36,792,000

Assuming 70 years is the length of your life, that (36,792,000) is how many minutes that are available to you. However... assuming an average of 8 hours a day of sleep, that figure gets reduced by 12,264,000 which still leaves you a whopping 24,528,000 minutes. If it's easier to think in terms of hours than minutes, you have 408,800 hours. You prefer to think in terms of days or years? Do the math, minimally that translates into 46 years but my point is: soooo... what are you doing with your time? Whether you have 10 years, 30, or 46+ it's the quality of days that's at issue.


Let's face it... we all waste time. But are we spending, wisely, the major part of the time that's given us? Not everyone has 70 years, some have more, some have less but again - my point is what are you doing with your time? Are you directing your time or are other things and people dictating? Again, to some extent others will and do determine how we spend our time, but are you doing what you feel you should be, want to be? And if not, what can you, are you willing to do to be the director of your life?


Perhaps I'm sounding a bit harsh but this is serious business. A number of year's ago one of the favorite phrases was: Today is the first day of the rest of your life. I suspect you could say that on any given day, multiple times but the point is still.... what are you doing with your time? I would argue that only you and the Lord can judge the effectiveness of how you've used the time given you. Only you can say... I have run my race, I have completed my task. (2 Timothy 4:7, Hebrews 12:1)

While use of time is a serious consideration and somewhat sobering, it really isn't joyless. I would maintain that a lack of joy in one's life is not to be tolerated. We've been given an unknown amount of time. WE are responsible for what we do with it. And yes, we need to be serious about it but that doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy it too. Without joy there is no quality and without quality the quantity is lifeless.

After the comma.....

Don't misunderstand.... I'm as fond of promises as the next person. We Christians, especially those of the Pentecostal persuasion, love to look through scripture to find 'promises'. We are typically able to quote a number of these readily because we are standing on some of them to manifest in our lives. There is absolutely nothing wrong, to my thinking, of doing this however, it is important to see what comes after the comma. Because... I've seen few promises that don't come with a responsibility we have in order to receive the promise.

According to scripture, the promises of God are yes and amen (a double positive) but if we don't follow through and keep our end of the covenant, why should we expect the blessing anyway? The one theme that keeps emerging throughout is God's promise to be our God, if.... Example: 2 Chronicles 7:14 we are told that when we pray and seek Him He will hear and heal our land. The point is that God's response is based on what we do.

Another area is finances. Suppose we are praying for and standing on promises related to a financial blessing. Is there anything that we're suppose to be doing? Of course. However there is an age old argument as to tithing that probably won't get resolved until the end of time. To reinforce tithing thinking there are scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments that support this. The most famous scripture is found in Malachi (3:8-12) in which we are warned against robbing God of the tithe but we are also promised a tremendous blessing when we fulfill our responsibility. Luke (6:38) reinforces this and we are again promised.


Throughout scripture we find promises that God has provided for us. However, it is also important to read the scriptures before and after the promise to see what our responsibilities are. In every case, the responsibility is related to what is promised. It is always critical to read whatever comes after the comma.....

APOLOGY - EXPLANATION

For some reason the formatting on my blog appears to be corrupted in some fashion. Since I didn't instigate any changes in the first place, I have no idea how to correct it. Sometimes the post won't put in any of the paragraphs, sometimes it adds lines... Regardless, I hope it won't impact too significantly on the thought I am presenting. Sorry.

Condemned!?

One of my favorite scriptures has always been Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus..." What a sense of relief I felt when I read this. But there is a qualification - those who are in Christ Jesus. You have to be His before you are no longer condemned. There is a further qualification that comes after the comma - who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. However, the important consideration is: are you His? John 3:17 tells us that: "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." Again, the qualifier - through Him. Most children of my generation grew up memorizing John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." In Him seems to give us the necessary information. Without our acceptance of the gift of life in Christ we are outside. So often we seem to disregard logic when considering scripture and use our emotional response as the basis for 'truth'. Scripture is typically quite clear and it certainly is when you consider condemnation. Escape from that status is simple - you have to become Christ's and walk according to the Spirit. In case these scriptures aren't enough to convince you that your escape is to accept Christ as your Lord then Acts 4:12 puts a period to this question of condemnation and salvation: "Nor is there salvation in any other (referring to Jesus - vs 10), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." We can live condemned or live saved.

