Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Watch It
One of the things you get in Game Plan for Life is some straight talk on some real stuff. But as sort of a bonus, you also get (here and there) a little ancient philosophy to go with your modern advice—like this, from the Greek thinker Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Any of us who struggle to keep our weight where the doctor says it should be or who've never met an excuse that couldn't talk us out of exercising—we know how easy it is for our personal health to go from managed care to total anarchy. Sometimes we exert a lot more energy examining what's in the pantry than we do examining what God expects of our overall fitness habits.
Health experts tell us that if we had to catalog or journal our calorie intake and our workout reps, most of us would be shocked at how much we consume and how little we burn off. But those who pay attention, those who consider it important to "examine" themselves, are the only ones who live in the truth of their situation. They don't trick themselves into believing that everything is okay when it isn't.
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Wake up and smell the coffee. And stay in charge of what you let in all day.
Pray this prayer: Help me develop the courage, Lord, to make deliberate decisions on how I handle myself, not letting life just come to me, but choosing to do right, choosing to be healthy.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
God's Power in Action
God has a way of allowing us to be in the right place at the right time.
I was walking down a dimly lit street late one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed, I slowed down to listen, and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: heavy grunting, frantic scuffling, and tearing of fabric.
Only yards from where I stood, a woman was being attacked. Should I get involved? I was frightened for my own safety, and cursed myself for having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night. What if I became another statistic? Shouldn't I just run to the nearest phone and call the police?
Although it seemed an eternity, the deliberations in my head had taken only seconds, but already the girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast. How could I walk away from this? No, I finally resolved, I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman, even if it meant risking my own life.
I am not a brave man, nor am I athletic. I don't know where I found the moral courage and physical strength -- but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed. I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman. Grappling, we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped.
Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl, who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing. In the darkness, I could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock. Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance. "It's okay," I said soothingly. "The man ran away. You're safe now."
There was a long pause and then I heard the words, uttered in wonder, in amazement. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, out stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine.
:angel:
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Room to Be Human
We definitely live in a celebrity culture. How many industries—from sports talk to memorabilia sales—are manufactured on the backs of a culture that can't get enough scoop or goods on today's headline makers? We know they're just people, but somehow we're willing to let them be larger-than-life. It's in our cultural DNA.
But even those who impress us with their skill and swagger—the ones who are among the best at what they do—miss a lot of reads in the course of a game. They foul a lot of balls into the stands. They push a lot of shots wide of the fairway. Success is a matter of consistent skill and effort, but nowhere near perfection. There's never been a superstar who didn't know how it felt to pace the sidelines, frustrated with his play.
If you're in one of those funks where you're down on yourself for making an unwise decision at work, or underestimating how long something would take, or guessing wrong on a snap judgment call, maybe this would be a good day to cut yourself some slack. Nobody gets everything right, and God understands that about us. "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14).
Be fair with yourself today. Don't let a little pop-out keep you from swinging for the fences.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, thank you for knowing me better than I know myself, for being willing to forgive me when I foul things up. I pray for the courage to get back in and try again—for your glory.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
July 25, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Forward Thinking
We've never been to a funeral, no matter how tragic or expected the person's death, when much of the service and the conversations surrounding it didn't center on memories of his or her life. We recall happier times we spent together. We reflect on what this individual was like. We regret that we won't be able to enjoy their smile or laughter anymore on earth.
We look back. That's all we humans really know how to do. To look back is to know. To look ahead is merely to guess and wonder.
But not for the believer in Jesus Christ. Our view looking forward, though lacking in some of the specifics God has chosen not to reveal, is one of confidence and knowledge, of hope and authentic anticipation. Randy Alcorn writes in Game Plan for Life, "As people age, they tend to look back at when they were at their best, knowing they'll never regain those days. But if you're a Christ-follower, you don't look back to your peak. You look forward to it."
Imagine being encouraged, as Randy says, that "the strongest I've ever felt is just a hint of what's to come." Imagine being sure that "the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Imagine being able to look ahead . . . and know.
Pray this prayer: Lord, there's so much I don't understand. But as one who has given his life to you, I pray that you will settle my heart whenever I doubt your promises. Help me believe in your love for me.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
August 01, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
All Play, No Work?
Some people think being a Christian is code-word for slacking off, not expecting much, being more willing to understand and overlook a shoddy day's work. So although there are plenty of us who lean more toward being workaholics, there are plenty more who need to realize that high expectations don't go flying out the window just because you've been promised eternal life.
Granted—again—the Christian ranks are filled with men who basically ignore God's command to experience a Sabbath rest in their week. They think that taking a break in the action to deliberately quiet themselves in prayer and worship, to refresh and replenish, will just give the others a chance to catch up. Surely a man can do more in seven days than in six.
But too many are taking this rest-and-relaxation routine a little too far. And if one of those men is you—if you'd admit that you're not putting out your maximum effort on the job— notice that in the same Scripture passage where God delivered His directive on Sabbath-keeping, he also stated the obvious counter-balance: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work" (Exodus 20:9).
So before you kick back for another weekend, remember that Ten Commandments-style resting implies you've been doing something all week that needs resting from. Make your Sabbath a great one by giving every other day your very best.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I can pretend my work ethic is something it's not. But help me see myself honestly in this regard—to see where I'm out of balance, one way or the other.
:angel:
Monday, August 08, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Work Slowdown
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve and succeed. And if we're not careful, the pursuit of one more sale, one more percentage point, or one more dollar sign can utterly consume our lives. If it doesn't, we know they can find someone else who will.
This makes the following statement from the Bible a brave one: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). It's a call to hard work, yes, but also to the pursuit of work's greater goal—a "quiet life."
This is not the same as a lazy life, one with never a care or concern. A quiet life is one of perspective and balance. Business, labor, and career will always have certain seasons that call for an extra ummph of exertion. Not every day will be "quiet," and we shouldn't expect it to be. Still, a quiet life should remain our general "ambition"—our overall normal—so that when work expectations are keeping our lives noisy and chaotic week after month after year, courage and conviction will call us to make some changes. Our lifestyle becomes our lifetime quicker than we know it. And quiet only comes to those who seek it.
Pray this prayer: I need your help, God, to understand what this means for me. I don't want to do anything rash, but I do want to be in your will. I want to experience life the way you intend it to be.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
August 15, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Breakfast of Champions
Every year when NFL training camp rolls around, there are guys who come in hungry and fired up, fresh from an off-season workout regimen that has gotten them in playing shape right from the get-go. But every team also has players who show up fat and flabby, twenty pounds over their goal weight, gasping for breath at the first sight of wind sprints. Failure to stick to a plan has cost them the stamina they need to get started on the right foot. They may be able to fool some people with their athletic looks and muscular bodies. But NFL coaches can tell when a guy's been dogging it since January.
You're probably not a professional ball player, but the same principle still applies to you. The concept Jesus taught that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43) has a universal draw on every man. Steady doses of unhealthy choices and activities will bear themselves out in the way we feel, the way we think, the way we stand up to stressful situations. If we're not willing to make sacrifices and faithful habits a regular part of our day, fatigue will not only become a way of life, it will become a belt size everyone else can see better than we can.
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart" (Luke 6:45). The same goes for stomachs and large muscle groups, too.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make me a man who doesn't have to fake who he is—not in health, not in work ethic, not in family life, not in anything. Help me see that who I become is the result of what I invest.
:angel:
August 22, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Death to Fear
We're all pretty different. Different tastes in restaurants. Different sizes of televisions. Different favorite places to go on vacation. But one thing that's common to every man on earth is this: we're all on a collision course with death. Except for those living among the blessed generation who will still be filling out their dress shirts when Jesus comes back, no one's getting out of here alive.
And some people have a hard time living with that.
Think of how this one particular slice of reality hangs over your head on any given day. Think of how hard you fight to keep yourself looking young and age-defiant. Think of the medical scenarios that run through your head when you feel a new twinge or body ache, when an unexpected pain catches in your chest or side. Think of what happens when you realize it could have just as easily been you killed in the bridge collapse or tornado damage reported on the news tonight.
But Jesus, the Bible says, has died in our place "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death" (Hebrews 2:15). Yes, death is a heavy subject to ponder. But it doesn't have to hold us in slavery or overwhelm us in fear. Because of Jesus, we not only live forever. We can live free right now.
Pray this prayer: God, I don't like to think about going through the suffering and separation of death. But I pray you'll help me live in the confidence of heaven, so that I can keep from being afraid of dying.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
August 29, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Ups and Downs
The medal stand. The winner's circle. The trophy presentation ceremony, followed at noon the next day by an open-convertible parade down Main Street. The sports world knows how to tell who's been successful at accomplishing what they set out to do. You can spot the champion by the title he holds.
But God doesn't work that way. Titles, ranking, and position are not his barometers of success for us, nor should they be of ours. Just because a man seems to be winning doesn't mean he's done the best job or is the most deserving of praise. Just because a man appears to be losing doesn't mean he's failed at a critical moment or has choked under pressure. God has his own reasons for letting some taste the rewards of success and letting others continue to battle from beneath the pile.
"It is God who judges: he brings one down, he exalts another" (Psalm 75:7). He may allow a man to earn a promotion, not because he's by far the most qualified, but because this person has a weakness for power that needs exposing and correcting. God may allow a man to be overlooked at work, not because this guy doesn't possess what it takes to advance, but to make him better prepared for a greater opportunity down the line.
With God, the possibilities are always endless. Don't make him have to play our game in order to win your trust.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I get confused sometimes and start judging things by this world's playbook, not by yours. Help me to accept the fact that you know what you're doing, much better than I do.
:angel:
September 05, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
The Ultimate Rescue
There are few symbols of bravery more compelling than that of New York City's first responders streaming into Towers One and Two on this cloudless day in 2001. If not for those squadrons of emergency crews, heavy with rescue gear, bounding up ring after ring of suffocating stairwells, the tragedy that claimed thousands of human lives could have easily killed tens of thousands.
We can hardly fathom such extreme levels of heroism. We don't quite know how to express our awe and gratitude toward those who risk their lives—every day, just as on this one horrific day—to save others.
But even with their daring sense of courage and self-sacrifice, even with hours of rescue training and contingency planning, these modern-day heroes are not able to save everyone. There are limits to what they can do. Time runs out. Gravity outweighs them.
How much awe and praise, then, should go to the Lord Jesus Christ, who's never encountered a life he couldn't save? No matter how black the sin or how impossible the situation, no matter how late the hour or how heavy the damage, he is able to snatch men from life's ultimate danger zone, saving them from eternal death.
"For my Father's will," he said, "is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). Everyone. That means you. Wherever you are, your rescuer is here.
Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I'm trapped in my sins with no way out. I've tried every escape there is, and none of them work. I'm calling out to you today as my last resort. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I'm so sure now that you're the Son of God. I need you. Please help me
:angel:
September 12, 2011
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Always and Never
Very few things in life are "always" and "never." Your wife doesn't always tell you how to drive. Your pastor isn't always asking for money. It's not like your kids never do a thing you say. But when it comes to God, there are some always and nevers you can take to the bank.
He is "always at his work" (John 5:17), never dozing off or growing tired of meeting your needs. He is "always righteous" (Jeremiah 12:1), never changing to accommodate the times. Jesus "always lives" to pray for you (Hebrews 7:25), to continually insure that your sins are forgiven, if you've trusted Him for salvation. He is a rock of refuge to which you can "always go" (Psalm 71:3).
He will "never stop doing good" to you (Jeremiah 32:40), always supplying you with all you really need. He tells us not to worry about money or the future, because He has promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). His years "will never end" (Hebrews 1:12). He has "set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). "Heaven and earth will pass away," Jesus said, "but my words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33).
Life may seem a tangled mess of empty words and broken promises. But when your trust is in God, you're on the most solid footing of all. Blessed is the man who "always fears the Lord" (Proverbs 28:14).
Pray this prayer: Lord, I always want to be your man, even though I miss the mark in many ways. I know with you, though, that you will always be my God, forever and ever.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
September 19, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
All-Weather Blessings
These are tough economic times all around. The same rules and assumptions that used to be part of the wall paint of life don't seem to apply any more. Housing values don't just automatically go up. The next stop on the Dow Jones index may not be a thousand more, perhaps a thousand less. Dividends that used to pay like clockwork may now be calculated at pennies on the share, if at all.
So when we open our Bibles and read, "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak," the poor, the helpless (Psalm 41:1), our minds almost immediately begin thinking up disqualifiers. Sure, if we had the money. Sure, if milk and gasoline weren't so expensive. Sure, if our 401(k) was still promising us an ample retirement.
But the Bible's principles for sound money management are not dependent on the ebbs and flows of the stock market. Just because prices are up and wages are down, biblical truth is not temporarily suspended. Lean years don't exempt us from pursuing God's way of doing things. In fact, it's in times like these—when real need is a lot closer to your front door than it may have seemed in days past—that the blessing of giving is actually the greatest. Your generous, sacrificial acts of service and care in Christ's name have more potential for touching hearts now than they ever did. You can take that to the bank.
Pray this prayer: Father, I get worried sometimes about where our financial picture is heading. But you have called us to be much more concerned for people than money. Help me to always keep this in mind.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
September 26, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Sin Exchange
The battle against sexual lust is sort of in a class by itself for most men. Other allures and temptations may buzz around us, but few if any can stir up this kind of struggle, shame, and enslavement. It can make us want things that seem irresistible. Yet in turning away, we find things that are irreplaceable.
Pure living, for example, means exchanging deception for truth, darkness for light—the freedom to uncomplicate our lives with the worry of being found out, to avoid the awkward moment when we think someone has noticed our up-and-down glance.
We exchange a heart that judges by appearances for one that values the worth of every individual. We get to know people without filtering our acceptance of them through the grid of their good looks, enjoying the honesty of being kind to everyone we meet.
We exchange self-gratification for the pursuit of service, transforming our inner thirst for adventure into profitable use. Rather than thinking of ways to feed our misplaced desire, we become equally as passionate about thinking of ways to bless our wives and family.
"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5) . . . who do not know that something much better exists for those walk in purity.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm sick and tired of being consumed by thoughts of other women. I pray for a pure heart, a healed heart, a will that totally releases this impossible struggle into your strong hands.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
October 03, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Suitable for All Ages
You may not think you know much about God, or the Bible, or the best way to explain the finer points of Christian doctrine. But if you still have children at home, you can be pretty sure they don't know as much as you do. And they could learn a lot more than you think if you'd just start the conversation.
Granted, trying to instruct our children in the ways and teachings of God is not easy for a lot of us. It can be awkward. It's not usually a popular alternative to the video game they were playing or the friend they were texting. We fear the risk of being boring, or bumping up against a question we don't know the answer to.
But you'd be surprised how inherently powerful the Bible is, all by itself. The consistent practice of reading the Scripture aloud with everyone together in one room will leave marks and memories on your children that will travel well as they grow. You'd even be surprised by the thoughts God gives you as you read—things you can share on the spot about your experiences with life, no other textbooks required.
Even with all our qualms and excuses, the Bible challenges us not to hide His Word from our children. "Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands" (Psalm 78:7). Even if you're a little fuzzy on this stuff, you've got to love a promise like that.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really even know where to begin in teaching my children about you and your Word. But I will be faithful to try. Help to realize that this is my responsibility.
:angel:
October 10, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
The Company You Keep
Our moms and dads could be pretty picky about the kinds of friends we hung around with. They understood it doesn't always take much persuasion, even for the best of kids, to turn innocent fun into risky behavior. Being with the right people, they knew, makes peer pressure a good thing.
But peer pressure isn't something that automatically ends when we take on adult responsibilities. Just because we're not teenage boys being dared to drive too fast or stay out too late, that doesn't mean we're not influenced by the grown-up friends we keep. People we go hunting with and meet for lunch can still hold significant weight on what we do, think, and say, and what we consider to be normal.
That's why we need friends who make us want to be more like Jesus. Men who have deep convictions and compassionate hearts. Men who don't have a church side and a public side. Men who love their wives and invest in their kids. Men who make us want to be even more sold-out and godly, not the kind who convince us, whether out loud or by a certain look, that we're taking this Christian life too seriously.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," the Bible says (Proverbs 27:17). If peer pressure is something we can expect to have around for a long time, we'd better be sure we've got some guys around us who help us want to become everything we ought to be.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm thankful for the friends of mine who bring out the best in me. And for those who don't, would you give me the courage to cut back on the time I spend with them?
:angel:
October 17, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
The Enemy Within
Dr. Larimore, writing in Game Plan for Life, talks about the "Four Wheels of Health"—physical, emotional, relational, spiritual. A fully healthy person is one who is consistently, continually achieving balance in each of these areas. If any of the four loses air or goes flat, the whole thing begins to weave and wobble.
But here's the deal. While it makes so much sense to hear him tell it, there is a big part of us that resists being healthy. Just knowing the value of green, leafy vegetables and cardiovascular exercise doesn't ensure we'll go after them. Just being aware that honesty and openness are essential to becoming authentic people is not enough to make us live it out. "Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning" (Psalm 64:6). We cannot trust even ourselves to look out for our own best interests.
That's why it is so important that our lives be centered and grounded in God. He alone is rock-steady in a world that can't help but feel uncertain, as well as in hearts that can't always seem to follow what our heads are telling them. "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). He is our one-and-only hope of being and staying as healthy as we want to be.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, you've found me out. I'm inconsistent at best and self-destructive at worst. I truly desire to be a whole and healthy man, but I realize that I can't do it without you. Please help me.
:angel:
Monday, October 24, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
A Promising Future
There are many hundreds of methods out there for maximizing your potential in life, in business, in all kinds of areas. Some are sound, some are not, some are absolutely wonderful (like Game Plan for Life, of course). But even the best can't help but be incomplete in spots. And none of us are able to follow them perfectly, even then.
So while we are wise to gather information and set our goals, to make our plans and chart our progress, we will meet days when not everything comes together. We will encounter challenges that weren't covered in the literature. We will feel the need to make adjustments and wonder why we hadn't noticed this sooner.
But that's okay—because our trust is not in methods and strategies. Though we are certainly responsible for how we handle ourselves, we are not in total charge of where our future is headed. It is no cop-out, after listening and learning and being diligent to pursue best practices, to say, "I cry out to God Most High, who fulfills his purpose for me" (Psalm 57:2).
Any success plan that isn't submitted to God is destined for failure. Any man who thinks he can make it on his own hunches will find out otherwise, the hard way. But when we trust God to do his work in us, he can take even our missteps and turn them into positive gain. He will fulfill his purpose for you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I worry too much. I push myself hard, but it still leaves so much that seems undone. I need to rest in the knowledge that you are more than capable of accomplishing your will in me.
:angel:
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Enemy Sightings
If you struggle with an addiction—be it substance abuse, or pornography, or gambling, or whatever—you certainly know by now that making a turnaround is not something that happens overnight. It takes a true change of heart and usually a good long time. Nothing easy about it.
But one of the changes that needs to occur is your ability to see these temptations for what they really are. The rush that draws you to want a drug or a drink or a wide-eyed drive on the Internet is not coming from a friendly camp. Yes, these alluring appeals show up with claims of sweet relief. They feel like something you want and need. But actually, they are more like an "arrow that flies by day," like a "pestilence that stalks in the darkness," like a "plague that destroys at midday" (Psalm 91:5-6). Whenever they show up—morning, noon, and night, or all of the above—they are hired killers. They are sent to destroy.
Read all sixteen verses of Psalm 91 with this kind of focus and mind-set. See if you don't spot some new names, accounts, and descriptions of what your battle is like every day. And see if you don't find hope in the powerful protection of your Lord and Savior, who can enable you to "tread upon the lion and the cobra . . . to trample the great lion and the serpent" (Psalm 91: 13).
Know your enemy. Trust your God. Live your victory.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, expose the teeth and sharp edges of every temptation that comes my way. Help me see them for what they are, and realize that I can only stay safe by stepping out of their path.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
November 07, 2011 Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Take a Knee
Some football players, when they break away for a go-ahead score or cause a key third-down sack, want to be sure they get their full ESPN's worth—the dances, the struts, the jerky moves they've been saving up for just such an opportunity.
Then there's the other approach—the guy who rips off a long touchdown run, flips the ball back to the referee, and trots to the sideline without all the show and the secret handshakes. He lives by this code: Don't act like it's the first time you've ever seen the inside of the end zone. Look like you've been there . . . like you never expected to be anywhere else.
When Jesus returns, you can be sure there will be a lot of people doing a lot of tap dancing, trying hard to prove why their occasional big plays should be enough to earn them a spot on his team. But eventually, "every knee" will bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). That's when the people who'd already humbled themselves before him on earth will have no hesitation taking a knee and giving him praise in heaven. It'll be like they've been there... like they never expected to be anywhere else. And where they'll be thankful now that there's no more penalty for excessive celebration.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't want be someone who only bows to you when they have to. I bow before you today, on this side of heaven. I want to go ahead and start getting good at this.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Too Much Information?
It just can't be good that every credit card swipe we make, every phone call, every movement, it seems, is on somebody's computer somewhere. We're always watchful these days for privacy loss and identity theft, running our opened mail down the shredder to keep any more info about us from leaking out. It's even a little suspicious when the grocery sends us a dollar-off coupon for our favorite brand of ketchup, realizing we're only getting this because they know what we've been buying.
What people know about us today can hurt us. What they pull up on their screens can start coming out of our bank accounts. When people all over the world can see our driveway on a Google map, you've got to figure we're not totally safe from a smart intruder.
But even in a context like this, God has no problem admitting he knows your every thought. He knows the number of hairs on your head; knows the hopes and dreams that pulsate in your heart. He's able to "write in the register of the peoples: 'This one was born in Zion'" (Psalm 87:6)—in Charlotte, in Denver, in San Antonio. Everywhere you've been, everywhere you go, he's tracking you.
But not to hurt you. God uses his knowledge to direct your steps, to bring you growth opportunities, to meet very specific needs, to send you help when you're hurting. The more he knows, the better. The more you trust him, the safer you'll be.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can't hide anything from you. But I pray you'll let me see this as a good thing. Knowing I'm constantly on your radar doesn't make me feel watched, just cared for.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
How Does He Do That?
One of the reasons we like watching a NASCAR race, or a PGA major, or a world-class track and field event is because we enjoy wondering how people are able to perform with that kind of skill, at that kind of level. Who stands over an iron shot in the heavy rough and mashes it 200 yards, within a few feet of the pin? Who runs a marathon in a little more than two hours and survives to make it to the medal ceremony? Wow.
If you ever want to spend a few minutes in your Bible having this same kind of feeling, the book of Job, chapters 38-41, will give you that sensation. You'll experience a tour de force through some of the greatest mysteries of God's Creation, and wonder, "How does he do that?"
"Who cuts a channel for the currents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm?" (38:25) "From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?" (38:29) Who can give "the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?" (39:19) Who could "make a pet" of a giant whale or "put him on a leash for your girls" if he felt like it? (41:5)
It's amazing enough to look at the world around us and marvel at what we see. It's even more amazing to know that the God who loves us is the One who thought up, designed, and made it all.
Pray this prayer: Lord, whenever I'm impressed by what another man can do, help me see that it's nothing compared to the One who makes him able to do it. I stand in total awe of you again today.
:angel:
Anger Management
Whether at work or at home or in some other setting, you know what it's like when someone gets mad, gets their feelings hurt, and accuses you of something you didn't do. Instead of coming to find out what really happened or to talk it out calmly, they start right in with the accusations.
First reaction is what? "If they've got the nerve to come in here blaming me for things they don't even know about, they'd better have the guts to hear what I think of it . . . and of them."
Same thing happened to an Old Testament hero named Gideon, who famously took 300 men on a nighttime raid of a huge enemy encampment, armed with nothing more than trumpets, torches, and a bunch of empty jars. When God gave this tiny band an unlikely victory, some of the other fighting men of Israel swooped over to get into the action. But they were steamed that Gideon hadn't seen them fit to be part of the initial attack. "They criticized him sharply," the Bible says at the beginning of Judges 8. Still, instead of getting into a shouting match, he calmly told them he wasn't half the fighting man they were. Cooler heads carried the day. "At this, their resentment against him subsided."
