Never Give Up! God Will Send Help - Part 2

Character flaws are present in everyone and can cause even the strongest Christians to feel like impostors. An impostor permits character defect to gain control his or her life. A newspaper told of a pastor who led a charge against the president of a seminary, which resulted in the president's being fired. That pastor later resigned his church because scandals plagued his own personal life.

This illustrates how God's gift of leadership can become abusive. The carnal side of human nature goes after selfish pleasures which insist on being satisfied. The apostle Paul warns us to refrain from deceiving ourselves and others because God will not be mocked. Whatever we sow, that we will reap.

Godly resilience nudges us back to higher ground to walk with Jesus and be a blessing to others. All people are capable of drifting into sin and temptation because we never lose our old sin nature. But with Christ in us, we have a new nature which gives us power to establish boundaries on our old sinful nature.

Never Give Up! God Will Send Help - Part 1

Jesus' parable in Luke 18 illustrates two critical components of resilience. One is persistence, which is required for getting legitimate personal needs met with satisfaction. The other demonstrates the limitations of resilience by refusing to do the right thing. Godly stubbornness or steadfastness always seeks justice and goodness.

Listen as Jesus teaches about praying constantly and with determination. "There was a judge who never gave God a thought and cared less for people. However a widow kept after him seeking justice: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me'. After this went on and on, he said to himself, 'I care nothing about what God or people think, but this woman won't quit badgering me. I'll  see that she gets justice - otherwise I'm going to be beaten black and blue by her pounding.'"

Isn't that a wonderful story? The point is, God rewards persistent faith. He shows respect for resilience, which is a quality of character that will not give up or give in to rejection, no matter what its source.

Holding on Through Failure and Success - Part 3

Resilience keeps a person holding on when everyone says, "Let go."  Resilient people maintain a grip on what is right, good, and worthy, even when faced with great temptation.   The power and limitations of resilience or personal toughness is affected by what is believed to be true about a person or situation. "Whatever a man thinks in his heart, so he is."

There are limitations to resilience, that inner strength to adapt to the hardships of life. Psychologists study tolerance levels in people and remind us we  should acknowledge what we can tolerate as well as whom we can tolerate. Tolerance is about perception, which is indicative of what you think and believe.

Success and failure hinge on strengths and weaknesses, but not on these alone. Faith in Christ Jesus prevents letting go of your grip when you feel weak and it seems impossible to hang on. God gives strength to the weak, help to the needy, and hope for the future. He told the Apostle Paul, "My strength is made perfect in your weakness."  

Holding on Through Failure and Success - Part 2

To think of defeat as being an impostor is easy to accept. But to consider success as an impostor is hard to swallow. Very few people set themselves up to fail because success is a primary objective. However success as well as failure has the power to corrupt. Success can give birth to disregarding the rules for a healthy, godly life.

Success can blind a person to boundaries that were earlier a guiding force in life. Success can create an illusion of being invulnerable to failure. Rudyard Kipling's poem, Rewards and Fairies, regarded success as being an impostor whenever it has the alluring capacity to erase from consciousness the need for God.

The Apostle Paul, speaking to the church at Rome, prayed that God, who gives endurance and encouragement, would create such unity of heart and mind that each believer would give him recognition and praise for all they have, whether a little or in abundance. This attitude sees success or failure from God's perspective.

Holding on Through Failure and Success - Part 1

Former Senator Bill Bradley, who also played professional basketball for several years, quoted Rudyard Kipling in his book, Values of the Game. Kipling viewed  success and failure, triumph and defeat as impostors. Defeat and failure can negatively mark a person's identity just as the deceptiveness of success can trigger self-destructive behaviors.

          A prominent pastor was charged with sexual misconduct with two women from his church. Those charges were the tip of the iceberg of what was to follow, for they exposed the limitation of self-control and of splitting one's life into opposite moral poles, swinging form immoral behavior to pasturing God's people.

          God intended for leadership to be used for his glory rather than for satisfying an immoral appetite. According to  Bradley, all humans have the capacity for success and self-destruction. Yet God's mercy reaches to the pit of failure or the height of success. His unfailing love never lets go of even the most ardent sinner.  

Resilience: Standing Firm in Faith - Part 3

Most everyone acknowledges the fact of their personal limitations. To refuse to do so could prove embarrassing or even dangerous. There is a place within our body, mind, and spirit that acknowledges there are limitations to our capacity to bounce back from failure, from poor judgments and bad choices.

It's reasonable to believe that success and triumph can be as difficult to manage as failure. Stories abound of individuals who ascend to the top of the ladder of success only to fall off because of inadequate character strengths to manage success. Deliberate, destructive impulses may gain control and sabotage success.

After the last supper Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives, where he told them they were in danger of turning away from him due to the temptations they would later encounter. Peter vowed he would never fall away, yet before the evening was over, he denied even knowing Jesus. That  failure became a peak experience for Peter's character and faith that would push him forward to serve Jesus faithfully.  

Resilience: Standing Firm in Faith - Part 2

Steadfastness is a character quality that sustains the believer through hard, difficult days. Distractions remind us we are not completely sufficient in and of ourselves. Steadfastness anchored in trust to Christ Jesus prevents evil forces from pulling us away from our commitment.

