Dad, watch this!

I just realized this blog title may be a little misleading. Re-reading it makes me think something bad is going to happen following this statement. This phrase could be used right before something blows up. That's not quite what I'm going for.  

Recently, my 8 year old son, Luke, has developed a strong desire to show off. We have a mini basketball hoop in our house that hangs from the top of a closet door. It is at the perfect height for Luke to jump and dunk the ball. He has gotten very good at it. It doesn't hurt that our hometown Minnesota Timberwolves player, Zach Lavine, won the slam dunk contest two weeks ago. Watching Zach's high-flying acts has inspired Luke to try his own. Well, in his enthusiasm, he has this built-in desire for me to see him perform. He wants to impress his Dad. So, I have recently heard him say over and over, "Dad, watch this!" I love to watch his dunk contest, but when he catches me doing something else in the middle of it, I can be assured that those three words will be said. He really wants to impress me.

If we're honest with ourselves, we all have a built in desire to impress. That is our fleshly sinful nature coming out. We want to please people. We want people to be impressed with us. 

We may also get caught up with a desire to impress God. This can be dangerous. If we are constantly trying to do good things in order to somehow win the blessing of God. It will lead us to a life of emptiness. We will run ourselves ragged. We will try and try and never succeed at doing good enough. Don't get me wrong, it is great to serve God, but if our motives are to impress Him, or make ourselves look good in front of people because we're serving God, we are serving for the wrong reason.

In Matthew 6:1, Jesus says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Jesus makes it very clear that doing good deeds to impress others is the wrong idea. Our eternal blessings are at stake!

At the heart of this command is genuine humility. We must be humble in making sure our motives are right. The only way to conquer the pride that comes with our sinful nature, and to replace it with humility, is to surrender ourselves daily to the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will work in us to provide the tender humility needed to serve and do good deeds solely for the glory of God. May God's Name and His renown be the desires of our hearts through sincere humility. Not to us, not to us, oh Lord, but to Your Name be all the glory.

Why?

My youngest son, Isaac (23 months), has recently learned a new word: Why. There is a lot packed into that little word. You see, Isaac is quickly approaching his second birthday, and it's around two years old that children begin to find their sinful nature. You've heard of the terrible two's? At this age, children reveal their built in desire to rebel. Isaac has probably picked this word up from one of his older siblings. However, he uses it far more frequently. When we tell him not to do something, he has begun to always respond with that deep and significant question, why? I must say, there aren't many things sweeter than the sound that comes through the voice of a toddler. I have found myself having to push past the cuteness to better understand what is taking place in his mind.

The word why is used as a question to help clarify and to hopefully receive a better explanation. If we can't wrap our minds around something, whether it be a statement or a situation, we will often ask why? If something doesn't make sense, it begs the question why? We want to know the details. We want to better understand the reason for something.

I laugh at my son, but I realize that I have found myself in different places throughout life when I have asked God the same question. When we experience difficulty in this life, it is easy to want to know all the details. Really, what is happening is that we are questioning the very sovereignty of God. For the follower of Christ, the sovereignty of God says that God is always in control, even when life gets out of control. This means that even when we don't understand why things happen the way they do, God is still in control of the situation. We may only see what is right in front of us, but God is involved in the big picture.

My wife likes to describe this idea with a picture in which we can all relate. Imagine you are driving down the highway and there is an eighteen-wheel truck directly in front of you. It can be really hard to see around him. All you are able to see is the back of that large truck. You may want to find out why he is driving so slow, but in that moment you're not able to see the big picture. This requires patience until the opportunity is there for you or the truck to move.

We will have times in our life when we want to see the big picture, and God wants us to lean in and trust Him. God always has a purpose in everything and we can trust Him, even when we want to ask why?  

Here are a few Scriptures that I claim when I find myself in a season of asking that question:
Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Proverbs 16:9  In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Matthew 6:8  Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:26  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Romans 8:28  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

May God whisper those words into your ear when you find yourself asking why? When we feel as if we need all the answers and want to ask why, we need to remember a simple phrase: God is good. All the time.

I want to be THAT guy

I have been in conversations, when we have discussed someone and referred to them as, "that guy." (Maybe you've heard this used before.) It typically is not about someone in particular. For example, when you are in a gathering, and people show appreciation through applause, there is always that guy who feels as if he needs to be the last person to clap. There is always that guy. Or, there is always that guy who fires his rifle before proper shooting light on the morning of the deer hunting opener. Another example is, there is always that guy who coughs or blows his nose when there is silence during a church service.

Whether you can identify with these examples or not, some of us know that guy or maybe even some of us are that guy. 

The other day, I was reading Scripture and the Lord spoke to me through Psalm 112. As I read it, I realized it is a call to men. I recorded 20 descriptions that God uses of a righteous man within this chapter. This is in no way an exhaustive list, maybe you would be able to find more. As I studied these descriptions, I told the Lord, I want to be that guy.  If there is ever a that guy description that is worthy of being, this is it!

Check out these 20 descriptions:

1) v1: He fears the Lord.

2) v1: He delights in God's commands.

3) v2: His offspring will be mighty in the land.

4) v3: He experiences wealth.

5) v3: His legacy lasts.

6) v4: His light shines in the darkness.

7) v4: He is gracious, merciful and righteous.

8) v5: He is generous and lends freely.

9) v5: He conducts situations with justice.

10) v6: He will never be moved.

11) v6: He will be remembered forever.

12) v7: He is not afraid of bad news.

13) v7: His heart is firm and trusts God.

14) v8: He has a steady heart.

15) v8: He is not afraid.

16) v8: He will overcome his enemies.

17) v9: He gives freely to the Lord.

18) v9: His righteousness endures forever.

19) v9: His name is exalted in honor.

20) v10: He is an example to the unsaved.

It is safe to say that our culture needs more men of God who strive to be that guy. Many of society's problems stem from the inability of men to belly up to their God-given responsibilities of leadership within the home, workplace and community. May God empower each of us to be that guy as described in Psalm 112.