Where is Your Focus?

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.

Philippians 1:21 

 

This verse has always confused me because it sounded a bit odd.  Then, I began studying this verse word by word and learned quite a lot.  You see, in this verse, Paul is describing his contentment.  

 

Contentment means I am okay in whatever situation I find myself because I know that it is part of Christ's plan for me and it is HIS job to fulfill His plans for me (plans to prosper, not to destroy, according to Jeremiah 29:11).  Paul has already been beaten several times, been in jail numerous times, had been shipwrecked several times, and yet the entire focus of his life was getting the message of Christ out to people who had never heard it before.  

 

Think about today's verse in a more "earthly" way:

 

"For to me, living means getting promoted, and dying means a wall full of certificates and awards that will be boxed up and stuck away somewhere, and someone else will take the promotion I worked so hard for."

 

"For to me, living means getting money, and dying means leaving it behind for someone else."

 

"For to me, living means getting lots of stuff, and dying means it will all be sold at a garage sale."

 

What Paul is saying is for him, living means sharing Christ wherever he found himself because he knew God had put him there just for that purpose, and to die meant God's mission for him was complete and he would spend the rest of eternity with God.

 

So let me ask you, where's your focus?  On things that will be left behind or on where you'll spend the rest of eternity. 

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.

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! 

When the Lights Just Won't Work

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. 

He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Genesis 50:20 

 

One of the traditions my bride and I have is to watch National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" every year.  The scene that sticks in my mind the one where Clark Griswold has spent all day putting the lights on his house, checking and re-checking every bulb, and when the grand moment arrives, he calls all the family outside to bear witness.  When he plugs the cords together, nothing happens and Clark is left in the dark depressed and angry after all the work he had invested didn't pay off.

 

We all have such moments in our lives where we invest ourselves and work very hard only to have nothing happen.  Or you get reprimanded for "wasting so much time and energy."  OR someone else gets the credit for your hard work and time investment.  Then we are left angry, hurt, frustrated, and willing to lash out at whoever we can.

 

The more I thought about the movie, and the fact that, all it took was flipping the switch at the power source to light up the house, the answer is right there in front of us.  We seem to forget (yes, I am one too) that God has been here before we ever arrived on scene, knew what was going to happen, and already had a plan in place before we were ever conceived to resolve our issue.  You see, the switch we need to flip is the one where no matter what happens, we remember that God is the one in charge!  It's HIS job to get us through this life!  We need to stop trying to do His job!

A Legacy Worth Leaving

Whatever work you do, do your best, because you are going to the grave, 

where there is no working, no planning, no knowledge, and no wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 9:10

 

 I am a procrastinator, but I'll tell you about that later.  Anyone who knows me well, also knows that if you want something fixed....I'm not exactly the handiest person to call.  My advice is the same as I heard on the Andy Griffith Show many years ago: "Just call the man!"

But the things I am able to do, I will give it my all.  My bride has watched as I worked on a B.U.B.B.A. to give away.  She was amazed (or amused, not sure which), when I undid about two days worth of work.  She asked me why, I explained that I had messed it up.  She told me no one would notice.  But here's the point, had I not fixed it, I would have known that my best was not given.

You see, we're not expected to be perfect, but we are expected to give our best effort in everything we do.  Our legacy will be "He ALWAYS did his best" or "Meh, he did just enough to get by."  Which legacy would you want?

 

Meh

Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning.

James 4:17 

The professor wrote a single word on the board.  One of his barely awake students said, "A-P-A-T-H-Y.  What's that?"  His bored classmate replied, "Who cares?"

Believe it or not, this is something that is becoming more and more prevalent.  Go to the store and the checkout person is busy talking to the co-workers, on the phone, chomping gum, anything to leave you with the impression that they don't care.  And guess what?  We give this same impression to others.  

We hide from actually doing what we agreed to do.  We just walk over things we don't want to pick up.  We do all sorts of things just because WE want or don't want to do it.  Our mentality is "Meh, who cares?"

James is reminding us that when you KNOW what is the right thing to do, and you CHOOSE not to do it, you have sinned.  "Evil will triumph when good people do nothing."  How would it feel if God decided "Meh, I don't feel like caring about you today."

