Opportunities to Grow

I recently came across a quote that is often credited to Thomas Edison.  It says that “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

There’s a lot of truth to this.  We live in a world where people often look for easy solutions to their problems and challenges.  In a world where many individuals expect quick, high levels of service, we often become impatient when things don’t arrive on time, or our lives don’t go on a schedule that we planned out.

Thinking about this, how often do you and I make plans?  Even when our ideas seem honorable and God-pleasing, we often run quickly towards the direction that we have determined that we want to go in.

Yet, how often does life turn out differently than what we were expecting?  Perhaps, you or a loved one gets a health diagnosis that isn’t wanted.  You may have problems with a child – or are unable to have children.  Maybe a job or career didn’t go the way you had expected it to go.

The reality is that life is messy – it doesn’t normally go as planned.  Or does it?  Perhaps not by our plans – but how often do we stop and surrender our plans to God?  Do we submit our will to Him?  After all, He is the one who created us and gives us purpose – to love and honor Him.

Proverbs 3, verses 5-6, tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” 

Our wills and plans don’t always align with God’s.  This has been a discussion that my wife and I have had many times.  When we got married, our plan was to have several children.  Many years later, God has blessed us with one son and allowed him to be gifted with ADHD.  It’s through his struggles and successes that my wife and I are learning compassion and gentleness in ways that we may not have otherwise.

Likewise, I have often dreamed of having a fleet of trucks – since I was a toddler.  Now, several decades later, that goal often seems to be an unattainable dream – although I do know that God can still make that happen, if He desires to.  It does leave me asking if having trucks was my plan, or was it God’s?

My wife and I have talked many times about God’s plans.  Are our goals so important to us that we put them ahead of Him?  Neither of us wants our plans to come between us and our Father – and we definitely don’t want to miss out on what He might do in our lives.  The reality is that God will always work out His plans – whether we cooperate with Him or not.  Do we want to be in the center of God’s will, or does He have to use someone else to fulfill the purpose that was meant for us?

Opportunities are often found in surrender.  It’s only when we allow our plans and goals to be molded by God, and not by us, that He can fully use us.  The choice is ours.  God told Isaiah, in Isaiah 19, concerning the Israelites during their Babylonian captivity, that He was making a way through the wilderness. 

What often looks like a missed opportunity may be a blessing in disguise. Would our lives always honor God if our plans worked out how we thought that they should? Perhaps, it’s the Father’s mercy that prevents some of our goals to come to fruition.

When we patiently seek God’s plans, He will always lead us out of our “wilderness.”  Let’s draw close to the Father and trust Him for the opportunities that He desires to give us.

 Have a great day!  😊

 

Called to Serve

(Photograph courtesy of Unsplash.)

Chances are that you’ve heard the term “servant leadership”.

It’s the idea of training people to become leaders by following Christ’s example of being a servant.  The term has been championed by many of us in the Christian community because, well… it sounds both inspiring, and as a worthy goal to pursue.

When I first heard the term, I really thought it sounded great.  I wanted to be in a business leadership role, and this sounded like a great way for me to serve Christ and others – and be able to pursue my goal.

Yet, over time, I’ve come to the conclusion that servant leadership isn’t a calling worthy of being pursued.

Why?

Simply, when we’re pursuing something like a leadership role – regardless of how noble it sounds, the end result is our own self-promotion.  Just as the word “leadership” is the last word in the phrase; it is also the end result in servant leadership.  How can we pursue God wholeheartedly when we’re also pursuing our own goals and agendas?

Reading through the Gospels, it looks like Jesus led people.  Actually, that wasn’t His intent.  His purpose was coming to earth to do – to serve – God’s role for Him.  Jesus knew His purpose – and lovingly fulfilled it.  He didn’t stray off course, but lived in obedience to His calling from birth to the grave.  That’s the task of any servant – to do the will of the Master.

People followed Jesus because He served them.  They followed Him because He didn’t have an agenda of His own.  His purpose was to do the will of the One who had sent Him (John 6, verse 38).  Jesus made time for those who earnestly and diligently pursued Him.  He faithfully walked humbly with them – not ahead of them, unlike the so-called leaders of the day.

Even in the final moments of life before His crucifixion, Jesus was serving.  We see Him washing the disciples’ feet and waiting on them at the Last Supper.  He healed the servant’s ear in the Garden of Gethsemane – the ear that Peter had sliced off with a sword.  Even in His final moments as He hung dying, Jesus was concerned about the welfare of others when He gave John His mother, Mary, to look after.

