Archive for the ‘Inspirational’ Category

Be Still and Let Go…Really?

Posted: August 8, 2015 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , ,
0

Be-StillIf you have small kids, you know how difficult it is to simply sit down and relax…If you have teenagers…well, that’s an entirely different post altogether…but nevertheless, taking our collective minds off of ALL of the many things we need to DO each day for both works, our children or home can and is overwhelming at times. But yet we as men must try because if we don’t, the people we care about the most probably won’t like us very much. Why? Because men tend to wear what they feel.

So you might be thinking, am I really going to write a post about relaxing? Not really…but what I wanted to remind you is that by taking the time to be truly quiet at some point in your day you can be blessed with different, indescribable peace…one from God that will surpass all our human understanding and honestly, that is the place this post is about…

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:17

If you are like me, then you probably find yourself moving at a fast pace from one event to another with various priorities required of you. If there is a purpose to busyness, I haven’t quite figured out what that might be although I have learned that the busier I am, the less time I have to be quiet. When that happens, honestly it’s extremely hard to listen…to anyone frankly, let alone God.

What I still don’t completely grasp is why God uses a “still, small voice” when He speaks to us? Why can’t he use Hollywood special effects to get our attention? In my mind that would be far easier…but yet if you really sit down and think about it, when we are quiet is when we are better connected to receive what God has for us…

Riddle me this for a moment…does it make sense that Satan might intentionally keep us slammed with busy stuff and mayhem in order for us NOT to take the time to be still so we might hear God? Kinda makes sense right? On any given day, When we are so full of the day’s details and information that we must remember while at the same time late for an appointment, how can God get through to us besides hitting us over the head?

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10

Go with me for a second…describing this with words is somewhat difficult but I’ll try…if you really think about God being God…Almighty…All powerful, knowing everything, seeing everything, as a believer, there is a HUGE security and peace that comes from that knowledge. All I have to do is be still and know that He has everything in my world under control. Just like the picture shows, “Be still, I’ve got this”.

Now I understand these are just my words and some of you might say, just my “feelings” etc. with no facts to substantiate am I right? and I can understand why you would think that way because from the outside looking in, it probably does look more like only words and not actions.

But let’s look at this issue in another way, if we change the words “be still” to “let go”, does that impact you any more or any less? For some of us, we may be holding onto something or someone who is standing in the way of what God has for us. Only you know what or who that might be in your life. The question is, what are you going to do about it? God has this pipeline of peace intended just for you but you must plug into Him to gain any of it…and that is the purpose of this post…

Be still, or Let go…that is what He is asking of you, and if you will, you will see that He is God and begin to experience some of the incredible blessings He has for you and only you.

That is the challenge for you today is to remember these words from Him…

Be still…I’ve got this.

Until next time guys

Our God likes REALLY bad Odds

Posted: July 4, 2015 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , ,
0

bad_odds_for_youth_gamblers

I really enjoy reading the Old Testament because I like to see the hand of God everywhere throughout the various difficulties and challenges that each Israelite generation faced. What a life these Bible characters lived; between the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Hittites, the Midianites, the Jebusites, the Amorites and all the other “ites” working to destroy them through one means or another…One thing is clear, if the Israelites did not seek God for protection, they surely would not have survived. These armies they faced were immense and the men themselves were huge with some of them being Giants as we shall see.

Time and time again we see examples in scripture of a no possible way for victory and yet Israel survived through divine intervention Do you remember the story of Gideon in Judges 7 where God tells him that he has too many men to fight the Midianites? When was the last time anyone heard that before a battle? “You have more men than is necessary to accomplish this task”…so then after he pairs down his army to a “are you kidding me” number of 300 men, he goes out and wins a huge battle with trumpets… In our eyes, the Midianites should have destroyed this small band of men. But as was in most of the cases with Israel, the worse the odds seemed for any victory, the better God liked the scenario…because when Israel was ultimately victorious it was absolutely clear to ALL opponents, the God of Israel was truly ALL POWERFUL.

Now, we have another example in Dueteronomy with Joshua, Israel’s great General, where if you were a betting person, this battle was the ultimate long shot. In fact, the odds were so bad against Israel in Deuteronomy 3:22, God had to remind Joshua to move forward in faith and He, God…would fight the battle for them. You see from Joshua’s point of view, just counting soldiers, they would have been destroyed. But God had the situation right where He wanted it. He told Joshua:

Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.

