What’s Your Tennis Ball?

 

 

Peter Lundell, cbn. com

Don’t push. Get pulled.

Drew Houston, founder of Dropbox, said this:

“The happiest and most successful people I know don’t just love what they do, they’re obsessed with solving an important problem, something that matters to them. They remind me of a dog chasing a tennis ball: Their eyes go a little crazy, the leash snaps, and they go bounding off, plowing through whatever gets in the way. . . . It’s not about pushing yourself. It’s about finding your tennis ball, the thing that pulls you.”

We can live out our faith under obligation to all the things we ought to do. Or we can live out our faith in holy pursuit of the person God has created us to be.

Pushing versus pursuing.

The same goes for school: Who are the best students?

And jobs: Who are the best workers?

And family, and friends: Which people are the greatest blessings?

Anything: Pushing versus pursuing is universal.

In any area of life, your tennis ball might be a promise that attracts you, a moral wrong that makes you indignant enough to take action, or what you perceive as your destiny.

Pushing versus pursuing is much like the difference between bondage and freedom, drudgery and joy.

The difference is also like a dog passionately pursuing a tennis ball versus the fate of Sisyphus. In the ancient Greek myth, Sisyphus, king of Corinth, was punished in the afterlife for his pride and deceitfulness. He was condemned to push a huge boulder up a mountain, only to have it roll down the other side. And he had to repeat this futility for all eternity.

Wouldn’t you rather chase a ball than roll a boulder?

What is your tennis ball?

If you can’t think of one, what might it be? What in the world, or in your life, needs you to go after it? What pulls you?

If you’re up for it, I encourage you to consider two tennis balls:

• One in your vocation—to pursue your highest calling of what God has called you to do on this earth.
• One in your spiritual life—to pursue your highest calling of who God has made you to be.

Drew Houston could also have quoted the Apostle Paul. Since he didn’t, I will. Paul, who was at the top of his game as a young man, threw away his success, prestige, and power for the greater pursuit of knowing Jesus. He writes in Philippians 3:8 (NIV),

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”

Indeed Paul accomplished just that. He gained Christ. And as he writes this letter to the Philippian Church, he is late in his life. By this time he has started churches and Christian movements all over the Roman Empire. He has become arguably the greatest human tool God would ever use.

But still he says,

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12–14 NIV)

That was Paul’s tennis ball.

What is yours?

Downsize Me

 

 

By: John UpChurch , crosswalk.com

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.– Matthew 5:3, ESV

You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. – Matthew 5:3, MSG

Let’s try to regain the shock value in the way Jesus opened His Sermon on the Mount. We’re too familiar with the statements and too far removed from the time to hear it like the original listeners. Imagine going to a fast food restaurant, ordering an enormous value meal, and the cashier hitting you with this question: “Would you like to down-size your meal for a dollar less?” Or imagine a car salesperson pausing before you sign the papers and saying, “You know what? That extended warranty is overpriced. Let’s get rid of it.”

Now you have an idea how much impact Jesus had and why the audience was so astounded. Just like we expect people to push us to buy more, the Jews at the time expected their rabbis to tell them the things they needed to do, the rules they needed to abide by. They came expecting to learn the ten steps required to earn God’s favor, but Jesus crumpled up that idea and threw it out. Instead, He revealed that God’s favor and blessings come to those who are poor in spirit.

There’s more to it, however, than simply feeling beaten down or contrite. The poor in spirit—the ones at the end of their ropes—are those who realize they’ve gone as far as human effort can get them. In terms of salvation, that’s not very far. Here’s how John Gill puts it:

The greater part of mankind are insensible of this their condition; but think themselves rich, and increased with goods: there are some who are sensible of it, who see their poverty and want, freely acknowledge it, bewail it, and mourn over it; are humbled for it, and are broken under a sense of it; entertain low and mean thoughts of themselves; seek after the true riches, both of grace and glory; and frankly acknowledge, that all they have, or hope to have, is owing to the free grace of God. (John Gill, commentary on Matthew 5:3)

The poor in spirit don’t just feel bad; they feel bad because they realize how destitute their condition. When we truly understand that “karma points” and charitable acts amount to nothing more than drops of food coloring in the ocean, then we’ve gotten the point: We can’t even approach the kingdom of God, let alone enter it, through our own efforts.