After Jesus returned, He joined people where they were.  Jesus came and met Mary Magdalene at the tomb.  He walked with the disciples on their way to Emmaus, explaining His fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures to them.  In those final days, we also have the accounts of how Jesus came and met the eleven Disciples.  He even took the time to tenderly address the doubts of Thomas.

In a time when many people are promoting leadership, let’s look at what it means to be a servant.  People often don’t want to have to serve others.  There’s definitely not a large line of individuals waiting to be servants.  But, that’s where Jesus would be.  In fact, He showed this example when He humbly came to earth, served and took a cross to meet our greatest need:  a Savior.

Servanthood is where we should also strive to run.  Let us lay aside every false hope, narrative and agenda and willfully, gladly love and serve others.  In our humility and obedience, may others see Jesus as we serve Him by being His hands and feet!

Have a great day!  😀

“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’”  –  Matthew 20:25-28 (NIV)

A New Year’s Goal

Over the past couple of days as New Year’s Day approached, I started to think about resolutions. Perhaps, you did as well. In fact, it seems that during this time, a lot of people like to set goals to achieve in the coming year.

These goals are varied. Some people want to lose weight – or, at least spend more time working out. Others may base their resolutions on financial, work or relationship goals.

But, how often are our resolutions made out of an attitude of discontentment – or, even jealousy? Do we make goals because we’re not happy with our lives? As I’ve been thinking about this, I’ve thought of different people I know who won’t use social media because they don’t want to be envious of others.

Over the years, there have been many things that I’d love to change about myself. I have even made resolutions to make those changes. Unfortunately, the goals that I set don’t often seem to stick – perhaps, in part because I decide later that they’re not worth pursuing. Or perhaps, they prove to be unrealistic – and, aren’t things that I can achieve in my own strength.

In our attempt to make resolutions, do we consider how much God has blessed us? Do we often see that our greatest need – isn’t a new goal, but to know God’s love? He’s not so much concerned about our job goals, as He is about our heart – and, how much we love and obey Him.

We all have things that we’d like to change. That’s a part of life. In fact, there are things that I’d love to change this year. But, no resolution is worth pursuing if it will hurt my relationship with God, my family and others who are in my life.

Perhaps, God is telling us to wait on something. He may want us to invest our time and resources into the people and things that He has already brought into our lives. Of course, He may even bless our attempt at achieving some new goal.

If we look around us, we can repeatedly see how loving and kind God is. We may not always agree with Him, but in the end, He always wants to bless us with His best. Really, His ways are better than anything that we could dream up.

I’m not making resolutions this year. I don’t want to run after other peoples’ goals out of envy or strife. Rather, at the end of the year, I don’t want regrets about things that I ran after on my own. I want to pursue God – and see Him move in ways that will draw me and others closer to Him.

This year, I hope that you will also see how much God loves you. Run after Him – and know that His ways can be trusted!

Have a great day! 🙂

Driven to Serve

For much of my life, I’ve wanted to have trucks. One, two… fifty, a hundred, a thousand… let’s just say that I wanted to have a fleet of trucks.

With that type of dream, I figured that I’d have my own company name on the side of trucks and trailers. Actually, strike the word “figured.” I WANTED to have my own brand emblazoned on equipment.

This whole idea of fleet management was what drove my choice in college degrees. And, as a young guy in my early twenties, I had several opportunities and management-related responsibilities with a couple of trucking companies. In those early days, I got to broker freight, dispatch drivers and equipment, negotiate with fuel vendors and help manage a terminal. Yet, as much as those jobs were close to what I desired… I wanted more – my own company.

Through fleet downsizing and management shake-ups, I eventually found myself pushed aside. I ended up on the other end of the industry – as a driver, which is the role that I still have today. If I were to say that I was always happy about driving, I’d not be honest. As much as I love trucking, I didn’t want to be “just a driver.” I had places to go… and a cab was not the way I intended to get there. Besides, truck drivers aren’t always treated with respect. This is funny because drivers do a job that benefits most people, and yet, they’re often underpaid, while their job is berated by many people not familiar with trucking.

