Mess Up Beyond Help?

Have you ever felt as though you have messed up so badly that you were beyond help?  Perhaps you know someone who has felt this way.  I know I have felt this way more than a few times in my time on this Earth.  And the question that echoed in my mind was "Okay, what now?"  

Listen carefully to the voice of experience (for Experience is a Harsh Teacher); trying to hide your messed up life doesn't work!  You cannot pretend it away.  You can't "fake it 'til you make it."

First, if you have messed up....FACE IT!  Admit it!  Confess it! Most of our screw-ups are because of something WE have said and/or done.  "But if we confess our sins, He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done" - 1 John 1:9  

How much will He forgive us?  "He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west" - Psalm 103:12. 

Second, accept that God has forgiven you!  Now this does not mean the consequences of our decisions will suddenly become all bright and sunny.  But accepting God's forgiveness makes our burden not so heavy.

Third, understand that God you are still here on Earth for a reason and God is going to use your experiences to help you and prove that He is God.  "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" - Romans 8:28

Yes, you may have to slog through some swamp water for a bit, but you WILL come out of it with a renewed sense of purpose.  And it will take patience!  Don't give up!  Keep stepping forward!

When You Are Tired Of The Pain

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

A number of years ago, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel performed a song called "Bridge Over Troubled Water" which reminds the listener that they have someone who will help them when their lives are troubled.  

 

What do you do when the hits keep coming and the hurts won't heal and you are on the brink of emotional collapse?  What do you do when you have become so angry, irritable, and frustrated all the time that you are snapping at everyone like an angry honey badger?  What do you do when you feel that you have nothing left to offer and you have reached the end of your rope?  

 

Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Let's put this into a little perspective...Jesus doesn't say "I might give you rest" nor did Jesus say "Take a number and I'll get back with you."  Jesus simply says, "Come to me."

 

When I was a child, I was not the epitome of grace and poise that I am today.  In fact, I was prone to fall down quite a lot, usually from an act of stupidity on my part.  When I did get hurt, I knew I could crawl up in my Dad's lap and he would comfort me.  Did he take the injury away?  No.  But I felt protected and at ease and comforted.  

 

Life isn't perfect.  We aren't perfect.  We hurt when people die.  We hurt when we get in trouble.  We hurt when others are cruel.  That pain is draining, and when it is compounded, we become like the boxer who has taken one too many punches.  Jesus offers us rest.  Why? Because He can, and because He has already seen the solution and knows our need for rest and restoration.  The lesson I have to learn every day (you'd think I'd have learned it by now) is that when I lean on Him and focus on Him, I am comforted.    

WOW With Your Vow!

When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 23:21-23

We make promises all the time, don't we?  And I would guess that quite a number of the promises we make are ones we really didn't think through.  You see, when we keep our promises (vows) we build integrity and people respect someone with integrity.  But we have become a society that is very quick to speak and frequently aren't willing to listen, but we are quick to criticize or get upset.

 

I can't tell you how many times I have heard or been told "I WILL do.....I swear to God!"  Ummm.....not a good idea unless you are going to truly keep your word.  

 

"Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
    with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent."

Proverbs 17:28 

Angry With God?

When God saw what the people did, that they stopped doing evil, he changed his mind and did not do what he had warned. He did not punish them.

But this made Jonah very unhappy, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “When I was still in my own country this is what I said would happen, and that is why I quickly ran away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a God who is kind and shows mercy. You don’t become angry quickly, and you have great love. I knew you would choose not to cause harm. 

Jonah 3:10-4:2 

Have you ever been mad at God?  I have.  And then I was angry at myself for being mad at God.  I was mad at God when He called my Grampa home.  I was mad at God when my life fell apart.  I was mad at God when, just when I thought things were looking up, the bottom dropped out again.  I was mad at God, and I let Him know it in no uncertain terms!

I remember being so angry I just had to get away, so I went to my favorite spot and I just told God exactly how I felt.  I even dared Him to take me out!  But He didn't.  Instead, He sent people across my path to remind me that I am loved.  He sent people into my life that needed what He had taught me.  He sent people into my life that I needed to learn from. 

One of the wisest people I have met, aside from Grampa, is a Rabbi.  He told me the main reason we get mad with God is because we can't see the whole picture.  We know there's more, but God doesn't show us everything.  Our perspective is limited, which is why we learn to Trust God to love us through our hurt and anger.  He said when he felt angry at God, he says this prayer, "God, I don't like you right now and You know it!  Thank you for loving me anyway."  

