Sometimes I feel like I have a dark cloud over my head.  I don’t feel like this all of the time, but some days, or even weeks, I can feel that way.  I’m not sure if you call it depression or not, but I suppose it can be a mild form of a depressed state.

Feeling A Cloud Over Your Head

Feeling A Cloud Over Your Head

It is not something that keeps me from working or taking care of my family.  But it is something that I sometimes feel as I am living out my day.

I can go weeks and weeks without feeling this way, but then sometimes I will for a period of time.  Often it can be explained as being the result of stressful circumstances, fatigue, or disappointments.  But sometimes I can feel it even when an honest evaluation of my situation proves that I am a blessed man with little to complain about.

I know I am not alone in this.  Everybody, even the most exuberant among us, have days when we feel down.  It is normal.

So what do you do when you feel down for a period of time?  Some people hide in a room and turn out the lights.  They call in sick, get negative on social media, and retreat into an emotional hole.  This is rarely a good idea.

Here are twelve things you can do to get through a time when you feel a shadowy cloud over your life…

  1. Pray:  Often when we feel down, prayer and time with God in the scriptures is the first thing to go.  But consider God’s Word that say, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)  Maybe you don’t feel like praying, but you need to do so.  You need to press into the Lord.
  2. Dare to believe:  Remember, you don’t feel great.  That blasted cloud.  But dare to believe that, regardless of how you feel, God really does care for you.  Cast “all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)  The more I learn about dealing with my dark cloud the more I have faith in the Lord.  I say, “Lord I feel that cloud today.  Nothing feels as good as it should.  But one thing I know.  You care for me whether I feel like you do or not.  My feelings don’t change the fact of your love for me.”  I cannot tell you how important this kind of faith is to your spiritual and emotional health.
  3. Rest:  I said before that it is not a great idea to hide in some dark room when you are down.  But it is true that sometimes a little rest in a dark room could be good.  Many times our emotional state is the result of fatigue.  Sometimes the cloud is an indicator that your systems are depleted and it is time to slow down for a spell.  You don’t want to languish there, but it is sometimes a very good thing to get some extra rest to rejuvenate.
  4. Go for a walk outside:  Get out of the house or the office and walk outside.  Sometimes the fresh air, the more expansive perspective is a great help to seeing the world in a fuller and more positive light.  Furthermore, it gets your body moving, blood flowing, and this results in more oxygen to your brain and often a much more resourceful state of mind.  Sometimes listening to upbeat music as you walk can lift the spirit.
  5. Look up:  When you are down, you tend to look down.  Force yourself to look up.  Go outside and look into the sky.  Maybe even climb a hill, or go to an upper floor of a building and look from a higher elevation.  Just the perspective change can let you know that the world is bigger than your circumstances or challenges.  Looking down depresses.  Looking up lifts you to fresh dimensions of hope.
  6. Force a resourceful posture:  God made our bodies and minds to work together.  When you feel down, your shoulders tend to slump.  You often curve your back and drop your chin.  Choose instead to sit up straight, throw your shoulders back, lift your chin and choose a smile.  Some people say this is when you “fake it until you make it.”  I don’t think it is faking it.  I simply think you are choosing a better path.  Try this out.  You will be surprised with how much power you can have over your own mood, just with posture.
  7. Don’t isolate:  I can’t stress this enough.  People who are depressed usually flee from interaction with others.  Yet that isolation only fuels the depression.  Be a part of a group.  This is why our regular, weekly, involvement in church is so important.  We were never meant to do life alone.  You might not always feel like being with people, and it is ok to be alone sometimes, but it is vital that we have regular and positive relationship with others.
  8. Serve Someone Else:  Get out of yourself and get your focus off yourself.  Orbiting around your cloud only stirs up the cloud and makes it look bigger.  It is an excessive focus on yourself.  Look at someone else’s need and try to meet it in some way.  This can make such a difference.
  9. Eat well:  When you are down you can crave sugars, or mood altering drugs/alcohol.  Don’t do that.  Eat plenty of vegetables, healthy proteins, fruit, and whole grains.  In a physical sense, you really are what you eat.  And a healthy body can be a resourceful home for a vibrant soul.
  10. Exercise rigorously and regularly:  It really is a good idea to have a routine exercise plan you live out.  You must find what works for you and do it.
  11. Embrace the cloud:  This is important.  Accept that sometimes you are going to feel like you are under the cloud.  Sometimes you will do these twelve things and still feel the cloud for a while.  Don’t let yourself be discouraged by that.  Learn to live with a mood on occasions.  Sometimes I feel that cloud and I say to God, “Lord I feel the cloud today.  I am going to get up anyway, pray, believe, relate to others.  Help me move forward despite the cloud and not be defined by the cloud’s shadow.”
  12. Ask yourself what you can learn about yourself during this time:  Sometimes the down times, when you are desperate for God’s strength and wisdom, can be the times of greatest learning.  These are the times when you learn your limits and God’s limitlessness.  Ask the Lord to teach you during these times.

