6/22/2010 - Like a Child
“He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2-3 ESV
We grow up so fast. One day we are running around our neighborhood making up games and playing with our toys and the next thing you know we are refinancing mortgages and discussing healthcare reform. Where does the time go? Somewhere in between, we make decisions not to be little kids anymore. Somewhere along this path we decide that the responsibilities of adulthood are so great that we should forsake our inner child in the name of maturity. And yet to enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus says that we must become like a child. He says that will not have difficulty or challenges entering, but NEVER will we enter unless we become childlike.
What does it mean to become childlike in our faith? How does a mature Christian become childlike? Isn’t that going backwards? On the contrary. Jesus says that in order to enter the kingdom we must become childlike. He did not say we had to stay there. The entrance into the kingdom of God is the beginning. After you have entered, you will continue on your journey. But you have to get there first.
The kingdom of heaven is the reign of God. When we submit ourselves to His reign and do not act as antagonists in the story of this world, we must first humble ourselves and become like children. When we think of children, we think of little people who have their whole life ahead of them. Who run and play and have enormous amounts of energy. They see the world in simple ways. They cling to their caretakers. They are living sponges, soaking up everything they can. The use their imaginations and nothing seems impossible. The are not afraid to dream. Children love without question. The are friendly. They have the ability to express their emotions. They are the key to entering the kingdom.
A child doesn’t have the same regrets of an adult. They don’t have the life experience to point to and say, “Wow, I really messed that one up!” They make mistakes, but their mistakes don’t hinder them for moving forward. They receive correction and keep it moving. It is when their life experience starts to mount up that they begin to lose that innocence. They start to receive correction as a reminder of their faults and reasons why they should be punished. They start to reason their way out of things they would have normally pursued with passion. They start to question the authority figures around them. They begin to create their own rules for living in this world. They become like adults.
In order to enter the kingdom, we must first begin by being as humble as a child. We must take what God says and believe it. We must be open to His correction and not allow it to hinder our progress. We must not shy away from loving others. We must be free to dream again. We must express ourselves. We must become playful again. We must not allow our past mistakes and conclusions to hinder our new experiences. We must become like children to enter and allow God to mature us in His kingdom, His way. Our past successes and failures will mean little unless we let go of it all and enter into His kingdom to be reshaped and matured in Him.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What's Going On?
7/15/2010 - What’s Going On?
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 NIV
Quite often information is power. When it comes to our faith walk, out relationship with God can be strengthened by the simple concept of friendship with Him. It seems so simple to call yourself a friend of God, yet that title carries with it benefits that cannot be measured.
When you think of your relationship with your friends, you may have some with whom you are closer than others. Yet if you call someone a friend, they tend to know things about you that an acquaintance may not know. They may know your middle name or your birthday, or how many siblings you have. They may know where you grew up or how you got the scar over your eyebrow. They might know why you don’t like applesauce or cheese. They know things about you because you share information with them. This is how people get to know you and vice versa.
It is a privilege to be called the friend of God. Jesus said that servants don’t know what the master is doing. When we are traveling through the wilderness of life, sometimes it is helpful to know what the master is doing. You may not like where you are, but you trust that He is leading you and He may even share with you what He is doing in this season. But this relationship does not come to those who merely serve God. This comes to those who are closer to Him. And acquaintance of God does not have these privileges. If you merely do your Christian duty by going to church and volunteering for various causes, this title of friend may not apply to you.
A friend will spend time with you. A friend will share their life with you. A friend will confide in you. A friend will trust you. A friend will introduce you to to others. A friend will make time for you. You miss friends when they are not around. You don’t just take from friends, you also give to them. You don’t only call when you need something, you call just to talk. You can enjoy the silly things in life with a friend. You share the highs and lows of your life with friends. And God calls us His friends if He makes known to us what He is doing. And He reveals Himself all the time. We just have to know how to see Him at work.
Then he says that we are His friends if we obey his commandments. “You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14 NIV. We are His friends if we obey, but He calls us friends if He tells us what we are doing. Revealing what He is doing is entirely God’s choice to make us friends. We have a choice as well. Will we respond to His friendship? Will we allow ourselves to be a friend to God? Let’s not make it a lopsided friendship. Let’s be as great a friend to God as He is to us. Let’s not take His friendship for granted.
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 NIV
Quite often information is power. When it comes to our faith walk, out relationship with God can be strengthened by the simple concept of friendship with Him. It seems so simple to call yourself a friend of God, yet that title carries with it benefits that cannot be measured.
When you think of your relationship with your friends, you may have some with whom you are closer than others. Yet if you call someone a friend, they tend to know things about you that an acquaintance may not know. They may know your middle name or your birthday, or how many siblings you have. They may know where you grew up or how you got the scar over your eyebrow. They might know why you don’t like applesauce or cheese. They know things about you because you share information with them. This is how people get to know you and vice versa.
It is a privilege to be called the friend of God. Jesus said that servants don’t know what the master is doing. When we are traveling through the wilderness of life, sometimes it is helpful to know what the master is doing. You may not like where you are, but you trust that He is leading you and He may even share with you what He is doing in this season. But this relationship does not come to those who merely serve God. This comes to those who are closer to Him. And acquaintance of God does not have these privileges. If you merely do your Christian duty by going to church and volunteering for various causes, this title of friend may not apply to you.
A friend will spend time with you. A friend will share their life with you. A friend will confide in you. A friend will trust you. A friend will introduce you to to others. A friend will make time for you. You miss friends when they are not around. You don’t just take from friends, you also give to them. You don’t only call when you need something, you call just to talk. You can enjoy the silly things in life with a friend. You share the highs and lows of your life with friends. And God calls us His friends if He makes known to us what He is doing. And He reveals Himself all the time. We just have to know how to see Him at work.
Then he says that we are His friends if we obey his commandments. “You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14 NIV. We are His friends if we obey, but He calls us friends if He tells us what we are doing. Revealing what He is doing is entirely God’s choice to make us friends. We have a choice as well. Will we respond to His friendship? Will we allow ourselves to be a friend to God? Let’s not make it a lopsided friendship. Let’s be as great a friend to God as He is to us. Let’s not take His friendship for granted.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Survivors
7/22/2010 - Survivor
“Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
Luke 17:33 ISV
Have you ever seen someone trying to save their own life? When your life is at stake you may do whatever it takes to try and save it. You do whatever it takes to try and delay death as long as possible. Someone drowning will fight to get to a place where they have air. Someone falling off a cliff may reach to grab onto anything for leverage to try to keep from falling. You may wrestle with a gun wielding assailant if you thought that it would help you save your life. The fear of death brings out a strange type of preservation courage. It exists in the moment of fear to preserve your life. The attempt to save one’s life is filled with desperation and urgency. It’s the type of life one lives when they are constantly trying to preserve what they feel they have built.