It's okay to be mad at God, that's not going to stop Him from loving you!

"What Happened Was..."

The Lord hates dishonest scales,
    but he is pleased with honest weights.

Proverbs 11:1

One of my favorite television programs is "Homicide Hunter, Lt. Joe Kenda."  The reason I enjoy it so much is because he has a way of stating things that makes sense to me.  For example, when he is conducting an interrogation and the suspect lies, the response from Lt. Kenda is "Really? Well My My My."  I told my bride that I would HATE to be the one who came to date his daughter.

But let's think about this for a moment.  How honest are you?  Are you one to skew the story to limit your culpability or are you willing to give, in the immortal words of Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, "Just the facts."  We have a human habit of trying to minimize our errors, yet we want to aggrandize our successes (however small they may be).

One of the things I appreciate about my bride is her honesty.  I once jokingly asked her if my pants made me look fat...her response was "nope, it's all you're trying to stuff in them that does though."  

God does not like dishonesty in any form. (A "white" lie is still a lie).  Now I will say that there is such a thing as BRUTAL honesty which is intended to degrade someone else.  That is not the "honesty" I'm talking about.  If I make a mistake, bring it to my attention with courtesy, and I am more likely to listen and make adjustments.

And here's the kicker: Be more honest in complimenting and encouraging others than in correcting, and you will see a positive change. 

Who Are You Trying To Impress?

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Philippians 2:3-4

Call them what you will:
     Schmoozers, Suck-ups, Kiss-ups, Arrogant, Brown-nosers, the list is endless and only get worse.  These colorful monikers describe those who can't be bothered with the rank and file, rather always have to rub elbows with the brass.  You see, the world is only for their advancement and exploitation.  No one else matters.  Oh, they'll TALK a good game, but when it's time to dig in and get dirty, they are nowhere to be found.  Why is that?

People, are by nature, self serving.  We like it when we are recognized.  We love it when we are noticed.  We cannot seem to get enough attention.  We like it when people are impressed by our mere presence in the same room.  Don't believe me?  Let a television personality walk into a room and watch the reaction.  Let a public figure drive up and watch how they are treated.  Then watch when Joe Brokeguy walks in and see the difference.

Guess what?  We are ALL expendable and temporary!  The Apostle Paul reminds us that we should be willing humble ourselves remembering that WE are NOT God!  And here's a simple fact that many don't understand, but will eventually happen, if we aren't willing to step down off our pedestal...God may just do it for us.

Remember who Jesus spent HIS time with?

Just food for thought.

Heavy Weight Champion?

What happens when we are anxious about something?  Can you sleep?  How's your eating?  How's your thought process?  How are your relationships?

I am, by my own admission, a worrier who is anxious about everything that I worry about.

   *  Can I sleep? Not without medication and even then, not too well.
   *  How's my eating? I go from "can't eat enough" to "not hungry" to "tossing my cookies."
   *  How's my thought process?  My mind immediately goes through the worst possible outcomes and then takes them even further down the "worse" trail.
   *  How are my relationships?  Well, my Bride is longsuffering and understanding, because I tend to turn inward and shut people out when I feel anxious.  

Here's a little tidbit, when we are under stress and anxiety, our heart is effected.  No, our literal heart, the blood pumping muscle.  Why do you think Anxiety Medication usually makes you relax (and sometimes not care about anything)?  Because worry and anxiety are damaging to almost every aspect of our lives.

So what do we do to help when we feel anxious and/or worried?  
     1.  Remember that God is in control, tell Him what's bothering you and thank Him for dealing with it.
     2.  Find something different to distract your mind.  
     3.  Talk with someone about what you are experiencing.
     4.  If this is a chronic condition, speak with your physician.
     5.  Sometimes a hot shower or hot bath will help.  If your gym has a steam room, use it.
     6.  Sometimes a massage will help.
     7.  Understand that you are not the only person going through worry and anxiety.

The one thing that I have learned, and am still learning, is that when I worry or feel anxious about something I cannot control, I am trying to do God's job.  I have to be reminded that God is not surprised by my situation and has already worked out a solution that will ultimately benefit me and Glorify Him!  
     

