“Trophy…” (by Mel McGuire)

I played team sports as a child. At the end of every season, the top three teams would have a ceremony where they would be recognized for their achievements and each player would receive a trophy.

The team that won the most, or earned first place, got the biggest trophy. Made sense to me. Now as an adult, I see kids receiving trophies merely for participating. Some sports do not keep score, do not establish a winner (or loser), and everyone receives the same reward regardless of how well they perform.

I think sometimes believers think God is giving out participation trophies. We often act like there is no benefit to “winning”, just showing up and “trying” ought to be enough to win the prize.

In sports there is a price to pay in order to win the ultimate prize. It involves sacrifice, pain, overcoming adversity, and actually performing at a high level at the right time. While there may be some good fortune involved for sure, no team wins the highest prize without doing the work.

The participation trophy is probably okay for beginners, for novices, or for children. Adults, professionals, and maturing believers should not expect such from God. If we are honest, we would all prefer not to have to do all that it takes to win, as long as we receive the winner’s prize. But neither God, nor real life, hands out such a trophy.

We want the ring without the seventh game victory, the cup without the season-long struggle, the title without the fight, the applause without the adversity. We want the result without the work.

As believers, we want His power but not His persecution, His life without our death, His insight without His intimacy, and His Crown without His character. We cannot have His will without His way, nor His voice without His word.

We would all love to do what he did without having to become what he was. Think about that. We want the title of overcomer without actually overcoming anything. We are called more than conquerors, yet often refuse to fight, much less win.

God’s grace and His mercy are always available to us, not so we can do just enough to “make it in”, but to demonstrate to the world that He is alive and still reigns over this world! God is a champion! He wants to be in first place in your life.

When God is your champion, He gets your best. You give Him the biggest trophy of all…your life! Your heart, mind, soul, strength…it all goes to give Him the glory! When we do that, we recognize Him as Lord of all, King of kings, Almighty God.

When we don’t we are basically offering Him a participation trophy, the same reward as everyone else in our life. REALLY??

He has given us everything we need to win, to overcome, to conquer. Win the fight, win the race…win the trophy, the top prize: Not just life, but eternal life!

“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.

“Deep…” (by Mel McGuire)

I was having a discussion recently about the frustration that comes when others do not (or cannot) share your passion, commitment, dedication, or depth about something. Not that we are all so deep that no one can hang with us, but some people are simply not going to match or exceed your level of involvement or capacity to care. You’re too deep.

This particular conversation centered around spiritual things and ministry related things, but I believe the principle the Lord shared with me applies to a variety of situations. Everybody will not go deep, or at least as deep, as you in certain circumstances.

The difference between snorkeling and SCUBA diving is illustrated in the two images. The SCUBA diver is deep and while a snorkeler can go deep…they cannot remain there any longer than they can effectively hold their breath.

At some point, they will have to return to the surface. Snorkelers usually swim in shallow water, occasionally diving under water for a short period of time. They must be able to return to the surface in order to breathe. They can go deep, but they cannot stay deep.

SCUBA divers are equipped to go deep and stay deep. Of course, they take their air with them, but it allows them remain underwater for extended periods of time. They may see a snorkeler, may even hang with them for a minute to two…but then the snorkeler must return to the surface.

So it is in ministry or other endeavors where people do not have equal commitment or passion. Everyone is not equipped or even interested in SCUBA diving. It takes longer to certify, requires more training, carries more risk, and takes more effort. Most people are content to snorkel.

When it comes to actually swimming in the ocean, I am a snorkeler. “Jaws” convinced me long ago, I had no God ordained reason to be that far under water for that length of time. I own that. In other areas of my life, I am a SCUBA diver and I own that too. I have some friends who can go deep and stay deep with me, and I have some friends who “snorkel” in those areas.

The bible tells us that “deep calls unto deep” and there are “the deep things of God” that some will explore and experience…but not everyone. That is fine. Snorkelers who remain under too long could drown. We have all seen folks fall away because they “got in over their head”. They needed to return to the surface.

Whether is a concept that requires a certain amount of depth like fasting or sacrifice, or a level of commitment that goes beyond one’s ability to “hold their breath” …everyone is not going to be able to go deep.

Prayer, Worship, Giving, Serving, Teaching, Hospitality, Study of the Word…these are all examples where all of us should be willing to get in the water. But some will snorkel while others will SCUBA. Deep is calling…who will answer?

“Potholes…” (by Mel McGuire)

My city government made a big deal recently about fixing one million potholes in the city streets. They even got around to fixing the potholes in the street on which I live. Potholes. THEY NEEDED TO PAVE THE ENTIRE STREET!!

Every time I drive home, I am reminded that someone took a lot of credit for repairing the several potholes on my street. I am also jarred by the fact that the street itself is in disrepair. While the absence of the potholes is better, the street is still a rough ride.

Of course God popped me upside my head (spiritually speaking of course) as He reminded me of the times I celebrated fixing the potholes in my cobblestone lifestyle. I suspect we have all done it. Made a big deal about one severe area we fixed, while ignoring the condition that led to the severity in the first place!

Here is the thing, if you pave the street, you have to fix the potholes anyway. It is easier and less time consuming to just fix the potholes, and leave the street as it is. While we appreciate you not cussing us out every other day in your new found salvation, we still have to deal with your overall “janky” attitude and negativity. You fixed a pothole.

When we get spiritually lazy, in the name of expediency, we fix potholes. We stop doing certain things, extreme or obvious things, like fighting, stealing, or fornication. But we still live on a rough street, so we keep fuming, plotting revenge, envying others, or watching risqué media. We need to bulldoze the street and repave it. We fix potholes.

I actually laughed when our mayor went public with the success story of fixing all those potholes. My street will still loosen a filling every now and again, and driving slowly just makes you seasick. I think God feels some kind of way when we celebrate an “easy fix” when He knows that what is needed may temporarily shut some stuff down.

Who wants the inconvenience of a street closure? The noise of large machinery and the time it takes to do the job right? WE DO!! Or we should. The same material needed to fix a pothole is what is needed to fix the street. Just more of it on a larger scale.

It takes more time, more planning, and certainly more sacrifice, but in the end, on a long term basis, it is worth it. Our salvation is eternal. Let’s fix the street of our life and not just fill in the potholes.

When people interact with us, they should not be jarred or become nauseous due to our imperfections. How many people plan their day trying to avoid us or limit their exposure to us? Take the time God needs to become whole in Him.

Our attitude about getting better is vital to us getting healed. So too our mindset about allowing the word of God to literally transform our lives. ALL OF IT, not just the potholes.

Confessing a sin is fixing a pothole. Repentance that leads to lifestyle change is repaving the street. Stop fixing potholes. God wants to you to live at the same address but with a brand new street. Put the shovel down and fire up that bulldozer!

“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.

“Hold the Ball…” (by Mel McGuire)

 

I was watching my daughter’s high school basketball team go through defensive drills in practice. Teams that play great defense talk a lot while they are doing it, and this team made its mark by playing great defense last year. “Hold the ball”

So imagine if you will the sounds of intense defensive activity: “I GOT BALL I GOT squeak BALL, DENY DENY squeak DENY HELP squeak I GOT HELP squeak SCREEN RIGHT squeak SWITCH Hold the ball I GOT…squeak. And they would all stop.

Through all of that activity and noise…their coach, sitting and watching, would simply say, “Hold the ball” and they would all stop. He doesn’t yell, or shout, or make a fuss or scene. He simply says, “Hold the ball” and they all stop, and all eyes and ears turn to him.

This was the simplest most beautiful illustration of how we are supposed to live our lives under the guidance of the Holy Spirit!

The coach’s voice, like the referee’s whistle, caused them to cease all of their activity. But unlike the shrill whistle of a referee, designed to overpower the attendant noises in a gym, the coach’s voice, was still, it was small…” Hold the ball”.

As the players moved and talked, dribbled, set screens…as they played the game…they were always attuned to the voice of their coach. Once he said, “Hold the ball”, and the activity stopped…he would then point out what they, either individually or collectively, were doing that needed correction or improvement.

During that moment, he would also point out how their actions were affecting their teammates.

I was struck at the biblical implications of always being attuned to the still small voice of the Lord as we go about our daily activities. How often have we ignored or just plain never recognized that God was telling us to “HOLD THE BALL”?  

I thought about conversations I continued after I heard the whistle of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Whether saying too much, or being hurtful, or just piling on…there are times during all the squeaks and sounds of life…God wants us to “hold the ball”.

In those moments, if we allow Him to, we can turn our eyes and ears towards Him, and receive instruction, correction, and understanding…if we would just stop and hold the ball.

God still speaks to His people. He has never really been a shouter, or screamer, or a tantrum thrower on the sidelines of our life. He is our teacher, mentor, our leader…our coach. He said his sheep know his voice…do you know the voice of your shepherd?

“Hold the ball…”

 

“Indominus…” (by Mel McGuire)

The dinosaur “star” of the film Jurassic World is a hybrid creation called Indominus Rex. It was designed to be “bigger, louder, with more teeth.” She was bred to be an attraction at an amusement park. But there is something about that name.

