Keep out of Reach of Children

“Keep out of Reach of Children”… Now that my son, Joshua, is a closing in on 2.5 years old I am noticing the above quoted statement, or rather, this warning everywhere.  And for good reason, he is getting into everything and much of what he is getting into he absolutely shouldn’t have either because it is dangerous or because he doesn’t know how to properly use it.  I am amazed at the things that could be potentially harmful to my son that I never would have thought of as harmful before. 

But there are many things that are absolutely good for my son to be able experience despite his potential ignorance of how to properly use them or understand them.  Love, discipline, mercy, grace, correction, and compassion are just a few of the things that require no previous understanding or experience to have a positive impact on his life. 

This subject reminds me of a time in Jesus’ ministry when little children were being hindered from being front and center to the love and teaching of the Son of God.  In Matthew 19:13-14 we see Jesus’ closest followers rebuking people for bringing their children to see and touch Jesus.  Jesus says to his followers in verse 14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

It is an unfortunate thing, but our society tends to ignore and discount children and their abilities to make an impact in their environments; unfortunately, the American church as a whole has often followed this thinking.  In my opinion, that is one of the reasons why 80-85% of high school graduates walk away from the church of their parents and never return.  I don’t say this to scold the church, but I do say this to remind the church that we must not forget to put our children front and center before the Love of Christ.  The church must continue to love children from K-College in such a way that they can’t help but be overwhelmed by the Love of Christ.  When they feel welcomed, loved, valued, lifted up, inspired, connected, and involved in the church they can’t help but stay plugged in to that kind of environment.  

Also, as parents we absolutely CANNOT simply rely on the church to do the spiritual teaching and training of our children.  WE MUST be the primary vessels of faith transformation for our children.  I know as a parent I struggle with this, just as I struggle with keeping myself in God's word daily.  But we must make it a point of life to teach and train our children in the homes to think, speak, act, and live as Jesus did; this is our #1 role as parents. 

 

“Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it”                                                                                                               Proverbs 22:6

Life Goals vs. Life Purpose

I wrote this article back in April 2009 and recently came back across it and wanted to share...Enjoy!!

A few months ago I finished reading Tony Dungy’s book Quiet Strength.  In case you aren’t sure who he is, Tony Dungy recently retired from being the head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts. He took a team loaded with talent that just couldn’t make it to the Championship game and he led them there and they won the Super Bowl.  There is obviously more to the story and the book tells it all in great detail, but the reason I mention him is because not only was he a great coach, but he is also a strong Christian.  In his book he made a comment that has stuck with me ever since I read it.

I love coaching football, and winning a Super Bowl was a goal I’ve had for a long time.  But it has never been my purpose in life.  My purpose in life is simply to glorify God.  We have to be careful that we don’t let the pursuit of our life’s goals, no matter how important they seem, cause us to lose sight of our purpose.

-Quiet Strength by: Tony Dungy-

It’s very simple our purpose as individuals and as the church of Christ is to glorify GOD.  Our goals can be to reach family and friends, to affect your local schools in very positive ways, to see the your ministry grow and do great things; but if the purpose is to have a big ministry with a lot of programs and events then we are missing the point.  If you’re an athlete, if you excel at playing an instrument, or maybe you have high academic achievements, ask yourself why am I doing this?  What is my purpose?  Is it so I look good and people put me up on a pedestal? 

God has given you your talents or abilities for a reason; that reason is to glorify him through your achievements (and yes even through your failures), whatever they maybe. What’s our purpose as humans, why do we do what we do?  If it is to “glorify God” then we’re on the right track.  When our goals are God honoring and our purpose is for His glory, then I believe He will bless us beyond or hopes and dreams.   

The Measure of Success

I've heard of and read about many different methods of measuring success.  So many of these methods are centered around lifting up human accomplishments, lifting up personal greatness, lifting up self.  As much as we should celebrate victories and triumphs, because that can and often does spur us on to the next victory, I think there are some serious problems with how we define success. 

Success IS NOT about bank account levels and net worth.

Success IS NOT about status in one's career, marketplace, or job.

Success IS NOT about the number and worth of owned cars, boats, homes, etc.

Success IS NOT about personal fame, glory, awards, and accomplishments.

