Posted: under Reflections, Uncategorized.
Here is a message I sent to a friend. After reading it again, I realized that it may bless you too, so I’m posting it here.
You know, destiny is one of those things we cannot choose, but is rather assigned to us. Most of us spend our entire lives wondering what our destiny is, when in actuality it’s plainly before us. When we follow the Will of God – being righteous, upright, and wholly committed to God – we walk right into our destiny.
Your challenge is to have the courage to trust the spark of God that’s inside of you. That spark directs you to the right friends, opportunities, and future. That spark is wisdom and truth. When nurtured through prayer, Bible study, and spiritual disciplines, that spark will guide you into prosperity – all kinds!! So many of us fall to fear in the journey and so we take short cuts or detours because we’re afraid that God’s way won’t get us there fast enough.
Don’t take detours or short cuts. Have the courage to nurture the godly spark in you. Then…your gifts (plural because you have WAY more than what’s been revealed to you) will bless millions!
Jan 28 2009
Posted: under Reflections, Relationships, Uncategorized.
In our Church Wide Study on 1/4/09 where we began journeying through the book Groups: Life-Giving Power of Community by John Ortberg, et al, we discovered that “the right idea of friendship involves the mutual exchange of knowledge, kindness, service, and celebration.” So often our friendships include a combination of each of these, but is it mutual?
After walking through this lesson I became more sensitive to the “mutual exchange” in a few of my friendships. In one friendship in particular, I noticed that I was giving a lot (knowledge, kindness, service, and celebration) and expecting a lot in return, but made excuses for the other person every time they fell short. I discovered it was a grossly dysfunctional friendship and I contributed to the dysfunction! I contributed to the dysfunction because I never communicated my expectations or needs in the friendship. I have negotiated myself out of the disappointment I frequently feel and subconsciously give the other party permission to continue the behavior. I asked myself recently, “What kind of friendship is this?”
Now don’t get me wrong. I know that friendships involve risk, vulnerability, energy and time. I know that they also involve healthy doses of conflict. I also believe that God delights in life-giving friendships. Those are the friendships in which we are mutually strengthened, nurtured, and corrected! What benefit is our friendship to the Kingdom of God if we don’t challenge one another to grow and mature in it?
You may have asked yourself the question, “What kind of friendship is this?” If it’s not the one that involves the mutual exchange of knowledge, kindness, service, and celebration, it may not be the right idea of friendship. You may be participating in a dysfunctional friendship. Join me in taking responsibility and initiative in our friendships. Speak gently, but speak up!
Jan 06 2009