As in my childhood, I still made plans. Always pushing for the perfect job, I often would get annoyed when others who didn’t take their job – or mine, seriously. Yet, I wanted to get out of that cab – especially every year as winter approached. And, to be honest, I found myself often wondering why God wouldn’t give me another chance to go back to the part of trucking that I loved and enjoyed – the management side of the business.

Even as I tell this, I have to think of all of the turns that my life and career have made – almost as curvy as a narrow, steep mountain road.

I thought of trucking as a “service” field – because it is. It was a way, I felt, that I could meaningfully serve others.

As I’ve been thinking about trucking and serving, another “service” idea has emerged in Christian circles. Over the past few decades, there have been all sorts of talk about “servant leadership”. I embraced this idea, thinking that I could serve others while leading a company – which can be done if God allows that opportunity. Really though, if we’re being honest, don’t most of us want to be in control – possibly even be the boss? And, I’m not so sure that servant leadership is so much about serving as it is about becoming a leader – someone in charge.

Although I wish that I could say that there’s a defining moment that recently changed for me, I can’t. Perhaps it was around the time of a truck parade that I was involved in earlier this summer. But, perhaps it was longer – as I’ve grown very wary of the whole idea of servant leadership over the past few years. Those who often talk about it refer to Christ as being a servant and leader – and they use Him as a role model to be like. However, Christ didn’t come to lead, but to serve – a role that He’s still performing as He serves us by interceding continually before His Father, God, for us. People followed Him because they were attracted to how He loved and cared for them.

As I’ve been thinking about Christ’s role, it has started to dawn on me that my entire life isn’t about what I want or desire. It’s about serving – following Christ’s example to serve wholeheartedly.

Trucking isn’t the role that everyone has been given. And, who knows… perhaps, I won’t be there for the rest of my life. Then again… maybe I will be there until God calls me home. But, as I think about it, God has allowed me to have a unique platform to serve Him. Please allow me to recount three specific ways that I’ve seen God use my job.

I remember many years ago listening to a customer’s story. He had lost his son to suicide, and his wife had largely isolated herself as a result. This older gentleman just wanted company – telling me how he frequently went to a local restaurant – to be around people. Even as he told me, I didn’t have anything to offer – but a listening ear. So, for a few minutes… that’s what I gave to him.

I’ve also been at two different locations making deliveries and seen toddlers wandering out of yards, away from their mother’s watchful eyes. Both of those occasions offered me a chance to get someone to retrieve the child.

Even on what seems like a routine, ordinary day, I have the opportunity to talk to many people. Often it’s just a simple “Hello,” and asking how they’re doing. But, in this world where we’re increasingly having less personal, face-to-face interaction with one another due to technology, many people still appreciate simple acts of kindness – being treated like they matter.

If you’re reading this blog post, then you’re also affected by my job, since I see my writing as another aspect of my job – an unpaid part. (So, thanks for reading!)

So, over the past few months, my approach has changed quite a bit. While I would still love to have that corner office, I’m becoming increasingly aware that my life is best employed serving where God has me – in the moment. How can I enjoy God and allow Him to be glorified when I’m still trying to manage my own “show?”

Perhaps you’re content where God has placed you. But, then again, you may understand how I’ve felt – discontent, trying to figure out how to serve God on your own terms.

Let me encourage you to trust God. Enjoy where He has placed you at this moment. Realize that you have so much to offer – simply by loving and serving others. And, don’t see your current situation as a final outcome… but, as part of a story that has yet to be written – allowing God to have freedom to bless you in a way that only He knows is best for you.

Have a great day! 🙂

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Running to Win – Races and Life

Two of the largest news items of the past couple of weeks have been the Winter Olympics in South Korea and the home-going of Billy Graham. The Olympics have drawn the attention of people from around the world as many have watched to see how teams from their countries are doing in the medal counts. People from around the world have also been touched by the life of Dr. Graham. As a result, millions of individuals have been interested in the coverage of his home-going in the news and on social media.

As the world celebrates the achievements of many of the Olympic athletes, many around the world are also celebrating Billy Graham’s life. While many are shocked and in mourning over Mr. Graham’s death, I have also been thinking about the timing of his passing. Just like an athlete, he has run this race called “life.” Like an athlete who works hard to be the best at his or her sport, Dr. Graham tirelessly served God up to the final days of his time here on earth.

