Weekend Reflection

There are times that I feel that I have more questions than I have answers to the challenges of life.  I am often reminded of my inabilities and inadequacies as I face situations that are greater than my ability to solve them.  I sense this as a Christian; I sense this as a husband; I sense this as a father; I sense this as a grandfather, and as well as a Minister of the Gospel.  But God in His mercy reminds me that He knows that I am just a "human being" and that I am unable to meet the needs that I face.  That is the reason that He provided a Savior, which is Jesus Christ my Lord.  I am learning to turn toward Him more and more as I face the daunting and challenging task of leading my family as well as those opportunities to be a spiritual leader in our community and nation.  There will be times that we feel like giving up on our journey but it is at those moments that we need to remember that Christ is fighting for us and not against us.  We can not afford to give up on God neither can we afford to give in to the tactics and strategies of the enemy.  I read some words from Joe Gibbs, former coach of the Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins, that I felt was applicable to each of us today.  I apologize for the sports analogies if you are not a sports fan but I do think that the truth will speak to you regardless of whether you are a sports fan or not a sports fan.

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.