News Flash: You can think for yourself!

I was working away this morning doing my normal daily routine and this thought hit me: "When did people stop thinking for themselves?"

The thought was strong enough that I stopped what I was doing and just sat there, thinking about it.

If you read much of what I write there is usually an underlying frustration that motivates me to put it down on digital paper. The question, "When did people stop thinking for themselves?" illuminates one of those unspoken frustrations.

God gave every man and woman a brain, intelligence, common sense, reason, imagination, the ability to think, certain skills and passions, along with memory so it can be stored. Throw in a conscience as well and you've got a powerful package at your disposal. He expects you to use them to educate yourself and formulate your own opinions and draw your own conclusions.

Before I go on, the Bible clearly says that man should not 'lean on his own understanding', but trust the Word of the Lord and to gather around him wise counselors as well. That's a given. But...

God never intended for man to become reliant on other people's opinions but to formulate his own.

God intended man to think!!!

When I read history, the great men and women were thinkers. They were, quite often, monumentally imperfect people, but they were thinkers. They would gather information and then think on it. They formed their conclusions with the best information they had at the time and then drew up the courage to act.

So what's so different about them and you?

You have the same inventory available to you. Your problems may or may not be as big as theirs, but they're big to you. God has supplied you everything you need. And, you can think for yourself. For what it's worth: In the name of the Lord, you have permission to think!

What set this off was an article I read referencing one of the latest "Christian stars", basically a popular conference speaker who's written another book that everyone is gaga over. These 'stars' come and go depending, it seems, on the promotion of their latest works. Forgive me for how this sounds, but, I listen to them and for the most part all they did was take time to listen, be observant and to think. I do not hear anything close to the 'seven thunders' when they speak. For the most part it's common sense, both natural and spiritual.

But... then you listen to one of the talking heads on TV, or talk radio, or read a news article or an editorial, etc., all done by people that actually get paid to think, and you ask yourself, "When did these people stop thinking for themselves and just regurgitate the latest talking points written by someone else who stopping thinking for himself as well?

The Bible clearly states that teachers are important, but that, in the end, the only Teacher we really need is the Holy Spirit. God is calling for each and every person, with His help, to think for themselves. I can offer one good reason for this: when each of us stands before God to give an account of our lives we can't blame anyone for anything. We can't say, "He told me" or "He made me", or "I paid $100 to hear him so I trusted what he said", and so on. Whatever you conclude is yours; you own it. And, He'll hold you accountable for it.

That's why Jesus said, "Be careful who you listen to."

I want to encourage you, if you don't already, to learn how to 'think' for yourself. Obviously this means that you'll take the time to read reliable, trusted, tested information and listen to reliable, trusted and tested people. You'll gather the information and then you'll THINK on it and draw your OWN conclusions.

When you do, you own them, you're responsible for them, and any consequences from them land on you. Can you handle that? It doesn't take much courage to think, or even to express what you think. But it does take courage to act upon your conclusions and accept responsibility for them.

One last thing: if you decide to be an actual thinker, you'll be amazed at how people begin to act around you.

Thinkers frighten some people, and they gain respect from others. It's quite a mixed bag. You really get to know who your friends are when you start thinking for yourself.

Give it a shot. And, then subject your conclusions to wise people who will help you stay on track.

Only a fool thinks he's the smartest person in the room.

This next year...

God designed times and seasons for man, not for Himself. Time doesn't exist for God, and He is not ruled by time; He is timeless. To God, the only time that exists is the right time.

Like many good things, however, time can become a tyrant. God desires to teach us how we can tame the time tyrant and make time work for us. His desire is that we live and walk as Jesus did, where time does not rule us, but we surrender to His timing.

Each day seems to present time pressures that can create stress and anxiety within us. Jesus warned us about this and exhorted us to deal with today and let tomorrow take care of itself. He wasn't saying we shouldn't plan, per se, but not to trust in our plans or let our plans rule us. We are to walk as Jesus did.

Satan, on the other hand, does everything he can to use time against us. His desire is to get us so busy and distracted that we wind up doing with time what we do with our money. Instead of giving God the first fruits of our time, talent and treasure, we give Him (and our families) the leftovers, if there are any leftovers. We can get so busy 'serving God' and 'providing for our families' that we neglect the most important treasures we have: Him, our family, and our friends.

It's so easy to justify building empires while our families languish. When they say, "All we want is you!" we can forgive their naivety because we know that we have to work hard to build a foundation for our futures. But, do we? I believe that God will help us do both at the same time, without having to destroy either. Sadly, it seems that each person has to learn this lesson through suffering rather than just trusting our Mentor.

The pace of daily life is like a treadmill, that ever so gently, gets faster and faster until you either have to jump off or it throws you off. You are in control of how you spend your time! Don't tell God you don't have time for the things He's given you stewardship over. You have the time or He wouldn't have given them into your care. And, if you don't care for them you will lose them.

