The other day I found a smoking gun. And it’s still smoking.
It’s the greatest test of your character, hands down. Other than pride, it’s the most deceptive phenomenon we humans encounter because it takes so many hidden forms.
It’s the deceptive driver behind many of the ways we think, act, or speak. It’s often the reason we give up in the face of pressure, avoid caring for certain people, or keep a long memory of others’ offenses. It drives us to compare ourselves with others, point out others’ faults and weaknesses, or brag about ourselves to impress people. It leads us to lie to protect ourselves, assume the worst about the future, or treat people with suspicion or jealousy or just plain rudeness.
Yes, I’m talking about fear. And it can lead to some galactically stupid choices. I’ve had mine. You’ve probably had yours. Let’s pick on somebody else. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on August 1, 2011
in Ability, Five LV Laws, Life Currency, Love, LV Alter-egos, LV Cycle, Pleasers, Principle of Freedom, Tense Truths, Waiting
I.
It all started with a dream last week,
About a friend I hadn’t seen in more than a decade,
And hadn’t talked to in six years.
Even though it had been so long
And so much life had passed us by,
I realized how important he still is to me.
My love for him and his family is as strong as ever.
And that dream made me take a look at the tapestry of my relationships
And realize somebody was missing.
[click to continue…]
It’s time for a resurrection.
Namely, yours.
You have focused on death long enough.
It’s time for another kind of reckoning.
Christians worldwide seem to have a fascination with death. Pass most any church and somewhere you’ll find a cross – a symbol of public execution and death. Listen to us talk about spiritual growth and overcoming sinful habits and somebody will mention the Bible principle of being dead to sin. Listen to our music or examine what there is of our art, and you hear descriptions of a life so surreal you have to, well, die to get there, or we celebrate the death that Jesus died to make it possible.
Lest I be misunderstood, all of that is true. But it’s only half the truth. [click to continue…]
Pssst.
Hey.
Yes, you.
We need to talk. Really I need to talk and you need to just shut up and listen. I don’t mean to be mean. But the most elite fighting force in heaven or on earth is spread all around you. Their shields are up, and nothing can penetrate them. Their swords are drawn, and no force in hell or on earth can resist them. And they’re on your side.
And they’re doing absolutely nothing.
Just watching you get your brains beat out by an enemy that is smarter, craftier, and more powerful than you are. [click to continue…]
Occasionally I come across somebody who remembers an era when I sang a lot or wrote a lot of music. They graciously tell me they miss that, and openly wish I would return to it, or “do something with it.”
Honestly, it feels nice to hear that. But I won’t be singing “He’s Alive” this Easter, and I haven’t written a song that doesn’t end in “oh, doo-dah-day” in 13 years.
Even more frequently, I see somebody who heard me preach, or was in a church where I served as pastor. More kind words. More open wishes.
Truth be told, if feels nice to hear that, too. But so far I’m not planning on preaching this Easter, and I haven’t served in a church leadership role in 16 months.
Do I miss those things? Of course. But that doesn’t mean that the gifts and callings behind them have been shelved or warehoused. Just redirected.
In an often-quoted Bible verse, Paul says that “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). He’s referring to the Jews and their place in God’s heart and plan. But the implications are much broader than that. It speaks to Gentile me.
It speaks to you, too.
“God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or calls someone.” That’s how God’s Word translates it. Eugene Peterson says in The Message that they are “under full warranty – never canceled, never rescinded.”
You can run from your calling or abuse your gifts. You can make stupid choices that limit your effectiveness. You can be distracted by the world or rejected by the church, deceived by the devil or pursued by trivia. But your dead ends or detours haven’t changed your gifts and calling, and you’d be wise to recognize that.
Oh… sorry… you still here? I was preaching to myself and got distracted. Anyway… [click to continue…]
Joey’s feeling pretty small today. That’s what happens when you’re supposed to have the right words to say and there are no right words for a family in needless grief and pain. So Joey just hangs there, offering the ministry of presence. Hoping to offer some kind of life or lift that will help. But who will lift the lifter, and remind Joey what it’s like to stand tall and strong again?
