Sometimes, You Just Don't Know What To Say...But Then Again...

Sometimes, I'm just dying to write, but don't know what I have to say. Sometimes I’m just not sure. But, today, I just want to reiterate my desire to help folks see that - no matter what they’ve heard, thought, or been taught - God is NOT a judgmental, rules-based, “so holy He can’t deal with your sin” kind of God. God is LOVE. Says so right there in the Bible. I’m talking about that same Bible that so many have used to place guilt, pressure, and judgment on others. I should know, I’ve been that person before!

How's Your View?

Lately, I've really been noticing a change at my church, and in the broader Christian community. For a while, I thought it was only me, and my ever-developing attitude about legalism and rules. But, more and more, I'm finding a clear distinction between those who talk about their faith in terms of Godliness, Scripture study, memorization, etc. and those who's walk is just as real, but a little harder to see. While the activities of the former are good things, the "Great Commission" (as it's known) stated one simple thing... MAKE DISCIPLES. There are more words in the verse in Matthew 28, but the COMMAND is clear. I submit that the latter group of Believers may have the real deal figured out.

Are All Paths To Relationship Recovery The Same?

I spoke at length with a friend today who shares some common struggles with me. However, it was interesting to listen to how the ROOTS of his issues were based in some totally different places than mine had been. While I was previously a passive, afraid-to-make-a-mistake husband and leader, my friend talked about how he had been a controlling, directive, overbearing leader. The thing we shared was that our shortcomings and struggles had threatened our marriages. I didn't get on a path to doing things right in time to save mine. He did. "So what?" you ask?

People Watching... Ever Wonder If God Is?

It’s really amazing to sit in an airport for a while. There’s the hustle, the bustle, the sounds, etc. But the more you watch, the more you see life passing by you. People of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, languages, and especially all kinds of paces being struck. Some are leisurely walking along, taking things in. Some are into a conversation with another person as they walk. And some, unfortunately for them, are moving at an accelerated pace with a look of, “Will I make it?” on their face.

Time To Get With It

So, I've written many times about the discoveries my journey has brought me. Things like a realization that I am loved, a commitment to Truth above all else, a commitment to being real (with myself and others), etc. Now that journey brings me to a point of need in my life. I need to change some things.

What's Going On Here?

I asked that question in a presentation I did for an industry conference yesterday. Today, at lunch with a new colleague from that conference, we became engaged in a discussion about men's issues and the way society is headed. (I'll address the "coincidental" nature of our having lunch another time)

The thing that struck me as we talked is that society is currently in a dead sprint. I mean we are all running. While we think we are running AFTER something, I would maintain that, in a spiritual sense, we are all running FROM something. What is that? What IS going on that we are seemingly all running AWAY from something?

Laughter

Ever wonder why people laugh? Ever wonder how?

Well, I just love watching people laugh. I really love it when they're just laughing about harmless stuff and fun w/ one another. Even if they're being offensive, or "rowdy." I still enjoy seeing people happy. We all feel better when we can feel happy.

But, what makes us "feel" happy? Is it the fun we have with others? Is it the fun we have at the expense of others? And, what is happy anyway?

For many who profess to be Christians, being happy is a struggle to overcome their own guilt, shame, and shortcomings. They may be sad because of others, but in many cases, their lack of happiness is about their own doings... their own sins... their own guilt. That kind of sadness, or that lack of happiness, is built on one simple thing... works.

But faith and works are different. While faith without works is dead (see James 2:20 and 2:26), works without faith is misplaced. And, counting on our works (or our peformance, or our CONformance to some standard and expectation) without FIRST placing our faith in Christ in its appropriate place in our life, will only lead to frustration. We either behave really well, and feel "OK" about ourselves, or we struggle and fail over and over. In either case, we don't find real, lasting, sustainable (hard word) happiness.

Here's the bottom line, in Romans 14:22, Paul tells us:

"The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves."