This next year is going to be a wild ride is a myriad of ways. I encourage you to take a good, hard look at how you spend your time, and what results you get for that time. The more gadgets made available to us potentially eat up more and more of our time with no good thing to show for it. If the gadget helps you deepen your relationship with God, your family and your friends, maybe it's worth it. If it doesn't it's probably hurting it. Like all things: there is no gray in life.

Give God the thing you will never get back: time! Your use of time will have more to do with your future than practically anything else. Think about this: This is the day that the Lord has made! While you rested, He was up all night preparing your day, directing His angels to minister to you and His Spirit to guide and teach you. Learn to listen to Him and follow His lead. He knows how to fit everything in that's worthwhile. And, He'll probably ask you to put a few things aside. Will you let Him?

Forget about resolutions. We all break them as fast as we make them. Wake up each day, humbled by the gift of life, and walk into your future with the One who not only knows your future, but He's already building it!

Follow, listen, and obey. No matter what the new year brings, you're covered, you've got time, and He will help you prosper in body, soul and spirit. Viewing the world through His eyes, the world has no idea what it's doing. God knows what He's doing. And He knows why He's doing it.

Peace in Him, to you and yours.

Considering the past year...

One might ask, "Are you better off today than you were a year ago?"

I don't mean that as a political question. I'm asking about you, the person. How have your experiences this past year shaped and affected you?

We all choose how we respond to whatever, or whomever, comes our way. Our responses often determine the rest of the journey. Each event is like a stone that starts rolling: at first we can shape where the stone will go, but, once it has momentum, and depending on incline, weight and speed, it will go where it's going to go and stop where it's going to stop.

A good friend recently took delivery of some hay 'rounds' that are much bigger and heavier than hay bales. She decided to allow them to roll towards where she hoped they would go, but alas, they had a different destination in mind. Blessedly, only a fence was flattened and no one got hurt, including the 'round'. But...

It could have been much worse.

Consider this new year as a time to use all the experience you've gained in life to not set so many stones a rollin', or assume they'll end up where you want them. Wisdom will, at the very least, help you determine which stones to roll, and where to roll them. Make wise choices. If you don't know what to do, don't do anything. Seek good counsel until you know what to do.

(And, some stones will start rolling that you had nothing to do with; you'll have to decide whether you're getting out of the way or getting steam rolled.)

Each day seems to be getting darker and darker, and for many it's more difficult to see the right path than it was ten years ago. The Word of God will help light your path, but many times not more than a few feet in front of you; just enough to keep you from walking off a cliff. But, the path lit by the light of God's Word will guide to you the right destination. Learn to walk in that kind of light and not the floodlights the world offers.

I pray that you, as a person, are better off today than you were a year ago, and I pray you'll be able to say the same thing this time next year. Walk with Him and listen to Him. He won't steer you wrong.

Have a blessed time with family and friends.

Walking with God...

There is absolutely nothing on earth as exhilarating as walking with God.

Go on a walk with God each day and you'll see things, and experience things, that are not available to those who don't. Seeing through His eyes, listening with His ears, speaking what He wants to speak, He allows you to participate in His divine nature. He will share unseen, unspoken things with you; His Spirit to your spirit.

People ask me: "If it's so wonderful, why don't more people walk with God?" I wonder if they really want the answer. It's because people want God to walk with them; they really don't want to walk with Him. They want God to empower their good works and good ideas rather than doing the works that God designed for them to do that day. They are far more interested in what they can accomplish rather than how much closer to Him they can become.

Walking with God requires a submitted mind, soul, and body. Walking with God requires humility and the wisdom that comes from it. Walking with God requires a soul that finds the wonder it in; the very fact that one can walk with God!

Walking with God requires a person to be dedicated to His Word. It requires the desire to discern His nudges and hear His still, small, voice. It requires a heart that is wholly His, and one who will allow God's Spirit and power to manifest Himself in and through them.

Walking with God demands that we allow Him to change us, to become more like Him, every day.

Walking with God demands that we stop doing our thing and begin to do His thing, as He leads. All the time. It's called obedience.

Pretty simple, isn't it? Die to yourself and live for Him, and for others. Anything else is a waste of time.

He's calling you...

Home from conference...

Sandy and I just returned home from the Foursquare NW District conference in Everett. Great time, great fellowship, great time of worship, learning and prayer.

Jeff and Kathy Lasher were able to join us, and, purely by 'chance', got the room next to ours. Gotta love God's travel agents.

Wound up eating often at the O Donnell's Irish American Grill and Pub across the street from the hotel. If you're in the area, the corned beef and cabbage is worth the trip.

More to share on Sunday. See you there!