Secure

So for the past three weeks I’ve been attending a free “Getting The Most Out of Your Resumé” class at a local church. And although I’m self employed, I figured it would be a good way to get out of my apartment, meet some new people and, on a self-serving note, get to learn firsthand what H.R. folks look for during an interview. (Here’s a hint: Don’t lie, they know when you’re lying. And wear clean clothes.)

Most of the people in this class are currently unemployed (including one of the H.R. presenters) while others were afraid of being down-sized in the near future. Some had made peace with their situation and were trying to move on while others, well, you could just see the fear in their eyes. The “what am I going to do?” fear wrangling them in its grip.

And you know there are hundreds of classes just like that one going on every night across the U.S. And they’re filled to capacity with people who are looking for some shred of hope to cling to. Real, honest stories. Like the guy told me he’d made a six figure salary “easy” for the past five years, but this year he’ll be lucky to clear $30k. Another woman who told me she’d sent out scores of resumés but hadn’t had a single response.

Keep in mind all I wanted to do was get some insights from H.R. folks, get my resumé evaluated by a professional and network with some of the presenters. That’s it. But I quickly found out (like in the first half hour of the first session) that I needed to put “me” aside and focus on helping others.

Times are hard and I’m not immune to them either, but hearing the stories and sensing the fear some of my classmates are living with made the walk home from class difficult. I’d end up spending the time praying for people like Ann, the single mom of four who’s returning to the workforce after a 10-year absence. Or Monte a customer service rep whose company went through cutbacks and was let go. Or Rob who has done almost everything in the financial sector and now he’s just trying to figure out what it is he wants to do in life. For him, it’s not about the big salary or the corner office, it’s about doing something he enjoys and in his words, “live more, you know?”. Sure do, Rob.

And here’s the thing, each night while walking back home, I’d be praying for Ann or Monte or Rob or George or “God, I forgot the guy’s name, but you know who I’m talking about...” and it became less and less about me and more and more about what I could do for them.

On the walk home last night, I had an urging to read Hebrews. Now understand I don’t read Hebrews. I wasn’t even sure if it was in the New or Old Testament (it’s New Testament by the way). But I felt that nudge to dive into it and see what I could find. Below is the scripture that not only jumped out at me, but was actually underlined in my Bible. I don’t read Hebrews. I don’t mark up my Bible. But there, marked in Hebrews, was the following passage:

Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Could you use a little “unswerving hope” right now? If so that’s my prayer for you and whatever you’re going through right now. Unemployment. Underemployment. Health issues. Marital issues. “Life” issues. Whatever.

One, that you never, ever swerve from God because He is faithful. Two, that you encourage others in love. And three, that you link arms with other Christians and keep each other moving forward and remind each other who we are in Christ. That we can “do all things in Him”. That He does come through for us – each of us – every time.

Which is exactly the God-inspired encouragement we need in times like these.

Secure

To know you’re going to be ok. That, in the words of Bob Marley, “Everything’s Gonna To Be Alright”.

To know you’ll still have your job on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday. To know you’ll be able to cover the bills. That the spot on the x-ray will be benign. That your kids will return home safely. That the car will last another year.

To know you have some sense of security.

With that in mind, I’ve got some bad news: There is no such thing as security. No guarantees about your job, your finances, your 401(k) or what Monday has in store for you. Moreover, there’s no way to 100% protect yourself from cancer. No magic cloak to use to protect your kids. And your car? Make sure you check your oil, Mr. Murphy.

Depressing? Sure it is. Which is why most people avoid it. Talking about it. Thinking about it. Even acknowledging that, yes, there are trials in life, but no security. Not in this world anyway.

And we, as a nation, are obsessed with security. “As long as I can just make it through this week, everything will be fine”, “As long as I have ‘x’ amount of dollars in my account, I’m covered”, “As long as I don’t have to deal with that right now, I’ll be fine”.

Is that living? Is that how we’re supposed to get through life? Absolutely not.

It’s times in my life when I’m trying to create my own security that I read the Book of Job. Remember, Job was a righteous man who had everything he could hope for, which made him a prime target for Satan (see...it’s not just you).

Satan tells God that his beloved servant Job wouldn’t be so righteous and so loving if God made him, what’s the word? “Uncomfortable.” You know, put the screws to him a little. But God (being “God”) knows Job’s heart and tells Satan that Job will stay faithful. Go ahead, test him. Trial after miserable trial, catastrophe after catastrophe, the unthinkable comes upon Job until he looses everything. Everything. Except his devotion to God.

