Excellence In The Midst Of Failure

“Edward Steichen, who eventually became one of the world's most renowned photographers, almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, Steichen bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out—a portrait of his sister at the piano. Edward's father thought that was a poor showing, but his mother insisted the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more than compensated for 49 failures. Her encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure.”*

This story reminds me of God’s ability to also spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure.  Judges chapter six begins with Israel in a whole lot of trouble because of their sins.  God had withdrawn his protection from Israel and Midian began to dominate them, forcing them into hiding and destroying their crops.  In the midst of this dire situation, we are introduced to Gideon.  He is hiding in a wine press and working hard to salvage the wheat his family had been able to save from the Midianites.  Imagine him toiling away when the angel of the Lord appears to him and speaks these words: “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”

Every time I read this account, I imagine Gideon looking around the wine press for someone else and then saying, “Who, me?”  He is certainly not feeling like a “valiant warrior.”  In a torrent of words, he shares his sense of failure and abandonment (v. 13).  But God looked beyond the obstacles to see what Gideon could be with a little divine encouragement and help.  And as time went on, Gideon did become the valiant warrior that God knew he could be.

What failures are keeping you from becoming what God sees in you?

God loves you!

Mike

*Bits & Pieces, Feb. 4, 1993

Bricks

“A number of years back, a young and very successful executive was travelling down a suburban street in his brand new black Ferrari. Suddenly a brick was thrown from the sidewalk, thumping into the side of the car.

“Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the car back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. The driver jumped out, grabbed the kid who had thrown the brick and pushed him up against a parked car. “What was that all about?!” he screamed. “That’s my new Ferrari, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money!”

“Please, mister, please …. I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop!” Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

“The mood was transformed in a moment as the young executive realised what had occurred.  He lifted the young man into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts. He then watched as the younger brother pushed him down the sidewalk toward their home.

“The young exec never did fix the dented side door of his  sports car. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention.”*

Life can get hectic, can’t it?  We can get so busy with our own priorities and agendas that we can miss what’s truly important.  Why is it that it often takes a health crisis, a financial reversal, a family breakdown, etc., to finally get our attention?  Let’s learn to slow down enough to take stock of our lives BEFORE the brick comes our way.

God loves you!

Mike

*Adapted from storiesforpreaching.com

You Can't Outrun Trouble

“The last great battle of the Civil War took place near the McLean Farm in Appomattox, Virginia. The McLean house was chosen to be the spot where Gen. Robert E. Lee would surrender to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The McLeans were new to the area. They previously lived near a place called Bull Run, site of the first major battle of the Civil War. Later there was a second battle of Bull Run, and the McLeans finally gave up, not wanting to see any more war. That is why they moved. McLean used to say, “The war started in my front yard and ended in my parlor.” It just goes to show you, you can’t outrun trouble.”*

            The prophet Jonah thought that he could outrun his troubles.  You know the story -- God instructs Jonah to do something difficult and the first thing he does is attempt to run away.  He books passage on a ship headed to Tarshish instead of obediently heading for Nineveh.  But God isn’t so easily dissuaded.  Following an encounter with a divinely-appointed storm and great fish, Jonah rethinks his decision to try and outrun God.  I suppose being regurgitated alive from the belly of a fish would tend to cause anyone to reflect on their life choices.

            Jonah goes on to preach to the Ninevites, but he is still harboring some rebellion in his heart.  This is seen in his angry response to the repentance of the Ninevites.  There is a sense that, even though he was physically present, Jonah was still on the run.  But God still pursues him.  He confronts the petulant prophet’s “I told you so’s” with an up-close-and-personal lesson on compassion.

            It’s true.  We can’t out-run trouble.  But for the child of God, that can be a source of comfort.  Like Jonah, God loves us too much to let us keep running without attempting to turn us around.  The storm and big fishes of life just might be what’s needed to get us to consider the paths we have chosen.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.preaching.com/sermon-illustrations/illustration-trouble-will-find-you/

What Was He Thinking?

I suspect most of you have seen the video of the man taunting the buffalo in Yellowstone Park a couple of weeks ago.  As happens often in the park, traffic had come to a stop due to some animal near the roadway.  Smart people stay in their vehicles during these times due to the unpredictability of these wild animals. But occasionally a “less than smart” (is that a kind way to put it?) individual decides to interact with nature in a more personal but definitely more dangerous way.  That happened on this particular occasion.  Raymond Reinke, age 55, was caught on video approaching the bull buffalo.  He then proceeded to wave his arms and yell at the animal.  Not surprisingly, the buffalo turned and ran with his horns lowered at Reinke.  Only at the last moment did the buffalo stop the charge, perhaps the only reason why this foolhardy tourist escaped serious injury or even death.  What in the world was Reinke thinking?  I suspect he wasn’t.  He had been stopped by authorities twice in the previous days and alcohol was a factor in both of those encounters.  So chances are pretty good that he was under the influence of “liquid courage” as he involved himself in this idiotic escapade as well.  But whatever motivated him to do what he did, it is a wonder that Reinke survived his foolishness.

