Check Your Time

As we move forward in this new year, God’s Word has a great encouragement for us. Ephesians 5:15-16 says: Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

There is a lot of great encouragement in these short words. In them, we are reminded to be careful, be wise, be diligent, and be aware.

•   Be careful: We must take ownership of our lives. We must know every step we take, every word we speak, every action we do, and every thought we have. Any of these without care or restraint is a huge waste of precious resources.

•   Be wise: We must be responsible for our own wisdom. Gone are the days of juvenile mistakes and foolishness. We must evaluate every step, word, action, and thought and make sure it is exercised with wisdom.

•   Be diligent: We must be constantly and consistently pursuing God's vision and calling on our lives. When we step, speak, act, and think, we must live out our purpose, rather than simply go along with everyone else.

•   Be aware: We must question everyone and their motives and calling. Everyone else, unless they are fully committed to God’s Word and His Presence, will be prone lead us into futility.

Our lives are too precious to God for us to simply be driven along by the influences around us. He desires for us to have purpose, and to live that purpose out with every step, every word, every action, and every thought we have.

Do we realize that time is limited? We only have so much time on this earth. We only have so much opportunity before a door or window will close. We must seize every moment and every opportunity.

As we move forward then in this new year, may I challenge all of us to ask ourselves: Am I being careful, wise, diligent, and aware, or am I allowing myself to drift along haphazardly? Lead Well!

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Finding Real Joy in 2017

Where do you find your joy? From your circumstances? Your family? Your job? Your bank balance? Your church? Your vacation? Maybe from your ministry?

All of those things have the potential to become “un-joyful” and let us down: Circumstances change. Families disappoint. Jobs become tedious. Bank balances drop. Churches don’t do things the way we want. Vacations end. Ministries become stale.

Let's take a step back. If we're honest, we allow our consumer-driven culture to influence us in the ways we seek joy. We look to possessions, conveniences, latest & greatest gadgets, wi-fi speed, food, favorite team win-loss record, and a host of other "things" our culture tells we need to have to supply our joy.

But let's even take another step back and see how our "me first" culture influences us in our quest for real and lasting joy. We are looking to fulfill our happiness, our joy, our needs. We want it for us, and we want it for us now.

Where can we find true, full, and overwhelming joy? In the Presence of God. Consider Psalm 16:11: You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Notice that the Psalmist isn’t referring to a quick prayer of desperation when things don’t go our way. Rather, he says You make known to me the path of life. Finding Joy in God’s Presence is a continual pursuit on the path of life. It’s not a quick-fix bandaid when things don't go our way.

Notice also that the Psalmist points us to God’s right hand as a place to abide, rather than a place to find quick fixes. Instead of looking to see what is in God’s hand for us, we need to climb into His hand and rest.

The fullness of joy is only found in the Presence of God. We can't over-explain this truth. We can't make it what it is not. We can only accept that true joy is only found in the Presence of God.

And that true joy, found in the Presence of God, isn't there for the fulfillment of our needs and desires. Rather, it is a benefit of continually walking in God's Presence. We should seek to consistently walk in God's Presence simply because that's what we were created to do. LeadWell!

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Affecting Our Culture In 2017

Watch my Video Blog and be encouraged as we leave 2016 and enter 2017... Click here: Affecting Our Culture

Christmas Presents All Year Long!

When I was six years old my father died. I don't remember much about that year, but I do remember spending the summer after his death with my only uncle and aunt. Uncle Al and Aunt Becky "took me in" during a difficult time for this young boy.

Later that year, my aunt and uncle visited my mom, sisters, and me for Christmas. I had just turned seven, and was very excited about their visit. The previous summer had forged a strong bond between my uncle and myself.

When they arrived, I helped my uncle unload his car. It was filled with Christmas presents! I remember carrying into our house armload after armload of presents. As I carried them in, I would look at the tags, and saw gift after gift that said "To: Bradley". It was going to be a great Christmas for me!

Imagine my disappointment when opening gifts on Christmas morning, most of the ones tagged "To: Bradley” actually read "To: Becky". You see being only seven, I hadn't learned to read cursive writing yet, and I thought Becky was Bradley.

I did receive some nice gifts from my uncle and aunt. I got over the disappointment of less gifts than anticipated. Life went on.

As Believers, the opposite is true. We have been given the greatest gift of all: Eternal life through Jesus. But we have been given many more gifts, and we don't take them: New mercies every morning, a guarantee of all of our needs met, help in solving problems, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living inside us... God's Word is filled with the gifts that He has given us.

Imagine how disappointed God is because He has given us so many gifts, and yet we leave them under the tree, unopened.

May we receive what God has given us everyday, and live lives of faith and victory because of all that the Lord has given us!

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Without A Home At Christmas

There were two times in recent years where I was a man without a home. Call it transition. Call it between places. Call it what you want.

One time our family was in the process of moving to Florida from Maryland. I was joining the staff of a church to help while its pastor was gravely ill. My wife and daughter had already moved down there with our "stuff".

