Five years ago today I was installed as the Lead Pastor at Des Plaines Bible Church, now, The Bridge. The installation service began with it’s typical worship sequence with Doug Daube leading. Then, our elder chairman, Scott Olson, asked me a series of four questions in front of the congregation of which I answered, “I do with the help of God,” or “I will with the help of God.” I meant it.
Following my commitments, the congregation was in turn asked similar questions and also gave the same sincere responses. Then a pastor friend of mine, Scott Carson, of Grace Church in Burlington, Wisconsin, brought the message. That evening, we had a celebration dinner in the church auditorium.
The following Sunday I began a series from the Book of Acts and preached my first sermon as your pastor with the message title, “Change Is In The Air.” As we look back, it sure was, wasn’t it?
Most of you were not here five years ago. But for those of you who were, it’s been quite a ride. Maybe you didn’t think I was altogether serious about the change that was in the air (I was pretty specific and we have stayed on that path) or maybe you thought someone would talk me out of all those changes. But as we acknowledged then, change is necessary for any organization to survive, much less thrive.
And I’m thrilled by the changes of the last five years!
For the most part, those changes represent changed lives of people who were not even followers of Jesus five years ago and are now passionately pursuing him with all they’ve got.
Because of those changed lives, we have a changed demographic in our church. Look around and pay attention to all these new people! Most of them were not even heaven-bound when these changes began. Five years ago, most of us were forty-five and older, with only one couple in the church under the age of thirty-five. We had just seven kids in our children’s ministry the first few weeks I was here. Today, the fastest growing segment of our church is the under 35 age group and we have a hundred kids in Solid Ground almost every week!
For the most part, we were all pretty much non-hispanic Caucasians five years ago, with a few exceptions. But now? While we may not reflect the look of a truly integrated urban church, this is one of the most diverse congregations in suburbia you will ever see. I think it is a thrill to God to see people of multiple ethnic and language backgrounds, all worshiping our one Creator God, together, and learning cross-cultural and cross-generational principles from his Word. We have people here with no church background, dead church background, non-Christian religion background, and some who grew up in a church like ours. This is the most diverse group of people in multiple ways that I have ever been a part of. And I’m loving it!
Consider some of the things the Lord has done for us. In the last five years, we’ve restructured our leadership system, multiplied deacons, added staff, and enjoyed a renewed ministry culture. We’ve renovated the building, changed the name of the church to tell the community why we are here, seen many come to Christ and many baptized. Some of you have read through the Bible for the first time. Others are serving in significant ways, ways you never before dreamed you would. Almost all have made new life-long friends. Addicts have been delivered, marriages have been salvaged, young people have turned their lives around, old people have gotten reignited with spiritual things.
There have been some tough times as well. It hurt when we lost our youth pastor a few years ago. It was a challenge going into a major building project just as the economy collapsed and many of you were losing your jobs. It was hard to see some leave with animosity over things they disagreed with. And I have conducted more funerals for godly saints in the last five years than in all the rest of my ministry combined.
But the one constant...the one thing that has never changed from 1927 until today, is the ever abiding faithfulness of God. Because of his faithfulness I have no doubt that these last five years are only the beginning of great and mighty things he has had planned for a long time (Jeremiah 33:3) for this church.
Hang on! The ride has only begun!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
How to Break a Spending Addiction
In our Life Apps series at The Bridge this summer, we are taking questions via texting and answering them with a panel. Because we could not get to all of the questions this last week, I am blogging all week to respond to some of the submitted questions that were not addressed in the service
How can I control my spending habits on the internet? The temptations kick, but I continue to pray and read Bible verses.
Temptation to overspend on the internet is similar to temptations to overspend in other ways. When we give in to any temptation repeatedly, the activity becomes a habit and in some cases, even an addiction.
Breaking these kinds of life-dominating sins usually takes dramatic action. That’s what Jesus was talking about when he said, “If your hand offends you, cut it off….if your eye offends you, pluck it out.” While I do believe those statement were hyperbolic, it does speak of something I call "radical amputation."
