“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!

“Deuce…” (by Mel McGuire)

In California, Vehicle Code Section 21352 covers drunk driving. When guilty, cops simply refer to a driver as being “deuce”, for the two at the end of the section. It is faster than saying “Twenty-One Three Fifty-Two”. You are just, “deuce”.

But there is a difference between under the influence and being impaired. It is against the law to be impaired while driving. As such, Field Sobriety Tests were developed to measure your level of impairment…to see if you are “deuce”.

The tests determine if you have proper balance, can follow simple instructions, and how well you can track with your eyes, a slow moving object like a pen or light. The point of the tests is to differentiate between influence and impairment.

The bible tells us not to be drunk with wine, which is excessive, but to be filled with the Spirit. Other references to be led by the Spirit tell us it is expected that we are influenced by the Word and Spirit of God and not impaired by the ways and means of the world.

In the many areas of our life, God wants to influence us through His word, so we are not impaired by the cares of this life. “Be sober minded” the word advises, not thinking too highly of yourself, which is actually a form of impairment (kind of like “liquid courage”)

When you are impaired, you are weaker, lacking self-control. You are not functioning properly and are more susceptible to excessive behaviors. You react slower and your judgement is off. You are not at your best, and you may take a longer time to realize that something is actually hurting you.

Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and it manifests more consistently when you are under His influence. When you allow the word of God, spoken and reminded by the Spirit in you, to guide your actions, responses, and desires…you are at your best.

The control God exerts is not manipulative or overwhelming. He is not interested in violating your will, but He wants you to submit your will to Him. Come under the influence of the Lord, through His word and His will for your life. Minimize and moderate your consumption of the world so you can reduce your chance of being impaired.

When you have consumed too much of the world and its ways, you are spiritually impaired. You are “deuce”. You lack self-control (think reality TV), you cannot function at peak spiritual performance, you are tempted, I mean really tempted to engage in excessive behaviors, and you lack spiritual judgement.

When impaired spiritually, you may not recognize that your environment and activities are actually hurting you. Just because it feels good does not mean it is good, or good for you. People who are impaired often lose their inhibitions…which while sometimes funny, is oftentimes also very dangerous.

God wants you to be filled with His word, guided and directed by the Spirit of God. He wants you to be influenced by Him and not impaired by the world. He doesn’t want you “deuce”. Sober up. Dine on His word. Drink of His presence. Be filled with the Spirit, and live.

“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!

“Eat…” (by Mel McGuire)

In talking to an engaged couple recently I realized yet another difference between me and my wife. I eat when I get hungry. She eats when it is time to eat. She pretty much schedules her meals. I eat when necessity and opportunity align themselves.

She pointed out (in her wifely wisdom) that she is normally hanging out with our daughter, a growing child who is quite active. As such, they need to eat on a regular basis for several reasons.

Our child goes like the Energizer bunny and almost has to be forced to stop (or at least slow down) and eat. Convenience then dictates that they both eat at the same time. I eat when I get hungry.

My job is unpredictable, so I am used to not eating on a regular basis. I have had too many days when I did not get to eat at all. This is a violation of the police officer unwritten rule book, which states, “We will not get wet. We will eat. We will go home on time.”

Consequently, sometimes I suffer from malnutrition or hunger, or weakness, or lightheadedness, or crankiness as a result of not having eaten in a while. While I may want to believe its not my fault…I just need to eat.

God reminded me that my spiritual weaknesses are the result of the same thing. I did not eat. He began to remind me how when I was a new Christian, I ate a lot. I ate every chance I got because I was active. I realized I was using and requiring spiritual energy on the regular, and I needed to eat to stay strong.

It seemed the more I ate, the more I needed to eat, the more I wanted to eat, and the more I enjoyed eating. Lately? Not so much. It dawned on me that I was waiting for signs of weakness, fatigue, crankiness, or hunger before I will sit down and eat.

The problem with that approach is necessity often comes separate from opportunity. Without opportunity, just knowing I need to eat does not help me, in fact it makes it worse that I can not eat knowing that I need to eat.

I lied to myself by thinking I did not control opportunity. I can schedule opportunity by eating on a regular basis, just like my wife and daughter do. I will make time throughout my day to eat, spiritually and literally.

I need to increase my spiritual metabolism and eat more often, even if smaller portions. The huge meal, which I too often don’t have time to prepare, eat and digest, is causing me to miss too many meals. I also can get too full to really be able to get right back into the fight.

My spirit is growing, like a child, it is active and needs to be fed regularly. I am getting back on schedule and convincing myself that I need to replenish while I still have strength.

Are you hungry? Make the time to eat. God loves it when we come to Him for a “Scooby snack”. Esteem His word more than your necessary food…

“Buffet…” (by Mel McGuire)

“Too often we treat the word of God like a buffet. Picking and choosing which parts we will digest, and obey, instead of eating from every area which results in a balanced, healthy diet.”

