draw closer instead of repelling…

when i share my hidden secrets with another person, first of all its liberating, then its empowering and then it is endearing.  what i mean by that is when you’re honest about your weakness to somebody else it actually draws that person closer to you instead of repelling them away.

we think that people will like us if we pretend we’ve got it all together and we put on a show and we wear a mask and pretend that we’re perfect.  actually that doesn’t work at all.  we actually are gathered to, we gravitate toward people who are authentic.  we like them.  we gravitate toward people who are humble.  so when you do that it actually causes people to be closer to you rather than further away. 

anytime i write here on bill’s front porch and i tell you one of my faults or one of my weaknesses you like me more.  you really do.  the fact is we like people who just admit it.  “bill doesn’t think he’s some hot shot.  he’s just like us.  he has the same problems we do.  he messes up just like we do.  we’re all in the same boat.” 

if all i did was tell you how great i am and how strong i am you’d say, “well whoopty-do for you!  that’s not me.  i’m not in that situation.  forget it.”  but when you share a weakness, a sin, a struggle, a fault people go, “that’s like me!”

just a thought from the front porch… 

the secret to GOD’s blessing…

so here’s the question: who will i bless with affirmation this week?  who could you just give a word of encouragement: “you know what you’re good at?  you know what i like about you?”

here is how GOD blesses you.  HE treats you with dignity and courtesy.  HE offers you mercy.  HE expresses sympathy for your hurts.  HE is honest about your faults.  HE affirms you expectantly.  so here is the secret.  you can’t offer these to other people until first you’ve accepted them from GOD.  you can’t do these with other people until first you’ve accepted them from GOD.  why?  because your pot’s empty.  you don’t have anything to give.  so you need to accept these things from GOD.  you can’t treat people the way JESUS would unless you’ve got JESUS in you.  i’m not just talking about being a CHRISTian.  i’m talking about HE’s at the center of your life.  then you can do these things.

let’s bow our heads right now and talk to GOD about it.  pray these words:

“dear GOD, i want my words to be a blessing to other people this week.  but i realize that before i can offer these things to others i have to accept them from YOU.  so today, dear GOD, help me to see and feel my value in YOUr eyes.  thank YOU that YOU show me mercy.  thank YOU that YOU’re sympathetic to my hurts and my fears and my doubts.  thank YOU that YOU understand me and YOU bring out the bet in me.” 

if you’ve never asked JESUS CHRIST into your life add this sentence. 

“JESUS i want to get to know YOU and i ask YOU to come into my life.” 

then pray,

“FATHER, this week i ask you to give me the courage to face the truth about myself and what needs changing in my life.  then give me the courage to speak the truth in love with my family and with those around me that i care about.  help me to show courtesy and mercy and sympathy to those who cross my path this week.”  in JESUS’ name.  amen. 

just a thought from the front porch…

we’ve been given enough…

let me ask you, do you think GOD is stingy?  obviously the sunday school answer, the right answer is no, GOD is not stingy.  but in the back of our minds we have at one time or another thought GOD is stingy.  here’s how we think it: “GOD, you’re a great GOD.  but if only you’d give me little more.  if only you would give me a little more time.  if only you would give me a little more money.  a lot more money!  if only you would give me different talents than the talents that i have.  i would have a great life.”

what we’re really thinking is, “GOD, you didn’t give me enough to have the great life i know i could have!”  when the truth is, GOD has given us enough.  HE’s given us enough time, HE’s given us enough money, HE’s given us the right talents to have the great life that HE has planned for us.  only in america could we be surrounded by so much and think somehow that the secret to happiness is having more.  it’s not having more.  it’s learning to use as a gift the things that GOD has given to us.  the secret is using the gifts that i’ve been given.  we’re surrounded by these gifts that GOD has given. 

john 1.16 (msg), we all live off HIS generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.  that’s what GOD does in our life.  not that any of us have a perfect life, not that any of us don’t have struggles in our life or some times of lack in our life.  but everything that we have, every good thing that comes into our lives is a gift of GOD.  and they keep coming.  gift after gift after gift.  they come to all of us.

JESUS said in matthew 5.45 (msg), this is what GOD does.  HE gives HIS best.  the sun to warm, the rain to nourish, to everyone regardless, the good and the bad.  you don’t have to be a good person.  you don’t have to go to church in order to benefit from GOD’s gifts.  everybody gets the gift of time.  everybody gets the gift of talents and resources.  the question is how do you use those gifts.  do you use them just on yourself, selfishly.  or do you use them as gifts of GOD and truly begin to enjoy them?

just a thought from the front porch…