Some sins that have a hold on us are so problematic that it takes radical action on our part, and the painful removal of things in our lives that make it too easy to give in.
For some, it may mean the removal of a friend or group of friends that influence us in the wrong way. It almost always means confession to key people and surrounding ourselves with accountability.
In your struggle, it may mean that you will have to get rid of your computer at home, at least for a time. It will also be important for you to involve a key Christian friend/mentor or loved one, someone you can share your budget with and spending records so that they can hold you accountable.
We are rarely able to defeat these kinds of life-dominating sins without doing something radical and painful. I know it feels like we all have become dependent on internet access at home, but I have known many people who have gotten rid of it in order to break the hold of an addiction. With many, it is not only an initial first step towards victory, it is also a vital step to that end.
So my suggestion for you would be to first go to someone you can trust who will also follow through on holding you accountable, and share with them your struggle, and your financial information so that they can follow-up with you to monitor your progress. Secondly, in some way limit your access to your most frequently visited shopping sites, even if that means storing your computer at someone else’s house for a couple of months. Through all this, spend time with God in his Word and in prayer. If you are willing to run from the temptation and resist it, while trusting God, he will give you the strength to overcome.
How can I control my spending habits on the internet? The temptations kick, but I continue to pray and read Bible verses.
Temptation to overspend on the internet is similar to temptations to overspend in other ways. When we give in to any temptation repeatedly, the activity becomes a habit and in some cases, even an addiction.
Breaking these kinds of life-dominating sins usually takes dramatic action. That’s what Jesus was talking about when he said, “If your hand offends you, cut it off….if your eye offends you, pluck it out.” While I do believe those statement were hyperbolic, it does speak of something I call "radical amputation."
Some sins that have a hold on us are so problematic that it takes radical action on our part, and the painful removal of things in our lives that make it too easy to give in.
For some, it may mean the removal of a friend or group of friends that influence us in the wrong way. It almost always means confession to key people and surrounding ourselves with accountability.
In your struggle, it may mean that you will have to get rid of your computer at home, at least for a time. It will also be important for you to involve a key Christian friend/mentor or loved one, someone you can share your budget with and spending records so that they can hold you accountable.
We are rarely able to defeat these kinds of life-dominating sins without doing something radical and painful. I know it feels like we all have become dependent on internet access at home, but I have known many people who have gotten rid of it in order to break the hold of an addiction. With many, it is not only an initial first step towards victory, it is also a vital step to that end.
So my suggestion for you would be to first go to someone you can trust who will also follow through on holding you accountable, and share with them your struggle, and your financial information so that they can follow-up with you to monitor your progress. Secondly, in some way limit your access to your most frequently visited shopping sites, even if that means storing your computer at someone else’s house for a couple of months. Through all this, spend time with God in his Word and in prayer. If you are willing to run from the temptation and resist it, while trusting God, he will give you the strength to overcome.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
I love giving to the church, but my spouse feels we give too much. Biblically, how can I make my spouse see giving God's way?
I think its really important that couples come to a place of agreement on their giving. Often, this kind of disagreement comes when one is a committed Christian and involved in the church, and the spouse is not. We wouldn’t expect a non-Christian or someone who does not regularly attend our church to give towards its ministries. Your spouse might be thinking that this is your thing but not theirs, but its taking money from the family budget.
My suggestion would be to pray and ask God how to approach it. Then I would have a heart-to-heart conversation with your spouse and explain why you would like to give the amount that you have been, but that you do not want to do anything that would disrupt your marriage. If your spouse continues to insist on a lower amount, then I would give that amount, and keep praying for a change of heart. First and foremost, however, if your spouse is not yet a committed Christian, that’s what we want to pray for.
Should we borrow money so that we can give to the church?
No.
I think this question came from the illustration I used last week of how some of us, when it comes to giving, think only of how much cash we have available at the moment, but when it comes to personal acquisitions, we then come up with all kinds of creative ways to come up with the money, like long-term loans or leases. I just want us to see how we differentiate our giving from personal purchases. And the reason we often do not have the cash to give is because we’ve made too many of those “creative” purchases and are now paying off debts that take away from our ability to give. I think that would fall into the “greed” category, and that was my point. I was not suggesting that we borrow money to give to the church. I would prefer that we not borrow money at all.
