Ever take a spiritual gifts test? I certainly have, and many of the courses I teach for different universities use them. And while I’m quite sure that surveys designed to apply psychological testing procedures to operations of the Holy Spirit can help us sort some things out, I still get a little uneasy about them.
Why?
Most are written so that even an unbeliever could take them and point to a “spiritual gift.”
Every one starts with a philosophical or theological assumption you may or may not agree with.
Every one tries to systematize something that, in scripture, seems hardly systematic.
Sooner or later somebody says something like, “I took this a few years ago and my gift of faith was a lot stronger then.” What? Seriously?
So I thought maybe it was time for something radically different. Why don’t we go back to the source and see if there is actually a spiritual gifts “test” in the Bible?
Radical, I know, but stay with me. [click to continue…]
Somebody just stumbled into a chicken-and-egg situation. And I’m not talking about foxes in the henhouse. This is more of the “What came first?” variety. And the answer to that proverbial question has profound implications for your life.
Here’s the back story…
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published a report outlining how the average American spends his or her money. Assuming you’re average, you spend a third of your income on housing, 17% on transportation, 13% on food, 11% on insurance, and 7% on healthcare. Entertainment lags back at 5% and the average American gives 4% to churches or charities. Interesting, there was no mention of debt service, at least in the report I read.
Of course, who’s average, right? So Derek Thompson of The Atlantic did some more figuring. He split up income categories into quintiles – the top 20%, the bottom 20%, and the three in the middle. He then compared how the top fifth spend their money proportionally, compared to the bottom fifth.
Would it come as a shock that there is a difference? [click to continue…]
There’s a certain kind of tired, a certain kind of strain
A certain season of get-it-done-now
When it’s a good thing that some things run on autopilot.
Otherwise, I may just forget to breathe.
But then You specialize in keeping my whole world turning
My light still burning, My heart still yearning –
And after all these years I’m still learning
To trust and know You’re there. [click to continue…]
It’s hard not to like Mike when you first meet him. He looks like an 8 x 10 glossy, has a charming smile, and a welcoming demeanor. When he tells you that he’s the pastor at Grace Church just around the corner, it makes you want to visit.
What you can’t see at first, but will discover soon enough if you get to know him, is that Mike is running on emotional and spiritual fumes. He’s exhausted from carrying a mental and spiritual burden for so long, as if he has carried it all by himself.
But Mike’s not in trouble yet. And that’s too bad. He’d be better off if he was.
Sarah’s in a tight spot. She’s not the public charmer that Mike is, but she is bright, resourceful, and has a clear head for retail business and marketing. It’s no wonder the local Chamber voted her the businesswoman of the year last year. Her entrepreneurial drive and instinct for customer tastes have served her well.
Until now. The first couple of years of the recession drained all her reserves, but Sarah found a way to navigate through those challenges. Now she’s faced with tough competition, over-extended credit, and changes in employee healthcare laws. It’s getting ugly at Sarah’s Boutique and Bridal.
Sarah is in a tight spot; but she’s not in trouble yet. And that’s too bad. She’d be better off if she was. [click to continue…]
I’m a big believer in cross training – especially since no less than Solomon said that “a wise man will hear and increase in learning.” Under the banner of “all truth is God’s truth,” I make my living helping people find truth and wisdom in places where they may not otherwise look. That starts with scripture, of course. But even scripture sometimes points us to learning from other sources. Check this out:
Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise… (Proverbs 6:6).
So in the spirit of being teachable, I have previously suggested that there are things you can learn from an orange salesman, a party crasher, a baseball franchise, a ghost house, and a fired CEO.
Today’s teacher is a little less dramatic and a lot more in line with Solomon’s insect example. [click to continue…]
When you’re seven kinds of busy and 21 kinds of tired…
When you’re pulled in so many different directions you need a compass to find the bathroom…
When it’s bedtime and you just remembered that you forgot suppertime…
It’s time for a different tune. It’s time for His song of peace.
When you speak all day with the language of engagement…
When you find yourself panting even while you’re sitting still…
When you’re feeling guilty because you’re not checking something off that stupid list…
It’s time for a different tune. It’s time for His song of peace. [click to continue…]
by Andy Wood on July 17, 2013
in Ability, Allocating Your Resources, Five LV Laws, Hoarders, Leadership, Life Currency, LV Alter-egos, LV Cycle, Pleasers, Principle of Abundance, Principle of Freedom
Ever see something funny that wasn’t intended to be? When language could be interpreted a bit differently than its original meaning?
Example: One day when the kids were still at home we were on the way to school and passed a local hotel. In their attempt to be friendly to an industry meeting there, they posted this message on the marquee: Welcome Pest Control.
Yeah, that’s probably not what you want to see when you’re checking in.
More to-date, once a year I teach a strategic planning class for Crown College – a fine Christian school in Minnesota. Like most schools, Crown has an online system for maintaining accounts, library access, classes and the like. In their case, it’s called “my.crown.”
A few months ago, Jeff, the IT guru there, sent notice that the system was having some technical problems. The message: My.Crown is Down.
Go ahead, call me weird. But put in a different context, I just thought that was sorta funny, in a Dr. Seuss kind of way. [click to continue…]
It’s my strength, Nehemiah says… the joy of the Lord.
It’s the result of an exchange, according to Isaiah’s prophecy. The Spirit of God anointed Jesus to exchange my mourning and ashes for beauty and joy. Surely you don’t think somewhere along the way He’s lost that anointing, do you?
Jesus later told his disciples that they would mourn (at his death), but that their mourning would be turned to joy when they saw Him again (after His resurrection). News Flash! In case you missed it, He’s still alive.
Moreover, Jesus said, as they asked in His name, they would receive, and their joy would be full. So about that asking…
Joy is the fruit of the Spirit because joy is one expression of the character and nature of God.
It’s here that the Lord gets a bum rap. [click to continue…]
Standing in the gap for you, as expectantly as I can, I am praying that on this day like no other, you know the extraordinary comfort of ordinary faithfulness. I pray that you would experience:
Times of “dull” rest, where both your body and your mind can enjoy the stillness of a peaceful heart after a productive day… [click to continue…]
The room was completely remodeled.
New drywall, carpet and wallpaper with clowns and balloons.
New furniture filled the space.
New little outfits filled the drawers.
And diapers!
Oh my, the diapers. [click to continue…]
Ever take a spiritual gifts test? I certainly have, and many of the courses I teach for different universities use them. And while I’m quite sure that surveys designed to apply psychological testing procedures to operations of the Holy Spirit can help us sort some things out, I still get a little uneasy about them.
