Living a 220 life

The Beauty of Pain

I just finished a five mile run and am writing this with sweat still dripping from my face. As a matter of fact, it’s getting my keyboard all messy, but the Lord taught me something during my run that I must share.

As I was hitting around mile 3 I began to hurt. I was very uncomfortable and was reaching that point where I just wanted to stop, sit down right where I was at, and wait for someone to pick me up in a vehicle. I began asking myself, “Why do I do this to myself?” I answered myself, “So eventually I will be in shape and can run without it hurting.” Then it hit me: No matter how fast I am, even if I’m a gold medalist in the marathon, if I want to get better I MUST run until it hurts. No one has ever gotten faster by taking the slow easy jogs. The athlete training for the gold medal will always run into the pain. In essence, the pain is somewhat of a prize for the athlete, honoring the hard work put in as preparation for the big race.

Folks, the Lord revealed our spiritual life is very similar. We don’t grow without some tough times. The storms and winds force the great oak tree to grow deep roots and the storms and winds of life force us to also grow deep roots in the Lord. I’ve heard it said, “Pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world.” Philippians 1:29 reads, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” The first time I read this I thought, “Oh no, thank you. You can keep the suffering part. You don’t need to grant that to me Lord. I’m just fine without it.” However, as the illustration of training for the race demonstrates, the Lord truely is granting us a wonderful gift in the suffering we receive.

The suffering we receive from the Lord is similar to a star coach pushing his players to become champions. Do the players suffer during practice? Yes. Is it painful? yes. Do the players sign up to suffer under the star coach? You better believe it. The players who voluntered to play for Bobby Knight considered it a priveledge to suffer under such a great coach and knew they would be transformed into champions.

Friends, are you still complaining about the suffering you endure? Are you still stopping in the middle of your run and waiting for a vehicle to pick you up? Every time you stop and sit down you miss the blessing that comes from suffering for the Lord. May you endure the hardships the Lord blesses you with and may you hear His voice through the megaphone of pain. AMEN!

Making it through the worst day of your life

It’s getting pretty late at night and I should be in bed, but the Lord has laid this message upon my heart. I’ve learned, when He does this I won’t get to sleep until I share the message. Friends, the message is this: Jesus wants us to follow His example. He’s given us numerous lessons in scripture but the one example He wants me to share tonight is from Luke 5:15-16.

“However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities,” (v.15) Friends, the message here is that Jesus had tough days at work also. He had long hours and frustrating encounters with people. (pharisees for one) His life wasn’t a bed of roses. When you’re suffering through the worst day of your life, when your boss is simply unrelenting, when the bills are mounting against you, when the kids are possessed (not literally I hope), when the world just seems to be going in the other direction from you, Jesus understands. He’s been there. He offers us an example of what to do during times like this.

“So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” (v16) So many people turn to everything but God during these times. Friends, follow His example and withraw often, in order to pray to your Father. You may not believe me, but as you practice this simple but powerful spiritual discipline you’ll find it changing your life. As you spend time with the Master you’ll find Him holding those crumbling walls from crushing you. The bills may remain, but He provides. The boss may remain, but He calms. The debt may still be there, but He provides contentment. The kids will still be there, but they eventually turn 18. (Just kidding, I have 4 amazing kids who bless me every day)

Honestly though folks, Jesus is so much stronger than you or I and yet He withdrew often. How can we expect to make it if we don’t withdraw often in order to pray? Let me challenge you: Make a commitment to pray at least 10 minutes a day for 30 days and see if the Lord doesn’t transform your life. He is in the business of changing hearts and will likely soften pieces of yours you didn’t even know were hard. Trust Him…Spend time with Him…fall passionately in love with Him. AMEN!

How the Lord uses the weak

“O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you? So he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” (Judges 6:13-15)

My friends, how often are we guilty of complaining about our circumstances? How often do we accuse, ‘God can’t be with me or I wouldn’t be in this situation.’ I regularly hear Christian people talk about the Lord leaving America because of the widespread sin that is so prevalent and accepted in the country. Gideon did the same thing when his circumstances were rather bleak. He put the blame on God.

I’m not sure where you are in life right now, but I can bet if you’re not in a tough spot now you will be in the near future. My friend, you must remember, even when you’re in a crummy spot, the Lord hasn’t left you. In fact, He wants to use you to bring His glory into the world.

Not only did Gideon feel like God had left him, he also felt like he was too small, too weak, too unimportant to do anything to help. God spoke to Gideon and told him, despite being the lowest of the low, God would use him to save the nation of Israel. The Lord eventually takes Gideons army of 32,000 Soldiers and whittles it down to a mere 300. That’s right; Gideon, the lowest of the low and a skeleton army of 300 men were used by God to save the nation. If the Lord can do that with Gideon, what can He do with you?

