Go Big AND Go Home…

It is not my burden (thank goodness) to attempt to love people even though they irritate or hurt me. God promises that as I draw closer to Him, and keep his word (the sword) at the ready, He will empower me to love people even when they irritate or hurt me.

There is comfort in this.

In a Toxic World, Love One Another

The key to this topic is in Romans 12:10 (NIV), where Paul says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.”

Now, I realize that it is hard to do, right? Especially when your brother is supporting that “socialist” or that “liar” or that “braggart”. It’s hard to wrap your head around the word “honor” when you can’t fathom their political leanings or beliefs. But that is precisely what God wants you to do. That is also why being a Christian is no walk in the park and why many people don’t do it on a regular basis. It’s hard to love and honor others above yourself. Yet, it’s the only way you can truly lead others to the Gospel. You can’t strong-arm them there.

Checking It In?

How often does your spirituality come up in everyday conversations? Obviously, it doesn’t enter every single human transaction, but how often does it come up at all? Most often, God and spirituality is left at the door to our normal everyday lives. “Checked in” with the coat and the hat when we enter our normal workday. Our private, religious lives are not allowed to invade our daily, public lives. It would just feel too weird and uncomfortable otherwise, right?

Is There an Expiration Date on Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is probably one of the hardest feats you confront daily. Someone wrongs you and your first inclination is to nurse your hurt and condemn the hurter. That’s why the saying goes, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” 

Yet, since it’s so hard for us to forgive, we often assume that God’s mercy has an expiration date on it also. We wonder at what sin is He is going to throw up his hands and say, “This is the last straw!”

However, without God’s forgiveness and mercy, we are stuck.

Too Comfortable?

When I catch myself feeling content and self-satisfied in business, I know something is wrong. I’m too comfortable and therefore not growing. The same can be said about my faith. When I’m lazy and unchallenged in my devotion to God, I know my journey has stagnated or stopped altogether.

Bold Faith in the Workplace

The Christian blogger, David Rupert, writes, “The problem for the lifestyle follower of Christ, is that it’s not that easy to dissect a transformed life. There’s really no such thing as a private faith. If my heart is changed, so too is my passion. If my spirit is flipped, so too is my thought process. A true Christian always oozes it – the transformation cannot stay silent.”

Reading this, my question to you is, “Are you harboring a private faith or are you vocal about your regard for Christ?”

It’s a hard question to answer when we live in a world that prefers the Christian to leave his or her beliefs on the church door stoop each and every Sunday. We’re all walking the tightrope between our faith and the outside world each and every day. We’re basically holding the balance beam and wobbling back and forth between what our human resource department advises and what God expects.

Transformed

In my twenties, I was cocky salesman who traveled from port-to-port. I was good at what I did and believed the world owed me some pretty hefty favors. Then one day in walked a blond who somehow changed my life forever. Sounds like the beginning of a joke, but the joke was on me. This blond was the beginning of my own transformation.

How?

It wasn’t her faith… but her lack of faith that suddenly brought God back to mind. I saw first hand what the belief in ‘graceless god’ can do to someone and subsequently how the uncovering of the true Grace of God can absolutely free someone.

The blond is now my wife, Jaclyn. Through her, I got to witness the journey from point A to point Z. I watched as a woman wracked by fear and distrust unraveled the mystery of God’s grace and her transformation eventually became mine. I watched as she finally accepted Christ and how that leap of trust and newfound courage of faith changed every aspect of her. How she talked, how she walked, even how she thought. Grace is truly a game-changer.

Need a Job

When I’m not studying up on or giving the He’s the Solution message, I’m running a financial company that dispenses private money for real estate transactions. Because of this, I have spent many an hour recruiting, qualifying, and hiring people. Unlike a specialized job in computer coding or legal counsel, where years of experience put […]

Hard Pill to Swallow

I’ve always had a problem with authority. Fortunately for me and unfortunately for others, I’m a natural-born rebel (my parents and wife can attest to this). It’s what has caused both incredible friction and abundant blessings in my life. This instinct to buck the system is what fueled my motivation to build and own my […]

Your Calling? To End Well

A man was trying hypnosis to help him quit smoking. His friend asked whether he thought it would work. “Sure,” he said, “it worked the last time I tried it!” Have you ever noticed how easy it is to begin something, but how often finishing it is an uphill battle? Each one of us can […]