We all have a resume. Even if you haven't yet formally written one, you could write one, and for those of you that have you know that one of the most common elements toward the top of a resume is an "Objective." Sometimes the objective is spread throughout the body of the resume, but either way it is in there somewhere. This typically conveys to the reader what you are trying to accomplish; your goals for employment. Basic examples might be, "Obtain a position as an industrial engineer with XYZ company", or perhaps "To develop and grow customer sales."
It's interesting to me how we adapt those objectives depending on the position we are applying for, or even based on the company we are applying with. How would a prospective employer view the variety of objectives we are communicating to different hiring managers? Does that mean we are aggressive in our pursuit of our goals? Does it indicate doubt or a lack of conviction? Could it suggest we have questionable integrity? Are your objectives dependent on another person, group, or context?
God actually gave us His objective for our lives, and it's very simple. So why does it seem so hard to set a course toward the objective he gave to us? "Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" (Matt. 22:37). That's it. Simple, straight-forward., indisputable...scary? Not scary, in the jump out of your seat and run out of the theatre kind of scary, but the "I'm not sure I can do that" kind. Jesus repeats a simple, three letter word three times in that sentence, and that word takes our response to this command from "you've got it" to "really?"
"All" is scary. "All" means 100%. "All" means I can't hold anything back for myself, for my wife, for my children, for my friends, for my work, for my hobbies, for my...., for my..., for my... "All" means I'm jumping in with both feet and I don't know where I'll land. "All" means I might have to move. "All" means I might not live the life of my dreams. "All" means I might lose my job. "All" means people may not understand, might think I'm crazy; and I might not be as rich, and I might not be comfortable. "All" means I must let go of everything I know, everything I cherish, everything I desire...except God.
There are 66 books in the Bible. There are over 31,000 verses. There are more than 800,000 words in the Bible. And Jesus took the time to boil it down to one statement, one verse, 19 words, and one word with three letters. Is that the objective for your day today? Is it the objective for your work? Is it what you want to accomplish while you're at school, while you're talking to your friends, to your family, to a homeless person, to an orphaned child, to a widow.
"Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind" is the objective of His created children, equally for ALL of us.
August 27, 2009
August 13, 2009
Good form
Where are we at in the timeline? When God set out to create this universe, and when time began He knew when the end would come. We march along each day as if our lives, our world will go on forever. Now, I'm not a doomsayer. I don't, and won't suggest anyone dwell on the possibility of the end of the world. God tells us not to worry in Matthew 6:25-27. I trust in Him and have hope in His Glory.
Yet, for so many generations it seems that the words Paul spoke in his second letter to Timothy are revealed in more ways, more often than ever before. He wrote in chapter 3, verses 1-5: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
I see in this passage the same things I see in the world day today. I see this on the news, I see this on the street, in our schools, our governments, our places of work. Most unsettling to me is that I see this in myself, and in my church. Not as obviously as I see it in many other places, but it is there. Not always, and perhaps on many days not at all, but it's always lying there...waiting. And on any given day it rears its ugly head.
I will see a Porsche Carrera and love the idea of money. I achieve a success and proudly boast of it to friends and family. A kindness is received which I fail to return because the person was obligated to the task anyway. I skate through a day ignoring the love of my family due to the importance of my busy schedule. An unknown, and unimportant person cuts me off in traffic and I think scathing thoughts about the idiotic behavior of other people. I would never do that as I roll through a stop sign in my rush to an appointment. I claim to others the awesome strength and power of God to whom I owe all things, and then spend the rest of my week fulfilling my goals.
I'm not as bad as I could be, not as bad as I have been, but on any given day my form of godliness denies His power. I pray that I will submit with all my failings and rely on the strength of God, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, for so many generations it seems that the words Paul spoke in his second letter to Timothy are revealed in more ways, more often than ever before. He wrote in chapter 3, verses 1-5: "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
I see in this passage the same things I see in the world day today. I see this on the news, I see this on the street, in our schools, our governments, our places of work. Most unsettling to me is that I see this in myself, and in my church. Not as obviously as I see it in many other places, but it is there. Not always, and perhaps on many days not at all, but it's always lying there...waiting. And on any given day it rears its ugly head.
