Think then Act – Page 2 – "…because you matter!"

Change Priority

What is it that causes me to have a can-do attitude? Why can I work at something and make it work while another doesn’t seem to have the heart or motivation? Why, conversely, can they see phenomenal success in an area that is entirely foreign to me?

Could it be simply that the area in question has not made it to the top of the list as a priority for them or myself?

Priorities are created in the privacy of our thoughts, the deep down places of the inner person. They receive the energy that others can observe as they get fleshed out and become visible.

It occurred to me today that the reason a person is not willing to make a change is because the need for change hasn’t yet tripped their priority list.

I am aware that some people don’t believe that other people can change. These same people assume that once you reach adulthood, you are what you are.

I once heard it said, “You will be the same next year except for the people you meet and the books that you have read.” There might be some merit to that. I also think that there may be one more ingredient to add to the change mix; the pressure you were put under to make a change.

We change when we get convinced in our inner thoughts; when the people we respect are modeling the attribute; and when life’s pressure reorients us to what is imperative.

What is the difference between a good idea and something that makes it to your priority list? A good idea is just that, a conversation piece, an elevated thought that receives attention.

A Priority means that you are choosing one over another; one thought, one action, one person, a set of values or lack thereof.

What are your priorities? What is your number one priority? What is it that holds value at the innermost core of your being? Is that a value worth keeping? If not, what is your strategy for real change?

You Don’t Have To Live; You Get To!

Confidence

Take a moment, consider.

Imagine for a moment that God actually will hear your request and grant your answer.

I think that more often than not we think exactly opposite. We tend to make a story up in our minds as to why he will not. We base it on performance modules like worth and mile-markers. We raise an impossible standard in our mind story, and it is usually just a little beyond our reach of stellar performance.

So when we come to God in prayer or request, we do not have the confidence that we will see success. We tell ourselves that he will take care of everybody else but will forget about us. Frankly we concede, ‘We don’t measure up.’ That might be true, but its role and strength are out of context.

The truth is we don’t measure up, but we were never supposed to. In the right context this thought propels us toward God but in this previous context, it steals our confidence before Him.

We don’t have confidence because somewhere our heart guard has been compromised. Either it is by something that we have allowed or something that has happened to us that has penetrated and hurt us.

We forgot the practical command, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)

So how do you get your confidence back?

Start by recognizing that you somehow dropped your heart guard.

Confess this to God through prayer. Get that straight; get your inside world back in order. Remember we have a promise that if we confess he forgives and cleanses. The confession is for our awareness. He already knows all; it’s not new to him. Confessing helps us realign our private world. We openly let ourselves know that he knows.

Confidence is all about transparency knowing that there are no secrets, hidden agendas or manipulative tactics at play. There are no shadows or pockets of darkness lurking and planting fear. “Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God…” (1 John 3:21, NIV)

Come back into confidence. You have a God who loves you and wants that kind of relationship with you.

Just like in a great father-child relationship, I wouldn’t hesitate to jump up into my father’s lap, so that is what it looks like to come before God with confidence.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15, NIV)

There is a lap of acceptance waiting for you.

Go ahead and jump!

You Don’t Have To Live; You Get To!

Attitude, Religiously Lost

Religiously Lost

Oh my ‘I’s’ were dotted and my ‘T’s’ were crossed, and I was doing everything right according to my religious protocol, but, I was missing the critical focus or component.

This focus wasn’t a thing or a ritual; this component was a person. I was missing (not getting) Him.

Until he had a private conversation with me and nudged me in my thoughts with the question, I was willingly unaware of my lack.

“Phil do you like me?”

I responded to my thoughts, ” I love you, Lord.” My mind went to my life that I built around church and service. I showed up with unbridled devotion, most of the time. I led congregations in worship, and I had spent hours in preparation for teaching and imparting God’s Word.

He nudged again, “That’s not what I asked. Do you like me?”

That question changed my life. I was religiously numb and conveniently occupied. I had to answer honestly, and my honesty bothered me.

God, who came to earth to bring people to himself, was good, but I was extremely uncomfortable with a Christ who spent time with untouchables, who went into places and situations where a ‘good religious person’ shouldn’t go. He did things that had I been present, I would have blushed at or hidden from, my religion wouldn’t approve.

He lived at his pace, not swayed by anyone or anything. Ya, I didn’t like the way he rolled. He wouldn’t get into my religious box. Shame.

Great questions change lives.

This issue changed my life. Maybe it will change yours.

“Hey there nice religious person, do you like me?”

You Don’t Have to Live; You Get To!

Character

I am quite concerned.

It would seem that Character has become just an ancient word. Its significance is at best diluted, and at worst, disregarded.

In a fast-paced world of apparent transparency, openness and tolerance we have missed the on-ramp to Character.

Our modern quick fix, throw-away culture has lost the baking soda of character, to use another metaphor.

It would appear that all the necessary ingredients are in place, but in fact, everything lies flat.

Like baking soda, Character doesn’t display itself in the mix until the heat is turned up. Baking soda at room temperature doesn’t even appear to be effective. Character when submersed in an “everything’s cool environment,” appears the same. It is there, but its real usefulness doesn’t yet show itself.

It’s when the option of compromise is present; when the explosion of anger presents; when the action of integrity wanes, in the quiet of privacy, that’s when it becomes evident.

Character, like baking soda, shows through the tough work of Process. We only get it by allowing the pressure, the heat of circumstances to change us on the inside. But then, that makes sense.

The chief baker knows how our lives should look. He knows what the finished product we’ll be, and he knows how real purpose should look. He’s the one who will finish what he has started.

Don’t disregard the pressure or the heat. It’s making something beautiful.

If the timer hasn’t gone off, you are still in process.

You don’t have to live; You get to!

Peace

4) Peace, Why?

I’ve lived over thirty years of my life, my son twenty-four, in a house full of girls. I know, it was our privilege / cross to bear / challenge, and blessing, sometimes all at once. What I noticed about these ladies was their dream of a prince coming and solving all. I thought maybe I could be that prince, but it wasn’t what they had in mind; rather, Disney videos lined our bookcases.

It was fun to watch them grow up and it was delightful to see them get lost in the dream of their future.

But, life has a way of giving our dreams a hit. It has a way of auto-correcting our plans and giving misgivings. Sometimes we are blessed, and sometimes we are disappointed. Sometimes the dreams are challenged and realigned.

Conversely, today there is a real Prince. He is not just for my ladies, not just for the fantasy, the movie, the trailers, but he is actually the Prince by title.

Isaiah an ancient prophet is recorded in the Bible to prophesy of Jesus coming to earth as a baby, our Christmas story. In this prophecy he describes Jesus by titles. One of those titles is, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6.)

He is in charge of peace and he represents His Kingdom of Peace.

So, he brings peace to you.

Pray for that peace, ask for that peace, and then thank him believing that it has happened and is happening.

Peace.

You don’t have to live; you get to!

Attitude

You Don’t Have to Live; You Get to

“When I was a kid…”

The times I heard that phrase growing up, I couldn’t even begin to count.

One of the changes that my wife and I made in our parenting different from our upbringing was to make an attitude adjustment in our children.

Instead of ‘guilting’ them to eat their food, i.e. “You know there are children starving in Biafra, they would give their eye teeth to have a meal as you have right now.” We challenged their attitude.

“You don’t have to eat that; you get to!” We emphasized the privilege of the moment, but with a different, positive spin. Why, because, attitude is everything. It is everything for children sitting at a table, but it is everything for us in our adult world as well, well almost everything. There is a whole lot we can say about action, but that will be for a different time.

The way we think determines the way we act. The way we act determines our outcome in life.

So, when challenged with, “Do I have to eat this…potato?” We would immediately reply, “You don’t have to; you get to!”

This effort worked in many other areas of parenting. As soon as they asked the question and we started to respond, “You don’t have to;” our children would fill in the rest, “I get to.”

But, think about it for a second. Isn’t it better to approach life and circumstance with an “I get to!” attitude?”