The Struggle is Over!

This song blesses my soul every time I hear it!

Release the Brakes

I spent some time this past Saturday in a very productive and convicting conversation with a close friend and brother. He is the type of person who shoots for the stars in all that he does without hesitation and actually expects to reach them. He is currently going through an upward swing in his career and has been a great source of encouragement and motivation in my life. It goes back to one of the points I’ve stated in the past…”If you’re the most successful person in your circle, then it’s time to find more people to bring into your circle or better yet…get a new circle.”

One of the questions he posed to me that caught me off guard was a simple one “What are you waiting for?” On the surface this may seem like a very basic question, but to me it penetrated deep within my spirit because I received it as a God-inspired question communicated through a human vessel.

Upon regaining my composure I responded humbly “I don’t know!” It was at that moment I realized I have been doing great things, with great intentions, but continue to live life with my “brakes” engaged. “Brakes” serve as a tool of comfort that allows a person to slow down when they feel life is moving too quickly. There is something empowering about being able to control, monitor and guide life in a way that minimizes exposure to hurt, failure and/or rejection. The only problem is you stunt your potential growth, never position yourself to experience the greatness God wants you to have and cuts off the realm of faith we as believers are supposed to operate in. Too many people settle for mediocrity because they don’t want to “release the brakes” and expose themselves to potential failure.

After responding to my friend’s question I immediately recognized opportunities that would give me a chance to “release the brakes.” I’ve already stepped out and moved into new frontiers within the past couple of days. Will you join me? What are you waiting for? Aren’t you tired of mediocrity? Release the brakes!!!

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Worship Experience by William Murphy

This is a blast from the past. Please enjoy!

God’s Perspective

I was reading and found this devotional from Lifeway wanted to share with you…

Scripture
After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield;
your reward will be very great.” Genesis 15:1

Thought
To understand your bad or difficult circumstances, God’s perspective is vital. Deep trouble and crisis is often the easiest time to hear God speak. One word He always gives in such situations, “Do not be afraid.” Fear is the human reaction toproblems. Hope is God’s reaction.

Prayer
You who takes away all fear, look in love on me today. You know the circumstances that bring fear, frustration, and failure to my life. Only Your word can dispel my fears and deepen my hope. Amen.

This devotional is courtesy of Experiencing God Day By Day Devotional. Please subscribe at Lifeway.com

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To Worship You I Live

I bumped into this last night while multi-tasking and it immediately caught my attention and captured my spirit and worship!

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Are You Playing Your Position?

We are now in one of my favorite times of the year. The sports seasons are in high gear for pro football, pro basketball and college basketball. Since I am a sports enthusiast, this time of year provides a great outlet for me to deal with the rigors of everyday life and I smile in anticipation of the various upcoming games.

Those who know me understand my affinity toward the positions of quarterback (football) and point guard (basketball). These two positions are the keys to each of their respective sports and usually are the keys to carrying out the plans communicated by the coach. You rarely see a team succeed without a good quarterback or point guard.

Fortunately, each of us as believers has a key team in our lives to fill these positions. God, the Owner, has provided us with all of the necessary pieces to be successful in life. None of us will ever want for anything, and He has the resources to ensure this will remain the case for our lives. Jesus, the Coach, calls the plays for our teams and has the benefit of being able to make adjustments because He’s able to see everything that’s going on. The Holy Spirit, the Quarterback/Point Guard, is able to guide us through the daily flow of our lives. He is acutely aware of the blitzes and presses that seem to be forming in our lives and can easily guide us to safety.

Unfortunately, too many of us desire to play the position of owner, coach and quarterback/point guard. We refuse to let go of our power trip and want to control everything despite our inability and lack of qualifications. The detriment of this approach is we “take control of our lives” in the manner the world desires us to, but it positions us for ultimate failure because God is left out of the equation.

The question I leave you with today is “Are you playing your position?”

