Community is Critical
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Have you ever been to a social event where you didn’t know anyone? It can be a little awkward can’t it? Or, it can be a little adventurous…Who will you meet? What can you learn? What interesting people are here that you would never otherwise have the opportunity to connect with?
A number of years ago I found myself in this very scenario. I was working with a client in Atlantic Canada whom I had spoken to on the phone a few times, but never met prior to this encounter. We spent the day together as I trained his staff and that evening he invited me to a surprise birthday party for a close friend of his.
I initially declined because I figured I would feel out of place, and people would wonder who the new guy was in the corner and why he crashed the party. He explained to me that there would be over 100 people at the party and I would fit right in. This changed things, so I figured it would be a great opportunity to meet and party with some friendly eastern Canadians.
So, that evening I found myself amidst scores of partiers enjoying live music, great food and beverage, and who were there to celebrate the life of their dear friend who, by the stories shared by many in attendance, had spent his 50 years making other people’s lives better. I felt honored and privileged to witness the community this man had built by caring for others.
It made me think, who would be at a party like this for me? Have I invested my life in a way that has created community and made other people’s lives better?
I ended up chatting with a certain man for an extended period of time. It turns out he was a very well known and influential politician. He has enjoyed a long and significant career in provincial politics having served as Minister of Finance, Minister of Education and other powerful positions of authority.
We talked about community, change, the political process and politics in general. I judged him to be a man of high moral value and one who truly wants to work for the good of society. I asked him a specific question,
“How do you maintain your vision and motivation to create positive political change in the midst of oftentimes ruthless, vicious, unfair and selfish political opposition?”
His answer caught my attention…
“By surrounding myself with like-minded, good people who will stand together in the midst of the opposition reminding me why we are doing this”, he replied.
Wow – so simple, yet so profound. I immediately saw how this was relevant, not just to those in politics, but to all of us. I would call what he was talking about a “band of brothers”, or a community of allies. Sadly, most men feel like “abandoned brothers” and not part of a band of brothers.
But you know something? We can’t expect community to somehow magically form and then invite us in with open arms. No, we must create community. We must take the initiative to make community happen. We must choose to reach out and connect with other men.
We must choose to meet together regularly, cultivating deep, open and honest relationships as allies in this adventure called the Kingdom of God. Like Clint Eastwood said, “A man alone is easy prey.” Similar to my new political friend, we are the targets of ruthless, vicious, unfair and selfish opposition that we can not withstand alone – we need each other. We must walk together as one in a community of allies.
Have you chosen to surround yourself with like-minded, good men who will walk with you in the midst of spiritual opposition and remind you why we are doing this? If you have not, it is never too late. Community is critical and it must be created.
Take the initiative and create a community of allies to help keep you envisioned and engaged in this adventure of walking with Jesus. We are not meant to walk alone. We must be united in community, walking together as one.
John17:11, 21, 22, 23
“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world and I and coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one…that all of them may be one…I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity…”
Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Acts 2:44
“All the believers were together and had everything in common.”
A Life of Repentance
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I had the pleasure and privilege of golfing Pebble Beach a while ago – one of the greatest golf courses in the world. Spectacular scenery, challenging holes: an incredible experience. And, you know what? I shot par. Yup, I shot par at Pebble Beach.
Pretty amazing eh?
Now, before you go thinking that I am an amazing golfer I need to tell you more of the story. I didn’t play Pebble Beach at Pebble Beach. I played Pebble Beach at a hotel in Seattle – on their golf simulator. I chose to play Pebble Beach out of more than 50 golf courses from around the world.
If you haven’t tried out one of these simulators, they are quite extraordinary. You hit off of artificial grass towards a huge video screen that projects computer graphics of the course accurately simulated through the use of GPS. The computer is able to calculate the distance and direction of your shot as you watch the trajectory of your ball on the screen.
Your ball lands, you check the hole coordinates on the screen, pick a club and hit again. I found putting the real tricky part, but you know what they say, “Drive for show, putt for dough.”
There was one other part of the computer simulation that was particularly helpful for me to shoot par. It’s called the Mulligan button. After every shot I had the choice of keeping my shot, or pressing the Mulligan button on the computer screen and shooting another shot. I could choose to not have that stroke counted against me in my game.
I loved that button. I must have pressed that button over 100 times. I would hit a shot that I wasn’t pleased with, press Mulligan, adjust my grip, my stance, my angle, and then hit again. I did this over and over again until my shots started to get truer and farther and I needed the Mulligan button less.
As I was doing this I began to think that this is like repentance.
In life we do something that isn’t good – our shot goes astray. So, we ask the Lord to forgive us and to help us to change – to hit truer next time. Then we take some sort of action to ensure that next time we “hit that shot” we get a better outcome.
You see, we are called to a life of repentance. Repentance is a daily choice – a daily gift from the Lord to start again. It’s an ongoing gift of mercy and grace from the Lord to lay aside the sin that besets us and keep moving forward in the game of life.
Sadly, many people have a negative perception of the word “repent”. It can feel like someone is pointing a finger of condemnation at us, pointing out all our wrongs, all our sin, all our shortcoming, all our shame, all the things about ourselves that we don’t like and we’re not proud of.
Jesus doesn’t condemn us though. Scripture tells us that He didn’t come to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Repentance is our opportunity to simply say, “Yes, I want a new start. I want a divine do-over, a spiritual start-again, a miraculous mulligan.”
And this is not a one-time offer. We are invited to live a life of repentance. We can choose to live with an ongoing attitude to lay aside the sin that trips us up and press on toward God’s heart for us.
We are not perfect, and are not going to be this side of heaven. So don’t let your pride trip you up and prohibit you from feely admitting that you blew it. Admit your ‘sin’, repent and embrace the grace that God has for you.
Your sin does not disqualify you, only your pride will, because that is what stops you from repenting and receiving God’s forgiveness and grace. Let’s choose humility, freely admit and confess our sin so we can receive God’s gift of life and grace.
Let’s choose to live a life of repentance and receive all the life and grace God has for us.
Hebrews 12:1
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
1 Peter 5:5b-6
“’God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time.”
John 3:17
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world though Him.”
Do You Practice Listening Prayer?
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You want me to do what? You have got to be kidding me…
“Get a haircut today.”, he thought he heard.
Ok, this is a little strange. Here I am trying my best to listen to the Lord and what pops into my mind is, “Get a haircut today.” God has got to have something more important to speak to me than that. I’m not sure if I am hearing God very clearly…
My friend was relaying to me his attempt to listen to God in prayer. He is learning that prayer is meant to be a two-way conversation. Prayer is not meant to be an occasion when we spew out our wish list like we are sitting on the lap of a Divine Santa Clause. The Lord has invited us into an intimate communion, a relationship where we engage with Him at a deep level. We offer our heart to Him, and He offers His heart to us.
