Think About It

Have you ever asked yourself why you work?  I imagine that some people have this recurring conversation most Monday mornings, but on this “Labor Day” it is a good to reflect on the meaning of work.  To establish the roots of labor, all we have to do is go back to man’s first sin when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.  As God issued His decree He said, “ Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”. (Genesis 3:17-19)  Throughout the years mankind has been compelled to work to provide for himself and his family because sin entered the world.  Yet, in a modern society, work is often more than laboring to provide food on the table – s...

          Have you ever felt like you were not having much of an impact?  Have you ever looked back at your life and wondered if you have ever had any influence on people? Logically we might know that surely, somewhere we have helped out someone, but emotionally it’s difficult to recall when it was and what we did.            These thoughts of inadequacy are pretty common especially when we see a culture that appears to be drifting away from the values we hold dear.   Not only do we wonder if we have had any positive impact, but we might even begin to question if the Word of God can have any substantial influence in modern life.  While these thoughts can be invasive that doesn’t mean they are true.  In fact, the Bible itself provides us with a message of hope.  An Old Testament prophet was reminded, “ For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there...

The other day I was reading a news media site that was entitled, “Teens reveal the greatest positive influences in their lives”.   While I did not read each and every answer as I scrolled through the list it was obvious that the most influential force on teens is family.  While there were a few teachers or organizations listed, the vast majority of the responses centered around family – especially parents and in particular, mothers.  In all honesty, it was a great reminder of the role that family plays in the lives of our young people.  Even in today’s society (where familial relationships seemed to be stretched thin and strained by intergenerational challenges) family is important.  As I reflected on this a couple of things came to mind: 1).  Parents, we must understand the influence we have our children .  We hold in our hands a life that will be molded by us whether we like it or not.  Our children want us to shape them into something...

          In her article on leadership for Forbes Magazine Kathy Caprino identified nine core behaviors of people who positively impact the world.  While the entire article is worth the time it takes to read, I want to highlight one of the nine points that seems particularly applicable in today’s world.  In an effort to have a positive impact leaders “engage with people in open, mutually-beneficial ways”.   Years ago we might have called them “people people”.  They understand the power of relationships and find value in interacting with others on their level.  They connect – not for what they get out it – but, in a way that others are blessed by this relationship.  These are not “us vs. them” types of relationships, they are “we” relationships.  No, not all of these leaders would be considered overtly outgoing, but they have matured beyond crippling introversion to be able to interact in individual relationships and with ...

Last weekend’s hurricane along Texas’ Gulf Coast was a reminder of the limitations of humanity.  Initially, many of the forecasters expected a minimal impact by Harvey, but the closer it got to land, the more serious things became.  When the storm hit the coast with 135 mile per hour winds and torrential rains a lot of lives were turned upside-down.  In its own natural way, Harvey reminded us of what it means to be human.  We have some answers to forecasting storms, but acts of nature cannot be fully understood by the human mind and the furry they unleash can often overwhelm even the best laid human plans. As I watched Harvey, I thought about human sin.  No, I am not saying that the hurricane was the result of God’s punishment, but it does bring to mind just how powerful sin can be in our lives.  Rationally, humans can understand sin and (often) predict its impact on life, but the devastation of sin packs a powerful punch that cannot be derailed or fixed...

There has always been a lot of talk about our “rights” as citizens of the United States.  This discussion has been passionate and its presence in our social dialogue is understandable because our forefathers were convinced that their rights as citizens of the crown and as human beings were being trampled.  It was set against this backdrop that Thomas Jefferson wrote, “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that  all men are created equal , that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are  Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness .” If that wasn’t enough, the Constitution was amended to explicitly delineate certain “rights” the government must ensure in this new nation.  In this Bill of Rights are the freedom to worship as we see fit, protection during criminal hearings and freedom from the government taking our stuff without a rule of law or stationing troops in our homes without our permission. As I review th...

As hard as it is for some of us to believe (and for others of us to say) summer is about to come to an end.  I realize that we still have several weeks of warm weather ahead of us, but our summer routines are about to change.  Some of you have already adjusted bedtimes and travel schedules while others are trying to squeeze in one last trip before school starts in your area.  Even those of us who don’t have children at home are beginning to make some adjustments for the coming of autumn.  As we delve into this time of refocus I would like to ask a question – “How did your church attendance fare this summer?”  For some, there was no drop-off in worship during the hectic summer season, but for others, attending may have become an inadvertent causality of fun and sun.  As we begin to move back into the routine let’s make it a point to consider our commitment to spending time worshipping God and fellowshipping with like-minded believers.  If your sche...