Remember this: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Next time someone wants to start something, let your low-key response put an end to it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, teach me how to take a gentler tone with my wife and kids and the other people who irritate me sometimes. I don't want to be an angry man.
:angel:
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Judgment Day
If there's one thing we learn from the Bible, it's that salvation is not something we can earn. God just gives it. Because of what Christ has already done on the cross, our penalty has been paid. Our forgiveness has been authorized. All we do is receive it by putting our faith in him.
Then why would God leave us with so many instructions on how to live, even after we're saved? Why would he keep reminding us that we'll have to stand before His "judgment seat"? Why would he feel the need to hold it over our head that "each of us will give an account of himself to God"? (Romans 14:12)
It's because he knows us. He understands that we don't always get very busy without a deadline hanging over us. We don't usually want to behave well unless acting badly has a consequence. So even though the believer has already been cleared to spend eternity with Christ, there's a reckoning day coming where we'll all have to answer for what we did with this gift of his.
This would sound terribly harsh and heavy-handed if not for the fact that sin is what's really harsh and heavy-handed. Disobeying God is not preferable to obeying him, not by the time it's made us miserable, like it always does. Turns out that an accounting bench and a judgment seat are more about God's mercy than his wrath. He loves us enough to make us want what's best for us.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really like the thought of having to stand and give account. But I'd hate to think where I'd be if you just left me to monitor myself. I guess I'm glad for your accountability.
:angel:
Two Minute Drills from Coach Joe Gibbs
Made to Worship
The challenge of sharing Jesus with another person can be frightening and intimidating. But there's at least one hurdle that's already been jumped for you: people are naturally wired to worship.
We see it when even a slumping slugger, who's failed to perform up to par all year, smacks a three-run homer late in a postseason game to swing the series back in their favor. Fans erupt in the home stadium, many of them bowing with both arms extended, honoring their hero.
Paul and Barnabas, two of the first Christian missionaries, experienced something similar while ministering in a city where the crowds became amazed at their power to heal. Word soon spread to a pagan priest, who began untying the sacrificial bulls and handing out ceremonial wreaths to anyone wanting to worship these men as gods. Hearing of this, Paul and Barnabas went ballistic: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, humans like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God" (Acts 14:15). Worship didn't need igniting that day, just redirecting.
So when sharing your faith, don't think people aren't wanting to believe that something greater exists than what they see around them. You just be bold enough to show them Jesus. Let him draw them to salvation in the one true God—the one their soul truly longs for, the only one worthy of worship.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for new boldness to share your Son, Jesus, with those who come my way. Help me not be deceived into thinking they're not already hungry for what you alone can provide.
:angel:
It's What I Love about You
There's something in men that wants their wife to be beautiful, not just to enjoy a pleasant face across the dinner table, but to impress others with the kind of woman they were able to attract. There's something in fathers that wants their daughters to be the kind the other boys think is pretty, somehow sharing indirectly in their children's popularity.
But as men saved from proving ourselves acceptable to God through external shows of behavior, we should know better than anyone that outward appearances are not what make a person beautiful. Just as holiness is what "adorns" the house of the Lord (Psalm 93:5), our eye for beauty in our wives and our daughters should be for the fire of Christian character shining through their lives. Holiness should be what "adorns" our house as well.
Our wives should be the most beautiful to us when they're bowed in prayer on the side of the bed, or scribbling notes in their Bible margins at church, wanting to get God's truth deeper and deeper into their hearts. Our daughters should never be better looking than when they're taking stands for purity, or listening to worship music on their iPods, or honoring their mother by obeying a bit of parental instruction, even if it's unpopular with their friends. As husbands and fathers, we should be quick to praise what we see Christ doing in our family members' lives, letting them know that it means more to us than anything.
Pray this prayer: Lord, retrain my mind to honor what you honor, to love what makes you the most delighted in us. Help me want nothing more for my wife and children than to love you with all their hearts.
:angel:
Valuable Observations
Have you ever noticed that a five percent raise doesn't really change much in your take-home pay? Aren't you just as hungry for breakfast the morning after a $50.00 meal as after a $5.00 one? How many of the items in your garage or attic once served a useful purpose inside your actual living space? And why do all of us know these things to be true?
Because we've seen them. We've lived them. If there's one thing we know about money and the things it can buy, it's the fact that we routinely overvalue them. We expect them to be so much more than they typically turn out to be. So God tells us in His Word to give "careful thought" to this: "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it" (Haggai 1:5-6).
Don't just know this. Do something with it.
What habits do you need to discontinue based on this common-sense information? How should this insight affect the way you parent or counsel your children? What kind of character traits would have more room to grow in you if you based more of your decisions on this? When money lessons become life lessons, they can do more than just impact your shopping and saving patterns. They can go to work in your heart.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for the wisdom to be more thoughtful than I usually am—to base my life on the truths you've so clearly shown us, rather than acting like they don't apply to me.
:angel:
Rx for Worry
Live long enough, and you'll find yourself in a thin hospital gown, crawling up on the table for some kind of test procedure. You'll wait by the phone for the results, trying not to worry but unable to keep from wondering what you'll do if it's bad.
Is there a game plan for this kind of situation?
Let's just say that one of the blessings of living in daily fellowship with God is developing a settled heart. You realize your salvation is accomplished and complete. You recognize how many things are beyond your control. And you begin to understand that trusting him is a lot more effective than fretting and losing sleep. He takes care of you either way. So why waste the nervous energy?
Inner peace is not a formula. It's not treating God like a good-luck charm. It's about spending time reading His Word. Praying when you could be listening to sports radio. Talking to him instead of talking to yourself. Relationship, not ritual. Try it consistently for a month, and you'll look back a few weeks from now amazed at the amount of perspective and security he's given you. You'll be more like a man who has "no fear of bad news," whose "heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:7).
Want to be ready for that next trip to the doctor? Then run your laps, watch your portions . . . and start relying on the Great Physician to get you through each day.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I waste so much of my time worrying about things you're already taking care of. I long for a settled, peaceful heart—one that's ready for trouble because I've been trusting you all along.
:angel:
Sailing in the Current
Are you happy where you are? Happy with your job and your prospects for growth? Happy with your home life, whether married or single? Happy with the house you live in? Happy with the car you drive? Happy with much of anything right now in terms of where you'd like to be?
When God allowed a Babylonian king to swoop into Israel and cart the Hebrews off into exile, you can be sure they weren't very happy. They'd lost their homes, lost their security, lost their ties to everything they owned. But as a way of further growing their character and painting their future with promise, God gave his people these instructions: Build houses there. Start a family there. Work for the good of your neighbors there. Make the most of this unwanted season by bearing fruit in an unhappy place.
"For I know the plans I have for you," God told them, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). But don't expect these promising days just to kick in as payback because you've been suffering for a while. Don't expect to build much on the backs of your constant complaining. Commit to doing something special even in the midst of your current situation. And you'll find that those "plans" for a "hope and a future" required the relationships you built, the work you invested, and the contentment you chose in the present. Dig in to dig out.
Pray this prayer: Lord, you know I'm not very happy right now. But I'm going to take your advice and let you grow me here. Thank you for not letting me waste my experiences—even these experiences.
:angel:
Job Hazards
We know what kind of violent insults can be hurled at coaches whose teams miss the playoffs for a second season in a row. We hear of even college players—nineteen and twenty year-olds, remember—getting death threats after throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.
But in their own way, any unfair complaints you may be enduring on the job right now are just as damaging and hurtful as these. Perhaps your upper level management is making it nearly impossible for you to succeed. Maybe a coworker or employee with an axe to grind is bad-mouthing you every chance he gets. A customer whose order was delayed—just this one time—is talking you down to those who could take you down.
People can misunderstand. They can take things out of context. They can see something they don't like about you and never leave the door open for a second impression, no matter how hard you try to please them. "Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets" (Psalm 55:11).
But as for you, keep showing up for work on time with all your personal skills in playing shape. Do your best to treat others fairly, learn from criticism, control your anger. Then just "cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). You don't have to beat them. You just need to know where your true victory lies.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I've really been under attack lately, and I'm getting tired of it. But you certainly know—much better than I do—how it feels to be mistreated. Help me learn how to handle this well.
:angel:
All God's Children
Even though America has come a long way in terms of race relations—far more than many other countries of the world—stereotypes do still exist. Perhaps there are some people you'd rather not have as neighbors. Certain nationalities draw your suspicions. They have customs and habits that feel—(to use a fitting word)—"foreign" to you.
But while home and family and patriotism are each good things, we must always be careful about letting natural mind-sets overrule biblical ones. Just because a bigoted attitude of yours is embraced and encouraged by your friends doesn't mean it's the right one for you to have. When you have an automatic, negative reflex that lights up whenever you see a person of another race or national origin, you're assuming a superiority that isn't really there.
And you're forgetting that one reason why heaven is so heavenly is because it's the biggest melting pot of all.
"After this I looked," the apostle John said, "and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9). This preview of heaven's population simply cannot be allowed to land on our ears and not logically affect the way we treat people whose heritage and skin color are different from ours. Jesus Christ can rule in anyone's heart. Let's make sure he's ruling in ours.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to take an axe to my prejudices, that I would not look down on anyone, but would rather be dedicated like never before to your call to make disciples of all nations.
:angel:
Can You See Me?
It used to just be celebrities who had to live with the possibility that someone could be filming or taking pictures of them at any moment. But today, we're all fairly accustomed to knowing that a camera is likely trained on us at every store entrance, every ATM machine, perhaps even when we're trying to decide whether to run through a yellow light or not.
We're a watched society—which can be troubling when we imagine how far some people could take these surveillance capabilities. But be that as it may, there's an element of this that keeps us accountable. It keeps us honest, keeps us careful of our actions. In fact, it's sort of a reminder that God's cameras are always rolling—that he sees it all, even when no one else is looking. "For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths" (Proverbs 5:21).
We may not always be happy about that. There are parts of our average day that we'd just as soon keep private. But the fact that he's watching is true just the same. Our job is to live in such a way that this knowledge is more comforting than convicting—to be glad that he "sees what is done in secret" (Matthew 6:6), to know that our desire is to please him and stay in close fellowship with him every minute of the day.
Pray this prayer: Help me remember, Lord, that my life is an open book before you. Let this knowledge both change and challenge me. I want to be your kind of man all the time.
:angel:
The Dignity of Man
Do you ever go through seasons when you just don't feel like your life counts for very much? Everything seems about as pointless as a first-quarter NBA score in November. People treat you with less interest than a flight attendant's lecture on oxygen masks and exit doors.
But what's easy to forget at times like these is that your value is not something other people can assign to you. They don't get to grade this. You have been given great worth by your Creator. Your significance is inborn.
Think of the dignity you possess, merely by being a product of God's design. You're able to reason and make choices. You can appreciate beauty and feel emotion. You have the ability within your reach to bless others, to extend your influence and impact into another person's life.
You have even been given the privilege of communicating with your heavenly Father—a right he wasn't obligated to offer you, but one he freely extends because of his rich, abiding love for you. Everything about you has been "woven together" in his all-wise mind and heart. Each day of your life has been "written" down by the one who made you. (Psalm 139:15-16). That's how valuable you are to him.
Instead of being bombarded by all the ways life has mistreated you or what a mess you've made, make this a day to celebrate what God has invested in you. You are worth far more than you realize.
Pray this prayer: I do get down on myself a lot, Lord. I have a hard time imagining that you love me. Would you remind me today? I could really use that.
:angel:
Reversing the Trend
Whether from being left untended or from constant use, things will always be inclined to grow old and deplete. Knees will start to ache and catch. Tires will wear thin. Gaskets will leak. Organization will trend toward chaos. The deodorant stick will shrink smaller and smaller. Clothes will wrinkle. Dust will accumulate. It's the nature of life. Downhill. Showing age.
It's even the nature of marriage. What starts with candlelight, tuxedo, and a minister's blessing slowly gives way to the late local news, complaints about your snoring, and fixing yourself the last piece of toast for breakfast. Where's a little romance when you need it? Probably not under warranty.
So whether you like it or not, today will be another battle against bone loss, systems malfunction, and tooth decay. And to keep the same sorts of erosion from happening in your home, the Bible offers the following prescription: "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) . . . or by life's constant drain and desire to drag you down, if not drag you apart.
Marriage may never outgrow a few toilet seat disagreements. But yours can withstand and even counteract the effects of time and age. A little encouragement from you today can go a long way.
Pray this prayer: God, help me not to stand by while my marriage loses any more of its luster. Give me the kind of heart that keeps loving, keeps investing. Show me the best way to bless my wife today.
:angel:
Costly Do-Overs
In Game Plan for Life, Coach Gibbs recounts the story from the Redskins' 2007 season when, in an effort to ice the opposing kicker in the closing minute of a two-point game, he mistakenly called two timeouts in a row. The fifteen-yard penalty walkoff put the Bills at much closer range, and the converted field goal proved the difference in a heartbreaking 17-16 Redskin defeat. No loss can be blamed on any one thing, of course, but this game ultimately came down to a crucial sideline mistake.
If Coach ever found himself in a similar situation, you can bet he wouldn't do that again.
Wonder, though, how many of the problems we cause ourselves are from repeat mistakes—things we should have known better, goofs we should have learned from before? Being consistently late, for example, always keeps us off-balance, apologetic, and at least semi-rude to others. We know that. Yet we keep running behind and not taking pains to be punctual. Pick whatever frustration of yours that eats away at your efficiency and attitude, and ask yourself what would be different if you had decided to do something about it long ago.
The Bible tells us to "hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13). Maybe instead of trying to come up with better ways of doing things, we'd save time by just not having to relearn things we know that already work.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make plain to me those faults and areas of neglect where I keep shooting myself in the foot. I want to be a man who's putting your Word and good sense into constant practice.
:angel:
Equal Opportunity Provider
Thomas Jefferson said it first, although legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn is attributed with making the line more slick and famous: "The harder I work, the luckier I get."
We've all seen guys who overachieve—in sports, in business, in all kinds of professions. We've seen young football players from Division II directional schools who get signed as undrafted free agents , make the final cut, fill in for an injured starter, then turn low expectations into a Pro Bowl season. Hard work? Luck? You decide.
The person who wrote Psalm 1 in the Bible talked about the man who doesn't kid around when it comes to keeping his nose in the Scriptures. "Day and night" he makes learning God's Word a passionate pursuit. As a result, "he is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3). Good genes? Lucky breaks?
There's something about a man who reads and studies his Bible, not to win theological arguments, but just because he wants his life to be shaped, governed, and directed by God's ultimate truth. Psalm 119:98 says it makes him smarter than his enemies. Proverbs 1:4 says it transforms a young, inexperienced man into someone who's shrewd and clever, who knows the ropes.
Aren't you lucky to have that kind of resource sitting around? You are if you're ready to work at it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't always know the best way to get much out of reading the Bible. But I ask you, by your Holy Spirit, to begin letting it speak clearly to me. I do want to learn. I do want to grow.
:angel:
Be Nice to Your Body
You may not know it to look at you. All you can see sometimes are the things you don't like—the extra weight you're carrying around your middle, the gray that's starting to pepper your temples and sideburns, the hair that's rubbed off your legs from wearing dress slacks all day.
But the Bible has this to say about you: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19).
Me? A temple?
Yep. As a believer in Jesus Christ, your heart has now become a place of residence for the Spirit of God. That makes your body a sanctuary, a special piece of construction designed to be treated with the same kind of care and decorum you exercise when you're at church. So for the same reason you don't scarf down nachos during worship service or wear your lawn-mowing clothes to Sunday school, you should treat your physical body with respect, honor, and a real sense of worth.
So before you go littering it up with another junk-food lunch or refusing to take it out for a walk, remember that this marvelous specimen of God-created equipment is not a thing to be taken lightly. Let's see some respect here. And pretty soon, you might even see less of those things you don't like.
Pray this prayer: God, I used to think that all you really wanted of me were spiritual things. But I want to be your man head-to-toe. Keep me encouraged to keep myself in good working order.
:angel:
The Game Plan
For three improbable afternoons at the recent British Open golf tournament, Tom Watson continually stood near or atop the leader board, smelling victory at an event he had won five times before, but not in more than twenty-five years. With each succeeding round and clubhouse interview, the spectacle became harder and harder to believe. Yet strangely, for the 59-year-old Watson, easy to explain.
He was on a "game plan," he repeatedly said, a secret code of attack he never revealed, except to say it existed and that he was on course with it. It was a game plan that took him to the 72nd hole and an eight-foot putt for par, inches away from an ageless wonder of a championship.
Game plans work. And though a slight bobble in execution at any point along the way can mean the difference between first and second, the fact remains that a good game plan can take you far—farther than you may have ever dreamed possible.
That's why the apostle Paul could say it's "not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). Yes, missed putts can still prove costly. Missed opportunities can still nag at us. But what we lack in perfection is more than made up for as we "press on" with a set purpose. Life with a game plan is always superior to life without it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can do better than just taking a hit-and-miss approach to life. I need a game plan. I need YOUR game plan. Help me to see it in your Word, and put it into practice every day.
:angel:
Feel the Pain
You may be going through an awful lot right now. Maybe your company is shedding jobs and salaries, trying to keep from going under. Maybe one of the jobs they calved off was yours.
Maybe your marriage is really tanking at the moment. You can't say you haven't contributed to the problems, but you're trying as hard as you can now to make this work, to make this right. Still, you're not sure where things are headed.
Work. Family. Health. Finances. Between these major categories, life can get very complicated, both from things you've done as well as things that just happened. And if God feels very far away today, unconcerned and out of the picture, hear a word of encouragement from hundreds of years ago.
Throughout the Old Testament, God's people faced one crisis after another. Sometimes it was their own dumb fault; sometimes it came by way of surprise attack. But no matter how they got into their troubles, "in all their distress, he too was distressed" (Isaiah 63:9). When they hurt, He hurt. When they suffered, He suffered.
God has not lost the directions to your house. He's not waiting to work you in between 3:00 and 4:00 next Wednesday. God feels. He grieves. He knows what you're going through. You're not the only one hurting here. And His is the kind of hurt that knows how to help you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, thank you that you haven't forgotten me. It's good to know you're a God who's really alive, who's really here, and who genuinely cares. I'm counting on that today.
:angel:
One of the Main Things
Blocking and tackling. Hitting the open man. "Gentlemen, this is a football." The basics.
Sometimes in seeking that extra half-second that takes us up an echelon, we can forget the fundamentals. We can lose sight of what got us here. But maybe, instead of the hundred things we try to juggle to make us faster, higher, stronger, a great life just requires that we remember two or three.
For example, when we get a biblical peek into heaven in the book of Revelation, where people are trying to describe why they're giving "glory and honor" to God, their reasoning is based on something you probably learned in kindergarten—"for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11).
God made you. Stop to think what that means . He made you with love, with intention, with enough unique detail that no one else on the planet—either now or in all the centuries past—has ever looked exactly like you. (I mean, think of how many combinations of eyes, ears, and noses that takes!)
Maybe some mornings, all you need to start your day is to look at your open hands, with their opposable thumbs and functional design, and realize that God has a purpose for you and for everything yet to happen in the next 24 hours. He's put too much thought into you to make you have to over think.
Pray this prayer: Lord, if I ever doubt my purpose in life, help me remember that you created me for a reason. I know we're not just a bunch of randomly assembled body parts. Help me to live and worship you with that kind of intention.
:angel:
Walk Like a Winner
Sometimes a guy just knows he's going to play well that day. Something about the confident, relaxed mood he's in when he wakes up. Something about how smooth and straight that first drive sails off the tee. Something about the way his gear feels when he straps it on. He just knows it. He's on. Everybody'd better watch out.
And believe it or not, when it comes to your battle against a certain sin or habitual behavior, you can step onto the field today with that kind of confidence, even if you've had a losing record against it for a long time, even if you've been in one of your worst slumps ever.
The Bible says that "by his wounds"—by the sacrificial death of Jesus—"you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). "Have been." Past tense. Already taken care of. "Healed" of your sin problem. Which means that every time you cave in to it again, it's just because you want to, not because you have to. As the first part of that verse says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness."
So if you want this day to result in victory, you've got every right to expect it—because part of winning is knowing you're better than the competition on any given day. And thanks to what Jesus has done, you really are.
Pray this prayer: Lord, after failing you so many times, I start to feel like I'm just not up to the challenge of being faithful. But I know You're faithful, and powerful, and able. Be all those things in me.
:angel:
An F for Effort
Just about everybody thinks they're good enough to at least squeak by into heaven. Put it all on balance, consider how hard they've tried, and God should be able to see they've done the best they could with what they had. They've been worse than some, sure, but better than most. When it's all said and done, if God's being fair, the scales ought to tip their way.
Well, there's the problem. The scales don't tip on the basis of being better than others. God's judgment has nothing at all to do with a person making good choices a certain percentage of the time. "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). In fact, they're sadly deceived and mistaken.
If you're pinning your hopes on the outside chance that God operates on a sliding scale, hear what the Bible says: "It is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends" (2 Corinthians 10:18). And the only ones the Lord commends are those who are perfect—or those who've put all their trust in Jesus' ability to stand in for their imperfections.
"Whoever lives and believes in me will never die," Jesus said (John 11:25). Whoever lives and believes in himself will just die trying.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I know I've been wrong to think I'm good enough to satisfy your high standards. Help me to see that I can never be what you want me to be until Jesus is living in me.
:angel:
How's Your Day Looking?
In Game Plan for Life, Os Guinness mentions this quote from a 90-year-old Winston Churchill: "Life has been a grand journey—well worth making once."
Once. That's all we get. No dry runs. No do-overs. This day you're living now is not a dress rehearsal or a practice lap. You're on the stage. You're in the game. Start playing.
What this kind of thinking does is rip the disguise off today, revealing it to be every bit as momentous as the first morning on a new job or the night before major surgery. There are things to be said. Today. There are people to take notice of. Today. There are ordinary decisions to take seriously. Today. As the Bible says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
The newspaper commits a page or two each morning to dozens of death notices—guys who once supervised a work crew at the auto plant, who once coached boys' baseball on Saturday afternoons, who once served on the school board or were once active in the Rotary club. Once.
All those one-time daily things that could be said of you in the paper—about your family, your work, your interests, your passions—are they getting your best today? Clock's ticking down. Better get out there.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I've been letting some things slide. I've been going whole weeks without my priorities being in balance. It's time to get this right. Show me what that means and how to get there.
:angel:
Up with People
The Bible says to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). Which means what exactly?
We understand the part about not storing up "treasures on earth" (verse 19). We get it that we can't take our stuff with us into eternity. We never see a hearse pulling a moving van. We know that. But "treasures in heaven." What are those? And how do they become part of our life's purpose?
Every person you know or meet is an eternal being. Some, by God's grace and their faith in his son, Jesus Christ, will live with him forever. Some won't. But because each of us has an eternal soul, one way to store up "treasures in heaven" is by investing your life in other people—in your wife, your children, your work associates and employees, your neighbors, your friends, even people who cross your path in seemingly random fashion. We're not to regard them anymore "from a worldly point of view," the Bible says (2 Corinthians 5:16). We're to see them as a teller window for depositing our time, our attention, our concern, even just a kind "hello" made with deliberate eye contact.
Not every heavenly investment is transacted at church or in some other so-called spiritual setting. Just about anywhere you go, there's a branch near you.
Pray this prayer: God, help me to spend more time noticing the people around me and their needs—and less time focused on simply knocking out agenda items and daily objectives. I want my treasures in heaven, not here.
:angel:
Heaven: Harps Optional
One of the things Randy Alcorn accomplishes in his chapter on heaven in Game Plan for Life is to quiet our misconception that life after death for the Christian is going to be boring. A never-ending church service. All Christmas carols and choir books.
Actually, the Bible says heaven will be a total experience of newness that touches everything about us and everything we do. Not just better singing and sermons. Not just better food options at church potlucks. Better everything. The very best of everything. Renewed, remade, reborn.
