“Agitator…” (by Mel McGuire)

I washed a load of clothes once, or at least I attempted to wash this load of clothes. When the washing machine had finished its cycles, I went to put the clothes into the dryer and…they were not clean. Turns out something was wrong with my agitator.

Now, the agitator in a washing machine is very important. It is the device that keeps your clothes from basically soaking in soapy water. The action of the agitator is what allows ALL of your clothes to be clean.

The agitator moves the clothes around, usually up and down, and that movement, that action, is what causes certain stains to be loosened and removed. To get clean, you need some agitation.

Back in the day I am sure we can all recall images of women washing clothes using a washboard…that up and down action, that labor, that agitation, was critical to getting clothes clean.

Have you ever noticed when God wants you to clean up an area of your life He is all too willing to introduce some agitation? We would all love to soak and bask and just lay out in His presence…the truth is, some of our stains can only be loosened by an agitator.

And while I pray He doesn’t lay you out on a spiritual washboard…if He must, He will. The point is to get clean. Like many fabrics of today would not stand up to repeated exposure to the rigor of a good old fashioned washboard cleaning…many of us are too fragile to let God get His hands on you like that.

So, he uses agitators. People, circumstances, and situations that cause us discomfort, make us clean up our act. Whether it is a funky attitude, foul behavior, or just dirty thoughts…the right agitator will bring that junk to the surface, where it can be rinsed away by the water of the word.

The Holy Spirit is usually a gentle agitator, convicting us internally, quietly, but convincingly…if we let Him. But we justify our sins far too often and too easily so…we require more intense agitation.

Truth is an agitator, so is love, and sacrifice, and forgiveness, giving, and humbling yourself to admit you were wrong, are all agitators. They are intended to help us stay clean before God, but they can shake us up from time to time.

God wants us to be right. He wants us to be clean, holy before Him, a holy God. Agitation is necessary to bring about cleanliness. Without it, you may just smell like soap, but not be clean. Without it, the word will merely wet you but not wash you.

Agitation is temporary but necessary. Don’t skip the cycle to save time. Soaking loosens surface dirt, but agitation gets the stuff that imbeds in the fabric. Agitation provides deep cleaning both inside and out, so we can be spot free, stain free, and odor free in Him!

Wash Me Jesus!

“Redline…” (by Mel McGuire)

I heard a great sermon about shifting from one gear to the next…it was about growth and maturity…not really about cars, but the analogy was very well done. It got me thinking about manual transmissions and the limit known as the “redline”.

In a car, the redline represents the maximum speed the engine is designed to safely operate. Key word being safely. On the tachometer, revolutions per minute or “rpm” are indicated, telling you how hard or fast your engine is working.

“Redlining” is when you not only reach and maintain the redline, but remain at or above it. Most engines are designed to reach peak performance at or just below the redline. Anything above that is actually NOT beneficial, and wise drivers shift to a higher gear.

The thing about “redlining” is that your engine will not automatically stop working the instant you exceed the redline. But it does increase the chance of doing damage to the motor. Continuous and repeated acts of exceeding the redline are never recommended.

Different engines have different redlines and if you are not careful, you can blow your engine trying to match another engine’s limit. Newer cars have “rev limiters” that will shut the engine down if you exceed to far or too long. This is for engine preservation, not an attempt to regulate ones driving…even though that might be needed as well.

Christians need to be mindful of their own redlines. Too often we are simply doing too much for too long. We are straining our engine…making a lot of noise, but in reality, we have stopped progressing and are doing more harm than good. We need to slow down, or shift gears.

We believe that because we are “serving God” that it is not possible to overdo it. Until God’s rev limiter kicks in. That could be in the form of sickness, fatigue, the flu, bronchitis, (ain’t nobody got time for that) or even a nervous or mental breakdown.

Redlining in the spirit is not good for you long term. It leads to burnout, and you begin to sputter like a car with a blown engine, spewing smoke, making strange noises, and losing power. This happens to some of us because we are trying to match someone else’s output.

