Learning Forward

I never really thought of myself as a leader. Never. Even when I was in a leadership position I didn't think of myself as a leader. My first forays into the leadership realm came early on, even as early as high school. So, how does one lead when you don't see yourself as a leader? With a lot of second-guessing, apologizing for making a decision at all and steering decisions toward avoiding conflict. At least, that was my experience. I hope that doesn't sound familiar.

In college I was elected president of the musical theater club. How did that happen? People knew who I was because I had lead roles in musicals. A lead role does not qualify one to lead a club, but no one thinks about those things in college. My pride loved the fact that I had been elected, but after that I had no clue what to do and asking someone for help never occurred to me, so I hobbled through the year. I remember a conflict with one member of the club. I can't even remember what it was about, but I remember how I felt. I squirmed in my chair and couldn't wait for her to leave the room and for the whole thing to be done. When she did leave the room, she made sure to emphasize her displeasure by crushing her cigarette under her shoe as she left. I felt like a failure.

Why are experiences like that important? Because they reveal weaknesses. If that doesn't encourage you yet, let me put it this way: God will use those experiences to show us what we need to learn and then He will provide ways for us to grow in those areas. In the case of my musical theater club fiasco, the fact that I did not yet know HOW to lead a group did not mean that God had not called me to leadership. It simply meant that I had a lot to learn. A LOT to learn!

I have traveled many miles since my musical theater club days. More than I'd like to admit. But when I look back to that experience I marvel at where God has brought me. Between then and now He not only helped me understand that I really am called to leadership, but has taught me, and continues to teach me, how to lead.

Don't let your inexperience and insecurity keep you from moving forward in God's call on your life. Say YES to the work He wants to do in you as your weak areas are revealed and rely on His strength to help you grow into His call.

Key Thought: God reveals my weak areas so He can help me grow.

A Scripture to Consider:  Psalm 119:73

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands."

A YES Challenge: As you take time to reflect on weak areas in your life, consider how God may be revealing them in order to help you grow.

Prayer:
Lord, I sure don't like to take time to think about my weak areas. It's a lot more fun to think about my strengths. Help me to recognize weak areas as an opportunity for growth. Guide me forward in Your purposes for me. I want to say YES even when I feel awkward or insecure. As long as I know that You are calling me forward, I will go. Amen.

Know Yourself

Let me ask you a serious question. How well do you know yourself? I mean, really, if someone asked you to name your top three strengths and weaknesses, could you do it? How long would it take? Have you ever thought about it before? So, I would bet that now you might be asking me a question: Why is that even important?

You were created with a unique mission and purpose. God knew exactly what He had planned you for before you even drew your first breath. He programmed you for that mission. Your gifts and talents, strengths and weaknesses are all part of the programming. If you don't take the time to discover yourself, to understand your programming, you will be randomly committing to a variety of tasks that may actually draw you further away from fulfilling your unique mission.

Knowing yourself defines the parameters of your unique mission: You will know what to say YES to and what to say NO to.

The coolest part is that this journey of self-discovery will take your whole life. There will always be something new to discover which means that your unique mission will continue to unfold.Your mission on the earth, the mission God has designed you for, is more about WHO you become than what you DO. Yes, there will be tasks to accomplish that line up with your "programming", but each task will add to the person God created You to be. You will understand Him better as you understand yourself better. Every discovery will take you closer to Him and the closer you are to Him, the more you will reflect His character. That's the mission of every believer. It's a pretty cool mission!

Key thought: Knowing yourself is part of discovering your unique mission.

A Scripture to consider: Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"

A YES challenge: Take some time and ask God to help you list your strengths and weaknesses. Look for clues that will help uncover your unique mission.