I will see a Porsche Carrera and love the idea of money. I achieve a success and proudly boast of it to friends and family. A kindness is received which I fail to return because the person was obligated to the task anyway. I skate through a day ignoring the love of my family due to the importance of my busy schedule. An unknown, and unimportant person cuts me off in traffic and I think scathing thoughts about the idiotic behavior of other people. I would never do that as I roll through a stop sign in my rush to an appointment. I claim to others the awesome strength and power of God to whom I owe all things, and then spend the rest of my week fulfilling my goals.
I'm not as bad as I could be, not as bad as I have been, but on any given day my form of godliness denies His power. I pray that I will submit with all my failings and rely on the strength of God, the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
July 21, 2009
What's in a name?
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say "Let God be exalted!" Ps. 70:4
We know so much. We gather information at a rate that is truly incomprehensible. Boundless sources of data with tools to dissect and analyze it in ways not even possible 15-20 years ago. Yet we miss the truth so easily, so often.
We can break apart the very fabric of the human experience, cure some diseases that were thought to be incurable, and communicate around the globe in nanoseconds, but we struggle to grasp the meaning of the simple, of the obvious, of the essential.
How many times have you heard the name of God? How many times have you spoken it? It is common, too common. Have we developed personal relationships with Jesus, and lost our reverance of the Father.
When I slow down and think about the use of the word "God" in my life, in my community, in my church I find myself quickly passing by the enormity of the name. I think this phenomenon is partly a function of the casual nature of our culture. We are not easily impressed. We do not sustain high, formal standards in our speech, actions nor ideals. Children are often on a first name basis with adults, sometimes even their parents. Persons in authority have so often let us down that even those holding the highest offices seem to be less than they once were. We know better, we would do it better. And we have slowly, but easily lessened the name of God.
When I consider that truth in my own life I feel ashamed. How can I claim to love, honor and glorify God when I don't have the reverance in my heart He deserves. The name of God should be thought of and spoken as GOD! This is GOD. Not "a" god, but GOD! This is GOD who created the heavens and the earth. This is GOD who created light. This is GOD who created mankind. This is GOD who established His covenant with His created people, and then in their moment of greatest peril sacrificed Himself in the form of His son so that He could be glorified through the forgiveness of sin and eternal life of His creation!
Ordinary? Commonplace? Irreverant?
How about...hushed...awed...humbled...joyfully submissive?
We know so much. We gather information at a rate that is truly incomprehensible. Boundless sources of data with tools to dissect and analyze it in ways not even possible 15-20 years ago. Yet we miss the truth so easily, so often.
We can break apart the very fabric of the human experience, cure some diseases that were thought to be incurable, and communicate around the globe in nanoseconds, but we struggle to grasp the meaning of the simple, of the obvious, of the essential.
How many times have you heard the name of God? How many times have you spoken it? It is common, too common. Have we developed personal relationships with Jesus, and lost our reverance of the Father.
When I slow down and think about the use of the word "God" in my life, in my community, in my church I find myself quickly passing by the enormity of the name. I think this phenomenon is partly a function of the casual nature of our culture. We are not easily impressed. We do not sustain high, formal standards in our speech, actions nor ideals. Children are often on a first name basis with adults, sometimes even their parents. Persons in authority have so often let us down that even those holding the highest offices seem to be less than they once were. We know better, we would do it better. And we have slowly, but easily lessened the name of God.
When I consider that truth in my own life I feel ashamed. How can I claim to love, honor and glorify God when I don't have the reverance in my heart He deserves. The name of God should be thought of and spoken as GOD! This is GOD. Not "a" god, but GOD! This is GOD who created the heavens and the earth. This is GOD who created light. This is GOD who created mankind. This is GOD who established His covenant with His created people, and then in their moment of greatest peril sacrificed Himself in the form of His son so that He could be glorified through the forgiveness of sin and eternal life of His creation!