God has promised, "I will create new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17), meaning that while we're going to live in a place we've never been before, it will contain perfected elements of things we've always known. But instead of fatigue and physical limitations, we'll have total freedom of enjoyment. Instead of sin's empty promises, we'll know constant satisfaction. Instead of having to lock our doors and watch our backs, we'll learn what it really means to live without fear. Of anything.
Don't go worrying that God is baiting you with free gift offers that are going to end up being a time-share presentation. These new heavens and new earth are His gift of undying, undiluted life to you. It's definitely something you don't want to miss.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't deserve the privilege of having this kind of hope in my future. But I'm so grateful—eternally grateful—that you desire this kind of life for me. Thank you for making it possible through Christ. Thank you for making it mine.
Reversing the Trend
Whether from being left untended or from constant use, things will always be inclined to grow old and wear out. Knees will start to ache and catch. Gaskets will leak. Organization will trend toward chaos. The deodorant stick will shrink smaller and smaller. It's the nature of life. Downhill. Showing age.
It's even the nature of marriage. What starts with candlelight, tuxedo, and a minister's blessing slowly gives way to the late local news, complaints about your snoring, and fixing yourself the last piece of toast for breakfast. Where's a little romance when you need it? Probably not under warranty.
So whether you like it or not, today will be another battle against muscle loss and tooth decay. But to keep these same sorts of erosion from happening in your home and marriage, the Bible offers you the following prescription: "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) or by life's constant tendency to drag you down, if not drag you apart.
Marriage may never outgrow a few toilet seat disagreements. But yours can withstand—and even counteract—the effects of time and age. A little encouragement from you today can go a long way.
Pray this prayer: God, help me not to stand by while my marriage loses any more of its luster. Give me the kind of heart that keeps loving, keeps investing. Show me the best way to bless my wife today.
:angel:
First Things First
You may or may not be a list-maker. It doesn't really matter. Because whether you are or you aren't, we all live by a list. We all do what's most important to us—our ones, twos, and threes. The tens, twelves, and fifteens rarely make an actual appearance.
The same goes for our money. We may or may not live by a budget—(Ron Blue will get us for that)—but we have our reasons for spending and saving the way we do . . . or don't. Our first things come first, whether they're sound or just selfish.
Thankfully, the Bible comes right out and tells us what our first financial thing needs to be: "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce" (Proverbs 3:9). Before one dime goes toward dinner out or a new DVD—or even toward your mortgage, insurance, and utility bills—giving to God through the church where you worship should come right off the top. First thing.
Or how easily it becomes a forgotten thing.
If this sounds a little too radical and expensive, seek out someone you know who manages their money by this principle. Ask if it's proven to be a bust to their financial health, a decision they've grown to regret. See if instead God hasn't opened up the "floodgates of heaven" and poured out on them a blessing "without measure" (Malachi 3:10). When the Lord comes first, everything else just falls into place.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to help me realize that everything I own or earn comes from you. May I be grateful enough to honor you with my giving, and to grow my trust in you at the same time.
:angel:
Who's the Boss?
The life of an athlete requires answering to a lot of people: coaches, media, sponsors, and the public. So does yours, no matter what career you're in. There are clients and customers to serve, supervisors and upper management to please, shareholders and contributors to coddle—lots of people to cater to.
Game Plan for Life, however, introduces us to this simplifying concept: "the audience of One." The One, of course, is God. And His demand of you is your absolute best, your utmost integrity. He calls you to apply His commands in all your decisions and interactions.
In a perfect world, this kind of excellence would always be recognized and amply compensated. It would earn you the highest respect from your colleagues and coworkers. It would anchor your job security and even promise you steady promotion through the ranks. But even when it doesn't—even when it seems like no one is noticing—there is no satisfaction like knowing that God can say of you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).
The next time you start to feel unappreciated, undervalued, and overlooked, take your feelings of inferiority to the Lord in prayer. Let Him be the One with the last word on how valuable you are. When you're pleasing Him, you're doing your job.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray that the only measure of my worth at work will be whether or not I'm honoring you with my very best. When I do things your way, may I be one happy, contented man.
:angel:
Watch It
One of the things you get in Game Plan for Life is some straight talk on some real stuff. But as sort of a bonus, you also get (here and there) a little ancient philosophy to go with your modern advice—like this, from the Greek thinker Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Any of us who struggle to keep our weight where the doctor says it should be or who've never met an excuse that couldn't talk us out of exercising—we know how easy it is for our personal health to go from managed care to total anarchy. Sometimes we exert a lot more energy examining what's in the pantry than we do examining what God expects of our overall fitness habits.
Health experts tell us that if we had to catalog or journal our calorie intake and our workout reps, most of us would be shocked at how much we consume and how little we burn off. But those who pay attention, those who consider it important to "examine" themselves, are the only ones who live in the truth of their situation. They don't trick themselves into believing that everything is okay when it isn't.
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Wake up and smell the coffee. And stay in charge of what you let in all day.
Pray this prayer: Help me develop the courage, Lord, to make deliberate decisions on how I handle myself, not letting life just come to me, but choosing to do right, choosing to be healthy.
:angel:
What Dad Says
If you've been a father for very long, you've heard one of your children say, "Dad, I remember you telling me..." And strangely, you may have no more than a dim memory of having said it. They were words that didn't really register as they were coming out but, for whatever reason, they sure did register coming in.
Maybe it was a stray memory you shared while you were out fishing together or running weekend errands. Maybe it was a harsh critique of the way they were performing a task or treating a sibling. Maybe it wasn't even something you were saying to them directly, but they were around, they heard it, they remember it.
Most dads don't think of themselves as men of powerful, memorable words. But... we are. All of us.
So on this day of celebration, enjoy the cards and the phone calls, act surprised at the necktie and the nail care kit, doze in and out of the U.S. Open on television. But also take the chance to say some special things to your children, wherever they may be.
King Solomon wrote of his father, David, "When I was a boy in my father's house... he taught me and said, 'Lay hold of my words with all your heart'" (Proverbs 4:3–4). Don't let everything your children remember you saying be offhand and incidental. Make a point of telling them what your heart really wants to say.
Pray this prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to be a dad who instructs and inspires my children the way you inspire me. Help me teach my children based on your Word that they may also mature in godliness.
:angel:
Forward Thinking
We've never been to a funeral, no matter how tragic or expected the person's death, when much of the service and the conversations surrounding it didn't center on memories of his or her life. We recall happier times we spent together. We reflect on what this individual was like. We regret that we won't be able to enjoy their smile or laughter anymore on earth.
We look back. That's all we humans really know how to do. To look back is to know. To look ahead is merely to guess and wonder.
But not for the believer in Jesus Christ. Our view looking forward, though lacking in some of the specifics God has chosen not to reveal, is one of confidence and knowledge, of hope and authentic anticipation. Randy Alcorn writes in Game Plan for Life, "As people age, they tend to look back at when they were at their best, knowing they'll never regain those days. But if you're a Christ-follower, you don't look back to your peak. You look forward to it."
Imagine being encouraged, as Randy says, that "the strongest I've ever felt is just a hint of what's to come." Imagine being sure that "the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Imagine being able to look ahead . . . and know.
Pray this prayer: Lord, there's so much I don't understand. But as one who has given his life to you, I pray that you will settle my heart whenever I doubt your promises. Help me believe in your love for me.
:angel:
Truth and Freedom
For Superman, life is a "never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way." But for ordinary guys like us, truth is one battle we don't have to fight. Truth has already been fought for . . . and won.
Like the truth that "there is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). The truth that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The truth that "at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). At the end of the day—in each of our lives—that's the truth.
We live in a world where truth can mean a lot of things. But the truth of Jesus' death on the cross to forgive your sins, the truth of his resurrection from the grave to give you eternal life, is the only truth that can set you free from "never-ending battle."
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
So if you haven't already, wouldn't today's celebration of America's freedom be an ideal day to celebrate your own freedom as well—freedom from sin and guilt, freedom from dread and worry, freedom from hoping against hope that God will let you into heaven—freedom to know that nothing in life can shake your confidence about the future?
That may not be the American way. But it's God's way. It's the real man's way. It's the only way.
Pray this prayer: God, I'm a sinful man, and I know it. That's the truth. But you have shown me that my sin can be wiped away by what you've already done for me. I choose to believe the truth—about myself and about you. Come be my Savior and Lord. I want to be free.
:angel:
All Play, No Work?
Some people think being a Christian is code-word for slacking off, not expecting much, being more willing to understand and overlook a shoddy day's work. So although there are plenty of us who lean more toward being workaholics, there are plenty more who need to realize that high expectations don't go flying out the window just because you've been promised eternal life.
Granted—again—the Christian ranks are filled with men who basically ignore God's command to experience a Sabbath rest in their week. They think that taking a break in the action to deliberately quiet themselves in prayer and worship, to refresh and replenish, will just give the others a chance to catch up. Surely a man can do more in seven days than in six.
But too many are taking this rest-and-relaxation routine a little too far. And if one of those men is you—if you'd admit that you're not putting out your maximum effort on the job— notice that in the same Scripture passage where God delivered His directive on Sabbath-keeping, he also stated the obvious counter-balance: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work" (Exodus 20:9).
So before you kick back for another weekend, remember that Ten Commandments-style resting implies you've been doing something all week that needs resting from. Make your Sabbath a great one by giving every other day your very best.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I can pretend my work ethic is something it's not. But help me see myself honestly in this regard—to see where I'm out of balance, one way or the other.
:angel:
Work Slowdown
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve and succeed. And if we're not careful, the pursuit of one more sale, one more percentage point, or one more dollar sign can utterly consume our lives. If it doesn't, we know they can find someone else who will.
This makes the following statement from the Bible a brave one: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). It's a call to hard work, yes, but also to the pursuit of work's greater goal—a "quiet life."
This is not the same as a lazy life, one with never a care or concern. A quiet life is one of perspective and balance. Business, labor, and career will always have certain seasons that call for an extra ummph of exertion. Not every day will be "quiet," and we shouldn't expect it to be. Still, a quiet life should remain our general "ambition"—our overall normal—so that when work expectations are keeping our lives noisy and chaotic week after month after year, courage and conviction will call us to make some changes. Our lifestyle becomes our lifetime quicker than we know it. And quiet only comes to those who seek it.
Pray this prayer: I need your help, God, to understand what this means for me. I don't want to do anything rash, but I do want to be in your will. I want to experience life the way you intend it to be.
:angel:
Breakfast of Champions
Every year when NFL training camp rolls around, there are guys who come in hungry and fired up, fresh from an off-season workout regimen that has gotten them in playing shape right from the get-go. But every team also has players who show up fat and flabby, twenty pounds over their goal weight, gasping for breath at the first sight of wind sprints. Failure to stick to a plan has cost them the stamina they need to get started on the right foot. They may be able to fool some people with their athletic looks and muscular bodies. But NFL coaches can tell when a guy's been dogging it since January.
You're probably not a professional ball player, but the same principle still applies to you. The concept Jesus taught that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43) has a universal draw on every man. Steady doses of unhealthy choices and activities will bear themselves out in the way we feel, the way we think, the way we stand up to stressful situations. If we're not willing to make sacrifices and faithful habits a regular part of our day, fatigue will not only become a way of life, it will become a belt size everyone else can see better than we can.
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart" (Luke 6:45). The same goes for stomachs and large muscle groups, too.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make me a man who doesn't have to fake who he is—not in health, not in work ethic, not in family life, not in anything. Help me see that who I become is the result of what I invest.
:angel:
Death to Fear
We're all pretty different. Different tastes in restaurants. Different sizes of televisions. Different favorite places to go on vacation. But one thing that's common to every man on earth is this: we're all on a collision course with death. Except for those living among the blessed generation who will still be filling out their dress shirts when Jesus comes back, no one's getting out of here alive.
And some people have a hard time living with that.
Think of how this one particular slice of reality hangs over your head on any given day. Think of how hard you fight to keep yourself looking young and age-defiant. Think of the medical scenarios that run through your head when you feel a new twinge or body ache, when an unexpected pain catches in your chest or side. Think of what happens when you realize it could have just as easily been you killed in the bridge collapse or tornado damage reported on the news tonight.
But Jesus, the Bible says, has died in our place "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death" (Hebrews 2:15). Yes, death is a heavy subject to ponder. But it doesn't have to hold us in slavery or overwhelm us in fear. Because of Jesus, we not only live forever. We can live free right now.
Pray this prayer: God, I don't like to think about going through the suffering and separation of death. But I pray you'll help me live in the confidence of heaven, so that I can keep from being afraid of dying.
:angel:
Ups and Downs
The medal stand. The winner's circle. The trophy presentation ceremony, followed at noon the next day by an open-convertible parade down Main Street. The sports world knows how to tell who's been successful at accomplishing what they set out to do. You can spot the champion by the title he holds.
But God doesn't work that way. Titles, ranking, and position are not his barometers of success for us, nor should they be of ours. Just because a man seems to be winning doesn't mean he's done the best job or is the most deserving of praise. Just because a man appears to be losing doesn't mean he's failed at a critical moment or has choked under pressure. God has his own reasons for letting some taste the rewards of success and letting others continue to battle from beneath the pile.
"It is God who judges: he brings one down, he exalts another" (Psalm 75:7). He may allow a man to earn a promotion, not because he's by far the most qualified, but because this person has a weakness for power that needs exposing and correcting. God may allow a man to be overlooked at work, not because this guy doesn't possess what it takes to advance, but to make him better prepared for a greater opportunity down the line.
With God, the possibilities are always endless. Don't make him have to play our game in order to win your trust.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I get confused sometimes and start judging things by this world's playbook, not by yours. Help me to accept the fact that you know what you're doing, much better than I do.
:angel:
The Ultimate Rescue
There are few symbols of bravery more compelling than that of New York City's first responders streaming into Towers One and Two on this cloudless day in 2001. If not for those squadrons of emergency crews, heavy with rescue gear, bounding up ring after ring of suffocating stairwells, the tragedy that claimed thousands of human lives could have easily killed tens of thousands.
We can hardly fathom such extreme levels of heroism. We don't quite know how to express our awe and gratitude toward those who risk their lives—every day, just as on this one horrific day—to save others.
But even with their daring sense of courage and self-sacrifice, even with hours of rescue training and contingency planning, these modern-day heroes are not able to save everyone. There are limits to what they can do. Time runs out. Gravity outweighs them.
How much awe and praise, then, should go to the Lord Jesus Christ, who's never encountered a life he couldn't save? No matter how black the sin or how impossible the situation, no matter how late the hour or how heavy the damage, he is able to snatch men from life's ultimate danger zone, saving them from eternal death.
"For my Father's will," he said, "is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). Everyone. That means you. Wherever you are, your rescuer is here.
Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I'm trapped in my sins with no way out. I've tried every escape there is, and none of them work. I'm calling out to you today as my last resort. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I'm so sure now that you're the Son of God. I need you. Please help me.
:angel:
Always and Never
Very few things in life are "always" and "never." Your wife doesn't always tell you how to drive. Your pastor isn't always asking for money. It's not like your kids never do a thing you say. But when it comes to God, there are some always and nevers you can take to the bank.
He is "always at his work" (John 5:17), never dozing off or growing tired of meeting your needs. He is "always righteous" (Jeremiah 12:1), never changing to accommodate the times. Jesus "always lives" to pray for you (Hebrews 7:25), to continually insure that your sins are forgiven, if you've trusted Him for salvation. He is a rock of refuge to which you can "always go" (Psalm 71:3).
He will "never stop doing good" to you (Jeremiah 32:40), always supplying you with all you really need. He tells us not to worry about money or the future, because He has promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). His years "will never end" (Hebrews 1:12). He has "set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). "Heaven and earth will pass away," Jesus said, "but my words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33).
Life may seem a tangled mess of empty words and broken promises. But when your trust is in God, you're on the most solid footing of all. Blessed is the man who "always fears the Lord" (Proverbs 28:14).
Pray this prayer: Lord, I always want to be your man, even though I miss the mark in many ways. I know with you, though, that you will always be my God, forever and ever.
:angel:
All-Weather Blessings
These are tough economic times all around. The same rules and assumptions that used to be part of the wall paint of life don't seem to apply any more. Housing values don't just automatically go up. The next stop on the Dow Jones index may not be a thousand more, perhaps a thousand less. Dividends that used to pay like clockwork may now be calculated at pennies on the share, if at all.
So when we open our Bibles and read, "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak," the poor, the helpless (Psalm 41:1), our minds almost immediately begin thinking up disqualifiers. Sure, if we had the money. Sure, if milk and gasoline weren't so expensive. Sure, if our 401(k) was still promising us an ample retirement.
But the Bible's principles for sound money management are not dependent on the ebbs and flows of the stock market. Just because prices are up and wages are down, biblical truth is not temporarily suspended. Lean years don't exempt us from pursuing God's way of doing things. In fact, it's in times like these—when real need is a lot closer to your front door than it may have seemed in days past—that the blessing of giving is actually the greatest. Your generous, sacrificial acts of service and care in Christ's name have more potential for touching hearts now than they ever did. You can take that to the bank.
Pray this prayer: Father, I get worried sometimes about where our financial picture is heading. But you have called us to be much more concerned for people than money. Help me to always keep this in mind.
:angel:
Sin Exchange
The battle against sexual lust is sort of in a class by itself for most men. Other allures and temptations may buzz around us, but few if any can stir up this kind of struggle, shame, and enslavement. It can make us want things that seem irresistible. Yet in turning away, we find things that are irreplaceable.
Pure living, for example, means exchanging deception for truth, darkness for light—the freedom to uncomplicate our lives with the worry of being found out, to avoid the awkward moment when we think someone has noticed our up-and-down glance.
We exchange a heart that judges by appearances for one that values the worth of every individual. We get to know people without filtering our acceptance of them through the grid of their good looks, enjoying the honesty of being kind to everyone we meet.
We exchange self-gratification for the pursuit of service, transforming our inner thirst for adventure into profitable use. Rather than thinking of ways to feed our misplaced desire, we become equally as passionate about thinking of ways to bless our wives and family.
"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5) . . . who do not know that something much better exists for those walk in purity.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm sick and tired of being consumed by thoughts of other women. I pray for a pure heart, a healed heart, a will that totally releases this impossible struggle into your strong hands.
:angel:
Suitable for All Ages
You may not think you know much about God, or the Bible, or the best way to explain the finer points of Christian doctrine. But if you still have children at home, you can be pretty sure they don't know as much as you do. And they could learn a lot more than you think if you'd just start the conversation.
Granted, trying to instruct our children in the ways and teachings of God is not easy for a lot of us. It can be awkward. It's not usually a popular alternative to the video game they were playing or the friend they were texting. We fear the risk of being boring, or bumping up against a question we don't know the answer to.
But you'd be surprised how inherently powerful the Bible is, all by itself. The consistent practice of reading the Scripture aloud with everyone together in one room will leave marks and memories on your children that will travel well as they grow. You'd even be surprised by the thoughts God gives you as you read—things you can share on the spot about your experiences with life, no other textbooks required.
Even with all our qualms and excuses, the Bible challenges us not to hide His Word from our children. "Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands" (Psalm 78:7). Even if you're a little fuzzy on this stuff, you've got to love a promise like that.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really even know where to begin in teaching my children about you and your Word. But I will be faithful to try. Help to realize that this is my responsibility.
:angel:
The Company You Keep
Our moms and dads could be pretty picky about the kinds of friends we hung around with. They understood it doesn't always take much persuasion, even for the best of kids, to turn innocent fun into risky behavior. Being with the right people, they knew, makes peer pressure a good thing.
But peer pressure isn't something that automatically ends when we take on adult responsibilities. Just because we're not teenage boys being dared to drive too fast or stay out too late, that doesn't mean we're not influenced by the grown-up friends we keep. People we go hunting with and meet for lunch can still hold significant weight on what we do, think, and say, and what we consider to be normal.
That's why we need friends who make us want to be more like Jesus. Men who have deep convictions and compassionate hearts. Men who don't have a church side and a public side. Men who love their wives and invest in their kids. Men who make us want to be even more sold-out and godly, not the kind who convince us, whether out loud or by a certain look, that we're taking this Christian life too seriously.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," the Bible says (Proverbs 27:17). If peer pressure is something we can expect to have around for a long time, we'd better be sure we've got some guys around us who help us want to become everything we ought to be.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm thankful for the friends of mine who bring out the best in me. And for those who don't, would you give me the courage to cut back on the time I spend with them?
:angel:
The Enemy Within
Dr. Larimore, writing in Game Plan for Life, talks about the "Four Wheels of Health"—physical, emotional, relational, spiritual. A fully healthy person is one who is consistently, continually achieving balance in each of these areas. If any of the four loses air or goes flat, the whole thing begins to weave and wobble.
But here's the deal. While it makes so much sense to hear him tell it, there is a big part of us that resists being healthy. Just knowing the value of green, leafy vegetables and cardiovascular exercise doesn't ensure we'll go after them. Just being aware that honesty and openness are essential to becoming authentic people is not enough to make us live it out. "Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning" (Psalm 64:6). We cannot trust even ourselves to look out for our own best interests.
That's why it is so important that our lives be centered and grounded in God. He alone is rock-steady in a world that can't help but feel uncertain, as well as in hearts that can't always seem to follow what our heads are telling them. "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). He is our one-and-only hope of being and staying as healthy as we want to be.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, you've found me out. I'm inconsistent at best and self-destructive at worst. I truly desire to be a whole and healthy man, but I realize that I can't do it without you. Please help me.
:angel:
A Promising Future
There are many hundreds of methods out there for maximizing your potential in life, in business, in all kinds of areas. Some are sound, some are not, some are absolutely wonderful (like Game Plan for Life, of course). But even the best can't help but be incomplete in spots. And none of us are able to follow them perfectly, even then.
So while we are wise to gather information and set our goals, to make our plans and chart our progress, we will meet days when not everything comes together. We will encounter challenges that weren't covered in the literature. We will feel the need to make adjustments and wonder why we hadn't noticed this sooner.
But that's okay—because our trust is not in methods and strategies. Though we are certainly responsible for how we handle ourselves, we are not in total charge of where our future is headed. It is no cop-out, after listening and learning and being diligent to pursue best practices, to say, "I cry out to God Most High, who fulfills his purpose for me" (Psalm 57:2).
Any success plan that isn't submitted to God is destined for failure. Any man who thinks he can make it on his own hunches will find out otherwise, the hard way. But when we trust God to do his work in us, he can take even our missteps and turn them into positive gain. He will fulfill his purpose for you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I worry too much. I push myself hard, but it still leaves so much that seems undone. I need to rest in the knowledge that you are more than capable of accomplishing your will in me.
:angel:
Enemy Sightings
If you struggle with an addiction—be it substance abuse, or pornography, or gambling, or whatever—you certainly know by now that making a turnaround is not something that happens overnight. It takes a true change of heart and usually a good long time. Nothing easy about it.
But one of the changes that needs to occur is your ability to see these temptations for what they really are. The rush that draws you to want a drug or a drink or a wide-eyed drive on the Internet is not coming from a friendly camp. Yes, these alluring appeals show up with claims of sweet relief. They feel like something you want and need. But actually, they are more like an "arrow that flies by day," like a "pestilence that stalks in the darkness," like a "plague that destroys at midday" (Psalm 91:5-6). Whenever they show up—morning, noon, and night, or all of the above—they are hired killers. They are sent to destroy.
Read all sixteen verses of Psalm 91 with this kind of focus and mind-set. See if you don't spot some new names, accounts, and descriptions of what your battle is like every day. And see if you don't find hope in the powerful protection of your Lord and Savior, who can enable you to "tread upon the lion and the cobra . . . to trample the great lion and the serpent" (Psalm 91: 13).
Know your enemy. Trust your God. Live your victory.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, expose the teeth and sharp edges of every temptation that comes my way. Help me see them for what they are, and realize that I can only stay safe by stepping out of their path.
:angel:
Take a Knee
Some football players, when they break away for a go-ahead score or cause a key third-down sack, want to be sure they get their full ESPN's worth—the dances, the struts, the jerky moves they've been saving up for just such an opportunity.
