Important Decisions

Who should I marry? Where should I live? Where should my kids go to school? What career path should I choose? How should I invest my money? When should I retire?

These are legitimate questions that oftentimes do not provide clear cut answers. So how do we approach making important decisions like these and others?

I generally try to incorporate these three guiding principles when making significant decisions in my life; pray, weigh the pros and cons, and seek godly counsel.

Prayer signifies my dependence on the spirit of God and my desire to have the steady current of my faith fueling the decision making process. The leading voice and the highest priority of my life should be God's Word. 

Weighing the pros and cons is an attempt to assure that my decisions aren't based solely on my heart and emotions. If I know me, my emotions can become misguided and blur my vision in a way that I chase people, places, and dreams that God never intended for me to pursue.

Seeking godly counsel is simply asking for others to confirm or deny what they see as my passions and pitfalls, and how making this decision could be a wise or harmful move for me to make. I know that I need accountability in my life so that I'm not constantly choosing my own path based on preferences, conveniences, or self-gratifying results.

While many of the decisions we make aren't necessarily cut and dry, black and white decisions we must learn to seek the wisdom and discernment necessary to consider the implications of those decisions. Insightful decision making will create an awareness for us to respond more appropriately when life doesn't happen as we had planned.

Let your decisions be made with God's Word, a steady mind, and the voice of trusted friends. Making decisions isn't about following your heart; it's about following God's heart for your life. With every decision made, live like it's the right decision made at the right time for the right reason. God will honor our attempts at humble, righteous decision making with loads and loads of grace.

Ready and Willing!

"Ready or not, here I come!" 

My son loves playing hide and seek. It doesn't matter if we're in the house, outside, or at Walmart. Of course I have to remind him not to get out of sight in public places. I would hate to forfeit any "Father of the Year" honors by being called on the intercom to report to the home and garden center, register nine, or the customer service desk. 

So the counting begins. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...When finally reaching my numerical destination,  I set out to discover him in the unique hiding place under the same pile of clothes I was in only moments before. 

But sometimes when I finish counting and recite the familiar line, "Ready or not, here I come," he begins to scream, "Dad, I'm not ready!" 

He's more than willing to play the game but he's not quite ready for the game to begin. So he says, "Dad, start over!" In his quest to find the most optimal position his indecisive spirit leaves him squandering in the dregs of open spaces.   

And this is the place I find myself with God. Willing but not quite ready! 

I'm convinced I need more time, more training, more clarity. I need one more fleece, one more burning bush, one more talking donkey. One more supernatural expression of His presence rather than just trusting the surge of His Spirit on my heart. 

I'm trapped between sitting down and taking a step. Trapped between fear and courage. Trapped between rebellion and obedience. Trapped between trusting my flesh and His spirit in me.

Here's what I hear God saying right now, "Ready or not, here I come!" Yes, there's uncertainty. Yes, I would like more time. Yes, I would like the path to be more clear. But that's what makes it a real test of faith. Taking the leap, making the jump, beginning the journey. 

God is at work and He's asking us to join Him. He's not asking if we're ready; He's simply asking us to be willing to take this leap of faith and trust Him with our steps!

Walk by faith

"Walk by faith!"

I've seen this phrase penned across coffee mugs. Written on bright colored posters hanging on the wall. I've even seen it tattooed on someone walking barefoot in the sand.

The problem is, for those of us who sing its praises, we rarely live up to its hype. Instead, we find ourselves walking by fear, compulsion, or apathy.

We treat life like we're walking on egg shells; full of fear and scared to death of our future. 

We treat life like we're driving a steam roller; domineering control of our circumstances. 

We treat life like we are running through a field of lilies; showing no regard for purpose and vision.

Life happening right or being good is not all riding on our shoulders. There can never be a "100% satisfaction guaranteed" warranty placed on this journey we're making from earth to eternity when we place that responsibility completely on ourselves.

God is fine with vision, ambition, and discernment. But when we abandon this truth, the belief that no matter what "God's got this," then we cease to walk by faith. He wants us to be wise and well prepared, not foolish. He wants us to be flexible and open minded, not stubborn or insincere. He wants us to be confident and full of courage, not timidly hiding in fear. 

But what He wants most of all is for us to surrender ourselves to His plan and trust Him with our steps. It doesn't have to be figured out and it doesn't have to be set in stone. It's simply placing our life open-handedly into His.

When the foreseeable outcome isn't evident then our awareness for faith, a confident hope in a proven God worthy of our trust, is heightened. So let your next step, whether big or small, simply be a step of faith. 

 

How Much Does it Cost?

New toys, new wardrobes, new cars, new houses. Each of these items bear an attraction, level of entertainment, comfort, and beauty that cause us to actively pursue them without much reservation.

Without question, our eyes become enlarged and our hearts pump tirelessly in anticipation of receiving these kinds of possessions. However, it seems instead of considering it's worth we resort to this question, "How much does it cost?"

Sure, that's a legitimate question. If we don't have the resources to make the purchase then we simply look with envy at those who do. And it's in that moment that we move from asking "What's it cost?" to "What's it worth?"

Jesus tells a story in the Bible about a man who found a treasure in a field. He sold everything he had to purchase the field because of the excitement that awaited his purchase. The worth of his new prize far outweighed the cost required to receive it.

Jesus is making a very simple request, "Follow Me." And we are forced to weigh in the balance the cost and the worth, the risk and the reward. And too often, the cost outweighs the worth in our misguided view of what we consider to be a full and happy life.

Don't be mistaken while this two phrase request is simple, it's not easy. Denying yourself pleasures, conveniences, and having things your own way. It's not a promise to remove the difficulties and strains of your finances or relationships. But it is a promise to have peace and joy to endure the circumstances that this life brings.

The beauty and worth of Jesus is incomparable to all that this world has to offer. Sure, financial stability, relational peace, and moments of entertainment are reassuring and relaxing but there is a level of trust to be placed in Jesus that this world cannot provide. Choose Jesus. He is more valuable than the treasure found in any field. He provides for you what no one and nothing else can; true life.

Stranger Danger

Last week was Halloween. And all the well-meaning, responsible adults who were premiering for "Parent of the Year" honors took time to instill two very important principles into their little costumed heroes, princesses, and zombies.

The night was adorned by little minions dressed in fine apparel running through neighborhoods collecting candy in their pumpkins, plastic bags, or pillow cases. And our words to them as they stepped off the edge of our flat-bed trailer hay ride or out of the side door of our mini van, "Don't forget to say thank you!"

I love what comedian Bob Smiley said about trick-or-treating. "I use this holiday as an opportunity to teach my kids about the government collections agency. When they come home, I take 50%. But just in case you think that's unfair, I am providing free healthcare."

Then, there's this other rule, sometimes spoken and other times assumed, "Don't take candy from strangers!" This reminds me of the Saturday Night Live skit with Edward Norton about the police officer making a school visit to teach proper trick-or-treat etiquette.

But why is it so essential to instill these two ideals; to say thank you and don't talk to strangers?

There's something inside of me that feels like I should violate the premise of both of these principles. That I should learn to be a giver more than a taker. That my vocabulary should include "you're welcome" more often than "thank you." That talking to strangers in an effort to close gaps and build bridges is more beneficial than staring awkwardly at people who don't look, act, or dress like me.

I'm a parent so I totally understand the need to provide safety and security for our children. So, I am not saying we send them out into a world full of wolves unguarded or unaware. But what I am saying is that it is my responsibility to teach my child to reflect the character of Jesus. That by serving others we want to see people from all walks of life connect to life in Christ.