Can you think about that for a moment…”God himself will fight for you”.

Could you use some help right now with someone fighting your battles for you? Here is something I want you to think about when you are facing a difficult situation; have you considered that God may want the situation you are facing to seem overwhelming, insurmountable and frankly impossible?

Why…because God wants you to be fully dependent upon Him in all of your life circumstances and especially the difficulties because he wants there to be no doubt in your mind that you achieved victory because of Him. God prefers situations and circumstances that have no apparent (human) solution…at least to you and me…but just like in Deuteronomy 3 where the children of Israel had to face Og (who was a real guy, a predecessor to the famous Goliath of Gath…Og King of Bashan who according the Bible, was even bigger than Goliath read Deuteronomy 3:11) they moved forward in faith on the battlefield and was victorious…not on their own power, but with God right their beside them fighting…you must move forward in your own faith and take the first step. I don’t care what the odds are for victory, I only know what Paul tells us in Romans 8:31:

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Honestly guys, those are odds I can live with…

Until next time Guys…

Flawless

Posted: May 23, 2015 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

the-cross-made-you-flawless1

Have you ever been inspired by something? Maybe a great speech, or a seminar you attended, or even a song that really hit you in your core? Maybe whatever it was actually got you to think that something in your life might actually change for the better? Because sometimes lets face it, we need that hope don’t we?

I found myself unexpectedly inspired by a song recently that I want to share with you the main idea in this post because I think it matters to all us as we continue to navigate our lives. You see, some of us find ourselves going back and forth from trying to be good person and then failing miserably. As a result, when we try to get back to God, we feel like we are on the edge of a cliff and we cant get back…we have gone to far and we are going to fall over…which brings me to point of my post and the point of the song…

No matter what path you have been on or may still be on…

 

No matter what has happened in your past that you are ashamed of…

 

No matter if you have experienced failure, disappointment, unhappiness or you just cant overcome what is keeping you down…

I want to point out one thing to you that you may have forgotten along your way.

God has and amazing grace, just for you, and as a result of what Christ did…

THE CROSS HAS MADE YOU FLAWLESS…

Here is what is important to remember; the reality of this part is that we come to God looking kind of filthy because we live down here is this world full of sin (I cant imagine what that actually looks like from God’s perspective). Without the cross, I don’t think God could recognize some of us because we are so covered in the stuff. But that isn’t the end of this story because all of us have grace, which means we (YOU) can approach Him and through the cross, He can see you are Flawless.

I don’t care what you have done…that’s between you and Him but I do know that because of His grace extended…and His righteousness wrapped around you…

You, YES YOU, are Flawless…

Guys, I get this is a very simple message but I also know we can all lose our way and forget even the simple things God has given to us. I believe there is no such thing as hopelessness to someone who recognizes what has been done for him on the cross…why? Because being right with God and being flawless before Him…there is truly no greater place any person can be and that my friend is the greatest hope anyone could ever experience.

Until next time guys…

Enjoy, Flawless, by MercyMe

The Fool says in his Heart…

Posted: May 10, 2015 in Inspirational
0

heaven1

The fool says in his heart, there is no God.          Psalms 14:1, Psalms 53:1

Yes. It is true. This particular verse is in the Bible twice and I have to wonder why that is?

The “fool” is mentioned many times in Gods word but he is classified as a fool based upon two things:

  1. He rejects Gods word and His revelation
  2. He does not seek God in prayer or request His presence in any way.

These are the simple realizations of how the Bible classifies a fool…none of which surprises any of us.

David told us in Psalms 16:2:

That apart from you, I have no good thing.

According to the Bible, the person who is a fool is the one willing to walk this journey of life completely on their own and they are comfortable with the fact that they have only themselves to rely upon. David on the other hand, can’t imagine one single moment of life without God. He told us that without God in his life, he had nothing. Solomon also told us that the pursuit of “stuff” in this life is 100% meaningless when carried out apart from the will of God.

So the question is, which direction should we choose? What choice to YOU makes the most sense? Should we pursue our life solely on our own with no help and no guidance and just be willing to take our chances with whatever comes next?

Or, do we believe David, who said that guy described above is a fool because he doesn’t believe in the existence of God?

