"Just Do It" Pt.II

I want to continue to encourage you with this simple message; what ever it is that you have found that you must do, JUST DO IT! With this subsequent piece, I want to emphasize that success is waiting for you to act. What ever you need, the answers you are praying for are all accessed once you proceed to do what you are supposed to do. I want to be clear that this is not just an idea, but also a bible principal.


Look at John 2:1-10. This is the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry, turning water into wine. Mary, mother of Jesus, had been invited to a wedding. Jesus and his brethren were also invited. The situation arose where the wine had run out. This was more than merely embarrassing. At a wedding, this was an all-out disaster. No-doubt the entire party would soon be aware that the wine had run out. Wine is a symbol of fellowship; maybe guest would consider this a sign that the marriage was doomed? Maybe the governor of the feast would declare the couple should not be joined at all? Though not life threatening, the situation couldn’t be more dreadful.

At the site of this terrible situation, Mary did two actions:

First, she petitioned Jesus to help them avoid the awful situation that was developing. She could easily have been the only one who truly knew Jesus as the Messiah at the time knowing in her heart the miracle of his birth and having had the conversation with the angel so many years before. Surprisingly, Jesus declined to help stating that her petition was too early; it was not yet his time.

Mary’s second action, I believe is the reason the Jesus' disciple John recorded this event in his writings. She gave the servants critical information that ultimately caused this miracle. She told them the thing that would please Jesus and motivate him to perform the miracle they needed. Her words according to John were, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it”. What powerful words! What ever He says do, just do it! Even at times when a miracle would be untimely, we have the power to motivate God to move. The power is in our obedience. If we would become willing to obey, Jesus is willing to perform.

We know by the results that they submitted themselves to Jesus. But we also know that their obedience was tested. Notice, Jesus didn’t tell them the results they would see, he only instructed them to fill pots with water and serve it to the governor of the feast. Can you imagine what might have gone through their minds as they walked towards the governor with these pots full of water? The embarrassment they might have feared to be serving water at a wedding? But, they had enough respect for Mary to govern themselves by what she told them and obey the words of her son Jesus (who was not yet called the Christ of Nazareth).  And at some point from the time they filled up the pots to the time when the water hit the governors lips, it became wine,... and it was the best wine he had tasted all night. If they had never listened to Mary; if they had never carried the water to the governor; if they had never done what Jesus said there would not have been a miracle that night.

What has God instructed you to do? If your thinking, “I haven’t heard God say anything” I'm sorry, but you are mistaken. We have 66 books recorded of what God has said to you. The reason you haven’t heard him say anything new may be because you have yet to abide by what he has already said. So what has God said to you? waht are God's instructions. What ever He says do, DO IT! Again, God will help you as you go, not while your stopped. JUST DO IT! GO! DO IT and you will find that every thing you need to accomplish what He said has been right there layed on the road for you to discover and enjoy along your way.

"Just Do It" Pt.I

Gal. 6:8 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

What have you stopped doing? You began a work for the lord, you began to press toward the mark, you claimed victory in Jesus… why did you stop? Why is it that when we get a word from the Lord we run and tell the world what we’re going to do at first, but when you see us a year later we’ve decided that it wasn’t for us. Did God change his mind? Is that the kind of God we serve, one who is still deciding what his good and perfect will for us is? I thought God predestinated us all for His will before the foundation of this world? (Ephesians 1:4-5)

What is it that you were doing which got you to where you are but you aren’t doing any more? You made a sacrifice and began to see results, but now, the sacrifice is just a distant memory and your back to business as usual. When you made the sacrifice, you had to believe with all your heart that you would reap. You got on your knees and gave it up to GOD, you had no choice, you had no other help, nowhere else to turn. Remember when it seemed like nobody believed your season was coming but you. Why did you stop? If what you did got you to a new level, what would happen if you did it again? And again? And again? What if the sacrifice was no longer a decision, but instead, a part of your life?

What died you give at that you were once making great progress? You called yourself “running for the prize”. But then the run declined to a walk. The walk became a slow crawl, and now its at a dead stop. What now? Will you continue at a stand still and just let that past momentum be the testimony you carry to your grave, “God gave me the strength to run on…back then... I would still be running but…(insert the reason you quit here)”.