The self-made success story is sometimes the most dangerous person to be around. What they have created, they alone feel that they have built and will do anything to try and protect it from destruction. If anyone or anything around them becomes a threat, they will attack. They are like an armed man behind their self made fort, designed to protect their home and their wealth. They hold onto what they have created so tightly that anyone can become an enemy. It is war!
Whatever you consider to be the source of your life, you will desire to protect. It brings you happiness and joy and satisfaction. Yet our true life is only found in Christ. It is not found in material wealth or even other people. True life is found when one gives up their right to save our own lives. We cannot save ourselves no matter how hard we try. No matter how much money we amass, no matter how much we earn, no matter how impenetrable we think we are, we cannot save ourselves. When we give up the right to try to make ourselves right with God, we obtain that which we seek: A saved life. It is through our life in Christ that we discover what life is truly about. It is through our life in Christ that we begin to feel the true joy of living. Until then, everyone is an enemy. Everyone has the power to stop you from living the life you want. Everyone is suspect. How then can we have genuine relationship? How then can we have genuine intimacy when everyone around you is a potential enemy, stopping your quest for life?
Once we agree with God that we cannot save ourselves, and that the only way to be saved is to give up our own right to obtain true life on our own, we begin to live. In Christ, we lose a finite existence and obtain an infinite one. In Christ we give up the fear of losing the life we try to amass and receive the life He has planned for us from the foundation of the world. In Christ is how we truly become survivors.
“Whoever tries to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it.”
Luke 17:33 ISV
Have you ever seen someone trying to save their own life? When your life is at stake you may do whatever it takes to try and save it. You do whatever it takes to try and delay death as long as possible. Someone drowning will fight to get to a place where they have air. Someone falling off a cliff may reach to grab onto anything for leverage to try to keep from falling. You may wrestle with a gun wielding assailant if you thought that it would help you save your life. The fear of death brings out a strange type of preservation courage. It exists in the moment of fear to preserve your life. The attempt to save one’s life is filled with desperation and urgency. It’s the type of life one lives when they are constantly trying to preserve what they feel they have built.
The self-made success story is sometimes the most dangerous person to be around. What they have created, they alone feel that they have built and will do anything to try and protect it from destruction. If anyone or anything around them becomes a threat, they will attack. They are like an armed man behind their self made fort, designed to protect their home and their wealth. They hold onto what they have created so tightly that anyone can become an enemy. It is war!
Whatever you consider to be the source of your life, you will desire to protect. It brings you happiness and joy and satisfaction. Yet our true life is only found in Christ. It is not found in material wealth or even other people. True life is found when one gives up their right to save our own lives. We cannot save ourselves no matter how hard we try. No matter how much money we amass, no matter how much we earn, no matter how impenetrable we think we are, we cannot save ourselves. When we give up the right to try to make ourselves right with God, we obtain that which we seek: A saved life. It is through our life in Christ that we discover what life is truly about. It is through our life in Christ that we begin to feel the true joy of living. Until then, everyone is an enemy. Everyone has the power to stop you from living the life you want. Everyone is suspect. How then can we have genuine relationship? How then can we have genuine intimacy when everyone around you is a potential enemy, stopping your quest for life?
Once we agree with God that we cannot save ourselves, and that the only way to be saved is to give up our own right to obtain true life on our own, we begin to live. In Christ, we lose a finite existence and obtain an infinite one. In Christ we give up the fear of losing the life we try to amass and receive the life He has planned for us from the foundation of the world. In Christ is how we truly become survivors.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Financial Vision
2/18/2011
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” - Proverbs 29:18 NASB
You may have heard this scripture before in relation to goal setting and vision casting. It simply means that without some sort of revelation or vision, people run wild. They do what they want to do. They say what they want to say. And they are not bound to anything, which means that anyone and anything can get them off track. They never had a track to begin with.
When I think about this in relation to our financial lives, I see that there is a direct correlation between having a financial plan or financial vision and getting too off track in your finances. If you don’t have an agenda for how you want to use your money, you will be subject to anyone else's agenda. If you don’t create a plan for how you want to use your money, someone will. Maybe you will fall prey to the media’s attempt to advertise products you don’t actually need. Maybe you will be swindled by someone who tells you about a great investment that you just need to have. Maybe you will be taken by a phony nonprofit organization who begs for money for their non-existent project. Who knows? You didn’t have a vision for how you wanted to use your money, and so maybe everything looks good.
Until you have created a vision for your finances, you are subject to everyone else’s agenda. It’s not about being slave to a plan, it’s about not being slave to everyone else’s plan for your money. You have nothing guiding you when you don’t have a plan in place. Have you ever had a goal that you were saving for? Remember how you would turn down certain things to spend money on because you knew that you were going somewhere? Maybe you saved up to buy your first house and had to say no to a few pairs of shoes along the way. Maybe you had to save money to go on vacation and had to forgo a few nights out. Or maybe you wanted to save up to start that business of yours and had to eat a few packs of Ramen Noodles along the way. Whatever it, was, you had a vision. And that vision restrained you. It kept you from getting too far off track. It kept you from not hitting your goal. And it was so sweet once you reached your goal, wasn’t it?
It felt good for me to walk into the furniture store and pick out a living room set, knowing that I didn’t have to buy it on credit. I had the money saved. I had a plan for how I wanted to use it. And that plan kept me from getting off track. And kept me from having to get into debt in order to reach that goal. So I encourage you today, to begin to create a financial vision for your money. If you don’t, someone or something else will.
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” - Proverbs 29:18 NASB
You may have heard this scripture before in relation to goal setting and vision casting. It simply means that without some sort of revelation or vision, people run wild. They do what they want to do. They say what they want to say. And they are not bound to anything, which means that anyone and anything can get them off track. They never had a track to begin with.
When I think about this in relation to our financial lives, I see that there is a direct correlation between having a financial plan or financial vision and getting too off track in your finances. If you don’t have an agenda for how you want to use your money, you will be subject to anyone else's agenda. If you don’t create a plan for how you want to use your money, someone will. Maybe you will fall prey to the media’s attempt to advertise products you don’t actually need. Maybe you will be swindled by someone who tells you about a great investment that you just need to have. Maybe you will be taken by a phony nonprofit organization who begs for money for their non-existent project. Who knows? You didn’t have a vision for how you wanted to use your money, and so maybe everything looks good.
Until you have created a vision for your finances, you are subject to everyone else’s agenda. It’s not about being slave to a plan, it’s about not being slave to everyone else’s plan for your money. You have nothing guiding you when you don’t have a plan in place. Have you ever had a goal that you were saving for? Remember how you would turn down certain things to spend money on because you knew that you were going somewhere? Maybe you saved up to buy your first house and had to say no to a few pairs of shoes along the way. Maybe you had to save money to go on vacation and had to forgo a few nights out. Or maybe you wanted to save up to start that business of yours and had to eat a few packs of Ramen Noodles along the way. Whatever it, was, you had a vision. And that vision restrained you. It kept you from getting too far off track. It kept you from not hitting your goal. And it was so sweet once you reached your goal, wasn’t it?