Let me say, that there are some people for whom the cloud is much more serious.  There are levels of depression that can be much more severe than what I have described here.  For such people, seeking godly professional help can be very important.  No one should ever be ashamed to get the kind of medical and spiritual counsel they need to get through a severe season of depression.  If I am describing you, I encourage you to seek help.  There are people that can assist you in your recovery from crippling depression.

Question:  What are things that help you get through a down time?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

 

Why I Am Glad I Adopted

July 11, 2014 — 4 Comments

Just a couple of days ago my family celebrated our youngest son’s Gotcha Day.  What is that you ask?  It is the day when, seven years ago we adopted our son from Guatemala, the day we got him.  We were not there when he was born (eight months before), but in a very real sense he was born into our family on that amazing Gotcha Day of July 9th, 2007.

Adoption

Adoption

I did a lot of thinking on that day.  I pondered all the ways I have been blessed having Micah in our family.  I write this post to celebrate, but more importantly to raise the value of adoption in your mind.

In the last several years the calling of adoption has been elevated like never before.  This is a good thing.  There need not be children who go without families.  Opening our hearts and homes to the fatherless is a step of faith more and more families should take.

When we adopted we already had three biological children of our own.  It is not that we were short on family members or that we lacked things to do.  It was that God called us to expand our vision, stretch our faith, and enlarge our heart.

I am going to share just a few short reasons why we are glad we adopted.  I hope you will be blessed to read through these.  For some of you it might give you a deeper appreciation for those who choose to adopt.  For others it might inspire you to consider adoption yourself.  And for others you might consider financially supporting a family you know who is adopting.

Why am I glad we adopted…

  1. I have a son!  This is the obvious blessing.  I love Micah.  He is my boy.  We have grown so close these last 7 years.  I look at him and say, “That is my boy.”  It is a wonderful gift.
  2. I have learned that how someone comes into your family is not as important as the fact that they are in your family.  Having children the biological way is amazing.  But so is adoption.  It is different for sure, but no less miraculous.  I wish I could explain it better, but it is just true.
  3. I have learned being a parent is more than just who I am it is what I do.  When you give birth to kids you are a parent.  But that doesn’t mean you automatically do parenting.  Doing the job of a parent is an act of love and giving.  It is a choice I have to make.  This is so obvious when you adopt.
  4. I have learned so much about God’s love for me.  The Bible teaches that believers are adopted into the family of God. (Ephesians 1:5)  We were spiritual orphans separated by sin, but then God redeemed us in Christ and adopted us into his family.  Few times do I look at my son, recall choosing to become his father, without also thinking of how God did the same for us.  My son has taught me so much about God’s love.
  5. I have enjoyed the blessing of being obedient to God.  Not everyone is called to adopt.  We were.  We can tell you the story (that would be for another post) of how God prompted us to go on this journey.  The process of adoption was intimidating and costly.  But we chose to obey the promptings of God anyway.  And how glad I am that we did.  Because we obeyed God’s specific call for us, we got to witness his provision and guidance along the way.  We saw God at work as we willingly joined him in what he had called us to do.
  6. I get to tell my son about Jesus.  Since that very first Gotcha Day we have taught him of God’s love and purpose for his life.  He now has faith in the God who made him, placed him in our family, and offers him salvation in Jesus.  Last year, as an act of his will he placed his faith in Christ and I had the privilege of baptizing him.  I will continue to disciple him as he grows into a man.  But how amazing this journey has been watching him fall in love with the Lord.

