I need lots of help

Why do we continue to maintain a belief that success is directly related to control?  When I have a schedule, stick with it, and don't mess up, I've had a successful day and I'm exactly where God wants me to be. On the other hand, when I fail, need to confess my failure to others, and accomplish very little (if any) of my plan, I am further from God's plan for my life than when I started.  We use things like the following to justify our position:

• Hurricane Katrina is most known for how the local and national government failed to respond properly.
• My Denver Broncos were the victims of four of the worst blowouts in Super Bowl history.
• Lance Armstrong is the poster boy of failure, not to mention cheating and lieing.
• Obamacare is not exactly making a reputation of saving lives.

We know, in our minds, that some of the greatest achievements in history came because of numerous, if not countless, failures.  Yet, in our hearts, we cringe at the immediate potential of not measuring up.  Why?  How come our minds have such a hard time influencing our hearts, or the other way around?

The short answer?  We are more than just robots, equipped with a central intelligence that acts on its own.

Not-so-short answer?  Our Creator, God Almighty, made each of us as individuals, unique amongst humans.  There are no two alike, our minds and hearts, beliefs and emotions interacting with each other in a never-ending conversation that makes us who we are.  God does not want our minds to control us for, as the Apostle Paul says to the church in Corinth, "your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)  We do things we don't want to do and don't do the things we want to do; welcome to something we call LIFE (see Romans, chapter 7, verses 14-25).

I am not advocating failure but, rather, I am embracing it as a means through which we can be our true selves.  Failure does NOT define me, but, instead, it guides me to be the person I really am.

I'll end on a super-practicle note.  Each of us has been, and still are, haunted by sin.  Sin, those acts and thoughts that go against the One who created us, can either be ignored and not taken seriously OR it can be addressed and dealt with.  The former will lead to a life in which sin defines you (liar, thief, adulterer, player, gossip, etc.).  The latter will lead to a life which is more free to be the man or woman that we were made to be, because sin is being dealt with.  How is it being dealt with?  Check out the past, present, and future of dealing with sin:

• Receive Jesus' gift of His death in our place on the cross some 2000 years ago, so that our sins are forgiven.
• Confess our specific sins as often as possible day-by-day, so that God can transform us and make us, in essence and practice, better people.
• Look forward to eternity with Him in heaven, with no doubts, because Jesus already paid our debt in full.  Therefore, our life is not lived trying to earn anything, but simply living for Jesus, our Savior, Lord, Friend, and King.

If I don't need lots of help, I'm on my own.  It may boost my ego for a time, but it surely won't give me answers, or peace, or security for eternity.

I need lots of help. "Thank you, Lord, for being there for me and giving me the people that I need, especially my wife of 24 years!"

There's no such thing as an easy play

What a great day that will be when all the questions, problems, and issues can be answered simply and thoroughly. What a great day that will be when everyone's goal is the same. What a great day that will be when there's no jealousy, envy, or strife. What day am I talking about? THE day that makes all other days make sense. I don't know about you, but I find myself, often, faced with the all-to-common feeling of, "Why can't I ever seem to get a handle on things?" As I'm coaching 7th grade baseball, a theme has come back around often: There's no easy play. As I've reminded them about this fact, I've seen some improvement at not taking any play for granted, at being ready for whatever may come our way and, most importantly, at keeping our heads in the game. After every out, everyone needs to be telling everyone else how many outs. Whenever the situation changes everyone needs to know how that changes what they do as a batter, runner, pitcher, or fielder. Only in baseball can you go at such a pace that you're able to take inventory and consider your options. With all the issues, questions, strife, and change, we need a down time in which we take inventory and consider our options. That down time should not only be a purposeful slowing down, but it should also be a reminder of what the situation is and how we ought to respond. Among other things, we need to remind ourselves of basic truths about THE day: God is in control of it, I am not. God wins and I want to be on the winning side. Today will matter only if it's been lived under His mighty hand. In this life (before THE day), there is no such thing as an easy day, an easy answer, or an easy way out. Yet, as we submit to the One in control, may this life be full of joy because you're on the right team.