Super Bowl?

In a few days we will watch the most important football game of the year. Over 100 million people will gather worldwide to watch the game. Cowboys Stadium itself will hold 80,000 in seats and an additional 30,000 standing to watch the greatest game of the year. With each person paying an average of $4500 per ticket! Man that’s super expensive to me.

With all that, I’m hearing just as much about the super-funny commercials, the super-entertaining Halftime Show and how to have a really super-Super Bowl party as the game itself. In fact pizza chains across America are gearing up to serve over 5 million super-delicious pizzas for the game. Oh don’t get me wrong, I’ll be watching the game, laughing at the commercials, anticipating the controversy of the Halftime Show and probably choking down one of those pizzas. I’m just saying that we can tag something as super and that doesn’t really guarantee anything. Makes me think what makes something super anyways?

Think of all the ways we use super as a prefix. We have superhighways and supertankers, supermarkets and supersized meals, Superman and Super Mario. Expressing they are in some way greater than everything else comparable. So with that, the term super really means to be greater than everything else. And being considered great is usually associated with accomplishment, and accomplishment is usually associated with recognition and of course recognition is always associated with fame.

But Jesus, the real super-Man, turned this understanding of greatness upside down, literally. He said that if you want to be remembered as great than you must become less than everyone. Not super, but servant. Greatness is God’s eye is not associated with what accomplishments we make as much as it is about the impact we have on others. Why? Because like the Super Bowl, life on this earth will one day end, but eternity (a super-long time) lasts forever. Therefore what we do today matters for all time.

If you want to win in the Super Bowl life, you need super-natural wisdom.

Buzzed

Man life can really make us busy. I know this all too well, so lately I’ve been trying to be better at time management and making sure that I am keeping my priorities in line with my responsibilities. The problem is I’m always getting buzzed. Wait, before you assume the worst let me explain.

Because we live in a technologically advanced world it is easier for me to keep track of all that I am supposed to do. I can schedule my calendar to remind me that I have an appointment or there is something to do – Buzz. I can receive my emails right to my iPhone so that no matter where I am I can stay in the loop – Buzz. People who need to tell me something can text me and get my attention at any time – Buzz. I can even set my phone to silent in case I’m busy with another person when someone tries to call me – Buzz. You see I keep getting buzzed! And with each buzz I am reminded that I have more and more to do and less and less time to get it all done. This ultimately leads to the problem I have in the first place that caused me to work on my time management.

Now it has been suggested that we should all just turn off our cell phones and go back to the age of snail mail and Morse code, but all that will do is make life boring again. And besides I like having easy access to everything and being able to look up useless information any time I want. That’s not what makes me busy, I make myself busy with my lack of discipline. You see busyness isn’t always a condition of productivity; it can be the results of ineffective living. Because sometimes being busy means accomplishing absolutely nothing.

Basically Paul says about the same thing to the church in Thessalonica, busyness is pretty much doing a whole lot of nothing.

2 Thessalonians 3:11 - We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

That’s why God instructs us to rest regularly to make sure our busyness isn’t getting the best of us, but He is. When was the last time you unplugged to seek His priorities for your life? Rest in Him and get over your buzz.

Hebrews 4:9-11- There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

One Word

One Word

It’s that time of year again when we look back on our lives and make a decision to change some things. Perhaps all the things that we wished we would have done or realized we should have done or stopped doing or started doing all to improve our lives.

This past weekend I heard an intriguing message at my church that dealt with a new concept of New Years change called One Word. They idea is simple, instead of making a New Years resolution and change only one thing in your life, focus on One Word that could actually change everything in your life.

I really don’t know how many times I have a made a resolution to change, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been successful exactly 0% of the time. That’s’ why I’m so intrigued by One Word because it just might actually work. Maybe your struggling with your weight, well instead of resolving to eat better, your One Word may be ‘Healthy’. Therefore instead of just changing your eating habits, you focus on everything that makes your life healthy and just maybe for the first time you actually achieve the weight that you have always wanted.

My word for 2011 is ‘Truth’. It’s not because I have a problem with lying or anything, but my hope is that I can pursue truth in my life like never before. I want to dedicate myself to seeking God’s truth everyday in His word, I want to live His truth everyday of my life, and I want to speak the truth to others no matter how hard or at what cost. For me I want 2011 to be a year where living in the truth of God’s word will change my habits, my relationships and most importantly change me for the better.

What’s your One Word that will change everything in 2011?

Stuff

I’m realizing that my life is full of stuff. Some old stuff, some new stuff, some good stuff, and some not-so-needed stuff. I have loved stuff since I can remember. I even love watching shows like American Pickers and Pawn Stars because it is about stuff. Stuff is interesting. Every time I get ride of some stuff I eventually replace it with more stuff. Lately I have been asking myself what is it about stuff that makes me want more stuff no matter how much I already have?

What I have concluded is that stuff brings me three things: Security, Comfort and Identity. The quantity of stuff I have makes me feel secure. The quality of stuff I have makes me more comfortable. The price I pay for my stuff determines my identity. Of course what I realize is that although these things are fine to seek, God desires us to seek them in Him and Him alone.

