Have you ever had the same message communicated to you several times in a short period of time? In recent weeks, I have experienced the same two messages coming to me from very different avenues. The first message is an encouragement that God's gifts and call on my life are evident and that there my life and ministry is intentioned for great effectiveness. The second is a cautionary message to guard my heart.
With so many sources carrying the message to me, I can't help but think I really need to be listening. As I have attempted to listen and process the round table discussion, devotional from my Pastor, and friends prayer, I believe there is a message which I must be paying attention to.
Part of me wonders why I have heard these two messages coming from the same source at the same time. As I have prayed and pondered these words, I have arrived at this conclusion, aptitude and failure are proportionally linked. Most of us tend to think of failure in light of what has been accomplished. We look at national ministers moral indiscretions and exclaim at the fall. We think about how these mighty men of God had accomplished so much but threw it way for the pleasures of sin for a season. I agree these events are tragic and heartbreaking. However, I think there is something much worse — the death of potential.
I think the greatest failures are not the great ones that fall but the those that are meant to be great in God's kingdom that never get off the ground. The more potential God has stored in your heart and mind that goes wasted, the greater the failure. That is why I believe the failure is proportionally linked to aptitude.
Let me give this a fuller explanation. I believe that every person on the planet has a divine calling for their life. I believe that all the necessary gifts, talents, abilities, and passions are placed in side of the hearts of men and women. The greatest failures are those whose callings are missed or dismissed and all the gifts and talents God has placed in them goes to waste. Much the way our culture shakes its head as we see students with all the potential necessary to be doctors, lawyers, professors, and astronauts become burger flippers, sandwich makers, drug dealers, and bums, I believe God's heart breaks as we take the gifts he has given us and waste them.
The greatest failures in life are not the ones who find careers below their intellectual aptitude. Hardly. We need the goods and services provided be almost every profession. No, the greatest failures are those who never discover all the things God has put inside them to do. And it is the world that is worse off for it. All the songs we will never hear, all the books we will never read, all the art we will never see, diseases that won't be cured, lives that won't be changed... all because someone selfishly chose to bury their potential until they could be buried with it.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Message of Christ
I think we can all agree that church splits are ugly. It's kind of like a head-butt — no one wins with a head-butt. It hurts both sides. It doesn't matter how we dress them up or frame them, they just are not nice.
When you have to watch one from the outside, especially from a distance, you can easily take sides. Sometimes you choose sides based upon who you know; other times on what you know. And if you're like me, and you don't know anything, you base it on principle. The wonderful thing about principle is that it gives you a high place to stand, even if only in your mind. You are able to pass your judgements without information or wisdom. It is interesting when uninformed ethics override Godly wisdom and situational knowledge. The outcome tends to make the one who thinks he stands so high look rather foolish.
In the interest of being real, I must confess that I have taken this uninformed stand regarding ministries in my area. I had a rather troubling conversation yesterday that I took to prayer this morning. As I usually, as I am asking God to correct others attitudes, I am gently reminded of the plank in my own eye.
As I began my normal scripture reading, my high-mindedness collided with the latter half of Philippians 1. Here Paul tells us of the chains he bares for the Gospel of Christ. He then goes on to tell of how others are inspired by him and they preach Christ. Followed by the fact that others preach Christ not out of genuine love for the people or even for the gospel but out of jealousy of Paul. He says it this way:
"Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice."
Ah the gentle way God lovingly brings the most appropriate words at the most appropriate times.
I am still not a fan of church splits, not matter how they are dressed up. However, I have learned this today — it is the message of Christ that matters and not the politics of church. It is not my place to judge intentions or take sides, especially when I am not involved. It is my place to say with Paul, "Whether their motive are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice."
When you have to watch one from the outside, especially from a distance, you can easily take sides. Sometimes you choose sides based upon who you know; other times on what you know. And if you're like me, and you don't know anything, you base it on principle. The wonderful thing about principle is that it gives you a high place to stand, even if only in your mind. You are able to pass your judgements without information or wisdom. It is interesting when uninformed ethics override Godly wisdom and situational knowledge. The outcome tends to make the one who thinks he stands so high look rather foolish.
In the interest of being real, I must confess that I have taken this uninformed stand regarding ministries in my area. I had a rather troubling conversation yesterday that I took to prayer this morning. As I usually, as I am asking God to correct others attitudes, I am gently reminded of the plank in my own eye.
