Wait Training

I don’t particularly enjoy exercising. Okay, I don’t at all enjoy exercising. There are many kinds of exercise programs, but there are basically only two types of exercise. Aerobic exercise is meant to increase and improve oxygen consumption by the body to create endurance. Weight Training is meant to increase and improve muscle tone to create strength. But what about Wait Training?

I don’t particularly enjoy waiting. Okay, I don’t at all enjoy waiting. Anyone who has waited on God for anything knows how long and painful waiting can be. But is God training us? What is the purposed of this Wait Training? Could it be to increase our strength? Our faith? Our hope?

Let’s get some clues from a few Bible verses (NIV) on waiting:

Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (strength)
Psalm 33:20: “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” (hope)
Psalm 38:15: “I wait for you, O LORD; you will answer, O Lord my God.” (faith)
Psalm 40:1: “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.” (perseverance)
Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (hope)
Romans 8:25: “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (perseverance)

Through our waiting, God is training us, building our strength, building our hope, building our trust in him, which also gives us endurance. It’s like weight training and aerobic exercise all rolled into one!

There is an exercise phrase that states “No Pain, No Gain.” From a Biblical perspective, it sounds like this: “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

I still don’t like exercising, but as I see the muscle become more defined I realize I like the results.

I still don’t like waiting, but as I see my character become more defined I realize I like the results.

“Blessed are all who wait…” Isaiah 30:18

I'M BORED!

Summer is finally here!  School let out and within one week we were on the road headed for Walt Disney World, Florida.  Ahhh, life seemed good. 

Vacation ended and the following week we spent at doctors appointments, and catching up on laundry and T.V., "Is this how everyone starts out their summers?"

Anyhow, next thing I knew, I had a list of summer projects on paper ready to be checked off. Life seemed good, until my son popped into the kitchen and said, "I'm bored!"

The words echoed in my head, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end!!! BORED? I thought. How could he be bored with so much to be done around here? We have every amenity known to man, (or child) how can he be bored?

Then it occurred to me that I had a schedule for myself, but my children's days were primarily unscheduled. They lacked direction for the summer.

So with some prayer and guidance from my husband, we've come up with a light summer schedule for them. This new schedule will let them know when they should play outside, when they can watch T.V., and when they will be having mandatory book reading/quiet time each day.

Now, armed with a schedule (which is subject to change if we decide to go to the pool, or out with friends), they won't have time to feel "bored." Instead they will have the direction they need.

Oh, did I also mention that we BANNED that word from our house?

How are things at your house so far? Has the dreaded "B" word come into play? If so, try the light summer schedule. Being on a schedule is part of our human nature - given to us by God Himself at creation.

Here's to a joy filled summer! Amen!

The 100% Rule

“It is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

(1 Corinthians 4:2)

Many people are confused about what it means to be a good steward. When we hear the word, “stewardship,” we tend to think about fundraising campaigns and those little “thermometer” drawings that show us where the church is in terms of funding the annual budget. Unfortunately, this is not what Paul was referring to in his letter to the Corinthians.

Stewardship actually has to do with responsibility. A steward is someone who manages someone else’s money and/or possessions. Since God is the “owner” of everything on this earth, (The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Psalms 24:1) we are all managers, or “stewards” of the things He has entrusted to us.

It’s easy to test whether or not you have a proper perspective in this area. How do you acknowledge a request for money? Do you think, “that’s not what I want to do with MY money” or do you ASK, “Lord, what do YOU want me to do with YOUR money?” It’s all a matter of attitude. If we have the attitude that everything we have belongs to God, and we are just his managers, then we begin to have a heart that desires to handle those things in the ways in which He desires. In essence, every spending (or giving) decision becomes a spiritual decision.

Good managers know how their bosses want them to manage, so if we’re going to be found a “faithful” steward, we need to know what God requires of us in His word. It is our “manual” so to speak!

Sadly, most Christians have received very little teaching on stewardship, yet 2350 verses deal with the subject, as well as 2/3 of Jesus” parables. God must have known this was going to be a tough thing for us to “get!”

As someone who teaches about biblical financial principles, the most common questions I get asked, have to do with tithing. Everyone wants to know the “ins and outs” of that 10% we see referred to in the scripture.

Certainly, tithing is a part of how we handle our finances, but it misses the mark when we talk about being a “faithful steward.” God doesn’t want us just to handle 10% of what He’s given us His way, He want s us to handle 100% of it His way.

Imagine the blessing that would come from submitting to the Lord 100% in regard to finances, in the same way we think of submitting and surrendering 100% of our hearts when we become saved!

We need to remember 100% of what we have is HIS, 100% of the time.

It’s the 100% rule. If you get it, it’s a game changer!