Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Wisdom for Baseball...and Life

baseball

Don't be so afraid of striking out that you never take an at bat. When you're in the batter's box you may swing and miss but at least you're at the plate. Dust yourself off, learn from the misses, and improve. In time, the hits will come. 

Ask out the girl, sing at the open mic night, go on the interview, have children, make the sales call, get out on the dance floor, speak in public, write the book, audition for the role, ship the product. Whatever you do, don't let fear hold you hostage.

The pursuit of God's best doesn't mean perfection the first time or that you won't get hurt or make mistakes. It does mean getting off the sideline, getting in the game, and seeking after His best in your life.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Monday, August 19, 2013

Wisdom Filter

Filter
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” –James 3:17

When your emotions rise to the level of righteous indignation over something you feel strongly about, it can be easy to act or respond without fully thinking through the implications. If not handled with wisdom and tact, the result may be hurt feelings, damaged relationships, and a loss of influence.

Taking a step back allows the emotions to calm down with a clearer head and a more reasoned response. You may be fully justified in your knee jerk response and correct in your logic but the method or tone of communication could result in winning the argument but losing the other person’s trust or even willingness to engage with you.

Likewise, checking the intended course of action or response with a wise friend prior to doing anything provides perspective from someone without the same emotional investment in the situation. As you think through a response, read over James 3:17 and see if your response would pass the wisdom filter laid out in the passage.

Would your words or actions qualify as pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, and sincere? If not, there’s probably cause for reflection and re-evaluating before further steps are taken.

It should go without saying, of course, that prayer plays an instrumental role in walking wisely. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him.” Take time to pray about the situation and what God would have you do.

Even though logically and practically the way you plan to respond may leave you in the right, He can guide you towards a more effective response that preserves a relationship and leaves open the opportunity for future interaction. Be cautious of allowing righteous indignation to take you down a path that results in regret. Let wisdom and grace filter everything you say and do and lead you to God's best.

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Quote of the day


"Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God." -Oswald Chambers
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