In other words, lean on your faith, let God speak to you and INTO you through it, and then go and live. Live in the way He leads, guides, and MAKES YOU WANT TO LIVE! Don't keep measuring yourself against somebody's standard, or some futile notion of perfection. Just let God speak, heal, love, and shape you. Then, when you are seeking out what you should do, what He has placed in you will come out of you! And when you see HIM coming out of YOU, I can promise you... you will be HAPPY! You may even laugh out loud!

Have a great, and laughter filled week!

Saved? What does that mean?

A dear friend asked about the phrase "being saved" or "getting saved" that we Baptists use. I explained the concept of sin separating us from God, and us not being able to fix that of our own works, or will, or volition. I then explained that's why Jesus came.  He physically lived and died as a human while also experiencing a temporary spiritual death. This He did willingly, at God's direction, to pay the cost of OUR separation. When we confess our need due to our sin, accept Jesus' sacrifice as truth, and as OUR payment, we are "saved" from our sin. Then, the Holy Spirit that Jesus told about moves into our life, and reveals the nature, heart, teaching, love, and will of God to us. To be clear, I believe the decision to accept this as TRUTH in YOUR life is the critical step. Just knowing this concept won't cut it. Knowing it, and working to be REALLY GOOD won't do it. Only accepting your need, and Jesus as the fulfillment of that need leads to salvation. No other person can make that decision for you. I pray that some may find help, clarity, or above all, HIM in the words I've shared here. If I can ever help you work through such a decision in yourife, I would be happy to talk with you about that!

You Ain't All That!

As I've been working on some ideas to use in future speaking engagements, I've developed this notion of how "fooled" we become about who we are. Now, this "foolishness" falls into 2 categories:

1) We become convinced that we are way BETTER than we really are.
2) We become convinced that we are way WORSE than we really are.

I'm here to say to you that, "You ain't all that." Hang with me on this one for a just another minute...

Why Men Hate Going To Church by David Murrow

In this book, an updated and edited version of David Murrow’s 2005 original, the author addresses the issue of why men are missing in our churches, especially the Evangelical church. He contrasts the “tone” of churches and how they take on more feminine traits than male traits. While men use terms like “boring”, and “irrelevant” when describing their distaste for church, Murrow offers more detailed examples of how churches, and even Christ Himself, are depicted with mostly feminine traits, and that this leads men to find other outlets for their more natural tendencies toward competition, strength, and even conflict.

I find Murrow’s views very enlightening. Moreover, they align with much of my personal discoveries about men (including me!) that indicate men are in pursuit of many “masculine” things because of their fear of being labeled as too effeminate, or not “manly” enough. In fact, Murrow’s views are another example of how the “absence” of men from many of our most important institutions (church, school, and the home, for instance) is actually promoting an increase in the “feminizing” of our culture.

I also found the book an easy read overall. For those who like proof, Murrow provides significant data to back up his assertions concerning men and the church. For those who are concerned with adequate Biblical grounding, Murrow cites the Bible multiple times as he describes the conflict we’ve created in the church between Jesus the “Lamb” and Jesus the “Lion”.

I recommend this book to anyone researching the issue of men and the church, or who are pursuing further understanding of how to reach more men in this generation for the Kingdom.

Disclosure Note: I obtained “Why Men Hate Going To Church” from Thomas Nelson publishing via their “Booksneeze” program which offers bloggers and other reviewers books for free in exchange for a published review. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book, and the views expressed in this review are my own.

Need A Mirror?

I'm growing weary of "men" who use their Social Media platform to SCREAM about the idiocy of others. Such efforts to proclaim your political, spiritual, intellectual, or idealistic superiority accomplishes little. Instead, your actions give evidence of a man running...running as fast as he can from the mirror, and from God!

You see, I heard a man I respect say that when God shows up, He begins by revealing things. Things about ourself become evident to...OURSELF! And, that is a terrifying proposition to many a man.

My friend, I urge you to MAN-UP, GROW A PAIR, and face your greatest fear by letting God show you who you are. Because, I believe that only when we face who we are will He be able to then show us who He wants us to be. I'm now on that journey toward who He wants me to be, and every day brings new illumination. Won't you join me?