Equilibrium

There's a law of science that talks about that everything seeks equilibrium - seeks to be in balance. One thing we should realize is that your balance may not be my balance and vice versa. But we all have a point of balance and we all seek to find it. Typically we try and balance work and those demands and home and those demands, friends, other relationships, church, clubs/organizations and the list goes on. We talk about kids in school having their time used up.... most adults aren't much better. Ask yourself: when was the last time you sat down with absolutely nothing making a demand on your time or energy?

Unfortunately we tend to juggle the various parts of our lives rather than balance them. Juggling typically results in responding to those parts that are 'yelling' the loudest. Don't misunderstand, balancing is not attempting to give equal time to all the parts, that will never work. And there are times when certain aspects require more attention than others but they typically don't require a continual attention.

There also is a 'pecking' order in those components - not all things can be considered equal. But you need to know what your order is. Does family come first? If so then your decision making and actual time usage will substantiate this. Is it all about your friends? or your job? And yes, there is a ebb and flow to which has the most emphasis. It will change.

The importance for each of us is to be able to maintain some level of equilibrium between/among all the demands for your time, energy and finances. Juggling is only a response to the moment and doesn't always make the best choice. As long as we know and understand what are the relationships between all the demands then we are in a better position to be in control of our own lives.

Nourishment

What are you feeding your spirit, your soul? Is it garbage in thus creating garbage out or are you feeding 'good things' in? Recognize that you do feed your spirit every day, the question is what are you feeding it? There are some people who are 'religious' about taking supplements to maintain their bodies. They take vitamins and minerals to keep their bodies strong and hopefully free of disease. My question is how do we do the same with our souls? It never is a question of 'if' because whatever we take in impacts in some fashion. Is our 'food' television? newspapers? What is our source? Just like you can starve your body without nutritious foods, you can starve your soul in the same way. If you don't take in nourishment, your soul will weaken. What kind of nourishment do you need? Even if all you had was a Bible, I don't think it's enough. At the same time without a steady diet of reading the Bible I don't think other 'foods' will be utilized to their utmost (just like there are certain vitamins that should be taken together to enhance both). Reading the Bible is critical to maintain a strong and healthy soul and is the foundation. Those you associate with are also important to the nourishment of your soul. There is a study that shows that you tend to take on the same philosophies as those you associate with. What is it that those you associate with believe in? Scripture admonishes us to not forsake the gathering together. Remember steel sharpens steel - you are not to leave your mind on the doorstep when you are talking with others. Being imperfect we won't always agree but the discussions cause us to rethink, examine, and reaffirm what it is we do believe. Without the company of other Christians this is limited. You do provide for your soul, your question is... is there any nourishment? Example: if all you do is to take in all the violence that's now displayed on tv then minimally it will affect your view of the world. It also tends to validate that violence is the way to make certain your view is maintained. There's little nourishment to this approach. Garbage in, garbage out does exist. What do you want to feed your soul? You do have options.

God is never silent

... it's just that we don't always hear. Sometimes we're so focused on the 'issue' that all of our attention is used up and we can't hear. Sometimes there so much noise around us that it's difficult to hear anything. Sometimes we get caught up in: 'was that the Lord or was that me?' (The last is rarely a profitable argument. )

My contention, though, is that God is always speaking to us and it is up to us to stop and listen. It's important that we take the time to get quiet so we can hear. How does He speak? One way is through His word. His word always provides us with directions but it's up to us to apply it. This obviously means that we need to know and understand His word which requires us to read it continually. It's when we are steeped in His word that when we face situations that are difficult we already know what it is He is saying to us through His word.

