Don’t Just Make A Difference… Be The Difference!

I got a frank question for you:  What difference do you make?  Are you a positive contributer to the world around you or are you mostly a consumer?  

I have been reflecting on this question myself over the past few months and I am embarrassed to say that I have been more a consumer than a positive contributor.  Up until this point, I have always liked to think that I am a guy who would bend over backward to help my fellow man.  But, when was the last time I actually helped someone, or some cause just because it was the right thing to do?  

I am not talking about the stuff we do at Christmas with Angel Tree.  Or the once a year feed the homeless event that goes on at your local church.  I am talking about making worthwhile contributions as a part of our life style choice.  Where does it fit in our weekly life?  Our Monthly Life?  How are you different from the vast majority of Americans who think first, consumption, and later contribution.  

If you are stirred up just a little bit by this rant… GOOD!  If you can admit that you can redirect some of your time and energy to go towards helping others; if you have the courage to live on less so that you can give more then check out:  mycommitment.org.  Find out what you can do in your community to, not just make a difference, but actually BE the Difference!

In the mean time, here are 50 things you can do now:  50 Ways to be a part of the solution

WORK… It’s A Spiritual Thang!

Spiritual Discipline to focus on today: 
The Discipline Of WORK!!!! 

Yes, our work is a spiritual thang!!!!!  (taken from the Disciplines Of A Godly Man, by R. Kent Hughes) “…Patterson and Kim, in the Day America Told The Truth, tells us that only 1 in four employees give his or her best effort on the job, and that about 20% of the average worker’s time is wasted.”  The word tells us about our spiritual approach to work:
Colossians 3:17:  And what ever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ…”
Colossians 3:23 “whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord and not man.”Let’s remember our vocation, no matter what it is, is a divine calling for us to be liberated to do it for the glory of God.

Spiritual Discipline: Monitor Your Heart!

This week’s Spiritual Discipline. #3  Monitoring Our Hearts:   

The bible tells us to “…monitor our hearts, because it is the well spring of life.”  This means it is our responsibility, gentlemen, to guard and filter what gets planted in the fertile soil of our hearts.  Why?  What gets planted in the heart comes to life in our lives.  That is how God designed our hearts to work… “it springs forth life.”   Now, the only way I know how to effectively monitor what goes into the heart, and what gets filtered out is to “…hide [His] word in our hearts so that [we] might not sin against God.”  I understand that word “hide” to mean: to memorize and meditate on God’s word.   

Think:  From the habits of the heart… comes the behaviors of the body! 

Meditate on: Psalms 139: 23-24 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I am about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong –then guide me on the road to eternal life.  (The Message) 

Live Free, God Strong!

Die To Yourself!

The Spiritual Discipline focus for this week is: 
Remember brothers and sisters, we have been crucified with Christ, and no longer live, but Christ who lives in us.  We now live by faith in the son of God, who loves us and delivered himself up for us (Galatians 2:20).  

We are free to live our lives boldly, and love unconditionally.   
We have forgiveness from the penalty of sin (Romans 5:1, ! Cor 15:3)
We have fulfillment for this day because Christ lives in us (Phil 1:20,21)
We are Free (Col :11) 

When I think of practicing this spiritual discipline I think about how Samurai warriors prepared for battle.  In order to be completely free to fight with unabridged passion, even to the death, they practiced the art of dieing before the battle.  They actually went through a process of laying down their life, excepting their mortality and eventual death.  They would come to a place where they accepted the ultimate sacrifice they would have to make… their very life.  This acceptance allowed them to live boldly, risk valiantly, and often times, saved their lives because they were free to give their all to the fight without apology or question.  I truly believe God calls us to surrender our lives to Him much like Samurai warriors.  When we die to ourselves we no longer have to wrestle with selfishness that can impede the effectiveness of our effort, and compromise our contribution.  Fear becomes nullified because we realize that we have nothing to lose (we are dead).  God requires that we live boldly for him in each area of our lives.  This can only be accomplished, truly, by practicing the spiritual discipline of dieing to ourselves. 
Live Free , God Strong!

Failure is Never Final!

(5 Minutes)  Failure is never final, when we use it to fertilize our future success!

Make Something Happen!

(5 minutes) This short clip is a manifesto for taking action on the things God calls us to do in life, big and small.