The Apostle Paul uses running and athletics several times in the Bible as an illustration for how Christians should follow Christ. After all, many of the people that would read his letters were acquainted with the original Olympic games held in Olympia, Greece. In 1 Corinthians 9, he talks about the strict training that an athlete must go through if he wanted to win the victor’s wreath. Further in Philippians 3, Paul tells how, letting go of the past, he presses on toward the goal of Heaven – where he will be able to praise and worship his God and Savior – for all of eternity.

An Olympic athlete works hard toward the goal of being recognized as the best in their sport. However, there is always the possibility that someone may someday have a better record than they have. Olympic records are broken… and within a few decades, many Olympic participants are forgotten heroes. Unlike the Olympic athletes, each Christian – whether someone like Billy Graham, or someone possibly like you and me, will never be forgotten. We have the guarantee that God will never forget us.

Just like the Olympic participants pushing themselves to be able to take home a medal, we who follow Christ should take our faith as seriously. In fact, we should take it more seriously. Unlike a medal which may tarnish or could get lost or stolen, the prize that we strive for never loses its appeal – and, it can never be taken away from us. And unlike the early Olympic athletes who competed for wreaths or crowns made from olive leaves, we’re not running for a prize that will wither away. Instead, we’re running for a prize – a reward – that we can give to our King in worship to Him.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have got to see some of the best athletes in the world. We are inspired by their dedication and hard work. Although only a few go home with medals, we see through the achievements of each Olympic participant, what is possible when someone focuses their gifts and talents on a certain passion or calling.

In much the same way, the world has taken note of the extraordinary life of Billy Graham. He came from humble beginnings as a boy growing up on a dairy farm, to being able to share the great love of God to millions of people around the world. Throughout his life, he has shown us what can happen when one yields their life to God. In the end, when he crossed that finish line for his life here on earth, I’m sure that he was rewarded with a crown and the honor of his Father and King saying “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done!”

As we think about these athletes and Billy Graham, there’s one other similarity between them that we need to take note of. That similarity is that not one of them is perfect… they all have weaknesses and times when they stumble and fall. However, they continuously get back up – and continue in their pursuit to win the prize that they’re training to win.

So, let me ask a few questions. Who, or what, are we running for? Are we running – working, for something that will get us temporary, earthly applause? Or, is our aim to please our Creator? Also, how devoted are we at doing our very best? Are we giving our all… or just trying to get by? I hope to hear my Savior say “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I hope that that is your goal as well.

Have a great day! 🙂

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NIV)

Children, Marriage and Life Lessons

It seems like it was just yesterday when my son was born.  Over the past few years, it has been really fun and interesting to watch him grow up into the boy that he has become.  As he grows up, he constantly amazes my wife and me with what things he thinks about.

Our son is like most other boys his age.  He loves Legos, driving his toy cars and playing games on our iPhones and tablets.  In addition, he loves reading maps… even looking at maps on our phones.  For this reason, we sometimes call him “Rand McNally.”

Recently, he has reached another milestone.  You know… that age where young children start talking about marriage.  Of course, it’s years before they’re ready to tie the knot.  Makes one wonder what they teaching children in school?  (Oh, wait… our son is homeschooled… never mind!)

This being said, I’m not so sure that we’re really ready for this.  After all, he is my little boy, and I told him that he has quite a few years before he can entertain that idea!  Who knows… he may not even be allowed to date until he can drive.  (That was the rule for my sister and me when we were growing up.)

After he told us about this, I told my wife that his recent interest in marriage must be for one of two reasons.  Either he wants to move out on his own.  Or, we are really doing a great job of exhibiting what a wonderful marriage looks like.  My guess is it’s the second reason!

Thinking about this, I am reminded about how much a child learns from his or her parents.  It’s up to the parents to show how much a child is loved, cared for and wanted.  We are the first people to often set an example for how a child should treat others.  I know… it’s a huge responsibility.  Scary, right?!

Unfortunately, many parents have allowed others to parent their children.  This includes using the television and other forms of media to be a primary source of parenting and entertainment for them.

How often do we miss out on the blessings that our children are to us?  It seems like we are so busy today.  In our world filled with technological advances, you would think that we shouldn’t live such chaotic lives.  However, I believe that we have made ourselves more hurried and busy.  We have so many distractions vying for our time… and our children often suffer for a lack of attention.