There are so many more reasons why adoption has been a blessing for us, but I am out of space.

To all of you who have chosen to adopt a child into your family, I applaud you.

To all of you who are considering adoption, I commend you.

To all of you who willingly support and prayerfully encourage those who do adopt, thank you so much.  We who have adopted could not have done so without your support.  You make all the difference.

I am so glad we adopted.

Question:  Are you someone who has adopted?  Are you someone who has been adopted?  Do you know someone who has adopted that has inspired you?  How have you been blessed by an act of adoption?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

I heard someone once say, “Work on yourself more than your job.”  The statement intrigued me.  At first the statement sounds all wrong, but it is good advice.

Work On Yourself

Work On Yourself

You have probably heard the wise saying, “Work smart, not hard.”  There are times when we don’t seem to be getting where we want to go in life so we just try harder.  Unfortunately, often that only leaves us further behind.  Why?

Because sometimes doing more of the same doesn’t get us where we want or feel called to go.  Those are times when we need to change our strategy.

What is it that God has put on your heart to do or become?  Is it to…

  1. Get promoted in your business?
  2. Make your company more profitable?
  3. Become a more loving spouse?
  4. Become a more attentive parent?
  5. Develop the ability to influence others spiritually?
  6. Overcome a troublesome habit or addiction?
  7. Breakthrough the bondage of past hurts and hang-ups?

What does it take to accomplish these things?  You have to work on yourself.  You have to become a better business person, learn what it takes to advance in your market, discover new ways you can love your spouse or kids, carve out more time for your relationship with God, or get wise counsel and accountability to overcome hurts from your past.

When I counsel people, I often ask if they have ever flown on an airplane.  On most occasions they have said that they have.  I remind them of the safety instructions the Flight Attendant gives at the beginning of the flight.  In those instructions they always tell you, in the event cabin pressure is lost, oxygen masks will drop from the cabinet above.  Then they give you instructions that seem counter intuitive.

They say, if there is someone next to you that has need of assistance, first put on your mask, then help them put on theirs.  But we say, what if that person beside me is my child, or spouse?  Wouldn’t I want to take care of them first?

No.

Why?  Because how can you help them if you do not have the oxygen you need?  If you pass out, how can you be any good to them?

If you want to serve others in your business better than you have, you will need to work on your skills, knowledge, and strategies so you can become more valuable to them.

If you want to learn how to love your spouse and kids better, you are going to have to work on those things in your life that distract you from making the loving investment you want to make.

If you are going to be a healthy example to others, you are going to need to get honest and get help to deal with those hurts and addictions that haunt your life at every step.

Jesus said it best when he said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)  How can you love your neighbor in a generous way if you don’t know how to love yourself as God loves you?  We can only give to others what we have ourselves.

Do you want to go to the next level spiritually, relationally, or vocationally?  Then start working on yourself.  You will improve and so will your impact.

Question:  So what kind of investment do you need to make in yourself so that you can contribute more to the lives of others?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

What makes a Bible verse someone’s favorite?  It is typically because there has been a moment or moments in their life where that passage of God’s Word met a need at a very deep level.  It may have been a time of deep pain, or a moment of life transition, or perhaps it was shared with them by a very special person.

Favorite Bible Verses

Favorite Bible Verses

John 3:16 is special to me because it reminds me of what Christ did to save my soul and bring me to God…

“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.”

Romans 8:28 is powerful to me for it has helped me hold onto hope knowing that even when life doesn’t make sense (and sometimes, for me , it doesn’t seem to), God can make sense out of my life…

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I love John 4:24 because my Grandfather on my Dad’s side once shared that verse with me.  I don’t remember everything about that conversation, but I remember his heartfelt passion when he spoke.  Every time I read or hear this passage, I see his face.  He has been dead for 16 years, but he still is on my mind each time I think of this statement of Jesus…

“God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

I have scores and scores of favorite verses, passages of scripture that have become mile markers in my spiritual journey.  I suspect that before my life is over I will have many more such special verses.  As the Word of God encounters me in the ups and downs of life I will cherish different parts of Scripture that speak to me, shape my views, and challenge me to higher heights.

