meaning

Equipped

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know about you all but I feel like I am always in preparation mode. As a parent, spouse, teacher, business owner, you name it, I am preparing and planning. Preparing to start the day, throughout the day, and in ending the day. It is an integral part of every single day of my life.

When I was an athlete, I had to train. Conditioning, technique, and strength training were all essential. My diet had to be fine tuned, I watched tape to see what I could fix, and would go to camps and tournaments out of season so I could be successful. As a teacher, I have to prepare lessons, gather materials, assess learning, reflect on student performance, plan and replan to make sure the students receive a quality education. But there is another role, the most essential role of my life, that I need to prepare for even more.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

Teaching and sports are great things, but they aren’t THE thing. We are God’s workmanship, His children, His image-bearers. Just as we prepare for tasks in our daily lives, God calls us to be ready for every good work He sets before us..that He’s already prepared for us.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

1 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We keep our eyes on the prize (knowing Jesus and making Him known) and we don’t go about it aimlessly. Our spiritual life should reflect the intentionality and dedication that athletes at the highest level would dedicate to their trade. Let’s take a look at the training regiment.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

1. The Source of Our Equipping: God’s Word

“All Scripture is breathed out by God”

Scripture is inspired by God, making it divine in origin and purpose. It is trustworthy, authoritative, and sufficient for our spiritual growth. The Bible is the most factually based book in world history. No other book in history claiming to be God’s word even comes close to matching these facts.

1. Written by 40 men over a period of 1500 years and ALL subjects, prophecies, and evidence agrees.

2. It was written in three very different languages by people who lived on three different continents.

3. The authors of the Bible lived in very different time periods, very different places, and had different occupations but ALL focused on God’s redemption of mankind.

4. Over 300 prophecies were about Jesus, made hundreds of years before he was born, and He fulfilled ALL of them exactly how they said it would happen. The odds of a single person fulfilling just eight messianic prophecies are estimated to be one in 100 quadrillion.

5. Hundreds of other non-messianic prophecies have been made and fulfilled just as the bible said. They were fulfilled exactly to the day and exactly how they were predicted and they occurred sometimes hundreds of years after they were made.

Just as a carpenter relies on tools for precision, we rely on God’s Word to shape our worldview, guide us in decision making, and know how to be in relationship with God and others. Spend time in the Word daily—it’s not optional but essential for being equipped. We should be meditating on it, memorizing it, praying through it, and speaking.

2. The Purpose of God’s Word: To Shape Us

“Profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness”

Teaching: Helps us understand who God is, who we are, and His will for us.

Reproof and Correction: Reproof means to convicts us of sin and then provides the correction that redirects us to the right path. It is a mirror into the soul. Like Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Training in Righteousness: Helps us grow in godly character and holiness. So much of the world gets their ideas of righteousness, or right living, from the culture or their own emotions. Even a lot of believers who interpret God’s will through their own emotions. That’s a pitfall from a lack of wisdom that can only come through knowing God’s word.

A sculptor chisels away excess stone to reveal a masterpiece. In the same way, God’s Word refines us. The more we know God’s word the more we should be changed by it. Let the Word challenge and transform you. Like Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Don’t just read it—let it read you.

3. The Result of Being Shaped by God’s Word: Readiness for Good Works

“That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (the greek word is anthropos which means human or person of God, not man specifically)

God doesn’t just call us to good works; He equips us for them through His Word. The good works we are called to include acts of service, evangelism, generosity, and godly living. The Bible doesn’t just tell us to talk about God but do so boldly, not just to love but to love sacrificially, not just to give but to give generously and without asking for anything in return, not just to serve but to do so selflessly never drawing attention to yourself. It helps us endure hardships, be patient in trying times, hopeful in our outlook, and joyful in our spirit. To be a light, a city set on a hill.

Look for opportunities in your daily life to do good. Be ready when God opens a door. Better yet, look for the open doors, seek out the opportunities, don’t just wait for a clear “sign”. Training narrows our focus. It removes distractions that can derail us from achieving our goal. That’s exactly how we need to approach the mission God has for all of our lives. We clutter our vision (and we do so willingly if we’re honest). Remember Ephesians 2:10, God has already prepared our good works. You ever wonder how many we miss?