Are you afraid to start again; are you too proud to admit you need to start all over? Are you embarrassed? Maybe the second time will lead you to the place you couldn’t reach the first time. Maybe this is God’s design; that you go back to the beginning, back to start, back to “jump”. Maybe God’s will is for you to go back 3 or 4 times until your fear of failure doesn’t get in the way ever again. Could God’s plans be better then your plans of profuse success on the first try? Possibly? Maybe we all should be praying that song “Take me back, to the place where I first believed you…”

What is it that you stopped doing? What ever it is, FIND IT AND JUST DO IT! It may have been months since you even thought on it. 5 years may have passed; 25 years may have passed. But if you ever believed that it is in Gods will for your life, then just do it. God has not changed. The bible says God will never repent of a calling. If He called you last year, then He called you this year and He’ll still be calling you next year. Just do it. God will help you, as you go, not while your stopped. And if you don’t know all of what you should do, just do what you know. When its time to know more you will know more. Maybe you can’t handle knowing what the rest of the plan involves yet; or maybe there is no more. Either way, just do it.

In the case where there is no more to do, just keep doing what you were doing before until your next assignment arrives. And if God never gives you anything new to do, just keep doing what ever He said to do last. Every Christian should be found working diligently on the last word you heard from the lord until you receive a new word or until he comes again; which ever happens first. Jesus said that the harvest is always plentiful, but it’s the laborers that are few. Be a laborer; Just do it..

The Marriage Covenant

Most people see marriage as a contract between two people. And many times it is just that; merely a contract; an agreement on paper. Nowadays, marriages are entered into in the same way as are contracts and just as frequently. Whenever two people feel they love each other enough to stay together for a while, they get married with next-to-no consideration of what that actually means. They think you just buy a ring, book a venue (or hit a drive-thru Chapel in Vegas), glance over the paperwork as if it were a loan agreement, and then walk down the isle hoping they don’t regret this decision as much as they have other contracts they’ve signed in the past 10 years, or so.

Then these same people who were so enthusiastic about becoming “one flesh” before they got married dream about breaking free from each other a year later when they've inevitably experienced their spouses habits, issues, attitudes and personality flaws, (even though they knew what those habits, issues, and personality flaws were when they said “I DO”). This is the reason that over 51% of marriages end in divorce. No one wants to deal with conflict and disagreement. And then there’s that readily available escape clause found in two words which modern America has made so popular, “irreconcilable differences”.  These words free a couple from the dismal obligation of having to work things out. However, is it really that easy to end a marriage? Yes, when your marriage is nothing but a contract. But a real marriage is not a contract, it’s a Covenant! Allow me to explain the difference in the two.

The dictionary describes a Contract as “the document containing an agreement that is written and enforceable by law”. A contract becomes necessary when two parties want to “legalize” their agreement. And the moment both parties agree to void it, they no longer have a union at which time the contract quickly becomes meaningless and both parties may breach the terms at will.

The process of forming a contract is rather simple. Writers take agreed upon terms and build them into a document. Then representatives from each entity come together in a conference room setting and review the language searching for pitfalls. Finally the produced document is signed by both parties and, with a hearty hand shake (for the cameras), a new life is born. Most of the time, this new life is short lived as neither party plans to literally stay together “forever”; just long enough to accomplish their goal and move on to the next phase of their 5-year plan which may or may not include the other party.

Now let’s look at a covenant.

A Covenant is described as “an agreement endorsed by a formal and unique authorizing mark giving approval, i.e., a seal”. The definition of a covenant resembles that of a contract at first glance. However, the Reason a covenant is formed and the intricate Process proves these two are different in every way.

The Reason

The concept of covenent comes from the bible. In the bible days, entire tribes would enter into Covenant Relationships with each other. It was never for formality, or for legality and especially not just for the mere novelty of the occasion or for the gifts and glamour of the ceremony or for health benefits, or… you get the picture. A covenant was a bonding, irreversable agreement and was normally a matter of life or death.

There would be a tribe who was strong in one specific area, for example, let’s say they were strong in agriculture. Then there would be this other tribe whose strength was something different, let’s say, they had a strong army. So these two tribes, one strong in agriculture and the other having the strong army, would each reap the benefits of their individual strengths but would also face daily the dilemmas created by their particular weaknesses. For example, the tribe whose strength was military would conquer other nations and add to their domain, but face undernourishment and even starvation as seasons changed due to lack of agriculture. Meanwhile the tribe whose strength was agriculture would feast at most times of the year and would even become wealthy using their agricultural skills, but would face being conquered, pillaged or even enslaved by a stronger tribe looking to,… I’ll say… acquire them.

If these two tribes were “friends”, so to speak, each would be aware of the others plight. However neither would be obligated to do anything about it. Plus the agricultural tribe would not have planted enough to support the military tribe with food or finances. And the leader of the military tribe couldn’t “legally” interfere with a tribe who had come to attack his friend, as long as there was no threat posed to his tribe. He would literally have to stand by as his ally is taken over and perhaps even murdered due to their lack of protection.

