I was sitting on the couch this evening, winding down from my day, and watching/listening to my girls do the same. One was finishing her bath, while the other was sitting in front of the computer, writing a note to her mom. From the office, I heard a loud noise that sounded like someone hitting a keyboard, then a loud, sustained cry. I got up and immediately rushed in to see what was the matter.
When I saw my 6-year-old standing in front of the screen, her face red and tear-streaked, her eyes puffy, the chair pushed back from the desk, I assumed she had fallen off her seat. So imagine my surprise, when I asked her what was wrong and she said, "the thing won't go back to the center of the page!"
"What do you mean?" I asked. Through deep sobs she replied, "The thing. The blinking thing. I push enter and it goes all the way over here (to the left side of the page). I want it in the middle."
I felt a sudden sense of relief. This was one I could finally handle! "Well, just calm down and listen, and I'll show you how to fix it," I told her.
That's when the bomb dropped. She grabbed the keyboard, clutched it tight and said, "Daddy, I don't think you can!" Well now, this was insulting. I thought I could do anything in my daughters eyes. She has a problem that's so simple, I've solved it hundreds of times. Why doesn't she just trust me to fix it?
And then it hit me. This must be exactly how God feels when I don't trust him with my problems. And that's exactly how I often act. I just want to grab my keyboard and go home.
"I can do it," I told her reassuringly. "I know how." And once she let go of the keyboard and let me take control, I showed her exactly how to fix her problem.
Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. -Psalm 55:10
Showing posts with label Psalm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Friday, August 15, 2008
The beauty of God's word
The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.- Psalm 19:7-11
This may be my favorite passage about the beauty and glory and usefulness of God's word. Sometimes, reading through the word can be a chore, sometimes it can be a bore. Then, there are times like last night where I just wanted to be immersed in it. I opened up the Psalms and prayed and read and found verse after verse that I could USE RIGHT NOW. While reading, I happened across the 23rd Psalm and prayed through that.
The times in my life when I feel closest to God are when I'm spending the most time praying and meditating on His word. The times when I feel the farthest are when I'm not reading it for what it is- perfect, trustworth, like the finest gold or the sweetest honey.
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.- Psalm 19:7-11
This may be my favorite passage about the beauty and glory and usefulness of God's word. Sometimes, reading through the word can be a chore, sometimes it can be a bore. Then, there are times like last night where I just wanted to be immersed in it. I opened up the Psalms and prayed and read and found verse after verse that I could USE RIGHT NOW. While reading, I happened across the 23rd Psalm and prayed through that.
The times in my life when I feel closest to God are when I'm spending the most time praying and meditating on His word. The times when I feel the farthest are when I'm not reading it for what it is- perfect, trustworth, like the finest gold or the sweetest honey.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
No, really. Who would?
If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that's why you're worshiped. - Psalm 130:3-4 (The Message)
I wouldn't. Would you?
When I was in grade school, the teacher always threatened that if I got in trouble, it would go on my "permanent record." I'm not sure what this was, but I assume it's still around, maybe in the National Archives, since it's permanent. I can't imagine what's in there, but I'm sure the 94-year-old librarian in the musty book stacks where it's kept could help me find out.
I for one am so very thankful that they're aren't report cards in the kingdom of God. Don't get me wrong - I know that someday I'll stand before my maker and have to answer to what I did or didn't do to build his kingdom. But I have great assurance that all the stuff I do is removed from my "permanent record." How about you?
who would stand a chance?
As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,
and that's why you're worshiped. - Psalm 130:3-4 (The Message)
I wouldn't. Would you?
When I was in grade school, the teacher always threatened that if I got in trouble, it would go on my "permanent record." I'm not sure what this was, but I assume it's still around, maybe in the National Archives, since it's permanent. I can't imagine what's in there, but I'm sure the 94-year-old librarian in the musty book stacks where it's kept could help me find out.
I for one am so very thankful that they're aren't report cards in the kingdom of God. Don't get me wrong - I know that someday I'll stand before my maker and have to answer to what I did or didn't do to build his kingdom. But I have great assurance that all the stuff I do is removed from my "permanent record." How about you?
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Armloads of blessing
And now, God, do it again—
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.- Psalm 126:4-6 (The Message)
So, I'm really into this book Pop Goes the Church. In it, author Tim Stevens talks about being a missionary in your own neighborhood. He says, and I'm going to blow the exact words, but people can't see God's love if their basic needs aren't being met. In other words, to be relevant in a community, you have to gain permission by meeting their needs.
Which got me thinking... what are the needs that need met in our community? Is it basic necessities (food, shelter, utilities, clothing)? If so, how can we as a church meet those? Is it the general emptiness people feel in their lives? If so, how can we meet them. It got me thinking about this Psalm: "And now, God, do it again- bring rain to our doubt stricken lives."
So, until we figure out where people need their needs met, this will be my prayer.
bring rains to our drought-stricken lives
So those who planted their crops in despair
will shout hurrahs at the harvest,
So those who went off with heavy hearts
will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.- Psalm 126:4-6 (The Message)
So, I'm really into this book Pop Goes the Church. In it, author Tim Stevens talks about being a missionary in your own neighborhood. He says, and I'm going to blow the exact words, but people can't see God's love if their basic needs aren't being met. In other words, to be relevant in a community, you have to gain permission by meeting their needs.
Which got me thinking... what are the needs that need met in our community? Is it basic necessities (food, shelter, utilities, clothing)? If so, how can we as a church meet those? Is it the general emptiness people feel in their lives? If so, how can we meet them. It got me thinking about this Psalm: "And now, God, do it again- bring rain to our doubt stricken lives."
So, until we figure out where people need their needs met, this will be my prayer.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Lazarus, come out!
When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house....
Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone."
The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, "Master, by this time there's a stench. He's been dead four days!"
Then, to the others, "Go ahead, take away the stone."
They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, "Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me."
Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.
Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose." - John 11:17-20, 38-39, 41-44 (The Message)
The tension was palpable. People were upset. Even those who believed everything Jesus said, everything he claimed to be, didn't understand why he would let Lazarus die. (1)Lazarus was a popular man. The story tells us that "many of the Jews" had come from Jerusalem to console Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha. (2)Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. The scripture tells us this, and we see it in the way Jesus weeps when he sees Lazarus's tomb. (3) Some would say, Jesus "owed" it to Mary, who in a moment of extravagant love, had washed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and dried them with her hair. Of all the miracles, this is the one he should surely have performed- saving Lazarus. Yet, he chose not to. Instead, he chose to let His glory be displayed later, to the distress and dismay of everyone around. Why?
Jesus answers this question in verse 15: "You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Let's go there."
We as human beings are so stubborn about believing only what we see. If I could just trust that, since everything the bible says about God, I've found to be true, then all he must really have it all under control, my life would be much less complicated. Instead, I fuss about things and worry a lot and I doubt sometimes that God is who He says he is.
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.- Psalm 18:30 (NIV)
Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone."
The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, "Master, by this time there's a stench. He's been dead four days!"
Then, to the others, "Go ahead, take away the stone."
They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, "Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me."
Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.
Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose." - John 11:17-20, 38-39, 41-44 (The Message)
The tension was palpable. People were upset. Even those who believed everything Jesus said, everything he claimed to be, didn't understand why he would let Lazarus die. (1)Lazarus was a popular man. The story tells us that "many of the Jews" had come from Jerusalem to console Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha. (2)Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. The scripture tells us this, and we see it in the way Jesus weeps when he sees Lazarus's tomb. (3) Some would say, Jesus "owed" it to Mary, who in a moment of extravagant love, had washed Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and dried them with her hair. Of all the miracles, this is the one he should surely have performed- saving Lazarus. Yet, he chose not to. Instead, he chose to let His glory be displayed later, to the distress and dismay of everyone around. Why?
Jesus answers this question in verse 15: "You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Let's go there."
We as human beings are so stubborn about believing only what we see. If I could just trust that, since everything the bible says about God, I've found to be true, then all he must really have it all under control, my life would be much less complicated. Instead, I fuss about things and worry a lot and I doubt sometimes that God is who He says he is.
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.- Psalm 18:30 (NIV)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
On Miracles...
Open my eyes so I can see
what You show me of your miracle-wonders. - Psalm 119:18 (The Message)
"Got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She's sleepin' like a rock
My name on her wrist
Wearin' tiny pink socks
She's got my nose, she's got her mama's eyes
My brand new baby girl
She's a miracle
I saw God today"- George Strait
There are people who will tell you that miracles don't happen any more. Even some theologians will say that the act of performing miracles was reserved for the time and place while the Bible was being written and that God chooses now to use people to carry out his purpose, rather than performing miracles.
My personal view is that I see miracles all the time. When I see a couple that's stayed together through lots of hard times and marriages crumbling all around, I see a miracle. When I see people healed who had a 50, 30, 20, 10% or less chance of surviving and today they're cancer-free, that's a miracle. And, yes, the birth of a brand new baby is nothing short of a miracle. Think about all that has to happen for a baby to be born. First, a man and woman have to find each other, among all the billions of people that are alive. Then they have to get together and, ahem, procreate at just the right time under just the right conditions, and somehow one of his frisky little swimmers has to not only find his way upstream into the right tube, but then have enough energy left to find and penetrate that single, solitary egg. Next, cells have to divide and divide and divide until they start to look like something, and the mother has to feed and nourish herself along with the baby, and not do anything too strenuous for nine+ months and the baby has to survive all sorts of viruses, bacteria, and other ickies to which it may be exposed. Then, finally, when the time is right (but not before), it starts to push it's way out and the mother gets to the hospital even though the dad is a total wreck and forgets her bag and the doctors and nurses know just what to do even when the cord is wrapped around its neck and the right foot comes out first. Whew! It's a miracle any of us are here, right?
I think the real reason so many of us don't believe in miracles is because we've become so accustomed to seeing things in a practical, scientific light that we can find an explanation for just about any supernatural thing that happens. If someone is cured, that medicine must really work (even if it didn't work for the last person who took it). If we run into someone at just the right time- right when they needed a friend- and we can encourage them, it's a coincidence. Coincidence gets way too much credit in our modern society.
Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of people who say "everything happens for a reason" and I'm not one of them. I don't think everything happens for a reason. I think sometimes your son grounds out because he just didn't swing the bat very well. Sometimes your daughter fails a test because she didn't study. It doesn't have to be God trying to teach you a lesson. But, I do believe that God is telling a story with our lives, and each story has a theme that runs througout. And, God will use events in our lives to carry out this theme. Sometimes, we get so far out of the story, that it takes a miracle to get us back where we belong.
Sometimes we get way too sick, and God still has other chapters to write, so he needs to write us back in. So, he sends just the right doctor with just the right training at just the right time so we can live to fight another day. Or sometimes, we take our identity as sinners too far, and we start to wreck a marriage or a family or a career that God needs to tell our story. And God will use a miracle to heal that situation.
My prayer is like that of the Psalmist. God, open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders.
what You show me of your miracle-wonders. - Psalm 119:18 (The Message)
"Got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She's sleepin' like a rock
My name on her wrist
Wearin' tiny pink socks
She's got my nose, she's got her mama's eyes
My brand new baby girl
She's a miracle
I saw God today"- George Strait
There are people who will tell you that miracles don't happen any more. Even some theologians will say that the act of performing miracles was reserved for the time and place while the Bible was being written and that God chooses now to use people to carry out his purpose, rather than performing miracles.
My personal view is that I see miracles all the time. When I see a couple that's stayed together through lots of hard times and marriages crumbling all around, I see a miracle. When I see people healed who had a 50, 30, 20, 10% or less chance of surviving and today they're cancer-free, that's a miracle. And, yes, the birth of a brand new baby is nothing short of a miracle. Think about all that has to happen for a baby to be born. First, a man and woman have to find each other, among all the billions of people that are alive. Then they have to get together and, ahem, procreate at just the right time under just the right conditions, and somehow one of his frisky little swimmers has to not only find his way upstream into the right tube, but then have enough energy left to find and penetrate that single, solitary egg. Next, cells have to divide and divide and divide until they start to look like something, and the mother has to feed and nourish herself along with the baby, and not do anything too strenuous for nine+ months and the baby has to survive all sorts of viruses, bacteria, and other ickies to which it may be exposed. Then, finally, when the time is right (but not before), it starts to push it's way out and the mother gets to the hospital even though the dad is a total wreck and forgets her bag and the doctors and nurses know just what to do even when the cord is wrapped around its neck and the right foot comes out first. Whew! It's a miracle any of us are here, right?
I think the real reason so many of us don't believe in miracles is because we've become so accustomed to seeing things in a practical, scientific light that we can find an explanation for just about any supernatural thing that happens. If someone is cured, that medicine must really work (even if it didn't work for the last person who took it). If we run into someone at just the right time- right when they needed a friend- and we can encourage them, it's a coincidence. Coincidence gets way too much credit in our modern society.
Don't get me wrong. I know a lot of people who say "everything happens for a reason" and I'm not one of them. I don't think everything happens for a reason. I think sometimes your son grounds out because he just didn't swing the bat very well. Sometimes your daughter fails a test because she didn't study. It doesn't have to be God trying to teach you a lesson. But, I do believe that God is telling a story with our lives, and each story has a theme that runs througout. And, God will use events in our lives to carry out this theme. Sometimes, we get so far out of the story, that it takes a miracle to get us back where we belong.
Sometimes we get way too sick, and God still has other chapters to write, so he needs to write us back in. So, he sends just the right doctor with just the right training at just the right time so we can live to fight another day. Or sometimes, we take our identity as sinners too far, and we start to wreck a marriage or a family or a career that God needs to tell our story. And God will use a miracle to heal that situation.
My prayer is like that of the Psalmist. God, open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders.
Friday, April 11, 2008
And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view! - Psalm 84:5-7 (The Message)
I love this idea that the roads God travels are the lives of those in whom he lives. In an earlier post, I talked about the idea that God resides with us on the earth, but that God lives in us and travels the paths of our lives with us should give great hope.
As we hiked up Camelback mountain in Scottsdale a few days ago, my wife was worn out. She was ready to quit at any moment. And, we got to the bend where I was sure she was done, and we started seeing people coming down... people who had passed us on the way up, and it gave us hope. Look, we each thought silently, they traveled the same trail we have, and they made it and are on their way back. I really think this, more than anything, gave her the strength and encouragement to make it to the top on her own. If we can be encouraged by other people making it to the top of a piddly little hike, how much more encouraged, then, should we be knowing God walks the roads of our lives with us. When we ask God into our hearts, He sends His spirit to come live in us and live our lives with us. I can rest in assurance that anything I go through, anything I do, anything I encounter, I am not alone.
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view! - Psalm 84:5-7 (The Message)
I love this idea that the roads God travels are the lives of those in whom he lives. In an earlier post, I talked about the idea that God resides with us on the earth, but that God lives in us and travels the paths of our lives with us should give great hope.
As we hiked up Camelback mountain in Scottsdale a few days ago, my wife was worn out. She was ready to quit at any moment. And, we got to the bend where I was sure she was done, and we started seeing people coming down... people who had passed us on the way up, and it gave us hope. Look, we each thought silently, they traveled the same trail we have, and they made it and are on their way back. I really think this, more than anything, gave her the strength and encouragement to make it to the top on her own. If we can be encouraged by other people making it to the top of a piddly little hike, how much more encouraged, then, should we be knowing God walks the roads of our lives with us. When we ask God into our hearts, He sends His spirit to come live in us and live our lives with us. I can rest in assurance that anything I go through, anything I do, anything I encounter, I am not alone.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sagging skin and brittle bones
You're all I want in heaven!
You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful. - Psalm 73:25-26 (The Message)
So, I slept on a heating pad last night. After Saturday's race, it seems my back and neck took the brunt of the abuse, not my legs. Lately, I have had stiff necks, sore backs, and when I get up in the morning, I can only shuffle my feet like Tim Conway's old man on The Carol Burnett Show.
A couple weeks shy of 38, I sometimes feel like I am 60. It's enough to make me look forward to my new body.
But this Psalm is encouraging to me. Even when my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. The King James says, "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." What a beautiful idea that even when we are weak, he stands strong. In fact, I find when I am the weakest is when he is best able to show his strength.
A couple of weeks ago, I met with some ladies visiting the US from Ukraine. They run a ministry there that counsels women against having abortions, then helps them acquire skills so they can work and support their children. By God's grace, they acquired a piece of land in their town, and are praying about building a rehabilitation hospital on the plot. The Americans in the room got very excited about helping out with this and were asking questions about how much it would cost, how would they raise the money, what kind of timeline they had, etc. The women got very silent, then one looked across the table, pointed her finger and, with a very serious look, said, "Only God can build this building." Wow! What faith. When we are weak, He is strong.
In America, we have so much, our reliance on God is often secondary to our reliance on ourselves. We go to work, we make money, we buy things, we solve problems, we help people, we try to fix things and people and situations. In the places in the world where they just don't have the resources, they rely on God more. In the U.S., we often rely on God only when we can't do something ourselves.
We work so hard to make ourselves strong. Maybe, we need to take time to make ourselves weak, so He can show His strength. Maybe instead of building ourselves up, we need to tear ourselves down, and let Him rebuild us. Maybe we need to become less so God can become more in our lives.
Don't get me wrong... I don't like having a weak body. But, if it means I trust God more- that He must become the strength of my heart and my portion forever- then go ahead and break my bones.
You're all I want on earth!
When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
God is rock-firm and faithful. - Psalm 73:25-26 (The Message)
So, I slept on a heating pad last night. After Saturday's race, it seems my back and neck took the brunt of the abuse, not my legs. Lately, I have had stiff necks, sore backs, and when I get up in the morning, I can only shuffle my feet like Tim Conway's old man on The Carol Burnett Show.
A couple weeks shy of 38, I sometimes feel like I am 60. It's enough to make me look forward to my new body.
But this Psalm is encouraging to me. Even when my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. The King James says, "My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever." What a beautiful idea that even when we are weak, he stands strong. In fact, I find when I am the weakest is when he is best able to show his strength.
A couple of weeks ago, I met with some ladies visiting the US from Ukraine. They run a ministry there that counsels women against having abortions, then helps them acquire skills so they can work and support their children. By God's grace, they acquired a piece of land in their town, and are praying about building a rehabilitation hospital on the plot. The Americans in the room got very excited about helping out with this and were asking questions about how much it would cost, how would they raise the money, what kind of timeline they had, etc. The women got very silent, then one looked across the table, pointed her finger and, with a very serious look, said, "Only God can build this building." Wow! What faith. When we are weak, He is strong.
In America, we have so much, our reliance on God is often secondary to our reliance on ourselves. We go to work, we make money, we buy things, we solve problems, we help people, we try to fix things and people and situations. In the places in the world where they just don't have the resources, they rely on God more. In the U.S., we often rely on God only when we can't do something ourselves.
We work so hard to make ourselves strong. Maybe, we need to take time to make ourselves weak, so He can show His strength. Maybe instead of building ourselves up, we need to tear ourselves down, and let Him rebuild us. Maybe we need to become less so God can become more in our lives.
Don't get me wrong... I don't like having a weak body. But, if it means I trust God more- that He must become the strength of my heart and my portion forever- then go ahead and break my bones.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The prayer of a Christian leader
Don't let those who look to you in hope
Be discouraged by what happens to me,
Dear Lord! God of the armies!
Don't let those out looking for you
Come to a dead end by following me—
Please, dear God of Israel! - Psalm 69:6 (The Message)
David's plea is the prayer of many Christian leaders. It probably should be the prayer of many more. He basically says, "Don't let others stumble because of what I do."
There's a perception that when we become Christians we will always be shiny, happy people. Remember the old song, "I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time?" We teach that to our kids! Well, I don't know about you, but it's not always true for me. Unfortunately, that's sometimes what people expect from followers of Christ. God forbid you should have a bad day. God forbid you should have a problem in your marriage. God forbid you should suffer from depression, or anxiety, or make a poor decision, or do anything that proves you're not perfect.
Leaders, you are under a lot of scrutiny. Christian leaders are watched especially intently. Some people look to them for examples, others look for them to make mistakes so they can revel in them. All of us who are passionate about helping people find their way back to God should make this our prayer..."Don't let those who look to you in hope be discouraged by what happens to me." Let's point people to Christ, not to our lives, as examples.
Be discouraged by what happens to me,
Dear Lord! God of the armies!
Don't let those out looking for you
Come to a dead end by following me—
Please, dear God of Israel! - Psalm 69:6 (The Message)
David's plea is the prayer of many Christian leaders. It probably should be the prayer of many more. He basically says, "Don't let others stumble because of what I do."
There's a perception that when we become Christians we will always be shiny, happy people. Remember the old song, "I'm inright, outright, upright, downright happy all the time?" We teach that to our kids! Well, I don't know about you, but it's not always true for me. Unfortunately, that's sometimes what people expect from followers of Christ. God forbid you should have a bad day. God forbid you should have a problem in your marriage. God forbid you should suffer from depression, or anxiety, or make a poor decision, or do anything that proves you're not perfect.
Leaders, you are under a lot of scrutiny. Christian leaders are watched especially intently. Some people look to them for examples, others look for them to make mistakes so they can revel in them. All of us who are passionate about helping people find their way back to God should make this our prayer..."Don't let those who look to you in hope be discouraged by what happens to me." Let's point people to Christ, not to our lives, as examples.
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