Another way He speaks to us is when we pray. But this requires that after we make known our needs, problems, wants that we quiet ourselves to hear His response. Sometimes that comes in the form of an urging in a particular direction, sometimes it is a deep knowing what we are suppose to do. What we need to do is to be open to the variety of ways He responds to us and not expect Him to always respond in one way. We also can't second guess His response.

Sometimes God uses other people to get His message to us. This doesn't mean that we should go to them to see if they have a sign for us, a word. It does mean that if we are seeking the wisdom of others we need to see if what they say conforms to the word and bears a witness in our spirit. We are never not involved in the process.

Those are only some of the examples of ways God speaks with us. It's up to us to listen... His word says that we will know His voice. I know there are those who will contend that God is sometimes silent. I suspect that's when He's already spoken and given us our answer.

Limiting God

We all do - this is a given. We limit God by not going to Him with everything. We limit Him by our lack of faith that He'd 'do it for me', even though we quote the scripture that God is no respecter of people, that there is no partiality with God. We just eliminate ourselves from the 'everyone' classification.

Too often though we don't carry this thought through. If we are limiting God and what He can/will do in the situation we also are limiting ourselves. Yes! One of the scriptures that's been a kind of hallmark for me is found in Ephesians: "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (2:10) With this mindset then we should not limit what God is wanting to do for and through us.

This also means that we can't compare what God is doing in others with what He's doing in us. It's critical to merge the concepts of no partiality and created for good works. There's also another important scripture related to this discussion. In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about the fact that simply because we aren't a (fill in the blank) we can't say that there's no need. (1Corinthians 12). Verse 18 states unequivocally that "God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased."

What we need to do about limiting God is before we utter the word 'can't' make sure we aren't meaning 'we won't'. Sometimes it's fear that stops us, sometimes insecurity but every time we limit ourselves unnecessarily we limit God. Is His arm too short? Is He not looking to and fro to see who He can be strong on their behalf? Will He not perform His word? Remember - "If God be for us, who can be against us?" God doesn't limit - why should you?

Betrayed! by my church...

Have you ever felt this way? Did you recall the phrase that... the only ones that shoot their wounded are Christians... and then apply that to yourself? If you are active in your church then this reality can happen all too easily - whether by perception or fact. But what do you do when you feel betrayed? How can you continue to function in your church?

Hurt feelings are one thing but betrayal goes far beyond that. Betrayal is a repudiation of everything you believe, everything you stand for. Betrayal makes you naked before everyone, including yourself and that is difficult to excuse/forgive. Then you face the problem of what you do, what you say.

The first question you need to ask before getting into the emotion is - was this the church the Lord planted you in or one you chose? And, has that assignment changed? However you were planted, the assignment has to be the focus. So, am I holding on because the church I'm in also gives me an identity? My experience though is that if the assignment has changed/is changing then I have already begun being prepared for this.

If you don't feel your work in your church is finished, then the dynamics change. The one thing you need to remember is that maybe your part is finished even if the work hasn't. Regardless, what do you think you can accomplish by digging in your heels? Could the way you depart be a witness for someone else?

When betrayal is the source then it is critical to not lash out at others.... and difficult. But it is important not to become a stumbling stone for someone else. And no, I'm not suggesting that you ignore your feelings or deny them. As hard as it may be you need to look at the situation and decide if any 'blame' is attached to you. You need to have 'clean hands before the Lord'. If you do, if you can say that - then you can stand approved.

Pressure... Stress...

Do you feel pressured, stressed? Or is pressure something you feel you have no choice but to live with it daily? Between work and home do you feel there's no escape from these feelings? But how is pressure taking its toll on you? Do you find your temper gets easily lost? Frustrated? Granted that pressures exist and we live with them daily, are you controlling them or are they controlling you? Many times the problem that arises is that you don't see any way to decrease the pressure or resolve them.

Pressure isn't necessarily all bad - it can be an impetus for movement. The issue is the amount of pressure or our impression of the amount. Too much is debilitating because it can cause us to make incorrect assessments and then 'wrong' decisions. Since pressure is a given what's important is how we react with it. And just as obvious, we all have different ways of coping with and handling stress.