4. The Call to Action: Commit to Being Equipped

So where does this leave us? Just like with sports, careers, parenting, or anything else that requires training and preparation, we are all at different stages in our faith journey. But we can, and should, evaluate our time and how it’s spent. To what extent are we being intentional in applying God’s Word to situations in life? Do we pray for readiness and sensitivity to God’s leading. Do we actively look for ways to love, serve, give, and share the gospel every day. Wherever you are in your faith journey, I invite you to train harder. We can all pray more, serve more, love more, give more, empathize more, share the gospel more, meditate on God’s word more, worship more. Not to earn anything, that price has already been paid, but to better live out what you were designed and created to be…an image-bearer. The light that shines from us will only be as bright as the light we allow in us. You were made for a purpose and God has an abundant life planned for you. We just have to choose it.

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

To Live is…

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

In the logic of the gospel, there are no alternatives to Christ. Every other option is no option at all. When everything considered valuable in life is seen to be nothing in comparison to the glory of Christ, you learn rather well that Christ alone is worth living for.

Matt Chamdler

What is life? What is true living? What is the purpose of our existence? Philosophers have been battling with these questions for thousands of years. For the Christian, those questions have already been answered. And for the Christian, those answers are meant to be shared with the world. In Philippians 1:21, the Apostle Paul makes a bold declaration: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This verse encapsulates the heart of Christian living—Jesus is not just a part of life; He is life itself.

Living for Christ means that He is the foundation of everything we do. Our priorities, decisions, and actions should all reflect His love, grace, and truth. Paul exemplified this by dedicating his entire life to spreading the gospel, regardless of the hardships he faced. He endured imprisonment, beatings, and rejection, yet his joy remained because his life was Christ-centered.

How can this be more of a part of our lives in the 21st century? We have to start our day with prayer and Scripture, seeking God’s direction. Not doing that is like starting a trip with no destination or starting a task with no directions. We also have to make Christ the motivation behind our work, relationships, and daily interactions. Life is challenging enough as it is. And motivation is key in everything. As we go throughout the day we strive to glorify God in both big and small decisions. This more than serving in church, going down to the homeless shelter to serve food, street preaching, or any of the other outstanding acts of service. It’s in our conversations, or jobs, our thoughts, or words, our attitudes, our responses, our choices, and every other little detail. They begin and end with Jesus.

To live is Christ means representing Him wherever we go. As believers, we are called to reflect His character—showing love, humility, and kindness to others. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul reminds us that we are Christ’s ambassadors, carrying His message of reconciliation to the world. We do that by sharing the gospel through words and actions. We serve others selflessly, just as Jesus did. We act as a light in our workplace, community, and family. As my pastor (and father-in-law) says, “We love Jesus and make Him known.”

Many people search for meaning in career success, wealth, or personal achievements, but Paul reminds us that true purpose is found in Christ. When our lives revolve around Him, even suffering has meaning. Paul saw his trials as opportunities to magnify Christ and advance the gospel (Philippians 1:12-14). We need to shift our focus from earthly success to eternal impact. We need to use our talents and resources to serve God’s kingdom. And we need to trust God’s plan, even in challenges, knowing He is using our life for His glory.

“To live is Christ” means that Jesus is everything to us. He is our purpose, our joy, and our hope. Whether in times of blessing or trial, our lives should point to Him. Let us strive to live in such a way that when people see us, they see Christ.

Peace in Christ, your life, brothers and sisters.

Old Verse in a New Light

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

The words of John 3:16 have always been powerful to me. But one day they gripped my heart like they never had before. It was one morning, sitting at the kitchen table, reading a devotional with my four year old son. I read the words of this well known verse, and froze. I have read it hundreds of times before. But in this moment, the words shook me to the core. For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son…I read it again and looked at my one and only son sitting next to me. I was overwhelmed by the sacrifice of Jesus. I was overwhelmed by the reach and depth of God’s love. I squeezed my son and looked in his eyes and told him, “Jesus loves us so much. One day His love will capture your heart like it has mine. Today He has shown new depths to His goodness.” And then I told my son how much I love Him and spent the next several hours praising God for who He is. Don’t forget how loved you are brothers and sisters. Praying that you too will be refreshed in that love and see it anew today.