Joey needs a carrier.
Alicia would never admit this, but she’s a living example of a Proverbs 31 woman. Greatly admired, if not revered, she never seems to sleep, and lives pedal-to-metal most of the time. She gets more work done by lunchtime than girls half her age and boys of any age do all day. But behind the success and flair, Alicia hides an ugly secret: She’s exhausted, and nearing the point of just not caring anymore. And though she has a hard time admitting she can’t do it all, she, too, needs a carrier.
Joey and Alicia are real-life examples of somebody who’s near you, or who is you, right now…
- Tired, but no end or help in sight…
- Overwhelmed, but no clarity about what to hold onto and what to let go of…
- Weepy at times for no apparent reason, or for any little cause…
- Feeling abandoned or opposed against the tide of opinions, accusations, or criticism…
- Disappointed by those once trusted, confused in the very areas that once produced confidence …
- Surrounded by pain, yet seemingly helpless to do anything about it…
All these and more are the unmistakable signs of someone – maybe you – who is calling for a carrier, whether they know it or not. [click to continue…]
Cohen is an expert crawler.
He can cross a room lickety-split on his hands and knees.
He’s an awful walker.
He’s learning. But why risk injury when he can get there safely on all fours?
His parents don’t treat his crawling ability as a special gift, however.
It’s just a skill that helps him until the greater abilities arrive.
Same goes for you and God. [click to continue…]
I have a friend who makes me funny. Not makes me laugh. He makes me funny. As in Night-at-the-Improv, bust-a-gut hilarious. I hear myself say things to him I wish I could remember later and somehow capture the moment.
There are plenty of times when I do OK by a crowd and generate a smile or two. But this guy takes me to a whole other place.
How does he do it? For starters, he has a very rewarding laugh – one that boldly proclaims, “I think you’re funny.” He also anticipates the fact that I’m going to make him laugh. He’s always on the edge of another crack-up when we talk. On top of that, he tells other people how funny I am. The laughter we have shared has forged a unique identity I step into whenever we talk or get together.
I have another friend who makes me wise. As in Child-of-Solomon, guru-deep profound. [click to continue…]
A couple of years ago I played around with the idea that maybe there are spiritual gifts – those unusual abilities that are so beyond-the-natural they had to come from the Holy Spirit – that aren’t mentioned in the Bible. The possibilities included gifts such as the gift of dogs, cough, receiving, and criticism. You can find the whole list here.
Good news, friends! The SGC (that’s Spiritual Gifts Commissary for you uninitiated) has announced a fresh, lively shipment of new models for 2011. I feel most certain you know at least one person with each of these. And who knows? Your search for understanding of your own supernatural endowments just may end right here.
Here in no certain order (except alphabetical), are ten MORE spiritual gifts you won’t find in the Bible… but maybe-just-maybe, when the Spirit (or something) is moving, you’ll see these manifestations: [click to continue…]
New Year’s Eve. We’d had a great dinner with friends, and were doing the potty wait in the restaurant foyer, when out walked a small group from another dining room. I recognized her immediately, though we hadn’t spoken in more than three years.
She was (and is) a part of my team. My Dream Team.
If this was baseball, she’d be the heavy hitter off the bench. If it was football, she’d be the Hail Mary quarterback who came in the game in the fourth quarter. If it was business, she’d be the turnaround specialist.
As it is, she’s my frontline intercessor.
As I explained to my friend, she is one of the godliest women I know, and a powerful intercessor. And she has occupied a very unique place in my life. “When my back is to the wall and I’m desperate,” I told him, “and I need somebody who knows how to pray with heavy artillery, she’s the one I call.”
I’m thinking of a few times since we last spoke when it may have been a good idea to make that call. Anyway… [click to continue…]
The other day I found a smoking gun. And it’s still smoking.