Prayer: Lord, I really want to know what You've created me for. I hadn't really considered that part of knowing what You've called me to is to know myself. Help me take the time to reflect. Guide my reflection by Your Holy Spirit. Reveal to me the unique combination of strengths and weaknesses that point the way to the unique mission You have for me. I want to say YES to all that You have for me. Thank you for guiding me on this journey of self-discovery. Amen

Listening to His Voice in the Whirlwind of Life

Doesn't life feel like a whirlwind sometime? Amidst household chores, family needs, ministry responsibilities, community concerns and a myriad of other things that call for our attention, it's hard to know where to turn our eyes and ears. So many voices that blend into one loud roar. How do I know which voice to focus on so that I know where to turn my energy? Sound familiar?

I like checklists. I like being able to mark off a task that has been completed. It makes me feel successful, like I am accomplishing something, making a difference. What about you? Maybe you are someone who just kind of goes with the flow. Whatever calls for your attention first is the way you will turn. That works too, but are either of these the best way to know which voice in the whirlwind is the priority? 

I know that one of my weaknesses is to become task-oriented rather than Spirit oriented or people-oriented. I can apply my checklist mentality to my ministry and even to my relationship with God. You know..."Devotions. Check. Serve. Check. Prayer. Check." I do the things that I think I am supposed to do, but lose track of why and Who I am doing it for. I have come to realize that I am in desperate need of hearing God's voice. His voice is the manifestation of His presence, the word of His Spirit to my heart and to yours. 

The only way that we can hear the voice of God is to take time to listen.  Our schedules don't often leave room for reflection and quiet, but we can actively learn to quiet our hearts and listen for His voice in the midst of the whirlwind of activities. It takes discipline for us task-oriented types to set aside the checklist and offer our hearts to God. But it is only when we hear His voice that we know our priorities. We need our priorities to be His priorities. We need His strength to accomplish His purposes. Without His presence in our lives, we can not do His work effectively in our families or in our places of service. His voice, His Spirit, His presence, are our bread and water. They are the nourishment I need to become all that He wants me to be. I can only access that nourishment when II quiet my heart to hear Him.

What about you?

Key thought: I need to quiet my heart to hear His voice in the whirlwind. 

A Scripture to consider: I Kings 19: 11-13

“The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  1 Kings 19:11-13 NIV

A YES challenge: How can you learn to quiet your heart and hear God's voice in the midst of your daily life?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, forgive me for not taking time to hear Your voice. I want my priorities to match Your priorities  Help me learn to hear Your voice and experience Your presence in the middle of all the other voices calling for my attention. I am in desperate need of You! Amen. 

Do You Know Yourself?

Do you really know yourself? Do you know what motivates your choices? Your fears? Worries? Anxieties? Strengths? Joys? What do you know about yourself today that you didn't know a year ago? How did you learn it? What are you still working on? What are some areas you know you struggle in?

Take some time to reflect. Think back. It really is important. When we can look back and see how we've grown it encourages us to keep growing. And also, when we see where we keep tripping it can help us to make necessary course corrections so that we can get back on track. 

This adventure of saying YES to God encompasses every area of life. But if we don't take time to let the Holy Spirit guide our thoughts and reveal ourselves to ourselves, we won't be sure of where we have already said YES to God and where we have a hard time saying YES.

This YES adventure is a journey of self-discovery as much as it is a journey of God-discovery. The only way to truly know myself is to let the One who knows me best tell me who I am.

Maybe you are going through a difficult time in your life right now. During those kinds of times we need an anchor to keep us from drifting away as we are tossed by the storm. We need to know who God is and who we are. During a stormy time in my life I heard a song that gave me an anchor to hold onto. The song was "Who am I?" by Casting Crowns and the answer that was my anchor, "I am Yours." (Click the link. Maybe you need this anchor today.)

Whatever you are going through today, know this about yourself, you are His and He knows how to take care of His own.

Key thought: Learning to know myself is part of my adventure of saying YES to God.

A Scripture to Consider: Psalm 119:33-35 

"Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found."

 A YES challenge: Ask God to help you know yourself better.

