Every year....we celebrate the start of another year. Every year...we decide it's a year of new beginnings. Every year...we vow that we are going to improve ourselves. There are always things we do every year...Mary and Joseph were no different.
"Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual." Luke 2:41-42
There are things we do "every year" or "as usual" just like Mary and Joseph. We go to church...as usual. We go to work...as usual. We raise our kids...as usual. We go shopping...as usual. We go to a basketball game. as usual. The problem with "as usual" is we can find ourselves in a rut. And what happens when we get in a rut?...
"After celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at first because they assumed he was among the other travelers."
Luke 2:43-44
We, too, start going down our own path without Jesus. We started doing life without Jesus.
Most of the time its not intentionally, we just do "the usual" "every year" assuming Jesus is in everything we do all the time. Yet we find ourselves....
-Making decisions without praying
-Going throughout our day not talking to God one time
-Buying things without asking God first
-Parenting our children without asking God, our father, how
-Seeking approval from people instead from God
-Making plans without consulting the Plan maker
Like Jesus' parents, at first, we don't miss him but sooner or later we find ourselves in a rut and we realize Jesus hasn't been an active part of our lives in quite some time.
So how do we get out?
"But when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there." Luke 2:44-45
The first thing they did was "started looking for him". The bible teaches us "if you seek him, you will find him." We get in a rut is when we stop seeking God and we get out of a rut when we start. Start seeking God in the grocery line, the football field, the carpool line, the "can't get along with" coworker, the annoying friend that is always on your back, the mirror that seems to be so critical of you each and every morning. Seek God the Father through your relationship with God the Son. Seek God-Find yourself.
The second thing they did was search for God "among their relatives and friends". We have to surround ourselves with people that want the same things we do as a followers of Christ. We need friends and family who will push us, challenge us, and hold us accountable in our personal walk with Jesus. The Bible teaches us that "2 or better than 1 for they have good return for their work. For if one falls down, they have someone to pick them up. But pity the man that falls down and has no one to pick them up." We were not meant to go through this life alone and going through ruts will happen, but when we have Jesus loving friends and family around us they pick us up, dust us off, and say it's time to get back in the game.
The last thing they did was turn from the path they were on and "went back to Jerusalem"... In Revelation 2, Jesus says "You don't love me or each other as you did at first. Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." We have to go back and do the the things we did at first when we experienced Jesus for the first time. Pray, read God's word, pray, go to church, pray, join a bible study, pray, listen to christian music, pray, have dates with Jesus...oh, and pray.
Each year, God shows me a word that is "our word" throughout the whole year. This year, God has given me "intentional." I want to be intentional in everything I do, in every day I live, and in every relationship I am in. I want to do all the "usual" things, but do them with Jesus. How about you?
Friday, January 17, 2014
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
The most wonderful time of the year....
One of our favorite things we like to watch on TV are the sports interest stories like ESPN's 30 for 30 or the "feel good" stories they do during College Game Day. These stories inspire us, encourage us, and give us hope. Well, it is that time of year when we get celebrate the beginning of the greatest story ever told. This is my favorite time of year, not because of the presents or the cookies or the lights, but because we are reminded, once again, of a story that inspires us encourages us, and gives us hope.
"And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there were no room for them in the inn.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lords glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Do not be afraid!" I bring you you good news of great joy. The savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem" Luke 2:6-10
Like every great story there is an exciting beginning, an emotional middle, and a powerful ending. The story of Jesus is no different. The birth of Christ meant the birth of hope for nation: the Savior had been born. The one that was going to lead them. The one that was going save them. The one that was going to bring to life their hopes and dreams. THE MESSIAH. This truly was the good news that would be the world great joy.
Oh and the joy continued with this amazing life. The joy of seeing dead come to life. The hope of seeing blind men see. The dreams of seeing a man calm the storms after he walked on water. This baby that was once born in a manger truly is the Son of God. He truly is the Savior of the world.
And then the unthinkable happened. They crucified this man on a cross. What happened to our Savior? What happened to our hope? What happened to this good news of this great man that would bring us great joy? What happened to our dreams? His disciples had left their family's business and their families. People left careers. All for the hope they put into this one that was born that day in Bethlehem, but now he is dead and so were their hopes, dreams, and thoughts of restoring their nation and their lives....or so though they thought.
What people saw as an ending, God saw as another beginning: Our beginning.
