BUSY - the worst 4-letter word!

 

I’m so busy, I don’t even have time to think about being busy.

I’m so busy, my to-do list has a to-do list.

I’m so busy, I don’t know if I’m coming or going.

I’m so busy I make time fly.

I’m so busy even my dreams have deadlines.

I’m so busy I’ve invented my own time zone.

 
Time is the great equalizer. We all make or have different amounts of money. Each of us have different talents and abilities. We come from different backgrounds and live in different family dynamics. One thing though is consistent. We all have 24 hours every day and 168 hours every week. Nothing more, nothing less. Most of us feel very busy, but have you thought about why we are so busy?
  We let the urgent take priority over the important. Date nights with your spouse are important. Sleep and kids’ sports games are important. Yet, the phone call at work, the emails that need to be returned, the desire to make more money and achieve more at work, and the extra practices for our kids become much more urgent. We let the urgent steal our time.
  We’re people pleasers. We don’t want to let others down, so when a “need” arises, we jump in. Sometimes it means we choose time away from our families because we don’t want to tell someone, “No.” Too often it means that we don’t spend time with the Lord in reading our Bible or prayer. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.” We’re trapped when our lives are contaminated by what we want others to think of us. A solution is that we must accept the fact that we’re going to let some people down. That’s tough for people pleasers, yet vital so we can invest in what’s important.
  We don’t want to miss out! Do you have FOMO (fear of missing out)? We don’t want to miss out on anything, so we fill our calendars until they’re brimming over. We forget that God created us to be human beings, not human doings. Sadly, too, we miss out on what truly matters.
  John Rossman says that we’ve created “frantic family syndrome” We’ve succumbed to social peer pressure and think our kids need to be involved in everything – music lessons, dance lessons, t-ball, soccer, karate, scouting but our relationship with them suffers. Relationships are built on t-i-m-e. That can’t happen as you rush from commitment after commitment. It’s a common cultural lie that we’re neglecting our children if they’re not involved in nearly everything. We wouldn’t let them eat everything, so why do we feel that they must be involved in everything? 
  What’s the solution? PRIORITIES. You can’t do everything, so you must choose what’s vital and the most important. The good things in life are the worst enemies of the best things in life.
  One wise university professor would begin his first class each year by saying, “I am about to teach you the most important thing you’ll learn during your entire stay at this institution.” He then pulled out a large glass jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then, he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, inside the jar. When the jar was filled to the top he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel, dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted and again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a jug of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”
  One student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!” “No,” the professor  replied, “that’s not the point. The point is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all. Make sure you get the big rocks into your life first.”
  Personally, I try to never say that I’m “busy.” That seems to infer that I have less time than others, which isn’t true. What is true is that each of us chooses how we will use our daily 24 hours. If you own a business, then it’s wise to spend your time on what will make your business most profitable. The same is true of life. If you’re wise, you invest your time where it is best used and most profitable.
  Our responsibilities fall into one of four categories. Knowing where something fits helps us determine its priority and the time to invest in it. They are - Not urgent and not important. Then – Urgent but not important. Another is - Important but not urgent. Finally - Urgent and important.
  For example, if you’re married, how long do you plan to be married? Hopefully, you said “for life” (those vows before God do mean something). So, if I’m going to spend time with my spouse long after my work career is complete and the kids are grown, shouldn’t I make that relationship a top priority now and invest time in it so it’s healthy in the future?
  Here’s a reality check – you can fill your life with work, hobbies or activities, but if you’re in the hospital or really sick, your fellow employees and golfing buddies might send you a card…maybe. But the ones who will be there will be your family, unless you failed to invest in those relationships early on.
  So, if I’m going to spend eternity with One who loved me so much that He sacrificed His Son to die a horrible death for me, shouldn’t I get to know Him now? How can I rationalize that I’m too busy and never crack open my Bible or pray…unless I have an emergency? Do I only see God as some divine EMT or as my Abba-Father? As the Westminster Catechism notes fulfillment and purpose only comes from “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” Spend time enjoying Him now so that you’re preparing for that relationship that will last all of eternity!  

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

Did you really lose an hour?