I stayed in Maryland because my current church was keeping me on for a few months to aid in the transition of my responsibilities.

I rotated staying at three different friend’s houses in Maryland in their guest rooms. All of my “stuff” that I didn't load onto our moving truck was crammed into the back of my Mini Cooper. Because I was a man without a home. 

I worked three-and-a-half days in Maryland, and three-and-a-half days in Florida, commuting via air between the two places. I did this for three months.

Another time, I was helping a friend start a new business in South Florida, while my family remained in Northwest Florida. I slept on my son’s couch in Ft. Lauderdale, stayed in a friend’s condo, and stayed in a room on the church campus where I led worship. I lived out of my suitcase and Mini Cooper. I visited my family as much as I could. I did this for a year.

Both times I was without a home was during the Christmas Season.

That was my story. It reminds me of the story of another man without a home. He began his life being born in a borrowed feed trough in a borrowed cattle stall.

He once said of himself that he had no place to lay his head.

He traveled a lot too. Not so much commuting, but rather purposeful journeys on foot to be involved in people's lives.

All of his clothes weren't crammed into the back of a Mini Cooper, but rather were worn on his back.

This same man without a home gave up his life so I could have a home in heaven. I am grateful.

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Thanksgiving Tragedy

A horrific school bus crash occurred this Thanksgiving week in our area. As of this writing, five children have died and 23 were injured. Many people I know in this area are talking about this non-stop.

Just a few hours earlier, another horrific crash occurred. This time it was a train derailment. As of this writing, 146 people have died, and dozens of others were hurt, many critically. Many who were killed were a part of a wedding party. Many who were killed were children.

Hardly anyone in my area is talking about this crash, because it happened half-way around the world in India. Why is no one talking about it? Because only when it affects us does it matter to us.

Here are some other tragedies we face on Thanksgiving Day: 

Turkey not cooked perfectly? Tens of millions of people around the world will not even have a meal on Thanksgiving Day. It’s only one of your several meals that day.

Stuck in traffic? Only 8.5% of the world's population have an automobile. It's only a delay.

House too small for your Thanksgiving festivities? Over 100 million people in the world don't even have a house. It's only for one day.

Flight delayed? Almost 95% of the world's population has never flown. It's only an inconvenience.

Lines too long on Black Friday? The median income worldwide is $2,000 ($5.50/day. For most people it's under $2/day). It's only an iPhone.

Turkey too small to feed everyone? An estimated 75% of Americans are overweight. It's only another slice.

Although I grieve for the families of the school children here in the Chattanooga area, I also grieve for the Indian people and their families. Around the world or here at home, let’s make Thanksgiving about others, and not about ourselves.

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Why It Doesn't Matter Who Wins The Election

Today is election day, and I voted. But for me, it doesn't matter who wins the election.

Call me unprincipled. Call me uninvolved. Call me unAmerican. But make sure you call me a Christian.

I'm not giving the "it doesn't matter who wins the election, God is still on His throne" easy statement here. Rather, my convictions will not change, my beliefs will not adjust, and my purpose will not alter. No matter who wins the election.

My belief in God and His purpose and plan for those who believe in Him is not determined by who holds public office.

As a Believer in Christ, life may get more difficult for me because of my beliefs. In fact, I'm pretty sure it will get more difficult. But life doesn't revolve around me and how easy my life should be.

As a Believer in Christ, it may be more advantageous to compromise on my convictions so I can fit in with my culture. But we haven't been called to fit in with our culture.

Copying and pasting Facebook posts are not going to be a valid way of identifying myself as a Believer in Christ. I am going to have to publicly live out the Christian life in front of everybody. And I will be judged for it.

I don't want to live out my beliefs because I fear God will judge me for not living out my convictions. Rather, I want to live out my beliefs because I am a Christian.

I am grateful that I have the opportunity to vote for a person to lead our country. But my position as a Believer in Christ transcends my position as a citizen of this nation. So for me as a Christian, it doesn't matter who wins the election.

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Created By The Creator

Created works are usually identified as being a work of their creator.

We identify the monster pictured as Frankenstein, but in reality, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor who created the monster.

We have heard it said, “That’s a Rembrandt” when referring to one of his paintings. If I told you I owned the original Starry Night you might think I was referring to the Don McLean song recorded in 1971. But if I told you I owned a Van Gogh's Starry Night, you would know exactly what I was referring to.

The same is true about music. We identify songs as "a U2 song" or "a Matt Redmond tune". When F. Murray Abraham, playing Antonio Salieri in the 1984 movie Amadeus hummed the song Eine kleine Nachtmusik, he identified it to his audience by saying, "That is Motzart."

Created works cannot be separated from the one who created them. The creator will always put part of themselves into their work.

Thus, the created work will always point to the creator, showing nuances, hints and signatures that mark it as theirs. The created work cannot free itself from the hand of the creator. It is not an independent entity which has no identity apart from its creator.

