I had a great lunch today where the discussion turned into the qualification and drive of being in ministry.  The question was proposed, “What does it take to be in full time ministry?”  Great question.  I answered it very simply… Be in the WORD.  But is that really all it takes?

Let’s just be forward right quick.  Let’s drop all the excuses and all the self-preservation and just come out and say it.  If you are doing anything more than you are seeking God, then you are not really placing Him first.  I just reread that statement and I can imagine the responses now.  What about your job, how can I be spending time with God 8 hours a day and my job 8 hours a day.  Here is what I am talking about.  There is a point in our lives where spending time with God becomes more than just reading the Word.  It does NOT replace that time of reading the Word, but it becomes MORE.  It is when you are constantly thinking about if God is directing you.  It is when you see someone and the Spirit speaks up inside of you and reveals something for you to be praying for them about.  It is when you are about to lay to go to sleep and instead of turning the TV on you quietly spend time with Him.  It is ALL the decisions that we make.  I look at our walk with God in 4 positions; Encounter with Christ, Growing In Christ, Close to Christ, and Christ Centered (thank you REVEAL).

Encounter with Christ is where we have that start up relationship with God.  It is when we are still wondering if we are saved at times.  It is where we are still trying to find our identity.  Our flesh has full reign, our emotions are out of control, and we question everything we shouldn’t and allow everything that we should, BUT we have been redeemed.

Growing In Christ is when the flesh is being put down a little bit.  This is the phase where time is being spent with God daily.  This is where we are looking to God for answers and wanting to learn more about who He is.  It is phase of our life where we feel like we are always having to fix something in our lives.  Something is always being trained to be different.  New standards and new revelations are exciting and challenging.

Close to Christ is what I call the leadership phase.  It is where we no longer question our salvation.  Our time with God has changed to be less about ourselves and more about others.  Prayer time is more prevalent and consistent.  Daily time with God is still happening along with moments through out the day where there is almost a camaraderie (not in the  familiar role).  Actions and thoughts are geared towards the respect of our love for God.  Understanding the love of God becomes the focus of the relationship.

Christ Centered is what I would categorize as the deep love of God within us.  This is when all the prosperity, self focused, individualized drive becomes obsolete.  Not because it isn’t true or promised, it simply is no longer the focus.  The level of trust between the believer and God is at a point where there is no doubt that God is going to take of our needs, so our entire focus is on others.  It is the highest level of love because it is the lowest level of self.  This is not the time when time with God becomes obsolete, instead it is more consistent and purposeful than it has ever been.  It is when the time with God is out of respect, and the relationship is constant.  It is like we are forever in a conversation with God.  Things change during this phase.  The flesh becomes a resource instead of a source.  No longer is money, job, or position a concern or goal, instead it is closeness with God, reaching others, and changing lives.  It is the moment that personal needs get taken off the shelf of second position to being placed in a box and shipped to New Zealand, never to be returned.  It is abandonment of self into an overwhelming acceptance of God.  It is when the LOVE of God becomes so richly inhabited within the heart.

I am not talking about a list of responsibilities, or a checklist of achievement.  I am talking about the relentless pursuit of a Savior who loves us so much that He lives inside of us.  This allows us to look through Him to see others – seeing them the way that He does.

That is who I want to be… Christ Centered.

Thanks for reading, pass it along.

b

I watched a show this weekend that blew my mind.  It was called “SHAQ vs” and as cheesy as it was, it made an impact on me.  Here is the skinny on the show;  Shaq challenges the best of the business of sports.  So far this season he has raced against Michael Phelps, quarterback challenge against Ben Rothlesbeger,  and boxing with DeLahoya.  So in this particular episode Shaq is taking on the world of Baseball with Albert Pujols.  The challenge is a Home Run Derby.  The first round of the challenge Shaq hits 5 homeruns (with some easier standards) and Pujols does the same.  Going to the second round Oneal hits 5 more home runs.  Stay with me, Pujols hits 2 more homeruns and then gets 3 outs.  He only has 2 more outs when he puts the next 3 balls over the fence.  It was incredible, but the best part comes when Albert relaxes knowing he had won and decides to crush the ball.  It was his next hit that not only went pass the stands, but it completely cleared the ballpark.  Why is this such an experience?
I read this morning in 1 Peter 5:5-7
I Peter 5:5: Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
I Peter 5:6: Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
I Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

There are a few things that I want to point out.

1 – He is speaking to leaders.  Sure he is mentioning that we need to submit, but in our examples everyone  of us submit to someone BECAUSE we have a responsibility of our own.

