Thinking Slowwwerrr

In our fast paced world, we rarely have time to think about what we are doing. We just do it. The temptation has always existed to try to work more days than you can pack in a week. In fact, that's why God invented the Sabbath; to force people to slow down. It was such a big idea that it made God's top 10 list when he commanded that we remember 1 day out of 7 to keep different for his sake. Going slower is one of God's best ideas.

Slowing down not only lowers our blood pressure, it makes us available for the good works that God wants to do through us. In the book of Acts, God sent 2 men out to tell the world the good news. "The two of them, (Paul and Barnabas) sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. 6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos." Acts 13:4-6

The cool thing I see here is that they traveled the whole island, which means they walked places. When you walk places, you naturally move slow. You see things that donkey riders miss. In our day, we race from appointment to practice to dinner to collapse. Then we do it all again the next day, only noticing our aging in family pictures taken 5 years ago. (Which felt more like yesterday.)

Here's the deal. If we are really going to make an impact with our life for God, we are going to have to force things out of our schedules forever and learn to slow down and listen to other people and meet them where they live. If you do this, you will stand out, because nobody has time to listen to anybody anymore. And if you listen, you automatically give God an opportunity to use you to change somebody's life. Paul and Barnabas moved slowly. Their results may have seemed slow at the time, but looking back 2 millenia, we see how they were able to change the whole world while moving at a snail's pace. Their impact was measured in obedience to God, not in how many things they were able to get done. God can do a lot with our little if we will learn to move slower and value others like He does.

Success/Significance??

I heard a quote this morning about success in life from author Dallas Willard today. He was speaking to pastors, but it applies to all who lead and want to see results. He said, "Remember that in God's eyes, who you are becoming is more important than what you are trying to accomplish for him." I am praying that God will make this definition of success my new benchmark.

In other words, true success is not necessarily going to have a whole bunch of external signs to it, it is internally going to show up in our character. Faithfulness to doing what God has asked us is the key. Here's the truth about success and significance. The worldly measures are not the same as what God thinks is important. Add to that the fact that our significance is something that only God can measure and only God can know. Sometimes the most meaningful things we have done in our life are unseen and unknown to us. Maybe it was a kind word that we said that eventually led someone to Christ; a dollar given that bailed someone out of trouble for the last time or a faithful prayer that resulted in a major movement of God or physical healing. [I have heard it said that God has hidden our glory from us so that we won't get too proud.] We won't know our true significance in this world until heaven. So even though on various scorecards of success it may appear at particular moments we are winning or losing, God knows the real score. So are you becoming more like Christ this week? This year? It's your choice.

The size of the task is never bigger than God

I am really in awe the size of the assignments some people face.
When God spoke to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3) and told him to tell Pharaoh, "let my people go," the task that Moses faced was huge. Here was Moses, a virtual nobody living in the middle of the desert, who lived by tending sheep. And God gave Moses the task of talking to the most powerful man in the known world at that time, and to step up and tell him to give away his greatest resources. (Human slaves) Much like someone today telling President Bush to quit using oil in his nation... today! The task was so big, so outrageous, so unbelievably impossible, that it would never work...it could never work. Why would Moses even try it?

I am amazed that Moses ever took the first step toward Egypt. Even with a magic staff and his buddy Aaron to speak for him, Moses had to be petrified. He was still very human, with all of our flaws and roller-coaster faith experiences. But there he went, back to the place he'd grown up in. Back to the city he'd last seen in his rearview mirror as he fled for his life. Back to the palace where he was raised. And on the way, God added a few more pounds to the weight he was carrying.

21 The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'" Ex 4:21-23 (NIV)

As if the job wasn't difficult enough already. Now Moses has to walk in, ask the Pharoah for all his human resources, and then tell him that his son would die after he said "no." Are you tracking with me? The size of this task was so big and nasty and dangerous. But it was still God's will for Moses.

I have heard it said that the safest place in the world to be is the center of God's will. Tell that one to Moses and he would laugh you out of his office. Was it safe to be Moses at this time? Heck No! At least not in human thinking. But Moses didn't opt for safe...he opted for a God-sized adventure where the outcome was only as big as Moses' faith. What a way to live!! Following only the voice of God with only his guarantee of "I will be with you." I don't want a safe Christianity. I want the Moses kind of faith to infect every decision I make. I want to do things that will only succeed if God gets involved.

Living with MORE margin

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Eccl. 3:1 I am beginning to understand the meaning of this verse. Since I live in the US, I have been immersed in the idea that the time is now for anything and everything. If someone else is succesful in some way, then I need to model their life successes, no matter how well it fits into mine without questioning if I even have the time to attempt it. Then, if I am successful, at least in somebody else's eyes, I must keep pushing things in that area, whether or not it is the right season or whether or not it would be the emotionally healthy thing to do. We are good at teaching people to become human doings. We reward people on how well they do things. But we are not good in the US at teaching people to just be human beings. WE need to learn that for everything there is a season. A farmer knows that the land needs a bit of rest after harvest. You don't plant and harvest on the same day, and you don't consistently plant the same field with the same crop every year. The soil needs margin. Dr. Richard Swenson writes that "margin is the space between our load and our limits." When we lack margin in our lives, we begin to suffer overload and burnout. We feel inner pain that's hard to understand. We just know that things are not functioning as they should. We enter negative margin when we have more things to do than time to do it...or more things to do than energy to do it well. Swenson writes that we can only live a godly life if we have room in our days for others. "God's asking us to walk the second mile, to carry others' burdens, to witness to the Truth at any opportunity, and to teach our children when we sit, walk, lie and stand all presuppose we have margin, and that we make it available for his purposes. Obedience to these commands is often not schedulable." [To read more get his book called "Margin."] Time to make room for life in your life. Join me in finding what season you are in, and asking God to show you what to do next.