Then there's the other approach—the guy who rips off a long touchdown run, flips the ball back to the referee, and trots to the sideline without all the show and the secret handshakes. He lives by this code: Don't act like it's the first time you've ever seen the inside of the end zone. Look like you've been there . . . like you never expected to be anywhere else.
When Jesus returns, you can be sure there will be a lot of people doing a lot of tap dancing, trying hard to prove why their occasional big plays should be enough to earn them a spot on his team. But eventually, "every knee" will bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). That's when the people who'd already humbled themselves before him on earth will have no hesitation taking a knee and giving him praise in heaven. It'll be like they've been there... like they never expected to be anywhere else. And where they'll be thankful now that there's no more penalty for excessive celebration.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't want be someone who only bows to you when they have to. I bow before you today, on this side of heaven. I want to go ahead and start getting good at this.
:angel:
Too Much Information?
It just can't be good that every credit card swipe we make, every phone call, every movement, it seems, is on somebody's computer somewhere. We're always watchful these days for privacy loss and identity theft, running our opened mail down the shredder to keep any more info about us from leaking out. It's even a little suspicious when the grocery sends us a dollar-off coupon for our favorite brand of ketchup, realizing we're only getting this because they know what we've been buying.
What people know about us today can hurt us. What they pull up on their screens can start coming out of our bank accounts. When people all over the world can see our driveway on a Google map, you've got to figure we're not totally safe from a smart intruder.
But even in a context like this, God has no problem admitting he knows your every thought. He knows the number of hairs on your head; knows the hopes and dreams that pulsate in your heart. He's able to "write in the register of the peoples: 'This one was born in Zion'" (Psalm 87:6)—in Charlotte, in Denver, in San Antonio. Everywhere you've been, everywhere you go, he's tracking you.
But not to hurt you. God uses his knowledge to direct your steps, to bring you growth opportunities, to meet very specific needs, to send you help when you're hurting. The more he knows, the better. The more you trust him, the safer you'll be.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can't hide anything from you. But I pray you'll let me see this as a good thing. Knowing I'm constantly on your radar doesn't make me feel watched, just cared for.
:angel:
How Does He Do That?
One of the reasons we like watching a NASCAR race, or a PGA major, or a world-class track and field event is because we enjoy wondering how people are able to perform with that kind of skill, at that kind of level. Who stands over an iron shot in the heavy rough and mashes it 200 yards, within a few feet of the pin? Who runs a marathon in a little more than two hours and survives to make it to the medal ceremony? Wow.
If you ever want to spend a few minutes in your Bible having this same kind of feeling, the book of Job, chapters 38-41, will give you that sensation. You'll experience a tour de force through some of the greatest mysteries of God's Creation, and wonder, "How does he do that?"
"Who cuts a channel for the currents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm?" (38:25) "From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?" (38:29) Who can give "the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?" (39:19) Who could "make a pet" of a giant whale or "put him on a leash for your girls" if he felt like it? (41:5)
It's amazing enough to look at the world around us and marvel at what we see. It's even more amazing to know that the God who loves us is the One who thought up, designed, and made it all.
Pray this prayer: Lord, whenever I'm impressed by what another man can do, help me see that it's nothing compared to the One who makes him able to do it. I stand in total awe of you again today.
:angel:
Anger Management
Whether at work or at home or in some other setting, you know what it's like when someone gets mad, gets their feelings hurt, and accuses you of something you didn't do. Instead of coming to find out what really happened or to talk it out calmly, they start right in with the accusations.
First reaction is what? "If they've got the nerve to come in here blaming me for things they don't even know about, they'd better have the guts to hear what I think of it . . . and of them."
Same thing happened to an Old Testament hero named Gideon, who famously took 300 men on a nighttime raid of a huge enemy encampment, armed with nothing more than trumpets, torches, and a bunch of empty jars. When God gave this tiny band an unlikely victory, some of the other fighting men of Israel swooped over to get into the action. But they were steamed that Gideon hadn't seen them fit to be part of the initial attack. "They criticized him sharply," the Bible says at the beginning of Judges 8. Still, instead of getting into a shouting match, he calmly told them he wasn't half the fighting man they were. Cooler heads carried the day. "At this, their resentment against him subsided."
Remember this: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Next time someone wants to start something, let your low-key response put an end to it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, teach me how to take a gentler tone with my wife and kids and the other people who irritate me sometimes. I don't want to be an angry man.
:angel:
Judgment Day
If there's one thing we learn from the Bible, it's that salvation is not something we can earn. God just gives it. Because of what Christ has already done on the cross, our penalty has been paid. Our forgiveness has been authorized. All we do is receive it by putting our faith in him.
Then why would God leave us with so many instructions on how to live, even after we're saved? Why would he keep reminding us that we'll have to stand before His "judgment seat"? Why would he feel the need to hold it over our head that "each of us will give an account of himself to God"? (Romans 14:12)
It's because he knows us. He understands that we don't always get very busy without a deadline hanging over us. We don't usually want to behave well unless acting badly has a consequence. So even though the believer has already been cleared to spend eternity with Christ, there's a reckoning day coming where we'll all have to answer for what we did with this gift of his.
This would sound terribly harsh and heavy-handed if not for the fact that sin is what's really harsh and heavy-handed. Disobeying God is not preferable to obeying him, not by the time it's made us miserable, like it always does. Turns out that an accounting bench and a judgment seat are more about God's mercy than his wrath. He loves us enough to make us want what's best for us.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really like the thought of having to stand and give account. But I'd hate to think where I'd be if you just left me to monitor myself. I guess I'm glad for your accountability.
:angel:
Made to Worship
The challenge of sharing Jesus with another person can be frightening and intimidating. But there's at least one hurdle that's already been jumped for you: people are naturally wired to worship.
We see it when even a slumping slugger, who's failed to perform up to par all year, smacks a three-run homer late in a postseason game to swing the series back in their favor. Fans erupt in the home stadium, many of them bowing with both arms extended, honoring their hero.
Paul and Barnabas, two of the first Christian missionaries, experienced something similar while ministering in a city where the crowds became amazed at their power to heal. Word soon spread to a pagan priest, who began untying the sacrificial bulls and handing out ceremonial wreaths to anyone wanting to worship these men as gods. Hearing of this, Paul and Barnabas went ballistic: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, humans like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God" (Acts 14:15). Worship didn't need igniting that day, just redirecting.
So when sharing your faith, don't think people aren't wanting to believe that something greater exists than what they see around them. You just be bold enough to show them Jesus. Let him draw them to salvation in the one true God—the one their soul truly longs for, the only one worthy of worship.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for new boldness to share your Son, Jesus, with those who come my way. Help me not be deceived into thinking they're not already hungry for what you alone can provide.
:angel:
It's What I Love about You
There's something in men that wants their wife to be beautiful, not just to enjoy a pleasant face across the dinner table, but to impress others with the kind of woman they were able to attract. There's something in fathers that wants their daughters to be the kind the other boys think is pretty, somehow sharing indirectly in their children's popularity.
But as men saved from proving ourselves acceptable to God through external shows of behavior, we should know better than anyone that outward appearances are not what make a person beautiful. Just as holiness is what "adorns" the house of the Lord (Psalm 93:5), our eye for beauty in our wives and our daughters should be for the fire of Christian character shining through their lives. Holiness should be what "adorns" our house as well.
Our wives should be the most beautiful to us when they're bowed in prayer on the side of the bed, or scribbling notes in their Bible margins at church, wanting to get God's truth deeper and deeper into their hearts. Our daughters should never be better looking than when they're taking stands for purity, or listening to worship music on their iPods, or honoring their mother by obeying a bit of parental instruction, even if it's unpopular with their friends. As husbands and fathers, we should be quick to praise what we see Christ doing in our family members' lives, letting them know that it means more to us than anything.
Pray this prayer: Lord, retrain my mind to honor what you honor, to love what makes you the most delighted in us. Help me want nothing more for my wife and children than to love you with all their hearts.
:angel:
Valuable Observations
Have you ever noticed that a five percent raise doesn't really change much in your take-home pay? Aren't you just as hungry for breakfast the morning after a $50.00 meal as after a $5.00 one? How many of the items in your garage or attic once served a useful purpose inside your actual living space? And why do all of us know these things to be true?
Because we've seen them. We've lived them. If there's one thing we know about money and the things it can buy, it's the fact that we routinely overvalue them. We expect them to be so much more than they typically turn out to be. So God tells us in His Word to give "careful thought" to this: "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it" (Haggai 1:5-6).
Don't just know this. Do something with it.
What habits do you need to discontinue based on this common-sense information? How should this insight affect the way you parent or counsel your children? What kind of character traits would have more room to grow in you if you based more of your decisions on this? When money lessons become life lessons, they can do more than just impact your shopping and saving patterns. They can go to work in your heart.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for the wisdom to be more thoughtful than I usually am—to base my life on the truths you've so clearly shown us, rather than acting like they don't apply to me.
:angel:
Rx for Worry
Live long enough, and you'll find yourself in a thin hospital gown, crawling up on the table for some kind of test procedure. You'll wait by the phone for the results, trying not to worry but unable to keep from wondering what you'll do if it's bad.
Is there a game plan for this kind of situation?
Let's just say that one of the blessings of living in daily fellowship with God is developing a settled heart. You realize your salvation is accomplished and complete. You recognize how many things are beyond your control. And you begin to understand that trusting him is a lot more effective than fretting and losing sleep. He takes care of you either way. So why waste the nervous energy?
Inner peace is not a formula. It's not treating God like a good-luck charm. It's about spending time reading His Word. Praying when you could be listening to sports radio. Talking to him instead of talking to yourself. Relationship, not ritual. Try it consistently for a month, and you'll look back a few weeks from now amazed at the amount of perspective and security he's given you. You'll be more like a man who has "no fear of bad news," whose "heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:7).
Want to be ready for that next trip to the doctor? Then run your laps, watch your portions . . . and start relying on the Great Physician to get you through each day.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I waste so much of my time worrying about things you're already taking care of. I long for a settled, peaceful heart—one that's ready for trouble because I've been trusting you all along.
:angel:
Sailing in the Current
Are you happy where you are? Happy with your job and your prospects for growth? Happy with your home life, whether married or single? Happy with the house you live in? Happy with the car you drive? Happy with much of anything right now in terms of where you'd like to be?
When God allowed a Babylonian king to swoop into Israel and cart the Hebrews off into exile, you can be sure they weren't very happy. They'd lost their homes, lost their security, lost their ties to everything they owned. But as a way of further growing their character and painting their future with promise, God gave his people these instructions: Build houses there. Start a family there. Work for the good of your neighbors there. Make the most of this unwanted season by bearing fruit in an unhappy place.
"For I know the plans I have for you," God told them, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). But don't expect these promising days just to kick in as payback because you've been suffering for a while. Don't expect to build much on the backs of your constant complaining. Commit to doing something special even in the midst of your current situation. And you'll find that those "plans" for a "hope and a future" required the relationships you built, the work you invested, and the contentment you chose in the present. Dig in to dig out.
Pray this prayer: Lord, you know I'm not very happy right now. But I'm going to take your advice and let you grow me here. Thank you for not letting me waste my experiences—even these experiences.
:angel:
Job Hazards
We know what kind of violent insults can be hurled at coaches whose teams miss the playoffs for a second season in a row. We hear of even college players—nineteen and twenty year-olds, remember—getting death threats after throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.
But in their own way, any unfair complaints you may be enduring on the job right now are just as damaging and hurtful as these. Perhaps your upper level management is making it nearly impossible for you to succeed. Maybe a coworker or employee with an axe to grind is bad-mouthing you every chance he gets. A customer whose order was delayed—just this one time—is talking you down to those who could take you down.
People can misunderstand. They can take things out of context. They can see something they don't like about you and never leave the door open for a second impression, no matter how hard you try to please them. "Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets" (Psalm 55:11).
But as for you, keep showing up for work on time with all your personal skills in playing shape. Do your best to treat others fairly, learn from criticism, control your anger. Then just "cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). You don't have to beat them. You just need to know where your true victory lies.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I've really been under attack lately, and I'm getting tired of it. But you certainly know—much better than I do—how it feels to be mistreated. Help me learn how to handle this well.
:angel:
All God's Children
Even though America has come a long way in terms of race relations—far more than many other countries of the world—stereotypes do still exist. Perhaps there are some people you'd rather not have as neighbors. Certain nationalities draw your suspicions. They have customs and habits that feel—(to use a fitting word)—"foreign" to you.
But while home and family and patriotism are each good things, we must always be careful about letting natural mind-sets overrule biblical ones. Just because a bigoted attitude of yours is embraced and encouraged by your friends doesn't mean it's the right one for you to have. When you have an automatic, negative reflex that lights up whenever you see a person of another race or national origin, you're assuming a superiority that isn't really there.
And you're forgetting that one reason why heaven is so heavenly is because it's the biggest melting pot of all.
"After this I looked," the apostle John said, "and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9). This preview of heaven's population simply cannot be allowed to land on our ears and not logically affect the way we treat people whose heritage and skin color are different from ours. Jesus Christ can rule in anyone's heart. Let's make sure he's ruling in ours.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to take an axe to my prejudices, that I would not look down on anyone, but would rather be dedicated like never before to your call to make disciples of all nations.
:angel:
Can You See Me?
It used to just be celebrities who had to live with the possibility that someone could be filming or taking pictures of them at any moment. But today, we're all fairly accustomed to knowing that a camera is likely trained on us at every store entrance, every ATM machine, perhaps even when we're trying to decide whether to run through a yellow light or not.
We're a watched society—which can be troubling when we imagine how far some people could take these surveillance capabilities. But be that as it may, there's an element of this that keeps us accountable. It keeps us honest, keeps us careful of our actions. In fact, it's sort of a reminder that God's cameras are always rolling—that he sees it all, even when no one else is looking. "For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths" (Proverbs 5:21).
We may not always be happy about that. There are parts of our average day that we'd just as soon keep private. But the fact that he's watching is true just the same. Our job is to live in such a way that this knowledge is more comforting than convicting—to be glad that he "sees what is done in secret" (Matthew 6:6), to know that our desire is to please him and stay in close fellowship with him every minute of the day.
Pray this prayer: Help me remember, Lord, that my life is an open book before you. Let this knowledge both change and challenge me. I want to be your kind of man all the time.
:angel:
The Dignity of Man
Do you ever go through seasons when you just don't feel like your life counts for very much? Everything seems about as pointless as a first-quarter NBA score in November. People treat you with less interest than a flight attendant's lecture on oxygen masks and exit doors.
But what's easy to forget at times like these is that your value is not something other people can assign to you. They don't get to grade this. You have been given great worth by your Creator. Your significance is inborn.
Think of the dignity you possess, merely by being a product of God's design. You're able to reason and make choices. You can appreciate beauty and feel emotion. You have the ability within your reach to bless others, to extend your influence and impact into another person's life.
You have even been given the privilege of communicating with your heavenly Father—a right he wasn't obligated to offer you, but one he freely extends because of his rich, abiding love for you. Everything about you has been "woven together" in his all-wise mind and heart. Each day of your life has been "written" down by the one who made you. (Psalm 139:15-16). That's how valuable you are to him.
Instead of being bombarded by all the ways life has mistreated you or what a mess you've made, make this a day to celebrate what God has invested in you. You are worth far more than you realize.
Pray this prayer: I do get down on myself a lot, Lord. I have a hard time imagining that you love me. Would you remind me today? I could really use that.
:angel:
Breakdown or Breakthrough?
There are certain sins and temptations that take all the strength you can muster. You push them out of your mind one minute, only to see they're back the next. They're like a fly in the house—buzzing and darting, landing out of sight, then zooming by again just when you'd forgotten about it.
Sometimes these sinful pulls and attractions will leave for a few days, a few weeks, maybe even months at a time. We think maybe we've licked them. But then they show up again. We feel our back stiffen. We're not confident we can sustain another assault.
But how about looking at it differently this time? The Bible teaches us that temptation is a test. In other words, it's a signal that God is up to something. A prize awaits on the other side—new spiritual ground, new spiritual muscles. So by leaning hard on the Lord to get us through unscathed, we won't just be scoring a single, isolated victory; we'll be letting him inch us closer to opportunities that have been sitting out there all along, just waiting on our obedience.
The Bible says "we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). So the next time you find yourself facing one, keep your eyes not only on winning, but on where winning could take you. You already know what losing can cost you. See if that doesn't give you the toughness to stand strong.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't understand why you allow temptation to be so difficult sometimes. But I'm believing that you have great things in store if I'll pass this test. Be there to get me through.
:angel:
Reversing the Trend
Whether from being left untended or from constant use, things will always be inclined to grow old and deplete. Knees will start to ache and catch. Tires will wear thin. Gaskets will leak. Organization will trend toward chaos. The deodorant stick will shrink smaller and smaller. Clothes will wrinkle. Dust will accumulate. It's the nature of life. Downhill. Showing age.
It's even the nature of marriage. What starts with candlelight, tuxedo, and a minister's blessing slowly gives way to the late local news, complaints about your snoring, and fixing yourself the last piece of toast for breakfast. Where's a little romance when you need it? Probably not under warranty.
So whether you like it or not, today will be another battle against bone loss, systems malfunction, and tooth decay. And to keep the same sorts of erosion from happening in your home, the Bible offers the following prescription: "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) . . . or by life's constant drain and desire to drag you down, if not drag you apart.
Marriage may never outgrow a few toilet seat disagreements. But yours can withstand and even counteract the effects of time and age. A little encouragement from you today can go a long way.
Pray this prayer: God, help me not to stand by while my marriage loses any more of its luster. Give me the kind of heart that keeps loving, keeps investing. Show me the best way to bless my wife today.
Please visit Joe Gibbs' Website at www.GamePlanForLife.com for Joe's Video Blog and more!
:angel:
Costly Do-Overs
In Game Plan for Life, Coach Gibbs recounts the story from the Redskins' 2007 season when, in an effort to ice the opposing kicker in the closing minute of a two-point game, he mistakenly called two timeouts in a row. The fifteen-yard penalty walkoff put the Bills at much closer range, and the converted field goal proved the difference in a heartbreaking 17-16 Redskin defeat. No loss can be blamed on any one thing, of course, but this game ultimately came down to a crucial sideline mistake.
If Coach ever found himself in a similar situation, you can bet he wouldn't do that again.
Wonder, though, how many of the problems we cause ourselves are from repeat mistakes—things we should have known better, goofs we should have learned from before? Being consistently late, for example, always keeps us off-balance, apologetic, and at least semi-rude to others. We know that. Yet we keep running behind and not taking pains to be punctual. Pick whatever frustration of yours that eats away at your efficiency and attitude, and ask yourself what would be different if you had decided to do something about it long ago.
The Bible tells us to "hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13). Maybe instead of trying to come up with better ways of doing things, we'd save time by just not having to relearn things we know that already work.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make plain to me those faults and areas of neglect where I keep shooting myself in the foot. I want to be a man who's putting your Word and good sense into constant practice.
:angel:
Equal Opportunity Provider
Thomas Jefferson said it first, although legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn is attributed with making the line more slick and famous: "The harder I work, the luckier I get."
We've all seen guys who overachieve—in sports, in business, in all kinds of professions. We've seen young football players from Division II directional schools who get signed as undrafted free agents , make the final cut, fill in for an injured starter, then turn low expectations into a Pro Bowl season. Hard work? Luck? You decide.
The person who wrote Psalm 1 in the Bible talked about the man who doesn't kid around when it comes to keeping his nose in the Scriptures. "Day and night" he makes learning God's Word a passionate pursuit. As a result, "he is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3). Good genes? Lucky breaks?
There's something about a man who reads and studies his Bible, not to win theological arguments, but just because he wants his life to be shaped, governed, and directed by God's ultimate truth. Psalm 119:98 says it makes him smarter than his enemies. Proverbs 1:4 says it transforms a young, inexperienced man into someone who's shrewd and clever, who knows the ropes.
Aren't you lucky to have that kind of resource sitting around? You are if you're ready to work at it.
:angel:
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't always know the best way to get much out of reading the Bible. But I ask you, by your Holy Spirit, to begin letting it speak clearly to me. I do want to learn. I do want to grow.
:angel:
Be Nice to Your Body
You may not know it to look at you. All you can see sometimes are the things you don't like—the extra weight you're carrying around your middle, the gray that's starting to pepper your temples and sideburns, the hair that's rubbed off your legs from wearing dress slacks all day.
But the Bible has this to say about you: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19).
Me? A temple?
Yep. As a believer in Jesus Christ, your heart has now become a place of residence for the Spirit of God. That makes your body a sanctuary, a special piece of construction designed to be treated with the same kind of care and decorum you exercise when you're at church. So for the same reason you don't scarf down nachos during worship service or wear your lawn-mowing clothes to Sunday school, you should treat your physical body with respect, honor, and a real sense of worth.
So before you go littering it up with another junk-food lunch or refusing to take it out for a walk, remember that this marvelous specimen of God-created equipment is not a thing to be taken lightly. Let's see some respect here. And pretty soon, you might even see less of those things you don't like.
Pray this prayer: God, I used to think that all you really wanted of me were spiritual things. But I want to be your man head-to-toe. Keep me encouraged to keep myself in good working order.
:angel:
The Game Plan
For three improbable afternoons at the recent British Open golf tournament, Tom Watson continually stood near or atop the leader board, smelling victory at an event he had won five times before, but not in more than twenty-five years. With each succeeding round and clubhouse interview, the spectacle became harder and harder to believe. Yet strangely, for the 59-year-old Watson, easy to explain.
He was on a "game plan," he repeatedly said, a secret code of attack he never revealed, except to say it existed and that he was on course with it. It was a game plan that took him to the 72nd hole and an eight-foot putt for par, inches away from an ageless wonder of a championship.
Game plans work. And though a slight bobble in execution at any point along the way can mean the difference between first and second, the fact remains that a good game plan can take you far—farther than you may have ever dreamed possible.
That's why the apostle Paul could say it's "not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). Yes, missed putts can still prove costly. Missed opportunities can still nag at us. But what we lack in perfection is more than made up for as we "press on" with a set purpose. Life with a game plan is always superior to life without it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can do better than just taking a hit-and-miss approach to life. I need a game plan. I need YOUR game plan. Help me to see it in your Word, and put it into practice every day.
:angel:
Feel the Pain
You may be going through an awful lot right now. Maybe your company is shedding jobs and salaries, trying to keep from going under. Maybe one of the jobs they calved off was yours.
Maybe your marriage is really tanking at the moment. You can't say you haven't contributed to the problems, but you're trying as hard as you can now to make this work, to make this right. Still, you're not sure where things are headed.
Work. Family. Health. Finances. Between these major categories, life can get very complicated, both from things you've done as well as things that just happened. And if God feels very far away today, unconcerned and out of the picture, hear a word of encouragement from hundreds of years ago.
Throughout the Old Testament, God's people faced one crisis after another. Sometimes it was their own dumb fault; sometimes it came by way of surprise attack. But no matter how they got into their troubles, "in all their distress, he too was distressed" (Isaiah 63:9). When they hurt, He hurt. When they suffered, He suffered.
God has not lost the directions to your house. He's not waiting to work you in between 3:00 and 4:00 next Wednesday. God feels. He grieves. He knows what you're going through. You're not the only one hurting here. And His is the kind of hurt that knows how to help you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, thank you that you haven't forgotten me. It's good to know you're a God who's really alive, who's really here, and who genuinely cares. I'm counting on that today.
:angel:
One of the Main Things
Blocking and tackling. Hitting the open man. "Gentlemen, this is a football." The basics.
Sometimes in seeking that extra half-second that takes us up an echelon, we can forget the fundamentals. We can lose sight of what got us here. But maybe, instead of the hundred things we try to juggle to make us faster, higher, stronger, a great life just requires that we remember two or three.
For example, when we get a biblical peek into heaven in the book of Revelation, where people are trying to describe why they're giving "glory and honor" to God, their reasoning is based on something you probably learned in kindergarten—"for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11).