Ordinary? Commonplace? Irreverant?
How about...hushed...awed...humbled...joyfully submissive?
July 4, 2009
Rejoice!
We live in crazy times. That's not new news. The pace of life has been getting faster. As a young man I starting chasing success. Success as a husband, success as a father, success in my job. To be a good father these days it seems like I have to give hours and hours of time to shuttling between my kids activities. Sports become all consuming...practices, games, practices, games. I attend band and choir concerts, school plays and science fairs. Church youth activities and trips.
Work is worse. I rise everyday at 5:30 a.m. and begin the routine of getting ready for work. During the school year that includes getting the kids off to school and then I'm at work until at least 6 p.m. most days. The pace at work is more frenzied then I remember it being previously. The drive to figure out what isn't working well in these crazy economic times just adds stress to everyone from the top down to the bottom of the team.
Do you ever wonder why? Why do we rush? Why do we get stressed? Why do we build expectations to monumental levels?
The Book of Romans, chapter 5 versus 1-2 talks about our response to the incredible sacrifice of Christ to pay for our sins saying "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Do we really believe that? Does that manifest itself in the way we approach our lives in general, or more simply the way we live out each day? I don't think I do. I rarely find myself rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. In fact, I seldom take time to rejoice in God at all. I'm too busy. I'm too tied up in the "important" things I have to get done each day. And that, is clearly not God's design, but mine.
I need to take that as a challenge to my soul. To truly rejoice in the hope of the of glory of God. To put everything else in my life into it's proper place, which means behind the glory of God. To view that glory as the paramount goal of each moment I live, and to fully know that all of the other challenges, successes, joys and sorrows of my life are but opportunities to glorify Him.
Work is worse. I rise everyday at 5:30 a.m. and begin the routine of getting ready for work. During the school year that includes getting the kids off to school and then I'm at work until at least 6 p.m. most days. The pace at work is more frenzied then I remember it being previously. The drive to figure out what isn't working well in these crazy economic times just adds stress to everyone from the top down to the bottom of the team.
Do you ever wonder why? Why do we rush? Why do we get stressed? Why do we build expectations to monumental levels?
The Book of Romans, chapter 5 versus 1-2 talks about our response to the incredible sacrifice of Christ to pay for our sins saying "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."
Do we really believe that? Does that manifest itself in the way we approach our lives in general, or more simply the way we live out each day? I don't think I do. I rarely find myself rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. In fact, I seldom take time to rejoice in God at all. I'm too busy. I'm too tied up in the "important" things I have to get done each day. And that, is clearly not God's design, but mine.
I need to take that as a challenge to my soul. To truly rejoice in the hope of the of glory of God. To put everything else in my life into it's proper place, which means behind the glory of God. To view that glory as the paramount goal of each moment I live, and to fully know that all of the other challenges, successes, joys and sorrows of my life are but opportunities to glorify Him.
July 2, 2009
Christmas morning!
I love Christmas morning. It is awesome! Watching my children get so excited in the days leading up to Christmas, and then BAM! it's here and they are ripping open a package and grinning ear to ear because it's the set of paint brushes, or the drum sticks, or the video game they were hoping for. It was the same for me when I was a child. Fun, exciting and full of love.
We all know the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. Most years, but I can't say every year we put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve by reading the story of his birth from the book of Matthew. What an incredible gift God gave to each of us that follow Jesus. He came to this earth, lived among us experiencing the reality of life and then sacrificed himself for our sins. A "little" better than paint brushes, drum sticks or video games.
Most of my life as a Christian has been lived viewing this gift as the most relevant aspect of Christianity. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation. I have heard countless sermons in church, speakers elsewhere and read in many books that this sacrifice was made for me. That I can have a personal relationship with Jesus. And, it was. And, I do.
But let's look at what Jesus himself said about the reason for his sacrifice. As his crucifixion was nearing he spoke to his disciples saying in John 12:27-28 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name."
