The following is the “List of Five.” Each issue of this Encouragement Note has five comments intended to encourage. If you are a new reader, “Welcome.”
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The List of Five
When Going Slowly is Better than a Shortcut
Slowing down enables you to act in a high quality way.
Kind rather than curt. Polished rather than sloppy.
It's hard to be thoughtful when you're in a rush.
(James Clear, 3-2-1 Thursday, December 31, 2021)
I was eight years old and in the third grade at Dallas Christian School. My teacher, Mrs. Rinks, was coming to our house to eat dinner! It was Wednesday evening and afterward we would go to Bible class at our church.
The day before, I overheard my parents say that Mrs. Rinks wanted to talk with them. (I sensed that I was not in trouble.) Somehow, I concluded that she was going to recommend that I skip fourth grade and go directly into the fifth grade. (I have no idea how I came to this conclusion.) That evening, we ate dinner but nothing was said about this. We then went to Wednesday evening Bible class.
After Bible class, I saw Mrs. Rinks talking with my parents on the church parking lot. I remember thinking, “Well this is it. She is telling them that next school year, I need to skip fourth grade and go directly into the 5th grade.”
On the way home, I finally asked, “What did Mrs. Rinks want to talk about?” My mother said, “Oh she wanted to talk about the class project at school. She is asking some parents to help.”
I never said anything but I was so disappointed. No skipping fourth grade. No fast promotion to the fifth grade. Nothing to tell my friends at school. There was no fast track for getting through elementary school.
Typically there is not a fast track to discipleship, maturity, or significant growth. There is not a fast track for becoming a great husband/wife, or parent. Rather we are called to be intentional about becoming who we were created to be in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17).
The challenge is to make the most of each day, each week, each month, and each year. Do we train ourselves for godliness? (I Tim. 4:7b) This kind of training happens not, by hurrying through life, but by remembering who we are each day, whether at work or at home.
As you leave the house in the morning and you are headed to work, this is the challenge for the day:
Believe like a God-centered person. Believe that God has the final word in your life. Believe that God speaks truth about how to make life work. Believe that the best thing for your marriage, your children, or your work life is to take God seriously.
Behave like a God-centered person. Do the right thing - even when no one else is looking. Seek to be in the middle of God’s will, instead of trying to figure out how to take a shortcut. Treat your spouse, your children, and your colleagues well. Be known as a person who does the right thing - regardless.
This is not about perfection but intention. This is about learning to think and act in a way that reflects the character of God in our lives.
Training for godliness does not happen overnight. There is no quick route to maturity. However, you and I can be intentional with our training. God has created, in Christ, something very beautiful. We are simply being called to get our lives in line with who we already are.
You might consider beginning the day with this prayer: “Lord, I pray that today I might think right and do right. May my words, my thoughts, and my actions reflect the character of the one who has created me.”
Don’t Stop Living Before You Die
“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 14:2)
God looked at Asa and determined that he was good and right. In the words of Jon Tyson, God looked at Asa and said, “Now this is what I had in mind!”
The writer then says, “. . . we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side. . . .” (14:7)
Asa was apparently both a good man and good leader. He led the people in seeking the Lord.
Meanwhile, there are others do not seek the Lord but settle for a lethargic, aimless life.
Patrick Morley has said in his book, Man Alive (p. 13), “You don’t have to settle for being half-alive.” Yet, far too many men and women shut down long before they actually die.
The man who sits in his recliner at 60 years of age and complains about being old.
The woman who seems to have shut down once her children left home.
The young man in his 30s who seems bored with his job, his work, and his life.
The minister who sounds bland and bored as he speaks to the congregation.
Yet, what if we were to find Jesus so compelling and irresistible that we treasure him above all else? What if you and I were to whole-heartedly seek him instead of merely existing?
All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them . . . (2 Chronicles 15:15)
Recently, Charlotte and I attended the funeral of a friend. Our friend, in his 70s, was a devoted husband, a loving father, an astute business man, and a good leader. Most of all, according to his grown children, he was a disciple of Jesus.
So do we live as half-alive people who approach God in a half-hearted way?
Or do we live as whole-hearted followers of Jesus about whom the Father can say, “Now that’s what I had in mind!”
Nine Street-Smarts for Navigating Life
The following are nine “street smarts” you may find valuable. Consider what you might add to this list:
Start. Sometimes you just need to begin. Start doing what you have put off. Start doing what you know you need to do. Start doing before you have it all figured out. (Thanks to John Acuff for these ideas in his book, Start.)
Beware of toxic people in your life. A toxic person can be mean! This person may be your ex-husband or a former colleague. Unfortunately, this could even be a church leader. Such a person will stoop to most any level of behavior in order to get his way. Dealing with such a person calls for wisdom and discernment.
Pray. Listen to how children pray. They do so without being self-conscious. Prayer is a reminder that each one of us desperately needs the presence of God in our lives.
Show up and do good. Is there an event in your life that calls for your presence? Showing up and being fully present at funerals, weddings, showers, receptions can be significant. Yet, being present in body while staring at the screen on your phone isn’t exactly what it means to be fully present.
Remember names. I was walking through our auditorium one Sunday morning. I approached a pew where a visiting family was sitting. I said hello and then looked at the little boy, "Jason, how are you?" I turned around and heard him say behind me, "Mama, he knows my name!" This matters.
Get over yourself. To some, competency seems to suggest that simple trusting faith is no longer necessary. Growing in knowledge does not mean that you get to depend on God less. Also, your own competency does not mean that others are obligated to seek you out. Is your perception of your competency so important that you are almost offended when others go to someone else for counsel or advice? (Zack Eswine, The Imperfect Pastor, p. 113)
Don’t quit - persevere! Think about the many athletes competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics. So many of them have had to learn perseverance.
Life can be hard. Marriage, rearing children, and work can all be hard. Yet, hitting a wall does not mean that something is inherently wrong. Some of the most valuable things we do in life are hard. Focus instead on praying for the grace you need to persevere.
Stay focused. I saw a sign in Memphis the other day that warned drivers about getting distracted while driving. That same day I saw a car racing across the freeway while the driver was texting. Some of us may not text while we drive, but we nevertheless are distracted as we dart about from one event to the next. People who are focused place a value on paying attention to the things that really matter.
Laugh. Enjoy the laughter of children. One little boy said to his mother not long ago when they were playing, “Mom, I just love to hear you laugh!” There is great value for children and adults in laughter.
What Can Help You Finish Strong (Especially for ministers/church leaders)
Invest in lifelong learning. Read. Listen to good podcasts. Take a class. Learn a new language. Learn a new skill. Learn something outside the discipline with which you are most familiar.
Invest in praying the Psalms. For a season, I read five Psalms aloud each morning and used them to help me pray. I underlined every word that described a name of God, a characteristic of God, or some action that God took. This practice greatly enriched my prayer life!
Invest in your emotional health.
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Eph. 4:31)
When we don’t deal with our emotions, this neglect will be revealed in a variety of ways:
We may become very demanding people.
We may quickly leave when there is conflict.
We may develop a pattern of manipulating others.
We may become quick-tempered, exploding at times.
We might live with the constant anxiety that we are going to lose the approval of others.
Invest in people who help you grow. We can learn from people without conforming to their wishes. I love these words from Adam Grant (Instagram post, 2/10/2022)
It’s easier to fill gaps in competence than gaps in character.
Even if people have strong experience, it’s a mistake to hire or promote them if they have weak values.
Knowledge and skill can be learned. Principle like integrity, humility, and generosity are tougher to teach.
Resources
Right now I am reading Kevin J. Vanhoozer’s excellent book, Hearers and Doers. This is a great book, particularly for ministers/church leaders that takes discipleship very seriously.
Terry Walling, Finishing: Completing the Race Set Before You. A really good book on navigating through the fourth quarter of life.
Kathleen Smith, “20 Questions for Growing in the New Year.” Also see, “Where is All Your Energy Going? The Answer Might Surprise You.” Smith is excellent at using family system concepts in a fresh and helpful way.
Each Thursday/Friday, I post about ten tweets especially for ministers and other believers as they anticipate Sunday. You can find me @jimmartin.
I serve as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee. You can find me at God-Hungry.org. You can find me on Facebook - @jim.martin. My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging or helpful. — Jim Martin
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