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March 14, 2013

Too Overwhelmed to Become Less Overwhelmed

So often, people fail to work on developing a time management and goal-setting system simply because they feel overwhelmed. They feel like they are so far off track and have too many changes needing made that they just don’t know where to start. As a result, they don’t start anywhere and simply maintain the same dysfunctional system that got them to their current state of frustration.

Where to Start3-14-13 Where to start

Often, the answer is to simply just start. Just take a step forward. Yet, too often, the weight of perfectionism, too many choices or both prevents even that first step. Sometimes, setting big goals and getting your life organized simply seems insurmountable. When you feel this way, start the process of change by focusing on small changes that added together will make a huge difference over time.

The following tips can help you to start this small change process.

  1. Consider the extremes. Ask yourself what’s working well and what’s not working at all. Then look for ways to tweak what’s already working and to change with what is absolutely not working. Don’t worry about what falls in between.
  2. Get and stay teachable. This point has far reaching implications. Being teachable, or having the willingness to always learn and grow, is essential to a productive life. Within the context of goal setting and time management, being teachable involves a willingness to try different things. It means knowing that you can tweak what works and toss what doesn’t.
  3. Stick with what works. Or, at least with what kind of works. Really, something has to be working at least partly, or you’d be dead. You’ve got to be doing at least one thing right. When you’re already overwhelmed, trying to change everything at once just makes matters worse. Some changes can wait.
  4. Take the plunge. This means diving in with a new approach or method and being willing to experience failures. It means taking chances and continuing to do so until you find what works. Failure can be the greatest teacher, but we never know what will or won’t work until we give it a shot.
  5. Struggle through. Life will never be free from struggle. Not giving in, not being apathetic or complacent, not settling… that’s where the value in continuing to struggle exists.

If you make no other commitment today, commit to making your life a process of small change. Some days may involve huge leaps, while others will simply be successful when you don’t go backwards. Simply committing to lifting up your foot and taking a step starts the process of change.

When to Start

3-14-13 Start

Some people struggle with starting something new until every condition is perfect. Experience tells me this results in never starting. So, the perfect time to start is right now. Just one small step forward. Something. Anything. In order for small things to add up over time to make a huge difference, you have to be doing some small things. Choose one and start right now!

A Final Note

Know that person who seems to have it all together? She’s organized, in shape, and eats healthy. Her kids and husband seem content. You want to be just like her, right? Well, first realize that rarely are things as they appear. Secondly, know that being like her is impossible simply because you’re not her.

In other words, be you. Figure out the systems and approaches that work for you. Yes, they’ll be a combination of the approaches of others, but no two people have the exact same system for managing time and reaching goals.

For more on this, check out my guest post entitled The Big Picture: My Own Life Plan Method and its sequel Living in the Details: My Daily Plan at Christian Faith at Work. Then, check out Chris Patton’s articles entitled 3 Keys to Creating New Habits and The Daily Game Plan: A Must Use Tool! Not only will these give you some very different perspectives on goal setting and time management, they’ll help you more fully understand how we truly are all unique in our approaches to life.

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March 12, 2013

God Math

3-12-13 numbersDuring my attempt at sales, the motto was “It’s all about the numbers.” While I worked in education, the question was, “What do the research numbers indicate?” When goal setting was my intense draw, the idea that “what you measure grows” was the driving force behind SMART goal setting.

While math has never been my strong suit and numbers and statistics don’t flow easily through my thinking, I get the meaning behind each of these sayings. But, I don’t completely agree with them. Some part of me always felt like the numbers weren’t always getting at truth.

On a more personal, even intimate, level, numbers sometimes consume my thoughts and really distort my perspective. The number on the scale. The numbers on my blog’s stats page. My running mileage. My running time. The credit card bill. The bank account. Even the number of pages I read. And, the weight of numbers grows heavier when I compare my numbers to other people’s numbers. Never good enough.