 

“If there is no God, then there is no real significance to our lives, time simply becomes something to be filled and got through.” Melvin Tinker

 
For the next few days some will be complaining that they lost an hour with daylight savings time and the time change. Yet, if one doesn’t have a theistic worldview – so what? What does it matter if you “lost” an hour?
  Worldview makes all the difference when it comes to time. If there is no God (or if you live like there’s not one), then life has no ultimate meaning. If this short life is all there is, then it’s nothing more than what’s described in 1 Corinthians 15:32: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die’.” If all that ultimately awaits us is death, then hedonism makes sense – have fun, party, have all the pleasure that you can.
  But it’s not. Often, we foolishly think this is “the land of the living” and when you die, you go to “the land of the dying.” The Bible teaches the opposite. This world is “the land of the dying” yet for those who have trusted Christ as their Savior, they will live for eternity and are headed to “the land of the living.” The Bible also teaches that those who reject Christ are destined to eternal death or “the second death” (Revelation 20:11-15).
  Because this life is short, we need more of the intensity of a Dr. William Dodd. In 1777, Dodd, a well-known London pastor, was condemned to be hanged for forgery (the penalties were a bit more severe back then!). When his last sermon, delivered in prison, was published, a friend commented to famed English writer, Samuel Johnson, that the effort was far better than he had thought the man capable of. Dr. Johnson’s reply was so insightful: “Depend upon it, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”
  None of us have a certainty of tomorrow. It’s why we must be wise with the time that we have today. Ephesians 5:15-16, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Yet so often we waste time. I know that I do. Here are some of the more common ways.
  We waste time through procrastination. When there’s a task to be done, stalling wastes time. For example, you don’t need to check your social media accounts before you begin a task. Instead, you can take short breaks to reward yourself with social media interaction after you complete a task.
  We waste time through perfectionism. Some important jobs merit careful, mistake-free work, but often, “good enough” will get the job done. Unless it’s surgery or the formula for a nuclear bomb, 80% is usually sufficient. It’s okay to let the little things go and not be obsessed with perfection in everything you do. It’s also okay to delegate things to others if you have too much on your plate.
  We waste time overanalyzing. Spending excessive amounts of time deliberating over inconsequential decisions fritters away time. For example, does it really matter what you have for lunch or what route you take on your next trip? If you struggle with overanalyzing, ask a couple of trusted friends or family members to help you arrive at a reasonable choice.
  We waste time overindulging. It’s not wrong to spend time shopping, watching TV, checking social media, or reading news stories. But these activities can crowd out more important pursuits. Ask God to help you discern what’s vital and should be your priorities. Then, recognize the feelings underneath your desire to overindulge and open your heart to receive His leading, encouragement and comfort instead. For any of us to be wiser time managers though, three things are necessary…
  We must know our purpose. For Christ-followers, our purpose is fairly simple – we’re to glorify our Heavenly Father (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our purpose is to become mature in Christ. After receiving His free gift of salvation, we seek to be useful in His service, and by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, become more and more Christ-like in character.
  Spiritual maturity can’t be hurried. It takes time. In fact, it will take a lifetime. As Bruce Wilkinson, said, “God doesn’t want you to do more for Him. He wants you to be more for Him.”
  We must know our priorities. Once we know our purpose, we can evaluate our priorities. Prioritizing just means knowing which things are more important and which are less. Have you heard the story of Charles Schwab and Ivy Lee? Schwab was president of Bethlehem Steel. Lee, a consultant, was given an unusual challenge: “Show me a way to get more things done with my time.” Schwab agreed to pay him “anything within reason” if Lee’s suggestion worked. Lee handed Schwab a sheet of paper with this plan written on it:
  “Write down the most important tasks you have to do tomorrow. Number them in order of importance. When you arrive in the morning, begin at once on No. 1 and stay on it until it is completed. Recheck your priorities. Then begin with No. 2…then No. 3. Make this a habit every working day. Pass it on to those under you. Try it as long as you like. Then send me your check for what you think it’s worth.”
  That one idea turned Bethlehem Steel into the largest independent steel producer in the world within five years. How much did Schwab pay for that idea? He sent Lee a check for $25,000, with a note attached saying that this was the most profitable lesson he’d ever learned.
  If our priorities aren’t clear, we attempt more things than we should and don’t do any well, which causes stress. Setting priorities is tough because we must make hard choices and say no to some things. Often, we must say no to good things so we can say yes to the best. There’s never enough time for everything, but there’s enough time for the most important things.
  We must plan. That’s what Paul advises in Ephesians 5, “Be very careful, then, how you live…” We need to plan good habits like going to bed, getting up, spending time with the Lord, spending time with those we love, exercising, etc. Then, list out the tasks that are important for the day and week. If you can, plug them into a reasonable schedule (that’s difficult for mothers with young children or those whose priorities are set by their work superior), but it works well for the rest of us. If we fail to set some time boundaries, we tend to give a task more time than it requires.
  Each day is a gift from God. When we know our purpose, we can prioritize and plug those into a daily plan. In the end we can be confident that our Heavenly Father knows the last chapter of our earthly story and will bring us safely Home. As Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Can we help you spiritually? 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. 