“Indominus” is Latin for “untamable”. You name something untamable all the while fully expecting to be able to control it. Okay.

At one point in the film, the “asset” (as they call it) gets loose and they have to decide whether to kill it, or merely contain it. Well, they have a team called the “Asset Containment Unit”, and once the manager points out that they have $26 billion invested in this asset…let’s not kill it.

I was instantly reminded of the things God tells us to crucify, like our flesh and some of our fleshly habits. Habits that have become a creation of our own making, habits that we think we can control. Until we can’t. God says crucify it…we say, “hold on, let’s take a look at this from an investment standpoint”.

For years I collected music, and had quite an extensive (and expensive) library of records (literally records, as in albums and cassette tapes). When it became clear I needed to change my taste in music, God’s direction was clear: Crucify it.

But I had so much money invested in my collection! I thought about selling them, giving them away (God loves a cheerful giver, right?), until finally I agreed and just destroyed them.

But other things I chose not to kill right away. In the film, they initially try to use non-lethal methods to contain that which by definition is untamable. How many things have we given new life to after God has directed us to crucify it?

We rationalize and justify…we make excuses and come up with reasons why it’s not so bad. Until the carnage of our lives leaves no further room for discussion. The only question that remains is, will we be still be able to stop it before it destroys us?

Jealousy, anger, pride, vengeance, lust, selfishness…all things we need to eliminate from our life and our lifestyle. But we have invested so much time and energy in some of these destructive things…how can we just kill it now?

How can we hold our tongue or tame our opinions when for so long we have trained them to be like Indominus Rex? A creation of our own making? A hybrid of attitudes and attributes designed to make us bigger, louder, and with more teeth?

God teaches us to deny our flesh, to bring our thoughts under the obedience of Christ and his word. It can be done. We have seen success in some areas and we can be successful in every area…if we follow the same process.

Be honest about the things you think you can control, but are truly indominus. Starve them, while feeding the godly attributes you want to display. The bible says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

A creature is one who owes his existence, and success, to another. That is us! New creatures in Christ! We now have God’s DNA, and possess everything we need to live a life of godliness. So crucify the old man and let the new man live in you!

“Username…” (by Mel McGuire)

I spoke in another article about passwords. In the process of writing that, I realized that the password is often accompanied by a user name. I felt impressed to write about those as well. What is your user name?

At my job, to access our network and company email programs, I have to use an assigned user name. I do not have the option to create my own.

This should serve as a reminder to me that my employer maintains the right to the content on those networks, and they decided how they want to track my activities and hold me accountable for what happens when my user name is logged on.

Other websites and cyberspace places encourage you to create your own user name. This can get pretty interesting, and in some cases, downright comical. But at least you probably will not forget your own personalized user name.

God has also given us unique user names. Because we really do belong to Him and we really are responsible for what goes on with our “account”. I have come to believe He really does not want us to change or choose our own usernames, but He allows us to do so. I wanted to have some fun with this, so here we go:

For the charismatic person, usually a man, who is charming and can command a room merely by their presence…the one who speaks persuasively and passionately…the smooth tongued man who could sell you the shirt already on your back! That guy…God may assign a username of “Soulwinner”.

But if left to choose, “that guy” may pick something more along the lines of, “PLAYAHPLAYAH”

For the person, usually a woman, who somehow comes to know everyone else’s business, intimate secrets, and private conversations…God may call “Prayerwarrior”.

But she, misguided in her purpose, goes with, “GOSSIPGIRL”.

The person with incredible stage presence and amazing voice, God says, “PsalmistofHeaven”.

But they, blinded by the spotlight, opt for “ROCKSTAR”.

Or the person with the incredible work ethic, who is reliable, dependable, and seemingly always doing something for somebody else, God has chosen, “Kingdomservant”. The bible does say the greatest in the Kingdom is the servant…and the word deacon means servant…but I digress.

Misunderstanding their purpose and impact, they log on as “MARTYR4EVER”.

Personalized user names are a lot like some Halloween costumes…they become a window into the person’s true identity and self-imager or desire.

God’s user names offer insight into how He sees us and would like to use us. Ask God about your gifts, talents, passions and pursuits. Then ask again, “What is my user name?”

Log on daily with the user name He gave you. It will help you remain true to who He made you, who you really are, and were always meant to be. A child of God, named by Him, operating on His network for His glory.

Resist the temptation to take His gifts and talents and use them for your own purposes and plans. His plans are better, His purposes are greater, and His user name for you is already authorized.

Log in please…

 

“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…