When things are dry, you start to notice the rain

It has been over 110 days since we've had significant rain in Tulsa. All around us, the ground is cracking, the dust is flying, and grassfires are sparked as easily as a fight breaks out in church about what color carpet belongs in the fellowship hall.

Usually, a sunny day is what you want out of life. But too many sunny days all in a row is really too much. We call it a drought if you have too many sunny days and no rain. And Oklahoma is facing a drought. Isn't that strange? Sunshine is good...but only in moderation. What if God is trying to tell us something about life by the way our world needs rain as well as sunshine?

Think about the times when it's easiest to forget about God. Let me give you a clue. We all usually forget about God when we have had a season of perpetual sunny days. It's always true in my life. When things are going great, I give God a wave of thanks and I keep moving. I seem to speed right past him and forget to stop and listen as long as I should. And that is a big invitation for spiritual drought to set in. Spiritual drought is not caused by good things in life, but by forgetting about God. And too much sunshine is not always best for us...as it can give you soul-cancer.

So in the sunshine of life, remember that sunny days are a blessing from God. And a string of good times all in a row is even better. But every one of us need the rain. Times of trouble actually force us to look to someone bigger than ourselves to get us out. And times of rain give God a chance to prove himself to us. Rain helps us walk by faith and not by sight.

Now we shouldn't run and look for trouble, but we should live with a quiet confidence that when trouble does come into our lives, God will use it as a source of life. So then you can know that no matter what the conditions are outside, you can be steady on the inside.

Obviously taken to extremes, too much rain is bad for our soul as well. When we are brutally burdened by our fallen world for long passages of time, despair can ruin us just as well as comfort. The key in all seasons is confidence in our maker who loves us dearly, no matter what the atmospheric conditions may be.

7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jer 17:7-8 (NIV)

On Breaking the mold

Paul said in Romans 12:2 that we should not conform to the world's pattern but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. This is really a tough one because we live in the world of concrete reality; a world with a pattern. We see the pattern via media and at work and at school. Most of us are like fish are headed down stream with the current of culture. We are surrounded by what is seen and what is needed and what is urgent. And most of us don't have the moment by moment instincts to look inside and ask, "Why am I doing this particular thing, good or bad?" We just try to stay in the stream, up with the Jones' fish. And then we just deal with consequences. If we want to do something, even if we are too busy, we add it to our schedule. If we want to buy something, most buy it, and pay (hopefully) later.

So any particular choice, to be a godly one, isn't made in the current current, if you catch my drift. The choice must be made outside the current of culture and in the current of the Spirit. The truth is, God's Spirit is usually moving in the exact opposite direction of culture. For instance, our culture tells us to spend more to have more, then you will be happy. God's current moves in a way that shows you that you must give more and only then will you truly be happy. So the way to renew your mind is to check which stream you are running in. Are you living a life in the flow of this world? Or in flow with the Spirit? Check your motives to be sure. What goal are you pursuing? The image of Christ reproduced in your life, or the picture of the good life conveyed by our culture. You do have a choice. And it will take a fish with backbone to swim upstream.

Discipleship Discussion

Hey Folks, I want to get your input. I have directed you to this blog to give me your preference about learning how to disciple one other person. I have a little packet called Basic Bible studies. It let's individuals complete a little daily Bible reading and fill in the blank so that when you meet with somebody, you would have a place to start. What are your thoughts? Would some of you like to just have the packet and a name? Others, training? Are you even still interested? Remember, this is a low stress opportunity to share a meal, or even email with someone to discuss spiritual stuff. This isn't brain surgery. You are just being willing to share what you know, and what God has done for you. Let's talk this through this week. Check back to see what others have to say.

Officially not blogging for a while

Hey folks, just a note to let you know I am turning my writing energy toward a book so I won't be blogging for a while. God is good. Brett

On a writing vacation, but coming back soon

Well, it's been while since I had any thoughts worth posting. But I feel the winds of change coming next week. Check back after I've enjoyed the beach for one more day.

Leaders that live under the radar

As a pastor, it is my privilege to lead a great bunch of people in pursuing God's purpose for their lives and God's purpose for our community of faith. I am moved by the level of commitment that many make to ensure that our church functions like it should. In Acts, Luke gives us a brief list of men who helped Paul minister as a missionary. Without these men, Paul's ministry may not have happened and certainly would not have been as succesful as it was.

Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, who were from the province of Asia. 5 They went ahead and waited for us at Troas. Acts 20:4-5 (NLT)

Now it's interesting to note that these men had a lot of different cities of origin. But the one thing that united them was their love for God. We don't know much about them really. [Except for Timothy which Paul addresses in another letter.] There was no band playing when they came to town, no billboards announcing their presence. They were just normal guys doing their best to serve God. They were leaders in the church that spent most of their lives in anonimity, just loving who God sent them to love.

And that's pretty much the way most of us will live our Christian lives. Most will never publish a book or preach a sermon. Most of us will never do anything for Christ that gets our name in the paper or our face on the evening news. No, for most of us, our service of Christ will go unnoticed by nearly everyone on the planet. But the cool thing to remember is that God notices. He sees every good deed you have ever done. And the Bible is clear that "he is a rewarder of those who seek him." Man's applause may or may not be there when you do something noble. But God always notices and applauds and rewards a life given away for his sake.