I look forward to what God will say to me next.

One thing I have learned is this…For you to have favorite Bible verses you have to be a student of the Bible.  You need to do the following…

  1. Read the Bible.  Do it consistently.  Do it expectantly.
  2. Believe the Bible.  Trust that God knows what he is doing and follow what he says in his Word.
  3. Apply the Bible.  As the tread of our lives grips hold of the road of Scripture, let us follow the path it lays before us.  Let’s obey its commands, believe its promises, adopt its views, and heed its warnings.  When we do we see that his word is alive in us and that God is truly guiding.

Question:  What about you?  Do you have some favorite verses?  If so would you share them with us?  You never know, your verse just might become our favorite too.  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

 

There are great benefits to a long kept commitment.

Commitments Rewards

Commitments Rewards

Today just happens to be my 24th Wedding Anniversary.  My wife, Stefanie, and I have been committed to each other for a long time and have promised to be so for the rest of our lives.

The other day we went on a mini-vacation to celebrate.  Prior to going on our trip I gave my wife and I some homework.  I made each of us a little book where each page represented a year of our marriage.  I made her book with the even years (ie:  1990, 1992, 1994, etc…) and my book with the odd years (1991, 1993, you get the picture).  We were each to write all the memories we could remember about that particular year of our lives together.  I thought it would be hard to do, but the pages were small and I was amazed that on most years I could fill the page.

When we went on our trip, every few hours we would get out our books and share a few of our memories.  The memories were about our starting out together, having kids, watching them grow, enduring hard times, surgeries, losses, victories, challenges.  We have been together now over half of our lives.  We learned that we have shared a lot together.

It hasn’t all been great.  We have not always been easy on each other.  To add to the mix I am in the ministry and often the demands on me and my family are relentless.  That has tested our metal.  Not to mention having four kids.  Lots of drama there.

Sometimes we have lost sight of each other.  But through it all there has been one constant.  We have kept our commitment to stay together, to keep on supporting each other and our family.  We have done it when it was easy (which isn’t very often).  We have done it when it was grueling and the rewards for sticking it out seemed non-existent.

I can remember one time in our early years of marriage where it had become hard.  We had been under stress for a long time and had begun to lose touch with each other.  The relationship was no longer fun.  If fact it was painful.  We were struggling to have hope.

During that dark time I remember each of us coming to the other and saying, “I don’t like this.  I don’t even think it will get any better.  But I made a commitment to you and to God and I will not back down from it.  Even if we are miserable for the rest of our lives I am sticking it out in this marriage.

I know, that isn’t very romantic.  Or isn’t it?

You see if we had not exhibited that commitment through the toughest times some two decades ago, we would not have been able to celebrate 24 years of family life just a few days ago.  The fact is that it has not been all misery.  If fact it has been the opposite.  We have supported each other, raised four amazing children, and built a meaningful ministry to a lot of people.  We love each other.

But we would have not known those good years if we hadn’t stuck it out even when we didn’t feel the hope.

You see, hope was there, we just couldn’t see it.  But that was ok, because we had commitment.  Commitment can carry you through the valleys of hopelessness and take you to new mountains of hope in the future.

That is what our commitment has done for us and I am so very thankful to God that it has.

The benefits of commitment are rich and wonderful, though they are hard won.

This post is dedicated to my beautiful bride of the last 24 years.  Thank you for your commitment.  May we continue to celebrate many more years of milestones for many decades to come.  I love you!

Question:  In this post I have spoken of the benefits of commitment in marriage.  Can you think of other relationships where commitment pays off?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Have things not been going your way?  Have you been feeling like you are not good enough, that you can’t make the cut?  Then you need to read this post.

God Really Loves You!

God Really Loves You!

Why?

I’ll tell you right at the beginning, because God loves you.

I know, I know.  Some of you are saying, “Yeah, Yeah, I’ve heard that before.  That is the typical Sunday School answer.”

