How to Stop Sportin' a 'Tude!

 “When I watch the news, my heart gets all spun out of control. It’s hard work guarding your heart with all diligence. How do you do this?” Sarah Deen 

  Sportin’ a ‘Tude. That’s the name of a book by Christian author, Patsy Clairmont. While I’ve never read the book, I’ve always loved the title – because that’s often me. More than I want to admit it, I’m Sportin’ a ‘Tude, and it’s usually not a good one. It’s certainly not a Christ-honoring one.
  Our attitudes direct our actions. If I don’t get my attitude under the Spirit’s control, it’s going to be a bad day. It might not really be a bad day but because my outlook stinks, even if it is a fantastic day, it’s still going to be a bad day…from my perspective. Before I know it I’m a victim of what Zig Ziglar used to call “Stinkin’ Thinkin’.”
  There’s only one cure for Stinkin’ Thinkin.’ I have to tell it to Jesus. I must spend time with my Heavenly Father. I wonder if the psalmist was struggling with “Stinkin’ Thinkin’” when he wrote: “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 121:1-2).
  There are those unique individuals who wake up in the morning with a smile on their face, ready to greet the world. I’m not one of them. I need a heavenly perspective. Maybe like you my heart is contaminated by…
  The bad news in the world. Before it went under, every morning I’d listen to a Chicago news radio station, WMAQ. Their slogan was “Give us 60 seconds and we’ll give you the world.” Most days that’s just about all of the world I want. Filling my mind with murders, crime, political gamesmanship, etc. can affect my outlook. I begin focusing on what the world is coming to. Spending time in the Word with my Father changes my outlook to an up look and I can focus on Who is coming to the world.
  The hurts of my past. For over forty years Mother’s Day has been a hard holiday for me. It’s hard to believe that my Mom was killed in a car wreck in 1970. If I let it, it can weigh on me that Mom never met my wife or my children. But to add to that, God left me to be raised by a wealthy prescription drug addict. And I hated him! As a kid, I was so angry with God. How could He give me such a rotten deal? It was God’s Word that freed me and continues to free me. Specifically, it was Ephesians 4:32 that unlocked the dungeon of my own bitterness: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
  When I realized how much God had already forgiven me, it was easy to have a spirit of forgiveness toward my Dad, even though he’d abused my Mom and treated me so horribly. Joseph’s words have been the theme of my life, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). Being in God’s Word changed my perspective to see His loving hand directing even through dark paths.
  The turmoil of my own heart. God gave me a melancholic bent. A melancholic bent can deep dive into depression. There have been periods of my life when facing another day seemed impossible. I can relate to Spurgeon who said, “I find myself frequently depressed – perhaps more so than any other person here. And I find no better cure for that depression than to trust in the Lord with all my heart, and seek to realize afresh the power of the peace-speaking blood of Jesus, and His infinite love in dying upon the cross to put away all my transgressions.” Amen, Charles! Amen!
  Before my feet hit the floor in the morning, I open an app on my phone that has psalms matching the day of the month. My first thoughts begin in God’s Word and I begin to pray about my day. It’s a game-changer!
  The frustrations of my job. I know. I’m a pastor and only work half a day a week. I love Steve Brown who pastored Key Biscayne Presbyterian. He’s so candid. He shared that one time he was praying and sharing his heart, “Lord, the ministry would be great, if it weren’t for people.” And Steve said, “It was as if the Lord said, ‘Steve, the ministry is people.”
  If I let it, it can weigh on my heart when I see people who refuse to surrender to the Lord, who are determined to live in sin even though their lives are trainwrecks or continue in soul-killing habits. Couples who if they would only surrender their self-wills could have a phenomenal marriage.
  Every pastor struggles with apathy within their congregation. Pastors continually wrestle with matters of the eternal. We know that this life is temporary, yet so many that we love, pray for and preach to are focused and putting their roots down deep into a dying world. It can drain us.
  Add to that, the last few years have been a perfect storm for those in ministry. According to Barna 38% are considering quitting the ministry with only 35% fall into a “healthy category.” Between Covid, social injustice division, a belligerent election, shut-downs, mask and vaccine mandates – and having folk in their congregations on extreme and polar opposite positions with no seeming middle ground, it was exhausting. I’m so thankful our church has been spared most of that, but there have been some very taxing times.
  Add to that, pastors frequently interact with folk at the darkest periods of their lives. While there are the weddings and births that we celebrate, there are also the deaths, accident scenes, bad medical prognoses, troubled children, marriages and job losses. No one has ever called me in the middle of the night to let me know they won the lottery (please be the first, lol).  
  Every job has its stress, pain, hassles and burdens. My point is that the ministry though is not some safe spiritual cocoon. Pastoral ministry apart from the Lord is a temptation to sport’ a ‘tude. Sadly, I know many pastors and pastors’ wives who do. But what gets me through, what gives me joy, peace and fulfillment is the same thing that can give every believer joy, peace, and fulfillment – time in the Word, time with my Father.
  If you’re a believer and fail to consistently spend time with the Lord, you’ll be miserable and miserable to be around. Joy and peace aren’t environmental. They’re gifts from a loving Father that come from spending time with Him. So, what must change is not around you, it’s in you.
  God wants you to have the abundant life now, from the inside out (Rom. 12:1-2). He wants to spend time with you.  So start the habit. Don’t make it a spiritual marathon. Just commit to spending time daily with your Father. Maybe download a Bible app on your phone or listen to the Word on your commute. Just do it! Start today!

