Hardworkaphobia
How many times do you suppose people have not attempted something because they wrote it off by saying, “It can’t be done.” I have found that most of the time when people claim, “it can’t be done”, they are really saying, “It’s too much work.”
Think about this:
- What if spouses stopped saying “it can’t be done” and made the commitment to work out their issues?
- What if Christians stopped saying “it can’t be done” and began leveraging everything they have to make a Kingdom impact?
- What if church leaders would be open to possibilities and rally their congregations to reach people far from God?
- What if you really lived your life like you could do all things through Christ who strengthens you?
You and I could do so much more for the cause of Christ if we removed “it can’t be done” from our vocabulary and our minds. Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Let’s stop making excuses, stop complaining, and stop limiting what God can do in us and through us. Nobody ever said serving God would be easy. Nobody ever said starting that business, ministry, savings, degree, would be easy.
Anything of great significance and meaning will require hard work. You can’t expect to make a big difference with little effort. I am so thankful that Jesus didn’t hold anything back when he was paying the price for my sin. My prayer is that I can pour everything I am and have into something that is worth the sacrifice He made for me. And I am so thankful that I have the privilege to pastor a local church with people who understand this. Let’s do something great for God!
From Perry Noble – Great!
This is from Perry Noble’s Blog. He’s a great pastor. You should check him out.
My Wife Had A Bad Experience At Chick-Fil-A! November 23, 2011
I love Chick-Fil-A! (AND love Tim Hawkins song about it…you should watch it here!)
We eat there at least two or three times a week (not kidding…we’ve actually pushed that number up to 6-7 a few times.)
The food is ALWAYS good, they get the order right nearly every time and their customer service is second to none. It is always clean and no matter how long the line seems to be people are always served as quickly and efficiently as possible.
So, imagine my surprise when my wife came home the other day and, as we were catching each other up on the things that had taken place while we had been apart all morning and afternoon she told me about a bad experience she had at Chick-Fil-A.
I was immediately frustrated! (Any husband would be!) AND…before I knew it I had literally told myself in my mind, “Well, if that’s the way things are going to be then I guess we just won’t be going to Chick-Fil-A anymore, they’ve lost my business.”
TIME OUT!!! How stupid was THAT thought? Seriously, let’s review…
- #1 – They ALWAYS deliver great food!
- #2 – They ALWAYS have friendly people!
- #3 – They ALWAYS have a clean environment!
- #4 – What my wife had experienced was not in line with what normally happens.
(AND…I want to be completely fair to Lucretia, she was NOT saying she would not go back, nor was she angry…she was just telling me about her day and I am the one who became irrational!) :-)
I lost my mind! I was literally going to allow one bad experience with one employee ruin a reputation of excellence that had been consistent for years! (AND…no one knows what was going on in that employees life…she could have had one of the worst days of her life and was trying her best to just hold it together until she could clock out!)
Before you agree with me too quickly…I think there are people who have done the same thing to the church!
It has become quite popular, even in some “Christian” circles, to bash the church for all of the dumb things that she has done.
I have met people since being in ministry for over 20 years that have the same attitude with the church that I almost had with Chick-Fil-A! They will attend, serve, be devoted to a local church for months or even years…and then, all of a sudden…
- Someone didn’t call them when they were out for two weeks.
- Someone said something hurtful to or about them.
- They didn’t like what the preacher said.
- They didn’t like what the youth group was doing.
I could go on and on…but you get the point. There are times when people will allow one thing in the church to trump the decades of ministry and impact that have taken place through that body of believers, and that’s a bit insane.
- Yes, if you stay in a church long enough I promise you that you will see hypocrisy.
- Someone will say something to you or about you that will hurt you.
- Decisions will be made that you do not like.
- There are going to be sermons that make you mad.
When that happens the enemy is going to try his best to convince you to just walk away…because he knows that the first step away from God is usually getting people to step away from the people of God.
Yes, the church, EVERY church, has made some unwise decisions and, in the process have hurt or disappointed people along the way…but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater…
- She’s STILL being built by Jesus–that makes her important!
