it is always better…

GOD’s plan for your life is always better.  when you cooperate with GOD’s plan for your life you can relax and you can stop being overwhelmed.

GOD looks at your life from an eternal perspective, not just the here and now.  GOD will always sacrifice short-term comfort in your life in order to gain long term glory in your life.  GOD will sacrifice short-term comfort in order to build character in your life that’s going to bless you for eternity.  GOD is not interested in making you comfortable.  GOD is interested in preparing you for eternity where you’re going to spend gazillions of years.  HE knows what’s best and HE knows what’s good and HE loves you.  that’s why being overwhelmed can actually be good for you.  it throws you to your knees saying, “GOD, i’m going to have to depend on you.”  and GOD says, “that’s exactly where I want you!

just a thought from the front porch…

the relationship that makes a difference…

so what’s it going to be on this road?  are you going to choose comfort and just make life easy?  or are you going to choose to develop those relationships where change can really begin to happen?  that’s probably the toughest one of all. 

now i’d be leaving you without the answer if i didn’t talk to you about the one relationship that helps you, that strengthens you at every one of these crossroads.  i’d be leaving you empty if i didn’t talk to you about the one person that loves you more than anyone else, that can do everyone of these things for you and help you do everyone of these things in all of your relationships.  that person is JESUS CHRIST.  HE wants to have a relationship with you. 

look at how HE talked about it in revelation 3.20 (nlt), look!  here I stand at the door and knock.  if you hear ME calling and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal as friends. 

that’s HIS picture.  HE says, “here’s what I want.  I want a relationship with you.  it’s like I’m standing at a door and knocking.  if you’ll open up the door I want to come in and I want to sit down with you.  I want to share a meal with you.  I want to have a relationship with you where we talk about what’s going on in your life.  where we talk about what you’re struggling with, where we talk about the victories and the joys.” 

some of you may be thinking, “you don’t understand.  my life’s pretty messy right now.  it’s a mess inside.  if i open the door of my life to JESUS CHRIST and let HIM in HE’s going to see what a mess it really is.” 

i’ve got some news for you.  HE already knows what a mess it really is and still HE says, “I want to come in.”  still HE says, “I want to be a part of your life.”  still HE says, “I want to have a relationship with you.”  and HE doesn’t ask you to clean up the mess before HE comes in.  HE says, right now, just as you are, I want to come in, messy as it is and I want to be a part of your life.  I want to sit down.  I want to have a relationship with you.  and then I’ll even help you to start to clean up the mess.”  that's the kind of relationship that HE wants to have with you.

just a thought from the front porch…

comfort or change…

another crossroad we all face is, when i choose comfort or i choose change.  i choose to live a comfortable life or i choose to live a life where i’m growing, i’m changing. 

folks it is a lot more comfortable up in the stands.  it really is.  there aren’t a lot of people up there trying to hit you.  it is tough in the game.

i used to go to the practices when brett my son was playing football.  i used to see him there in the middle of that ring and watching all of those guys running at him, hitting him.  football practice is not a great place for mothers to be but i’ll tell you something, the practices are where the successes are made for the game.

brett was a running back and they get hit all of the time.  i remember the first time he was in a practice and he got in the middle of that ring, it was a little scary, but he got used to it and did his best to make those guys feel it when they came at him.  he changed.  he didn’t wait, he charged.

JESUS talked about the kind of life HE wants to give us in john 10.10 (ncv), I came to give life, life in all it’s fullness.  i want that life.  don’t you want life in all its fullness?  but i don’t have it yet.  does anybody have life in all its fullness? 

so i look at the life where i am now and i look at the life that JESUS offers “in all it’s fullness”.  the problem is in between those two is this word called “change”.  i’d like to get there easily, i’d like to get there comfortably, in my easy chair.  but it doesn’t happen that way.  it comes through change.  growth always comes through change and that’s always uncomfortable in my life. 

those of us who live in american, we can successfully many times go after the most comfortable life.  you could even live it for most of your life.  but you get to the end of your life and you look back with massive regret.  you look back and realize, “if only i’d changed i could have impacted the world in a greater way, i could have grown in a greater way, i could have had better relationships.”  you can get the most comfortable life many times but it also comes with disappointment.  so am i going to choose comfort or am i going to choose change? 

just a thought from the front porch…

no attribute so comforting...

do you take advantage of the privilege of prayer? it's there and we don't even use it. instead of complaining about that boss or that job, why don't you try praying about the job? instead of worrying about your finances, why don't you try praying about your finances? you'll have a lot less to worry about. instead of giving up on your marriage, why don't you pray about your marriage? the things that are beyond your control are not beyond GOD's control.

there is no attribute that is more comforting to the CHRISTian than the attribute of GOD called HIS sovereignty. HE is in control. some of you are thinking your situation is a mess, totally falling apart and hopeless. how big do you think GOD is? HE's big enough to handle your mess! you can't unscramble an egg but you can make an omelet. GOD knows how to turn bad into good, how to bring a purpose out of the problem. don't waste your problems, give them to GOD.

when you're worried sick, you say “GOD is in control”. when you're defeated, discouraged, fallen flat on your face and feel like a total failure, say, “GOD is in control! when you're sick and flat on your back, you say, “GOD is in control!” when you're standing by the casket and wondering, “why at this time?" you say “GOD is in control!” HE's a good GOD and a great GOD. when you read the headlines about international chaos you say, “but GOD is in control!” when you face a problem that you cannot handle on your own and it's out of your control, GOD is in control.

because GOD is sovereign, HE has a right to call the shots in your life. you wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for GOD. HE has a right to call those shots. if you're not letting HIM do that you're living in rebellion and that's why life is frustrating.

the most intelligent, rational decision you will ever make is to say, “GOD, YOU are sovereign. i want to cooperate with that. i recognize that YOU have a right to call the shots in my life and i want to cooperate with that.” you will find so much fulfillment, meaning, purpose, satisfaction. you'll find your niche and all of a sudden find “this is why i was created. this is why i'm here on earth.” you're cooperating with the plan of GOD instead of fighting it. i invite you to do that today.

just a thought from the front porch…

discouragement or comfort...

another benefit of GOD’s presense is when i'm discouraged, HE is my COMFORTER.

look at this verse. psalm 34.18 (tev), the LORD is near to those who are discouraged. HE saves those who have lost all hope. HE is near.

if you're discouraged, one thing i can say with all confidence: GOD is with you. the new international version: the LORD is close to the brokenhearted. is your heart breaking? the LORD is near you.

the book, where is GOD when it hurts? came out a while back. the answer to that question is HE's with you. HE feels your hurt. HE feels your discouragement. HE knows when you're not making it, when you're frustrated.

some of you are going through some rough times right now and you're ready to give in or give up or throw in the towel: "i'm not going to put any more effort into it. i'm going to chuck the business, or marriage, or kids." you don't know if you want to keep on going in the direction you're going. you may be ready to give up.

i don't know what you're going through but whatever it is GOD is going through it with you. you are not alone. HIS presence is there because HE wants to be your comforter. GOD is not some impersonal force. HE is not some far off, far away power. but HE's very personal and HE's right there with you.

JESUS said in john 14, the FATHER will send you a COMFORTER who will never leave you and HE is the HOLY SPIRIT.

no matter what you're going to go through this week, GOD will go through it with you. when the roof caves in, GOD is with you. HE's never too busy to listen. HE never says come back later, the line is busy. HE is sympathetic to the stress that you are feeling in your life.

some of you are reading this, thinking of this as intellectual truth and you're filing it in your mind. others of you know exactly, from experience, what i'm talking about. you've been through some deep waters in the last two or three weeks and you have felt GOD's presence in your life. HE has comforted you. HE has given you the strength and encouragement to keep on going. HE's an encourager.

just a thought from the front porch…