So, (even if you don't agree go along with me here) success is not any of these things or any of these categories for that matter.  In fact, to take this to the fullest and truest extent possible; success in it's truest form has nothing at all to do with anything related to one's self.  True success is actually found in the way we affect the world around us.  I have come to believe that the best 2 measures of success and the only 2 that really matter are these: Lives Touched & Lives Changed   

Some might want to push back on this and say that success can be determined in many ways.  And I would say, yes, this is true, because the measure of success is totally based on purpose.  If your purpose is to get as rich as possible and you do so than you might consider yourself successful.  I have come to my methods of measuring success based on my purpose as well, but unlike a worldly, self-determined purpose; my purpose in life is not determined by me.  My purpose in life is given by my Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ.  My purpose comes from God's word, God's calling, God's commission; specifically from Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-49, John 13:13-17, and Acts 1:7-8; just to name a few.  My purpose, as the Apostle Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21, is the reconciliation of the world to God.  God through me and many like me is bringing the world back into a right relationship with Him.  This is my purpose.

So my measures of success come from the lives that God has used me to touch and the lives he has used me to change.  In 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 Paul explains that "God uses some to plant the seed and some to water the seed, but only God can grow the seed."  We all have parts to play in each life we come into contact with.  At times we may be the planters, at times we may be the ones who water.  Some lives we will touch, some lives we will change.  It isn't exactly the most satisfying way to measure success because often we never get to know the touch or change we have made, but God does.  Other times the most we may know is a statement of thanks or gratitude of the touch or change we made.  We must become content and fulfilled with these moments of blessing that God gives us.  Rarely ever are we able to be around to see the full extent of the affect we were able to have on a life.  But those moments are the few and far between that God gives us to really see the way God has changed us all and through these times God gives us renewed purpose to continue being used by Him to be agents of Touch and Change in this World.  

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."  2 Corinthians 5:14-15     

A Sign for YOU...

Today I was reading in Exodus 12 and I was struck by something.  Verse 13 said, "The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."  The thing that struck me was the part that said "the blood shall be a sign FOR YOU."  That part had never really hit me before.  Maybe I'm slow and never picked up on it, but I just always thought that the blood that the Israelite people spread over the frames of their doors was so that God would know the people in those houses were his followers and he shouldn't kill them.  It's amazing house small we make God out to be.  It's amazing how we bring him down to human-sized intelligence and power for no real reason.  I immediately wrote a note down that says this: 

"The blood wasn't used because God needed help knowing who lived in that house.  Rather, it was a measure of obedience, a sign of belief that God was who he said he was and that he would do what he said he would do."

The blood wasn't to HELP GOD, why would the all-knowing God need help?  He knew who was in those houses and whether or not they were his followers.  He didn't need the blood to know whether or not the first-born in that house should die.  The blood was so the people could be reminded that they were making a commitment to God.  They were staking their very livelihood and future on the promises of God.  The blood is a sign FOR YOU.  The people were the ones who needed the blood.  

It's very scary how the Bible in the most odd and obscure occurrences in the history of time tells us what will happen down the road.  The blood painted on the door frames of those slaves homes in Egypt was FOR YOU.  The blood was "A measure of Obedience" for them to state that they believed in God.  Do you know what that passage ultimately reminded me as I have been reminded so many other times in scripture and just brushed it off...The BLOOD WAS FOR ME!!!  


The blood splattered and dripping down the wooden roman cross is FOR ME.  It is a Sign of Obedience, Christ's Obedience to HIS FATHER, that God is who he says he is (MY SAVIOR) and that he will do what he says he will do (LOVE ME).  The Blood is FOR ME and FOR YOU.  

Now, OUR Sign of Obedience is to seek God First.  Everything we think, speak, and do should be...MUST BE about HIM.  Because the Blood of Christ has spared our lives.  Jesus has absorbed the Wrath of God, shielding us from the Father, from the punishment that is due us, from the death that we so deserve.  And now OUR SIGN OF OBEDIENCE requires death to ourselves, death to our selfish ways, death to our self-centered pursuits, death to what we call important.  We must, "by the mercies of God, present our bodies living and holy sacrifices, acceptable to God, this is our spiritual service/act of worship." Romans 12:1.  THIS IS OUR SIGN OF OBEDIENCE: lives fully committed to the will of God which means "LOVE God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27 

God Loved us First and that was proven through the blood on the cross, therefore in response to that love; we love him with all that we have and love all people with all that we have, which in itself is another way to Love God.  So, our sign of obedience is to EXIST FULLY IN LOVE.  

A Blip in Time - Psalm 19

        Last month in "God's Masterpiece" I wrote about how Life is Good.  I wrote about how we have been given an enormous gift called life and we are intended to find joy in it.  God wants us to live a life that brings us joy; sometimes life will be hard and painful, but there is still joy to be found in spite of the pain.  Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us how we are God’s masterpiece designed for a life filled with doing the work of God; living a life of service and love.

        With that said I needed to add something that is of the utmost importance.  The entire chapter of Psalm 19 tells us of the Glory of God.  Verse 1 of that chapter says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of HIS hands.”  Not only does this reiterate what I said last month, but it also pushes me to add this thought. 

        Our lives on this earth are but a “Blip in Time.”  We as humans, in general, live our lives in exaltation of ourselves.  We live for our glory; we spend our time on our pleasures, our wants, our desires, and our purposes.  When Ephesians 2:10 says we were made “to do good works, which God prepared for us in advance to do” it is proclaiming that our lives are simply a blip in the HISTORY OF GOD.  This life, the history of the world, the earth, and the universe are all platforms for the Glory of God to be proclaimed throughout history.  Verse 14 of Psalm 19 finishes the chapter with, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” 

        Our lives, the masterpieces of God, are solely and completely intended to do the work God intended for us, all for HIS glory.  Though this earth has been created for enjoyment, its primary purpose is to proclaim the glory of God.  That is the primary and intended purpose of all God’s creation, including human lives.  So, this “blip in time” that is our life as we know it, is intended not to live for ourselves, indulging in every desire of our broken sinful hearts; rather, our lives are created, designed, molded, and intended for the Glory of God.   

Widen Your Circle

“Every son and daughter needs other adult voices in their lives who will say things a Christian parent would say.  One of the smartest things a church leader can do for a family is provide a system where kids and teenagers can be connected to that kind of adult influence.  One of the smartest things moms and dads can do is to participate in a ministry where they can find the right kind of adult influences for their kids.”  -Reggie Joiner-

This quote has really made me think lately about the role of the church, specifically the youth ministry for my purposes, and how that compares to the role of the family.  The point Reggie Joiner is making here is that the family, first and foremost, was setup by God as the primary vessel for the transfer of faith to the next generation.  My wife, Janae, and I are the primary people from whom our son Joshua should learn about God and His unconditional love for us.  The church and its ministries should act as the echo that reaffirms what the family teaches. 

          So my role as a youth minister is to create, with the help of volunteers, an environment that reaffirms and says what a Christian parent has already said at home.  Joiner’s goal is to help us see that the family and church need to work together in the transfer of faith.  My job and the job of the youth volunteers is to be that voice that reiterates what the parents already say and to give the students another voice of Christian wisdom and maturity. 

          As parents, when we widen the circle of influence for our children we will increase the chance, exponentially, that our students hear God’s message, take it to heart, and then act it out in their own lives.  This is how the Family of God, the Body of Christ is most successful: when it acts in cooperation for the spread of the gospel through the family, not in competition to have bigger ministries that stand apart from and often in competition with each other.  Widen your circle.   

God's Masterpiece

Here is the 3rd of 3...hope this trio of blogs has caused some reflection on your walk with Christ...Give me a shout if you have a thought.  Thanks.

GOD’s Masterpiece – Ephesians 2:8-10

As I’m writing this I’m enjoying some vacation time with my family on Jekyll Island in southern Georgia.  The first evening we were here we ate dinner out on the wharf and after dinner we walked along the intercoastal waterway and got to see the sun set down below the horizon.  I have seen sunsets before, but as I watched this beautiful thing I was reminded that God designed life to be enjoyed. 

It has become epidemic in western society that life is meant to be lived at a blistering pace.  Earning a living, saving a little, paying the bills and hopefully one day we will have saved enough and we can retire and enjoy the rest of our lives in peaceful living.  But if God had intended us to not really enjoy life till the last third of life then why did he create sunsets?  Why did he create children’s smiles to be so intoxicating?  Why did he give us 4 seasons, or 3.5 in Northeast GA?  Why did God create color?  I could go on and on.

God most definitely desires for us to enjoy life.  Yes we should work hard, we can find that clearly stated in the Bible.  But he also desires for us to LOVE LIFE!!  I think this is why the “Life is Good” shirt company resonates so strongly with me.  God desires us to have the attitude that life is good as much as possible.  Yes there will be seasons of pain and strife.  Yes, there will be times of sadness and mourning.  Yes, there will be trouble because we are children and followers of God (Jesus promises that in John 16:33).  However, multiple times and in many ways Jesus also tells us that he came to give us life.  Not just hum-drum, trudge through the mud of life; but life so filled with promise, hope, and joy that we can’t help but say LIFE IS GOOD!!! 

I am so uplifted when I meet people who actually do have this attitude because it reminds me that I have a purpose and a calling on my life that demands I have a Joyful outlook.  My God who has saved me from eternal death has a purpose for my life here on earth before I spend eternity with him.  It is because of that very purpose that God allows me to wake up every morning with air in my lungs.  How can I not have joy in my heart?!?!  I am a fully devoted follower and LIFE IS GOOD!!!!  If you haven’t seen a sunset lately you should try it, maybe it’ll give you some perspective that God loves you enough to let you see this amazing beauty created by God for you and me, his true Masterpieces.