Sunday, July 8, 2018
Sunday, January 28, 2018
The Challenger
January
28, 2018
The Challenger
Proverbs 6:20-22 (NIV)
20 My
son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teachings. 21Bind them always on your heart and fasten them
around your neck. 22When you walk,
they will guide you; when you sleep they will watch over you; when you wake
they will speak to you.
Are there things in
your life that are turning points that have made an impression on you that you
will never forget? Are there things in life that have gotten you to where you
are that maybe you have forgotten and may have caused things to feel more
routine than they should. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 6 not to forget those
things we have learned as they will be our guide.
One event that has
made an impression on me is due to the title. It is hard to believe that 32
years ago today (January 28, 1986) the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up in mid
flight only 30 seconds after launch killing 7 astronauts and changing the way
we did space exploration ever again. What killed 7 astronauts on the Challenger
just a couple decades later (February 1, 2003) almost to the day ended up
killing 7 more on the Space Shuttle Columbia upon reentry shutting down the
space program indefinitely.
Both flights have
made an impact on the history of our country forever, yet it would be so easy
to forget that which has happened either because it was before some people’s
time or simply had no direct impact on their lives. Seeing that the Challenger
disaster happened the day after my 14th birthday and how NASA wanted
to teach school children about space exploration and get them excited, I don’t
think I will never forget. You see it was NASA’s goal to send a teacher upon
the Shuttle, so children would remember this specific day and desire to become
an astronaut. Unfortunately, the effort did exactly opposite as someone the
children could related with was sent to their death in such a vivid and tragic
way.
The
reality is time allows for pivotal moments to be the milestones to allow people
to succeed and become creative and inventive. Here are a few examples.
-
Beethoven, a deaf man used his disability to
become an accomplished musician
-
Albert Einstein, a Jewish man born in Germany had
to flee from his home to the United States who was the catalyst to stop World
War II by developing the atom bomb.
-
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., called for and end to
segregation and racial equality, but never got to see the progress of his dream
come to fruition where segregation of schools, neighborhoods, transportation
and places of gathering or restrooms have changed drastically for the better.
-
Billy Graham, a young man who many thought would
amount to nothing and counted him out became the most pivotal and influential
pastor of the 20th century where millions have given their lives to
God and thousands have going into ministry either as a direct result or an
indirect result.
The list goes on and on. The reality is each one
had a couple things in common that made them who they were; adversity and
remembering who they were is bigger than what had happened to them. If those
who had gone before us, either listed or not, allowed adversity to define who
they were, they would not have made the impact they did, and the results would
have been much different.
Proverbs talks exactly about this. We are reminded
to not forget the teachings of our mother or the commands or direction handed
down to us by our father. The reason for this is very simple; it allows us to
understand who we are and our standards. If we can do so we will not be
deceived in those times of adversity. This doesn’t mean we will not go through
hard times, only that we will not loose our identity in the process and get off
course.
So now 32 years later we can take the lessons of
the Challenger and apply them to our personal lives. Here are a few I think one
could glean from that fateful day.
-
Never take the things you have learned from the
past for granted. When a commission was put together to investigate what
happened they found that 2 things went hand in hand. The first was temperature differentiation
and the other is the maintenance of the Shuttle. Temperature always has a cause
and effect on things in our lives. When we fail to balance out the outside
temperatures of our lives with the inside temperatures of how we are feeling or
what is going on we can find ourselves getting to the point of exploding. Just
like temperature, we must recognize those things that need to be fixed or
adjusted in our lives and not to ignore those things that are even slightly
off. In the Challenger the commission found that there was a rubber seal called
an ‘O-Ring’ which was affected by temperature. On that fateful day it was
determined that the rubber seals shrunk because the temperatures were near
freezing and the heat distributed by the boosters where heating up too fast
where the ‘O-Rings’ could not get back to the proper shape allowing fuel to
leak and explode. Our lives can be very much the same where things move so fast
and we don’t allow ‘O-Rings’ within either to be replaced or stretch leading us
to leak and eventually explode.
-
Don’t take things for granted. When NASA
introduced the Shuttle program they sold it from the stand point of cost efficiency
and doing more with less. What they did not expect was the idea would become
too mundane and people both working on the ship and those paying attention would
just be going through the motions and forget the original purpose for what they
were created for. Likewise, we may find ourselves in a rut and what was on
track for good we keep doing the same thing in a mundane way. As a result, we
become dissatisfied, resent what we have been doing and the reason why we
started out this way and eventually have a call for an end of what once was
good, now being considered status quo. Today other outside companies are
competing against government agencies to do those things that NASA once did
great in a much better way.
