Time Management

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

The One-Minute Manager

In Search of Excellence

Dale Carnegie, John Maxwell, Jim Collins, Stephen Covey, Peter Drucker and many others over the years I have been in business have preached the gospel of time management, efficiency, maximizing productivity and achieving more. All good authors with good principles. I bet Martha read their books too.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-41

Martha was doing stuff – good stuff – necessary stuff – “if I don’t do it, who will” kinda stuff. She probably had the spiritual gift of service and helps. Not only that, but she was quite vocal about her feelings of discontent. She basically got her knickers in a twist about having to “do all the work” while sis sat around “just” worshipping and listening. She not only felt like she got the short end of this straw, she wanted Jesus to know about it.

What did she expect Jesus to do about it anyway? Was he going to say, “Hey, you’re right – Mary, get up off your lazy keester and go help your poor sister”, or was she looking for a little “Oh poor Martha, you are working so hard and we sooooooo appreciate you. You are wonderful to do all that you do, we love you so much. Why don’t we just stop here, give Martha a standing ovation and all of us go pitch in to help her?”

Martha – like most of us highly motivated, energizer-type folks who want to get more stuff done, more efficiently – was a gifted and valuable person. Her gifting and talents were critical and much appreciated. She did, however, overlook the “main” thing according to Jesus. The key words that Jesus uses in describing her situation are “distracted by much serving”, “anxious” and “troubled”. She had simply gotten her eyes/heart off of the Master and on to her role/mission/service…and that had taken away her peace and joy in exercising her gifts.

As I ponder those same terms in relation to my own service of the King, I have to ask whether I am overlooking the “main thing”. Am I worshipping and serving my King, or am I really worshipping and serving my service? How is my motive? Am I willing to slow down long enough, or stop altogether to simply sit at His feet and enjoy Him?

It is so easy to get caught up in productivity, efficiency and time management, that we forget what is most important in life, work, marriage, family and ministry…………Him. He is the main thing, not what I am doing for Him or on His behalf. I need to choose to draw near to Him, sit at His feet and hear what He is saying – more than any other thing. What about you? Is it time to slow down and let the main thing be the main thing?

Enjoy Him,

Huz

What’s Your Price?

When Judas first agreed to follow Jesus, the last things on his heart would have been to betray him. Jesus asked Judas to follow him, knowing that he would betray him just a few short years later.

As I camped out in Matthew 26 recently, I was grieved by the thought that my life is filled with Judas-moments. Times in my life when I too, have betrayed (let down, denied, failed, deserted) Christ in my life. As I sat in the stillness, it seemed He brought back time after time when I have turned my back on Him, and turned my face to other things.

Like Peter, I was confident that my faith in Jesus would never fail, and my walk with Him never falter. But, as only a loving Father can do, He reminded me of my weakness in the face of temptation, and way to many incidents of apathy, selfishness and greed. I want to view myself as having graduated from these things, but He alone knows me at my deepest level. He knows my heart, my inner motivation, my core.

He clearly spoke to me also, that the reason for this object lesson was not to shovel huge piles of guilt on me, or to shame me into trying harder – but, to remind me how very much He loves me. In spite of my warts, my lack, my nature, my sin – He completely and passionately loves me – regardless of my performance. Once again, I am blown away by His extravagant love, and patience with me. I break His heart much too often, but He continues to pursue me, woo me, want time with me, forgive me, and call me. What an amazing Father.

Sadly, we all have our price. It may be money, but it may also be momentary pleasure, self-gratification, selfishness, pride, lust, achievement, greed, apathy – or a world of others. I have stopped shaking my finger at Judas. I am more like him than I would want to admit.

Romans 8: 1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

Huz

Religion or Jesus – Part 2

Be sure and read Part 1 before spending much time on Part 2.

RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.

THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.

RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure and inadequate. I’m not confident. I feel like a failure.

THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of my self as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”—simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.

RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’

THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.

RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.

THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life—family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

What are your thoughts? Are you thankful for your relationship? Tell us your story…..

Thanks,

Huz

Religion or Jesus – Part 1

Are you religious?