Even when doing the work of the Lord, serving in His kingdom, being a blessing to His people, if power you for years to come. Know your limit and don’t exceed it!

Prayer, quiet time alone with God, reading, studying, and meditating on His word, spending encouraging, uplifting time with other believers are essential to keeping your motor running efficiently.

These things can give you “another gear”, an overdrive as it were, to keep you moving when you have reached your limit. Worship is always a great “tune-up” as well.

Take some time to rest. NASCAR mechanics rebuild engines after every race! They take them apart and replace or repair anything that appears worn. Stop glorying in your redlining and learn from the experts.

There is a rest for you, in His presence. Shift or shut down…you choose. Do it before “redlining” causes you to break down.

This walk is a marathon, not a sprint. An endurance race, not a drag race. It is the “24 Hours of LeMans” more than the “Indianapolis 500”. Know your redline so you know when to shift to a higher gear, or when you have done all you can do in a season or situation and shut down.

“Horsepower…” (by Mel McGuire)

I learned a new concept recently that reminded me of the difference between what something is “rated” and how much is actually “delivered”. While I was introduced to terminology related to golf, the imagery that stuck with me is one of horsepower.

Car manufacturers may boast about a vehicle having “500 horsepower!”, but for a variety of reasons, something less than that is actually “useable horsepower”. It is a measure of efficiency, which is the point of this article. How efficient are you?

Picture a muscle car doing a burnout or donut on pavement. There is so much power being delivered to the rear wheels that traction (friction) is overcome and the wheels just spin…creating a lot of noise and smoke…and wearing out the tires at an accelerated rate.

While there may be limited advantages to doing burnouts, if we are honest, most of it is about “show”, not “go”. Herein lies the spiritual lesson: Is the gospel we believe and preach the same as the gospel we live? When our lifestyle does not match our belief, we create wheelspin, which can lead to burnout and donuts. Lots of “show” with very little “go”. We get a lot of attention, but we are not making any progress.

How efficient, how effective is our gospel? Are we losing traction with the world we are to influence because we are inefficient? I say, “yes, we are. At least, I know I am.” Christianity is highly rated, but my life, my witness, my “useable horsepower” is something less.

Using the muscle car analogy, anything that reduces traction increases the probability of burnouts. Wet pavement, loose dirt or gravel, or poor tire tread make it easier to lose traction and waste power. Our gospel (lifestyle) must take into account those types of factors. A good driver can make progress even when traction is limited. Selah.

Sometimes the environment we are in will not support the full throttle approach of a fire and brimstone message. There can be a thin line between conviction and condemnation, and love helps ease up on the gas pedal of self-righteousness.

We need to be effective, we need to be efficient in order to reach a lost and dying world. We can no longer be content with making a lot of noise and smoke coupled with little to no progress. We are racing our engine, but are we going anywhere?

There is little point in having a highly rated gospel if we cannot communicate it to the world. Our life is our most effective method of communicating. When we strive to live the word we say we believe, we become much more efficient and the kingdom can gain traction in this world. What in our life is robbing the gospel of its full power?

We should not fear friction, but recognize friction is necessary in order to “get a grip”, gain and offer understanding of the trials of life, and the victory available through our relationship with Jesus Christ. The gospel is powerful, get that power on the ground so progress can be made. Don’t overpower friction and let the power of the gospel just go up in smoke!

“Sound Check…” (by Mel McGuire)

My pastor was teaching on the subject of using the platforms that God provides in our lives. During the message he touched on the subject of the importance of doing a “sound check” prior to a live performance.

I don’t recall everything he said about it because the Lord began poking me in my chest (gently of course) about the importance of sound checks in my life. As I listened to Him, I realized how many different times He had given me the opportunity to conduct a sound check. And consequently, how many times I may have misused said opportunity.

There are many reasons to do sound checks, but the main purpose is to make sure that what you are saying is being heard in the manner you intended. Ultimately, the sound check is not about you, but about the audience.