Three days later this man rose from the dead...And the beginning of a new relationship with God our Father was born. The beginning of a relationship with Jesus, the son, was born. Our new life of hope was born. Hope that relationships can be saved. Hope that even though loved ones may die on this earth that we can see them again in heaven. Hope that when bad things happen, God will use those for good. Hope that we can love one another with unconditional love. Hope that our loved one will come into a relationship with Jesus. Hope that we are LOVED. He conquered death. He conquered hopelessness. He conquered loneliness. He conquered fear. He conquered worry. His life was resurrected and so was ours.When he rose...so did our hopes and dreams that we thought were dead.
I don't know what the Holiday season brings for you: joy of seeing family, pain of a missed loved one, excitement of church services, feelings of loneliness. BUT what I do know is you are welcomed at the manger because of what happened at the cross.
Here is to the celebration of beginnings: For Jesus and You!
Merry Christmas
"And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there were no room for them in the inn.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lords glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Do not be afraid!" I bring you you good news of great joy. The savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem" Luke 2:6-10
Like every great story there is an exciting beginning, an emotional middle, and a powerful ending. The story of Jesus is no different. The birth of Christ meant the birth of hope for nation: the Savior had been born. The one that was going to lead them. The one that was going save them. The one that was going to bring to life their hopes and dreams. THE MESSIAH. This truly was the good news that would be the world great joy.
Oh and the joy continued with this amazing life. The joy of seeing dead come to life. The hope of seeing blind men see. The dreams of seeing a man calm the storms after he walked on water. This baby that was once born in a manger truly is the Son of God. He truly is the Savior of the world.
And then the unthinkable happened. They crucified this man on a cross. What happened to our Savior? What happened to our hope? What happened to this good news of this great man that would bring us great joy? What happened to our dreams? His disciples had left their family's business and their families. People left careers. All for the hope they put into this one that was born that day in Bethlehem, but now he is dead and so were their hopes, dreams, and thoughts of restoring their nation and their lives....or so though they thought.
What people saw as an ending, God saw as another beginning: Our beginning.
Three days later this man rose from the dead...And the beginning of a new relationship with God our Father was born. The beginning of a relationship with Jesus, the son, was born. Our new life of hope was born. Hope that relationships can be saved. Hope that even though loved ones may die on this earth that we can see them again in heaven. Hope that when bad things happen, God will use those for good. Hope that we can love one another with unconditional love. Hope that our loved one will come into a relationship with Jesus. Hope that we are LOVED. He conquered death. He conquered hopelessness. He conquered loneliness. He conquered fear. He conquered worry. His life was resurrected and so was ours.When he rose...so did our hopes and dreams that we thought were dead.
I don't know what the Holiday season brings for you: joy of seeing family, pain of a missed loved one, excitement of church services, feelings of loneliness. BUT what I do know is you are welcomed at the manger because of what happened at the cross.
Here is to the celebration of beginnings: For Jesus and You!
Merry Christmas
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
What Kind of King are you?
The most tragic stories in the sports world are the athletes with all the talent in the world throw it all down the toilet because of the decisions they made. You hear it on the radio, you read it in the newspaper, you get it over your twitter fee: "John, the starting receiver for UCLA, was arrested for drug possession again. Billy, center for the Florida Gators, was kicked off the team for driving under the influence for the third time." And on and on an on....I always ask myself, why do some kids make it and others don't? Why do some kids "get it" and others don't? How can kids with equal God-given gifts, equal talent make a name doing what they love and others are willing to throw it all away? How could they waste the opportunities God has placed before them? I know every athlete and every person makes bad choices, but what does it take to screw up everything God has given you. As I was reading about the lives of Saul and David, these same questions kept coming up. They were both chosen by God to be King. They were both given great gifts and opportunities. They both disobeyed God. So why did God find favor over one and and not the other? Why did one succeed as king and one failed as king?
Let me give you a little background on each one of them...
Saul:
-Dad was wealthy
-He was tall and handsome
-Didn't have a religious background
-very insecure
-He was paranoid
-When he was Chosen to be king, they couldn't find him because he was hiding
David:
-Son of a farmer
-To the eye of people he wasn't anything special which is why God said, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (That's like saying..."She has a great personality...."
-Grew up hearing about the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
-When he was chosen to be king, he was working in his father's fields tending to the sheep
-Was called "a man after God's own heart
As we see, they didn't have a lot in common. But it wasn't their differences that made one succeed and the other one not. It wasn't their background that made one a great King and the other one not. It was all about the heart. It wasn't just about their actions (because they both screwed up) but their hearts. It wasn't about their "good" intentions but their hearts. It wasn't what they did, but the heart behind why they did it.
