Month: January 2011

Putting it all Together

Progress is step by step. One grade at a time. One town at a time. You never just arrive – you must take the journey. It's part of the process and just as important as the destination. Go for consistency - doing well for the long haul. Not just quick bursts of enthusiasm. Growth takes time and continued effort.

If we are faithful with what we have (looking after it well), God will give us more. Are you ruling well over the little you have? Are you faithful with what you've got? Looking for more without dealing well with what you've got is immaturity. God looks at how well we handle what we have to determine what we can receive (read Luke 12:48). God rewards faithfulness. Note Jesus' parables - "Well done, good and faithful servant.”

To the unsuccessful person, time doesn’t matter. Life moves according to chance. What comes, comes. What doesn’t, doesn’t. To the successful person, time is not to be wasted. Time gives motivation for setting goals, planning carefully and setting priorities.

Moses saw the need for using time wisely. 

Ps 90:12. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. NKJV 

How many days do you have left? Take some time to ponder this …

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. 

What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!!! 

Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits us with 86,400 seconds.

Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.

It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you.

Each night it burns the remains of the day.

If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours.

There is no going back.

There is no drawing against “tomorrow.”

You must live in the present on today’s deposits.

Invest it so as to get from it the utmost.

The clock is running.

Make the most of today.

Conclusion

God’s gift to you is your potential. Your gift back to Him is what you do with it (see Matt.25:14-30). Get ready for another cycle of the seasons. Start thinking about your next harvest. When you see the returns of your labour, you want to start dreaming again and the cycle of the seasons commences once again. Move to an even greater harvest and more diverse crops. Become a better farmer. May you live a fruitful life that brings honour and glory to God! 

Continue reading “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Pt.9)” →

Season #4 – Autumn (or Fall) 

Autumn is a time for harvest. This is when the crops are brought in. It is a time for celebration, satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment. [Of course, different crops are harvested at different seasons throughout the year, but for our purposes we are focusing on Autumn representing harvest time] 

For some people, autumn is a time for dreading another winter, for watching the trees lose their leaves and feeling a sense of loss, and the passing of time. It can be a time for wishing things might have been different. Autumn can bring in a harvest of regret.

For others, autumn is a time for reaping the rewards of sowing in earlier seasons. It is the season for enjoying the fullness of life – partaking of the harvest, sharing it with others, and reinvesting and saving portions of the harvest for yet another season of growth. It is a time for feeling a sense of accomplishment, for recognising that life must be enjoyed to be lived.

Autumn is also a season of reflection and change. It is a time of great beauty and colour.

Autumn is a time for harvesting. What you sow, you will reap if you don’t give up! If it’s God’s dream and the seed is His, it will produce a harvest. God’s Word will not return to him empty (Isaiah 55:10-11). He is a promise-keeping, covenant-keeping God. If we do our part, He will surely do His. In His time he makes all things beautiful (Ecc.3:11). We plough the ground, plant, sow and water the seed, but God makes it grow. Our harvest could be a growth in character, relationships, ministry fruitfulness, or financial blessing. 

Autumn is a time for rejoicing. It is to celebrate the goodness and the faithfulness of God. Do this at the end of each season and along the way on a daily basis. God rejoiced daily as He was creating the world. Enjoy the process, not just the end result. Get rid of “destination disease” (“Someday …”). Draw maximum joy from each moment. Enjoy the journey. Joy is knowing you have a purpose for being alive and that you are fulfilling it. 

Autumn is also a time for sharing. The harvest needs to be allocated wisely. Some is to be given away – to God (our first fruits) and others. God gives seed to the sower (not to everyone!). God can only bless the seed you sow, not the seed you eat or hold on to. Don’t eat your seed for sowing. Give honour and glory to God. Give thanks and appreciation to those who have helped you along the way. No one “makes it” alone. Applaud your friends and partners. Acknowledge those who have sown seeds into your life. Your reward is to be shared with them.

There is also a portion to enjoy now. Eat the fruit of your labours and rejoice. You always benefit from the harvest God brings into your life. There are portions to save and to reinvest.

Enjoy your harvest season!

Tomorrow … a few final thoughts. 

Season #3 – Summer 

In many ways, most summers are marked by long, hot, tedious days. Many people endure summer but do not enjoy it. It is easy to simply mark time, walking through one long day to the next, seeking relief and relaxing during the holidays. For the farmer, summer is a season for watering the seeds that have been planted and for fertilising. Growth begins to take place. Feedback and evaluation are essential, along with appropriate adjustments. Weeds and pests need attention too. 

