Stumbling Blocks (Part 2)

The other day, I was reading an article entitled “Being Too Busy For Friends Won’t Help Your Career” by Neal J. Roese, a Professor of Marketing at Northwestern’s School of Management. The article was all about how friendships can not only help enhance one’s life but they can also help advance one’s career. For the most part, I agreed with the contents of the article. But one part in particular caught my attention and gave me pause.

Towards the end of the article, Professor Roese presents 5 pieces of advice to make friendships more meaningful. One of those pieces of advice was to “ask for your friends’ perspectives.”

None of those pieces of advice included asking for God’s perspective FIRST (or at all).

This is a hugely important omission because we see examples in the Bible where folks in close relationship with others can steer them astray. Eve enticed Adam to sin (husband-wife relationship). Delilah masterminded Sampson’s demise (boyfriend-girlfriend relationship). Rebecca conspired with Jacob to steal Esau’s inheritance (mother-son relationship). And Jesus had at least two of his disciples (Peter and Judas) challenge Him to abandon his purpose (mentor/friendship relationship).

At the end of the day, we need to be careful who we listen to. Just because someone is close to you doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you. Likewise, just because someone wants what’s best for you doesn’t mean they know what’s best for you.

Seek God’s perspective FIRST. Your friends may either confirm it or contradict it, but at least you’ll be clear what the proper perspective is.

God bless,
J.W.

Stop and Go(d)

Republished February 11, 2012

So many times, as Christians, we hear the phrase "let go and let God." But what does that phrase really mean?

It means trusting God enough to rely on His plan and not our own. It means doing what He tells us to do even when it doesn't make sense. It means getting out of the way so that God can step in on our behalf.

As you live your life, remember: God can't move in your life until you stop moving on your own behalf.

God bless,

J.W.

Fear Not!

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

God did not create us to fear. How do we know? He specifically tells us that in His word.

So don’t let fear paralyze you. God wants us to walk in boldness knowing that our faith is way more powerful than our fear could ever be.

God bless,
J.W.

Stop and Go(d)

So many times, as Christians, we hear the phrase "let go and let God." But what does that phrase really mean?

It means trusting God enough to rely on His plan and not our own. It means doing what He tells us to do even when it doesn't make sense. It means getting out of the way so that God can step in on our behalf.

As you live your life, remember: God can't move in your life until you stop moving on your own behalf.

God bless,
J.W.

Never Scared

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear paralyzes. Don’t let it paralyze you.

God bless,
J.W.

Live!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." ~ Matthew 6:34

A few days ago, a friend of Michele and mine lost a loved one. It hit close to home because her loved one was also a friend. He had just been in our home about a month prior.

Reflecting on his untimely death, as well as that of Troy Davis last night, I was reminded, once again, how short my time is here on earth. It sounds cliché, but we truly aren’t promised tomorrow. That’s why God told us not to worry about tomorrow, but to live for today (Matthew 6:25-31).

So, if you ever feel down or depressed, or just feeling like life isn’t worth living, just think about all those people who didn’t get the opportunity to see another day or spend another 24 hours with their loved ones. Think about how truly are blessed you are to have the opportunity to live, love, and learn.

Appreciate your opportunity today!

God bless,
J.W.

Crucify The Flesh

"And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." ~ Galatians 5:24-26

Our flesh can be deceiving. Often, we think our fleshly desires are what are natural to us. We say things like "follow your gut" and "listen to your body."

But the Bible tells us to crucify our flesh. That means to control it by not giving in to its wishes and desires.

God calls us to walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Thus, to live according to His will, we must learn to control our emotions and fleshly desires by crucifying them. Don't let them control you.

God bless,
J.W.

2 Timothy 2:22

"Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." ~ 2 Timothy 2:22

As young people, we often feel like we have all the time in the world. A certain sense of entitlement and invincibility often accompanies youth. As such, young people often leave religion and thoughts about the afterlife to older folks. We tell ourselves that time is on our side, that we'll have plenty of opportunities to right the wrongs we commit today. We live for today in hopes that we can make amends tomorrow.

But make no mistake - what you do today not only affects your tomorrow. It largely shapes it. The sins you commit today have consequences that you better be ready and prepared to face in the future. No deed goes unnoticed and no sin goes unpunished.