It’s only here, at his breaking point, when he’s sitting on a simmering pile of what’s left of his empire and covered with lesions that Job demands to speak with God. Not to curse or defy him, just to ask what in the world is going on. As you read the entire book, you can feel Job’s angst and pain escalate as he cries out to him. And, this is the part I want you to read whenever you are crying out to God, wanting to know, “What in the world is going on here, God?”. Check out Job 38:1-7:

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-while the morning stars sang together and all the
angels [a] shouted for joy?”

And God is just getting warmed up. As you read the following chapters God, the ultimate defense attorney, piles up more and more evidence of his power for his closing argument. He demonstrates his true might. His awesome power. His unsurpassed knowledge. His perfect timing. And his love for all things he created. As well as, catch this, his never-ceasing provision for those who love him.

In the end, God offers far more than an explanation to Job. But real security. In Him.

100% Guaranteed.

Last

“Live everyday as if it were your last.”

Ever heard someone say that before? Sure you have. You've probably said it to someone else at one time or another. But lemme ask you this: Do you actually do it, live everyday like it was your last?

After all, if it were truly your last day on Earth, would you have gone to work today? Or, would you have spent the day cherishing your kids? Prizing each last moment soaking in all the beauties and small wonders of this world. Catching one more sunrise. Listening to the wind rustle through the leaves. Watching a bird soar in the sky and letting your mind go with it.

If today was your last day, would you, given the choice, have paid the utility bill or spent the money on one last round of golf (for old times sake)? Would you have worked late finishing up that business proposal or proposed a candlelight dinner with your wife instead?

“Live everyday as if it were your last.” Honestly, how would you “live it”?

Ok, now let me pose this question to you: How would you treat someone – a total stranger, a friend, a former colleague – if you knew today was their last day? (Bet you didn't see that one coming.) What if, just by chance, you knew today was “it” for them in this world. What would you say? How would you treat them?

What if it that person was the Taco Bell employee who just messed up your order (again)? Or the guy who just totally cut you off in traffic? Or the person at work who just seems to delight in your suffering?

How would you treat them knowing today was their last day?

After all, it happens. You no doubt know of someone, maybe a person you just saw a week earlier, who you later found out were now gone. And when you hear the news of their passing, well, it kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it? I know how I felt when I learned that someone I knew had passed on too soon. It stops you in your tracks and puts your whole world on hold.

I believe that’s the exact impact Jesus was after when he said in John 15: 12-17, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

Love each other. Like it was your last day, not to live, but to love. To appreciate. To serve. To encourage. And treat each other like it was their last day. To show a little more compassion. Offer some understanding. Demonstrate to someone that God really cares about them more than they could ever imagine.

Because truth of the matter is, someday will be your last day. And theirs as well. But that’s not what really matters here. What matters is how we treat each other the rest of the days we’ve been blessed with.

So we can always live as a true blessing to someone else.

Miracle

Heal the lame. Raise the dead. Or befriend someone shunned by society.

Which one seems the most miraculous to you?

Before reading Acts 9:32-43, my money would have been on one of the first two, but now I’m not so sure. Take a look at the following passage.

As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years [eight years!]. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

So let’s set the scene. Peter takes the disabled, the diseased and the despised and blesses each one in mighty ways. With Aeneas and Dorcas he performs miracles in the name of Jesus to give them new life (Aeneas is able to walk again, Dorcas is literally brought back to life). You can imagine their lives afterward.

But for Simon, well, it’s a little more tricky.

See, Simon was a tanner which was seen at the time as a dirty, despised job, one that was very looked down upon. Because his business was dealing with dirty animal carcasses day in, day out which meant Simon was seen as “unclean” among the Jews. Along with shepherds, tanners were on the fringe of society. And Peter’s decision to stay with Simon was an act that showed he was willing to reject traditional Jewish discrimination.

Which is what I want to address. A lot of times we read about the miracles that Jesus performed and are in awe. Or we read about the disciples like Peter who healed in the name of Christ and are taken aback, maybe even wishing we could experience something of that magnitude. Something that special.