This applies directly to our personal lives. No dream is achieved without a long hot summer of hard work and maximum effort.

Summer is the time to really put in the work. Work has no substitute. It is the prime ingredient for success and God’s blessing. Summer is the time for working not watching, doing not dozing.

God is a worker! He worked for six days (on His creation project), then rested from his work on the seventh day (Gen.2:2-3). God created man to work. After all, we were created in His image. Work is not a part of the curse! Before the fall, humans were to tend and keep the garden God had made, as well as name the animals (Gen. 2:5,15, 20). After the fall, humans were  to continue to work the ground but with the added curse of thorns and thistles, as well as the sweat of human effort (Gen. 3:19,23). Work can bring frustration apart from God and His purpose (see Ecc.4:4). The Old Testament praises hard work, while it condemns and ridicules laziness. Daily hard work leads to long-term profit (1 Thess. 4:11-12. 2 Thess. 3:6-14). Work is part of our God-given purpose – doing some useful task or being involved in a profitable occupation.

Summer is also a time for evaluation. A good farmer monitors his field. What does it need? How is it growing? Are predators or harmful insects invading? Are the plants healthy? When should I water next? What fertiliser will help?

Continue reading “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Pt.7)” →

We are already one week into the new year – 2011. Did you make any new year's resolutions?

ABC NEWS ran a story explaining why many people fail to keep their resolutions. The Barna Group recently conducted an extensive research project about Americans and their new year's resolutions. Read the full report here. It explains who makes resolutions, how many keep them, and the kinds of things people resolve to do and change.

I think that any type of resolution is a good thing – if it leads to positive change. After all, we reap what we sow and our decisions, not our conditions, determine our future. Lasting change requires commitment and character – which is the ability to follow through a decision, long after the emotion in which the decision was made has padded. 

Of course, as followers of Christ, we understand that we rely on God's strength and grace. I like what the apostle Paul said: "I can do all things (that's confidence!) … through Christ who strengthens me (that's dependence!).

I pray that this year is a fruitful one for you – and that you live of life of progress, going from strength to strength in your journey with God.   

Spring is a Season to Stop Procrastinating

The book of Exodus records the intriguing encounter of Moses with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. The entire land was filled with frogs and Pharaoh had had enough. He asked Moses to get rid of the frogs. Moses gave Pharaoh the option for determining the time for the frogs to be gone. Pharaoh replied, “Tomorrow." He was willing to spend one more night with those frogs!

Ex.8:8-10. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.” Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.” “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 

One of our greatest enemies and biggest time wasters is the habit of procrastination. We tend to put off until “tomorrow” those difficult tasks or problems we may be facing. By conquering the procrastination habit, we can use our time more effectively. In fact you might even “Steal One Hour a Day”. This idea comes from Chuck Swindoll, an incredibly busy seminary president and popular speaker. He states that no matter how busy we are, all of us are capable of "stealing" one hour each day. You can do it by getting up a little earlier, taking a shorter lunch, working an extra hour at home after the kids are in bed, etc. This habit will give you 260 extra work hours a year — in other words, six weeks!

What kind of things do you tend to procrastinate? Why? What will you do about it TODAY? Don’t Delay – Do it TODAY! Some people are convinced that procrastination is just part of their personality. But Dr. Don Carruth, a management professor at East Texas State University, disagrees. "Procrastination is simply a bad habit," he says. "It can be corrected by substituting a good habit — the habit of action." To replace your current work method with one that is more effective — and much less stressful – take the following steps:

Continue reading “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Pt.6)” →

Season #2 – Spring

After a long winter, you wonder if things will ever change. The first day of spring is a wonderful time – flowers and colors appear, birds sing, clouds clear, gentle breezes blow and the sun begins to shine. It is a time of refreshing and encouraging renewal. New life emerges.

For some, Spring is a time for daydreams, play and an escape from reality. For the farmer, Spring is a time for ploughing and planting. The winter’s plans give impetus to responsibility, motivation and enthusiastic activity. It’s time to get to work to make those God-given dreams a reality. Break ground. Plant some seeds for a future harvest. Focus your motivation into action.