I think its really important that couples come to a place of agreement on their giving. Often, this kind of disagreement comes when one is a committed Christian and involved in the church, and the spouse is not. We wouldn’t expect a non-Christian or someone who does not regularly attend our church to give towards its ministries. Your spouse might be thinking that this is your thing but not theirs, but its taking money from the family budget.
My suggestion would be to pray and ask God how to approach it. Then I would have a heart-to-heart conversation with your spouse and explain why you would like to give the amount that you have been, but that you do not want to do anything that would disrupt your marriage. If your spouse continues to insist on a lower amount, then I would give that amount, and keep praying for a change of heart. First and foremost, however, if your spouse is not yet a committed Christian, that’s what we want to pray for.
Should we borrow money so that we can give to the church?
No.
I think this question came from the illustration I used last week of how some of us, when it comes to giving, think only of how much cash we have available at the moment, but when it comes to personal acquisitions, we then come up with all kinds of creative ways to come up with the money, like long-term loans or leases. I just want us to see how we differentiate our giving from personal purchases. And the reason we often do not have the cash to give is because we’ve made too many of those “creative” purchases and are now paying off debts that take away from our ability to give. I think that would fall into the “greed” category, and that was my point. I was not suggesting that we borrow money to give to the church. I would prefer that we not borrow money at all.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Do Taxes Cover Part of the Tithe?
“Are our federal and state taxes that go to help the poor and other welfare programs similar to the Old Testament tithe? If so, how should that play into our giving strategy?”
It’s not really accurate to say that our Federal and state taxes are similar to the Old Testament tithe. Most of our taxes, while we may not agree how all of the money is spent or with the efficiency of its use, goes towards benefits and services that we receive ourselves. For example, we drive on the roads that are built and maintained by our tax dollars. We enjoy security afforded by police and fire, as well as the nation’s military. Only 13% of our federal tax dollars are used for safety net measures for the poor, such as welfare, food stamps and government housing (that figure is doubled when including Medicaid). The remainder of all tax dollars are supposedly used for things that we utilize ourselves, directly or indirectly.
The Old Testament tithe was required in the law to support and maintain the Temple worship system throughout Israel. There were twelve tribes in Israel, one of which was the Levite tribe (priests and Temple workers). In order for the Levites and their families to be able to live and devote themselves to the Temple system, the other eleven tribes were required to give a tithe. That tithe was used both for expenses related to the Temple and local worship centers themselves, as well as support for the Levites and their families. In reality, there were three types of tithes required in the Old Testament, adding up to about 28% (because of how the tithes were calculated).
While the Temple and State were not technically separate in Israel’s pure Theocracy, the King garnered taxes separate from the Temple and storehouse tithes for state needs, including infrastructure, building and maintaining a military and city walls for defense, and other civil services, such as water supply and government administration. Under King Solomon, for example, the people complained of the taxes being too high. So even in Old Testament Israel, there were both tithes and taxes.
The poor were supported in the Old Testament in a number of ways, but the emphasis was on local needs being supported in local communities. The reason for this seems to be so that the people could maintain relationships and accountability with those receiving aid, so that only those with genuine needs were getting it, and there was a natural peer pressure on all those who were able to work, to support themselves and their families. The safety net support for those unable to work was taken care of in a number of ways, very little of it through the levitical tithe.
First, families were expected to support those in their own family who had disabilities, their elderly parents and grandparents, and others who had reasons for being unable to work. Second, all landowners were required to leave a portion of the harvest in their fields so that the poor could harvest for themselves in the evening. Third, disabled people and poor people would sit at the Temple gates (village gates for cities other than Jerusalem) and members of the community and Temple worshipers would voluntarily give to them face-to-face to support their needs (not considered a part of the tithe). Fourth, the Levites would share a portion of one of the tithes with those that had special needs that were not fulfilled with the above measures.