At a concert, for example, the artist comes out before the audience is seated and performs enough samples from their playlist to enable the sound engineer to fine tune the sound for that particular venue. There are no universal settings.

When all is said and done, the artist must trust the engineer. The artist can then be free to perform and let the engineer (the expert) monitor the sound, making adjustments as needed as the acoustics change due to a variety of factors, including the size of the audience.

As believers where we can miss our sound check is when we do not test our message prior to ministering. I am not talking about preaching per se, but then again, I am. I often will call someone who knows me, knows my God, and will run a few ideas or concepts by them before I stand and minister.

Just because something sounds good to you…doesn’t mean it will sound good to your audience! Do a sound check. Be open to some fine tuning in your delivery, your style, and your method. What might bring life to your friend can turn another into an adversary. Do a sound check. Be willing to change to allow the message to be received.

I have missed sound checks because I did not say what God told me to say, when He told me to say it, to whom He wanted me to say it to. I have been late for sound checks, leaving me to feel stressed and anxious about how to say something vital to someone else. Sound checks remind us that what we say to one, we cannot say to all.

A sound check is the one on one conversations we have with God, and with each other. Where we learn the better way to say or do something, so it brings forth life, not strife. Sound checks are when we learn we cannot threaten everyone with fire, brimstone, and eternal damnation…and expect their immediate conversion to the faith.

Sound checks are those times in prayer when we extrapolate conversations about difficult subjects we may not want to have…and God shows you how to say it, when to say it…He is the author of the message, let Him find tune it. Do a sound check.

“Knead…” (by Mel McGuire)

 

I learned something recently about making bread. Specifically, about kneading the dough that makes the bread. I remember as a child watching my mother, the best cook I have ever known, making bread.

I can recall her working with her hands, and kneading the dough before she produced some of the best bread rolls known to man.

The process of kneading, done properly, allows the active ingredients in the dough to align themselves properly. This causes the dough to become stronger and when cooked, it makes it lighter and fluffier, and adds texture and flavor to the finished product.

The image I shared is the one I recall…the hands of the master, working the dough until it became smooth, soft, and pliable. You can tell when dough is properly kneaded when it is silky smooth, is no longer sticky, and will retain its shape when poked…bouncing back immediately.

Like the clay in the hands of a potter, we are like dough in the hands of our Master, and sometimes we need to be kneaded.

The kneading process includes folding, pushing, stretching, and turning…and then repeating that process until the dough is ready. How many times Lord, how many times, do I have to go through this same situation? You are being kneaded.

You are being folded, pushed, stretched, and turned. Uncomfortable, inconvenient, and powerless. You are shaped into what looks like a loaf of bread…only to be folded, stretched, and turned yet again…and again…and again.

God uses all types of things to knead us. People, circumstances, situations, and predicaments all serve to fold us, push us, stretch us and turn us. But like the ingredients in dough, the process makes us stronger, more pliable, and able to bounce back.

The kneading process allows what is inside of us to rise and cause us to be lighter, with better texture, and gives us flavor. We need to be kneaded. The chef knows how much kneading is needed to make the exact bread he is looking for. How much kneading did Jesus endure in order to be called the Bread of Life?

When you feel the light sprinkle of flour, and then the strong, gentle hands of the Master Chef…know you are about to be kneaded. Stay on the board until He is done. It will make you look better, feel better, and taste better. We need to be kneaded.

“CHALLENGE!…” (by Mel McGuire)

I was moved by my pastor to ponder this question, “Why do I continue to challenge God?” The question was raised in the context of a discussion about disobedience and our justifications for NOT doing what God says for us to do.

In the world of tap dancing, in which I only participate as a spectator, when one person either boasts about their own ability, or questions the originality of another’s move, the dispute is brought to a head when one issues an ultimatum to the other, by yelling indignantly, “CHALLENGE!”

