Potent Potential

I have been reading the book Uprising, a Revolution of the Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus recently, and I was challenged when I read the chapter on potential. McManus talks about how so often we focus on sin being the stuff we did that we shouldn't have, and continues on to say that sin should also include the stuff we should have done that we didn't do.

To this end McManus talks about how God has gifted each of us differently and how we all have a unique potential inside of us that is completely different to anyone else.

In demonstrating this McManus points to Jesus' telling of the Parable of the talents in Matthew 25:
"It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.

"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'

"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'

"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'

"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'

McManus then goes on to say in the book:
There's so much talk about potential in our culture, as if it's the end-all of success. Has anyone ever said about you, "He has so much potential"? If you're under twenty - let's give you twenty-five - consider it a compliment. Potential your untapped or unlocked capacity. Potential- the hint of greatness not yet developed. "He has so much potential" - a statement of praise and maybe even adoration. And then you're thirty and still have all this potential. Pressing forty, and you're still full of potential. If you're forty five and someone looks at you and says, "You have so much potential," pause, excuse yourself, step into a closet, and have a good cry.
What once was a statement of praise is now an assessment of lost opportunity. There is a point where you're not supposed to be full of potential; you're supposed to be full of talent, capacity, product. Potential is a glimpse of what could be, yet there must be a shift from where we have potential to where we are potent
You're not supposed to die with your potential. A life well lived squeezes all the potential places within and does something with it. When potential is harnessed, we become potent. Potential, when it becomes potent, always produces results. We are born with potential, but we are called to live productive lives. The fool squanders his potential. He is not faithful with what has been given him. (p187)

So I guess that my prayer for you today is that you will see your potential fulfilled and I leave you with the question: "What are you going to do with the potential that is with in you, and when will you become potent?"

Connections

Thursday will mark the beginning of a very big weekend for The Salvation Army, not just in Melbourne, but right around the Australia Southern Territory!!

This year, in addition to the regular commissioning, ordination, appointment and sending out ceremonies, the Salvos are holding a big conference with lots of speakers covering a broard range of topics all related to The Salvation Army connecting with the communities around us.

This whole connections theme got me thinking...

Humans are social beings, admittedly some are more or less social than others, but we all depend on each other in some way or another.

We are all looking for ways to feel connected to others, some are positive ways, while others ways of seeking connection seem to do more damage or harm than they do good.

In the same way, I wonder whether some of our searching for connections with others is really a means of searching for a connection with God?

In Genesis 1: 18 we see that God acknowledges that it is not good for Adam to be alone, so He creates Eve to be Adam's companion. This is the first community, the first connection.

Later in Genesis chapter three we see the first in a long series of disconnections when Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

We see Adam and Eve and consequently all of humanity become disconnected from God from each other and from the earth they live on.

From this point on humanity has been seeking to reconnect. We have been seeking to reconnect of a spiritual level, we have been seeking to reconnect on a relational level and we have been seeking to reconnect on an environmental level.

Now admittedly not all people are seeking reconnection on all of these levels at the same time, but, if we are honest, we are all seeking connection in one way or another.

The good news is that God has made reconnection possible!!!

God became human, in the form of Jesus. God walked the earth as a human, grew up, went through all of the things that regular humans of His day went through, taught us the best way to live in connection with others, and then died inone of the most torturous barabic ways imaginable so that we might be able to connect with God in a personal way, without the need to present him animal sacrifices or go through a third party to speak and hear Him.

In what ways in your life are you seeking connection?

How connected are you?

How connected are you ready to be with God?

Something to think about.

I also just want to take the time to say good luck to the cadets and lieutennants who are being commissioned this weekend and let you know that you are being prayed for.

God Bless You All

The Desires Of Your Heart

What do you want?

Is there something that you really, really want??

What does your heart desire for??

I am reading the Psalms as part of my devotions at the moment (I think it might take me a while to get through them, God is teaching and speaking to me a lot through them) and as I read Psalm 21 I came across a concept that I have often heard Christians speak about, but wasn't sure exactly where it came from.

Verse 2 of Psalm 21 says: "You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips."

This reminded me of a conversation I had last week while catching up with the team that went to the National Youth Ministry Conference with.

We were talking about whether God really does give us the 'desires of our heart'.

So I wonder, does God actually give everyone the desires of their heart? And if God did give everyone the desires of their heart, what would the world be like?

(I'm thinking maybe something like in Bruce Almighty when Jim Carey's character say yes to every prayer he gets)

But as I looked at the Psalm and the verse again I realised something.

Look at verse 1: "In your strength the king rejoices. O LORD, and in your help how greatly he exults!"

Before God grants any of the desires of this mans heart, first this man has accepted the strength of God and His help.

And then as I look in the fine print above the psalm I notice that this is recorded as being a Psalm of David.

You know the dude, King David, of David and Goliath fame, the man the bible calls "A Man After God's Own Heart".

So if God is granting the desires of David's heart, I wonder if they are really the desires of God's own heart??

Could this explain why not everyone get their hearts desire given to them??

Do you still trust in God even when you don't get exactly what it is that you want??

Check out verse 7 of Psalm 21: "For the king trusts the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High shall not be moved."

What occurs to me here is that even if David didn't get the 'desires of his heart' he would trust in God because David understood that god loved Him and that this love would not change.

There is still much that I am unsure of as far as the 'desires of your heart' thing goes, but this I am sure of: God loves me, and He died for me so that I can have a close relationship with Him, and that's enough.

What is it that your heart really desires for?

What is it that God desires for you to desire for?

Are they the same?

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this subject, leave a comment, tell me what you think.

A Great Ordinary Life

Have I confused anyone yet??

Last week I posted 2 blogs. The first was on how I am ordinary and not really great at anything in particular, and how most of us will go on to live lives devoid of any sort of celebrityness (its a new word I just made up). The second blog was about how we are called to live a dangerous life that is great in God's eyes.

It seems that I have contradicted my self (perhaps I should be in politics??)

Or have I??

What if we are called to live extraordinarily in the midst of our ordinary lives??

What if we are meant to live dangerously in the midst of our safety??

The reality is that most of us will probably never have to choose between loving Jesus and living, most of us will probably never be sent to jail for indeterminate periods of time for loving Jesus, most of us will probably never have to choose to give up everything that we know and love in order to follow Jesus.

But...

Does that mean that we have to live a life of safety??

I think not!!!

I have been challenged to live a dangerous life in the midst of my ordinaryness (another word i just made up). I can be dangerous to the Devil and his demons by committing to pray, read the Bible and telling others about Jesus.

This is dangerous for me too, as I have to put my pride, dignity and image on the line. Am I prepared to have my ego banged up a bit, am I prepared to feel undignified, am I prepared to be seen by others as weird, or uncool or a Jesus Freak??

Are you???

I may not be spectacular at anything in particular, but maybe one day I will be, or maybe I wont...

But I can think of a number of people, who you probably have never heard of, that have had spectacular influences in my life.

I think of my parents, to whom much of the credit for who I am today is due.

I think of Kathy, my Sunday School teacher who helped build in the foundations of my faith.

I think of Zorina, one of my best mates mum, who was also my Junior Soldier Sergeant and encouraged me to grow in my faith.

I think of Craig, now an officer of The Salvation Army, who lead my youth group and bible study group, who took time to teach me biblical principles, the exact details of which I cant remember, but they are a part of me now, and also took the time to make bible study fun with games like indoor markings up and cricket using a 1.25L drink bottle as a bat, a soft Macca's footy as a ball and a chair as the wickets. Those times of fellowship with my mates were great!!

None of these people were extraordinary by any of the worlds standards, but they were extraordinary in my life.

They did dangerous things in the Spiritual dimension, and possibly dangerous things in a social dimension, that have shaped my life today.