But those who look down and see the filth (and pre-salvation, our spiritual appearance is just that) are those who realize the need for God. And with that realization comes the increase of God in our lives and the decrease of self.

The Faithful Gardener

 

 Katy Kauffman , cbn.com

“This is never going to end.” As I scraped the dirt, I stopped to look at all of the grass roots sticking out of the ground. “How did they get there?” I thought.

In our new azalea and hydrangea garden, grass had crept back, finding tiny holes among the chips of cedar mulch to bury its roots. This particular area of the garden had so many stubborn grass roots that I panted and had to take a break from pulling them out. My garden hoe helped to expose the roots, but I had to pull each root out by hand.

Yet I was determined. I didn’t want the grass roots choking the roots of my baby hydrangea.

“Father, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

The scenario hit me full force. How many times have I let a bad attitude or wrong way of thinking take root in my heart and mind? All it needed was a little room to grow, and it created stubborn roots, difficult to pull out.

My prayer for forgiveness turned into gratitude. “Thank You, Father, for being so patient with me.” God is so loving and faithful to work in the lives of His children, tending the garden of our hearts and minds.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)

He’ll complete that good work. He won’t stop. No matter how deep the roots go of a harmful way of thinking, feeling, or acting. If we have turned to fear instead of faith, God knows how to rescue us from it. If our default reaction to difficult people or circumstances is intense anger, He knows how to root that out. If the same old habit tries to creep back into our lives and choke out strength and joy, He knows how to guard us if we turn to Him for help.

God’s goal for us is to become more and more like Jesus, to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29 NKJV). Righteousness is Jesus’ way of thinking, feeling, and acting. The roots of righteousness are tenacious fibers made out of love, strength, and victory. They are composed of perseverance and faithfulness. And they produce an eternal impact for God’s kingdom.

So God uproots fear and worry and plants seeds of faith in our hearts instead. He uncovers the twisted roots of anger and replaces it with understanding, patience, and His perspective. He shakes loose the creeping tendrils of a me-centered focus and instills within us an eternal focus—on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2 NKJV).

God builds within us a garden of beauty and strength, of joy and peace. He makes it appealing so that those around us can see the difference that He makes in our lives and they want to know Him too. To know Him as the One who rescues their own hearts and minds.

If a particular struggle is choking out Jesus’ righteousness in your mind and heart, appeal to the faithful Gardener for help. I’ve cried out to Him so many times to uproot something harmful. His faithful heart moves Him to always work within us, but He needs our cooperation. Life with God is a partnership, and becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong process that produces beautiful results.

How is the faithful Gardener working in your life today? May we always cooperate with His liberating work.

When Never Becomes Now

 

 

Sandra Hastings , cbn.com

The young man was enthusiastic, energetic, and highly motivated. He was determined to stand true to his leader regardless of the cost. Confident in his own ability, he boasted, “Even if all the others desert you, I will never!”

Yet, only a few hours later, this young man hung his head in shame when he heard a cock crow. He had not only deserted his leader, but he had denied three times that he even knew him. What Peter thought would never happen became reality.

We raised our two daughters to love the Lord and I was sure if they married young, active, Christian men, they would surely live happily ever after. My children would never experience divorce. However, as time went on, their marriages encountered major problems and both my daughters went through the heartbreaking devastation of a divorce. My emotions recoiled in protest. What I had believed would never happen, became reality.

How many of us have said a particular situation or event would never happen to us or to those we love: addiction to alcohol, pornography or drugs, sexual abuse, divorce, an incurable disease, criminal behavior, missing in action or an affair? The list is long of those things which we hope will not and somehow refuse to accept could happen to us personally or to members of our family, and yet, they happen.

I realize many factors contribute to the above scenarios, but I do want to draw our attention to one in particular. We are involved in a serious, spiritual war. This is not a fantasy or the imagination of fanatics. It is reality.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV)

Our enemy Satan with his angels, though created beings, are more cunning and powerful than we are and have one plan in mind — destruction. Satan is out to destroy testimonies, marriages, families, churches, and lives. To accomplish his plan, he cunningly lays traps, waits for the perfect opportunity and preys on our weaknesses and blind spots.

It is easy for us to become busy and preoccupied with life — to become confident in ourselves. However, when this happens, we let down our guard, and our enemy has an open door to attack. As a result, life can take an unexpected turn and we experience like Peter, “never” becoming reality. In our selves, we are no match for our enemy.