When I became a Christian back in high school, several of my friends approached me and said – “I heard you got religion”. I politely smiled and acknowledged that I had indeed. It took me many years to find out that what had happened to me was not about religion at all – but about a relationship.

Being religious is me (man) trying to perform well in order to gain God’s approval or withhold His wrath. As long as I live life according to strict moral rules and regulations, God will surely accept me and not punish me. What great joy to find out that Christianity is not about my performance at all – but about the love and sacrifice of Christ. He did all the work, He took all the punishment – so that I could be adopted into His family and be declared righteous before a holy God. When God looks at me He doesn’t see my sinful past, or my inept performance – He sees Jesus.

What follows in a two part post is a very insightful comparison between “religion” and “the gospel” (aka – walking in relationship with Jesus) drawn from the sermons of Tim Keller. I hope it will speak to you and encourage you as it did me:

RELIGION: I obey-therefore I’m accepted.

THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted-therefore I obey.

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.

THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God-to delight and resemble Him.

RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or my self, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.

RELIGION: When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.

THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be religious. I am thankful I don’t have to tap dance for God, and that His love, forgiveness and relationship with me is not predicated on my performance.

Thankful,

Huz

Are You Dead Yet? Part 2

Last post, we discussed how we can only produce lasting fruit in this life if we choose to die. But, just what does that look like in my life, and in my relationships?

The Bible is replete with verses that tells us to : put on, put off, flee, walk, run, lay aside, take up, stand, and many more. These are action verbs. They are exhortations, and commands to “do” something. Make decisions. Make choices. Not one-time choices, but continual, daily decisions that will have a profound impact on your own life, and the lives of the people around you.

The charge, repeated over and over again in scripture, is to die. To lay aside your own agenda, your own expectations, goals and rights – and embrace His life and plan for you. For most of us, this is truly a death. We have our own goals and dreams, and God should surely be okay with them. Truth is, He may – but are they His will for your life, or your own. Have you submitted them to Him (like Abraham submitted His lifelong dream , Isaac, to God?

Abraham was willing to give up what he desired most, if that was what God required. God knew Abraham’s heart, and honored His obedience and humility.

Truth is – many of us a just plain fearful that God will require something dreadful of us, or will ask us to do things that will ruin our plan for our life (in our opinion). The other truth is – unless we get to the point where we are willing to submit our life completely to our loving, extravagant Father – we have not decided to die. If we don’t ever die – we can’t expect to see much fruit in our life.

The same is also very true for our marriage. If we refuse to die to our selfish expectations and “I deserve-its” in our marriage, we will see little fulfillment and abundance. We are to love our wives “as Christ loved the church” which requires that we “give ourselves up for her”, aka – “die”.

Jesus explained it very well when asked what it took to be His disciple.

Luke 9:23 – And He was saying to them all, “ If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.

“Denying yourself”, “taking up your cross” and “following” all require making choices. This verse also says that those choices should be made “daily”. It seems so simple doesn’t it? But, we all know it isn’t.

My good friend Robbie often says, “The hardest thing about being a Christ-follower, is following Christ”. So true.

So, what will it be? Will we keep demanding our own way, or decide to die? No one can make that decision for us. Like you, I will need to make that decision tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.

When you have to make a choice

and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.

~William James

Seems funny to pray that we will all die….

Huz

Are You Dead Yet?

Why are we here? According to the following verses, we are here on this planet – “to bear much, lasting fruit”.

John 15:16 – You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain,

John 15:8 – My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

God chose us to be fruitful during our lifetime. We are to reflect His character to a lost world. He said we are His body – His hands, His arms, His heart, His feet, etc. so that people can see and experience what He is like when they are with us. What an amazing opportunity, and responsibility.

The honest echoing in our heart tells us that we don’t do a very good job of this. It’s hard to reflect something with a dirty mirror. Our selfish life-focus mars the reflection, and keeps us centered on what we want, instead of what He wants. So, how do we do a better job of bearing fruit?

John 15:5 – I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

First – we have to recognize that we cannot bear good fruit, lasting fruit, by ourselves. Without choosing a daily, and deliberate, lifestyle of abiding (living, walking) with Christ – we are doomed to merely produce crab apples. Those are little apples that look like apples, but are not the real thing. We think that we are producing “much fruit” because we attend church, or a small group meeting; or even occasionally read our Bible, or give some money. Truth is – abiding in Him is not about doing religious activities, but about enjoying communion with a Person. Without that – we can do “nothing”.