Prayer: 

Lord, I never thought about it that way, that knowing myself is actually part of knowing You. Give me the courage to let You show me what I need to know about myself. The good, the bad and the ugly. Help me to walk with You through the process of self-discovery so that I can be and do all that You want for me. Amen.

Take the Next Right Step

We've defined adventure as involving risk and uncertainty: An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity. When we consider that definition everyday experiences take on an element of adventure. God is in the midst of those adventures just as much as the big ones. 

My daughter lives in  Brooklyn. She's lived in New York for a number of years and knows her way around the New York public transportation system well, so when we visit we trust her to guide us from one place to another.  But on a recent visit a power outage somewhere in the system turned a routine trip into an adventure, involving risk and uncertainty. The subway lines weren't running normally so seasoned subway riders were confused and uncertain as to which train to take. There was a risk, a hazard, of getting on the wrong train and ending up far away from the intended destination. This adventure required carefully listening to instructions in order to get where we had planned to go. It involved adjusting the "how" in order to achieve the "what".  Not unlike some of your everyday adventures, right?

Our subway adventure meant listening carefully and taking the next right step. We made it to our destination, just not the way we had intended to. It required flexibility of plans while maintaining commitment to purpose. 

How flexible are you when God throws a wrench into your plans? Do you listen carefully to instructions and take the next right step toward your intended destination, a life that says YES to God? When you're plans are suddenly out the window, let me encourage you to keep the end in mind. How you get where God wants you to go is not as important as getting there. Just take the next right step. 

Key thought: Take the next right step. 

A Scripture to consider: Isaiah 30:21 NIV

              

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

A YES challenge: How flexible are you when things don't go as planned? How can you give God your YES in the midst of a course adjustment?

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, I know that You want to guide me along the best paths,  but sometimes I get thrown off when things don't go the way I expect. Help me to keep my heart open to listen for Your instructions. Help me to trust You to get me to where I need to go as I just take the next right step. Amen. 

How To Discover Your Adventure

You may be asking, "If I'm made for adventure, how do I discover what my adventure is?" A reasonable question. Let me ask you a question: What if you the discovery is part of the adventure? 

If I am a Christ-follower then part of my journey is learning to trust Him to make the path clear as I choose to obey Him. Often I don't really want to know what God wants me to do. What I really want to know is "Does God want me to do what I want to do?" or "Will God bless what I decide to do?" Maybe that's you, too. I've learned, discovered, that ultimately my adventure is about who I become, not what I do. Part of that adventure is learning who He is as I learn who I am. 

Corrie Ten Boom was a Christian concentration camp survivor whose family hid Jews in their home in Holland during World War II. She went on to be a well-known and well-loved author and speaker who exhibited a deep trust in God. I remember reading a quote attributed to her years ago that said "The key to knowing God's will is being willing to do whatever He says." I don't remember where I read it and couldn't find it in an Internet search, but that quote has guided me through many a questioning time. Asking myself "Am I willing to do whatever He says?" has been part of my adventure with God. When I have found myself unwilling, it's helped me to challenge myself to say YES in advance of seeing my path clear. Then, from a place of willingness to trust God with my future I have been able to discern the next step. 

It's a risk to say YES in advance, but a risk worth taking. Here's a quote from Corrie Ten Boom that says it better than I can: 

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” 

The path is revealed a step at a time, but only a willing heart can receive the revelation. The key to knowing what God wants is to say YES in advance. 

Key Thought: If I want to know what God really wants me to do, I need to say YES in advance.

A Scripture to Consider: Psalm 40:8

I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart. 

A YES challenge: What do you need to change so that you can enjoy the process of discovery?

Prayer:
Dear Lord, I really do want to do Your will. I really want to know what Your adventure is for me. Help me to accept that discovery is part of the adventure. I choose now to say YES in advance. I want to be willing to do whatever You say. I trust my future to You. I will do as You say and be who You want me to be. Amen. 