Hey! Need a mirror?

Do I REALLY Want to Spend Time with Him?

To my dear friends,
I read this in a devotional some time ago. A simple question asked by a grandson, to his grandfather only a couple of days before he passed away. What a profound answer this was for me today. Hope it helps inspire and encourage you.

"Daddy Ray," I asked him, "every time I spent the night at your house, I saw you read your Bible; you must have read everything in there a dozen times over the years. What keeps you desiring to read your Bible everyday at this point in your life?"

I was waiting for a profound answer, but in his gentle and sincere voice he responded, "I guess I just wanted to spend more time with Jesus."

Sorry, friends, but that IS a profound answer for me. If God gave me His Word to communicate with me, and I don’t invest in reading it (and, sadly, I do not very much), do I really want to spend time with him?

May we all seek Him and His presence (and His WORD) more today!

I love you, friends,

Robby

A Very Rambling Blog on FEAR

FEAR - It cripples. It confuses. It delays. It destroys.

So many people live their lives in fear. Worse, so many CHRISTIANS live their lives in fear!

Fear causes us to not do things that we KNOW are best for us, our family, our organization. Fear us used by Satan to hold us back in so many ways. Fear blinds us to the truth. Fear rules our lives!

But, what defeats fear? What overcomes fear? What wins over fear?

LOVE

Perfect love casts out all fear.

Love sees right, does right.

Love commits to TRUTH and does not let FEAR hide the truth. Love insures that others needs, wants, desires are put ahead of our own.

One final thought: IT'S ALL A CHOICE!

What are you choosing today? Will you let fear win? Or, will you choose love? The kind of love that risks, trusts, and - most of all - puts others first? Our Heavenly Father put us first with His love when He sent His Son Jesus to die on a cross so that we could overcome fear, and spend eternity with Him. Should we not put others first so we can live in love (instead of fear) for this short time we have here on earth?

Face your fears, and choose to LOVE today!

Is There A Change Coming?

A quote on Twitter today caught my eye. It comes from Shannon Self, High School Pastor at Longhollow Baptist Church in the Nashville area (@Self24):

"Everything will change when your desire to move on exceeds your desire to hold on."

What a truth! My only add is that even when we sense change could be coming, we MUST keep our desires (either of the above types) held captive to God's empowering guidance. It is HE that truly loves us, truly knows us, and truly has our best interest in mind after all!

How about you? Contemplating change today? Have you really laid it before the Throne? Really?

Do that, and I believe peace in the midst of the storm of change will be yours, my friend!

Is Leadership Dead?

I just received Jeremie Kubicek's new book "Leadership Is Dead - How Influence Is Reviving It".  Having watched this book come together, and after reading many blogs and other notes from Jeremie, I can't wait to devour this book! The first 2 chapters were consumed upon opening this morning, and that only took about 10 minutes or so! This is going to be an awesome journey.

More importantly, Jeremie is teaching the concept of Leadership being about others. I continue to try to apply this theory in my own sphere of influence, and hope that those of you who lead others (which more of you do than you realize, by the way), will get this book and let Jeremie "prop up your arms" in the battle to make this life about more than ourselves.

Thank you, Jeremie, for the challenge, and the encouragement!

Peace...

Managing vs. Leading: Does It Matter?

Many Leadership writers have tackled the topic of Management vs. Leadership. Most, though certainly not all, see them as two distinct disciplines. A CEO I sat with recently told me that while they are different, he believes that successful executives develop strong capabilities in both areas.  I suppose he's right to a certain extent, but it seems to me that I see a far greater void in skilled LEADERS than I do in functional MANAGERS.  Let me explain.

Who Are You Telling Your Troubles To?

I wanted to share something that I read this morning. It comes from a golf-oriented daily devotional called Links Daily Devotional by Links Players International. The author, Jeff Hopper, and their website information are provided below. Now to the point...

Jeff discusses how critical we can become of the Psalms writers, and their seemingly obsessive way of moaning, complaining, and even asking for their enemies to be destroyed via their psalms.  He cites the fact that we could easily see the Psalms as self-centered, and self-serving. But, then, Jeff brilliantly reminds of a truth about all Spririt-inspired writing. Read on...