And as we see from Peter, we can. He doesn’t just befriend the unfriendable, he rejects prejudice in Christ’s name. That’s big. Because we all have our prejudices. Our own judgements. Sometimes we “size someone up” and don’t even know why (I do it all the time). And it’s Christ that says there is only one judge – God Himself.

So my challenge for you this week is to experience the same miracle Peter did, “befriend” someone you currently see as unbefriendable. No, you don’t have to hang out with them or become their new best friend, just do something nice for them. A simple compliment. Ask them how they’re doing. Buy them a cup of coffee. If you find yourself judging, stop and pray. For you and for them. Start small and let God do the rest.

Who knows, maybe you’ll experience your own miracle – healing against judgement – in your own life.

Cookout

Let’s kick summer off right. Let’s talk about a cookout.

But, nay, not just an ordinary cookout. A true feast. A banquet. With giant smoked turkey legs and everything. And here’s the good news, you’re part of it right now, even as we speak. So grab a Chinette plate, your plastic fork and enjoy.

To set the scene, let’s take a look at Luke 14: 15-24, the Parable of the Great Banquet.

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “

“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

“ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’ “

Ah, now that’s a cookout, isn’t it? Invite everyone and anyone, no matter who they are, except those who told the master (in not-so-many words) “Sorry...I’m kind of busy.”

Which is precisely what I’m getting at. Because you are taking part in that very feast right now. You haven’t told God you’re “too busy” or have better things to do. Instead you act like the servant who goes out and finds people to serve. You lead an outreach at church. You care for an ailing family member. You pay for a stranger’s lunch. You....are taking part in this feast. And I don’t want that very key point to pass you by.

Because for a lot of us, we serve with a sense of duty. Because our hearts lead us to unquestionably “go for it”. Or it’s just something you do and don’t think twice about it. But I don’t want you to miss the big point and realize what your acts of grace, kindness, love and charity really are – a place at a Great Banquet being thrown by God Himself.

Sadly, I’ve missed out on that point many times when doing an outreach and don’t ever want that for you. Not anymore. So if this “60” plants a seed in just one person’s brain and they realize that serving is being part of the best cookout ever, then it's done its job.

Tomorrow, instead of trying to make the Hispanic Outreach perfect, I’m going to focus more on Who makes it perfect. Instead of paying for someone else’s order at a fast food joint thinking about my minor sacrifice requiring me to skip the fries, I’m going to just be grateful they get to share the fruits of the feast.

So this summer, enjoy your own “cookouts”. Whether you invite friends for burgers and dogs or serve a stranger so they may know about God’s bounty.

But never – never – miss that one simple fact. That we all get to enjoy a place at the table of God’s feast.

Good

So even the news is tired of the news.

Tired of economic misery and misbehavior. Tired of reading the words “more layoffs” off the teleprompter. Tired of reporting yet another economic scandal.

NBC Nightly News has now turned its once weekly exposé, “Making a Difference” into a nightly feature with news anchor Brian Williams earlier this week looking dead into the camera and saying, “Please keep sending us your stories of kindness in these uncertain economic times”.

Oprah Winfrey seems to have had enough too as she dedicated an entire show and a large part of her website to “Heroes in Hard Times” which focused on peoples’ acts of kindness both big and small. Other news outlets are following suit, just looking for something uplifting to report. Anything. A cat battling an oscillating fan. Sure, we’ll report that.

The one similarity I see in all these stories (the cat one excluded) is that the people doing the acts of generosity simply used what they had to help others. Their time. Their talents. The roadside motel they just bought, the unused church gym or, in one case, the equity in a dump truck to help a total stranger buy back her foreclosed home.

In every case, every single one, the “hero” said they didn’t feel like a “hero”. They were just doing what needed to be done. The laid off construction worker donating her time to tutor at an after-school program. The unemployed dancer teaching inner-city kids ballet. The lady who calls area hotels asking for old bedding they would otherwise just throw away she now collects and donates to area homeless shelters.

Some see it as an upspring, an almost a new ideal in hometown America. But in the Bible it can be clearly seen, time and time again. Acts of greatness done for the greater good. Simply because they needed to be done.

Take David for example. He defeated Goliath with the tools he already knew how to use for the good of others. He had emerged extremely skilled with his sling after years of being a shepherd. And note that while King Saul, the Israelite leader and the tallest of all the Isrealites, was afraid to face Goliath, David sprang at the chance to go after the Philistine.