In addition, there are many who desire to mislead our children in clearly thinking about who they are as individuals.  Many of our children are being taught confusing, misleading things about who they are, and who they were created to be.  Our children’s innocence is being stolen from them – often at an early age.  It must be the parent’s responsibility to be the first line in training up a child.  We must set an example of what it means to be a caring, loving person.  In addition, we need to show them that they are a uniquely created individual – made in the image of a loving God.  It really is fine to be them… and that there needs to be no confusion about who they are.

Parenting is a hard job… perhaps the hardest that there is.  However, being a parent can also be one of the most rewarding things that a person could ever experience.  Our job shouldn’t be to just entertain our child and hope that they will turn out alright.  We must work hard to make sure that they know how loved they are.  It takes a great deal of work, discipline (for the parent and the child, alike), determination, love and grace.  We see all of these characteristics modeled by the best Father, God.)

Some may say that raising a child is not for the faint of heart.  However, I believe that perhaps the best parents are those who are truly weak ones – who understand that they must rely on God’s grace, strength and patience each day to be the parents that He intends them to be.  Parenting also takes humility, especially when we need to seek forgiveness.

While I am glad that my son has some long range goals, I don’t expect to be hearing any wedding bells for many years!  As we have done for some time, we will continue to pray for him and the young lady that God chooses to bless him with.  My wife and I are grateful that God has chosen us to love our son and help him be the man that he was created to be.

Have a great day!  🙂

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”  –  Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

 

Changes in a New Year

It’s hard to believe that in another day, we will be turning the page on the calendar – actually, we’ll be replacing calendars as we enter into 2017.  For many people, New Year’s Eve will be spent with family and friends as they watch the New Year come in.  Playing games, enjoying food and perhaps watching the countdown for a ball to drop on television, many people spend the night celebrating the end of one year, and the beginning of a new one.

With the coming of a new year, many people make resolutions for things that they want to change.  Some people make diet plans and weight-loss goals.  Others may make a goal to do something like read their Bible on a regular basis. Then there are many more who wish to find that special someone or start a new job in the upcoming year.

Needless to say, a new year can come with a myriad of changes and new opportunities.  For some, the opportunities can cause great excitement.  Anxiety may be had by others at the prospects of what may occur.

For our family, 2017 is going to be bringing several changes.  They are big changes, in fact.

My wife and I have decided to homeschool our son starting when school resumes in January.  It was not an easy decision to come to.  As a young boy, we wanted him to have the enjoyment of playing with friends and learning in a classroom environment.  Unfortunately, while he was ahead of his class in a couple of subjects, his ADHD caused problems for him to be able to learn in a chaotic environment.  We were fortunate to have been blessed with a great teacher and several staff members that worked with him.  Unfortunately, he was in a small school that was not adequately equipped to serve students that have special needs.  This has presented us with the need to supplement his schooling and some therapy that he was receiving at school, with additional private therapy.

In addition, for my wife to teach our son, she had to resign her position.  At the moment, her employer offered her the opportunity to do some work from home by remote.  We are grateful for that opportunity, and are praying that it works out for both her and for them.

At the present time, we are planning on using a virtual online learning program that is offered through the local school system.  Over the next few months, we will be evaluating it to see if that is the best curriculum for our son’s education.  We’re not sure what the future holds.  Perhaps one day we will decide that a school environment will be the best choice for him.  We are definitely not opposed to a public education – as long as it doesn’t contradict our values and beliefs.  And, we believe that there are many great teachers that have been called by God to careers in the field of public education.  But at the same time, we also realize that maybe homeschooling is what God wants for him.

Right now, our family has a lot to look forward to as we enter a new year.  There is plenty of reason to be concerned.  In the same way, we feel a certain excitement to see how our son may grow.  As a parent, I am finding that more and more, life isn’t so much about our own plans, goals or agendas – instead it is about helping to nurture and prepare our children to be the people that God wants them to be.  Moving forward, I can only look forward with great expectation to what God has planned for my son.

In closing, I will admit that there is some fear.  I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have any.  However, after spending several months praying about it, this is the road that my wife and I feel God has called us to take.  We are open to discussing this journey that we are embarking on if someone has questions.  In the same way, we are more than glad for any prayers that may be offered as we start this new phase in our lives.

Have a great day!  🙂

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”  –  Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

Searching for Purpose

It seems like one of the “big” questions that many people ask is “What am I good at?”  Or put another way, “Why am I here?”

Perhaps the question sometimes becomes too much of a focus.  I mean, we concentrate on what we are good at, what we are interested in, our passions, goals, agendas, and of course, why we must have been placed here on earth.  While there is nothing wrong with wondering about these questions, perhaps our thoughts center too much on ourselves and not enough on God.  In other words, we make ourselves out to be a faux-god – a false god… and take our eyes off of the true God.

Unfortunately, I have been guilty of that – for much of my life, in fact.  Not that I was trying to idolize myself, but the questions were often there… too often, really.

I probably am not alone – even among Christians.  When was the last time you had a problem that took all of your focus?  Have you put all of yourself into some relationship… even more time than into your relationship with God?  And, for many, they listen and accept the messages of some pastors who want to preach only of healing, hope, prosperity and encouragement… without taking the time to really open the Bible and read verses in their true context.

Culture also feeds us this idea of self-fulfillment.  We are given lines that we should be all we can be.  There are those who would try to convince us that life is really all about us and what we want.  When was the last time that you heard “whatever makes you happy?” or something along that line?

Why is it that we pursue so many things that we think will make us happy… especially if we have no idea if they will truly make us happy?  I know that I have had to fight against “the grass is greener on the other side of the fence” syndrome.  I am sure that you know what I mean.  You hear of someone else doing something that sounds more enjoyable than what you are doing… maybe they get to travel, or they make more money, they have better work hours or any other number of things.

The truth is that each of us is given particular traits – talents and skills – that only we have.  There is no one who can do exactly what we can do.  Yes, many may be able to do the same job… but not with the same drive, dedication, detail or fascination that you have.

It seems like we have made work something to look at grudgingly.  For many people, work is a place where they go for a particular amount of time, doing some job and then, at the end of the day, leave.  Work becomes something that just needs to be accomplished for the day… and then left behind.  But can we really be passionate about our jobs and do them as God really intended us to do them when we have that mindset?

God has given us passions… and perhaps, just perhaps, our work is something for us to be passionate about.  What’s more, perhaps our jobs are not just for our sole satisfaction.  Each one is essential to bringing value to others’ lives.  We can bless others – indeed, we can bless God – by how we do our jobs.  Put another way – how do you feel when you go to a store or restaurant and are treated poorly?  How do you feel when you are treated very well?  Shouldn’t we strive to provide great service to others – and especially to God?

The reality is that God is watching, and so are others, in how we work.  I do not want to let God down… and I do not want to let others down either.

If and when we can do our jobs well, then God may choose to move us to something else, or He may just increase our enjoyment where He has already placed us in.  At the end of the day, our passion, our desire is to serve others, and to ultimately serve God.  And that is why we are here!

Have a great day!  🙂

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  –  Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

What We Really Need

A good marketing campaign always has one purpose in mind. That purpose is to draw a specific audience towards the product or service that is being marketed. The goal of the advertisement is to make a person believe that they must have whatever item or service is being advertised.

The advertisement may tell the potential buyer that they need a specific type of credit card, house, wireless device, or some other product, so that they can have a certain lifestyle. Possibly the potential buyer is told that to fit in, they must have a certain look – complete with a certain clothing style and a certain body-type. I am even sure that you have seen fear-related advertisements – showing that you need a certain insurance company’s coverage for problems that may arise in the event of something like a fire or flood to your home, or for some catastrophic health emergency. Vehicle manufacturers like to make you feel safe and in control thinking that their vehicles are the safest, most fuel-efficient, attractive vehicles on the road.

So many people are looking for things that will bring them happiness. Advertisers often try to build a sense of discontentment into our lives. We often buy into the advertisements and lies that the media and others want to feed us. So often, we think that only if we had the right vehicle, television, house, wireless device, better health that our lives would be easier and that we would be happier. Some people dream of the right job, a certain vacation, finding the “right” spouse – and base their happiness on these areas as well.

The truth is, we all look for things that will make us happy. Some of the things that we pursue are for short-term pleasure, while others things that we pursue will bring us pleasure over an extended period of time we hope.

What the world tells us matters, and what God tells us matters, are really two different things. The world wants us to believe that we will be happy if we have stuff. God tells us throughout His Word, the Bible, that what truly matters is having a relationship with Him. The steps to having a relationship with God are quite simple. He wants us to come and ask Him to forgive us of all of our sins. Then we need to ask Jesus to come and live in our hearts, and become Lord and Savior of our lives.

The world’s idea of happiness is based on short-term desires for things that will eventually fade, rust, rot or in some way be destroyed. God’s idea of happiness is rooted in love. More specifically, God’s love is based on what He has done for us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins.

