MM: The Quality of the Work

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

~Hebrews 6:10~

Having the ability, having the tools and being given the job does not say anything about the work that you can actually do. There is a difference between being new at a job and having done the work for some time. The man who has recently started working in a new career taking on a new project has some mercy. There is an understanding that it will take some time for the beginner to learn the new trade and get use to the tools he is using. I remember when I first started working in construction; there is freshness to it and a desire to want to learn it. I wanted to get better at the type of work and prove myself to everyone that I was capable of the job given to me. It was as though I was extra driven to do a really good job and show everyone. But no matter how hard I could try at the beginning it was very difficult to match the quality of someone who had done the same type of work for years and years. This takes me to my next point about the man who had done the work for years and become comfortable with the work and the final product produced. This type of experience can go one or two ways. The first way is that the man still has a great drive to produce a quality product and is excited to see things completed. This man has found a way to overcome the “comfortableness” of the job and ultimately has not gotten bored with the work. This man truly enjoys what he does and it shows with high quality work. The second man is the man who has done the work for years, but has lost the quality of the work over time. He has become comfortable with producing an “alright” product and ultimately has lost the drive to move forward. He knows the work, he knows what it takes, but he has no real desire left to produce and produce well. So I have to ask, what does this have to do with our walk with Christ? What does this scenario have to do with our relationship with Him that could last years and years?

I remember when I first really felt the power of the Holy Spirit come upon me. It was the most powerful and life-changing thing I have ever felt in my life. It felt as though I was losing everything, but in reality I was gaining everything. Sound familiar “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Luke 9:24. These are powerful, powerful words that were spoken by Christ himself and they are so true. After that point I had a passion for Christ like I had never had before in my life. I was like the new worker that was learning a new trade, I wanted to learn as much as I could and I wanted everyone to know about my results. The fire was intense and everyone around me could see it and feel it. My pursuit for Christ was of great quality and included reading the Bible, attending Church classes and talking about the subject with friends. This was a time of changing my habits to get more in line with Christ and getting out of my old ways. It included finding desires that God would have for me rather than what the world would have for me. And finally, adjusting the dial on what I allowed to influence me and how much I let it affect me. It was truly a time of high quality pursuit for Christ.

How do I maintain this walk?

How do I keep things interesting and inviting?

How do I maintain my walk with Christ at this level?

How do I become a Maintenance Man?!

I had to ask myself these questions and more. How could I keep myself from becoming the man that had done the work for years and years and lost the desire for it? I know for myself and for a lot of men, this is one of the biggest challenges. I am still young in the faith myself, so in reality I will face this “quality” issue for years to come. I will face the challenges of the Enemy, the temptations of the world and whatever life tries to throw at me.

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Christ has showed me some amazing ways to stay faithful and the ‘Maintenance Man’ series will continue with in depth ideas in the next post.

---Experience---

---Journaling---

---Accountability---

---Desire---

Share some ways you maintain a quality walk with Christ.

The Character of 'Captain America'

I was finally able to watch the story about 'The First Avenger'. This movie was never really high on my list of movies to go watch, but I had some time one night and gave it a chance. One of my social networking buddies also gave me a nice short review of the movie after he saw it and helped convince me.

Right from the start, it is obvious that Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans) is not your typical superhero. He is by no means physically strong or very appealing. He is always getting tossed around and made fun of by other men his age. He wants to serve his country, but keeps getting denied. There is a catch about Mr. Rogers though, his character.

Steve faced challenge after challenge, but he never gave up. He pursued what he wanted to do with all of his heart. When he finally was allowed to join the military, it was not because of his physical strength but rather his mental strength. He trained with all of the other men, but showed courage in hard times and displayed knowledge when everyone else was fighting. But his training was for something else, something more. A chance to take the mental courage and combine it with the physical strength. A secret project to make a super human or superhero!

If you have seen the movie, you know the rest of the story. But if you have not, I would highly recommend taking some time to watch this movie. As men, we can learn a lot from this example. It is not always the best looking guy that gets the girl and it's not always most physically fit that is most appealing. What really matters is character and the condition of your heart. Captain America showed courage before he even fully understood it. He thought it was just the right thing to do, so he did it. When he became 'super', he was able to stay humble which only made him stronger throughout the rest of the movie.

Hollywood is Hollywood, but in my opinion this was one of the better movies released this year. It shows us that there is always hope and always a way. If you believe in yourself and can stay grounded in the truth, other people will see it, appreciate it and admire it. This story reminds me of the life of Jesus. He was not a glorified super human and He certainly did not have flashy clothes. But he spoke the truth and He spoke from the heart. His character was what people saw and believed in. As He grew older, His miracles made Him a superhero, but as we all know, there are consequences for such actions. There will always be people against you in one way or another, but we have to stay strong. We have to stay firmly rooted in Christ and follow the example that He has given us. It may not always appear to be the best way, but it will be His way.

  Did you get to see the movie? Post a comment and share your thoughts below.

