Woe. Woe. Woe.

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day on this glorious Saturday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!

I am reading a great book by Pastor Craig Groeschel titled, “The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead To A Richer Faith.” Earlier this week I was reading Chapter 6, Why Believe in Jesus When His Followers Are Such Hypocrites? and I just knew I had to share some excerpts with you. I want to strongly encourage you to add this book to your reading list – powerful.

Here are the excerpts that I thought you might find thought-provoking and useful:

“Instead of being known for love, as Jesus commanded, his followers can be known for what they hate and what they are against, and for being exclusive, hypercritical, and antagonistic.

1.      Jesus commanded us to our enemies (Matt. 5:44), but today people claiming to be his followers relentlessly attack their enemies on social media.

2.     Jesus taught that we are to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9), but Christians today scream hate-filled words at their protests and rallies.

3.     Jesus said only those without sin can cast a stone, leading the people who wanted to punish a guilty woman to drop their weapons (John 8:1-11), but today Christians quickly and easily pick up “stones” and throw them at the guilty, and sometimes the innocent.”

“Turns out Jesus didn’t like it when people claimed one thing and lived another.”

“Jesus called them hypocrites. You’ll find the word hypocrite seventeen times in the Gospels. Every time, it was Jesus who spoke the word. And every time, he used it to describe people who “do not practice what they preach…everything they do is do for people to see” (Matt. 23:3).”

“Before Jesus used it, the word hypocrite had been used exclusively for actors, who, back then, would wear masks onstage because the same actor would plan several different parts. For each character, a different mask was worn. So hypocrite means, “one who wears a mask.”

Jesus was the first person to ever use the word outside the theater context. By applying it to the Pharisees, he accused them of wearing masks, pretending to be something they weren’t.

And what did Jesus say to them?

Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe. Woe.

Whoa! Jesus had a zero-tolerance policy for hypocrites.

Jesus was calling them out on their show. He already knew that, just like every other human, they were sinners. The problem he was addressing was their constant attempts to cover it up. They presented a false exterior, manipulating the impressions of others. To Jesus, their deception was what made the Pharisees hypocrites.”

“They’re described this way in Titus 1:6: “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.”

Just to clarify:

·       Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.

·       Attending a Bible study doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.

·       Believing in God doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.

·       Getting baptized doesn’t make you a Christian. Following Jesus does.”

“Jesus was accused of hanging out with “sinners” who also didn’t know any better yet. He met people right where they were at the time. And he still does.”

“While salvation is a one-time event, transformation is a lifelong journey. The Holy Spirit may come to us in a download, but, through him, change happens day by day. that means every Christian is at a unique place in his or her walk of faith.”

“We are all imperfect, in-process Christians.”

“No matter how mature you are, you’re still vulnerable. And if you think you’re not, you are even more vulnerable. Pride often comes before a fall (Prov. 16:18).”

“That is a cognitive bias we all have called the fundamental attribution error, which means this:

·       When we fall short, we blame our circumstances.

·       When other people fall short, we blame their character.

·       When I sin, I might say, “I didn’t mean to, I was just tired and under a lot of pressure. And, really, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Besides, you know my heart. I’m not that kind of person.”

·       When someone else commits the same sin, we say, “That person’s so bad. I doubt he’s even a Christian. What a hypocrite!””

“We are quick to point fingers and accuse others of hypocrisy. But when we blame our circumstances while shaming someone else’s character, isn’t that hypocrisy? Doesn’t it make us hypocrites too?”

“God-fearing”doesn’t necessarily mean Jesus following.”

“If you’ve been hurt by people and it led you to lose your faith in Jesus, is it possible your faith was in people when it should have been in Jesus?”

Pretty powerful, thought-provoking stuff, isn’t it? I hope and pray that you and I will take off the masks and live the authentic lives we were created to live.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Living a Life of Integrity

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

How is your integrity?

 

Merriam-Webster defines integrity as follows:

Integrity

1: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility

2: an unimpaired condition : soundness

3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness

 

Most of the time when we speak of integrity, we are speaking of the first definition – I love the “incorruptibility” at the end! We think of things like doing what you say you are going to do, doing the right things, etc. And these are critically important; however, I would offer that these are the disciplines and fruits of integrity, not the root of it.

 

This morning, when I asked about your integrity, I was referring to the 3rd and 2nd definitions, in that order. Are you complete? Are you undivided? Is there complete alignment between your purpose, your priorities, and the life you live? This is the integrity I speak of this morning.

 

Unfortunately, many don’t know their purpose or priorities. Perhaps more tragic, some know their purpose and/or priorities; however, they are not honoring them. In both cases, we are not complete or sound. Ever feel that way? I know I do.

 

If you are not complete this morning, I want to encourage you to take some time to get clarity about your purpose and priorities and then live your life in alignment with them. If you are complete, I am cheering for you! Please continue to run your race with intentionality and perseverance.