Guys, I heard this awhile back and maybe it’s relevant for this post:

I would rather live my life believing there is a God and die to find out there isn’t one, than to live my life NOT believing and then die to find out there is…

I have no idea where any of you sit with this question that I am raising today and I can only give you my side of the fence as my example but I would simply ask you wouldn’t you want to at least anchor yourself onto something that will last? I know answering that questions requires belief but there has to be more to this life than just this…don’t you think?

You see I believe in a basic fundamental about this life. Simply put…the existence of a single God…the Creator. Why? Because I believe you were created for a higher purpose. But yet at the same time, if you refuse that basic fact about the existence of God, then I can only conclude that is the reason why David wrote what he wrote…

The fool says in his heart there is no God…

In this world YOU get to choose…I pray that you choose wisely. I also pray that you choose with your eternal future in mind…

Jesus said, Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Matthew 12:30

Until next time guys.

Who made your Plans?

Posted: May 2, 2015 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

have-you-made-a-plan-for-your-life

Guys, if you can, please take just a few minutes and read this story in the book of Acts. This is about the beginning of Christianity and how once Christ had ascended into heaven, how ugly the Apostles were treated by the Pharisees.

Acts 5: 17-41

The Apostles had angered the high priest because they kept preaching in the name of Jesus and he was looking for a way to kill them. During this angry meeting of the Pharisees, another Pharisee leader stood up whose name was Gamaliel (the same man who Paul studied under), and gave the council some very wise words which are summarized in the verses below:

Acts 5:38-39

…So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!

As a Christian man, I encounter obstacles everyday just like you do. Unplanned problems rise up in front of me and seem to work just to thwart my plans every time I turn around. Does this ever happen to you? Your plans get squashed in front o your eyes? What I found was a huge encouragement when I read these verses again is what I want to share with you today…the very simple realization of:

If your plans are just YOUR PLANS, they will fail…

But if they are of God, NOTHING can stand in your way.

Guys, go with me for just a moment here. How many times have you made great plans for a project or a vacation or for that matter, your entire life? You may be busy organizing your finances or changing directions because of information YOU have that matters or refinancing or getting a line of credit or…I can go on and on.

You are probably planning right now am I right?

Guys, Please hear my words right now…planning is NOT a bad thing…in fact, it is a very good thing to plan and look forward to the future…what I am suggesting to you today is to make your plans WITH GOD INVOLVED. Look to Him for the guidance to those plans, because as was said above in Acts, if your plans are with God, He will be your guide and get you there in once piece.

Now there is one caveat to this conversation which is your understanding that God has plans for you too and if you get Him involved, He will want to guide you towards His higher plan for your life which trust me, is the direction you want to go…

Do His plans and your plans always coincide? Honestly, no they don’t; But I have found that when I am in the middle of Gods plan for my own life, I ALWAYS come out in far better circumstances and a much stronger person than I was before.

So consider what I am telling you today because God is very clear when He tells us this from Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Those words are for you and me…

Until next time guys…

A Response to Sum Guy in India

Posted: February 7, 2015 in Inspirational
0

Businessman-looking-for-god

One of the greatest experiences I have had with this blog is the opportunity to receive comments, both good and bad, from the readers. I find for the most part, people are struggling with many of the same questions that I have and share their thoughts on this blog. Most recently, I wrote a blog about the Tower of Babel where I shared that God ultimately saved Mankind during the building of the Tower instead of destroying the builders by confusing their languages. When God looked at their intent, which was solely to “make a name for themselves” rather that wipe them out…he confused their languages and because they no longer could properly communicate, they gave up on the tower project and moved on.

As a result of this blog, I received a comment that I wanted to share with all of you from a very articulate man in India whose reasoning I find excellent as he poses a great question for me, “Why didn’t God just allow them to fail?”

To truly help this conversation resonate with you, you may need to go back and read the previous blog in order to understand his comments back to me. Below, is Sum Guy in India, (as he calls himself) response to this post.

 

I wanted to chime in and say: why would a God confuse man with the languages? Surely after allowing man to sink to such lows as are observed pre-Noah, it becomes clear that God is willing to allow significant tribulations to befall mankind as a whole. Without intervention.