Check Your Roots!

"He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." -Jeremiah 17:8

This verse is so simple yet packs a powerful message. Where is your seed planted, where are your roots headed and what type of fruit are you bearing?

It took me a long time to discover where I had planted my seed. I thought I was near the stream and I thought the the roots were being fed by a good source, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I grew up hearing about the stream. I went to a Chrisitan school, attended church and tried to keep to a value system. It's not that I didn't believe in God, I just never really knew Him. My seed had been planted in false soil. The world shows us different types of soil to plant our seed in, but doesn't guarantee the type of fruit it will produce. It's a risk we don't  have to take, but many people do. We all remember the first story about fruit.

So let's say we step into the worldly journey of risk. There is no guarantee for anything good to come of it, but it looks like good soil so we jump in. Planting our seed in the soil of Christ also comes with risks, though what grows will never fail to bear good and useful fruit. Once planted in the false soil, the path of the roots are questionable at best. The direction can come from friends, family, work, money, love, sports or anything really. This is exactly the problem, there is no clear direction. This allows for fear to come in, the droughts can become long and hard and the fruit can get real bitter.

Bitter fruit does not sound good to me! The bad fruit is the result of the seed in imitation soils, and the roots not near a stream. The verse is so clear to the willing mind. In order to bear good and healthy fruit we need to be centered, we need to be rooted in something solid, we need to be rooted in Christ. Planting your seed in the soil of Christ is the best place possible. Your will grow strong, you will stay humble and it will tear down your selfishness. By having your roots spread towards the stream of Christ, you can be assured many seasons of growing. No fear of coming droughts or seasons of intense heat. And finally the fruit, the fruit that Christ can bring into our lives is more filling and more delicious than anything else we can ever experience. So I say dig deep, real deep and find out where you are truly rooted and ask your self why.

Root yourself in Christ.

Check your roots!

Culture says "Man Up"?

It's one thing for the culture to notice that there is a problem with men these days, but it's another thing to leave it up to culture to "try" to fix the problem...

I recently started watching a couple new shows on TV that were suppose to portray a "manlier" image. The first show that came to the chopping block was 'Last Man Standing'. I have to say that out of the newer shows this is one of the better ones, but still not overly "manly". The father, Tim Allen, is surrounded by his wife, three daughters and his oldest daughters baby boy. The concept is to show men that they can still be manly amongst all those women. He also wants to show his grandson that he is in charge and that the true man is still alive..
The other show that came out recently is titled 'Man Up'. In my opinion, this show did not hit the bar at all. I don't think it even realized there was a bar to aim for... The show is loaded with immature men in their forties who are trying to grow up. Really? So the show is not about mature men doing the responsible things in life, but rather doing the irresponsible things and trying to learn from them. The show starts with the main characters playing video games and ends with them playing video games. I don't think this is hardly any example of men that are making an attempt to 'Man Up'. The networks know that a manlier image is needed back on television, but who is running the networks? I can't answer this question, but maybe someone could enlighten me with the answer.

I also find it interesting that these shows have come out while a new movie is out in theaters called 'Courageous'. Men that are struggling in life, but come to a Resolution to fix their issues. This is a true example of men becoming responsible men! Television shows are more easily accessible, but they still require an audience that wants dumb people cracking the same old jokes and making no real point. The new shows mentioned above do have some very subtle and sometimes very quick examples of men doing the right, responsible and mature thing, but the majority of the shows are fill and fluff.

So the idea is simple. The world, our family, our friends, our workplace need to see men 'Man Up'. But how that happens and where the influence comes from needs to be managed properly and responsibly. Sure, these shows can be funny and have their moments, but being a man is more than that. It's about growing in maturity, becoming a man of integrity, making the hard decisions and raising kids that know who is in charge and why. Man is ultimately responsible to God. It is the way we were designed from the very beginning. If a man can stay true to his roots, his Father, than his path will be straight and long.

So in short, Man Up! And do it carefully and according to the design God intended.

THE HERO!

A warrior of special strength, courage or ability!

Ask someone who a hero is and you will probably get a variety of answers. The most obvious answers might come in the form of Batman, Superman, Spiderman, etc. These are of course all fictional characters that perform superhuman acts via computer technology. Some of them have super strength, they fear nothing and nobody and their abilities surpass comprehension. Many of us go to the theaters and watch these “hero’s” perform and amaze us. I don’t know about you, but I leave those movies feeling more like a zero than a hero. (bad line, sorry).

So the question is ‘What does the real hero look like and what are some qualities that make up the form of a hero?” The movies influence us in a way that is unrealistic. The actors on these movies perform acts that we would never be able to do in real life. As a young man, living in a confused culture, I want to be the hero. I want to be a man of real strength, real courage and have special abilities. But what do those look like in a realistic way? How can we define the ‘True Hero’ living in the world today? Here is my opinion. I hope to hear what yours are also.

>Special Strength: Strength is defined as moral power, firmness and courage. Moral power? I thought this was a great definition. Another way to look at moral power is maturity or the ability to allow you’re self to mature. It is so easy to fall into the false influences of this world, but it takes strength to overcome and rise above them. Strength knows what love is and what it takes to maintain. It’s keeping your cool in tough situations at work. It’s spending time with your kids rather than the television.

>Firm: True strength is being firm. Firmness in what you believe and say. I believe the examples of strength portrayed in the Bible are the best examples to still follow today. The world does not think this way, though they will try to influence us with the new ways. We have to hold firm, we have to be strong. We need to continue to keep the values that have made life worth living. Examples: Although my company might have a value system, the workers may not. We must set the example and be the bigger man when we are faced with immoral decisions. We must maintain integrity and demand it from everyone else. We must teach our children discipline and be consistent.

>Ability: Unlike the super hero moves in the theaters, we have the ability to be a true hero. This starts with a choice; a choice to be intentional in our leadership and decisions. A great way to hold this ability is to ask God for assistance. He has helped so many real heroes in the past and is just waiting to help make us a hero. Our spouse wants us to step up and be the confident hero, our kids look to us as giants coming home to save the day and people around us need a real man, a real hero. This process will not be easy and will take time, patience and prayer.

Its time for men to be ‘The Hero’.

Comment about your hero or what a hero is to you!
photo from: http://www.getnewlife.org/

Locking Shields!

Achilles stood at the front of his small ship. His small team of strong and courageous warriors worked together to paddle back and forth. His desire and determination had put them well in front of the other thousand ships. Achilles had his eyes set on the sandy shores of Troy. The shore was littered with men ready for battle. They had their weapons ready to fire, they had their fortress protected and strong, they were ready for the attack. Achilles and his men came upon shore and the war began. All of the men jumped out of the ship as fast as they could and hurried to get into a tight group. At this point, they were banded together. Their shields were up and locked together. Achilles gave the signal and they slowly moved forward towards the enemy. Arrows were being shot at them, spears were being thrown, but they continued to move forward. The locking of the shields and tightness of the group kept them protected and strong. Upon the call of Achilles the men dispersed and went into full attack mode on the enemy.

The example above is a great illustration for how we can stay strong and protected in our walk with Christ. Psalms 28:7 says ‘The Lord is my Strength and my Shield.’ Let’s take a look at the main points and break them down for today’s world.

1) Courageous: This was not a group of a thousand men; this was very small group of men that had great strength and courage. We do not need a huge group of men to make a difference in this culture, we need a small group of men that are ready to stand up and fight. Men that are ready to face the influences of culture straight on and say no!

2) Locking Shields: As the men gathered on the shore, they used their shields to protect them (the group) from the enemy. We can use the same tactics today to stand firm in our faith and using the Shield of the Lord to protect us. Brother to brother, man to man, we must put our shields together and the attacks of the enemy will not be able to penetrate.

3) Pressing Forward, Together: With shields locked, the men slowly moved forward towards the enemy and upon the signal dispersed! Whether we are in a group of brothers or off on our own, we must keep our Shield up. This will take true grit and strength, but our life depends on it. Any lowering of the shield during battle could result in a direct blow from the enemy. We know he is waiting and preparing to devour..

Having brothers that also carry the Shield can help a man conquer the negative influences of our culture. It’s not a matter of if the enemy will attack; it’s a matter of when he will attack. Be Battle Ready!

Have you Locked Shields with fellow brothers? 

Can you relate to these main points?

Mighty Men!

You can't be mighty,

 if you don't have something great to overcome!

Refer to 2 Samuel 23


Have you ever heard of David's 'Mighty Men'? The 23rd chapter of 2nd Samuel gives three examples of very strong, brave and faithful men. Each man faced a different challenge, but through faith, was able to overcome their enemies. Let's take a look at each man, and see who we can identify with.

Mighty Man 1: In verse 8 we hear about a man named Josheb. He was a man who raised his spear against eight hundred men, and he killed all of them in one encounter. This was a man who faced overwhelming odds and was able to overcome.

Mighty Man 2: In verse 9 we hear about a man named Eleazar. As everyone else in his army was starting to retreat, Eleazar stood his ground. He fought and fought until his hand froze to the sword. This was a man who faced the limit of his strength and continued to fight.

Mighty Man 3: In verse 11 we hear about a man named Shammah. The Philistines started to band together in the middle of the field, and the troops from Israel fled. Shammah took his stand, though, in the middle of the field, defended himself and won a great victory for the Lord. This was a man who was not in the best position to win, but had great courage. He was vulnerable, but kept his faith.

All of these men faced great odds, each in a different way. After reading each story I had to ask myself which story related to me the most. I had to choose Shammah. It took me becoming completely vulnerable before I could ask the Lord for strength and direction. Although everything felt wrong about it, it was the best position I could ever put myself in.

So the question is simple. 

Which man most relates to you and why?