You Were Made For Adventure

I have a question for you: What makes your heart soar? I mean really soar. That thing that makes you want to shout at the top of your lungs and burst with joy. God has made each of us with an adventure quotient. What do I mean by that? Your adventure quotient is what makes your heart beat faster and makes you feel like you are doing the most exciting and fulfilling thing in the world. The key for you and me is to find that one thing. That adventure quotient is different for each one of us, but it is in there.  You were made for adventure, but don't expect your adventure to look like someone elses. Your adventure is uniquely your own. 

Not convinced? "I'm not the adventurous sort," you say. Trust me, neither am I! Bungee jumping. rock climbing. Skiing. Parasailing. Sky-diving. All outside my comfort zone. I mean, WAY outside. I'm the kid dragging my heals in the snow to keep the toboggan from going too fast. In fact, I don't like fast at all. Roller coasters. Not my favorite. 

Well, what about camping? Hiking? Canoeing? Do I at least live adventure through others by watching "reality TV"? Nope. Yet, my life is full of adventure and yours can be, too. It starts with one three-letter word you use every day: Y-E-S.

Every day is another trip to Adventureland. 

How would you define adventure? The dictionary says:

An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

Unusual. Exciting. Hazardous. Adventure involves risk. That doesn't mean that you are putting your life on the line. It means that you are stepping out of your comfort zone. Risking your reputation. Risking rejection. Risking the status quo. You were made for that kind of adventure.

God wants you to be ready at any moment to step outside your comfort zone. To risk rejection. To risk life as you know it and be ready to let Him use you and in the process of using you He will transform you. Transformation is unusual. Transformation is exciting. You and I were made for that kind of adventure. You were made for a life filled with transformation. Not just a one-time transformation, but continuing transformation. You doubt me. Let's take a look at what God's Word says. 

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2 NLT

God is in the business of transformation and transformation is an unusual and exciting adventure. Remember who you were before you knew Him? Think about how far you have come! You have already been on an adventure. What I am proposing is that you enter the adventure you have already been on intentionally. Say YES no matter what. That's the adventure you were made for!

Key Thought: You were made for adventure. 

A Scripture to consider:  

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2 NLT

A YES Challenge: Are you ready to say YES to God no matter what? 

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, I never thought of a life of transformation as a life of adventure. The thought of saying YES no matter what is scary. Truthfully, I'm not sure that I really am willing to change, but I am asking you to make me willing. Change my perspective so that I can cooperate with You as You. transform me into a new person. I want to be all that You want me to be. Amen. 

Where Am I Going?

I hate not knowing where I am or where I'm going. Maybe you love just getting in the passenger seat and letting the driver drive. You enjoy the ride without ever knowing where you're going. Not me! It's not that I don't trust the driver, usually my husband, it's that I just like to know where I am. I actually enjoy following along on a map and anticipating the sights and stops along the way. I enjoy it, but it also gives me a sense of security to have an inkling of the whole picture and where I'm going to end up.

But when God is in the driver's seat of life, and He is whether we acknowledge it or not, He doesn't always clue us in on the destination or the route. What seems like a terrible miscalculation or detour is often the route specifically chosen to help me become the person God intended me to be. As I rely on Him in the midst of the confusion or pain or insecurity I invite Him to shape my character into the image of Jesus Christ. God's ultimate destination for you and me is the image of Christ reflected in our responses. He keeps His eternal goal in mind. My goal is usually a temporal one of comfort and security.

Not knowing where I am in life no longer scares me. I still don't like it much, but there is something I've learned to rest in: God knows where I am and where I'm going. He knows where He's taking me. So,  I'm learning to relax and enjoy the ride.

How about you?

Key Thought: God knows where I am and where I'm going, even if I don't.

A Scripture to Consider: Psalm 139:16

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

A YES Challenge: How can you relax and trust where God is taking you today?