So ask yourself....what DO you care about?  Do you care about the job you do? The give it your best effort.  Do you care about your relationships? Then give them your best.  Do you care? Then be the example for others.  

United

 I am in prison because I belong to the Lord. Therefore I urge you who have been chosen by God to live up to the life to which God called you. ² Always be humble, gentle, and patient, accepting each other in love. ³ You are joined together with peace through the Spirit, so make every effort to continue together in this way. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, and God called you to have one hope. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. ⁶ There is one God and Father of everything. He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything.

Ephesians 4:1-6 

 

Have you noticed how our world has become more integrated yet more divided at the same time?  Almost every country has a mix of other cultures.  Some are adjusting well and some are not.

 

But this is nothing new....is it?  We've struggled with the "us" and "them" conflict for longer than we can remember why it started in the first place.  And here's the bad part, that mentality has crept into every aspect of our lives.  

 

     *   We have churches with pastors who think the church is theirs to dictate and control, even to the point where they believe their control extends beyond the church into any other group they happen to be part of.  Attend a pastors conference or a Chaplains meeting and you will see this in action. If this is true, then it is not a church any longer.  Last I heard, the Church is where we gather to worship God, not the pastor.

     *   On the other side, we have churches with families whose ancestors donated the land or paid for a pew or two, or even bought the stained glass windows, therefore they believe the church belongs to them. Last I heard the Church is where we gather to worship God, not the contributions of ancestors.

     *   We have those in our society who believe they are owed simply because.

     *   We make a huge deal out of things we cannot control.  We use any means to divide ourselves.  "You can't join our group.....you're different!"

 

The last time I have read where everyone got along was in Genesis, when it was God, Adam and Eve.  Things went sour when the snake showed up.  

 

Jesus gave us only TWO commandments:  1) "Love God with your whole being" and because of that you can 2) "love others as yourself."

 

We are not here by accident, rather we are here on purpose.  And we have, many times throughout history, that when we work together we can overcome many things.  But we'd rather fight amongst ourselves about whose lives matter more?  HOGWASH!  If you are breathing, your life matters!!  End of story!

 

 

I Don't Get It!

Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, 

but someday you will.”

John 13:7

Ever had something happen and you thought, "What the....?"  God seems to do things and allow things that we don't understand.  

At the time, I didn't understand why God allowed me to have open heart surgery at the ripe old age of 43.  But NOW I believe that, had I not had the surgery, Eric Skidmore would not have come to visit and plant the seed in my mind to become a Law Enforcement Chaplain.

At the time, I didn't understand why God would let me screw up life so many times without giving up on me.  But NOW I believe that each time I screwed up, I learned something that can be used to help others now.

At the time, I didn't understand why God would let me be so miserable while I was working for a church.  After all, aren't church folk supposed to be all nice, wonderful, kind, supportive and not be judgmental?  NOW I believe that God was showing me how NOT act.  

I don't always understand the "whys" and "wherefores" and the "are you kidding me" events of life, but God is the one with the plan, and He has a part for me to play in this plan, and for that I am pretty okay with (most of the time).  

Do I still wonder "What the...?"  Absolutely!    

Do I still question? You bet I do!

Do I still not "get it" sometimes?  Oh Yeah!

But I know, eventually it will make sense to me.  Usually when I've stopped wondering so hard about it.  

I Have Lots of "Friends".....

A man of many companions may come to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

 

I am often astounded by the number of "friends" people have on Facebook.  I am even more astounded by the people we so willingly call friends.  One person contacted me on Facebook to ask me a question, when I looked at their profile I saw they had over 500 "friends."  

 

Way back when I was growing up, with the baby dinosaurs, I was taught that there are only three kinds of people in life: 

*     Strangers (people we have not met), 

*     Acquaintances (people with whom we have met and will greet in passing) and 

*     Friends (those who would not only stick with you through anything and everything, but probably were the ones who got you into trouble in the first place). 

 

The photo for today is of my buddy.  His name is Woody Bear.  When I come home from work, or the store, or from the mailbox, or from taking the trash out, Woody Bear greets me like I have been gone forever.  When it is time for morning coffee and Quiet Time, Woody Bear is right there with me wanting to be close and wanting to remind me that he loves me.  I can tell him ANYTHING and he'll not change his opinion of me.