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God in Me

Some people ask how do I do what I do? Or how have I made it this far in life? Well the answer is simple…It’s the God in Me!

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Solo Mission

Last night I endured yet another evening of battling insomnia! These bouts are becoming more and more frequent, but I believe I’m still going through a process of preparation for something greater. To make matters worse, it seems as if God is pruning people out of my life so that I can truly embrace and appreciate His presence. It’s challenging enough going through a life season without any clear direction, but add in the factor of having no one to endure the journey along with you. Call it a solo mission!

No matter how much we try to avoid it, some things in life are meant to be experienced in isolation, in order to prepare you for the life journey ahead. Have you ever been in a situation where it seems as if every component of your life is being challenged? Challenged professionally? Challenged relationally? Challenged financially? Challenged spiritually? Well solo missions position you to trust God’s voice when you cannot trust your own vision. Faith is really irrelevant if you’re able to control your own life and the circumstances surrounding it. Take it from me, your life is comprised of solo missions that help shape the person you are and the person you’ll become.

How will you respond to your solo missions?

Will you fuss and complain?
Will you embrace the process?
Will you try to flee and escape?

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Separation for Our Preparation

“Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.” – Galatians 1:17

The apostle Paul tells us in the first chapter of Galatians some of the facts surrounding his own conversion. He tells us that he clearly understood the call Jesus placed on his life. He did not have to consult other men about this calling. But before he was released to begin his own mission, He went to Arabia for three years. Why did Paul have to go to Arabia for three years before he ever met another disciple of Jesus Christ?

The Scripture does not tell us plainly why Paul spent three years in Arabia. However, based upon many examples of God placing special calls on people’s lives, we know it often requires a time of separation between the old life and the new life. No doubt, Paul had plenty of time to consider what had taken place in his life and time to develop an intimate knowledge and relationship with the newfound Savior. His life was about to change dramatically.

So often, when God places a call on one of His children, it requires a separation between the old life and the new life. There is a time of being away from the old in order to prepare the heart for what is ultimately coming. It can be a painful and difficult separation. Joseph was separated from his family. Jacob was sent to live with his uncle Laban. Moses was sent to the desert.

When God began a deeper work in my own life, it required a separation from all I had known before. He removed all that I had placed confidence in up to that point…money, my career, my party lifestyle and the most painful…the many members of my concubine (that one hurt). I was actually at a point in my life where things were actually lining-up socially, professionally, but something was still eating at me spiritually. God had a different idea. He removed all my creature comforts and security in order to accomplish a much greater work than what I could see at the time. The picture is clear now. I understand why it was necessary, but I didn’t at the time. It is not until we learn how to serve Him that we ultimately position ourselves to receive what our Creator ultimately has for us. Think of yourselves as waiters in a restaurant where, as you are waiting, you continue to serve those who are patrons in your establishment (aka your life).

Perhaps God has placed you in your own period of separation. Perhaps you cannot make sense of the situation in which you find yourself. If you press into God during this time, He will reveal the many purposes He has for you. The key is pressing into Him. Merge into a deeper relationship with Him. Seek Him with a whole heart and He will be found. God may have a special calling and message He is building in your life right now. Trust in His love for you that He will fully complete the work He has started in you.

Corporately as the body of Christ and also personally, we are approaching the midway point of 2010. Continue to use this year as a point of reference in your life. I believe that we get separated in preparation for something greater to come. We deal with death, financial setbacks, job loss and personal health issues. However, despite the trials and tribulation in our lives we have to remember that the One who leads us to the life challenges is powerful enough to get us through them. Amen!

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Which Man Are You? – Part 2

Thanks for joining me for part 2 of ‘Which Man Are You?’ As promised, I will conclude the categorical analysis I posted yesterday. To recap, we previously took a look at Mr. ‘Insecure,’ Mr. ‘Good Guy,’ Mr. ‘Bag Man’ and Mr. ‘Superficial’. For additional information on the aforementioned groups, please refer to my previous post.

