Well we are deep into the camping season now. I figured I put in about 80 hrs last week during Sr. High camp. There is a lot of stuff to supervise. I am really beginning to appreciate all the work our former manager put into the camp. I guess I knew it was coming, but still it is tough.
I added to my own stress last week to boot. I am a people pleaser. I have trouble making decisions and then second guess them every time. In the end I tend to judge my work by how others react. (That is a mistake by the way!) So last week, when I realized there was no way I was going to make everyone happy it really bothered me. Hearing complaints from people, who's opinion I feel is important, hurts.
I just had my 50th birthday and you would think a guy like me would realize there are always politics and power struggles within every organization-Christian ministry is no exception. If we all acted like Jesus he would not have needed to come to earth as our Savior.
So what's the right thing to do?
When you have been called by God, or hired by an employer, you need to do the job the best you that you know how. That doesn't mean you shouldn't listen to criticism. Sometimes other people are right about us! The bible says a wise man listens to the counsel of his friends. But once you have weighed out the advice of others you must proceed the way you see best, always remaining within the authority given to you by the position, and never allow the feelings and attitudes of others distract you from the task.
The Apostle Paul was all about that!
He faced a lot of opposition to his ministry but he never lost sight of the mission. (I'm certainly not saying that I am experiencing "opposition" like Paul did!) But Paul also faced times when he was opposed by his friends who felt he was going in the wrong direction. Paul left his friend Barnabas (the first Christian to trust him!) when they had a disagreement. (Acts 15: 36-41) Paul confronted the Apostle Peter-to his face- when Peter was acting like a hypocrite.(Galatians 2:11-15)
A good leader must follow what he or she believes is the right path to take.
Now, I give you fair warning because the heart is deceitful and wicked beyond cure-You must check your own motives, biases, and goals to make sure that you are not acting in opposition to God if you are in Christian ministry, or your employer if you are a leader in business.
A good leader acts with humility, understanding that he too might fail. (Galatians 6:1-4)
Once you are sure your motives are pure and your direction is sound, proceed without letting the voices of your detractors hinder you.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Blessed Exhaustion!
Wow! has it been a whole month since I last wrote? I can't believe how I let the time get away from me. If you want to know the truth, I have been running from one priority to the next without thinking even two or three days down the road. It has been crazy and taking time to type out this blog was a low priority.
If I came to your church this spring for a visit you heard my "Rest for Elijah" message. I have to confess I have violated all the principles I teach in that lesson this past month. In fact, our pastor here in Charles City was preaching on the fear of loneliness this past weekend and my wife slapped me upside the head. You see, I have been on a little bit of a pity party because I have been so busy getting the camp ready for the summer season, and quite frankly, it seemed as though no one was helping. I felt all alone. Pastor says that kind of loneliness is bad. Duh!
(I feel much better now by the way. Our summer staff is here, many of the things I hoped to get done before the season started have been completed and Theresa and I actually took part of the weekend off for John's birthday.)
But do you know something? Even in my struggle with being exhausted there were times when I'd step back and realize God had personally put me in this ministry-and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
It was interesting, pastor was preaching from II Timothy 4. I have often referred to this passage myself. Paul tells his faithful helper that he had "fought the good fight" and "kept the faith." He had finished the race well and now a crown awaited him from the Lord. Paul laid it all on the line to serve the Lord. Paul was not leaving anything in his tank. He was going to expend every drop of energy he had for the Lord. As every coach will tell his players "Leave it all out on the court. Don't hold anything back!"
I got the idea for this blog from Sam B. He brought a group of teens up to work a few weeks ago and in their down time showed a clip from the movie "Facing the giants." It is your typical feel good football movie about a struggling team and a coach who pushed his players to leave it all on the field. The clip he showed made me realize I wanted to be just like that player, who, being exhausted, carried another player, on his back, while crawling across the length of the field. He had given everything. He was completely spent. That's what I want to do.
When I look back on life I don't want to have any regrets about what I should have done.
So, yes I am exhausted. Yes, some days I feel like there is no one working along side of me.
But that is OK because I know the prize that awaits me from the Lord, as long as I keep the faith and remain steadfast in the work.
Blessed Exhaustion!
So, how about you, are you "leaving it all on the court" for the Lord?
If I came to your church this spring for a visit you heard my "Rest for Elijah" message. I have to confess I have violated all the principles I teach in that lesson this past month. In fact, our pastor here in Charles City was preaching on the fear of loneliness this past weekend and my wife slapped me upside the head. You see, I have been on a little bit of a pity party because I have been so busy getting the camp ready for the summer season, and quite frankly, it seemed as though no one was helping. I felt all alone. Pastor says that kind of loneliness is bad. Duh!