 

Be careful of who you allow to get close to you.  Remember Julius Caesar?  He allowed Brutus to get close to him and Brutus ended up helping kill Caesar.  

 

Don't like drama? Go through your group of friends and drop the ones who create drama.  Don't like sushi?  Go through your group of friends and drop the ones who insist you have to eat sushi.

 

WE select our friends.  Make sure you are a Friend worth having.  Benjamin Franklin once wrote: "If you would have a friend, first BE a friend!" 

 

 

Radiate!

As water reflects the face,
    so the heart reflects one person to another.

Proverbs 27:19 

 

Have you ever watched a pet see their reflection in the water for the first time?  Child do this too.  They either want to fight with it, play with it, or are afraid of it. I saw a documentary on some tribes in places like New Guinea or deep within the Amazon, who believe their reflection truly reveals their spirit and they also believe that cameras steal their spirit (which is held within the photo).

 

Think about how much time we spend looking into reflective surfaces, making adjustments to our appearance, checking to make sure we didn't spill any of our lunch, are our seams straight (if you are military, check your "gig" line to make sure you are squared away).  We spend vast amounts of time looking at our reflections.

 

One television program I used to watch with so much regularity that I purchased the DVD, was called "Keeping Up Appearances."  The main character's entire life revolved around the appearance of perfection and putting on airs to convince others she was of the "upper crust" of society.

 

However, this devotional is not about what we look like.  Our actions tell more about us than our appearance.   Some of the most physically attractive people have some of the most ugly hearts.  

 

My bride and I watch HGTV and enjoy the home repair programs.  One episode of one of the programs, which is no longer being aired, the home flipper told his crew to paint over the rotting wood so they could sell the house before the rot was discovered, he called it "sugar coating" the house.  How often do we do that?  We want people to see us as more than we are? 

 

Are you caring?  Your actions will prove it.  Are you obnoxious? Your actions will prove it.  

 

Rule of Thumb: "Your Actions Prove You!"   

Don't Stop!

Never stop praying.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

Think about the people you know.  

Think of the people you meet.  

Think about the people you like.  

Think about the people you have seen but may not know yet.  

Think about the people you know that you don't particularly like.

Think about the people who have hurt you.

Think about the people you have yet to meet.

 

Did you know we are to pray for them?  We are to pray about everything and for everyone!  Praying is a conversation with God.  When we keep the conversation ongoing, we are better able to navigate through this jungle called "life."  AND this conversation with God is to be honest, natural and real.  

 

As you are going through your day's activities, talk with God. And, no, God does NOT require that we speak to Him in King James English!  He wants us to talk to Him because we rely on Him for everything.  Everytime I see someone, especially if I am familiar with them, I talk with God about them.  Every time I go about handing out Tootsie Rolls, I am praying for each and every person.  Every time a person comes to my mind that has, or is, REALLY ticking me off, God hears about it.

 

Talk to God!  Just talk with Him.  He knows more about you that even you do, so nothing will shock Him or surprise Him.  Talk with Him and you will see your life change. 

I Ranted And Raved And Guess What It Got Me?

The Lord will fight for you. You just keep still.

Exodus 14:14 

Last week was one of the worst weeks I have had in a long long time.  I was out of town in what was supposed to be a three-day training.  Things don't always work out the way we envision them or plan them or hope they will or even how we think they ought to go. You see, I thought I was going to have a chance to get away, learn some very insightful and useful things I could then bring back and use to help my Department, then I could come home and share my wisdom with all.  

 

But....didn't happen that way.  On day one, I was trying to answer emails during the breaks, return phone calls during lunch, and when I got back to my lodging a whole new set of issues.  I was hoping to review the material and get some rest.  There were three reasons that didn't happen:  First, hotel mattresses are almost always uncomfortable to me and no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't get comfortable.  Second, my neighbors on one side sounded like they were having quite the professional wrestling match, while on the other side the sounds and noises were, shall we say, not something I wanted or needed to hear.  Third, the air conditioning was not working.

