Tag: quick hit

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Quick Hit: Holiday Curveball

I recently had the opportunity to have a conversation with a woman who had recently received an unwanted diagnosis. It’s something that, to say the least, is taking some getting used to.

During the course of the conversation, there were two encouraging ideas that came up, which can be applied to other peoples’ lives, too:

  1. This diagnosis didn’t catch God off guard.
  2. This new set of circumstances in no way changes God’s will for your life.

We’ve all had something come along and take the wind out of our sails. As we get ready to kick off holiday season, please be mindful of the people around you who may be going through a particularly challenging time. The holidays, especially, can be a trying time, and you may have been placed in their life for such a time as this.

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The Election’s Finally Over!

Just a quick note today. Congratulations to President-Elect Trump and all those who supported him.

As we all know, elections are contentious issues in our country. Just about half of the country is guaranteed to be disappointed. Many times the winning candidate will speak of unity, or about “being a president for all Americans.” I think that’s noble, but things often go off the rails and that notion falls by the wayside quickly.

So today, I ask that if you’re a Trump supporter interacting with those who supported Vice President Harris, please don’t gloat or spike the football. It could be family, friends, coworkers, or the person you see at the grocery store. Maybe it’s at the Thanksgiving table in a few weeks. If we truly want to move forward as a country under the banner of unity, it’s not helpful to throw a victory in anyone’s face. Let’s assume we’re all Americans and want to move closer together, not further apart.

Maybe this post is reaching you a day or two late and you’ve already been an instigator in some of those “victory!” conversations. I ask that you build people up, not tear them down. Criticize ideas, not people. If an apology is in order, please follow through with one.

And if nothing else, at least the political ads are over now!

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Quick Hit: Now You’re Speaking my Language!

My dad grew up in a house where Norwegian was spoken frequently. He also spent at least one of his childhood summers with an aunt and uncle living in Norway.

Living stateside, even if Norwegian was the only thing spoken in his home, he still had exposure to plenty of English (friends, school, etc.). Making the transition for a summer to an environment where he was totally surrounded by people speaking a different language, he could speak English and some people would still understand him, but he eventually started switching over to speaking Norwegian because it was just easier to communicate that way. He said the weirdest thing was how, after doing this for awhile, he began to think in a different language.

Ever been faced with text you can’t read?

This is like what Christians are faced with in their lives here on Earth. Though this life figures prominently in our thinking and what we spend our attention on, this place is really only our temporary home. Even though Christians are citizens of Heaven, we’re deeply immersed in a foreign culture that shouts loud enough to drown out the values and ideals of our eternal home. Without maintaining connections to God-approved values in the form of Bible readings, prayer, Bible teachings, and Christian fellowship, it’s easy to be overcome by the persistent influence of this world.

Even though we’re only here for a brief lifetime, it’s important to maintain these connections to “back home” where we’ll be spending the bulk of our time. We’re in this world, but not of it. Don’t get too attached to the things your home culture places no value on, and don’t let your thinking be overtaken by the culture we’re only visiting. We’re going home someday, after all.

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Quick Hit: Why is Eden Guarded?

After expelling Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, God posted angels with flaming swords near its perimeter to ensure they didn’t come back in. Ever wonder why?

The most obvious answer is as a consequence of their disobedience. God warned them what not to do; since they disobeyed, He had to impose consequences.

But an often-overlooked reason relates to what could still happen if humans got back in. The only limitation God put on the original pair was to avoid eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They obviously missed the mark there, but the Garden still had a very special tree whose fruit would catastrophically affect fallen humans: the Tree of Life.

“And the Lord God said, ‘The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.’” – Genesis 3:22

Genesis isn’t terribly clear on whether they ate from the Tree of Life before they sinned, but it’s probably safe to assume they did at some point (how could you not try everything the Garden has to offer?). I can’t honestly say I understand what happens when sinless humans eat that tree’s fruit, but it would be a pretty big deal if an imperfect, sinful human ate from it. The verse above makes it pretty clear they’d be preserved in a sinful state forever. Christ still died for them/us, but without death, how can we ever be restored to true life?

In His infiniteness, God could doubtless still make a way to redeem them, but He chose, in His mercy, to prevent anyone from reaching the tree in the first place.

Still can’t get over the loss of that tree? Don’t worry, we’ll have access to it in the future: Revelation 22:1-3a notes “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed.” Don’t worry; you’ll get your shot at that tree (and its 12 different kinds of fruit) someday!

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Quick Hit: Time for a Heart Checkup

Did you know you can tell what’s in a person’s heart by what comes out of their mouth?

The contents of your heart are important; they overflow your heart and come out of your mouth, acting like a window for others to see the type of things your heart contains.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.  Luke 6:45

Think of this as an opportunity for a self-check. What kind of things are coming out of your mouth? Are there any changes you need to make?

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Need a Confidence Boost?

Most of my posts are somehow geared at being willing to step out in faith to accomplish tasks you think are beyond your reach, yet which God has enabled you to perform. While I absolutely believe in that idea and use it as the blog’s central theme, it’s also important to help lay the mental groundwork for meeting such challenges. If you think of my normal blog posts as a movie, think of this one as their prequel.

I’ve learned through experience that if you’re willing to take risks in just about any aspect of your life, usually one of two circumstances hold true. The first possibility is that your back is against the wall and you’ve got no real choice; the risk you’re taking is probably the best of your bad options or it’s your last resort. While I acknowledge this as a driving force behind some risky behavior, it’s not the one I want to focus on.