They say that numbers don’t lie, but they sure don’t always make any sense in guiding my steps. But God math does. God math may not add up with man’s numbers, but it sure makes sense when viewed in light of eternity. That’s because God math gets at the truth. God math is as real as it gets.3-12-13 numbers 2

When God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorra, He agreed to not destroy it if there were just 10 righteous people living there. (Genesis 18:16-33)

God continued to reduce Gideon’s numbers until the total would clearly indicate that God, not man, won the victory. (Judges 7)

God cautioned David to not count the people. He warned Him that the numbers didn’t matter. David didn’t listen, and the consequences were devastating. David’s math certainly failed to line up with how God wanted him to think of the numbers. (2 Samuel 24)

Jesus encouraged leaving the 99 to seek the one who is lost. (Matthew 18:12)

And God sent His only Son to die for the sins of all mankind. Just One atoned for the sins of ALL (John 3:16-17).

Nope, God math doesn’t make sense in human terms, but oh my does it resonate deeply in light of eternity.

Most likely, my thoughts will always feel like they are wading through mud when I try to do math and make sense out of numbers. Yet, God math continually makes more and more sense to me the more I decrease while He increases.

DISCUSSION: How do you feel about God math?

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March 5, 2013

Struggling to Change

Change is often forced upon us. Yet, we also can choose how to react to change and whether or not to resist it. And sometimes, we may feel the need for change and not be quite sure how or what to change. This is where I find myself today. With that thought, please allow me to take you on a journey through what’s going on in my mind of late.

3-4-13 Change aheadChange is in the Air

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix after Delores Umbridge was announced as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, she interrupted Dumbledore to make this speech.

“Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. [...] The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of a vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this… historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be… prohibited!“

Dumbledore’s response was simply, “Thank you Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating.” Most had no idea what Umbridge was saying, but Hermione provided some insight by saying “It means, the Ministry is interfering in Hogwarts.”

As anyone who has watched the movie or read the book knows, Umbridge’s motives were self-serving and out of a deep need for control at any cost. Yet, I can’t help but find some niggling of motivation in her words. Before you think me sadistic too, let me explain.

“Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged.”

Progress often happens just because it can. We never have the most up-to-date electronics, and we clearly have way more information than we can ever digest. So, for me, I hold back on following trends and try to choose progress that fits the steps I feel directed to take (Proverbs 16:9).

“Preserve what must be preserved.”

As with all of these statements, this one should exist as a personal choice. In other words, what must be preserved often operates on an individual level instead of in a corporate mandate with a one-size-fits-all approach. For me, this means that some of what I do may seem outdated or even complicated to others, but they work for me. Regardless of what experts suggest as the best approach, sometimes we keep what works because it works.

“Perfect what can be perfected”

While I am a big proponent of doing what works for the individual based on personality and temperament, I also realize that one person doesn’t have all the answers. Much of my processes were created as I watched others and adapted what they did as my own.

“Prune practices that ought to be… prohibited!”

This statement can be interpreted in a lot of ways, but it has got me thinking about how detrimental going through the motions of life can be. For me, this needs prohibited. While I am not sure exactly where His steps are taking me, I do know that I need to move forward in a way that allows the negative thoughts and practices that have been holding me back lately to fall away.

In the past, a “funk” like this has sent me deep into a pit of depression. I am refusing to let that happen again. This practice must be prohibited.

What’s the point?

I realize that much of this may make little sense, and that’s okay. I also realize that this post deviates from my blog norm. I’m okay with that too.

The point is that I need to make some changes, to change up my routine and hopefully my thought processes at the same time. To do this, I am looking at my daily routine and making adjustments, as well as considering projects I’ve put off that perhaps need to come to the front of my attention.

In addition, I am going to change up my blog posting schedule a bit. For now, this means regular posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But going forward, this may mean trying a few different things before I discover what works, and I hope you’ll hang in with me through that process.

DISCUSSION: I encourage insight, input, etc. into how to implement change, especially when you don’t know exactly what that change should be.

Note: Thank you to Chris Patton at Christian Faith at Work for inspiring me to finally move forward and make changes. Specifically, check out these posts by Chris:

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March 1, 2013

The Avenger

The Avengers

One of my family’s current favorite movies is The Avengers. We even have all the related movies (The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man & Iron Man 2, and Thor), and we like to watch the series to make connections between the different stories.