Beautiful Interruptions

~ ForCommonGround ~ 2 Comments

A week ago, I was in the process of setting up an outreach at the school I teach at. My Christian club was going to be sharing Bible verses with their peers at lunchtime and we were getting prepped to go out. In walked two students who interrupted things. In a brief moment, instead of getting irritated, I felt as if God was bringing people to us. I left my club members to finish the preparations while I took a chance and invited the two students to read some verses of scripture that I had laid out on one of the desks. It started a fantastic conversation.

After they left, my group went out to begin sharing verses around the school. In walked two more students. That prevented me from going out with my club members. Quickly, however, the conversation with these two new students turned into a conversation about God’s goodness and faithfulness and I was able to speak into their lives in what seemed like a critical moment.

Two days ago, that same Christian group was talking about living with a legacy in mind, and in walked a student who thought it would be funny to interrupt things. He wasn’t being mean-spirited but was trying to be funny. I wanted to be upset, but having just experienced what I had the week before, I paused and listened for what God wanted me to do to handle the situation. The kid was done in a few minutes. I felt the Lord wanted me to invite the kid and his two friends to stay for the rest of the talk. And you know what? The kid said yes. And the three of them remained and had a chance to hear about Jesus. That probably wasn’t in their plans for the day, but it was in God’s plans.

Often times God interrupts our lives with amazing opportunities. They sometimes look like inconveniences. Let’s face it, most of the time they are inconvenient. But if we try to look at them from a heavenly perspective, we may just see something beautiful.

In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul says to be ready in season and out of season to share the word. In 1 Peter 3:15, Peter says to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. In Ephesians 5, we are called to live wisely and make the most of the time we have. Jesus, Himself, lived with constant interruptions. But He seized those moments and people were left changed because of it. He’s calling His followers to do the same.

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

No One

~ ForCommonGround ~ 3 Comments

No one is beyond the need for God. It is part of our brokenness that drives us to do life on our own. When problems arise, we think we can fix them. When relationship are difficult, we think we have the power to make ourselves and the other whole. As a man, I can say that I have struggled so much in the area of feeling the weight of providing for my family, and have often carried it on my own. the weight is crushing. Sin, when admitted, is often seen as an area kept to ourselves, to be fought on our own terms. Many people in the world think they can get by on their own merits. That they can live a life where the good somehow outweighs the bad. That they are the so called captains of their own fait. But the reality is, it was never meant to be this way. In the book of Romans, chapter three, it says that ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God. This is one of those self evident truths. We don’t have to look beyond ourselves to see just how true this statement is. You are broken and imperfect. I am broken and imperfect. There isn’t a single human alive who can attest to any kind of perfection. The Christian minister, the Buddhist monk, the Catholic Pope, Islamic Imam, and the front line philanthropist, all need God…and equally so. Our standing with God, is only established by the grace of God, through our faith in God. We are all His creation but so much in us tries to deny that deep-seated need for our Creator.

No on is beyond the reach of God. It would be a sad tale if the story ended with our need and dependency on God in order to be whole. With that need comes a promise. In that same chapter of Romans, it says that all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Our need finds it’s fulfillment in Jesus. It’s not in a career, our kids, wealth, our good deeds, or any sort of success we have in this lifetime. While all of those things are good, they can never bring wholeness. Only Jesus can do that. Because only Jesus and impart holiness onto every single broken human in this world. All we have to do is recognize that…choose Jesus…and allow the brokenness to be mended. I have been following Jesus for a very long time. I am still not a perfect person. But I am holy. Not because of myself, but because of Him whom I swear allegiance to. I do have purpose and meaning to my life and it far supersedes any temporary achievement, no matter how great it may be. I have a hope that can never be shaken no matter what happens to me or those in my life. Because it is not based on circumstances, comfort, or control. And I have that because God reached me. Just like He can reach you, and those you know. And God is reaching people all over the world. Christianity is the fastest growing faith worldwide. The top ten countries with growing believers are, Nigeria, China, The Philippines, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Literally thousands of mosques have closed down in Iran because people are leaving Islam for Jesus. Some estimates have it as high as 60% of the total number of mosques have or will be closed. The Bible itself is full of stories of lost and sinful people being redeemed by Jesus and their lives being used for godly purposes. God has a long history of reaching prostitutes, murderers, liars, adulterers, sexually immoral, thieves, and many more.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