So while a portion of what the Israelites were required to give was used to help support the poor (as is the case in the church today), it was not the main thrust of the tithe and would have been a small percentage of how the tithe was used. The majority of support for the poor was met in other ways described above and the majority of the tithe was used to support the Old Testament worship system.
As far as a person’s giving strategy and how taxes fit in, I think we should realize that we have been given a system in America that has enabled us to live well beyond the lifestyle of not only Old Testament Israel, but every society in history and every other culture around the world. The taxes we pay subsidize that system that has enabled us to enjoy the wealth we’ve been given. In that sense, our tax dollars benefit us more than anyone else. In my giving, I do not consider the taxes I pay as part of my giving strategy any more than I would consider my mortgage or other bills I pay. I give based on my gross income. While I am not legalistic with tithing, I see it as a standard given to us through God’s people in the Old Testament. If the Israelites, who had far less than we, gave 28% of their income as part of their worship (and paid taxes beyond that), I don’t see tithing as overly generous. I think that if we as Christ-followers are giving to God out of gratitude for what He has given us, and are passionate about the work He wants to do through our gifts, we will eagerly give generously and always look for ways to give more, rather than reasons to give less.
It’s not really accurate to say that our Federal and state taxes are similar to the Old Testament tithe. Most of our taxes, while we may not agree how all of the money is spent or with the efficiency of its use, goes towards benefits and services that we receive ourselves. For example, we drive on the roads that are built and maintained by our tax dollars. We enjoy security afforded by police and fire, as well as the nation’s military. Only 13% of our federal tax dollars are used for safety net measures for the poor, such as welfare, food stamps and government housing (that figure is doubled when including Medicaid). The remainder of all tax dollars are supposedly used for things that we utilize ourselves, directly or indirectly.
The Old Testament tithe was required in the law to support and maintain the Temple worship system throughout Israel. There were twelve tribes in Israel, one of which was the Levite tribe (priests and Temple workers). In order for the Levites and their families to be able to live and devote themselves to the Temple system, the other eleven tribes were required to give a tithe. That tithe was used both for expenses related to the Temple and local worship centers themselves, as well as support for the Levites and their families. In reality, there were three types of tithes required in the Old Testament, adding up to about 28% (because of how the tithes were calculated).
While the Temple and State were not technically separate in Israel’s pure Theocracy, the King garnered taxes separate from the Temple and storehouse tithes for state needs, including infrastructure, building and maintaining a military and city walls for defense, and other civil services, such as water supply and government administration. Under King Solomon, for example, the people complained of the taxes being too high. So even in Old Testament Israel, there were both tithes and taxes.
The poor were supported in the Old Testament in a number of ways, but the emphasis was on local needs being supported in local communities. The reason for this seems to be so that the people could maintain relationships and accountability with those receiving aid, so that only those with genuine needs were getting it, and there was a natural peer pressure on all those who were able to work, to support themselves and their families. The safety net support for those unable to work was taken care of in a number of ways, very little of it through the levitical tithe.
First, families were expected to support those in their own family who had disabilities, their elderly parents and grandparents, and others who had reasons for being unable to work. Second, all landowners were required to leave a portion of the harvest in their fields so that the poor could harvest for themselves in the evening. Third, disabled people and poor people would sit at the Temple gates (village gates for cities other than Jerusalem) and members of the community and Temple worshipers would voluntarily give to them face-to-face to support their needs (not considered a part of the tithe). Fourth, the Levites would share a portion of one of the tithes with those that had special needs that were not fulfilled with the above measures.
So while a portion of what the Israelites were required to give was used to help support the poor (as is the case in the church today), it was not the main thrust of the tithe and would have been a small percentage of how the tithe was used. The majority of support for the poor was met in other ways described above and the majority of the tithe was used to support the Old Testament worship system.