What I never realized in the first 25 years of my Christian life is that salvation is not for me, nor for you. It is for God's glory. We think so little of God that we put our salvation above His achievement. Above His kingdom. The birth of my life is a gift to me from God. My death and eternal life is as well.
What will I do on this earth in between to bring glory to Him?
We all know the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. Most years, but I can't say every year we put the kids to bed on Christmas Eve by reading the story of his birth from the book of Matthew. What an incredible gift God gave to each of us that follow Jesus. He came to this earth, lived among us experiencing the reality of life and then sacrificed himself for our sins. A "little" better than paint brushes, drum sticks or video games.
Most of my life as a Christian has been lived viewing this gift as the most relevant aspect of Christianity. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation. I have heard countless sermons in church, speakers elsewhere and read in many books that this sacrifice was made for me. That I can have a personal relationship with Jesus. And, it was. And, I do.
But let's look at what Jesus himself said about the reason for his sacrifice. As his crucifixion was nearing he spoke to his disciples saying in John 12:27-28 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour?' No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name."
What I never realized in the first 25 years of my Christian life is that salvation is not for me, nor for you. It is for God's glory. We think so little of God that we put our salvation above His achievement. Above His kingdom. The birth of my life is a gift to me from God. My death and eternal life is as well.
What will I do on this earth in between to bring glory to Him?
June 29, 2009
Wish List?
Very early in 2008 we decided to move to a new home. We were staying in the same town, hoping to live in a nearby neighborhood, but upgrade to a larger, newer home. After looking at several existing homes we decided those didn't have everything we were looking for so we decided to build a new home.
I loved this project. I enjoy construction in general, and the opportunity to manage a house from start to finish was very appealing. I visited the site daily, talked with the construction supervisor on a regular basis and worked with various sub-contractors and suppliers to build our dream house. It is beautiful.
Almost immediately upon moving into the new house, and in fact beginning a few days earlier, I started having a lot of doubts about the decision to move. It wasn't so much doubt as panic. I felt this incredible wariness about moving into the house. I could not figure out why....and it got worse.
Over the next several weeks the anxiety grew to incredible levels. I spoke with my wife at length (she's amazing btw), I spent hours with friends, and with pastors from our church. I could not sleep. I started to pray more and more. I prayed for relief. I prayed for guidance. I prayed for God to tell me what was causing this stress. I prayed for God to take this worry away from me. It did not help.
Then I changed what I was praying for completely. I stopped praying for me. I started praying for God. I prayed that God be glorified. I prayed that God is the one eternal, everlasting God and his name should be praised. I didn't tack on a wish list of items for myself.
The stress vanished, the anxiety disappeared, I slept. The journey continues and I know there are questions yet to be answered, but now it is all in God's hands.
This world is not for us. It's for Him.
Praise God.
I loved this project. I enjoy construction in general, and the opportunity to manage a house from start to finish was very appealing. I visited the site daily, talked with the construction supervisor on a regular basis and worked with various sub-contractors and suppliers to build our dream house. It is beautiful.
Almost immediately upon moving into the new house, and in fact beginning a few days earlier, I started having a lot of doubts about the decision to move. It wasn't so much doubt as panic. I felt this incredible wariness about moving into the house. I could not figure out why....and it got worse.
Over the next several weeks the anxiety grew to incredible levels. I spoke with my wife at length (she's amazing btw), I spent hours with friends, and with pastors from our church. I could not sleep. I started to pray more and more. I prayed for relief. I prayed for guidance. I prayed for God to tell me what was causing this stress. I prayed for God to take this worry away from me. It did not help.
Then I changed what I was praying for completely. I stopped praying for me. I started praying for God. I prayed that God be glorified. I prayed that God is the one eternal, everlasting God and his name should be praised. I didn't tack on a wish list of items for myself.
The stress vanished, the anxiety disappeared, I slept. The journey continues and I know there are questions yet to be answered, but now it is all in God's hands.