So how do we avoid the leak of the ‘O-Ring’ or
the lack of luster of what was once great? We need to go back to the fundamentals
of where we are heading. We must remember those things that we were once
taught. We must have others who are willing to challenge us to be better at
what we had the dream to be. We must not box others out thinking we have all of
the answers. We must be able to not allow tragedy to define who we are as life
will always throw a curve ball and make us want to give up.
So what is your Challenger? Have you had an idea
where once it had great potential and now has either become mundane or as leaked
so much that is has exploded? You must get back to the basics and rediscover
the greatness of those things that once was. The ironic thing is the third
Space Shuttle created after the Columbia and Challenger (the two that later blew
up) was called the Discovery. You see sometimes it requires the original dream
to be created only to be followed up by a discovery of what that dream initially
was.
In memory of the astronauts of the Space Shuttle
Challenger: (January 28, 1986)
·
Commander Francis R Scobee
·
Michael J Smith
·
Ronald McNair
·
Ellison Onizukz
·
Judith Resnik
·
Gregory Jarvis
·
Christa McAuliffe
And in memory of the astronauts of the Space
Shuttle Columbia: (February 1, 2003)
·
Rick D Husband
·
William C McCool
·
Michael P Anderson
·
Kalpana Chawla
·
David M Brown
·
Laurel Clark
·
Iian Ramon
May we not forget your service and impact you had
for future generations!
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Where Do I Belong?
Where Do I Belong?
Isaiah 49:15-17“Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore?But even if mothers forget, I’d never forget you—never.Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands. The walls you’re rebuilding are never out of my sight.Your builders are faster than your wreckers. The demolition crews are gone for good.Look up, look around, look well! See them all gathering, coming to you?As sure as I am the living God”—God’s Decree—
It is so easy to get lost and wonder where you belong, especially after a tragedy. Loosing your place of purpose can be the result of several different things from depression to loneliness to loss to feeling inadequate in a calling, job or position we have been called to. We all experience it at time to time, but there are some who tend to live there with a loss of hope.So where do I belong and why do I feel so out of place?
In order to answer this question you must reflect on a few things first. What am I made for and which direction do I need to take? You are made for a purpose... to glorify God in everything you do!
Now as for direction we assume that it has just one or two definitions, but imagine if it actually has two opposing definitions? Too often we think of the definition of ‘direction’ simply as a path forward or instruction of how to do something, but Webster has another interesting definition to ‘direction’; it is the address scribed on the outside of a package or building, the description of a destiny. It is too easy to be concentrated on the path that we forget the destiny God has inscribed on us from day one.
Now as for direction we assume that it has just one or two definitions, but imagine if it actually has two opposing definitions? Too often we think of the definition of ‘direction’ simply as a path forward or instruction of how to do something, but Webster has another interesting definition to ‘direction’; it is the address scribed on the outside of a package or building, the description of a destiny. It is too easy to be concentrated on the path that we forget the destiny God has inscribed on us from day one.
Isaiah talks about this in Isaiah 49. He mentions that God wrote you on the back of the hand. One may not think this is significant, but think about it this way. When I put my watch on I do so where my watch is face up on the back of my hand. In doing so, when I drive the back of my hand faces out and I can quickly see my watch to be reminded what time it is at a quick glance. Likewise God has you scribed on the back of His hand, like my watch, to remind Him at a glance of where you are.
The greatest problem we have as humans is the ability to be overcome by our circumstances that we forget the destination we have set out for. Looking back I am amazed with my parents. Here it is being from a large family we did many road trips whether it was to see my aunt and uncle in Boston or the beach in Florida. This is why I am impressed. Packing up to 9 people in a car to drive hundreds of miles away without tv or any other activities but maybe a coloring book or Etch a Sketch. We as kids would be excited about the destination but didn’t understand the journey.
To help us better our parents would buy an atlas so we could understand the journey better. Little did I understand how important the map was until I was the one in the driver’s seat. You see it is easy to cheer on the destination when you aren’t the one behind the steering wheel. I didn’t understand what my dad went through driving straight through front Akron, Ohio to Orlando, Florida with the packed car until I was the one day driving the car.
