Monthly Archives: August 2014

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Is Your Plate Too Full Or Too Small?

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You have most likely heard the expression (and probably used it many times), “My plate is too full!” Maybe you used the “full plate” as an excuse to say no to someone recruiting leadership for your industry’s state association. Maybe it was something else. Either way, I think your perspective is off.

full plate

Not More Tasks!

First of all, this is not a post about taking on more tasks or duties than you can handle. I am not a proponent of over-scheduling and hoping for the best. That “full plate” behavior is probably one of the most detrimental to a sane quality of life. I promise I am not advocating that at all!

Instead, I want you to think back over the past several months or years. Do you remember any ideas, thoughts, or urges coming to mind that excited you, but as you looked at all you were already trying to do (with not enough success), you decided your plate was too full?

If you took the time to get away and really brainstorm some of these types of ideas, do you think you would come up with any that would just seem too big given your current circumstances? Maybe they would require too much time, energy, or resources?

Can’t See Adding To Full Plate?

Do your dreams sometimes get brushed aside because you are looking at a full plate and cannot see a way to add to it without something else falling off? If you have had these thoughts, then you are not alone. Fortunately, I think I know the problem (and solution!).

As you look over your “full plate” and see it crammed full of stuff (some of it is really good stuff!), you are likely doing some sort of math in your head and quickly determining that your time, energy, and resources (the size of your plate) will barely hold your commitments. Sometimes you even realize you are overdrawn!

Your Plate Is Too Small!

The problem is not that your plate is too full. The problem is that your plate is too small! You heard me, you simply have to get a bigger plate. If you could only snap your fingers and dramatically increase the size of your plate, then you could suddenly be able to handle more. Your dreams could be bigger and your accomplishments could multiply.

If your plate was bigger, your eternal impact could be greater!

See, I told you I knew what the problem was! Aren’t you glad I shared that with you? Now you can run right out and get a bigger plate, right? You might want to try Bed, Bath, and Beyond or even Home Depot or Sam’s Club. Don’t you think they would have them?

Okay, you are right. That is not going to help. So, what is the real problem? And what is the real solution?

You Are The Problem!

The problem is right there in the mirror. You are the problem. You are the problem because you are only considering your own time, energy, and resources when you determine the size of your plate. You have decided that your plate is effectively the same size as the sum of your time, energy, and resources.

That thinking falls short of the truth. Sure, you need to consider your own resources, but there are infinitely more resources available to you if you are just looking for them. And no, these resources cannot be purchased at the local big box retailer.

God Is The Solution!

The solution I am talking about is God. Quite simply, your full plate is too small because you are only considering your own resources and not including those of an all-knowing, all-powerful God.

Assuming your goals and desires are aligned with His will, then the solution to your problem is to begin enlisting God in your efforts. While that seems overly simple, it is the truth.

Instead of assessing a task, strategy, or dream based on your own ability to achieve it, begin asking God if it is what He wants you to do. Forget the fact that you feel like your plate is full. Trust Him to lead you in the direction He wants you to go and watch Him provide the necessary resources to accomplish it.

Allow God…

If you will begin allowing God to inspire your dreams and trusting Him to accomplish them THROUGH you, the size of your plate will grow exponentially! Of course, then you had better buckle up! The ride is about to get wilder than you can even imagine!

The real problem is with the size of our faith. Like I said in an earlier post about “practical atheism,” we don’t often back our talk of faith with a real walk in faith. Too often, we say we believe, but our actions suggest that belief is not strong enough to take us very far.

Reconsider Your Dreams

Take some time and think about your recent (and not-so-recent) dreams. Did you brush them off due to a full plate? If your plate suddenly tripled (or more) in size, would you reconsider those dreams? If so, start praying that God will build your faith in Him to the point where you can accept the plans He has for you!

Has your full plate kept you from following God’s leading?

Do you see how your full plate could simply be too small?

What would you do with a larger plate?

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Why Are We Surprised At Trials?

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Not too long ago, friends of mine went through an intense personal experience that completely shocked them. They were not expecting to ever have to deal with this particular issue, but there it was staring them in the face. As we talked about the issue and the possible outcomes, none very pretty, I thought about why we are surprised at the trials we face.

trials

Protected Life?

It’s is as though we think life should be smooth once we accept Christ. We look at the world outside of our faith and believe that “they” (non-believers) are unfortunate because they have to live in such a messed up world. On the other hand, we think we are immune to the problems associated with a fallen world.

Sure, when pressed, we will admit that we know God sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous, but we really don’t think the worst will come to our door. We somehow believe we have a pass that keeps the big stuff away from us. Have you ever felt that way (even if you haven’t realized it)?

So, what is the truth?

There Is An Enemy!

The truth, as found in Scripture, is that there is an enemy. He is real and he passionately desires the destruction of anything and everything related to God. He does not work alone.

Just so you don’t take my word for it, take a look at the following Scriptures:

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
Ephesians 6:12

However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
John 15:19

You will have suffering in this world.
John 16:33

Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.
1 Peter 4:12

Truth Can Be Uncomfortable

For some of you, this is not comfortable to read. I get it. I am not comfortable writing it. Unfortunately, that does not change the truth. And if we continue to ignore this truth, we will continue to experience trials and challenges that shock us.

This is a big deal – not because of the surprise of the trials, but because we can do something about them in advance…if we are willing!

When it comes to trials in business, we can prepare with increased cash reserves and strategic emergency plans. When it comes to spiritual trials, the preparation is not much different – at least in theory.

Preparation For Trials

If we accept the existence of a spiritual enemy that is bent on our destruction, we can begin preparing our defenses as well as emergency plans. Ongoing prayer, Scripture memory and Bible study will build faith and wisdom reserves that will sustain us during the storms we will face.

Building relationships with fellow believers – both those that are ahead of us in their faith journey and those coming behind us – will create sources of wisdom, comfort, and prayer support that we will certainly need when the trials sweep over us.

We Must Face The Truth

The bottom line is that we cannot continue to ignore the fact that there is a war going on and we are on the battlefield. Under these conditions, there should be no shock when we are hit with the “fiery ordeal” mentioned above. Instead, because we have prepared, we should immediately execute our emergency plan.

Drawing on our own faith and wisdom reserves while seeking the guidance and support of fellow believers, we begin our difficult walk through whatever it is we are facing. At the same time, we should also “consider it pure joy” that we are facing these trials because we know that God is using them to make something tremendous out of us!

Have you ever been truly surprised at a significant trial?

Do you agree that we should actually expect trials in life?

How do you prepare for the trials you know you will face?

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The Success Edge – Marketplace Christian Podcast!

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In place of a post today, I am sharing a link (below) to my first Marketplace Christian podcast. Actually, I am just a guest on Tyler McCart’s podcast! Tyler has a website called The Success Edge where he uses interviews of people from all walks of life that also happen to be Christians in the marketplace. He sees his goal as helping Christians in the marketplace be inspired, be a light, and succeed! Here is his intro video:

Meeting Tyler McCart

Tyler and I met through LinkedIn and he invited me to be a guest on his podcast. Folks, I can tell you he was professional from the very start. I was very impressed with his preparation and the way the entire process went so smoothly. He is truly driven to excellence in what he is doing…and this is not even his full time job!

I encourage you to click over to his website (thesuccessedge.biz) and check out all of his interviews. I think you will be impressed with what you find! Here is a summary (from his site) of what you will find:

We look forward to bringing you podcast interviews from successful Christians in the marketplace as they share their business victories, failures, turning points, ah-ha moments, and more!

You will also find topical podcast episodes to help you grow in your Christian walk and career. Thank you for joining us on this journey, and as we say here at The Success Edge, we’ll catch you on the flip side!

Of course, I also would like for you to check out Episode 53 in which Tyler interviews me. Let me know what you think by commenting below! [CLICK HERE for podcast!]

We had a good time! I am sure you see immediately that he has a lot of energy and passion around what he does. Make sure to spread the word about what he is doing so more of us can learn from his efforts!

You can connect with Tyler here (click on each to connect):

Itunes Podcasts

Stitcher Radio

Facebook

Twitter

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Comfort or Conform – Which Is God’s Focus?

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Even though I have been a Christian since I was 10 years old, I am still learning some lessons that amaze me. You would think that after more than 30 years of learning about God and His purposes for us, I would have a better grasp on this Christian life. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. As a result, I am still learning how God is more interested in conforming me than He is in my comfort!

conform

C.S. Lewis’ Thoughts

While I enjoy writing and think I have improved at it over the past couple of years, I know a really good writer when I read one. Rather than trying to communicate on my own my thoughts on comfort vs. conform, I figured I would let you read from a fantastic writer. Here are some thoughts from C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity:

…we must not be surprised if we are in for a rough time. When a man turns to Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his bad habits are now corrected) he often feels that it would now be natural if things went fairly smoothly. When troubles come along–illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation–he is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now?

Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us.

I don’t know about you, but I think C.S. Lewis really nails the issues in this “comfort vs. conform” question. If you need to, read his words again and let them sink in.

Christianity = Smooth Life?

First, Lewis addresses the root problem in his opening lines above. He describes how we, as Christians, have this misconception that being a Christian is all about reaching a sort of “smooth” picture. In this picture, we seem to think that with a couple of tweaks or corrections, our lives can reach a balance or norm.

In this picture, we imagine our business running on a sort of auto-pilot, or at least in the right direction for a considerable period of time. The only issues we imagine in this picture may be helping others with their issues or overcoming some minor hiccups in the economy.

Maybe we even toss in an extended recession, but of course, we imagine that we are able to manage this interruption without too much damage. Maybe the interruption is a minor health issue or a couple of years of dealing with challenging teenagers. Who knows what little ripples you have included in your picture – that’s not the point.

God Did Not Call Us To Comfort

The point is that God did not call us to follow the example of His Son so that we could achieve a position of comfort here on earth. He is not interested in having us fall in love with our current home (earth). He IS interested in using us to achieve His glory and preparing us for an eternal life with Him.

So what does this mean? It means that Jesus was not kidding when he said we would have trouble in this world. It means that while Romans 8:28 is a great verse, we cannot forget verse 29. In Romans 8:28, we are told that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Sure, this sounds good. Many Christians quote it often. However, they fail to keep going and quote verse 29. In Romans 8:29, we are told that He is working to conform us to the likeness of His Son. Maybe this is not a scary thought, but it certainly adds a twist to the picture.

Answer To “Comfort Or Conform?”

You may see this differently than I do, but I see this to be a definitive answer to the “comfort vs. conform” debate. To me, this says that God will certainly work all things together for my good. At the same time, what God considers to be the best for me is not my comfort.

Instead, He sees the best for me to be His conforming me to the likeness of Jesus. The more I look like Jesus the better, as far as God is concerned. Unfortunately, I do not become more like Jesus in the absence of struggle or challenge.

Challenges Required

No, I become more like Jesus when I am challenged. When I face struggle that is bigger than me, I begin to look more like Jesus because I then submit to God and His will. I begin to seek Him and His wisdom for every step of the path through the struggle. I quit trying to do it on my own and rely completely on Him.

Folks, God is not interested in simply putting you on the right path in business and then letting you coast. You might think that would be great, but He is more interested in molding you into the man or woman He created you to be. Like C.S. Lewis says above, there is a “tremendous thing He means to make of us!”

Have you been guilty of expecting God to make you comfortable?

Can you see how this “conform” perspective can help with trials?

What is God trying to do in your life right now?