A Worthy Name

I think our society has forgotten about the power and significance in a name. In times past we would give people names that reflected their character and the great deeds they had done. People would be called “Richard the Lionhearted” or “Claudia the Courageous.” Just because we no longer think in those terms doesn’t mean people don’t live with the same purpose and intensity. My wife is one of those women who lives in such a legendary fashion. As our 21st anniversary is celebrated today, I thought it would be appropriate to give her a fitting name: “Dana the Strong."

Our life’s journey has not been what we expected, but then again I don’t know many people who would profess otherwise. Through all of these life changes her internal strength has increased as she conquered each trial. My wife is a woman who:

Conquered cancer
Is willing to fight her fears
Breaks her faith down to the foundation and slowly rebuilds it
Asks tough questions others don’t have the courage to ask
Home schools three girls
Is a pastor’s wife—nuff said
Finished a 1/2 marathon
Climbed a mountain
Survived the rituals of religion to develop a lasting relationship
Takes risks and helps when others would walk away
Shares compassion even when it hurts
Speaks what’s right even if it’s unpopular
Helps others walk through the valleys of life even when it costs her deeply
Supports me fully in my calling even when it’s not easy for either of us
Sees the potential in me and encourages me to become the man I should be

I have been fortunate to have many strong women in my life and even more so to be allowed to partner with this incredible woman. I am grateful for her strength, her loving attitude, her passionate intelligence, and her contagious compassion. She is my life partner who makes me a better man. Happy anniversary, Dana the strong. You are the better part of me.

Strong or Weak?

If you are someone who believes in the power of prayer and God's ability to answer, how would you characterize your prayer life? Would it be a devoted life of conversation with God defined by strong, bold prayers? Or would it be one marked by inconsistency and weak requests?

I've often found that we pray weak prayers because we don't believe God can deliver or we don't think we're worthy enough to have Him answer. The key to moving to a stronger discipline of prayer is to remember it's not about us, but simply our faith in His generous ability.

(Un)desirable Quality

The word "meek" tends to get a bad reputation. People generally think meekness is a sign of weakness. It's commonly used in a derogatory fashion to describe someone who doesn't have the strength to stand up for themselves. It's a term we use to refer to people who are quiet, shy, awkward, and overly submissive.

There's an interesting angle on the word that has, unfortunately, become obsolete. When we add the concept of humility, meekness takes on another level of meaning. It isn't just about avoiding pride in our actions and speech, but rather the idea of strength under control. Meekness then describes someone who knows who they are and what they are capable of, but doesn't use their strength to dominate. It describes someone who is cautiously confident and focused on doing the right thing at the right time.

This angle on the word makes meekness more desirable for describing our character. It causes us to ask the basic question: can you control your strength or does it control you?

This Is Me

If you boast about your areas of strength (personality traits, abilities, potential, gifting) and nobody near to you recognizes those strengths, there is a problem. You're either not being earnest in using that ability or you're not honestly assessing who you really are.

Dormant strength needs to be awakened and developed to have an impact. An authentic self-assessment and wise counsel from dependable voices will help us be realistic in our capabilities. Both of these are key to operating healthfully in our natural gifting and maximizing our personal potential.

In simple language: know who you are & work to make the most of who you are.

Fight Club

I shared a song last week that has been resonating with me. I was listening to it again this morning and the

simple bridge "Our God is fighting for us always" was especially powerful. It reminded me of two different truths about God.

He is always fighting to get my attention and devotion. He works to communicate with me in so many different ways and wants to make sure that I focus on Him above all else. He knows that I am most fulfilled when I find my satisfaction in Him.

It also speaks to how He is fighting battles for me that I can't fight on my own and that I certainly can't win on my own strength. There are things happening in the spiritual realm that are beyond my comprehension and when I put my trust in my King, I can find victory through Him.

These are both comforting thoughts as they remind me that the Creator of the entire universe will do anything to have a relationship with me and that He will fight fiercely to protect the child He loves. It's so encouraging I could almost just repeat those words through the day to bring me needed strength and rest.