For instance in 1 Samuel 13 before they were going into battle, they were supposed to offer a sacrifice, but Saul didn't want to wait on Samuel so he just did it himself. God was not happy...not because what he did, but why he did it. God knew Saul made the sacrifice, not out of love for God, but because he wanted to win the battle. Saul didn't want God, just victories from God. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul disobeys God when he was suppose to destroy everything in battle, but Saul kept the best of everything for themselves. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul's reply was "But we were going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God."
Once again, we see there is no personal relationship with God himself...it's "your God" not "my God." He even consulted a Psychic when he felt God wasn't listening. Everything Saul did was about Saul. Even though he was chosen by God to fulfill God's mission...he never fully surrendered to doing it God's way.
If you want to see the heart behind David and his relationship with God, just read the book of Psalms.
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all I need...O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you,
my God....Show me the right path, O Lord, Lead me by your truth and teach me, For
you are the God that saves me. All day long I put my hope in you...."
When David committed aduletry and murder to cover it up....
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great
compassion blot out the stains of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from
my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night....Oh give me my joy
back, you have broken me- now let me rejoice..."
Do you see the heart difference?
Saul pleaded to Samuel
David pleaded to God
Saul sought council from a psychic
David sought wisdom from God
Saul was sorry
David was repentant
Saul was desperate
David was broken
Saul wanted God's favor
David wanted God forgiveness
Saul wanted victories from God
David wanted God
We have all been given the opportunities to do great things for the Kingdom of God. We have been chosen to share in his Kingdom by our relationship with the King of Kings..Jesus. We get to be co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God. Now what will we do with it? Will we hide behind the baggage when God calls us to do something or believe so much in the power of God that we are willing to fight a giant? Will we have so much faith in our God that it covers the insecurities of ourselves? Will we believe that we have been chosen by God when we have been overlooked by people? When we pray, will it be to tell God what we need or ask God what He wants? When we make mistakes, will we make excuses or fall at the feet of God ask to God to not just forgive us, but to change us? Which King will you be....
King Saul OR King David
Let me give you a little background on each one of them...
Saul:
-Dad was wealthy
-He was tall and handsome
-Didn't have a religious background
-very insecure
-He was paranoid
-When he was Chosen to be king, they couldn't find him because he was hiding
David:
-Son of a farmer
-To the eye of people he wasn't anything special which is why God said, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (That's like saying..."She has a great personality...."
-Grew up hearing about the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
-When he was chosen to be king, he was working in his father's fields tending to the sheep
-Was called "a man after God's own heart
As we see, they didn't have a lot in common. But it wasn't their differences that made one succeed and the other one not. It wasn't their background that made one a great King and the other one not. It was all about the heart. It wasn't just about their actions (because they both screwed up) but their hearts. It wasn't about their "good" intentions but their hearts. It wasn't what they did, but the heart behind why they did it.
For instance in 1 Samuel 13 before they were going into battle, they were supposed to offer a sacrifice, but Saul didn't want to wait on Samuel so he just did it himself. God was not happy...not because what he did, but why he did it. God knew Saul made the sacrifice, not out of love for God, but because he wanted to win the battle. Saul didn't want God, just victories from God. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul disobeys God when he was suppose to destroy everything in battle, but Saul kept the best of everything for themselves. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul's reply was "But we were going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God."
Once again, we see there is no personal relationship with God himself...it's "your God" not "my God." He even consulted a Psychic when he felt God wasn't listening. Everything Saul did was about Saul. Even though he was chosen by God to fulfill God's mission...he never fully surrendered to doing it God's way.
If you want to see the heart behind David and his relationship with God, just read the book of Psalms.
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all I need...O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you,
my God....Show me the right path, O Lord, Lead me by your truth and teach me, For
you are the God that saves me. All day long I put my hope in you...."
When David committed aduletry and murder to cover it up....
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great
compassion blot out the stains of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from
my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night....Oh give me my joy
back, you have broken me- now let me rejoice..."
Do you see the heart difference?
Saul pleaded to Samuel
David pleaded to God
Saul sought council from a psychic
David sought wisdom from God
Saul was sorry
David was repentant
Saul was desperate
David was broken
Saul wanted God's favor
David wanted God forgiveness
Saul wanted victories from God
David wanted God
We have all been given the opportunities to do great things for the Kingdom of God. We have been chosen to share in his Kingdom by our relationship with the King of Kings..Jesus. We get to be co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God. Now what will we do with it? Will we hide behind the baggage when God calls us to do something or believe so much in the power of God that we are willing to fight a giant? Will we have so much faith in our God that it covers the insecurities of ourselves? Will we believe that we have been chosen by God when we have been overlooked by people? When we pray, will it be to tell God what we need or ask God what He wants? When we make mistakes, will we make excuses or fall at the feet of God ask to God to not just forgive us, but to change us? Which King will you be....