I can understand your reaction.  But read on.  God loves you and that means you are accepted by him.  That means you are not rejected, not by God.

If God loves you and accepts you, then no matter what happens in your circumstances, no matter how you might experience rejection or failure, God still embraces you.  Hope is not lost, but very much present.

Let me illustrate…

Dave Busby, the late evangelist, from childhood suffered severe handicaps due to polio.  His older brother was a star basketball player in high school.  Every Saturday morning a large group of boys would gather at their house to play ball.  One Saturday Dave decided to join the boys for a game.  He walked with a significant limp and was not an able athlete.  The boys shot to see who would pick teams.  When Dave shot the ball it missed the entire backboard.

Naturally Dave’s brother got to pick first.  Knowing he would not be picked, Dave dropped his head and limped toward the house.  It was then that his brother said, “I pick Dave.”  The handicapped boy turned around in disbelief.  “Why me?” he said.  “I’m no good.  I can’t even hit the backboard?  Why would you pick me?”  His brother, with tears in his eyes said, “Because I love you!”  Then, in front of all those high school boys, Dave’s brother unashamedly threw his arms around him and they both cried.

That is how God is with us.  Though others may reject us, he never does.  Through Christ we find acceptance.  With that acceptance we can move beyond our fears into the realm of faith.  We no longer need to be paralyzed with a fear of being rejected by someone.  We know that God has accepted us and that will never change.

Yes, we have sinned.  Yes, we have failed.  Yes, we don’t always measure up to some standard in the world?  But God has gone to great lengths to show us that his love for us can pull us through all that.

Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, to cover over our failure.  In him we find grace and acceptance, even though we do not deserve it.  That is what makes it grace.

So my friend, be encouraged today.  God picks you.  Sure you have been sin crippled.  Sure you don’t measure up to every standard.  But his arms, through Christ, are thrown around you, he chooses you, and with tears he says, “it is because I love you.”

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV)

Question:  What are your favorite Bible verses that speak of God’s love and grace?  Share them with us.  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Some people fear the craziest things.  I read about rare phobias that grip some people.  There are sufferers of peladophobia, which is the fear of baldness and bald people.  Talk about the need for Rogaine!  Others are seized by Aerophobia, the fear of drafts, or Odontophobia, the fear of teeth.  Some have Chaetophobia, a fear of hairy people.  There are even those plagued by Phobophobia, the fear of being afraid.

Overcoming Fear

Overcoming Fear

Perhaps our greatest fear is the fear of rejection.  Our fear of heights or the dark will always pale in comparison to our fear of rejection.  It is the fear of being rejected that tempts us away from advancing a new idea or innovation at the office.  We are afraid of making the sales call.  It scares us to confront an issue with our spouse or to discipline our children.  We are afraid they will reject us, leaving us to feel alone and abandoned.

 

Why We Fear Rejection

God designed us for healthy and uplifting connectivity.  We hunger for it.  If we don’t experience a vital kind of acceptance in our lives our souls starve.  An example of this can be found in the life of Leah an Old Testament character.  She had experienced both rejection and the fear of it.

Leah was daughter to Laban and older sister to Rachel.  When Jacob came to live with Laban he fell in love with Rachel, not Leah, and asked to marry her.  Laban agreed on the condition that Jacob first work for him for seven years.  The Bible gives some indication why Jacob chose Rachel over Leah.  It says, “Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.” (Genesis 29:17)

In the mid-east women were largely veiled and usually all a man might notice of a girl was her eyes.  Leah did not have attractive eyes.  We don’t know what made them unattractive.  All we know is that her outward appearance was in noticeable contrast to the beauty of Rachel.  Can you imagine the pain she felt when she was by-passed by Jacob?  She tasted the bitterness of rejection.

