The week burns on and the the weekday theme continues as we head straight into Ash Wednesday!
This is the start of the Lenten time for some folks, where they give up stuff that keeps from the serving their Lord and Savior. I guess that’s a pretty good thing, as you know I am a big fan of people transforming and chaning! And in some ways this is similiar to a New Year’s Resolution. I think however, that we need to be careful about changing for a season. Look at what the Christos says in Luke 14:33
ouch!, He doesn’t day put away stuff for a season. He doesn’t say keep you favorite behavior because that’s just you. He says to give ALL, ALL the time.
I like the way David Platt talks about this. He says all the rest of you relationships need to look like hate when you compare then to your relationship with the creator. It is first and foremost and obvilously so.
So, I guess it’s fair to say, what are you giving up today – for good?
This weekend I was kicked back watching some TV with sick boy. It was mostly the same stuff T.U.F.F Puppy, Sponge Bob, crazy kid movies from the past, yesterday a LEGO movie. We are big fans of LEGO in our house, so that just tickled our fancy!
It had the usually LEGO humor, but also provided a little bit of motivation for today’s blog. At one point where the Indiana Jones looking mini fig from the future was attempting to teach the King from the past some new tricks with his magic sword, the dude gets a little frustrated. It was then when the talking rhino dude said “Remember, he is not here for you, you are here for him!”
That stuck me as profound, and interestingly enough later in the day, I heard the same theme in a movie I watched that I will blog about later this week ( I think). In that movie, a certain individual was attempted to determine why this co worker was frustrating him so much and his wife said something like – “you need to figure out why you were brought to him, not why he was brought to you.”
So, today, think about all of those around you, and consider this whole concept – they are not there for you, you are there for them. Be a blessing. My company used to make the call center folks answer the phone by saying “How can I benefit you?”. Some of my co-workers would make fun of that a little bit – as it is a little bit corny – especially since we are a “benefits company”. However, the message is plain, and good and true. When you interact with people today, think about that – how can you benefit them?
1Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. 2Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. 3Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. 4Care about them as much as you care about yourselves Philippians 2:1-4 (Contemporary English Version)
This past weekend I had the great opportunity to spend my time in Gatlinburg with over 11,000 teenagers and their chaperons at a fantastic conference. During on the sessions, there was a fantastic comedian named Michael Jr. This is a very funny man who has a great love for his creator.
Anyway, during his show, one of his joke sets is about the whole WWJD thing. But he talks about Jesus’ brother – James, and spins a few very funny stories about James growing up with Jesus asking the question What Would James Do?
So, I thought I would take a look myself. However, at first I had to find a bible that still had the book of James in it – as I have been known to tear those pages out of the bible since they are so difficult and penetrating.
Take a look at this.
12 In everything you say and do, remember that you will be judged by the law that makes people free.13 So you must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment. James 2:12-13 New Century Version (NCV)
Taking nothing from Michael Jr’s comedy, which is outstanding, I think we have found what James would do – and it is to live a life that reflects the mercy we have been given from the Creator of the world through the forgiveness of our mistakes. James reminds us to show mercy to others in the same way we have been shown mercy. That’s whats James would do – ’nuff said…..
It’s Presidents Day! The day we set aside to remember and to celebrate the 44 men who have held the position of president of the United States of America. The POTUS, as we like to referring to them in the written word. I guess not many people speak that acronym when talking about the POTUS, as I am not sure there is a way to pronounce that where it does not seem disrespectful.
And that’s the thing about Presidents, love them or hate them, we always treat them with respect. Of course that’s one reason the Hall of Presidents is such a “must see” at Disney World! ( oh, that was bad humor for a Monday).
But seriously, we do treat them with respect because of their position, and the importance of the leadership position they hold. However, on this day of honoring Presidents, its is very likely that not one of us will met one – living or dead – minus those you are carrying in your pockets.
So what if we treat those around you like they are the president? Yeah, that’s right? What if you treated everyone you interacted with today as if they were the President? How would that change the way you interact with people?
10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10 (New Living Translation)
Last night I had a sobering experience. I traveled a very familiar road after work across town. Like I have any many nights, I worked my way through East Chattanooga, squeezed through the tunnel, watch for bullets as I drove past Kanku’s, and turned past the trailhead at the Levee. I pulled in to school and parked in front of the Kindergarten classes and walked into Amy’s classroom as I have done on countless evenings. What I didn’t realize was what would await me as I walked into the cafeteria, sweet tea in one hand, and a Chick-fil-a sandwich in the other.
For the next hour, I sat across the school cafeteria table from my oldest son and listened to the high school guidance counselor discuss high school class scheduling, college preparatory classes, scholarship funding and a four year plan to get your child through high school. I sat among friends, having shared experiences with many of the other parents since pre-K, and yet as I looked across the table, I could not help but to feel excitement for him and sadness for myself.
I am sitting at the end of my time of directly leading him as I shift to a different leadership position in his life, but he is on the precipice of the 8 years that will really start to shape him and
although he is reluctant to admit it, he has a lot of dreams and aspirations in his head.
When I returned home, I was checking out my task list and noticed I had a task to check out this mini-movie called Change The World.
It seemed so appropriate. As he heads off with dreams I can only imagine floating around in his distracted teenage head, I can only hope that he holds on to those dreams and remembers what he was created for. And I hope that he continues to dream and to follow those dreams despite the difficulties that will lie ahead for him.
Most of you are past that point in life, and maybe your dreams have been extinguish. I hope you can spend a little time remembering the dreams of your youth and that despite the callousness of the world, you will find the motivation to not settle and to keep pressing on.
Are you willing to dream? Are you willing to capture that energy and excitement of your youth again? Are you willing to day by day change the world? It’s what you were created for.