Second – Once we recognize that bearing fruit in this life is not about us, but about Him – we must decide to die. Paul told the church at Corinth – “I die every day”. John also knew the secret to being a powerful, fruitful believer – John 12:24 – Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. It is only in dying that real, lasting fruit will ever be produced in our lives.

Next time, we’ll look into what Jesus had to say on this subject,what dying means, and what kind of fruit is actually produced in our lives if we are living this way. Come back….

Huz

Wise Men

We all know the story of the three wise men (kings) who traveled many miles to find the child who had been foretold (prophesied). These men risked much to be in the presence of this future king. They each brought gifts of great value with which to honor the child, and worshiped in his presence.

Many books, signs, cards and T-shirts still proclaim the message that “Wise Men Still Seek Him”. I passed such a sign recently and I asked myself – do they really?

Then I thought – do wise men seek God, or does a man become wise by seeking God? Honestly, they both may be accurate. The question for us is – do we honestly seek Him? Do we, as men, truly desire His company? Do we long to be in His presence? Do we really want to know what He has to say to us – or are we secretly afraid of what we might hear?

Our enemy would have us believe one or more of the following lies that:

God is mad at me because of sinful things in my past.

God is too busy to fool with the mundane things going on in my life.

God is going to tell me to do something I really don’t want to do – aka – He is going to really mess up my plans.

Whichever lie it is – it is still a lie. God is the most loving, patient, forgiving, caring, kind Father we could ever encounter. There is absolutely no reason to shy away from Him or fear Him. The Bible actually tells us that, because of what Christ has already done, we can come “boldly before God’s throne” to avail ourselves of His love, grace and help in our time of need.

Think about what is keeping you from bounding out of bed everyday eager to encounter the most gracious, giving and loving Person you could ever know. You were created by Him, and He deeply desires for you to live life with Him. He wants to be involved in every aspect of your life. He love you. Heck – He even likes you.

Christmas reminds us that wise men seek God, and that God is eager to be found. Let’s reject the lies and seek Him like never before. I am convinced that we will be blown away by what we find.

Merry Christmas,

Huz

Reflections I

The last few weeks have been crazy. Not only are the Holidays upon us, but we have had a frenzied pace at the office as well. Traveling during the day, trips to the grocery store (even though we just went yesterday), cooking, cleaning, decorating, wrapping, house guests coming in and others leaving, and to top it off – we “adopted” a stray puppy on a recent trip to see relatives in Memphis. And I won’t bore you with all the other activities and stresses related to ministry (revamping the website, taping a television interview, etc.).

Tis the season to really get stretched to the max.

Then, in His “still, small voice” God whispered to me through this picture from one of my favorite places on earth – the Tetons…. “I am still here – I am still in charge – I still am all you need”. The Tetons are such a vivid representation of His majesty – of His reality. Only God could create such beauty. But what really struck me about this picture was the small pond in the foreground.

The reflection of the mountains majesty is almost perfect. God asked me “why is that?” It’s really not hard to see why – because it is calm…..still.

1 Samuel 12:16 – Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.

God wants us to learn to still our heart, still our mind, and still our soul for two main reasons:

1. To experience His presence in more personal and profound ways

2. To reflect His image (to represent Him clearly) to the world around us.

Genesis tells us that man is made “in the image of God”. If the water in our respective “ponds” is rippled with busyness, self-focused activities and stress – how are people ever to see that image accurately? How are we to ever experience God’s presence (joy, wisdom, peace, etc.)?

Join with me this Holiday season in making time to get alone with the Father, to retreat from the pace, to sit at the foot of the mountains – and be still…take a few breaths…relax…talk face to face with Majesty.

Then, maybe we can become better reflections.

Huz

Psalm 23:2
He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.

Psalm 89:9
You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

It’s Our Move

God created marriage as the first, and most blessed of all human institutions. He created it to bring man and woman great joy and fulfillment in life. God’s design, and desire, for marriage is perfect in every way.

Then why is it so dang hard?