It was in that mind set my friend was trying to listen to the Lord in prayer. He was sitting quietly, ridding his mind and heart of the pressures of the day, attempting to listen to God. A thought, a word, a scripture, a picture, a memory, a song, anything that may be a uniquely creative means by which the Creator of the Universe could choose to express His heart in a Rema Word.
Scripture is filled with examples of how the Lord speaks to His people. Jesus very clearly said that His sheep know His voice. My friend was trying to discern the voice of Jesus. And, what he thought he heard Jesus say was to get his hair cut today.
Now this was no simple request. My friend had waist-length hair. He had been growing it out for many years. This would be a drastic step of obedience. But, in his commitment to walk in obedience to what He believed the Lord was saying, he determined to get his hair cut that day.
When he got to work, he phoned a random salon and booked an appointment. After work he arrived very unenthusiastically to get his hair cut. All the while he was fighting the thoughts that this was ridiculous. Did God really say that? This is crazy.
The hair stylist noticed he was reluctantly getting his hair cut. She asked him why he was getting it cut because he clearly didn’t want to. So, being a person not afraid of full disclosure, he told her the whole story about his listening prayer session.
Upon hearing his story she immediately broke into tears. Emotion was pouring out of her in torrents.
“What’s happening? What did I say wrong? Are you ok?”, he inquired.
After she pulled herself together she relayed a story from years ago when, as a Catholic, she confessed to the priest she was angry with God for her mother’s early death. The priest informed her that was an inappropriate emotion towards God and kicked her out of the church. She has never been back. She has felt lost and alone for many years.
At this point in time her adult daughter was living on the street and sick, yet did not want her mother’s help. She was desperate to somehow help her daughter, to get support for herself, yet she felt she had no one to pray to – she felt alienated from God and by God.
This was a divine appointment. The Lord’s simple request of my friend and his subsequent obedience brought this woman in touch with a God who cares enough about her to send a total stranger to demonstrate His love for her. My friend prayed with her in the salon. They both tearfully connected with a Father who loves His daughter and wants her back home.
Through listening prayer the Lord can strengthen and encourage you, and as He did with my friend, lead you to strengthen and encourage others. Listening prayer is a means by which we connect with God’s heart. We share our heart with Him, and He shares His heart with us.
So, do you practice listening prayer?
Ecclesiastes 5:1
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.”
John 10:27
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
1 Samuel 3:10
“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’”
Luke 9:35
“A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’”
The Key Ingredient for Success
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I lay there on my back underneath the car. It wasn’t jacked up very high so I was in very cramped quarters. The underside of my trunk was about 12 inches above my face. Resin was dripping on my cheek causing a unique burning sensation, my wrist was cramping up due to the awkward angle I had to hold it in, the fumes were going to my head, and then the resin soaked cloth fell off the trunk onto my face – this was not going according to plan.
The car was my first car: a 1968 850 Fiat Spider. It had a fair bit of rust, and for this particular project I was attempting to fibreglass the trunk to seal and reinforce it. I had never worked with fibreglass before so this was definitely a trial and error scenario. I had gone down to my local automotive supply store to learn about fibre glassing. I bought all the supplies and then went to town on my trunk.
Have you ever worked with fibreglass?
This was really my first and only foray into the fine art of fibre glassing. There are certain rudimentary materials you need to work with fibreglass: fibreglass cloth, resin and catalyst. You cut the cloth to fit the area you want to cover with fibreglass. You add the catalyst to the resin and then paint it on the cloth with a brush.
Now please keep in mind, this is the extent of the elementary knowledge I acquired as a 16 year old in order to fix a beater of a car. I have no doubt there is a vast amount of knowledge in regard fibre glassing that has escaped my grasp, and my ignorance may be quite obvious to many of you. However, this elementary knowledge enabled me to fix my trunk and is the catalyst for an important lesson.
I discovered that the key to good fibreglass work is the amount of catalyst you add to the resin. The catalyst is the hardener. Without the hardener the resin is useless. With too much hardener the resin hardens too quickly, and with too little hardener it takes too long. I learned this, again, by trial and error.
To me, the catalyst was the key ingredient to creating a successful fibreglass job. It was really the only element I could control. Cutting the cloth was simple enough, the resins came ready-made, but it was the catalyst that initiated the miraculous chemical process to change a liquid to a solid – and I was in control of that process.
So what’s the lesson?
Well, the catalyst made it all happen. The catalyst solidified everything. The catalyst was the special ingredient to create fibreglass success.
So what is the catalyst for true success in our lives?
Success I would define as our ability to walk with the Lord in all that He wants to do in us and through us – His Kingdom coming and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
So what is the key ingredient to create that success?
Faith.
Faith is the catalyst for change, for growth, for relationship with God, for success. Faith is the catalyst that hardens our beliefs to create courage, strength, vision, steadfastness, faithfulness, and the like. Faith isn’t merely a mental assertion, it is belief in action.
Hearing Truth will do you no good if you do not combine it with faith. If the catalyst of faith is not added to Truth you will not see the change in your life you desire. And, if faith is not demonstrated by action it really isn’t faith. If we are not willing to live what we profess to believe I would question whether or not we really believe it.
We must trust God, believe what He says is true, then take action to demonstrate that Truth and its application in our lives. Faith is not so much belief without proof, but trust without reservation. Faith catalyses Truth in our lives to create God’s desired results. If we do not combine Truth with faith we miss all its benefits.
Where do you need to combine Truth with belief in action?
Faith is the key ingredient for true success.
Hebrews 4:2 (The Message)
“We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn’t do them a bit of good because they didn’t receive the promises with faith.”
Hebrews 11:6 (The Message)
“It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.”
James 2:17
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
Being a Good Provider
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It’s quite simple really. It does not take much time, but the impact is immense. I am surprised how meaningful and significant this has become in our relationship.
It has been going on so long I actually forgot from whom I learned this, but I know that someone else taught me this. He, whoever he is, indicated this was something he does to care for his wife and I simply thought, “I can do that!”
My wife loves it. She says it’s like water to a thirsty soul. In fact, she will tell you it is her favourite part of the day. And, if I can do this you can too. It’s not rocket science, it’s a choice.
So, what is this profoundly powerful, secret weapon I utilize to provide what my wife longs for?
Prayer.
Every morning, or perhaps more accurately ‘many mornings’, as I am heading out the door, or as Anne is heading out the door, I simply embrace her and pray for her. I sow gratitude, love and Truth into her. Like this…
“Father, thank You that Anne is a beloved daughter of Yours. Thank You that You delight in her and have promised to provide for all of her needs today according Your riches in Christ. I ask that You would fill her with Your love and enable her to love those You bring in contact with her. Thank You that Your steadfast love never ceases for Anne, and that Your mercies are brand new today. May Anne walk in the power of Your love and mercy today. Thank You for the gift she is to me. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Pretty simple.
However, it did take me a while to get it right, and shift from prayers to ‘change’ Anne, to prayers of delight and encouragement in the Truth. Anne helped me with that. A wise man once told me that your wife is not a problem to be fixed, but a mystery to be delighted in. I had to learn to stop trying to change her, and learn to love and appreciate her for who she is. Anne has been very gracious in helping me to learn this.
