Do All the Things

The book of Joshua tells the story of Israel's victory in Canaan and the work of Joshua. There are great tales of battles, conquering foes, and following God's will. Also in the book are chapters devoted to Joshua assigning land to the tribes to ensure their futures. Acting as a realtor for the Israelites isn't the most thrilling of bedtime stories--fighting battles for God is certainly more engaging and exciting. This doesn't negate the importance of doing all that God asks, however, even when it doesn't thrill the soul.

It's an important lesson for leaders to understand that fulfilling all the tasks God has assigned to us reflects our obedience regardless of the excitement level. As fully devoted and developing followers, we should exhibit a willingness to do what He is calling us to do in that moment. The best leaders work equally as hard and are patient through whatever the position requires at that time. Fathers lead their families best when they are consistent through the normal and the abnormal. Husbands show love to their wives in the ordinary and not just the extraordinary. Men are spiritual leaders through the day-to-day devotion to the King as well as the time of great trial and risk. 

Joshua's consistent example revealed his passionate desire to do whatever God's will called for. Our obedience n the mundane and the fascinating reveals our own character and develops us into godly leaders worth following.

Father's Blessing

As I'm reading in Genesis, I read through the story where Isaac blesses his sons Jacob & Esau as his health is failing. Honestly, their relationship is less than ideal and typifies many rocky family relationships that we would identify with today. Nevertheless, Isaac has a wish to bestow his blessing on them and does so even though his sons aren't exactly bastions of integrity. After receiving his father's blessing Jacob left his home for two decades before returning home in time for his father's death. The thing that struck me is that Isaac didn't wait until his deathbed to bless his children. He gave them God's direction & prayer with time still on the clock.

This is a vivid example for fathers today. It causes us to question the way that we are interacting with our children.

• Are we blessing our children daily or waiting for a sentinel event?
• What words of encouragement, promise, and truth do we speak into their lives each day?
• How are we influencing their perception of God as Father through our attitude towards them?
• What are we waiting for?

There is no time like the present to speak positive life into your children and help set them in a God-focused direction. Don't wait for a graduation, wedding day, or death in the family to give your children a blessing. Positive daily investments produce lifelong blessings.

Repayment Plan

Joel 2:25  I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the 

young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you. 

In ministry I see people who are consumed with the mistakes of their past. They are unable to offer forgiveness to people in their life and incapable of forgiving themselves for things that they have done. It's not that I don't identify with this dilemma or have it conquered. I have tremendous regret for the history of my own sins and the damage it has caused (and continues to inflict in some cases.) It can consume me as I get lost in the missed opportunities with my children, in my marriage, and in ministry. If I'm not careful this can paralyze me with guilt, prevent me from engaging in positive actions in the present, and lead to hopelessness. I feel confident in saying that losing hope is not God's desire for any of us. 

Hope is a powerful gift. It enables us to see past our current circumstances and gain a glimpse of something better. There is great promise in God's hope and the deliverance that it offers for His people. When I speak of a better future blessed by God, it inspires people to see the potential of what could be and not be demolished by what is. 

Perhaps the most attractive part of that hope is God's ability to restore. It's not just that He redeems us, but that He is willing to restore blessings to us that we thought were forfeited as a result of our choices. It's God's way of blessing His children and reveals His intense love for us. It reminds me that God's grace is vast enough to cover my past, present, and future. His hope is the promise of greatness that is beyond our ability to fulfill. 

Wide Awake

I don't tend to sleep & rest too well--it's been that way for years. I blame part of it on my mind constantly working and being unable to shut it down. I actually don't have problems getting to sleep (I don't go to bed until I'm tired) but I do have problems staying asleep. If anything wakes me up then I tend to be up for the rest of the night or at least in a half-asleep, restless state.

It seems to have ramped up lately and I'm not entirely sure why that is. My typical response when I find myself awake is to spend time talking to God. I figure that He woke me up for some reason or my spirit is uneasy and I need to talk to Him. I find myself praying for my children, for friends that are struggling, for the future of His Church, and for my family to fulfill our calling. I don't regret the time that He and I spend together in the middle of the night, but the result is a very tired body.

Rest is a difficult concept for me on a lot of levels and I recognize that I can only truly find it in Christ. I'm the one who makes the burden of parenting and ministry heavy. He has promised me rest if I come to Him as I am and let Him carry the weight of this life. I'm working on it.

Give It Away

In Genesis 26 there are two brothers named Esau & Jacob. Esau was a hunter and spent most of his time away from home pursuing wild game. Jacob was the opposite of his brother in many ways and didn't venture from home very often. Esau had been hunting one day and returned extremely hungry and found Jacob who had cooked up some stew. While Esau begged Jacob for something to eat, his brother turned this to his advantage. He asked that Esau give up his rights as the firstborn so that he could eat and Esau flippantly acquiesced. 

It's hard to imagine giving up the birthright as the firstborn for a simple bowl of stew, but it honestly wasn't about the price that was being asked. It was more about Esau's disregard for the importance of the covenant that God had made with Abraham (their grandfather). This trade might seem incredulous to us, but I would argue that we do the same thing on a regular basis. We forfeit greater things for temporary pleasures because we don't realize the greatness of what God offers. Because of our shortsightedness we're not willing to set aside something good for what is best.

We participate in activities that we know are not spiritually or physically healthy, but do so for the immediate gratification it brings. We hide behind the illusion of busy schedules and being financial providers instead of spending invested time with our spouses & children. We convince ourselves that next month will be when we start tithing, serving, reading our Bibles, praying, and exercising because this month is just too busy. 

The concept of trading away a blessing from God for a bowl of soup is completely foreign to us, but we don't have the right to judge Esau. Far too often, we share his guilt in abandoning God's promises for the brief satisfaction found in physical pleasures and spiritual apathy.

Firstborn

Fifteen years ago today we celebrated the birth of our first child. I was in love with her from first sight (and even before then) but I had no idea how much that love would grow. I don't think it's possible to comprehend how much things will change as your children grow, but I can honestly say that I couldn't be prouder of who she is becoming. She is extremely intelligent and quick-witted and loves to use her creative gifts. She has a passionate desire to help other people and wants to make a difference. One of the things I love most about her is her ability to make friends with people that other people tend to ignore. Lindsay is able to see the underlying truth in things and deals with it in a very rational fashion (more than a typical 15 year old should.)

Our relationship is changing as she grows older, but in ways that are giving us opportunities to talk at deeper levels and share life truths. I'm soaking up every opportunity to spend with her & her sisters as I know they won't be here under our roof forever. While I still miss my little red-headed girl talking to herself in the mirror, I am also excited about the future of our relationship as we are able to share more things together.

Happy birthday my Lindsay-Lou-Bug. I can't believe it's been this long already, but I couldn't be prouder of who you are & the young woman you are becoming.

Make That Change

catalyst  cat·a·lyst (kāt'l-ĭst): a person or thing that causes a change

What are catalytic events in your life? What inspires lasting change & motivates you to alter your status quo? 

• Birth
• Death
• Disease
• Sin consequences
• Personal revelation
• Unexpected results
• Dissatisfaction
• IHHE (I Have Had Enough) moments
• Holy Spirit inspired tension

These life factors all sway us, but I have found that the most powerful, lasting influence comes from a vision of a preferred future. Our current circumstances will change-and thus some of our motivation-but a firmly rooted vision lasts. We all need a spark that ignites the drive to make decisions that will lead to something better.