When I was the one responsible for the destination I learned there were a lot of distractions and pitfalls. On a family vacation it may be the kids yelling in the back seat or fatigue sitting on your shoulders to where the last 100 miles you didn’t even remember. The place where God has called us is much like that family vacation though. When we are younger we are excited about where God is calling us and where we feel we need to be and just can’t understand why others don’t feel the same. We have our map book in hand then realize we are in the driver’s seat. We know where we are to be going but have been distracted by the yelling in the background where the mission seems to fade into the horizon. Maybe it is driving down the same road where it seems nothing has changed and we lost track of the past 100 miles simply because we are tired or used to just keep on where we have been.
There is a simple truth though we must keep in mind. Just like any major highway we must on occasion look for that rest stop, stretch our legs and relieve ourselves from those things that are weighing us down and making us uncomfortable. Once we do that we need to break open that map book and see where we are and where we are going.
Remember, where you belong is less about the journey and more about the destination. If we allow our focus to be centered on the pitfalls and detours along the way we may find ourselves turning around and giving up on the destination God has made for us.
I encourage you, if you wonder where you belong, to pull out your map book and remember some of those promises you once had and look at the path you have taken so far and how much more you have to get where you belong. Remember God wrote you on the back of His hand so when He is carrying you He can see you at a glance and know where you are is in His perfect timing!
Bathing in Dirty Water
January
20, 2018
Bathing in Dirty Water
John 5:1-6 (Message)
1-6 Soon
another Feast came around and Jesus was back in Jerusalem. Near the Sheep Gate
in Jerusalem there was a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, with five alcoves.
Hundreds of sick people- blind, crippled and paralyzed- were in these alcoves.
One man had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him stretched
out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, “Do you want to get
well?”
Water is
imperative to the survival of an individual.
As I was
thinking about the context of this journal many things came to mind where the initial
premise has changed although the heart of it remains the same.
In life
we look for things to be awesome. We have goals dreams and vision for the
direction we plan to go, yet not always does it turn out to be as we thought
the journey should be.
Last week
I shared a blog called “Where Do I Belong?” It talked about how we have a
tendency of having goals and visions, but as time would have it we tend to lose
our way and find ourselves in a vortex where we lose the light at the end of
the tunnel.
This week
I am building on this.
When I
was younger my family grew up in a house that had well water and a lot of iron
deposits. We were the ones that would drink out of the garden hose on a hot
summer day because it was convenient and very cold and refreshing water. We
would in fact overlook the iron flavor because it was refreshing on those hot
days. Today people would think drinking from a garden hose would be unsanitary,
but is it?
A few
years ago, when I met my girlfriend and her kids they told me that bottled water
tasted different, and I thought they were full of it. They would for the most
part only drink Zephyrhills water. Admittedly I just thought they were just
being water snobs until they put several waters to the test for me. To my
surprise they were right. Zephyrhills water tasted much better than an Aquafina
or any other water on the market.
Now my
point is not to promote water rather to say what we put in and even bath in
makes a difference. Too often we find ourselves in our daily walk preverbally drinking
from the garden hose because it is convenient or sufficing with bottled water
that is subpar to other that are better.
In other
terms imagine bathing in water that was dirty to get clean. Before running
water, and my mother has attested to this, families would gather enough water
to fill a tub and each family member would use the same water to bath in
because it was a lot of work to cart fresh water for each person’s use. As a result,
most families would bath maybe once a week and the one who was the last got the
short end of the stick. Keep in mind that many families at the time were
relatively large so by the time the last one would bath the water was pretty
dirty and cold, but this was reality and that was acceptable.
Very often
we do the same thing in life. Sure, it may not be the dirty water, but it may
be the things we read, say do, people we associate with, the compromise of our
morals or beliefs and so on. As a result, we fill up that tub once and expect
the water to be clean each time we use it. We take a drink from what is convenient
simply because that is what we do. In the process we look for God to bless us,
heal us, clean us and nourish us. We look for Him to fulfill our dreams and in
the process, are okay with the status quo. When someone shows us or tells us
there is something better and what we have partaken in for so long could be bad
for us and there is a better solution we look at them with this indigent look
as if they are crazy or a water snob and continue with that which we are used
to.
When you
look at the verse in John 5 you see an encounter with a man who obviously
everyone knew and knew his plight and situation. Scripture reads that he was
there in the gate or alcove coming back to the pool where he knew there was
healing for thirty-eight years. Even Jesus knew him, but did the man know the
one he was talking to? Was he aware that there was a different way and
something better?
Too often
we allow status quo to dictate our direction and realize the one we are talking
to is an answer to our prayer. We expect God to do the same thing for us as He
did for someone else almost like getting that perfectly cut cookie or biscuit
cut with a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter and assuming that is the only flavor
and shape there is only to find out there are drop biscuits that taste just as
good or Kolaczkis filled with the decadent jam and sprinkled with powder sugar.