This world is not for us. It's for Him.
Praise God.
June 28, 2009
Where was I?
This world is so distracting. In 1988 I was a strong in the faith, walking, talking and serving Christian. God blessed me with the opportunity to serve him at a Christian summer camp and then led me to work as a director of a youth program at a church in Tyler, TX in 1992. I loved and lived for God. I was pumped to honor and glorify Him.
Then, and it seems to almost have happened suddenly, that passion vanished. I look back over the past dozen or so years of my life and I am discouraged by the man I became. I have not been a "bad" person. I did not break laws, have any affairs, or addictions...well, that's not exactly true.
I started breaking God's greatest commandment most of the time. Matt 22:37-39 says “Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In 1997 I took on a "traditional" job in the corporate world. Over the next 12 years my salary doubled, and then almost again. We moved from a three bedroom home, to a four bedroom home, then to a much bigger five bedroom home, and from one, to two, to three, to four cars. I had an affair with material stuff.
I love home improvement projects. Sports is where it's at, and I enjoy watching sports in person and on TV. I like to watch movies and collect DVDs. I enjoy spending time on my computer whether surfing the web, gaming or working. I started going to church as long as I liked the message, as long as I wasn't up too late on Saturday night, as long as I only had to stay for one service. I stopped serving. I became addicted to me.
Where was I?
Then, and it seems to almost have happened suddenly, that passion vanished. I look back over the past dozen or so years of my life and I am discouraged by the man I became. I have not been a "bad" person. I did not break laws, have any affairs, or addictions...well, that's not exactly true.
I started breaking God's greatest commandment most of the time. Matt 22:37-39 says “Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
In 1997 I took on a "traditional" job in the corporate world. Over the next 12 years my salary doubled, and then almost again. We moved from a three bedroom home, to a four bedroom home, then to a much bigger five bedroom home, and from one, to two, to three, to four cars. I had an affair with material stuff.
I love home improvement projects. Sports is where it's at, and I enjoy watching sports in person and on TV. I like to watch movies and collect DVDs. I enjoy spending time on my computer whether surfing the web, gaming or working. I started going to church as long as I liked the message, as long as I wasn't up too late on Saturday night, as long as I only had to stay for one service. I stopped serving. I became addicted to me.
Where was I?
Everything
Genesis 1 pretty much takes care of establishing who we should thank for everything we cherish. We often marvel at the astronaut who lands on the moon, the scientist that cures a dreaded disease, the quarterback that throws the winning touchdown pass, but how about at Genesis 1:3?
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.” WHAT? Back up and read that verse again. If that doesn’t make you shudder with awe pinch yourself to make sure your heart is pumping! If you’ve EVER, done ANYTHING in the daylight…stop and praise God. How about Genesis 1:9? “And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear’, and it was so.” I’d say that covers everything you’ve ever done on land or sea. Why is it then we act like we can do anything we want and bask in the glow of our accomplishments?
Creating the universe, time, the earth, and all the living creatures on it including man was only the beginning of God’s plan. His decision to create man was one of ultimate love. Genesis 1:26 starts out saying, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air…” God’s love for man drove him to extend his creation beyond this world placing man on an eternal timeline, and requiring the sacrifice of his son. Our challenge is to honor that love.
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.” WHAT? Back up and read that verse again. If that doesn’t make you shudder with awe pinch yourself to make sure your heart is pumping! If you’ve EVER, done ANYTHING in the daylight…stop and praise God. How about Genesis 1:9? “And God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear’, and it was so.” I’d say that covers everything you’ve ever done on land or sea. Why is it then we act like we can do anything we want and bask in the glow of our accomplishments?
Creating the universe, time, the earth, and all the living creatures on it including man was only the beginning of God’s plan. His decision to create man was one of ultimate love. Genesis 1:26 starts out saying, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air…” God’s love for man drove him to extend his creation beyond this world placing man on an eternal timeline, and requiring the sacrifice of his son. Our challenge is to honor that love.
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