An altruistic super-soldier fights alongside a narcissistic man of iron. An immortal god joins forces with an angry, seemingly indestructible, mutated scientist. And two uniquely skilled humans operate with seemingly fearless intensity. Together, the are considered “The Avengers“?

To “avenge” means taking vengeance or exacting satisfaction for some perceived wrong. Quite often, vengeance comes for someone on behalf of another, such as when The Avengers unite to defeat the narcissistic, power hungry Loki.

Vengeance involves inflicting harm, injury or humiliation on someone who has harmed another. Vengeance is at times also described as “violent revenge.”

We enjoy fictional stories like The Avengers, I think in part, because we find comfort in the idea of a hero coming to our rescue when all otherwise seems lost. This type of story connects with us at a deeper level and goes to a part of us that wants to know we can survive impossible odds.

In addition to being entertaining with action and humor, The Avengers satisfies a deeper need in all of us to know someone is keeping us safe. We like the idea of a hero willing to protect us at all costs, one willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

While Captain America may be called “The First Avenger” in Hollywood, Christians know that isn’t true. Let’s explore that fact further.

The Avenger

The character of God is vast and awesome. I often find myself completely stupefied as I contemplate all of what scripture says He is. God never changes (Hebrews 13:8). God is love (1 John 4:8). God is patient (2 Peter 3:9). God is light 1 John 1:5). God is healer and redeemer (Psalm 103). God is the creator, and He is everlasting (Isaiah 40:28).

AND God is vengeful and jealous. Wait! What?

3-2-13 Nahum 2The LORD is a jealous and vengeful God; the LORD is vengeful and strong in wrath. The LORD is vengeful against his foes; he rages against his enemies. The LORD is very patient but great in power; the LORD punishes. His way is in whirlwind and storm; clouds are the dust of his feet. He can blast the sea and make it dry up; he can dry up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; the bud of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake because of him; the hills melt away. The earth heaves before him— the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can confront the heat of his fury? His wrath pours out like fire; the rocks are shattered because of him. The LORD is good, a haven in a day of distress. He acknowledges those who take refuge in him. With a rushing flood, he will utterly destroy her place and pursue his enemies into darkness. (Nahum 1:2-8)

I love to think of all of who God is until I come to vengeful and jealous. I struggle with this. But, I also realize that it’s as much a part of who He is as are all His other character traits.

Yes, God is THE Avenger. He caused the walls of Jericho to fall at the trumpet blast (Joshua 6). He caused the armies of 3 nations surrounding Jeoshaphat and the Israelites to fight themselves instead of attacking the Israelites (2 Chronicles 20). God caused the altars to be completely consumed even though they were drenched with water in Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). The Old Testaments holds story after story of supernatural victory over the enemies of God’s people.

What’s more, scripture clearly indicates over and over again that God will avenge all evil.

“Celebrate, nations, join the praise of his people. He avenges the deaths of his servants, pays back his enemies with vengeance, and cleanses his land for his people.” (Deuteronomy 32:43)

“Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?” (Luke 18:6-8)

“Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.’” (Romans 12:17-19)

When evil overwhelms, when dishonest people seem to prosper, and when all hope for this world seems lost, I need to remember all the times God has avenged His people and all the promises He has for doing so again in the future.

DISCUSSION: So much could be said about God as The Avenger. What does this aspect of His character do for your perspective?

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February 22, 2013

Confessions of a Night Owl

The Ugly Truth

2-22-13 sun and coffeeThe ugly truth hit me about 15 years ago while working as a dispatcher for a local sewer and drain company. One day, I realized that none of the service guys came through the door to the office before 10:00AM on Saturday mornings. The only exception was when I had a job for someone, but even then they just stuck their head and hand in far enough to get the slip of paper. I finally realized that my morning demeanor may have something to do with this odd behavior, since when I worked evenings the guys were always quite chatty with me while waiting to leave on a job.