Would allowing man to fail not make more sense? If a group of men attempt a great deed, their leader befalls a tragedy, and they fail, the question becomes “Did they fail from the tragedy or from their own hubris; was the deed possible or did they just suffer from bad luck?” A tower to heaven is impossible, we know this now. But it strikes me as odd that an omnipotent God would deny such a learning experience to his people in one year (XXXX BC), then allow his people to travel far beyond a tower, to the moon and planets beyond in another (1969). To read the transcripts of the astronauts and cosmonauts it is clear, they believed they were prodding god. Is this not the same hubris?

Despite my own beliefs, reading this article caused me to look at this tale in a purely analytical light. Unfortunately, it sounds more like one of the Roman’s or Aesop’s fables than a grand truth.

Yours in Pondering,
Sum Guy
In India

 

Dear Sum Guy-

First of all, thank you for reaching out to me with your response. One of the best parts of this blog are the articulate questions raised that truly cause me to think. Honestly, I appreciate your perspective greatly and frankly, I don’t disagree with you. There are many stories within the Old Testament that are not without great questions as to why God did what He did.

As examples, Genesis 6:5-8, Exodus 32:9-14 and Numbers 14 illustrate…Not only do I not understand why God did or reacted in a certain way, in these circumstances, He seemed to allow mankind to influence Him to change His mind? However, as an old preacher once told me, “Gods sovereign decision to allow this to happen doesn’t mean he is inconsistent or changeable, but that a different aspect of His character gets expressed by whatever decision He makes”.

We as humans can only approach anything in this life through our own eyes and with our own perspective because that is all we have. We can study books that man has written or we can observe nature but we can only learn and perceive as much as we know through our human minds. What I have found to be true us that the God of Creation…is NOT me. Even though I am created in His image, I clearly do not think or react like He does. In fact, He points this very fact out in scripture:

 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9

These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes.    Psalms 50:21

Should God have allowed men to fail in that specific instance while building the Tower of Babel? Only God knows what was in their hearts at the time and we only know what the Bible tells us; these people wanted to make a name for themselves (Gen. 11:4) and God wanted them to seek and trust Him. I think based upon what we know about God through what He has revealed to us about Himself, that He saved them from themselves by confusing their languages…

I am like everyone else on this earth when it comes to understanding the “why God does what He does” and sometimes how confusing that is for everyone. But if you believe what God says about himself in scripture; that He sent His only Son to die and save us in order for us to be with Him always then to me it comes down to one thing;

Can I live this life with faith and can I trust Him enough to believe that He will save me even though I have questions?

As a Christian, even though I ponder, I still come back to faith…

Thank you for sharing Sum Guy

 

And for the rest of you…until next time Guys…

 

You must Resist…

Posted: January 3, 2015 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
1

1_peter_5.8-9_nkjv_wallpaper

I wanted to start this New Year off by going on the offensive against our common enemy…Satan. All of us are preparing on this last weekend of the holiday to head back to our regular routines…whatever that means for you, however before you take that first step this coming Monday in January, I wanted to remind you guys of the power that exists within you as believers in Christ and that when faced with life’s difficulties, we can wield this power and achieve results. I have used the verse below before in this blog but from my vantage point, it never gets old and frankly continually cuts when it needs to. So as you begin your New Year for both you and your family, I remind you to always remember to resist the evil one…

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:8-11 NASB

This is one of those very powerful “get your attention” verses in the Bible put there to remind all of us that we are not at a country club in this life. It is an unseen war for your soul and Satan is the General in charge who is looking to beat you at all costs and he does not care who gets in his way because the more destruction he can release on you and everyone you care about…the better. Bodies in his wake are a victory for him.

Guys, I would like to point out the obvious for you…simply by using the word “resist” in the verse above God is telling us that we have the power to resist. Life is not a game of Russian roulette where we know eventually someone is going to get it and we just hope the bullet is NOT in the chamber when its our turn. Just because Satan is out there prowling around looking for you doesn’t mean he will win. My point is that your life is NOT already LOST. It is NOT inevitable that Satan is going to gain victory. In Christ, you have the power to tell Satan to “take a walk, I am NOT interested in what you are peddling today.”

Were you even aware that you could resist him?

I will tell you something else, when you wield the power that His word tells us we have because of Christ, did you know then that Satan is no longer a lion but rather more like a kitten? He can’t devour you, or affect you, or beat you, when you resist him in strong faith. When you deny him access to your personal vulnerabilities by telling him to take a hike, Satan is powerless.

What I don’t want you to hear me say however is not to be aware or be on the alert. Satan still knows your weakest areas where you are most likely to be vulnerable and those are the specific spots he will target in your life. He is not dumb. He knows where to stick the temptation and when and to NOT be prepared for that to happen is your fault not Gods.

Here is my bottom line…

You must RESIST and because of Christ…you have the power to…

Happy New Year…

 

Until next time guys…

 

God Incomprensible

Posted: December 14, 2014 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Incomprehensible

Have you ever stopped to consider the sheer massiveness of God? And I just don’t mean His size. I mean in every way humanly possible. I say humanly because simply by that fact we are bound in what we can think and know about God.

Recently, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about God, our Creator, and the undeniable fact of His incomprehensibility. Simply put, he cannot be explained in a manner that befits Him. Human speech is far too limited for this exercise and I find myself searching for more answers. Moreover, all of this reading only makes me realize how truly BIG God is and how much I DON’T KNOW and honestly, that just makes things more difficult.

How do we think about God with our limited ability to even comprehend Him?

To clarify perspective even more, A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” …about US. Which means if we were able to extract a complete answer to that question, we might be able to predict the spiritual future of that man.

But realistically guys, who really thinks about this besides really smart theologians? Have you ever taken the time to think about God at anytime or anywhere in your life? My guess is probably not. But don’t feel bad because in reality, most guys don’t because we don’t understand this subject well enough for it to even matter to us. The purpose of my post today is simply to explain why you should care and better yet, why you should seek God on your own to learn more about Him. Let me assure you guys up front, your personal search for Him will not go unrewarded.

We are told throughout the Bible that mankind has been created in the image of God and that makes us unique amongst all of His creation. The fact that we can think and speak makes us different. In other words, you and I can look at each another and what we see around us and as a result, can derive certain things about the image of God and who He is.

The problem as I see it is that mankind starts with such a poor idea of God the Creator that it denigrates the dignity of who He is. When you grow up with a limited understanding of God and who He is and the only information about God is what we learn on TV or maybe in a University then to me it’s very clear why 80% of today’s millennials say they are not Christians or “God-fearing” believers.

For those of you who may think otherwise, God is not hiding from us. He is not an illusive God who thinks mankind is His game and sometimes He is around and other times He is not. When we think like that, we put God in a box and I think we do this because that way, He can be more easily understandable to us.

In other words, we try to fit God into our minds but the problem is…He doesn’t fit…because our God is truly…God incomprehensible.

But before I go to far with all of this “incomprehensible” stuff and lose you, let me simply say that God’s plan for us to better understand Him came in the form of His son Christ Jesus. Without Him, the gap between mankind and God could not have been breached.

For those of you who have an inner core desire to seek God and desperately search after Him…there is a reason for that longing. Tozer said,

“The yearning to know what cannot be known, to comprehend the Incomprehensible, to touch and taste the Unapproachable, arises from the image of God in the nature of man. Deep calls unto deep and the soul senses its origin and longs to return to its source.”

Guys, simply put…inside you there exists something that longs God. As a believer, something is inside of us that desires Him and by seeking God with all you have, you are following His desire for you. He wants you to return to Him and the beauty of all of this is He gave you Christ to make it so easy. Christ said this in Matthew:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7

My point is simply all YOU have to do is ask…

I started this blog by telling you about the incomprehensibility of the God we serve and how can we even begin to think about something so massive? I am ending it by telling you to remember what He gave us to help us do that…

He gave us Christ and that my friends, is all we need to remember…

Have a blessed Holiday Season my brothers.

Merry Christmas from IronMan Strength,

I leave you with this video from Pentatonix…

Until next time guys…

Why can’t Life be easy?…revisited

Posted: November 30, 2014 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

why-cant-life-be-easy-162464

Four years ago, I wrote a blog post simply called Why cant life be easy? Because it kind of fit where I was at that point. Well today, 4 years later, I have reached into the archives because it seems to fit yet again for me. Sometimes none of us can understand the ebb and flow of life’s changes both personally or collectively as a family and how they affect us. Waves roll in and out with some being just annoyances while others knock us off our feet completely. This post is just to serve as a beacon along your journey to NOT give up. Stay the course and stay strong for the people who love you. I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of Why can’t life be easy…

 

Have you ever wondered why God allows or even requires the Christian journey to be filled with pain, problems, unhappiness and sometimes misery? Because I have… Why does God put so much emphasis on perseverance, or striving for the prize and winning the race like it says in Philippians?