So often we expect God to do something new with the same old thing. Jesus
talked about this as well (Mark 2) where someone would not take new wine and
put it in an old wineskin as it would burst and what was new would spill out
and be lost.
Before we
can understand how God will rectify our circumstances and set things straight to
receive His healing and blessing we must understand a few things. First, we must
change our habits. Some of the things we are allowing into our lives is no
different than bathing in dirty water our being okay with drinking bad tasting
water. Maybe that water is the music we listen to or the movies we watch. When
we first heard it we winced at the vulgar language or the underlying sexual
content portrayed and what once made us uncomfortable now seems common.
Secondly,
we need to recognize God doesn’t do the same thing for everyone. Until we
understand
what our calling is we cannot understand what God is about to do in our
circumstances.
One person’s financial blessing may be your simply because you are not
used to
it or have the knowledge to understand how to manage it. Likewise, what God
does
in someone’s
life is unique to their character and personality. If God did in your life that
which was
exciting to someone else, say like a mission’s trip where many people got saved
because
someone had the ability to speak or build a building and you find that God
provided
the resources for them to go as well as take care of their needs you may feel
very
out of
place and fearful of not having your needs met not having he same result. God
certainly,
knows our needs and our direction. He would not put us in a compromising
position
or give us the wrong resources to fulfil the goals He has in story for us.
Thirdly are you okay with the ‘status quo?’ Too often
we tend to do the same thing over and again simply because it is comfortable,
and we are used to it, but as a result are we becoming too shortsighted that we
miss the blessing standing right in front of us? It is so easy to be used to
the same old things, but as a result to we hold on to those things that are not
good for us for the things that could be better simply because the unknown
takes faith and it could be too scary to step out? When I lost my last job, I
found I compromised what I wanted to security and consistency, but I didn’t
realize until I lost my job I was killing my soul due to my compromise. I did
not know the blessing that was standing before me. I did not realize what God
had in store because I thought He could bless in the same old thing with the
attitude of status quo rather than stepping out in faith.
Much to the chagrin John tells us there is a man
who for thirty years expected God to heal him but did everything the same way
thinking that God would bless him the same way that he had seen others before
him healed. If you continue to read on you find further dialog between Jesus
and the man.
“The
sick man said, ‘Sir, when the water is stirred, I don’t have anybody to help me
in the pool. By the time I get there, somebody is already in.”
What Jesus may have witnessed is someone who was
saying, ‘Look I missed out on my blessing because of someone else.’ Or He could
have seen someone who had expressed, ‘Because of my state maybe God doesn’t
want me healed.’ Either way Jesus put both factors to rest testing the man to
see what he was made of and if he truly wanted something different and new or
if he was willing to live in his crippled state.
“Jesus
said, ‘Get up, take up your bedroll and start walking.’ The man was healed on
the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off.”
You
see God gave him a second chance. He saw the state he was in the years that he
lived in
status
quo and even the excuses. He saw the man’s desire to see God intervene and his
expectations
for somebody else to help be that one in his time of struggle and need. He
recognized
the dirty water he had in his spirit that for thirty-eight years was okay with
sitting
in an archway without resolve and in pure abandonment not knowing if God was
going
to change the circumstances. And he saw a man who didn’t even recognize his healer
was
standing in front of him and with one statement showed him grace and a second
chance
and his all in all.
Are you the cripple man waiting for God to
intervene in your situation? Are you that one who is drinking whatever water
you can because it is convenient or bathing in the same dirty water because it
is what you have always done and yet expect God to fulfill those dreams that showed
you once before? God is showing you that there is something different. He is
showing you that there is something more refreshing. He is showing you that
there is a different way to change your crippling circumstances, but it
requires you to change your habits, fix your perspective and step out in faith.
Are you ready?
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Power in the Blood
September
2, 2017
Power in the Blood
Hebrews 13:20-21
“May God, who puts all things
together, make all things whole,
Who made a lasting mark through
the sacrifice of Jesus,
The sacrifice of blood that
sealed the eternal covenant
Who led Jesus, our Great
Shepherd, up and alive from the dead,
Now put you together, provide
you with everything you need to please him.
Make us into what gives him
pleasure,
By means of the sacrifice of
Jesus, the Messiah.
All glory to Jesus forever and
always!
Oh, yes, yes, yes!”