I then realized that maybe my mom brought me coffee in the morning starting when I was 13 and through high school not solely because she was nice (and a great mom) but because I wasn’t so nice in the morning.

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place when I realized that my marriage was void of morning conversation for the most part. My husband, an all-day person, intelligently steered clear of me before 10:00AM.

I used to believe that people just naturally chewed louder in the morning but have come to realize that my sensitivity to just about every sound and activity sits at full throttle before 10:00AM.

I also used to believe that changing my demeanor in the morning would be a raising-the-dead type of miracle but have since come to realize that while I won’t ever be a true morning person without that miracle, mornings don’t have to be dreaded by myself as well as everyone near me.

Not Entirely My Fault2-22-13 owl

Turns out, research supports the idea that the blame for me not being a morning person lays at least partially in the way my body works. In fact, research indicates that “neuronal excitability” starts low and increases for night people. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I do know that whatever it is that allows me to think clearly definitely increases as the day goes by.

Also turns out that our alertness tendencies fit within the descriptions of certain animals. Apparently, I am an owlish hummingbird, a night owl who has learned to function otherwise.

What the science means to me (the article I read is listed at the bottom of this post) is that my body and brain work increasingly better as the day goes on, which is why my productivity increases and my physical ease of movement improves significantly as evening approaches. In other words, I run better in the evening and my ideas flow better in the afternoon and evening.

BUT, while my physical makeup naturally works against me being a morning person, my personal habits fired the loaded gun. This means, that changing my habits held the ability to at least make me more of a morning person, which certainly fits more practically into the routines of family life.

Why Change?

Unfortunately, our culture seems to be one that requires operating in the morning. Personally, my world of school-age kids and a working husband necessitate my functioning before 10:00AM. For this reason, Monday’s post will offer some tips for navigating mornings successfully if you’re not a morning person.

But, you morning people, please don’t tune out (or even not ever tune in) on Monday. You might learn something that can help you better understand the morning people in your life. Who knows, maybe you’ll even find ways you can help make their mornings more successful. After all, that’s when you’re at your best, right?

DISCUSSION: What are your experiences either as a night owl or living or working with a night owl? Do you think understanding others perspective in this way is helpful? Why or why not?

Related Reading: Please read the excellent article entitled “Are You a Lark, an Owl, or a Hummingbird?” for fascinating reading from the book The Body Clock Guide to Better Health: How to Use your Body’s Natural Clock to Fight Illness and Achieve Maximum Health.

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February 15, 2013

Lessons from A Travelling Man

India

India

He’s traveled by car, airplane, taxi, boat and even sea plane. He’s been gone 10 days at a time, just overnight and over many weekends. He’s gone just to a neighboring state, to 5 cities in one week, and around the world (literally). He’s eaten alligator and chilled monkey brains (think Indiana Jones) and had the opportunity to eat dog and horse.

He skipped his own birthday once (courtesy of the International Date Line) but has never missed being home for our anniversary or my or either son’s birthday. I’ve met him in San Francisco, the Twin Cities and Waikiki. He’s brought back tea, coffee, t-shirts, baseballs and even a Kindle as surprises.

For the past 20 years, the whole of our marriage, my husband has been a travelling man.

When our relationship struggled, business trips provided both of us with much-needed space. As we both grew as people, we learned independence and individuality in ways that have made our relationship positively unique.

Singapore

Singapore

But most importantly, my husband’s travel strengthened our relationship in significant ways. The lessons learned from being married to a travelling man have helped define our marriage as well as formed some of our future aspirations.

