This weekend I will be speaking from Galatians 1:10, a passage in which Paul makes it clear that he’s not out to win friends, he’s out to honor God. My prep included reading about motivation and thinking about my own. Am I trying to be liked or focused on pleasing God? Why do I do what I do? When does healthy motivation become unbridled ambition? Have you pondered what got you up and running today?
Appreciating the Power Differential: A friend recently audited an ethics class at Harvard Business School. His most interesting take away? “The professor noted that over fifty percent of Americans cannot miss a paycheck, which means that when an employer asks them to do something, they feel they must comply, even if they do not want to.” Most reading this update live lives of privilege. Which means, you do not understand the fear of living paycheck to paycheck, and you may be unaware of the power you hold over others.
Quotes Worth Requoting:
- Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. Corrie Ten Boom
- To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.Simone Weil
- I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.[They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them[b] in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. Jesus, John 17, High Priestly Prayer
Do you Believe in God?: Pew recently surveyed Americans about God. The results suggest that 20 percent of Christians do not believe in the God of the Bible — and 17 percent of religious “nones” do. You can read what led to those results here.
Addictions: As a pastor, I’ve grown to hate addictions. Those seriously trapped by one give up everything and gain nothing. Are addictions sin? There are times when I think so. But there are other times when I think not. All of which makes this article, so interesting. Consider this quote: “The messy truth about addiction is that it lies somewhere in between choice and compulsion. Addictive cravings work in much the same way as the cravings that everyone experiences—for Netflix or chips, say. They do not simply take over one’s muscles like an internal puppeteer. Instead, they pull one’s choices toward the craved object, like a psychological kind of gravity.” This suggests that sin may be “something we can’t help and something we choose.” It also sounds a bit like Paul in Romans 7:15.
Prayer Requests: In preparation for some teaching this summer, I have been reading about self-leadership. I have greatly enjoyed the excuse to review books I’ve not looked at in decades (e.g., Covey’s Seven Habits, MacDonald’s Ordering Your Private World, Drucker’s On Self Leadership, etc.). But my study has had a sobering side. It has made me aware of wasted time and reminded me that I cannot lead people where I have not gone. My prayer request is that I am a good steward of the many opportunities He provides.
Closing Prayer: Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent that my love may go out to my neighbor. I do not have strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me and strengthen my faith and trust in you. Martin Luther.