Just Do It!

            Let me start off this week’s discussion by asking you a question. Have you ever been asked to do something that you just didn’t think you were capable of doing? Has there ever been a time when you were about to attempt a job or task that was assigned to you, and you literally told yourself, “there is absolutely no way this is going to happen, I can’t do this!”? I would be willing to bet that we have all had some of those, “I can’t do this”, kind of moments. I can remember one specific situation back in high school when I had a huge “I can’t do this” moment. The year was 2006 and I was at a youth service at Sheffield Family Life Center on a Wednesday night. As the night wore on and the service ended, my youth pastor, Kevin Brown, approached me and started conversation. “Hey, Austin…are you going to be here over the next couple of weeks?”, I figured he was just wondering so I said, “Yea man! Why? What’s going on?”. Well, he wasn’t just wondering, he had a proposition. Pastor Kevin quickly said, “Do you want to preach in service two weeks from now?”. Now, most 16 year-olds would have at least thought it over before answering the question. However, as you may know, I was not (and still am not) always the sharpest tool in the shed, so naturally I responded right away with, “Sure, I’ll do it”. Well, about two minutes after the conversation ended, the weight of the agreement I had just made started to hit me in the chest like a 100-pound dumbbell. I thought to myself, “Hold on, did I just agree to preach?...are you kidding?”.  I seriously doubted myself, and honestly I doubted God as well. You see, my youth pastor asked me to preach in the physical, but I honestly believe that God was using my youth pastor to push me forward in a spiritual sense. God was pushing me to start pursuing my calling.  Meanwhile, in my doubt, I honestly said, “Wait, what am I thinking, I can’t preach to 120 of my friends. There is no way I can do it, I am not qualified for this!”. However, God was working in this situation and was teaching me this lesson: With God, Qualification means nothing, because He is the only qualification we need…Period.

One of the greatest examples of this concept comes out of the Bible in Jeremiah 1:5-10

5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew^a you,before you were born I set you apart;I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6“Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” 7But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 9Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

            You see, despite Jeremiah’s fear, doubt, and lack of qualification, God used him to speak to an entire nation on the Lord’s behalf. That is a pretty cool thing to think about. Just before Jeremiah was used by God, he was telling Him that he couldn’t do what the Lord was asking. Jeremiah was basically saying, “God, seriously man, you got the wrong guy”. Still yet, God used him mightily! And as we look at that situation, we need to remember this: God can use anybody to do anything in anyplace at anytime!

            Two weeks after I agreed to speak in youth group I preached my first sermon on a Wednesday night from Galatians chapter five. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that it was probably awful because it was my first ever sermon and I was shaking scared. I think I might have even peed a little…ok the pee part is false (haha). Nevertheless God used me, and He has used me to preach almost 25 times since then. Which is far more than I ever thought I was capable of, and far more than I originally planned on. But that is one of the great attributes of God; He really can use anybody! God used a shepherd boy named David to kill a giant and become the greatest king in world history, God used a self- conscious, stuttering man named Moses to lead Israel out of slavery, God used a young man named Jeremiah to be His mouthpiece to Israel, and God used a young virgin women named Mary to carry the King of Kings in her womb! Incredible!

            Even in my own life God has been using me more than I ever thought possible, and if He can use me with my non-intellectual mind, he can seriously use anybody. Trust me on that! Regardless of qualifications, God can and will use us! So if we feel that God is calling us to do something that might freak us out, or put a lot of pressure and stress on us, lets readily accept the challenge and…Just Do It!  One of the most well known catchphrases, from one of the most well known clothing companies in recent history, is simply that, Just Do It! This phrase, Just Do It, is almost always applied to sports, but why not apply it to our spiritual lives as well.  If God gives us orders, lets Just Do It! If God gives us instructions, lets Just Do It! If God gives us a vision or a goal, lets Just Do It! No matter how unqualified or inexperienced we may feel, we can have faith and know that God will use us regardless. Some of the greatest things in history were done by some of the least qualified people! And how did they do it.? God gave them a task and they decided to Just Do It! So lets hear his directive to us, and lets Just Do It!

Peace

Love

God Bless

10 Minute Challenge

Take The Challenge!

  In this weeks edition of A Day On The Lake I want to be a little more simple and practical. I just want to throw out a simple challenge, with the possibility of a complex effect . The challenge that I am referring to is something that I like to call The 10-Minute Challenge. Now I know what you might be thinking, but let me reassure you; this challenge has nothing to do with eating a bunch of cinnamon, or trying to guzzle a half-gallon of milk in 10 minutes, or trying to see if you can drink half the bottle of Ex-Lax  in 10 minutes without losing it (although I have always been tempted to try that one haha). No, This is a challenge that could potentially have a more…lasting effect. The 10-Minute Challenge is something that I have recently started and it is simply a challenge of Prayer. I am challenging you (and myself) to pray for 10 minutes straight, every day, with no distractions. This seems pretty easy right? Well, there is a catch, just a slight one though. I want to challenge us to pray for 10 minutes straight…with no distractions…FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. What does that mean? Well, you have probably already guessed it. We have to wake up 10 minutes earlier than normal (and if you are like me, you will need to set the alarm 15 minutes earlier because you will need the first five minutes to convince yourself to get out of that bed). Yes, I know, this seems tragic! This probably seems even more tragic if you are not a morning person. However, I believe that this challenge is critical! Not because I am saying it, but because the first 10 minutes of our day are critical, and should be approached as such. The first 10 minutes of our day are liable to set the pattern for the next 1,430 minutes of our day. Therefore, I think that it is totally necessary to start off our day by talking to the one who created our day. The Lord Almighty.

 

Former football star Reggie White once said, “Every morning, I make sure that my knees hit the floor before my feet do”. I love this statement because he is referring to a consistent prayer habit that we should all strive to mimic. Now, was Reggie saying that we should roll out of bed sideways and fall to our knees so that our feet never touch the ground? I highly doubt it. However, I do think he was demonstrating that our first priority of the day should be talking to the creator of our universe. Although many people already have formed this habit, I know that most of us have not. For me personally I have always done my devotion and prayer time at night, and I will continue do that as well, but now my mornings start 10 minutes earlier (well technically 15). So, I dare you! Take The 10-Minute Challenge! Wake up, get out of bed and find your place to pray (praying in bed is probably not the best choice, I have tried that many a time…zzzz). Take it one day at a time and see what God does in your life. See if you don’t have more energy, joy, confidence, hope, and Love to share with your world. 

Peace

Love

God Bless

Y.O.L.O

You Only Live Once

“You Only Live Once”, or, as my generation has deemed it, “YOLO”, has become one of the most popular sayings in our society over the past year. This term has become so popular among teens and young adults that it has gotten difficult to go even a day without hearing or seeing “YOLO” in some fashion. Whether at the movies or the mall on a weekend, or even just on Facebook or Twitter, the term “YOLO” seems to pop up all around us. It has truly become a movement among so many of America’s young people, and for all the wrong reasons. Popularized by a song called the “The Motto”, which was released back in 2011, this term, “YOLO”, has become so much more than just a saying that people mutter to themselves before getting on a huge roller coaster at Six Flags. It is no longer just something that people say to their friends just before taking their first bite of the “Blazing Challenge” at Buffalo Wild Wings. “YOLO” has literally become a way of life for thousands upon thousands of young people in America. On any given day, a person can log onto Facebook or Twitter and see many status updates or tweets saying things like, “Crazy night last night haha don’t remember half of it! Oh Well! #YOLO”. Or another classic one is, “It’s the weekend! I’m finally off work! Time to get faded! #YOLO”. As I read these statuses I just think to myself, “Really?, you’ve gotta be kidding me. Are you serious?” I mean, in the mind of many young people, the term “YOLO” has become a legitimate motivation, and justifiable reason to get wasted, cause destruction, do hard-core drugs and have sex as much as possible. Now, I know that all of those activities were obviously prevalent long before this “YOLO” fad, and of course the moral-free lifestyle will live long after “YOLO” is dead and gone. However, I believe that there is much more to this whole “YOLO thing” than we have seen. I honestly believe that this is something that can be used in an incredible way, we just have to look at it from a different perspective. 

So as we take a look at this “motto” that is sweeping across pop culture in America, I think that it is appropriate for us to first look at the real origin of “YOLO”, or in it’s purest form, “You Only Live Once”. This simple saying “You only live once” was actually first made popular back in the early to mid 1900’s, by none other than Mae West. Mae West (1893-1980) was a famous American Actress and Screenwriter who was very active in the entertainment industry for nearly 70 years. As it stands, Miss West is the one who gets the credit for the original thought of “YOLO”. However, when she first made this monumental statement, there was another piece of this phrase that is often forgotten about in today’s society.  The original quote from Mae West went just like this: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”. Awesome right? Go back and read that statement again and tell me it’s not great. This statement is so very simple, yet absolutely profound. You see, here we have the mouthwatering “YOLO” concept that is so popular today, but it’s also followed by a tasty piece of Truth-Cake. Now, I don’t know about you (and I can’t speak for Mae West because I don’t know her heart behind the statement), but for me, this statement screams “Truth”! A truth that we need to incorporate into our own lives, and help others around us grasp as well. See, just like many young people in our society are using this “YOLO” concept as a grounds for living a moral-free life, we should use it for the exact opposite. Yes, I know, this should be common sense to most of us, but sadly, many of us, even many of us Christians (myself included) struggle to take this seriously.  

We need to understand that we only have this one life to live, but even more importantly we need to start living our lives according to that knowledge. If we look In Romans 2:6-7 we see that Paul the Apostle said this, “He (God) will judge everyone according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.” This is such a great truth that God wants to see play out in our lives. If we follow God’s commands and live our life for him, this life will be the only one we need to live. It will be spent in eternity with Him. “You Only Live Once, but if you do it right, once is enough”, Lets take this as a spiritual challenge! In our everyday lives, Let’s focus on changing the heart behind “YOLO”. Lets take ownership of this by using “YOLO” to implement Christ-like values into our lives! Lets let “YOLO” be the motto for our lives, but let’s allow it to show Christ to everyone that we come in contact with. So next time you hear a song that brings up “YOLO” and next time you see a status update or a tweet that ends with “#YOLO”, be challenged!! Be encouraged!! Be inspired!! Be inspired to represent your creator by showing others what “YOLO” means to you!

Peace.

Love

YOLO

God Bless

Starting Off On The Right Foot

Starting Off On The Right Foot

As I take the first breath of my "Blogging-life", I have to admit that I am extremely disappointed in myself for using a classic cliche. However, in this situation I believe that the cliche is completely excusable and necessary. "Starting Off On The Right Foot", it is a saying that we have probably all heard and have most likely even used ourselves. As much as it disgusts me to admit, I am so guilty of such ,"teacher-like", lingo. I sometimes catch myself saying things like, "Come on man, you need to 'start off on the right foot'", or "lets go guys! lets do this thing right, we gotta 'start off on the right foot!'". Yes, I know, it's terrible and it kinda makes me want to puke. Nevertheless, I feel like we use that cliche so loosely, that the statement becomes simply that. A cliche with no real value or challenge. However, as I have been thinking on this statement recently, it has become very apparent to me that our society as a whole, and even our Christian society, fails so many times because we do not understand this simple cliche. Now i'll be the first to admit that this seems a bit elementary, but lets be honest, we need to learn and understand the importance of "Starting off On The Right Foot". 

 Let's look at a track runner for example. When a track runner is running a sprint, one of the most important techniques for him or her to perfect, is the starting position and takeoff. As a sprinter trains to perfect these techniques, he or she has to practice starting on the correct foot with the correct form. Often times a sprinter will spend hours practicing nothing but his or her starting position and takeoff, so that when that gun shot sounds, the runner "starts off on the right foot". This technique is so important in sprinting because it can change the entire race in a split-second. When performed correctly, the starting position and takeoff gives the runner a slight physical edge at the beginning of the race. Which then gives the runner a jolt of mental confidence. Which in turn, allows him or her to be in position to compete for the win in the final seconds of the race. When the starting position and takeoff are performed incorrectly in a sprint, it can set the runner too far back to catch up and win, or it can even lead to disqualification. Either way you look at, a poor start results in a loss. So naturally, the instruction would be, "Start off on the right foot". Simple right? Well, maybe in the world of sports it can be looked at as simple, But what about in our personal, social, and spiritual lives? yes, you probably knew it was going to end up here. And yes, this is where it becomes a bit more complicated.  

In all areas of our life, "starting off on the right foot" is absolutely crucial if we hope to reach our full potential. Just like a track runner, there is a certain confidence that comes when we start something off strong. Whether it is a new job, a new class, a fresh dating relationship, a new friendship, a new workout plan, or even a new hobby. Whatever new situation we find ourselves consumed in, if we learn to "start off on the right foot" or start doing things the right way from the very beginning, there will be a propelling confidence that pushes us along. A propelling confidence that helps us accomplish our goals and reach our potential. One area that many of us have probably experienced this, is in the classroom. Whether it be a high school class, a college course, or even a post-graduate course, I'm sure we have all had that class that just "didn't go so well". Now I am willing to bet that if we went back and did that course over a second time, it would go much smoother and the final grade would be better. Not because we have already seen the material before (chances are, if we did poorly, we crammed for tests and wouldn't remember any of it anyways.), but because we would take it more seriously from the very beginning. We would "start off on the right foot". So that should get us thinking, why don't we start implementing this concept into our everyday lives? Why don't we buckle down and do things right from the very beginning? As we look at this concept of "starting off on the right foot", I just want us to be challenged. Whatever new situation or responsibility that we are all about to head into, lets "Start off on the right foot". Lets make a commitment to ourselves and even to God, that whatever new journey we begin, we will start off strong and do our very best. In Colossians 3:23 Paul says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." We are called to a high standard, one that requires us to accomplish every task as if we are doing it for God himself. We are called to do things right, so lets start off right! You see we as people are called to greatness, so let's achieve it from the very beginning! "Start off on the right foot!"  

Peace

Love

God Bless