Just one week after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas many organizations
are looking for ways to help out. Just prior to the storm I was contacted by my
local blood center saying that it was time to give blood again since it has
been about 8 weeks since I gave last. They are always looking to take my blood,
not just because they are a blood center but because I have a rare blood type
that can be used in multiple applications.
Per my conversation with those at the blood center they told me
that they would be giving me a tee shirt for giving blood. I don’t really pay much
attention to what they give away as they have given me cooler bags and blankets
before, but this particular shirt peaked my interest once they gave it to me. As I read it, it took me back to an old hymn
that I probably haven’t heard in decades, but remember my mom singing when I
was a little boy. This is what the shirt read….
“The Power to Heal is in My Blood.”
As I sat there with my blood flowing into a bag, pondering this saying,
I could not help but think about that hymn my mother used to sing many years
ago…
“There is power, power wonder working power,
in the blood of the Lamb.
There is power, power wonder
working power in the precious blood of the Lamb!”
It is easy to forget the calling and power of those things we
do, but more importantly the things that God is doing through us and the
importance of giving that to others.
As I happened to take all of this in I needed to ask the
question “What is the true purpose of blood?” Now I know you cannot live
without blood, but why? What is so
important about it? So I looked it up and found out why blood is so important
to bringing life to our very being.
There are 3 main purposes of blood-
-
Blood allows for oxygen and nutrients
to be carried throughout the body. Without the appropriate levels of oxygen or
nutrients our bodies would start dying off.
-
Fascinating enough our body
produces platelets, which are found in our blood, for the purpose of carrying
off waste and bad cells that are throughout our bodies. It is a natural homeopathic
remedy to heal our bodies.
-
The third purpose of blood is to
create homeostasis. This means to bring life to our organs allowing them to
function together in the environment and purpose they were created to function.
As I thought about this a little further my mind raced about
many different things:
-
The importance of sacrifice in
the Jewish faith and why the Passover was so important.
-
Just how important the sacrifice
of Christ’s death was on the cross and His resurrection.
-
And how we can be like blood to
those in our surroundings.
First let me expound on the Jewish faith of Passover. The very
last plague God instituted against Egypt was the death of the firstborn. You
see the first born was the lifeline to both the heritage and future of a
family. Without the firstborn son the family would die off.
In order for the families of Israel to be protected they needed
to kill a lamb and paint the entrance of their homes with the blood. Back in those days blood too was consider very
holy and depending upon the animal the blood was even more sacred than others simply
because it meant life. In Exodus 12 though, scripture talks about the
significance of taking the blood and putting it on the door frame for their
protection.
Many may not understand the significance and symbolism of the
door. Doors where the entrance to a given building but the frame was (and still
is) comprised by three separate elements; two door jambs (one on either side)
and a lintel or header which is used to protect the weight that is over your
head. You see the header is there to give way to the path but the jamb is there
to transmit the weight coming down on the header to the foundation so the
opening is made without being crushed. Exodus 12 clearly talks both about the
header and the 2-jambs or door posts being covered by the blood, we cannot
understand the significance of the blood used for their protection. God spoken
those very three components to show the Israelites that He was going to be
their full protection; above them and beside them and as long as they move in
obedience the blood would give them life, protection and direction.
Unless you understand this concept you cannot fully understand
the second concept about Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Although the
church ties the two stories from the Old and New Testaments together very few
may pick up on even the symbolism there. First you have a crown which was
placed on his head causing blood to flow from above. Secondly you have two
posts from the cross which one held his arms as the other held his body. Both
posts were covered with His blood due to the severe beating He obtained. It is
through the cross (the door) where He shed His blood that we have been redeemed
and protected from the weight of sin and death.
All of this brings me to my final point of being like blood to
those in our surroundings. It is through the blood that life, healing and
oxygen are found. Likewise it was through the sacrifice that Christ did on the
cross that we find life (through salvation), healing through His sacrifice
(Isaiah 53:5-6) and our breath where He has made us whole.
As I pondered about this I remembered what Christ said before
His ascension to His disciples….
-
“Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father
is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see- these works. The
person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things,
because I, on my way to the Father, am
giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From
now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll
do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who is in the Son. I mean it.
Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do. (John 14:12-14)
So if you align this with the power of the blood and our mission
we need to realize that we are like blood. We are called to breathe life into
people and their situations. We are called to bring healing in sickness and in
brokenness. We are called to flow out of the abundance of our faith so we can
grow and bring growth as God created us to be. When we do this through Christ
and move in obedience, having the lintel over our heads painted with the blood
of Christ to protect our minds and our ears and the posts (our right and our
left) to guard our heart and those who stand by our side. We can then find
ourselves in the center of what God designed us to be. We are called to bring
life!