James 5:11 reminds us of Job's steadfastness. He refused to surrender his faith even as Satan took away all he possessed except his life and his wife. Faithfulness is compared to a house built on solid rock that incapable of being  dislodged from its foundation by a storm. Where steadfastness is weak, it's like a house built on sand and swept away by the storm.

Steadfastness becomes rock-solid as God redeems our heart and soul. He purges away all sin and guilt and then renews our mind as we ingest his word. Jesus desires to create in you a new person that's incapable of falling away regardless of the wickedness you face. This is good news Jesus offers to you.

Resilience: Standing Firm in Faith - Part 1

Disease and illness are hard to avoid. Striving to live here in the Houston area free of allergies is an example. Medications, a healthy diet, and living responsibly contribute to staying healthy. Resilience, that toughness of personality and spirit, can also limit the impact of an illness. But sometimes a fatal disease can silently creep up on us before we realize something is dreadfully wrong.

There's something unique to be gained for those who face death with faith that God is our eternal destiny. Harvey Gilbert relates how a friend managed the finality of death: "As the illness advanced, the long flight of steps represented a unique awakening. The disease gave death time to live and its victim time to die, and time to discover time, and in the end to discover life."

God sent his Son Jesus into the world to give us light and a life worth living. Discovering a life worth living requires slowing down and giving consideration to God's purpose for giving you life. That discovery is life-changing.

Salt, Light, and Second-Milers - Part 3

It is not uncommon to want to measure up to the problems life presents to us.  It takes resilience and courage to tackle issues in ways that are productive and healthy. Confidence and knowledge are required to advance toward meaningful goals. Thomas Babington, the English historian, said, "Knowledge advances step by step, not by leaps."

I once talked to an aspiring musician who demonstrated unusual insight for  achieving his goal. He believed studying history, science, English, and math would enhance and hone his capacity for being a composer. Acquiring knowledge step by step demanded persistence and dedication that he was willing to expend.

The good news is, steadfastness can be acquired. Listen to David's prayer to God in Psalm 51:10. "Create in me a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me." God rewards those who desire steadfastness and who will allow it to become a constant in their lives. Would you, like David, ask God to give you an unwavering spirit and a pure heart so you can serve him?

Salt, Light, and Second-Milers - Part 2

While waiting to park at a grocery store, a man walked in front of my car to remove a shopping cart that occupied the space. Later when I saw him in the store and acknowledged his kindness, he said, "The way I see  it, what goes around, comes around." That simple act of kindness made a big difference in my day.

His attitude and action demonstrated a character quality Jesus referred to as "salt of the earth and light of the world." Think of salt and light as kindness and spontaneous generosity which reveal other-centeredness and flexibility that point them to Christ Jesus. Helping others by being gracious will sustain you when troubles or hardships come to your house.

This concept is hard to grasp. We've learned to do only what's required, not to be a second-miler, as Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:41. He also encouraged each person to "give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will others give to you."  God loves a cheerful giver, so be alert for opportunities to do so.

Salt, Light, and Second-Milers - Part 1

Sometimes life is so hectic, a trouble-free day appears impossible. The  smallest task that should take only a moment turns into such complexity that a whole day seems to evaporate. Life on the front burner takes energy and determination to resist defeat rather than to dissolve into frustration and anger. Discouragement has the power to control any situation.

God has given us the capacity to change, regardless of how diminished that capacity feels to us. Where there is motivation to find solutions, no problem is insurmountable. Resilient people learn to activate faith and hope to serve as a channel for transcending anger and frustration. Faith and hope create order and dignity, even in chaos and pain.

Jesus, in Matthew 5:41, instructs his listeners to be second-mile people, giving more than what's required to any challenge. Second-milers know they'll be rewarded, if only by enhancing their integrity. Life is complicated and hectic, so keep your attitude fixed on faith in Christ Jesus. Faith is God's gift to you. 

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 3

Some time ago I was talking with a woman in her late thirties who had just attended her twenty year high school class reunion. She related how exciting it was to renew contact with former classmates. Unexpectedly, the night of the class reunion brought some pleasant surprises. Her former classmates gave her affirmation after affirmation of how important a role model she had been for them.

Although the troubles and sorrows of life had diminished the confidence she once projected to others, she could sense it returning just being around these friends. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of prayer, gave her the courage to face her struggles and fight for a healthier existence.

That class reunion proved to be what psychologist Abraham Maslow called a peak experience, a high point in life that renews hope and faith in one's self. This woman could see how God was at work to help her change and move on to greater accomplishments in her life. It is God's desire for us to change, to mature, and to have hope and plans for a brighter future.   

Through the Lens of Confidence: Transformation - Part 2

When I was in the seventh grade, I had a friend who was much shorter and lighter in weight than myself. I was about average height and weight. Another classmate, tall and stocky, habitually picked on my friend by humiliating him in front of the other kids. One day I came to his defense, which led to an after-school boxing match between myself and this bully.

The miracle of the day was, I survived to tell the story. I was too much of a light weight to win physically, but I won something else, including the way I was perceived by the other kids. The next day the bully came up to shake my hand and to tell me I was a good fighter. That encounter basically ended what was motivating him to bully other classmates.

What I admired about this bully was his inner strength to change how he perceived himself and others. I do not know what changed emotionally or spiritually for him, but God is at work to change those who trust and believe in his power to transform the vilest sinner. The Lord Jesus Christ never overlooks an opportunity to transform the most unlikely candidate.