Taking aim

In the ever continuing struggle for truth, justice and weight maintenance, I try and play golf on a regular basis for exercise.  It’s about the only sport (other than NASCAR) where you get to ride in a vehicle while you do it.

I like golf because it’s a simple game – the goal is to get the ball into the hole.  That’s about it in a nutshell.  And to make golf simpler, there are an abundance of signs to help you along the way.  At every hole there’s a sign with information about the shape/length of the hole, where water and sand traps are.  There are markers to show you where to hit the ball from, signs/arrows where the next hole is, red sticks showing where out of bounds is (I’m all too familiar with these last markers).  And to help you get to the goal, there’s even a stick with a flag on it (called the pin) to show you where the hole is.

For me, it’s all about aiming at and hitting towards the pin.  Hitting the ball off the tee is ok, but if I can hit that shot into the green and towards the pin, then I’m going to have a good round.

Last time I played there were good shots and some not so good shots.  I could tell you about the drives that went directly to jail (a.k.a. woods, lake); they did not pass “GO” and did not collect $200.  Or the shot where the dirt went further than the ball (let’s not dwell on the negative).  But the shots I remember most are the ones where I took aim, envisioned the shot, stood over the ball, took a breath, swung, stayed balanced, hit the ball and watched as it landed on the green and stopped close to the pin.

It feels so good when you take aim at something, prepare, execute and see results.  I don’t care if it’s fishing, cooking, painting a room, washing your car.  There is something about setting a goal/direction, working/walking towards that goal and then finishing.

This may sound like a weird idea (but you wouldn’t be reading this unless you expected something weird), have you taken aim and set spiritual goals for yourself?  Do you have any goals (or even just one) for inviting God into your daily life?  Are you intentionally seeking God in some meaningful way?

Let me share three helpful ideas on how to start doing this;

• Seek – We need to purposefully seek after God.  This is more than flipping through some preacher on cable TV, or sitting with your arms folded in church.  Seeking God is constantly and consistently pursuing after him on a daily basis.  Think about the last time you lost your keys or cell phone.  Did you just sit back with your feet up and arms folded, thinking that they would just show up?  I don’t know about you but I just about come unglued if I can’t immediately lay my hands on them.  In the same way, with equal focus and intensity we need to constantly and consistently seek after God.  Colossians 3:1 - Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
• Set – Once we have committed to seek God, the question of how immediately pops up.  While there are many things that could be said about “how” practically to do this, I’m going to suggest that it starts with setting our mind.  We need to focus our mind and lives around the person of Jesus Christ, who he is, what he has done, his purpose for us and our lives.  Like a compass keeps pointing north no matter what happens and where it is, so we need to keep our mind and life pointed towards Jesus.  When we set our focus, this immediately implies that other things will no longer be our focus.  Directing our time and attention towards Jesus also dilutes our focus on other things.  Colossians 3:2 – Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
• Solve – When the Bible talks about “working hard” on our relationship with God, the word picture is like solving a puzzle or math problem; it requires time and work to bring it to completion.  And that effort is not sporadic; it takes time, over time.  When I first met Mary Ann, she was interested in all sorts of plants, flowers, vegetables, trees.  To me, they just grew in the ground and that was about it.  Now I can “solve” the question of what plant we’re looking at by their leaves, the shape/color of their blossoms.  You have to realize that being able to “solve” the question about plants is nothing that I would choose on my own, but because of love for her, I am willing to invest time and effort to learn.  All relationships need time, attention, correction and renovation.  We are to be committed to our relationship with God through Jesus, no matter what, working hard to “solve” it, bring it to conclusion and fulfillment.  Philippians 2:12 – Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

On one occasion I hit a decent drive down the left side of the fairway.  I felt OK about the drive, it wasn’t terrible nor was it great, but I knew that everything depended on that next shot to the green.  I had about 135 yards to the hole, and since the green was uphill, I couldn’t see the hole.  But I could see the pin and the flag flapping in the breeze.