The Process

If these two tribes decided to come together and join in covenant, the first thing that would happen is every member of each nation would have to be notified. The leader of each tribe would make sure every member was informed; biggest to smallest, youngest to oldest. A ceremony would be planned and the invitations would come in the form of a mandate; every member of each tribe must attend to witness the union.

The ceremony would be a very serious affair; covenant was never taken lightly. It would be held in a place large enough to hold every member of both tribes, for example, at the foot of a mountain or along the banks of a river. They would gather all members of one tribe on one side and all members of the second tribe on the other separating the two crowds by a long path or “lane” just wide enough for two people to walk between them (this is the origin of the wedding ceremony that we practice today. We place members of the bride’s family on one side of the church and members of the groom’s family on the other. We separate the two by an isle just wide enough for the bride and groom to pass between the two families).

Then the ceremony would begin. Officials chosen to govern the proceedings would take two sacrificial lambs, one supplied by each tribe, and they would slaughter them there in-between the two tribes. Next they would take the mutilated bodies of the lambs and drag them back and forth between the two tribes until the lane was completely covered with blood. Then the leaders of the two tribes would present themselves by standing at opposite ends of the blood-drenched lane facing each other.

Finally, they would begin the process of entering into covenant. The two leaders, at opposite ends of the lane would walk down the bloody path towards each other, pass each other (presumably on the right) and then turn around and do it again. And again. And again. They would keep trenching through the blood up and down the lane until it drenched their cloths. Each time they passed each other, they would recite vows. The leader of the agricultural tribe, for example, would vow to build and share every harvest with his new family. He would promise to teach his companion’s tribe to plant and cultivate, and promise to support them financially so that they would never experience famine again. And in turn, the leader of the military tribe, covered in lamb’s blood, would vow that the agricultural tribe will never again face a challenger alone. From that moment forward, if any adversary ever approached their land, there would be no victory for that rival, but instead a fight; to the death if necessary, the military leader would vow.

To close the ceremony, one leader would take off his garment, stained with blood, and give it to the other. The other leader would reciprocate. The exchanging was very important. This gift represented the strength of that particular tribe now belongs to his partner. These gifts signified their new relationship. The vulnerable tribe is now armed and strong. The tribe lacking food will never be without harvest again.

Lastly, every member of one tribe would look at the faces of every member in the second tribe and commit it to memory. They were now tribesmen; what we would consider “extended family”. If they were to encounter any member of the former tribe, they were obligated to provide for that member; they were bound to protect and supply what ever that member may need. And one of the tribes would give up their name to take on the name of the other. The name kept by the two tribes would be the one which was known throughout the land; the one that resonated with tribes everywhere. Any tribe looking to acquire the goods of the agricultural tribe would know, by the presence of the new name, that a breach would be met by war. And like wise, never again would the military tribe starve through a winter because they were now wealthy in addition to strong. From that day forward they were no longer two nations; they were one. The covenant born in that place would stand for generations to come.

Marriage is not a contract; it’s a covenant. It’s the highest order of covenant because it is ordained and recognized by God himself. He binds individuals who have chosen to submit themselves one to another. And it is a blood covenant because blood is shed on the night of consummation (on the wedding night; the blood shed by the woman consummates the marriage; however, both the bride and groom would have to be virgins so for most marriages, there was no consummation, but you can be devoted just the same)

Marriage is the creation of family, the beginning of kinship. There is no “irreconcilable differences” in marriage. There is no “undoing”, no “do over”, no “oops”, and no regret. The joining of two people in marriage is as permanent as the joining of Oxygen to Hydrogen which creates this substance we call water. Oxygen can not walk away from hydrogen on a whim deciding it no longer wants to be united. Hydrogen can not leave Oxygen and occasionally bind itself with a few other elements instead. The existence of these unions is critical for this creation called Mankind; as it is with the union of marriage. What God binds together, let no man put asunder.

ATTRACTION

(Married People Only)


I recently spent the day with my dad, something I dearly enjoy but don't do often enough. We ran our normal gambit; talked about everything from politics to religion. Then our dialogue turned to a discussion about 80/20. You’re familiar with 80/20 right? Tyler Perry’s character mentioned it in the movie “Why did I get married”. 80/20 is the old adage that says all married couples will only receive 80% of what they need from their spouse. The saying suggests that marriage relationships will always lack 20% of the needs of each person. In the scene, the men discussed how people will walk away from a marriage chasing that 20% not realizing the value of the 80% they’re leaving behind. My dad's point seemed to be him warning me not to fall victim of this scenario in my marriage.