For Leah it got even worse.  After seven years of work there is a wedding.  Jacob thinks he is marrying Rachel, but Laban does a switch and Jacob unknowingly marries Leah and in the darkness of the wedding chamber consummates the marriage with her.  When morning comes Jacob is shocked to find Leah and argues with Laban about his bum deal.  Then after enduring the traditional bridal week, Jacob marries Rachel the girl he loves “more than Leah,” and she becomes wife number two.  (Genesis 29:30)

This poor girl experiences the wretched pain of her father’s rejection.  Think about it.  Her dad is communicating to her that she is a burden to get rid of.  He is saying, “You are so unlovely that no one in their right mind would ever want to love you, so I must deceive someone into marrying you.”  A parent’s rejection can be devastating to our self-esteem.  Such rejection, once experienced, will instill in us a future fear of rejection.

Leah knew what it was like to feel alone in a crowd.  She understood being rejected in the most vulnerable of circumstances and so do we.  Maybe you haven’t been rejected like Leah, maybe you have.

Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places

What did Leah, afraid of further rejection, do?  She first looked for love in the wrong place.  She tried to find her primary source of acceptance in people.  The Bible says, that God “saw that Leah was not loved” and so he opened her womb and she bore a child. (Genesis 29:31)  The Lord, in the midst of all that rejection, was communicating to Leah his loving acceptance.  He was saying, “Hey, I favor you.  I love you!”  But Leah didn’t get it.

Instead she looks to her husband saying, “Surely my husband will love me now.” (Genesis 29:32)  But he didn’t.  God gives her two additional children and again Leah clings to the fleeting hope that she will find acceptance from her husband.  In every case she does not experience his love.

Today, a wife of a strained marriage gets pregnant and says, “This child will bring us together.  He will love me now.”  A young teenager clings to their boyfriend or girlfriend desperate not to loose their love and acceptance.  So often we walk on eggshells in our relationships with people many times not being honest or confrontational about an important matter.  We are afraid we will be rejected.

The problem is we seek love and acceptance primarily in people.  No person, even the most loving, can ever truly meet our deepest need for acceptance and love.  Love from people is indeed vital.  We hurt without it.  But our primary source should never be people.  It should be God!

 

God’s Embrace

Leah finally received God’s ultimate acceptance, his eternal embrace.  In it she found what she needed and moved beyond her fear to faith.  When God granted her fourth child she stopped looking only to her husband, but now she looked primarily to the Lord for love.  When the child was born, instead of saying “My husband will love me now,” she said “This time I will praise the LORD.” (Genesis 29:35)  She stopped turning solely to her husband and children.  She stopped looking to anything else.  This time she allowed herself to fall into God’s embrace.

After this she no longer needed to fear rejection.  That is not to say it would not hurt when she failed to receive Jacob’s affection.  But now she could no longer be robbed of experiencing ultimate love.  She now believed deeply that the Lord God had accepted her.  When we, like Leah, choose to accept God’s acceptance of us we are empowered.  We can face the risks of rejection.  We can know that rejection will come but that the Lord will never reject us.  Nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8:39)

Fulfill Your Devine Purpose!

When you accept that you are divinely accepted, you can confidently move forward in fulfilling your divinely given purpose.  God has plans for us all.  All of us have purpose in God’s Kingdom.  So it was with Leah.  When her fourth child is born, guess whom it was?  Judah.  Who is Judah?  It would be through the line of Judah that Jesus Christ would come.  Isn’t that amazing.  She not only experienced the acceptance of God, but then we see that God uses her to bring in the family out of which would come the Savior of the World.

We all have fears.  Most of us, to some extent fear rejection.  But we must not allow such fears to prevent us from fulfilling God’s dreams for our lives.  Life is too short and God’s affection for us to rich and unchanging to allow a fear to rob us.  Fully receive God’s embrace and experience his ultimate fear eliminating acceptance.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of…love.”  2Timothy1:7

Question:  How has God showed you that you need not succumb to the fear of rejection? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

The Focus Of War

June 18, 2014 — 2 Comments

Last week my daughter and I sat down for lunch with a long time friend and high ranking Navy Chaplain.  In our conversation we talked about the power of war to bring focus to a team.  One insight emerged that surprised me.

The Focus of War

The Focus of War

Over the past thirteen years my friend has seen a lot as our country has experienced conflicts around the world.  He has prayed with people at Ground Zero after the September 11 attacks, ministered to war weary soldiers in two tours in the Middle East, and most recently served a mission in a small country in Africa.