The good news is we don’t have to rely on ourselves. We have Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to help us (James 4:6-8). Our Lord provides the spiritual armor we need and gives us the weapon that can defeat anything our enemy throws our way. This weapon is the Word of God and we need to have it in our hearts and minds, sharp and ready for action (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Although our enemy is ruthless, we do not need to be afraid. It is needful for us to take the battle seriously, never to forget we have an enemy and learn to daily put on our spiritual armor. As the rapture draws closer, our enemy grows stronger. May we heed Peter’s warning to us:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith …” (1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV)

May we claim the victory that is ours.

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37 KJV)

Grow Christian, Grow!

 

 

Kay Camenisch , cbn.com

When we were in seminary, I often visited with a friend as our children played together. On several occasions, she shared about difficult things going on in her life. Each time she would say, “I can see God sitting up in heaven and saying,”‘Grow Christian, Grow.” [She’d drop her voice to imitate a low male voice.]

I’ve thought of my friend often in the last few weeks as I picture God up in Heaven, smiling down on me, saying, “I love you, child, but it’s time to (with low voice) Grow Christian, Grow.” The picture helps me to remember that hard times are good. God has a purpose in all things, and even though the days are sometimes long or difficult, this will ultimately be for my good and hopefully good for His Kingdom. Remembering those things helps me to press on.

My current class requiring growth began in early December with two encounters with God’s Word. First, Ephesians 5:20 convicted me that I need to give thanks to God always for all things. I had become aware of discontentment and murmuring, and the verse reminded me to work on being consistently grateful to God, trying to see life from His perspective, and trying to focus on Him, not on circumstances.

Within a week, while still in the process of learning to be grateful, another verse hit hard. Colossians 3:23 reminded me to do my work heartily, as for the Lord, not for me. While the confrontation was stronger, there was a bit of an “aha!” because it was an answer to prayer. It provided the key to bring peace where I had been struggling but hadn’t been able to figure out what my problem was.

I was grateful for God’s goodness and patience to mold and make me, even in areas where He’s spoken clearly in the past. It amazes me that He never gives up. However, the lesson didn’t end there. This class has a lab attached.

The day before Christmas, my mother-in-law became bed-ridden, and much of her care is my responsibility. Those verses were not just words of correction. They were words of preparation and guidelines for the days and weeks ahead. In all things, I need to be grateful and do my work as unto Him.

God has graciously provided help and strength for each day, but I’ve learned a secret. When my heart is right, His grace is sufficient. However, if I’m judging, not grateful, or not doing my work as unto the Lord, I don’t feel His grace. If I want to experience His grace, it’s time for me to “Grow Christian, Grow.” Some days it seems that I may some day learn the lessons at hand. On others, it’s a good thing I have a loving husband who takes up the slack when I fail.

God continues to guide my education. At church, we are studying Galatians. This morning, I looked back over chapter 5, before reading chapter 6. God highlighted the following as I read (from NASB). The verses speak for themselves, detailing my assignments.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control … If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22-23, 25)

“Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10)

“See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.” (Galatians 6:11)

I know Paul was speaking of writing with his own hand to the Galatians. However, they could just as well be God’s words written in large letters just to me. Some moments in my present circumstance may seem difficult, but God is gently reminding me to keep my eyes on Him, my trust in Him, and to embrace Him in the process because it’s time to “Grow Christian, Grow.”

What’s There to Gain from Loss?

 

by Laura MacCorkle,  crosswalk.com

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” – Job 1:20-21, NIV

In the next-to-last chapter of Dr. David Clarke’s The 6 Steps to Emotional Freedom: Breaking Through to the Life God Wants You to Live, a few sentences stand out in regard to our personal response to loss:

“You’re stuck if you have not genuinely changed as a person, in your relationships with others, and in your relationship with God. The whole point of loss is change.  Each loss ought to move you ahead in these three areas… God wants you to experience positive change, and one of His main methods to promote change is loss.”

Whoa. When’s the last time any of us has looked at a loss in our lives as something good? As something meant for positive change? As something from which we can gain?

It’s so much easier to become bitter, to stay depressed, to go into denial or to lash out in anger at those closest to us.