As with the previous descriptions, men may fall into one or more of these categories and transition in and out based on various seasons in their lives. To be honest, I have found myself as Mr. ‘Insecure’, Mr. ‘Good Guy’ and Mr. ‘Bag Man’ at various points in my life. However, my relationship with God has given me the courage to acknowledge and address my shortcomings.

Without further delay, let’s look at the final four categories:

5. Mr. ‘Wolf in Sheep Clothing’ – I don’t want to give too much airtime to this group of individuals because it sickens me to think that this group exists in very large numbers. This individual presents himself as one of pure motives and exudes the confidence and interest that most women desire. However, upon further review, exploration and after a period of time, the truth about a wife or other lie finally comes to the surface. Why do you hide significant details about your relational status and life when you know that someone is going to get hurt in the end? Is it the thrill of adventure? Is it the desire to continuously upgrade? Remember that everything done in the dark eventually comes to light. If you struggle in this area, pray to God to establish order and commitment in your life. Families and relationships are being destroyed everyday and we need honesty and commitment to reappear as cornerstones in relationships.

6. Mr. ‘Fear of Commitment’ – Most men today find themselves in this category during the explorative phase in their lives. This individual gets enjoyment by being connected to women, but not being committed to them. I was one of the best at leading women down the ambiguous path of a relationship in search of something that would probably never appear. This individual finds fulfillment in building a ‘perfect’ woman through qualities of several different women in his life. It is an awesome fantasy to take bits and pieces of each person, and utilize the pieces to build what you view as a ‘perfect’ mate. The detriment to this approach is that you cater to a mentality that promotes perfection when individual perfection does not exist. In the process of creating mental perfection, you destroy the reality of what makes up our humanity. You typically find yourself in long drawn-out relationships that never make it past the boyfriend/girlfriend phase. You find yourself continuing to go out partying and being a social butterfly even though you have a ‘girlfriend’. You get really agitated and upset whenever the subject of relational permanency is initiated by your ‘girlfriend.’ In the end, Mr. ‘Fear of Commitment’ loves being associated with relationships, but you can never make-up your mind.

7. Mr. ‘Overconfident’ – If you specialize in telling others about yourself, then this is your category. Ever since you were born the world revolved around you. You got it going on, have the nice-paying corporate job or own your own successful business and have your pick of any woman (according to your own perception). Unfortunately, you never get a chance to acknowledge the value others can add to your life because you are only concerned about yourself and what others can do for you. There is nothing wrong with having a general level of overall confidence, but the problem occurs when you exceed the accepted level. You operate with sort of a barterer’s mentality, flashing material items and connections for the sole purpose of impressing and receiving from others. The unique thing about being Mr. ‘Overconfident’ is you probably don’t recognize it! Women are speaking negatively behind your back to others and you have no idea this opinion exists about you. If you have a hunch that this might be you, please consult a close female friend who will offer an unbiased response to your question. The good thing about being Mr. ‘Overconfident’ is that you only have to tone down your self-promotion a notch in order to cross back over to an attractive level of confidence.

8. Mr. ‘Good Catch’ – This is the man most women dream about, but have so much trouble recognizing because of the other men who co-exist. You are the one created by God and you are connected through a relationship with Him. You possess an unquenchable fire and passion to progress in life. Remaining stagnant in life is NOT an option. You continue the chivalrous gestures that once upon a time defined a true man. You set yourself apart with your patience and respect for women and others you come across. Your professions vary, but you are willing to work in order to provide for your family. You may be an attorney, a doctor, a salesman, teacher or truck driver. What matters most is that you understand your TRUE responsibility as a priest, provider, protector, comforter and/or father (if desired). Not only do you understand your responsibility, you VALUE this responsibility with open arms. Sisters dream about and yearn for your powerful presence and authoritative nature. You recognize your individual shortcomings and are willing to address them without shame. You are not afraid to express emotions when things have you down. REAL MEN DO CRY!

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