For the past few weeks, I have been evaluating some of the things in my life, and reducing or reorganizing a lot of it. What I’m doing has been called by many “simplifying.” But I’m trying to be much more strategic than that.
Often, the things that we have can get in the way and become a distraction to us. I believe that is the case much more often than people realize, and when “things” get too important, we lose track of our proper priorities.
The Bible calls that idolatry.
But what we need to stop and realize is that it’s not the thing itself that is the problem, it’s our motives and attitudes towards it. So when we start looking into our lives to simplify things, and to remove distractions, we need to look more into our hearts than into our homes. Because that’s where all of this is rooted.
So I have been seeking to be strategic as I simplify my life some. I have been reevaluating a lot of stuff. Do I really need to keep this? It this something that God can use through my life to accomplish good for his Kingdom? Or is this something that I am attached to too deeply? Those are the kinds of questions I’m asking.
But it’s not just about the physical possessions. Sometimes it’s other things as well. And sometimes, in order to simplify our lives, we need to strategically add some things in as we take some others away.
Right now, I am in the process of purging some of the things in my life that I have accumulated. I’m shooting for something more simplified, maybe even leaning towards minimalism, in theory. And I’m finding it very hard to do.
My life is complicated.
I don’t state that in a complaining fashion, because I know just how many different things I have going on in my life. Some I can control, others I cannot. My wife and I have a large family, with seven kids. A couple of them are in early adulthood, a couple of them are teens, or soon to be, and the rest are younger children. That fact alone ensure that we are busy, and that we live in a cluttered home.
I’m also in ministry. Every time I see something that might be a resource, I’m tempted to grab it and hold on to it. More on that in a moment.
My wife is also very frugal. She’s always thinking ahead, so if she sees a deal on something that we don’t need now, but will need later, it’s quite likely to be brought home and stored until we need it. She saves us a lot of money that way.
You may have noticed that things have been pretty quiet around here lately. That has been both good and bad, for a number of reasons. I hope that I can maintain a regular schedule again soon.
Sometimes, it’s just time to take a step back from things and take a deep breath. In a way, that has been good for me. I have been able to focus on a few things that needed some attention, and a few things that I have wanted to do for a long time. But at the same time, stepping back wasn’t great, because the habit of writing regularly has slipped a little. This is still a priority in my life, and a slipped habit will be a bit of an obstacle to overcome.
Let me share with you a few of the things that have impacted my schedule over the last few months.
Good Leaders Ask Great Questions by John C. Maxwell (New York, NY: Center Street, 2014)
I am always looking for ways to increase my leadership capabilities. I serve in a position of leadership within my church, and have discovered over the years that this is a critical area of my growth that I must intentionally focus on, or it just won’t happen. Because of that, I strive to read several good resources each year, take in a conference or workshop, or find an online event or resource that I can utilize to help me grow as a leader.
I have been a longtime fan of John Maxwell for this area of my growth. He recently launched an online resource called LILO: Lead In, Lead Out. This is kind of like the Netflix for leaders; it is filled with short videos and resources that you can take a few moments here and there to learn something and improve your abilities. I subscribed, and have been extremely satisfied with the content.
In one recent video I watched, Maxwell referenced his book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions. I was immediately interested, since this is a book I had not yet read by Maxwell. So I ordered it, and started digging into it last weekend. The premise is simple: if you want to grow as a leader, you need to learn to ask good questions, questions that will help you learn, questions that will help you connect with others, questions that will challenge you to grow, and questions that will help you develop better ideas.
I have long said that I know I’m not smart enough to have all the good ideas, and I need to surround myself with other who can help me grow, and stimulate my thinking in ways that I don’t normally. Questions are a great way to capitalize on that. Asking questions is critical to growing, but you also have to know how to ask good questions.
I am convinced that this will be a book that helps take my leadership to a new level, and will help me expand my thinking as I strive to grow. If you are in a leadership position, you should check it out as well. You can pick up a copy for yourself on Amazon.
There are several key habits that we must develop if we want to grow in our spiritual maturity. Many habits are beneficial, but there are a few that I would classify as critical that we incorporate. Accountability is one of the crucial ones.
Accountability can be difficult, and especially for guys. Maybe it is because women seem to be able to understand relationships better than most men. I don’t know. But it can be tough for a man to build an accountable relationship with being very intentional about it.
But… If you can develop one accountable relationship, it will change your life. It really will. Unfortunately, most men live their lives without ever even attempting to build this type of relationship into their life and growth.
Accountability is, at it’s most basic level, simply an intentionally formed, deep friendship with someone who has permission to ask you some tough questions in and about your life. Proverbs 18:24, describes this kind of friendship very clearly:
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
If this is such a necessary part of our spiritual life, then there must be some benefits from developing such a relationship. Let me suggest four benefits, and then a few tips on how to incorporate accountability so it can be most impactful.
The Case For The Resurrection Of Jesus by Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2004)
I am continually on the search for great books. And when I hear of something that is potentially a quality resource, I’m usually quick to grab a copy and read it. Over the years, I have built an extensive library of such volumes, and utilize them frequently, and recommend them to others.
Not long ago, I was listening to some older episodes of one of my favorite podcasts, Every Thought Captive — which is the creation of three current professors at my alma mater, Ozark Christian College, in Joplin, Missouri. In one episode, they made a passing comment about a book that a couple of them have used as a textbook in their classes, remarking that it was the best resource they had found on this particular topic. Of course, I was immediately intrigued.
So I went to Amazon and found myself a copy of The Case For The Resurrection Of Jesus. And I have not been disappointed. This book lays out the logical and historical evidences for the resurrection accounts given to us in the New Testament, and they do so in a clear and concise manner that is easy to read and comprehend. They also don’t get caught up in “side issues,” such as the reliability of Scripture and others. These are important topics, and certainly play a part in the discussion, but are topics that can pull the attention away from the discussion at hand. Authors Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona avoid that as much as possible.
The book approaches the evidence from a couple of different directions, from both the proponents point of view, as well as the perspective of the skeptic, answering his questions and opposing theories. Both are equally well crafted and provide excellent information for Christians to use, adding strength to their testimony of Jesus to others.
I find The Case For The Resurrection Of Jesus to be both refreshingly new, and timelessly solid. It’s an incredible addition to my library. I highly recommend this book for just about any Christian who wants to become better at sharing their faith in Jesus and the power of his resurrection.
If you are interested in picking up a copy, you can find it on Amazon.
Matthew 5, the first of the three chapters of the Sermon on the Mount, wraps up with what seems to be a few odds and ends. But they are critically important topics that address how we interact with God and with others… which has been a theme throughout most of Matthew 5.
Many people have found various themes that run through these three chapters of Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount. Many of them seem to be obvious, others not so much. But throughout Matthew 5, it is hard to miss the recurring theme of relational topics. Jesus seems to focus on our relationships with other people in this section, and will move on to our relationship with the Father in Matthew 6.
Just as in previous passages, each of these last three topics begins with the familiar phrase, “You have heard that it was said…” Jesus is drawing from the vast quantity of instruction to be found in the Old Testament, of which his hearers would have been intimately aware.