King Saul OR King David
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Are you superstitious?
I have spent the last four months studying 1 and 2 Samuel and can't wait to share with you all that God has been teaching me (some good, some of it painful, some of it convicting...welcome to the party). You got a taste of it in the last post about Samuel and discipline...and this week will be about the Israelites and superstition. We live in a world that is extremely superstitious...heck, I am writing this post 2 days before the holiday that is about black cats, the day of the dead, and if kids don't share their candy something bad will happen to them (oh...is that just in our house?). The world of athletics has superstition draped all over it. You have the baseball player that takes 15 minutes between each swing because he has to go through his entire ritual. You have the football player that hasn't washed his socks the entire season because they are good luck (say extra prayers for that momma). You have the softball players that have to say the exact cheers at the exact time every single game. Right now the world series looks like it is made up of the entire cast of Duck Dynasty because the Red Sox players won't shave their face until after season. The world of sports does some crazy things in hopes that doing that one thing will help them win. Sound strange? What is stranger is we treat God as that pair of socks we don't wash so we can win or that rabbit foot we carry for that little extra luck. The Israelites did it then, and we still do it now.
We see in 1 Samuel 4 that God's people (the Israelites) were at war with the Philistines. The Philistines had attacked the Israelites and won (vs. 2) and the Israelites started questioning why they had lost...
"Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?" Then they said, "Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies." (vs. 3)
They needed a win...they needed something good to happen to them so why not take God with them into battle this time. Yes! That will do it...if they do something for God he has to do something for them. Does this sound familiar? It should, we still do it all the time. We think if we do all the right things, all the time...nothing bad should happen. We keep track of how much we go to church, read the bible, do good things, all in hopes that God is keeping track to. All because one day you might need something and God will step in because we have done so much for him. Or maybe we don't spend one minute of the day with him and then something bad happens and then we think.."I am losing, I better start talking to him again." The crazy thing if I were to ask you, "Do you talk to God more during good times or bad?" I would guess your answer would be during bad times....and yet we asked God why bad things happen to us. Ummm... (I know! That one hit me hard) We are doing the same thing as the Israelites...we want something from God when we should just want God....Not what He can do for us but in us. We do those things to get closer to God not get something from God. Its not just what we do, but the heart behind why we do it.
When we treat God as our Santa Clause to give us what we want or a rabbits foot to give us a little luck we will lose just like the Israelites. Yep...they lost the battle and the Ark of the Covenant. God is not something we need some times, He is a God that we need all the time!
But when we honor and respect God as our Father, Jesus as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit is our leader we can't help but win...all the time. That's right win...all the time. This doesn't mean bad things wont happen or times will never be hard. It means we can still have joy during struggles because we have God. It means will can still have peace during the pain because we have God. It means we can still of hope in tough situations because we have God. There is hope in Jesus...not luck. There is peace in Jesus...not luck. There is strength in Jesus...not luck. I will take Jesus over luck any day...all day!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Hugs are not important, but necessary
I don't know about you but for me parenting is the hardest, most awesome, overwhelming, fulfilling, tiring. crazy, fun, discouraging, encouraging job there is. And when your husband is a football coach, you have more children with more struggles than you can count. Right now, we have a former OU softball player living with us and our other guest bedroom is occupied at an given night of the week with current or former football players. So you can say our house is a little crazy. I want to introduce you to a man who took people in and taught them things of God, his name was Eli. Eli was the priest of Israel along with his two sons when a boy by the named of Samuel came to live with Eli and learn about God. Eli did some great things as a man in ministry, but failed as a parent in the home. You see, Eli's two sons stole, cheated, and seduced women all in the walls of the church. And Eli did nothing: "Eli was old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel..." (1 Samuel 2:22) Well Crap, God has got my attention. Because how often do people outside our home get our best: our best attitudes, our best attention, our best selves while those in our homes see the short tempered, tired, overwhelmed person. All because we are trying so hard to put on the "we have everything in order" face on. Anybody else? We know things arent great in our home, but everyone thinks It is so we are good. Oh, but we are not. Because although people don't see, God always does. "Then the Lord said to Samuel, 'I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. I am going to carry out all the threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn't disciplined them." (1 Samuel 3:11-13) There is it...did you catch it? Did you see the dirty word? The whole reason and area that Eli failed and if we don't learn from Eli....we will to: as parents and followers of Jesus. It's kinda like when I take my kids to get their shots. It's never pleasant, but it is necessary. Nobody likes shots and nobody likes discipline. Because like shots, we view discipline as something painful and negative situation. BUT DISCIPLINE is not just important it is NECESSARY in all aspects of life. But for the sake of not wanting to turn you off from the rest of this blog post because nobody wants to hear the word discipline, we are going to exchange "discipline" for "hugs"
There are 3 areas of "hugs" the bible teaches us about:
1) We must HUGS our children (To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child Proverbs 29:15). I am not here to debate how you hug your children but just to remind you that it is necessary. Why? Because it is from us they learn obedience, honesty, and respect and it is from us they need to learn that there are consequences when you don't show these things. And if we don't teach them that as our children, the world will teach them that as adults. And I don't know about you but I want my children to be respected in their professions, loved as someone's spouse for 50 years, and have a heart after God's.