When I think back about all the loss I’ve experienced in my lifetime, I don’t know if I can see resulting positive changes every time. Divorce, death, job lay-off, broken relationships, a church split… these are some of the losses that have impacted my life so far. Yes, some have grown me and strengthened my spiritual life.  But others are still a painful work in progress.

In the Bible, Job has got to be the No. 1 poster child for loss. He had it all: great wealth, good health and multiple children. And then one by one, God allowed it all to be taken away.

There was great suffering. Job agonized and felt alone. He cursed the day of his birth. I can imagine him thinking, Please, God, I am so tired of hurting. I have nothing left. Why are you allowing this to happen to me? I don’t know how much longer I can be ‘strong,’ hold it together and act like everything is fine.

But despite losing nearly everything, Job never curses God (although he is honest about his feelings). He honors His Creator and is faithful. Job sees that God’s way is the right way. He repents. And then God blesses him, giving him TWICE what he had before.

God doesn’t explain to Job why he allowed the suffering. And Job is okay with that. In fact, he goes on to live another 140 years: “He saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years” (Job 42:16-17).

We see that Job’s loss didn’t cripple him. He didn’t shrivel up his spirit and choose the bitter route for the rest of his days. No, what happened to Job only strengthened his relationship with God and matured his spiritual understanding. And that is the ultimate gain.

Like Job, we are to be faithful to God even when we endure loss in our lives.

Ambition

 

by Shawn McEvoy, crosswalk.com

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands.
1 Thessalonians 4:11

Quaint, right?

Be honest; read today’s verse and then try telling your children that such is all they should aspire to; that, essentially, unheralded blue-collar work should be their ambition. Aim high? Sounds more like settling for anonymity.

What could Paul be getting at? Sure there are times we all grow tired of the rat race and perhaps dream about a scenario where we forsake the city and a high-pressure job for a more pastoral setting, crafting furniture and knick-knacks, living in harmony. Is that what this verse is getting at?

Let’s look deeper.

The Greek word philotim means to labor, endeavor, strive, study to become. It is used in three places in the New Testament. The first is quoted above, regarding ambition, which sounds not much like what we typically imagine when we think of things to be ambitious about.

Another place the word appears is Romans 15:20, where Paul writes, “And thus I aspired to preach the gospel…”

In 2 Corinthians 5:9 we read, “We have as our ambition… to be pleasing to Him.”

Contrast these goals with the first definition under “ambition” on Dictionary.com:

1. an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment.

I thought so. The more I study, the more I philotim to know God, the more I understand how different the Word and the world really are. Perhaps folks who live in other parts of the globe are less shocked to learn such lessons. For me, born, raised, working, and raising children in these United States, the lesson is always one of dichotomy, paradox, and sadly wondering if I’m handicapped beyond repair from truly following.

One of my bosses is fond of saying that in business, it’s crucial to determine early on whether a person you are dealing with is a “make me rich” or a “make me famous” person. Everyone, the story goes, is either one or the other at heart. And truly, according to the world’s definition of ambition, that makes sense. We all have something we want that drives us.

Lately I’ve been wondering a lot at where this has gotten me. Everything I have done, accomplished, purposed, learned, studied (i.e. “philotim-ed”) in life has led to… what, exactly? What goal? When I pray that the Lord would make my life useful and provide for me and let me know His will and keep me safe it’s all so… what? So I can watch my TV programs every night without acid in my stomach and with an easy feeling in my chest? As opposed to having to really live by faith?

Today I read this quote by the English poet Samuel Johnson: “To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition.” Instantly my face fell. I knew that feeling all too well. All my aspirations only lead to the place of comfort, happiness, the path of least resistance. What’s wrong with that? It quickly becomes a place that feels too far from God, too self-centered, too out of the loop, too far removed to be making a real difference.

So what then is the ambition of the Christ-follower?

• Lead a quiet life
• Attend to your own business
• Work with your hands
• Preach the gospel
• Be pleasing to Him

In other words, don’t stress yourself with fame, or getting and spending, always climbing, making more more more. Don’t bother with being a busy-body or a gossip. Be creative; let God work through you. Tell others about Him. And live by faith.

It’s so simple, almost too simple. Ambition isn’t something far out there, some unabashed worldly success beyond our dreams, though that’s where God may take us. It all goes back to the very reason God made man in the first place – to have someone to know Him.

And there’s just not anything quaint about that.