Come Together

Remind the believers to yield to the authority of rulers and government leaders, to obey them, to be ready to do good, to speak no evil about anyone, to live in peace, and to be gentle and polite to all people.

Titus 3:1-2

I see a lot of commercials on television and hear them on the radio about companies who will for a "small fee" will check your DNA to see where your ancestors came from.  Honestly, I thought about this for a long time, then I saw how much the "small fee" turned out to be, and decided that WHERE I came from is not as important as where I AM.

We are where we are.  I'm not saying our personal ancestry is unimportant, but can you go back in time and change any part of it?  We are right HERE right NOW, so let's work on getting along and MOVE FORWARD so our ancestors can look back and see that we did the most amazing thing ever....realize that we are all human beings!

We should be ready to do GOOD to others.  Not for any reward from them, but simply because it's the right thing to do.  We should speak evil of no one.  This is a hard one to stick to, and I struggle with this sometimes, but am working on that.

Living in peace with others makes a great place for others to want to come live.  Especially when we are gentle and polite to ALL.

Ponder that for a bit.

I Need A Favor

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; 

intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

1 Timothy 2:1

I need to ask you for a favor: Will you pray with me for others?  Even if you don't like them or find them worthy of your avoidance, will you pray with me for them?  

Look at what the Apostle is saying:
     * Pray for ALL people (even if you don't like them; don't agree with them; even if they annoy you to no end)
     * Ask God to help them (they may not know that God can help them; they may declare that God will not help them.  Our call is to PRAY for them anyway.)
     * Intercede on their behalf (If you know of some situation they are having to endure...pray for them.  If you know of some need they have...pray for them)
     * Give thanks for them (even if they tick you off!)

You see, prayer is so much more than having a chat with God, prayer actually brings bout change.  Our hearts will change.  Our relationships will change.  Our situations can change.  Out perspective will change.  So pray!

We Have A Choice!

Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking, so he said to them, “Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And any city or family that is divided against itself will not continue."

Matthew 12:25 

Abraham Lincoln said "A house divided against itself will not stand" which comes from Mark 3:25.  As we approach the Inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, let me ask you...Are we truly living in the "United States"?  Are we United?

I hear and read many comments, diatribes, opinion columns, and other communications, that would indicate that we are not, and have no intention of ever being united as a nation.  Have we wandered so far from God that we forget that HE is ultimately in control and sometimes He reminds us of that by allowing those we do not necessarily agree with to be in power over us.

For those who are wishing to boycott the Inauguration because you disagree with the person becoming our President, no worries, your presence will not be missed as much as you may think.  For those who wish to disrupt the Inauguration, I have to wonder if you disagreed with your parents did you disrupt their lives to try to get your way?

The point I am hoping you will see is this: We are a nation divided.  We have been for a long time.   And instead of becoming a people who prays for those who have been placed in leadership over us, we want to become even more divisive.  Let me urge each person who truly believes in prayer to offer thanks that we live in a country where we are still permitted to pray and also pray that God will change our nation's hearts to one of unity instead of divisiveness.

The best place to begin is with the face in the mirror and then extend that out to those you see every day and then extend that out to those who see occasionally.  We don't have to agree on everything to be united.  We start by agreeing to become united as people!  

Not Everyone Can Be The Battleship!

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. 

Use them well to serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10

 

Ever tried to make grill a steak without heat?  Every tried to take a roadtrip without fuel?  I remember, as a youngster, finding a bar of Baker's Chocolate in my Gramma's cupboard.  In my mind, I had found the gold at the end of the rainbow! I hid it in my pocket, ran out behind the house with my treasure, I admired the silver wrapping as I slowly pulled it back, and then I bit it.  Let me just say, chocolate without sugar tastes like asphalt smells!  That's when I discovered not all that is chocolate is tasty.

 

In grade school, when we played sports everyone wanted to be the quarterback or the pitcher or bat "clean up."  How well do you think it would have worked out to have 9 pitchers on the mound and no one in the field?  How well do you think we would have played with 11 quarterbacks and no linemen?

 

My point, in case you can't tell, is that every team has to work together in order to be effective!  Everyone must do THEIR part to make the team function properly.  Not everyone can be the star or be the stand-out.  Believe it or not, there's always someone who has to sweep up after every parade.  Believe it or not someone has to write the report.  Believe it or not, someone has to take the Chaplain when he shows up for a ridealong.  Believe it or not, someone has the job of washing the dishes at the restaurant.  There are always things that need to be done that no one wants to do, but they make the team/squad/office work efficiently.

