IF I'D ONLY LISTENED...

I copied the following from a friend's recent status update on facebook:

If I'd listened to satan, I'd have never given my life to Christ; if I had listened to my parents I would have never married Samuel; if I had listened to my dad I would have been working at Krystal's; and if I listen to some of my "family" and some people who call themselves my "friends" I would stop the fostering / adoption process. I'm so thankful that in EVERY situation I've sought and received God's will!!!!

Maybe at times you've felt the same.  God can and frequently does use our friends and family to convey and confirm His will.  But He doesn't have to.

We talked about prayer this morning in church.  So few of us truly pray anymore.  Oh, we've got God on speed dial for the usuals like meal blessings and the like.  But, and I'll be the first to confess here again, there aren't many members of His church spending intimate moments with GOD that often.

We desperately need to.  All of us.  How else do we expect to have the kind of courage and confidence exhibited in my friend's post, as one who KNOWS what God's will is and is ready to follow Him ABOVE ALL else?

How else can we presume to develop the kind of much needed attitude displayed in the following anonymous quote:

"Lord, I renounce my desire for human praise, for the approval of my peers, the need for public recognition. I deliberately put these aside today, content to hear you whisper, "Well done, my faithful servant." 

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

"You know, we ought to..."

"Hey, what do you think about us doing..."

"We used to _______ and we should maybe try it again..."

How do preachers spell relief?  Well, I promise you it's not I-D-E-A-S.  At least, not the kind of ideas that come from people who have no intention of actually seeing their idea through to fruition.

Obviously, ideas are golden, ESPECIALLY in the ministry.  Creativity is crucial for the individual, the local church, the mission field, etc.  Like the Gatlin Brothers once sang, "I did not mean to mislead you..."

Without ideas, we grow stagnate.  Well, that's not exactly true, is it?  If you've become stagnate, you aren't growing at all, are you?  Aren't there enough stagnate Christians and churches around today already?  Do we really need another of either?  I don't want to be around either one, do you?   

That's where ideas from folks whose feet, hands, or resources, will NEVEREVEREVER catch up to the running of their mouths are so FRUSTRATING!  Look, if I come to you and say, "We should start this ministry/group/Bible study/collection, ETC.," I WOULD EXPECT YOU TO HOLD ME TO TASK AND MAKE ME PUT MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS BY HELPING START SAID THING!"

People get tired of getting hung out to dry by folks who go from all gung-ho to no-show. Trust me on that.

Trust me, too, when I say I know a good leader should be able to keep the folks he works with, be it on a professional or voluntary basis, motivated.  That's where you come in.  Pray for me to do a better job in that regard.  I could use a BIG DOSE of motivation myself these days.