Are You Doing Too Much?

It seems that the rapid pace of life in American society is swamping most of us. There is so much to do and so many places to go and so many people to see, text, email, phone, etc. You know exactly what I mean.

Many of us have a great work ethic, but this is not the problem. The problem is usually working too much, or having "too many irons in the fire." Can you keep juggling all the balls that you have in the air? Maybe it is time to let some of them drop before you do.

In Andy Stanley's book, Next Generation Leader, he says that the less you do, the more you accomplish. Now, he is saying this with leadership in mind because when you are leading others you must let go of things and let others do it -- thus, you get more done by doing less, but you enable others to accomplish more.

We must "focus" our energies so that we will do well what is our main thing. You've heard the saying, "a jack of all trades, master of none," right? If you are doing too many things then they are all going to suffer; none will be excellent. But if you are good at something and you have more time to give to it, well, it will be done with excellence and you will be more productive. You will also have greater satisfaction in your work and you will have a lot less stress in your life.

So, let's focus our energies and let others do what we are not so good at. Guess what? Now you are empowering them and they are actually good at that line of work and you see that it will multiply as that person focuses and so forth. I know that many of you are saying that there is no way that you can do that. You have to do all that you are doing. Really?

It was painful, yet fun for the staff here at ALC to look at this in all our work here. There was some who were really ready to let things drop as we discovered that some of the things we were doing were not the main thing for them, nor was it needed anymore. It maybe was a nice thing to do, but with the resources we have it was no longer a priority. It is good to periodically look at what we are doing to see if there is really any success in it. Maybe we can let it go and drop it. Maybe someone will pick it up or maybe no one will even notice. I bet many times no one will even notice.

Let's free up our time by focusing on what we are good at. Did you know that the most successful people are not the most "well-rounded?" The successful people are those focused on what they were gifted in. If we will do this, then our lives will be less busy and stressed out we will have time for relationships, ministry and, yes, even time for the Lord. It is also very freeing to know that you don't have to be good at everything, nor know everything. Somebody else will know and do it, and love doing it.

Remember in the Bible when the apostles were waiting tables for the widows? They discovered that they needed others to do it. Why? Andy Stanley says it this way, "Unlike the modern church, they did not ask for volunteers. They chose seven men who were equipped to handle the task. They were not shirking their responsibility by doing this. On the contrary, they were choosing in such a way as to ensure that the job would be done better than before." The result is recorded in Acts 6:7, "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."

Dr. Howard Hendricks said, "... this principle of central focus. There are many things I can do, but I have to narrow it down to the one thing I must do. The secret of concentration is elimination." Are you having trouble concentrating? If so, then think of things that you can eliminate. When you do, I will be seeing more of you and you will be more carefree and successful, too. Less is more.

Suddenly Or Planned

Is it more spiritual when God moves or does things through people unexpectedly? Or is it more spiritual when God shows things for people to do or say in advance? I would say neither is more or less spiritual than the other. They are both equally spiritual and both equally God.

Sometimes we see in the Bible where God would do things suddenly and unexpectedly. It would be miraculous and people are amazed and blessed. Take for instance the appearing of the angels to the shepherds announcing the birth of Christ. This was so unexpected that they were pretty much in shock. God used this to glorify the birth of the savior of the world -- Jesus. But, also we know that His coming was prophesied about throughout the Old Testament. We know many things about the PLANNED coming of the Lord.

I believe that it is cool with the Lord that we plan things in advance -- messages, services, topics, ministry, etc. It takes planning and coordination for many things to even take place. Once we pray and ask God to lead us, guess what, He will. He will show us things that are to come in advance. Then, He often will do unexpected things that add to the planned and expected things.

Often the culture of a church will determine how messages are delivered, received, and prepared or not. I remember a coworker of mine at UPS back in 1984. He was working there part time. He loved the Lord and sometimes would speak at his church. This church was accustomed to having no planned things, but to just let the Spirit move as He chose. The ministers would not use notes but maybe come with some scriptures (though they did study the subject they were to preach).

This man, however, chose to write out his messages word for word in advance. He would then speak at church what He believed the Lord was bringing to them through this advanced prepared message. He took a lot of flack for doing that. He was pressured to not use notes. Apparently God was just not moving as He should because it was preplanned. I do not know how things went for this man, but I still remember him and how God used him to bless and strengthen my life.

Over the years as pastor of this church, I have given messages that were not preplanned, at least in detail. I believed that God would move and if I had a right heart that He would say what the people needed to hear. I still believe that. But, I have come to learn that He will move through a message that I pre-write most all of it, even as much as three weeks ahead of time (I did this when I went on vacation). To my amazement He can still transform lives by a preplanned message. The Word of God will still inspire people to live Godly lives though it is not inspired just at that moment, but was inspired days, weeks, even years earlier. Now, I have found that I actually have better messages and people remember them more than before by preparing a message in as much detail and forethought as possible.

Now that does not mean that one is better than the other. I think it depends on the man or woman God is using and what occasion and purpose the meeting is about. The point is that God is bigger than how things are delivered; they just must be delivered to people in the best way possible, so they can receive it and retain it.

Remember Joseph? He was sold into slavery and ended up in prison in Egypt. This seemed so random and bad. But, later Joseph told those brothers that it was God's plan to get him in that place to save peoples lives. Joseph had interpreted a dream of Pharaoh and caused a plan to be put in place to store food for seven years and then sell it for the coming seven famine years to all the world. It was a "suddenly" of different God events that brought forth a plan that was supernatural, but perhaps later seemed mundane to implement day after day all those years. I am sure that there was a lot of planning and organizing and writing things down before hand to make it all happen.

So, God is still in the business of saving all the world through Jesus Christ. Let's not get bogged down in the methods, but lets get busy with the message. As sojourners, missionaries, in this world, we are to relate the Truth in a way that the culture can most avidly accept it, so their lives will be transformed. It is different how God uses me today. I love being used how He wants at this time. Maybe He wants to use you in a new way, too.

Glimpses

Do you ever get impatient? I usually am able to be calm and wait. But, sometimes it seems I've waited long enough. Where is the result or reward I am looking for? I can almost feel it. I can almost taste it, yet it is still just over the horizon. I know I am going in the right direction. I know this is the right path, yet I am still waiting.

I may see glimpses of what is to come. This is just enough to keep me going. I believe that is called HOPE. Yes, God gives us hope! I like the scripture in Heb 11:1, NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for. (AMP)

We have to keep our hope alive. It keeps us alive. Our faith in God cannot be sustained without hope. Hope keeps us looking; keeps us stretching toward our goal. The bible tells us that we receive God's promises by faith and patience. All of these work together. No hope equals no faith. No faith means no receiving from God. No patience and we will quit too soon. So we must keep our hopeful patience going.

I am encouraged by those glimpses of the future I am longing for. I have seen too many people unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel. They become hopelessly in the dark of their tunnel of adversity. Sometimes they will turn to God and He will renew their hope. Sometimes it takes the support of others; their encouragement by pointing out where the tunnel ends and how bright that future light really is.

How are you doing today? Are you hopefully patient? Are you patiently hopeful? Do you see a glimpse of what you are longing for? Grab hold of God and don't let go. You can depend on Him to get you through. He is the light at the end of our tunnel - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me! (Ps 23:4)

Going to the Game

Tomorrow I am going to a Twins baseball game. We were blessed with the tickets. I looked online and found that the pitcher Francisco Liriano will be playing. This guy had an injury and was out last season and had surgery. He came back early this year and lost three straight. They sent him down to the minor leagues. He came back and has won five games with no losses now. What a comeback.

Sometimes I feel like that has happened to me. How about you? You are going along and all seems well. Then, it all goes south and you wonder why? Why did this have to happen? You feel like you got sent down to the minors. Then, with God's help you come back and you are rolling again.

I am so happy to be rolling along and our church is rolling along. We are seeing so many new people that I am really amazed. I so enjoy the church services. The worship is so dynamic. The music team must be the best around. I sure enjoy them. The team is so talented - definitely they are major league. I love the messages that God is bringing to the church and I love giving them. It feels like I am in the right place and pitching for the win every time.

So, if you are feeling like you've been sent down to the minor leagues, don't give up. Keep going and let God help you find your pitch again. Keep rolling to the majors again. Give it time and see what God can do. I sure am looking forward to seeing Lariano pitch for the win tomorrow. Win or lose he has already won because he stayed with what God gave him to do. With Christ we already win if we don't quit.

Finding Your Sweet Spot

Yes, I can feel it, that sweet spot, when the club hits the ball and you know it is perfect. It is like you know the ball is going exactly where it is supposed to go. I remember a few years ago when I was playing the 18th hole. I had not exactly played well, just OK. I had hit a good tee shot. I still had about 250 yards to the hole. I went for it. I took out my 3 wood and hit the sweet spot. It rolled onto the green. I had an eagle putt. I did end up with a birdie. But, hitting that sweet spot is what made that whole golf game a thrill and made me want to play again.

I have not played golf at all this year, but I can still feel the sweet spot. It is like your work. When you are not in the right place you are not doing so well. You don't want to go to work. It feels like you are wearing the wrong clothes - they don't fit right; awkward. But when you find the right fit you know it and it is so sweet. When you are working in your sweet spot it is like it isn't work at all. You love what you are doing. Even though it may be challenging, it is envigorating and you want to keep doing it.

Eccl 2:24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, NIV

Have you found your sweet spot? Is your work satisfying? Is it your passion? If not then keep looking for it. God has made you to have it, use it, and find it. The world is in need of it and you are in need of expressing it. Don't give up. Your first 17 holes may have been mediocre at best, but here comes your 18th hole and you will even make an eagle putt. SWEEEEET!

Do you hate your job?

I found an amazing statistic from an '05 Gallup poll that says that 77% of people dislike or hate their jobs. What about you? Do you get up in the morning excited to go to work? Or are you like three out of four Americans who would rather skip work?

This Sunday at church we will talk more in detail about what work is all about. God works and He made us in His image. We are made to work. That at first sounds bad, but when God works it is always good. It is very good for us when He works. So, when you are productive and are working you honor the Lord. You are working for God and for those He wants to serve through you. God is the creator and we need to be creating, too. It is in our nature.

Think of what you do as a service or ministry to others. Even if you sit at a desk all day pushing paper or you have your cubicle and a computer screen, you are doing work so others can have something they need. You are making someone's life better. God is all about making things better and good for us.

Then there is the money aspect. You can have your needs met and you can have extra to help serve others. The best is to help others hear the gospel. To take someone to heaven with you is eternal. And this happened because you worked on a job and gave some money. That money enabled them to hear a message about Jesus in some form and they were able to respond. Spending your money on just stuff down here on the earth is so fleeting. How much stuff have you tossed into the garbage that was the thing you needed. Now it is yesterday's news.

Look at what Eph 6:7 says, "Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." (NLT) It takes the right mindset, the right attitude, to work with enthusiasm especially if you hate your job. You notice it doesn't say to have enthusiasm if your boss treats you right and your co-workers are sweet to you. It says work for the Lord. There are benefits that come to us with this right way of thinking about our work.

I have heard about people that finally retired from their job and then they died right away. Retirement did not give them life, but the other way around. I think we need to be producing, to be useful. Feeling valued and useful goes a long way. Most think they would love to just sit around and lay by the pool. But, after awhile you would feel bored and become depressed. Now don't get me wrong, we do need some down time, too. All work and no play makes Kevin a dull boy and we don't want that.

So, love God by working for Him. Let Him be your boss. Blow all the people at your work's mind by your enthusiasm. Love people by serving them, ministering to them by and at your work. You will reap the benefits (come and hear this Sunday's message to find out what they are). OK, now my work is done for today. I can't wait until I am back to work tomorrow. How about you?