Wednesday, September 29, 2010

hard

'Sometimes the hardest thing to do is the right thing to do’

We wrestle between two worlds as people.
Trying to make things easier.
And trying to do what can be hard.

We want life to be as simple as possible.
We want things to come easy.
But at the same time we recognize that the best things in life don’t always come from no effort.
That there is more reward in what we have worked for.
Just as you can not have huge muscles like your pastor...if you are not willing to work hard and develop them at a gym.

We made a decision some time a go to not take shortcuts with our life and with our Church. We have watched people try, and then watched things eventually get a little ‘hairy’ or worse.
We know in our hearts that tackling issues is the best thing to do, but that doesn’t always make it easy to do.

I am glad God thinks like this!
He chose to do the hard thing for us because it was the right thing for us. He chose to sacrifice His son because it would achieve the best result...salvation for all mankind.
The easy way out would have been to wash His hands of us. But as they Bible says...he can not disown himself, the people he has created.
God picked hard over easy...because it was right.

Maybe this week you are facing some challenges?
Something that has an easy way out or a harder option.
Can I encourage you to go for it?
Rip that bandaid off the issue and deal with it.
I personally think God honours us for the hard decisions in life when we seek to do things the right way.

Something to think about…

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

time out

You need a ‘time out’.
I am serious, you do!

Not because you are naughty.
And I have just caught you…
But because without giving yourself some self imposed ‘time out’ your life will be the lesser for it.

Let me explain.

With children we use it as a punishment.
A way of helping them with their behaviour now and ultimately their ability to make better choices in the future.
It is a discipline thing.
When it comes to us who are a bit older, we need the discipline thing, not to punish us, but to help us get through life in one piece.

By the time you read this I will be in the middle of my ‘time out’. I am making space for me to pray, meditate, think, ponder...all without my normal every day distractions.
I am doing this while driving 4 hours.
And to be honest I can not wait!

God took ‘time out’ after he created the world and everything in it.
Jesus took ‘time out’ especially in moments of sadness.
They thought it was a good idea...so I think it is a good idea for us.

Maybe you can look at it as a refreshing holiday for your soul? I dare you to give it a go.
Have a ‘time out’.
Get away for even a little while from your normal routine.
Pray, think, rest…
I dare ya!

Something to think about…

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

honest

Why is it that being honest seems one of the hardest things for humans to do?
I mean, we can conquer mountains.
Break land speed records.
Break out of orbit and fly to the moon.
We have all this ability...yet without the natural ability to tell the truth.

Just watch a Motorway Patrol programme and see all the dishonesty plastered around…
“No officer...I wasn’t speeding”
“No officer..I just don’t have my license on me”
“No osifer...I’m not *hiccup* drunk!”


Plus you have that famous line...“no, I did not have sexual relations with that women”

The reality is that we don’t want to get into trouble by telling the truth.
For many, truth equals bad things happening to you. Being dishonest can simply be an attempt to protect yourself from the consequences of whatever thing has happened.
Again the reality is that you are only hurting yourself and delaying the inevitable.

The challenge for us as believers is to be honest.
It doesn’t matter how much everyone else around is being honest, how much you are is the most important thing.

Can I encourage you to be honest on three levels?
With yourself.
With others.
And with God.

The Bible is really simple and clear on this.
It tells us to answer others honestly...let your yes be yes or your no be no.
It encourage us to confess our sins to one another, so that we can be healed from whatever it hurting us.
It also shows us to not be afraid to pour our hearts out to God, like David did in many of his Psalms.

It is slightly tacky, but the phrase makes sense…
‘Honesty is the best Policy’

May this be a mark of your character?
May you have the courage to be honest with your life and by your actions?
May you and I be known as a people of honesty?

Something to think about…

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

stir

It is pretty hard not to want to tie into the earthquakes our friends, family and countrymen are facing...when writing for your blog this week.
It has been and continues to be a very trying time for them!

It did get me thinking about life in general again.
How that being shaken is not the most pleasurable experience you can have.

Last night I saw a documentary on a fairly famous rockstar called Nikki Sixx.
Essentially it was about his journey from young screwed up guy...to rockstar...to drug addict...and somehow out the other side.
At one stage he overdoses and the people around try and shake him to see if he would come out of the coma he is in. When it doesn’t work they threw him in a dumpster thinking he was dead. Not the best of friends obviously!

Sometimes if we are honest, we can look a little dead.
Maybe some stuff has happened to get us there and maybe it was not by our choice?
Maybe we have made some silly decisions to get us to that point as well?

As humans we want things to always be ‘settled down’.
It is like the mantra about having a normal life.
The more I have thought about that idea, the more ‘settling down’ makes me nervous.

I don’t think the life that God truly has planned for us is all about ‘settling’.
I think it is more about being wound up or even ‘stirred’.

2 Timothy 1:6 simply says...
...fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…

I think what God is saying is multi-faceted…
One, everyone of us has the potential no matter how
talented or gifted to just want to settle down.
Two, everyone of us probably should take some time every now and to check out where we really are at.
Three, you have to be purposeful about the things of God in your life. You have to put some effort into it. You have to fight the urge to just ‘settle’.
Four, it is not too late. If you feel settled already, you don’t have to stay there.

Get stirred. Getting ‘fanning’.
Come on...lets live the life that God truly has for us.
I think you can do it!!!

Something to think about…

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

random

‘Random is not random’
...is something you can say in a Yoda voice...and it sounds really cool...deep...and meaningful…

This is what I believe…
When it comes to our lives.
The things that happen.
The choices we are faced with…
Nothing is random.
There is something or someone who is ‘helping’ our lives along.
Creating opportunities.
Arranging circumstances.

God has a history of orchestrating things so we end up in the right place.
It can look and feel random at the time or as you are going through it. But in hindsight, it was exactly the way things should have worked out.

Now you might say that is not cool.
That you want to be in ultimate control of everything.
Fair enough.
But that also means you are ultimately responsible for every outcome.

Maybe, just maybe…
When you do something which might seem random for someone else...it was supposed to be that way?

Man, this is getting a little deep for me as well!

Let me finish by saying this...
If you can believe God created the world, the universe, and can hold it all together in perfect working order…
Then believe that God can arrange opportunities for you.
Believe God will direct you into everything He has for you.

Something to think about…