“Do what ever you have to do to make your wife happy…” he told me. That sounded like good advice, except that, without voicing it, we both knew how this same advice had worked out for him. Next year my parents will have been divorced for more years than they were married which is an accomplishment within itself.

“Why do people do that…? Why walk away from a marriage to find something that you’re never gonna find?” I asked my dad. And that sounded like a fair question, except that, without voicing it, we both already knew the answer.

One word; pure and simple: ATTRACTION. People become attracted to all types of things; lifestyles, opportunities, positions, jewelry, money, cloths… basically anything outside of the marriage that they are unable to get inside the marriage at the time is attractive.  But the thing people become attracted to which causes them to walk away from marriage is OTHER PEOPLE.  It’s not necessarily their fault. No one can really decide who or what generates attraction and who or what doesn’t generate attraction or for how long; especially in a case where a spouse used to generate attraction from their mate but suddenly doesn’t generate attraction anymore.

What is attraction? Is it a vibe? Is it sparked by something simple like physical appearance or compatibility; maybe ease of communication? Or is it something deep and spiritual like openness, one-ness or emotional accessibility?

Maybe attraction will never be figured out. But what we do know is that the person who attracts and the person who is attracted can not influence each other. They are in the isolated worlds of their minds and one can not make the other “join the party”, so to speak. If every married person could simply keep their spouse's attraction, or control who they are attracted to, then no marriages would end. But it doesn’t work like that. More often than not, when a married person dresses up attractively, it is not for the benefit of their spouse; it’s because he or she has become attracted to someone else. Only, they will not get the attention of the person whom they are trying to attract but instead will attract another person who isn’t necessarily attractive to them. And that person whom they’ve attracted will try in vain to return the attraction while being completely oblivious of this other person who is attracted to them. And on, and on, and on.

Attraction makes no since. But it’s attraction that causes people to walk away from a relationship where 80% of their needs are met just to get their hands on that small thing that they are desperately attracted to. People become so badly infatuated with that 20% until nothing else matters anymore.

It’s human nature. I mean, who wants to be separated from what you are attracted to? Who wants to sacrifice that 20% and instead spend the rest of their life trying to make that 80% suffice? Who wants to give up forever the pleasure of satisfying that desperate feeling of desire? Who wants to endure the pain of longing for something that you can never have?

NOBODY. Everyone wants what is attractive and is attracted by what they want. Everyone desires to satisfy their desires especially when it envolves things they can not have (and maybe should never have). Everyone wants to know the pleasure of that 20% which they have yet to experience. And, unfortunely, as the desire for what they do not posses grows, the attractiveness of what’s already in their hand slowly dims. Perhaps the best analogy is the one about the dog walking on a dock with a nice sized bone in his mouth. He looks at his reflection in the water and sees what he thinks is a dog with a bigger bone looking back at him. So he drops his bone into the water trying to get that bigger bone. Everyone wants what they want; AND NO ONE IS SATIFIED WITH JUST WHAT THEY HAVE!

Men and women step out on marriages seeking to attract people that they desire. Men and women make themselves look more attractive to become what ever it is they think some other person is attracted to. And both men and women seek possessions and other items that some person they desire wants to have; because then it’s not an element of attraction or desire, but an exchange. You get what you want, they get what they want. Everybody’s happy.

But here’s the news flash: You don’t have what that person you desire wants. You only have what the person you married wants; that's why they married you. You aren’t going to attract that person you are attracted to because you can’t become what attracts them; you can only pretend to be what attracts them. And, while you're attention is going into pretending to be someone you are not, you are completely neglecting the one person who truly desires you; not something that you are suddenly pretending to be.

The morale of this story is that there is no moral. 51% of marriages end in divorce because 51% of men and women give in to attraction and chase that other lifestyle; that other opportunity, that money… and especially, that other person. 51% of married people will not realize that the 20% they are chasing is just a mirage. The attraction feels like a vibe or a spirit or a compatibility thing but it’s really a hoax; it’s fake; it’s wrong and can cost them everything. Perusing that 20% means that at some point you’ll have to face the repercussion of your decision to leave and you'll begin to mourn the loss of that 80% which made you're life work so well. And that part is not attractive, at least not to me.

Attraction will continue to come and go and will continue to be a waist of time unless LOVE is at the root. Hopefully you are smart enough not to waste time chasing someone you do not LOVE only to abandon someone you do. Hopefully you won't sacrifice everything searching for this illusive high of a 100% situation that doesn’t really exist. Hopefully you can rekindle attraction for the person you married. He or she is the only person who deserves your attraction and is no doubt still utterly attracted to you. But if you can't, don't worry.  Go ahead chase that 20% and your spouse will soon be attracted to someone else too.