My blessed friend in the Lord, do you feel small today? Do you feel unimportant? Perhaps you feel the Lord has turned His back on you because of crummy circumstances. I’m here to tell you God wants to use you; He hasn’t turned His back on you and never will. He wants to whittle you down to a mere 300 Soldiers in order to bless you through the miraculous power of His outstretched arm. You see, if He allowed the 32,000 Soldier army to remain you would believe your own strength had accomplished something and you would be cruelly robbed of the blessing of faith. When God works the miraculous in our life we’re blessed with a piece of heaven come down.

Friend, the time has come. The Lord wishes to use you. Stand up, call out to Him, ‘hear I am Lord, send me!’ Allow Him to use you to change the world! AMEN!

Faith that’s pleasing to God

Is it your desire to please your Heavenly Father? Do you want to make Him happy with your actions? Hopefully these are rhetorical questions and the obvious answer is yes. I long with all my heart to please Him; I don’t always do so, but I try. My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, if we desire to make Him happy we must have ever increasing faith.

You see, Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” If you desire to please God but have lacking faith it’s impossible to do so. Therefore, our question must be: How do I gain in my faith? But first we must determine what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Additionally, 1 Corinthians 13:13 distinguishes a difference between faith and hope when it reads, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Friends, I submit to you faith is the belief in things God has already done with the hope He will continue to do them in your life. Therefore, faith is belief in the past, hope is belief in the future, and love is belief in the present. Without the foundation of faith in the past it’s hard to build on the future. Thus, in order to build our faith to please the Lord we must interact with Him regularly. Not only interact with Him but we must place ourselves in His hand in order to demonstrate His magnificent power. I know this is tough because it implies trusting Him with your very life. Let me offer an example.

In Matthew 14 Jesus is walking on the water and is intending to walk by the disciples boat. In verse 28 Peter says, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus responded, “Come”. Then guess what Peter did…yep, he got out of the boat and walked on water. People, this is an easy story to read and think, oh wow…that’s neat…Peter walked on water. NO! Imagine yourself out in a boat in the middle of the ocean. Would you get out to walk? Peter was a normal guy just like you and I. This is amazing. He asked Jesus to put him in a situation that was uncomfortable that his faith might grow and Jesus did just that. If you want to please God; if you want your faith to grow, ask Him to call you out of the boat. It’s tough, it’s scary, but it’s good. The only way you’ll ever walk on water is to climb over the edge of the boat and obey the voice of your Jesus. AMEN!

A bit about our marriage

I must be honest, Beth and I are not perfect; far from it. Well, Beth is much closer than I am, but still, neither of us are perfect. We’ve had our moments and some pretty heated arguments. We’re normal. However, despite being imperfect people we share an amazing marriage relationship. Beth is my best friend and greatest fan. While I was reading in Joshua a couple days ago I stumbled upon a couple verses that brought to light a few characteristics that have helped Beth and I maintain our relationship.

In Joshua 15:16-19 we read, “And Caleb said, ‘He who attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.’ So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She answered, ‘Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.’ So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.”

Friends, the pieces that stood out to me were these: 1. He risked his life to win the wife and 2. As wife she increased his life. Ok, I guess I didn’t need to make them ryhme but it was fun. Guys, our wives want to feel like we’re willing to risk our lives to win them as our mate. Do you cherish your wife? Are you willing to do anything simply to gain her hand? You may not need to conquer a city but you will need to surrender your life in order to win her. She needs that and deserves that.

Ladies, do you see what she did as a new bride? She immediately began increasing her husband. She persuaded him. She didn’t control or nag or demand; no she persuaded. Women are great at that. Beth is a master at persuading me and I love it. Consider this, men may be the head that leads the family but the wife is the neck that guides the head.

Ladies, men need to feel like a knight in shining armor. We were made to conquer cities in order to win your heart. We want to feel that way. We need your unconditional respect and we need your support. The age old saying, ‘Behind every great man is a great woman’ is very true. Ladies, you have the power to build your husband or destroy your husband. Which do you want; a defeated and deflated shell of a man or a confident, strong, loving man who adores you? Then build him that way!

Folks, I only share these characteristics because I’ve seen how they can transform a good relationship into an amazing relationship. Obviously more goes into a good working marriage, but these pieces are key and can be worked on starting today. Guys, commit to falling in love with your wife all over again. Ladies, commit to respecting your husband no mater what. And above all folks, serve the Lord together with a passion equal or greater than the love you have for each other! AMEN!