- She’s STILL reaching out to the broken, the forgotten and the poor.
- She’s STILL making a difference that’s going to be seen for eternity.
- She’s STILL GOD’S PLAN for reaching the world.
- She’s STILL necessary for believers! (If church is not necessary then why did Jesus say He would build it, died for it, will one day redeem it and spends so much time in the NT talking to it and about it?”
No, the church is NOT perfect…but neither are you (or me!) So, when we’re tempted to walk away because of the one thing that seems to hurt us or trip us up we should simply ask, “is this consistant with this churches character?”
Stay in a church long enough and you will have a bad experience…but let that push you closer to Jesus as you recognize that HE uses imperfect people in His plan, which means sometimes they get it wrong, and then beg the Lord to teach both them and yourself how to best deal with the situation…because, she’s STILL the church and STILL His bride.
Now…anyone want to go to Chick-Fil-A with me? :-)
Don’t Worry About Inviting Me
I know we’re friends, and you go to church, but I know talking about your faith makes you uncomfortable. At least, that’s the sense I get. We talk about a lot of stuff, but whenever church or God comes up, you get – I don’t know, tense. I’ve never understood why – it doesn’t weird me out as much as it does you – but I’m happy to relieve you of what is obviously something that makes you awkward.
Besides, what would I be missing?
It’s not like I’m an atheist – I’m not. I believe in God. I’m spiritual. And I want to do better; I’d like to understand the Bible, be a better parent, have a closer marriage, maybe even volunteer for something that would help others. But last time I went to church, that isn’t exactly what was offered.
Besides, we both know I’m not exactly a poster-child for Christianity. I’ve got baggage. I’ve got questions. I don’t think church is exactly the kind of place for someone like me.
And I don’t want to have to dress up.
I don’t want to be hit on for money.
I don’t like organ music.
And on top of all that, I don’t really believe in hell, so I’m not even that worried about what happens after I die. I’m sure that whatever life there is after death, it will turn out fine.
As far as my kids go, I think I want to just give them the freedom to choose whatever religion they want, if any religion at all. Church was boring for me when I had to go as a kid, so the last thing I want to do is drag them to one every week. It turned me off to church, and I’m sure it would just do the same for them. So it’s probably better if they just don’t go at all.
So don’t worry about trying to invite me to church.
It makes you awkward;
It won’t have anything to offer my life;
I couldn’t exactly come as I am;
I like wearing shorts;
I gave at the office;
I listen to Coldplay;
Hell is kind of a joke these days;
And my kids won’t like it.
Right?
But if, by chance, you think I have this all wrong, then for God’s sake, INVITE ME!
Good Father, Not Bad Friend
Yesterday I just finished a series of talks at Ovation Church about prayer titled, Teach Me To Pray. As I do most Mondays, I was replaying yesterday’s message in my head but I was also thinking over all the messages in the series. While each message was great (because of the Bible, not me), reflecting back, my favorite was the second Sunday, Teach Me To Pray – To The Father. Today I was reminded of the truth that MY God is like a good father, not a bad friend.
When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them a story about a guy who had unexpected company drop by but didn’t have any food to offer them. As you would expect in most small, close-nit communities, the guy goes to a friend’s house and asks to borrow some food. This was very common in the culture and each person Jesus was speaking to had probably experienced something similar – either asking or being asked. But as Jesus continues to tell the story, He says the friend refused to help because it was inconvenient. At this point, the crowd listening would have thought, “What a jerk of a friend! Who would do that?” But Jesus says that because of the guys boldness in asking, even this bad friend would give the food being asked of him.
Then Jesus asks the question, “How many of you being good fathers would give your child what they are asking for?” What loving dad would give his child a stone when they asked for bread? With this in mind, Jesus then asks, “How much MORE will your heavenly Father give to you?”
God is not like a bad friend that we have to annoy until they finally give us what we need. Jesus says God is like a good father!