CHANGE

RAIN, for most people is dreadful

A single day of rain ruins special occasions; wrecks favorite outfits and destroys brand new hair styles all in the blink of an eye. Rain ruin’s a lot of things, not to mention, it can cause great devastation if it ever comes in abundance. Furthermore, rain has the ability to dampen more than just cloths and hair do’s; it dampens spirits. Rain is dark and gloomy. It’s more than just annoying; it’s down right depressing carrying connotations of misery and suffering. It can make people angry, irritated, and frustrated. During a time of rain, you instinctively protect yourself; you shelter in. While it’s raining sidewalks are clear. The playgrounds, parks and many parking lots are empty; everyone that can get inside is inside.

But when the clouds break and the brilliant rays of a glorious Sun peak their warming arms through the gloom, everything suddenly looks and feels better. At the first glimpse of that magnificent Sun, especially after a long rain, you somehow know that the worst is over. And when the Sun burns off the last of those murky clouds and finally shines its dazzling face on a battered earth, a new day is revealed. The ground even smells new. You’re able to walk out into the fresh ambiance of a renewed day beneath a clear bright sky. You can’t help but look towards heaven and just be thankful that the Sun has returned.

Described above is the very essence of CHANGE. Every creation under heaven will experience CHANGE. At first you have a sunny day; which denotes consistency, uniformity and happiness. Then, at some point, clouds begin to form in your life, which represent alteration and transition. Clouds thicken to the point where they cover the Sun which marks the beginning of transformation. Then darkness resides which signifies fear of the unknown. And finally, RAIN. Rain is CHANGE.

Critics agree that CHANGE is good in the same way that rain is good. I mean, things can not remain the same way forever. A human being begins life as a fetus and ends it as a 90+ year old senior citizen; that in and of itself means CHANGE. Attitudes CHANGE. Styles CHANGE. People CHANGE. This country is in the middle of a CHANGE. When your hair becomes monotonous, the first thing you do is make a CHANGE. When you get tired of the way your house looks on the inside or the out, you make a CHANGE. If you want to get more out of life, it’s a guarantee that you will have to take a close look at who you are and what it is that you do, then make a serious CHANGE.

And you will CHANGE whether you like it or not. But, here’s the thing about CHANGE.


It’s hard to CHANGE because change is not just the passing of time. Change is a process. Sometimes it’s a short and pleasant process which happens overnight without even your realizing. But more often than not, it’s a hard, agonizing, stressful, painful process that literally seems to take forever.

It’s hard to CHANGE because most of the things that change are things that have been a certain way for the majority of your life. It’s hard to stop eating fatty food when you‘ve been eating that way since High School. It’s hard to stop cussing when you’ve been cussing since you were five. It’s hard to quite smoking when even watching TV makes you want a cigarette. It’s hard to think positively when everyone you’ve ever known thought negatively and taught you to think negatively and when you did finally think positively it ended up hurting you.

It’s hard to CHANGE because even at times when the change is for the best it’s still a long hard process. Just ask the caterpillar. Ask him while he’s in that cocoon experiencing his own death and simultaneous birth in order to emerge as a butterfly if the thought of fluttering through the air from flower to flower eases the pain of what ever is happening in that dark, isolated enclosure. Maybe for a caterpillar, it does; but for the psyche of a human, the fact that you will benefit at the end of a change is not much consolation during the change.

CHANGE, for most people is dreadful.

But, what you’ve got to remember during your change is that the Sun has not left. The Sun was in the sky before the rain and it will return after the rain. Meaning, the level of happiness and contentment you once enjoyed still exists; it’s just covered by the pain and frustration of that long, tedious changing process. You may find yourself at the point where you can’t see yourself ever being happy again because of the changes you’re experiencing. But remember; the only thing that will really remain consistent is God Himself. God will not change; everything else will. And the changes you experience are merely the tool that God is using to fix your atmosphere. Soon you’ll emerge and enjoy a fresh, new day.

The presence of change in your life is not a warning that you are bad or that you’re doing something wrong. In fact, its’ the opposite. Change is, by definition, your assurance that things will not remain as they have been. Rainy, gloomy, stressful, depressing days will subside. Sunny, bright and consistently happier situations will return.

I believe that the worst is already over for you. I'm praying that you receive your new day today where the battering rain of change stops and God finally wraps his warming arms around you to dry you completely of all the darkness and gloom. And when the last of your dark clouds burns off and the dazzling light of your new day is revealed, you are able to walk out on new ground into the fresh aroma of your new Spring day with the Sun on glowing on your face beneath a clear bright sky. You'll have no choice but to just rejoice and thank God that you made it through the storm and that your Sun has returned.