 

60 years for $4.80

 

“Sometimes, little things make a big difference…”  Nino Varsimashvili

 

  What would you be willing to give up for $4.80? How long would you be willing to give up something of significance for a little less than $5.00? 

  For 60 years Ted Sams regretted missing his high school graduation. Now that he’s 78, Sams can finally call himself a high school graduate, On Friday, May 27^th, he donned a cap and gown and received his diploma with the class of 2022 at Southern California’s San Gabriel High School. 

  Back in 1962 when Sams was a high school senior, he got in trouble, was suspended five days before the end of the school year, and ended up missing a crucial final exam that he had to make up over the summer. 

  He recently told a local TV station, “When I went back with my grade, they wouldn't give me my diploma because I owed $4.80 for a book, and so I just walked away and said forget it.”

  Fortunately, the high school still had Sams’ original diploma locked away in an old filing cabinet. He beamed as he walked across the graduation stage at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and received his diploma. He said, “over the years, I complained to my kids a number of times about how $4.80 kept me from having my diploma.”

  It’s amazing how something small, like $4.80, can cause us to make a big, bad decision with lifelong ramifications?

  God has matured me a lot over the years (I still have a long ways to go) but I remember a day when someone giving me a one-finger wave would cause me to go nuclear. When I was growing up, my Dad would chew us out if someone forgot to turn a light off. Have you seen one of those Youtube clips of McDonald’s or some other fast food joint and a customer got the wrong order? Some of them are of a customer crawling through the drive-thru window or over the counter to attack the cashier who messed up their order. It’s a $5,000.00 reaction to a $5.00 problem.

  There’s a verse tucked away in the Song of Solomon that describes this, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards…” (2:15). A little fox – big damage! 

  Many a parent has had a meltdown with a child over something insignificant like spilling a drink or leaving a toy out. Married couples fight over the trivial, like putting the toilet paper on the wrong way or forgetting to empty the garbage…or a truly major crisis, leaving just a bit of milk in the jug without replacing it.

  I wish that I could say that I never get angry over the small but unfortunately, I’m guilty, too. My lack of patience with slow drivers is a continual area of spiritual growth. My sanctification is still working its way down to my right foot.

  Personally, I think pride was part of Ted Sams’ problem and it was further complicated by stubbornness. Stubborn is defined as “having or showing persistent determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so.”

  The Bible contains several examples of stubbornness. Probably one of the most well-known ones was Pharaoh. Remember the story? God told Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” but Pharaoh was stubborn and wouldn't let them go. So God sends plague after plague, and after each plague, Pharaoh cries out, “OK, I'll let the people go.” Yet after God lifted the plagues, the Bible records that Pharaoh “hardened his heart” and wouldn’t let God’s people go. The end result was the 10^th plague, the death of the first born in every Egyptian home. It was the end result of Pharaoh’s stubbornness. We lose a lot when we’re foolishly stubborn and needlessly dig in our heels.

  Ted Sams lost sixty years because of stubborn pride. I wonder how many relationships suffer needless estrangement because of the same thing. Often there’s been an argument, then a rupture in the relationship. It may have gone on so long that the combatants no longer even remember what the original offense was. They just know that they’re angry at the other person.

  In his book, The Preaching Event, John Claypool tells a powerful story about identical twin brothers who never married because they enjoyed each other’s company so much. When their father died, they took over his store and ran it together in a joyful collaboration.

  One day a man came in to make a small purchase and paid for it with a dollar. The brother who made the sale placed the dollar on top of the cash register and walked the customer to the door to say goodbye. When he returned, the dollar bill was gone. He said to his twin brother, “Did you take the dollar bill I left here?” “No, I didn’t,” answered the brother. “Surely, you took it,” he said, “There was nobody else in the store.” The brother became angry: “I’m telling you,  I did not take the dollar bill.”

  From that point, mistrust and suspicion grew until finally, the two brothers could no longer work together. They put a partition right down the middle of the building and made it into two stores. In anger, they refused to speak to each other for the next twenty years.

  One day a stranger pulled up in a car and entered one of the two stores. “Have you been in business very long here?” the stranger asked. “Yes, 30 or 40 years,” was the answer. “Good,” continued the stranger, “I very much need to tell you something...Some 20 years ago, I passed through this town. I was out of work and homeless. I jumped off a boxcar. I had no money and I hadn’t eaten for days. I came down that alley outside and when I looked into your store window, I saw a dollar bill on the cash register. I slipped in and took it. Recently though I became a Christian. I was converted and accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I know now it was wrong of me to steal that dollar bill...and I have come to pay you back with interest and to beg your forgiveness.”

  When the stranger finished his confession, the old storekeeper began to weep as he said, “Would you do me a favor? Would you please come next door and tell that story to my brother?” Of course, with the second telling, the two brothers were reconciled with many hugs and apologies and tears. Twenty years of hurt and pain and a broken relationship based not on fact, but on mistrust and misunderstanding, but then healing came; reconciliation came, because of that stranger’s love for Christ.
  I’m glad Ted Sams humbled himself and got his diploma. But he still lost sixty years. How about you? Is there someone you need to reconcile with? How much more time do you want to lose? Please humble yourself and fix it…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. 

Christmas Stress

 “Three phrases that sum up Christmas are: 

Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men and Batteries are not included.

  A few days before Christmas two men in Florida decided to go sailing while their wives went Christmas shopping. While these guys were out sailing a terrible storm arose. They had great difficulty keeping their boat under control. As they maneuvered their way back to land their boat got grounded on a sandbar. Finally, they had to jump overboard and push with all their might trying to get their boat into deeper water. As they did the wind was blowing terribly, the waves were rushing on them, they were soaking wet and knee-deep in mud. But then one of the guys looked at his buddy and said, “You know it sure beats Christmas shopping though.”  

  Too often what should be the most wonderful season of the year, the time of year that should bring us joy and warm our hearts, instead often brings stress, anger, headaches and depression. The stress associated with Christmas can make what should be a joyous time of year a miserable mess. Because of this, many (maybe that’s you) actually dread Christmas. The stress that can plague us at this time of the year are rooted in three basic sources; Time (getting everything done), Money (paying for it) and Emotions (conflict with family and past painful memories that resurface).

  Through the years I’ve suffered from all three of those. You’d think that if you had some bad Christmas memories from growing up, you’d write new chapters in adulthood. I wish that were true. There are some pages though from raising my own children that are worthy of a good book burning or at least chapter burning. I’m so glad God is gracious and my own family is forgiving. Let me share some thoughts for a less stressful Christmas.

  Remember, it really is all about Jesus. Ask most people what Christmas is about and you’ll hear a myriad of answers. Sadly, what’s lost in the Christmas rush is that it’s a celebration of Jesus. His miraculous birth 2,000 years ago and His birth in our hearts is the reason we celebrate Christmas. It’s not about Santa, holidays, family, gifts, food or anything else. When we look to things of this world to give the season true meaning, none of it works. Jesus is the most wonderful part of Christmas. Each time family, food, and parties get to be too much, turn your eyes back on Jesus. The world may forget, but we remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

  We must choose to purposefully reclaim the joy of Jesus in the festive season. Jesus is the source of joy for believers. Joy is independent of outward circumstances. It rises from within and is a choice. Be overwhelmed with joy or with stress. You decide.

  No matter how many cookies you burn, candy you eat, or family criticisms you endure; determine to rejoice in the Lord. Smile when another car takes your parking spot. Laugh when the Christmas lights blow a fuse. Things go wrong. Roll with it. Keep rejoicing in Jesus because you’re celebrating His birth, after all.

  Slow down. Have you ever noticed when people are stressed not only do they do everything faster, but they talk faster? So slow down. When we’re pressured we foolishly skip on what will give us the strength to truly have peace in our hearts – time with the Lord. Please don’t do that. You don’t have to make your Quiet Time a marathon. Some days it might be more like a short sprint. It will though better prepare you for whatever is thrown at you if you start the day with the Prince of Peace. Spend time in His Word. Pray for wisdom and strength. I’ve found starting the day praying Psalm 19:14 helps me: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

  Set limits. Determine your family’s limits when it comes to holiday get-togethers. As much as you may want to please everyone, determine what you and your family can handle. Put the most important events on the calendar early so you don’t overschedule.

  Set limits on spending and gift-giving. Having a budget will help you stay on track and not have a regretful January when the bills arrive. Keeping the gift-giving simple is an easy way to maintain the focus on the birth of Christ and not the commercialization of the holiday. 

  One gift that we too easily overlook can be one of our most precious gifts – T-I-M-E. Perhaps instead of this year’s hot toy, give your child an hour or two each month with just you and your child. Too many of us herd our kids when they need one on one time with us. If you know your Dad loves sports, schedule to go to a game with him. If your Mom loves a certain activity, give her the gift of time by doing with her what she loves. Go sit with a grandparent and listen to their stories (even if it’s for the 100^th time).

  Give sacrificially. Gift giving began when our generous God gave His Son as the very first Christmas gift to this world. “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15). Jesus willingly gave up glories beyond our wildest imaginations to come to earth for us. He unobtrusively came into the world in a stable; amongst cattle, donkeys, and sheep. He came to give His life. He was born to die.

  When we contemplate such love and sacrifice, you’d think Christmas would be a time when people would lay aside their own demands and bend over backwards to accommodate others. Selfishness sadly often contaminates what should be a season of giving.

  As God was kind to us, even when we were His enemies (Rom. 5:10), it’s a time for us to let His kindness flow through us. It’s a time to be kind to that tired and whiny child or that sibling who can drive you nuts. After all what’s the opposite of selfishness? Grace - undeserved favor. Selfish behavior produces anger and hostility. Instead, as we have been given the gift of grace, give it to others and watch irritation and selfishness shrink.

  Over the years our family has gone out and sang carols to shut-ins or folk alone at Christmas. We take baked goods to neighbors. We look for ways to be a blessing to someone in need, usually anonymously. We always find that giving does so much for us. It changes our hearts and gives us just a glimpse of our Heavenly Father’s generosity to us.

  The peace of God can’t be purchased. It’s a gift. Peace and being stress free comes from Christ living in our hearts. Open your heart and choose to let Him give you His peace this Christmas.

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. 

Generosity and Stephen King

“No man was ever endowed with a right without being at the same time saddled with a responsibility.”  Gerald W. Johnson

Bestselling author, Stephen King, is most famous as the writer of horror novels. Sometime back he spoke to the graduates of Vassar College and offered some profound advice:

  “A couple of years ago I found out what ‘you can’t take it with you’ means. I found out while I was lying in a ditch at the side of a country road, covered with mud and blood and with the tibia of my right leg poking out the side of my jeans like a branch of a tree taken down in a thunderstorm. I had a MasterCard in my wallet, but when you’re lying in a ditch with broken glass in your hair, no one accepts MasterCard. We all know life is fleeting, but on that particular day and in the months that followed, I got a painful but extremely valuable look at life’s simple backstage truths. We come in naked and broke. We may be dressed when we go out, but we’re just as broke. Warren Buffet? Going to go out broke. Bill Gates? Going out broke. Tom Hanks? Going out broke. Steve King? Broke. Not carrying a dime. 

  All the money you earn, all the stocks you buy, all the mutual funds you trade—all of that is mostly smoke and mirrors. It’s still going to be a quarter past getting late whether you tell time on a Timex or a Rolex. No matter how large your bank account, no matter how many credit cards you have, sooner or later things will begin to go wrong with the only three things you have that you can really call your own: your body, your spirit and your mind.

  So I want you to consider making your life one long gift to others. And why not? All you have is on loan anyway. All that lasts is what you pass on….We have the power to help, the power to change. And why should we refuse? Because we’re going to take it with us? Please. Giving is a way of taking the focus off the money we make and putting it back where it belongs—on the lives we lead, the families we raise and the communities that nurture us.”

  Wow! Not exactly the stuff you’d expect to come out of Stephen King’s mouth. “A life of giving—not just money, but time and spirit—repays.”

  We’re now officially in the “giving season,” yet giving is something that most of us struggle with. American culture is about getting not giving. Rarely, does someone downsize…until maybe they’re nearing the end of life. Instead, they expand for that promotion, upgrade to that next car, go on a more expensive vacation, and purchase a better media center or cell phone. It’s about getting more space, more me-time, more down time and recreation for me. We’re much better at getting than giving. Giving is an afterthought for most of us, getting is a top priority.

  Be honest. When was the last time that you wrote down a giving goal? When was the last time you dreamed about how much you can give away? When was the last time that you even prayed about being able to give more? Or, when was the last time you excused, rationalized, or justified what you’re giving now because you feel guilty? Perhaps you justified not giving at all.

  What about giving away time? Do you look for ways to serve, to help, to minister to others? When was the last time you volunteered? Or, when you are asked, do you open your mental file, looking for that “answer” that will get you off the hook yet not make you look self-absorbed?

  Getting is the American way; it’s just not God’s way. And the more that we know God, the more that we love Him, the closer we walk with Him, then the more that we will be like Him. God is the epitome of generosity.

  Unbeknownst to him, Stephen King is simply echoing what the Bible teaches over and over again. It’s generosity that gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Whereas, getting leaves us empty and feeling meaningless.

  Think of the people that you know who are truly generous. Aren’t they usually characterized by joy, contentment, a spirit of gratitude? Others are drawn to them. Yet, what about those focused on getting? Usually, you will find that they are critical, complaining and discontent. They are miserable and miserable to be around.

  No wonder Jesus said that it’s more blessed to give than to receive. Do we believe that? To be blessed is to be happy. Giving generously brings greater happiness than stockpiling for ourselves. If it’s true that we’re more blessed when we give than when we receive, then it’s reasonable to expect blessing when we give to God’s purposes. Giving generously to God’s kingdom allows us to lay up treasures in heaven. These treasures are part of our rewards as Christ-followers and one of the many blessings of a life of generosity.

  More importantly, our generosity makes a difference for the cause of Christ. Lives, eternal destinations can be changed for eternity as a result of the money and time we give back to God. Changing lives is one of the reasons we exist. As long as we’re on the earth God has a purpose for us. Ephesians 2:10. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The message is clear. We’re created and regenerated in Christ to do good works—and part of those good works includes helping others to fall in love with Jesus. We do this one-on-one with people we come in contact with. One of the best ways to reach those who do not yet know Christ is through our giving. Our generosity allows us to partner with other believers so that together we change the world for Jesus Christ.

  To become generous requires a work of God’s grace. Generosity is unnatural. God must change us from our natural selfish inclination so that we become generous and become more like Jesus. 2 Corinthians 8 tells of this inner transformation in a group of Christ-followers in Macedonia. These believers were very poor, yet despite their poverty, they’re one of the most beautiful models of generosity in Scripture.

  It is impossible to grow to spiritual maturity until we become generous. There’s a spiritual axiom that says Jesus can have our money and time and not have our heart, but Jesus cannot have our heart without our money and time. God wants us to excel in every area including the grace of giving. 

  Grace-giving is motivated by gratitude to God for the gift of His Son and for His work in us. In response to all that He has done we give ourselves fully to Jesus Christ. Then, in response, as an act of worship, we give generously to advance the cause of Christ. In the end being generous will bless us infinitely more than we ever dreamed. Jesus was right: It is much more blessed to give than to receive! Do you really believe that? Then, show it! 

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I'm so busy....

“We all have one life to live, but if we are too busy to notice the world revolving around us, then we are not living.”  Rexon Wilson

Sometimes I’m concerned about ticking people off with what I write, but not this time. The ones that might be ticked off with my words here will probably never get around to reading it – they’re just too busy.

  What is it about “busyness” and American culture? Unfortunately, I have to confess that I’m a fellow sufferer. Some how we find value in being busy but it’s a skewed yardstick of significance. If you ask the average person, “How are you?” if they don’t mumble the obligatory “fine,” they nearly always hone in on our cultural default, “busy” or “I’m just so busy.”

  Sadly, it’s not just adults. A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away, kids actually got together after school or on weekends just to – play. Not any more, if a kid drops by a neighbor kid’s home to see if they can come out to play or just “hang,” if they’re even home, it has to be scheduled. And it’s not for a day or even a morning or afternoon, it’s perhaps half an hour or hour to just play. (Not to mention that play is often a video game requiring little creativity or imagination). Then, between sports, music lessons and homework – add a whole other factor with a blended family and rotating weekends – children are nearly as exhausted as their chauffeurs, I mean parents. From the CEO to grade school students, everyone talks about their packed schedule. There’s just no room for anything else.

  Yet, perhaps we should delete the word “busy” and replace that whole concept with something a lot more honest. Instead of the word “busy,” what if we used the term “prioritizing my time.” We don’t somehow squeeze events or people into a frantic schedule, instead we must make a choice to consciously schedule time. On a larger scale, let’s stop complaining we’re too busy. Let’s tell the truth instead, which is: “I haven’t prioritized my time for that.” “Busy” is something that happens to us; prioritizing our time is something we make a conscious decision about.

  Rather than looking at your schedule and thinking “I’m too busy,” instead, look at your schedule and ask yourself, “How am I prioritizing my time?” For most of us, this one change will cause us to think differently about our schedule. We can then move forward and begin looking for better ways to control our schedule, instead of acting like we’re puppets on a string, even victims, and letting it control us.

  Horribly destructive time use habits start early, very early. It’s so much a part of our culture that we never consider that something might be wrong. How did we end up living like this? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we do this to our children? When did we forget that we’re human beings, not doings? Whatever happened to a world where kids get dirty, messy…even bored? Do we have to love our children so much that we over schedule them, making them stressed and busy — just like us? What happened to a world in which we can sit with the people we love and have slow conversations about the state of our heart and soul, conversations that slowly unfold, conversations with pregnant pauses and silences that we’re in no rush to fill? How did we create a world in which we have more and more to do with less time for leisure, less time for reflection, less time for community, less time to just be? As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Yet, how are we supposed to have time to even examine our lives when we’re already so inordinately busy?

  Everyone has the same amount of time – 24 hours a day. To break free from the prison of the overly busy, you must first have an escape plan. It’s not going to be easy. There will be peer pressure, criticism and even perhaps shaming. You must persevere and determine to be a little ruthless.

  Where do we start? We must determine to ruthlessly cut unnecessary stuff out of our lives. Before we can determine what’s necessary and unnecessary, we must have a biblical worldview because what’s valuable to an unbeliever and what’s valuable to a Christ-follower are very different.

  For example, to a non-believer, material things and position have great value. Yet, to have things and position demands more hours working to pay for those things and to maintain that position, not to mention the potential opportunity of moving up the ladder. But then you’re often so “busy,” you rarely have time to enjoy those things you’re working so many hours to pay for. The position that you thought that you needed often becomes a ball and chain, rather than a springboard to fulfillment.

  A believer realizes that things, position, etc. are merely tools. They’re to be managed for God’s glory and purpose, to be enjoyed as gifts from a loving Heavenly Father. To get though to that position is going to require being a bit ruthless. One of the most dangerous American myths is that “you can have it all.” You can’t. You must choose. To have the best, you must be ruthless and determined in your choice.

  How do we accomplish this? First, we must be very acquainted with God’s instruction Book, the Bible. You’ll never have the right values if you’re using the wrong playbook. Then, pray and ask God for wisdom in choosing and evaluating (James 1:5). After you have done that…

  Begin to set your priorities. This isn’t all that complicated: God, marriage, family, church family, vocation, community, personal space, etc. Those are basic for everyone. With those priorities in mind, what do you want to accomplish in your life? Where do you want to be in a month? Six months? A year? What do you need to do each day to get there? Put daily and weekly time blocks in your calendar. Begin with the non-negotiables, then fill in any time left with the non-essentials.

  Plan ahead. Life is a lot like building a house. You start with a set of plans. Then, you secure the materials and workers to begin the project. If you have no plan and are unprepared, that house is going to take a long, long time to build.   

  Change the way you describe your time. Instead of saying to yourself or others that “you’re just too busy,” instead say “I’ve chosen not to prioritize that” because that’s the truth. Whenever you don’t do something in your life, it’s because you’ve chosen not to prioritize that activity. But choosing to prioritize useless activity over active steps that coincide with your values and towards your life goals is a choice you’ll regret.

  So how’s your week looking? Have you allowed yourself to become so busy that you can’t see straight? Are the days ticking by without you reaching your goals? Or, are you consciously prioritizing your life so you can focus on the most important? “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12).