Jim Martin's Encouragement Note #98
Five minutes to the future. . . . When you experience a sense of dread. . . . Can Jesus come eat dinner with us? . . . Move forward with courage (For ministers & other church leaders). . . . Etcetera
The List of Five
Five Minutes to the Future
There was a time when these two young coaches worked together. When this picture was taken, their illustrious future was ahead of them. Now, decades later, each one has resigned from his respective team.
Nick Saban - The University of Alabama - age 72
Bill Belichick - The New England Patriots - age 72
Saban spoke of his age and the toll of the “grind:”
And to be honest, this last season was grueling. It was a real grind for us to come from where we started to where we got to. Took a little more out of me than usual. When people mention the health issue, it was really just the grind of, can you do this the way you want to do it? Can you do it the way you've always done it and be able to sustain it and do it for the entire season? If I couldn't make a commitment to do that in the future, the way I think I have to do it, I thought maybe this was the right time based on those two sets of circumstances.
The day of the announcement came but it was still business as usual for much of the day. Saban conducted interviews with prospective assistant coaches. Yet, he had a decision to make.
‘The thing that made it more difficult for me is, I felt like it might be the right time for me but how it impacted the players, the coaches, all the people who work here in the building and contributed to the success of the team, how would it affect them,’ Saban said. ‘That was the hard part. That was the part I kept vacillating on, back and forth... It was 3:55 p.m. I was sitting in my chair looking at the clock saying, 'You've got five minutes to decide which speech you're going to give.’
I remember moments when I was faced with an important decision. My decision would have future implications or even consequences.
Perhaps you might consider some of the decisions you have been faced with:
Is this the time to leave? Or is this the time to begin afresh?
What action you going to take? Will you begin now?
Are you going to say yes or no to the opportunity?
Are you going to say yes or no to the temptation?
So much of life can seem ordinary and even inconsequential. One man described his routine as he drove to the plant every day. He said, “It is still dark outside. I stop at the convenience store. I get a coffee and a package of mints. I make small talk with the clerk. I do this every day.”
Yet, sometimes we make decisions that are anything but routine. In fact, some of these decisions may change the course of our lives. Doing the right thing can continue to move me in the right direction. Even more importantly these right decisions are a part of what shapes and forms us into the kind of person that reflects the character of God.
Will our decisions this year reflect wisdom and a desire to bring pleasure to God?
When You Experience a Sense of Dread
Maybe you’ve said something like this: “I dread that conversation!” Dread is a combination of fear and imagination as you anticipate an event, a conversation, or a future situation.
It was late Spring 1994. I had just learned I had a large tumor in my chest. The surgeon tried to assure me that it was probably benign but it needed to be removed. He explained that the surgery itself was rather invasive and it would probably take much of the summer to recuperate.
This, was my first surgery. Since birth, I had not spent a single night in the hospital. I was optimistic but scared. Yet, what was worse than either the procedure itself or the recovery, was the sense of dread that I lived with as I anticipated entering the hospital for surgery.
This surgery occurred many years on June 17. It went well. After the surgery, I was taken back to my room, where I slept off and on, glancing at the television occasionally as the police chased O.J. Simpson’s Broncho.
I would like to say that after this moment, I never had a sense of dread about the future. Yet, the truth is, occasionally dread comes back to haunt.
Maybe you have experienced dread as you thought about questions like these:
What if that meeting goes poorly?
What if that hard conversation goes off the rails?
What if the agreement isn’t carried how like I hoped?
What if this purchase is just too much?
Yet, consider Isaiah 40, where God attempts to reassure his people that he has not forgotten them during their exile in Babylon. He reminds them of his tenderness (vs 11):
He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers them in this arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those who that have young.
This tender God gathers us in his arms and carries us close to his heart.
Dread does not have to take over when we face hard moments. Rather, we can rest in the arms of the shepherd and know that he will not let us go.
Can Jesus Come Eat Dinner With Us?
Our three year old granddaughter Elsie, was recently asking her mother questions about Jesus. At one point she asked, "Could Jesus come eat dinner with us? He could go back after we finished eating."
Jesus blessed children and prayed for them (Mt. 19:13). Elsie apparently believes that a meal with Jesus would be very nice!
I am thinking about her words. Of course, with a grandchild, it is tempting to say, "Isn't that sweet?" I could do this and perhaps miss the whole point.
Would I desire to eat dinner with Jesus? Am I the kind of person who would find this to be absolutely enjoyable?
After hearing these words from this three year old little girl, I wondered, "What would I say and what would I ask if I were to eat dinner with Jesus? What questions might he ask me?
Perhaps I could ask myself the following questions:
Do I desire to know his character and his values?
Do I desire to be obedient to him?
Do I desire to live in dependence on him?
Do I desire for him to be present in my life?
Do I desire to bring him pleasure by the way I live?
Imagine what a dinner with Jesus might be like. After all, one day we will enjoy the wedding supper of the lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
Move Forward With Courage (Especially for Ministers and Other Church Leaders)
Some ministers and elders begin their ministries thinking they can make everyone happy. I know - I was one of these ministers.
As a young minister, I eventually learned that leadership is not about making everyone happy. Rather, it is about doing the right thing, even when it is hard."
Sometimes it is hard to preach what a congregation really needs to hear. Sometimes it is hard to say in a one-to-one conversation what you really need to say. It may be hard to express to your leadership team a genuine concern or an honest opinion.
Ministers, elders and church leaders need courage.
Courage is not the absence of fear and despair; it is the capacity to move forward confidently trusting the maker of the heavens to cover us with the shadow of his mighty hand even if the sky should fall. (Sarah C. Williams, Perfectly Human, p. 80)
What is the secret to this kind of courage? Consider Philippians 4:
Rejoice in the nearness of the Lord (4:5-6) God is nearer to you than your most troublesome problem. He is nearer to you than the cantankerous church member who turned red in the face and shook his finger at you in disgust. He holds you near. (Isa. 40:11)
Pray with thankfulness in every situation (4:6) You and I don’t have to gripe and complain all the time. We can be thankful for what he has given us and for the ways he has blessed us.
Deliberately think about what is noble, right, etc. (4:8) I can be intentional about my thinking. A friend of mine heard a preacher speak one Sunday morning. The message was on “grace.” Later as my friend reported on his experience in that assembly, he said, “It was such a negative, discouraging sermon!” A sermon about grace that is negative and discouraging? That seems odd. Yet, much of the time, this particular preacher happens to be a very negative, critical person. His thinking and his attitude often color and shape the messages he preaches. Even a sermon on “grace” was impacted by his attitude.
Depend on Him to provide strength (4:10-13)
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13)
What the Lord wants are not strong people but people who will rely upon the strength of the Lord.
God may deliver you from a mess or he may deliver you in the mess. (Nigel Watson)
Etcetera
An excellent interview with social psychologist Adam Grant. “Adam Grant - ‘Person to Person’ with Norah O’Donnell.”
Recently I have been teaching a Sunday morning Bible class on “Habakkuk.” Heath Thomas’ commentary “Habakkuk” is outstanding.
On my bookshelf, are volumes of Frederick Buechner’s books. I just re-read one of his memoir’s, The Sacred Journey. I last read this when I was in my 30s. The book has helped me think about my own story. A wonderful book.
I serve as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee.
Every other Monday morning, I publish this “Encouragement Note.” You can subscribe at jimmartin.substack.com. You can also find me on Facebook - @jim.martin or Instagram - @jimmartin.jm. My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging — Jim Martin
Thanks for sending. I hope that you and Charlette are doing well.
Thank you, Jim. I always look forward to your messages.
Blessings, Bill