2) God HUGS us. ("Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good." Deuteronomy 8:5) I tell my children all the time..."Because I have lived longer, experience more, and learned much...I know more." Well, God is the beginning and the end of time. He has experienced everything to everyone. And He knows all, is in all, and created all therefore he knows all. And when I get off on my own path because I think I know the way, He gently reminds me with a little HUGS that He is God and I am not so get back on the path....MY path.
3) We must have Spiritual HUGS
Just like athletes training for their sport we too are in training. Athletes have to be disciplined in their training. ("Athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize, but we do it for an eternal prize. 1 Corinthians 9:25) And we too, have to be disciplined in ours. Notice it doesn't say Prisoners. Athletes don't have to train and don't even have to play. There are some athletes who don't practice and just show up for the games. There are some athletes who are covered in all the right equipment, but never step foot on the field. Those athletes that train and are disciplined in their training do it out of love of the game. There are people all the time that don't want to "practice" Christianity and just show up for the big Heaven game. There are people who covered with the Christian lingo, but have never had a conversation with Jesus. We don't do Spiritual HUGS like reading the bible, going to church, and praying because we have to BUT for Love of Our God.
We learn from Eli, that HUGS is not only important in our lives, but necessary. And so is discipline:)
There are 3 areas of "hugs" the bible teaches us about:
1) We must HUGS our children (To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child Proverbs 29:15). I am not here to debate how you hug your children but just to remind you that it is necessary. Why? Because it is from us they learn obedience, honesty, and respect and it is from us they need to learn that there are consequences when you don't show these things. And if we don't teach them that as our children, the world will teach them that as adults. And I don't know about you but I want my children to be respected in their professions, loved as someone's spouse for 50 years, and have a heart after God's.
2) God HUGS us. ("Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good." Deuteronomy 8:5) I tell my children all the time..."Because I have lived longer, experience more, and learned much...I know more." Well, God is the beginning and the end of time. He has experienced everything to everyone. And He knows all, is in all, and created all therefore he knows all. And when I get off on my own path because I think I know the way, He gently reminds me with a little HUGS that He is God and I am not so get back on the path....MY path.
3) We must have Spiritual HUGS
Just like athletes training for their sport we too are in training. Athletes have to be disciplined in their training. ("Athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize, but we do it for an eternal prize. 1 Corinthians 9:25) And we too, have to be disciplined in ours. Notice it doesn't say Prisoners. Athletes don't have to train and don't even have to play. There are some athletes who don't practice and just show up for the games. There are some athletes who are covered in all the right equipment, but never step foot on the field. Those athletes that train and are disciplined in their training do it out of love of the game. There are people all the time that don't want to "practice" Christianity and just show up for the big Heaven game. There are people who covered with the Christian lingo, but have never had a conversation with Jesus. We don't do Spiritual HUGS like reading the bible, going to church, and praying because we have to BUT for Love of Our God.
We learn from Eli, that HUGS is not only important in our lives, but necessary. And so is discipline:)
Friday, August 23, 2013
Behind the Bench
It's here...the time of year where single parenting comes into effect. My children will eat mostly Mcdonald's drive thru (including the occasional left over French fry found in the seat), concession stand nachos, and for those games at the end of the month when there is "no mo money" we will have the pbj sandwich in the car. Yep! It's football season. A season of joys, concerns, ups, downs, people who love you, and those who don't. There will be those nights your husband doesn't sleep thinking about what he could have done differently. There will be the teachers that will give an 8 oclock test on the day after a Thursday night game. And my favorite, the parents that believe their child should and will be the next Sam Bradford, Brian Urlacher, or Wes Welker.
