Giving our Best on the Wrong Day

This past weekend was rivalry weekend in college football, and the majority of the games were quite exciting. Unfortunately, the most disappointing game was the Florida State vs. Florida match-up. The undefeated and first ranked Gators clobbered my poor Seminoles. Well, there is always next year. It seems like I have been saying that for many years now.

Anyhow, while watching the games during rivalry weekend, I couldn’t help but notice the pageantry of school colors, and the passion each fan possessed while cheering on their team. Each stadium was filled with students and alumni who were clapping, shouting, screaming, dancing and raising hands as they applauded their teams to victory. I even saw some of the most dedicated fans bowing down to their favorite performers after a big play. Other fans were crying as their teams ran onto the field. It was evident that there was no other place these people would rather be on a Saturday afternoon or evening.

Shouting, clapping, bowing down, dancing and raising hands are all external forms of praise and worship. Human beings were designed by God to participate in these activities. Therefore, we are inevitably going to find something to praise and worship.

Check out the following Scriptures:

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. Psalm 47:1

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. Psalm 95:6

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. Psalm 134:2

Let them praise him (the Lord) with dancing. Psalm 149:3a

As a sports fan, I really enjoy the game of college football. In fact, it is one of my favorite athletic contests to watch. I think it is great that people support and cheer for their favorite team. As a former college athlete, I know firsthand how much it meant to my teammates and me when our stands were full of enthusiastic fans.

I just wish people would show the same enthusiasm, support and passion on Sunday in church as they do on Saturday in college football stadiums. I feel compelled to remind us that Jesus is the one who conquered sin and defeated the grave for all of eternity. He is the one who is worthy of our best praise and worship.

I propose we move our tailgate parties to Sunday mornings as we anticipate praising this great champion.

See you in the church parking lot on Sunday!

Thankfulness: The Position of Power

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thankfulness is so much more than good manners or good etiquette. It is a position of power that is rich in benefits. Psalm 69:30 says, “Magnify Him with thanksgiving.” This underscores the magnifying properties of thankfulness. To magnify something is to bring it closer, to see it with clarity and in detail. When we are thankful, it takes us from seeing God generally at a distance to seeing Him up close and personal.

When Jesus was faced with one of His greatest challenges, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the first words from His mouth were, “Father I thank You”. Then, he commanded the risen Lazarus to step out of the tomb. When we are unthankful the problem is magnified and solutions become hard to find.

On the other hand, being thankful allows us to see how big God is and places the problem in a redemptive light. When the Lord is magnified through thankfulness the problem does not dictate our response, God does.

While fishing with my boys the other day, my oldest son Josiah jerked his fishing pole to set his hook and hit me in the face with the rod. The rod scratched my expensive polarized sunglasses and cut my face. Needless to say, I was very angry.

Instead of acting upon my anger and yelling at my son, I chose to keep an attitude of gratitude during this unfortunate and painful incident. I began to thank God that I had my sunglasses on and didn’t get my eyed poked out. Thinking about the ramifications of getting my eye poked out changed my whole perspective.

As I continued to fish, I wondered how I would have responded if my eye did get poked out. Then, I realized I could still be thankful because I have two eyes and still the ability to see. I then began to carry on this thought to its ultimate conclusion. What if both my eyes got poked out? Then, I could still be thankful that I have life. What if the jerk of the fishing pole had cut off my head and killed me? Then, I could still be thankful because I am going to heaven.

The power of thankfulness is that it keeps positioning us into something bigger and better than the problem. When we lack gratitude we are employing a very narrow radar screen. In other words, we have very limited visibility. I am often amazed at how easily people can doubt God over a simple cold, flu or some minor crisis; “O God where are you in my suffering?” My question to that is, “what about the gazillion others sicknesses, diseases and catastrophes He does keep away from us?” Giving thanks keeps our moments in divine perspective.

Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!

The Pain of Unfaithfulness

Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble. Proverbs 25:19

In Proverbs 25:19, reliance on the unfaithful is compared to the pain that manifests in the human body when parts of it are not functioning properly. Solomon wants his readers to understand the devastating consequences of unfaithfulness. Some injuries hurt more than others. A sprained ankle is very painful.

Sometimes, the pain can be delayed, at other times it is instant. The level of pain is not always a measurement of the extent of the damage. Some people hear a 'pop' in their ankle. This could suggest a torn ligament. Swelling of the injured area follows the twist.

Rapid swelling usually indicates severe damage has taken place. The bleeding of damaged tissue causes the swelling, and the discoloration is a result of gravity pulling the blood downwards. The swelling is often situated a small distance away from the actual damaged site.

Just like the pain that comes from a damaged foot, people who act unfaithful cause tremendous pain to others. Infidelity in a marriage covenant hurts the one whose trust was betrayed. Children are emotionally damaged when parents abdicate their responsibilities. Churches can split over one member’s dissension. Companies and their clients suffer when an employee is dishonest. Unfaithfulness always hurts other people.

Have you or somebody you know ever been hurt by someone who acted unfaithful? What did you learn from that experience?

Get An Increase By Making An Investment

So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' Luke 19:13 (Parable of the Ten Minas)

God expects increase from His investment in people. The Parable of the Ten Minas teaches us about this truth. In this parable, the master gives his servants a certain amount of money with the expectation that they steward it wisely by putting the money to work.

This parable reminds us that there is a spiritual law called the law of investment. By use you possess and increase, and by disuse you decline and lose. The key to increase is investment. This applies to everything in life. Money will not earn interest unless it is invested. A muscle that goes unused will eventually atrophy. Parents can build a Godly legacy for generations when they chooses to invest in their children.

Jonathan Edwards is one of the greatest scholars America has ever produced. Before he was president of Princeton, he served as a pastor of a church. He was known to spend 12 hours a day in his study, plus pastor a church, plus father 11 children. When he had those children, he was praying and decided he wanted all of his children to know God and the purpose for which they were created. The Lord pressed upon him to spend one hour a day with his children.

His descendants include:

300 Pastors, 120 became professors at universities, 110 of his ancestors became attorneys, 60 were prominent authors, 30 were judges, 14 served as presidents at universities and colleges, 3 served in congress and 1 became vice president of the U.S.

How did it happen? It happened because Jonathan Edwards made an investment into his children.

How are you investing what God has given to you? Are you getting increase from your investment?

God Owns It All

Our role as a steward on planet earth involves faithfully managing what God has entrusted to us. The key to good stewardship is remembering that God owns it all. All the resources and abilities we possess are within our control only temporarily.

As the Bible says, And [Job] said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." (Job 1:21).

This is one rule with no exceptions. Your hearse will not be pulling a U-Haul. Someone asked John D. Rockefeller's accountant if he knew exactly how much Mr. Rockefeller had left when he died. The accountant replied, "Certainly, to the penny. He left everything."

God has a general purpose for all believers, such as bringing glory to Him and sharing the good news of God's salvation through Jesus Christ. Each believer also has specific purposes for life unique to his gifts, talents, contacts, and opportunities. As we prayerfully discern our gifts and opportunities, God begins to reveal to us where to spend our efforts, time, emotional energy, and money on those areas. Then, of course, we must choose to obey what He has revealed to us.

Are you faithfully stewarding what God has entrusted to you?