God made you. Stop to think what that means . He made you with love, with intention, with enough unique detail that no one else on the planet—either now or in all the centuries past—has ever looked exactly like you. (I mean, think of how many combinations of eyes, ears, and noses that takes!)
Maybe some mornings, all you need to start your day is to look at your open hands, with their opposable thumbs and functional design, and realize that God has a purpose for you and for everything yet to happen in the next 24 hours. He's put too much thought into you to make you have to over think.
Pray this prayer: Lord, if I ever doubt my purpose in life, help me remember that you created me for a reason. I know we're not just a bunch of randomly assembled body parts. Help me to live and worship you with that kind of intention.
:angel:
Walk Like a Winner
Sometimes a guy just knows he's going to play well that day. Something about the confident, relaxed mood he's in when he wakes up. Something about how smooth and straight that first drive sails off the tee. Something about the way his gear feels when he straps it on. He just knows it. He's on. Everybody'd better watch out.
And believe it or not, when it comes to your battle against a certain sin or habitual behavior, you can step onto the field today with that kind of confidence, even if you've had a losing record against it for a long time, even if you've been in one of your worst slumps ever.
The Bible says that "by his wounds"—by the sacrificial death of Jesus—"you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). "Have been." Past tense. Already taken care of. "Healed" of your sin problem. Which means that every time you cave in to it again, it's just because you want to, not because you have to. As the first part of that verse says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness."
So if you want this day to result in victory, you've got every right to expect it—because part of winning is knowing you're better than the competition on any given day. And thanks to what Jesus has done, you really are.
Pray this prayer: Lord, after failing you so many times, I start to feel like I'm just not up to the challenge of being faithful. But I know You're faithful, and powerful, and able. Be all those things in me.
:angel:
An F for Effort
Just about everybody thinks they're good enough to at least squeak by into heaven. Put it all on balance, consider how hard they've tried, and God should be able to see they've done the best they could with what they had. They've been worse than some, sure, but better than most. When it's all said and done, if God's being fair, the scales ought to tip their way.
Well, there's the problem. The scales don't tip on the basis of being better than others. God's judgment has nothing at all to do with a person making good choices a certain percentage of the time. "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). In fact, they're sadly deceived and mistaken.
If you're pinning your hopes on the outside chance that God operates on a sliding scale, hear what the Bible says: "It is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends" (2 Corinthians 10:18). And the only ones the Lord commends are those who are perfect—or those who've put all their trust in Jesus' ability to stand in for their imperfections.
"Whoever lives and believes in me will never die," Jesus said (John 11:25). Whoever lives and believes in himself will just die trying.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I know I've been wrong to think I'm good enough to satisfy your high standards. Help me to see that I can never be what you want me to be until Jesus is living in me.
:angel:
How's Your Day Looking?
In Game Plan for Life, Os Guinness mentions this quote from a 90-year-old Winston Churchill: "Life has been a grand journey—well worth making once."
Once. That's all we get. No dry runs. No do-overs. This day you're living now is not a dress rehearsal or a practice lap. You're on the stage. You're in the game. Start playing.
What this kind of thinking does is rip the disguise off today, revealing it to be every bit as momentous as the first morning on a new job or the night before major surgery. There are things to be said. Today. There are people to take notice of. Today. There are ordinary decisions to take seriously. Today. As the Bible says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
The newspaper commits a page or two each morning to dozens of death notices—guys who once supervised a work crew at the auto plant, who once coached boys' baseball on Saturday afternoons, who once served on the school board or were once active in the Rotary club. Once.
All those one-time daily things that could be said of you in the paper—about your family, your work, your interests, your passions—are they getting your best today? Clock's ticking down. Better get out there.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I've been letting some things slide. I've been going whole weeks without my priorities being in balance. It's time to get this right. Show me what that means and how to get there.
:angel:
Up with People
The Bible says to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:20). Which means what exactly?
We understand the part about not storing up "treasures on earth" (verse 19). We get it that we can't take our stuff with us into eternity. We never see a hearse pulling a moving van. We know that. But "treasures in heaven." What are those? And how do they become part of our life's purpose?
Every person you know or meet is an eternal being. Some, by God's grace and their faith in his son, Jesus Christ, will live with him forever. Some won't. But because each of us has an eternal soul, one way to store up "treasures in heaven" is by investing your life in other people—in your wife, your children, your work associates and employees, your neighbors, your friends, even people who cross your path in seemingly random fashion. We're not to regard them anymore "from a worldly point of view," the Bible says (2 Corinthians 5:16). We're to see them as a teller window for depositing our time, our attention, our concern, even just a kind "hello" made with deliberate eye contact.
Not every heavenly investment is transacted at church or in some other so-called spiritual setting. Just about anywhere you go, there's a branch near you.
Pray this prayer: God, help me to spend more time noticing the people around me and their needs—and less time focused on simply knocking out agenda items and daily objectives. I want my treasures in heaven, not here.
:angel:
Heaven: Harps Optional
One of the things Randy Alcorn accomplishes in his chapter on heaven in Game Plan for Life is to quiet our misconception that life after death for the Christian is going to be boring. A never-ending church service. All Christmas carols and choir books.
Actually, the Bible says heaven will be a total experience of newness that touches everything about us and everything we do. Not just better singing and sermons. Not just better food options at church potlucks. Better everything. The very best of everything. Renewed, remade, reborn.
God has promised, "I will create new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17), meaning that while we're going to live in a place we've never been before, it will contain perfected elements of things we've always known. But instead of fatigue and physical limitations, we'll have total freedom of enjoyment. Instead of sin's empty promises, we'll know constant satisfaction. Instead of having to lock our doors and watch our backs, we'll learn what it really means to live without fear. Of anything.
Don't go worrying that God is baiting you with free gift offers that are going to end up being a time-share presentation. These new heavens and new earth are His gift of undying, undiluted life to you. It's definitely something you don't want to miss.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't deserve the privilege of having this kind of hope in my future. But I'm so grateful—eternally grateful—that you desire this kind of life for me. Thank you for making it possible through Christ. Thank you for making it mine.
:angel:
Reversing the Trend
Whether from being left untended or from constant use, things will always be inclined to grow old and wear out. Knees will start to ache and catch. Gaskets will leak. Organization will trend toward chaos. The deodorant stick will shrink smaller and smaller. It's the nature of life. Downhill. Showing age.
It's even the nature of marriage. What starts with candlelight, tuxedo, and a minister's blessing slowly gives way to the late local news, complaints about your snoring, and fixing yourself the last piece of toast for breakfast. Where's a little romance when you need it? Probably not under warranty.
So whether you like it or not, today will be another battle against muscle loss and tooth decay. But to keep these same sorts of erosion from happening in your home and marriage, the Bible offers you the following prescription: "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) or by life's constant tendency to drag you down, if not drag you apart.
Marriage may never outgrow a few toilet seat disagreements. But yours can withstand—and even counteract—the effects of time and age. A little encouragement from you today can go a long way.
Pray this prayer: God, help me not to stand by while my marriage loses any more of its luster. Give me the kind of heart that keeps loving, keeps investing. Show me the best way to bless my wife today.
:angel:
First Things First
You may or may not be a list-maker. It doesn't really matter. Because whether you are or you aren't, we all live by a list. We all do what's most important to us—our ones, twos, and threes. The tens, twelves, and fifteens rarely make an actual appearance.
The same goes for our money. We may or may not live by a budget—(Ron Blue will get us for that)—but we have our reasons for spending and saving the way we do... or don't. Our first things come first, whether they're sound or just selfish.
Thankfully, the Bible comes right out and tells us what our first financial thing needs to be: "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce" (Proverbs 3:9). Before one dime goes toward dinner out or a new DVD—or even toward your mortgage, insurance, and utility bills—giving to God through the church where you worship should come right off the top. First thing.
Or how easily it becomes a forgotten thing.
If this sounds a little too radical and expensive, seek out someone you know who manages their money by this principle. Ask if it's proven to be a bust to their financial health, a decision they've grown to regret. See if instead God hasn't opened up the "floodgates of heaven" and poured out on them a blessing "without measure" (Malachi 3:10). When the Lord comes first, everything else just falls into place.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to help me realize that everything I own or earn comes from you. May I be grateful enough to honor you with my giving, and to grow my trust in you at the same time.
:angel:
Who's the Boss?
The life of an athlete requires answering to a lot of people: coaches, media, sponsors, and the public. So does yours, no matter what career you're in. There are clients and customers to serve, supervisors and upper management to please, shareholders and contributors to coddle—lots of people to cater to.
Game Plan for Life, however, introduces us to this simplifying concept: "the audience of One." The One, of course, is God. And His demand of you is your absolute best, your utmost integrity. He calls you to apply His commands in all your decisions and interactions.
In a perfect world, this kind of excellence would always be recognized and amply compensated. It would earn you the highest respect from your colleagues and coworkers. It would anchor your job security and even promise you steady promotion through the ranks. But even when it doesn't—even when it seems like no one is noticing—there is no satisfaction like knowing that God can say of you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).
The next time you start to feel unappreciated, undervalued, and overlooked, take your feelings of inferiority to the Lord in prayer. Let Him be the One with the last word on how valuable you are. When you're pleasing Him, you're doing your job.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray that the only measure of my worth at work will be whether or not I'm honoring you with my very best. When I do things your way, may I be one happy, contented man.
:angel:
Watch It
One of the things you get in Game Plan for Life is some straight talk on some real stuff. But as sort of a bonus, you also get (here and there) a little ancient philosophy to go with your modern advice—like this, from the Greek thinker Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Any of us who struggle to keep our weight where the doctor says it should be or who've never met an excuse that couldn't talk us out of exercising—we know how easy it is for our personal health to go from managed care to total anarchy. Sometimes we exert a lot more energy examining what's in the pantry than we do examining what God expects of our overall fitness habits.
Health experts tell us that if we had to catalog or journal our calorie intake and our workout reps, most of us would be shocked at how much we consume and how little we burn off. But those who pay attention, those who consider it important to "examine" themselves, are the only ones who live in the truth of their situation. They don't trick themselves into believing that everything is okay when it isn't.
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Wake up and smell the coffee. And stay in charge of what you let in all day.
Pray this prayer: Help me develop the courage, Lord, to make deliberate decisions on how I handle myself, not letting life just come to me, but choosing to do right, choosing to be healthy.
:angel:
What Dad Says
If you've been a father for very long, you've heard one of your children say, "Dad, I remember you telling me..." And strangely, you may have no more than a dim memory of having said it. They were words that didn't really register as they were coming out but, for whatever reason, they sure did register coming in.
Maybe it was a stray memory you shared while you were out fishing together or running weekend errands. Maybe it was a harsh critique of the way they were performing a task or treating a sibling. Maybe it wasn't even something you were saying to them directly, but they were around, they heard it, they remember it.
Most dads don't think of themselves as men of powerful, memorable words. But... we are. All of us.
So on this day of celebration, enjoy the cards and the phone calls, act surprised at the necktie and the nail care kit, doze in and out of the U.S. Open on television. But also take the chance to say some special things to your children, wherever they may be.
King Solomon wrote of his father, David, "When I was a boy in my father's house... he taught me and said, 'Lay hold of my words with all your heart'" (Proverbs 4:3–4). Don't let everything your children remember you saying be offhand and incidental. Make a point of telling them what your heart really wants to say.
Pray this prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to be a dad who instructs and inspires my children the way you inspire me. Help me teach my children based on your Word that they may also mature in godliness.
:angel:
Room to Be Human
We definitely live in a celebrity culture. How many industries—from sports talk to memorabilia sales—are manufactured on the backs of a culture that can't get enough scoop or goods on today's headline makers? We know they're just people, but somehow we're willing to let them be larger-than-life. It's in our cultural DNA.
But even those who impress us with their skill and swagger—the ones who are among the best at what they do—miss a lot of reads in the course of a game. They foul a lot of balls into the stands. They push a lot of shots wide of the fairway. Success is a matter of consistent skill and effort, but nowhere near perfection. There's never been a superstar who didn't know how it felt to pace the sidelines, frustrated with his play.
If you're in one of those funks where you're down on yourself for making an unwise decision at work, or underestimating how long something would take, or guessing wrong on a snap judgment call, maybe this would be a good day to cut yourself some slack. Nobody gets everything right, and God understands that about us. "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14).
Be fair with yourself today. Don't let a little pop-out keep you from swinging for the fences.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, thank you for knowing me better than I know myself, for being willing to forgive me when I foul things up. I pray for the courage to get back in and try again—for your glory.
:angel:
Forward Thinking
We've never been to a funeral, no matter how tragic or expected the person's death, when much of the service and the conversations surrounding it didn't center on memories of his or her life. We recall happier times we spent together. We reflect on what this individual was like. We regret that we won't be able to enjoy their smile or laughter anymore on earth.
We look back. That's all we humans really know how to do. To look back is to know. To look ahead is merely to guess and wonder.
But not for the believer in Jesus Christ. Our view looking forward, though lacking in some of the specifics God has chosen not to reveal, is one of confidence and knowledge, of hope and authentic anticipation. Randy Alcorn writes in Game Plan for Life, "As people age, they tend to look back at when they were at their best, knowing they'll never regain those days. But if you're a Christ-follower, you don't look back to your peak. You look forward to it."
Imagine being encouraged, as Randy says, that "the strongest I've ever felt is just a hint of what's to come." Imagine being sure that "the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Imagine being able to look ahead . . . and know.
Pray this prayer: Lord, there's so much I don't understand. But as one who has given his life to you, I pray that you will settle my heart whenever I doubt your promises. Help me believe in your love for me.
:angel:
Truth and Freedom
For Superman, life is a "never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way." But for ordinary guys like us, truth is one battle we don't have to fight. Truth has already been fought for . . . and won.
Like the truth that "there is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). The truth that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The truth that "at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). At the end of the day—in each of our lives—that's the truth.
We live in a world where truth can mean a lot of things. But the truth of Jesus' death on the cross to forgive your sins, the truth of his resurrection from the grave to give you eternal life, is the only truth that can set you free from "never-ending battle."
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
So if you haven't already, wouldn't today's celebration of America's freedom be an ideal day to celebrate your own freedom as well—freedom from sin and guilt, freedom from dread and worry, freedom from hoping against hope that God will let you into heaven—freedom to know that nothing in life can shake your confidence about the future?
That may not be the American way. But it's God's way. It's the real man's way. It's the only way.
Pray this prayer: God, I'm a sinful man, and I know it. That's the truth. But you have shown me that my sin can be wiped away by what you've already done for me. I choose to believe the truth—about myself and about you. Come be my Savior and Lord. I want to be free.
:angel:
All Play, No Work?
Some people think being a Christian is code-word for slacking off, not expecting much, being more willing to understand and overlook a shoddy day's work. So although there are plenty of us who lean more toward being workaholics, there are plenty more who need to realize that high expectations don't go flying out the window just because you've been promised eternal life.
Granted—again—the Christian ranks are filled with men who basically ignore God's command to experience a Sabbath rest in their week. They think that taking a break in the action to deliberately quiet themselves in prayer and worship, to refresh and replenish, will just give the others a chance to catch up. Surely a man can do more in seven days than in six.
But too many are taking this rest-and-relaxation routine a little too far. And if one of those men is you—if you'd admit that you're not putting out your maximum effort on the job— notice that in the same Scripture passage where God delivered His directive on Sabbath-keeping, he also stated the obvious counter-balance: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work" (Exodus 20:9).
So before you kick back for another weekend, remember that Ten Commandments-style resting implies you've been doing something all week that needs resting from. Make your Sabbath a great one by giving every other day your very best.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I can pretend my work ethic is something it's not. But help me see myself honestly in this regard—to see where I'm out of balance, one way or the other.
:angel:
Work Slowdown
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve and succeed. And if we're not careful, the pursuit of one more sale, one more percentage point, or one more dollar sign can utterly consume our lives. If it doesn't, we know they can find someone else who will.
This makes the following statement from the Bible a brave one: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). It's a call to hard work, yes, but also to the pursuit of work's greater goal—a "quiet life."
This is not the same as a lazy life, one with never a care or concern. A quiet life is one of perspective and balance. Business, labor, and career will always have certain seasons that call for an extra ummph of exertion. Not every day will be "quiet," and we shouldn't expect it to be. Still, a quiet life should remain our general "ambition"—our overall normal—so that when work expectations are keeping our lives noisy and chaotic week after month after year, courage and conviction will call us to make some changes. Our lifestyle becomes our lifetime quicker than we know it. And quiet only comes to those who seek it.
Pray this prayer: I need your help, God, to understand what this means for me. I don't want to do anything rash, but I do want to be in your will. I want to experience life the way you intend it to be.
:angel:
Breakfast of Champions
Every year when NFL training camp rolls around, there are guys who come in hungry and fired up, fresh from an off-season workout regimen that has gotten them in playing shape right from the get-go. But every team also has players who show up fat and flabby, twenty pounds over their goal weight, gasping for breath at the first sight of wind sprints. Failure to stick to a plan has cost them the stamina they need to get started on the right foot. They may be able to fool some people with their athletic looks and muscular bodies. But NFL coaches can tell when a guy's been dogging it since January.
You're probably not a professional ball player, but the same principle still applies to you. The concept Jesus taught that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43) has a universal draw on every man. Steady doses of unhealthy choices and activities will bear themselves out in the way we feel, the way we think, the way we stand up to stressful situations. If we're not willing to make sacrifices and faithful habits a regular part of our day, fatigue will not only become a way of life, it will become a belt size everyone else can see better than we can.
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart" (Luke 6:45). The same goes for stomachs and large muscle groups, too.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make me a man who doesn't have to fake who he is—not in health, not in work ethic, not in family life, not in anything. Help me see that who I become is the result of what I invest.
:angel:
Death to Fear
We're all pretty different. Different tastes in restaurants. Different sizes of televisions. Different favorite places to go on vacation. But one thing that's common to every man on earth is this: we're all on a collision course with death. Except for those living among the blessed generation who will still be filling out their dress shirts when Jesus comes back, no one's getting out of here alive.
And some people have a hard time living with that.
Think of how this one particular slice of reality hangs over your head on any given day. Think of how hard you fight to keep yourself looking young and age-defiant. Think of the medical scenarios that run through your head when you feel a new twinge or body ache, when an unexpected pain catches in your chest or side. Think of what happens when you realize it could have just as easily been you killed in the bridge collapse or tornado damage reported on the news tonight.
But Jesus, the Bible says, has died in our place "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death" (Hebrews 2:15). Yes, death is a heavy subject to ponder. But it doesn't have to hold us in slavery or overwhelm us in fear. Because of Jesus, we not only live forever. We can live free right now.
Pray this prayer: God, I don't like to think about going through the suffering and separation of death. But I pray you'll help me live in the confidence of heaven, so that I can keep from being afraid of dying.
:angel:
Ups and Downs
The medal stand. The winner's circle. The trophy presentation ceremony, followed at noon the next day by an open-convertible parade down Main Street. The sports world knows how to tell who's been successful at accomplishing what they set out to do. You can spot the champion by the title he holds.
But God doesn't work that way. Titles, ranking, and position are not his barometers of success for us, nor should they be of ours. Just because a man seems to be winning doesn't mean he's done the best job or is the most deserving of praise. Just because a man appears to be losing doesn't mean he's failed at a critical moment or has choked under pressure. God has his own reasons for letting some taste the rewards of success and letting others continue to battle from beneath the pile.
"It is God who judges: he brings one down, he exalts another" (Psalm 75:7). He may allow a man to earn a promotion, not because he's by far the most qualified, but because this person has a weakness for power that needs exposing and correcting. God may allow a man to be overlooked at work, not because this guy doesn't possess what it takes to advance, but to make him better prepared for a greater opportunity down the line.
With God, the possibilities are always endless. Don't make him have to play our game in order to win your trust.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I get confused sometimes and start judging things by this world's playbook, not by yours. Help me to accept the fact that you know what you're doing, much better than I do.
:angel:
The Ultimate Rescue
There are few symbols of bravery more compelling than that of New York City's first responders streaming into Towers One and Two on this cloudless day in 2001. If not for those squadrons of emergency crews, heavy with rescue gear, bounding up ring after ring of suffocating stairwells, the tragedy that claimed thousands of human lives could have easily killed tens of thousands.
We can hardly fathom such extreme levels of heroism. We don't quite know how to express our awe and gratitude toward those who risk their lives—every day, just as on this one horrific day—to save others.
But even with their daring sense of courage and self-sacrifice, even with hours of rescue training and contingency planning, these modern-day heroes are not able to save everyone. There are limits to what they can do. Time runs out. Gravity outweighs them.
How much awe and praise, then, should go to the Lord Jesus Christ, who's never encountered a life he couldn't save? No matter how black the sin or how impossible the situation, no matter how late the hour or how heavy the damage, he is able to snatch men from life's ultimate danger zone, saving them from eternal death.
"For my Father's will," he said, "is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). Everyone. That means you. Wherever you are, your rescuer is here.
Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I'm trapped in my sins with no way out. I've tried every escape there is, and none of them work. I'm calling out to you today as my last resort. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I'm so sure now that you're the Son of God. I need you. Please help me.
:angel:
Always and Never
Very few things in life are "always" and "never." Your wife doesn't always tell you how to drive. Your pastor isn't always asking for money. It's not like your kids never do a thing you say. But when it comes to God, there are some always and nevers you can take to the bank.
He is "always at his work" (John 5:17), never dozing off or growing tired of meeting your needs. He is "always righteous" (Jeremiah 12:1), never changing to accommodate the times. Jesus "always lives" to pray for you (Hebrews 7:25), to continually insure that your sins are forgiven, if you've trusted Him for salvation. He is a rock of refuge to which you can "always go" (Psalm 71:3).
He will "never stop doing good" to you (Jeremiah 32:40), always supplying you with all you really need. He tells us not to worry about money or the future, because He has promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). His years "will never end" (Hebrews 1:12). He has "set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). "Heaven and earth will pass away," Jesus said, "but my words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33).
Life may seem a tangled mess of empty words and broken promises. But when your trust is in God, you're on the most solid footing of all. Blessed is the man who "always fears the Lord" (Proverbs 28:14).
Pray this prayer: Lord, I always want to be your man, even though I miss the mark in many ways. I know with you, though, that you will always be my God, forever and ever.
:angel:
All-Weather Blessings
These are tough economic times all around. The same rules and assumptions that used to be part of the wall paint of life don't seem to apply any more. Housing values don't just automatically go up. The next stop on the Dow Jones index may not be a thousand more, perhaps a thousand less. Dividends that used to pay like clockwork may now be calculated at pennies on the share, if at all.
So when we open our Bibles and read, "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak," the poor, the helpless (Psalm 41:1), our minds almost immediately begin thinking up disqualifiers. Sure, if we had the money. Sure, if milk and gasoline weren't so expensive. Sure, if our 401(k) was still promising us an ample retirement.
But the Bible's principles for sound money management are not dependent on the ebbs and flows of the stock market. Just because prices are up and wages are down, biblical truth is not temporarily suspended. Lean years don't exempt us from pursuing God's way of doing things. In fact, it's in times like these—when real need is a lot closer to your front door than it may have seemed in days past—that the blessing of giving is actually the greatest. Your generous, sacrificial acts of service and care in Christ's name have more potential for touching hearts now than they ever did. You can take that to the bank.
Pray this prayer: Father, I get worried sometimes about where our financial picture is heading. But you have called us to be much more concerned for people than money. Help me to always keep this in mind.
:angel:
Sin Exchange
The battle against sexual lust is sort of in a class by itself for most men. Other allures and temptations may buzz around us, but few if any can stir up this kind of struggle, shame, and enslavement. It can make us want things that seem irresistible. Yet in turning away, we find things that are irreplaceable.
Pure living, for example, means exchanging deception for truth, darkness for light—the freedom to uncomplicate our lives with the worry of being found out, to avoid the awkward moment when we think someone has noticed our up-and-down glance.
We exchange a heart that judges by appearances for one that values the worth of every individual. We get to know people without filtering our acceptance of them through the grid of their good looks, enjoying the honesty of being kind to everyone we meet.
We exchange self-gratification for the pursuit of service, transforming our inner thirst for adventure into profitable use. Rather than thinking of ways to feed our misplaced desire, we become equally as passionate about thinking of ways to bless our wives and family.
"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5) . . . who do not know that something much better exists for those walk in purity.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm sick and tired of being consumed by thoughts of other women. I pray for a pure heart, a healed heart, a will that totally releases this impossible struggle into your strong hands.
:angel:
Suitable for All Ages
You may not think you know much about God, or the Bible, or the best way to explain the finer points of Christian doctrine. But if you still have children at home, you can be pretty sure they don't know as much as you do. And they could learn a lot more than you think if you'd just start the conversation.
Granted, trying to instruct our children in the ways and teachings of God is not easy for a lot of us. It can be awkward. It's not usually a popular alternative to the video game they were playing or the friend they were texting. We fear the risk of being boring, or bumping up against a question we don't know the answer to.
But you'd be surprised how inherently powerful the Bible is, all by itself. The consistent practice of reading the Scripture aloud with everyone together in one room will leave marks and memories on your children that will travel well as they grow. You'd even be surprised by the thoughts God gives you as you read—things you can share on the spot about your experiences with life, no other textbooks required.
Even with all our qualms and excuses, the Bible challenges us not to hide His Word from our children. "Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands" (Psalm 78:7). Even if you're a little fuzzy on this stuff, you've got to love a promise like that.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really even know where to begin in teaching my children about you and your Word. But I will be faithful to try. Help to realize that this is my responsibility.
:angel:
The Company You Keep
Our moms and dads could be pretty picky about the kinds of friends we hung around with. They understood it doesn't always take much persuasion, even for the best of kids, to turn innocent fun into risky behavior. Being with the right people, they knew, makes peer pressure a good thing.
But peer pressure isn't something that automatically ends when we take on adult responsibilities. Just because we're not teenage boys being dared to drive too fast or stay out too late, that doesn't mean we're not influenced by the grown-up friends we keep. People we go hunting with and meet for lunch can still hold significant weight on what we do, think, and say, and what we consider to be normal.
That's why we need friends who make us want to be more like Jesus. Men who have deep convictions and compassionate hearts. Men who don't have a church side and a public side. Men who love their wives and invest in their kids. Men who make us want to be even more sold-out and godly, not the kind who convince us, whether out loud or by a certain look, that we're taking this Christian life too seriously.
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," the Bible says (Proverbs 27:17). If peer pressure is something we can expect to have around for a long time, we'd better be sure we've got some guys around us who help us want to become everything we ought to be.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm thankful for the friends of mine who bring out the best in me. And for those who don't, would you give me the courage to cut back on the time I spend with them?
:angel:
The Enemy Within
Dr. Larimore, writing in Game Plan for Life, talks about the "Four Wheels of Health"—physical, emotional, relational, spiritual. A fully healthy person is one who is consistently, continually achieving balance in each of these areas. If any of the four loses air or goes flat, the whole thing begins to weave and wobble.
But here's the deal. While it makes so much sense to hear him tell it, there is a big part of us that resists being healthy. Just knowing the value of green, leafy vegetables and cardiovascular exercise doesn't ensure we'll go after them. Just being aware that honesty and openness are essential to becoming authentic people is not enough to make us live it out. "Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning" (Psalm 64:6). We cannot trust even ourselves to look out for our own best interests.
That's why it is so important that our lives be centered and grounded in God. He alone is rock-steady in a world that can't help but feel uncertain, as well as in hearts that can't always seem to follow what our heads are telling them. "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). He is our one-and-only hope of being and staying as healthy as we want to be.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, you've found me out. I'm inconsistent at best and self-destructive at worst. I truly desire to be a whole and healthy man, but I realize that I can't do it without you. Please help me.
:angel:
A Promising Future
There are many hundreds of methods out there for maximizing your potential in life, in business, in all kinds of areas. Some are sound, some are not, some are absolutely wonderful (like Game Plan for Life, of course). But even the best can't help but be incomplete in spots. And none of us are able to follow them perfectly, even then.
So while we are wise to gather information and set our goals, to make our plans and chart our progress, we will meet days when not everything comes together. We will encounter challenges that weren't covered in the literature. We will feel the need to make adjustments and wonder why we hadn't noticed this sooner.
But that's okay—because our trust is not in methods and strategies. Though we are certainly responsible for how we handle ourselves, we are not in total charge of where our future is headed. It is no cop-out, after listening and learning and being diligent to pursue best practices, to say, "I cry out to God Most High, who fulfills his purpose for me" (Psalms 57:2).
Any success plan that isn't submitted to God is destined for failure. Any man who thinks he can make it on his own hunches will find out otherwise, the hard way. But when we trust God to do his work in us, he can take even our missteps and turn them into positive gain. He will fulfill his purpose for you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I worry too much. I push myself hard, but it still leaves so much that seems undone. I need to rest in the knowledge that you are more than capable of accomplishing your will in me.
:angel:
Enemy Sightings
If you struggle with an addiction—be it substance abuse, or pornography, or gambling, or whatever—you certainly know by now that making a turnaround is not something that happens overnight. It takes a true change of heart and usually a good long time. Nothing easy about it.
But one of the changes that needs to occur is your ability to see these temptations for what they really are. The rush that draws you to want a drug or a drink or a wide-eyed drive on the Internet is not coming from a friendly camp. Yes, these alluring appeals show up with claims of sweet relief. They feel like something you want and need. But actually, they are more like an "arrow that flies by day," like a "pestilence that stalks in the darkness," like a "plague that destroys at midday" (Psalms 91:5-6). Whenever they show up—morning, noon, and night, or all of the above—they are hired killers. They are sent to destroy.
Read all sixteen verses of Psalms 91 with this kind of focus and mind-set. See if you don't spot some new names, accounts, and descriptions of what your battle is like every day. And see if you don't find hope in the powerful protection of your Lord and Savior, who can enable you to "tread upon the lion and the cobra . . . to trample the great lion and the serpent" (Psalms 91:13).
Know your enemy. Trust your God. Live your victory.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, expose the teeth and sharp edges of every temptation that comes my way. Help me see them for what they are, and realize that I can only stay safe by stepping out of their path.
:angel:
Take a Knee
Some football players, when they break away for a go-ahead score or cause a key third-down sack, want to be sure they get their full ESPN's worth—the dances, the struts, the jerky moves they've been saving up for just such an opportunity.
Then there's the other approach—the guy who rips off a long touchdown run, flips the ball back to the referee, and trots to the sideline without all the show and the secret handshakes. He lives by this code: Don't act like it's the first time you've ever seen the inside of the end zone. Look like you've been there . . . like you never expected to be anywhere else.
When Jesus returns, you can be sure there will be a lot of people doing a lot of tap dancing, trying hard to prove why their occasional big plays should be enough to earn them a spot on his team. But eventually, "every knee" will bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). That's when the people who'd already humbled themselves before him on earth will have no hesitation taking a knee and giving him praise in heaven. It'll be like they've been there... like they never expected to be anywhere else. And where they'll be thankful now that there's no more penalty for excessive celebration.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't want be someone who only bows to you when they have to. I bow before you today, on this side of heaven. I want to go ahead and start getting good at this.
:angel:
Too Much Information?
It just can't be good that every credit card swipe we make, every phone call, every movement, it seems, is on somebody's computer somewhere. We're always watchful these days for privacy loss and identity theft, running our opened mail down the shredder to keep any more info about us from leaking out. It's even a little suspicious when the grocery sends us a dollar-off coupon for our favorite brand of ketchup, realizing we're only getting this because they know what we've been buying.
What people know about us today can hurt us. What they pull up on their screens can start coming out of our bank accounts. When people all over the world can see our driveway on a Google map, you've got to figure we're not totally safe from a smart intruder.
But even in a context like this, God has no problem admitting he knows your every thought. He knows the number of hairs on your head; knows the hopes and dreams that pulsate in your heart. He's able to "write in the register of the peoples: 'This one was born in Zion'" (Psalm 87:6)—in Charlotte, in Denver, in San Antonio. Everywhere you've been, everywhere you go, he's tracking you.
But not to hurt you. God uses his knowledge to direct your steps, to bring you growth opportunities, to meet very specific needs, to send you help when you're hurting. The more he knows, the better. The more you trust him, the safer you'll be.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can't hide anything from you. But I pray you'll let me see this as a good thing. Knowing I'm constantly on your radar doesn't make me feel watched, just cared for.
:angel:
How Does He Do That?
One of the reasons we like watching a NASCAR race, or a PGA major, or a world-class track and field event is because we enjoy wondering how people are able to perform with that kind of skill, at that kind of level. Who stands over an iron shot in the heavy rough and mashes it 200 yards, within a few feet of the pin? Who runs a marathon in a little more than two hours and survives to make it to the medal ceremony? Wow.
If you ever want to spend a few minutes in your Bible having this same kind of feeling, the book of Job, chapters 38-41, will give you that sensation. You'll experience a tour de force through some of the greatest mysteries of God's Creation, and wonder, "How does he do that?"
"Who cuts a channel for the currents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm?" (38:25) "From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?" (38:29) Who can give "the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?" (39:19) Who could "make a pet" of a giant whale or "put him on a leash for your girls" if he felt like it? (41:5)
It's amazing enough to look at the world around us and marvel at what we see. It's even more amazing to know that the God who loves us is the One who thought up, designed, and made it all.
Pray this prayer: Lord, whenever I'm impressed by what another man can do, help me see that it's nothing compared to the One who makes him able to do it. I stand in total awe of you again today.
:angel:
Anger Management
Whether at work or at home or in some other setting, you know what it's like when someone gets mad, gets their feelings hurt, and accuses you of something you didn't do. Instead of coming to find out what really happened or to talk it out calmly, they start right in with the accusations.
First reaction is what? "If they've got the nerve to come in here blaming me for things they don't even know about, they'd better have the guts to hear what I think of it . . . and of them."
Same thing happened to an Old Testament hero named Gideon, who famously took 300 men on a nighttime raid of a huge enemy encampment, armed with nothing more than trumpets, torches, and a bunch of empty jars. When God gave this tiny band an unlikely victory, some of the other fighting men of Israel swooped over to get into the action. But they were steamed that Gideon hadn't seen them fit to be part of the initial attack. "They criticized him sharply," the Bible says at the beginning of Judges 8. Still, instead of getting into a shouting match, he calmly told them he wasn't half the fighting man they were. Cooler heads carried the day. "At this, their resentment against him subsided."
Remember this: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Next time someone wants to start something, let your low-key response put an end to it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, teach me how to take a gentler tone with my wife and kids and the other people who irritate me sometimes. I don't want to be an angry man.
:angel:
Judgment Day
If there's one thing we learn from the Bible, it's that salvation is not something we can earn. God just gives it. Because of what Christ has already done on the cross, our penalty has been paid. Our forgiveness has been authorized. All we do is receive it by putting our faith in him.
Then why would God leave us with so many instructions on how to live, even after we're saved? Why would he keep reminding us that we'll have to stand before His "judgment seat"? Why would he feel the need to hold it over our head that "each of us will give an account of himself to God"? (Romans 14:12)
It's because he knows us. He understands that we don't always get very busy without a deadline hanging over us. We don't usually want to behave well unless acting badly has a consequence. So even though the believer has already been cleared to spend eternity with Christ, there's a reckoning day coming where we'll all have to answer for what we did with this gift of his.
This would sound terribly harsh and heavy-handed if not for the fact that sin is what's really harsh and heavy-handed. Disobeying God is not preferable to obeying him, not by the time it's made us miserable, like it always does. Turns out that an accounting bench and a judgment seat are more about God's mercy than his wrath. He loves us enough to make us want what's best for us.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really like the thought of having to stand and give account. But I'd hate to think where I'd be if you just left me to monitor myself. I guess I'm glad for your accountability.
:angel:
Made to Worship
The challenge of sharing Jesus with another person can be frightening and intimidating. But there's at least one hurdle that's already been jumped for you: people are naturally wired to worship.
We see it when even a slumping slugger, who's failed to perform up to par all year, smacks a three-run homer late in a postseason game to swing the series back in their favor. Fans erupt in the home stadium, many of them bowing with both arms extended, honoring their hero.
Paul and Barnabas, two of the first Christian missionaries, experienced something similar while ministering in a city where the crowds became amazed at their power to heal. Word soon spread to a pagan priest, who began untying the sacrificial bulls and handing out ceremonial wreaths to anyone wanting to worship these men as gods. Hearing of this, Paul and Barnabas went ballistic: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, humans like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God" (Acts 14:15). Worship didn't need igniting that day, just redirecting.
So when sharing your faith, don't think people aren't wanting to believe that something greater exists than what they see around them. You just be bold enough to show them Jesus. Let him draw them to salvation in the one true God—the one their soul truly longs for, the only one worthy of worship.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for new boldness to share your Son, Jesus, with those who come my way. Help me not be deceived into thinking they're not already hungry for what you alone can provide.
:angel:
It's What I Love about You
There's something in men that wants their wife to be beautiful, not just to enjoy a pleasant face across the dinner table, but to impress others with the kind of woman they were able to attract. There's something in fathers that wants their daughters to be the kind the other boys think is pretty, somehow sharing indirectly in their children's popularity.
But as men saved from proving ourselves acceptable to God through external shows of behavior, we should know better than anyone that outward appearances are not what make a person beautiful. Just as holiness is what "adorns" the house of the Lord (Psalm 93:5), our eye for beauty in our wives and our daughters should be for the fire of Christian character shining through their lives. Holiness should be what "adorns" our house as well.
Our wives should be the most beautiful to us when they're bowed in prayer on the side of the bed, or scribbling notes in their Bible margins at church, wanting to get God's truth deeper and deeper into their hearts. Our daughters should never be better looking than when they're taking stands for purity, or listening to worship music on their iPods, or honoring their mother by obeying a bit of parental instruction, even if it's unpopular with their friends. As husbands and fathers, we should be quick to praise what we see Christ doing in our family members' lives, letting them know that it means more to us than anything.
Pray this prayer: Lord, retrain my mind to honor what you honor, to love what makes you the most delighted in us. Help me want nothing more for my wife and children than to love you with all their hearts.
:angel:
Valuable Observations
Have you ever noticed that a five percent raise doesn't really change much in your take-home pay? Aren't you just as hungry for breakfast the morning after a $50.00 meal as after a $5.00 one? How many of the items in your garage or attic once served a useful purpose inside your actual living space? And why do all of us know these things to be true?
Because we've seen them. We've lived them. If there's one thing we know about money and the things it can buy, it's the fact that we routinely overvalue them. We expect them to be so much more than they typically turn out to be. So God tells us in His Word to give "careful thought" to this: "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it" (Haggai 1:5-6).
Don't just know this. Do something with it.
What habits do you need to discontinue based on this common-sense information? How should this insight affect the way you parent or counsel your children? What kind of character traits would have more room to grow in you if you based more of your decisions on this? When money lessons become life lessons, they can do more than just impact your shopping and saving patterns. They can go to work in your heart.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for the wisdom to be more thoughtful than I usually am—to base my life on the truths you've so clearly shown us, rather than acting like they don't apply to me.
:angel:
Rx for Worry
Live long enough, and you'll find yourself in a thin hospital gown, crawling up on the table for some kind of test procedure. You'll wait by the phone for the results, trying not to worry but unable to keep from wondering what you'll do if it's bad.
Is there a game plan for this kind of situation?
Let's just say that one of the blessings of living in daily fellowship with God is developing a settled heart. You realize your salvation is accomplished and complete. You recognize how many things are beyond your control. And you begin to understand that trusting him is a lot more effective than fretting and losing sleep. He takes care of you either way. So why waste the nervous energy?
Inner peace is not a formula. It's not treating God like a good-luck charm. It's about spending time reading His Word. Praying when you could be listening to sports radio. Talking to him instead of talking to yourself. Relationship, not ritual. Try it consistently for a month, and you'll look back a few weeks from now amazed at the amount of perspective and security he's given you. You'll be more like a man who has "no fear of bad news," whose "heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalms 112:7).
Want to be ready for that next trip to the doctor? Then run your laps, watch your portions . . . and start relying on the Great Physician to get you through each day.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I waste so much of my time worrying about things you're already taking care of. I long for a settled, peaceful heart—one that's ready for trouble because I've been trusting you all along.
:angel:
Sailing in the Current
Are you happy where you are? Happy with your job and your prospects for growth? Happy with your home life, whether married or single? Happy with the house you live in? Happy with the car you drive? Happy with much of anything right now in terms of where you'd like to be?
When God allowed a Babylonian king to swoop into Israel and cart the Hebrews off into exile, you can be sure they weren't very happy. They'd lost their homes, lost their security, lost their ties to everything they owned. But as a way of further growing their character and painting their future with promise, God gave his people these instructions: Build houses there. Start a family there. Work for the good of your neighbors there. Make the most of this unwanted season by bearing fruit in an unhappy place.
"For I know the plans I have for you," God told them, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). But don't expect these promising days just to kick in as payback because you've been suffering for a while. Don't expect to build much on the backs of your constant complaining. Commit to doing something special even in the midst of your current situation. And you'll find that those "plans" for a "hope and a future" required the relationships you built, the work you invested, and the contentment you chose in the present. Dig in to dig out.
Pray this prayer: Lord, you know I'm not very happy right now. But I'm going to take your advice and let you grow me here. Thank you for not letting me waste my experiences—even these experiences.
:angel:
Job Hazards
We know what kind of violent insults can be hurled at coaches whose teams miss the playoffs for a second season in a row. We hear of even college players—nineteen and twenty year-olds, remember—getting death threats after throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.
But in their own way, any unfair complaints you may be enduring on the job right now are just as damaging and hurtful as these. Perhaps your upper level management is making it nearly impossible for you to succeed. Maybe a coworker or employee with an axe to grind is bad-mouthing you every chance he gets. A customer whose order was delayed—just this one time—is talking you down to those who could take you down.
People can misunderstand. They can take things out of context. They can see something they don't like about you and never leave the door open for a second impression, no matter how hard you try to please them. "Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets" (Psalm 55:11).
But as for you, keep showing up for work on time with all your personal skills in playing shape. Do your best to treat others fairly, learn from criticism, control your anger. Then just "cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). You don't have to beat them. You just need to know where your true victory lies.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I've really been under attack lately, and I'm getting tired of it. But you certainly know—much better than I do—how it feels to be mistreated. Help me learn how to handle this well.
:angel:
All God's Children
Even though America has come a long way in terms of race relations—far more than many other countries of the world—stereotypes do still exist. Perhaps there are some people you'd rather not have as neighbors. Certain nationalities draw your suspicions. They have customs and habits that feel—(to use a fitting word)—"foreign" to you.
But while home and family and patriotism are each good things, we must always be careful about letting natural mind-sets overrule biblical ones. Just because a bigoted attitude of yours is embraced and encouraged by your friends doesn't mean it's the right one for you to have. When you have an automatic, negative reflex that lights up whenever you see a person of another race or national origin, you're assuming a superiority that isn't really there.
And you're forgetting that one reason why heaven is so heavenly is because it's the biggest melting pot of all.
"After this I looked," the apostle John said, "and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9). This preview of heaven's population simply cannot be allowed to land on our ears and not logically affect the way we treat people whose heritage and skin color are different from ours. Jesus Christ can rule in anyone's heart. Let's make sure he's ruling in ours.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to take an axe to my prejudices, that I would not look down on anyone, but would rather be dedicated like never before to your call to make disciples of all nations.
:angel:
Can You See Me?
It used to just be celebrities who had to live with the possibility that someone could be filming or taking pictures of them at any moment. But today, we're all fairly accustomed to knowing that a camera is likely trained on us at every store entrance, every ATM machine, perhaps even when we're trying to decide whether to run through a yellow light or not.
We're a watched society—which can be troubling when we imagine how far some people could take these surveillance capabilities. But be that as it may, there's an element of this that keeps us accountable. It keeps us honest, keeps us careful of our actions. In fact, it's sort of a reminder that God's cameras are always rolling—that he sees it all, even when no one else is looking. "For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths" (Proverbs 5:21).
We may not always be happy about that. There are parts of our average day that we'd just as soon keep private. But the fact that he's watching is true just the same. Our job is to live in such a way that this knowledge is more comforting than convicting—to be glad that he "sees what is done in secret" (Matthew 6:6), to know that our desire is to please him and stay in close fellowship with him every minute of the day.
Pray this prayer: Help me remember, Lord, that my life is an open book before you. Let this knowledge both change and challenge me. I want to be your kind of man all the time.
:angel:
The Dignity of Man
Do you ever go through seasons when you just don't feel like your life counts for very much? Everything seems about as pointless as a first-quarter NBA score in November. People treat you with less interest than a flight attendant's lecture on oxygen masks and exit doors.
But what's easy to forget at times like these is that your value is not something other people can assign to you. They don't get to grade this. You have been given great worth by your Creator. Your significance is inborn.
Think of the dignity you possess, merely by being a product of God's design. You're able to reason and make choices. You can appreciate beauty and feel emotion. You have the ability within your reach to bless others, to extend your influence and impact into another person's life.
You have even been given the privilege of communicating with your heavenly Father—a right he wasn't obligated to offer you, but one he freely extends because of his rich, abiding love for you. Everything about you has been "woven together" in his all-wise mind and heart. Each day of your life has been "written" down by the one who made you. (Psalms 139:15-16). That's how valuable you are to him.
Instead of being bombarded by all the ways life has mistreated you or what a mess you've made, make this a day to celebrate what God has invested in you. You are worth far more than you realize.
Pray this prayer: I do get down on myself a lot, Lord. I have a hard time imagining that you love me. Would you remind me today? I could really use that.
:angel:
Breakdown or Breakthrough?
There are certain sins and temptations that take all the strength you can muster. You push them out of your mind one minute, only to see they're back the next. They're like a fly in the house—buzzing and darting, landing out of sight, then zooming by again just when you'd forgotten about it.
Sometimes these sinful pulls and attractions will leave for a few days, a few weeks, maybe even months at a time. We think maybe we've licked them. But then they show up again. We feel our back stiffen. We're not confident we can sustain another assault.
But how about looking at it differently this time? The Bible teaches us that temptation is a test. In other words, it's a signal that God is up to something. A prize awaits on the other side—new spiritual ground, new spiritual muscles. So by leaning hard on the Lord to get us through unscathed, we won't just be scoring a single, isolated victory; we'll be letting him inch us closer to opportunities that have been sitting out there all along, just waiting on our obedience.
The Bible says "we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). So the next time you find yourself facing one, keep your eyes not only on winning, but on where winning could take you. You already know what losing can cost you. See if that doesn't give you the toughness to stand strong.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't understand why you allow temptation to be so difficult sometimes. But I'm believing that you have great things in store if I'll pass this test. Be there to get me through.
:angel:
Reversing the Trend
Whether from being left untended or from constant use, things will always be inclined to grow old and deplete. Knees will start to ache and catch. Tires will wear thin. Gaskets will leak. Organization will trend toward chaos. The deodorant stick will shrink smaller and smaller. Clothes will wrinkle. Dust will accumulate. It's the nature of life. Downhill. Showing age.
It's even the nature of marriage. What starts with candlelight, tuxedo, and a minister's blessing slowly gives way to the late local news, complaints about your snoring, and fixing yourself the last piece of toast for breakfast. Where's a little romance when you need it? Probably not under warranty.
So whether you like it or not, today will be another battle against bone loss, systems malfunction, and tooth decay. And to keep the same sorts of erosion from happening in your home, the Bible offers the following prescription: "encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) . . . or by life's constant drain and desire to drag you down, if not drag you apart.
Marriage may never outgrow a few toilet seat disagreements. But yours can withstand and even counteract the effects of time and age. A little encouragement from you today can go a long way.
Pray this prayer: God, help me not to stand by while my marriage loses any more of its luster. Give me the kind of heart that keeps loving, keeps investing. Show me the best way to bless my wife today.
