Sometimes Really Smart People Frustrate Me

"Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful." John Wooden

'I am a servant, I am listening for my name' - Larry Norman's classic Christian ballad about humility and reverence in God's presence is timeless. The apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians in chapter 3, "Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. (vs. 18-23)" In the news recently we have our political leaders, whether Liberal or Conservative, no matter what label they are attached to, are quibbling and finger-pointing while the regular and common folk suffer, while they all believe they are the smartest one in the room.

We recently have heard men paid to talk on radio and TV vilifying a woman for being on a committee for College Football improvements. The article is here In a related topic, a pitcher in the playoffs verbally attacked a reporter/analyst for his assessment of said pitcher, saying no one should say anything unless they played the game. The article is found here While a former or current player has a specific and intrinsic point of view, there are others who are around the game on a full time basis, and have eyes and a brain and can make an evaluation. There are many Managers/Coaches that never played at the level they are coaching. Therefore, there are people who can evaluate, elucidate, or extrapolate without benefit of personal, hands-on experience. So why even create these issues? Ego, conceit, self-importance.

Our government leaders often act like they forget how they got there and who is their boss - Power does corrupt. O.J. Simpson, Aaron Hernandez (allegedly), Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Jayson Williams, Leonard Little, and Von Miller are just a tiny speck of examples of athletes who were so spoiled growing up because of their size and talent that skewed their perspective to allow them to think they were above all laws. I know some who struggle with believing that God is in control, and that we need to seek Him in all we do.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said "Some people are so heavenly minded they of no earthly good." There are a handful of exceptions, but The more heavenly minded you get doesn't mean more aloof or detached from society. In fact if one truly has heaven and following Christ on their mind, they are more like he was - engaged with the people, shining the Light, given to lead not sit alone in the corner. The apostle Paul definitely disagrees with Mr. Holmes, "for the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."

When You Say Nothing At All

Those times when I am too overwhelmed to speak - "Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice" Proverbs 13.10 (NIV) - it is at those specific and exact moments I know God knows my heart. It wasn't always this way. And to be brutally honest, there are times in my present day life when I doubt, when I give in to the deceiver and proclaim myself the loser. However, in this chaos of over thinking, self-doubt and faithlessness, I find God in the scriptures, and in my spirit.

For years I have been assaulting myself over things I should have done in the past, and not living in "the now" of today - claiming victory through Jesus over my weakness because I know that Paul told us "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me" II Corinthians 12.9 (NIV).  Growth is a painful process. How do babies get teeth, or children grow, or woman deliver babies? Painfully. Why then, do so many expect spiritual growth to be a magical transformation, like Tinkerbell shakes her wand and Wendy flies?

God gave me my gifts and abilities. I took far too long to discover the few I have because I allowed the deceiver to fool me, confuse me, and betray me into believing I had none, or what I had was unworthy of God's acknowledgment. Like a kid with a thumb sucking habit, just saying stop doesn't turn me into a spiritual giant overnight. My head recognizes that God gives everyone gifts, in their own measure, and that one of mine - for example - is a servant's heart. Satan has turned that one on me to be a doormat. So in the attempt to shed this self-perception, I don't always see myself slip back into the old, like the toddler who finds his thumb in his mouth and thinks, "how'd that happen?"

If you need prayer, let me know and I will joyfully pray for you - this is a terrible time in our world - we all need help, and that which I can supply is to lift you up before God and ask on your behalf  for God to help you, or bless you, to know you are thankful. Thank you my friends who pray for me.

Personal, Inner Conflict

The Apostle Paul captured my dilemma in the seventh chapter of the letter to the Romans. While I have such grandiose plans and dreams for my life, ministries I want to be in, even just my daily life - the way I honor and cherish my wife, the time I spend on my children and the manner I communicate with them, and the rest of my family and friends I want to be with and care about - these are the things in my life that are the hardest to accomplish. I feel like this diatribe could easily swing into a pity party, but that is not my focus. As Paul finishes his thought on sin in Romans 7, he says (vs 24, 25) "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord."
I am almost fifty years old and I am still learning how far I have to grow, how much I do not know, and just what a creep I am. After all, I can look back and see the goober from high school, or the moron that went from college to college and never accomplished anything. One failed marriage, children and step children that neither listen to or respect any adult, save me personally. I have been attempting to receive a Bachelor's Degree for almost 5 years, and California Baptist University started me off with a two-year Associates Degree I received 15 years ago. Jobless, and still playing games with my school for my degree, I struggle to stay UN-depressed.
I truly believe that there is a plan for me. Like Paul, I thank God for the gift of his son, Jesus Christ. I need to walk in that light. I need to seek His face and do what pleases Him, and then my concerns about my life will not be as ominous or depressing.

Why Can't I Be Like Marty McFly?

Thanks to old Doc Brown, Marty went back in the past to escape the terrorists. It was there he was able to improve his future.

Why can't we all have the same opportunity?

The attitudes of yesterday shape my today, and clearly affect my tomorrow. The ability to change those attitudes is not just an electric impulse, in a nanosecond changed wishing to continue anew, like a baseball from a pitcher's hand changes direction immediately when struck by a bat. The Apostle Peter exemplifies that philosophy. While a direct and conscious change time does take place, the human mind must work through it's programming to effectively affect change in behavior. Peter told Jesus that he knew Jesus was God in the flesh, come to save the world. Yet it was Peter who was going to war with the Romans at Jesus' arrest, and it was Peter who denied Christ at the time of the crucifixion.

Interestingly, the ball/bat analogy is what the term repent implies. Turning around from a thought or behavior, a 180 degree 'about face'.

Change is fun, exciting, and sometimes hard.

Changing the layout of the living room - easy, fresh, and fun!

Changing the colors of a bathroom or bedroom, even changing a clothing style is fun and challenging.

Changing behavior patterns is hard - sometimes painstakingly hard - but very, very do-able.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (NIV)

It is not 'science fiction'!

If This Is Being Blessed, Can I Please Be Not-So-Much?

In the NIV translation, James 1 :2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I hold to that promise with my whole heart. There is however a fleshly part of my being that wants a spiritual hammock, balmy breeze, cold beverage and free time to get out of this pressure cooker called life. Like a timeout or a commercial break to allow important things to get done, as well as rest to be accomplished.

I am all too aware or the reap-what-you-sew part of life (Gal. 6:8). Jesus promised that the burden would not be easy, or the pathway either, for that matter, and my earthly consequences are truly "bummin' me out, dude!" I am not joyful. I am self degrading, unrealistic, and according to my family 'quite the grump', to use "Disney Language".

So, recognition of these awful and destructive attributes has led me to want to change for the better - like, totally." However, I intimately understand when the apostle Paul told said that which he hates doing is the act he does, and vice versa. This is so chopping me up. So I sign off to work on my math. Chow, Adios, Ba-Bye!