While we shake our heads at this, I wonder if we end up doing the same thing in our lives spiritually.  We are warned very clearly in Scripture about the danger that our adversary, the devil, presents (1 Peter 5:8).  And thankfully, by the power of God, we do not have to cower before him.  We are instructed to resist him (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:9) but never should we underestimate him or, worse yet, taunt him.  Such foolishness just invites spiritual harm and gives an unnecessary opportunity to the one who seeks to destroy us (Ephesians 4:27).  Don’t taunt buffalos or Satan!

God loves you!

Mike

Analysis Paralysis

            Steven Brice wrote recently of all the emotions he and his family are experiencing as they reach the culmination of decade’s worth of planning and training to launch a new ministry in Philadelphia.  During this time, the story of God’s calling of Abram to leave all that was familiar to him and go to a place that was unknown to him (Genesis 12) became more meaningful to Brice.  As he reflects on this part of Abram’s story and draws some parallels to his own move, he shares the following paragraph:

            “The point is that God calls Abram to leave everything to go to a place without any direction. In this hyper informative age, it would sound ludicrous for me to inform my family and friends that God told me to go to “adsfjsadhflds,” let alone go to Philadelphia. This reflection has birthed a question in my heart: has the information age drowned our ability to hear God call us to go to places and do things that would leave us clueless like Abram? Have we become so educated and business savvy that we need to be sure that every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed before we take our first step? Are we still hearing from God? Is God writing new stories of faith using us as participants in his mission, or have we been paralyzed with contentment and fascination by reading what God has done in the past through the lives of biblical characters?”*

            Can you relate to what Steven Brice says here?  I surely can.  I’m of the personality type that likes to have all the “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed before launching out on a project.  And while a certain amount of caution is probably good (see, I’m already justifying myself), when it comes to God’s call in my life, perhaps more faith and less analysis and information-gathering is best.  Maybe Abram had his questions too but, as far as we know, he didn’t voice them.  He just packed his bags.  What amazing faith!

God loves you!

Mike

*http://char.is/blog/2018/06/28/where-are-you-going-abram/

True Love

“Far too many of us think about dating and marriage as being all about “the spark.” A man looks into a woman’s eyes and he feels something. A woman glances at a man in a restaurant and her heart races. Some believe that this is how you find your spouse. You have to feel the chemistry first, or you are looking at the wrong person. Such a shallow and superficial view of dating (and ultimately marriage) is a dead end street.

“Followers of Jesus who date and ultimately marry understand that marriage is a covenant and a serious commitment. Yes, loving one another is very important. However, solid joyful marriages are built on character and promise keeping. If you have not yet married, ask yourself, “Is this person intentional about growing in godly virtues? What about truth-telling, patience, fidelity, and a commitment to trust and obey the Lord Jesus?”

“I heard not long ago about a husband who walked out on his wife when he learned that she had aggressive cancer. He said to his wife, “I didn’t sign up for this.” Meanwhile, I can tell you of a number of husbands and wives who love and adore one another and who have shared tough times together. Their marriages are not based on a “spark” or special chemistry. Rather, they have dared to travel together choosing what is deep and lasting rather than settling for how the world might define a marriage.”*

Our culture, through things like entertainment and social media, has sold us the lie that chemistry is the first step toward true love.  But many men and women who have experienced the breakup of their relationships can testify to the fact that the sparks that made the beginning so exciting don’t always lead to commitment for the long term.  Biblical love starts with the commitment that seeks the best for another through thick and thin.  And the serendipity is that such a commitment often leads to a chemistry that surpasses the sparks at the start.

God loves you!

Mike

*http://www.godhungry.org/marriage-when-you-refuse-to-settle-for-the-shallow/

Dealing With Critics

Greg Boyd was asked one time whether he had experienced any pushback over his beliefs and how he responded to it.  Here is part of his answer:

“My first encounter with the “backlash” you mentioned took place in the mid-90’s when John Piper launched a public crusade to get me fired from Bethel University and to have my church kicked out of the Baptist General Conference  on the grounds that I was a “heretic.”  There were also attempts by some to force publishers to stop publishing my books and for Christians to boycott bookstores that sold them. Hundreds of pastors signed a petition to get me fired, with only one of them taking the time to ask me what I actually believed and why I believed it.

“Being the sinner that I am, my initial response was anger mixed with a little fear. But it wasn’t too long before the Lord got my attention and helped me realize that this response was neither Christ-like nor healthy for me. I strongly sensed that the Lord gave me an assignment I was to carry out for a year to help me through this period: Every single day, I was to pray for the well-being of those who were leading this crusade! Initially, this was really hard, but I soon found that this exercise freed me from the cancer of bitterness and even empowered me to genuinely love my “enemy.” This deepened my conviction about the importance of obeying Jesus’ command to love, serve and pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5:44-45; Lk 6:27-35). I encourage anyone who is harboring anger toward someone to engage in this daily exercise.”*

What a great example of dealing with ugliness in a Christ-like way! It’s so tempting to get down into the mire and sling mud back against your critics, but I encourage you to resist temptation.  May I share an indelicate but accurate reminder I read somewhere?  “You will never win a puking contest with a buzzard.”  Think about that the next time you want to get even.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://rachelheldevans.com/blog/ask-open-theist-greg-boyd-response