:angel:
Costly Do-Overs
In Game Plan for Life, Coach Gibbs recounts the story from the Redskins' 2007 season when, in an effort to ice the opposing kicker in the closing minute of a two-point game, he mistakenly called two timeouts in a row. The fifteen-yard penalty walkoff put the Bills at much closer range, and the converted field goal proved the difference in a heartbreaking 17-16 Redskin defeat. No loss can be blamed on any one thing, of course, but this game ultimately came down to a crucial sideline mistake.
If Coach ever found himself in a similar situation, you can bet he wouldn't do that again.
Wonder, though, how many of the problems we cause ourselves are from repeat mistakes—things we should have known better, goofs we should have learned from before? Being consistently late, for example, always keeps us off-balance, apologetic, and at least semi-rude to others. We know that. Yet we keep running behind and not taking pains to be punctual. Pick whatever frustration of yours that eats away at your efficiency and attitude, and ask yourself what would be different if you had decided to do something about it long ago.
The Bible tells us to "hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life" (Proverbs 4:13). Maybe instead of trying to come up with better ways of doing things, we'd save time by just not having to relearn things we know that already work.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make plain to me those faults and areas of neglect where I keep shooting myself in the foot. I want to be a man who's putting your Word and good sense into constant practice.
:angel:
Equal Opportunity Provider
Thomas Jefferson said it first, although legendary film producer Samuel Goldwyn is attributed with making the line more slick and famous: "The harder I work, the luckier I get."
We've all seen guys who overachieve—in sports, in business, in all kinds of professions. We've seen young football players from Division II directional schools who get signed as undrafted free agents , make the final cut, fill in for an injured starter, then turn low expectations into a Pro Bowl season. Hard work? Luck? You decide.
The person who wrote Psalm 1 in the Bible talked about the man who doesn't kid around when it comes to keeping his nose in the Scriptures. "Day and night" he makes learning God's Word a passionate pursuit. As a result, "he is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3). Good genes? Lucky breaks?
There's something about a man who reads and studies his Bible, not to win theological arguments, but just because he wants his life to be shaped, governed, and directed by God's ultimate truth. Psalm 119:98 says it makes him smarter than his enemies. Proverbs 1:4 says it transforms a young, inexperienced man into someone who's shrewd and clever, who knows the ropes.
Aren't you lucky to have that kind of resource sitting around? You are if you're ready to work at it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't always know the best way to get much out of reading the Bible. But I ask you, by your Holy Spirit, to begin letting it speak clearly to me. I do want to learn. I do want to grow.
:angel:
Be Nice to Your Body
You may not know it to look at you. All you can see sometimes are the things you don't like—the extra weight you're carrying around your middle, the gray that's starting to pepper your temples and sideburns, the hair that's rubbed off your legs from wearing dress slacks all day.
But the Bible has this to say about you: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God?" (1 Cor. 6:19).
Me? A temple?
Yep. As a believer in Jesus Christ, your heart has now become a place of residence for the Spirit of God. That makes your body a sanctuary, a special piece of construction designed to be treated with the same kind of care and decorum you exercise when you're at church. So for the same reason you don't scarf down nachos during worship service or wear your lawn-mowing clothes to Sunday school, you should treat your physical body with respect, honor, and a real sense of worth.
So before you go littering it up with another junk-food lunch or refusing to take it out for a walk, remember that this marvelous specimen of God-created equipment is not a thing to be taken lightly. Let's see some respect here. And pretty soon, you might even see less of those things you don't like.
Pray this prayer: God, I used to think that all you really wanted of me were spiritual things. But I want to be your man head-to-toe. Keep me encouraged to keep myself in good working order.
:angel:
The Game Plan
For three improbable afternoons at the recent British Open golf tournament, Tom Watson continually stood near or atop the leader board, smelling victory at an event he had won five times before, but not in more than twenty-five years. With each succeeding round and clubhouse interview, the spectacle became harder and harder to believe. Yet strangely, for the 59-year-old Watson, easy to explain.
He was on a "game plan," he repeatedly said, a secret code of attack he never revealed, except to say it existed and that he was on course with it. It was a game plan that took him to the 72nd hole and an eight-foot putt for par, inches away from an ageless wonder of a championship.
Game plans work. And though a slight bobble in execution at any point along the way can mean the difference between first and second, the fact remains that a good game plan can take you far—farther than you may have ever dreamed possible.
That's why the apostle Paul could say it's "not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). Yes, missed putts can still prove costly. Missed opportunities can still nag at us. But what we lack in perfection is more than made up for as we "press on" with a set purpose. Life with a game plan is always superior to life without it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can do better than just taking a hit-and-miss approach to life. I need a game plan. I need YOUR game plan. Help me to see it in your Word, and put it into practice every day.
:angel:
Feel the Pain
You may be going through an awful lot right now. Maybe your company is shedding jobs and salaries, trying to keep from going under. Maybe one of the jobs they calved off was yours.
Maybe your marriage is really tanking at the moment. You can't say you haven't contributed to the problems, but you're trying as hard as you can now to make this work, to make this right. Still, you're not sure where things are headed.
Work. Family. Health. Finances. Between these major categories, life can get very complicated, both from things you've done as well as things that just happened. And if God feels very far away today, unconcerned and out of the picture, hear a word of encouragement from hundreds of years ago.
Throughout the Old Testament, God's people faced one crisis after another. Sometimes it was their own dumb fault; sometimes it came by way of surprise attack. But no matter how they got into their troubles, "in all their distress, he too was distressed" (Isaiah 63:9). When they hurt, He hurt. When they suffered, He suffered.
God has not lost the directions to your house. He's not waiting to work you in between 3:00 and 4:00 next Wednesday. God feels. He grieves. He knows what you're going through. You're not the only one hurting here. And His is the kind of hurt that knows how to help you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, thank you that you haven't forgotten me. It's good to know you're a God who's really alive, who's really here, and who genuinely cares. I'm counting on that today.
:angel:
One of the Main Things
Blocking and tackling. Hitting the open man. "Gentlemen, this is a football." The basics.
Sometimes in seeking that extra half-second that takes us up an echelon, we can forget the fundamentals. We can lose sight of what got us here. But maybe, instead of the hundred things we try to juggle to make us faster, higher, stronger, a great life just requires that we remember two or three.
For example, when we get a biblical peek into heaven in the book of Revelation, where people are trying to describe why they're giving "glory and honor" to God, their reasoning is based on something you probably learned in kindergarten—"for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being" (Revelation 4:11).
God made you. Stop to think what that means . He made you with love, with intention, with enough unique detail that no one else on the planet—either now or in all the centuries past—has ever looked exactly like you. (I mean, think of how many combinations of eyes, ears, and noses that takes!)
Maybe some mornings, all you need to start your day is to look at your open hands, with their opposable thumbs and functional design, and realize that God has a purpose for you and for everything yet to happen in the next 24 hours. He's put too much thought into you to make you have to over think.
Pray this prayer: Lord, if I ever doubt my purpose in life, help me remember that you created me for a reason. I know we're not just a bunch of randomly assembled body parts. Help me to live and worship you with that kind of intention.
:angel:
Walk Like a Winner
Sometimes a guy just knows he's going to play well that day. Something about the confident, relaxed mood he's in when he wakes up. Something about how smooth and straight that first drive sails off the tee. Something about the way his gear feels when he straps it on. He just knows it. He's on. Everybody'd better watch out.
And believe it or not, when it comes to your battle against a certain sin or habitual behavior, you can step onto the field today with that kind of confidence, even if you've had a losing record against it for a long time, even if you've been in one of your worst slumps ever.
The Bible says that "by his wounds"—by the sacrificial death of Jesus—"you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). "Have been." Past tense. Already taken care of. "Healed" of your sin problem. Which means that every time you cave in to it again, it's just because you want to, not because you have to. As the first part of that verse says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness."
So if you want this day to result in victory, you've got every right to expect it—because part of winning is knowing you're better than the competition on any given day. And thanks to what Jesus has done, you really are.
Pray this prayer: Lord, after failing you so many times, I start to feel like I'm just not up to the challenge of being faithful. But I know You're faithful, and powerful, and able. Be all those things in me.
:angel:
An F for Effort
Just about everybody thinks they're good enough to at least squeak by into heaven. Put it all on balance, consider how hard they've tried, and God should be able to see they've done the best they could with what they had. They've been worse than some, sure, but better than most. When it's all said and done, if God's being fair, the scales ought to tip their way.
Well, there's the problem. The scales don't tip on the basis of being better than others. God's judgment has nothing at all to do with a person making good choices a certain percentage of the time. "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). In fact, they're sadly deceived and mistaken.
If you're pinning your hopes on the outside chance that God operates on a sliding scale, hear what the Bible says: "It is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends" (2 Corinthians 10:18). And the only ones the Lord commends are those who are perfect—or those who've put all their trust in Jesus' ability to stand in for their imperfections.
"Whoever lives and believes in me will never die," Jesus said (John 11:25). Whoever lives and believes in himself will just die trying.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I know I've been wrong to think I'm good enough to satisfy your high standards. Help me to see that I can never be what you want me to be until Jesus is living in me.
:angel:
How's Your Day Looking?
In Game Plan for Life, Os Guinness mentions this quote from a 90-year-old Winston Churchill: "Life has been a grand journey—well worth making once."
Once. That's all we get. No dry runs. No do-overs. This day you're living now is not a dress rehearsal or a practice lap. You're on the stage. You're in the game. Start playing.
What this kind of thinking does is rip the disguise off today, revealing it to be every bit as momentous as the first morning on a new job or the night before major surgery. There are things to be said. Today. There are people to take notice of. Today. There are ordinary decisions to take seriously. Today. As the Bible says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
The newspaper commits a page or two each morning to dozens of death notices—guys who once supervised a work crew at the auto plant, who once coached boys' baseball on Saturday afternoons, who once served on the school board or were once active in the Rotary club. Once.
All those one-time daily things that could be said of you in the paper—about your family, your work, your interests, your passions—are they getting your best today? Clock's ticking down. Better get out there.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I've been letting some things slide. I've been going whole weeks without my priorities being in balance. It's time to get this right. Show me what that means and how to get there.
:angel:
How's Your Day Looking?
In Game Plan for Life, Os Guinness mentions this quote from a 90-year-old Winston Churchill: "Life has been a grand journey—well worth making once."
Once. That's all we get. No dry runs. No do-overs. This day you're living now is not a dress rehearsal or a practice lap. You're on the stage. You're in the game. Start playing.
What this kind of thinking does is rip the disguise off today, revealing it to be every bit as momentous as the first morning on a new job or the night before major surgery. There are things to be said. Today. There are people to take notice of. Today. There are ordinary decisions to take seriously. Today. As the Bible says, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).
The newspaper commits a page or two each morning to dozens of death notices—guys who once supervised a work crew at the auto plant, who once coached boys' baseball on Saturday afternoons, who once served on the school board or were once active in the Rotary club. Once.
All those one-time daily things that could be said of you in the paper—about your family, your work, your interests, your passions—are they getting your best today? Clock's ticking down. Better get out there.
Pray this prayer: Dear God, I've been letting some things slide. I've been going whole weeks without my priorities being in balance. It's time to get this right. Show me what that means and how to get there.
:angel:
Heaven: Harps Optional
One of the things Randy Alcorn accomplishes in his chapter on heaven in Game Plan for Life is to quiet our misconception that life after death for the Christian is going to be boring. A never-ending church service. All Christmas carols and choir books.
Actually, the Bible says heaven will be a total experience of newness that touches everything about us and everything we do. Not just better singing and sermons. Not just better food options at church potlucks. Better everything. The very best of everything. Renewed, remade, reborn.
God has promised, "I will create new heavens and a new earth" (Isaiah 65:17), meaning that while we're going to live in a place we've never been before, it will contain perfected elements of things we've always known. But instead of fatigue and physical limitations, we'll have total freedom of enjoyment. Instead of sin's empty promises, we'll know constant satisfaction. Instead of having to lock our doors and watch our backs, we'll learn what it really means to live without fear. Of anything.
Don't go worrying that God is baiting you with free gift offers that are going to end up being a time-share presentation. These new heavens and new earth are His gift of undying, undiluted life to you. It's definitely something you don't want to miss.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't deserve the privilege of having this kind of hope in my future. But I'm so grateful—eternally grateful—that you desire this kind of life for me. Thank you for making it possible through Christ. Thank you for making it mine.
:angel:
Reversing the Trend
Whether from being left untended or from constant use, things will always be inclined to grow old and wear out. Knees will start to ache and catch. Gaskets will leak. Organization will trend toward chaos. The deodorant stick will shrink smaller and smaller. It's the nature of life. Downhill. Showing age.
It's even the nature of marriage. What starts with candlelight, tuxedo, and a minister's blessing slowly gives way to the late local news, complaints about your snoring, and fixing yourself the last piece of toast for breakfast. Where's a little romance when you need it? Probably not under warranty.
So whether you like it or not, today will be another battle against muscle loss and tooth decay. But to keep these same sorts of erosion from happening in your home and marriage, the Bible offers you the following prescription: "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13) or by life's constant tendency to drag you down, if not drag you apart.
Marriage may never outgrow a few toilet seat disagreements. But yours can withstand—and even counteract—the effects of time and age. A little encouragement from you today can go a long way.
:angel:
First Things First
You may or may not be a list-maker. It doesn't really matter. Because whether you are or you aren't, we all live by a list. We all do what's most important to us—our ones, twos, and threes. The tens, twelves, and fifteens rarely make an actual appearance.
The same goes for our money. We may or may not live by a budget—(Ron Blue will get us for that)—but we have our reasons for spending and saving the way we do... or don't. Our first things come first, whether they're sound or just selfish.
Thankfully, the Bible comes right out and tells us what our first financial thing needs to be: "Honor the Lord from your wealth, and from the first of all your produce" (Proverbs 3:9). Before one dime goes toward dinner out or a new DVD—or even toward your mortgage, insurance, and utility bills—giving to God through the church where you worship should come right off the top. First thing.
Or how easily it becomes a forgotten thing.
If this sounds a little too radical and expensive, seek out someone you know who manages their money by this principle. Ask if it's proven to be a bust to their financial health, a decision they've grown to regret. See if instead God hasn't opened up the "floodgates of heaven" and poured out on them a blessing "without measure" (Malachi 3:10). When the Lord comes first, everything else just falls into place.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to help me realize that everything I own or earn comes from you. May I be grateful enough to honor you with my giving, and to grow my trust in you at the same time.
:angel:
Who's the Boss?
The life of an athlete requires answering to a lot of people: coaches, media, sponsors, and the public. So does yours, no matter what career you're in. There are clients and customers to serve, supervisors and upper management to please, shareholders and contributors to coddle—lots of people to cater to.
Game Plan for Life, however, introduces us to this simplifying concept: "the audience of One." The One, of course, is God. And His demand of you is your absolute best, your utmost integrity. He calls you to apply His commands in all your decisions and interactions.
In a perfect world, this kind of excellence would always be recognized and amply compensated. It would earn you the highest respect from your colleagues and coworkers. It would anchor your job security and even promise you steady promotion through the ranks. But even when it doesn't—even when it seems like no one is noticing—there is no satisfaction like knowing that God can say of you, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).
The next time you start to feel unappreciated, undervalued, and overlooked, take your feelings of inferiority to the Lord in prayer. Let Him be the One with the last word on how valuable you are. When you're pleasing Him, you're doing your job.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray that the only measure of my worth at work will be whether or not I'm honoring you with my very best. When I do things your way, may I be one happy, contented man.
:angel:
Watch It
One of the things you get in Game Plan for Life is some straight talk on some real stuff. But as sort of a bonus, you also get (here and there) a little ancient philosophy to go with your modern advice—like this, from the Greek thinker Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Any of us who struggle to keep our weight where the doctor says it should be or who've never met an excuse that couldn't talk us out of exercising—we know how easy it is for our personal health to go from managed care to total anarchy. Sometimes we exert a lot more energy examining what's in the pantry than we do examining what God expects of our overall fitness habits.
Health experts tell us that if we had to catalog or journal our calorie intake and our workout reps, most of us would be shocked at how much we consume and how little we burn off. But those who pay attention, those who consider it important to "examine" themselves, are the only ones who live in the truth of their situation. They don't trick themselves into believing that everything is okay when it isn't.
"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Wake up and smell the coffee. And stay in charge of what you let in all day.
Pray this prayer: Help me develop the courage, Lord, to make deliberate decisions on how I handle myself, not letting life just come to me, but choosing to do right, choosing to be healthy.
:angel:
What Dad Says
If you've been a father for very long, you've heard one of your children say, "Dad, I remember you telling me..." And strangely, you may have no more than a dim memory of having said it. They were words that didn't really register as they were coming out but, for whatever reason, they sure did register coming in.
Maybe it was a stray memory you shared while you were out fishing together or running weekend errands. Maybe it was a harsh critique of the way they were performing a task or treating a sibling. Maybe it wasn't even something you were saying to them directly, but they were around, they heard it, they remember it.
Most dads don't think of themselves as men of powerful, memorable words. But... we are. All of us.
So on this day of celebration, enjoy the cards and the phone calls, act surprised at the necktie and the nail care kit, doze in and out of the U.S. Open on television. But also take the chance to say some special things to your children, wherever they may be.
King Solomon wrote of his father, David, "When I was a boy in my father's house... he taught me and said, 'Lay hold of my words with all your heart'" (Proverbs 4:3–4). Don't let everything your children remember you saying be offhand and incidental. Make a point of telling them what your heart really wants to say.
Pray this prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to be a dad who instructs and inspires my children the way you inspire me. Help me teach my children based on your Word that they may also mature in godliness.
:angel:
Room to Be Human
We definitely live in a celebrity culture. How many industries—from sports talk to memorabilia sales—are manufactured on the backs of a culture that can't get enough scoop or goods on today's headline makers? We know they're just people, but somehow we're willing to let them be larger-than-life. It's in our cultural DNA.
But even those who impress us with their skill and swagger—the ones who are among the best at what they do—miss a lot of reads in the course of a game. They foul a lot of balls into the stands. They push a lot of shots wide of the fairway. Success is a matter of consistent skill and effort, but nowhere near perfection. There's never been a superstar who didn't know how it felt to pace the sidelines, frustrated with his play.
If you're in one of those funks where you're down on yourself for making an unwise decision at work, or underestimating how long something would take, or guessing wrong on a snap judgment call, maybe this would be a good day to cut yourself some slack. Nobody gets everything right, and God understands that about us. "As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:13-14).
Be fair with yourself today. Don't let a little pop-out keep you from swinging for the fences.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, thank you for knowing me better than I know myself, for being willing to forgive me when I foul things up. I pray for the courage to get back in and try again—for your glory.
:angel:
Forward Thinking
We've never been to a funeral, no matter how tragic or expected the person's death, when much of the service and the conversations surrounding it didn't center on memories of his or her life. We recall happier times we spent together. We reflect on what this individual was like. We regret that we won't be able to enjoy their smile or laughter anymore on earth.
We look back. That's all we humans really know how to do. To look back is to know. To look ahead is merely to guess and wonder.
But not for the believer in Jesus Christ. Our view looking forward, though lacking in some of the specifics God has chosen not to reveal, is one of confidence and knowledge, of hope and authentic anticipation. Randy Alcorn writes in Game Plan for Life, "As people age, they tend to look back at when they were at their best, knowing they'll never regain those days. But if you're a Christ-follower, you don't look back to your peak. You look forward to it."
Imagine being encouraged, as Randy says, that "the strongest I've ever felt is just a hint of what's to come." Imagine being sure that "the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). Imagine being able to look ahead . . . and know.
Pray this prayer: Lord, there's so much I don't understand. But as one who has given his life to you, I pray that you will settle my heart whenever I doubt your promises. Help me believe in your love for me.
:angel:
Truth and Freedom
For Superman, life is a "never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way." But for ordinary guys like us, truth is one battle we don't have to fight. Truth has already been fought for . . . and won.
Like the truth that "there is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). The truth that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The truth that "at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). At the end of the day—in each of our lives—that's the truth.
We live in a world where truth can mean a lot of things. But the truth of Jesus' death on the cross to forgive your sins, the truth of his resurrection from the grave to give you eternal life, is the only truth that can set you free from "never-ending battle."
"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).
So if you haven't already, wouldn't today's celebration of America's freedom be an ideal day to celebrate your own freedom as well—freedom from sin and guilt, freedom from dread and worry, freedom from hoping against hope that God will let you into heaven—freedom to know that nothing in life can shake your confidence about the future?
That may not be the American way. But it's God's way. It's the real man's way. It's the only way.
Pray this prayer: God, I'm a sinful man, and I know it. That's the truth. But you have shown me that my sin can be wiped away by what you've already done for me. I choose to believe the truth—about myself and about you. Come be my Savior and Lord. I want to be free.
:angel:
All Play, No Work?
Some people think being a Christian is code-word for slacking off, not expecting much, being more willing to understand and overlook a shoddy day's work. So although there are plenty of us who lean more toward being workaholics, there are plenty more who need to realize that high expectations don't go flying out the window just because you've been promised eternal life.
Granted—again—the Christian ranks are filled with men who basically ignore God's command to experience a Sabbath rest in their week. They think that taking a break in the action to deliberately quiet themselves in prayer and worship, to refresh and replenish, will just give the others a chance to catch up. Surely a man can do more in seven days than in six.
But too many are taking this rest-and-relaxation routine a little too far. And if one of those men is you—if you'd admit that you're not putting out your maximum effort on the job— notice that in the same Scripture passage where God delivered His directive on Sabbath-keeping, he also stated the obvious counter-balance: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work" (Exodus 20:9).
So before you kick back for another weekend, remember that Ten Commandments-style resting implies you've been doing something all week that needs resting from. Make your Sabbath a great one by giving every other day your very best.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I can pretend my work ethic is something it's not. But help me see myself honestly in this regard—to see where I'm out of balance, one way or the other.
:angel:
Work Slowdown
We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve and succeed. And if we're not careful, the pursuit of one more sale, one more percentage point, or one more dollar sign can utterly consume our lives. If it doesn't, we know they can find someone else who will.
This makes the following statement from the Bible a brave one: "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). It's a call to hard work, yes, but also to the pursuit of work's greater goal—a "quiet life."
This is not the same as a lazy life, one with never a care or concern. A quiet life is one of perspective and balance. Business, labor, and career will always have certain seasons that call for an extra ummph of exertion. Not every day will be "quiet," and we shouldn't expect it to be. Still, a quiet life should remain our general "ambition"—our overall normal—so that when work expectations are keeping our lives noisy and chaotic week after month after year, courage and conviction will call us to make some changes. Our lifestyle becomes our lifetime quicker than we know it. And quiet only comes to those who seek it.
Pray this prayer: I need your help, God, to understand what this means for me. I don't want to do anything rash, but I do want to be in your will. I want to experience life the way you intend it to be.
:angel:
Breakfast of Champions
Every year when NFL training camp rolls around, there are guys who come in hungry and fired up, fresh from an off-season workout regimen that has gotten them in playing shape right from the get-go. But every team also has players who show up fat and flabby, twenty pounds over their goal weight, gasping for breath at the first sight of wind sprints. Failure to stick to a plan has cost them the stamina they need to get started on the right foot. They may be able to fool some people with their athletic looks and muscular bodies. But NFL coaches can tell when a guy's been dogging it since January.
You're probably not a professional ball player, but the same principle still applies to you. The concept Jesus taught that "no good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit" (Luke 6:43) has a universal draw on every man. Steady doses of unhealthy choices and activities will bear themselves out in the way we feel, the way we think, the way we stand up to stressful situations. If we're not willing to make sacrifices and faithful habits a regular part of our day, fatigue will not only become a way of life, it will become a belt size everyone else can see better than we can.
"The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart" (Luke 6:45). The same goes for stomachs and large muscle groups, too.
Pray this prayer: Lord, make me a man who doesn't have to fake who he is—not in health, not in work ethic, not in family life, not in anything. Help me see that who I become is the result of what I invest.
:angel:
Death to Fear
We're all pretty different. Different tastes in restaurants. Different sizes of televisions. Different favorite places to go on vacation. But one thing that's common to every man on earth is this: we're all on a collision course with death. Except for those living among the blessed generation who will still be filling out their dress shirts when Jesus comes back, no one's getting out of here alive.
