Infectious

During winter it seems as if common colds, influenza, and stomach flu run rampantly through communities. Sometimes the sickness is so pervasive it's hard to remember when everyone around you was healthy. This season always leads to obsessive hand-washing, generous amounts of Germ-X, and even the ingestion of some apple cider vinegar in an attempt to avoid illness. Sadly, it doesn't always work as our best efforts are unable to keep us from avoiding the contagious disease. The infection is often too strong to avoid-apparently some people are just too contagious for us to avoid.

How contagious are we in other areas of our life? Are we so strongly committed to our beliefs that it begins to influence other people? Is there evidence of our convictions in our speech, attitudes, and actions that begins to impact those close to us? I don't believe we need to be forceful or pushy with our infectious behavior, but it should certainly make enough of an mark to be noticed and hopefully motivate others along the way.

Needful Things

I have heard since I was a child that I needed to have more faith. While I understand this in principle, it still bears some thought on my part to ask the big question: what do I need faith for?

• To keep pursuing my calling
  
• To trust in my children's salvation
• Believing that my extended family will follow Christ
• Vision for ministry here
• That's God's ways are best even when it seems like my prayers go unanswered
• That God will make up the difference between my parenting skills and my hopes for our kids
• God's revealed vision for my calling will take place in His timing and not mine
• That God is able (and willing) to make the most terrible situation better
• To keep my confidence in His wisdom when my circumstances don't make sense
• Regardless of my foolish actions (and reactions) God still sees me as His son

Do you know what you need faith for? It might help to know the details as we ask for an increase in faith.

Just Go

Judges 6:14  The Lord turned to him and said,"Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?"

We won't know all the answers nor will we be able to accurately predict the future. We can use this as an excuse to sit back and wait for full clarity (never going to happen) or we can forge ahead in faith. We should take what strength, abilities, and wisdom we have been given and step forward in trust. When God is the One doing the sending we are guaranteed to see success even if we are unsure of the exact path that will lead us there. Has anything great ever been done without faith & obedience?

Mission Reboot: Something New

I am leading a mission team in Show Low, AZ this week working with Apache Native Americans. Several posts from my blog this week will be a re-posting of the most read blogs from the past year.

I want something more. This isn't a statement of greed or desire for physical pleasures, but a yearning for an increase of God's power and direction in my life. My eyes have continually been opened to the great changes that He has worked in me and yet it only heightens my awareness of how much more needs to be transformed. The journey is difficult, but I am longing for the next phases of discovery for me & my family. I feel that we are on the cusp of something powerful in our faith progression and calling, but I know that this will also call for new, bold moves of living out our faith. I don't know the details of what that looks like, but I know that it impassions me to see the potential of  God-given vision become a reality. I have full confidence that He will do this great work and I know that our obedience in attitude, word, and deed are required as well. The deliverance of a preferred future calls for an increase of active faith in our present reality.

Something New

I want something more. This isn't a statement of greed or desire for physical pleasures, but a yearning for an increase of God's power and direction in my life. My eyes have continually been opened to the great changes that He has worked in me and yet it only heightens my awareness of how much more needs to be transformed. The journey is difficult, but I am longing for the next phases of discovery for me & my family. I feel that we are on the cusp of something powerful in our faith progression and calling, but I know that this will also call for new, bold moves of living out our faith. I don't know the details of what that looks like, but I know that it impassions me to see the potential of  God-given vision become a reality. I have full confidence that He will do this great work and I know that our obedience in attitude, word, and deed are required as well. The deliverance of a preferred future calls for an increase of active faith in our present reality.

Glory Days

We tend to reflect on past athletic accomplishments and talk about the glory days of scoring four touchdowns in one game, hitting a game winning shot, or starring in the school musical. I am a nostalgic person as well and enjoy telling a tale of great times of the past. As time passes however, those grand adventures become smaller in our rear view mirror and don't reflect our current abilities at all.

The same can be true in the church. We boast about what our churches did in the past and talk about planting, baptisms, attendance records, and what used to be, with no new stories to tell. When yesteryear becomes the only tale that we share it's obvious that nothing exciting is happening. After a while we are simply regaling people with stories of times gone by and not sharing any work that we are currently engaging in. It's a sign that the past has become more important to us than future growth & potential.

We can't rest on our accomplishments without moving forward or our glory day stories will become eulogies for dead churches and inactive Christians.

Theologically Practical

It's easy to spout off statements about God and what He can do. We often fall back on these when times get tough or when we are unsure of the next step in our path. I have no doubt that we believe theologically in these statements, but I wonder if we believe in them practically?

If you have grown up in a church or just spent some time in one you can come to a common understanding of some basic principles, but actually believing in them enough to take action based on them is a different story. Saying that God is good and yet working as agents of that goodness to help those around us are two different things. Believing in the Biblical principle of the Holy Spirit changing the hearts of people and then praying and leading to guide people in the process are two different levels. Professing that because you came forward at an invitation and were baptized and seeking the guidance of the gift of the Holy Spirit in your day-to-day life are not necessarily the same thing.

Theological belief and practical belief are as different as knowledge and obedience. The impact of the Gospel isn't felt or shared unless you move beyond what you know to be true and begin to put it into daily practice. It is then that it starts to transform your own life and the lives of those that we come into contact with. It's the kind of faith that will capture a city, heal addictions, restore marriages, reinvigorate faith and attract people that are desperate for something real.

What Are You Doing?

I have had this quote from Dr. Wil Dungy (former Colts coach Tony Dungy's father) written down for over a year and half now. I look at it periodically and meditate on it and think about how it should push me. He asks the simple question, "What are you doing to make the situation better?"

Obviously you can apply this to a lot of areas, but it had a significant impact on me as I thought about the church. It is so easy to sit back and talk about what is wrong, to condemn people for their conduct and mistakes, to judge them for what they are/aren't doing, and to talk about how awful it is that there are people all around that need help and no one seems to be stepping up to help them.

As Paul said in his letters, I will consider myself the worst of sinners in this. Even as a pastor it is easy to simply spot & point out problems and areas of needed growth without being part of the solution. I desire to be part of a revival though. I want to be a leader who can follow God's plan and help to guide others towards intimate, authentic relationships with Christ that transform their lives on a day-to-day basis.

One of my "catchphrases" is that you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. The challenge for all believers is to ensure that each day, without hesitation or inconsistency, that we are the solution for those around us so that we can make situations better. This isn't for our sake, but so that God can continue His great work in and through us all.