For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

Though it often feels like a losing battle, most weeks I do my best to spend a few hours at the gym. Whenever I’m there, I am always reminded of the value our culture places on health and beauty, and the time and effort we are willing to give to this pursuit. From exercise and diet to fitness trackers and health supplements, it can at times be all encompassing!

On one hand, this desire for bodily health is good and right. I’ve found the discipline needed to keep the body healthy actually aids and supports my spiritual health and growth. However, we can be so focused on our physical health that we neglect the care of our souls and growth in godliness. As St. Paul reminds us, physical health and beauty are fleeting, but godliness is an eternal investment! How then are we to grow in our spiritual health?

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Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. Jeremiah 22:13

Anything worth doing is worth doing well. If you are building a family, frame it well. Furnish it with faith, love, hope, and the fear of God. If you are building a business or ministry, grow it relationally and systematically. Pour a foundation of honesty, trust, and excellent work. If you are building a life, develop it with discipline, forgiveness, humility, grace, service, and obedience to God. Spend your time building people, processes, projects, and enterprises that are sustainable and eternal. Seek to focus on endeavors that contribute to and facilitate faith-based initiatives. Indeed, build people who will improve on your accomplishments. Above all else, dedicate your building to God (Nehemiah 3:1).

You are now positioned as a leader of leaders, so lead leaders well. At this stage of life, you have the stewardship to mentor mentors, so pour yourself into those who will mentor others. Build spiritual discipline into faithful followers of Christ. Do not neglect developing disciples.  Disciples of Jesus need a firm foundation of faith. It is imperative to model for them mastery of the Master’s words. Let the Word of God flow freely from your speech. Speak it and live it on behalf of your Savior. You build lives that last when you ground them in the Good Book. The legacy you leave is predicated on the people in whom you invest.

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I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13, KJV

Have you ever had an idea that set your soul on fire? You were certain it was God calling you out to do something for Him and you were totally stoked. You immediately wrote down your idea, called your best friend, and announced it to your neighbors. But then a couple hours or days passed and the flame of enthusiasm you initially felt began to die, doused by the reality of what it would take: resources you didn’t have; courage you felt you lacked, and expertise you didn’t possess. So, because it looked impossible, you gave up before you started.

This common scenario reminds me of the book of Nehemiah in which Nehemiah describes how he rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. His passion for this project was ignited when he asked one of his brothers, Hanani, about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile. His brother told him.

“Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire” (Nehemiah 1:3).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – When You Want to Give Up Before You Start →

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.  He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1

Satan’s first goal is to get you. If he is unable to get you, his next step is to get you to doubt God. After all, what good is faith that is watered down by doubt? This isn’t to say we may not go through seasons of doubt as disciples of Christ. But doubt is not the ongoing pattern of a serious and faithful follower of Jesus. Thomas was a doubter for a time, but when he came face-to-face with his resurrected Savior and Lord, his doubts fled like an exposed bandit. Do not underestimate the enemy’s endeavors to get you to doubt God. If he is successful in planting and growing seeds of doubt, your faith will be stunted. Your faith will be choked to death by the weeds of worry, by the crabgrass cares in this world.

In some ways, it was easier to trust God when you first believed. Now that you have aged in years as a Christian, you may have formalized your faith to the point where the miraculous has been replaced by the mundane. Questions and doubt have replaced God’s promises of assurance.

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But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. Matthew 5:37, NKJV

From time to time I play mind games that become mentally exhausting and relationally unhealthy. Because of my need for approval and my fear of rejection—I can choose the path of least resistance—harmony—over a vulnerable course of action: healthy conflict. A short term false humility only masks my pride—instead of revealing my scared soul to those who can help me and learning to rest in a long term reliance on the Lord. A person with humble candor frees others to be real, while those who cover up their true feelings create a culture of false security.

Jesus addresses the wisdom of sincere conversations, which then become seeds that grow into authentic living. Truth spoken in love makes the recipient of what can be cold, hard facts—feel the relational warmth of feeling understood and valued. Wise and gracious words promote instruction. Prayerful directness addresses the real issues, while offering ways to help solve the problem. Jesus’ words—full of the Spirit—spoke to the heart and mind with life-giving clarity.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I [Jesus] have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63).

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Culture of Candor   →

You [Cornelius] know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all… All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. Acts 10:36, 43

I met my wife Rita in 7th grade when we couple skated on her birthday. We remained friends until we began to date exclusively at the Valentine’s dance our senior year of high school. A year later we were engaged to marry—an exclusive life long commitment to each other based on our shared beliefs and behaviors. Our love was inclusive of family, friends and acquaintances, but our marriage covenant before God was based on our exclusive relationship with one another.

The good news of peace through Jesus Christ is an inclusive invitation to all human beings. God’s love is inclusive for all who live on planet Earth. However, forgiveness and a personal relationship with our heavenly Father comes from an exclusive belief in Christ’s death as payment for our sins and His resurrection from death to give us life. Cornelius was instructed to take the inclusive gospel to the Gentiles, so they could believe in Jesus and have an exclusive relationship with Him. God’s inclusive love invites an exclusive relationship through Christ.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Inclusive and Exclusive →

Be happy young man while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart. Ecclesiastes 11:9

Sometimes we are guilty of taking ourselves too seriously. We get caught up in our little world of what we have to do, where we have to go and who we have to please. Joy jettisons from our heart because we are driven by a “have to” attitude. Unfortunately for our health and for those who love us we become consumed by our agenda, our desires, our worries, our ideas, our work, our hobbies and our needs. Sadly, our unmet expectations become joy killers with no heart.

How do you know if you are taking yourselves too seriously? Suddenly others become the object of your fury. They don’t seem to take things seriously enough. You erroneously think, “If they would just do what I want and work as hard as me, both of our worlds would be much better off!” You act like the Lord can’t get by without you, however the reverse is true. You can’t get by without Him. So, shed the world from your shoulders. Perhaps on your next vacation you totally disconnect from technology. No phone or email. Try it. Lighten up and let the Lord work for you.

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“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.”  Luke 10:41-42

American culture is plagued by hyperactivity without productivity. We think being busy equals importance or a frantic pace is a path to success. Like a pack mule loaded down with an overabundance of supplies, we pack our calendar to the breaking point. We play mind games with ourselves that busyness is what’s best for our family, when in fact the real outcomes are: relational emptiness, health challenges and irritable emotions. We even justify being over active for Jesus.

Perhaps a wiser start to the year is a stop doing list. As Jesus instructed Martha, we need to take an inventory of our activities and ask what is really needed. What has served its purpose for a season, but is now unnecessary, even an obstacle to what’s best? Let go of emotional attachments and embrace some margin for meaningful relationships. Is it time to stop a sports program, a long commute or a tired volunteer role? Become better with contemplation and strategic availability.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Stop Doing  →