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Gratitude

 

“Every time I hear the word grace, I am reminded that I must live a life, every day, which reflects my gratitude to God.”  Charles W. Colson

 

A man once lived in his small house with his wife and six children. The house was loud and crowded. There was no peace to be found. For years, his ever-patient wife heard his complaints, shouldering the burden, until one day she asked him to go speak to the rabbi about the problem.   “Rabbi, we are too many. Our house is too small. There is too much noise. I cannot think. I cannot breathe. What do I do?” The rabbi instructed him to go home and bring his six chickens inside his house. The man went home and did as he was told. Three days later he returned to the rabbi.  “Rabbi, we are now even more. The chickens are pecking away. They poop on our floor. It is louder and messier.” “Go home and also bring your goat into the house,” the rabbi instructed. The man went home and brought the goat into his house. However, after three days he went running back to the rabbi. “The goat is eating at our furniture. He rams into our legs. Things have only gotten worse.” “Go home and bring your cow into the house as well.” The man went home and brought the cow inside the house. Three days later, he went back to his rabbi once again. “Rabbi, the house is filthy and reeks of manure. We can barely move around all the animals. The snorts and moos and sounds of the animals breaking wind keep me awake all night. Rabbi, this is terrible.” “Go home and remove all the animals from your house.” The man went home and did as he was told yet again. Three days later he returned to the rabbi, nearly skipping the entire way, joy radiating from his face. “Rabbi, thank you so very much. We removed the animals. Our house is clean and calm and quiet now. A man can find rest within its walls.”

  Gratitude! It’s amazing how much our perspective affects our gratitude. It’s amazing how many things we take for granted and even complain about. I know that I do. This pandemic has highlighted many things that we took for granted prior to all of this. 

  For example, eating out is nearly one of our “inalienable rights. Even now many restaurants only have a drive-through or pick-up. Yet how often before all of this did we gripe because of the service, food, or cost. We took it all for granted. Places like Starbucks were a go-to place to read or meet a friend. It never crossed our minds that it might cease…even temporarily. 

  A year ago who would have thought that we’d so appreciate toilet paper, cleaning wipes, paper towels, etc. All things that we assumed would always be there, took for granted, and never gave a second thought. 

  Smiles. Do you miss smiles? I do. We took facial expressions for granted prior to the pandemic. Often it’s hard to read true feelings behind a mask. 

  Family gatherings, meeting with friends, worship services…even long chats with neighbors on the front lawn. In 2020 they virtually disappeared.  At best, they happen with a good bit of social distance. 

  How did you respond to all of this? Too often my attitude stunk. I went from disbelief, thinking it’d all be over in a few weeks, to anger and even bitterness. There was even some grieving and depression mixed in there. 

  Often I begin my day by asking the Lord to use me to encourage someone that day. With the social isolation and self-pity that fell by the wayside. 

  It all clicked for me one afternoon. I was in a local store where I’m a regular. The clerk smiled when she recognized me but I was in a foul mood. Something petty going on bothered me and I complained to her. I can still see her face dropping, even behind the mask. She’d been glad to see me. I was normally a friendly face, an encourager…not that day. 

  And I remember getting into my car afterward and the Holy Spirit struck my bitter heart with a thunderbolt. How dare I be so petty, so ungrateful, such a poor representative for the Savior? And I had to confess my sin, my bitterness, my ingratitude, my selfishness, and my poor example. 

  If there is anything that makes a Christian different, it’s gratitude. It’s not that we’re pro-life, go to church or read our Bibles. Gratitude, a thankful heart distinguishes us as children of our Heavenly Father probably more than any other one trait. A grateful non-believer is an anomaly. 

  If anyone should be filled with gratitude and joy, it should be us. We know that we’ve been forgiven an unpayable debt of sin and guilt by our Savior on the cross. We know that we’re loved even though we know how terribly unlovable we are. We know that everything, the absolutely worst hell that this world can dish out is temporary. We know that even when are alone and isolated, we’re never alone. We know that nothing happens to us by accident. We know that we have friends not just for this life but for eternity, brothers and sisters who have also trusted Christ as their Savior. We have confidence that we can share our hearts, even our greatest hurts, worst failures, and deepest struggles with Jesus, our great high priest. We know that whether we’re rich or poor, talented or untalented, beautiful or ugly, live in a mansion or are homeless, drive a sports car or walk everywhere…and a million other details, that we have a Savior who loved us so much that He came to this world to rescue us from ourselves. We have a new Home beyond the stars with streets of gold where there is no sickness, pain, or loss…ever again! 

  What will make the difference in your heart? Gratitude! What will make the difference in your marriage and in your relationship with your children? Gratitude! What will make a difference in your workplace, in your neighborhood, in our church? Gratitude! Gratitude changes everything because it changes us. And as believers, we have so much to be grateful for. Our theme for 2021 is: “Gratitude is the Attitude that Changes the Altitude of our Life.” And it does. 

  But here’s the tragedy. We who have so much to be thankful for are often the worst complainers and grumblers. We too easily forget that every good thing is from our Heavenly Father (James 1:17). So, for the next eight weeks, to help us grow in this vital area and to assist us with doing a reset on our hearts, we’re working through a sermon series, Thank-FULL. 

  You don’t want to miss a single one because we all need this! Our Lord wants this for us! Our world desperately needs to see grateful Christ-followers! Will you be one? Will our church be a grateful, joyful church?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

 

Joy is a Decision

“Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you are going to respond to life.”  Wess Stafford

There’s an old joke about psychiatry. “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?” The answer: “Only one,  but the lightbulb has to want to be changed. It may be a joke but the reality that happiness is a choice is not. All the psychiatrists, therapists and pastors in the world can’t change a person who doesn’t desire to be changed. 

  For the most part, we are as happy as we choose to be. As B.A. Baracus of A-Team fame would say, “I pity the fool.” I truly pity the spouse or parent or pastor or…who foolishly attempts to make an unhappy person happy.

  We’re halfway through our series, Philippians: Joy No Matter What. It’s easy in a study of a book of the Bible to lose the big picture. This week, please take the time to re-read those four short chapters. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, gives us the key to having joy.

  The Greek that our New Testament is written in is one of the most expressive and definitive of all time. Eutuches was one of their words for happiness. It meant “fleeting earthly happiness.” It was the kind of happiness which was mostly on the outside. It was dependent on the right circumstances, being around the right people or having the right things. The obvious problem is that no one can control their circumstances or being around the right people or even having the right things.