They will then take turns either performing the specific move in question, or demonstrating their “signature move”, going back and forth until one is either declared a fraud, copycat, or thief, or one of them is authenticated as the originator because they perform the move best.

When we disobey or ignore God, it is just like us yelling at Him, “CHALLENGE!”

We are saying, in essence, “I can do this better than you can God, I don’t need you to get this accomplished. I have been practicing and have stolen your moves. I can do them better and thereby claim them as my own. Just watch.”

And so He does, He stands aside and watches. Now our experience with iniquity (because that’s all that is) should have taught us by now, that we cannot do anything good better than God. We cannot love, give, be, or live better without him than we can with Him.

But we haven’t accepted that truth…and so we dance. We issue challenge after challenge, time after time, and each time… He wins. He wins because He is God, and we are not.  I will give a couple of examples for the hold outs who still think this does not apply to them.

God tells you to NOT to begin a relationship. (CHALLENGE!) You try and change the person, you are determined to make them love you, make them realize their potential, make them see what you can see in them and about them. It only gets worse, and you keep dancing.

Do not let the same pride that led you to issue the challenge, keep you from receiving the grace that will lead you out to a safe and better place. God sees that you are tired and you need to rest. Stop dancing and trust Him with person.

God tells you to forgive someone who did you wrong. (CHALLENGE!) You decide that you will hold a grudge, slander their name, expose their folly, and never trust them, or anyone like them, again. You have a right to be angry, and you fully intend to exercise that right, even when anger begins to hold YOU back. Keep dancing if you want to…freedom is in forgiving them.

God is good. He is just. God is right. You cannot win by challenging Him, you never have and you never will. That should take some of the mystery out of life as we wonder which way is the best way. His way is best. Trust Him.

His challenge to us, is to simply trust Him. His track record was established before we were even born. He knows what He is doing, accept the challenge and let Him. Obedience is still better than sacrifice. Stop dancing and let Him have the floor…

“Yoke…” (by Mel McGuire)

In the movie, “War Horse”, the lead character, a horse initially named “Joey” was bought by a man who needed a work horse to plow his field. In a fit of inspired pride and competition, he purchased “Joey”, a thoroughbred with racing in his lineage.

In a time of desperation, Joey had to wear a yoke so he could plow the field. I was struck by the imagery of Joey, a beautiful horse by any measure, learning from his master to bow his head to accept the yoke.

The yoke represented hard labor, painful, exhausting work that a thoroughbred like Joey was not bred to tackle, much less master. But Joey, out of obedience and even love for his master, submitted to the yoke.

I will never forget the scene when he is first tied to the plow, as legs built for speed tried to find traction to pull a plow through fallow ground. Ground that was rocky and dry, hard and unforgiving.

The townspeople came to watch, expecting to see him fail and to ridicule his master for putting a yoke on a thoroughbred.

As Joey strained and struggled, it was clear he was not going to be able to plow the field. A hard steady rain began to fall and the townspeople slowly left, driven off by the rain and the sight of certain failure.

But Joey never gave up. Though he slipped and stumbled, and struggled and strained, he never gave up. And the very rain that had proven too much for his doubters began to soften the ground and before long Joey was making progress.

He seemed to grow stronger with every successful step and at one point pulled the plow right through a huge rock, indicating that his momentum had given him strength and power.

Joey eventually plowed the entire field, and though bleeding and weary, he was not defeated. Later in the movie, he would once again have an opportunity to wear a yoke, and this time he humbled himself willingly, bowing his head to accept the task of being a thoroughbred serving as a beast of burden.

Many of us are called to greatness, ordained by our Master to do great things in the earth. But first, we must be willing to wear His yoke.

We must learn to endure public ridicule, seemingly insurmountable odds, and harsh, adverse conditions in order to fulfill the task the Master sets before us.

The greatest in the kingdom is the servant, and the ones who serve well gain spiritual strength and power. The ability to break up the fallow ground even in the midst of conditions that drive your naysayers to seek shelter.