No one is beyond the love of God. I try and tell my children every night that I love them always, no matter what. I want them to see God’s love reflected in the way I love them. I want them to know that His love is far greater than anything they will experience on this earth. He loves you. He loves everyone. Always no matter what. The problem is, far too few actually love Him in return. Far too many reject Him and deny Him and in the end will spend eternity separated from Him. Imagine how that pains God’s heart. Especially when he went to the greatest lengths possible to show the world His love. Jesus, being God in the flesh, allowed Himself to be beaten, mocked, and scorned, and after all of that, allowed His own creation to nail Him to a cross. Jesus, Perfection, died in the place of imperfection. Holiness in the flesh hung on cross where you and I belong. Why? Because He loves us. With a love that is so difficult to grasp. A love that pursues it’s enemies in order to die in their place. A love that denies self at the greatest cost so that unworthy people can receive the greatest gift. If He loved us enough to do that, there is nothing we can do or have to do in order to earn it. But we do need to choose Him. To choose His love. To allow ourselves to be loved and to be driven by that love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:16-17

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

Seeking

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

What are you looking for in life? How about today? When you woke and started your journey, where did your thoughts drift?

For me, a lot of the time, I immediately go to my to-do list for the day. Whether it be my teaching subjects, preparedness, window cleaning lineup, or any of the many other obligations and responsibilities that life has for me. But God has been speaking. Even today, as I sat down to write this, God is reminding me of where my thoughts need to be. I feel Him asking me the question, “what exactly are you searching for?” The majority of my thoughts tell the story of a man who wants to be useful, productive, and provide for his family’s needs. And that is where my heart is. But am I searching for it in the right ways and the right places?

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”‬‬

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭ESV

Literally everything we could ever need in a day, in our life, is experienced in the presence and pursuit of God. I couldn’t be more useful than by sharing Jesus’s goodness and love with others. I couldn’t be more productive than by making disciples. I couldn’t provide anything greater for my family than a godly example or sacrificial love and a life of serving others. All of that comes in seeking God’s kingdom. That will make me the best teacher, the best parent, the best spouse, and the best version of everything I could possibly be. But is that what I am searching for in my day? Is it what you’re seeking out?

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God promises us that if we really search for Him, that He will be found. That begs the question, are we truly seeking Him out? What does that even look like? How would we begin our days and end our days and live out everything in between if that’s what our mission was? Jesus said to seek His kingdom and His righteousness. So, in simple terms, to seek God is to live in a right way before Him and before others. That’s what righteousness is. And also to want to see God’s kingdom here in this world. To do that, we live as He did. It’s to act as that city on a hill and a light to the world. We seek God when we seek to reflect God. Because we need to abide in Him, as John 15 says, in order to bear the kinds of fruit that Jesus did. To abide in Him means we live in such a symbiotic relationship that His spirit dictates our thoughts, actions, and words.

“I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.”‬‬

Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭45‬ ‭NIV

One way we can know if we’re searching for God is if we’re experiencing freedom. Things like anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness, and the like, are all clear indication that we aren’t seeking God or the things of God. Precepts are by definition a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought. God has given us ways of living that will enable us to live the fullest life possible. In Micah chapter six, we are told that God calls us to seek justice, love mercy, and to walk in humility. Those should be markers of our lives if we’re search for God.

It certainly takes intentional living. It takes a lot of prayer, time alone with God, looking for Him in the mundane and the miracles. It takes persistence to serve and give, especially when it’s hard to do so. It takes surrender of our selfishness. To seek God is to be consumed with Him. And we can’t be consumed with Him and ourselves at the same time. If you’re like me, then you probably need to let go of the incessant planning and live more in God’s embrace because that’s where peace and purpose are really found.

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

Are we living the promise?

