What's Next?

Recently, I had a conversation with a college graduate who asked the question, "What's next?" In an effort to appease his inner circle of influence, i.e., his parents and their money, he completed his college degree.

Nevertheless, the myriad of questions like "What job should I choose? Where should I live? Who should I marry?" all came whirling from his tassel-ridden head following the commencement ceremonies. Legitimate questions all posed around this one thought: Is this God's will for my life?

So, here's some advice for him and the masses of people clueless about their future endeavors.Think of God's will like an interstate highway.

There are people speeding in both directions. We are choosing to drive in one of two directions; let's assume that one is the right way and the other the wrong way.

There are multiple lanes of traffic. The speed and trajectory of our travels are determined by our position and destination. Remember, slower traffic keep right!

There are guardrails along the highway. While we have some freedom to choose one of the various lanes, we know the guardrails are intended to keep us from danger.

There are road signs navigating the way. While we can't see the end of our journey, we trust the road signs to lead us to our intended destination.

There are on ramps and exit ramps. These ramps are necessary for helping make many of our decisions; decisions to stop, rest, re-fuel, re-calculate the GPS, turn around, choose a different destination.

So, what do you tell someone who's scrambling to follow God's will but admittedly has no idea what to do next? My favorite verse in the Bible is Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."  

Today, if you're seeking to please God by the choices you're making in life, realize this; God has a plan for your life. While we don't always see or understand His plans immediately, this idea of faith allows us to place our trust in Him so that when we look in the rearview mirror of life we see how His plan was unfolding all the time.

I know my advice doesn't answer the specific questions my friend was asking and neither does the Bible. The Bible says "the renewing of your mind" will lead you to align your life with God's good, acceptable, and perfect will.

What are you waiting for? Get on the highway! Start moving! Pay attention! Know the conditions! The route may require some unsuspecting turns but with God navigating the journey you will end up precisely where He wills.

 

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness pt 3

A song from the 90's says, "if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."

 

Really?
 

Chris Gardner, (Will Smith) in the "Pursuit of Happyness," speaks of our inalienable rights and suggests the genius of Jefferson's plight with the phrase 'pursuit of happiness.' It's as if to say we have the right to train our ambitious minds to attain this emotional state of ecstasy all the while realizing that it may simply be a figment of our imagination. 
 

"How can you say that happiness could be just a figment of our imagination? After all, doesn't God just want us to be happy?"
 

Here's what I know. Happiness can be an elusive creature that causes pain and heartache if it's promise isn't fulfilled.  

God created everything to be good; hence, happiness implied. But man's struggle to be satisfied by such perfect harmony resulted in a rebellious notion to sin. This attempt for a lifestyle of superficial happiness in the garden, in turn, led to a disappointing end.  

While we have continued to pursue our own means of happiness God has unveiled His redemptive plan to secure His original design; a relationship with Him. But why? Where Jefferson and Gardner fail to clearly explain this course of happiness, God continues to declare that our greatest joy is found in Him alone.
 

So, if happiness is not meant to be the climactic pursuit of this life, then, what is? If the apex of man's existence is not some moment of emotional ecstasy, what shall we say?

Perhaps God is wanting to chart a different course for us; the pursuit of something greater than the warm feelings of a happy heart. "Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace...from a pure heart" (2 Tim 2:22). When our pursuit of God navigates our thoughts, emotions, speech, and actions, we will find the greatest satisfaction known to man.

Don't seek to be happy! Seek God in His holy splendor and trust that when you find Him [yet, when He finds you], you will find all your heart ever longed for!

 

They Call Him [Big] Poppy

I know, I know. Anybody that knows anything about Major League Baseball would assume these few lines are to be filled with the latest stats or rants by the Dominican born slugger for the Boston Red Sox. I'm sorry if I let you down!

Poppy is the name my dad bears among his grandkids. He's the guy responsible for handing down our family name and a few traits, habits, and tendencies that I've grown to either enjoy or despise. Nevertheless, he's my dad and I wouldn't trade that for anything in this world. 

Growing up, I was a daddy's boy. Everywhere he went, I went. To the neighbors' house, church, grocery store, to feed our dogs. I was tagging along on the heels of my hero.

Dad's Passion
By passion, let's simply say a love and joy for life. Dad is a working man, a family man, a man's man. He hasn't been lethargic, uninvolved, or emotionless. He has shown great enthusiasm toward a variety of interests such as working, sports, and hunting. His passions have been influential in shaping our interests and it's allowed us to pass those interests on to the next generation of our family.

Dad's Presence
Most of my favorite childhood memories occurred at the sports fields, hunting fields, and church yards. There were days when his arrival home from work had awaiting him at the door a ball and glove enticing him to go back outside to play. And almost always, he gladly obliged. As a father, he has unquestionably fulfilled his responsibility to be present.

Dad's Provision
Growing up, we never did without; we always had enough. Like many other families, we experienced the difficulties of financial strain, but dad (and mom) always provided for us kids. His commitment to providing for the family created a sense of security that allowed us to rest comfortably in his care.

Now That I'm A Dad
Now that I'm a dad I can look back and see, perhaps, there has been some wisdom gleaned from my dad's influence in my life. So, son, until you can read this on your own, here are some things I want to be sure you know.

By God's grace:
1. I will love you with all my heart.
2. I will be present in every season of your life.
3. I will provide the basic necessities of life.
4. I will teach you to work hard, play well with others, and rest often.
5. I will lead you where I believe God is leading me.

Happy Happy Happy!

The month of June marks the beginning of summer for most. It's a time to enjoy sunshine, sleeping late, trips to the beach, and weekends with family and friends.

Yet, for others it is simply a continuation of the never ending cycle of working in this 'rat race' we call life just trying to get by. 

So how do we, as Phil often suggests, learn to live life being "Happy, Happy, Happy!?!"

Free your heart from hate.

Hatred stems from prolonged bitterness which finds it's root in pride and fear. A heart filled with Jesus will constantly pour out a love that's void of such condemning hate.

Free your mind from worry.

Anxiety is the pressure we place on ourselves when we try to carry the overbearing weight of living up to the world's expectations. The person who acknowledges the all-sufficient power of God's grace will learn to rest in Him rather than work themselves into the cycle of worry.

Live simply. 

Living simply rests in the realization that God is the giver and the gift. It's understanding the difference between needs and wants. It's realizing that people are more valuable than possessions. It's knowing that eternal treasures are more to be desired than earthly ones.

Give more. 

To say we are blessed is to realize that we have found true happiness not in what we attain but in what we choose to give away. God gives with the expectation that we will steward it well. Our grip on our possessions, time, and even our very lives speaks volumes to how much we trust the God we claim serve.

Expect less. 

The world that God created to be good and whole no longer exists. So it's unreasonable to expect the seamless reality of a perfect world because of man's decision to pursue a cheap substitute. Man's futile attempt to satisfy and be satisfied by this world is quite burdensome. Remember that this world is the training ground for the sanctifying work God is doing in us to prepare us for a perfectly eternal home with Him.