I didn’t do anything special, didn’t take any extra practice swings, didn’t breathe a special prayer under my breath, I didn’t even mumble to myself “Just don’t screw up too badly.”  I just did what I’ve done thousands of time before, swung and hit the ball.  As the ball left the club, I thought “Oh no, I’ve hit it too hard.”  After a few seconds then there was that distinctive “clunk.”  “Oh no” I thought again, “I’ve hit the pin and the ball ricocheted into the next time zone.”  Somewhat dejected, I approached the green.  Since I hit the ball too hard, and heard the “clunk” I immediately started looking beyond the green for my ball.  Then I heard a loud scream.  Someone in our group discovered the ball in the bottom of the cup for an eagle-2.  We laughed, high-fived, taking pictures on our cell phones to commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime achievement (a.k.a. luckiest shot of my life).  But the best news of all – I have a witness!

Now I’ve never hit a shot like that before, nor am I likely to do it ever again.  But it is a vivid reminder to know what your goal is, aim at it and take action towards it.  As memorable as that shot was, it’s nothing in comparison with knowing God through Jesus Christ.  Living daily with him; moving towards goals that focus on developing that relationship, becoming more like him day by day.

Now that’s worth a scream, high-fives all around and celebration.

Heavy weight

I recently spoke with Jane, a friend living in a different part of the country, who shared her oh so familiar story with me.  Her situation and environment at work were getting harder and more painful to endure.  Her managers expected more and more while they withdrew resources, support and encouragement.  Those she served also demanded more time and attention.  Whenever someone made unreasonable requests or acted-out, she got zero help or backing.  You could sense the level of frustration and pain in her voice.  Through Skype, I could see lines of worry in her face; her shoulders were slumped from the weight of pain.

And if this was not bad enough, next week was going to be even more demanding and stressful.  In addition to her normal staggering workload, she was expected to perform an extra job.  This additional responsibility was going to be watched carefully, and if she did not do everything as prescribed in a 600-page manual, she could be disciplined and potentially terminated.

Jane is not afraid of measurement or accountability; she truly wants to do an excellent job.  But her ability to succeed while expectations rise like the tide is really discouraging.  Additional weight and pressure was put around her neck while receiving threats of discipline, reprisals and termination. 

With this as a backdrop, we prayed.  We poured out our hearts to God, asking him to provide comfort and relief.  As we concluded with AMEN, Jane did feel somewhat better and encouraged.  But there still was that sinking feeling – had anything really changed?

Little did we realize that God was already listening.

The next morning she was called into her manager’s office.  Because of the constant demands, she was nervous about what it meant.  Her manager said, “You’ve been called to a meeting by corporate, so you will be excused from the extra job next week.”

In an instant, Jane’s heart went from concern to celebration.  More than just an individual situation was addressed when she realized afresh that God is alive and personally involved with her and her life.  Her hope was renewed.

When I got an email about the news, I knew this deserved more than just the normal “Reply All.”  I was able to catch up with Jane later that day, you could hear the excitement and release in her voice.  Together we thanked God for his personal concern and care.

As I write about Jane’s true short story, there are five truths for us:

• God’s nature – God has a personality and nature to which he is always true.  He does not change and we can depend on him not to turn on us[1].  This means that we don’t have to wonder what God is thinking about us, we can be free to trust him.
• God’s control – God remains in control during the storms of life[2].  He is never overpowered or outmaneuvered by anyone or anything[3].  While he is in control, pain and hurt come from our personal decisions, choices others make and the spiritual enemy.  This means that when pain and sorrow do come, he stays by our side, he is not forced outside, he is still in control.
• God’s humor – God has a great sense of humor and laughs at those who think they can ignore him or abuse his people[4].  God is not worried or wondering what the enemy is going to do next.  There is great comfort in seeing God laugh at his enemies.
• God’s timing – God has promised to take care of us, but the timing may not be what we expect.  We want it now while God’s plan and timing are not based on our expectations, what is most convenient or pleasing to us.  We are encouraged to wait on God, trusting that he knows not only what is best but the right time to deliver us[5].
• God’s glory – Glory is the idea that encompasses everything that makes God known[6].   God wants to let people know who he is through these shouts of “glory”, words and actions that point to him.  This can be his actions and expressions that show who he is.  It can also be our words and actions that show/tell everyone about God, who he is and what he means to us.