As a parent myself, I have learned to understand the mind of "sports parent"....well at least, I have tried. I understand they only want the best for their kid. I understand they want to see their kid succeed. I understand they want their kid to be in the best possible situation. I understand all that because that is what I want for my own kids.
But I am learning that what I want isn't what I need. Or should I say, what I think I want isn't what need. The Israelites learned this lesson the hard way and because we should learn life lessons today from those who lived it yesterday, we need to take notes from the Israelites...on what NOT to do.
At this time, the Israelites didn't have a King, but were lead by Judges. Samuel, a prophet of God, was serving as Israel's judge at the time, but was getting older.
1 Samuel 8: 4-5"Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. "Look," they told him, "you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a King to judge us like all the other nations have."
The moment we compare ourselves to other people, or the world in general, is the day our contentment dies. We are content with who God made us or content with what God gave us until we see someone else and what they have. The quickest way to forget what God has given us is to focus on what God has given them. There is a reason he made you the way he did, for HIM not the world. There is a reason God has you where you are, for HIM not the world. There is reason God gives us what we need and not what we want because we have no idea what we want. This year it is a different job. Next year it is a different house. Today it is my son to play quarterback not on the offensive line. What we want changes with the wind because the world changes with the wind. All you have to do is look at pictures of my hair over the past 20 years. You will see short, long, blonde, brown, black, straight, curly, and on and on. It's exhausting keeping up with what the world says we should have or become. The Israelites were no different....they changed gods like I changed hairstyles. They worshipped and prayed for whatever they felt they wanted and needed at that time. What if everything we did and everything we prayed for was just to know God more and his ways better? Because the Bible says, God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In a world that is always changing, we can find peace and stability in a God that never does. Our prayers become seeking God, and not giving advice to God.
1 Samuel 8: 6-9 "Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 'Do everything they say to you the Lord replied, 'for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.'"
You see, every time we want more and more of what the world has to offer and less and less of what God has to offer we are saying to God..."you are not enough." I love you God, but I need something else to be happy. I love you God, but I need this to change to be happy. I love you God, but I am asking for more to be happy. We are rejecting God as King of our lives and have abandoned him to chase the wind. When we constantly seek this from God instead of seeking God we become restless and will never be satisfied. But the same warning God gives to the Israelites is the same warning he gives to us "about the way a king will reign over them." The king of the world will say you are not good enough. The King of Kings says...through my son, you already are. The king of the world will say you have to do more. The King of Kings says...it is finished. The king of the world will say you have too many weaknesses. The king of Kings says..in your weaknesses I am made strong.
God is not Santa Clause to give us what we want. He's not a rabbit's foot to be our lucky charm. He's not the monopoly man to give us a "get out of jail free" card every time we make a stupid mistake. He's the creator of the universe. The maker of heaven and earth. He's the one that knows all, sees all, makes all. God want our lives....not just the list of wants. God wants us to seek Him not just what he has to offer. God wants to be our living water so that we never thirst for acceptance of this world. God wants to be our bread of life so that we never crave the things of this world over Him. God wants us to "Love the Lord our God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord our God is our life." Deuteronomy 30:30
My husband always says: Coaches coach, players play, parents cheer. I would say: God leads, I follow, and others watch.
Here's to staying Behind the Bench....
As a parent myself, I have learned to understand the mind of "sports parent"....well at least, I have tried. I understand they only want the best for their kid. I understand they want to see their kid succeed. I understand they want their kid to be in the best possible situation. I understand all that because that is what I want for my own kids.
But I am learning that what I want isn't what I need. Or should I say, what I think I want isn't what need. The Israelites learned this lesson the hard way and because we should learn life lessons today from those who lived it yesterday, we need to take notes from the Israelites...on what NOT to do.
At this time, the Israelites didn't have a King, but were lead by Judges. Samuel, a prophet of God, was serving as Israel's judge at the time, but was getting older.
1 Samuel 8: 4-5"Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. "Look," they told him, "you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a King to judge us like all the other nations have."