 

Every person has been given gifts and talents.  It's up to us to USE them to help others.    

There's A Time To Stop Talking And Listen

Those who answer before they listen
    are foolish and disgraceful.

Proverbs 18:13 

 

I can pretty much guarantee that 90% or more of all arguments are because we are bound and determined that we are right and they are wrong and we aren't about to change our mind.  It's called STUBBORN!  It's called MULEHEADED!  It's called IDIOCY!

 

And I can also guarantee that most of the time when we argue we aren't evening listening to what the other person is saying because we are too busy thinking of a retort that will hurt them and, hopefully, shut them down.  And then we are surprised when we lose that friend or we finally end up just existing without speaking with one another.

 

One of the keys to a successful relationship, marriage, or friendship is the one thing we seem to be SO resistant to do....LISTEN!  

 

Here are a few things that happen when you truly listen:

   *  You will learn the other person's point of view.

   *  You may discover that your perception is wrong (in which case your apology is in order).

   *  You both can formulate a plan to resolve the issue.

   *  You learn to respect each other more.

   *  You show your truly appreciate the other person.

   *  You can learn something you never knew before.

 

If you want your relationships to work, have a free unhindered dialogue which begins with you LISTENING. 

Where's Your Focus?

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Colossians 3:2 

 

I am really astounded about some of the things people seem to be obsessed with:

     * politics (they are idiots and wrong while MY candidate is a saint)

     * money (J. Paul Getty was asked how much money was enough.  His response was "One dollar more.")

     * death (we are so focused on death and dying that we forget to live)

     * self (we act as if the only person worth consideration is us)

     * power (I am the ruler and you must do as I say)

     * criticism (if you aren't doing it my way you are wrong!)

 

But what does all that get us?  Nothing but a lot of aggravation and the rest of society ticked off at you.  The Apostle Paul said, focus about the things of heaven.  

 

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, your heart will be there too" Matthew 6:21.  Yes, we will face many issues in life, but be careful not to let the things of earth steal your heart.

 

Endless

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

Jeremiah 31:3 

 

Everlasting.  What a mind blowing concept.  It's difficult for us to actually wrap our minds around something that has no beginning and not ending, isn't it.  Although, I have sat through several classes and meetings that seemed to have no beginning and no end.  

 

I remember as a youth, standing on the beach looking at the ocean and it looked endless.  Then consider that we have yet to delve into the deepest parts of the ocean yet.  But endless and everlasting are concepts we seem to take for granted.

 

God loves us with an EVERLASTING and UNFAILING love for us!  When I tried to fully comprehend that, I just couldn't.  This means that God's love for us does not fail and does not lessen regardless how badly we screw up.  God loves us no matter what!  That is His promise!  I don't know about you, but that makes me want to try to be better, even though I'll never reach the point of perfection this side of Heaven, I still want to be better.

 

God always loves us!  You don't have to take that to the bank because the banks won't be here as long as God love for us will be.

DBNO?

Do not rejoice against me, 

O my enemy, for though I fall, 

I will rise again! When I sit in darkness, 

the Lord himself will be my Light. 

Micah 7:8

 

 I cannot even begin to tell you the countless hours I spent on Saturday Mornings watching the Bugs Bunny/ Road Runner Hour (which was actually a three hour program).  Actually, it was because of this show that I began to enjoy classical music.  But the the thing that struck me as odd was that, no matter how clever Wile E. Coyote's well thought out and planned strategies were (being the noted self-proclaimed genius he was), his plans always managed to backfire.  How many times did he fall off a cliff?  How many explosions did he endure?  How many times did boulders fall on him?  Yet what happened?   The he always got back up and tried again!

 

There have been many many times in my own life when I have failed and wanted to give up and check out.  After a while, I began to develop the "Why bother?" mentality.  Why should we bother?  Why should we care?  No matter what we do or how well we do it, either someone will come along and do it better or no one will notice or appreciate our efforts!  So why bother?

 

Want to know why?  Because we have been focusing on the wrong thing!  Remember when Peter stepped out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus?  The minute he took his eyes off of Christ, he sank.  You see, Jesus laid out the proper plan for us very simply: Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love others as you love yourself.  Never did Jesus tell us to seek accolades.  Never did He tell us that our efforts would be appreciated.  Never did He tell us that we would be rewarded or even noticed.  He simply told us to love God and because we love God, we love other as we love ourselves.