The first two tours were in the midst of war, but the last was not.  It was more diplomatic in nature.  I said to my friend, “I imagine that this past mission was far less stressful since you were not in the midst of military conflict.”  But he explained that actually it was far more stressful.

I was surprised by his answer.  How could that be?

He explained that war has a way of clarifying the objective, focusing teams, and unifying diverse people.  When such a potent objective is not operative it is easy for more distracting agendas to take shape.

My friend was in no way saying that war was better.  He is all too acquainted with the horrors of war.  He would rather peace prevail.  He was only observing that a common threat, or a powerful objective, truly brings out the best in people who realize they must work as a team.

That got me thinking.  In my own organization, our local church, I too have observed that our congregation has been at its’ best when we have faced a big problem.  We have had more energy, more intense momentum, greater unity, and more focused love for one another when we have been clear on our mission and together engaged a great challenge.

When we kept before us that lost people matter to God and that we needed to be the ones who reached those people for Christ, we rallied, sacrificed, set aside our differences, and did bold things to impact people with the gospel.  But the times when we lost that clear focus, we became apathetic, less committed, and often found other things to be conflicted about.

My conversation with my Chaplain friend reminded me that being clear on our mission as Christians is vital to our success in that mission.  We need to see that serving the Lord and advancing his gospel really is life or death for people.  We need to awaken to the fact that the church really is the hope of the world and it is imperative that believers come together to extend that hope to the people of our communities and the nations.

So if you are leading a team, a Bible Study group, a ministry, or a church, be clear on the mission and what is at stake in people’s lives.  Keep that mission before your people and urge them to join you in coming together for a common purpose.

When you do, you will see greater unity, commitment, and sacrifice in your team.  You will see more clearly opportunities and your faith in an eventual victory will rise.

Question:  How have you seen this principle play out in your life, family, business, or church?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Just two days ago a dear friend of mine was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident.  This man was a friend to many in our church.  We were all shocked when we heard of the accident.

When Tragedy Strikes

When Tragedy Strikes

In the hours after the crash I witnessed so many people doing the right things at the right time.  When painful things like this happen, it is often the occasion for people to come together and show love in deeply profound and yet very simple ways.

Here are some of the things I did and saw others do and I believe they were the right things to do.

  1. Went to the tragedy.  Several of the closest friends and family traveled to be with the family all the way in another state where the accident occurred.  There we grieved with the family.  We hugged, we cried, we talked, but also sat in silence.  We just believed that the family needed to know they were not alone.
  2. Sat with each other.  There was another friend of ours that had not been killed, but was injured in the accident.  He had been transported to another city for medical care.  A couple of us also traveled to that city as well to see the man who had been hurt.  When we arrived, the waiting room was filled with over a dozen members of our church.  They were just sitting with the family.  It sounds silly just to sit. Think about it.  You are not doing much when you sit.  But somehow it is powerful.  Everyone in that room was grieving and shaken.  Most of them had not been in the accident, but the people they cared about had been.  Sitting together meant no one was alone.  That is powerful and good.
  3. Came to the house.  When the spouse of my friend came home without her husband, friends and loved ones were waiting for her.  They had brought food and simply stayed for awhile.  They shared their love to this widow, but it was more than that.  They were not just giving support, they were seeking it.  They too were hurting and sought the comfort of togetherness.  That is the purest kind of support, for it is mutual.
  4. Spread the word.  Literally hundreds of people knew of the tragedy by the end of the day.  People called people, texted, and posted.  Prayers were offered and the burden was shared.  The accident happened on a Saturday.  By Sunday most knew about it.  When we came to church we hugged and loved on each other.  We needed the support.
  5. Felt our feelings.  When we saw each other we let ourselves cry.  In this situation I was a friend, but I was also the Pastor.  Usually a Pastor will try to be professional in such situations.  I found that difficult this time.  This man was a personal friend.  We had become close over the years.  When I saw the man’s wife, I held her and wept.  When I saw the man’s son, I hugged him and cried.  And I was not the only one, many of us did this.  What else could we do?  We were feeling the hurt.  It was right to share the pain with one another.  Somehow it helped us not feel alone.