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

How are Christians meant to live? No, I don’t mean the outward expression of a believer’s life. I am talking about the source of life…the inward life…the how to sort of living. I’ve been contemplating a series of verses lately, and really trying to pray through them because I really want to understand them. Here they are:

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

1 John 4:9 NIV

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 NIV

When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:4 ESV

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:4 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10 ESV

At first, my reaction is that these are speaking of eternal life. The reward or grace bestowed on all who cling to Christ and His perfection. I believe that this is very much the purpose behind each of these verses, and the central message of the Gospel. However, on a deeper look, there appears to be much more. You see, the life that comes from Jesus, is not simply a futuristic life of unimaginable joy, but a life in the here and now. I don’t know about you, but my life, at times, feels a long shot from eternal glory. But isn’t the life Jesus promised meant to be experienced here and now?

Paul said, in Galatians, that Christ is alive in him and his life has ceased as he knew it before his encounter with Him. There was a real change in him that altered how he lived life. Later in Colossians, Paul referred to Jesus as “our life”. Wait a minute. Is that how my life looks? Is my life defined by who Jesus is. Is His identity my identity? I can say that, but does my life show that. While Paul was flawed and broken, I truly believe that people could see Jesus in him. Can I say the same? Can you?

Jesus himself said that the life found in him was abundant. In my honestly, my life does not feel abundant at times. But that is certainly my own fault. I am out of focus if my life experience isn’t one of abundance. And I don’t think Jesus was in any way saying that our lives would be full of wealth and health and safety. His life wasn’t full of any of that. At nearly 40, I have already outlived the life of Jesus here on Earth. But how do they compare? Isn’t that the point? Live a life like Jesus? How much of my life has been wasted? How much am I wasting now with worldly concerns and seeking comfort? Am I alive in Jesus…here…now?

John said that Jesus came so we could live through Him. But what does that look like? To live through Jesus. It’s one thing to accept His atonement. To receive His forgiveness. To rejoice in mercy and grace. To look forward to eternity. But it’s more than all of those things. It’s everything we say and do. It’s our minds being radically transformed. Its our eyes viewing everything differently. It’s letting Jesus take control of everything. Not because we’ve become automatons, but because it is the only way we can truly live. It is the only way others will see Jesus alive in us. My job is not my life. My hobbies are not my life. My goals are not my life. My successes and failures are not my life. My family is not even my life. Jesus is my life. And therefore all that I am and all that I do is meant to for Him, to be done through Him, and to be experienced because of Him.

I can tell you, meditating on this has made me feel a whirlwind of emotions. I can both see how I fall so miserably short, and how so grateful I am that He is who He is and my life is ever changing because of Him. All I know is that I want more. I want His life to be my life. I want to be able to repeat the words of John and Paul, not because I am simply memorizing Bible verses, but because it defines who I am. Don’t you want that? Do you have that? Pray for me dear reader. And my prayers go out for all of you, that you too will experience that full, glory-revealing, joy-unshakable, transforming, amazing life through Jesus.

Peace and life in Christ brothers and sisters!

Do and say everything on purpose

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“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-16‬ ‭ESV

One of my kids favorite responses to the question of why they did or said something is, “I don’t know.” Sometimes I think they may just not want to tell the reason, but most of the time I really don’t think they know. Unfortunately I think that same problem plagues people well into adulthood. And that, in itself, is the source of so many of our conflicts.

We have to live on purpose. As believers in Jesus, we are beckoned to the commission of living life intentionally. We are supposed to let our actions be a light before all those looking on so they will glorify God (Matthew 5). We are expected to only say things that build others up and benefit them (Ephesians 4). The goal of our lives is to be blameless and not complain (Philippians 2). The great commission calls us to tell the world about Jesus (Matthew 28). All of the commandments of God are wrapped up in loving Him and loving others (Mark 12).

If these aren’t the reasons we do and say things, then what are as doing? Those careless words and those pointless actions just lead to strife and wasted days. Life is to short and to precious to not live intentionally. Lets allow our words and actions to be filled with Christ. Then when we are asked to reason behind our words and deeds, we can point to Jesus.

Wasting Gifts

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God is good. His goodness can be seen everywhere we look. And he’s given so much to everyone of us. What’s your response to those good gifts?