 

For all of us, I want to offer two warnings:

1.  Whether we acknowledge them and choose to live our lives in alignment with them or not, our purposes and priorities will continue to call out to us. Two things happen when we fail to honor our purpose and priorities – the work we were created to do goes undone, and the needs of the people we are called to serve remain unmet.

2. We must reaffirm and recommit to our purposes and priorities every day. Cares, concerns, and challenges of this world are constantly hammering away at our foundation. If we fail to live in alignment with our purpose and priorities, if things get out of order, our lives, our families, and our peace are at risk. When we are not complete and sound, we feel it, and it impacts every aspect of our lives. Please Friend, be intentional about your commitment to your purpose and priorities, and make sure the life you are living is in alignment with them.

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

 

Kev

Every Day Has the Potential

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this beautiful Friday evening in my Sweet Home Alabama!

Last Saturday was one of the best days of my life. For the first time in months, our entire family was together. I could end there, and that would be enough to qualify as one of the best days of my life. However, there was more, much more!

·       My Beautiful Bride made us all biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

·       My 3 Tender Warriors and I then went and ran errands, bringing Starbucks back for everyone who wanted one.

·       Lunch was a Shrimp Boil.

·       Then there was an afternoon family football game. There were so many funny moments,  many of which will be told around the dinner table for years.

·       Dinner was my Beautiful Brides amazing Pork Nachos.

·       We all then stayed up until past 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, watching UFC 316

The thing is, I was fully aware that this was special while it was happening. As the boys and I were running errands, I thought back to how long it had been since we had done something like this together. We were all talking, enjoying each other's company…no cell phones, no fighting.

All of the meals, in addition to being great food (the Haslams eat well!!!), were really all about talking about life – what we have been doing, hopes, goals, dreams, struggles, challenges, and concerns. There was understanding, compassion, and love — so much love.

That football game was something else! Yes, there were a couple of arguments – they are still brothers after all! However, there was good, healthy competition, and did I mention some absolutely hilarious moments?!

Other than having to stop a couple of wrestling matches before they started, the time spent watching UFC was about sitting around together, visiting, and, of course, enjoying snacks!

So here is my question: Was the day great, or did we make it that way? Or, is it simply my perception that it was a great day? You see, just like you and every other family, there are problems, challenges, and struggles. There were tears and deep, heartfelt conversations. I cherish those most! I could easily flip the script and, instead of bullet-pointing six things that have blessed my life deeply, I could list six problems, challenges, and struggles I currently face. You get to choose well. And whatever choice we make, whatever we want to focus on, will influence the way we think, talk, and act. I choose joy, gratitude, and faith! You?

“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”

 - Mark Twain 

“Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life.”

- Lin-Manuel Miranda

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Don't Waste the Struggle

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday afternoon!

 

This afternoon, I want to encourage us all not to waste the struggle. We all face struggles, challenges that we create and those that are thrust upon us, as we are on this beautiful journey called life. Within them are seeds of wisdom, courage, and strength. The thing is, we cannot gain these tools if we do not go through and embrace the struggle. It would truly be no different than putting a seed in the ground one day and taking it out the next – nobody would ever expect that seed to grow and become all that it was created to become. The same is true of you and me, Friend.

 

Over the years, working with college-aged individuals, I have seen families make great sacrifices to support their students in attending school. I have also seen students leave their families to pursue a degree and a better life. Most recently, I have had two sons go to pursue their callings. I recently wrote something to one of my sons who was dealing with homesickness, something like, “It is a struggle and a sacrifice for all of us – don’t waste the struggle.” My point to him, and for all of us on this Friday, is to make the sacrifice worth it by becoming all that you were created to become. There are challenges to overcome, lessons to be learned, and wisdom, courage, and strength to be gained! Lean into every day, every moment, and drain the potential out of each one. While it is sad to see people be alive for a lifetime without actually living, it is equally unfortunate to see people half-heartedly attempt to do something and waste the struggle.

 

I have seen my share of struggles in life, and I completely understand that when we're in one, we just want it to be over. As I reflect back on the ones that I attacked as I encouraged my son to do, I see where I learned, grew, and became stronger. And yes, there are those struggles that I look back on where I took the easy way out or gave less than my best…those are the ones I look back on with regret. While the pain of struggle is unquestionably real, so is the pain of regret. Let’s commit to lives without regret. Let’s choose to be fully alive every day. Whether we choose a path that requires us to struggle or a challenge is thrust upon us, let’s lean in and gain everything we can from it.

 

I want to close by sharing two quotes from Kevin DeShazo that I read this week.

 

“You can pursue your comfort or your potential. It’s up to you.”

 

“Struggle isn’t bad. Failure isn’t bad. Being uncomfortable isn’t bad. Feeling disappointed isn’t bad. These are the moments that refine you. The journey isn’t supposed to be easy or feel good every day. Stop running from the hard moments. Embrace them.”

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

 

Kev