Posts Tagged ‘Commitment’
I’m especially fond of you!
“I’m especially fond of you.” That’s a quote from the 2007 novel “The Shack” by William P. Young. The main character is Mackenzie Phillips and four years prior to the setting of the book, one of his children is abducted and killed while on a family camping trip. It turned him bitter at life and…
Read MoreGet activated!
I received an updated credit card this past week. It came with a sticker attached that read, “THIS CARD CAN NOT BE USED UNTIL ACTIVATED.” I’m certain you’ve had cards with similar instructions. My wife smiled and said this is not a bad warning label for Christ-followers. She’s right. There is a decision of dedication…
Read MoreCompletely humble and gentle
Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” The Apostle Paul writing to the church in Ephesus exhorts Christ-followers to “be completely humble and gentle.” That’s a curious phrase. To be completely “anything” requires a total commitment. You see in reality, I’m sometimes humble and sometimes gentle, except…
Read MoreLeaders are made, not born
Legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Leaders are made, they are not born.” Here’s a guy who knows what he’s talking about. He was the head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers. His leadership led the team to three NFL championships and to victories in Super Bowls I and II. He was a national…
Read MoreDon’t give up…no matter what!
Nobody sets out in life saying, “I wonder if what kind of poor decisions I can make.” Nobody when they get married has already made up their mind that they’re going to get a divorce. Nobody intentionally looks forward to a bad life or to a bad work environment or an unhealthy home life and…
Read MoreFriday night
I was the president of my fraternity in college. Many of us lived in the fraternity house and Friday night we would have a regular poker game. It happened almost every Friday night. Before you get the wrong idea, it was penny poker with a primary goal of just hanging out with friends. I enjoyed…
Read MoreI wish he didn’t say that!
When you hang with people for any time at all, you eventually get in a conversation or overhear a conversation where you say to yourself, “I wish they hadn’t said that.” Maybe you heard a spouse say in the midst of pain, “I married the wrong person.” Maybe they say something the seems out of…
Read MoreA Great Privilege
I’ve had the privilege of being a pastor for a bunch of years. I’ve got to tell you, spiritual leadership on any level involves a range of emotions…good, bad, happy, sad, concerning, heartbreaking, joyous, hopeful and tragic. It wasn’t too long ago that in the morning, I sat at the bedside of a friend in…
Read MoreThe Good Side of Jealousy
Is jealousy ever a good thing? Dictionary.com defines jealousy this way: “resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another’s success or advantage itself. mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims.” That doesn’t sound good. In fact, it sounds like the opposite…
Read More