It felt good for me to walk into the furniture store and pick out a living room set, knowing that I didn’t have to buy it on credit. I had the money saved. I had a plan for how I wanted to use it. And that plan kept me from getting off track. And kept me from having to get into debt in order to reach that goal. So I encourage you today, to begin to create a financial vision for your money. If you don’t, someone or something else will.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Who's Your Master?
6/16/2010 Who is your master?
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Luke 16: 13 (ESV)
I think about this scripture when I am faced with ethical and moral dilemmas in my profession. Working in the world of personal finance, I have to make decisions all the time regarding my master. On one hand, I can take the route of many financial advisors and sell, sell, sell anything to anyone at anytime to make a dollar. People put a lot of trust in me to recommend the appropriate financial products and services to them. They trust that what they hear from me is in their best interest and not some ploy to make money for me and cheat them. And I don’t want to abuse that trust. It can be difficult. I get tested every time I need money for something in particular and have a client sitting in front of me. They will usually say something like, “Well, what do you think I should do?” Or, “We trust you Shayna. Tell us what you think is best?” And here we are. Who is my master? Will I select the option that gets me the most income or will I choose the one that’s in their best interest? Who is my master?
Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and money. He didn’t say that we won’t serve either. He said that we cannot serve both. Everyone at some point in their life will have to make a decision about which one they will serve. And here I don’t just mean making money. I know people who make decisions based on not making money that are just as guilty of serving money as those who seek to have plenty of it. They may proclaim that money is evil and turn down every opportunity to make money in light of their perception of it. Well, you may not have money, but you are not serving God either. Why? Because your thoughts and decisions are still based on money. Not on God. What if God sends you a lump sum of money because someone in your community needs it? Would you turn it away? By doing so, are you truly following God, or are you raising your principles ahead of Him? You cannot serve God and money.
That doesn’t leave those who seek to follow the “Get money” mantra off the hook either. We are probably all guilty of doing something for money at some point in our life if we are honest with ourselves. Even if we took a job that paid well but we didn’t want. How many times have people made a decision to leave a job where they were happy in order to pursue the higher paycheck at another? How many people are guilty of getting involved in get-rich-quick schemes because of the allure of more money? And when we get money, we may use it to justify that God is with us, when that is not a good indicator. Just because you are rewarded for your labor in cash doesn’t mean that you are serving God. You don’t have to do something unethical for money in order for it to be your master. All it takes is for you to make it the basis of your decisions.
God wants to be the foundation of every decision we make. Anything that we elevate above Him will prove to fail. It’s easy to make money your master. It seems like in this world those who have it are so much better off than those who don’t. If you have ever been in a position where you needed a financial miracle, you would probably agree. At the same time, we can also become victims of making money a master by focusing too much on it in the opposite way. Sometimes poverty is you master, which is still related to money. And even that will fail you. You become so pious about your poverty that you begin to focus on it, rather than the God you claim to serve. And you may also point others to it. “See, I choose to be poor. I rejected a multi-million dollar contract because of the evil of money. Do what I do.” That is not pointing people to Christ. That’s pointing people to you. Whether it’s the acquisition or the rejection of money, if it is the basis for your decision making, you are out of order.
“The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.” Proverbs 22:2 (NLT). God is God of all. God gives and God takes away. Our duty on this earth is to follow Him wholly and trust Him for all the seasons of our lives. Know that God simply wants us to trust Him in all things. If you have a little, then use it for His glory. Be wise with what you are given because it all comes from Him. If you have much, use it for His glory. That too comes from Him. Jesus said,”Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10 NIV). Work what you have and follow Christ. Let Him alone be your master in the times when you have and when you have not. He may lead you into a season of abundant financial blessing. He may also lead you into a season of limited financial blessing. What He promised is that all of our needs would be supplied. That is the blessing. The fact that we serve a God who sees to it that we always have what we need. Allow Him to show you what a good master can do. Money will fail you. God will not. Take time to learn about the master you serve. If money is your master, you better get to know it. If God is your master you better get to know Him. I assure you God is better. But don’t take my word for it. Try Him yourself.
“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Luke 16: 13 (ESV)
I think about this scripture when I am faced with ethical and moral dilemmas in my profession. Working in the world of personal finance, I have to make decisions all the time regarding my master. On one hand, I can take the route of many financial advisors and sell, sell, sell anything to anyone at anytime to make a dollar. People put a lot of trust in me to recommend the appropriate financial products and services to them. They trust that what they hear from me is in their best interest and not some ploy to make money for me and cheat them. And I don’t want to abuse that trust. It can be difficult. I get tested every time I need money for something in particular and have a client sitting in front of me. They will usually say something like, “Well, what do you think I should do?” Or, “We trust you Shayna. Tell us what you think is best?” And here we are. Who is my master? Will I select the option that gets me the most income or will I choose the one that’s in their best interest? Who is my master?
Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and money. He didn’t say that we won’t serve either. He said that we cannot serve both. Everyone at some point in their life will have to make a decision about which one they will serve. And here I don’t just mean making money. I know people who make decisions based on not making money that are just as guilty of serving money as those who seek to have plenty of it. They may proclaim that money is evil and turn down every opportunity to make money in light of their perception of it. Well, you may not have money, but you are not serving God either. Why? Because your thoughts and decisions are still based on money. Not on God. What if God sends you a lump sum of money because someone in your community needs it? Would you turn it away? By doing so, are you truly following God, or are you raising your principles ahead of Him? You cannot serve God and money.
That doesn’t leave those who seek to follow the “Get money” mantra off the hook either. We are probably all guilty of doing something for money at some point in our life if we are honest with ourselves. Even if we took a job that paid well but we didn’t want. How many times have people made a decision to leave a job where they were happy in order to pursue the higher paycheck at another? How many people are guilty of getting involved in get-rich-quick schemes because of the allure of more money? And when we get money, we may use it to justify that God is with us, when that is not a good indicator. Just because you are rewarded for your labor in cash doesn’t mean that you are serving God. You don’t have to do something unethical for money in order for it to be your master. All it takes is for you to make it the basis of your decisions.
God wants to be the foundation of every decision we make. Anything that we elevate above Him will prove to fail. It’s easy to make money your master. It seems like in this world those who have it are so much better off than those who don’t. If you have ever been in a position where you needed a financial miracle, you would probably agree. At the same time, we can also become victims of making money a master by focusing too much on it in the opposite way. Sometimes poverty is you master, which is still related to money. And even that will fail you. You become so pious about your poverty that you begin to focus on it, rather than the God you claim to serve. And you may also point others to it. “See, I choose to be poor. I rejected a multi-million dollar contract because of the evil of money. Do what I do.” That is not pointing people to Christ. That’s pointing people to you. Whether it’s the acquisition or the rejection of money, if it is the basis for your decision making, you are out of order.
