What if no one is watching...

I remember reading a study a while back that said people were more likely to wash their hands in a public bathroom if someone else was in there. There are a series of studies that basically say the same thing. People behave "better" when someone is watching them.

Would you behave differently if your Pastor spent a week with you following you around? Would your language change, would what you listen to or what you watch on television change? Would the way that you interact with your friends change?

People usually fall into one of three categories when asked this question:

1. They would absolutely change and be on their best behavior
2. They would not change, because they live a very consistent Christian life
3. They would not change, because they know they are living incorrectly but think that their lifestyle is justified

The interesting thing is, that we forget that God has given us a part of Himself that dwells in us.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17, ESV)

Let us struggle to be consistent in our walk with God at all times.

Life is full of choices. Although the Bible is our roadmap, you can always find people who try to justify what they believe by reading the Bible and trying to find shades of grey where the Bible does not explicitly say "thou shall not do [insert action here]".

I've had those conversations in the past. They are really unproductive because if people really want to do something, they will find a way to justify it.

The Bible does offer a simple litmus test. Jesus says:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

Is the action that you're about to take profitable? Will it help your relationship with God?

•  Is it good for you spiritually?
•  Is it good for you physically?
•  Is it good for you mentally?
•  Is it good for you financially?
• Is it good for you morally?

The list goes on and on. One of the areas that I have difficulty in submitting my life completely to God is in how I eat. I know that if I submit this area to God it will have a healthy impact on my life, but I consistently justify it.

I need to realize that God has a plan for me, and that as long as I make these bad decisions, which could have an adverse effect on my health in the long run, I am falling prey to an enemy that has a desire to steal, kill, and destroy.

What areas in your life are under the same kind of subtle attack? How different would your life be if we submitted those areas to God in order to experience abundant life?

Let us struggle to make wise choices in all areas of our lives so that God gets the glory.

How do you know where you're going?

My cousin told an interesting story last night, as we sat across from the table from each other eating dinner. He's a musician, who, before he made it big had to drive to wherever he could find work. One rainy night, he was getting ready to drive 10 hours to get to a gig, and his GPS fell out of his car, and almost landed in a puddle of water. At that moment, he realized that he was about to drive without a real idea of where he was going. He was dependant on the GPS, but didn't have a good road map!

It's really easy to listen to the voice of someone that thinks they know where they are going, but I think all of us have at least at one time or another gotten bad directions from our GPS. I was trying to find a venue the a few weeks ago, and my GPS stopped me in the middle of a highway!

If you ask a Christian ant of the following questions:

• where they are going?
•  or what their mission is?
•  how are you serving God?
• what does God want you to do?

you'll get a variety of answers, most will be tentative at best, very few will be positive about their mission.

As Christians, we should look at how Christ, who was very much God lived His life and try to do the same. Jesus answer to this question was simple:

I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. John 5:30

 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. John 4:34

 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but the who seeks the glory of him who sent him is there, and in him there is no falsehood. John 7:18

...but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father... John 14:31 

We can see example after example of the map the Jesus followed. His map was set by God, and He followed it without deviation.

Let us struggle to get our directions from God and not try to make our own way.

Wildflowers are beautiful...

A few years ago, I was driving down a boring stretch of road and out of nowhere. The scenery was boring. The road was lined with trees and uncut grass that had grown too high. Then, as I rounded a slight curve in the road, I saw a splash of color! Someone had taken wildflower seeds and thrown them into this patch of grass. I was very excited to see the splash of vivid yellows, reds, and purples. The whole thing just brightened my day. Later on, I found out that this was something called the "wildflower project."

Life is the same way. People go through life like they are mindlessly driving down the road trying to get to the next thing that they are going to engage in until the time comes for them to go to bed and start the process all over again.

But every once in awhile, they encounter someone who truly believes in God, who brightens their day with an encouraging word or a prayer. If you look at the life of Jesus, that kind of thing happened all the time. Look at his conversation with Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, the rich young ruler, the man at the pool waiting to be healed... the list goes on where people have these wildflower experiences with Jesus and it changes their lives!

We should be those wildflowers. Unfortunately, all too often, we get caught up in everything that is going on around us, and we forget to blossom.

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word.15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit,thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” Mark 5: 13-20

Let us struggle to not live our lives on rocky ground, or to let the cares of this world prevent us from blooming. Let's be open to God prompting us to have these wildflower moments with those people that we encounter.