Honestly, I like a good buffet. I like having choices and having the freedom to select exactly what and how much of “what” I will eat…or not eat. Hey! It’s a buffet!

When my child was young, we would take her to the buffet, but we would oversee the making of her plate. We did that to make sure she ate a balanced meal, that she took advantage of the variety of foods available and that she did not over-indulge in any one item. Our goal was multi-faceted; to teach her to eat healthy, to encourage her to try new foods, to help her learn what she needs as opposed to what she wants, and not to waste food.

As she gets older, we hope to see the fruit of our efforts as she makes responsible choices in her diet. There is no point in going to a buffet, if you are going to fill up on cantaloupe, or breadsticks. You don’t need a buffet for that. A good buffet will have a salad bar with a variety of salads and soups, it will have a vegetable section, breads, entrées, side dishes, and desserts. And it will offer a variety of drinks, both hot and cold. Now THAT is a buffet.

The word of God is full of promises, laws, values, proverbs, and testimonies. If we are not careful, we can become enamored with one part and ignore (or deny) the others. Like a grown man walking past the salad bar and vegetables, filling up instead on meats and bread, and topping it off with desserts and sugar filled drinks. He will be satisfied, in that he cannot (should not) eat another bite. But he will not be “full”, meaning he has all that he needs. This is an example of the introductory quotation.

God promises salvation and victory, healing and deliverance. He promises to always be with us and to be our comforter. But the word also speaks of certain persecution, rejection, and correction. It talks of tests, trials, temptations, and spiritual warfare. It predicts we will be misunderstood, falsely accused, and even hated for His sake. Like the buffet, once the price has been paid, you have access to every item on the menu. So too our “daily bread”…Jesus paid for all of us…what are you going to eat?

If we exhibit “child-like” faith, maybe we are better off allowing the Lord to “make our plate” for us. We can trust that He will serve a balanced diet with all the “major food groups” represented. More importantly, each meal will provide the nutrition and sustenance we need for the next challenge that lies ahead. And like a child, we should learn to clean our plate before we get up and go do anything else. If not, when we return, the leftovers will be waiting for us to begin our next meal.

As we mature in Christ, let’s pay attention to how God feeds us, providing a little something of everything from the buffet of His word. Then we can feed ourselves, knowing what it takes to be balanced, healthy, and strong. The Lord has prepared a table for me in the presence of my enemy…shall I eat and drink of His table? Hey, it’s a buffet!

“Bones…” (by Mel McGuire)

Recently during a class for couples the Lord gave me an illustration that I feel led to share. The different couples had expressed an interest in marriage, but they are in different stages on the journey from “dating to mating”. In answering their questions about what a successful, healthy relationship looks like, the Lord gave me the analogy of a skeleton…or bones.

We understand that every human being has a basic skeleton, and within and upon that skeleton lies the substance that gives each of us a unique appearance. We may look different, but when everything else is stripped away, we all share the same skeleton or bones.

Our genetics, age, lifestyle (including our diet and activity levels), and exposures determine what we look like. Because all those factors are so varied, we all have an individual appearance. Even “identical” twins can be distinguished by those who know them well, due to personality traits, and other idiosyncrasies.

It is not wise to compare ourselves and we encouraged the couples to follow that advice. We do not know what all anyone went through to appear as they do now. We all share basic fundamental, foundational things. But our lives determine our current situation, and we are expressly different from one another.

In every relationship, communication is critical. But each couple must develop their own unique style and method of doing that. Any book, theory, process, or method is simply bones…the skeleton on which we must hang our own flesh and blood to create each unique relationship. The choices we make generate opportunities for growth…or not.

“Body shaping” is a huge industry these days as people commit to rigorous programs designed to change how they look. But the bones remain the same, they do not change. The tenets of Christianity are constant, but how it looks in your life should be unique to you based on the totality of your life. Prayer is a constant, but how and when, where and how long, are the things that separate one prayer life from another.

Professional athletes are mindful of everything they ingest into their bodies. They must be aware of nutrients and banned substances. They maintain strict guidelines as far as calories and fat content. If you want to look like them, you can probably cheat through plastic surgery or a crash diet…but if you want their level of performance, their strength, endurance, and flexibility…you have to put in the time and effort over a similar period of time. I will never be a seven footer, my genes won’t allow it, but I can still have great character. Be larger than life in my giving and forgiving. My skeleton can handle that.

Good relationships don’t just happen. On any level. They all begin with the same bones. How you build upon that skeleton will determine the shape, health, strength, and appearance of the body. So eat right, exercise often, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and protect yourself from extreme conditions. Commitment and discipline, the bare bones of an enduring relationship. No shortcuts, just choices. Choose well.