All By Myself

Maintaining our character and holding to our values is not easily done alone. We might have the willpower and the plan to succeed for a while, but trying to maintain focus without accountability and support becomes increasingly difficult over time. We will all have moments of weakness and temptation where our supply of willpower seems to have run low. When we are in isolation we are more likely to choose poorly. In fact, sometimes we choose isolation because of the decisions that we have been making or anticipate making. The truth is that isolation is the enemy of accountability. Removing ourselves from the company of like-minded people eliminates the guardrails that help keep us on the safe path of decision making.

All of us need a dedicated community of people around us for support, strength, and reminders of what is most important. It's in the honest togetherness of genuine relationships that we find the courage to keep making right decisions. 

Sent With Power

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? Judges 6:14

I've known too many people who are clearly jealous of other leaders. They spend most of their time talking about the abilities that they wish they had, the experience that they are lacking, and the impossibility of the challenges in front of them. They become paralyzed by their perception of what they don't have instead of seeking success with what they possess. 

God makes the formula fairly clear for godly leaders to be successful. We are called to use the talents that we are blessed with and move forward to achieve this vision even if it seems overwhelming. Our confidence is in our submission to God's power to fulfill the mission. No matter how daunting the challenge in front of us might seem, He is asking us to take the abilities that we possess and be obedient to His direction. God is the one that will make up the difference between our current competencies and what is necessary to see the task completed. We just need to trust Him to cover that gap and bring all of what we have. God's strength and power combined with our complete submission will deliver almost unbelievable results.

A Model of Strength & Character

We celebrated the life of Nelson Mandela this week as he passed gracefully from here into eternity. His impact on equality, the destiny of a nation, and countless generations and individuals is immeasurable. While there have been a plethora of testimonials and remembrances in his honor, there was one comment this week that impacted me more than others. Someone posted on Twitter that he was most impressed with Nelson's character and his ability to stay focused on what was right after leaving prison. The thought was that after 27 years of false imprisonment, Mandela left prison resolved to change a nation while we would leave with little desire to do much of anything but survive. It takes indomitable courage and a God-fueled life to walk away from imprisonment as a stronger, intentionally focused man. This reveals a fortitude of character that can only be measured in grandiose terms and serves as a model for all those who strive to make a positive impact.

Thank you Nelson for your tireless passion for freedom and equality and the instinct to bring it about peacefully. You leave a legacy that shapes more lives than you could have possibly ever known and inspires me to be a better man.

Perception

Here's the truth as difficult as it may be to admit: I am not as good at things as I like to think I am. As difficult as this is to admit this is a trait that a lot of us probably share. We can often operate with an overinflated sense of self by taking a personal strength and magnifying it so much that we fool ourselves about its true value. It's a fine line of using what we have to our greatest capacity and overstepping our bounds as ego takes over. I have seen too many good leaders fall victim to this abuse and then wonder how things have crashed around them. 

The flip side to this is that we are also not as bad at things as we tend to think we are either. Crossing the line of self-effacement into self-abuse is an easy step for many. This is often a reflection of poor childhood experiences, a lack of positive mentoring, or destructive self-esteem brought on by the lack of realistic, loving influences. It can be just as devastating as we end up denying our own value leading to an aimless life that ends in harm either physically or emotionally.

The truth is that what we seek is a healthy balance between our positive & negatives attributes.  It's the person that is confident in Christ who is able to accurately measure themselves through the lens of God's strength. We will recognize the need for continued maturity but also celebrate where we currently are. It's the balance found in not overestimating or underestimating ourselves, but in recognizing that all of us belongs to God and He is working in our strengths & weaknesses for our betterment.

There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hazy Image

Do we see ourselves as we really are? Are we living with an accurate assessment of self or are we calling self-delusion our reality?

We often overestimate our strengths and underestimate our weaknesses. It's a distorted evaluation of the person we actually are that is fueled by our need to protect ourselves. Under the guise of presenting the best image we have told ourselves the same lie for so long that we believe it's the truth. This skewed viewpoint may even appear to be successful from a distance, but will eventually implode (and explode) under the light of reality. 

Recovering from this is not an easy endeavor, but is necessary for maturity, genuine relationships, and spiritual success. We need to bathe in humility, experience brokenness, and give trusted people the freedom to speak the truth in love while grasping the beautiful grace that God offers to His desperate people.

Strong & Passionate

I had lunch with a couple of good friends today as we shared our concerns for our community. We

talked about problems that we see and threw around ideas on how our churches can be part of the solution. As we talked, my fellow pastor shared what he thought were the strengths of his church and what his people were passionate about. He admitted that this is not always an easy thing to determine, but something that he felt was necessary.