Glad you asked. After 36 years, I have a notion that there are primarily two reasons: 1. The fall of the original couple broke fellowship with God, and brought an earthly curse on their pursuits – primarily work, and marriage. Notice in Genesis that man was created for work, and to be united with his helper/completer (woman) in marriage. Both were made “hard” after the curse. 2. The selfishness of man. Given the ability to choose at creation, man chose, and still chooses, what he thinks is best for himself most of the time. It is our default switch.

Marriage doesn’t have to be so hard. God has gone to great lengths to spell out very clearly what a husband and wife should do in order to have the kind of relationship He intended for them to have. He specifically lays out the “directions” for us to follow. Ahhhh – there is the problem. Being a man, you can probably relate to trying to assemble something, or operate something, without every looking at the instructions. For some reason we believe that instructions are there to humble us and that we must rise above them in order to be real men.

Who among us hasn’t thought they could “figure it out on their own” and plowed ahead into such a task only to discover they had made a mess of things? Something in us compels us to “do it myself” and not ask for help. I call it selfishness (pride). This is the same culprit that keeps us from enjoying the wonderful gift of marriage, primarily because we think we know how to put it together too. We may have even been to a couple of classes or seminars along the way. We convince ourselves we don’t really need help with this either.

The honest truth is that we can’t put together a great marriage without reading, and re-reading the instructions. Marriage is way too complex, and there is far too much at stake to cling to our selfish pride on this one. If you recall, in Genesis, man and woman walked and talked with God every day of their lives. He personally taught them how things were supposed to be, and how their relationship was to work, and what the rules were for living on this amazing planet. He was involved in every aspect of their daily lives. That is why the Bible says Adam and Eve were “naked and without shame”. Their relationship was great because they allowed God to give them the daily wisdom and strength they needed.

What about you? What about me? Each of us has a decision to make – every single day. Will we allow God to walk and talk with us and instruct us regarding our marriage journey, or will we settle for coasting along, accepting a “pretty good” marriage? Will we check our pride and selfish expectations at the door, and seek Him daily for wisdom and strength? God gave Adam and Eve the option to choose for themselves in Eden.

He gives you and me that same choice every day.

It’s our move.

Huz

God is Showing Off

Do you ever notice God showing off?

Maybe you’ve never thought of it in those terms, and I must say I had not either – until. My sweet wife came home from a morning walk last week (for some reason I didn’t go with her) and was all smiles. I asked her if she had a good walk, and she was beaming. “Yes”, she exclaimed, “God was really showing off today”.

Amused by her choice of words, I had to ask for more details. A wildlife lover anyway, she began to recount the various animals she had come across as she strolled the neighborhood. A beautiful bluebird, a cute little chipmunk, a neighborhood cat who “spoke” to her as she passed by – on and on she went telling of beautiful flowers, smells and animals that God had made and had brought into her life over the previous 45 minutes.

It thrills my heart to listen to my wife talk about the goodness and majesty of our Father. We often encounter deer, armadillo,  beautiful birds and other of His creation as we walk along the river trails together. God displays His majesty each and every time we go. Truth is – He displays it every single day, and it is up to me to slow down long enough to notice. My wife it seems is much more aware of His displays than I, but after nearly 36 years together, I am catching on.

Why did He create thousands of species of birds, insects, mammals, fish, trees, and plants? Why do we have mountains, beaches, canyons and lakes? He created all of these for us. God loves to show off His creativity, His wonder and His love for man. God has created “all things” for our enjoyment. Everywhere we look we can see Him. His lavish display is painted into every sunrise and sunset. His majesty is visible every cloudless night. He is calling to us to notice Him, to engage Him and enjoy Him, every day of our lives.

It is easier for me to notice and appreciate His artistry when we visit the beach or the mountains. Getting away from work and daily routine allow my body and mind to slow down and my senses to re-engage. After a day or two I can deeply enjoy the smell of the air, the feel of the breeze and the sounds around me. It is a beautiful symphony that God conducts all around me, every day.

I am thankful to God for loving me enough to create an amazing world around me to enjoy. I am also deeply thankful for a wife who inspires me to notice it and enjoy God’s heart to show it off.

Asking for eyes to see and ears to hear,

Huz