When we think of being Providers for our wives, we often think of money – bringing home the bacon so we can pay the bills. Certainly the economics of reality demand that we generate revenue for our families, but we carry a God-given responsibility to provide so much more to our wives.
In a broad-based survey done with married Christian women, the vast majority of respondents indicated that what they really wanted from their husbands was for them to provide spiritual leadership in their homes. In other words, lead by example by walking with Jesus. Cultivate an authentic relationship with Jesus as Lord.
What else do we need to provide to our wives? Love, Truth, prayer, companionship, a listening ear, delight, affirmation, time, service, gifts, physical affection – for her benefit, intimacy, safety, security, comfort, strength – physical, emotional, spiritual, and your heart: amongst many other things.
Scripture encourages us to actually ‘wash’ our wives in the Truth. That is a little bit of what my prayer does. I am trying to affirm and encourage Anne in the Truth.
We also need to provide our wives with initiative. In the fine print of our ‘man contract’ is a requirement for us to take initiative. You know those times when you have had a disagreement, you are hurt and she owes you an apology? There is no way you’re apologizing first – she needs to? Well, sorry pal, but you have to initiate reconciliation.
We must learn the 12 most difficult words: “I’m sorry for…I was wrong to…Will you please forgive me?” Even if she doesn’t apologize for whatever you think she needs to, you need to take the initiative to reconcile things.
The bottom line: we are required by God to provide our wives with love. Lavish her with love, yours and the Father’s heart for her as a beloved daughter. Love her sacrificially, as Christ loved the church.
Being a good provider means loving Jesus first and your wife second.
Ephesians 5:25, 26, 33
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself,”
I Timothy 5:8
“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
Proverbs 30: 23
“Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.”
Freedom Fighter
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Click to watch “Lead Me” by Sanctus Real
Their armour glistened in the sunlight. The warriors, with passionate resolution, patrolled the perimeter of the property with weapons on the ready.
They knew their job. They knew their mission. Their commitment was unwavering, and their joy in the journey was contagious. They loved what they did and it showed. What they delighted in was seeing the one they were protecting in blessed assurance that she was indeed safe and secure under their watchful diligence.
Their armour and weaponry was custom made. In fact, they made it themselves: armour out of cardboard and tin foil, weapons out of wood. David was 8 and Benjamin was 7. They were patrolling our property on the lookout for threats to their mother – their queen. Anne was sitting in her favourite chair in the living room, relaxing while reading a book beside the large picture windows overlooking the lake.
Once on each patrol rotation around the property the boys would pass by Anne and bang on the window to ensure she was aware of their efforts, happy with their mission. They loved her loving them. She loved them loving her. Their protection was a practical demonstration of their love for their mother.
It was a beautiful picture of what naturally resides in the heart of a boy – to protect those they love. Especially their mother, the one woman they love more than any other on the face of the earth. There is something in the heart of every boy to protect his mother. Not to protect his father, but to protect his mother.
This childish desire is reflective of a critical role my sons will grow up to provide to their future wives: protection. Husbands fulfill 4 critical roles in their marriage: Pursuer, Partner, Protector and Provider. Oftentimes what we see played out in the lives of our sons demonstrates a much deeper desire planted in their hearts by God. Boys are not pretending to be warriors; they are practicing to be warriors.
As husbands we need to be aware of the warfare that surrounds us, our wives, our families, our churches, our companies, our communities, our countries – all of life. The reality is that the spiritual opposition set against us is also set against our wives and families.
We must engage in spiritual warfare on behalf of our wives. Not because our wives do not have authority is Christ, or because they are not able to fight on their own behalf. No, it’s because we carry a God-given covering for our wives.
You are not called to rescue your beauty. Only Jesus is the rescuer of your wife. You, however, are her freedom fighter.
You are called to an ongoing fight for the increasing freedom Jesus has for you and for your wife. You fight for and with her to appropriate all that God has for her, and for others through her. As husbands we must wear the mantle of our God-given authority to fight against the attacks of the enemy.
There are a number of practical steps you can take to fight for the freedom the Lord has for you and your wife:
- Pray. Pray alone. Pray for your wife and pray with your wife.
- Walk with God. Walk in surrender and obedience to Him.
- Worship. Live a life of worship in all aspects of your life.
- Walk in humility and repentance with Jesus, your wife, and with others.
- Walk in community with other men who are allies in the epic adventure of the Kingdom of God in and through you.
- Walk in purity and do not give the enemy a foothold to drive a wedge of lust and sin between you and your wife.
- Meditate on the Truth to ensure you are not participating in the lies of the enemy, and are able to assist your wife in recognizing the lies of the enemy set against her.
- Tithe. It is an act of faith, trust, worship and spiritual warfare.
As husbands we provide a spiritual covering for our wives meant to protect them, not to Lord it over them. We are freedom fighters, called to fight on behalf of our wives and help lead them to the freedom that Jesus, their rescuer, has for them.
You are a freedom fighter. A good marriage is worth fighting for, not fighting about.
Ephesians 5:23 (The Message)
“The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing.”
Ephesians 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
I Peter 5:8
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls round like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
A Noble Pursuit
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How would you fill in the blank at the end of this phrase?
“The pursuit of…”
The pursuit of happiness? The pursuit of excellence? The pursuit of a goal? The pursuit of God?
How about the pursuit of “…my wife’s heart.” Hmm, probably not the first thing that came to mind. And that’s ok. However, a key role of a husband is to pursue his wife’s heart.
When men typically think of pursuing something it’s for the purpose of capturing it, accomplishing it, or killing it. That’s not the spirit in which I am suggesting we pursue our wife’s heart.
Perhaps you pursued the heart of your girlfriend; then she agreed to marry you. She is now your wife. Are you continuing to pursue her?
Men like to conquer. We can’t look at our wives through the conquering lens though. Don’t pursue her to conquer her. Pursue her to discover her, and to discover the depth of her heart. We need to continue to pursue the heart of our wife to learn how to love her, how to be a friend to her, how to draw her out into the fullness of God’s heart for her, and into the fullness of who we are together.
It has been said that a woman is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be delighted in. Sometimes we are not that good with the concept of mystery. We want to solve mysteries. We want to find solutions. We want to figure things out and fix things.
We can’t do that with our wives. Even Solomon said he didn’t understand women. I am sure I don’t have to convince you that your lady is mysterious in many ways. We are meant to pursue her heart, to pursue the beauty and wonder she bears as a beloved daughter of her Heavenly Father.
As a husband we have the incredible privilege of lovingly pursuing our wife to discover with her the glory of God in her, delight in who she is, and demonstrate your love for her as a reflection of God’s love for her.
Women bear the image of God in a way that is very distinct from how men bear the image of God. There are many ways in which that is evident, but one way is in a woman’s desire to be pursued, to be delighted in.