I am sure that most of us would love to be great at just one thing, but the reality is that most of us are going to be ordinary. BUT. We're in great company. Let us not forget the ordinary people who have had extraordinary influences on our lives. Praise God for them!!

This week I challenge you to do something dangerous...

Talk to someone about Jesus, perform a random act of kindness (even if it might make you uncool), take up a social justice cause - even if it does cost you something!!

Be extraordinary in your ordinaryness!!

And just quietly, even in the Western World people suffer for their faith...

Spare a thought and a prayer for the kids in the school yards across Australia who are bullied and bashed up because they're a Christian, that was me not so long ago. To those who are there today, I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I understand and am praying for you!! Don't give up, it's worth hanging in there!!! God bless you!!!

Safety Is Boring

Being safe is boring.

I'm sure that I have probably mentioned it before, but I am a bit of an adrenalin junkie. I like extreme sports. The best surf that I have ever had was out in waves that were nearly twice as tall as I am. The most fun I have ever had on a mountain bike was a) burning through a set of blind 'S' bends on a narrow dirt track (as it turned out only moments before crashing and destroying my bike, owch) and b) clocking a personal best of 70km/h down a hill (but being frustrated because I couldn't get the bike into a low enough gear to go faster).

I like to go fast, I like driving fast on bendy roads (I obey the speed limit though, and only ever put myself at risk - but that is another blog), I love my new motorbike, it's great fun to ride!!

I'm not a big fan of routine, I like doing different and new stuff, but understand that routine is helpful at times.

I like it best when my faith in God challenges and pushes me to do new and different stuff.

This week I have been reading a book by Erwin Raphael McManus titled the Barbarian Way. This book is about rejecting a civilised, religious Christianity and embracing a Christianity which is untamed, uncivilised, barbaric faith.

One thing that Mcmanus said that stood out so much I wrote it down was this: "God asks: 'Are you willing to lose everything on my behalf to gain everything I desire for you? Rather than living a long life are you willing to live a life worth living?"'

Or in other words; Are you here for a Long Time or a Great Time?????

Sometimes I wonder whether we have made our lives to safe?

Look around, we now have fridges that purify the air around us, new houses come with regulators on the hot water so that we cant scald ourselves in the shower, we even try to make our faith in Jesus Christ safe, by re-interpreting what He said so as not to cause offence!!

Safety is good, it keeps us alive. Cars with air bags, seat belts etc are good. Driving in a safe manner is good too. Taking adequate precautions before getting on a bike is logical. But sometimes, it is nice to let loose, let go and have some fun.

I have never felt more alive than when I have had adrenaline coursing through my veins while out in a big swell or belting through the bush on a mountain bike. AND, I have never felt more spiritually connected to God than when my faith is raw and untamed and I am doing exactly what He wants me to do!!!!

God never promises to keep us safe!! If He did that, why are people killed for their faith?? God never promises safety but He does promise that He will always be with us, even when we are in danger.

Check the bible if you don't believe me.

Look at all of the prophets and the crazy stuff they did; married a prostitute, cooked their food over flaming cow poo, built a boat in the desert during a drought, marched around a city in silence for 6 days then on the 7th marched around it making a whole lot of noise, lived in the wilderness, wore clothes made out of sheep skins goat skins, Camel skins, ate locusts and wild honey, the list goes on!!! These mighty men of God were probably seen as crazy in their day, now we see them as hero's!!

Check out John 21:

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

And look at 2 Corinthians 11:

23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

Christianity is not about being safe, it is about being obedient to God and following His leading in your life.

Dare to do the different, dare to do the scary, dare to do the crazy, just dare!!

God doesn't promise you safety when you choose to follow Him, in fact McManus suggests that danger may be a sign that you are being obedient to God rather than being disobedient to God!!!

So next time you pray, instead of talking to God, try listening...

It might lead you down a dangerous path.

Are you here for a Long Time or are you here for a Great Time???