Posts tagged success
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.
Sushi vs. Church
Feb 27th
I love sushi. I love sushi so much that you might hear me say I heart sushi. If you know me, I am not metro enough to say I heart anything. I grew up in the land of longhorns and I would rather have sushi than steak. The best sushi I have had came from Coast. Coast is an extremely trendy spot. If you are ever in the Chicagoland area, make reservations, put on your best duds, and forget about the Dave Ramsey envelope system.
Sushi in itself has become a trend. Partaking at a sushi bar brings the hip level up a few notches. The few times that I have been to Coast have made me realize this is a place to be seen. You valet your car, you need reservations, and you BYOB. No Coors Light here. To fit in, you better have a fancy labeled bottle of wine.
I’m weird so I decided to compare sushi to the church. Now, you probably see the same similarities as I do. Maybe not. Church has become trendy. Church has become a place to be seen. The church is full of metros. I do NOT believe there is absolutely anything wrong with this. I believe others would disagree.
As I was looking at the reviews the customers of Coast have left, I wished that people would do the same with churches. Sure, this would increase the population of church hoppers but who cares about those people anyway. I guess Jesus does but He is better than I. Here are few comments about Coast that I bet the church, as a whole, would get as well.
4 Stars – Best Sushi in town!
5 Stars – Great f*%$ing sushi!
5 Stars – There is always a crowd swarming
2 Stars – Rather Disappointed
1 Stars – Unimpressed
3 Stars – Customer service is bringin’ em DOWN
4 Stars – nice food but a little too trendy crowd
How does your church rank? Would you accept criticism? Somebody give people the stage to rate their church! Someone create a Hot or Not for the church. The church doesn’t need this for bragging rights but for improvement. If people have the ability to anonymously rate their church, they will be truthful. The catch to the Hot or Not Church Edition, is that only the comments below 5 will be revealed.
Coast doesn’t care what it’s employees think. Coast cares about what it’s customers think. Remember, it shouldn’t matter what you think but what the unchurched thinks.
Bogus Pursuits
Feb 5th
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: I don’t want to confront who the author is. Whoever the author, I believe him to be a philosopher. I believe that he was not influenced by Greek teaching. The words are vivid and needed. He’s a good teacher. 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!”says the Teacher.“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.” How can I add? I can only ask, “What is everything?” 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? Let’s see. A paycheck, sore back, lay off papers, higher rung on the ladder, corner office, paper cut, company car, AFLAC..
4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. I’m gonna die. This life is temporary. I should seize the day, right?
5 The sun rises and the sun sets,and hurries back to where it rises. Time never stops. Time flies. I only have one life to live.
6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
ever returning on its course.
7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
there they return again. (this is my interpretation) When one attempt at a pleasure doesn’t satisfy, I will turn and look for satisfaction elsewhere. This becomes a cycle and I end up wasting my life trying to satisfy my selfish desires. I may get a moment of happiness but eventually I find this form of “happy” is fake. Because I am not entertained my search continues. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man. I got bank. I’m a baller. Have you seen my episode on MTV Cribs? You want what I got. I’m big pimpin. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. He lived larger than anyone in his lineage. He was related to David. We know how David rolled. Today, his last name would be Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, but not Knutson. Even though he knew his pleasure adventure was meaningless, he continued to nowhere. 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
He saw something, he went after it. Anything that offered a glimpse of peace, security, the ability to forget about unhappiness, or the hope of drowning personal failure was not refused. He found pleasure but not happiness. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
When he was finished with a pursuit, he knew he had only wasted time. Whether you call him Solomon or Qoheleth, you can not deny the authors wisdom. This wisdom transcends time. The truth in the words is everlasting. The failures addressed, have happened to every man. Nobody can read this self help work without relating to this man’s journey. Between Satan tempting us with bogus flights at happiness and our humanity offering hope the these attempts are valid, we are doomed for failure. These words have been penned as a warning, yet we do not stop and listen. It’s easier that way, right? We would rather learn from our own mistakes than the mistakes of others. I know Satan has played with my mind by assuring me that I should at least experience the pleasures of life. Bogus. Satan has tempted me that I will be a better follower if I can empathise rather than sympathise. Bogus. EVERYONE lives their life pursuing ONE thing. Happiness. Satan is great at what he does. He knows your weakness and exploits it. If we should strive to be good at something, it should be the ability to differentiate between Satan’s bogus lies and God’s desires.