“The rich and poor have this in common: The LORD made them both.” Proverbs 22:2 (NLT). God is God of all. God gives and God takes away. Our duty on this earth is to follow Him wholly and trust Him for all the seasons of our lives. Know that God simply wants us to trust Him in all things. If you have a little, then use it for His glory. Be wise with what you are given because it all comes from Him. If you have much, use it for His glory. That too comes from Him. Jesus said,”Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10 NIV). Work what you have and follow Christ. Let Him alone be your master in the times when you have and when you have not. He may lead you into a season of abundant financial blessing. He may also lead you into a season of limited financial blessing. What He promised is that all of our needs would be supplied. That is the blessing. The fact that we serve a God who sees to it that we always have what we need. Allow Him to show you what a good master can do. Money will fail you. God will not. Take time to learn about the master you serve. If money is your master, you better get to know it. If God is your master you better get to know Him. I assure you God is better. But don’t take my word for it. Try Him yourself.
Monday, February 14, 2011
These Three Words
2/14/2011
These Three Words
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV
Ok so it’s Valentine’s Day. They day that people set aside to celebrate their love for one another. It’s cute. I’ve had some good Valentine’s Days in the past. I’ve had some not so good Valentine’s Day’s in the past. It’s a celebration of romantic love, although not historically accurate. At least here in our Western culture, we have used it this way. People get flowers and candy and spend all kinds of money doing special things for one another. (If anybody feels compelled to get me something, I like Resee’s Peanut Butter Cups). There are always Valentine’s Day specials at every store, even if it has nothing to do with the celebration of love. Valentine’s Day is big business. All of this to say I love you in consumereese.
But what I have found in life is that the words “I Love You” are sometimes very simple to say when you don’t mean it in it’s truest sense. It can roll off of your tongue until it’s time to mean what you say. Then it’s the hardest, most uncomfortable moment filled with anxiety. But after that (if it’s reciprocated) it gets easier to say. But there are three words that, to me, seem even more difficult to say no matter how many times you say it. And those words are “I Need You”.
To have to tell somebody that I need them makes me more uncomfortable that telling them that I love them. The word need opens me up to so much extra vulnerability and exposes me to more hurt, in my opinion. Somebody could take full advantage of me if they know I need them. They can use my desperation as an opportunity to hurt me deeply. And yet the truth of the matter is that we all need each other. There are probably not any truer words than “I Need You”.
I got this revelation a little while ago when I was having financial trouble. I knew that God had been teaching me something through my financial situation, but it seemed like I was about to repeat the same lesson. I thought the lesson was to sit and wait on Him to provide. That’s what it had been over the previous year. When I left my job, I started a business, and I had to have faith that God would send what I needed when I needed it. And He did. But this time it felt different. And I was frustrated with what He actually wanted me to learn here. Then it hit me. I needed to ask for help. I needed to need somebody else. And I didn’t want to do that at all.
We spend most of our lives trying to be independent. We don’t want to be a burden on other people. We like to have our own stuff. We will be happy to share what we have but don’t like to ask for help when we are in need. It’s much easier for me to say, “I love you” and share what I have then it is to say “I need you” and ask for help. But I do need you. And you need me. We need each other. There will always be times in our lives where we are in need of help from someone else. And this is how God designed us: To work together. Western society tries to get us all to be independent of one another, which is the complete opposite of how we were created to function. In this “I gotta get mine” culture, we are straying further and further away from the truth. I had to learn this lesson and am still learning it. It’s by far not easy. It’s humbling every time. But it gets me closer to living in truth, so I’ll keep pressing. So if any of you want to contribute to the “I Need You” fund that is my bank account, I will accept it with humility. Lol. But if not, then I still love you anyway.
These Three Words
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV
Ok so it’s Valentine’s Day. They day that people set aside to celebrate their love for one another. It’s cute. I’ve had some good Valentine’s Days in the past. I’ve had some not so good Valentine’s Day’s in the past. It’s a celebration of romantic love, although not historically accurate. At least here in our Western culture, we have used it this way. People get flowers and candy and spend all kinds of money doing special things for one another. (If anybody feels compelled to get me something, I like Resee’s Peanut Butter Cups). There are always Valentine’s Day specials at every store, even if it has nothing to do with the celebration of love. Valentine’s Day is big business. All of this to say I love you in consumereese.
But what I have found in life is that the words “I Love You” are sometimes very simple to say when you don’t mean it in it’s truest sense. It can roll off of your tongue until it’s time to mean what you say. Then it’s the hardest, most uncomfortable moment filled with anxiety. But after that (if it’s reciprocated) it gets easier to say. But there are three words that, to me, seem even more difficult to say no matter how many times you say it. And those words are “I Need You”.
To have to tell somebody that I need them makes me more uncomfortable that telling them that I love them. The word need opens me up to so much extra vulnerability and exposes me to more hurt, in my opinion. Somebody could take full advantage of me if they know I need them. They can use my desperation as an opportunity to hurt me deeply. And yet the truth of the matter is that we all need each other. There are probably not any truer words than “I Need You”.
I got this revelation a little while ago when I was having financial trouble. I knew that God had been teaching me something through my financial situation, but it seemed like I was about to repeat the same lesson. I thought the lesson was to sit and wait on Him to provide. That’s what it had been over the previous year. When I left my job, I started a business, and I had to have faith that God would send what I needed when I needed it. And He did. But this time it felt different. And I was frustrated with what He actually wanted me to learn here. Then it hit me. I needed to ask for help. I needed to need somebody else. And I didn’t want to do that at all.
We spend most of our lives trying to be independent. We don’t want to be a burden on other people. We like to have our own stuff. We will be happy to share what we have but don’t like to ask for help when we are in need. It’s much easier for me to say, “I love you” and share what I have then it is to say “I need you” and ask for help. But I do need you. And you need me. We need each other. There will always be times in our lives where we are in need of help from someone else. And this is how God designed us: To work together. Western society tries to get us all to be independent of one another, which is the complete opposite of how we were created to function. In this “I gotta get mine” culture, we are straying further and further away from the truth. I had to learn this lesson and am still learning it. It’s by far not easy. It’s humbling every time. But it gets me closer to living in truth, so I’ll keep pressing. So if any of you want to contribute to the “I Need You” fund that is my bank account, I will accept it with humility. Lol. But if not, then I still love you anyway.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Fruit Seekers?
6/27/2010 - Fruit Seekers?
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4 ESV
Many people enjoy fruit. Fruit is sweet and refreshing. We use it in juice, salads, desserts or just eat it plain. Most people will enjoy some type of fruit during the course of their lives. But do we ever take time to think about how it came into existence? How did this scrumptious edible item make its way from where it was to where I am?