"The writers of Psalms laid open their minds and hearts before God. They knew that He already knew what this life was all about. And what it was and is all about without Him is temptation and injustice and weariness and decay. That's the truth about life. So they called spades spades and fools fools and evil evil. But most important of all is that they did this before God. They figured that while He already knew all this ugly stuff about the lives they were living, He was also the only way out. Who else were they supposed to talk to about their misery?

"Which leads us back to golf. When golf has you-know-whatted today, and I'm a danger to the children in my neighborhood because of the way I'm driving home, I don't really know whether God wants to hear it. It's golf, after all. But I do know this: He wants to hear about anything and everything that brings agony to my bones and anguish to my soul. He wants to hear it because in our saying it, we are calling on the only One who can actually do something about it. By this we do Him honor."

Now, friends, it may not be golf that is creating your angst, frustration, depression, or dejection today. It may be far more life-urgent and/or life-altering issues. But, how much MORE should you and I take those things to "the only One who can actually do something about it?"

May we all turn all the more TO Him, and not lean on our own understanding. Want to please God today? Take Him your burdens in a spirit of belief that He knows about them, cares about them, and can DO SOMETHING about them!
--
Above quote authored by Jeff Hopper and Copyright 2011 Links Players International
February 24, 2011

The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.

I Believe! Do you? Really?

Many of us worshipped with songs, and prayer, and fellowship yesterday. Moreover, we sat and nodded, said "Amen" and even clapped as the truths of the Bible were laid before us.

But, now it's a new day. It's Monday, and we're on our way through another week. Some are traveling while others move through the routine that is their week.

What about you, friend? Will it be another ROUTINE week? Will you "survive" or THRIVE? With all the reasons the enemy tries to use to make me treat this week as mundane, routine, or even depressing, I'm ready to say, "No more! I won't let you dampen or tarnish what God has made for His purpose!"

Try this with me today...Let's praise and thank God for His indescribable gift BETWEEN the Sundays this week! Let's claim the victory and freedom that is ours in Christ.

Remember, circumstances are just that...CIRCUMSTANCES! God's love for us, however, is ETERNAL! Claim that today, Believer! Then, go out and live like it!

Are You Frustrated, Leader?

I was reminded today that leading is all about having the right frame of mind (or is it heart?) about others. Trying to DO things to lead others instead of first BEING SOMEONE who leads others will usually lead to frustration.

Are you a frustrated leader? Does leading feel hard? Perhaps the first place to look for help is inward. Ask yourself some of these questions:

Do I really value others? Do I convey that?

Is leading well important to me for what it does for others, or for what I will receive from it?

Can I REALLY be happy watching someone else succeed? Even if I get NO credit for whatever role I may have had in that success?

I hope these questions help you serve and/or lead well. Let me know what you think!

What Is God Up To?

Do you ever wonder what God is up to? I mean, don't you? You see, when God is up to something in a place (a family, a church, a town) it's not always overtly apparent. And yet, don't we know and see when God is up to something?

God is moving in my church these days in some unmistakable, and remarkable ways. From our worship, to the teaching of our pastor, to the life change I am observing right before my eyes, He is clearly at work! I'm not just talking about new converts - though we are baptizing multiples every week - Praise the Lord! I'm talking about solid, long-time, and mature Christians that I am seeing make steps to address things, or showing evidence of transformations of the heart and attitude. And, I have to say, it is really a WAY COOL thing to see God work!

How about you? Are you seeing God work? Perhaps, like me, you are seeing Him work around you? But, are you paying attention to what He is (or is not) accomplishing IN you? For our sincerest praise to ring off the walls of Heaven, shouldn't it come from a heart that is being molded and shaped by Him? I'm experiencing that in my life, and it is an amazing ride!

Again, I'll ask...How about you? Come join me by looking for what God is up to IN YOU, then praise Him for all He is doing... IN and AROUND you!

Blessings!