The second possibility is that if you’re willing to take risks, you’re secure enough in who you are that the idea of failing doesn’t paralyze you with fear. If Christ is your savior, He will call you to do things you’re not comfortable with. It’s a risk to obey. You might fail. You may look like a fool. It could cost you.

I don’t know who I’m talking to right now, but you need to hear this. If you’re a Christ-follower and feel God’s called you to some challenge requiring a lot of faith, let me remind you: you are a child of the One True King. Walk down the path with the confidence that comes along with your position. If the Lord commissioned you to pursue a specific undertaking, remember the enemy can harass you, but he cannot harm you without permission. Your idea of what success looks like might not jive with God’s take on it, but it’s part of the life your Lord called you to, so take that next step.

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In Everything Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is this week! We’re moving into the time of year where a lot of people have mixed emotions. Brokenness, loss of loved ones, and relationships that simply didn’t work out as hoped all contribute to some people having a difficult time during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

Then there are those whose hearts are overflowing with joy during this time of year. For some this serves as an opportunity to count their blessings, reunite with those they’ve been separated from, and catch up on things that have happened since they were last together.

Whether you’re one extreme, the other, or somewhere in between, may these words from 1 Thessalonians shape your outlook to be more like what Christ wants it to be:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Quick Hit: One Look is All it Takes

The simple act of making eye contact with someone at the right time can be a powerful thing.

There are different types of situations where a short bout of eye contact can convey a lot without saying a word. I’m thinking particularly of instances where someone in authority over you, a coach or a supervisor for example, looks silently to you during a high-pressure scenario, as if to say “I know what you’re capable of, and I’m looking to you to do it now.”

Whether you come through in the clutch or you let someone down, those are the kinds of moments that stick with you for a long time.

Christ told His followers the world would hate them, but He also told them He was relying on them to carry out the great commission and spread the good news. This charge extends to Christ-followers of today and tomorrow. Having perfect knowledge of how history will unfold, the Holy Spirit empowers each Christian with gifts to be used for the glory of the Lord’s Kingdom. Now, at a time when our nation is frighteningly divided, the Lord is looking at His followers, some of which were created specifically to address this challenge, and saying “I know what you’re capable of, and I’m looking to you to do it now.”

I urge you, fellow Christ-follower, get out there and do what you were created to do. Become who you were made to be. Although the Lord is completely capable of providing compassionate or encouraging looks, it’s important to remember that He’s also capable of shooting looks that remind us of our shortcomings in our service to Him, and it’s our choice whether we’re on the receiving end of that look or not.

Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered the word from the Lord, and how he had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” So he went outside and cried bitterly. Luke 22:61-62

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Quick Hit: Lost Souls Are Waiting on You and I

If you trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, congratulations! You are Heaven-bound!

Don’t forget, though, that there’s a lot more for us to do. There are a whole bunch of people that are not blessed the same way we are. While I’m thrilled that we’ll get a chance to chat in Heaven even if we never meet in this life, now’s not the time to take our feet off the gas pedals. This lifetime is the only opportunity we get to make an eternal difference in someone else’s life.

The obvious question is “well what am I supposed to do?” The short answer is that I don’t know the specifics for your life, but in general terms: seek God’s will for your life. Believe me, He’ll call you to serve somehow if you’re actively seeking. For some it’s being Jesus’ hands and feet by volunteering in a soup kitchen or somewhere you’re desperately needed. For others it’s evangelism either right here at home or somewhere far away.

It’s easy to see how those things serve the Lord, but what if you feel you’re not good at anything like that? Well then do the thing you’re good at, and do it to the glory of God. If you’re good at baking pies, bake pies. If you’re amazing at cutting grass, cut grass. Know engines like the back of your hand? Keep working on ‘em. Even if you don’t see how it serves God, be faithful in the little things and trust Him. Over time your role in the grand scheme will become clearer.

The Body of Christ is like a giant puzzle, with each Believer contributing a piece to the overall picture. None of us know what the picture’s supposed to look like when it’s finished, but you don’t add much to the picture by not pursuing your calling. We’re ministry partners that are still waiting to learn how our individual ministries tie together. If and when we get a chance to catch up in Heaven, let’s make that topic a must-discuss point.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. -Romans 12:4-5

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Quick Hit: It’s Time To Unlock Your Potential

You are a mighty spiritual warrior in training.

Did you know that? A lot of people seem to think that Christians are supposed to be pushovers or doormats. That’s categorically false. We’re supposed to stand apart from the culture, and that’s something that often takes great courage and fortitude.

You probably don’t often feel like a mighty warrior, though. Of course there are giants of the faith, and you might wonder how you can even be mentioned in the same breath as some of them.

Listen to me. If you’re not yet at the end of your Christian walk, God can still do plenty in and through you. He wants you for who you are, not who you ought to be. Yet He looks at you and sees not who you are now, but what you can become.

The world is dark and getting darker. Let the light of Christ shine in your life, whatever that looks like in your circumstances. We need you. Other Christians need you. Unbelievers need you. You may have some thoughts right now about how you can do that in your own life. God equipped you with certain talents or interests, and He did that for a reason. Follow through, and let God use you.

There’s a song that was very popular a few years back. It was about a guy that saw some of the hurt and injustice of the world, and he cried out “God, why don’t you do something?”

God said “I did. I created you.”

It might be true that you’re not a giant of the faith…yet. But it doesn’t take a giant to start with doing some of the little things that need to get done.

Matthew West “Do Something” music video.