What Will We Do?

I often like to sit and watch my children, to listen to the way they interact and talk with one another and the way they interact and talk with their friends. For the most part, when I watch and listen to them, they are laughing, playing, or learning together. However, there are certain times when I like to watch and listen to them in the midst of conflict and disagreements. It is in these moments that I observe the way they react and behave when things are not going their way and when they are facing opposition.

This morning I was reading in Psalm 139 -  a familiar passage that brought a new thought to my mind. Psalm 139 begins;

O Lord, You have searched me and You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.

This reminded me that God enjoys watching His children - that He enjoys watching me. Not only is God watching me in moments of joy, triumph, and success. He is also watching me in moments of sorrow, heartache, and temptation. Not only that, He is watching to see the way I will react when things are not going my way and when I am facing opposition.

My children will often look for their mom or I - or they will call out for help - when they are not sure what to do and when conditions are beyond their control. Sometimes, knowing that the situation is getting away from them, I will sit and wait for their call for help. I believe that God also waits for us to call out to Him. Will we recognize that we are unable to handle life alone? Will we recognize that their is a God that created us, loves us, and wants the best for us that is waiting to come to our rescue?

Psalm 139 concludes;

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Make It Right Now...Not Later

There are two questions that I ask this time every year, maybe you have similar ones;

"What are you going to start doing in the new year?"

"What are you going to stop doing in the new year?"

• I ask these questions of myself. 
• I ask these questions about our family. 
• I ask these questions of our church leadership. 
• I ask these questions of as many people as I can in regard to as many situations as I can. 

In years past these two questions have helped me to get to the heart of what must happen in the year that lies ahead. This morning I sat to reflect on these two areas and to evaluate how I did - personally, as a husband, as a father, and as a church leader. And that's when it hit me, there is a huge problem with these two questions. 

When we sit to evaluate a situation - whether it be a relationship, an attitude, or an action - whether it relates to our life, our family, our home, or our career - if we come to the conclusion that something must start or stop, we must do it immediately! 

The problem with starting something or stopping something in the new year is that we have such a broad time frame to correct it. So this new year's eve, I am changing my questions and will be asking;

"What are you going to start doing today?"

"What are you going to stop doing today?"

Don't aim to make things right in 2013, aim to make them right now!

God Is In The Room

This picture is the wallpaper on my laptop. An artist, with the assistance of a smoke machines, has found a way to produce clouds indoors and has taken several stunning pictures. And while these pictures are quite remarkable I could not help but think of one thing as I looked at them; "God is in the room". 

SEE, no matter where we are, no matter what we are doing God is in the room with us. God is all-present or omnipresent, meaning that He is in all places at all times - that is one of the characteristics that defines Him as God.

AND, because God is omnipresent, He is here for us when we need Him the most. Likewise, He is there when we would rather Him not be, that is when we are doing things that we know He does not approve of - when we are doing things contrary to His will and His purpose.

YET, if we could simply remember that "God is in the room" with every decision that we make, every action that we take, every thought that we think, and every word that we speak, we would do better to obey His will and fulfill His purpose.

AND, although we do not have the benefit of seeing God in the form of a visible cloud in the room with us at every moment of the day, what we do have is His Spirit living in us and working through us. Through God's Spirit we are able to achieve all that God has called us to, all that He has desired for us, and all that He has created us for.

Being Children of God

1 Peter 1:13-16 states; "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy."


There are several words that stand out as we read 1 Peter 1:13-16, but one stands out the most – "CHILDREN" – we are God’s children. Think about this remarkable truth for a moment;  It is God’s desire that we be His children.

 But, God has a broader desire than that we simply be His children.  So He gives us several adjectives in 1 Peter to tell us what kind of children He desires for us to be.

• Obedient children; Following His commands and directives for our lives – because they are what are best for us.
•  Prepared children; Prepared for action today and prepared for heaven tomorrow.
• Active children; Active in the body of Christ.
• Self-controlled children; Self-controlled and disciplined
• Hopeful children; Hopeful and faithful that Jesus Christ will return and all glory will be given to Him. 
• Alert children; Informed in the wills and ways of God - Alert and conscience of the evil in this world
• Called children; Called by God and set apart for a special purpose.
• Holy children; Without holiness no one will see God. 