These are just a few things I watched us do that helped us travel through the pain together.  They are simple, natural, but profound and powerful.

Question:  What are other things you would suggest people do in the midst of a tragedy?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.

A father’s intentionality in spiritual matters can make the difference in the spiritual trajectory of their kids and their wives.  A father’s strong and authentic commitment to his relationship with the Lord is most often a pivotal factor in his family’s spiritual development.

Spiritually Lead Your Family

Spiritually Lead Your Family

I read of a study that found when dads are the first in their families to become Christians there is a 93% probability that the others in the family will follow.  If the mom is the first, the probability drops to 17%.  If it is the child who first becomes a believer, the chance of the rest of the family following the child’s direction is only 3.5%.

Dads have tremendous influence on the direction of the family.

Now I am not going to venture to explain why the above stats are true.  But I will say I have seen this displayed over and over in my years of ministry.  For whatever reason, God has given fathers enormous influence in the lives of their wives and children.  That influence can have the power to do great good or great harm.

A father who is intentional about his own spiritual commitment and who takes responsibility for leading his family in the ways of Christ can have amazing power to inspire his family to live for the Lord.  On the other hand, a dad who is spiritual unengaged, absent, or antagonistic to the things of God more often than not is successful at pulling his family from consistent practice of their faith.

In my congregation, I have men for whom their walk with God is primary.  They see their role in the family to be one of spiritual leadership.  They have realized that they must lead by example, so they put their pursuit of God first.  They love their families, pray for their families, and bring their families to church (not once in a while, but each week).  These men are not perfect, they make mistakes, but their commitment is where it needs to be and they have enormously positive influence on their families.

But I also see men who are not engaged spiritually.  When I do, I often see wives that are frustrated, daughters who are grieved, and sons who are spiritually indifferent.  It hurts my heart to witness.

This Sunday is Father’s Day.  On Mother’s Day our attendance spikes.  But usually on Father’s Day attendance noticeably dips.  When I see this my heart breaks.

You see I dream of the day when on Father’s Day dads everywhere bring their spouses and children to church.  They see their spiritual role elevated and rise to the occasion to lead their families in the ways of Christ.

The day we see Fathers throughout the church zealously stepping into their role of spiritual leadership is the day when we will see the church shift into high gear revival.  It will be the day when the spiritual reclamation of our nation will begin.

Dads we have incredible influence to wield.  We can use it for the Lord and the spiritual prosperity of our families, or we can focus it on ourselves leaving a wake of spiritual apathy behind us.  It is our choice.

Don’t you want your life to count for God?  Don’t you want to lead your children and inspire your wives to have a vision for living in God’s destiny?

Then make the commitment to lead them.  How?  It is not complex.

Just…

  1. Devote yourself fully and completely to Christ.  Be all in!  Grow in your acceptance of God’s grace, surrender to his commands, and choose to love God with all of your being.
  2. Commit to fundamental spiritual disciplines.  Personal Bible Study, daily prayer, Church attendance, faithful service, witnessing to others about your faith all contribute to a growing relationship with God.  You need this to spiritually develop and your family needs to see this to be inspired by your example.
  3. Be committed to do what is right, but be honest when you fail.  Devote yourself to following God with precision and consistency.  But listen.  We all screw up!  I do and so do you.  So we need to be honest.  Hypocrisy has no place in spiritual leadership, but authenticity does.  You don’t have to be perfect to be a great father, but you do have to be honest.
  4. Lovingly lead your family to join you in your spiritual journey.  Pray with your family, not just for them.  Lead your family in discussions of the Lord.  And this one is so simple, but so powerfulbring your family to church.  Some are in the habit of saying that church going is not that important.  “We believe.  It is not necessary that we go to church.”  But you cannot adequately follow Christ without being connected to his body.  Read your New Testament.  The Christian faith was never disconnected from the experience of Christian community.  There are spiritual things that will never happen for you or your family if you are not vitally connected to the people of God.

Dads let’s wield our influence for Christ.  Let’s make the difference!

Question:  What are practical ways dads can inspire their families in the ways of the Lord?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.