Let’s start with time as our first gift. How do we use our time? Sure, we’re all guilty of wasting some of it. Vegging out on movies or tv shows here and there. Watching sports, scrolling on the phone, etc…But is the majority of it used for good and productive means? What does that even look like? It should reflect service in some way. Do things to help and benefit others. Giving back to society, providing for a family, spending quality time with those we love, and helping those in need. Most of all, we should have quality time worked in everyday where we are in prayer, devotions, study, and worship. Yes, those can and should be intertwined into all our daily activities, but there’s something to say for getting away to a quiet place with the Lord regularly. Time is precious, and we have no way of knowing how much of it we have. So we need to treat it like the treasure it is.

Now let’s look at another huge gift: salvation. Maybe I should phrase this as access to salvation, because some reading this may not have tasted the goodness of God’s salvation in Christ’s atoning work. Some are still carrying the burdens of sin, worry, depression, anger, and addiction, among other things. The salvation that Christ made available is alive and powerful. It’s freedom, in this life and the next. It’s a new life. A new way of doing life. A new outlook. A restoration back to our original purpose. If God didn’t give us a single good grace in life, He still would have given us more than we deserve in the salvation of the Son. But so many have spoken the words, called on the name of Jesus, and are still not walking in that freedom and newness. We waste our salvation by not walking in that salvation. We waste it by not sharing it, both by telling others and by proclaiming it through our actions. Salvation is something that is meant to be shared, not kept to ourselves. We are, after all, the lights of the world when we choose Him.

A third gift is placement. You’ve been given people, family, friends, teachers, students, community members, neighbors, and even strangers. You’ve been placed where you are and when you are for a reason. The people in our lives aren’t always easy but that in itself can be a gift. We are all molded by the people around us and it’s up to us whether that molding is making us more or less like Jesus. Sometimes it’s the hardest people and the hardest situations that can make us the most like Him. We also have the opportunity to pour into those people (yes even the difficult ones). Jesus said to love those who hate us and bless those who persecute us. We waste our placement in this world by allowing others to sour us or harden us and by refusing to lay down our lives for others or by seeking ways to be served by others. We can’t take those in our lives for granted.

A forth gift is the world itself. There is so much beauty all around us. In the mountains and plains, deserts and lush forests, there’s so much for us to enjoy. Do you slow down enough to take it in? We waste the gift of nature when we neglect opportunities to take care of it. We waste it when we don’t slow down and just let it pass us by. We waste it when we don’t praise God for all the ways nature provides for us. For the rain, the snow, the breeze, the sunshine. It’s all part of God’s common graces.

Lastly, let’s get more personal. We all have gifts, as in things we are predisposed to and passionate about. For me, it’s writing, drawing, teaching, and certain outdoor activities. How about you dear reader? You are gifted. You have passion. You are creative. So create. Follow your passions. Develop your talents. And do so in a way to point others to the one who gave you that talent. Talent is wasted when it has the aim of self promotion. It’s best spent when it is spent in His honor. Spend your gifts bettering society, bringing beauty, sharing truth, and revealing God’s glory.

When we stop and think about it, we really have been given so much. And these things only scratch the surface of God’s gifts. How dare any of us live as ungrateful. We all probably need to be much more intentional about not wasting these amazing gifts. I know I do. Pray for me and I’ll pray for you.

As always, peace in Christ’s brothers and sisters.

What do you cherish most?

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

I heard a great message a while back by Max Lucado about what we cherish in this lifetime. The message posed some pretty challenging questions like “What are you the most grateful for?” or “what do you thank God for the most?” and “what do you invest most of your time in?” These are all excellent questions and immediately got me thinking. Then an illustration was given to really bring the message home. Max said, “Take a sticky note and put it on all the things that you value, but only put them on the things that will be burned up in the end. What remains should be the answers to the questions asked at the beginning.”

So then I thought, what in my life can really be impacted by eternity? Eternity does not consist of my job, my car, or my house (and everything in it); eternity consists of the hearts of my family members, the heart of my wife, the hearts of my kids, the hearts of my friends, the hearts of strangers, and of course, my own heart. These are what I should cherish, praise God for, keep watch over, be the most grateful for, and invest the far majority of my time with.

Job put it very well when he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart” (Job 1:21).

Money Can Buy
A bed but not sleep
Books but not knowledge
Food but not appetite
Finery but not beauty
A house but not a home
Medicine but not health
Luxuries but not comfort
Pleasures but not happiness
Religion but not salvation.
-unknown

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

Peace in Christ my brothers and sisters!