duty…
At times I feel like my attitude in ministry sucks. Truly! At times it seems like things like pride and blame can so easily seep in. If things are going well, we call it a success. Often measuring success in the strangest ways. We determine this at times by comparing our size to others size to see who’s is bigger. Like some kind of contest. Who has more speaking engagement? Who is drawing the largest crowd? Who gets paid what? And we love getting encouragement as often as we can. And when things are going well, we feel like we are on top of the world. It can so quickly go to our heads.
Then there is the flip side to it all. If things aren’t going well and we’re frustrated we tend to blame others for not doing a better job.
We say things like…
“If (blank) would follow through we wouldn’t even be talking about this”
“If (blank) would just did his job – then I could do mine.”
“If we just had (blank / usually more staff or money) then we could run twice the size we are now.”
Jesus said this, which has been helpful for me when wrestling with either side of the spectrum. “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ” Luke 17:10
Maybe the problem is making sure you have the right people in place.
Maybe it’s simply not being lazy and doing the job you were called to do.
Maybe it’s being honest and telling you don’t have a clue & asking for help.
What if the goal was no longer receiving praise?
What is we no longer complained and simply did our job?
What if it became the way we lived?
What if our response simple became “I’m simply doing my duty.”
shoes…
I recall my grandpa telling stories about working a couple jobs while trying to go to school and start a church in Tuscan. One of those jobs being that of a shoe salesman. I remember laughing at stories of ladies who had rather large feet but would try squeezing into a smaller pair of shoes. Here is one story he retells when working for a shoe store…
The owners of the store (he had 2 or 3 others in other cities plus a shoe company back in Missouri, St. Louis I believe. He and his wife were there every day with their thermos and lunch box working just like common laborers and driving an old model car. Also, I learned (by chance) that their store safe was a shoe box, one among the hundreds or thousands on the back room shelves, when I happened to pull it off the shelf looking for a certain pair of shoes. Of course, I gave the box to him and he grumbled a bit about my having found it.
Anyway, one night a lady came in supposedly to buy shoes. [Remember, my only income was something like 10% of the value of the shoes I sold with no base per hr. wage.] I showed her one pair after another and nothing seemed to suite her fancy. And I don’t remember ever becoming (or at least showing) any exasperation at her taking so much of my time. Finally we ended showing her the 17th. pair and she stood up to go without buying anything. It was then she said something like this to me: “I really didn’t come to buy shoes anyway. My husband and I got into a fight so I left and had to find something to do before going back home again.” I think that is my best “no sale” salesman story.
Many women typically came in and when asked their shoe size usually gave it as a size or two small that it actually was. So, a sensible salesman would go to the storage room with one box opened for her to see and another under his arm the next size larger. This technique saved both time and steps. It got to the place where I and others could look at a lady’s feet and guess her size very close. Even now, 50+ years later, I can still guess a good many women’s shoe sizes. The interesting thing is that most ladies would often buy a shoes that were still too small even if it didn’t truly fit.
Often when choosing a pair of running shoes, I tend to choose by feel more so than by the color, fad or special features it may offer. The truth is that an old pair of gray New Balance shoes were probably the best shoes I’ve had when it comes to running. However, when it was time to buy shoes this time I opted for something else. I had to buy a pair of Nike+ shoes with the chip and sports band. Not because they are better shoes or more comfortable but simply because there was a newer gadget I wanted to use.
I’ve noticed we often do the same thing with so many other things in life? We have something that works just fine, but often we have to use the latest and greatest. Why? Because, well, it’s the latest and greatest.
It’s amazing to me how often we try fitting into a place we weren’t designed to be. We try squeezing in hoping that maybe somehow we can fit into that crystal slipper that wasn’t made for us. But it wasn’t. Actually, it’s not even close to what He had in mind for us. He had something else just for you to be who He made you to be. We have a choice to try to fit in or be in a zone where we fit and we can be who we’re intended to be.
worry…
Can I be totally transparent with all of you for a minute? I tend to worry often.
I know I shouldn’t. So why do I worry as much as I do?
I worry about my kids, being a better husband, work, loosing weight, finances and at times I’m terrified asking the question “what if”?
What if I was misunderstood?
What if no one shows us?
What if I missed an opportunity?
What if it just totally bombs?
What if…
Seriously at times it feel like some kind of disease. Like no matter how great something may be,
I question if it would have been better if I‘d invested more time or energy into it. I began to wonder if I was alone in this until I asked others if they ever struggled with this. I was surprised to find out what I was not along. Not only was I not alone but found out that most people, mind you also followers of Christ, wrestle with this ever day. In fact I decided to ask close friend and co-workers what they worry about the most. An overwhelming majority said money/ finances and work seem to be in the top 2 for almost everyone I asked.
I get that jobs can be stressful and at times doing our job well, we can feel overwhelmed by it all. However, I was surprised to find out how many (including myself) worry about money. Its not like we don’t have any money, it that we worry about paying our bills and not going farther in debt to keep up with those around us.
The reality is that we here in America are very blessed. Much of our world lives on $1 a day why is it that we who make much more than that a hour worry about money so much. The reality is that if you make more than $25,000 a year you are in the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world. Don’t believe me, go to – http://www.globalrichlist.com/ and check it out for yourself.
I was recently reminded of these verses in Proverbs 30:7-9. “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. David asks for 2 things from God, to keep him from lies and to only have what he needs to live one more day.
Seriously? Who would really pray this prayer? To only have what we need to live one more day. What about our savings, stock options, 401k and any other IRA we have set up? We need to have enough to retire comfortable on right? We go after a better job that pays more. We constantly looking a for a way to make a few extra bucks. Because only then we will have enough money. Then the day will come when we will no longer worry, right?
What if this prayer became what we were about? What if instead of trying to do more, looking for any way to make a few extra bucks, we began to trust Him more to provide for all we need? Would it cause us to worry more?
JP's Weblog 