 

You see, when we feel down remember that we are not out!  God will come and BE our light! 

Learning to Fly Free!

The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. 

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

John 10:10 

 

2016 was not a good year.  Well, not for me anyway.  I lost family members.  I lost friends.  I performed more funerals in 2016 than I have ever done in a single year before.  There were family struggles.  There were health issues.  There were all sorts of frustrations and irritations that demanded my time and attention (and I was dumb enough to let them steal my time, attention, and joy).  Do you think that was God's purpose?  Do you think God planned for me to have such a bad year?  I do!

 

Let me explain:  There is an old proverb that says, "The gem cannot shine without friction, nor man become perfected without trials."  You see, and I've said this before, if we had a life where everything happened the way we wanted and we had not stress or worries or unpleasantness.....what kind of life would that be?  A life of ignorance, because we wouldn't learn anything.  We would become self-absorbed because we would expect life to be perfect.  

 

Through our trials we learn.  We learn to rely on others (even reaching out to others).  We learn that we have do adapt.  We learn that there really are people who want to help.  We learn that there are people who genuinely care.  And, most importantly, we learn that God carries us through each trouble.

Stand Out!

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, 

so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:16 

 

How many times have you heard (or said) "I'm just going to do enough to get by and that's all"?  Whether it's because we are frustrated because we didn't get promoted, or perhaps because we got chewed out, or perchance we're just burned out, doing just the minimum is not what God has called us to do.

 

Imagine if everyone had the attitude of "Meh, whatever."  Would you eat at a restaurant where that mentality was prominent from the food prep line to the servers?  Would you want to purchase a home where the builder's crew had that attitude?  Would you want to send your children to a school where the teachers had that mentality?

 

We are called to do good deeds.  Not just good deeds but to do them so that God will be praised because of them.  That is a high standard!  Whether you mop floors or clean windows or protect the public or process data, do it in such a way that God will be praised because you do it just that well! 

Cliques? REALLY?

I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

1 Corinthians 1:10 

I am not a fan of politics by ANY stretch of the imagination!  From office cliques to political campaigns, I dislike them all because they do nothing but create divisiveness!  We should be setting the example for others by getting along with one another, rather than creating chaos and discord.

As I am writing this, I am contemplating how to handle a particular situation where a team, who should be relying on each other and encouraging each other, has become divided....all because of a clique which has developed.

Look at what the Apostle reminds us:

     * LIVE IN HARMONY WITH EACH OTHER

     * LET THERE BE NO DIVISIONS 

     * BE OF ONE MIND

     * BE UNITED IN THOUGHT AND PURPOSE

You can't have cliques AND live in harmony with others.  You can't have office politics and be of one mind.  You can't be divided and be united in thought and purpose.

Isn't it time to let go of the childish games and start looking out for each other, encouraging each other, helping each other, and caring about each other?

What Do I Do Now?

Today's devotional will be a little different, so please bear with me as my mind wanders a bit.  In moments of crisis, one of the questions I am frequently asked is "What Do I Do Now?".  It's a logical question.  Our entire standard of "normal" has just changed and our mind is trying to grasp what is now "normal." 

I understand that when I am asked this question in the midst of turmoil, nothing I say will make a bit of sense, so my response is usually "your job RIGHT NOW is to keep breathing!"  I admit that I get some pretty confused looks by that response, but it's the truth.  In moments of crisis, keep breathing!  That's Number One!

Second, Understand that "normal" is now different than it was yesterday.  Therefore, you will need to make some adjustments to the way you do things.  

Third, remember that you have the best support group in the Universe!  God brings people into our lives for a reason.  

Think about these:

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. - Psalm 62:1
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.  - Isaiah 40:29
Never get tired of doing good.  - 2 Thessalonians 3:13

What do you do now?  You keep living! 

New And Improved - Happy New Year!

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

Lamentations 3:22-24

  

 I can tell you that 2016 for my family was not the best year we've had, and we actually couldn't wait for it to be over.  And now, here we are in 2017 with an entire year ahead of us.

 

It is my hope that 2017 is better for us, but it is my prayer that each day will be one we will not waste, but will spend remembering that God has already been through every situation of every day and we have nothing to fear.

 

May your 2017 be NEW and IMPROVED over last year!