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Set up signposts (markers) for yourself to mark your trip home. Get a good map. Study the road conditions. The road out is the road back. Jeremiah 31:21 from The Message

Sometimes I have occasion to watch movies which I have already seen for a second or third time. Invariably there is always something I missed the first time which stands out in the repeated viewing. Such was the case when I watched again the movie Heaven is for Real. The movie is the adaptation of a true story about a small town businessman, firefighter, and pastor, his wife and family who are struggling to make ends meet in a particularly hard year.

The couple’s young son, Colton, undergoes emergency surgery and makes a miraculous recovery. The parents are overjoyed at his recovery, but they are unprepared for what happens next. Colton claims that he has been to heaven and back and begins to describe Jesus and things he experienced there. Everyone is doubtful, but as Colton describes things he’s seen and people he has met which he couldn’t possibly know about unless it were true, he makes believers of his family and eventually many others.

The scene that was especially meaningful this time was set outside their home where Colton and a reporter were discussing why he liked heaven so much. Colton says, “Jesus has markers.” The reporter, as many of us would do, was puzzled at how Jesus could have markers for drawing in heaven. Colton laughs and says, “No, not those. Jesus has markers here as he points to each of his hands and here as he points to each of his feet.” We might refer to these as scars, but from the perspective of a young boy, they were markers.

We all have makers in our lives. While our pathways and viewpoints might differ, we all share the common process known as life’s journey. As we look back over our lives, no matter our age, there are markers there which are/were critical. We mark things such as life decisions, powerful moments that impacted us, or even big changes that we had to make for our career or family. Each of us can look back and reflect on these markers which have made our life what it is today.

What about spiritual markers? Can we look back over our lives and remember instances where there was a big change because of our walk with God? Many people in the Bible set up stones as markers so they could remember the places where God revealed himself to them, spoke to them, or restored them. Along our life path, I think setting markers where we’ve seen God working in and among us is one of the most powerful things to witness and remember.

There are so many instances that all of us can recall when we know that God has done a great work in our midst. For example, I know that there have been times when God protected me from what could have been a disastrous choice in my life, and as I look back, I know God did it! There are times when I considered my life to be a complete mess, but I watched in awe as God untangled the mess and brought beauty from the ashes.

It is said that Jesus carried His own cross for over 2000 feet along the winding route up the hill toward Calvary. In my mind, I picture markers He must have passed along this treacherous route. Markers such as the man who offered him water, those who mocked and jeered, the women who cried as he walked by, and the man who offered to help him carry his cross.

Markers come every day if we only pay attention to them. The story I read recently was a marker for me on forgiveness. The excerpt was about Corrie Ten Boom and her Dutch family who housed and helped Jews during the war. They were eventually discovered, arrested, and put in a prison camp where her father and sister died. Corrie survived and had a sense that God had called her to war torn Germany to share His power.

One evening during a speech she was giving, she saw a man approaching her. He was wearing a grey coat, but she saw him in the German uniform he had worn as a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp. She remembered him as one of the cruelest guards in the prison, but he was now extending his hand to her. He said, “Since Ravensbruck, I have become a Christian. I know God has forgiven me, but I need to hear from your lips this night. Will you forgive me? Corrie prayed to God for strength to grasp his hand, and as she prayed, God’s power flowed through her and she was able to forgive him.”

Jesus’ love is a forgiving love that loves the unlovable. It’s a peace that passes all understanding and comprehension. Each of the markers in our lives was put there for a purpose. The markers exist to help us remember who God is, what He has done, and what He has promised.

The Lord is close to those who are broken hearted and rescues those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

In January, on the occasion of his sixteenth birthday, our grandson Cooper was gifted with a 2005 red truck. The truck was pristine on the inside and outside and ran great until his parents decided to fix it by taking it to the dealership to change the oil and rotate the tires. After the service, the truck began to sputter and stall while driving. The dealership declared that a new engine was needed, but in a conversation with the former owner, it was discovered that there was a mechanic who had always taken care of this truck and he could fix the problem.

This mechanic knew this truck inside and out. Sure enough, he declared that the truck did not need a new engine and was not broken, it only needed the correct oil and some tender loving care! If they hadn’t relied on the knowledge of this mechanic, an engine that wasn’t broken would have been replaced.

There is an old saying that my Daddy loved to use, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Many times we set out to make something that is working, work a little better, but we end up breaking it to the point where it doesn’t work at all. We could end up spending our lives trying to fix something that’s not broken.

On the other hand, when something is broken, we need to fix it. There are many examples, but let’s use our lives in this instance. We tend to spend a lot of our time trying to figure out why our lives are broken rather than getting to work fixing the problem. We ask questions like, “If God is all good, then why is my life broken?” The most difficult thing to understand in life is why is pain, problems, and suffering are a part of it? If we aren’t careful, the “why” can leave us feeling cynical and bitter. If we spend all our time contemplating the “why” it does little to fix the brokenness.

The way we try to deal with broken aspects of our life aren’t new. The Bible gives accounts of Job, Abraham, and Jacob who dealt with brokenness because they tried to live life according to their own plans rather than letting God lead and help deal with their brokenness. The good news is that it is never too late to let God work in our lives and heal the broken parts.

What causes brokenness in our lives? I think it occurs when we try to live life on our own terms, and we come up empty. The Bible shows examples of those whose lives ended up broken because they tried to follow God while they lived their lives according to their own plans.

So, how do we cope with brokenness in our own lives. First, I believe that attitude is important. Attitude is defined as a way of thinking or feeling about someone or something that is typically reflected in one’s behavior. Our attitude is our most powerful asset when dreams are shattered and lives are broken, and it can determine whether we become bitter or better. If we fail to deal with the brokenness properly with the right attitude the emotional wounds will fester and the hurt will multiply. Love is our attitude toward others, faith is our attitude toward God, hope is our attitude toward the future, and forgiveness is our attitude toward the past. Everything revolves around our attitude.

Next, recognize that something is broken and take responsibility for it. The most difficult thing to understand is why pain, suffering, and adversity are part of life. If we remember that God can use whatever comes our way for the greater good, and that God often uses affliction for the greatest growth, then God will use the brokenness for His glory.

Finally, don’t give up on God fixing the broken parts. Just like Cooper’s truck sometimes a different opinion can offer the solution. Instead of working harder to fix the problem on our own, go to the expert and rely on Him to make things right.

Many of us hold onto brokenness in our lives and try to cure it using the same old lifestyle ways instead of reaching out for the new lease on life God offers. Just like the mechanic who knew the truck best and had always loved and cared for it, Jesus is the one we need to turn to when we are broken. He knows us better than any other and cares for us the most. Brokenness doesn’t means hopelessness when we trust God to help fix us!

And this is my prayer; that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Philippians 1:9-10

There are many times in our lives when we have occasion to deal with the things which we consider of major importance. For instance, our Major in education is the field of study in which we decide to pursue our professional career. Some people choose to minor in a secondary or complementary subject to that field or maybe branch off into a specific hobby or interest. Majors are the subject areas that require commitment to complete for graduation. Minors just compliment the major.

Our lives are full of major occurrences which should receive most of our attention, but sometimes the minor irritations or commitments of life have a way of pushing themselves to the forefront. One of the dangers of this face paced world in which we live is that we become so preoccupied with incidentals, nonessentials and minors that we neglect the fundamentals, essentials, and majors. It is not enough to be busy and active to be alive. We need to be busy for a purpose, active for a cause, and living for an ideal.

Merry go rounds were the favorite part of a carnival which visited our small town once a year. It was probably the only ride where the scenery never changed. We could ride around and around, but in retrospect, all those trips around just revealed the same sights, and it got us nowhere. Life can be a lot like that feeling because we go and go but never arrive. We move all the time, but we get nowhere.

If it is the major things that are so important in life, then the question becomes, why do we spend so much of our lives dealing with the minors? Larry Love, an associate of Billy Graham, saw an unusual and striking advertisement in a subway station while in London. It pictured a very expensive and exclusive copy of a magazine. Underneath the pictures were these words, “Read by an overwhelming minority.” That’s a catchy and clever idea that is so often true.

It’s strange that in government and business the majority rules, but God’s business is often ruled by the minority. What then is the major thing in this life of ours? Is it power? Is it prestige, knowledge, friendship, influence, or popularity? When Randy and I were in high school, our senior class in our respective schools always voted on superlatives such as Most Popular, Friendliest, Most likely to Succeed, etc. Randy’s claim to fame has always been that he was Most Popular. I like to say, “That was then – this is now.” What was major is now minor.

The major thing in this life is that we have a relationship with God and that the welfare of our soul is secure. Everything else is incidental, nonessential, and minor. In other words, if we seek the majors then the minors will be added.

So how do we begin to major in the majors? First, I think we need to put first things first. Sift through the non essentials in life and get to the heart of what God would have us do.

Secondly, major in setting an example for others. The world is changed by our example not by our opinions. Our major should be pointing the world to Jesus not to self service.

Finally, major in love and forgiveness. We have to dwell on the majors that unite us as a family of God and not the minors that divide us.

During these next few weeks of Lent, my prayer is that we begin to dwell on the major things of life and major in them! When we do that, the minors will take a back seat in our lives.

“When God does not supply our motivation, we tend to major in the minors and minor in the majors.” Gary L. Thomas

Six days later three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from inside out right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from His face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with Him. Peter broke in and said “Master this is a great moment. What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah?” While he was going on like this, babbling, a light radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to Him. Matthew 17:1-5 The Message

In this scripture, Jesus was transfigured and the divinity of his nature shows through his humanity. This transformation serves as a reminder to us that we are made in the image of God, and during this Lenten season, we have the opportunity to let our Godliness shine to those around us.

Transformation is defined as a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance. We have all known people in our lives (maybe even ourselves) who go through a transformation in appearance, personality, or even their lives. It could be a good transformation, or maybe through hardships and sorrow, it leaves a person visibly worn.

The story is told of Leonardo da Vinci who experienced this type of transformation while looking for someone to sit for his famous fresco of The Lord’s Supper. When he looked for someone to sit as the character of Judas Iscariot, he found just the right person – a man whose worn features mapped a life of despair and disillusionment. As Leonardo went to work, a strange feeling came over him. “I get the feeling we have met before, ” said the artist. “Yes,” replied the man, “I have sat here before. I was your model for Jesus. Since then, I have fallen on bad times and have lost family, friends – everything.” This kind of transformation can happen to anyone.

Recently at Asbury Seminary, the Holy Spirit began a transformation of lives. It started as usual at Wednesday morning chapel. The benediction was pronounced, the choir began a song, but students didn’t leave. They reported a quiet but powerful transcendence of the Holy Spirit and they stayed. During the next days, people from all over came to experience the revival. “There is nothing fancy, loud, or boisterous,” a student reported, “just people praying and experiencing humility, compassion, confession, consecration, and surrender unto the Lord.” A transformation in lives-right here, right now!

People there, just like the Disciples on that day on the mountain, reported wanting to freeze this moment in time, but rather than staying in the moment, it is good that they have begun to transform their lives and spread the experience to others.

So, how do we start the transformation during Lent this year? First, it seems we should seek to be more God centered rather than self centered. If we consider each decision and ask, “Is this for God or for me?” our lives will begin the transformation, and we can spread the spirit of love.

Next, filter out the negative impact of narrow minded people, media, and nay sayers. If we let other forces control us with doubt, dread, fear, insecurity, panic or anxiety, then we are allowing faithlessness to get the upper hand. We need the transformation of a sound mind.

Finally, we need the transformation of fearlessness in our faith. Too many of us live our lives being wishy washy or weak, when we should be filled with power and authority which comes when we walk with ability and meaning in life supplied by the Holy Spirit. When we are secure of who we are in Christ, we have the power of fearlessness.

We are called to be transformers in this world, but in order to transform anyone or anything in this world we need to first experience transformation in our own lives. Be a transformer!

For forty days He was tempted by the devil. Luke 4:2

This week we begin the forty day journey known to Christians as Lent. The condensed version of the history of this event began around 230 AD when a group of Christians started fasting for the 40 hours leading up to Easter in order to prepare their hearts for this special day. Years later seven days of fasting were added, and it was called Holy Week. Around 325 AD the church officially made Lent forty days representing Jesus’ forty days of testing in the wilderness.

The Lenten journey begins with Ash Wednesday and ends in triumph on Easter Sunday. We take these forty days for self reflection, cathartic thinking, repentance, and confession. Although Ash Wednesday is never directly mentioned in the Bible, it is a celebrated event in church history.

During these forty days many people deny themselves or “give up” something that is important or meaningful to them. For example, every year I try to give up sweets for the forty days excluding Sundays, but inevitably I yield to temptation because the more I deny myself sweets, the more tempting they become!

Temptation is defined as the desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise. It is also defined as the act of enticement to do wrong by the promise of pleasure or gain. Oscar Wilde said two things about temptation: First, “I can resist anything but temptation,” and secondly, “The best way to deal with temptation is to yield to it.” It’s much easier for me to just yield and be done with it, but that’s the easy way.

The Bible tells us in Luke chapter four, that Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where Satan tempted him “in every way” for forty days. Jesus countered every device Satan threw at him and replied to each of Satan’s temptations saying, “It is written man shall not live by bread alone”, “worship your God and serve Him only”, and “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” He never yielded to the temptations put before Him.

The devil works in such devious ways. He persuades us to do something wrong by promising us something good. He puts dessert on the restaurant menu, he makes the grass look greener on the other side of the fence, and he encourages us that we hurt no one when we lie, cheat, or steal. There’s not a day that goes by in any of our lives when we aren’t tempted in some way. Temptation comes in all kinds of packages which seem innocent enough, but sometimes have lasting consequences. We all struggle with our temptation to gossip, lie, cheat, overeat, hold grudges, be unforgiving, even steal.

So how do we deal with temptation in our lives? Obviously, I have lost many battles with this, but first, it seems to me that temptation is inevitable. No matter who we are, there isn’t a place on earth that’s free from them. Everyday presents a constant battle to avoid temptation.

Secondly, we should remember that temptation is not sent from God. The responsibility for yielding to temptation rests with each of us. Sadly, there is an epidemic in our world of not taking responsibility for our own actions or blaming others for our mistakes. Just like kindergarten kids who fight and when the teacher asks, “Who started it?” the answer from both is always, “not me!”

Next, temptation is a personal matter. Adam and Eve gave into temptation in the garden of Eden and when God confronted Eve, she was the first person to ever say, “The Devil made me do it.” The devil tempted her, but did not force her. When we yield to temptation, it’s our fault!

Lastly, temptation always seems to follow a pattern. Just like a fish, who, when a worm is dropped into the water near him can either take the bait and be caught or swim past and live to be tempted another day. That’s how temptation works with us, we have to make a choice. Satan is the best fisherman in the world because he knows our weaknesses and tempts us with things that will most likely cause us to bite!

It’s easy to make excuses for yielding to temptations and assume that no one else knows how we feel, but we need to remember that Jesus has been there. He has felt the urge to yield, and understands our weakness. Most of the things that tempt us seem harmless at the time, but the ramifications can be never ending!

Remember, the temptations that come into our life are no different from what others experience. God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that we can’t stand up against it. When we are tempted, He will show us a way out so that we won’t give into it.

Maybe for Lent this year, we should “give up” temptation!

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:8

The holiday that emphasizes love is upon us, and everywhere we see the evidence of it with hearts, chocolates, and flowers enticing us to show our love by giving these gifts to special people in our lives!! One of the values of this time of year is that it reminds us how important it is to focus on and invest in the people we love! Relationships fade and falter when those involved don’t do that!!

The responsibility of showing love during this season seems to fall more on males than females. They are charged with remembering their loved ones with extravagant gifts, dozens of flowers, or expensive romantic dinners! It reminds me of the story that is told of a brother and sister who found a box of love notes their parents had written early in their married life. The boy said to his sister, “These are surely not the names they call each other now!”

Love changes over the years. It can take on many different forms and expand to include many different aspects of our lives. In 1973, Randy and I lived in Snellville, Georgia where he was the youth minister and I was a teacher in the county school system. We lived in a house that the church owned and allowed us to occupy. Randy attended school at Emory during the week and worked at the church all weekend. I taught all week, tutored after school, and helped him during the weekend. That year a gift for Valentine’s Day was the last thing on my mind, but when I came home after school, Randy had left me a gift, but not anything traditional. It was a bouquet of roses he had drawn on a piece of white paper with the words, “Love never fails.” It was the most special gift to me, and it remains to this day my all time favorite gift!!

There are so many different ways of showing our love in this world of today, and the word love is used for everything from a movie that we enjoy to a food that we eat, even to a team that we support and to whom we pledge allegiance. So, how do we define love and what it really means in our own lives? How do we show to the world the distinctiveness of Christian love? Burt Bacharach said it best when he wrote, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love, It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.”

Jesus is the ultimate example of love, so how can we reflect this? First, I think love has to be a priority in our lives. Love isn’t a so called “grey area” in the Bible because Jesus gave it priority of all the other words when he said, “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Every thought, response, and action needs to pass through the fine line of love or it means nothing at all.

Secondly, we must understand the importance of love! God established love as the impetus for obedience. Love fulfills the law because if we truly love every person because he or she is a person, we will not desire to hurt or violate them, thus we will never break the law. Love never fails.

Finally, we need to embody the nature of love. When we demonstrate Christian love as Jesus teaches, the world distinguishes us from the rest of the world. Jesus said “the world will know us by our love for each other” not by our agenda. It’s as though Jesus has given the world the right to judge whether or not we are His follower simply based on our love for others. The virtue of love distinguishes us as Christians.

Love values the other person, it entails the opening of one’s heart to another, and love comes at a cost. The story is told of a minister who officiated at many weddings. The nervous grooms would always ask, “How much do I owe you for doing this?” The reply was always said with a smile, “Aw, just pay me what she is worth!” The minister made a lot of money because to each man his bride was of extravagant value.

From the very beginning, God’s plan was to develop a people that reflected His character. God never loved us not because we had something to offer him, but rather because He had something to offer us. This character, this gift is love, and love never fails!

Keep you zeal, don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and inflamed. Be alert servants of the Master. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Romans 12:11-12 from The Message

It’s hard to admit, but sometimes I tend to want others to make decisions that affect me, either because I don’t care or I’m uninformed. For example, when we are going out to dinner with others and they ask where we would like to go, I most often reply, “It really doesn’t matter to me” or in other words, “I don’t care.” I have never thought of that reply as being apathetic because most of the time I really don’t care, but in reality, I guess it is a pretty lame response.

Apathy is defined as “a lack of interest, enthusiasm or concern,” or in my case, a feeling of “I don’t care.” An anonymous source is quoted as saying, “Apathy is the glove in which evil slips its hard.” Elie Wiesel says of it, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference, and the opposite of life is not death, It’s indifference.”

The sad thing about apathy is that it doesn’t just affect the apathetic person, but it can affect all those around as well. The story is told of a little mouse who peeked out of his hole one day only to see a farmer and his wife taking a mouse trap out of a bag. He ran to the chicken, the lamb, and the cow to warn them of his impending danger, but each one responded apathetically since it did not directly affect them. That night a great noise revealed that a poisonous snake had been caught in the mousetrap! The wife tried to catch it, but the snake bit the wife, and she came down with a high fever. In order to comfort her, the farmer made a delicious soup, but he needed chicken to add to the recipe, so he took his knife and killed the chicken. Neighbors came to visit and lend support, but since there was no food to serve them, the farmer slaughtered the lamb to feed them. The wife died, and the husband had to sell the cow to cover expenses. The moral here is “the next time someone tells you about a problem and you don’t think it concerns you, think twice. He who doesn’t live to serve doesn’t serve to live.”

That story brought to mind the many times we as Christians pass by an opportunity to change the world because we are apathetic. We see people in this country pulling us further and further away from its roots and heritage, but it doesn’t affect us at the moment, so we don’t speak out. The country isn’t going bad because of the wickedness of the bad, but rather because of the apathy of the good.

Most of us are guilty of depending on others to provide a blessing to those around us who could really use it! Just like forty year old Isaac who let his father send out someone else to arrange for Rebekah to be his wife, we sometimes leave it to others to arrange and provide what we should be doing ourselves! We just don’t seem to want to be bothered! We don’t care!

Spiritual apathy can be seen in churches everywhere these days! People have begun to resort to acting like “grown children” who never have reached maturity in their relationship with God. They wait for someone else to do the things they should be doing for themselves. It seems to be a problem that doesn’t concern the masses.

The worst kind of apathy is that of discernment. These are those who accept whatever gossip they might hear in the grocery store, on the news, or in a community, and rather than seeking the truth, take the words as the truth or “drink the Kool-Aid”. First Thessalonians 5:21 commands us to “prove all things” which means we are to carefully examine the words we hear and its interaction in our lives. We all need a high level of discernment as to what we read, to whom we listen, what we watch, and with whom we associate. If we think something just couldn’t be true, we should be faithful to find out the truth!

There are apathetic people all around us who have caused casualties because of their “I don’t care attitude!” It might help us all to ask ourselves, “When was the last time I was involved in letting something wrong happen because I was apathetic?” “When did I accept something as truth without proving it?” “When did I let someone else do the work I should be doing?”

The will of God isn’t for us to develop an apathetic attitude but rather to make a daily commitment for that unto which God has called us!

He has made everything beautiful in His time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

The other day while attempting to water what’s left of my outdoor potted plants, I realized that not only was I getting wet carrying the watering can back and forth, but also I was arriving at the plants with a small amount of water. Upon further examination, it became clear that there was a big hole in the bucket!

This situation took me back to the “around the circle” song that I remember singing as a child and also using in my kindergarten classes entitled There’s A Hole in the Bucket. This song is a two person scenario where Georgie and Liza attempt to solve the problem of a “hole in the bucket”.

The song begins with Georgie saying, “There’s a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza, Dear Liza, There’s a hole in the bucket, Dear Liza, a hole.” Liza then responds, “Then mend it dear Georgie, dear Georgie; Then mend it dear Georgie, dear Georgie, mend it.”

The song continues in the cycle of questions and answers with Georgie’s question, “With what shall I mend it?” Liza replies, “Some Straw.” Georgie replies, “The straws are too long.” Then, “Cut them,” says Liza. “With what shall I cut them?” asks Georgie. “A knife” is the reply. “The knife is too dull,” continues Georgie. Then, “Sharpen it,” says Liza. “With what shall I sharpen it?” Liza answers “With water” (wet stone). Georgie then inquires, “How shall I fetch it?” Liza’s answer is “With a bucket”. George replies, “There’s a hole in the bucket.” We have made a circle back to the beginning!!

Sometimes life is a bit like this song. We go round in circles trying to fix parts of our life, but one thing seems to lead to another and before we know it, we are back where we started. Each of us carry a bucket through this life that we should use to help us collect all the things we need to get through the day or even through life. We are constantly adding things to our buckets. Most of the time we add good things such as promises, assurances, scripture readings, smiles, memories, and many other things. Other people add to our buckets with sweet thoughts, kind words, or maybe even a card or message that is affirming.

Buckets get filled a lot of times just when we need it most and that is what makes us know that life is worth living and that God can be trusted. People show up and fill up the bucket.

I have noticed, however, that there are those whose buckets never stay filled. No matter how hard they try to fill them, the good things come in and seem to drain right out. It seems there is never enough in their bucket. Others add affirmation, accolades, prayers, and concern, but the bucket just keeps leaking. It’s like there’s a hole in their bucket that is never fixed. Others can help, but they can’t do it without the bucket holder’s help! Just like Georgie, some folks just can’t seem to mend the leak!

How can we mend the leak and keep our buckets full? First, I believe our attitude is important in mending our bucket. Our attitude can be an asset or a detriment in the way we look at ourselves, others, and situations. Keep it positive.

Secondly, confess there’s a hole in the bucket, and something in our life is wrong. It’s easy to look over our own failings, inadequacies, or selfish attitudes. When we confess our shortcomings and ask God to intervene, we start mending the hole.

Finally, repent and say that we don’t want to be repeat the behavior that got us here in the first place. It’s easy to continue our hectic lives and leave our buckets empty of God and His blessings while all the goodness we need continues to leak out. Without adding God we just continue to go around and around and repeat the actions that got us here in the first place.

If we are content to live the same way without an attitude adjustment, a confession, and repentance, then we will find our buckets sprouting new leaks that can never be permanently fixed. Let God help mend the leak!

Everything is as God made it, not as it appears to us. In Matthew Henry’s commentary he says, “We have the world and so much in our hearts, but we are so taken up with our thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we have neither the time nor spirit to see God’s hand in them.”

You can’t pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God’s law and ignoring others. James 2:10

During the young years of my life, our small town never afforded an opportunity to visit a cafeteria for lunch on Sundays (or any other time). However, by the grace of God, there was one in a nearby that we frequented, and it was here that I learned the art of picking and choosing from a wide variety of foods! My Daddy was an expert at the cafeteria method, and besides his meal, he always managed to take home a whole buttermilk pie as a bonus for making the trip!

There are few dining experiences I enjoy more than a visit to a good cafeteria such as Morrison’s, S & S, or Piccadilly. The walk down the line of salads, meats, vegetables, breads, and desserts is so inviting that it is hard to pick from the scrumptious selections. On these occasions, I can easily pass by the salad and head straight to the liver and onions, cabbage, sweet potato soufflé, corn bread, and (always) a slice of one of their delicious pies! The great news is that in a cafeteria, we can take just what we want and leave what we don’t.

I do wonder, however, if being able to choose everything we would like whether it be food, decisions, or our life path is really good for us! Especially when it comes to our faith. The world around us is becoming ever more “me” oriented, and many of us have important decisions to make about how we view the world and our faith.

I have a friend who refers to this world of different denominations as being filled with Cafeteria Christians. He was speaking of people who pick and choose what to believe. These are the folks who pick and choose what is right or wrong in their own minds without any thought of what Jesus has to say on the matter. These folks walk through the cafeteria line of faith and choose a double portion of grace, but skip the whole judgment section. They take heaping amounts of blessings, but they skip the Bible study and learning section.

These Christians think they get to pick and choose what God is like and what He expects of them, but they ignore all the hard lessons in the Bible. They like to treat God like He is created in their own image rather than the other way around. These people say they believe in God, but they live like He doesn’t even exist.

Cafeteria Christians want heaping helpings of forgiveness for themselves, but they are reluctant to try the new item of forgiving those who trespass against them. The result of a cafeteria Christian is that they end up with all the things they like about Christianity and leave behind all the things they don’t. The end result is a faith with much to be desired.

James argues that whoever doesn’t keep the whole law is a transgressor of it. So, what does it take for a cafeteria Christian to try a bite of something new in this life and reap the benefits of a full life? What would it take to fill our plates with everything that is included in the teachings of Jesus?

First, it seems that to try a new item in this cafeteria, one would have to be willing to obey and submit our will to His. Following Him doesn’t mean we get to live independently of his instruction and example. In other words, faith without works is dead.

Next, one would have to step outside our comfort zone and try something new. Christians are called to seek justice, defend the helpless, and serve the poor. Jesus calls us to a willing and obedient spirit that follows wherever He leads. We have to abandon ourselves, show compassion, and listen to God.

Finally, one should be prepared to love. Following His example means to love unconditionally, and let the world see something different in us! “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The story is told of a young boy struggling with packages on a busy sidewalk with his Mom. A gentleman in a huge hurry bumped him, and he dropped all the packages. The man shouted out over his shoulder, “Watch where you are going!” At that moment as he and his Mom were trying to pick up the packages another man stopped and began helping. The little boy looked up at him and said, “Thank you mister.” The man said, “This is the Christian thing to do.” The little boy’s mouth fell open, and he said, “Wow, are you Jesus?”

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone mistook us for Jesus in this world of so many choices? The choice is ours.

The Lord will march out like a champion, like a warrior, He will stir up his zeal; with a shout, he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies. Isaiah 42:13 God is my strength and defense. Exodus 15:2

This past Monday, the Georgia Bulldogs became the reigning National Champions of college football for the second consecutive year in front of a packed house, millions of viewers, and huge gatherings of supporters. The team played with amazing skill, precision, teamwork, and heart. There are so many individual stories on this team which exemplify the word, Champion, that it would be impossible to share them all. The real champions are the collective team, coaches, support staff and supporters who worked together to find a way to travel this road again.

The word, champion comes from the Latin word, campionem which means gladiator or fighter. A champion is defined as one who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition or one who fights or argues for a cause on behalf of someone else. When the word is used as a verb, it means one who defends or supports the cause of someone or something.

Champions do not have to be part of a sports team, in fact, there are champions all around us in our everyday life. Sadly, most of the time we are too caught up with our own lives to notice. There are the champions of the countless men and women who serve in our armed forces keeping watch day and night so we can sleep safely at night. There are champion teachers who deal with our children and grandchildren daily helping them to become knowledgeable and respectful citizens. We have medical champions, personnel who work tirelessly to care for the sick and handle emergencies. There are parent champions who work daily to support their families and raise their children. We have unsung champions such as those who care for our elderly and feed and house the homeless amongst us. There are so many everyday champions.

Our country is fortunate to have had champions such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and others who worked to establish this country on Christian standards. We have modern day champions such as Martin Luther King, Billy Graham, and so many others who set standards to show us how to live in harmony. However, when it comes down to it, for the Christian, Jesus is the undisputed champion of our life.

What does it take to be a champion? More specifically, what does it take to for us all to be champions for Christ. First, I believe being a champion takes passion. Two teams which get to this point in their season must have a burning desire or passion to win. The Apostle Paul was a spiritual champion who said, “I run to win.” He had a burning desire or passion to serve his God .

A champion must possess discipline. Tom Landry, legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys, once said, “The job of any coach is to make his players do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.” For a Christian to grow, we need discipline to grow, excel, and gain strength in our beliefs. Paul talked about the training we need to press on to the goal that is before us.

Champions have commitment. Just as a great team commits to the game, a Christian has to be 100% committed to their mission and completely focused on Jesus. Vince Lombardi was right on target when he said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence.”

Finally, champions practice self sacrifice in order to develop character. There is a price to be paid to be a winner. Paul urged us to throw off everything that hinders us and run the race with endurance, Character for teams develop within the context and value system of their structure. For the Christian our character is simple, Christ likeness.

It’s a great time to celebrate the champions all around us and to develop the spiritual traits of a champion so that we can one day cross the goal line of glory.

Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character. Alan Armstrong