God said, “If you seek me you will find me if you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:13
Basically God is saying, “I am worth your effort. Pursue me.”
I believe women carry that same desire to be pursued. Your wife wants you to pursue her, to delight in her, to discover her, and to demonstrate your love for her. She wants to know that she is worthy of your pursuit.
When you pursue her heart you are going to discover her unique glory, passion, gifting, talents, abilities and perspectives. In addition, you will discover her woundedness. You can be an agent of healing for her. Remember though, you are not her healer and her rescuer – only Jesus can heal and rescue her.
You are lovingly leading her to the Healer, leading her to the Rescuer.
Here is something you can do: ask your wife what makes her heart Glad – what she really enjoys. Listen carefully. Become a student of her heart. She may be able to tell you, or her heart may be so hidden that you have to gently and deliberating help her discover it. And that takes time.
A simple thing you can do is create a file for your wife in the notes on your phone. When I hear Anne say something like, “I’d really like to…” or, “I really love…” or, “I’ve always wanted to…”, I make a note of it in my “Anne File”. I then try to make it happen.
Men, pursue your wife’s heart, not to conquer, but to discover her. Delight in who she is and demonstrate your and God’s love for her.
Your wife’s heart is a noble pursuit.
Proverbs 30:19
“There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas and the way of a man with a maiden.”
Proverbs 5:18-20
“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?”
Called to Combat
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Bullets zipped past him on all sides. The chaos created by the enemy attack was indescribable. They were surrounded. Wave after wave of enemy troops assaulted their position. The dead and wounded were everywhere. They were being overrun.
There was no escaping the horrors of war.
In the midst of chaos he lay amidst cover with his weapon – shooting with a camera instead of a gun. In his zeal to capture the real story of war he was being swept up into the battle. An officer grabbed him and pulled him to a ‘safer’ location. But on this day there was no safety to be had. The enemy was everywhere.
Cowering in the midst of enemy fire, disoriented and wondering what he had gotten himself into, he was frantically trying to figure out what he should do next…
It was then the M-16 landed on his lap with a sickening thud. He looked up in surprise at the officer who dropped it there and exclaimed,
“I’m a non-combatant sir.”
The office looked down at him with sober understanding of the gravity of the situation they now found themselves in and responded,
“Ain’t no such thing today boy!”
This scene from the movie We Were Soldiers has a poignant lesson for us, in that we find ourselves in a similar situation. Open war is upon us whether we would risk it or not. The battle we are engaged in is unseen. It takes place in the spirit realm, but that makes it no less real. We see the carnage of our unseen enemy’s hatred, jealousy and rage in the lives of people every day.
Thanks be to God that our enemy was defeated at the cross. However, the enemy has not been dispatched, and will not be until Revelation 20. Until then we must step into the victory purchased for us by Jesus and engage in the battle in His authority in order to experience the life He has for us.
The option of being a non-combatant does not exist for any man who wants to apprehend that for which he has been apprehended by the Lord.
Scripture is very clear about the spiritual resistance we can expect as followers of Jesus. Revelation 12:17 tells us that the enemy has declared war against those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. We are also told that the enemy is like a roaring lion looking for people to devour. He is out to steal, kill and destroy all the life God has for us.
Being a non-combatant is not an option if we want to really live.
We must choose to take up the weapons the Lord has provided us to overcome the strategy of the enemy in our lives. What are those weapons? Well, they are numerous: the Word of God, the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the cross of Christ, prayer, personal holiness, our testimony, remembrance, generosity, praise, worship, thanksgiving, fasting, confession, encouragement, forgiveness, humility, repentance, blessing, unity, obedience, tithing, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, wisdom – to name a few.
The first step in overcoming the strategy of the enemy in our lives is to settle the issue that this side of heaven we are in a spiritual battle from which we cannot escape. The second step is to choose to be a combatant; neutrality and passivity are not an option. The third step is to commit to the learning and training necessary to be an effective freedom fighter. The fourth step is simply to fight for the life Jesus purchased for us and for others through us.
It is imperative to realize the fight is not our mission. Our mission is the freedom and life promised to and purchased for us by Jesus, but it must be fought for. A Kingdom warrior cannot love war, he must love peace because that’s what he’s fighting for.
May we be the freedom fighters Jesus has called us to be and fight to see His government of righteousness, peace and joy established in our lives and in the lives of those for whom He has called us to fight.
Yes, we are called as combatants in the struggle to see God’s Kingdom come and His will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.
Hooah!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Ephesians 6:12
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Colossians 2:15
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Are You a Fan or a Follower?
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“Sea – Hawks! Sea – Hawks! Sea – Hawks!”
And so the cheer gained more and more momentum until it reached a deafening crescendo. Each side of the plane leveraged off of the passion of the other side of the plane to produce one harmonious, synchronous, and united exaltation in support of their beloved Seattle Seahawks – and they hadn’t even won the Super Bowl yet!
This past week I happened to, quite innocently, wonder onto a flight to Philadelphia that was, unbeknownst to me, the flight dozens of passionate Seattle Seahawks fans were taking to attend Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey. As soon as they announced early boarding was being offered to all Seattle fans in team attire and I saw the masses of enthusiastic fans starting to celebrate in full regalia, I knew I was in for a long flight.
Sure enough, once seated, I was surrounded by scores of young men off on an athletic adventure, a pilgrimage to football mecca. They had all spent thousands of dollars for no other reason than to engage with other members of their tribe in support of a cause that brought meaning, hope and joy to their lives. They were firmly committed to do all they could to help their beloved Sea Hawks go all the way and win the big game.
“I wear the same socks to every game.” “I haven’t changed my underwear since the playoffs began.” “I haven’t changed my underwear all season!”
You wouldn’t believe all the stories of their rituals and superstitions I overheard. Each one convinced that what they were doing was somehow contributing to victory.
I admired their passion. I admired their enthusiasm. I admired their commitment. I admired their community.
I wanted to share it.
This whole experience got me thinking about the church. I wished I was that passionate about Jesus, the church and the Kingdom. I wished we were all that passionate about this epic adventure into which we have been called – and that passionate about the Caller Himself.
However, there is one critical distinction between these Seattle fans and us – we are not called to be spectators. We are not called to be fans.
We have actually been drafted by our Heavenly Coach to play the game. We have not been called to sit in the stands to cheer on Jesus and His select team of players. We are not even called to dress for the game and sit on the bench. No, we have been called to put on the jersey of Jesus, suit up in the (under) armour of God, take up our position on the team, and play hard. We are called to follow the instructions of the Coach and march that spiritual football down the field to score again and again against the opposition set against us.
We are followers, not fans. We are players, not spectators.
Our Heavenly Father coaches the team and sets the game plan, Jesus calls the plays as our spiritual quarterback and the Holy Spirit fills us with all we need to play our position on the team. It’s a winning combination. We need to follow the directions of the coach, run the plays called by Christ, support our team members and move in the strength of the Holy Spirit to overcome and dominate our opposition.
Sure, some of the opposition set against us is huge and intimidating, but we have divine power to be overcomers. We need the blocking (prayer) of other members of the team, work hard to play our position with excellence, and to encourage one another just like any other winning football team. Following Jesus is a team game – we cannot do this alone.
Kyle Idleman has written a book that has become a movement: Not a Fan. In it Kyle makes a compelling case that Jesus did not come to create enthusiastic admirers, but completely committed followers.
Let’s suit up to take our place on God’s team, following our coach and quarterback into victory over the opposition.
Players, not spectators. Followers, not fans.
I am not a fan of Jesus – I trust neither are you.
Let’s get in the game.
John 12:26
“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
2 Peter 1:3
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
I John 5:3,4
“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.”
Delight of My Life
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There was a crowd that’s for sure. Everybody had shown up down by the river. It was actually becoming the popular thing to do. Sure, there were many whose hearts were true and who were fully engaged at a deep level. But there were definitely others who just wanted to fit in with this new “movement”.
It was in the midst of all of this that he showed up. He arrived just like everyone else, wanting to do what was right. But he was no ordinary man. And that certainly became evident as soon as the proceedings got started. However, it was what happened after that sent a shock wave of awe through the crowd of spectators.
He went down into the water just like everyone else, but when he came up out of the water the heavens opened, the Spirit of God came upon him in the form of a dove, and God spoke audibly. Yes, audibly. Everyone heard it. And the surprising thing was what God said,
“This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”
A Father expressing His love for and delight in His son – Jesus.
The Father didn’t say anything about Jesus being the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. No, He said what Jesus needed to hear. He said what we needed to hear. “You are my son, I love you and I am delighted in you.”
This was validation, and it’s the example for what all men need to experience – the affirmation of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. This is the critical revelation that each and every man needs to experience. We must know that our Father loves us and delights in us. We must know that we have been born again into the family of God. We have been adopted as sons – beloved sons. We must understand the Father Heart of God toward us.
Most men live with a performance-based mentality. No matter how absent, awful, abusive or awesome your father was (or is) you have been seeded with the belief that you are only as good as you perform. It is a lie that is strategically sown into our hearts when we are young. We are not good enough and have to accomplish, achieve and acquire in order to be worthy of love, acceptance, significance, honor, praise, etc. The trouble is though, no matter how much you accomplish, achieve or acquire it’s never enough.
How much is enough? A little more…
With a performance-based mentality you spend your life trying to prove yourself – but you never can, it’s never enough. You try to prove yourself in work, in relationships, in education, in the community, in church – whatever. And the strength we try to bring into these realms is not our authentic strength, because our authentic strength is only found when we are rooted in our Father’s love.
What we are all hungry and thirsty for; the only thing that will quell that driving restlessness seeking affirmation and validation, is the Father’s love. To hear and experience at a deep heart level the Father saying to us, “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”
You don’t need to worry that this is not God’s heart toward you – it is. Scripture tells us that we are His beloved sons. This is the critical Truth we must allow to penetrate deep into our hearts. And, it starts by simply asking the Father to reveal His heart toward us.
“Father, would you please reveal your heart toward me. Who do you say I am?”
Then, journey with ‘Dad’ in this. Create time to listen in prayer. Set aside time to be alone – walks, hikes, drives, sitting in your favourite chair. Soak in Dad’s presence and listen. Soak in Dad’s Word and listen.
Your authentic strength, your authentic life, all that you hunger for, is found in the validation and affirmation of your Father’s love for you as His son. To know that you are chosen and marked by His love.
The delight of His life.
Matthew 3:16, 17
“The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit-it looked like a dove-descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: ‘This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.'” (The Message)
Romans 8:15
“This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children.” (The Message)
Zephaniah 3:17b
“He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
What is a Wholehearted Man?
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Click to hear a powerful song “Rise Up O Men of God”
I had a good friend of mine ask me a simple yet profound question:
“So what is a wholehearted man?”
Wow, good question. It really made me think…
“Wholehearted” is defined as being ardent, authentic, committed, dedicated, determined, devoted, fervent, genuine, passionate, steadfast, true, unreserved, unwavering, and zealous.
Wholehearted men live out of a deep sense of passion, purpose, commitment, conviction, identity and life. But, what does it mean to be wholehearted in relation to God?
I think a wholehearted man is wholeheartedly following God and has been made “whole” by God.
Let me explain. It is not enough to believe in Jesus. It is not enough to know about Jesus. It is even not enough to know Jesus. Even Satan believes that Jesus is real, knows about Him and knows Him personally. No, the mark of a true believer, a true ‘follower’ is just that – they follow Jesus. They obey Jesus. They have surrendered their will to Him and are obeying Him instead of doing what they want.
Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him.
Wholehearted men have turned their backs on sin and doing things their way and have wholeheartedly thrown themselves into God’s way of doing things. God’s will, God’s way on a daily, moment by moment basis. They give Him all they have.
Wholehearted men are not “half-hearted” in how they walk with Jesus – a little bit of God when it’s convenient. Be God’s man on Sundays and then my own man the rest of the week. Call out to God when things are bad, but go silent when things are good. Keep one foot in the pleasures of the world, and one foot in the purposes of God. Count the blessings, but not the cost. Desire the life, without the death. Savor the salvation, without the sacrifice.
No, wholehearted men have hearts that are wholly His. All in. Men who have gotten out of the driver’s seat of their life and handed the keys to Jesus. Drive on Lord – I’ll go where you want, not try to talk you into going where I want to go.
Sure, no one is perfect, and I am fairly confident that is not what the Lord is looking for – that’s what His grace and mercy are all about. However, we have been given a will with which we can choose to surrender to God’s will or not. We have a will with which we can embrace humility and repentance when we mess us.
And, as we wholeheartedly pursue our Heavenly Father’s heart, through the redemptive work of Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will have our hearts made whole by God’s work in us and through us. God’s overwhelming love – His great goodness and His good greatness – heals our wounds and sets us free from the ravages of sin.
Oh the great redeeming work of Jesus bringing God’s beloved sons and daughters back into an extraordinary relationship with our Father God. Hope, healing, freedom, favour, vision, blessing, victory, comfort, beauty, gladness, love – all part of our inheritance as children of God. Will we ever be completely made whole this side of heaven? I don’t think so, but there is far more wholeness for us than we can imagine.
It is certainly not easy to be a wholehearted man. It takes dedication, discipline, desire, determination and delight. God is looking for men who are wholeheartedly His. Men whose hearts are fully His. Men who are fully committed to Him. I think wholehearted men are continually praying, “Lord I believe, please help my unbelief.”, and then they keep moving forward with single-minded determination into more of God’s heart for them and through them.
We never arrive; we are always on a journey. It’s only by God’s grace we can walk wholeheartedly with Him with an iron will to obey, and a bended knee to surrender. Let us continue on. Let us press forward to be the wholehearted men that the Lord is seeking so that we might experience all that is in His heart for us. It’s not perfection He wants, simply a man who continues to pursue Him – wholeheartedly. To give him all that we’ve got.
Rise up oh men of God – give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings! Let’s give Him all that we’ve got!
Romans 6:12-14 (The Message)
“That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time – remember, you’ve been raised from the dead! – into God’s way of doing things. Sin can’t tell you how to live. After all, you’re not living under that old tyranny any longer. You’re living in the freedom of God.”
II Chronicles 16:9
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
Deuteronomy 1:36
“…except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.”
It’s Not All About Jesus
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OK, before you think I am a heretic, let me explain.
We often hear that “It’s all about Jesus.” A favourite song of mine from many years ago was, in fact, “It’s All About Jesus”. Yes, salvation is found only in Jesus. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is God. Jesus is the only way to the Father. But that’s just it – He came to reconcile mankind to the Father.
Mankind’s sin had alienated us from the Father. Jesus came to make a way for the sons and daughters of God to be in right relationship with their Heavenly Father. He came to reveal the Father’s heart. “If you have seen me you have seen the father.” “I and the Father are one.” “When you pray, pray like this, ‘Our Father who is in heaven…’”
My point is this: Jesus came to connect us with our Father and demonstrate the heart of the Father to His children. Jesus was about the Father and the Father’s business.
Here’s how it applies to men in a profound way. Most men suffer from a performance-based mentality. In other words, we have grown up believing that our value and worth depends on how well we perform. This is a value system that was instilled very early on in our lives. Get good grades – you’re valuable. Excel in sports – you’re valuable. Succeed in work – you’re valuable. Make lots of money – you’re valuable. Achieve, accomplish, acquire and you are significant and valuable.
Sadly, with this belief we are never validated. We are never at rest. We are always trying to prove ourselves. How much is enough? Just a little more… Or, we have resigned ourselves to never being able to prove our value, worth, significance or manliness. Regardless, whether we are trying to prove our significance, or have resigned ourselves to never being significance, we will always carry a question mark over our lives instead of an exclamation mark.
The only thing that can settle the issue of our value, worth, significance and validation as a man is the revelation that we are beloved sons of our Heavenly Father. Scripture is very clear that we are beloved sons of God, and that is the source of our value and worth. Even Jesus needed to hear His Father validate Him. At His baptism and His transfiguration His Father said the same things, “This is my son whom I love and in whom I am well pleased.”
Basically, He was saying, “I love you and am so proud of you.”
This is what every man needs to hear from his Heavenly Father. This is the only thing that settles the issue of our value, worth and significance – it’s the Father Heart of God. It’s knowing that God delights in you as His beloved son. He rejoices over you with singing.
It’s imperative that you seek and discover God’s heart for you as a beloved son. To know that you have nothing to prove. You are loved and delighted in by God. You have been adopted as a son – born again – into the family of God by a Father who thinks you are awesome. Your Father longs for a deep intimate relationship with you as His son, a relationship so intimate that you call Him Daddy.
When you truly experience the Father Heart of God, and the deep heart revelation that you are a son He loves, your question mark gets turned into an exclamation mark. You settle the issue of your significance and you don’t have anything to prove. Now, your accomplishments are an act of worship out of love, instead of an attempt to prove your significance.
Discovering the Father Heart of God is a journey, it’s doesn’t happen through a quick prayer or instantaneously. It takes time. It’s a relational journey that begins with you asking God to reveal His Father heart for you and then watching, listening and experiencing what He begins to do. He can speak to you through myriad ways. Keep your heart open and listen.
Jesus came to make a way for you to be in relationship with God as His beloved son, and the revelation of that will change everything.
Jeremiah 3:19
“I myself said, ‘How gladly would I treat you as sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me.’”
II Corinthians 6:18
“I will be a Father to you and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Galatians 4:4-7
“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”
Jerry McGuire Got it Wrong
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Click to see the infamous scene…
Have you seen the movie Jerry McGuire?
It’s not a fabulous movie, but it is an interesting tale of failure, betrayal, brokenness, humility, integrity, loyalty, courage, love and redemption. Jerry is a great example of a poser. A puffer fish extraordinaire. He is also an example of someone who walks through brokenness and comes out the other end a humbler and better man.
A fairly prevalent theme on many fronts throughout the movie is “redemption”, including a very moving scene when Jerry returns to his wife after she had suggested they separate because of his seeming lack of for her. He comes back early from a road trip to profess his love and his need for her. He then utters a very simple line that has become a popular belief within North American culture as an indication of a fabulous relationship:
“You complete me.”
This romantic turn of phrase seems profound, powerful and a sign of true love, but it’s not true. Not only is it not true, but it is a dangerous belief. Your wife doesn’t complete you – Jesus does.
Does your wife add another dimension of life and the heart of God that you may not have experienced without knowing her? Sure. Are you joined together with your wife as one – no longer two? Yes.
However, you and I are only made complete in Jesus. We are made whole in Jesus alone.
It was first said by Blaise Pascal in 1670 that, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”
If we buy into the Hollywood lie, “my wife completes me”, then we will look to her for life. We will look to her to meet our needs. This is not a good basis for a relationship. We end up bringing our needs to our wife and take from her instead of giving to her. We will look to get instead of give. She will inevitably let us down, resentments will begin to grow, divisions will appear, relationship will suffer and if not dealt with, marriages will break apart.
That deep place of need we all have, that relentless inner longing for life and love, can only be filled by Jesus. Can your wife express aspects of the life and love of God to you? Definitely. Is there much you can receive from your wife? Absolutely. Are you overwhelmingly grateful for who your wife is and how she gives to you? Hopefully. But you cannot look to her to meet your needs, you must go to Jesus. Will Jesus work through your wife to touch your heart? Yes, but your expectation must be in Jesus.
We have been called to love our wives in the same way that Christ loved the church and laid down His life for her. We are called to love our wives with a love marked by giving and not getting. If we will consciously shift our hearts to look to Jesus to meet our needs, and love our wives by giving selflessly, then we can simply receive whatever love our wives have for us and not measure their responses by some deeply felt expectation that inevitably they will not meet.
Look to Jesus to meet your needs. Allow Him to complete you, and out of His love working in you and through you lay your life down for your wife. Lay down your expectations of her to love you the way your expect her to. Lay down your expectations of her to be the wife you were hoping for. Surrender your expectations to Jesus and look to Him to work in you, then through you in a way that enables you to love your wife selflessly.
If you are able to live and love selflessly you will realize you wife’s love in a way that previously you couldn’t. Release her from the expectation that she somehow needs to complete you. Love her with a love marked by giving, not by getting – and the only way you can do that is through Jesus.
Jesus completes you, not your wife. He is your source of life.
Ephesians 5:25 (The Message)
“Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church-a love marked by giving, not getting.”
John 14:6
“I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Philippians 4:19
“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
John 4:13
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'”
Life’s Critical Daily Decision
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“…except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” Deuteronomy 1:36
Wow. So what did Caleb do to make him “exceptional” and receive the incredible promises of God?
Well, the simple answer is that he followed the Lord “wholeheartedly”, but what did that look like?
I think Caleb chose wisely when it came to life’s critical daily decision. His choice, his daily ongoing choices, led him to be a wholehearted man and receive the promises of God.
So what did he choose?
He was faced with the same choice that you and I face every day. In fact, he faced the same choice that every single person who has chosen to walk with God has had to choose.
Will we choose fear, or will we choose faith?
That is really what it comes down to: will I give into the stresses, the strains, the trials of life and the constant whisper campaign of the enemy intent on getting me to not believe the truth of God, to get me believe that God cannot be trusted and I, therefore, need to be afraid and take control myself? Or will I believe what God says is true?
Caleb was one of the 12 spies sent into the Promised Land to scope it out. They spent 40 days checking things out and they all came back with the same report: The land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, its fruit was abundant, and there were lots of people living there who were powerful and lived in fortified cities. They all agreed on that.
However, 10 of the spies chose fear instead of faith:
“We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are…the land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in or own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Caleb chose faith instead of fear:
“We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it…the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
I read this account in Numbers 13&14 and I say to myself, “C’mon man, wack your head with a stick. God just led you out of Israel with a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud. He parted the Red Sea and wiped out Pharaoh and his army… quail in the desert, manna from heaven, etc,…and you still don’t believe God – what is it going to take?”
It’s easy to look at their profound disbelief after all God has done and think these people are thicker than a sack of hammers – until I examine my own heart. How has God demonstrated His incredible faithfulness in my life for decades, and then a tough business scenario hits, or a serious illness, or maybe just the everyday stresses, strains and trials of life, and suddenly I am racked with fear.
Why am I afraid? Why are you afraid? Because I, and perhaps you, are not choosing to believe that God is who He says He is. He will provide; He will complete His work in us; He will lead, guide, counsel and watch over us; He does not sleep or slumber; He will not let us fall; He has not yet forsaken any who trust in Him; nothing can separate us from His love.
Either He is who He says He is, or our faith is a joke.
So, our critical daily decision is whether or not we will believe God, or give into fear sown by the one who wants to steal, kill and destroy all the life God has for us. And, the only way our enemy can steal the life God has for us is if we give into his fear and don’t choose to believe the Truth of God.
So my friend, if you are living in fear I implore you to choose to wholeheartedly believe the Truth of what God says. A sure sign that we do not believe the Truth is if we are living in fear on an ongoing basis.
Choose faith over fear. Believe the Truth, and it will set you free from fear.
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
John 8:31,32
“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'”
Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
5 Ways to Guard Your Heart
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My mom died of a heart attack when I was 9 years old. She had familial hypercholesterolemia, which led to angina, which led
to her death.
I have inherited her condition. What that means is that my liver is defective and it produces way more cholesterol than I need. So, I have been taking cholesterol lowering medication for over 20 years. If I do not take my medication every day I would have died many years ago.
So, apart from a miracle, I will be on medication for the rest of my life. It is an easy choice: life with some minor side effects, or death. My medication is how I guard my heart against heart attack. There are some other things I can be doing, like exercise and eating a little differently, but my little pill does the lion’s share of guarding my heart against attack.
Now, let’s switch from the physical heart to our spiritual heart. As we are aware, our hearts – not the organ – is the deepest part of us. It is our true essence. It is our place of deepest conviction, commitment, passion, purpose, identity and life.
Scripture tells us much about the heart: God has placed eternity in our hearts; we must believe in our hearts; we must seek God with all our heart; good men bring good things out of the good stored in his heart…there are well over 600 references to the heart in scripture.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart for it is the well spring of life.”
We must guard our hearts because that is where our life springs up from. That is where the image of God and the spirit of God abide. Our enemy knows that, and that is why the story of your life is a long and sustained attack from the enemy of your soul against your heart to steal kill and destroy the life that Jesus has for you.
We must guard our hearts – but how? Here are 5 ways you must guard your heart against the assault of the enemy:
1. Meditate on the truth
Get alone, get still and fill your heart with the Truth of who He is and who He says you are.
2. Metacognition
This means thinking about thinking – be aware of what you are thinking about. Take captive your thoughts to the truth. If what you are thinking about does not bring life, hope, and peace then it isn’t based in truth.
3. Recreation
You heart needs to breathe. Get outside, paint, go boating, hike, garden, ride horses, make music – whatever it is that makes your heart come alive, do it on a regular basis.
4. Rest
When you are tired you are more susceptible to the lies of the enemy, to being impatient, angry, to sickness, etc. Sleep and take holidays.
5. Community
Create a community of allies with whom you do life. A man alone is easy prey. We need to live in community with allies who will walk with us at a heart level – a band of brothers.
Hey guys, it’s a battle out there – let’s make sure we guard our hearts so we can appropriate all that Jesus has for us.
Psalm 4:4b
“Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.”
II Corinthians 10:5
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Howzaviz? – Be Strong. Be Courageous.
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June 20, 2011
There I sat in the cab of the 1 ton dump truck waiting for who-knows-what to arrive and fill my order. This was the first time I was at an aggregate supply yard. I was 19 years old, and very intimidated. I had been sent by the owner of the landscape company I worked for between university terms to pick up 2 cubic yards of 1.5 inch drain rock. I knew what the drain rock looked like, but I had no idea how much 2 cubic yards was and I really didn’t know what was involved in getting it into my truck.
As I sat there intimidated by these unknowns and by the mountains of material that surrounded my truck I felt something that did nothing to calm my insecurities. The ground began to rumble around me – something akin to minor earth tremors – followed by a deafening roar that sounded like a jet engine. My eyes then beheld the largest piece of motorized equipment I had ever seen in my life – an 8 cubic yard front-end loader. Now, I know for many of you guys that may be a little girlie loader, but for a 19 year old North Vancouver middle class city slicker it was gigantic.
The big, burly, hairy driver opened the door and yelled something intimating at me, which I interpreted as meaning, “What do you want and how much of it do you want?” I pointed at the mountain of drain rock and held up 2 fingers. He yelled back what I think was, “Tell me when to stop.” He then partially filled his bucket, rumbled over to my truck and gingerly shook out some drain rock. I timidly told him to stop – having no idea how much 2 yards looked like and no idea if I even had what I came here for. He left abruptly.
I drove back to the weigh scale on the way out to talk with the same rough, burly, intimidating guy I timidly asked on the way in how I get 2 yards of 1.5 inch drain rock. He was the one who told me to drive over to the mountains of rock and wait. When I reached the scale on the way out he said, “I thought you wanted 2 yards of drain rock?”
“Ah, yeah I do, but don’t really know how much that is and the guy in the massive loader seemed to be in a hurry.”