Many fruit in its natural habitat we may find growing on a vine. Some of the sweetest fruit we enjoys grow this way. Strawberries, watermelon, grapes, kiwi, all grow on vines. From the vine grows a branch and from the branch grows the fruit. So before fruit even begins to bud, the other two items have to be in place. There must be a vine and there must be a branch. If both are in place, you have the right conditions to bear fruit.
Yet as humans, we often want the fruit without the trouble of the vine or the branch. We just want the result of what the vine and branch produce. Sometimes I think that in a non-agricultural society, we don’ get many of the references Jesus makes in describing things in Scripture. Maybe since we just go to the grocery store and pick out our fruit from a section of shelves or a pre-packaged bag, we don’t think twice about how it actually came into existence. Yet, prior to our trip to the store there was a process involved.
The vine supplies the branch all of the nourishment it needs in order to start producing fruit. The branch must stay connected to the vine in order for the process to be completed. Fruit comes later after it has gotten to the point of receiving the proper nourishment. Then buds begin to form. First it starts small, then grows larger and larger until it is ready to be picked and eaten. This process is not overnight. It does take time for these things to occur. The vinedresser must not be impatient with the branch for not producing fruit if it is not yet time. A good vinedresser knows when it is time for the branch to bear its fruit.
Jesus makes it clear that He is the vine that we must stay connected to in order for us to bear fruit. Abiding in Jesus means to make Him the focus of your life. Abiding in Him means to go to Him for everything. It means to allow Him to be the source of your everything. You get your strength from Him, your joy from Him, your peace from Him and you don’t seek it elsewhere. You remain attached to the source of your nourishment and at the right time, you will see fruit being produced without you doing anything but abiding in Him. We don’t have to focus on the fruit if we focus on Christ. The fruit is a natural byproduct of abiding in Him. When we focus on the fruit we try to do everything ourselves. We don’t even really know what kind of fruit we are supposed to bear without Him. He has to be our source.
Many people think they know what being fruitful means. Maybe to some it means having a nice car or large house or even a bountiful bank account. But all of these things will be left right here when they go to be with God. That cannot be the extent of what Jesus is talking about when He says that we shall bear fruit. The fruit that comes from abiding in Him will have nothing to do with money but everything to do with peace. It won’t have anything to do with the size of your house, but everything to do with who you invited to your home. It won’t have anything to do with your car, but who you gave a ride. It won’t have anything to do with the size of your bank account but everything to do with whom you blessed with your financial wealth. The fruit that Jesus speaks of is not material. When we focus on material wealth we are looking to bear the wrong fruit. When we seek after these things instead of learning to abide in Christ, we are not producing anything eternal at all. Anything we do produce will wither and die. How long can fruit actually last when it is disconnected from its vine? Not long at all. Remain in Christ and a fruitful life will not ever be an issue.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4 ESV
Many people enjoy fruit. Fruit is sweet and refreshing. We use it in juice, salads, desserts or just eat it plain. Most people will enjoy some type of fruit during the course of their lives. But do we ever take time to think about how it came into existence? How did this scrumptious edible item make its way from where it was to where I am?
Many fruit in its natural habitat we may find growing on a vine. Some of the sweetest fruit we enjoys grow this way. Strawberries, watermelon, grapes, kiwi, all grow on vines. From the vine grows a branch and from the branch grows the fruit. So before fruit even begins to bud, the other two items have to be in place. There must be a vine and there must be a branch. If both are in place, you have the right conditions to bear fruit.
Yet as humans, we often want the fruit without the trouble of the vine or the branch. We just want the result of what the vine and branch produce. Sometimes I think that in a non-agricultural society, we don’ get many of the references Jesus makes in describing things in Scripture. Maybe since we just go to the grocery store and pick out our fruit from a section of shelves or a pre-packaged bag, we don’t think twice about how it actually came into existence. Yet, prior to our trip to the store there was a process involved.
The vine supplies the branch all of the nourishment it needs in order to start producing fruit. The branch must stay connected to the vine in order for the process to be completed. Fruit comes later after it has gotten to the point of receiving the proper nourishment. Then buds begin to form. First it starts small, then grows larger and larger until it is ready to be picked and eaten. This process is not overnight. It does take time for these things to occur. The vinedresser must not be impatient with the branch for not producing fruit if it is not yet time. A good vinedresser knows when it is time for the branch to bear its fruit.
Jesus makes it clear that He is the vine that we must stay connected to in order for us to bear fruit. Abiding in Jesus means to make Him the focus of your life. Abiding in Him means to go to Him for everything. It means to allow Him to be the source of your everything. You get your strength from Him, your joy from Him, your peace from Him and you don’t seek it elsewhere. You remain attached to the source of your nourishment and at the right time, you will see fruit being produced without you doing anything but abiding in Him. We don’t have to focus on the fruit if we focus on Christ. The fruit is a natural byproduct of abiding in Him. When we focus on the fruit we try to do everything ourselves. We don’t even really know what kind of fruit we are supposed to bear without Him. He has to be our source.
Many people think they know what being fruitful means. Maybe to some it means having a nice car or large house or even a bountiful bank account. But all of these things will be left right here when they go to be with God. That cannot be the extent of what Jesus is talking about when He says that we shall bear fruit. The fruit that comes from abiding in Him will have nothing to do with money but everything to do with peace. It won’t have anything to do with the size of your house, but everything to do with who you invited to your home. It won’t have anything to do with your car, but who you gave a ride. It won’t have anything to do with the size of your bank account but everything to do with whom you blessed with your financial wealth. The fruit that Jesus speaks of is not material. When we focus on material wealth we are looking to bear the wrong fruit. When we seek after these things instead of learning to abide in Christ, we are not producing anything eternal at all. Anything we do produce will wither and die. How long can fruit actually last when it is disconnected from its vine? Not long at all. Remain in Christ and a fruitful life will not ever be an issue.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Faithful in the least
6/16/2010 Faithful in the least
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10 ESV
What do you consider to be beneath you? So many people these days are talking about the great person that they have been created to become. And they tell the truth. God has a great plan for all of us in some way shape or form. We are all destined to be great in God’s eyes. But what does that look like to us now? Do we consider that our greatness may not result in fame and fortune but in the transformation of our family? Do we consider that greatness may be the transformation our our local community? Or do we see greatness as being accompanied by status and accolade? What is greatness really?
If we walk in the truth of God, we will know that all things come from Him alone. Both those who lead and those who follow are great in His eyes, because they are both a part of His plan. So greatness is rooted in God. And so is our perceived elevation or perceived demotion in this world. Sometimes God will send you to a place that you consider to be beneath you before He takes you to the place He shows you. He’ll give you the promise of the promised land and then take you through the wilderness. He tells you that you are called to be King of Israel and then sends you running for your life for over a decade. He comes to save the world from their sin and is brutally murdered on a cross. These promises come to pass, but are preceded by a time of being faithful in that which appears to be beneath the promise. Can you be trusted in that which is beneath your promise?