During an interview with Oprah, someone said; “Trouble is given to make us stronger.”  And on some level, that’s right.  We can and do grow stronger through pain, problems and persecutions.  But if trouble just stops at the “why” level of our heart, it will not fulfill its destiny.  There comes a time when we need to move beyond “why” and onto “who.”  Is God good and can I trust him?

Job came to the same fork in the road through his physical suffering followed by the greater pain of rejection from his supposed friends.  At the end of all his misery, Job and God had a long and straightforward talk.  When all was said and done, Job came to the realization that before his pain, he had only heard of God.  But now, after the suffering, Job sees God and is willing to release his pride and life to the greater freedom of a personal relationship with him[7].

Hearing God is good, but being able to see him is so personal and fulfilling.  I like talking with people as much as anyone else, but you have a greater relationship with those you meet face-to-face.

Isn’t it time for all of us to see our pain in this same light?  Moving from “hearing” to “seeing" - transitioning from “why” to “who”.  I promise you, it makes all the difference in the world.

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[1] Malachi 3:6

[2] Job 38:1-2

[3] Psalm 48:7

[4] Psalm 2:4

[5] Habakkuk 2:3

[6] Philippians 2:11

[7] Job 42:5

And the data will set you free

While waiting in line for a bagel, I asked people if they knew where a certain store was.  Before I could put the question mark at the end of my sentence, the guy next to me sprang into action.  Like the Clint Eastwood of old, he pulled his smart phone from its holster faster than Dirty Harry Callahan facing a gang of evil punks.  With breathtaking speed, he rifled through screens, web pages, search engines and maps.  I was amazed at the velocity and poetry of his fingers flying across the screen.  Before you could say, “Go ahead, make my day.” he discovered that the store had gone out of business.  Turning to express my personal thanks, I grabbed my bagels and started to leave.

“Now wait just a minute” he barked, “I bet we can find another store just like it.”  With my arm in one hand and his smart phone in the other, he continued his frantic search by shouting voice commands into his handheld device.  As his voice moved the decibel meter ever upwards, so too his level of desperation rose.  Other patrons in the bakery started sliding away as the volume and intensity of his commands grew, and grew, and grew.   It quickly turned into one of those times that you just wanted to melt, find a crack in the floor and slip away quietly.

Now, if I was looking for a store to pick up my new kidney transplant, I might have wanted to go the extra mile in finding an alternative.  Not knowing where the closest fabric store was located is not a crushing blow to me, my wife nor will it have a dramatic impact on western civilization.  Life was going to continue on planet Earth.

With enough information instantly available, he truly believed the solution to my fabric store problem (or any problem for that matter) was within reach.  Unfortunately, this incident is neither strange nor abnormal to us.  Our culture has a belief (dare I say faith) in the idol of instant information.  There seems to be an ever accelerating demand for more data (most of it useless), and the ability to get to it right away.  In all areas of life, we need to know more.

Bob Woodward of Watergate fame recently said “The truth is not on the Internet.  The truth resides with people[i].”  Bob’s insight and clarity is spot on.  When we go looking for truth, it will not be found in a cold repository but rather in a relationship.