  1. Two really do become one. When my husband travels, I just feel “off.” It’s like a part of me is absent even though there’s one less person to accommodate. We handle so much as one unit that suddenly handling life alone feels, well, lonely.
  2. Dependence on God is crucial. Because of the loneliness I feel when my husband is travelling, my dependence upon God has grown significantly over the years. While I definitely rely on my husband, he’s not my number one “go to” guy. At the same time, God uses him more than any other person to guide and protect me.
  3. Technology can be a really good thing. We talk about the kids, coordinate our calendars, talk about our days, complain and even flirt via email and text. Doing so seems to allow for deeper connection when we are face-to-face since the everyday matters of life have been dealt with already.
  4. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder. When my husband is gone, I realize so much more of what he does not only around the house but about the value his presence adds to me as a person. In this way, distance creates a significant appreciation for who he is as an individual, a father and a husband.
  5. Home truly is where the heart is. When my husband returns from a trip, he always says “It’s good to be home.” His trips are usually very busy, filled with meetings and inadequate sleep. He’s just ready to relax on the couch and have a home-cooked meal. While I love to travel with him, I have learned that nothing will ever feel quite like being at home together.

2-15-13 beach writing2While I am usually the last person to use clichés (at least I try to be), even I can’t help but realize their truth when I consider how my husband’s travel has impacted my marriage over the past 20 years.

Our focus these days lies with enjoying our two junior high boys and anticipating the fun and excitement of their high school years. We’re focused on preparing them for college, careers and even marriages but mostly on how to live in all of those roles as strong, Christian men.

But my husband and I also know that when the boys are both out of the house, we want to fill at least some of that time traveling together. We truly enjoy travelling as a family and plan to continue that for many years to come, but we also know that travelling just the two of us brings unique opportunities as well.

DISCUSSION: How has travel impacted your relationships?

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February 8, 2013

Financial Fast 2013

Last year for the 1st quarter of 2012, my husband and I held a fast in our spending for the first time. We decided to do our Financial Fast 2012 to…

  • Hit a reset button in the area of spending.2-8-13 Proverbs
  • Create more balanced state… to find contentment.
  • Get our spending under control before we were out of control.
  • Enjoy the blessings of God and not dread spending money.
  • Choose not to spend because we want to not because we have to.
  • Enhance our taste for delayed gratification.
  • Exercise and strengthen our self-control.
  • Reduce the desire for instant gratification.

As I read through last year’s post, what struck me was how my perspective has changed. Last year, I talked about struggling to find a replacement focus. This year, we are not only becoming more mindful of our spending by limiting how much and in what ways we let our money go, but we are also praying for opportunities to bless others through our finances.

2-8-13 treasureJust a month in, this has already been a rather humbling fast. As I have made the mistake of doing so many times, I had ideas of how God might ask us to bless others. As you might have guessed, He is challenging us in ways I never came close to imagining. He is certainly stretching us, but the potential for eternal value can’t be missed.

My husband and I truly want to create more of an eternal focus in our lives. After writing You’re Rich and So Am I, I realized even more that we are blessed to be a blessing. I thought I knew this truth, but turns out that I have a great deal to learn. And it turns out that the way we spend our finances in this life really does tell a lot about our focus.

AMPLIFY: In the article “A 21-day financial fast will improve your money management,” Michelle Singletary describes what I consider to be a pretty extreme financial fast. For example, she recommends not buying a gift even if attending a wedding or birthday party and then explaining why to the hosts. While I don’t feel this extreme is for us, I do appreciate this amplified version of a financial fast. The article has motivated me to rethink the depth to which we are going in our financial fast this year.

DISCUSSION: What are your experiences with financial fasts? If you haven’t done one, how do you feel about them?

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February 1, 2013

Gap Integrity

2-1-13 game plan

In football, gap integrity means being where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there. Defenses can fail when just one person is out of position or does not carry out his assigned responsibility.

Each defensive player is assigned a specific gap and is expected to defend that ground. If a player is not in his assigned gap, no one else will be there to cover the offense because they have their own gaps to fill. As a result, the other team gains ground.

A talented football team can fail when it lacks discipline and does not follow the strategy given by the coaches. In this way, a less-talented offense can exploit that more-talented defense and score points.


From Football to Life

In life, we have to live obediently and strategically in our work responsibilities, marriages, friendships, parenting, etc. Not filling these gaps – not being where we’re supposed to be when we’re supposed to be there – leaves our lives open for attack and failure.

