Making Tough Calls

Everyday is filled with decisions. From the moment we get up until the time we go to bed, we decide things. For instance, we make a decision to get up in the morning. Not much happens if this first thing taking place, does it? Half of life is simply showing up. Then, we decide if we will do body maintenance. Will I take a bath, brush my teeth, and use deodorant? The answer to these questions should always be “yes”. I am proud of America for many reasons. However, one of our great national boasts are chain stores which promote proper hygiene—Bath and Body Works; Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Next, what will I wear? There are people who try on three outfits each morning before getting it right.

Once we getting going, now the really big decisions begin. Big decisions usually come in the form of big questions. How do you decide to take a job or quit a job? How do you determine whom to marry? How do you raise kids or even to have kids? Do I believe in God? If I believe in God, will I have a relationship with Him? What is the proper use of my money and stuff? Where should I spend my time? Who sets my value?

These questions, and more, come across the radar of individual lives everyday. Our answers to questions make up our choices. Our choices make up our behavior. Our behavior determines our habits. Our habits determine lifestyle. Finally, our lifestyle determines our destiny. Much is won or lost by our decision-making.
It interesting that information to questions has never been more readily accessible. With the stroke a few computer keys, people can find out the facts about any subject imaginable. The internet has made information available to the masses. We currently live in the Information Age due to this rapid flow of facts. In bygone era Sergeant Friday, Dragnet, would often say to witnesses, “The facts, mamam, just the facts.” In reality the facts simply don’t help us make good decisions. Many times, information overload paralyzes individuals from making good decisions. What is missing in American culture is not an understanding of the knowledge; it is an understanding of wisdom.

Knowledge is something that people glean from the facts. People with knowledge do well at Trivial Pursuit. Wisdom is something that is imparted by God. Here some practical instructions on how to make good decision making from God’s Word. There are three sources to assimilate information into wisdom.

First we must listen to the counsel from above. God’s Word, the Bible, is essential to making good decisions. John 1:1 says, “ In the beginning was the word and the word was God.” The Bible clearly speaks God’s truth to humanity. If a person claims to love God, they love His Word. It is amazing how many times we say we believe the Bible, yet do not understand what it says. Jay Leno has made his “Jay Walking” segment famous by exploiting the biblical illiteracy of people. We must simply say we believe the Bible, we must do what it says.

Next, we must listen to the counsel from without. God has placed in each person’s life others with Godly wisdom. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” You need people who will tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear. These people must be motivated by a fearless faith otherwise they will lead you to a frightened faith. Stay away from dream killer, but seek godly counsel.

Lastly, trust the counsel within. John 14:26 states, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” If you are spending time with God, you must believe He will make His will clear to you. As you spend time with Him, your thoughts and desires become His. The Holy Spirit is imparted to believers to guide them. Sadly, many people never live life in the power the Holy Spirit provides. Break the mold.

We all make decisions everyday. Some decisions are big. Other decisions are small. But, all decisions must be made with a respect to the counsels from above, without, and within.

Speed and Soul

Last winter, I had a chance to ski. Which is a great memory as we suffer through another brutal, Texas Summer. I had not skied in a decade and did not know how well I would pick it back up. To my surprise, I immediately started where I last had stopped. Skiing is a great sport. It involves beautiful scenery, speed, and limitless possibilities. There is nothing better than hitting a steep slope, with the iPod blaring, shooting through moguls. However, one bare spot on the slope, can bring a good time to a screeching halt. A bare spot is a place on the mountain where the snow has worn thin and exposes the rocks below. When a ski hits a bare spot at a great rate of speed, the ski comes to a stop, while the skier's body tends to stay in motion, which normally resembles a snowball rolling down hill. While fun to watch others in this condition, it is not fun to experience yourself.

I have noticed in my own life that there are times my soul hits bare spots. I will be making great spiritual progress and then all of a sudden, I come to a screeching halt. For instance when my soul is bare, I suffer from a bit of road rage. I am certain I am the only person who knows how to drive and resent the fact that others are using my roadways. I am sure I am the only one this happens to? Or, I find that my patience with other people tends to wane. I can't get them to what I want them to do. Don't these people realize that people who think they know everything messes things up for people like me who really do know everything. In times of Soul barrenness, I tend to be less grateful and more critical. I notice petty imperfections in people and things instead of being grateful I have been give the blessings of family, friends, and others, as well as more material possessions than 50% of the world's population. So, when and why do these soul barren seasons occur?