  Makarios was another ancient Greek word for happiness. This word was used when referring to inner happiness which is independent of circumstances, people, or things. It’s a deep-down inner happiness that doesn’t depend on externals. Simply put, it’s happiness from the inside out.

  Interestingly, it’s the same word that Greek religion used for the happiness of their gods. It was a happiness free from care, work, even death. The word came to mean heavenly “godlike life on earth.” It’s the kind of happiness that we truly long for.

  Mature individuals know that situational, relational, and material happiness is very fleeting. You may be able to go to Disney World for vacation but no one can live there, very soon you must return to reality.

  Interestingly, the Bible (much of which was written in Greek), never uses the word eutuches. Every biblical reference to happiness is makarios. What’s even better is that the Bible repeatedly talks in terms of offering and even expecting us to pursue and achieve this heavenly happiness while here on earth…yet there are two requirements.  

  First, you will never have heavenly happiness (or what Scripture calls joy) without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. Salvation is the key to having this kind of happiness. Heavenly happiness begins with having our sins forgiven as a result of personal faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from our sin.

  Second, to live in this happiness of heaven on earth requires doing it heaven’s way. That way is spelled out quite clearly in the Bible which is sort of a handbook to heaven.  

  In his book, Making Happiness Happen, pastor and author, Leith C. Anderson shares this account:  

  “A Southern Baptist preacher tells about two hospital patients early in his ministry. The first was a middle-age woman about to be released after successful treatment. As soon as the pastor entered her room, she started to complain. She criticized him for not coming to visit much sooner. She complained about the hospital food, the nursing staff, and the lack of visits by members of her family. It was an awful experience and she was glad to be going home.

  The preacher’s next stop was another middle-aged woman on the same floor of the hospital. Even the best of experienced pastors have trouble getting psyched up for two such visits in a row—but he went to see her anyway. This lady’s circumstances were quite different. She was suffering from terminal cancer and would never be going home from the hospital, yet her spirits were high. He could sense her warmth and enthusiasm as soon as he stepped into the room. She thanked him for coming but assured him that she always had plenty of company and he might better use his time visiting those with greater needs. Next, she raved about the nursing staff and their fabulous care. They met her every need without being asked. Even the food was outstanding and there was plenty of it. Finally, she gave a big grin while explaining that she only had two teeth left but, “Thank the Lord, they meet in the middle!”

  The greatest difference between these two patients was not their circumstances but their perspectives. Ironically, the woman with more had chosen a negative perspective and the woman with less had chosen a positive perspective. Each had the option of going either way and each chose the perspective for seeing her circumstances.”

  Happiness is a choice, yet we need the Spirit working in us from the inside out to have it. One of my favorite passages is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Those verses have been an anchor for my soul nearly fifty years: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

  Satan loves it when the people of God lose heart and give in to anger, fear, depression, and countless other joy killing emotions. Yet, for the believer, for the one who has committed their life to Christ, this world is as bad as it gets. Everything, no matter how terrible, even if like that woman in the hospital we have terminal cancer, is temporary. It’s also momentary whereas what awaits us is eternal. We have something that those who do not know our Savior do not have. We know that we’re all going to get Home before dark! And that my friend is something to give us constant joy even in the midst of a crumbling world. We’re not Home yet!   

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Gratitude is the Best Attitude

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”   Zig Ziglar

  Earlier this week I sat through a presentation to raise funds for a great cause. But one of the things that really stood out to me in the presentation – misspelled words. The project is putting in new bathrooms for a school of 400 students in a 3^rd World country. It’s a great and worthy project and compared to American costs, very reasonable. Yet, I found that I was more focused on a few misspellings than the huge impact of this project.

  Please understand, I’m not suggesting that we become sloppy and overlook misspelled words or other errors, and not aim for excellence. What I am confessing is that I’ve been so contaminated by a sinful world, that my tendency is to notice what is wrong before I notice what is right.

  With 10 stalls for 400 students, 5 for girls and 5 for boys, I’d surmise those students don’t care what it’s called – whether a bathroom, restroom, toilet, privy, washroom, powder room, loo, lavatory or some slang term. They’re just thankful that they have a bathroom with indoor plumbing.

  Are you like me? I find that the Spirit is continually convicting me for my petty, ungrateful heart. I have to be spiritually aggressive with my sinful spirit that’s more prone to groan than to give gratitude.

  John MacArthur insightfully writes, “A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.”

  For the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about what trait or traits most identify and distinguish a Christian. I was wrongly taught and believed for too many years that it was behavior, appearance or following a list of rules. I was a very good Pharisee.

  I’m so thankful that sanctification is a lifelong process and that my Heavenly Father is so patient with me. As I look through the pages of Scripture, there is a consistent identifying trait for a godly person, someone who is maturing in their walk with the Lord – constant gratitude. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, is permeated with hymns of praise. We end in eternity with praise in our hearts that flows from our lips.

  Yet, gratitude is a habit that must be empowered by God’s grace and continually cultivated. Every believer has a life filled with blessings now that overflows into eternity. It’s not a matter of what we have or what’s  going on, it’s what we see and focus on and fill our minds with.  

  Recently, I read of a study that took three groups of people and had them go for daily walks. The first group was told to focus on the good things they noticed, the second one on the bad and the third group was told just to walk for exercise. What was the result?

  At the end of the week, when the walkers’ well-being was tested again, those who had deliberately targeted positive cues were happier than before the experiment. The negatively focused subjects were less happy, and the just plain exercisers scored somewhere in between.

  The point, according to the researchers, is that “you see what you look for. And you can train yourself to attend to the joy out there waiting to be had, instead of passively waiting for it to come to you.” What I found very noteworthy was that though this wasn’t a Christian study, these individuals had significant positive change because they learned to focus on what we call “common grace.” Unknowingly, they were living out the Lord’s command: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

  Nothing so sets apart a believer as gratitude. We can be the kind of people who truly feel and appreciate the good in life because we know who it comes from (James 1:17). At first, like any habit, it takes work. It requires continued focus. Yet, if we develop the habit of gratitude, it will radically change us and our testimony for the gospel. Here are a few simple steps to help you begin.

  Confess ingratitude and pray for grace to grow in gratitude. We must by confession clear out the filth in our hearts so that the Lord can fill it with grace and gratitude. It means being honest and coming clean. Afterall, Jesus died for our sin of ingratitude. But most of us don’t take the sin of ungratefulness seriously. The nation of Israel learned a hard lesson and spent 40 years wandering the wilderness because of grumbling.

  Limit contaminations of bad news in your life. Personally, I rarely watch the news. I may listen to the headlines or scan them on a periodical, yet I don’t linger there. That’s because rarely is there anything encouraging. Most is broadcast void of a biblical worldview, that even in the “bad” God is in total control. Then, I avoid negaholics and seek to surround myself with grateful people and those who see God’s hand in this world.  

  Increase the amount of good news in your life. It’s rare to find a miserable believer who is faithfully in their Bible. Spending time in God’s Word changes our outlook and help us be aware that God is working even when we can’t see it and helps us see life from His eternal perspective.

  Start early, yet start small. Begin your day thanking the Lord for another one. Throughout your day look for God moments, little blessings like the beauty of His creation or some unexpected kindness. Perhaps keep a log and write down a blessing or blessings from each day.

  Ask the Lord to help you see those things from His perspective which most easily cause you to complain. I’m not a masochist. I don’t like trials. Yet, I know from Scripture that my Father is behind trials. Of late, I’ve been asking Him to use them to burn away dross and make me more like Jesus. It’s changed my perspective of trials from something to get through to that which I’m confident He is using to make me into His masterpiece.

  Would those around you describe you as a grateful person? Do they hear the song in your heart because you know Jesus and are confident that He has everything under control, even the trials?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.