Not only does a lack of gap integrity cause us to personally fail, but we place the ones we care about in a position where they must struggle to trust and have confidence in us. As a result, the relationship is significantly damaged, and the other team scores points.

A Solid Defense

A solid defense is one that gives its offense time and ground to do what it needs to do to score points.

A good defense fills holes (gaps) the other team might be trying to exploit.

A good defense listens to and follows the plan set forth by the coach. Many examples of godly leaders (coaches) exist: Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Samuel & Nathan. Unfortunately, the Israelites (players) refused to hear the message (follow the coach’s game plan).

A good defense prepares for the plays the offense they are playing next typically runs. We all have plays that Satan likes to run on us, and he never has anything new. We need to be prepared for these offensive attacks.

A good defense makes adjustments during the game. Because an offense constantly looks for holes in a defense, the defense must constantly adjust to the offenses new plan of attack.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of a solid defense in Matthew 4:1-11. When Satan tempted Him, Jesus defended His ground with scripture. God’s Word gives us the game plan. The Bible exists as our best protection against the advances of the other team.

The Game Plan

Someone once said, “Christians don’t plan to sin, but they also don’t plan not to.” And in failing to have a plan, we end up in a dangerous place. For this reason, we must anticipate temptation and plan responses. No, we can’t plan for every possible scenario, but having a plan will give us a much greater chance of success.

At the very least…

There are no timeouts, no half-time and no breaks. We must constantly be vigilant. We must keep in shape. We must fully know that the moment we think we’re okay is probably the moment we’re most vulnerable.

AMPLIFY: Social situations constantly derail me. Satan knows to attack me when I am attempting to be social. For this reason, I must be vigilant in having a game plan whenever I know I will be social. Not just during social situations either, but even more so right after them when I am hardest on myself.

Note: Thank you to those who commented on How to… Become A Defensive Specialist, giving much of the content for this post.

DISCUSSION: Describe one of the strategies in your defensive game plan.

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January 25, 2013

Running With Weights

When getting ready to run a 5k last fall, I saw a man wearing a weighted vest at the start line. I’m assuming he wore it for the entire race, but I can’t say for sure as my view from the back of the pack did not include keeping track of this particular individual.

Supposedly, running with weights can improve running time and increase endurance. Wearing weights while running should also burn more calories without having to increase distance or speed. For those of us who already struggle to complete a run of 5k (3.1 miles) or more, the idea of running with added weight seems, well, simply crazy.

In fact, in all of the races I have run during my 25 years of being a runner, this is the first person I’ve noticed wearing extra weights during a race. Most of the runners, especially the really good runners, the ones who run to compete, run with very little on their body. In fact, the front-runner almost always has the bare minimum allowable based on the weather.

1-25-13 run

As I stood waiting to run this 5k last fall and watching this weighted man who seemed quite eager to begin, I couldn’t help but think of Hebrews 12:1-2.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In our physical lives, the idea of running with added weight seems foolish to most people. In our spiritual lives, however, most of us carry extra weight that prevents us from running the best race possible even though doing so is not only foolish but can prevent us from a strong finish.

In Kick Off the High Heals, Day Two of Week 10 in God is My Refuge, Kathy Howard expresses this issue by saying:

“Like the heroes of faith who have gone before, let us rid our lives of anything that keeps us from complete obedience to Christ. Maybe a sinful habit or unhealthy relationship prevents us from fully submitting to our Savior. Perhaps pride or selfishness keeps us hanging on to our own will and way.”

The weights I commonly carry as I run “the race marked out” for me include comparisons, fear and pride. And really, those weights show my failure (sin) to believe that Jesus is enough. It’s my failure to believe that He created me for a specific purpose, and that He will make that purpose come to fruition. It’s fear over my kids not following God instead of my having faith to believe God for their security. And it’s my pride that keeps me from asking for help and from admitting my dependence on Him.

But that’s just me. Perhaps the weights that entangle you are quite different from mine.

Looking further into this scripture, Hebrews 12:2 tells us where to focus after we’ve cast off those weights that trip us up, a focus that allows us to endure the race of our lives.