Life is a tightrope

Today's post was written by my beautiful wife.

 A few days ago a tightrope walker named Nik Wallenda made it into the record books by accomplishing an amazing feat--he walked across an area of the Grand Canyon on a skywire! No one has ever had the nerve to do it and I venture to say--no one again ever will. I asked myself why he would do such a thing. Why put himself in such imminent danger? Why take the chance on leaving his wife and children without  a husband and father. In one word I would call it--PURPOSE. I believe Nik Wallenda was born to walk that tightrope. If you listen to his story, you know he comes from seven generations of tightrope walkers and performers. He first stepped on a tightrope at the age of two. Even  scientific tests have shown that Nik has a better control of balance than 99% of the population. This was his destiny. Nik Wallenda mentioned that he'd never do anything dangerous. HUH?? Well for him, walking a tightrope is just another day at work. Even so, did he face the canyon called Hell Hole Bend" with scorn? No he studied it with reverence and awe. Looking forward to the view no one else would have the nerve to see. Nik is a Christian so with this reverence, skill and purpose he didn't forget the most important thing--God. God who made, Nik, the canyon and the winds that moved in updrafts from its bottom. Nik stepped onto that wire with faith and confidence of god--all the while with each step acknowledging his Savior Jesus. He praised Jesus and thanked him for the opportunity to be in that very place--1500 feet above the canyon on a 2 inch wide wire. Wow. He knew God was with hime and thanked him continuously. Now--there were times during that 22 minute walk along that wire that he became nervous and maybe very afraid. He would pause and kneel down on the wire when the vibrations cause by the wind and his own movement caused instability. Shortly after he would rise again and continue his walk until triumphantly making to the the other side! I was so inspired by him that evening. It made me think of my own life. What if I could approach my day--my life the same way. Knowing who I was created to be in Christ and embracing it. Understanding and using my gifts for God's Glory. Realizing that though winds may come and my own efforts might prove fruitless--Matthew 19:26 says,"Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Nik knew that without God he might have been splattered all over the floor of that canyon or maybe never would have had the courage to be there in the first place. The beauty is that he make his work as a tightrope walker a sacrifice to the Savior Jesus and as a result God ordered each one of his steps and received Glory while the whole world watched. What if we approached our jobs and our daily missions with the same faith and trust in God. God can and will use you and I if we allow him to. It will always be for your good and his Glory.

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13

It's okay to stop rushing

This morning started like most mornings do. I wake up, then spend a moment meditating trying to understand what God is trying to get me to pay attention to. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33, we've read it hundreds of times before. But this time, I dug into it a little deeper.

Basically, what the verse is saying is - when you have an issue, when you have a problem, when life happens... you should look at the kingdom of God to understand how you should respond.

That's a difficult thing. Work is fast paced. Life is fast paced. It's far easier to just act based upon instinct or our best guess at the time, but God is asking us to consider Him first.

Anyway, as I was running out the door to get to the emergency of the day, my wife asked me to pray before I left. My first answer was, "I'm running late... I have to go!" But ended up coming back to take a moment in prayer.

I get it. Seek the kingdom of God first. Understand that there is a difference between our vocation and our job.

In the end, today went remarkably smooth, all things considered.

God gets the praise.

Let's learn to take a moment and slow things down to understand how our actions reflect on the kingdom of God and get our marching orders on how we should approach our day.

Take time out for what's important...

Life gets so busy at times. It seems like from the moment my eyes open until the slam shut at night from sheer exhaustion it seems like I am running, doing, like something is always pressing... it all needs to be done. NOW!

The demands of work, family, trying to carve time out for yourself, and for your friends seems like a never ending battle, and the easiest thing to carve out of our schedule it time with God.

But... is that true?

I know, when I take a look at my life, there are times when I absolutely can have quality time with God. I just have to be deliberate about it.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42, ESV)

 In this passage, we see two sisters, Mary and Martha. One is taking time out from the mundane and is sitting at Jesus' feet listening to him teach. She has chosen to spend quality time in the presence of God.

The other, is caught up in the fact that they have visitors, she is so wrapped up in what she thinks needs to be done, that she treated to presence of God casually. Serving in a way that was suitable in her mind caused her to miss serving the way that Jesus would have wished that she had.

"You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary."

Let us struggle to keep that in mind today. Let us choose the good portion, of taking time to be in the presence of God. Almost everything else can wait... for at least a little while.