I heard a great story this past week about a teacher asking her class to recite Psalm 23. One girl help up her hand and said that she could do it. She walked to the front of the class took a deep breath and said, “The LORD is my shepherd, He is all I want”. With that she proudly walked back to her seat.

It was a great reminder for me this Christmas, that in Christ I have security, comfort, and an identity that no stuff I can buy or receive can ever compare to.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

May your Christmas not be so much about seeking stuff as much as it is about seeking Him.

Thankful Responsibility

I had a great Thanksgiving! I was able to hang with my family and spend a great day just relaxing while recovering from eating too much, falling asleep while watching football and then waking up to pumpkin and apple pie! Man do I love Thanksgiving day.

There was a cool moment that happened around the dinner table while we were getting ready for prayer. My sister read an article that she found that reminded us about what blessing really means and in response we all shared what blessings we were thankful for. I am so thankful to belong to a family that loves God and recognizes Him not just on Thanksgiving day, but regularly in their lives.

It was a good reminder to me that living with thanks is something that should happen everyday and can easily be taken for granted. Because as good as my day was, I can’t help but wonder how bad someone else’s year may have been. Thankfulness should drive me everyday to help other people see God’s goodness not by me telling them how good God is, but by showing them that I care because God cares for them. I believe that being thankful isn’t an action as much as it is an expression of our lives. When you or I see someone who is truly thankful for something, it shows in their face, their eyes, and their entire disposition.

If I am thankful for being a part of a family that knows and lives out God’s love, then I need to make sure others are a part of my life for the same reason. I want to take the time to be thankful to God every moment of my life by being more considerate of others opinions, more patient with others differences, and more sympathetic of someone’s hang-ups. Then others will know that the true source of thankfulness comes from God and no where else. That's why it’s not just about Thanksgiving, but about Thanks-Living.

Wounded

I consider myself a lucky person. I have never been shot with a gun, stabbed with a knife, pierced with a sword, or broken a bone in my body. Of course I have had my share of injuries throughout my life, but I can’t imagine the physical pain that comes with injuries and tragedies caused by someone else. Some probably can affect and even debilitate a person the rest of their life.

But I have been wounded in manner that I believe is just as debilitating. I’m sure you’ve experienced similar injuries in your life like me. Have you ever shoot yourself in the foot? Been stabbed in the back? Pierced with a grief? Or had your heart broken. I’m sure we would agree that these painful moments can cause as much hurt or more then physical injuries. In fact sometimes these injuries damage us in a place that is much more difficult to heal.

I think what makes it so hard is correctly identifying the pain. When you go to the hospital a Doctor will ask you, “Where does it hurt” and you can instantly say or point to where the injury is. They even have those charts that show different faces that rate your pain level. But it’s not so easy to identify social pain. Someone may ask you, “Where does it hurt” and you honestly can’t answer them. It’s not like we don’t want to, but how do you say, “I just got snipered by a friend and I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be angry or lay here bleeding out emotion”.

The only way we can really seek healing is by going to the source and seeking understanding. Jesus himself told us that if an offense has occurred, whether it happened to us or we caused it, we are responsible to seek healing. It may be the last, no it is the last thing that we want to do, but it is the only way to truly get healing. All too often someone walks around like a social zombie because they refuse to go to the source and seek the healing that they desperately need. And then they wonder why they are so isolated and alone in their lives. It is a sad truth, but an unfortunately reality that is all too common.

Have you been wounded? Do you have a hurt in your life that is causing you a deep pain that’s debilitating your life? As hard as it is, seek out the source of your pain and get the healing that Jesus prescribes. Either that or have fun hanging out in Zombieland.

“Don't mistreat someone who has mistreated you...and do your best to live at peace with everyone.” - Romans 12:17-18

Disciplined Variety

For the past month I have been living in a 5th wheel trailer while I am between homes (keep the trailer trash comments to yourself please). What I have discovered is that life in a trailer lacks variety. Actually life in a trailer becomes very routine. I have been using the same spoon fork plate and bowl for all my meals. I use them and wash them, and use them and wash them again. There is just no need to use any others. In fact every morning and every evening pretty much looks the same because there's not much room to do much else than what I normally do. I'm a loser I know, but I have discovered that using and doing the same thing over and over again isn't a bad thing at all. In fact I have discovered the joy in simplicity and routine.

Now I like new things and new places like anyone else, but somehow there is a belief out there that routine is bad thing. That routine is some sort of trap that we must break free of if you really want to enjoy life. Where did that thinking come from really? In fact the opposite is really true, real life is found in routine. Think about it, if you want to get better at something what are you supposed to do? Do it over and over again. And if you want to get in stronger what are you supposed to do? Lift weights over and over again. Routine is what makes our lives better, but yet somehow we avoid routine because it's boring or ordinary if you lack variety in your life.

God showed us His abilities through the variety we see in this world, but if you want to really live the life that He offers, than you must establish a routine with Him. It's called a discipline and it improves every area of our lives.

"Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this." 1 Timothy 4:8 The Message

So go to a new place for vacation or eat at a new restaurant, but revisit the God of variety everyday to really live.