2 – He is telling us to get in our PLACE.   In other words, we have to humble ourselves.  It is OUR job to place ourselves in an attitude that is about serving.  We are to take the step that is right in front of us the best that we can.  It is absolutely imperative that we passionately pursue God by silently serving man.

3 – Live care free – SWING FOR THE FENCES.  When I saw that Albert was able to crush the ball over the ball park when he knew he had already won.  It struck a chord with me.  What if we lived that way?  What if we took the time to drop all hindrances and truly run hard after God.

Ha, that was something my father used to say and it has stuck with me through my short life thus far.  It really has a lot to do with our response to offense.  You HAVE to love the Word of God when it says in Luke 6:27-30:

27″But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

²⁹“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

³⁰“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

If only Christians really lived like that.  We would never have to pull teeth to get a project done for our community, we would never have conflict, and we would never get our feelings hurt!  It is our job to love, not take offense. In fact, we are not allowed to get our feelings hurt, no matter how harsh the judgement or offense.  I know that it is a struggle for us all, but the first thing we have to do is to stop making excuses.  In a consultation, or strategic planning process, the first step is to assess the situation.  What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?  What are we doing well, and what are we failing at doing?  In our lives, we have to be willing to do the same thing.  We have to ask ourselves if we are living out our potential.  We HAVE to stop making excuses;

“I LOVE PEOPLE, I DO.  I MEAN, I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL OR ANYTHING.”

“I LOVE THEM, BUT I JUST DON’T LIKE THEM.”

“THE ONLY WAY I CAN LOVE THEM IS TO AVOID THEM.’

Yep, you have it all figured out… except… you don’t.

First Statement: “I LOVE PEOPLE, I DO.  I MEAN, I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL OR ANYTHING.” Loving someone to the point of not wanting them go to hell is being willing to reach them so they do not.  Christ didn’t want anyone to be condemned to the lake of fire, so His response was to die for them.  Those people who have OFFENDED us (because that is why we have a hard time loving them – call it what it is) deserve the Love of God, who are we to disqualify them

Second Statement: “I LOVE THEM, BUT I JUST DON’T LIKE THEM.”  I challenge you to show me a scripture where Jesus didn’t like someone?  Ok, so He yelled at the moneychangers… But seriously, Jesus would walk by a crowd and would be MOVED with compassion.  Moved with compassion – it would literally draw Him to make a decision to “like” them enough to love them, or ignore the drawing of the Spirit.  We have to be careful in this part of our lives.  It is dangerous to think that love doesn’t require a liking.  That will suck the compassion out of the relationship, which will end up in bitterness.  Let me be certain to say, that you don’t have to LIKE their behavior.  We just have to see them the way that Christ did…  Then we not only like them, we love them.

Third Statement: “THE ONLY WAY I CAN LOVE THEM IS TO AVOID THEM.”  Again, Jesus was moved with compassion.  He would literally have dinner with the sinners and the publicans.  It was also obvious that He didn’t avoid the Pharisees and the Sadducees, because the Gospels are full of conversations with them.  Sure, He was correcting them and telling them that they have some issues, but you know what – He did for them too.  And what better example of that love than to die for the very one who nailed you to the cross and say “Father, forgive them.  For they know not what they do.”

Our relationship with God is not to be self centered or self indulgent.  It supposed to be others focused and God sourced.  It has nothing to do with us.  At what point do we realize that offense takes the power out of our hands, and it is truly our fault that we are offended.  As believers, we are to live FREE of the bondage of sin, and that bondage includes offense.  Forgiveness requires nothing of the individual.  Believe it or not, they don’t have to be sorry.  Thank God Jesus set it up that way for us!

Go love someone.

B

I want to take a minute to talk about what it means to take something “serious”.  We have all heard that said, and probably used the word to prove our dedication to the project, commitment, or promise.  There are three specific definitions for “serious” that I want to deal with concerning leadership and growth.

Obvious right?  But seriously…we are supposed to be… It’s amazing that while I strive to more like Him, I find my eyes being opened to how I am not. Woohoo!  I try to be like Him, to love like he does, to care like He does and to share the love He has for others, but… I am not Jesus.I try, but I fail…

WE fail…

I still make mistakes…

WE still make mistakes…

Still…

I have been asked several times about books to read. I really find that humorous being that in Highschool I only read half of one book, and in college I penned several papers on books that I have never read. That being said, I love to read now. I have an ever growing library that I will now share with you. These are books that I have either learned from, or simple enjoyed.