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Why cant the Christian walk be more like a Sprint instead of a Marathon?

I believe that all the lessons and experiences we learn through life; the “Iron Sharpening Iron” moments like we read in Proverbs 27:17; the falling down and getting back up opportunities, but most importantly and through the adversity, is our ability to keep our eyes focused on Him in spite of whatever is set against us…

Because the reason why the Christian walk is a marathon and NOT a sprint is because God intended life to be truly ALL about the journey.

God watches how WE handle the problems we face in this world…are we the kind of guy who gives up and just walks away? Or do we get back up on our feet and keep forging ahead?

Guys, listen to me here because I truly believe that the ones that can pick themselves up from the problem and still keep their eyes on Him…They are the ones that I firmly believe God has chosen to surround Himself in eternity.

 

Life is hard…there I said it…but don’t just give up and let it overwhelm you! Fight back…

 

One of my favorite warriors of the Bible was David who wrestled with these very same questions. Look at what he says to God in Psalms:

Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalms 10:1

The reality is that David, one of the greatest men in the Bible, struggled just like us. He wrestled with pain and suffering and he cried out to God continuously…and do you know what?

God did NOT forsake him.

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, Lord, for you have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalms 9:9-10

Guys, this post is titled, Why can life be easy because many times we cant help but ask that question. I encourage you today, as we move into the holiday season to remember that God hasn’t left you during these times of difficulty but rather He is right there next to you lifting you up. Just hang on and trust because someday here is what we, the ones who have persevered, have to look forward to:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21: 3-5

Guys, enjoy the journey that you are on and keep the faith because ultimately you will overcome.

 

Until next time Guys…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perseverance

Posted: September 5, 2014 in Inspirational
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

perseverence

I was walking through our plant the other day and noticed an employee really struggling with a machine he was trying to operate. This guy was working hard, sweating and really under some pressure but what I found strange was his boss was nowhere to be found? As I surveyed the area closely, my eye came across his supervisor far off in a corner…almost hidden. When I went to see what he was doing, he told me he had his eye on this guy from a distance and he wanted to see how this young man would handle this equipment problem on his own. I turned around and looked back at the employee again with his head underneath the machine trying desperately to get the thing to run right and then I looked back at the supervisor…Clearly he noticed the look on my face and he said, “this is the kind of problem that can produce perseverance in someone”. I said, “perseverance?” where did that come from?” He said, “I have been doing this a long time…In my younger days, I would run right over right and help the newbies every time they needed help…but I learned over time, this method really didn’t help them…What they needed was to persevere through the problem until they figured out the solution on their own, then they became the kind of operator I wanted working for me”. I said, “Very impressive…and I agree with you”. But of course, that got me thinking about his lesson to this young man. So I went to the dictionary and I found the word; perseverance:

Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.

Wow…I know the word and I use the word all the time but when I saw what it meant, I was kind of shocked. Perseverance was the word that was meant for our Iron Sharpens Iron blog audience…this is the foundation we are built upon because perseverance is exactly what God wants Christian men to have…a little fortitude…a little toughness and a whole lot of perseverance.

Even more important, God has something to say on this subject and I found the scripture to back this up for us:

Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

So now it makes perfect sense right? Do you remember that poor guy at the beginning of my post that was struggling mightily to get that piece of equipment to run? Well ultimately… he was successful and that success has made him a better employee…all because of the simple test his boss put him through…but I will point out one key point here…

HE DID NOT GIVE UP…He kept at it, even though it was hard…

And that is why God tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. He already knew before you were made all of the various predicaments you were going to find yourself in that ultimately would be opportunities to show that you can “get up off of the mat” when you are knocked down. So don’t just lay there…get up!

If you are a Christian, you will be tested. If you are tested, then hang in there because you just read a few lines ago that this same testing and adversity will produce a character quality that is huge for you…perseverance…

Because when you finally achieve the ability to keep on, keeping on, in other words, perseverance. God will truly look down from heaven and smile on you…why?

Because He understands everything YOU went through to get there and He admires the person you became as a result…

Let me leave you with this verse:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

Until next time Guys…

Older Entries
Newer Entries