When looking for truth, meaning and purpose in life, it will only be found in a relationship.  And the only person ever claiming to offer a relationship addressing both truth and our deepest needs and longings is Jesus Christ.  Take a moment to look at three of his truth claims;

1. The truth starts with Jesus – When Jesus said that he was the way, the truth and the life[ii], he is making a totally unique and extreme claim that truth about life is only through him.  Jesus claims that he can unmask our twisted view and show us ultimate reality, releasing us from ourselves and all that pains us.
2. The truth frees through Jesus – As we look for freedom from the prison of pain, loneliness, fear, guilt and shame, a relationship with Jesus brings us to true truth.  He said that as we follow him, we will know the truth and he will set us free[iii].  The offer of freedom from all that haunts, hurts and harms is exactly what we desperately need and long for.
3. The truth speaks through Jesus – Jesus claimed everyone that is of the truth hears his voice[iv].  When we go looking for truth, Jesus promises that he will speak, giving us strength for today and hope for tomorrow.

I know that there are many who are in desperate need and pain.  As you think back on Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, isn’t it also time to think about our own need for resurrection?  Resurrection from the pit of petty selfishness, arrogance and pride… Release from our personal prison, where we have hammered out the handcuffs that bind us.

I have found Jesus to be the truth that has set me free.  Free from myself, my past, my pain and anxiety.  Along with that freedom has come the power and desire to change, living for him and others each and every day.  I invite you to turn to him for yourself.

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[i] WashingtonPost.com, April 4^th 2012

[ii] John 14:6

[iii] John 8:32

[iv] John 18:37

Not so social

If Shakespeare were alive today, he would no doubt pen, “To post or not to post, that is the question.”

There seems to be a real difference of opinion as to how Christians, pastors, churches and Christian leaders are to employ the social media juggernaut.  Everyone seems to have a strong judgment on the question; very few silently sit on the sideline.  No matter what your opinion, Nikon recently provided an extremely valuable lesson for everyone about social media.

Nikon has over 1.2 million Facebook fans and normally gets between 100-to-500 comments per update.  However, it only took 57 arrogant and insensitive words for Nikon to blatantly tell the world that their equipment, not the photographer’s skill, was necessary for truly good photography.  The colossal blunder moved across the internet at the speed of light, enraging thousands (dare I say hundreds of thousands) of fans.  The 4,000 plus people that took time to respond were pointed and harsh in their criticism, many suggesting they were going to sell their Nikon gear and switch to Canon.  In light of their arrogance, the quick apology issued by Nikon sounded hollow and insincere.

While I’ve come to the conclusion that Jesus was not referring to social media, His words ring truer today than ever.  In Luke 12 Jesus says, “Everything that is secret will be brought out into the open. Everything that is hidden will be uncovered. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight. What you have whispered to someone behind closed doors will be shouted from the rooftops”[i]

While everyone deserves grace and forgiveness, the Nikon debacle is just another in a long string of social media gaffs.  Christians, churches and pastors are not immune to these same issues, committing public “hamartia – missing the mark” with their status, blogs, posts, tweets.  Here are 4 important lessons to consider:

Lesson 1: Listen Wisely – You may be tempted to be guided about social media by someone younger.  While they are comfortable with technology and social media, without wisdom this is a recipe for disaster.  I love working with young leaders, but as the description says, they are young and have not acquired wisdom or discernment.  There may be a tendency to react and post quickly as opposed to wisely.  Again in Luke 12, Jesus talks about the master who puts a faithful and wise manager in charge[ii].  Part of wise leadership is to listen appropriately.  And with a world-wide audience via the internet, we need to carefully consider who we listen to when speaking from so lofty a pulpit.
Lesson 2: Expect Problems – Just as news about Jesus traveled quickly[iii], digital and social media moves fast, not constrained by geographic boundaries.  I wish this was not true, but bad news always travels louder and faster than good news, igniting electronic firestorms.  Personal and organizational social media mistakes are coming your way like a freight train.  Just think about the rapid-fire response you get for something as innocuous as a typo; then magnify it times ten if there is even a hint of arrogance, pride or sarcasm.  While some may hide and not participate in any social media outlets, I don’t see Jesus hiding from “the crowds”[iv].  Just like any public building has a fire escape route, you need to pray and think through how you will response in advance, not when your phone is vibrating feverously from emails, instant messages and phone calls.