They learn endurance and stamina to finish their course. But before honor, is humility…and the lessons of the servant never leave him.

Humble yourself and take the Master’s yoke. Work under His direction and trust Him with your well-being. Never get too big, or too important, don’t forget how to take on the yoke of a servant.

Regardless of our title, lineage, skill set, or experience, regardless of what victory we may have just won…when the master brings the yoke…bow your head and serve.

“Potty Training…” (by Mel McGuire)

I hesitate to write this. It may seem obvious where this is going to go, but I must follow the leading…

My daughter, shortly after her second birthday, began her formal potty training. Now understand, she wore diapers, and occasionally she would flash by in the midst of her playful activity and leave you with a whiff of something…well…unclean.

I would ask her, “Do you have a diaper?” or more to the point, “What is in your diaper?” More often than not, her response was a form of “no” or “nothing”, and she continued with her important activity.

She would flash by again, and I’d say, “Come here and let me check your diaper” or “Is that you I smell?” This too is met with a ”no”, as she continued to odorize the room.

At this point actions spoke louder than words, and we would find ourselves at the changing table. I usually gave her a speech about telling me when she had soiled her diaper, so I could change it immediately and she could get back to playing.

This “speech” had yet to bear any fruit, and so the potty training had begun. She needed to learn to recognize when she was going to “undergo a movement” and do something to avoid messing up her clothes.

So it is in our walk with God. How many times have we “messed up” and soiled ourselves (or others), and ignored the Lord when He attempts to clean us up? How many times have we run from Him instead of to Him, when we needed to be cleansed?

How long have we continued in our “important” activities while He waits for us to come close enough so He can direct us to the “changing table”? I know I have been guilty of needing to be potty trained.

If we take a moment and consider ourselves, our habits, weaknesses and flaws, we can determine what is going on in and around us that leads us to soil ourselves. Then we can take preventive actions and avoid the “big clean up”.

Have you ever been around someone who you can just “tell” has soiled themselves? I don’t mean literally (I hope I don’t mean literally!), but spiritually, they just aren’t right.

It is so obvious every time they pass by, but they act like nothing is wrong! (I John 1:8) They just keep on doing whatever it is they were doing and letting that stuff marinate! They need to be potty trained!

We have all done it! Just like little kids who run around with “heavy drawers”, we have carried on with “mess” in our lives for too long. Unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred, anger, envy, strife, lust, you name it…it’ll mess up your pants!

And the worst of it is this, the little stain or odor others notice, is NOTHING compared to the reality that lies underneath. And it is that mess that must be cleaned up!

As a child learns the signs and circumstances of “upcoming events” and takes the proper actions, they will have fewer accidents and will live a more “pure” life. They will experience fewer interruptions in their daily activity for major cleanups and wardrobe changes.

We too can live in a greater degree of purity and cleanliness. God is waiting to cleanse us. He wants us to stay clean. Do some spiritual potty training and avoid another big mess!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…” I John 1:9

“Pre-flight…” (by Mel McGuire)

I am not a pilot. I am, on occasion, a passenger on a commercial airline. This requires faith. Statistics prove that flying is the safest way to travel. Because I am not a pilot, I place no faith in statistics.

I trust the pilot. Because before every flight, the pilot does a “walk around”, an inspection of the aircraft we call, “pre-flight”.

Someone smarter than me pointed out that the pilot wants to live too. And since they are the first ones on the plane, and often the last ones off, it makes sense for them to pay attention to the pre-flight inspection. As a passenger, I sometimes can see a pilot doing his “walk around”, but I am not allowed nor needed for that process.

This is where faith comes in, for even if I were given access to the pre-flight, I would not know what to look for, or what I was looking at. That is what the pilot does, they are responsible for the plane before any passenger boards, and it is their responsibility to make sure things get fixed before the plane departs for its destination. Anything that could go wrong, a pilot must be prepared and confident they can overcome.

