Whatever you do . . .

Whether it be work, marriage, parenting--whatever you do this week, do it for the glory of God. Be willing to work harder when the ride gets rough. I sum up James 1:2-4 this way: Pain builds character. A few verses later, in verse 12, James says this: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

When we love God, we want to give Him glory. Glorify God with your life this week not only when your ride is smooth, but especially when it is not. There is a crown of life awaiting us at the end of the road.  

More Cowbell

Did you just date yourself?

If you recognize the title of this blog, you may have just dated yourself. It has been 15 years since that skit aired on SNL. After that, the term More Cowbell invaded television, movies, and everyday conversation. A silly spoof of an old song rang true with culture not only in America, but around the world. Why?


In the skit, Will Ferrell (playing a fictional member of the band Blue Oyster Cult) goes crazy on a cowbell as they perform the song Don't Fear the Reaper. Despite the rest of the band's objections, the producer (Christopher Walken portraying Bruce Dickinson, who in fact did not produce the song in real life for you trivia buffs) demands more cowbell. In true form, chaos erupts.

In reality, B.O.C. did indeed use a cowbell in the song. But of course, hardly anyone knew this until the skit came to be. After that, just about everybody knew that subtle beat originated from a simple cowbell. And every since, when that song is heard, people all over the world think the same thing--more cowbell.

 More is the anthem of our world.

If some is good, more is better, right? More money, more house, more fame, more power, more, more, more! More cowbell until the guitars, drums, and vocals are drowned out in a cacophony of useless noise.

The world would have us believe that more is always the answer. Do you have too much to do? Do more! Do you have too much stuff? Get more! Too much debt? Borrow more! Your relationship not working out? Get another one! Too much? More is the answer. Or so says the world.

Get enough More and you win!

 Again, so says the world. He who has the most toys at the end, wins. If you have enough more you don't have to fear the reaper. Your more is all you need to sustain you. The world would have you believe that  you really can take it with you.

More has become an addiction. There has been a recent fascination with the real and sad plight of those who have an illness which leads them to hoard their belongings. Television shows and casual jokes attest to the fact that hoarding has become part of our culture. But you know what? I think we'd all be hoarders (if we're not already) if the world had its way. Hoarders find security in being surrounded by more. Are you (or I) any different?

The truth.

 The truth is, more is rarely the answer. What we all need is a good dose of less. Less obligations. Less complications. Less stuff. Let's face it--a little cowbell goes a long way. Any more would just be a distraction. Kind of sounds like our world, doesn't it?

The Harvest is Plentiful but the Workers are Few

Read Matthew 9:35-38.

Go ahead. Get your Bible. Or pull it up on your phone or tablet, or Google it. Really. Go ahead. Read it. I'll wait.

What did you see?

Jesus is going through the towns and villages teaching, preaching, and healing the sick. He is working, and as He works, He sees the needs of the people and has compassion on them. Now, He has two choices: He can ignore them, or He can meet their needs. Of course, since He has compassion on them, He is going to meet their needs. What is important here is how He is going to do that. He turns to His disciples and tells them, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 

Could Jesus have met the needs of all the people Himself? Yes! But He chooses another way. Instead, He tells His disciples it is their responsibility to pray to God to send out the needed workers.

Now, read some more.

Continue reading the first 5 verses of chapter 10.

OK?

Now read the first verse of chapter 11.

Here is what happened.

Jesus saw the many needs of the people, God's harvest field. What they really needed was Him, and He knew that. The way He showed Himself to them was through miraculous signs and irrefutable teachings. In order to multiply His message, He equipped His twelve disciples to go out and spread the word. He equipped them, sent them out, and then continued His own teaching and preaching, thus multiplying even further His reach.

The model of Jesus' ministry is one of multiplication. The same is true of Paul, who followed Jesus' example. Both reached many people personally, but they both reached many more through the multiplication process of making disciples. Jesus knew His disciples would mature in their faith as they equipped others, who would mature in their faith and equip others, and on and on. One person may reach a crowd or even a whole town. A dozen can reach a whole region. Hundreds can reach an entire nation, and eventually the entire world. That's what Jesus did.

What about us?

Jesus told His disciples to pray for workers. The very next verse He calls His disciples to Himself, equips them, and sends them out. They were not only to hit their knees and pray. Yes, they were to do that, certainly. But He did not want them to stop there. He sent them out, He commanded them to go out and teach others, show others, what He had taught and shown them.

He commands us to do the same.

One more reading.

Matthew 28:18-20.

Some of you no doubt are familiar with that passage. It is referred to as the Great Commission. After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples their work was not done. It was just beginning.

Where is your harvest field?

The field you are called to may be in a far off nation. It may be in Sunday School, or Church leadership. Or perhaps your field is your family, your workplace, your Tuesday night basketball team or Girl's Night Out. If you reach only one person, and equip them to be a worker for Christ, you have doubled your reach. Then they reach one and you reach another. Then those two reach two more . . . The harvest is plentiful; there is no shortage of opportunity. It is the workers that are few.

Are you a worker?