Then the God moment arrived – my significant life lesson began…
The rough, burly, intimidating guy looked me square in the eyes and said boldly and matter-of-factly as only a manly man could, “Look kid, you came here to get 2 yards of 1.5 inch drain rock. Don’t leave until you have it!” I am sure there were some colorful expletives mixed in there for good measure, but the underlying sentiment was clear, “Grow some balls kid.” Or to put it in the Biblical vernacular, “Be strong and courageous!”
So, emboldened with a newfound confidence, and knowing that I only had 1 yard of drain rock, I drove back to mountains of rock and then boldly took charge of commanding the guy in the massive loader to give me one more yard. Which he did, and I left a changed man.
My lesson was very simple: sometimes we just need to man up. We need to choose to be bold and courageous. Cowboy up. Nut up or shut up. However you want to put it, we simply need to choose to be strong. It’s part of being a man.
So, you may very well be facing some very intimidating scenarios right now. Yes, get prayer for you. Yes, seek wisdom from the Lord. Yes, surrender to His will and ask for strength. Then, man up. Be strong, be courageous – they are both choices. Follow in Joshua’s footsteps.
Be strong. Be courageous. Be a man.
Joshua 1:9
“Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” (The Message)
Howzaviz? Flirt or Flee?
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December 9, 2009
How do you deal with temptation? Do you flirt with it, or do you flee from it? We typically do one or the other. Actually we do both. Sometimes we flee from temptation, and other times we flirt with it. Flirting with temptation is a little bit like being around a fire – we try to get as close as we can and not get burned. Or, it’s like being around a very tall cliff – we try to get as close as we can to the edge and not fall off. There is a thrill in that – in getting close to the edge and not falling off. It takes courage. Right? You are in control. Right? You have what it takes to get close to the edge – to flirt with the thrill, but not fall off. It is not courageous to flirt with temptation.
This summer, as part of his vision quest from boyhood to young manhood, my son Benjamin and I climbed some mountains at Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park. There are two particularly knee wobbling sections: Smokey the Bear and Giant Cleft. Both of these are massive cliffs. They seem to fall away forever. I have done a fair bit of climbing and rappelling from great heights, but my knees were actually going weak. My stomach was queasy just getting close to the edge. Actually, the conditions we were in were quite perilous. There was a violent wind that day that would have easily blown us over the edge. We had to crawl on our bellies to the edge in order to peer over. I tried to use this as an illustration for Benjamin that this is what the enemy’s strategy is like with us. We are tempted, and if we flirt with the temptation we move closer to the edge of the cliff – perhaps thinking, “I’m not really going to do anything about this…I’m just curious…” And before we know it, we are falling.
The right response to temptation is to flee from it. Whatever it is – lust, greed, coveting, etc. Remember Joseph and Potiphar’s wife? There was a man who knew how to flee from the cliff. A beautiful, powerful woman wants him to have sex with her. Day after day she kept enticing him. He kept saying no. He even refused to be around her. Then he comes in the house one day and she has sent everyone away.
The trap is set – would he flirt or flee? Maybe not sex, but something else? A little kiss? A little touch? A little embrace? When she took hold of him, he took off so fast that he leaves his cloak in her hands.
Lord, help us to be men like Joseph. Men who see the cost of the cliff. Men who have set our hearts – in advance – to flee and not flirt with temptation.
It is not courageous to flirt with temptation. The cost of the cliff is great. Flee, don’t flirt.
Genesis 39:12
“She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”
Strength and courage,
David
Full-time Ministry is an Attitude
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September 2, 2009
I always wanted to be a pastor. My brother is 10 years older than me. He led me to Christ. He discipled me. He fathered me. I wanted to be like him, and he’s a pastor. I always figured that being a pastor was “first string”. If you’ve played any team sports you know that there is first string, and then the rest of the team. First string plays the most and they’re the best players. I was a first string kind of guy. I always had the idea, rightly or wrongly, that if I couldn’t play first string then I didn’t want to play. I couldn’t stand the thought of watching someone else play knowing that I didn’t have what it takes to play at that level.
And it was with that attitude that the Lord led me into the marketplace. I always felt like I was second string. I just couldn’t cut the starting line-up – I wasn’t a pastor. I was a teacher – in public schools and in a Christian school – for a period of time. I have been in sales and marketing. I founded my marketing agency 12 years ago, following a period of time as a sports marketing specialist in the National Hockey League.
Strangely, it was during my time in the NHL that the Lord spoke to me about the lie I had believed.
I felt like He asked me, “Did I call you – or anyone – to serve me with part of your life, or do I call everyone to give me their whole life?” The answer was pretty obvious – “Lord, you call each of us to surrender totally to you and serve you with our whole life.”
“Well then, full-time ministry is an attitude, it’s not a position.”
You see, we are all called to be first string. There is no “Plan B”. We are “Plan A”. Jesus called each of us to give Him our whole life – not just part of it. We are all called to serve Jesus as full-time ministers, whether that is in the church or in the marketplace.
Are you in full-time ministry? Remember, it’s an attitude, it’s not a position.
Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do work at it with all your heart like working for the Lord, not for men.”
Strength and courage,
David MacLean
Give Me Your Backpack
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May 11, 2009
After graduating from UBC with a Commerce and PE degree, Anne and I got married, went to Bible School and then moved to Winnipeg to be with my brother and the church in Winnipeg. I worked in business as an Account Executive, but had always believed that I was to teach. So, after a few years I resigned my position and went back to university to get an Education degree. This marked the beginning of a very profound period in my life.
While at the University of Manitoba getting my Education degree I started a prayer and Bible study group with Christians in the faculty. During one of those meetings I had my first vision.
I saw myself hiking up a mountain wearing a great big backpack. I came to a fork in the path. One path went straight up the mountain, and the other went down into the valley. However, it wasn’t the paths that caught my attention – it was Jesus. He stood at the fork in the path holding a climbing rope and a climbing axe. He held them out to me and said, “Give me your backpack, all you need are these.” My first thought was, “I can’t give you my backpack. Everything I need for this trip is in there.”
The vision ended.
As I began to unpack the vision the Lord helped me to understand what He was saying. The rope represented the Word of God. The climbing axe represented the Holy Spirit. The back pack represented all the things that I believed I needed to accomplish during my life in order for me to be considered “successful”.
What did I think I needed to accomplish in order to be a success? A beautiful house in a beautiful neighborhood. Nice vehicles. Meaningful work. A good income. Enough money to give away lots. Cool family holidays. World mission travel. A good reputation in the community. Influence and favour in the community. A ministry that makes a difference for the Kingdom.
The Lord was calling me to lay all of these hopes and dreams down and walk with Him – relying on His Word and the Holy Spirit. It took me two years to come to the point of surrender. At the time I was teaching in a private Christian school making $2,000/month. We were raising a family on one income, and none of my hopes and dreams seemed remotely possible. Jesus had to be enough.
What’s in your backpack? Will you give it to Jesus? Is Jesus enough for you?
Matthew 16:24-26
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?'”
Strength and courage,
David