CAL
Monday, July 31, 2017
GPS.....Understanding the Importance of Men and Women
GPS.....Understanding the Importance of Men and Women
Proverbs 27:17
'You use steel to sharpen steel,
and one friend sharpens another.'
I was asked the following question today...
'I know we are to get our
validation from God, but do you believe that is the job of others as well?'
What an interesting and easily misunderstood question one can
derive. At first glance one may think yes, especially with the verse I shared
above. Before one can answer this question in full they must understand the
roles of men and women and just how important they are for their individual
purpose especially when it comes to being in a relationship.
One of my favorite shows on TV just happens to be 'The Amazing
Race.' It is not my favorite show because of the places they go or the
challenges they have. No it is for a much different reason; the social
experiment. This past season the show took a slightly different direction
pairing up perfect strangers together to see how they would relate with each
other. When you watch the show you find that there is one major issue of
conflict which happens to be the conflict of destination verses direction.
Usually this can be diminished when you know some as you know their quirks and
how they tick, but just like this past season not knowing each other lead to
drama on a supersized level. One thing I have noticed is that the guys are the
ones driving as the women typically navigate in the show.
Marriage and relationships are very much like "The Amazing
Race." It may seem like relationships are just some twisted joke simply
because we do not understand the roles God has created us for.
Let me talk to the guys for a minute. Guys you wife or
girlfriend is the most important person to get you to where God is leading you.
Many men make the mistake of misinterpreting the verse in Genesis that talks
about making a 'help mate' or 'helper' for him, but what if this has a
different context to it than many assume? What if she was your spiritual GPS (Gals Petitioning in the Spirit)?
Yes that's right a spiritual barometer. What if she was made and given to you
in order to help you finish the 'amazing race' and see where God is leading?
Ladies don't think you are off the hook though just because I
brought them up first. Women must understand that men are also made for women
as a helper for them as well. Men are the visionary.
Let me explain this a little. Throughout my travels I have
stayed at many hotels. One thing I noticed is that in the lobby of many hotels
they have an area of the things you must see, explore and experience. Men are
those brochures at the counter of the hotels that hold excitement and adventure
but it requires a GPS to get to the adventure ahead. Being in an unknown town
it is very important to have a guide of GPS to get to the destination where the
vision starts.
Imagine though if you were going to go some place and you didn't
update the software on your GPS or IPhone. You will not be able to avoid closed
roads, construction, traffic learn short cuts. If you have a GPS but no vision
you will go nowhere. Likewise if you set out on a journey having vision but
have no GPS you can get easily lost or diverted from your destination.
Men, your job is to bring direction and vision to where God is
leading, but having a good Gal Petitioning in the Spirit you certainly can't go
wrong. Women, on the other hand having someone with Godly vision is going to
take you on an epic journey if your man is plugged in with God.
God made men with the purpose of bringing the wisdom of God as
women were made to bring the heart of God into the situation. If men think
their wisdom is far more important than listening to the GPS, they will find
getting to God's destination will take longer than expected. Likewise if women
do not trust the wisdom, with balance, they will tend to play things safe and
miss out on what God has epic to show them.
God is both heart and wisdom and when we can understand that we
can walk next to each other as a partner in an epic journey God has blazed for
them together. This requires one very specific element that enhances the
characteristics each have as God instituted in them to get to the end of the
race. It is found in that relationship with Christ through the word. It is like
the update for our iPhone or the brochure found at the hotel to encourage a new
adventure. When we do not tap into that we ended up living off our past
experiences and old software that can mislead us in the direction God is leading.
Guys it is your job to bring the vision to your family, marriage
and relationships, but that also requires you to listen to the heart of your
wife as God may be downloading the information to her to avoid traffic, detours
and danger. Ladies it is your position to listen to the your husband to find
the vision so you can experience where God is leading.
God has made us not to lead, follow or be subservient to the
other. No His purpose is to allow you to sit next to each other navigating and
bringing direction to see what God is about to reveal. God brings people into
our lives NOT to find validation in each other rather to keep our eyes focused
on what God has scribed on our hearts and to take us to the next level.
Jeremiah said it right...
"For I know the plans I
have for you said the Lord. Plans not to bring you harm, rather a hope and a
future." - Jeremiah 29:11
Live out your calling and see
where God leads as it is epic!
CAL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)