Posts tagged knowledge
The Un-balancing Act
Feb 9th
The leg press. It’s simple. You add weight. You sit down. Release the lock. Press the sled up and down. That’s it.
I was at the Y the other day and there was a guy attempting to follow the above steps. Nothing out of the ordinary. The only reason I noticed him was because I wanted to use the machine. I moved on to do something else while he was adding weight.
And then I thought the building was collapsing. The sound could have definitely been compared to this same guy running his truck into the machine. I look over and see the machine laying on its side. Thankfully nobody was hurt. It turns out the guy had loaded the weights one side at a time, instead of evenly distributing the weight. He had nine 45lbs plates on one side. I don’t know how he walked away with all of his toes.
The guy meant well. Obviously you can put at least eight 45lbs on one side without catastrophe happening, he just didn’t know the 9th plate would be so embarrassing.
Balance is important. If only this guy had put one 45lbs plate on the other, then I wouldn’t be typing this story. But thanks to this mans desire to push a lot of weight I learned something. I am constantly trying to learn about God. So much that I usually only stop when I am numb from boredom. For some reason I keep pushing this info into my brain assuming it’s going to take me somewhere. But what I am realizing is that not balancing this knowledge with action is quickly causing me to become unbalanced.
Faith has always been about action. If the knowledge I gain isn’t being used in a physical sense, what good is it?
Pharisees study to sound smart. Followers of Christ study to reach others
Pharisees learn to prove a point. Followers of Christ learn to prove themselves wrong.
Another Pharisee attribute killed.
Excuses Created By Thoughts
Jun 3rd
If you know me, you know I’m a thinker. I think about things that I assume most people do not. Not that I believe that sets me above others or that I’m above average on the smart scale. I think because I am not a genius. If I knew a bunch of answers and how to solve difficult problems, I probably wouldn’t think as much. I would just make things happen.
Why am I about to turn 30 and just now lining myself up with God’s plan? I thought about it and answered my own thoughts today. The answer is as follows- I thought too much. These thoughts turned into questioning all my insecurities and allowed doubts to penetrate what God had already answered.
God has one purpose and one will for my life. God has one purpose and one will for YOUR life. Love the Lord your God will all your heart and all your mind. Serve Him by serving others. That’s absolutely it. Why do we over analyze this? Why do we try to add and take away from this? Every example we have in the Bible proves that we can’t control anything. These examples show that even the most taught and preached characters in the Bible didn’t know what God’s will was for their life. What these men and women did know was that putting God first created peace. This lifestyle doesn’t offer answers. This approach only gives hope. This makes one realize that the only one who actually controls anything is God. We are just along for the ride.
I am realizing that I have been thinking and asking for answers that only slow down my purpose. I was created to put God first and to do this I must put every other person first. Every other person. This can be done in middle America or it can be done in Burma.
God’s will. Think about God’s will. Don’t think about “God’s will for your life” or “God’s will belonging to someone else.” Just think about God’s will in light of the entire world and it’s entire existence. Ok have you done that? Now, try and be so clever as to attempt to even understand that. If you can do that, you need to write a book because you are about to be a millionaire.
I believe the church culture has done an injustice to its people. We have been taught to seek God’s will. God’s will is happening and has already happened. The only thing we can control is whether or not we put Him first.
So, my decision to leave the supposed “comforts” of America to serve in another country is comforting. Why? Because, for the rest of my life Iam going to attempt to not ask, “is this God’s will?” I know God’s will. God’s will is for me to put Him first. I am going to change my questions to, “Will this option allow me to continue to put Him first?” “Will this adventure take my relationship into uncharted territory with my creator?” “Will plan A allow me to increase the Kingdom more effectively than plan B?”
Yes we are out. We are moving. When? I don’t know. Sooner than later. The next step is getting to Jacksonville to meet with the board of 6:8 ministries. In the meantime we have to set a budget. Just off the top of my head I think we can survive off of no more than $3000 a month. I’m hoping we can live off of less. If you have any questions about this aspect, ask Stephanie.
My advice…not that it’s worth anything. I just don’t want you to waste part of your life like I feel I have. Quit searching for God’s “will.” You are only going to come up with excuses!
By the way, I was inspired by a book titled, Just Do Something. Read it.
In response to the Fonzie post…
May 20th
As I mentioned, I like to portray myself as cool. Deep down I’m just out of touch with society and especially pop culture. About all of the pop culture I digest comes from Time magazine. Time, is my go to toilet material because I am cool like that.
A few issues back there was an article about a county in southern California. And like every where else, this county was trying to be cool by “going green.” The commissioners had issues with getting people involved and trying new things though. (if you aren’t willing to try new things, you probably aren’t cool. unless, you are Johnny Cash) The county marketed and even created laws enforcing the green lifestyle. Neither worked. The county got smart. They revealed each homes savings of money and energy to the neighbors. When people saw that their neighbor was doing better than them, a keeping up with the Jones’ effect happened.
This story made me think. I ain’t cool because somehow I have the ability to relate and compare everything and anything to some aspect of my belief system. As a society we are so willing/wanting to be accepted. We don’t want to be the odd one out. We are looking for the next thing (you can stop looking because that is me). We are always prepared for the curve ball. This is cool to me because we never get bored and if we do, we will just label something as cool. I truly feel society is looking for something to follow. Something to believe in. Something that will actually last.
I think I have the answer.
Routine Dreams
Mar 24th
I have been trying to wrap my mind around this phenomenon with Benaiah and the lion. By the way, Mark Batterson’s book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day has been some the best encouragement I have ever read. The book itself, has taught me that all my fears are only excuses. It is a must read.
I tend to make things more difficult and complicated than they really are. I am too analytical. And honestly, as I was breaking down these short statements about Benaiah, I thought “this is way out of context.” I mean cmon’ there is no preface or sequel. I don’t think I can legitimately say that God wanted Benaiah to risk his life by attempting to kill a lion. Maybe details were lost in translation. I don’t know. This week as I attempted to lead our life group through a portion of this story, I left shaking my head. I felt like I did the lesson no justice. I bombed. I concluded that I expect God to be literal with me and learned that this has been a mistake that I have been making for a long time.
No God doesn’t want me to jump into a hole and fight off Africanized wild beasts. But I do believe He wants me to take risks. Not risks in light of dictionary.com’s definition. Yes the definition applies but only partly. Where I don’t agree with this definition is the part about loss or failure. If I am truly taking a risk for God and I fail, God still receives glory because I chased the lion. I wouldn’t fail because I still put Him first. The scenario with Benaiah’s lion ordeal, I believe, was part of his routine. I am not saying that this routine was commonplace within this era but that for some reason Benaiah needed to kill this lion. I don’t think he was legally insane, maybe dangerously crazy, but not coo koo. Otherwise David wouldn’t have put him in a position of leadership, right? Of course these are just assumptions from a rookishly wannabe theologian, made thousands of years after the fact.
Just as if I am studying the Bible, Batterson’s entire book should be read to learn of the common thread within all the characters portrayed. That common thread, I believe, is that all the people spoken of had a fear of God.
Benaiah killed the lion despite the obvious odds in the lions favor. I think it is healthy to say that he trusted in his God given ability. This is the principal that I have been missing. Somewhere within the Bible I have read that God will give me the desires of my heart. And I think it is safe to assume, as long as these desires relate to making Him famous, I am good to go. Benaiah’s battle with the lion had to have God’s involvement. Logically, the lion wins every time in this situation. But not this time. Actually this isn’t the only guy in the Bible who could be labeled as roid user. Other men in the Bible have taken out large animals and outnumbered armies. These men were juiced with a fear of God.
I could go on and on about what this “fear of God” is. But I can’t. I would just ramble. Personally I can only attempt to describe MY fear of God. I believe my “lion” is to follow Him completely while living within a “routine”. I hope this is as easily understood for you as well. Check out Proverbs 19:23 MSG. Try to follow along with the latter because what is in my head doesn’t always come out very well through my finger tips.
Because I know Him, I have learned that I have been commanded to follow Him. As I attempt to follow Him, I screw up. My fear of God, thankfully brings my screw ups to my attention. This fear also convicts me to continue to follow and screw up less often. I have found through trial and error that the less I follow, the more I screw up. To follow Him, is when I put Him first in absolutely EVERYTHING I do. This is what I would describe as my routine. That is, everyone was created to worship Him by serving others first and then give Him the glory. No that wasn’t backwards. Serve Him by putting others first and then give Him the glory. This is where I believe I have failed. I have been putting Him first before others (in that I try to learn and gain from Him for my personal benefit by gaining insight that will help my problems) and honestly most of the time I have cut in line before God. To follow Him, or live my life like Him, I must put everyone else first just as Christ did. Again this is just my rationale. Wouldn’t you say that Christ put others first, even before Himself? If this raises hairs, think about it logically, it is all just a simple cycle that in the end glorifies God. All of the above is just my routine.
My “lion” on the other hand, is my dream. You may label your “lion” as calling. I believe my dream/calling is to take my family and our routine into Latin America. This lion/dream/calling, I believe is the point of Batterson’s book. God even wants our dreams as stated in Psalms 20:4. I think a better way to describe this is, adventure. These adventures are the circumstances that are presented to us within our routines. Good or bad. God wants us to let go of our reasoning and make Him famous by attempting to chase our dreams. If we trust Him and continue to live out our routine, God will do what God does.
Jump
Mar 16th
I have been nudged. Nudged to take my family and jump. I am scared. I am not emotional. But yesterday I was broken. I felt a huge shoving from God. It’s hard to explain through words what I feel deep in my gut, heart, and mind. Have you ever been in a church service and felt as if you are the only one in the audience. Well, I have felt this way for the last few months.
I know God wants not just me but my family as well, to be serving Him within the capacity of missions. I have ran from this guidance for a long long time. I have tried to hide behind other good works. I even started a pursuit at a masters degree in theology to buy more time. Nope, that didn’t help either. Yesterday, I drove to a remote area to try and hear God. Know what I felt Him trying to tell me? “I have nothing else to say until you go.” You see, I know what He wants from me. Heck, He has even given me a dream that excites me. And I still question.
Here is what I am afraid of. I am afraid that I am not good enough. Because I have ran for so long, why would He want to still use me? Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. I am afraid to ask for help as well.
And now, I have this incredible opportunity that has only risen due to God. This opportunity would allow us to minister to a local people and inspire others to do the same. And the people that are knee deep within the ministry are totally rad. I was really fearful that if I became a missionary, I would have to get a new wardrobe, part my hair, grow a mustache, burn my iPod, start collecting white button up shirts and ties. But the people of 6:8 are so genuine, funny, and normal. I could be myself. If you know me, you know that I ain’t changing my personality to please anyone.
So what does this mean? What am I trying to say? I am asking for prayer. I believe God has given us the opportunity to partner with 6:8 Ministries. You’re right, I could be wrong about this whole thing. After a conversation I had with the leadership of the ministry, I don’t think I will ever be 100% sure that this is part of God’s plan. I want this to happen. I believe it can happen. And for crying out loud, What is the worst that could happen!?
I am asking for prayer. If I could take it one step further, may I ask you to pray for my feet. I have heard his voice but I haven’t done anything yet. All I have done is recognized His call. I still have to jump.
