My dad is an avid fisherman. When the avids aren't biting he fishes for bass.
When I was growing up, I would spend the early summers with him. We would wake up at four in the morning, get the boat and head to a lake to do some fishing. I spent many mornings watching the sun rise in the distance. As an eight year old boy, I could think of a lot of things I would rather do than sit in a boat at four in the morning. All right, I could think of one thing I would rather do, sleep.
My dad enjoyed fishing and he thought I would enjoy fishing. He believed the Norman Rockwell way of life, a young barefooted boy with a fishing pole over his shoulder. Unfortunately, I didn't share the love of fishing that my dad had.
We would sit in the boat fishing for bass for about four hours. It seemed my dad would catch a fish with every cast. Me, I couldn't even catch moss. It wasn't that I was using different lures, I was using the exact same thing that my dad used. The difference was, he knew what he was doing, and I was just going through the motions.
There are times when Christians are in the same boat. Just going through the motions. Everything is done out of the sense of duty, not out of the sense of wanting to do it. Reading the Bible becomes a chore. Going to church out of habit. Mumbling through the Lord's Prayer. Whispering hymns. Avoiding people because you know Jesus is going to be mentioned. During this time, there is a sense of guilt, so everything becomes habitual and we just go through the motions, hoping something would spark and we get that enlightened feeling again.
When you hit that wall, whether it is because of frustration, complacency, or any other reason, there are steps to take to become re-energized.
First, focus on God. Clear your mind and remove all distractions from the outside world. Pray to the Father in Heaven and focus solely on Him. Put Him in the center of your thoughts. “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV)
Second, study the Bible. Don't just read it and put it down. Meditate on it. Work out what you are reading, “Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 MKJV)
Third, seek out other Christians. Spend time with other Christians. Similar to your car when the battery dies, jump start your battery with other Christians. Be in continual fellowship with other Christians, not just in church, but outside of church. Develop and strengthen relationships with other Christians. “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46,47 NIV)
When you find yourself going through the motions because you feel you have to, do your best to change your attitude. By following these simple steps and making it a want to and not a have to, perhaps you will catch some fish.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Happy Birthday Sweet Caroline
Caroline is 1 today.
We often wonder where the time has gone. It's then that we realize that you are truly a gift from God and everyone is blessed with you in our lives. What a beautiful gift you are to all.
Who Have You Impacted
One day you are going to die. What kind of impact do you think you will have on people? Allow me to relay a little story: (At this point the computer screen should wave and fade into a flashback).
Many years ago I was washing a vehicle. I heard someone yell out my name. When I turned, I saw a teenaged boy heading towards me. I had no idea who he was, or what he wanted with me. There was only one thought that entered into my brain, “Was he someone I wouldn't let near my sister and now he's going to pummel me into gravy.” (Yes, I prejudged him and someday I will discuss judging people by their appearance.)
When he got to me, he threw open his arms, and I immediately took a defensive posture. Which means I fell to the ground, took the fetal position, and began crying hoping that he wouldn't hurt me too bad. He reached down picked me up and proceeded to . . . hug me. This caught me completely off guard. I wasn't used to teenagers running up to me to hug me. In fact, I'm not used to anyone running up to hug me. I am used to people running away from me when it's time for a hug. So I stood there like a telephone pole, while this teenager was hugging me. After he stepped back, he explained everything.
He told me how he was visiting some friends at the same house I was visiting some of my friends. He informed me that he listened in while I was answering some questions about Jesus. Then, a couple days after that, he was arrested. While sitting in jail, Clarence Garten came by and talked to him about Jesus. He told me that he came to Christ, because of the actions of myself and Mr. Garten. At that point, I did what any macho he-man would do, I wept. I didn't realize the impact I was going to have on this young person, he wasn't one of the kids I was talking with. But it did bring this passage to life for me, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)
Many times we don't realize the impact that we have on other people. We always hope that it's a positive impact, yet how we handle situations and people will show if it is positive or negative.
Are you someone who doesn't care what other people think about you? Well you should. Christians are told to be lights unto the world. If you are always negative, you only serve to push people away from Christ. I have met many people that have come to Christ. Not a single one said they did it because someone scared them into being a Christian. All have said that those who are negative, pushed them farther away. It wasn't until someone showing God's love did they respond to God's call.
Take a look at your attitude and the effect that you are having on the people around you. When you leave the room do people say, “What a joy it is to be around ---” or do they say, “If that's what being a Christian is like then I don't want to be one.”
One day, you're going to die. They're going to throw dirt on your face and go back to the church and eat potato salad. What they say about you will depend on the impact that you have had on their life. When you were born, you were the only one crying while all those around you were smiling. When you die, do you want to be the only one smiling, while those around you are crying?
Many years ago I was washing a vehicle. I heard someone yell out my name. When I turned, I saw a teenaged boy heading towards me. I had no idea who he was, or what he wanted with me. There was only one thought that entered into my brain, “Was he someone I wouldn't let near my sister and now he's going to pummel me into gravy.” (Yes, I prejudged him and someday I will discuss judging people by their appearance.)
When he got to me, he threw open his arms, and I immediately took a defensive posture. Which means I fell to the ground, took the fetal position, and began crying hoping that he wouldn't hurt me too bad. He reached down picked me up and proceeded to . . . hug me. This caught me completely off guard. I wasn't used to teenagers running up to me to hug me. In fact, I'm not used to anyone running up to hug me. I am used to people running away from me when it's time for a hug. So I stood there like a telephone pole, while this teenager was hugging me. After he stepped back, he explained everything.
He told me how he was visiting some friends at the same house I was visiting some of my friends. He informed me that he listened in while I was answering some questions about Jesus. Then, a couple days after that, he was arrested. While sitting in jail, Clarence Garten came by and talked to him about Jesus. He told me that he came to Christ, because of the actions of myself and Mr. Garten. At that point, I did what any macho he-man would do, I wept. I didn't realize the impact I was going to have on this young person, he wasn't one of the kids I was talking with. But it did bring this passage to life for me, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)
Many times we don't realize the impact that we have on other people. We always hope that it's a positive impact, yet how we handle situations and people will show if it is positive or negative.
Are you someone who doesn't care what other people think about you? Well you should. Christians are told to be lights unto the world. If you are always negative, you only serve to push people away from Christ. I have met many people that have come to Christ. Not a single one said they did it because someone scared them into being a Christian. All have said that those who are negative, pushed them farther away. It wasn't until someone showing God's love did they respond to God's call.
Take a look at your attitude and the effect that you are having on the people around you. When you leave the room do people say, “What a joy it is to be around ---” or do they say, “If that's what being a Christian is like then I don't want to be one.”
One day, you're going to die. They're going to throw dirt on your face and go back to the church and eat potato salad. What they say about you will depend on the impact that you have had on their life. When you were born, you were the only one crying while all those around you were smiling. When you die, do you want to be the only one smiling, while those around you are crying?
Friday, March 06, 2009
Who Has Impacted You
The other day, I received word that one of my beloved teachers had died. I knew that she had touched the lives of many people, and the ones that I knew, I e-mailed them to tell them the sad news. One of these people was my brother Brian. He immediately posted the news on his Facebook page.
Within a couple of hours he e-mailed me asking me to answer some of the questions that people asked about her. I navigated to his Facebook page and I was completely overwhelmed at the responses. Within two hours of him making the announcement, he had already had many responses. All from former students, all with positive comments. I immediately realized that it wasn't just my class nor my brothers class that she had an impact on. These comments came from three different decades of her teaching career. I wondered if she knew the type impact that she had on all of us.
While you were growing up, there were people that had an impact on your life. Whether it was a parent, pastor, teacher, coach, or your next door neighbor, someone had a positive impact on your life. They were constantly building you up to be a better person. They epitomized Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (NIV). They knew the difference in corrective rebuke and constant criticism. They knew that if they built you up, you would become a better person than if they tore you down.
Have you thanked that person? Not necessarily in a letter or a phone call, but in your life. Has your life shown the positive impact that these people have had on your life. Or are you living a life that you would be ashamed to show them, because you feel they would be disappointed in you. If you feel that they would be disappointed in you, now is a good time to make the necessary changes that would show the positive influence they have had in your life.
I want to also encourage you to write a letter or give them a phone call. Drop a line to your social studies teacher and tell him thank you for the lessons he taught, even if he cheered for the wrong school. Send a letter to your music teacher who after twenty years of being out of school still does little things to help you along in your life. Your math teacher who put students needs first, regardless of their knowledge, when they struggled he helped them.
It doesn't have to be limited to teachers. A high ranking person in a business taking you under his wing and leading you into adulthood. Your neighbor, despite having a family of his own, treats you as one of his own children, even showing up for parent night at college. A pastor who guides and comforts you through your struggles and is there when you need him. I'm sure you can think of someone who impacted your life. Sometimes a simple thank you is enough for them to know they did a good job. Tell them now, don't wait until their funeral to tell them the impact they've had on your life.
Within a couple of hours he e-mailed me asking me to answer some of the questions that people asked about her. I navigated to his Facebook page and I was completely overwhelmed at the responses. Within two hours of him making the announcement, he had already had many responses. All from former students, all with positive comments. I immediately realized that it wasn't just my class nor my brothers class that she had an impact on. These comments came from three different decades of her teaching career. I wondered if she knew the type impact that she had on all of us.
While you were growing up, there were people that had an impact on your life. Whether it was a parent, pastor, teacher, coach, or your next door neighbor, someone had a positive impact on your life. They were constantly building you up to be a better person. They epitomized Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (NIV). They knew the difference in corrective rebuke and constant criticism. They knew that if they built you up, you would become a better person than if they tore you down.
Have you thanked that person? Not necessarily in a letter or a phone call, but in your life. Has your life shown the positive impact that these people have had on your life. Or are you living a life that you would be ashamed to show them, because you feel they would be disappointed in you. If you feel that they would be disappointed in you, now is a good time to make the necessary changes that would show the positive influence they have had in your life.
I want to also encourage you to write a letter or give them a phone call. Drop a line to your social studies teacher and tell him thank you for the lessons he taught, even if he cheered for the wrong school. Send a letter to your music teacher who after twenty years of being out of school still does little things to help you along in your life. Your math teacher who put students needs first, regardless of their knowledge, when they struggled he helped them.
It doesn't have to be limited to teachers. A high ranking person in a business taking you under his wing and leading you into adulthood. Your neighbor, despite having a family of his own, treats you as one of his own children, even showing up for parent night at college. A pastor who guides and comforts you through your struggles and is there when you need him. I'm sure you can think of someone who impacted your life. Sometimes a simple thank you is enough for them to know they did a good job. Tell them now, don't wait until their funeral to tell them the impact they've had on your life.
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