Looking at Jesus, coming to earth was totally beneath Him. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV. Yet He walked this earth obediently for thirty three years and became the required sacrifice for sin, for our sakes. He did what was “beneath” Him. He was faithful in the least. When you are God, the least thing you could do is to become human. When you are without sin, the least thing you can do is to become sin for the sake of others. You cannot get much lower than that.
We all have a call to fulfill on this earth. Yet the promotion from God comes after our being faithful in the least we can do. We may gripe and complain about where we are at the moment, knowing that we are destined for more. But God knows that if you can be faithful in the least of things, you will also be able to be trusted with more. God will not give the more to those who cannot be trusted in the least.
So be careful when you find yourself in a situation that is “beneath” you. It may be just the next step to your promotion to more. Be faithful in the least and become ruler over much.
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10 ESV
What do you consider to be beneath you? So many people these days are talking about the great person that they have been created to become. And they tell the truth. God has a great plan for all of us in some way shape or form. We are all destined to be great in God’s eyes. But what does that look like to us now? Do we consider that our greatness may not result in fame and fortune but in the transformation of our family? Do we consider that greatness may be the transformation our our local community? Or do we see greatness as being accompanied by status and accolade? What is greatness really?
If we walk in the truth of God, we will know that all things come from Him alone. Both those who lead and those who follow are great in His eyes, because they are both a part of His plan. So greatness is rooted in God. And so is our perceived elevation or perceived demotion in this world. Sometimes God will send you to a place that you consider to be beneath you before He takes you to the place He shows you. He’ll give you the promise of the promised land and then take you through the wilderness. He tells you that you are called to be King of Israel and then sends you running for your life for over a decade. He comes to save the world from their sin and is brutally murdered on a cross. These promises come to pass, but are preceded by a time of being faithful in that which appears to be beneath the promise. Can you be trusted in that which is beneath your promise?
Looking at Jesus, coming to earth was totally beneath Him. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV. Yet He walked this earth obediently for thirty three years and became the required sacrifice for sin, for our sakes. He did what was “beneath” Him. He was faithful in the least. When you are God, the least thing you could do is to become human. When you are without sin, the least thing you can do is to become sin for the sake of others. You cannot get much lower than that.
We all have a call to fulfill on this earth. Yet the promotion from God comes after our being faithful in the least we can do. We may gripe and complain about where we are at the moment, knowing that we are destined for more. But God knows that if you can be faithful in the least of things, you will also be able to be trusted with more. God will not give the more to those who cannot be trusted in the least.
So be careful when you find yourself in a situation that is “beneath” you. It may be just the next step to your promotion to more. Be faithful in the least and become ruler over much.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Consider The Birds
6/27/2010 - Consider the birds
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Matthew 6:26 NIV
Early in the morning you may wake up to hear birds singing. I often wonder what they are actually saying in “bird-speak”. It sounds so chipper to me. As if they don’t have a care in the world. They fly around and observe things. Somehow they also eat. They find food when necessary. There are no job descriptions or annual goals for them to hit. They simply exist as birds and do what birds do.
Jesus tells us to look at them as an example of why it makes no sense for us to worry. God takes care of the birds. God is the one who provides their food. They don’t have employment contracts or at will positions. Their benefits package comes from God alone. And he provides continually for them. Jesus says that they don’t sow or reap or even store away things in barns. Basically, they have nothing to offer God. (No offense birds). And the truth of the matter is, neither do we.
Everything we have that is of any value to this world first came from God anyway. These gifts and talents we use to earn a living are really just our taking what God has given and using it to earn money. But what if we could stop focusing on that long enough to allow ourselves to just be us. Just be yourself and allow God to truly provide for you. We spend an inordinate amount of time at our jobs in order to provide “good lives” for ourselves and our families. So many people are overworked. We spend little time with our families and even less with our God. Please don’t think that I am telling you to stop working. I’m actually telling to to start working on purpose instead of working for money.
When we can become instead of doing, we allow God another level of reign over us. We don’t really have anything to offer Him except that which He has given. Wouldn’t He feed us if we could give what He has given us back to Him? Aren’t we more valuable than birds to Him? Don’t we carry His breath in us? This is our challenge. To stop worrying about our material needs so much that we cannot become what we were created to be. God will take care of you. Give back to Him what He has given you and let everything else take care of itself.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
Matthew 6:26 NIV
Early in the morning you may wake up to hear birds singing. I often wonder what they are actually saying in “bird-speak”. It sounds so chipper to me. As if they don’t have a care in the world. They fly around and observe things. Somehow they also eat. They find food when necessary. There are no job descriptions or annual goals for them to hit. They simply exist as birds and do what birds do.
Jesus tells us to look at them as an example of why it makes no sense for us to worry. God takes care of the birds. God is the one who provides their food. They don’t have employment contracts or at will positions. Their benefits package comes from God alone. And he provides continually for them. Jesus says that they don’t sow or reap or even store away things in barns. Basically, they have nothing to offer God. (No offense birds). And the truth of the matter is, neither do we.
Everything we have that is of any value to this world first came from God anyway. These gifts and talents we use to earn a living are really just our taking what God has given and using it to earn money. But what if we could stop focusing on that long enough to allow ourselves to just be us. Just be yourself and allow God to truly provide for you. We spend an inordinate amount of time at our jobs in order to provide “good lives” for ourselves and our families. So many people are overworked. We spend little time with our families and even less with our God. Please don’t think that I am telling you to stop working. I’m actually telling to to start working on purpose instead of working for money.
When we can become instead of doing, we allow God another level of reign over us. We don’t really have anything to offer Him except that which He has given. Wouldn’t He feed us if we could give what He has given us back to Him? Aren’t we more valuable than birds to Him? Don’t we carry His breath in us? This is our challenge. To stop worrying about our material needs so much that we cannot become what we were created to be. God will take care of you. Give back to Him what He has given you and let everything else take care of itself.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Never Satisfied
6/19/2010 - Never Satisfied
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 KJV
Why is it that no matter how much we have we still want more? It seems like a never ending quest. No matter how many things I have that I have prayed for, labored for or received, it is just not enough. The media convinces us that there is so much more available to us if we would just go get it. They convince us that these things are necessary to live. We live in a society that is never satisfied with what we have. But this is not unique to just our society. This has been true of mankind from the beginning of time.
God gave Adam free reign to eat from any tree of the garden except one. And by eating from that one, he would die. And sure enough, that is exactly what happened. God gives us so much. We have more than enough of what we need to live and live well. Yet our hearts if not turned towards God will cause us to see that one thing we do not have and focus our attention on that. That one thing that we desire yet don’t yet have. The one thing that it seems that God is withholding from us. That one thing that makes us think that God is not treating us fairly. And when we seek to obtain that which we seem to think God is withholding, we eat of it and die.
This plays out for us in our relationships. No mater how much we have with our present relationship, we seem to focus on the one thing that is missing. And when we try to obtain that one thing that is missing from another source, what we have dies. How many good relationships have been destroyed because of the perceived lack of one thing? How many people have gotten their hearts broken because their partner sought the one thing it seemed they desired above all else they already possessed? How many hearts have been turned away from the abundance of what they have in pursuit of what they think they do not?
Financially speaking, how many of us have turned away from the blessing we already have to pursue the desire for what we do not? How many times have we forsaken our present God-given present circumstances for the pursuit of what we see others having. We are not satisfied with our present home, so we do everything we can to get another one. Our present car is not up to date enough so we go and finance another one even when our credit is bad. We take second jobs in order to keep the lifestyle we have instead of downsizing. And the pursuit of these things seem to kill what we already have. The grass always looks greener on the other side. There will always be somebody with more than you. There will always, in this world be the allure of more possessions, more wealth, more fame, more fortune. It may seem as though God is being unfair to you by not releasing to you what it appears exists for others.
And yet, God is not withholding anything from us. He gives us everything we need in its time. The option to try to pursue what you think He is withholding from you through other means will only lead to destruction. Jesus knew that all things have a process. He was both God and man and yet went through a process to obtain all power. He came to earth as a child and went through His own process, just like us. He was tempted in the wilderness to try to speed up the process of what God was going to give Him. The devil tempted Him in this way. Maybe the devil is tempting you the same way. Maybe he is trying to get you to speed up the process of obtaining what God already intends to give you. Maybe he is trying to convince you that it will never be yours unless you go do something right now.
Don’t believe the hype. God has already promised that you will lack nothing in Him. God has already promised that this thing will come to pass. Do not try to make it happen by your own means when your responsibility is simply to trust Him. You have so many things to be thankful for right here and right now. By trying to focus on the one thing you may not have, you will only cause more harm than good. And what you do have is your connection to the creator of the universe who knows all, possesses all, and can do all things. You have a relationship to a God who hears your prayers. You have a God who cares about you. Stay true to your hope in God and allow Him to provide all of your needs and even your desires. Eat from the trees that have already been provided. And trust Him to give you what you truly desire. Do not allow an enemy to convince you that God is not to be trusted. Do not allow an enemy to tempt you to speed up the process. Let God give you all things according to their divine timing.
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17 KJV
Why is it that no matter how much we have we still want more? It seems like a never ending quest. No matter how many things I have that I have prayed for, labored for or received, it is just not enough. The media convinces us that there is so much more available to us if we would just go get it. They convince us that these things are necessary to live. We live in a society that is never satisfied with what we have. But this is not unique to just our society. This has been true of mankind from the beginning of time.
God gave Adam free reign to eat from any tree of the garden except one. And by eating from that one, he would die. And sure enough, that is exactly what happened. God gives us so much. We have more than enough of what we need to live and live well. Yet our hearts if not turned towards God will cause us to see that one thing we do not have and focus our attention on that. That one thing that we desire yet don’t yet have. The one thing that it seems that God is withholding from us. That one thing that makes us think that God is not treating us fairly. And when we seek to obtain that which we seem to think God is withholding, we eat of it and die.
This plays out for us in our relationships. No mater how much we have with our present relationship, we seem to focus on the one thing that is missing. And when we try to obtain that one thing that is missing from another source, what we have dies. How many good relationships have been destroyed because of the perceived lack of one thing? How many people have gotten their hearts broken because their partner sought the one thing it seemed they desired above all else they already possessed? How many hearts have been turned away from the abundance of what they have in pursuit of what they think they do not?
Financially speaking, how many of us have turned away from the blessing we already have to pursue the desire for what we do not? How many times have we forsaken our present God-given present circumstances for the pursuit of what we see others having. We are not satisfied with our present home, so we do everything we can to get another one. Our present car is not up to date enough so we go and finance another one even when our credit is bad. We take second jobs in order to keep the lifestyle we have instead of downsizing. And the pursuit of these things seem to kill what we already have. The grass always looks greener on the other side. There will always be somebody with more than you. There will always, in this world be the allure of more possessions, more wealth, more fame, more fortune. It may seem as though God is being unfair to you by not releasing to you what it appears exists for others.
And yet, God is not withholding anything from us. He gives us everything we need in its time. The option to try to pursue what you think He is withholding from you through other means will only lead to destruction. Jesus knew that all things have a process. He was both God and man and yet went through a process to obtain all power. He came to earth as a child and went through His own process, just like us. He was tempted in the wilderness to try to speed up the process of what God was going to give Him. The devil tempted Him in this way. Maybe the devil is tempting you the same way. Maybe he is trying to get you to speed up the process of obtaining what God already intends to give you. Maybe he is trying to convince you that it will never be yours unless you go do something right now.
Don’t believe the hype. God has already promised that you will lack nothing in Him. God has already promised that this thing will come to pass. Do not try to make it happen by your own means when your responsibility is simply to trust Him. You have so many things to be thankful for right here and right now. By trying to focus on the one thing you may not have, you will only cause more harm than good. And what you do have is your connection to the creator of the universe who knows all, possesses all, and can do all things. You have a relationship to a God who hears your prayers. You have a God who cares about you. Stay true to your hope in God and allow Him to provide all of your needs and even your desires. Eat from the trees that have already been provided. And trust Him to give you what you truly desire. Do not allow an enemy to convince you that God is not to be trusted. Do not allow an enemy to tempt you to speed up the process. Let God give you all things according to their divine timing.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Money And Emotions
6/29/2010 - Money and Emotions
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. - Proverbs 4:23 NIV
Do you know what a wellspring is? It is the source of a stream or a spring. In other words, it’s where the stream or spring gets its supply. The wellspring has to be in good condition in order to supply the spring or stream with what it really needs. If the wellspring is corrupted or tainted, everything that gets its supply from it will be the same. There is no way to get a clean spring from a dirty wellspring.
When I think about most of the issues we face in life, there is always a source of them. There is always a place where something comes from. When I hear someone telling me about decisions they made, they are making them in light of other things they may not articulate at that moment. No thought, idea or action comes from nowhere. They all have a source. And that source is our heart. Our heart is responsible for being the wellspring of our life. Everything we do comes from the condition of our heart. And many times that is scary.
Some of the worst financial decisions made come from being in a poor emotional state. Think about it: How many times have you self medicated by shopping? Or taken a trip on your credit card because you “just had to get away!” Or how many things have you purchased to impress someone else? Or not paid a bill because you just didn’t want to deal with your finances at that time? These decisions don’t come from an abyss. These decisions have a root in your heart. Unfortunately, we don’t always take stock of what is truly happening in our hearts. Hurts that we have not allowed God to heal. Issues that we keep avoiding addressing in prayer. Areas of our life that we are trying to still control. Things in our life that God is too good to let us continue to ignore. All of these things can manifest themselves in our finances.
Guarding our hearts has not only spiritual implications, but practical implications as well. I firmly believe that if people would allow God to heal their hearts, they would not be in many of the financial predicaments they find themselves in time after time. Your financial decision making comes from your heart. The things you refuse to deal with, the things you avoid and even the things you may not yet know about. Only God can truly reveal what is in ours or anyone else’s heart. What we see in our lives is the manifestation of what our heart looks like. That may not be pretty. Perhaps a change in your finances must start with a change in your prayer: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NIV).
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. - Proverbs 4:23 NIV
Do you know what a wellspring is? It is the source of a stream or a spring. In other words, it’s where the stream or spring gets its supply. The wellspring has to be in good condition in order to supply the spring or stream with what it really needs. If the wellspring is corrupted or tainted, everything that gets its supply from it will be the same. There is no way to get a clean spring from a dirty wellspring.
When I think about most of the issues we face in life, there is always a source of them. There is always a place where something comes from. When I hear someone telling me about decisions they made, they are making them in light of other things they may not articulate at that moment. No thought, idea or action comes from nowhere. They all have a source. And that source is our heart. Our heart is responsible for being the wellspring of our life. Everything we do comes from the condition of our heart. And many times that is scary.
Some of the worst financial decisions made come from being in a poor emotional state. Think about it: How many times have you self medicated by shopping? Or taken a trip on your credit card because you “just had to get away!” Or how many things have you purchased to impress someone else? Or not paid a bill because you just didn’t want to deal with your finances at that time? These decisions don’t come from an abyss. These decisions have a root in your heart. Unfortunately, we don’t always take stock of what is truly happening in our hearts. Hurts that we have not allowed God to heal. Issues that we keep avoiding addressing in prayer. Areas of our life that we are trying to still control. Things in our life that God is too good to let us continue to ignore. All of these things can manifest themselves in our finances.
Guarding our hearts has not only spiritual implications, but practical implications as well. I firmly believe that if people would allow God to heal their hearts, they would not be in many of the financial predicaments they find themselves in time after time. Your financial decision making comes from your heart. The things you refuse to deal with, the things you avoid and even the things you may not yet know about. Only God can truly reveal what is in ours or anyone else’s heart. What we see in our lives is the manifestation of what our heart looks like. That may not be pretty. Perhaps a change in your finances must start with a change in your prayer: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 NIV).
Introduction
Hey People,
So I decided to start a blog so that I can get all this stuff out of me into the electronic world. I have these conversations with random people at random times and many find it beneficial. Not because I'm brilliant or anything, but because it's helpful to see things differently sometimes and hear my opinion on some matters. Namely, God, love and money.
Many people know the financial advisor side of me mostly because that's all I've given them for the last elven years of my life. But many people don't know that I have also spent the last six years studying to be a pastor. Well, I didn't want to be a pastor when I started. I actually just wanted to learn more about scripture. I tried to avoid the pastoral part of my calling for a long time. Primarily because the vision I had of pastors was something I didn't want to be. I don't like the institutional church that much. I think it does a poor job of actually pointing people to God and an even poorer job of bearing the fruit of the spirit. But that could be just my opinion. I just didn't want to be a part of that system. Then over the years God showed me that He created me for something new. I didn't have to be what I saw, if He gave me a new vision. And I realized that the point of your biggest frustration is sometimes the very thing God uses to create something new. And I finally stopped fighting. I surrendered. It only took six years. But that's better than forty I guess. So I can finally say "Yes" when people ask me do I want to be a pastor. I used to say, "Weeeellllll, not really." So I still don't kow what it fully looks like yet, but stay tuned. Maybe we can find out together.
My other passion is money. Most people knopw that already. I really do love managing money for people. I can't even tell you why, but it has a lot to do with my pastoral calling. I love watching people build up their financial lives and grow and mature and learn in the area of financial literacy. That's one of the reasons I left my plush corporate job in financial services and took it to the streets again. It's a rush that Corporate America can't touch for me. No matter how much they paid me. (Well maybe I would think about it for like $500k or something. I mean I could do it for a little while). But truthfully I wouldn't last long. It's not where my heart is. So I gotta move in the direction of my desire. And this blog is just a piece of that new direction.
Over the last year of my life I have grown in many ways and gotten a lot of revelation about myself, God, relationships, and of course money. So this blog is a taste of some of what God has shown me about the world and questions I am still asking. And somehow I have been able to tie all of this to money. Go figure. Our finances are usually just a pointer to other things. So let's talk about it.
So I hope you enjoy the posts and please give me some feedback on what you read.
Shalom!
So I decided to start a blog so that I can get all this stuff out of me into the electronic world. I have these conversations with random people at random times and many find it beneficial. Not because I'm brilliant or anything, but because it's helpful to see things differently sometimes and hear my opinion on some matters. Namely, God, love and money.
Many people know the financial advisor side of me mostly because that's all I've given them for the last elven years of my life. But many people don't know that I have also spent the last six years studying to be a pastor. Well, I didn't want to be a pastor when I started. I actually just wanted to learn more about scripture. I tried to avoid the pastoral part of my calling for a long time. Primarily because the vision I had of pastors was something I didn't want to be. I don't like the institutional church that much. I think it does a poor job of actually pointing people to God and an even poorer job of bearing the fruit of the spirit. But that could be just my opinion. I just didn't want to be a part of that system. Then over the years God showed me that He created me for something new. I didn't have to be what I saw, if He gave me a new vision. And I realized that the point of your biggest frustration is sometimes the very thing God uses to create something new. And I finally stopped fighting. I surrendered. It only took six years. But that's better than forty I guess. So I can finally say "Yes" when people ask me do I want to be a pastor. I used to say, "Weeeellllll, not really." So I still don't kow what it fully looks like yet, but stay tuned. Maybe we can find out together.
My other passion is money. Most people knopw that already. I really do love managing money for people. I can't even tell you why, but it has a lot to do with my pastoral calling. I love watching people build up their financial lives and grow and mature and learn in the area of financial literacy. That's one of the reasons I left my plush corporate job in financial services and took it to the streets again. It's a rush that Corporate America can't touch for me. No matter how much they paid me. (Well maybe I would think about it for like $500k or something. I mean I could do it for a little while). But truthfully I wouldn't last long. It's not where my heart is. So I gotta move in the direction of my desire. And this blog is just a piece of that new direction.
Over the last year of my life I have grown in many ways and gotten a lot of revelation about myself, God, relationships, and of course money. So this blog is a taste of some of what God has shown me about the world and questions I am still asking. And somehow I have been able to tie all of this to money. Go figure. Our finances are usually just a pointer to other things. So let's talk about it.
So I hope you enjoy the posts and please give me some feedback on what you read.
Shalom!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)