The moment we compare ourselves to other people, or the world in general, is the day our contentment dies. We are content with who God made us or content with what God gave us until we see someone else and what they have. The quickest way to forget what God has given us is to focus on what God has given them. There is a reason he made you the way he did, for HIM not the world. There is a reason God has you where you are, for HIM not the world. There is reason God gives us what we need and not what we want because we have no idea what we want. This year it is a different job. Next year it is a different house. Today it is my son to play quarterback not on the offensive line. What we want changes with the wind because the world changes with the wind. All you have to do is look at pictures of my hair over the past 20 years. You will see short, long, blonde, brown, black, straight, curly, and on and on. It's exhausting keeping up with what the world says we should have or become. The Israelites were no different....they changed gods like I changed hairstyles. They worshipped and prayed for whatever they felt they wanted and needed at that time. What if everything we did and everything we prayed for was just to know God more and his ways better? Because the Bible says, God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In a world that is always changing, we can find peace and stability in a God that never does. Our prayers become seeking God, and not giving advice to God.
1 Samuel 8: 6-9 "Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 'Do everything they say to you the Lord replied, 'for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.'"
You see, every time we want more and more of what the world has to offer and less and less of what God has to offer we are saying to God..."you are not enough." I love you God, but I need something else to be happy. I love you God, but I need this to change to be happy. I love you God, but I am asking for more to be happy. We are rejecting God as King of our lives and have abandoned him to chase the wind. When we constantly seek this from God instead of seeking God we become restless and will never be satisfied. But the same warning God gives to the Israelites is the same warning he gives to us "about the way a king will reign over them." The king of the world will say you are not good enough. The King of Kings says...through my son, you already are. The king of the world will say you have to do more. The King of Kings says...it is finished. The king of the world will say you have too many weaknesses. The king of Kings says..in your weaknesses I am made strong.
God is not Santa Clause to give us what we want. He's not a rabbit's foot to be our lucky charm. He's not the monopoly man to give us a "get out of jail free" card every time we make a stupid mistake. He's the creator of the universe. The maker of heaven and earth. He's the one that knows all, sees all, makes all. God want our lives....not just the list of wants. God wants us to seek Him not just what he has to offer. God wants to be our living water so that we never thirst for acceptance of this world. God wants to be our bread of life so that we never crave the things of this world over Him. God wants us to "Love the Lord our God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord our God is our life." Deuteronomy 30:30
My husband always says: Coaches coach, players play, parents cheer. I would say: God leads, I follow, and others watch.
Here's to staying Behind the Bench....
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
The Cure for the "Me Disease"
So...the family was sitting in the living room last night having a summer dance party when my husband's ESPN alert goes off on his phone. This sound is as regular as the ringing of the phone and means that something big just happened or in this case about to happen...their was a no-hitter in the making in the bottom of the 9th inning with a Cincinnati Reds pitcher named Homer Bailey. We all sat around the TV in anticipation like we had watched the entire game and waited and watched...watched a man attain one of the hardest things to do in the sports world. It was awesome! But the most awesome thing for me to see was the excitement from his teammates, coaches, and fans who were so excited at the success of someone else. In a world that suffers from the "me disease", I love that in this moment, people were cheering, yelling, and dog piling because of someone else's success. As fans of sports you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself...you are a part of something great and you can't help but cheer.
Unfortunately, we have always suffered from this me disease because it is a part of that stupid sin nature we were born with (thanks for that Adam and eve), but there was a man who understood how God intended the world to work and set us the ultimate example to follow. He showed us what it looked like to be watching something great unfold right before your eyes and cheer. His name was John the Baptist.
John was the man that was born to Elizabeth, one of Mary's relatives, right before Jesus was born. He was also the man that baptized Jesus. He baptized the son of God! That right there, gave him the right to think he was pretty awesome stuff. He also had followers and would have been considered elite in the twitter world of followers....but it was these followers that allowed us to see the true character of the man we call John the Baptist.
"So John's followers came to him and said, "Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the river, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everyone is going to him instead of coming to us." John 3:26
That's right...they were upset because more people were getting baptized by the son of God than them. Sounds crazy right? How can someone be jealous for doing what God has called them to do? It still happens...all the time. I see churches tearing down other churches because more people are going there instead of their church. I have seen ministries tear down other ministries because they are getting more people involved than them. I have seen pastors tear down other pastors because their church family is growing more. I have seen people tear down other people's children because they are out performing their own children. I have seen coaches tear down other coaches because of the success they are having. I have seen women tear down other women because of the success they appear to have in their world, inside or outside the home. Heck, I have done some of these things. We all struggle with this disease....but John the Baptist new the cure...