So how do you cope with stress? How do you release the pressure value when it seemingly increases? Remember when you gave your child a 'time out' as a way of helping the child come to terms with their behavior, typically bad? Maybe that's not such a bad way of responding. Perhaps what we need to do when we reach that point is to give ourselves a time out before we behave badly. While that may sound infantile since the situation still exists that we have to work with, it really is that pressure cooker valve.

If the situation is as bad as you think it is, a moment's reprieve may be just what's needed to see your way clear and possibly find a new way of meeting the problem. It may seem obvious but in the heat of the moment we often miss the obvious and stepping away may give you the clarity you need. Stress and pressure exist, it's part and parcel of life but you can choose to control your response to it.

Do you WANT to forgive?

For some reason the theme of forgiveness keeps coming back into my thinking. Personal? Possibly but I think there's something greater than just me. I've written about forgiveness, the Word tells us we have to forgive to be forgiven, there are countless books on forgiveness... and then it struck me - as with most important issues, it's a matter of will. We have to want to forgive.

The 'how to' of forgiveness has to begin with our own decision, our own desire to forgive - unconditionally. That's the key. Granted, you can start with less than a noble reason but eventually the unconditional basis has to be determined. Now if you've already reached that understanding - excellent, if not then think about it - personally. Don't forget - in many respects our own personal freedom rests on our willfulness to forgive.

Going through the motions of forgiveness is only wasted energy and isn't truthful plus it gives mixed messages to others. Why bother? The appearance won't last and it requires a lot of energy to sustain. Besides, at some point something you say or do will give you away that you really haven't forgiven.

When you forgive unconditionally you can't hold anything in reserve. You can't, even in some small way, get back at the other person or play the martyr role. You have to look to how the Father forgives you as your behavior. Does He require you to prove anything? If so, then you have the right to expect that from the other. However, if He forgives unconditionally.... you will have to as well.

I don't know...

Why is it so difficult to respond with a ... I don't know? I would hazard a guess that part of the reason is that we all have this image of ourselves, our self perception, that doesn't include a 'don't know'. Or maybe it relates to how we present ourselves to the world and we don't want the world to think less of us and our lack of knowledge would impact on that.

Have you ever said that? Or maybe I should ask, have you ever wished, after the fact, that you had said that? Though the most truthful of all responses to a question is a don't know, most people do have a problem with that response. I don't know why it seems so difficult to admit you don't know the answer. It's more difficult for some than others.

But, what's the worse that can happen if you say you don't know? Actually it is an opportunity to join with the person asking the question to discover an answer, recognizing that there may be multiple answers with varying degrees of effectiveness. Even if you have the answer, sometimes the best approach is to not provide it but, acting more like a teacher, to help the other person arrive at their answer. The caveat in this is that you have to be willing to let their answer not be yours.

'I don't know' can be a freeing experience but it also can enhances your status with others. Why? Because they can rely more confidently on what you say. Someone that always has a response to all questions tends to be viewed somewhat skeptically because no one has all the answers.

Adversity

Adversity comes. And bad things DO happen to good people. But adversity isn't completely negative, it also challenges our understanding of who we are and how we resolve less than positive situations. Sometimes adversity comes through our own actions or lack of action, sometimes it comes 'accidentally', sometimes by another's design. To assume we can go through life without adversity seems ludicrous.

The real issue is that regardless of the source of the adversity... it comes. So, how do we respond to adversity? Do we point the finger at another saying it's their fault? Do we blame? Do we wallow? Whatever our response, we can't allow ourselves to linger in negative reactions. What we eventually have to do is to start again. But... before we move on, it's important to learn from the situation so we don't repeat it when we are the source.

One of the questions is: are we our own best enemy? If we are the source of our own adversity, how can we stop shooting ourselves in the foot? How do we learn from the situation rather than repeating it? It has always been my contention that those who refuse to learn from what's happening, both good and bad, are condemned to repeat it. Not so bad if the situation is good, disastrous if it is bad.