Knowing that by giving my life over to Christ, I've been given a gift of eternal life with God gives me comfort. Can you say the same?

If not, don't wait until you're old and gray to give your life over to the one who loves you more than anyone else in the world. God wants to use you in your youth to make a tremendous impact on the world.

God bless,
J.W.

Somebody's Watching You

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." ~ 1 Timothy 4:12

Make no mistake, if you're living your life for Christ, somebody's watching you.

Perhaps it's the agnostic on your job who keeps questioning you about God. Or the atheist in your class who thinks you're foolish to believe in a supreme being. Perhaps it's that person who claims to be a Christian whose actions don't seem to match up with his or her words. Or maybe it's that person still living in sin but searching for peace and comfort in the midst of his or her storm. looking for a better way.

Whoever it is, they're watching.

So, what kind of example are you setting?

God bless,
J.W.

Persecution

No scripture today.

I just wanted to share this article with you all.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=87262

It’s about a woman from Egypt who was arrested trying to leave Cairo for Russia, all because she was a Christian.

Let’s not take for granted the incredible opportunity and privilege we have to worship God in freedom.

The crazy part about this story is that even the judge in her case threatens to kill her because of her religious views.

Pray for your brothers and sisters around the world that God might protect them as they live their lives openly for Jesus Christ.

God bless,
J.W.

He Who Has Ears...

A few weeks ago, Michele and I were watching an episode of Dr. Phil in which they were discussing the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California that prohibited gay couples to marry. In watching the show, what was disturbing to me was not the fact that the bill was passed, not the fact that gay rights activists are now protesting a democratically-elected piece of legislation, but rather the fact that here you had two parties, one in favor of the bill and one opposing the bill, sitting across from each other, intent on simply hurling insults at each other. Neither side would listen to the other. Rather, it was all about simply stating your own position and fighting against what the other side had to say.

In my opinion, this is what the American people are tired of. This is the reason that John McCain, Sarah Palin and the entire Republican Party lost this election. People are tired of arguments and constantly placing the blame on others. Rather, people want to see action. They want to see us working together to find common ground so that we can solve the tough problems that we are facing today.

That is the spirit that President-Elect Obama tapped into during his campaign. In fact, today, I learned that a lot of this ability grew out of what Obama learned as a community organizer in studying the organizing practices and techniques of famed organizing mastermind Saul Alinsky. In his first book, Reveille for Radicals, Alinsky insisted that organizers “begin by listening and learning the mores, history, and values of any community they work in. Their work is not to convert,” he argued, “but rather to help draw out the democratic potentials in any community.” Called “relational organizing,” it was the same technique upon which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the SCLC built their Civil Rights Movement and the same technique that President-Elect Obama used to turn this country from a 51%-49% nation into a 60%-40% nation. As Thelma Craig put it, if the goal is culture change, then the strategic objective should be to get to 80% - not 50% - of the people.

That’s why, today, I’m tired of hearing the rants of people like Keith Olbermann and Arianna Huffington on the left, and Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on the right, who simply toe the party line and either fail to see or simply ignore the absurdities of their own ideology. I’m tired of hearing gay rights advocates tell me that people of the Christian faith are gay-bashers and homophobes, while those who claim to follow Christ try to convince me that gay people don’t deserve equal rights simply because their lifestyle is different than theirs. We may not agree on everything, but if we would just stop talking and listen more, we may find that there are certain concessions that we each can make in order to find a solution with which each side can live. The old saying that God gave us one mouth and two ears so that we could listen twice as much as we speak reigns true. There’s value in listening. Try it. You might learn something.

Laminin

Just a thought I wanted to share with you today. Enjoy!

God bless,
J.W.

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Laminin by Louie Giglio
As published in David Langerfeld’s “The Daily Encourager” series

Do you know what laminin is? Laminin is your body's cell-adhesion molecule. It is the "glue" that holds all of the cells in your body together. Do you know what's so incredible about this? It's in the shape of a cross. The "glue' that holds your skin together, that holds your organs together, that literally holds everything in your body together, is a cross!

Colossians 1:17 "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."