Use your uniqueness [2] TO MAKE A BIG DEAL OUT OF GOD every day of your life.
"don't waste years embellishing your own image. no disrespect, but who needs to see your face? who doesn't need to see God's?"
Take big risks for God. He wants us, not to be shy, but to be bold and loving and sensible.
-Matthew 25:14-15 is the parable of the talents. A talent = 10,000 denarii, and was in that day the biggest unit of Greek currency. 1 denarii was also a typical days' wages. To put it into perspective, Lucado suggests taking your daily wage and multiplying it by 10,000. For one who makes $100/day, that's $1,000,000 a day. Huge. Therefore, consider yourself a million-dollar investment. God gives gifts abundantly & carefully. He will say 'welldone good and faithful' someday - not good and famous, or good and fruitful. In the parable, God gives equal praise to both the 5 talent and 2 talent men- not more to the man who was given more. Do what you can with what you have. The only mistake is not to risk making one. "For fear of messing up, you'll miss out."
Come to the sweetest spot in the universe. This chapter was all about loneliness. We think no one knows me, no one's near me, no one needs me. How do you deal? "Some stay busy, others stay drunk. Some buy pets, others buy lovers. Some seek therapy. And a few seek God," explains Lucado. He invites us to. Even his name is comfort enough: Immanuel, God with us. Not God above us, God with the rich, God with the religious. Not 'I'll be with you when you behave.' God (not angels or prophets or apostles) with (near, present, alongside) us (lowly, lonely sinners). And, Christ takes away our sins, and in doing so, takes away our commoness.
Applaud God- Loud and often. This is chapter and the last one are my favorites thus far. "We suffer from poor I-sight. It blurs your view, not of the world, but of yourself. So often I waver between viewing myself too highly or lowly; but the truth is smack-dab in the center of these extremes- I can do all things thru Christ who gives me strength (phil 4:13). I get this. And I have always struggled with self-confidence and pride: but this chapter actually goes on to explain HOW to get to the safe, good middle ground. Worship. Perfect!!! No wonder Vespers and music in general has affected me so much. 'Honest worship lifts eyes off self and sets them on God.' Lucado reminds the reader that worship is not just music, but can be present in everything we do. And it should be. 1 Chron 29:10-14 is a great example of a prayer of worship. Worship helps us keep on target in life. It lifts our eyes off our present situation and sets them on the 'realities of heaven' which is what this is really all about. We worship God because we need to. But Lucado also reminds us of the biggest and most important reason to worship: "the chief reason for applauding God is that he deserves it."
Join God's family of friends. Lucado claims that the phrase 'brothers' or 'brothers & sisters' appears in the epistles 148 times...pretty important. God's family will outlive the universe. 'Common belief identifies members of God's family. Common affection unites them.' The church is a key part of this - a place of family and friends. But don't date the church. Commit. 'All together make up the body of Christ' (1 Co 12:6). God's body has no nobodies.' :) I like that. And, we find our meaning and function as part of the body of Christ (Romans 12:5).
Tank your reputation. This is one of the best chapters the first time I read it. It hits me less hard the second time around, oddly enough. Philippians 2:5, 7-8 is highlighted here. Love this quote: "God grants us an uncommon life to the degree we surrender our common one." Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, tanked his reputation. He could've divorced Mary quietly and went on his way. He was an educated, respected man in Nazareth. Mary's pregnancy jeopardized his reputation and he tanked it. And Jesus- "no one in Nazareth saluted him as the Son of God." "Deflating egos is so important to God that he offers to help." "When you're full of yourself, God can't fill you." Lucado points out several examples of Biblical authors who tank their reputations:
-Matthew mentions his name twice in his Gospel account- only as a tax collector. and he gives himself the eighth spot in his list of apostles.
-John doesn't mention his name ('John' refers to the Baptist each time)
-Luke wrote two of the most important books in the Bible but not once penned his own name
-Paul calls himself: a fool, the least of the apostles, less than the least of all saints, cheif of sinners. as he grew older, his ego grew smaller
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Cure for the Common Life [2]
Cure for the Common Life [3]
Use your uniqueness to make a big deal out of God [3] EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE.
Take your job and love it. One third of Americans hate their job. (there were most stats here that hit me hard - there are a lot of unhappy people out there!) Instead of running out and change professions, change your attitude toward your profession. In Luke 5, Jesus climbs into Peter's boat and asks him to sail out to sea a bit so he can continue to preach to the masses on the beach. We all have a boat- whether that's a cubicle, dump truck, courtroom or hospital wing. Jesus claims our workspaces. And our Wednesdays matter to Him as much as our Sundays do. Jesus showed Peter where to cast the nets later in Luke 5 - He can show us what to do while we are at work, if we invite Him there with us.