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.”

What does a focus on Jesus do for our ability to run with endurance? Kathy Howard puts it this way:

“Let’s turn our full attention to Christ and consider what He endured for us. His example will help us throw off any sin that entangles us and run freely toward the finish line.”

Just like any runner wanting to improve her speed or endurance or any other aspect of her running will look to the experts who have successfully gone before her, so too must we look to Jesus as we seek to improve how we run this race of life.

DISCUSSION: What sinful attitudes or selfish motivations or activities hold us back from following Christ in complete obedience?

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January 18, 2013

Separation Is In the Preparation

Rookie Wisdom

Prior to the Wildcard playoffs, Seattle Seahawks’ rookie quarterback Russell Wilson was the subject of several newspaper and television features lauding his leadership ability. While being interviewed, Wilson’s verbalized his philosophy:

1-11-13 separationThese features went on to describe Wilson’s detailed approach to preparing for games, citing a specific story about how he put “cheat sheets” on his teammates’ chairs prior to their Monday morning team meeting following an away game the day before. Actions like these, teammates say, are why Wilson has become a team leader even though he’s only 24 and in his rookie season in the NFL.

And while watching Wilson on the field before and during both before and during games, his actions emphasized his leadership ability as he encouraged and motivated his teammates. Clearly, Wilson’s approach to preparation has separated him as a player and leader in the NFL.

Biblical Principle

As Christians, we are called to separate ourselves too. Just as Wilson has separated himself from being an average football player, we too should seek to separate ourselves from blending in with the world around us. Specifically, the Bible talks about Christians separating themselves in three aspects of life. We are to separate ourselves from:

The World – 1 John 2:15-17 encourages us to love the things of God instead of the things of this world, and Romans 12:2 encourages separation by not conforming and by letting our minds be renewed.

False Teachers – In Romans 16:17-18, we receive warning to avoid those who deceptively preach anything contradicting God’s Word, and Deuteronomy 13:1-3 indicates deliberately and consistently choosing God above all others.

Disobedient Christians – According to Matthew 18:15-17, while we are not to instantly avoid fellowship with disobedient Christians, we must do so when every effort to persuade them from wrong receives rejection.

Separation through Preparation

Just as Wilson deliberately prepares himself as a football player thus allowing him to excel when game time comes, we too must prepare to separate ourselves as Christians in order to excel in glorifying God.

Wilson’s preparation comes through viewing game tapes, analyzing opposing players, creating a plan for the next game, and making sure he’s in top physical and mental condition. A Christian’s preparation – and maintenance – for separation comes through establishing Godly habits, keeping short accounts, taking thoughts captive, having firm convictions and refusing to conform.

Examples to Follow

Russell Wilson seems to provide a terrific example for other football players as well as athletes in general to follow.

Scripture gives Christians numerous examples of the importance of preparing ourselves to become and remain separate. Examples include the Recabites, Daniel, Joseph and even David. The Recabites show the importance of knowing your why and being ready with an answer. Daniel gives a great example of the value of the habit of daily prayer. Joseph shows us that staying true to God holds significant long-term impact. And David lets us know that even when we mess up, pursuing God restores us to our separated (holy) state.

AMPLIFY: Many questions resonate in my mind as I consider how I can personally amplify my separation from the world, from evil and from disobedience. Does what I read and watch honor God? Are the video games my kids playing harmful to their minds? Am I too busy, overloaded and stressed? Do I over-plan and miss God’s plan way too often? Am I preoccupied with money? Do I explore alternative teachings? Am I too open-minded? Do I justify my attitudes, actions & words? Am I unteachable? Am I creating my own reality in order to continue doing what I want? Do I avoid conflict? Do I get caught up in comparing myself to others?

DISCUSSION: Can you think of additional examples, biblical or otherwise, of someone implementing the principle of “separation is in the preparation”? In addition to what we’ve already mentioned, how else does the Bible tell us to live separately?

Related Posts:

How to… Take Every Thought Captive, Part I

How to… Take Every Thought Captive, Part II

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