As far as a person’s giving strategy and how taxes fit in, I think we should realize that we have been given a system in America that has enabled us to live well beyond the lifestyle of not only Old Testament Israel, but every society in history and every other culture around the world. The taxes we pay subsidize that system that has enabled us to enjoy the wealth we’ve been given. In that sense, our tax dollars benefit us more than anyone else. In my giving, I do not consider the taxes I pay as part of my giving strategy any more than I would consider my mortgage or other bills I pay. I give based on my gross income. While I am not legalistic with tithing, I see it as a standard given to us through God’s people in the Old Testament. If the Israelites, who had far less than we, gave 28% of their income as part of their worship (and paid taxes beyond that), I don’t see tithing as overly generous. I think that if we as Christ-followers are giving to God out of gratitude for what He has given us, and are passionate about the work He wants to do through our gifts, we will eagerly give generously and always look for ways to give more, rather than reasons to give less.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Are we better at winning new people than taking care of our own?
I couldn’t even tell you how many times I’ve been asked something like, “Before we go after more people, shouldn’t we take better care of who we have?”
I think it’s an honest question, but in my humble opinion, it is fed by the devil himself. I really mean that. At the least, it betrays a complete misunderstanding of what it means to be in the Body of Christ. Everything in the Bible about the church tells us that the church was put here to spread the Gospel to lost people––to be salt, light, and leaven to the world.
Those of us in the church are surrounded by others who love us and would drop just about everything to help us when they know of a need. The church is our family and we are blessed in a multitude of ways to be a part of this family. Why would we not want to promote it and share that blessing with others?
But when a family becomes self-absorbed, the blessings of unity, love and care, and especially mission, morph into a kind of disunified quest for personal wants, expectations and control. Churches without mission become hotbeds of political conflict. When we loose sight of our mission, we also lose our sense of purpose and the very thing we are unified around. Yes, we are united in Christ, but He brought us together to send us out with the Great Commission!
You know something else, we take care of one another best when we are focused together on reaching others! I learned this as a dad. Our best family times together involved loving and caring for others. The best way to care for one another is to motivate one another (Hebrews 10:24) to fulfill the mission of the church together.
Sometimes those in our midst fall through the cracks and do not get the care they are either expecting or sometimes should receive (just like in a biological family). We are people, and we don’t always find out about one another's needs, and sometimes neglect things we should not. But the reality is, those who come to church every week, get involved in ministry, and actively participate in a life group, rarely feel uncared for. Too often, the people who are quickest to be offended over the lack of care they receive, are dong the least to care for others. It’s like the old adage, “To make friends, be a friend.” Likewise: to receive care, be a caregiver.
So let me answer the opening question: “No.” We should not FIRST take care of our own before going after new people. We should all together reach out with the Gospel of Jesus and in doing so, find our social, emotional, and sometimes material needs met by our brothers and sisters, whom we are connected with in this grand mission given by Jesus himself.
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).
I think it’s an honest question, but in my humble opinion, it is fed by the devil himself. I really mean that. At the least, it betrays a complete misunderstanding of what it means to be in the Body of Christ. Everything in the Bible about the church tells us that the church was put here to spread the Gospel to lost people––to be salt, light, and leaven to the world.
Those of us in the church are surrounded by others who love us and would drop just about everything to help us when they know of a need. The church is our family and we are blessed in a multitude of ways to be a part of this family. Why would we not want to promote it and share that blessing with others?
But when a family becomes self-absorbed, the blessings of unity, love and care, and especially mission, morph into a kind of disunified quest for personal wants, expectations and control. Churches without mission become hotbeds of political conflict. When we loose sight of our mission, we also lose our sense of purpose and the very thing we are unified around. Yes, we are united in Christ, but He brought us together to send us out with the Great Commission!
You know something else, we take care of one another best when we are focused together on reaching others! I learned this as a dad. Our best family times together involved loving and caring for others. The best way to care for one another is to motivate one another (Hebrews 10:24) to fulfill the mission of the church together.
Sometimes those in our midst fall through the cracks and do not get the care they are either expecting or sometimes should receive (just like in a biological family). We are people, and we don’t always find out about one another's needs, and sometimes neglect things we should not. But the reality is, those who come to church every week, get involved in ministry, and actively participate in a life group, rarely feel uncared for. Too often, the people who are quickest to be offended over the lack of care they receive, are dong the least to care for others. It’s like the old adage, “To make friends, be a friend.” Likewise: to receive care, be a caregiver.
