We are always surrounded by people with good intentions. Some of those people truly mean what they say and accomplish their goals, while others sometimes fall into the habit of not being able to follow through for whatever reasons. Perhaps it is because they do not have good boundaries and are just trying to be nice, never actually planning on doing what they said.
Or they truly want and mean to do something, but in the end have their priorities mixed and cannot make commitments.
In any case, we have all fallen short, but it is extremely important to say what we mean and bring it into fruition—“let your yes be yes and your no be no” (Matthew 5:33-37). To honor and love others has to be our #1 priority—if we only ‘talk a good talk’, we will soon find ourselves being dishonoring and untrustworthy to everyone around us, including our very close family and friends.
We cannot let ourselves fall into that trap—it is the total opposite of the character of God.
I recently read a book called The Noticer by Andy Andrews. The book is about how circumstances can drastically change by simply changing one’s perspective. In the book, the main character, Jones, aka “the noticer”, was talking to someone about intentions.
He gave this example: “If five seagulls are sitting on a dock and one decides to fly away, how many are left?” Well that’s obvious–four, right? No. There are still five left; just because one of the seagulls made up its mind to leave doesn’t mean it actually did.
Jones goes on to say, “Despite popular belief, there is absolutely no power in intention. Have you ever considered how often we judge ourselves by our intentions while we judge others by their actions? Yet intention without action is an insult to those who expect the best from you.”
That’s quite a sobering statement.
If we make up our mind to do something, tell others of our intentions, but end up not carrying them out, how can we be trusted? It really comes down to loving and honoring others, getting our priorities straight, and acting with the utmost amount of integrity. And if we fail in honoring someone by not doing what we said we would do, let us be honest enough to tell them our choices were wrong—because after all, we always have a choice in what we do.
So, how do we go about walking this out? Well for starters, we need to get our stories straight. No matter how nice we sound when we say we will invite someone over for dinner, it will leave a bad taste in their mouth when they think about how you never did invite them over.
Also, I would like to stress how important it is to keep each other accountable. We are to lovingly judge by a person’s fruit—what are our lives producing, love and honor, or disrespect and lack of integrity? Are we not our brothers’ keepers? Would you not rather confront someone who is acting in a way that is dishonoring and unloving than let them continue down such path?
We are to help each other, not tear each other down, and if anything it will give a little perspective into situations that can bring about healing and reconciliation. Confrontation is not a bad thing if carried out correctly.
And so with a final quote from Andy Andrews’ book, I hope you were able to gain something from this note…
“Most folks figure a true friend is someone who accepts them as they are. But that’s dangerous to believe. A true friend holds you to a higher standard; a true friend brings out the best in you. A best friend will tell you the truth…and a wise best friend will include a healthy dose of perspective.”
10-9-09
Redding, CA
1:36 AM
As I was sitting on our bed this evening trying to ponder how the next several weeks of our lives were going to pan out, my wife knocked some sense into me. I could feel the panic of uncertainty begin to creep in…swirling speculations and unanswered questions about things that the unrenewed human mind demands answers to. After this came that sinking feeling of depression and the unspoken, unacknowledged fear and doubt that God would abandon us and that we would be left alone to fend for ourselves, starving and confused in a world that is starving and confused.
All this considering that Jesus told us very clearly:
a.) to not be afraid
and
b.) that He would never leave us or forsake us.
The story quickly comes to mind of when the disciples and the Lord were sitting in a boat. They had forgotten to bring bread and Jesus knew immediately where their minds would go. He warned them to be careful of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod (Mark 8:14-21). They had only one loaf of bread in the boat and had already seen the miraculous provision of God several times prior to this experience.
The disciples’ first response was to focus on their perceived lack instead of recognizing that the God of abundance was dwelling amongst them. This was what He was warning them against.
Everything is about perspective. Whatever we focus on will always be multiplied. Jesus was telling them to look through the lens of their history with Him to get where they needed to go. They had experienced the multiplying of the loaves and fishes twice at this point and yet still their hearts were hardened to the reality of life in the Kingdom of God…the life of abundant and supernatural provision. And not only provision, but the life of more than enough! His final statement to them in this story is “Do you not yet understand?”
When our vision is impaired, so therefore is our understanding. If what we are looking at is not what God wants us to be looking at, our perception and understanding will be skewed as well. What we see will define the decisions that we make. What we are looking at or who we are looking to will always determine the outcomes that arise.
Anyway, as I was allowing the devil to try and plant these stupid thoughts in my mind, Laura said something that really struck me. I knew it was God speaking through her.
I had just finished saying, “I am just concerned because I don’t see how all of this is going to work out.”
Her response was immediate and authoritative. “Ryan, we never know how it’s all going to work out. We never have, and we never will. All we know is that it will work out. It always has, and it always will.”
Something shifted in that moment. I was overcome with a sense of joy and peace that was completely supernatural. In a moment of time, there was a total shift in my thought processes. It was as if all of the voices of speculation and doubt and unbelief and fear and paranoia and anxiety and worry were instantaneously silenced with one trustworthy voice of faith and hope.
What shifted was my perspective. My focus was drawn back to the One who is Provision. My eyes were placed on the One who is Hope. My heart was stilled by the One who is Peace. My mental storms were calmed by the One who calmed the storm. All of the confusion was burned away in the fires of His all-consuming Love.
He is not a man that He should lie. His words are true. His arm is not too short to save. He is the Lord of Hosts. He is the Lord, Mighty in Battle. He is a Man of War. He goes before us as a raging fire.
The trouble is not so much that we are faced with legitimate problems as much as it is that the human desire to be comfortable comes into a violent collision with the necessity to be pliable and yielded to the heart and will of God.
And so we rest. We let go. We release the reins of our lives and hand them over to the Author of Life. We will not bow to subtle forms of manipulation or control as we seek to navigate this seeming minefield of life that we have found ourselves in. We are His sheep and we hear His voice. The voice of another we shall not follow.
Peace and health and abundance and life and love are our inheritance. All things are ours in Christ. Joy is an inside job. Joy comes from knowing who you are.
And we are children of God.
- The Blueprint of “Renewing Your Mind” 11/24/2011 Brandon
- Decisions that Define Us – Graham Cooke 11/23/2011 Brandon
- Incomplete Vs. Complete Forgiveness 11/25/2011
- 20 Rob Rufus Quotes On Law vs. Grace 11/23/2011
- Organic Church Introduction 01/30/2012
- Dead to Sin and Alive to God! 11/10/2011
- Five Ways Jesus Revealed Grace 02/01/2012
- Do Everything Jesus Said? 01/29/2012
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