Constructive Or Destructive

I got angry this morning.  I know those of you who know me are extremely surprised but guess what I got angry yesterday as well.  Most likely you got angry within the last two days.  Sometimes our anger is justified and sometimes it is silly and stupid.  I think for me yesterday it was justified when a rock hit my windshield and cracked it because it can’t be repaired.  So there was anger that I would have to spend more money to take care of a vehicle.  Today it was because the Mercedes parked right in front of Starbucks and the lady that parked there couldn’t walk ten more feet and park in a spot.  That anger or frustration or pet-peeve was not constructive.

There are times when our anger is justified and sometimes needed but we have to be careful that we don’t take our anger too far.  I get angry when I see natural disasters take out a population because they don’t deserve that and most of the time I can’t do anything about it.  I get angry when I see social justice issues.  I get angry when I see people being hurt or taken advantage of and they can’t stand up for themselves.  I believe those are constructive angers because hopefully it will compel me to do something.  It evokes a passion in me to do something.  Our anger can be destructive when we use it to hurt others or to tear down.  When our anger gets out of control or when it is over things that are silly that don’t really make a difference.

So the question for you today: Is your anger constructive or destructive.  Does your anger improve the situation or make it worse?

Rivalries Shouting Out Profanity

I sometimes wonder when I’m driving and I see a Verizon employee drive past a Comcast employee do they each have this bitter rivalry that they can’t even smile at each other.  Do they wish harm on the other person?  Is there such a competition about who’s company and in essence who is the best that they can’t stand in the same elevator together?  Do they shout out profanity and insults about each other’s family and friends?  What about some of these rivalries?

• BMW vs. Mercedes drivers?
• Eagles vs. Cowboys fans?  Although I am pretty sure Eagles fans say a lot about a lot of things and people.  May need to roll up the window for that one if the kids are in the backseat.
• Nike vs. Adidas?
• North Carolina vs. Duke?
• Coke vs. Pepsi?
• PC vs. Apple?

Do these companies wish for their competitor to be successful?  Do they hope that they will grow as individuals or as a company?  Do they want the very best for them?  It’s not whether you win or lose it’s how you play the game, yeah right, we all know that is why you keep score.  It’s to win, right?  See you can say all the right things publicly but do you really mean it?  Sometimes companies thrive under that winner take all, domination of the underdog mentality.  What about the church?

Is your church generally happy for the church down the street that has higher attendance?  The church that offers more programs or has better ministries?  The church who serves the community more or has a greater impact globally through missions?  The church who gets the media coverage or plants more churches?  How you respond to that will directly reflect your attitude about God and His Kingdom.

• The church who cares more about the Kingdom than their own personal influence, I believe, will in the long run be the healthier church.
• The church who cheers on the church down the street as they experience life change instead of complaining about how or what they are doing, I believe, in the long run will be the healthier church.
• Too many churches bicker and fight over who they have and who they share instead of realizing there are thousands of people who need Jesus.
• I believe God blesses those who are Kingdom minded.
• I believe God cheers on the church who is more concerned about people connecting to Him than people connecting to the institution.
• I believe God celebrates when He sees communities working together to achieve something only explained by God.
• I believe that people will respond more to (a) church(es) who work together to reach communities than fight against each other to reach an individual.

I am as competitive as the next person.  I want the biggest church.  I want the best programs.  I want the media coverage.  I want see the life change.  I want to have that influence to help people meet Jesus.  I want, I want, I want. I want God to take individuals and use them to do something that is so insane that it can only be explained by God.  I want God to transform homes.  I want God to transform communities.  I want to see generations affected by His Gospel.  I want to be used by God.

It won’t ever happen if it becomes about me, my agenda, my personality, my vision or my effort.  It is a collaborative effort of individuals and churches working together to honor God and to share His name.  If everybody worked together to make God’s name famous than I believe He will build our circle of influence, our churches and our impact.  It’s about serving others with no strings attached.  It’s not about what you will get out of it but what can you give.

What’s your thoughts?

Mercedes & Bruce

What would you be willing to give up?  I mean if you clearly felt God say to you that it is time to give it up to move along, what would you be willing to give up?  How about give up your E-Class Mercedes for a conversion van named “Bruce”?  Sounds crazy right?  It did to me as well as I had a chance to drive that Mercedes this weekend.  People treat you different in a Mercedes.  People give you more respect and to be honest you feel differently driving it and getting out of it.

I have watched some friends of mine get messed up by God in a really good way over the last couple years.  They keep listening to God no matter how crazy it sounds and He keeps blessing them and increasing their influence.  I have watched them have little faith to incredible faith.  I have watched them go from materialistic to some of the most generous people I have ever met.  How did this happen?  They believe in this passionate crazy idea that God loves them and has a plan for their life and that everything they have is His. Let me type that again.  They believe in this passionate crazy idea that God loves them and has a plan for their life and that everything they have is His. That’s it.  No secret formula.  No recipe for success.  They simply are living to the best of their ability how Christ lived.  Serving everybody they can because at the end of the day its not about building the church but about building the kingdom.  It’s about seeing God take those who have and bless those who have not.  It’s about watching God do something extraordinary through the ordinary.  Its about being willing.

I pray for my friends as they continue to change their lifestyle from being about them to being about others and most importantly Him.  I pray for them as they turn in their Mercedes today to drive a van called “Bruce” so they can help those who do not have get to church and hear about Jesus and become those who truly have.  You can check out their ministry here to see how you can get involved in radical sacrifice.

The Poor

I’m still reading this book called Servolution by Dino Rizzo and I came across this quote today that just rocked me.

“Our understanding of the ‘the poor’ has to include any person in any kind of bondage or under any kind of oppression who needs the freedom of Christ shown to them.”

He says that is exactly what Jesus was talking about in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” I live in a very affluent area of the country and I have never thought of poor people like that.  For me that means that the very person who I followed this morning in their Mercedes may actually be poor.  I know that I don’t see them that way, but that is because I don’t see them like Jesus does.  We all must change the way we answer the definition of what is poor.

God today help me to see people like you see people.  Give me the heart and compassion that you have to meet their needs and to share your love with them.  God help me to have the attitude of thankfulness and not of jealousy.  God use me.