I’ve often said that quitters are a dime a dozen, but finishers are one in a million. And if you think about it, why would you want it any other way? There’s no quit in God, and it was precisely in that image that we were created. “I fought the good fight. I kept the faith. I finished the race” (1 Timothy 4:7).… Read the rest
Staying power is essential to successfully facing life’s challenges. Every time you stay the course, you prove to yourself that nothing is as big as once thought. And always remember, your God is filled with blessings, not curses, for those who follow the path of endurance. “For whoever stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).… Read the rest
True forgiveness has no end – it’s limitless. As the great prophet Buzz Lightyear once spouted, “It’s to infinity and beyond.” You see, when Jesus taught that we are to forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven, He wasn’t suggesting a mathematical formula of keeping score, but to teach us grace in keeping “no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). I know it seems impossible, but not to Him.… Read the rest
Recognize your influence, because we all have it. As the old adage goes, “You can play only the cards you’ve been dealt.” God gave you everything you need to win the game. Never assume that you’ve been dealt a raw deal. You can’t influence with what you’re not. You can influence others only with what you’ve got. “So make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given. Then sink yourself into that” (Galatians 6:4).… Read the rest
I read once, “Don’t be a thermometer – which reflects the heat of the culture. Be a thermostat – that controls the heat of the world.”… Read the rest
Everything we have is from God. And it was given to us by God to influence others. Paul writes, “Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your own self…but instead, use your freedom to influence others” (Galatians 5:13). Our lives, their solitary purpose, was given to us by God to influence others. The Prophet Jeremiah stated, “You are to influence others” (Jeremiah 15:19).… Read the rest
“‘The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of Heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest Heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased’” (Luke 2:11-14). Merry Christmas. Enjoy your family and the presence of the Lord.… Read the rest
What you see is what you get – bars or stars. It depends on which side of the cell you choose to live. Hope is that ability to believe what God can do in spite of your circumstances or surroundings. You can hope, or you can cope. We need to be a people with imaginations who think new thoughts, who dream God-dreams.… Read the rest
Grace is love that seeks us out when we have nothing to give in return. It’s being loved by God when we are pretty much unlovable. It defies logic. It makes no demands. It just gives. As Dante so clearly said, “The Love that moves the sun and the other stars.” God is love (1 John 4:8-9).… Read the rest
The Bible is not a record of the blessed good, but rather the blessed bad. It is not a witness of the best people making it up to God; it’s a witness of God making it down to the worst of people. The so-called heroes of the Bible had fallen and failed over and over; they made huge mistakes, got afraid, were often selfish, deceptive, and unreliable. The thesis of the Bible, then, is not the efforts of the redeemed, but the amazing work of the Redeemer.… Read the rest
We live in a conditional world, and that same condition has entered the church. For every promise of reward, there is the threat of punishment. And round and round it goes, and the message is always the same: accomplishment precedes acceptance; achievement precedes approval. This is not what God had intended.… Read the rest
Christianity is not about good people getting better. It is good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good. The heart of the Christian faith is Good News, not good advice, good techniques, nor good behavior.… Read the rest
If we’re not careful, we can give people the impression that Christianity is first and foremost about the sacrifice we make for Jesus, rather than the sacrifice Jesus made for us. It can easily become our performance for Him rather than His performance for us. The hub of Christianity is not ‘do something for Jesus.’ The hub of Christianity is that ‘Jesus had done everything for us.’… Read the rest
Life becomes a hamster wheel of endless earning and proving and maintenance and management and controlling where all we can see is our own feet.… Read the rest
In a world of performance living, success equals life, and failure is tantamount to death. When we worship at this altar, we spend our lives frantically propping up our images or reputations trying to do it all. And to do it well often means there’s a cost to ourselves and those we love.… Read the rest
Just because the path doesn’t look like we had hoped doesn’t mean it’s not the path God had purposed and desired. As it has often been said, the path of least resistance is the one most often taken. But Jesus tells us the narrow path is the one least taken, but the reward is worth it. It’s not our job to determine the path; it’s our responsibility to stay faithful to Him regardless. Paths are always changing, but God does not.… Read the rest
Sometimes when things are falling apart they may actually be falling into place. So much of our lives is measured by numbers. When things are up, our attitude is as well. And when things are down, we feel discouraged. But just maybe what God sees is something so completely different.… Read the rest
When you are down to nothing, God is up to something – and isn’t that what it’s really all about? To be less of ourselves and more of Him? It’s sort-of like prayer: better to be on our knees before Him than on our feet running around without Him.… Read the rest
You cannot get something for nothing, and there is no such thing as a free lunch. Every decision we make in life will cost us something. Therefore, we must learn to invest wisely.… Read the rest
Everything we do involves the efforts of people. We must be diligent to recognize them and find meaningful ways to reward them. Never forget that people are our greatest asset as well as reward.… Read the rest
Great leadership takes a great amount of work, and it seems that the average individual is simply unwilling to make that level of sacrifice and effort. If you cannot, or will not, commit the resources necessary to complete the tasks you have been assigned, both your decisions and your leadership style is illegitimate.… Read the rest
It’s no wonder why words like endurance and perseverance are throughout the Bible. It’s the product of character. Paul says, “Endurance develops strength of character (Romans 5:4). James writes, “For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:4). Hang in there. It’s worth it.… Read the rest
Nothing removes the mask of the charlatan quicker than adversity. Storms happen. However, true character can withstand any unmerited winds of criticism because of the commitment on which it has been built. It boasts, “Tough times never last, but tough people do” (Robert Schuller). I’ve heard it said that “character is the will to do what’s right even if it’s hard.”… Read the rest
Character is a non-negotiable for God’s kids. And it’s defined in darkness. As Dwight L. Moody states, it’s who you are when no one is looking. It’s the person God knows. Image is one thing; character is another.… Read the rest
I can’t determine what others want to hold onto, but I can determine what I will. Others might not be at peace with me, but by God’s grace I will choose to be at peace with them. Paul writes, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).… Read the rest