Effective people not only have dreams, goals and plans. They are willing to work hard and to take responsibility for turning their plans into energy, perspiration and effort. They don’t sit back and wait for someone else to turn their plan into action. They take charge of executing their own plan. You have to take responsibility for your own harvest. Others can help, but you are responsible for what you eventually reap.

We are called to be "doers" of God’s word and of God’s will. God desires us to be people of action. After all, a vision or a dream becomes effective only when it is translated into action. We need a balanced perspective between God's sovereignty and human responsibility. God works, but we must work too (Phil. 2:12-13). God will not do it all for us. Things don't just happen as we sit around. On the other hand, we can't accomplish God's will just through our own effort alone. There is a balance. We must live one day at a time, yet we must live with the future in mind.

Continue reading “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Pt.5)” →

After dreaming, the farmer begins to formulate a plan for his work in the soon coming season of spring. Without a plan and goals, dreams remain abstract and we coast along without any sense of progress of achievement. 

God is the great time manager. He is also a great planner and goal setter. He has a plan, a design and a purpose He is working to accomplish. He established this before the world began.

Most people spend more time planning their holidays or a party than they do their life. Plan your year and your use of time wisely. Think ahead. Look beyond today and your next step. Think about how you’ll achieve your dreams.

The New Year is filled with potential. Will you look back on 2011 and see 12 months of worthwhile goals accomplished, fulfilling activities completed and time well managed? Or will your year be one of busyness, clutter, and fractured focus? Focus your time and energy on God’s will for your life.

Ephesians 5:15-17. Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Season #1 – Winter 

In the natural, the winter season is a time of cold, rain and frost. It's a time to be inside keeping warm. It’s wet, cold and windy outside. In many parts of the world, winter is accompanied by snow and ice.

We can also go through personal seasons of winter. Everything feels cold and grey. The sun isn't shining and we feel no warmth. God may seem a long ways away. Everything seems barren. Nothing is growing. 

What do we do in winter? Do we just hibernate and hope for sunnier days? I would like to suggest that winter can be a time for dreaming and planning. 

During winter, the farmer begins to think about the coming change of seasons – a time to plant again for a future harvest. He sees or imagines in his mind’s eye what the next harvest will look like – the kind of seed he’ll plant and the size of the return. He sees it all before it actually happens and he begins to prepare for it. He thinks of the possibilities and the opportunities ahead, not the problems and the disasters that might come.

In the same way, we need to allow the Holy Spirit within us to impart a fresh sense of purpose and direction for our life. Without a revelation from God, we live unmotivated and undisciplined lives (Prov.29:18). One of the signs of the Spirit's work is the prophetic impartation of visions and dreams (Acts 2:17) … and let's never forget that God is "… able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (dream of), according to his power that is at work within us."

Everything begins with a dream – within our heart and mind. It is first conceived in the spiritual realm then it becomes a reality in the natural realm. A dream is a mental picture or vision of a future reality imparted by God. A true dream from God is more than a simple wish, a whim or a daydream.

Unfortunately, we can tend to see more problems than possibilities. We need to re-evaluate our opportunities. We need to dare to dream again. Opportunity blindness happens when we see each assignment as a stepping stone. Opportunities we hope to find in another place often already exist where we are now. Your current post has a wealth of potential. Be creative. Use your imagination and be committed to the future. Break new ground. Turn opportunities into achievements.

A person never achieves more than their dreams. Every significant achievement or ministry started as someone’s dream. Many Christians have stopped singing and quit dreaming. God wants to renew your ability to imagine, hope, anticipate and dream. Hope shapes the direction of our lives. All things are possible with God. When you have a dream, everyone around you benefits.

Martin Luther King’s famous speech began with the powerful statement, “I have a dream.” What's your dream? Ask God how He wants things to be rather than simply accepting the situation as inevitable. We see things the way they are and they way they used to be. God sees things the way they are and the way they could be.

Recognize the potential God sees in your situation right now. See it from God’s perspective. Get a new grip on your life. Seek for a fresh anointing and a new perspective. Sometimes we’re looking for new places rather than seeing through new eyes and dreaming new dreams right where we are. Unpack your bags, stop longing for greener pastures and assume responsibility for your where you are right now. Cultivate your field – even the richest soil has to be tilled faithfully and frequently. Many apparently unattractive and overgrown fields are rich in opportunity beyond our wildest imagination. A bumper crops awaits the person who cultivates the land and plants God’s seed. Deserts can bloom. Barren fields can produce.

Continue reading “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life (Pt.3)” →