Pause on purpose. Mark 6:31 says 'come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.' To stay in the sweet spot, we must step away from the game periodically. (that's what I love about christmas/summer break...and weekends). In Luke 4:42 the crowd tries to keep Jesus from leaving the area after healing and preaching. If Jesus stayed, the crowd would end up dictating Jesus' steps and actions- we'll tell you where to preach and who to heal. So often in the Gospels we see Jesus retreat to a lonely place. Escape the noise of the crowd in order to hear the voice of God. Resist the undertow of our society and anchoring to the rock of your purpose. Sometimes, you may have to say no to good things so you can say yes to the right thing. (ooo. could that be no to a good job after college and yes to crusade...hm).
Trust little deeds. What begins minutely may end massively. The mustard seed parable, stone-weilding David, the two widow's coins in the offering- there are numerous examples. "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
Decode your kids' code. Great chapter, tho I don't have kids. Proverbs 22:6 says 'train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.' this actually isn't necessarily talking about salvation; 'view each child as a book, not to be written, but to be read.' That's so cool. Sometimes I think I'm great at reading myself and at other times I'm not so great. "God gave you an eighteen year research project." Lol, that's so great. Childhood tendencies forecast adult abilities. Know your children's S.T.O.R.Y.'s. "The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own."
Don't be too big to do something small. "God's cure for the common life includes a strong dose of servanthood...Don't so focus on what you love to do that you neglect what needs to be done." Jesus is the supreme examples. None of the apostles ever washed his feet, but he washed theirs. It was what he came to do, and we can follow suit no matter what. Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Love the overlooked. Wave a white flag. Do something every day that you don't want to do.
Take your job and love it. One third of Americans hate their job. (there were most stats here that hit me hard - there are a lot of unhappy people out there!) Instead of running out and change professions, change your attitude toward your profession. In Luke 5, Jesus climbs into Peter's boat and asks him to sail out to sea a bit so he can continue to preach to the masses on the beach. We all have a boat- whether that's a cubicle, dump truck, courtroom or hospital wing. Jesus claims our workspaces. And our Wednesdays matter to Him as much as our Sundays do. Jesus showed Peter where to cast the nets later in Luke 5 - He can show us what to do while we are at work, if we invite Him there with us.
Pause on purpose. Mark 6:31 says 'come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.' To stay in the sweet spot, we must step away from the game periodically. (that's what I love about christmas/summer break...and weekends). In Luke 4:42 the crowd tries to keep Jesus from leaving the area after healing and preaching. If Jesus stayed, the crowd would end up dictating Jesus' steps and actions- we'll tell you where to preach and who to heal. So often in the Gospels we see Jesus retreat to a lonely place. Escape the noise of the crowd in order to hear the voice of God. Resist the undertow of our society and anchoring to the rock of your purpose. Sometimes, you may have to say no to good things so you can say yes to the right thing. (ooo. could that be no to a good job after college and yes to crusade...hm).
Trust little deeds. What begins minutely may end massively. The mustard seed parable, stone-weilding David, the two widow's coins in the offering- there are numerous examples. "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
Decode your kids' code. Great chapter, tho I don't have kids. Proverbs 22:6 says 'train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.' this actually isn't necessarily talking about salvation; 'view each child as a book, not to be written, but to be read.' That's so cool. Sometimes I think I'm great at reading myself and at other times I'm not so great. "God gave you an eighteen year research project." Lol, that's so great. Childhood tendencies forecast adult abilities. Know your children's S.T.O.R.Y.'s. "The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own."
Don't be too big to do something small. "God's cure for the common life includes a strong dose of servanthood...Don't so focus on what you love to do that you neglect what needs to be done." Jesus is the supreme examples. None of the apostles ever washed his feet, but he washed theirs. It was what he came to do, and we can follow suit no matter what. Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Love the overlooked. Wave a white flag. Do something every day that you don't want to do.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
sin.
This is random (I need to stop prefacing every opening blog line with that statement): I think sin is a tricky thing. There so many ways I can go with this statement but I think what I want to get across is that it's all the same. Our views, reactions, the importance of it, no matter the sin, should be the same. So many times I hear Christians talk about varying degrees of sins. I understand that sins in and of themselves are technically different, but the act of sin is the same.
Ok, I may not be getting my point across... sin, no matter how 'bad or big' - has reprecussions. Obviously different sins have different effects and consequences for each person. A person struggling with pride and one struggling with drinking are both living a sinful life. We all are. The difference is a person making an effort to change this thing in their lives.
Anyway...I hope that makes sense? I wrote that awhile ago and had a good chat with Jordan Jules and Megs about it. I miss deep conversations.
Ok, I may not be getting my point across... sin, no matter how 'bad or big' - has reprecussions. Obviously different sins have different effects and consequences for each person. A person struggling with pride and one struggling with drinking are both living a sinful life. We all are. The difference is a person making an effort to change this thing in their lives.
Anyway...I hope that makes sense? I wrote that awhile ago and had a good chat with Jordan Jules and Megs about it. I miss deep conversations.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Cure for the Common Life [1]
The other day in the bargain books section of Wal-mart I purchased "Cure for the Common Life" by Max Lucado (only 4 bucks). I love to read, but most of what I do take in escapes me quite quickly. So, possibly blogging about the book will help my memory. Or not. Here goes!