It is through Jesus’ death and resurrection, that we can know true happiness. The reason for Jesus to have gone through such a humiliating and excruciating death was so that we could have a chance – not just at a relationship, but so that we could become children of God – brothers and sisters of Jesus. The amazing thing is that God loved us so much, before we were even created, to have given His most wonderful, loved possession – Jesus – so that He could redeem us – if we choose to allow Him.

While we may think that we need things, the one thing that we truly need is love. Love cannot be manufactured. It cannot be bought and sold – if it could, it would demand the highest prices. In fact, it did demand the highest price – Jesus’ blood. The best marketing professional can never create a marketing campaign good enough to sell anything as valuable as love. There is no house, no vehicle and no other object that can even compare to the worth of love.

While it may be hard to fathom, each of us was formed to love, and to be loved. Relationships, which are formed on the basis of love, are at the root of why God created us. When we realize how to love – blamelessly and whole-heartedly – we will truly learn to live and we will truly learn what matters most – to love God, and then to love others.

Have a great day! 🙂

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” – John 3:16-17 (NIV)

Does God Ever Seem Distant To You?

I think that all of us go through periods where God seems distant. We feel that He may not be answering our prayers – or at least, He seems to be taking a long time to answer them. But, is God really distant? Are we the ones who are distant from God? Can God really trust us to obey, love and honor Him? Do we obey His Word, or do we just give Him lip service by letting what we read in the Bible go in one ear, and then go out the other?

As I think about God seeming to be distant, I am reminded that we are in the season of Lent, which is the forty days, preceding Easter Sunday. While many people celebrate Lent, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, how often do we think about what Jesus must have felt going through that agonizing period?

We know that while Jesus came to earth and became like us, He still maintained a relationship with His Father, God. However, have you ever thought about what it must have felt like for Jesus not to actually be in Heaven with God? How about the fact that Jesus had to become separated from God – in a sense – to become a human? Think about the fact that He knew that one prayer request that He offered – the request in the Garden of Gethsemane where He asked God to remove “the cup” of His death and resurrection, if it would be God’s will – would not be answered in the way as we might have hoped if we had prayed that request. Last, think about God turning His back on Jesus, as Jesus hung on the cross, and God had to separate Himself from our sins.

I wonder how far-removed Jesus felt from God. He understood God’s plan, and He also understood why He had come to earth. Think about the fact that Jesus had had unlimited access to God in Heaven, where He sat at God’s right hand. He had a place of prominence over the angels and hosts of Heaven. How much more distant could He have felt being dispatched to earth, to being born in some barn on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Could He have felt any more distant growing up in the village that He was raised in – a village that was thought to be of no real importance? Or think about the fact that He went from a throne in Heaven with authority and power, to being a common tradesman, a carpenter, in an occupation that was hard, tiring work with no formal education.

Even in the three years in which He ministered before His death, there are the many times I am sure that God could have felt distant to Jesus. There were the times such as when Jesus was sent into the wilderness, or, when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. I cannot even begin to fathom how it must have felt for Jesus to feel God turning His back on Him as He hung, dying, on that cross.

However, even throughout all of these events, Jesus was able to trust God. Why? He knew who God was, and is. He knew that God was trustworthy, and would never abandon Him. Even for that season on the cross, it was short-lived. We know this because God lovingly restored His life to Him.

As I think about Jesus, and the idea of God seeming to be distant, I cannot help but wonder if we are the ones who are really distant. Are we the ones who really move? We know from God’s Word, the Bible, that God is unchanging, and that He will never leave us. The Bible shows us this throughout all sixty-six books. We see how God was with Noah and his family. Abraham was led by God. The Bible tells us how God directed the life of Joseph from the favored-son of his father, to becoming the leading advisor of Pharaoh. God led Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. David was called “a man after God’s own heart” even though David was a warrior and had an adulterous relationship. Even in his failures, David was found to have a heart that was humble, repentant and would seek out God. There are many more men and women throughout the Bible who followed God, even when He may have seemed distant to them.

As we think about God feeling distant, let me ask you to consider how close you are to God. It is my goal to draw close to God. I know that I fail at times, but, God is faithful to continue to give me opportunities to draw close to Him. He will do that for you also, if you choose to draw close to Him.

Have a great day! 🙂

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV)