A Day Is Like 1000 Years? Not Exactly

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 40-41; 2 Peter 3

So with the Lord a thousands years can be like a day and a day like a thousand years huh? That makes me think…

So you know the whole bit about God being omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent? It makes sense to me in this context, at least the omniscient and omnipresent part.

So imagine if you were in all places at the same time with the ability to take in all of the information that you experienced.

Playing Your Cards

“‘We would have healed Babylon,
   but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to our own land,
   for her judgment reaches to the skies,
   it rises as high as the heavens.’ – Jeremiah 51

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 51-52; Hebrews 9

Life is a lot like the game of poker at times. The best we can do is play the cards we are dealt.

We have different things that come into our lives. Sometimes these cards are good and worthy of holding on to and betting on. Other times they are ok. They have potential, and depending on the situation they may be worth holding on to, to see how they pan out. But other times what we get is garbage. The earlier we decide to fold those hands the better off we are in the long run.

Of course we cannot fold our cards in all of the situations in our lives. We cannot give back or family or our genetics. No matter what we think about where we come from, it is in fact where we come from.

But there is so much about life that we can choose to walk away from, to let die, rather than putting energy into it hoping that it will spring to life and bear fruit.

This is why we prune things. In order to grow most efficiently we must cut away that which is holding back life. We have to rid ourselves of people, places and situations that are taking more from us than they are giving.

This theme has come up time and time again in our reading and I don’t think it is an accident. I think the repetition is a necessary reminder because it is often hard to cut away those things that once gave us life.

Have you noticed that there are some things in your life that need to be cut away? 

An Afternoon with my Stepdad

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Titus 2:2

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 24-26; Titus 2

Have you ever tried to teach someone older than you something important or correct them when they are wrong? Let me tell you something… that is NOT easy work.

Case in point my stepdad.

Scriptural Gynmastics

Life

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. – 2 Tim 4:3

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 20-21; 2 Timothy 4

Have you ever read the Bible and found some random scripture that seems like a get out of jail free card?

Searching for Straight Answers

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. – 2 Timothy 2:3-7

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 15-17; 2 Timothy 2

Have you ever sought out advice on something and received an answer that didn’t seem like an answer? Maybe the person answered your question with another question. Maybe they answered your question with a riddle or metaphor like Paul did above.

This may seem frustrating. You may have felt this frustration when you read Jesus parables for the first time. Why not just give me the instructions simple and plain instead of making me figure it out?

I know I have been in that place many times but there is a reason for the riddle. Truth cannot be reached through words alone. The best we can do is try to get as close as we can to the universal by tucking it away in a story that everyone can relate to.

Rarely is there ever a thing that we should do 100% of the time in every single situation. Sure, life by be simple but it is never without its nuance. It is up to each and every one of us to examine our lives and ourselves to determine the right course of action.

Only you, with the help of God, can chart out your path.

It seem easier to just follow the direction of someone that you admire but if you did so then you really wouldn’t be walking your path. You’d be walking the path that they have determined for you. 

I Just Put My Foot in my Mouth...

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,
   no one who does what is right and never sins.

Do not pay attention to every word people say,
   or you may hear your servant cursing you—
for you know in your heart
   that many times you yourself have cursed others. Ecclesiastes 7:20-22

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 7-9: 2 Corinthians 13

Damn,

So you know those times where you do something that you say you try not to do without really being conscious of it and it comes back to kick you in the face?

Welcome to my day today.

So I got an email from a friend the other day saying that she is looking for roommates for this new place that she will be moving into pretty soon. When I first read the email it made me think of another friend who is looking for a place. As I ran down the list of amenities I was like oh this looks good. It’s in a cool area, the house looks nice from the pictures and it’s even pet friendly!

Check, Check, Check.

Looks like it might be a good fit.

So I forwarded the email to the friend who is looking for a new place. The email went like this:

“Not sure if you're really trying to have roommates but a Christian homegirl of mine is looking for some. I'll give you the low down on her if you are interested. We went to high school and Jr. High together... cool and sweet though on the judgmental Christian side... I don't know her super well. Let me know if you want to talk more.”

Not my finest hour…

It was alright until we got to the “judgmental Christian side” part. All bad… So here I am in an email judging someone I’ve known for years by saying that she’s judgmental!

That’s some irony for you… (a note to my literary friends… I don’t feel like looking up the definition of irony… if I am wrong feel free to educate me in the comments section below. Either way you get my point. Thanks.)

So the judged friend of mine called me and asked me about it. I’m actually really happy that she did because I know a whole lot of other people who would have just let it fester or just written me off as some kind of self-righteous hypocrite. But by calling me on it she gave me a chance to apologize.

I was so surprised by the call that I started off like “hummina hummina remember that one time when you had said x y and z well actually I don’t remember the exact time but you know what I mean blah blah blah.”

Such a dummy I was. How am I gonna try to blame her for my screw up?

Graciously she let me make a fool of myself until I just stopped and said you know what… I’m sorry. I judged you in saying that you were judgmental and that was wrong.

She thanked me for my apology and allowed me to clarify what I meant. We talked a bit more about it before ending the call decently well considering the circumstances.

I did learn a few things today. First of all, I’ve got more in common with the super judgmental folk than I think. This was a serious self check moment. I gotta work on that. Second, God has a funny way of teaching me things. I mean seriously… judging someone by calling them judgmental and getting confronted about it? That’s pretty ridiculous. Third… if you’re gonna be judgmental then don’t do it over email!!! (ok this isn’t really a good spiritual lesson but seriously… how moronic was I?)

As always… I’ve got a ways to go. For every one step back I gotta take two steps forward.

Smh… (shaking my head)

To my judged friend: If you are reading this then I hope that you will accept my apology and forgive me. Hopefully we can get past this and be cool in the future. I’m sorry!

The Meaning of Life: Part 2 Don't Get Caught by the Hustle

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Fools fold their hands
   and ruin themselves.
Better one handful with tranquility
   than two handfuls with toil
   and chasing after the wind. Eccl 4:4-6

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12

If you look at media and popular culture there is at least one message that rings abundantly clear.

More is better!

Advertising has taught us that we won’t be happy unless we have more. We always need the next gadget, the big house, the fancy car. There is nothing wrong with nice things. As a matter of fact I happen to like nice things. I like them a lot. But having nice things isn’t the problem. The problem is when we assign personal value to obtaining these things.

Often times it is competitive. We look around at others and see their perceived wealth and think, man… why can’t I have that? And from these salty seeds the weeds of greed sprout, only to be watered all the more by the society that we live in. If only we can be richer than the Joneses then we will be BETTER than them too.

No one comes out and actually says this, but for most of us it is a latent motivation, deep within the parts of ourselves that we least like to face.

Ok don’t believe me? I’ll give you a perfect example. Marriage.

Oh no, I’m not talking about the obvious things like men wanting the most beautiful woman or women wanting the most successful man… I’m talking about the process of getting married.

That’s right… the engagement ring and the wedding.

The engagement is the proving ground of the man. De Beers and the rest of them folks have convinced us over the past several decades that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. They have convinced us that one must purchase a diamond ring as a display of their affection for their soon to be wife. Before it was always the ring that was the symbol right? The ring is the unending circle that signifies a commitment that will never be broken. But nowadays it is the diamond too. The bigger and clearer, the more he loves her. And everyone’s watching. The first mention of a woman being engaged is followed immediately by the question “oh so let’s see the ring…”

And if that ring ain’t up to “par” then it’s all bad. Too much pressure for a situation that should be so beautiful…

Then if you make it past the engagement hurdle, the wedding comes. Who are you going to invite? Where will it be? What dress will she wear? What food will the guests eat? We can’t sit uncle Rufus next to Aunt Maybell. We said we’d only invite 100 people but what about my second cousins on my momma’s side? They’ll be furious if they aren’t invited. Couples take out loans the size of down payments on would be homes so that they can please all of these other people and prove to them the largesse of their love.

And the coldest part of this hustle is that the whole purpose of this expression of love and commitment has vanished into an elaborate and expensive show and tell. There are countless couples who delay engagement because of their expectations for the kind of ring they should buy or how much the wedding will cost. Others assume crippling debt to keep up with the weddings that their friends and family had while still others, who try to do it within their means, get judged for the fiscal modesty of their displays of affection.

All of this for two special events that are supposed to be about love: the day a couple privately agree to commit themselves to each other for life, and the day that they share that commitment with their family and friends.

My point isn’t to expose the obvious hustle behind this whole industry. We all know what’s going on here. And my point is not to trash beautiful rings and weddings. I think it is wonderful when two people can share their love with each other and their loved ones in beautifully creative ways.

But at the end of the day it’s easy to lose focus. The focus should be on enjoying that present moment. It should be about planning every single day to share the best, most loving life together.

Don’t worry about what the next person is doing, or wearing, or driving. Just focus on the life that you live, the choices that you can make, and the joy that you can experience each and every day. Find work that fulfills your purpose, work that you enjoy, work that puts food in your family’s belly.

Everything else is nice and great but it’s not necessary. If you want it then by all means go for it!!! Enjoy the wonderful treasures that life has out there for us.

But do it for you. Do it because it is what YOU want, not because someone else is watching you or telling you how you should live your life.

Your life is yours. Seize the day! The present moment is all we are guaranteed. Never lose sight of that, and your days will be filled with joy. 

I Pity the Fool

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
   honor is not fitting for a fool. 

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
   and a rod for the backs of fools!
6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool
   is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame
   is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
9 Like a thorn bush in a drunkard’s hand
   is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
10 Like an archer who wounds at random
   is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
   so fools repeat their folly.
12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
   There is more hope for a fool than for them. – Various verses on fools From Proverbs 26

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9

So I was reading Proverbs 26 and I couldn’t help but laugh. I mean seriously… Solomon or whoever wrote this joint goes HARD on fools.

But you know what, it’s necessary. I know this because I have been the fool that he is describing. Fools are people who don’t heed advice. They think that they know everything so they tend to repeat the same mistakes.

Oh come on now, don’t act like I’m the only fool in this conversation. Y’all know that you have been foolish at times. Ok fine, since you may not want to admit it for your own life I’ll give you an example of a time when I was comically foolish. In typical male fashion it involved not following directions.

What made me think about this is that I finally got a desk for my room. Hooray for me! It’s only two years too late. Actually it’s quite amazing that I’ve made it through 300 of these things by writing on my laptop from random tables, sitting on the floor, or laying in my bed. But I digress.

So, today as I was putting together my table I made extra sure to follow the instructions. Sure all I had to do was screw the legs onto the table top but shoot… you never know. Sometimes the easiest tasks make you look the stupidest when you screw them up.

This happened to me a few years ago. I bought a bookshelf from IKEA to provide a humble abode for the only true treasures that I have.

My books… oh how I do love thee…

So the bookshelf was just as easy to put together as any other IKEA product. The process was just a bit longer as it had several parts that needed to be hammered and screwed together. No biggie. I’ve been putting stuff together for as long as I could remember. Even as a kid my Dad always had me help with such projects.

Simple.

Well I got to the end where I had to attach the top board. At this point I was on auto pilot. I knew where it was supposed to go, how it fit and it was a matter of just nailing in the screws. But I made a mistake… I nailed it in backwards!!!

Sure it still works but the mistake is obvious. I am not lost on the irony that the bookshelf that houses evidence of my intellectual prowess is foolishly flawed in its construction.

See difference in smooth side and rough top finish for my foolishness

We have many things that serve as instruction manuals for our lives. They take the form of loved ones who give sound advice, mentors who have been on the path we want to take, and other folks who have made mistakes that we want to avoid.

We become fools though when we start feeling ourselves a bit too much. We think we know it all and therefore stop seeking the guidance that helped us get to where we are. This is a common reason for why we experience setbacks on the paths of our purpose.

So try to remember not to get too full of yourself. Listen to those folks who have come before you. Do your due diligence. Read and research before you act. Sure you may know some things, but you definitely don’t know it all.

At least I know that I don’t.

Success!

God's Feminine Side

Blessed are those who find wisdom,
   those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
   and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
   nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
   in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
   and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
   those who hold her fast will be blessed.

By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations,
   by understanding he set the heavens in place; 

by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
   and the clouds let drop the dew. Proverbs 3:13-20

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. – John: 1:1-4

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 3-5; 2 Corinthians 1

For a long time there was something that bothered me. Where was the femininity in God?

I was raised with the idea that there was God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; The Holy Trinity. How these three things come together can be confusing (and probably is so for most Christians… keep it real) but what I never understood was why the feminine side wasn’t represented.

Of course I too am schooled in the understanding of how male dominated societies have for years written their histories from the male perspective to the subjugation of women; but I always felt that there was a hidden truth here. I always felt that there was something tucked away in the passages that would reveal this truth.

Wisdom is God’s feminine side.

When I read the passages above from Proverbs 3 it became all the more clear. Wisdom is always referred to as “She”. She was there when heaven and earth were created. By her all that we know was created. When I think of this idea in light of the fact that every child was brought into the world by a woman… it really made perfect sense. Of course all of creation comes from God’s feminine side. How can it not? 

But then what is the role of man? Instantly I thought of the passage above from John 1. John is talking about Jesus of course but this idea of the Word being God and with God is fascinating. And then the Word manifests as a son which is male.

In the creation story it is said that God spoke the world into existence. “Let there be light” and it was. But it was through wisdom that God spoke these creative words. This marriage of masculine and feminine, Word and Wisdom is the seed of all creation. When we apply our wisdom to life and speak out into the world the things that we want to happen then we are planting our very own seeds of creation.

The important part of this is that both sides must be there. We must fully embrace the masculine and feminine within each of us. We must seek wisdom and boldly proclaim the desires of our hearts. And we must use our thoughts and actions together to fertilize and water that seed until it grows and blossoms into what we dreamed it would be.

This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. It is the fountain of God’s wisdom. We can search inside ourselves and find that little piece of God that we all share. And through this connection we can make the impossible possible.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit… the masculine and feminine all wrapped into one.

God can be father or mother because God can be anything that we need God to be. But regardless of how you see God… never forget to embrace both sides of God, and therefore both sides of you.

Find the balance that works best for you.       

Proverbs

Photo by Tim Graveson

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

for gaining wisdom and instruction;
   for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
   doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple,
   knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning,
   and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables,
   the sayings and riddles of the wise.

 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
   but fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1: 1-7

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 1-2; 1 Corinthians 16

I love Proverbs.

It is definitely one of my favorite books in the Bible. Years ago when I was doing a lot of reading on human interaction I read through some of the classic texts on the subject. I read The Prince, The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings, 48 Laws of Power, the sayings of Confucius and many many more.

I found them all wildly intriguing. It was like I was putting myself through a Ph.D in what I though was how the world works. But then when I came back to the Bible again I became reacquainted with Proverbs.

Those other books don’t begin to approach the truth that lies within Proverbs.

I remember at this time getting into one of those deserted island conversations. The question was if you could bring only one book with you to a deserted island, which would you choose? I said that I would bring only the book of Proverbs. Sure I could bring an entire Bible, that might make more sense; but this is how important I think this book is. I believe that one could read a chapter a day (there are 31 chapters) and learn something new every single day for the rest of their life.

So if you have any questions about how you should live your life I’m willing to bet that you can find it in the 31 chapters of Proverbs. If you cannot find what you are looking for then I humbly submit that you may not be ready to find it.

Truth is too heavy for us to pick up sometimes, even if it is sitting right in front of us. 

A Convo With Dad

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

Today’s Reading: Psalms 123-125; 1 Corinthians 10:1-18

I had an interesting conversation with my Dad today. We hadn’t talked in a while but that was really my bad. I tend to get tunnel vision sometimes; and when I get super focused, I forget to reach out to those around me. The last few months of fasting and meditation have been like that for me and I forgot that I had been out of touch for so long.

It was nice to catch up.

We talked for about an hour about some problems I have been facing and some things that have been on my mind. It was in this conversation that I remembered the value of family, but especially those family members that have come before me. As we discussed things he came with personal anecdotes from his life. Many of the things that I have been experiencing are things that he went through. He shared with me the mistakes that he made and the wisdom that he gained from them in the hopes that I could learn from him rather than learning the hard way.

I don’t know if you are like me but sometimes we have to remember to be open and transparent with our loved ones that we can trust. Our parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles and mentors, cannot fulfill their roles as leaders for us if we do not share our struggles and triumphs. Sure it may be humbling at times but that’s the thing… it is much better to be humbled in the presence of love than to be humbled by the cruel, cold world out there.

So remember this the next time you need advice on something or even just a listening ear. We all have at least one person around us who has been there before. They have made some of the same mistakes we have made. They have learned some of the lessons that we have yet to learn. Reach out to them and receive the blessings that they have to offer. 

Let's Talk About Sex

embrace by Egon Schiele

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh. "But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. – 1 Corinthians 6:12-17

Today’s Reading: Psalms 113-115; 1 Corinthians 6

Ok I’m gonna come right out and say it…

I don’t think sex outside marriage is a "sin".

I know that 99% of my Christian brothers and sisters will disagree with me here and to be honest I’m ok with that. Maybe I will receive a new understanding in the future and change sides on this one. I have two issues with it. 

First, what is “sexual immorality” anyway? I haven’t seen it explicitly defined as sex outside of marriage. In the last chapter it was used when discussing a man sleeping with his father’s wife. Now THAT is pretty darn immoral. I get that. But someone please help me with a scripture explicitly saying that sexual immorality (fornication) is sex outside of marriage. I will also accept an argument that seems to break that down by saying what can and cannot be done. Provide scriptures please.

Secondly, every time I have heard a sermon on the topic they reference these verses…

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

Okaaaaaaaaaaaay… I can dig that. 

But they never include these verses…

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. – 1 Corinthians 6:12

It’s from the same section of the same chapter! Context matters.

I have spent years thinking about this for obvious reasons. It’s not like I’m a virgin or anything. And call me a sinner if you want but good gracious, sex being a sin has never made sense to me.

But then I read the next few verses and I see the point that Paul is making here:

Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." – 1 Corinthians 6:16

The point here is that there is something more going on with sex than the physical. When we have sex with someone we are connecting on a deeper level than we realize. That person becomes a part of us and we become a part of them. You know each other in a way that cannot be articulated.

I don’t know if you have experienced this but let me test it out for you. Do you remember the last time you saw someone that you had sex with in the past but have not seen in a while? There is a familiarity there that is more intimate than what you feel when you see a long lost friend. In a deeper sense you know each other.

There is a soul tie.

You’ve shared a bond, whether it was for several years or just one night. The duration of the relationship may affect the intensity but it doesn’t change the fact that a connection is there. During sex we are at our most vulnerable. We open ourselves up to the other person in a way that doesn’t happen in any other kind of human interaction.

This is why Paul’s general point makes sense to me. Whether or not it is permissible is not really the point. The question is whether or not it is beneficial. If we have a lasting connection with everyone that we have ever had sex with, then how does this affect our future relationships? Are we bringing this baggage into our marriages?

Paul would say yes. And I’d have to agree… reluctantly.

I think this is something compelling to think about. Of course I believe in Grace and that these connections can be overcome but geez… we can’t front on these things being complicated. So I guess the fewer the connections the better.

And this gets us back to the original point… sex outside of marriage.

I do believe that not having sex outside of marriage is ideal in a profound way. But I also think it is permissible. However, like with everything we do, there are costs and benefits.

The question is, is it worth it?

That is not for me to tell you. But I think the argument for no sex before marriage very compelling. I’m not gonna sit here and promise you that I won’t do it. I’m no fool. But I do think it is an interesting discussion to have.

What do you think? Agreements, disagreements and comments are welcome as always. 




UPDATE:


This is what Jesus had to say about divorce... this is the best I've found on sex outside of marriage being no bueno.. but it refers to the bond of marriage... What about the time between leaving your folks and getting married? If you believe that divorce is not a sin, outside of it being caused by adultery, then how is premarital sex sin? Perhaps the change in our society of folks getting married later and living outside the home before marriage changes the game? Then again maybe not. Interesting stuff tho. 


Mark 10: 1-12

Don't Shoot the Deputy

Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time. - 2 Chronicles 16: 10

Today’s Reading: 2 Chronicles 15-16; John 12:27-50

Good gracious! Ok… here’s a quick recap.

Asa, king of Judah, was in a predicament. Baasha, king of Israel, was preparing to attach Judah and Asa didn’t think he could do anything to stop him. So instead of going to God for help he went to Syria, paid them tribute, and asked their help. After this occurred a seer (a person in that time who God used to speak to folks) named Hanani told Asa that God said Judah would have many wars all because Asa trusted Syria rather than trusting God in his time of trouble.

I swear… it seems like some of these cats in the Bible and seem to win for losing! But that’s for another post…

The thing that jumped out at me was the end of the passage. Asa didn’t like what Hanani had to say so he locked him up.

That’s not a good look mayne…

Have you ever had someone in your life that you respect and care about tell you exactly what you did NOT want to hear? How did you handle it? Did you give them attitude? Did you ignore or marginalize them? Did you assume that they were hating on whatever it was that you were trying to do?

I have one small suggestion… stop and think before you shoot the messenger.

Sure there are times where folks are just trying to rain on our parade. But other times they have our best interest at heart and are trying to save us the trouble of learning the hard way.

How do we know the difference?

That’s a tough call, but the way I see it is this. Generally if what the person is saying is in line with my values and is constructive and life affirming… I will take it into consideration.

We have to remember that although God may speak to us in miracles and visions and dreams; often times God uses the people around us to get his message across.

And that message ain’t always so sweet.

So, before we shoot the messenger, we should check to see who sent them. Their message might save your life.

Truthaholics Anonymous

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"

Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. – John 9:39-41

Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 28-29; John 9:24-41

I was once like the Pharisees.

I thought that I could see everything, understand all the mysteries of the universe, solve any problem. I was addicted to pursuing truth. I was a truthaholic.

It’s amazing to look back and see how arrogant I was.

I know I have said this in the past but there really is so much we can learn when we accept that we know nothing at all.

Have you ever had to make a brochure, presentation, or document that would be seen by many important people? I’m sure that after your initial design effort you reviewed it over and over again to check for any stupid spelling errors or mistakes.

But what happened when you showed it to someone else?

They were probably able to quickly identify an area of improvement… something that you could not see.

Many times we look at life through stale eyes. Our eyes are made stale by our experiences, hopes, dreams, disappointments and accomplishments. The more we live and rely on what we think we know the more our vision is skewed by the prism of our experience.

We become blinded by subjectivity.

When you think about it, this is where judgment comes from. We look at others through the lens of our own experience and apply our rules and regulations to their conduct.

But this lens has a blind spot. Just like how you couldn’t see the glaring error in the project you were working on, we have a hard time seeing the glaring flaws in the lives we are living.

As Jesus suggested, we point out the splinters in another person’s eye but cannot see the planks in our own.

This is how I understand the passage above. We have a tendency to fall into the trap of worshiping our own minds by thinking that our own perspective is truth.

I believe that truth, like God, is a concept too great to comprehend. I used to seek it out but not any more.

That’s above my pay grade.

My name is Clarence Mitchell and am a truthaholic. Finally, I see that I know nothing.

Twitter Rant: 06-06-10

06-06-10 11:51 pm

I am starting to realize some things.

We tend to look at life through the prism of our own understanding, this is problematic.

Our individual perspectives are mere dots on the surface of single grains of sand on the vast shores of wisdom.

we assume that we know all and in this assumption we become blind to the truth.

it is only when we realize that we know nothing that our vision clears enough to reveal the truth.

and that truth is so impossibly grand that we can't help but to be humble before it.

An Open Letter to Solomon

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 12-13; Luke 22: 1-20

What up Solomon?

Things started off really good for you didn’t they? Your father gave you a united Israel and safety and security from your neighbors. You built a temple for God and a palace for yourself.

God asked you what you wanted and you told him that you wanted wisdom. He was so impressed that He not only gave you wisdom, but also more riches than anyone could imagine.

You and Israel were eatin’ real good.

Just reading through the chapters of how plush your situation was made a hater out of me for a quick second.

But then came the fall…

Ok… we’re not gonna blame the women here man. Why did you have a thousand wives and concubines? Did you really need that many? And why did they have to be from all over the region? I bet it sure was hard to find a super bad woman in your time.

You had all of them!

But with all of these women came their culture, beliefs, and baggage. Unfortunate… but such is the game right?

WRONG.

You knew that according to the law you weren’t supposed to marry outside of Israel. After all you were the wisest man ever on earth!

But you did it anyway. Why?

Because you could…

I guess wisdom doesn’t imply discipline. We may know all of the right things to do but it takes discipline and focus to follow through on the decision to do right.

And what happened? The closer you got the foreign women in your old age the further you drifted from God. You even created altars to their gods in Israel!

Not a good look sir.

But I’m glad that I am privy to your story. Between you and the rich young ruler I have learned a lot this past week.

If I lose sight of what is most important, then everything else can fall apart. Life isn’t about women, or money, or things. Life is about being close to God, living your purpose, and giving as much as you can to as many as you can.

Lesson learned… I hope.

PASA Lessons: Lead with Love

Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. 1 Kings 3: 11-13

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 3-5; Luke 20: 1-26

Ok…

So, Solomon is doper than I. I can deal with that.

I’ve been talking all this time about pursuing dreams and what not. But, when Solomon is asked by God what he wishes to have he says wisdom.

I’m a know–it-all and even I wouldn’t have said that. It makes me think of how much love it takes to be a great leader.

Yes you read that right… love.

Have you ever been a leader of an organization? I have. And let me tell you. It’s a pretty thankless job.

During my sophomore year at Pomona College I was president of our Pan-African Student Association (PASA). I’m not even sure how that happened. I think it might have been one of those moments when they asked for volunteers and everyone took a step back while I was picking my nose or something.

All I know is that I was nominated, the nomination was seconded, and within about ten minutes I had the title.

I was cool with it though because I was really excited about the organization and really wanted to help out. During my freshman year my friends Kieran, Aaron, Yohance, Kofi, and Christina were really involved with the group. We were happy to do our part to help.

But man… I learned a whole lot that year.

One of the things I learned was that being a good leader means that it ain’t about you.

There were so many things that I wanted to be done a certain way but often times it turned out not to be the best way. It was frustrating to not get my way at times, and even more frustrating to realize that my way wasn’t the best way.

I had a ways to go on the path toward humility back then. Still do.

This is why I’m so impressed by Solomon. This dude had the opportunity to ask God for ANYTHING. And what does he ask for? He asks for the thing that he thinks will best help him serve the people he is leading.

He asks for wisdom.

It is this attitude of humility and sacrificial love that separates politicians from leaders, hustlers from servants.

Are you in it for you or for others? That is the question.

Solomon was in it for his people that he loved and as a result God gave him way more than he could have ever dreamed.

I hope that the next time I am in the position to lead I will have grown to be more like Solomon.

We live and learn right?