(I feel much better now by the way. Our summer staff is here, many of the things I hoped to get done before the season started have been completed and Theresa and I actually took part of the weekend off for John's birthday.)
But do you know something? Even in my struggle with being exhausted there were times when I'd step back and realize God had personally put me in this ministry-and I wouldn't trade it for the world.
It was interesting, pastor was preaching from II Timothy 4. I have often referred to this passage myself. Paul tells his faithful helper that he had "fought the good fight" and "kept the faith." He had finished the race well and now a crown awaited him from the Lord. Paul laid it all on the line to serve the Lord. Paul was not leaving anything in his tank. He was going to expend every drop of energy he had for the Lord. As every coach will tell his players "Leave it all out on the court. Don't hold anything back!"
I got the idea for this blog from Sam B. He brought a group of teens up to work a few weeks ago and in their down time showed a clip from the movie "Facing the giants." It is your typical feel good football movie about a struggling team and a coach who pushed his players to leave it all on the field. The clip he showed made me realize I wanted to be just like that player, who, being exhausted, carried another player, on his back, while crawling across the length of the field. He had given everything. He was completely spent. That's what I want to do.
When I look back on life I don't want to have any regrets about what I should have done.
So, yes I am exhausted. Yes, some days I feel like there is no one working along side of me.
But that is OK because I know the prize that awaits me from the Lord, as long as I keep the faith and remain steadfast in the work.
Blessed Exhaustion!
So, how about you, are you "leaving it all on the court" for the Lord?
Monday, May 2, 2011
Some are chosen and some are not
Wow! The spring has sprung and we are going 90 miles an hour! There is a lot happening here at Cedar Springs-we are getting ready for a busy season.
I'm tied up right now working on summer staffing. We have gone through a ton of applications and interviewed lots of people. The thing that strikes me most about the process is the number of qualified people that would be good to have on staff here. I didn't expect so many interested people! That is a good thing. My problem is that I only have about 17 positions to fill. I am going to have to pick, for instance, between two people for our activities and grounds team, when I'd rather hire both. Unfortunately I'm going to have to tell some of these folks I can't hire them. I have to choose some, and leave some out-and I don't want to do that!
I'm glad Jesus doesn't have my dilemma. I have to choose between good people who want to be a part of our team. But Jesus accepts everyone who calls on His name. He doesn't leave anyone out!
You know, in the job hunt you have to be very persistant and sell yourself or employers won't even look at you. But not Jesus. If you yield your life to Him, and call on His name, (Romans 10:9-10)He answers and accepts you as His own. You don't have to go through a difficult application and interview process and you don't have to "sweat it out," waiting for a call from the HR department.
I'm glad our Savior is so inclusive because I would never be good enough to pass an interview with Him. I'd never meet up to the standard!
So if you are looking for a job I probably can't hire you, but if you are looking for a Savior, Jesus will accept you, without a doubt!
I'm tied up right now working on summer staffing. We have gone through a ton of applications and interviewed lots of people. The thing that strikes me most about the process is the number of qualified people that would be good to have on staff here. I didn't expect so many interested people! That is a good thing. My problem is that I only have about 17 positions to fill. I am going to have to pick, for instance, between two people for our activities and grounds team, when I'd rather hire both. Unfortunately I'm going to have to tell some of these folks I can't hire them. I have to choose some, and leave some out-and I don't want to do that!
I'm glad Jesus doesn't have my dilemma. I have to choose between good people who want to be a part of our team. But Jesus accepts everyone who calls on His name. He doesn't leave anyone out!
You know, in the job hunt you have to be very persistant and sell yourself or employers won't even look at you. But not Jesus. If you yield your life to Him, and call on His name, (Romans 10:9-10)He answers and accepts you as His own. You don't have to go through a difficult application and interview process and you don't have to "sweat it out," waiting for a call from the HR department.
I'm glad our Savior is so inclusive because I would never be good enough to pass an interview with Him. I'd never meet up to the standard!
So if you are looking for a job I probably can't hire you, but if you are looking for a Savior, Jesus will accept you, without a doubt!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Cleansed by fire
I haven't had a chance to update my blog for awhile because the weather has turned nice and I am busy outside. There is a lot to do around here after the snow melts! One of the things we are working on is picking up sticks and raking leaves.
As most of you know, if you burn off the leaves in the spring it helps the grass grow back better.
Fire is God's way of cleansing nature. I was talking with the naturalist from Floyd county the other day and she said they were going to be busy this week burning the prairie off at the Fossil and Prairie Center in Rockford. They do this because the prairie grasses are heartier than most weeds and trees and after a burn the only plants that grow back are the ones you want.
So the conservation folks use fire to cleanse the prairie.
God uses fire to cleanse us as well.
In the Old Testament God uses the word picture of a refiner of Silver or gold. The precious metal is put through the fire to burn off the "Dross" or impurities. In the book of Malachi, God is described as the "refiners fire" (3:2), purifying His people.
How do you suppose God "refines" His people today?
Personally, I have seen God refining me with difficult circumstances. We all have situations in our lives that we would rather not face. Conflicts and challenges bring stress into our lives and often times we want to avoid these situations. We complain to God "Why me!" But these circumstances are used by God to make us better people. When I have a conflict with another person for instance, I can choose to use it for God's glory. Ken Sandy, in his book "The Peace Maker" suggests that conflict brings us three opportunities. 1) Glorify God (by turning to Him for help in resolving the situation); 2) Serve others (The bible teaches us to consider other's needs before your own [Phil. 2:3-4]), 3) To grow in Christ (As we handle each conflict with a spiritual perspective we become more like Christ.)
If you are searching for a trouble free, pain free life you are making a big mistake. We do not enjoy difficult circumstances, but each of us is put through the fire for a reason. God wants you to be more like Him.
You know something. I was angry, if you read our "Caringbridge" site, when John was diagnosed with cancer. I was angry with God. Why should a faithful servant like myself have to endure such a painful family circumstance?
But I will tell you this, as painful as those first few months were, I wouldn't trade them for anything! God taught us to trust in Him, he used us to minister to others, and we became more mature in our faith because of it.
God is good, all the time! He cares for us and He knows what is best for us. And just like your earthly father, Our Heavenly Father uses difficult circumstances in our lives to "discipline" (train) us to be more like Him.
Fire is God's way of cleansing nature. I was talking with the naturalist from Floyd county the other day and she said they were going to be busy this week burning the prairie off at the Fossil and Prairie Center in Rockford. They do this because the prairie grasses are heartier than most weeds and trees and after a burn the only plants that grow back are the ones you want.
So the conservation folks use fire to cleanse the prairie.
God uses fire to cleanse us as well.
In the Old Testament God uses the word picture of a refiner of Silver or gold. The precious metal is put through the fire to burn off the "Dross" or impurities. In the book of Malachi, God is described as the "refiners fire" (3:2), purifying His people.
How do you suppose God "refines" His people today?
Personally, I have seen God refining me with difficult circumstances. We all have situations in our lives that we would rather not face. Conflicts and challenges bring stress into our lives and often times we want to avoid these situations. We complain to God "Why me!" But these circumstances are used by God to make us better people. When I have a conflict with another person for instance, I can choose to use it for God's glory. Ken Sandy, in his book "The Peace Maker" suggests that conflict brings us three opportunities. 1) Glorify God (by turning to Him for help in resolving the situation); 2) Serve others (The bible teaches us to consider other's needs before your own [Phil. 2:3-4]), 3) To grow in Christ (As we handle each conflict with a spiritual perspective we become more like Christ.)
If you are searching for a trouble free, pain free life you are making a big mistake. We do not enjoy difficult circumstances, but each of us is put through the fire for a reason. God wants you to be more like Him.
You know something. I was angry, if you read our "Caringbridge" site, when John was diagnosed with cancer. I was angry with God. Why should a faithful servant like myself have to endure such a painful family circumstance?
But I will tell you this, as painful as those first few months were, I wouldn't trade them for anything! God taught us to trust in Him, he used us to minister to others, and we became more mature in our faith because of it.
God is good, all the time! He cares for us and He knows what is best for us. And just like your earthly father, Our Heavenly Father uses difficult circumstances in our lives to "discipline" (train) us to be more like Him.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Keeping your guard up
I talked about the conference we attended last time. I'd like to share another story from there if I could. We went a day early because they were having some extra workshops and I took in the "Hazardous Tree Removal" seminar. It was an all day event and it was very helpful. The presentor was from FISTA (Forest Industry Safety and Training Alliance). He has 30 years of experience in the logging industry. We spent the morning in class learning about handling the chainsaw safety, proper safety equipment, etc. In the afternoon we went outdoors to practice safe felling techniques. Our focus was on "Bore Cutting" a tree. This allows you to "fall" the tree just about anywhere you want it to go. It was amazing! I have heard of "bore cutting" but didn't know how to do it. The guy took a tree that was leaning a good 4 feet in one direction and dropped it in the opposite direction. He was good. But as good as he was, and as much expereince as he had, he still made a potentially deadly mistake. It was on the very first tree he cut down. It was an Ash about 12 inches in diameter, so not a huge tree by any means. He missed his mark by just a little bit and it got hung up between two trees as it fell. He talked about what happened and then he was going to cut it free and get it on the ground so it was safe. He was cutting about 12 ft off of the log when it came free and swung towards him, taking his feet out from under him and he toppled right over the log-saw still running- head first to the ground. Fortunately, the tree was stopped prematurely-just as it connected with his legs-by another tree, or he would have broke both of his legs (or worse).
I felt a little embarrassed for him, and it was quite awkward, but we all laughed it off.
So how could a guy with so much experience make a mistake like that? Well first off, that's the danger of logging. Trees are sometimes unpredictable. They do things even the most experienced logger can not anticipate. Secondly, I think he underestimated that tree. He thought it was a piece of cake and didn't take all the necessary precautions. And thirdly, he was distracted from his work because he was busy teaching us at the same time he was felling that tree.
There's a lesson in this story for Christians.
We live in a world dominated by our adversary, the devil. He wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). The bible warns us in many places to be on gaurd against his evil schemes.
Unfortunately many Christains don't heed these warnings.
We don't realize that, while not "all-knowing", the devil is a spiritual being with great knowledge and he can and will be unpredictable in his attacks against us. He is going to "hit us where we least expect him."
Similarly, we seriously underestimate him. A recent survey concluded that most Americans don't even believe there is a "literal" Satan. Underestimating your enemy is always disasterous.
Finally, we should be careful not to be distracted. We live in a physical world. We see, we touch and we feel. We go to work, purchase the items we need, raise our families and go on vacation. Life is all around us and we don't realize that there is a spiritual world, that is just as real, all around us as well. In fact, we are primarily spiritual beings, not physical. This body, your career-this planet-are all only temperary, but we have an eternal soul that will live forever. We are spiritual beings and there are spiritual forces working all around us. Now, it is not like Star Wars, with "the dark side." The forces of evil (Satan) have already been defeated. Satan is not equal to God! But God has allowed him the power to influence human beings for a time. Therefore, the bible warns us, to be on gaurd at all times. We must be vigilant, constantly working to strengthen our relationship with Christ, who as defeated our enemy, so that we will not be taken captive by the enemy and his evil schemes.
So don't let Satan distract you. "Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
I felt a little embarrassed for him, and it was quite awkward, but we all laughed it off.
So how could a guy with so much experience make a mistake like that? Well first off, that's the danger of logging. Trees are sometimes unpredictable. They do things even the most experienced logger can not anticipate. Secondly, I think he underestimated that tree. He thought it was a piece of cake and didn't take all the necessary precautions. And thirdly, he was distracted from his work because he was busy teaching us at the same time he was felling that tree.
There's a lesson in this story for Christians.
We live in a world dominated by our adversary, the devil. He wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). The bible warns us in many places to be on gaurd against his evil schemes.
Unfortunately many Christains don't heed these warnings.
We don't realize that, while not "all-knowing", the devil is a spiritual being with great knowledge and he can and will be unpredictable in his attacks against us. He is going to "hit us where we least expect him."
Similarly, we seriously underestimate him. A recent survey concluded that most Americans don't even believe there is a "literal" Satan. Underestimating your enemy is always disasterous.
Finally, we should be careful not to be distracted. We live in a physical world. We see, we touch and we feel. We go to work, purchase the items we need, raise our families and go on vacation. Life is all around us and we don't realize that there is a spiritual world, that is just as real, all around us as well. In fact, we are primarily spiritual beings, not physical. This body, your career-this planet-are all only temperary, but we have an eternal soul that will live forever. We are spiritual beings and there are spiritual forces working all around us. Now, it is not like Star Wars, with "the dark side." The forces of evil (Satan) have already been defeated. Satan is not equal to God! But God has allowed him the power to influence human beings for a time. Therefore, the bible warns us, to be on gaurd at all times. We must be vigilant, constantly working to strengthen our relationship with Christ, who as defeated our enemy, so that we will not be taken captive by the enemy and his evil schemes.
So don't let Satan distract you. "Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
Friday, March 18, 2011
Team Work
Theresa and I were able to attend a conference this week. It was sponsored by the Christain Camp and Conference Association. (3CA) Cedar Springs is a member camp. It was at a beautiful camp in Westboro Wisconsin. I went with just a little apprehension. We are a small camp with lots of needs. I knew who would be there. I knew there would be a lot of camps who had great facilities and tons of resources backing them. I expected to feel overwhelmed, intimidated and, yes-jealous. Fortunately I didn't let these feelings stop us from going.
It turned out to be a little overwhelming, but over-all I walked away feeling incredibly energized. I learned a whole lot of stuff. Most beneficial for me was the Hazardous tree removal workshop. We have a lot of those and now I'm more confident in dealing with them. But beyond all of the new stuff I learned I gained something else much more valuable. I gained a family who cares and are there to help.
Let me be honest for a minute. I wasn't sure about going there because these guys are the competition if you think about it from a business standpoint. I met many folks from camps in Iowa who are drawing from the same population base as we are-but not a single one of them treated Theresa and I as the competition. It was a little weird. They were excited to meet us and treated us as part of the team.
Now isn't that the point? Christians should live and act differently from the rest of the world. These folks had the right perspective, they see the bigger picture; they realize that we are all on the same team with one goal-to reach people for Jesus and share His love. As Christians, no matter what church we go to, or what camp we operate, we are all working for the same boss with the same bottom line. We are not in competition with each other.
Now, I don't mean to sound naive, like this is the first time I have realized this. This is a principle that I preached on and trained my leaders in. But if we are all honest with ourselves sometimes the ideal is not the reality. Too often we do not work with each other, preferring instead to go it alone, not wanting to share the work-or the success. That's a shame because, when it comes to the Kingdom, we can accomplish so much more when we work together. It's the most important business in the world, why are we letting jealousy and pride keep us from accomplishing our goal?
The apostle Paul was really upset with the church in Corinth. They had a problem treating each other with respect. The some of them thought they were "better" than other members in the church because of the spiritual gifts they had. Paul gave them a tongue lashing making the point that we are all parts of one body, working together to accomplish the work God has for us. He makes the case that love is the most important gift and we need to practice it towards one another. (1 Corinthians 12-14)
So I'm excited about the new relationships we have made. I look forward to having the Iowa members of the 3CA over to our camp so they can give us some pointers. And as often as I get the chance I intend on stopping by their camps too.
It turned out to be a little overwhelming, but over-all I walked away feeling incredibly energized. I learned a whole lot of stuff. Most beneficial for me was the Hazardous tree removal workshop. We have a lot of those and now I'm more confident in dealing with them. But beyond all of the new stuff I learned I gained something else much more valuable. I gained a family who cares and are there to help.
Let me be honest for a minute. I wasn't sure about going there because these guys are the competition if you think about it from a business standpoint. I met many folks from camps in Iowa who are drawing from the same population base as we are-but not a single one of them treated Theresa and I as the competition. It was a little weird. They were excited to meet us and treated us as part of the team.
Now isn't that the point? Christians should live and act differently from the rest of the world. These folks had the right perspective, they see the bigger picture; they realize that we are all on the same team with one goal-to reach people for Jesus and share His love. As Christians, no matter what church we go to, or what camp we operate, we are all working for the same boss with the same bottom line. We are not in competition with each other.
Now, I don't mean to sound naive, like this is the first time I have realized this. This is a principle that I preached on and trained my leaders in. But if we are all honest with ourselves sometimes the ideal is not the reality. Too often we do not work with each other, preferring instead to go it alone, not wanting to share the work-or the success. That's a shame because, when it comes to the Kingdom, we can accomplish so much more when we work together. It's the most important business in the world, why are we letting jealousy and pride keep us from accomplishing our goal?
The apostle Paul was really upset with the church in Corinth. They had a problem treating each other with respect. The some of them thought they were "better" than other members in the church because of the spiritual gifts they had. Paul gave them a tongue lashing making the point that we are all parts of one body, working together to accomplish the work God has for us. He makes the case that love is the most important gift and we need to practice it towards one another. (1 Corinthians 12-14)
So I'm excited about the new relationships we have made. I look forward to having the Iowa members of the 3CA over to our camp so they can give us some pointers. And as often as I get the chance I intend on stopping by their camps too.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Call the Experts!
A group of guys from the Fayette church came over to work on our new tabernacle rooms this past weekend. I thought I was ready for them with just a few little wiring details to finish. I am not a contractor but I know enough to be dangerous. I figured I could work on this stuff and keep ahead of them. What I didn't take into account was the fact that these guys were experts. They didn't take half the time I would have in completing the job.
There are 3 (with baths) 12'x16' rooms. I figured they'd get the ceilings done and maybe a wall or two. They arrived on Friday afternoon about 4pm and by 7 they had the first room completely done. I was working in the other two and began to feel the pressure. (Thank goodness one of their guys, who couldn't stay overnight, came early to help me!) I got up early on Saturday to get ahead of them but it didn't help much. By the time they were on the 3rd room they were tripping over me. Now, I think I got everything done, and I think it was done right, but I would have liked the opportunity for someone to check my work before the sheet rock went up. Now, if I wired the smoke alarms into the electrical outlet wiring we won't know until we power it up, and that will be a problem.
I tell you all of this to make a couple of points. First, thank God for experts who are willing to come and serve the Lord by working at the camp! They do the job right and it looks good. Secondly, what is an expert anyway? An expert is someone who has done a task enough to know everything there is to know about it. They can handle challenges when they arise and because they have done the job enough, they do good work.
When it comes to our Faith we should all be experts!
We should not only know what we believe, but why we believe it too. I hear so many times, often from my own lips, that "I worry about sharing my faith because I don't know what to say" or, "I don't like to get into debates with people about faith because I might say the wrong thing." Those are not good excuses, they are a cop out!
So how do we learn what we should know? It's just like contractors. They hang sheet rock so much they can do it with their eyes closed. We need to live the Christian life, not just talk about it.
As we live the Christian life, as set out for us by the Lord in the bible, we are able to share it more effectively. We need to be so proficient at the principles of Christian living that we are effect witnesses all the time-even when it's necessary to use words!
So how about you? Are you and expert?
I don't mean to make you feel guilty. I ask you that question to challenge you to do something about your inadequacy. Here's what I suggest you do: Pray about it. Ask Jesus to mold you and shape you to be more like Him. If you are serious, and you are persistant, He will change you into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
He will transform you into an expert!
And remember, it is not something that happens over night. Roger and his men didn't become experts at hanging sheet rock after their first job! The Christian way of life is a process. Keep in mind what the apostle Paul had to say: "Not that I have already obtained all this (Christian maturity), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
There are 3 (with baths) 12'x16' rooms. I figured they'd get the ceilings done and maybe a wall or two. They arrived on Friday afternoon about 4pm and by 7 they had the first room completely done. I was working in the other two and began to feel the pressure. (Thank goodness one of their guys, who couldn't stay overnight, came early to help me!) I got up early on Saturday to get ahead of them but it didn't help much. By the time they were on the 3rd room they were tripping over me. Now, I think I got everything done, and I think it was done right, but I would have liked the opportunity for someone to check my work before the sheet rock went up. Now, if I wired the smoke alarms into the electrical outlet wiring we won't know until we power it up, and that will be a problem.
I tell you all of this to make a couple of points. First, thank God for experts who are willing to come and serve the Lord by working at the camp! They do the job right and it looks good. Secondly, what is an expert anyway? An expert is someone who has done a task enough to know everything there is to know about it. They can handle challenges when they arise and because they have done the job enough, they do good work.
When it comes to our Faith we should all be experts!
We should not only know what we believe, but why we believe it too. I hear so many times, often from my own lips, that "I worry about sharing my faith because I don't know what to say" or, "I don't like to get into debates with people about faith because I might say the wrong thing." Those are not good excuses, they are a cop out!
So how do we learn what we should know? It's just like contractors. They hang sheet rock so much they can do it with their eyes closed. We need to live the Christian life, not just talk about it.
As we live the Christian life, as set out for us by the Lord in the bible, we are able to share it more effectively. We need to be so proficient at the principles of Christian living that we are effect witnesses all the time-even when it's necessary to use words!
So how about you? Are you and expert?
I don't mean to make you feel guilty. I ask you that question to challenge you to do something about your inadequacy. Here's what I suggest you do: Pray about it. Ask Jesus to mold you and shape you to be more like Him. If you are serious, and you are persistant, He will change you into a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).
He will transform you into an expert!
And remember, it is not something that happens over night. Roger and his men didn't become experts at hanging sheet rock after their first job! The Christian way of life is a process. Keep in mind what the apostle Paul had to say: "Not that I have already obtained all this (Christian maturity), or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
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