If the source of the adversity is from an outside source, then in some respects there is less personal emotion involved which aids in the 'recovery'. However, analysis is still the order of the day - what did we do, if anything, about the coming adversity - did we contribute to the problem? If not, then were there clues we could have seen that would have lessened the problem? Regardless, how can we best mitigate against repetition?

As I have said - adversity comes. You can't expect to go through life without being subjected to it. The only real issue is what we do when we find ourselves in these situations. Reacting from an emotional basis is rarely affective. Don't deny the emotion but don't let it rule. And you? Do you meet the adversity head on or let your feelings dictate?

What God wants from YOU.

Do you know what God wants from you? Have you thought about this? Have you asked Him what He wants from you? How do you know what He wants? Do you want to know? Actually it's quite easy to find out... what's important to God? That's what He wants. Too simple?

When you go to the handbook (Bible), even a cursory read gives you the understanding that God is love. Love is not just a concept, a philosophy it's a mindset, a lifestyle. From beginning to end one can see that God operates in love and expects us to operate from the same standard. You see that the love of God is a totality experience: heart, soul, strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded that it was love - noting that love of God is the first and great commandment and loving one's neighbor is the second (Matthew 22:37-39). So this then is the beginning of what God wants from you. Love is an action, it is not just words so you need to know how you love in practice.

Micah 6:8 delineates what the Lord requires: do justly, love mercy, walk humbly. In another scripture we are told that He loves mercy more than sacrifice (Hosea 6:6). Obviously mercy is an important component in our fulfilling His requirements, demonstrating love - what He wants from us.

I would argue that mercy is not merely an intellectual affirmation, mercy is an important act we can extend to one another. A working definition is: kindness. Quite simple but huge in implication. Lovingkindness, unfailing love, tenderness, faithfulness are other descriptive definitions of mercy. To me, it seems that mercy is an extension of love in action.

What God wants... He wants us to love, to be just, to be merciful, and to walk humbly with Him.

Change Agent

Do you consider yourself a change agent? You are. It would be my contention that whether or not you consider yourself one, you are - the question becomes: what kind of change agent are you? And in true 'the proof is in the eating', it is what others see in you that determines the impact, the effect.

So what is a change agent? Unfortunately the definition depends on the context so it is difficult to be precise plus there's a hint that the acts of a change agent are more art than science. However, I would suggest that there are some similar qualities that define any change agent. In its most simplistic definition, a change agent is one who sees what can be in the midst of what is. Acting on this determines the extent to which a person believes in his/her stand.

Again simplistically... any and every time you express your opinion on a subject you act as a change agent. The level of your influence determines the extent to which you are listened to. Perhaps that's why scripture says we will be held accountable for every idle word we say (Matthew 12:36-37). We don't always know the impact of our words.

Actually, to be an agent for change (defined as change directed toward improvement) is a laudable thing. The major issue in my mind is accountability. All change agents have to be accountable to someone. So... assuming you realize you are a change agent then to whom are you accountable?

Your Walk

You do have one you know - everyone has a walk. Our choice is who we walk with... Even those of you who deny who Jesus is and what He's done have a walk. If you haven't made Jesus Lord of your life then your walk is merely a walk - somewhat meaningless. Without heaven as the destination, as a goal, then a walk becomes a meander. And there is only one way to heaven.

A walk is never in a straight line. It can easily be one step forward and two steps back or a side step or two. It's uphill and downhill. Sometimes it feels like you've been in the place you currently are before... you probably have, but missed something or forgot something you need to know.

In church-ese, walk is an important concept. We are to walk by faith (2Corinthians 5:7), walk in love (Ephesians 5:2), and properly (Romans 13:13). And those are only some of the instructions. But, walk is critical because it speaks of your behavior - it isn't just words. While your words tell us what you want us to believe, your behavior is what you believe.