In the same way, we as created beings are known by the One who created us. But sometimes the creation is given more consideration than the creator. Romans 1:25 in the bible tells us that …people exchanged the truth for a lie, and served created things rather than the Creator. 

Although the world in which we live gives us an identity apart from our Creator, we can't shake off the fact that everyone's identity is tied to their Creator. They may reject it. They may ignore it. They can't deny it. But it doesn’t change the fact.

Our Creator has signed us with His personal mark of ownership. It is expressed in our own creativity. It flows through our dreams. It is the root of our passion. Every one of us are people who have been created with purpose. That purpose is to point back to the One who created us. Lead Well!

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Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday, and it's a significant one: 60! As I write this post, I am struggling with the fact that this post is about me. I try to live by the principle of be interested, not interesting. Today I hope that I am interesting enough that it will be a benefit to you...

For this birthday, although I am looking more closely at my own mortality, I am looking over my shoulder at my life up to this point. The question I am asking is: What is my legacy?

What am I leaving behind me that has built the Kingdom of God? What lives have I invested in that are now making a difference in their world? Have I built into a life that is in turn building into another's life, and that life is building into another? Am I reproducing generations of leaders and world-changers?

Early in my life and ministry it was all about me. I was on the ego-boosting roller coaster of pride, arrogance, and self-importance. I sought the 15 minutes of fame, and wanted it to last for years.

I began to realize that the world didn't revolve around me (go figure). My desires, my interests, and my attentions were misplaced. I was focusing on things that are inconsequential.

Rather, the world revolves around God and what He desires to do in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Although during the last few decades I have been seeking to live a life of more humility and more Kingdom of God building, there are still traces of those old attributes that show themselves in me. I do not like them. I do not treasure them. Now, they are repulsive to me.

But as I look back, and continue to look forward (I'm not that old), I am encouraged. I still can have an influence for God's Kingdom. Before me lies more days and years to have an impact on people. God still has plans for my life, and He desires to work those plans...

My prayer continues to be these lyrics:

My hands, my feet: an offering.

Your will I choose to do.

When time has passed the world will see

My legacy is You.

Lead Well!

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Can You Hear The Applause?

We hear applause everywhere: At political rallies, at sporting events, at concerts, and yes, even in worship services (not a bad thing if the applause are directed to the Lord).

What is interesting to me though, is the type and amount of applause that is being offered up. Each setting is different, yet the clapping and cheering are pretty much the same.

Applause is a two-edged sword. On the one hand (no pun intended), it encourages the receiver to go forward, press on, and work harder. But on the other hand (still no pun intended), it can become like a drug that causes people to do things so they can receive more.

And that brings me to the question that I am so fond of asking not only to myself, but to others also: Why do you do what you do? Is it because you have a deep-seated need to express yourself in the area that you have been gifted (profession, arts, sports, etc.)? Or do you simply do it for the applause?

Each of us were created with gifts, talents, and abilities. Are we using those gifts, talents, and abilities to receive applause (it can come in other forms besides clapping), or are we exercising those gifts, talents, and abilities to make life better for others? 

Which brings me to another one of those questions: Are we living for ourselves, or are we living for others?

When the applause are over, how do you feel? Empty? Fulfilled? Wanting more?

Think about it. I applaud your consideration. Lead Well!

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Proud To Be Humble

Humility. Some people seek attention, praise, and honor. Some people seek to simply be hidden. But, I believe everyone struggles with humility.

Please know that I struggle with humility like everyone else. 

Consider what Proverbs 22:4 says: Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.

One thing I find interesting in this verse: Humility brings honor.

Humility and pride are a difficult balancing act for Believers. Among other things we are redeemed, forgiven, seated with Christ in heavenly places, protected, gifted, abundantly blessed, favored, and called God’s Children. Wow! With all of those characteristics, it can be easy to be prideful.

But what is humility? Humility is not demeaning ourselves (“I’m just a sinner saved by grace…”). We are so much more than that! (See the list above…) Humility is not squashing our egos. When we try to, we tend to pride ourselves in squashing our egos. 

Humility is basically directing our egos away from ourselves. Rick Warren once said in The Purpose Driven Life, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."

How can we demonstrate humility? In two ways: Give all praise to God for anything we are praised for. After all, everything comes from Him. We are created by Him, gifted by Him, empowered by Him, and are used by Him.

In the same way, when praising others, don’t praise the person, praise the Lord.

When we praise others, we oftentimes are building their egos and making it difficult for them to walk in humility.

Praise God when someone else does well. Again, it is the Lord who created them, gave them abilities, and is working through them.

Secondly, give away what we have as Believers. (Again, see the list above.) Our relationship with Christ is not for us to hoard, but to share. Gloat in what I have, or give what I have? That’s a question we should all ask ourselves.

May we walk in humility. May we share what we have with others. May we expand the Kingdom of God locally and around the world… In humility! Lead Well!

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