God is the pilot. He is not my co-pilot, he is THE pilot. He is responsible for every pre-flight inspection of every vehicle He puts me in to take from one place to the next. This too requires faith. Sometimes even more than getting on a commercial jet. We never seem to catch God doing His pre-flight, so we struggle sometimes trusting Him.

God has already done his “walk around” of the circumstances of our lives. He knows what each piece is supposed to look like, how they fit together, and how to spot potential problems. He also knows He can and will overcome anything that will go wrong. He determines that before we are allowed on board.

He can identify leaks, obstructions, signs of fatigue, or misalignment of parts prior to takeoff. He knows what He is looking at, and He knows what He is looking for. Too often we insist on doing our own “walk around” before we agree to get on board with Him. As if we know anything about the intricacies of the vessel He has chosen for us.

Because we are not pilots, we misinterpret minor things and overlook major defects. If it looks okay to us, feels secure to us, or seems to be working properly to us, we declare the vehicle, the process, the method, the season…safe for travel.

But God knows better. He will let us board and then have us wait on the tarmac, until the vessel is repaired, or we realize it isn’t taking us anywhere and we “de-plane” and get on another one…a better one, the right one.

When God puts us on board, know that He has already done a pre-flight inspection, and that He will pilot us safely to our next destination. He earns His wings every day, and He never takes a day off.

Through turbulence, wind, rain, or ice, He can overcome any condition life brings because He has declared our transport capable and worthy. He is our pilot, get on board and let Him direct the plane, from pre-flight to takeoff, to in-flight, to landing.

God is my pilot. Who is flying your plane?

“Driving Range…” (by Mel McGuire)

I went to the driving range after not having played golf for about six months. My main goal was to not hurt myself and try to stir up some muscle memory so I could resume playing real golf on a real course. I began by working on my fundamentals.

There a few basics needed to have a good golf swing. These include, your grip, stance, and alignment…all critical before you even hit the ball.

So I started by checking my grip. If your grip is too tight you lose flexibility and power. You add stress and tension, which makes everything else more stiff and forced. Too loose of a grip and you will lose the club. Grip pressure should be light, but firm enough to hang on for maximum swing speed.

Next I checked my stance, my posture… my position relative to the ball. Again it is important not to stand too tall, and you don’t want to be stooped over either. The key is to be on balance, and so you find a posture that allows you to remain in control throughout the swing.

Then I checked my alignment, which on this day, was off by more than a little bit. I checked my feet, hips, and shoulders…then lastly my swing path, to make sure I was hitting the ball at what I was aiming at, and not just spraying it all over.

As I hit balls, making small adjustments with each series of swings, I was struck by the spiritual lessons involved. How is my grip? My understanding of what I believe. Am I holding on so tight to dogmatic positions that I am not flexible? Am I so legalistic that I am robbing the Holy Spirit of opportunities to bring forth life and demonstrate His power? Is my “grip pressure” causing undue tension and stress in relationships or in my testimony?

As long as I keep the necessary points of contact, who Jesus is, what our condition was, what Jesus did about it, and what we are supposed to do until He returns, I can relax and “free up” my interactions with believers and non-believers alike.

When I check my stance, I am looking for areas of pride that cause me to stand too tall. Then I look for areas of low self-esteem (also a form of pride) where I position myself in a lower or lesser state than what God says about me. I check until I find balance, that place where I stand as a child of God, a prince, a warrior. But I acknowledge that all that I am, or hope to be, it is because of His grace and NOT because of me.

Finally I check my alignment. Am I looking in the right direction? Do I have the right target? Am I “on plane” with God’s will for my life at this time? Are the swings I am making (the things I do) producing the shot I want (the will of God for my life)? If not, I need to make adjustments until they are, and I create new muscle memory. Pros do this every day.

We all could use a little “range time” to check our grip, stance, and alignment. To practice and make sure we are sound in our fundamentals and creating good spiritual muscle memory. See you on the range…