June 14, 2011

The Big 5-0!

It seems hard to believe but this Saturday, June 18, I turn 50 years old. Now before you get on my case about that not being all that old or for complaining in some way, let me just say, I know there are a lot of people older than 50, I just can’t believe I’m actually there. It seems like just yesterday I was 20. I guess that is the good news, though I’m turning 50, I don’t really feel like it, at least not most of the time.

So why blog about turning 50? No, it is not to get your well wishes, your sympathy, or anything like that. I’m blogging about turning 50 as a matter of perspective. While 50 is not all that old for many people who long ago celebrated that milestone, for me it is significant because my father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, and my great-great-grandfather, never lived to see their sixtieth birthdays. Now do you see where I’m going? If genetics have anything to say about it (I know God is in control), I may have less then ten years to live. Now to be honest, while that concerns me at times, what it really does is drive me to a sense of urgency regarding the things of Christ. In Ephesians 5:15-16 the apostle Paul penned these words to the Ephesian church. He wrote,
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” What jumps out to me from those verses is the command to make “the best use of the time.” Obviously, regardless of our age or how long we may have left on this earth, it is our obligation to make the best use of time by investing it in the worship and service of our Savior. What Paul is challenging us to do is to make sure that we do not squander our time in frivolous and self-serving endeavors. Since I am keenly aware that my time may be in short supply, I want to make sure that I have lived out my remaining years being both obedient to and effective for Christ.

I wonder, what is your perspective when it comes to time? Over the years I have certainly run into my fair share of believers who are living as if they have all the time in the world to get right with God or to start serving Him. I really hope and pray that that is not your perspective, my friend. In truth, regardless of how much time we think we may have left, time is short. In James 4, James gives this word of warning in verses 13 and 14,
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” Do you get the picture? Whether 5, 15, 25, 50, or 100, time is short! That being the case, God calls each of us to make the best use of that limited time by living for Him. I wonder, are you doing that? Don’t wait for your next birthday to start gaining God’s perspective when it comes to time. I urge you make the most of all the time you have, by investing your life for Christ. According to I Corinthians 15:58, a life spent laboring for Christ is “not in vain.”

June 7, 2011

Joy In The Lord


"For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence." - Psalm 21:6

Hey everyone! I’m back from my ministry break and excited both for what God has been teaching me during my time away and for what He has for me moving forward. It is that “what God has been teaching me” part that is the focus of this post.

In Psalm 21 David finds himself rejoicing in the Lord. He celebrates all the good things that God is doing in his life and praises Him for His goodness and faithfulness. Toward the end of the Psalm, he finds comfort and confidence in God’s power and the victory the He alone secures.

I have to tell you, my life has been lacking that practice and perspective of late. During my time away, I shared with a ministry friend some of the struggles that I have been having with people and ministry over the last several months and said to him that much of the joy of the ministry was gone in my life because of those struggles. What my friend was quick to point out to me is that my joy is not to come from people or from ministry, but from the Lord. That truth hit me like a ton of bricks. Though I certainly knew it, the reality was that I was not living it. I had gotten so caught up in the circumstances around me that I failed to find my joy in who God is and what He was and is doing in my life. In reality, I was seeking joy where it could not and should not be found.

I wonder, can you relate to that? Perhaps your life has gotten to where mine was. You have become so focused on people and circumstances and the disappointments that they bring, that your joy has been replaced by frustration and despair. Hey, good news! It doesn’t need to be that way. As David so clearly reminds us, joy comes from the Lord and His presence in our lives. When we look up from the problems, we discover that God is there, faithfully, lovingly working on our behalf. Even when life is painful and difficult, He is working in those circumstances to grow us and to mold us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29).

If your joy has been diminished or perhaps nonexistent of late, I invite you, join me in the journey of finding joy in the Lord. As you go through the day, take the time to reflect upon who God is and what He is doing in your life. Study passages like Psalm 21 that extol God’s presence and power in your life. As the hymn writer suggests, “count your blessings, name them one by one.” Write them down and rehearse them often. Make sure that a portion of your prayer time is spent simply thanking God for what He is doing in your life. What I’m discovering as I do those things is that joy is returning, not because my circumstances have changed, but because I’ve changed.

Listen, for the follower of Christ, life shouldn’t be joyless. God gives it in abundant supply as we focus our attention on Him. Let’s make Him our focus today and in the days to come. As you do so, I’d love to hear your comments about how God is changing your perspective and restoring your joy.