Setting an Example

Our children are quite a blessing to my wife and I. There are several phrases that make it into our daily language, such as, "hurry up", "use your words", and many, many more. One phrase that our five-year-old daughter hears almost everyday is "act like a five year old". You see, she has two younger brothers and often finds herself struggling to fill the oldest child role that she was born into.

I have to say that both of our sons receive more positive attention than she does and it is common that we point out their cute antics and laugh at their childish behavior. Because of this additional attention to the younger two, our oldest commonly tries to act much like them in an attempt to receive attention.

Just the other day we were paying visits to the grandparents and, when it came time to leave, she began to act like a two-year-old. We reminded her of her actual age and yet she continued to act out, and was soon disciplined for her childish actions. Why do we discipline her? Because she knows better and  because she is smarter and more mature than her behavior was showing.

As we made our way to the car we began to talk with her about her actions and that, as the oldest. she is to act in a way that leads the younger two rather than allowing their actions to lead her. We pointed out that her younger brothers want to be just like her and often follow her around, doing the exact same things that she does. She is to act in such a way that her words, actions, and behavior makes them want to be like her.

This is true for each one of us, whether we are the old or the young, whether we are the boss or the worker, whether we are surrounded by people constantly or feel like we are alone most of the time. Each one of us are called to live a mature life and to lead others through our example, through our words and actions.

This applies to the follower of Christ as well. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."  (1 Tim. 4:12) Likewise, followers of Jesus Christ are called to be in the world but not of the world, they are called to set an example for the world but not to become like the world. Followers of Jesus Christ are called to act in such a way that their words, actions, and behavior makes others want to follow after them, and after Jesus.

So, are you leading by example or are you following the example of others? Are you looking to Jesus and following His example for the way you should live your life or are you following the example set forth by the world and those who are in this world. Remember, focus on Jesus and the things that shouldn't matter won't matter any longer.

Lessons from Bath Time

Bath time at our house is always very eventful.

A couple nights ago Kim had to run out and I wanted to get the kids in and out of the bath before dinner. So I started the water and called out for them to come and get in the bath. Seconds later I heard Zion ripping his diaper off as I passed him in the hallway. As I tossed something in the garbage can it occurred to me, "he still had his shirt on" (Zion can't take his shirt off by himself). I walked into the bathroom and saw him sitting waist deep in the running bath water and asked "did you forget something?" That explains the look on his face in this picture.

We all "jump" into certain situations without fully thinking through the steps that need to be taken or the preparations that need to be made, much like Zion did when he jumped into the bath without removing his shirt.

There are various situations in which we need to make preparations before we enter into them. Accepting Christ in our lives is not one of these. Christ tells us to come to Him with all of our burdens, with all of our anxiety, with all of our fears, with all of our failures, and He will meet us where we are. and although there are no preparations that need to be made, there are still steps that need to be taken, a shift in our mindset that needs to be made. That shift comes when we begin to let go of this world, when we begin to let go of ourselves and admit that we need Jesus Christ as our Savior, our Lord, and our Master. It is then that we take the two steps outlined in Romans 10:9, confess and believe. And, "YOU WILL BE SAVED"!

Back to the kids and bath time for a moment. Our kids love taking baths, partially because we let them play for an extended period of time before making them get out and they enjoy splashing around in the water. So, when we tell them that it is time to get out of the tub, it is usually met with some hostility and argument.  And, although Zion does not want to get out, he has yet to figure out the whole cause and effect thing, the repercussions of an action. So instead of telling him that it is time to "get out of the tub" I usually will ask him to "pull the plug". This gives him yet something else to do in the tub. And, as the water runs out, he gets cold, and wants to get out of the tub to get warmed up and get dressed.

While there will remain certain preparations, actions, or changes for almost every stage of our lives. In the same way, various repercussions of our actions follow. What are our repercussions of accepting Christ?

Here are JUST A FEW:
- letting go of this world (Luke 14:26)
-  denying one's self (Matthew 16:24)
- take up the one's cross (Matthew 10:38)
- make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20)
- filled with joy (Acts 13:52)
- love for others (1 Thessalonians 4:9)
- fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)