Lesson 3: Move Forward – Did you jump off the high-dive into the deep end of the social media pool or did you step into the shallow end?  I’m all about aggressively leveraging technology, but there is a danger with the “fire, ready, aim” approach.  Even if you’ve not had a catastrophic event yet, it’s never too late to pause, evaluate and adjust what you are doing.  While social media can be a force for good or evil, we need to “count the cost” and plan accordingly.  Luke 14:28 – “If any of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t he first sit down and work out the cost of it, to see if he can afford to finish it?” 

Lesson 4: Humility and Sincerity – When Nikon apologized saying it ‘wasn’t their aim’ to insult anyone, their fans were only infuriated all the more.  The original post and update were clearly insulting and full of conceit.  The correct approach is to freely admit the mistake – period.  Instead, Nikon stayed arrogant, aloof and faceless.  To many their apology was hollow and meaningless. Don’t commit the same arrogant sin!  We jump all over David and Bathsheba for not immediately admitting their affair and murder[v], yet we do exactly the same thing when we try to explain away our failures.

Though these events caused real problems for Nikon, and they seem to have recovered, significant damage has been done to their reputation.  All future posts are surrounded by the fog of past failures.   Social media really is all about fast, instant news…but at what price speed?  As Davy Crockett said, “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.”  Speed does not excuse lack of planning or oversight followed by thinly veiled attempts at an apology.  If the first step of repentance with God starts with admitting our wrong without excuse, so should our social media sins.

[i] Luke 12:2-3[ii] Luke 12:42[iii] Mark 1:28[iv] Matthew 9:36[v] 2 Samuel 12:5-6

Planning with God

Once upon a time, a shipment of watches was rejected by a local jeweler.  The undelivered goods were sold for half price to a 23-year-old man who was not all that impressive.  His straightforward plan was to sell the watches, which he quickly did.  He then left home and moved to Chicago where he met his future business partner.  From those humble beginnings, Sears & Roebuck was born.

We pray and plan our work, then work our plan.  We try to anticipate the unexpected, planning and praying accordingly.  We start out strong and then run into unforeseen problems.  Just when we seem to get life back together, the proverbial wheels fall off.  And like those “abandoned watches”, we’re stuck in a strange place with nowhere to go.

When the unanticipated or unplanned happens, what is our reaction?  Do we yell at the screen?  Does the keyboard get pounded as we read the email?  Do we lash out at the poor unfortunate person delivering bad news?  Do we hang our head in disappointment and depression?  Do we shake our fist at God in anger and disgust?

What do we do when our plans are abandoned or rejected?  We built them with skill, with the goal that they would be used.  But now, like those watches, we have not where to go.

The Bible has much to say about planning, almost all of it is positive.  But in the midst of our planning, what do we do with the “abandoned watches” in our life?  What does God have in store for us?  Here are three guiding principles;

Stand – While plans are good, we need to stand with God, giving Him the right to overrule them.  As we stand with God, He will take us to a unique destination, on an untraveled road.  Just think about your life, I bet your life has been full of unexpected turns that no one could have ever anticipated.  When Mary Ann and I got married in Baltimore, we had no clue that we’d be living in central Florida.  More than our standing with God, He has stood by and with us, guiding and providing for us.   Proverbs 19:21 – Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

Steps – There is no way for us to know all the miles and turns along the road of life.  That’s why we need to take steps with God and with life.  It’s a life-long process of walking with God, allowing Him to be God.  In moving from Baltimore to Florida, I forgot to mention that it also included nine job changes and five moves.  When we try and control everything with a clenched fist, we become our own God and worship ourselves.  Giving control of each day to God releases us from the prison of idolatry and the chains of worry.  Proverbs 16:9 – In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

