What I Wish For Me

Most all of my talents in life are mediocre (at best). I pole vaulted 11'6" in high school, a height rarely garnering a medal. I was short, but slow, so 11'6" was all that was happening. So, I tried the 400M dash. 53 seconds is respectable but again will leave you off the medal stand basically every time. I played football and basketball and had tons of fun, but few accolades.

Scholastically, I was pretty much middle of the pack. Place me against any metric and chances are I will you show you the mean. I do not hate being average, it is totally okay by me. Especially when it comes to the things that the world tends to keep score on. Earn an average living, drive an average car, live in an average house- all well above what I feel I need to accomplish.

However, there is one area in my life that I refuse to settle for the norm. I want to love exceptionally well. My heart longs to be known as someone who gave love. Not with bias, precondition or with any expectation of returned love. A person who loves as if there is no tomorrow and who is so in tune with the Holy Spirit that love is the overarching theme of their life.

Scripture says it like this (I Cor 13): Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

By my own efforts, I will never live out any of those attributes. However, with Christ in me, each is not only possible, but the full will of God. I invite you to read that passage and place (Christ in ____- your name). For example, I plan to read it each day like this:

Christ in Lance is patient, Christ in Lance is kind. Christ in Lance does not envy, Christ in Lance does not boast, Christ in Lance is not proud. Christ in Lance is not rude, Christ in Lance is not self-seeking, Christ in Lance is not easily angered, Christ in Lance keeps no record of wrongs. Christ in Lance does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Christ in Lance always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Candidly, right now, not a bit of that is true. I, like many, ebb and flow in my walk. The reality is the condition of my heart has been in free fall for a while. Would you pray for me, that in time, at least parts of the above paragraph could have some reality in my life? May the Lord richly bless you and yours!

No One Hit Wonders

Jimmy Buffett did one thing. One thing that was so incredibly popular that he was able to cash in on it and live the good life for the rest of his life. When Buffett wrote his only hit song, "Margaritaville", he etched his name in the anals of music history. Jimmy then parlayed this success into a whole franchise of merchandise, clothing and even restaurants and bars. Is this really possible? Write and perform one good song and be set for life? In America, yes, it is not only possible, but it happens pretty regularly.

I think sometimes we feel as believers that if we do something meaningful for the Lord or walk close to Him for a season, that we should be able to coast the rest of the way. Being a disciple is totally different than this idea. I have heard discipleship best explained as a "long obedience in the same direction." God is not interested in us loving and serving Him deeply for a bit and then walking away.

Scripture is chalked full of examples of people who walked in obedience for a long time before seeing God's faithfullness come to fruition. Moses spent forty years in the desert, Joseph spent time in a pit and in prison and Abraham and Sarah waited along time to have children. Are you in the waiting room today? Have you been walking with the Lord and do not yet have your desired outcome? Be patient. He knows what we need better than we do. Scripture says it like this, in Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."