It has taken me years to figure this condition out, but SPEED KILLS. Speed can and will kill your soul. Now, I am not advocating laziness or complacency, but you can only go as fast as the soul will allow. Look at Isaiah 40:27-31....
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. (ESV)

Notice, a couple of key points. First, everyone is going to lose energy--- "even youths shall faith and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted". Did you know this about you? You and I are not built for an infinite amount of activity. We are finite in our abilities. While we would like to think of ourselves as energizer bunnies, we are eventually going to reach our breaking point. I find great comfort in recognizing that in Christ's own life and ministry, he took time to rest. In fact, Jesus spent time at the mountains, the beach, and the desert. Ironically, these sames locations are among some of the most popular vacation spots still.

Second, notice only One can give energy, namely God --"but they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength". Waiting...what is that like. Waiting can be like a doctor's waiting room; a place where you read some out of date magazines, visit with some strangers,wait for your name to be called, while hoping to not contract some new disease. I do not believe this is the message of this text. Waiting is more of the idea of the waiter. I have met only one person in my life who wanted to be a professional waiter. Most waiters or waitresses in restaurants are waiting tables to get to another place in life. Maybe they are a student waiting tables through college, or a person in-between jobs waiting on a better opportunity. When we hit a bare spot, waiting may mean serving others until you get a new assignment. I greatly admire people who actively wait in times of transition such as loss of a job, death of a loved one, or other major life change.

In addition, "waiting on the Lord" is not just about serving, it is also about sitting. Specifically, it is about sitting at Christ's feet. You may remember the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was busy waiting tables literally, which Christ did not condemn. However, Mary sat waiting at his feet. Closeness to Christ brings confidence to his people. When we sit at Christ's feet, he speaks to us at our point of need and it refreshes, revives, and strengthens our threadbare souls.

So, Speed Kills. You can only go as fast as your Soul will allow. When you see bare spots beginning to show, which by the way, others see them too. You might need to remember you are finite...everyone is going to run out of energy. And then WAIT, because there is only one who gives energy. As you WAIT, remember to SERVE and to SIT. Once you do this, you can get back to making good time.

Defining Moments

Character seems to show themselves small ways everyday. Most people have figured out how to look good and be good in front of an audience. The audience brings with it some built in accountability. However, true character can only be revealed when no one is looking. It is in moments of solitude, when no one will ever know what we did or how we did it, that the substance of who we are is revealed.

For instance, have you ever gotten too much change back from a cashier? I remember candidly as a 10-year-old boy in Sherman, Texas riding my bike, the Redline 600a, to the local 7-11 on a hot, summer day to enjoy the pleasures of a cherry icee, some skittles, and a couple of dollars worth of Mrs. Pac Man, one of the greatest games ever created. Having procured my culinary delights and not really paying attention to exchange of commerce, which had just transpired, I began to limber up my fingers for what would prove to be at least 10-12 minutes of high paced excitement. As I was putting the money into my pocket, I realized I have been given a ten-dollar bill, some one-dollar bills, and some coins. Knowing I had only brought a ten-dollar bill with me on my journey, I knew the cashier had made a mistake. At that moment, my 10-year-old mind began to consider the possibilities. This had just become the greatest day ever. This newfound fortune, because ten bucks is a lot of money when you’re ten, was going to provide me which hours of entertainment and benevolent possibilities. I immediately determined to invest a least five-dollars into the successful annihilation of Mrs. Pac Man. Then, my thoughts turned benevolent. I found myself seriously considering the possibility of buying Big Reds for everyone in the place.

Then it happened. I began to hear the voice in my head. It wasn’t just any voice; it was her voice – my mother. Why was this tyrant plaguing me now? Wasn’t it enough I had done my chores? Even three blocks away, her mom radar was picking up the joy of my new found wealth and this must be why she was out to destroy it. The voice was louder and louder, until I could not take it anymore. The voice was reminding me of what we had been learning over these last few months at the kitchen table. The first phrase that stood out was, “Thy shall not Steal.” While we didn’t usually use the King James Version of the Bible, preferring the New International Version, a poster displaying the Ten Commandments articulated this command with this verbiage. Having grasped, even at the age of ten, that stealing was not limited to bank robberies and carjackings, I knew to keep the money would be stealing. In my mind I began to justify how the oversight of the cashier was not my fault. I dug my heels in firmly, believing the man behind the counter would learn a good lesson from this experience.

Then it happened. I began to hear the voice in my heart. It wasn’t just any voice; it was His voice—my Lord. Have you ever noticed when God is speaking to you directly, even at 10-years-old, you figure out quickly you don’t need to talk back. There are just some conversations you are not going to win. I began to realize that not giving back this money was really not about the money. It was about my obedience to do what was right when no one was looking simply because of God’s command. I either believed in Him and as He said or I didn’t. Even when it is painful, it is still nice to be close enough to the Lord to hear His voice.