You Are A Masterpiece
The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:9-10, For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
You are God’s masterpiece, the crown of all creation. You were created in the image of God. You were created by our heavenly Father for a good purpose. If you are in Christ, it doesn’t matter how you feel about yourself, “I’m not that good, I’m not that talented.” No, you’ve been made new. You’ve been remade. You are the masterpiece of God.
Maybe you, like many others, look at your life and think, “This is not a masterpiece.” Maybe you once had a dream, an idea, or a picture of what you thought your life would be like. But somewhere along the way, something went wrong. In Jeremiah, chapter 18, the Lord tells the prophet to go visit the potter and watch him work the clay. Verse 4 says, [The potter] was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be. Our heavenly Father is the potter, we are the clay!
God can take everything that is wrong in your life…the pain, the failures, the bad choices…and He can make it into something beautiful and useful. In Christ, you are God’s masterpiece, created to do good things that God planned long ago.
Maybe you are going through a challenging time right now. Let me encourage you with this truth from Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion… God is not done with you. He is going to work out ALL things for your good because you love him (Romans 8:28). You are God’s masterpiece created new in Christ Jesus.
Victory Over Hardship
How should you respond when you face hardships in life? What do you do when the story of your life doesn’t play out how you dreamed? Marriages that end in divorce did not start with that as the dream. When parents experience the joy of birth, their expectations for the future do not include attending their child’s funeral. But, as I’m sure you are well aware, life doesn’t always happen the way we want.
Everyone has a story of hardship. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that no hardship we face is beyond the course of what others have had to face. The Message translation goes on to say, “All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”
The Apostle Paul was no stranger to hardship. He was whipped 5 times with 39 lashes, 3 times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked, rejected, betrayed, hungry, thirsty and cold (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).
How did Paul respond to these hardships? He refused to allow them to distract him from doing what God had called him to do. In Acts 20:24, facing imprisonment and hardship, Paul says, “None of these things move me.” What I hear Paul saying is that his service and obedience to God is not dependent on his circumstances. He was determined to accomplish the call God placed on his life no matter how uncomfortable or hard it may be for him.
How could he be so confident? How could he respond with such faith? Paul knew what you and I need to learn: regardless of what happens, we have victory over hardship. Look at what Paul writes in Romans, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:35, 37)
Whatever you may be facing today, refuse to feel sorry for yourself. Don’t allow your circumstances to determine your obedience to God. Develop the attitude Paul had and begin to say, “None of these things move me.” If you are in the middle of a hardship right now, I make what Paul wrote in Romans 15:13 my prayer for you: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
It is true that here on earth we will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! (John 16:33) The moment you surrender your life to Christ, you win. You have victory over hardship!
Expectation
In an attempt to avoid disappointment, have you ever lowered your expectation? Maybe it was a job interview, waiting for a test score, or possibly something as simple as a birthday gift. All of us face situations in life where we think it’s best to protect ourselves from pain by choosing to not get our hopes up. But the truth is, that is no way to live. It’s certainly not the life God has planned for you.
Maybe you are in a season of life where it is hard for you to be optimistic. Maybe a marriage has failed, a relationship ended, maybe finances seem to be getting tighter and tighter. Well, let me encourage you. When you put your trust in God, your best days are ahead of you, not behind you. You were created to be the victor not the victim. God loves you, and when He looks at you, He sees a champion. He sees potential in you to do and experience greater things.
Jesus didn’t come to earth, suffer, and pay the debt of your unrighteousness so that you could settle for some average, mediocre life. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (The Message) Other translations describe the type of life Jesus came to give us as, “to the full, satisfying, and more abundant.”
We should never lower our expectations for life. We serve a great God, and He wants to do great things for us, in us, and through us.
Refuse to allow the circumstances facing you to lower your expectations. Maybe you don’t have the resources. Maybe you don’t have the education or finances. Maybe you feel like you’ve made too many mistakes. Living the abundant life Jesus paid for is not about how great you are, it’s about how great our God is.
Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “[God’s] mighty power is at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Let me encourage you to begin to dream. Raise your expectations and break free from the limits you have accepted. If God is for you, who can be against you!