"John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, 'I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.' It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. There fore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must be greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 27-30
Seriously, if I was one of his followers I would have quietly backed up and went and put my head in a hole because they were just schooled and so was I. The cure to the "me disease" is Christ. You see, so many times we think being humble is thinking less of ourselves, but Rick Warren's definition of humility says it best: "Humility isn't thinking less about yourself, its thinking about yourself less." Whether we think highly of ourselves or lowly of ourselves, we are still thinking about ourselves. John through it back to God. He was so confident in who God made him to be and his role God had him, that he was able to be "filled with joy at his success." Wouldn't you love to be so confident in who God made you to be and the gifts God made you to do on this earth, that you were able to be filled with joy at someone else's success? Your friend calls you and tells you her kid made the varsity team, and you are genuinely filled with joy because God might use their child in a great way. Your friend calls you and tells you her husband got the Head coaching job and you are genuinely filled with joy for their family because you believe God wants to use their family to be an influence for Christ.
God has a story for each one of us to be a part of....His story. And in His story we all have different roles. Some will be called to teach, some will be called to encourage, some will be called to sing, some will be called to hospitality, some will be called to lead....BUT ALL WILL BE CALLED TO DO IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
Because John knew and understood his role was to point everyone to Jesus, he knew that he must become less and Jesus must become more. My pastor puts it this way, "To mature physically we must increase, to mature spiritually we must decrease." When you are constantly engaging in God's Word and who He is, there is no room or time, to be jealous of who someone else is.
God has given us gifts and talents to be used for His Glory, not for ours. God has placed us right where he wants us for His purpose, not for ours.
When we become less, He becomes more, and we are filled with joy for everyone else
And now you can cheer...or stick your head in a hole, whatever God leads you to do:)
Unfortunately, we have always suffered from this me disease because it is a part of that stupid sin nature we were born with (thanks for that Adam and eve), but there was a man who understood how God intended the world to work and set us the ultimate example to follow. He showed us what it looked like to be watching something great unfold right before your eyes and cheer. His name was John the Baptist.
John was the man that was born to Elizabeth, one of Mary's relatives, right before Jesus was born. He was also the man that baptized Jesus. He baptized the son of God! That right there, gave him the right to think he was pretty awesome stuff. He also had followers and would have been considered elite in the twitter world of followers....but it was these followers that allowed us to see the true character of the man we call John the Baptist.
"So John's followers came to him and said, "Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the river, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everyone is going to him instead of coming to us." John 3:26
That's right...they were upset because more people were getting baptized by the son of God than them. Sounds crazy right? How can someone be jealous for doing what God has called them to do? It still happens...all the time. I see churches tearing down other churches because more people are going there instead of their church. I have seen ministries tear down other ministries because they are getting more people involved than them. I have seen pastors tear down other pastors because their church family is growing more. I have seen people tear down other people's children because they are out performing their own children. I have seen coaches tear down other coaches because of the success they are having. I have seen women tear down other women because of the success they appear to have in their world, inside or outside the home. Heck, I have done some of these things. We all struggle with this disease....but John the Baptist new the cure...
"John replied, "No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, 'I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.' It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. There fore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must be greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 27-30
Seriously, if I was one of his followers I would have quietly backed up and went and put my head in a hole because they were just schooled and so was I. The cure to the "me disease" is Christ. You see, so many times we think being humble is thinking less of ourselves, but Rick Warren's definition of humility says it best: "Humility isn't thinking less about yourself, its thinking about yourself less." Whether we think highly of ourselves or lowly of ourselves, we are still thinking about ourselves. John through it back to God. He was so confident in who God made him to be and his role God had him, that he was able to be "filled with joy at his success." Wouldn't you love to be so confident in who God made you to be and the gifts God made you to do on this earth, that you were able to be filled with joy at someone else's success? Your friend calls you and tells you her kid made the varsity team, and you are genuinely filled with joy because God might use their child in a great way. Your friend calls you and tells you her husband got the Head coaching job and you are genuinely filled with joy for their family because you believe God wants to use their family to be an influence for Christ.
God has a story for each one of us to be a part of....His story. And in His story we all have different roles. Some will be called to teach, some will be called to encourage, some will be called to sing, some will be called to hospitality, some will be called to lead....BUT ALL WILL BE CALLED TO DO IN THE NAME OF JESUS.
Because John knew and understood his role was to point everyone to Jesus, he knew that he must become less and Jesus must become more. My pastor puts it this way, "To mature physically we must increase, to mature spiritually we must decrease." When you are constantly engaging in God's Word and who He is, there is no room or time, to be jealous of who someone else is.
God has given us gifts and talents to be used for His Glory, not for ours. God has placed us right where he wants us for His purpose, not for ours.
When we become less, He becomes more, and we are filled with joy for everyone else
And now you can cheer...or stick your head in a hole, whatever God leads you to do:)
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