 

On the second day of class, more of the same of answering messages during breaks and returning phone calls during lunch, until....I got the message that a dear member of our Department had passed away.  I had to read the message several times before it finally sank in.  I had just visited the dear lady and now she was gone.  So when I got back to my room, I tried to put some thoughts together to deliver her funeral message but couldn't think.  I prayed for peace and none came.  Suddenly, I got the strong need to get back home to deal with this up close.  So, I packed, got in the car, notified my instructor what had happened, and came home.  

 

On the way home, traffic was frustrating and infuriating.  At one point, the three lane interstate had been converged into a single slow moving lane due to road construction.  Not only that, but I got behind that ONE person.....you know the one....who has to keep half a mile between their car and the vehicle in front of them (and they aren't about to move).  So I was stuck behind them for what seemed like hours.

 

All this time I am letting God have it!  I am unloading a barrage of my opinions and perspectives, directives, expectations, and in language I didn't remember learning in the Army.  When I finally got home, I was still fuming.

 

I spent the night tossing and turning and, true to form, at 4:19am, I was wide awake and knew God was ready to have a chat.  I began this prayer time with my sincerest apology for my ranting and raving and for my frustration.  And guess what I got in return?  The peace that I cannot explain, the lightening of my burden because of the forgiveness I had been granted, and such a clarity that I knew what needed to be said at the funeral.

 

I wrote some things down, let the family read it, and was ready to deliver it on Thursday.  Thursday Morning, I got a call from the family asking for a couple of changes to what I had written.  Again, I prayed for focus and the help to say what the family wanted.  I jotted down the notes given to me by the family, and let God take it from there.

 

All my ranting, raving, frustration, and anger....and God reminded me to "BE STILL!"  God reminded me to let HIM do the fighting for me.  Let Him speak through me.  

 

We're never to old to be reminded that God is God and we are not!

If It's Pointless, Why Bother?

The Teacher says,

    “Useless! Useless!

Completely useless!

    Everything is useless.”

What do people really gain

    from all the hard work they do here on earth?

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3

Please bear with me here.....

"What's the point?"  "Why bother?" "Why should I try?"  We've all thought or even said these (and similar such things) at some point of our life, and usually with some degree of frustration.  If nothing is new, why should we bother?  If all our work here is just a continuation of everything that has happened before?

If we think hard enough, we will discover that, while automobiles are wonderful and can take us places really fast, airplanes are faster.....but they both are just forms of transportation, just like walking.  We build buildings.  Taller and taller buildings.  More luxurious buildings.  Yet they are the are just a roof over our heads like caves.  We like to think the things we do are new and fresh and unique.  But they're really just variations on what's already been said and done.

But before we give up and just stop trying, there is one thing that is different about endeavor...YOU!  You see, we are made in God's image and none of us are exactly the same (can I get a Hallelujah!).  And the point Solomon is trying to make here is that, while all of our actions here are mere variations on previous versions, WE are different and those who believe Jesus' words know that He promised to come back and get us to take us to be with Him.  Why would He do that if we were pointless and useless.  

What we do here on Earth may seem pointless, but someone will see your actions and realize that YOU are different.  They will want to know why YOU are different (your attitude, your outlook, your happiness, your uniqueness), and THAT is where you get to share your story which can make all the difference to that one person.

We tend to get bored very easily and quickly but it's our perception of our life that makes the difference.  Change your perception; Change your perspective; and you will change your life.

Under Construction

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
    for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

Psalm 138:8

She looked at all she had accomplished up to this point.  She saw the plaques and awards.  She saw the newspaper clippings and the certificates.  She saw them exactly for what they were...mere moments in time...and she wept because she knew there had to be more to life than a pile of memorabilia.  

Think about how may times you have seen someone's name on a highway or a road or some monument and you have NO idea who that person could possibly be (and probably aren't exactly too concerned about the fact you don't know them).  Old black and white photos with no name on them smiling back as if they should be familiar, yet we have no clue.

If you feel there's more to life than mere externals, then you are correct.  Life is not about the monuments or awards or trappings of fame.  Life is about moments!  Those moments when you know you are loved.  Those moments when you realize that you can help someone who needs help.  Those moments when you are terrified to say anything so you say nothing, yet your presence is what the person in crisis remembers and appreciates!