So – There are times when God has revealed His will for our lives, but something just doesn’t seem right.  When these times come (and they will come) the question becomes, what to do?  Do we quit?  Do we sit down and pout?  Paul was called by God to preach, reaching Jew and Gentile alike for Jesus, yet he and his companions are prevented by God to enter Asia.  It is interesting to read how the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus kept them from Asia.  In spite of God’s leading not to go into Asia, Paul continued to follow his calling and kept on reaching people.  The key word is “so”.  In spite of God’s direction not to go a certain place, Paul stayed at the task, sharing Jesus where he could.  The implications for us are huge.  When God seems to be saying “no” in one area, are we open to His “yes” in another?  Acts 16:8 – So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 

The application is clear – what we do when our plans (our “watches”) are delayed, abandoned or rejected is vitally important and reflects on our relationship with God.  Let’s continue walking in faith;

• Stand with God, allowing Him to work His purpose out in our lives
• Take Steps with God, walking with Him daily
• Remain faithful to God, So we will be faithful to our Father and His call

The “one thing”

Not all that long ago, we spent hours in libraries, poring through books and magazines to find information that today is easily searchable and accessible.  We stuffed handwritten notes, faxes and “while you were out” forms in our pockets to be replaced by 21^st century communications and technology.  We have multiple devices that make dinner reservations - telling us which way to go, cars that park themselves, microwave dinners, robots that vacuum our floors, rugs and pools. Yet, as I listen, I hear these familiar comments;

• I’m overwhelmed and the backlog keeps growing
• I have too many meetings, e-mails and demands on my time
• I feel like I’m not giving enough attention to what’s most important 
• I just can’t keep going like this

While no one likes technology more than I do, the latest advances in tablets, smart phones, cloud computing or anything else is not going to solve our problem.  The solution comes from centering our lives on the “one thing” that God calls us to.  Moving forward requires us to face three tough decisions:

Idolatry – Our number one priority in life is worship.  Worship is the sum total of our relationship with God, attention, focus and longings.  This is so much more than what happens on Sunday mornings.  It is so engrained into our character and nature that we do it all the time, even without thinking.  So, the question becomes not if I am worshiping but who/what am I worshiping?  Am I engaged in idolatry, bowing down before the “golden calf” of self-importance, an overbooked schedule, being needed, personally making all the important decisions and getting my way?  We got into idolatry through worship, and we get out through worship.  We need to repent and set aside prime time in our schedule for worship.  Worship “sets the table” not only for our personal relationship with God, but empowers us for service.  What could be more important than this?  Psalm 27:4 - One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Bury our dead – Much of our schedule is pre-locked into meetings, commitments and expectations, many have been going on for years.  They may have started out with positive results but have drifted into mediocrity, or worse.  With passion for your calling and compassion for people, we need to either strengthen/rebuild the vision/focus of those commitments (Revelations 3:2) or end the expectation of our involvement.  I understand that this can be difficult as some of these commitments are buried in DNA, command performances dictated by your superiors, even predating your arrival.  As we seek to follow God, investing our time and energies on the important, we can approach people with an attitude of their best interest as opposed to our demands.  There are things that just are not going to get handled and not everyone is going to be happy.  I can’t find any promise in the Bible where it says life or change is easy, or that my job is to make everyone happy.  We need to choose the better for the kingdom of God.  Luke 10:41 - “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Focus on eternity – It is so easy to let our time, schedules and energies drift, especially towards short tasks that have immediate feedback.  Responding to a call or email gives immediate, positive encouragement, but how does it match up with the more important things in life?  Much of what happens within life, work and ministry has very long incubation periods, so it’s vital that we have an eternal investment perspective when it comes to spending our time, attention and energies.  We have many choices throughout the day; where we spend our time, what requires our personal attention, what can be delegated, what can be set aside.  Sometimes, guilt may even direct our choices.  We need to choose wisely with an eternal perspective on what is truly important.  Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

As we eliminate idolatry, bury our dead and focus on eternity, our service to God and people will blossom and produce a rich harvest, blessing many and enriching our lives in the process.

Honored and humbled beyond words - published article in CermonCentral.com

http://www.sermoncentral.com/pastors-preaching-articles/chet-gladkowski-update-your-first-impression-1190.asp