As I began my normal scripture reading, my high-mindedness collided with the latter half of Philippians 1. Here Paul tells us of the chains he bares for the Gospel of Christ. He then goes on to tell of how others are inspired by him and they preach Christ. Followed by the fact that others preach Christ not out of genuine love for the people or even for the gospel but out of jealousy of Paul. He says it this way:
"Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn't matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice."
Ah the gentle way God lovingly brings the most appropriate words at the most appropriate times.
I am still not a fan of church splits, not matter how they are dressed up. However, I have learned this today — it is the message of Christ that matters and not the politics of church. It is not my place to judge intentions or take sides, especially when I am not involved. It is my place to say with Paul, "Whether their motive are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice."
Monday, March 15, 2010
Everyone's a Doctor
As many of you know, in February I had open heart surgery. I can tell you the experience of being told at the age of 28 (or at any age I'm sure), without surgical intervention, you will not see the coming summer will jar you. You listen closely to physicians and family and friends. You hug your children just a little longer. I must confess, I wanted my mommy and daddy.
The surgery date came; the operation went perfectly; recovery begins... It is at this juncture — recovery — that I discovered everyone is a doctor. While in the hospital, attending physicians would enter the room, spout facts, examine scars, order labs, hear complaints, say everything is going perfectly, give details as to what will happen next, and move on the the next patient. Somewhere in the midst of all that attending doctors diatribe my family and friends achieved their degrees.
If I complained of medicinal side-effects, the doctor would change the meds. Family would say I knew as soon as we changed the meds you would be better. If I walked a little extra and was a little more tired, I would hear, I knew you were overdoing it.
At home, they were a little less bold. If I were to say, pour myself a glass of milk, they lead with a question, "Is that heavy for you?" My reply of, "Yeah, it kinda of hurts," leads their medical minds to say, "You shouldn't be doing that, let me do it for you."
Upon returning to work, friends and colleagues ask questions like, should you be hear, followed by their medical advice, you should probably go home. Often times, they offer their assessments: "Your color looks good today," "You're looking better," or "Your looking pretty tired."
It seems all of my friends and family know exactly what I should be doing... "you should be resting," you should walk more," you should be eating better."
At first, having so many physicians around was kind of frustrating. I kept reminding people that I am the only one that knows how I feel and that I am have been talking to REAL doctors.
Then I had an epiphany. All of my "would be" medical geniuses are really just loving family and friends. Each one is someone who has prayed for me, encouraged me, supported me, and loved me. All of their advice has nothing to do with medicine and everything to do with love. So, I would like to say thank you to all my physicians. Thank you for your love and support and advice and meals and help and hope and kindness. You have made the recovery process easier, even when I didn't understand. Thank you all!
The surgery date came; the operation went perfectly; recovery begins... It is at this juncture — recovery — that I discovered everyone is a doctor. While in the hospital, attending physicians would enter the room, spout facts, examine scars, order labs, hear complaints, say everything is going perfectly, give details as to what will happen next, and move on the the next patient. Somewhere in the midst of all that attending doctors diatribe my family and friends achieved their degrees.
If I complained of medicinal side-effects, the doctor would change the meds. Family would say I knew as soon as we changed the meds you would be better. If I walked a little extra and was a little more tired, I would hear, I knew you were overdoing it.
At home, they were a little less bold. If I were to say, pour myself a glass of milk, they lead with a question, "Is that heavy for you?" My reply of, "Yeah, it kinda of hurts," leads their medical minds to say, "You shouldn't be doing that, let me do it for you."
Upon returning to work, friends and colleagues ask questions like, should you be hear, followed by their medical advice, you should probably go home. Often times, they offer their assessments: "Your color looks good today," "You're looking better," or "Your looking pretty tired."
It seems all of my friends and family know exactly what I should be doing... "you should be resting," you should walk more," you should be eating better."
At first, having so many physicians around was kind of frustrating. I kept reminding people that I am the only one that knows how I feel and that I am have been talking to REAL doctors.
Then I had an epiphany. All of my "would be" medical geniuses are really just loving family and friends. Each one is someone who has prayed for me, encouraged me, supported me, and loved me. All of their advice has nothing to do with medicine and everything to do with love. So, I would like to say thank you to all my physicians. Thank you for your love and support and advice and meals and help and hope and kindness. You have made the recovery process easier, even when I didn't understand. Thank you all!
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