sports

More Than The Minimum

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Excellence_Logo_resized_250x172-3The motto of some people is “do just enough to get by.” When I read the Bible, I don’t see that as the guiding principle espoused by the leaders of the early church.

When you read the words of Paul in I Corinthians 9, you hear a call to excellence and a charge to go the extra mile: “Do you remember how, on a racing-track, every competitor runs, but only one wins the prize? Well, you ought to run with your minds fixed on winning the prize! Every competitor in athletic events goes into serious training. Athletes will take tremendous pains—for a fading crown of leaves. But our contest is for an eternal crown that will never fade. I run the race then with determination. I am no shadow-boxer, I really fight! I am my body’s sternest master, for fear that when I have preached to others I should myself be disqualified.”

Paul always gave it his all, and he was determined to do more than the minimum. As a scholar of the Old Testament, Paul was familiar with the writings of Solomon, and he lived the principle of Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”

Notice the last 5 words of the verse above—“do it with all your might.” Why not declare this first day of the work week as Mighty Monday? Make a pledge to yourself that you will start the week off by giving it all your might and carry it forward and make this a week of excellence.

Here are five simple things you can do to help you live life above “the minimum”:
• Park your road rage, and yield to someone on your drive to work.
• Open the door and share an encouraging word with someone.
• Refuse to focus on a person’s negatives and lift them up in prayer.
• Express your appreciation and gratitude to someone you know.
• Give someone a “cup of cold water” in Jesus name (Matthew 10:42).

You can approach each of these tasks with confidence because you are “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10).”

Mighty Monday is here. Do more than the minimum—Be excellent!

Your 3 Letters For Today

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

weedsI like a trim, neat, lawn that sports a luscious green carpet. A lawn like this can take a lot of work, so each year I reseed some areas, apply fertilizer to feed the lawn, and I treat it with a herbicide to control the weeds.

There are usually some places around the house where both grass and weeds are about as welcome as unwanted guests. To control their invasive growth, I spray them with an unhealthy dose of Roundup and they droop down and die.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the manufacturers of these products to give clear directions concerning the correct mixture and application of these toxins. There is also a poison control label if you happen to ingest the product or get it in your eyes.

As Christians, we need to heed the EPA. In this case, EPA means: Exercise Prudence Always. The word prudence is a form of the Latin “prudentia,” and it carries the idea of “seeing ahead.” Prudence, therefore, is the ability to understand the ramifications of your actions and behavior and to impose appropriate self-discipline. Prudence allows you to manage the present so the future does not become a problem.

I don’t know about you, but I know I need prudence. I’ve come to realize that the only consistent thing about my life is my inconsistency. To manage inconsistency, a person needs a heavy dose of prudent self-discipline.

Paul listed some toxic behaviors that requires a person to Exercise Prudence Always:

• Colossians 3:5: Put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry
• Colossians 3:8: Put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth
• 2 Timothy 2:23: Reject foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they breed quarrels

Notice the strong language that Paul used as instructions for weed control: “ Put to death, put off, and reject.” Without these EPA guidelines, the weeds of life will rob your flower bed of its beauty; steal the nutrients from your garden; and, overrun your lawn.

When you Exercise Prudence Always, you need to do more than just get rid of the weeds. You also need to apply the right fertilizer. Here’s a mixture that will get you growing again: “Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:14-17).”

Your three letters for today are EPA—Exercise Prudence Always.

Pedal Power and Praise

/ insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

hotternhellhundred-wheatfieldsOver the last couple of days, the streets and roads through Kansas have been dotted with bicycles and the support vehicles that follow them. This annual two-wheel pilgrimage of pedal-power has been made more difficult due to the high winds and the oppressive humidity.

Undaunted by the repressive forces of nature, these marathoners press on towards the finish line, refusing to quit. Their commitment to complete the course laid out for them, reminds me of the faithfulness of God—He is no quitter.

When David paused to consider the faithfulness of God, and His commitment to His people, he proclaimed that, “No one can fathom his greatness! One generation will praise your deeds to another, and tell about your mighty acts! I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor, and your amazing deeds! They will proclaim the power of your awesome acts! I will declare your great deeds!” ~Psalm 145:3-6

“Declaring the great deeds of God” can be a difficult task when you are distracted by an on-going situation. It might be a problem from yesterday that is still on your mind today; it could be that you overslept and got up late and are hurrying through your morning ritual; or, it could be that your wonderful little pet left you a surprise on the floor and you stepped in it as soon as your feet hit the floor.

Any event like the ones I mentioned will influence the way you start your day, but they do not have to determine how you will finish it. Even though David’s life was filled with heartaches, and trials, he did not allow them to skew his perception of God. David would look for God’s hand at work in his life, and praise Him for His faithfulness.

In Psalm 66 you hear David expressing this, and it is not done with a feeble voice, but with one that echoes across the sheep-filled valleys: “Shout out praise to God, all the earth! Sing praises about the majesty of his reputation! Give him the honor he deserves! Say to God: How awesome are your deeds!”

Why not give it a try today? Don’t succumb to a “woe is me” mental mindset. Instead, take a “wow is God” approach to your life today. Talk about His awesome deeds; give Him the honor He deserves; and, think of the majesty of His reputation.

Frazzled and Frayed

/ insightbyseymour / 2 Comments

???????????????????????????????????????I hate it when I have to retire a favorite shirt. It’s the shirt that fits best, is the most comfortable, and just has a good feel whenever I wear it.

There comes a point when the shirt is moved from the wear on Sunday and to the office section of my wardrobe to the yard work section. When I notice a slight fray on the inside of the shirt collar, it signals a warning—prepare to retire this shirt.

The subtle but powerful culprit that eats away at the collar is my beard stubble. Even though my neck and the collar are well-acquainted, there is no affinity between the two because of the abrasive and constant presence of the beard stubble.

It’s a simple truth that beard stubble and shirt collars cannot coexist. They are like water and oil. You can stir them up and mix them together, but they will eventually separate; and, I know that, over time, the wear and tear of the coarse stubble will fray and tatter the soft collar of my shirt.

When I put my well-worn and favorite shirt on the other day, I noticed the frayed collar and said to myself: “What my beard did to this collar is the same thing sin does to my relationship with God.” Sin slowly eats away at the fellowship you have God, and it will wear you down and wear you out. Think about these relationship contrasts:

• As a Christian, you are formed and fashioned to walk in the light and not in the darkness ( I John 1:5-7).
• You are to be “in” the world, but not “of” the world (John 17:6-19).
• You are to focus your affections on the things above and not on the things below (Colossians 3:1-4).
• You are to “abhor” what is evil and “cling” to what is good (Romans 12:21).
• You are to “cast off” the darkness and wear “the armor of light (Romans 13:12).”

While it’s true that beard stubble can turn a shirt collar to rubble, it’s also true that when you’ve strayed from the path God has laid, you end up frazzled and frayed. You only have to read Psalm 1 to see a contrast that will confirm this.

The Perfect Pitch

/ insightbyseymour / 1 Comment

Ted-Williams-Quotes-3Over the weekend, which happened to include Father’s Day, I listened to an interview that focused on a book written about Ted Williams. The book, written by Williams’ daughter, looks at one of the greatest hitters who ever played the game of baseball, and highlights some of the lessons this daughter learned from her father.

Williams spoke one time of his relationship with Rogers Hornsby who was also one of baseball’s greats. Williams said: Hornsby “treated me like a son, couldn’t have been nicer. And he gave me the greatest single piece of advice on hitting that I ever got: Wait for a good pitch to hit.”

To an impatient person like me, “wait” is a four letter word. It is, however, an important principle in a person’s relationship with God. Notice what the Bible says about waiting:

• Psalm 27:14: Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!
• Isaiah 40:31: those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
• Romans 5:1-5: Since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces patient endurance, patient endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Even though “wait” is a four letter word, it is one tht should be in your vocabulary, and the acrostic below helps to explain why:

Wisdom that is greater than yours: If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

Acknowledge there is strength that you need: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

Insight from Scripture that will guide you: I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path (psalm 119:1-4-105).

Trust in the goodness of Good: Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things (Psalm 107:8-9).

Waiting is difficult when there is no obvious reason for the delay, and being patient can appear to be a waste of time when no purpose is in sight; however, when something better is promised, and hope is just beyond the horizon, waiting on God might be the best use of your time.