You see, God plans our lives to be moments! And more moments are coming your way, because you are still under His construction!

Responsible Freedom

You are free from the law, but that doesn’t mean you are free to do wrong. 

Live as those who are free to do only God’s will at all times. Show respect for everyone. 
Love Christians everywhere. 
Fear God and honor the government.
1 Peter 2:16-17 

July 4, 1776 was declared Independence Day.  Every year we celebrate being free.  We have more freedoms than most other nations of the world.  Yet every single day, we hear of our freedoms being misused or abused.

As Christians we are to live as free people!  BUT freedom also brings responsibilities, and we don't like that.  You see, freedom does NOT mean we get to do what we want, when we want, and no one can tell us otherwise. Some even believe that freedom means we are not responsible for anything regardless who we hurt or what we damage or destroy, after all, "This is a free country! I can do and say what I want."  

Freedom also includes respecting others! (I heard you gasp).  Freedom also means we love others ("are you KIDDING me?  Have you met ____?").  Freedom also means we humble ourselves before God (He did create us, by the way), and we also honor the government WE put in power (want to change the governing body, then vote).

We have incredible Freedoms that cannot be taken away from us!  Celebrate the freedoms by accepting the responsibility of living in harmony with the rest of us. 

I Can Do It MYSELF!

When pride comes, then comes shame;
    but with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2

I must confess, I am astounded by the number of people I get to talk with who listen intently (or pretend to), agree with the wisdom I impart (or they just smile and nod), and then tell me "Thanks, but I'm good. I've got this. I don't need any help."  Sooooooo......we've just wasted all this time discussing an issue you've already decided help was not needed?

 

We're a stubborn and proud bunch, aren't we? Ask my bride if you don't believe it.  There are people who go through life as if the streetcar they are riding in has triangular wheels (and a moment for that image to set in).  They bump along wondering why life is so unfair and why others seem to have it all, and when help is offered, their stubborn pride kicks in and they claim they need no help.

 

But consider this, and this point has been raised before, if we were able to handle everything ourselves....why are there so many of us?  You see, if we could handle everything ourselves, no one else would be needed, thus, we would be alone (and be okay with that).  But the TRUTH is, we need each other!  We can't and (here's the kicker) don't have to face life's battles alone!

 

Ever notice that when we get all prideful and "don't need anyone's help" that suddenly we are put in a situation that we cannot handle alone?  Hmmm.....coincidence?  One of the things I have learned from my 53+ years of doing life wrong is that I have 53+ years of learning to share. 

 

 I know I cannot do everything by myself (as much as I would like to think I could).

I know that I need help (and you may stop laughing any time now, if you please).

I know I can be stubborn and prideful (and my bride just snorted trying to stifle a laugh).

I know that I'm not the only one.....

 

God tends to humble the proud and the stubborn.  But God is merciful in that He allows us to learn from each other.  

Life Falling Apart?

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
    you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy mountain. Interlude

I lay down and slept,
    yet I woke up in safety,
    for the Lord was watching over me.

Psalm 3:3-5 

Have you ever felt like your life imploded and you are dropping bits and pieces of yourself as you walk through your day?  Have you ever thought "No one can help me"?  Have you ever been envious, perhaps even jealous, of those who seem to have everything float into their laps on gossamer wings? (Yeah, I want to punch them too).

Where can we find help?  Where can we find that boost to help us make it through life regardless of our circumstances?  Where can we find a sense of calm and comfort?

Look at today's passage!  When we put our complete trust in God, amazing things happen if we pay attention.  When we focus on Him with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, a new life will emerge that we thought to be impossible. 

My life seems to have crumbled many times, and that reminds me where I need to seek comfort and where I need to put my focus (and my focus should NOT be on me).  Then slowly, day by day, things began to change, beginning with my outlook and attitude.  I am not so stupid as to tell you that your life will suddenly become everything YOU hoped and dreamed, but I will tell you that "He who began a good work in you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day Jesus Christ returns" (Philippians 1:6).

My Point: God has a plan for each one of us and NOTHING can stop Him from completing that plan for you.