Life sux without purpose

Picture the scene, a family dinner. Dad shouts for the children to be quiet and tells them how stupid they are. Demands someone bring him a drink and food. The children run riot. Dad screams at Mom to sort out the children. A huge argument ensues. Mom gets mad and tells him to get out. Later they divorce. This all happens on Sunday night after church. A great reflection of Christianity.

The Boss at work is know as a tyrant. He orders people around. Pays poor salaries. Fires anyone who shows the potential to take his position. He Dominates, manipulates and controls. He shows no empathy for anyone. Its work to the bone but on weekends he's at church singing worship songs and listening to a sermon. What a contrast of characters. Would Jesus be proud to call you his Son?

What about the regular Personal assistant in the office. She takes hour long lunch breaks when in should be 30 minutes. Arrives late, Leaves early. Uses company equipment for personal use, heck she even takes some stuff home. Sugar, tea, coffee, some of the water bottles from the boardroom fridge nothing big so it should be ok. She refuses to help anyone. She worries about herself and how much money she can score in any way possible. The people at work see all this. What do they think when she says she is a Christian?

I have been thinking a lot about how we handle everything in life. What are our motives and what drives us. We often get stressed out because we are probably doing things our way. We get stressed out because we have no control of what happens and we want it to be our way. We want to be in control. We sometimes use prayer as a means to achieve our objectives forgetting that we need to align our lives with Jesus and his objectives. Our prayers are often a wish list of things we want and we expect God to deliver because we said so. Much like spoilt children talking to Rich Daddy. This is not exactly correct. Sure we can ask God for things but he will in the end give us what is right and good for us and for his kingdom and not just anything we ask. If God thinks you need to work on your selfishness why would he give you more stuff to be selfish with. He would probably trust you with more if you were not selfish and that means not being selfish in your heart and not just in action. Faking the end result because of wrong motives just shows once again that the motives are wrong and you need more work before you before God can make you what he wants you to be.

I guess in this year we should be asking what's the point then? Why am I here and what should I be doing? If work sux for me should I run or is there more? If Family is a pain should I run or Is there more? I would like to throw some thoughts at that and it all revolves around Mission. What is your purpose and mission in life?

Firstly let's look at family. Is your mission to be married and be selfish and obtain as much as you can from the family life, from your spouse and your children or, is family about getting your spouse and children to reflect God. This means your role is to help the others in family find God, Grow in God and reflect God with the aim of ultimately being missional themselves. If your family is not where it should be the question remains about what part you have played in either helping or hindering the family from growing to the goal of reflecting God. What will you do each any every day to help your family members be messengers of Jesus and his Love.

What about church.... Same thing, is church there to support your selfish agenda? Do you leach of church, get happy on worship and great sermons but contribute zero to the people who attend. Is this Gods purpose for you in a community of believers to sit back and absorb without giving back to what is happening in the Church, Community and Home Cell. I think God has gifted you in some way. Use these gifts to further the kingdom.

What about work.... For some people it's a power trip. For others a money making machine. Maybe you hate work? I don't know what goes on at your work but have to ask the question....What's your purpose there? Is it to sit through the drudgery or is it to shine the light. To reach out to others and show them Jesus. this is done through what you say, What you do and in some cases requires you to step out and maybe offer to help someone. Pray for someone. Feed Someone. Comfort Someone. Not work.....Pure Joy. Being the light in the work place. If your are a person that brings Anger, Grumpiness, Stress, corruption.....your are not bringing the fruits of the spirit to your work place. Maybe it's time to try and lets God be more and you be less.

Anyway......So there's a new years resolution for you. Be missional and change where you are.
Be real. Don't fake it. Be the original you the way you are designed to be.

Cheers
Greg

Roses for Valentine’s Day

I was nervous, as I put on my school uniform I realised that today might be the day that I had been hoping for since Christmas. Today was going to be the day I got my first rose. He had promised he would give me a rose. I had butterflies in my stomach as I picked up my satchel with my school books in and ran down the stairs and out the front door. My Dad drove slowly through the traffic. It felt like it was going to take forever to get to school.

With a kiss on the forehead my Dad said goodbye and left me at school. I stood where he had left me watching people getting out their cars I noticed the sea of red that came with them.  There were roses, lots of them, beautiful full blown red roses. I hoped I was going to get one. I saw teddy bears of various shapes and forms. I saw cards of many sizes. It was finally here, Valentine’s day and I was going to be special to someone today.

I got to my class and saw other girls shriek when they found something special in their Desk. The usual questions followed “who was the secret admirer, who had left the rose for his love?” a boy in the background secretly watching would normally smile and blush when he was noticed. He would deny it of course, but everyone knew.

I lifted the lid on my desk slowly peeking inside to see if there was anything. Nothing, I lifted the lid and felt my heart sink. Maybe he needed more time. I made sure I stayed away from my classroom as much as possible to give him time to do something, anything. Whenever I came to look there was nothing. I waited in the passageways hoping he would come to me and reveal himself. Still no-one came and nothing was revealed. I was beginning to be disappointed. Was I not worth it? Did he not love me? He had promised and I knew that he would keep his promise.

I stood waiting for my Mom to fetch me outside the school. As I stood and watched I saw a sea of red leaving the school as people returned home. My heart sank further and further the longer I stood waiting. It was not long before I was standing alone. A tear was forming in my eye. I was sad and heart broken. The tear ran down my face and then fell off towards the ground and landed with a splat. As it landed the water began to disappear into the dirt. That was when I saw it.

It was a red rose. The biggest I had ever seen. It was on a rose bush in front of me. I was sure there had not been one there before. I walked towards it and stopped. Another rose popped open in front of my eyes and then another and another. The bush slowly turned red with roses as one by one the buds came to life. I smiled as the strong smell of the roses filled the air. He had given me many roses and he loved me more than I could imagine. I started humming “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tell me so”.

As Valentine’s Day approaches don’t forget the greatest lover of them all. For God so loved the world, he gave his son Jesus for each and every one of us. This is by far the greatest gift anyone can give. Regardless of how you feel about yourself or how you think others think of you. Know that Jesus loved you enough to die for you on the cross. Stop for a moment and consider the pain, humility, suffering, torture, ridicule that He bore on that day. Then consider the joy, happiness, elation and sense of completion when he rose from the grave. Here is Jesus, the rose of Sharon for you on Valentine’s Day.

Cheers

Greg

My prized possession and it’s free.

I was 12 and very alone. No one was with me. My world had been turned upside down in a few seconds. I was freezing cold from the icy wind that blew over the water. It was pitch dark sitting on the roof. Where I used to see lights from the surrounding houses I now saw none. In the dark I could see the shapes of some of the structures still standing. Most had been washed away by the force of the water that had come pummelling through with no mercy or warning. I had been one of the lucky ones. My bedroom was on the second floor when it all started. I had heard the sound of trees crashing and water roaring from my room. When I got to the bedroom window I saw a glimpse of my Dad as he was swept away by the raging waters that had caught him unawares with the sudden surge as he was cutting the lawn. I could only assume something similar had happened to my Mom and sister.

At first I had panicked. I had screamed for help. None had arrived. I had sat and watched the water rising for hours. I had seen many things float by. Cars, houses, boats, cows, horses and yes…..what bothered me was the amount of people that had gone by. I knew they were dead. It scared me. I thought the police would rescue me, until I saw what must have been one wash past. I realised that I was only going to survive if I did it myself.

I watched the water rise and realised I needed to get to higher ground. I needed a ladder so I could get on the roof and knew there was no way I was going to get one here. I ran to my parent’s room and tried to drag a cabinet into the passage way so I could get to the roof hatch. It was too heavy. I was starting to panic. Water was coming in the doors leading downstairs. I heard my bedroom window glass smash and knew something floating past had hit the window. I needed a plan fast. I grabbed the draws on the cabinet and threw them out one by one. I knew there was no way I would get in trouble for this. Once they were all out I pushed the cabinet and it began to move. Inch by inch I moved the cabinet to the middle of the passage way. I climbed up on the cabinet with water sloshing around my feet. I pushed open the roof entrance and was about to climb up when I remembered I needed stuff to survive.

I jumped down and sloshed to my room. It was difficult to move through the water. There were lots of things in my way. Once in my room I pushed open the cupboard as best I could while the water rushed in. I reached up and grabbed a dry blanket and a torch. As I turned to leave the room I stopped. I was sure I left something important behind. Then I saw it on the bookshelf, My bible that my dad had given me in third grade. I dashed over as fast as I could and grabbed it. Carrying the blanket, torch and bible I struggled to climb the cabinet. I pushed the Blanket into the opening in the ceiling and hoisted myself up. I turned the torch round and bashed on the roof tiles. As they gave way daylight streamed in. I made a hole big enough for myself and climbed up onto the roof. My parents would never have allowed me to be up here. I knew that this time it would not be an issue. I was safe for now although I did not know how long. I was alone.

In the darkness I cried. I looked at my bible and wondered if God did love me, if he really did care. I wondered if he would leave me on a rooftop to die. I prayed, Lord Jesus, I have always known that you are there. Please don’t leave me alone now. Send me a fiery chariot to save me from these waters. As I finished praying a bright light shone down on me from above. At first I thought it was from heaven I then realised God had sent me a helicopter with a really bright light. I guess a fiery chariot would have been overkill. A rope landed next to me with a face on the end. It was a man named John, He was really nice and let me get my bible before pulling me up to my chariot. I knew God had a plan. I knew things would be tough moving forward, but I knew I was not alone. God was going to be with me, I would fear no evil, his rod and staff were with me.

What would you take if you had a flooded house? What do you prize more than God? Would you save yourself before others or would you climb over them to save yourself first? We need to have the faith of a child. We need to know God is there waiting for us to talk to him. He has our best interest in mind even though we might not think so.

Cheers

                Greg