Why? Because – and this is important – while all the other Israelites saw Goliath as a giant, David saw him simply as a mortal man defying God. And David, knowing God had been preparing him for this very day, shunned the need to use the king’s armor or brandish a sword. There he went. Alone. No frills. Nothing fancy. Doing something he‘d done a thousand times before. He just picked up his all-too-familiar sling and kept one thing in mind: Hit the mark and this will all be over.

The last words Goliath heard were, “...it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” Seconds later he lay there, dead, as his army fled.

And that is what I want you to know, God is training you, or has trained you, with gifts and experiences so you yourself can play the role of hero for His greater good in the life of someone else. Ok, sure, maybe you slay the giant. Or maybe you pay for a struggling mom’s tank of gas. Maybe you donate your yard sale earnings to charity. Maybe you go visit folks in a nursing home. Maybe you...got another idea? Good. Go for it.

Whatever the case, I encourage you to go out there and do it - and do it now. Remember, nothing flashy or fancy. Nothing that takes a committee or “group approval” to make happen. Because simple things can lead to God-sized results. A lady gets her house back. A diabetic gets the treatment he needs to survive. A single mom gets fresh bedding for her kids. And on and on.

Heroes? Maybe not. God’s fingerprints? Absolutely.

Hero

Meet an unlikely hero - Moses.

We tend to mythicize the people in the Bible and forget that the key players we read about were real, flawed people just like us. We get caught up in the romanticized Renaissance paintings and the stained glass portraits and forget they too had their doubts in themselves and, a lot of times, in God. Doesn’t matter who you look at – David, Jacob, Paul, Abraham, Jonah – they all, each one, had their shortcomings and their all too human flaws.

But God worked through them in spite of themselves. Including Moses.

Ok, I know when we think of Moses we tend to envision the Charlton Heston version with white beard and flowing hair blowing defiantly in the wind standing atop a mountain thundering out the declaration, “This...is the Word of God!” But let’s it back it up a bit. Between killing the Egyptian and the Red Sea opening up, Moses’s life was pretty much in the toilet. Because it’s here we find Moses tending sheep. Not even tending his own flock, but his father-in-law’s. The most boring, looked down upon job at the time. And he’s leading these sheep not into lush pastures along scenic vistas, but to the far side of the desert. Not exactly a postcard moment.

But this is where Moses’s life is right now. He’s got nothing but time on his hands. Nothing to go back to. Nothing to look forward to. In a sense, he’s kind of in his own desert, biding his time.

Moses. The human. Broken. Wandering. Wondering.

And this is where the roller coaster ride begins. Moses, minding his own business, notices something peculiar, a bush that’s burning but not burning up. He may have watched this bush burn for hours before curiosity got the best of him, and he had to check it out.

And you all know this part. God talks to Moses, tells him that He’s heard His people suffer and He’s going to make things right. He’s going to rescue them. He’s going to bring them up. He’s going to bring them into a land of milk and honey. It’s the best pep talk ever known to man, complete with it’s own catch phrase, and all Moses needs to do is go tell Pharaoh all this and God will deliver His people.

Moses’s reply? “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring out the Israelites?” In other words, “Sorry God, I’m a nobody”. The next verses play out like a kid learning how to ride a bike while deathly afraid Dad will let go of the seat. Seriously, read it for yourself, it’s almost comical. This Moses, who’s been tending sheep in the desert for years is approached by God to end the suffering of His people and Moses comes back with arguments, reasons, probably even a pie chart or two why he’s not good enough to carry out God’s plan. Even after God gives him three miraculous signs as proof (plus a burning bush), Moses tells God “I can’t pull this off.” Instead (and this is the part I love) Moses starts giving God suggestions who would be better suited for the job.

Sounds absurd, doesn’t it?

So lemme ask you this, ever been “Moses” in your own life? Felt a leading, a nudging from God to do something and in turn give Him all the reasons why you’re the most unqualified person in the world to do it? What about the hopes and dreams on your heart? Do you find a way to talk yourself out of pursuing them because you find yourself lacking?

It’s ok, we all have. And you’re right, on your own you may be inadequate. But God isn’t. Now is the time, if God has been leading you, to work with Him on something bigger than yourself. For you trust Him and go for it. To not give God reasons you can’t, but consider all the reasons He can.

Because He will lead you out of your own desert. And onto much better places.