The basic premise of the book is this:
"Use your uniqueness
to make a big deal out of God
every day of your life."
The 'cure' for the common life is found at the intersection of three circles, like a Venn Diagram:
1-my everyday life
2-God's glory
3-my strengths
A combination of these elements, is your own personal sweet spot. Lucado uses a lot of analogies and examples in the first few chapters about this, which I appreciate as a golfer and tennis player.
So. This book is broken into sections. On with it:
[1] USE YOUR UNIQUENESS
to make a big deal out of God
every day of your life
Unpack your bag of tricks and skills, which God prepackaged in you to glorify Him. Lucado includes several statistics about the number of Americans unhappy with their work, employers, and lives. From an HR perspective, yikes! You cannot be anything you want to be. but you can be everything God wants you to be.
Read your life backward. God is working in you to help you want to do what pleases Him and to be able to do what pleases Him. Our past presents our future. if you want direction for your future, read your life backward. What do you love to do when you don't have to do anything? Is there a common theme or thread running through activities you love to do? God's design of you defines your destiny. "You didn't exit the womb with your intended career tattooed on you" (so what does this big 'HR' tattoo on my leg mean?? :) You are the only you God made. If you aren't you, we don't get you. the world misses out.
Study your STORY
The basic premise of the book is this:
"Use your uniqueness
to make a big deal out of God
every day of your life."
The 'cure' for the common life is found at the intersection of three circles, like a Venn Diagram:
1-my everyday life
2-God's glory
3-my strengths
A combination of these elements, is your own personal sweet spot. Lucado uses a lot of analogies and examples in the first few chapters about this, which I appreciate as a golfer and tennis player.
So. This book is broken into sections. On with it:
[1] USE YOUR UNIQUENESS
to make a big deal out of God
every day of your life
Unpack your bag of tricks and skills, which God prepackaged in you to glorify Him. Lucado includes several statistics about the number of Americans unhappy with their work, employers, and lives. From an HR perspective, yikes! You cannot be anything you want to be. but you can be everything God wants you to be.
Read your life backward. God is working in you to help you want to do what pleases Him and to be able to do what pleases Him. Our past presents our future. if you want direction for your future, read your life backward. What do you love to do when you don't have to do anything? Is there a common theme or thread running through activities you love to do? God's design of you defines your destiny. "You didn't exit the womb with your intended career tattooed on you" (so what does this big 'HR' tattoo on my leg mean?? :) You are the only you God made. If you aren't you, we don't get you. the world misses out.
Study your STORY
- Strengths
What do you do well? what are your 'verbs' in a sense? - Topic
What so you enjoy working with? what is/are your noun(s) - Optimal conditions
What motivates you? in what environment do you thrive? - Relationships
How do you relate to people?
Do you work best alone, in a team, or leading the group? - Yes!
When do you have that feeling? 'i was MADE to do this!'
*God never called you to be anyone other than you
Don't 'consult' your greed. Success is defined by doing the most what you do the best - not by how many cars or houses you own. Do I have the mentality that I am rich enough? Greed can seduce you out of your sweet spot (ohhhh so true). In a desire to be great, one might cease being any good. Follow david's example: just because the king gives you armour doesn't mean you have to wear it. What fits others might not fit you. Know your capabilities & strengths; examine your gifts. Stick to your STORY.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
life!
Well I haven't blogged much at all lately. Life is crazy busy and crazy good. In the past month, I had two roommates graduate, one get married, one get engaged. YIKES! And we all moved out of the Farm House. Life looks different now than it did even a month ago, but yet in so many ways it is still the same.
I'm sick of wanting things I don't have and tired of never having enough to make me happy. I can't get my happiness from material things, a great house, money, etc etc etc (boy how many times do I need to learn that lesson). I don't have much but I have what I need. I'm happy where I am at because it's where God wants me to be. I'm content.
It's been a hard transition to this point. Probably because I don't have much to transition to. I feel a bit lost in the shuffle- I didn't graduate, I have a job and I don't have a boyfriend to plan a future with. So in the midst of working and waiting to graduate, I will enjoy another summer, and look forward to my final semester of class. My worries are few and my future is wide open. And I'm content flying solo. I'm not going to sit around waiting for life to happen, to drop by on my doorstep. It probably would get lost trying to find my new apartment. :)
I'm sick of wanting things I don't have and tired of never having enough to make me happy. I can't get my happiness from material things, a great house, money, etc etc etc (boy how many times do I need to learn that lesson). I don't have much but I have what I need. I'm happy where I am at because it's where God wants me to be. I'm content.
It's been a hard transition to this point. Probably because I don't have much to transition to. I feel a bit lost in the shuffle- I didn't graduate, I have a job and I don't have a boyfriend to plan a future with. So in the midst of working and waiting to graduate, I will enjoy another summer, and look forward to my final semester of class. My worries are few and my future is wide open. And I'm content flying solo. I'm not going to sit around waiting for life to happen, to drop by on my doorstep. It probably would get lost trying to find my new apartment. :)