Prayer:
Father, I want to trust You. I want to trust that Your plan for me is good. I want to believe that You know what You're doing and it's ultimately going to be okay. But the truth is that I am struggling inside. The insecurity of not knowing often overwhelms me and it becomes hard to see You at work. Stay close by. Open my eyes to see Your hand at work, even in the midst of not knowing, I choose to let You do Your work in my character. Make me more like Jesus. Let my goal be Your goal for me. Amen. 

Your Plan or Mine?

I knew exactly what I was going to do today. I had it planned out. The tasks I was going to accomplish. The things I was going to catch up on. It was going to be quiet at the office and I was going to have time to do the things on my agenda. Key word: MY.

And then...well, none of what I planned is going to happen today. You've been there. You know what I mean. It doesn't matter whether you are a housewife or a high-powered executive. There are days when your plan comes together perfectly and then there are the other days. Like today.

The interesting thing about my upset plans is that part of my agenda was to write (because I missed my window yesterday when I really wanted to have had this done.) Yes, I am doing that. But what makes it interesting is that the theme I had already planned to write about today was "My plan is not necessarily God's plan."

How do you handle it when your plan and God's plan disagree? Do you get bent out of shape? Annoyed? Angry, even? Perhaps you feel like God "never lets me do what I want to do." Maybe you even wonder if He loves you because your plans never seem to work out.

Today my rearranged plans are a small matter, just a rearranged day.  But there have been instances when the conflict between my plan and God's plan meant a huge shift, even a rearranged life. The thing I have come to realize as my plans have been erased time after time is that my plan is always "Plan B". What matters most is not that I get to do what is on my agenda, but that God accomplishes what He wants to do. That is always "Plan A."

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

And, one of my favorites "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.' " Isaiah 46:10

Or maybe this one speaks most to you, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalms 139: 16b

However your day or life has been rearranged by God, (I know it may seem like it's someone else who has messed with your agenda, but it really is ultimately God.) keep in mind that this moment is another opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to Him with one more YES. How about it?

Key Thought: My plans are not necessarily God's plans.

A Scripture to consider:

"Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21 

A YES challenge: How do you respond when your plans don't work out? What can you do to demonstrate your YES?

Prayer:
Lord, I have to be honest. It really bugs me when my plans don't work out. I know I should be more flexible and keep Your plan the priority, but sometimes it takes me a while to get there. Please help me to say YES to you. I really do want Your purposes more than my own. Work out Your whole will in and through my life. Amen.

Follow the Flashlight

On a moonlit night in the middle of winter Tom and I took a walk on a snow-covered path. No, it wasn't a romantic stroll. We weren't even dating at the time. We were friends attending the same retreat weekend for young adults and we took up the challenge made by the speaker at the last session for the evening.

The speaker had talked about the Word of God as the light that guides our lives and how most of the time God will only show us one step of our path at a time. He challenged us to take a walk at night with a flashlight and notice how the beam only shows a few steps worth of path at a time. So, Tom grabbed a flashlight and inivited me to head outside with him and test it out.

We didn't realize that God was speaking prophetically to us as we took that walk, not knowing that we would spend the rest of our lives together. The visual image of the speaker's talk has stayed with us because of it and been a reference point throughout our thirty years of marriage as we have faced times of uncertainty. Over and over, by His Word and His Spirit, God has confirmed the next step in our path, but only the next step. We have learned to trust that initial step to send us in the right direction for the next leg of our YES adventure with God.

Where is God''s flashlight directing you today? You may be holding back because you can't see the whole path. Don't miss it! That one step may require more faith than you think you have, but your YES to that step is really is all you need.

Key thought: God reveals my path one step at a time.

A Scripture to Consider: Psalm 119:105 TLB

"Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling."

A YES Challenge: Where is God directing your next step?

Prayer:
Father, I see that next step. I'm afraid to take it because I really want to know where it's going to lead me. It's really ncomfortable not to know where I am going, but I'm going to give you my YES anyway, even though I don't understand. I choose to trust Your Word to lead me and keep me from stumbling. Amen.