And some people have a hard time living with that.
Think of how this one particular slice of reality hangs over your head on any given day. Think of how hard you fight to keep yourself looking young and age-defiant. Think of the medical scenarios that run through your head when you feel a new twinge or body ache, when an unexpected pain catches in your chest or side. Think of what happens when you realize it could have just as easily been you killed in the bridge collapse or tornado damage reported on the news tonight.
But Jesus, the Bible says, has died in our place "so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death" (Hebrews 2:15). Yes, death is a heavy subject to ponder. But it doesn't have to hold us in slavery or overwhelm us in fear. Because of Jesus, we not only live forever. We can live free right now.
Pray this prayer: God, I don't like to think about going through the suffering and separation of death. But I pray you'll help me live in the confidence of heaven, so that I can keep from being afraid of dying.
:angel:
Ups and Downs
The medal stand. The winner's circle. The trophy presentation ceremony, followed at noon the next day by an open-convertible parade down Main Street. The sports world knows how to tell who's been successful at accomplishing what they set out to do. You can spot the champion by the title he holds.
But God doesn't work that way. Titles, ranking, and position are not his barometers of success for us, nor should they be of ours. Just because a man seems to be winning doesn't mean he's done the best job or is the most deserving of praise. Just because a man appears to be losing doesn't mean he's failed at a critical moment or has choked under pressure. God has his own reasons for letting some taste the rewards of success and letting others continue to battle from beneath the pile.
"It is God who judges: he brings one down, he exalts another" (Psalm 75:7). He may allow a man to earn a promotion, not because he's by far the most qualified, but because this person has a weakness for power that needs exposing and correcting. God may allow a man to be overlooked at work, not because this guy doesn't possess what it takes to advance, but to make him better prepared for a greater opportunity down the line.
With God, the possibilities are always endless. Don't make him have to play our game in order to win your trust.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I get confused sometimes and start judging things by this world's playbook, not by yours. Help me to accept the fact that you know what you're doing, much better than I do.
:angel:
The Ultimate Rescue
There are few symbols of bravery more compelling than that of New York City's first responders streaming into Towers One and Two on this cloudless day in 2001. If not for those squadrons of emergency crews, heavy with rescue gear, bounding up ring after ring of suffocating stairwells, the tragedy that claimed thousands of human lives could have easily killed tens of thousands.
We can hardly fathom such extreme levels of heroism. We don't quite know how to express our awe and gratitude toward those who risk their lives—every day, just as on this one horrific day—to save others.
But even with their daring sense of courage and self-sacrifice, even with hours of rescue training and contingency planning, these modern-day heroes are not able to save everyone. There are limits to what they can do. Time runs out. Gravity outweighs them.
How much awe and praise, then, should go to the Lord Jesus Christ, who's never encountered a life he couldn't save? No matter how black the sin or how impossible the situation, no matter how late the hour or how heavy the damage, he is able to snatch men from life's ultimate danger zone, saving them from eternal death.
"For my Father's will," he said, "is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). Everyone. That means you. Wherever you are, your rescuer is here.
Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, I'm trapped in my sins with no way out. I've tried every escape there is, and none of them work. I'm calling out to you today as my last resort. I'm so sorry for what I've done. I'm so sure now that you're the Son of God. I need you. Please help me.
:angel:
Always and Never
Very few things in life are "always" and "never." Your wife doesn't always tell you how to drive. Your pastor isn't always asking for money. It's not like your kids never do a thing you say. But when it comes to God, there are some always and nevers you can take to the bank.
He is "always at his work" (John 5:17), never dozing off or growing tired of meeting your needs. He is "always righteous" (Jeremiah 12:1), never changing to accommodate the times. Jesus "always lives" to pray for you (Hebrews 7:25), to continually insure that your sins are forgiven, if you've trusted Him for salvation. He is a rock of refuge to which you can "always go" (Psalm 71:3).
He will "never stop doing good" to you (Jeremiah 32:40), always supplying you with all you really need. He tells us not to worry about money or the future, because He has promised, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). His years "will never end" (Hebrews 1:12). He has "set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed" (Daniel 2:44). "Heaven and earth will pass away," Jesus said, "but my words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33).
Life may seem a tangled mess of empty words and broken promises. But when your trust is in God, you're on the most solid footing of all. Blessed is the man who "always fears the Lord" (Proverbs 28:14).
Pray this prayer: Lord, I always want to be your man, even though I miss the mark in many ways. I know with you, though, that you will always be my God, forever and ever.
:angel:
All-Weather Blessings
These are tough economic times all around. The same rules and assumptions that used to be part of the wall paint of life don't seem to apply any more. Housing values don't just automatically go up. The next stop on the Dow Jones index may not be a thousand more, perhaps a thousand less. Dividends that used to pay like clockwork may now be calculated at pennies on the share, if at all.
So when we open our Bibles and read, "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak," the poor, the helpless (Psalm 41:1), our minds almost immediately begin thinking up disqualifiers. Sure, if we had the money. Sure, if milk and gasoline weren't so expensive. Sure, if our 401(k) was still promising us an ample retirement.
But the Bible's principles for sound money management are not dependent on the ebbs and flows of the stock market. Just because prices are up and wages are down, biblical truth is not temporarily suspended. Lean years don't exempt us from pursuing God's way of doing things. In fact, it's in times like these—when real need is a lot closer to your front door than it may have seemed in days past—that the blessing of giving is actually the greatest. Your generous, sacrificial acts of service and care in Christ's name have more potential for touching hearts now than they ever did. You can take that to the bank.
Pray this prayer: Father, I get worried sometimes about where our financial picture is heading. But you have called us to be much more concerned for people than money. Help me to always keep this in mind.
:angel:
Sin Exchange
The battle against sexual lust is sort of in a class by itself for most men. Other allures and temptations may buzz around us, but few if any can stir up this kind of struggle, shame, and enslavement. It can make us want things that seem irresistible. Yet in turning away, we find things that are irreplaceable.
Pure living, for example, means exchanging deception for truth, darkness for light—the freedom to uncomplicate our lives with the worry of being found out, to avoid the awkward moment when we think someone has noticed our up-and-down glance.
We exchange a heart that judges by appearances for one that values the worth of every individual. We get to know people without filtering our acceptance of them through the grid of their good looks, enjoying the honesty of being kind to everyone we meet.
We exchange self-gratification for the pursuit of service, transforming our inner thirst for adventure into profitable use. Rather than thinking of ways to feed our misplaced desire, we become equally as passionate about thinking of ways to bless our wives and family.
"Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5) . . . who do not know that something much better exists for those walk in purity.
Pray this prayer: Father, I'm sick and tired of being consumed by thoughts of other women. I pray for a pure heart, a healed heart, a will that totally releases this impossible struggle into your strong hands.
:angel:
The Enemy Within
Dr. Larimore, writing in Game Plan for Life, talks about the "Four Wheels of Health"—physical, emotional, relational, spiritual. A fully healthy person is one who is consistently, continually achieving balance in each of these areas. If any of the four loses air or goes flat, the whole thing begins to weave and wobble.
But here's the deal. While it makes so much sense to hear him tell it, there is a big part of us that resists being healthy. Just knowing the value of green, leafy vegetables and cardiovascular exercise doesn't ensure we'll go after them. Just being aware that honesty and openness are essential to becoming authentic people is not enough to make us live it out. "Surely the mind and heart of man are cunning" (Psalm 64:6). We cannot trust even ourselves to look out for our own best interests.
That's why it is so important that our lives be centered and grounded in God. He alone is rock-steady in a world that can't help but feel uncertain, as well as in hearts that can't always seem to follow what our heads are telling them. "If we are faithless, he will remain faithful" (2 Timothy 2:13). He is our one-and-only hope of being and staying as healthy as we want to be.
Pray this prayer: Lord God, you've found me out. I'm inconsistent at best and self-destructive at worst. I truly desire to be a whole and healthy man, but I realize that I can't do it without you. Please help me.
:angel:
A Promising Future
There are many hundreds of methods out there for maximizing your potential in life, in business, in all kinds of areas. Some are sound, some are not, some are absolutely wonderful (like Game Plan for Life, of course). But even the best can't help but be incomplete in spots. And none of us are able to follow them perfectly, even then.
So while we are wise to gather information and set our goals, to make our plans and chart our progress, we will meet days when not everything comes together. We will encounter challenges that weren't covered in the literature. We will feel the need to make adjustments and wonder why we hadn't noticed this sooner.
But that's okay—because our trust is not in methods and strategies. Though we are certainly responsible for how we handle ourselves, we are not in total charge of where our future is headed. It is no cop-out, after listening and learning and being diligent to pursue best practices, to say, "I cry out to God Most High, who fulfills his purpose for me" (Psalms 57:2).
Any success plan that isn't submitted to God is destined for failure. Any man who thinks he can make it on his own hunches will find out otherwise, the hard way. But when we trust God to do his work in us, he can take even our missteps and turn them into positive gain. He will fulfill his purpose for you.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I worry too much. I push myself hard, but it still leaves so much that seems undone. I need to rest in the knowledge that you are more than capable of accomplishing your will in me.
:angel:
Take a Knee
Some football players, when they break away for a go-ahead score or cause a key third-down sack, want to be sure they get their full ESPN's worth—the dances, the struts, the jerky moves they've been saving up for just such an opportunity.
Then there's the other approach—the guy who rips off a long touchdown run, flips the ball back to the referee, and trots to the sideline without all the show and the secret handshakes. He lives by this code: Don't act like it's the first time you've ever seen the inside of the end zone. Look like you've been there . . . like you never expected to be anywhere else.
When Jesus returns, you can be sure there will be a lot of people doing a lot of tap dancing, trying hard to prove why their occasional big plays should be enough to earn them a spot on his team. But eventually, "every knee" will bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). That's when the people who'd already humbled themselves before him on earth will have no hesitation taking a knee and giving him praise in heaven. It'll be like they've been there... like they never expected to be anywhere else. And where they'll be thankful now that there's no more penalty for excessive celebration.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't want be someone who only bows to you when they have to. I bow before you today, on this side of heaven. I want to go ahead and start getting good at this.
:angel:
Too Much Information?
It just can't be good that every credit card swipe we make, every phone call, every movement, it seems, is on somebody's computer somewhere. We're always watchful these days for privacy loss and identity theft, running our opened mail down the shredder to keep any more info about us from leaking out. It's even a little suspicious when the grocery sends us a dollar-off coupon for our favorite brand of ketchup, realizing we're only getting this because they know what we've been buying.
What people know about us today can hurt us. What they pull up on their screens can start coming out of our bank accounts. When people all over the world can see our driveway on a Google map, you've got to figure we're not totally safe from a smart intruder.
But even in a context like this, God has no problem admitting he knows your every thought. He knows the number of hairs on your head; knows the hopes and dreams that pulsate in your heart. He's able to "write in the register of the peoples: 'This one was born in Zion'" (Psalm 87:6)—in Charlotte, in Denver, in San Antonio. Everywhere you've been, everywhere you go, he's tracking you.
But not to hurt you. God uses his knowledge to direct your steps, to bring you growth opportunities, to meet very specific needs, to send you help when you're hurting. The more he knows, the better. The more you trust him, the safer you'll be.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I know I can't hide anything from you. But I pray you'll let me see this as a good thing. Knowing I'm constantly on your radar doesn't make me feel watched, just cared for.
:angel:
How Does He Do That?
One of the reasons we like watching a NASCAR race, or a PGA major, or a world-class track and field event is because we enjoy wondering how people are able to perform with that kind of skill, at that kind of level. Who stands over an iron shot in the heavy rough and mashes it 200 yards, within a few feet of the pin? Who runs a marathon in a little more than two hours and survives to make it to the medal ceremony? Wow.
If you ever want to spend a few minutes in your Bible having this same kind of feeling, the book of Job, chapters 38-41, will give you that sensation. You'll experience a tour de force through some of the greatest mysteries of God's Creation, and wonder, "How does he do that?"
"Who cuts a channel for the currents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm?" (38:25) "From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens?" (38:29) Who can give "the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?" (39:19) Who could "make a pet" of a giant whale or "put him on a leash for your girls" if he felt like it? (41:5)
It's amazing enough to look at the world around us and marvel at what we see. It's even more amazing to know that the God who loves us is the One who thought up, designed, and made it all.
Pray this prayer: Lord, whenever I'm impressed by what another man can do, help me see that it's nothing compared to the One who makes him able to do it. I stand in total awe of you again today.
:angel:
Anger Management
Whether at work or at home or in some other setting, you know what it's like when someone gets mad, gets their feelings hurt, and accuses you of something you didn't do. Instead of coming to find out what really happened or to talk it out calmly, they start right in with the accusations.
First reaction is what? "If they've got the nerve to come in here blaming me for things they don't even know about, they'd better have the guts to hear what I think of it . . . and of them."
Same thing happened to an Old Testament hero named Gideon, who famously took 300 men on a nighttime raid of a huge enemy encampment, armed with nothing more than trumpets, torches, and a bunch of empty jars. When God gave this tiny band an unlikely victory, some of the other fighting men of Israel swooped over to get into the action. But they were steamed that Gideon hadn't seen them fit to be part of the initial attack. "They criticized him sharply," the Bible says at the beginning of Judges 8. Still, instead of getting into a shouting match, he calmly told them he wasn't half the fighting man they were. Cooler heads carried the day. "At this, their resentment against him subsided."
Remember this: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Next time someone wants to start something, let your low-key response put an end to it.
Pray this prayer: Lord, teach me how to take a gentler tone with my wife and kids and the other people who irritate me sometimes. I don't want to be an angry man.
:angel:
Judgment Day
If there's one thing we learn from the Bible, it's that salvation is not something we can earn. God just gives it. Because of what Christ has already done on the cross, our penalty has been paid. Our forgiveness has been authorized. All we do is receive it by putting our faith in him.
Then why would God leave us with so many instructions on how to live, even after we're saved? Why would he keep reminding us that we'll have to stand before His "judgment seat"? Why would he feel the need to hold it over our head that "each of us will give an account of himself to God"? (Romans 14:12)
It's because he knows us. He understands that we don't always get very busy without a deadline hanging over us. We don't usually want to behave well unless acting badly has a consequence. So even though the believer has already been cleared to spend eternity with Christ, there's a reckoning day coming where we'll all have to answer for what we did with this gift of his.
This would sound terribly harsh and heavy-handed if not for the fact that sin is what's really harsh and heavy-handed. Disobeying God is not preferable to obeying him, not by the time it's made us miserable, like it always does. Turns out that an accounting bench and a judgment seat are more about God's mercy than his wrath. He loves us enough to make us want what's best for us.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I don't really like the thought of having to stand and give account. But I'd hate to think where I'd be if you just left me to monitor myself. I guess I'm glad for your accountability.
:angel:
Made to Worship
The challenge of sharing Jesus with another person can be frightening and intimidating. But there's at least one hurdle that's already been jumped for you: people are naturally wired to worship.
We see it when even a slumping slugger, who's failed to perform up to par all year, smacks a three-run homer late in a postseason game to swing the series back in their favor. Fans erupt in the home stadium, many of them bowing with both arms extended, honoring their hero.
Paul and Barnabas, two of the first Christian missionaries, experienced something similar while ministering in a city where the crowds became amazed at their power to heal. Word soon spread to a pagan priest, who began untying the sacrificial bulls and handing out ceremonial wreaths to anyone wanting to worship these men as gods. Hearing of this, Paul and Barnabas went ballistic: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, humans like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God" (Acts 14:15). Worship didn't need igniting that day, just redirecting.
So when sharing your faith, don't think people aren't wanting to believe that something greater exists than what they see around them. You just be bold enough to show them Jesus. Let him draw them to salvation in the one true God—the one their soul truly longs for, the only one worthy of worship.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for new boldness to share your Son, Jesus, with those who come my way. Help me not be deceived into thinking they're not already hungry for what you alone can provide
:angel:
It's What I Love about You
There's something in men that wants their wife to be beautiful, not just to enjoy a pleasant face across the dinner table, but to impress others with the kind of woman they were able to attract. There's something in fathers that wants their daughters to be the kind the other boys think is pretty, somehow sharing indirectly in their children's popularity.
But as men saved from proving ourselves acceptable to God through external shows of behavior, we should know better than anyone that outward appearances are not what make a person beautiful. Just as holiness is what "adorns" the house of the Lord (Psalm 93:5), our eye for beauty in our wives and our daughters should be for the fire of Christian character shining through their lives. Holiness should be what "adorns" our house as well.
Our wives should be the most beautiful to us when they're bowed in prayer on the side of the bed, or scribbling notes in their Bible margins at church, wanting to get God's truth deeper and deeper into their hearts. Our daughters should never be better looking than when they're taking stands for purity, or listening to worship music on their iPods, or honoring their mother by obeying a bit of parental instruction, even if it's unpopular with their friends. As husbands and fathers, we should be quick to praise what we see Christ doing in our family members' lives, letting them know that it means more to us than anything.
Pray this prayer: Lord, retrain my mind to honor what you honor, to love what makes you the most delighted in us. Help me want nothing more for my wife and children than to love you with all their hearts.
:angel:
Valuable Observations
Have you ever noticed that a five percent raise doesn't really change much in your take-home pay? Aren't you just as hungry for breakfast the morning after a $50.00 meal as after a $5.00 one? How many of the items in your garage or attic once served a useful purpose inside your actual living space? And why do all of us know these things to be true?
Because we've seen them. We've lived them. If there's one thing we know about money and the things it can buy, it's the fact that we routinely overvalue them. We expect them to be so much more than they typically turn out to be. So God tells us in His Word to give "careful thought" to this: "You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it" (Haggai 1:5-6).
Don't just know this. Do something with it.
What habits do you need to discontinue based on this common-sense information? How should this insight affect the way you parent or counsel your children? What kind of character traits would have more room to grow in you if you based more of your decisions on this? When money lessons become life lessons, they can do more than just impact your shopping and saving patterns. They can go to work in your heart.
Pray this prayer: Father, I pray for the wisdom to be more thoughtful than I usually am—to base my life on the truths you've so clearly shown us, rather than acting like they don't apply to me.
:angel:
Rx for Worry
Live long enough, and you'll find yourself in a thin hospital gown, crawling up on the table for some kind of test procedure. You'll wait by the phone for the results, trying not to worry but unable to keep from wondering what you'll do if it's bad.
Is there a game plan for this kind of situation?
Let's just say that one of the blessings of living in daily fellowship with God is developing a settled heart. You realize your salvation is accomplished and complete. You recognize how many things are beyond your control. And you begin to understand that trusting him is a lot more effective than fretting and losing sleep. He takes care of you either way. So why waste the nervous energy?
Inner peace is not a formula. It's not treating God like a good-luck charm. It's about spending time reading His Word. Praying when you could be listening to sports radio. Talking to him instead of talking to yourself. Relationship, not ritual. Try it consistently for a month, and you'll look back a few weeks from now amazed at the amount of perspective and security he's given you. You'll be more like a man who has "no fear of bad news," whose "heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalms 112:7).
Want to be ready for that next trip to the doctor? Then run your laps, watch your portions . . . and start relying on the Great Physician to get you through each day.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I waste so much of my time worrying about things you're already taking care of. I long for a settled, peaceful heart—one that's ready for trouble because I've been trusting you all along.
:angel:
Sailing in the Current
Are you happy where you are? Happy with your job and your prospects for growth? Happy with your home life, whether married or single? Happy with the house you live in? Happy with the car you drive? Happy with much of anything right now in terms of where you'd like to be?
When God allowed a Babylonian king to swoop into Israel and cart the Hebrews off into exile, you can be sure they weren't very happy. They'd lost their homes, lost their security, lost their ties to everything they owned. But as a way of further growing their character and painting their future with promise, God gave his people these instructions: Build houses there. Start a family there. Work for the good of your neighbors there. Make the most of this unwanted season by bearing fruit in an unhappy place.
"For I know the plans I have for you," God told them, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). But don't expect these promising days just to kick in as payback because you've been suffering for a while. Don't expect to build much on the backs of your constant complaining. Commit to doing something special even in the midst of your current situation. And you'll find that those "plans" for a "hope and a future" required the relationships you built, the work you invested, and the contentment you chose in the present. Dig in to dig out.
Pray this prayer: Lord, you know I'm not very happy right now. But I'm going to take your advice and let you grow me here. Thank you for not letting me waste my experiences—even these experiences.
:angel:
Tuesday, November 4
The Fine Line
Listen to Me, you stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness: I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off.
Isaiah 46:12-13
Recommended Reading
Isaiah 46 [ http://iz3.me/tPs02zwXd1A1 ]
Are you stubborn? If so, is your stubbornness a good quality or a bad one? When stubbornness means dogged determination to do the will of God, it's good. Perhaps a better term would be perseverance -- a quality the Bible upholds as the core of character (Romans 5:4). But when stubbornness is another word for self-will, it's a destructive force. The Bible says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry" (1 Samuel 15:23).
Listen to Today's Radio Message [ http://iz3.me/uPs02zwXd1A1 ]
There's a fine line between stubborn self-will and godly perseverance; and often the Lord uses crises in our lives to move us from one to the other. Take the patriarch Jacob for example. His story in the book of Genesis is filled with selfish and stubborn choices, which caused pain to himself and others. But by the end of the story, God had used a series of crises in his life to turn his stubbornness into sanctified perseverance.
We can't avoid pressure in life, but we should always remember that whatever crisis we face is God's way of reshaping our stubborn hearts into models of perseverance and character.
Satan tests us at our weakness, so that he might destroy us; but God tests us at our strengths, so that He might employ us.
David Jeremiah
1 Purple Heart Homes, purplehearthomesusa.org (accessed July 29, 2014).
Read-Thru-the-Bible
John 7-8 [ http://iz3.me/vPs02zwXd1A1 ]
:angel:
Job Hazards
We know what kind of violent insults can be hurled at coaches whose teams miss the playoffs for a second season in a row. We hear of even college players—nineteen and twenty year-olds, remember—getting death threats after throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.
But in their own way, any unfair complaints you may be enduring on the job right now are just as damaging and hurtful as these. Perhaps your upper level management is making it nearly impossible for you to succeed. Maybe a coworker or employee with an axe to grind is bad-mouthing you every chance he gets. A customer whose order was delayed—just this one time—is talking you down to those who could take you down.
People can misunderstand. They can take things out of context. They can see something they don't like about you and never leave the door open for a second impression, no matter how hard you try to please them. "Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets" (Psalm 55:11).
But as for you, keep showing up for work on time with all your personal skills in playing shape. Do your best to treat others fairly, learn from criticism, control your anger. Then just "cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22). You don't have to beat them. You just need to know where your true victory lies.
Pray this prayer: Lord, I've really been under attack lately, and I'm getting tired of it. But you certainly know—much better than I do—how it feels to be mistreated. Help me learn how to handle this well.
:angel:
All God's Children
Even though America has come a long way in terms of race relations—far more than many other countries of the world—stereotypes do still exist. Perhaps there are some people you'd rather not have as neighbors. Certain nationalities draw your suspicions. They have customs and habits that feel—(to use a fitting word)—"foreign" to you.
But while home and family and patriotism are each good things, we must always be careful about letting natural mind-sets overrule biblical ones. Just because a bigoted attitude of yours is embraced and encouraged by your friends doesn't mean it's the right one for you to have. When you have an automatic, negative reflex that lights up whenever you see a person of another race or national origin, you're assuming a superiority that isn't really there.
And you're forgetting that one reason why heaven is so heavenly is because it's the biggest melting pot of all.
"After this I looked," the apostle John said, "and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9). This preview of heaven's population simply cannot be allowed to land on our ears and not logically affect the way we treat people whose heritage and skin color are different from ours. Jesus Christ can rule in anyone's heart. Let's make sure he's ruling in ours.
Pray this prayer: I ask you, Lord, to take an axe to my prejudices, that I would not look down on anyone, but would rather be dedicated like never before to your call to make disciples of all nations.
:angel: