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Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed. Psalm 21:11 (NIV)
Have you ever gone through one of those periods where nothing you do seems to go right? I’m not talking about the economy, health issues, and the world-wide instability of natural disasters. I’m talking about those personal issues that keep you awake at night or follow you through the day, leaving you with a knot in your stomach. It seems like every day you are under attack in one or more areas.
Perhaps you are in one of those periods right now. You are in a hard relationship and it seems like nothing you do is helping to bring your spouse or significant other back into the loving relationship you once had.
It could be with your children. You’ve raised them the best you could. You’ve worked hard to give them everything they need (and maybe a few things they didn’t need), yet they still are growing away from you, away from God and away from the lifestyle you worked so diligently to instill in them.
Workplace relationships can be a breeding ground for conflict as well. Economic hardship, differing opinions on things, over zealous new employees, job security and
‘inappropriate friendships’ are just a few of the obstacles you can face at the workplace. You may be able to add to that list.
The hardest attacks we endure are the personal ones. Sometimes they are unintentional, other times they may not be. It doesn’t really matter whether they are intentional or not though because the stress they cause is the same; the battle for your soul is no different.
When we feel under attack the first question we ask ourselves is usually ‘Why?’ Why did he/she leave me? Why did my son/daughter do that? Why does my co-worker treat me like that? What did I do wrong?
Self-reflection can take us one of three ways. We blame others; we blame ourselves; or we blame God. The critical thing for us to remember is that all conflict comes from the great enemy, Satan. I’m not in anyway inferring that your co-worker, child or spouse is Satan in disguise! (You don’t want to go there!) However he is the ultimate source of all conflict either on the outside or within your soul. His desire is to pull you away from God and to keep you entrapped in a mindset of defeat, guilt and worry.
Here’s the good news. When you are operating within the will of God, nothing you do will fail. That may seem like prosperity gospel, but it’s not. I didn’t say everything will go well; the sky will always be blue and live will be grand. But God’s plan for you can never be thwarted by the enemy’s plans. When God is in something he promises that his work will be completed. Nothing can change that.
So, when you come under attack for something you have done, ask yourself this question: “Did I consult with God and follow his direction before acting?” It is imperative that all of our relationships be bathed in prayer so that his wisdom can work fully through us.
There are times though when you have prayed, studied and opened your soul to God and the struggle still rages on. It’s during these times we need to ask another question: “Father, what are you trying to teach me in this?”
We often look at struggles or conflict as failure when in reality its God’s way of teaching us something. I used to coach youth basketball. I would tell my team each year that I’ve never coached a team that lost a game. Of course, they’d look at me a little funny because they knew some of my teams had ‘come up short on the score.’ Then I would tell them, “if you learn something from a game where you came in second, you’ve never lost because winning is about learning, not coming in first.”
Make your Heavenly Father the basis for all your relationships. Remember that even when you are following him closely, struggles will come at the hands of the enemy. Ask your loving Father to help you learn from each conflict.
PRAYER: Father God, I’m tired of the struggles I face with other people. I confess that often the conflict in my life is because I’ve gone on ahead of you. Help me to follow your wisdom in relationships and learn from you when conflict comes. Amen.
The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! Psalm 21:1 (NIV)
Effective leadership is leadership that acknowledges their success is the result of God’s power and strength and not their own.
As I write this post we are in the midst of Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day was established in 1868 to remember those who had fallen in one of the darkest times ofUShistory, the Civil War. During this time brothers fought against brothers; fathers against sons.
The meaning of this day has lost its impact as we’ve focused more on the beginning of summer, trips to the cabin, picnics and other celebrations. But let us not forget those who died so that we could celebrate freedom in a variety of ways.
Another aspect of our freedom that has become lost over the years is that many of the movements and battles we have fought over the years had moral implications. We went to war not because we enjoyed the fight, but we saw a need to protect the freedom of people groups on our home soil or abroad. Regardless of your political views, this fact can not be denied.
The foundation of theUSAwas laid by men and women who realized the importance of Gods blessing in our endeavors. ‘God BlessAmerica’ was more than a rousing song, it was a life style. It was the motivation for all we did. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and many other presidents and leaders of this country openly testified to the fact that it was by God’s strength, not mans that victory was to be had. It was by God’s working in the lives his people that true joy would come.
True leadership, effective leadership isn’t the result of political programs, electoral colleges or catering to special interest groups. True leadership comes when the Creator God of the Universe is acknowledged as the supreme commander-in-chief. Effective leadership comes when Jesus Christ is acknowledged as the underlying reason to move on.
We don’t need more leaders who rely on their own expertise and ability to bring the crowds to their knees. We need more leaders who fall to their knees themselves in humble adoration to the one who brings ultimate victory.
God BlessAmerica. God Bless those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so we can be free. As King David declares, We rejoice in the strength we receive from the King of Kings, Jehovah God.
PRAYER: Lord I thank you this morning for freedom. Not just the political freedom you have granted us by your own hand, but the spiritual freedom we have in Christ Jesus. I pray that our leadership would bow their knees before you in acknowledgement of your greatness. Amen.
The Lord corrects the people he loves and disciplines those he calls his own.” Hebrews 12:6 (CEV)
Say the word ‘discipline’ and the picture most of us have conjured up in our minds is a child sitting in the corner or being spanked or some other painful situation. ‘Discipline’ and ‘punishment’ are often considered to be the same thing even though they are really quite different.
Punishment is backward looking. If I get a speeding ticket, it’s not offered to me because I may speed tomorrow, it’s given to me because I wasn’t paying close enough attention to my speed in the past several miles. Punishment is intended to cause pain either physically, financially or emotionally.
Discipline, on the other hand, is forward looking. A championship runner is considered disciplined because he/she forces themselves to run every day and push themselves to better themselves every time they step out of the house.
Discipline and punishment have on thing in common. Both are painful. Both are intended to make you ‘better’ but the attitude behind each is tremendously different. Punishment comes without relationship. Discipline almost always comes as a result of relationship. I discipline my children by teaching them standards, principles and skills that will prepare them for life in the future. Why? Because I love them and I want more than anything for them to succeed.
Will the discipline be hard? Sometimes. Will there be pain? Yes, especially if they make choices that are contrary to the principles we’ve established. But that pain will come as a result of the consequences of their behavior, not as a result of my anger.
Discipline, while painful, is necessary if we are going to succeed on the path our journey takes us on. Frank A. Clark states, “If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”
God, as our loving Heavenly Father, wants nothing more than for us to feel fulfilled in life. Many people see his rules as restrictive, out of touch or even painful. Some focus on the ‘punishment of God’ and refer to it as God’s punishment when, in reality it’s simply the consequences of behavior God warns us against.
If you passionately love someone you will do everything in your power to prepare them for life ahead. You’ll tell them the things to avoid. You’ll warn them of the consequences of certain behaviors. You’ll tell them of the dangers associated with certain places. Why? Because you love them. As one writer states, “discipline is administered by a loving forward looking parent with an eye on helping the child become all that they can become.” Your Heavenly Father feels this way about you.
Don’t mistake the consequences of your choices as God’s punishment. Listen to his direction and realize they are only for your good. Remember that even while enduring the consequences he offers hope, forgiveness and strength to carry on.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for loving me enough to discipline me even though at times it’s painful. Give me wisdom and courage to follow your way. Amen
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
“Blood is thicker than water.”
That statement is often used to describe the bond of family. Brothers and sisters may fight and bicker among themselves, but be wary of stepping between them or attacking one of them because you may find a united front against a common enemy…and that enemy will be you!
My father was the second oldest of three children. He was a rather small man, especially compared to his taller, older brother. Their personalities were as distant as their stature. My uncle was tall, athletic and quiet. As a result he’d often be picked on by other kids. He would never fight back though, never stand-up for himself.
Dad, on the other hand, was a bit of a firecracker and apparently felt is was his duty to be ‘uncles’ body guard. On more than one occasion he got in trouble for fighting. His fighting was most often a result of his decision to protect his brother!
The bond of ‘family’ is taking on a different face today as more than ½ of our children are living in families in which the parental bond is divided between mothers, fathers, stepparents and other caregivers who for whatever the reason have taken on the parental role. As a result, the concept of being adopted as children into God’s family may lose some of its impact.
God’s family isn’t like our earthly family. In God’s family we are chosen by him to be his children because he desires to be our Father. There is nothing we did or can do to change his love for us. There will be no time in the future when he tells us he won’t be our father anymore. He will never take advantage of his strength and position to make us do things we don’t want to do. He will never, ever abuse us or punish us in anger.
Sometimes we confuse God’s discipline for punishment when, in reality we are suffering natural consequences of our actions. That doesn’t mean God’s love for us is any less. His decision to love you as his own child came long before you were even born. His desire for you to be his child began at creation as he looked into the future and saw what this new world he’d created would become.
It’s a sad fact that the earthly, human form of family is in disarray and under attack by those who seek to destroy it. But God’s family is secure. You will always be his child. With that promise comes a challenge for us to live as brothers and sisters. An admonition to live in unity under the father and not based on religious tradition or dogma. You can’t change your physical DNA. Nothing you can do will change your spiritual DNA as well. You are and always will be a child of God because of his great love for you.
PRAYER: Father, there are so many voices here on earth defaming the concept of father and family. It’s hard sometimes to see you as father and to grasp the concept of family as you ordained it. I thank you that your family is permanent, healthy and alive. I praise you for choosing me to be a part of it. Help us, as your family, to live in the love and unity you planned for us. Amen.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel. 2 Timothy 2:8 (NIV)
Just two little words but they mean all the difference in the world. Two little words that can change how we push forward during those times of grief when a dearly loved person dies and leaves us with a huge hole in our lives, a hole that will never be completely filled.
Two little words that give us strength to endure a relationship that is far from fulfilling; that shatters our dreams; that saps our lives of the energy we need to use our gifts to reach the potential long buried under the sands of time.
Two little words that offer hope as we kneel by the bed of a sick child, or read a letter from a distant son or daughter. Two little words that help us see new light in the midst of old struggle.
Remember Jesus.
Remember the one who promised he would never ever leave you or forsake you. Remember the one who lifts you up, looks you in the eye and says gently, “Then neither do I condemn thee.” Remember the one who stops from his busy schedule to touch you so that you can see. Remember the one who cries with you, rejoices with you and encourages you on the way.
Sitting on the mantle in front of me as I write this is a US Flag folded into a triangle. It’s a special flag given to the families of veterans when they die. The flag is special. Not because of the nation it stands for, or the freedom that flag represents. It’s special because that flag was given when my dad died. Sitting beside that flag is a picture of dad. When I look at those two items there is almost always a memory of all he meant to me, and a reminder that someday we’ll be united again in glory.
Paul, in perhaps his final hours tells his young pastor friend to always remember Jesus. Always take him with you, remember that he is the basis for all we do. He is the motivation for our existence, indeed he is the very reason for our existence.
Take the banner of heaven with you today. Have a picture of Jesus placed firmly in your mind. Regardless of the hurdles you encounter on the journey, he will always be there with you. He’s the shoulder you can cry on; the friend you can vent to; the partner you can celebrate with. He loves you. Never ever forget that, and because of his great love for you, you are always on his mind.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I have many challenges ahead of me today. Thank you for the promises you have given me of your constant companionship and unending love. Fill me with your Spirit and empower me to see your way on the journey. Help me remember you. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 