So I made my way back to the counter. I told the man what had happened. As it turned out, he could have gotten fired for being short of money in his cash register, this is something you don’t think about when you are 10-years-old. He thanked me, said he appreciated my honesty, and gave me a Slo Poke; the Slo Poke the caramel nougat that can survive nuclear fallout. As I rode home, having enjoyed my icee and 10-12 minutes of Mrs. Pac Man, I rode home with my character in tact…and a Slo Poke.

Storms of Life

It is amazing how one phone call can change a life. Or, one diagnosis can rock a family. Or, one accident can alter ones existence. Or, one decision can damage so many lives. Bad things happen to everyone. Good people, bad people, rich people, poor people, smart people, simple people all have storms which rage in their lives. Hardship is the common denominator of human existence.

Understanding God is sovereign over all people, places, and things, why does He allow storms to rage in our lives? If God can stop calamity from occurring, why does he allow it to continue?

Volumes have been written on this topic, but essentially two types of storms are allowed into our lives. God allows storms of perfection and storms of correction to enter into our lives.

For instance, the biblical example of Job demonstrates a storm of perfection. Scripture states that Job was a blameless man, who was put through extreme trials. Through Job’s trial his faith was perfected. James 1:2-4 states:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

When we find ourselves in life’s storms, we must ask is this a storm of perfection?

Next, the biblical example of Jonah demonstrates a storm of correction. Scripture states that God commanded Jonah to preach to the city of Nineveh. Resisting God’s will, Jonah headed in the opposite direction. He finds himself on a ship, in a storm, a storm of correction. Eventually, Jonah is partially digested by a fish and regurgitated onto the land. Jonah experienced the discipline of God. God loved Jonah enough not to let him continue in his sin. Hebrews 12:7 states:

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?”When we find ourselves in life’s storms, we must ask is this a storm of correction?

In conclusion, Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble, but that He had overcome the world (John 16:33). If Christ Himself us told about troubles to come and if He Himself endured the storms of life personally, we should not be surprised by the storms. Simply, we must ask, “Is this for my perfection or correction?”

The Highest Court in the Land

In the United States, the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and has the final say. For a case to make it to the Supreme Court, it must first pass through two levels of the federal court system. A case must first be tried at the U.S. District court level. Then, depending on the outcome, one party can make an appeal to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Assuming satisfaction is still not gained, a party can solicit the case before the Supreme Court, assuming the Court will receive the case.
In the same way, people try our “cases”, or seek approval, everyday in one of three courts in life: the court of public opinion, the court of personal conviction, or the court of the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 4: 3-4, the Apostle Paul says, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me (NIV).”
The court of public opinion seems to be court where most people seek approval. Politicians cannot make the smallest decision without the proverbial opinion poll. Dr. Phil and Oprah run more homes than parents. Madison Avenue, the media, and peers tend to determine the norms and values of Americans in general. Whether small town or big city, churched or unchurched, old or young, people innately desire the approval of others. What gives? Public opinion is the lowest court of appeals in God’s judiciary. Great men, women, and organizations never allows the winds of public opinion set the course of their destiny. Many times the crowd is wrong. Heeding the advice of public opinion will make one socially accepted and personally unfulfilled.
The court of personal conviction is the second court many people seek their approval in. In the postmodern world, it has become accepted that ones personal interpretation of the truth cannot be questioned or proven wrong. Tolerance rules the day. Truth is gleaned largely through personal experience. Basically, whatever is working for a person is true for them. Therefore all roads can lead to heaven and any lifestyle choice is valid based on the individual’s experience. Truth acquired through personal experience breaks down when one understands how small their individual experiences are in relationship to the larger world. Cultural conditioners and personal heritage create individual biases and even prejudices. While it is important to have personal convictions, they are not the ultimate gauges of right and wrong.
The Supreme Court of approval is the court of the Lord Jesus Christ. Approval is largely associated with authority. People seek the approval of their authorities. For instances kids seek the approval of their parents and workers seek the approval of their bosses. Christ’s approval matters the most because He is the ultimate authority. It was an empty tomb that proved his authority. Therefore, anytime individuals live to appease a lower court --public opinion or personal conviction-- they fail to live for the greatest approval.
If Christ’s approval of me is all that matters, then external and internal pressures cease. I am no longer a prisoner to the opinions of other people. I do not let the approval or disapproval of any man or woman change my course. I no longer allow my experiences or lack of experiences to be my truth. I no longer let my own weaknesses and poor self-esteem set the pace of my existence. I lean on an understanding much greater than my own. If Christ’s approval is all I seek, I live a ‘pleaser’ free existence. What is a ‘pleaser’? The ‘pleaser’ is the person who makes himself or herself tired trying to please everyone around them. You and I were created to please an audience of one. Don’t seek approval anywhere else but the highest court. When you find yourself struggling in a lower court, make your appeal to the Supreme Court, His Court.