Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Business Uncertainty
The certainty of rainfall or the speed of the wind are so uncertain that the weather reporters only measure it in terms of probability. Often when making decisions in business it is the same way. God did not promise us that we would be absolutely certain of every future event that will take place with us. But He did tell us to trust in Him and to have faith. You don't have to be 100% certain in order to act. A person that waits for 100% of all of the parameters to come to pass will wait too long and miss the time to sow, therefore having nothing to reap.
Some pursuits in business leave you unsure if it is a good or bad investment. There are certain natural measures you can take to get you to a certain level of certainty but there is always that 20-30% of uncertainty. I think for Christian business people this uncertainty is good. This uncertainty is not bad because it rids us of our pride, arrogance, and presumptuous will and keeps us on our knees seeking the Father for direction. An achievable goal in many decisions is to get comfortable not knowing. That is right, get comfortable in uncertainty.
If I may, I want to take a page out of my favorite devotional, My utmost for his Highest, Oswald chambers called this uncertain state. "Gracious Uncertainty"
1Jn 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
As a Christian we are taught that we have eternal life upon confession and belief in Jesus Christ. The bible also alludes to how we will be changed in a twinkling of an eye, we will be immortal, we will have incorruptible bodies . Is anyone certain what that will be like? Many orators, cinematographers, and artist have made great attempts at trying to express this concept,but to know avail. Even in the uncertainty of knowing how it will exactly be at that time, we still are certain of one thing…when he appears we shall be like him because we will see him as he is.
As leaders making daily decisions, with a limited ability to forecast we can have this assurance that God is certainly still with us. Spending time fostering an intimate relationship with God makes your uncertain moments exciting. We may not know the direction to go, we may not know how God is going to intervene, but we can be certain in our uncertainty that HE IS…. We are commanded to believe in HIM; not just believe in what he can do for us. My anchor of confidence is rooted in HIM not what he is going to do.
In time of uncertainty, like I am in now with my Engineering business I hear the Lord saying "cast your bread upon the waters." There are certain things that I believe I was to do that are hindering me from exploring other areas. My own belief when it is routed in routine and convention can be debilitating to future growth. For example, I spent 6 years in college and the last 12 years of my life designing commercial buildings; that is what I know. I can do it in my sleep and the funny thing is if you ask my wife she will validate that. Now I am pondering possibly becoming a licensed home inspector as a small splint of my business to fill the gaps between big commercial jobs. Do I know that this is a 100% right decision? No! God will be God if it fails or succeeds. I will trust in the Lord with all of my heart and lean not to my own understanding in all my ways acknowledge him and he will direct my paths, Prov 3:5-6. I am comfortable not knowing the outcome or how God will intervene. I find HIS grace in my uncertainty.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Life Father Like Son
Above are a few pictures of me and my oldest son. He is 11 years old. Last Saturday night when we were getting our clothes ready for church. He was happy cause he got to wear some new clothes. I was in my closet picking out my clothes and he peeks around the corner and asks, “Daddy, do you have a white button down shirt you can wear tomorrow?“ I told him I was going to wear what I already had out ,which was a blue and white button down shirt. Eight minutes later Justus comes around the corner with a wrinkled blue and white shirt and said look what I am wearing daddy.
I started watching him closely and he takes pride in dressing like me. He tells all of his friends that he has mannerisms like me. I over hear him talking with his brothers and sisters and he sounds like me.
Being a Father is soooooo humbling. To see the tremendous impact and mark you leave upon a child is completely mind boggling. My responsibility as a Father comes with such weight that it is sobering thinking about it. A young soul that desires to be like me. He is watching my every move. He is subliminally storing notes more aggressive than a court reporter. He recalls things that I did when he was only 2 or 3 years old.
In writing all this you would think it would be flattering but on the contrary it is a grave reality check. Am I walking plainly and clearly enough that my son can not just see me BUT see through me right to the heart of the Father? Paul the apostle says:
1Cor. 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
My goal is not to clone little Jonathan’s but to display a reflection of the Father that my children can clearly see and be conformed to HIS image. If I only have children that want to dress like me, pick up my hobbies, or listen to the music I like I have failed as a Father. The only way to get my children beyond me is to live a life of persistent pursuit of God. I must look at my FATHER and behold HIS glory and gaze into HIS face and desire to be like HIM. I must saturate myself with HIS ways and and HIS word. I must Imitate and copy things HE has done. I can lead my children beyond me if I take the same faith that was passed on to me and pass it on to them.
I am doing my children and injustice unless I am following Christ with such clarity that it is fervent, genuine, contagious, and transferable. What am I a saying in a nutshell….IN ORDER TO BE A FAITHFUL FATHER I MUST BE A FAITHFUL SON.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Sunday Message Recap
Well today I took away from the message that we can't allow the comforts of our culture to strip us of our urgency to warn people of coming judgement and that fact that there are only two places to dwell. There is a Universalist cloud over society that most everybody is "alright" just leave people alone we will all get to heaven eventually and there is no tormenting lake of fire with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Believe it or not hell is still in the Bible.
We have to love people enough to tell them the truth and leave the decision up to them. But not be reluctant anymore to at least tell them of the love plan that Christ has for them. I was reminded of this verse during the message.
Eph 5:12-16 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. (13) But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, (14) for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (15) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, (16) making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
iphone experience
Friday, April 17, 2009
The Wrong side of the bed
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Pondering a decision
Proverbs 16:3 Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.
Meditating on that reminded me of the importance of committing my works to the Lord first...then thinking about it. I often think and ponder over stuff and then say, "oh yeah what do you think God? Here are some of my wonderful thoughts?"
COMMIT: To give in trust; to put into the hands or power of another; to entrust
ESTAB'LISHED: Set; fixed firmly; founded; ordained; enacted; ratified; confirmed
Committing my works to God first will help me to:
- Funnel my thought life in the direction God has ordained for me
- Have a firmly fixed foundation before I spend my mental energy frivolously
- Build my dependence on the Holy Spirit's guidance
- Be more fruitful with my time, gifts, and money.
- Be a more decisive leader at home, church, and my business.
God may I maintain the order of first things and entrust you with my plans so that my thoughts will be pointed in your direction. AMEN
Behind in technology
Well enough is enough...I think I am going to get a I-phone..start blogging...and get an mp3 player all in one week...(Yes I still listen to CD's). Watch out world!!!!! This is a test to see what happens when I hit publish