Opportunity Cost

In a simple explanation, opportunity cost is the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. Choosing to forego an expensive vacation to put a larger down-payment on a car brings a loss of relaxation time, but a benefit in a lower monthly payment. Choosing to work late might curry favor with your boss, but will cost you time with your family. Some of the decisions are simple, but others are more complex because of the long-term impact they will have on us and our circle of influence.

Each of us have to evaluate the opportunity cost of life on a daily basis. There is a value that we place on the decision to follow Christ over the influences of the world around us. Some of those choices will be difficult to make and that is why Christ told us that we would need to die to ourselves. It is an active decision to live a life that is worth far more than the temporary, immediate gratification that we often see in front of us.

It's Up to You

I remember reading the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books when I was younger. You would make a decision based on the current circumstances and then turn to the appropriate page to see what happened next. There were many times that the choice did not lead to a desirable outcome, but then you could just go back and change your choice to create an adventure with a better ending.

We still have the power of choice in our lives, but we don't have the safety net of going back when things don't work out like we intended. If we act rashly or without forethought, we may find that we are in a predicament of our own making that is less than satisfactory. This doesn't negate the ability of God to work in the circumstances of our own creation, but it should make us prayerfully consider the options in front of us before we make a decision.

Sense of Urgency

I have a statement written on the whiteboard in my office-"Vision + Urgency = Growth." It is referring to the growth of a church, but my thoughts this morning are focused on its impact on my overall life.

I don't know that a lot of people (myself included) live each day with a sense of urgency. We tend to keep up with the pace of life as dictated by our calendars, but busyness is not the same as urgency. Fervent attention to a vision for our lives and the disciplined obedience it takes to see it fulfilled lead us to a level of growth that is absent otherwise. It is our failure to seek vision from God and adhere to it that leads to complacency. We can easily become people who simply go through the motions of life.

I am not comfortable with that and I believe that is why there has been unrest in my soul these past few weeks. I need to recapture the vision that God has for me as His son, for my family, and for my calling as a pastor. Each day must then be directed by diligent faithfulness to see the growth that He intends.

Imagine the difference in the church and in our communities if we operated with that focus. We haven't even imagined the metric to measure the growth that God has waiting for us if we do.

In the Right Hands

In Jeremiah 18, the prophet is sent to the house of the potter so that God can teach him something significant. Jeremiah sees the potter working with a piece of clay that is flawed so he shaped it into something else as it seemed best to him.


This obviously describes each of us and our relationship with God. The flaws in the clay are not a result of God's design however-they are a result of our choices and of those around us. We have short-circuited relationships, worshiped at the gods of reputation and prestige, allowed our emotions to control our mouth and actions, and wallowed in destructive patterns of behavior that have marred who we are today. God is able (and willing) to work through all of that and still shape something that will bring Him honor and fulfill our purpose. He will work with our flawed nature to create something beautiful-perhaps not what we imagined or hoped for initially, but sometimes our own decisions have limited certain future options for us.

The next step of growth for us is to willingly surrender to the creativity of the Potter. God's purpose will be done on earth regardless of our submission, but the journey is much sweeter when we acquiesce to the work of His hands in us. I am thankful for a loving Creator that will take me in my flawed nature and work to shape what He knows is best.

Circumstantial Living

It is easy to let the circumstances of life dictate your emotional and spiritual health. When things are going well we get along with people, we feel close and connected with God, and there is stability in our emotions. When the status quo changes however, we no longer exhibit the same even temperament and our confidence in God and His relationship with us dwindles. It can be quite frustrating especially when you realize that you are allowing your current circumstances to define your mood and mindset.

That is not the desire that God has for any of us. He doesn't want our overall health to fluctuate based on the temporary nature of our current situation. He knows that a truly fulfilled life with the right perspective is based in Him and our belief in His ability to provide for us in ways we cannot see. A person with their roots in God will live with quiet confidence in the King's power to guide His people.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

The Sound of Silence

I pray about a lot of things. I'm not attempting to sound holier-than-thou or like a braggart, but I find myself in multiple conversations with God throughout the day about a number of things. Some of them are very focused prayers with a specific intent and others are a reflective time between God and me. When praying for other people I will often hear the answer through them as they communicate what God has done. There are times when the answer is quite visible (i.e. improved finances, a new house to move into, someone showing up in church or making a decision, etc.) I also have periods of prayer about something specific where God doesn't seem to say anything at all. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

Even though this "silence" can cause me to carefully examine my heart and motivation for the prayer, many times the lack of an answer is an answer in itself. When looking for direction from God I have discovered that His silence often means that I need to continue to trust and be faithful in the direction that He is currently moving me. It is His message to me that He will make it known when that direction changes as long as I keep in continual communication with Him.

Unfailing Love

I was reading in Romans this morning and was reminded again about the powerful, unrelenting love that God has for us. God shares the truth in Romans 8 that we are never separated from the love that He has for us through Jesus Christ. Our circumstances may try to fool us into believing otherwise, but the truth still stands. Satan may try to convince us that we are unlovable, but God continues to declare His passion for us every day. This is a message the world is dying to hear.

If we accept even a morsel of this love it will radically change our outlook on our daily lives as well as provide an enduring motivation for the choices we make and the attitude in our hearts. I know that I need constant reminders of it and that when I dwell in this love it drowns out all other messages that are contrary to His truth.