Monday, January 26, 2009

What is on your report card?

It is that time again. The most dreaded time for a lot of students in school. Right now, that time has come again for my children. What is this event, you might be asking? It is report card time. Yes, that dreaded time when a lot of kids worry if they will have their freedom after their parents take a close look at their grades. Yes, that dreaded time for a lot of kids wondering what comments their teachers made about them. Yes, oh yes, some parents look at that report card with big eyes wondering if their child will still get into Harvard or if they will ever become something, like President of the United States. The dreaded time is here. So I open the report cards from my children and...I'm happy!

Now imagine if we had to receive this dreaded report card about how we lived as a Christian? What if God gives us a report card about how we handled ourselves in tough situations? What if God gave us a report card about our thoughts or words about others? What would be on your report card? It is a pretty scary thought. But we do receive a report card. Yes, believe it or not, we do get one. God looks at us and how we live our lives and grades us. He looks at you and me, looks at our behavior, our actions, our words, our thoughts, everything. But He takes our report card and gives us all A's. That is right, we all get A's. Why? You might be asking what you did to deserve an A...an A from God. The answer is...nothing! God sent his Son to die on the cross, to wash away all those bad behaviors, bad actions, bad words, bad thoughts, bad...everything. Because of His death and resurrection, because He washed us clean, our report card just has A's on it.

Monday, January 19, 2009

We May Wobble

I have no idea why this came to mind, but I was sitting in my office on Thursday. I was review music for the weekend and it hit me. I couldn't believe it, but I caught myself singing the jingle to the tv commercial, weebles wobble but they won't fall down. Over and over, I was singing this jingle. I still have no idea why or what made me start the jingle. Weebles wobble but they won't fall down. I remember playing with them and you know what I tried to do, it was a challenge, it was my quest, my destiny, my goal in life (at that time). I was going to make the weebles wobble and fall down. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it. I would lay them down and they pop back up. I would throw roll them and they would pop back up. Drop them to the ground and they would pop back up. Next to breaking them, every thing I did, the weebles popped back up. Weebles do wobble and they don't fall down.



What about us? When the tough times hit, do we just fall down and stay down or do we pop back up? When we sin, do we just say down or do we ask for forgiveness and pop back up? As Christians, we need to realize that we are just like weebles. Because of our sinful nature, we wobble. Satan tries to knock and keep us down. It is through the grace and love of Christ Jesus, through His forgiveness that we receive, that allows us to pop back up. Just like to weebles, we may wobble but we won't fall down.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Cheering Us On

My daughter, Becca, plays indoor soccer. I have the opportunity to watch most of her games (if they don't interfere with Saturday worship services). She loves it when I come to her games, not only to watch her, but to offer her support. When she does something good, she can her me tell her "good job" or "way to go". When something doesn't go right, I offer her encouragement or to help her prepare for the next play. Whatever the situation, Becca can pick my voice out from the crowd. She knows I'm there to support her and her team. If she can, she will take the little peek over the stands to see if I'm watching and get that extra sense of comfort. There are times after a game when she asks me how to do something or she just wants to share what happened in the game. Even if I saw the play, to see that excitement brings joy to my heart.

Our Christian walk is like this. We are out in the world striving to do what is right. We are out in the world trying to make the play. As we work on playing the game of life the way God wants, He is there, cheering each one of us on, watching what we are doing. Sometimes He is telling us "good job", other times, He is encouraging us and preparing us to do the next play. When the play is done, talk to God about it. Talk to God about the day and he listens. We ask Him what we need to do and He responds. Even though He knows what we did, telling Him brings a sense of love and excitement to His heart. What a wonderful God. Look around you. Look and see that He is there. He is the one who is cheering you on. He wants you to play the game the best you can. Look and listen...can you hear Him?

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Not a Resolution, but an Opportunity

It is 2009! A new year. A new attitude. A new feeling. People want to make things new. Henceforth, a New Year's Resolution. I have been asked what my New Year's Resolution will be. Honestly, I never make one. I get a lot of gasps, dirty looks, the "oh my...", or the "well mine is..." responses just because I don't make a New Year's Resolution. I just don't make one. Plain and simple. Why? Because I would start it and then stop or forget about it after a month or so. I see people get so caught up in making these resolutions. They are going to change something. They are going to make life better in some way, shape, or form. It is a promise that they make to themselves and they intend to keep it. Very few do, most don't. People are so caught up in making this resolution and then after a while, they forget about it, break it, or just make excuses to not keep it. It is hard to keep a New Year's Resolution all year. So I don't make a resolution because I know that I would break it sometime or give up on it or just forget that I made it. But I do take the time to refocus on how I should live my life. I do take the time to ask God to help me remember to make Him first in all I do and say. I do ask God that throughout this year, I would be a better servant and work to better His Kingdom. I don't like calling it a resolution, but a opportunity. An opportunity to bring someone closer to the Kingdom of God. An opportunity to serve.