The Right Gift

I find myself praying for many of the same things on a regular basis. I obviously ask God to protect my family and to keep us focused on Him as we grow together. I pray for my extended family as well and for their physical and spiritual well-being. I talk to God about our church, the staff I get to serve with, and the community we all live in together. There are always specific people on my prayer list as well--especially those God brings across my path during the week.

As a leader, I am also always praying for wisdom, clarity, strength, and intentional focus. I see these as key personal areas and know God is the best source of these in my life. I don't think these are bad things to pray about, but it hit me this week that I should be focused on something more. Maybe the better thing for me to pray for is my character. I can ask for gifts from God, but if I don't have the right heart or level of integrity to match the rest won't matter much.

I know I have to make the right decisions to stay on that straight path, but a prayer focus asking for God's strength and help certainly can't hurt.

Our Prayer

May this simple prayer help us as we seek to live as God's Church in this world.

God, go with us. 

Help us to be an honor to the church. 

Give us the grace to follow Christ’s word,

to be clear in our task and careful in our speech. 

Give us open hands and joyful hearts. 

Let Christ be on our lips. 

May our lives reflect a love of truth and compassion.

Let no one come to us and go away sad. 

May we offer hope to the poor, and solace to the disheartened. 

Let us so walk before God’s people, 

that those who follow us might come into his kingdom. 

Let us sow living seeds, words that are quick with life, 

that faith may be the harvest in people’s hearts. 

In word and in example let your light shine in the dark like the morning star. 

Do not allow the wealth of the world or its enchantment 

flatter us into silence as to your truth. 

Do not permit the powerful, or judges, 

or our dearest friends to keep us from professing what is right.

Amen.

*Borrowed from Searching for Sunday, by Rachel Held Evans

Hunger Pangs

Our bodies let us know when we are hungry. Our stomachs will growl, we might get shaky, develop a headache, or become grumpy with people around us. It's our body's way of communicating to let us know we need nourishment. If we refuse to acknowledge it, we will eventually cause damage to ourselves from a lack of sustenance.

I believe we hunger for other things too. We were created to seek something more than just our current circumstances and have these hunger pangs within us that create discontent. Acknowledging this and searching for satisfaction is the beginning to easing our discomfort. We can ignore it for a while, but eventually we will cause damage to ourselves from a lack of fulfillment.

What are some of those things we are hungry for?

Comfort
Truth
Love
Accountability
Belonging
Conversation
Holiness
Peace
Purpose
Quiet
Healing
Acceptance
Forgiveness 
Mercy
Grace
Renewal

That’s a fairly lengthy shopping list of items to be looking for. It might seem to be too difficult to find in one place, but God designed His Church to be a refuge where all of this can be found. When we experience this and find our hunger satisfied, even for a while, it’s a beautifully fulfilling thing to be part of.

Mr. Fix-It

Part of my natural desire is to fix things. I want to make people feel better, improve situations, and correct wrongs. I want to be able to step into tough circumstances and bring a solution that makes a positive difference for everyone. While this may be an admirable quality in some cases, it’s not a healthy approach to investing in people.

Is “fixing" all it’s purported to be anyway? What does that say about how we view the people we care about if we are only concerned with “fixing” them? Are they a problem to be solved? Do we earn merit badges for the number of people whose lives we’ve fixed? Have we reduced their struggles, convictions, life history, and personality to something pithy we aim to correct with a well-timed word or cultural cliche?

Perhaps “fixing" isn’t the solution after all. What if we are meant to illuminate the pathway to Christ and then simply walk in the journey of faith discovery with each other? What if we were genuinely focused on compassionately traveling together and seeking God instead of correcting what we perceive is wrong? No one needs me to swoop down in superhero-fashion to rescue them with my (semi)-wisdom and (pseudo)-courage. I just need to be honest enough to admit I don’t have all the answers, but want to be part of a long-term, loving community exploring the path of spirituality as we follow Christ.

Our personal relationships will improve if we stop trying to “fix” the people we love. Our community influence will increase in authenticity and power as well. This can be a hard shift of mindset for me, but it’s necessary if I want to be genuinely compassionate while sharing the truth of Christ.

No Regrets?

It's common to hear people say they want to live a life of no regrets. This is usually fueled by the idea of taking risks and not wanting to lament missed opportunities later in life. The underlying philosophy is that anything from our past has only helped to make us who we are today. Even if things don't end up as planned, it was still a risk worth taking.

The trials and tough circumstances of my life have certainly helped to shape me into the man I have become. Even though it is true that doesn't mean I live without regrets. There are many decisions I have made I wish I could take back. There have been words spoken carelessly and hurtfully, actions committed without thought of impact and repercussion, and attitudes which have permanently damaged relationships. Just because I have managed to overcome some of these doesn't mean I don't regret those decisions.

Maybe the healthiest approach to this kind of life is to make sure I don't choose to do something that will bring regrets--either from missing out on opportunities or causing pain to people around me. It can be an admirable life focus as long as it's not used as an excuse for poor decision making.

Finding Beauty

You can find beauty in many moments of life if you are willing to look for it. I found one today as I stood by the grave of a fellow pastor as his family mourned his passing. While we shared God’s words of encouragement the most powerfully beautiful words were in a song we sang together. There were no instruments, but simply voices offered up in celebration and hope. Some sang confidently and strong while others could do no more than mouth the words of the familiar hymn. While it may not have completely soothed their sorrow, I pray it reminded them enough of the commitment of their father, friend, and pastor and the promises of God to bring us to Him. Sometimes a beautiful moment of shared hope for what is beyond this life can be a balm for a wounded soul.

And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone; 
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

The Measure of My Success

Henry Singleton was the founder of Teledyne and a strong leader with a charismatic personality. His persistent will and passion elevated his company to one of the fastest growing in America and created many admirers of his business acumen. In 1978, Forbes magazine featured his leadership and summed it up with a powerfully revealing phrase: "Singleton will win no awards for his humility, but who can avoid standing in awe of his impressive record?"

While this may have brought him financial gain and admiration from his colleagues, it isn't something I want said about me. I certainly want to see success and to be able to influence people positively, but I don't want to sacrifice humility to make it happen. I may be making this more black and white than it needs to be, but it seems I need to decide if I want my success to be measured by my solely by my accomplishments or by my character.

When you think about it in those terms it doesn't seem like a difficult decision.