So let me answer the opening question: “No.” We should not FIRST take care of our own before going after new people. We should all together reach out with the Gospel of Jesus and in doing so, find our social, emotional, and sometimes material needs met by our brothers and sisters, whom we are connected with in this grand mission given by Jesus himself.
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Should You Know Everyone At Church?
“Pastor, I miss the old days when we knew everyone at church. I’m glad for the people getting saved, but we’re getting too big. Last week I met some people at a school function and found out they go to our church. I didn’t even know them!”
That was part of just one conversation I’ve had over the years with concerned church members over the changing atmosphere of the church as it grows. I’ve had many over the years in two different churches.
I usually respond with an initial question, “Do you think it is really that important to God that you know everyone in your church?” Can we find that value anywhere in Scripture? If God wanted us to know everyone at church, why would he have made the first one, the model, so big? (The church in Jerusalem was several thousand in number.)
I then often ask, “Isn’t it more important that everyone in our area know Jesus, than that we know everyone in our church?” After all, that’s what the ultimate mission of the church is, The Great Commission, introducing as many to Jesus as we can. If we are really doing that, we can’t remain so small that we will know everyone.
I fear that by insisting that the church remain small enough for everyone to know each other, we are desiring something for the church that God never intended. We are trying to make the church what we want rather than what He wants. That’s not good.
That’s not to say that small churches do not matter to God. They most certainly do, and there were plenty of them in the New Testament. I spent my formative Christian years in small churches and for my first ten years as a pastor, my church would have been considered a small church. But if any church is true to its calling, is faithfully offering hope and forgiveness to its community, reaching out and caring for people, and if it is surrounded by any kind of population, it cannot help but grow. That’s the nature of the Gospel. Healthy churches that are faithfully proclaiming God’s Good News in populated areas grow. They just do. And if they do, they don’t stay small.
I think it's fine for us to reminisce about the past and remember the “good old days” when there were fewer of us. But we have to stop and remember that there were challenges in those times that we do not have today and the good old days were not always good. Remembering fondly the smaller crowd is almost like being ungrateful for the many who have been saved since. How can we rejoice in seeing lots of people saved but still long for fewer people? Remember, the struggles we faced back then were all met with a goal in mind, that of reaching the lost and bringing them into God’s family. So let’s not wish ourselves back. Let’s be grateful for what God has done, is doing, and let’s keep striving to be the church HE wants us to be.
“And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 NET).
That was part of just one conversation I’ve had over the years with concerned church members over the changing atmosphere of the church as it grows. I’ve had many over the years in two different churches.
I usually respond with an initial question, “Do you think it is really that important to God that you know everyone in your church?” Can we find that value anywhere in Scripture? If God wanted us to know everyone at church, why would he have made the first one, the model, so big? (The church in Jerusalem was several thousand in number.)
I then often ask, “Isn’t it more important that everyone in our area know Jesus, than that we know everyone in our church?” After all, that’s what the ultimate mission of the church is, The Great Commission, introducing as many to Jesus as we can. If we are really doing that, we can’t remain so small that we will know everyone.
I fear that by insisting that the church remain small enough for everyone to know each other, we are desiring something for the church that God never intended. We are trying to make the church what we want rather than what He wants. That’s not good.
That’s not to say that small churches do not matter to God. They most certainly do, and there were plenty of them in the New Testament. I spent my formative Christian years in small churches and for my first ten years as a pastor, my church would have been considered a small church. But if any church is true to its calling, is faithfully offering hope and forgiveness to its community, reaching out and caring for people, and if it is surrounded by any kind of population, it cannot help but grow. That’s the nature of the Gospel. Healthy churches that are faithfully proclaiming God’s Good News in populated areas grow. They just do. And if they do, they don’t stay small.
I think it's fine for us to reminisce about the past and remember the “good old days” when there were fewer of us. But we have to stop and remember that there were challenges in those times that we do not have today and the good old days were not always good. Remembering fondly the smaller crowd is almost like being ungrateful for the many who have been saved since. How can we rejoice in seeing lots of people saved but still long for fewer people? Remember, the struggles we faced back then were all met with a goal in mind, that of reaching the lost and bringing them into God’s family. So let’s not wish ourselves back. Let’s be grateful for what God has done, is doing, and let’s keep striving to be the church HE wants us to be.
“And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 NET).
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What Is Your Mindset?
I had a conversation with a guy a while back, who had a defeatist mentality. His life wasn’t really that bad. He grew up in a stable family, had a good wife and a couple of happy kids. He had a decent job, drove a newer car, and lived in a nicer house than I had ever lived in, and he was healthy. But to him, everything was wrong. His parents were nags, his wife wasn’t perfect, his kids misbehaved, his job was stressful, his car used too much gas, his house needed repairs, and the doctor said it was time for a Colonoscopy. How bad can it get?
I wasn’t very sympathetic. I don’t always respond in the way I should when people complain :-). In fact, that’s how I responded, with the last sentence of the above paragraph, “How bad can it get?” I was being sarcastic and he knew it.
He said something like, “I know what you’re thinking, but just because I have a good job and a nice house doesn’t mean I don’t have problems. With everything comes problems.” I then asked him if he’d rather have the problems associated with a poorly paying job or a good job, with owning a house or being homeless, having a wife and kids or being all alone? He had some kind of a supposed humorous comeback and I added, “Listen Mike (not really his name), life is more about attitude than anything else. I could name a hundred people without thinking who would trade circumstances with you in a heartbeat. You live in the top .1% of the world with all that you have, your health, your stuff, and good people in your life. But if all of your problems were solved tomorrow, with this defeatist mentality, you still wouldn’t be happy.”
Whatever your circumstances, living a life of victory or defeat comes down to focus. Yes, we all have problems. Life is a series of problems and a big part of the joy we get in life comes through the challenge of finding solutions.
Paul talked about this in Romans 8. He then reminded his readers, “In all these things (problems) we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). He went on to remind the Roman Christians that in everything we face in this life and beyond, nothing can ever separate us from Jesus’ love for us and God’s care. And it is for that reason that we can rest assured, while discouragements will come and challenges will always be a part of our lives, nothing can defeat us, as God’s children! No matter what the score at this point in the game, we are winning!
So get out of that murky world of self-defeat and misery! Grab a hold of the promises of God in the midst of trials and temptations, and claim the victory he already won for you on the cross and in his resurrection!
I wasn’t very sympathetic. I don’t always respond in the way I should when people complain :-). In fact, that’s how I responded, with the last sentence of the above paragraph, “How bad can it get?” I was being sarcastic and he knew it.
He said something like, “I know what you’re thinking, but just because I have a good job and a nice house doesn’t mean I don’t have problems. With everything comes problems.” I then asked him if he’d rather have the problems associated with a poorly paying job or a good job, with owning a house or being homeless, having a wife and kids or being all alone? He had some kind of a supposed humorous comeback and I added, “Listen Mike (not really his name), life is more about attitude than anything else. I could name a hundred people without thinking who would trade circumstances with you in a heartbeat. You live in the top .1% of the world with all that you have, your health, your stuff, and good people in your life. But if all of your problems were solved tomorrow, with this defeatist mentality, you still wouldn’t be happy.”
Whatever your circumstances, living a life of victory or defeat comes down to focus. Yes, we all have problems. Life is a series of problems and a big part of the joy we get in life comes through the challenge of finding solutions.
Paul talked about this in Romans 8. He then reminded his readers, “In all these things (problems) we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). He went on to remind the Roman Christians that in everything we face in this life and beyond, nothing can ever separate us from Jesus’ love for us and God’s care. And it is for that reason that we can rest assured, while discouragements will come and challenges will always be a part of our lives, nothing can defeat us, as God’s children! No matter what the score at this point in the game, we are winning!
So get out of that murky world of self-defeat and misery! Grab a hold of the promises of God in the midst of trials and temptations, and claim the victory he already won for you on the cross and in his resurrection!
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