Your walk is also very visible and tells others a great deal. And yes, you can mis-step but the essence is always revealed because it is reinforced. Who you are is displayed in your walk. What you believe is acted on in your walk. The depth of your conviction is demonstrated in your walk. And all of that is seen multiple times - it is not a one time only. It is the repetition that speaks to the validity. Walk is an act that always occurs. The point is... what kind of walk is yours?

Creative

You are you know. Creativity is in your DNA. The challenge is to find where your creativity lies because it has to be expressed. For some, their creativity lies in traditional areas such as painting or writing or composing/performing music. However, those are not the only expressions of creativity, just the more obvious. They define 'fine arts'.

Never limit what the word means. Webster says that create means: to cause to come into existence; originate. One of the definitions of creative is: stimulating the imagination. Nowhere does it limit the scope of the word. Is a cook creative. Of course otherwise our eating options would be severely limited. How about a seamstress? Again, of course. Yet there aren't many that would immediately think of these activities as 'creative'. It is the passion of the 'artist' that is the creator.

Related to creativity is the word that defines it - 'artist' which is also a limited word in people's thinking. Yet, it is the artist that typically introduces the new to us. But artist can be applied to a cook or seamstress as well as a composer or painter. Unfortunately conventional definitions, including Webster, does define 'artist' in a limited fashion in terms of the fine arts.

To find your area of creativity look to what you love to do when you have 'free' time. You need to understand and appreciate that you are creative and your task/responsibility is to find your expression. When you don't share your creativity then you ignore the gift God placed in you. And you ignore the place you fill. Never forget that your creativity can and probably does stimulate another's creativity. It is a ripple effect......

...make it up to you...

Have you ever used that phrased with someone else to 'comfort' them, typically after you've done something to disappoint or hurt them in some fashion? Of course you have! We all have. Countless times to cover countless acts. And it's been said to us countless times. So do you? Make it up to the other person?

Exactly what is 'making it up'? Actually there is no way to retrace time so that whatever happened doesn't. So is it even possible to make it up? Is the phrase a mere band aid used to cover the situation? No and yes. Regardless of how heartfelt the intention, you can't make it up. What you can do, however, is to either attempt to correct or help the other person deal with whatever happened.

So, should we face the situation and essentially do nothing? Of course not. One cannot help but attempt to rectify an uncomfortable situation. I believe that we are built to try and achieve the best possible outcome for all concerned. And no, that isn't altruistic. It is also self serving and that isn't 'bad' either.

We all try to create a painless existence. If this also includes the other people that populate your life space, well and good. Life is always a contest of sorts to reach equilibrium whether that be in relationships or one's personal goals. Equilibrium is sought so 'things can get done' - whatever that means for you. It's neither good or bad, it's a given.

Wimp...wuss

Is that how you look at yourself? As totally ineffective? Do you see others succeed but you never 'get a break'? Do you feel powerless? Oh woe. What's wrong with this picture? Simply -if you are a Christian then you cannot view yourself in that light.

Who are you instead? You are a King's kid, more than a conqueror, a new creation... and so much more. It is critical that you stop looking at yourself as who you were and start looking at yourself in terms of who you have been made to be. And no, it isn't easy because for so long you have told and conditioned yourself to believe the worse case scenario.

Don't misunderstand, you have to do something. No magic words will grow you into who you've become. And the starting point is to have the correct perception of who you are. I've said it before and I'll say it again - read Ephesians and in every place that it says in Him or in Christ or in whom say your name because that is who you've been made to be. Without this understanding you'll continue to be a King's kid but in the mud. You won't rise to the station you have been made to occupy.

Remember, it isn't easy to be successful. Success requires assuming responsibility. No longer can it be the nefarious 'they/them' who cause you to be powerless. You can't blame fate or luck. You become one who... "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And this is as much an internal reality as it is an external visibility. You can pray with Paul that, "...you be strengthened in the inner man."

What's next? You put off the old man and put on the new. (Colossians 3:10) And you begin a wonderful discovery of who you are becoming.