I believe this is vital for individuals as well as organizations. We have to take the time to determine what our strengths are and where we are the most passionate. It's in the process of identification and development that we mature and are able to be more effective. It's not always an easy endeavor and is most complete when other (trusted) people are involved.

If we are going to bring change to our community I believe it's an absolutely vital exercise to engage in and one that is part of a continual process of growth. Operating out of the best of what we do and executing it with passion will give us a fighting chance in affecting the greatest change.

Bigger Than

Circumstances can sometimes seem overwhelming. Even though it may seem sudden we haven't arrived at this point in our lives instantly, but as a result of our history. This tale of decisions and influences can form a tidal wave that we don't believe we can escape from. It creates a wellspring of hopelessness within us that only forces us deeper into sin, shame, guilt, and repression.

Thankfully there is another way. We can admit our own weakness and allow God to intervene for us. Scriptures tell us that nothing is too hard for Him, that if our God is for us that nothing can stand against us, and that the power of God within us is greater than the power of evil in the world. Prayerfully submitting our lives to God creates a new fountain of hope and pulls back the curtain to allow us a glimpse of victory that is assured when we follow Christ. 

When we are declaring war on the enemy, it's comforting to know that we cannot encounter an attack that is greater than the King we serve.

Country Strong

I have heard of people who undergo plastic surgery to have muscle implants. That's right. There is a group of people so consumed with their appearance that they are willing to have silicone bags put into their bodies to have the pretense of strength. The problem is that while they look good (from a distance) there is no real strength in them and if they were forced to test it, their true weakness would show. 

True muscle strength gained from hard work can't be genuinely imitated. In my time here in GA I have met many people who have never seen the inside of a gym, but are still conditioned with hard muscle gained from a strong work ethic. It's muscle increase from years of working--a type that can't be replicated artificially.

The same principle applies spiritually. We can speak of strength by pulling out our Sunday school attendance record, talking about the number of Bible studies we have been in, counting off the prayer breakfasts we have been a part of, and how many Bibles are in our homes. These things alone make us appear to have strength, but don't provide it the same way that having our faith tested through trials and temptations will. Those other markers will build up our knowledge, but nothing will strengthen us the same way that perseverance through adversity & faith in action will. Being refined through life and seeing our understanding & confidence in God change along the way makes us "country strong" in a way that mere attendance without application cannot. It's the difference in looking good from a distance and having a foundation of power that can be used.

Feeling Content

If you are a Christ-follower I hope it would be safe to say that you want to grow. I don't know any true follower who doesn't desire to know more of Him & to be continually changed (sanctified if you will) by the power of the Holy Spirit. I know that it creates moments of impatience in me as I have difficulties waiting for the changes that God is slowly working in my spirit. I catch glimpses of a future promise for my family, my own spiritual health, and what God is leading me to do. The part that becomes the most trying is waiting for that progression to occur.

Can we be so focused on what we want to improve, how we want to grow, and what we want to do next that we neglect the peace of God in this moment? Are we so intent on changing our circumstances that we forget to trust who God is and what He is doing right in the present?

I have to ask if I actually trust God to guide the leading of my family, the development of my own heart, and my career path. It really is a matter of trust because when I do I am not anxious about the trajectory or pace of the path that I am on. I am simply content and resting in God.

Constant Strength

I often say that there are no surprises for God. He is always fully in control and is never caught off guard when our circumstances change, when we make good and poor decisions or when tragedy and triumph strike. He always remains the same due to His nature and is never less than what we need to make it through each day. He is able to provide strength for us when we are willing to lean into Him-not just in times of difficulty, but in every day life.

It is a consistency in my dependency on God that I am searching for. I don't want to rely on Him only when things are tough or when ministry and life threaten to overwhelm me. I want to be known (not for my reputation's sake, but for His) as a man that finds his strength each day in the power of the King. I desire for all of who I am to have the mark of the Holy Spirit and the endurance that comes from my constant dependence on Him. It is in this consistency that I can strive to be a better example to my children, a more supportive and encouraging husband to my wife, a more effective pastor for the people I am called to serve and a fully devoted Christ follower ready to take on the world.

Psalm 104:33 "I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 

May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord."