The Best Way To Gloat
Is not to gloat.
I think we all know that. But we still do it for some reason. Why?
History is against us and we can sit and complain about what happened in the Garden of Eden all day long. Still today, pride and envy plague the best of us because we’re human. It has the ability to overcome us and bring the worst out of us.
My latest bout with gloating was more in my head. It had to do with the confusion on why Albert Pujols is playing so poorly with his new team, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
As a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan, I wish so many great things for Albert Pujols. He gave us so much and I wish he would have stayed in St. Louis. I wish the negotiations last fall would have gone better. Oh I just wished he would have just come out and said that the decision to leave was complicated and it involved so many factors that only he, his family, and God knew. As of today Albert Pujols is batting .197 with only 1 homer after over a month of play in a new uniform with a near record 10-year contract. His performance thus far is hardly the impact compared to his previous 11 years batting well over.300 and belting 30-40 homers a year. As a Cardinals fan, he has made it quite easy to gloat especially since his team is in last place and St. Louis is in first. Even though I wasn’t openly laughing about Albert Pujols, in my heart I certainly was.
I’ve made my peace knowing that the Cardinals will move on and of course be fine. Albert Pujols is by far one of the greatest players of our generation and he’ll get his game back in due time and hopefully make an impact for his new team. I pray more that he’ll continue to embrace humility in this time to ultimately give more and more glory to Christ for why he is where he is. After all, his faith made as much of a headline as did his bat.
My encouragement is this:
If you are holding that grudge, let it go.
If you have an inner smile when someone you don’t like messes up, give it up. It will eat you up for years to come and you will never live free and wise to be the person God wants you to be.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2 (NIV)
Thank God it didn’t end for Adam and Eve that fateful day because in God’s plan, Christ took on their sin. He took my sin. He took yours.
Albert Pujols will forever be my reminder that God’s grace overcomes my gloating, my pride.
Stop worrying about your “Albert Pujols” and open up your heart to God.
When you do this, your ability to live free is glorious.
How To Get A Buzz On Your Best Day
In one of my favorite movies, City Slickers (1991), a question is asked amongst friends who were on a modern-day western cattle drive adventure,
What was your best day?
This is a great question to ask at different points in your life to get a pulse on where your heart is. I have a firm belief that in order to discover your heart that God gave you, it is essential to look back at the moments, in this case a day, to understand what stirs you.
For me, I remember driving through the Scottish Highlands with my good friend Steve Griffin and another South African friend. It was recommended that we go to the Isle of Skye in the west highlands. We weaved through long windy roads traversing historic and beautiful areas like breathtaking Glencoe, The Rob Roy Monument, and even the enchanting Eilean Donan castle. The day started by waking up in beautiful Portree, a small fishing village only to witness small boats heading out to sea with the sun rising above them. After a hearty Scottish breakfast of tea, eggs, and sausage, we drove and walked around the island. We drank water from the streams, walked along the coast, took pictures of the mountains, breathed in the beautiful air. Believe it or not, the Scottish Tourism Board isn’t paying me to write this as my sentiment is genuine.
After we left the island and drove north, we all were in awe and marveled at what we just witnessed.
I said to my friends,
“You know what would make this the most complete and best day ever? ”What if an RAF Tornado fighter jet buzzed through this beautiful valley?”
I had heard about military jets buzzing some of these valleys and since I’ve always been a fan of British and American airpower, this would complete it. Our South African thought we were delirious Americans who only cared about weapons. We laughed of course and didn’t think anything of it because of the unlikelihood.
Not five minutes later we heard a roar of a plane approaching us. I was in the passenger seat and could see it approaching us from behind us. With half of our bodies out the window, Steve and I went crazy screaming and cheering as a Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado buzzed our car at almost supersonic speed.
After the plane roared on by, Steve said it best,
That’s the sound of freedom, baby.
I’ll never forget that day.
Our reaction to the RAF Tornado made me think of the awe and amazement of Christian Bale’s character, Jim, in the beautiful and tragic Steven Spielberg film, Empire of the Sun (1987) when he sees the P-51 Mustang buzz his concentration camp. Jim saw his “Cadillac of the Sky” as a sign that freedom is coming. I can imagine that it was Jim’s best day at that point in life, despite how hard things were.
Why does a best day ever even matter?
Since that day in Scotland, I’ve had several “best days” that have topped that one. I’ve been to the World Cup in Germany and seen amazing sights. I’ve also traveled around the Mediterranean to see Greek islands like Santorini. I think mostly about Brooke and I getting married and how beautiful she looked walking toward me at All Saints Chapel in Sewanee. I remember her smile, her grace, and beautiful blonde hair gracing her long flowing white dress all while walking along flowers. God was present that day, May 28, 2005, I know it. It was a “best day” indeed.
These “best days” matter because they give us a glimpse of heaven. It is a swagger in the golf swing, a tip of the hat, a wink of the eye. It is God showing us the way things are supposed to be and what we also have to look forward to for eternity in Heaven if we put our trust in Christ.
What about you?
What is your best day?
What is your pastor driving?
I’ve never been a car junkie. Don’t get me wrong, I completely appreciate a beautiful automobile that can accelerate like an F-16. I have always been amused by the reasons someone buys their car. Ask a financial expert and they will tell you that what you drive tells a lot about how you view your personal finances.
I often wonder how much a pastor thinks about what he drives. If I were a pastor, I would probably be incredibly insecure about how people viewed my ride. What does it say about their heart? When a pastor asks people to give to the church, do they question where the money “really” is going? If they preach about giving to the poor, are they doing the same? If their church has exceeded 2000 attendance, can they get that suped-up sports car? Or is their car too sissy? Too bold? Even worse, are they driving their wife’s Mary Kay pink Cadillac? If you are a pastor reading this, I can only imagine how many things you are judged upon.
Not long ago I saw a pastor driving around in this amazing 330 BMW. I’m not even sure what my pastor drives to be honest. I’d like to think that he drives something modest but should I even care? Whether you are pastor or not, the class-warfarist in me thinks that when faced with the choice in traffic whether to let a Ford Fusion or a Mercedes into my lane, sorry Heir Mercedes, you are going to have to wait.
For me I ask if I should purposefully drive a Yugo, a beat up old sedan, or a pickup truck? A pickup truck might annoy my more liberal friends saying I was wasting gas and not using it to haul stuff on a regular basis. If I had an SUV, well…how American. You suburban gas guzzling yuppie pastor. So here I am…my wife and I have a minivan, which we love and loathe. I don’t need to explain why. If you have kids, you get it.
I read a few years ago about Kurt Warner after he received his big contract from the St. Louis Rams, he didn’t really upgrade his car, he just made sure he had a safe SUV since he had a bunch of kids. I’m pretty practical like that but then again I bought a lottery ticket the other day and I couldn’t help but think what car I would purchase if I actually won. The act of buying a lottery ticket says a lot about my heart I suppose.
I drive a 2008 Honda Accord, which I bought for its practicality and reliability. My grandfather Papa Jack worked for General Motors for forty years and I recently. I felt like a complete family letdown for buying a Japanese car but the truth is and we all know that our American manufacturers haven’t necessarily had their act together the past few years. I’m starting to see a turnaround from them so when I need another car, I’ll definitely consider “Made in the USA.” Recently my grandmother said that Papa Jack said he secretly always wanted to have a Volkswagen. That made me smile.
I work in publishing with that comes a lot of interaction with pastors. Many of these pastors are some amazing people. Some of them do sacrificial things like not taking a church salary and only utilizing their book royalties. I’ve seen every type of car driven by them but have never been bold enough to ask. So if you are clergy, beware, I’ll be asking you what you drive this week.
So, what is your pastor driving? Ever asked him (or her) why?
What about you? What do you drive and why?
I Hate You Because You Are A Christian
In an Australian accent, those were the words said to me across a table at a coffee shop where I lived in Glasgow, Scotland. It was 2001 and I had been living there surrounded by a culture of those who didn’t know Christ.
What?!?
What did I do to make this guy hate me? I was casual friends with this person and had no serious interaction with him previous to this. But there was something I apparently did wrong.
Or did I do something right?
I tend to avoid conflict and be a harmonizer whenever possible. So when I heard the words “hate” and “you” in the same sentence directed at me, it definitely hurt. I am led to believe a lie that just because I have gotten on my knees to accept Christ, things will be easier. Life has only gotten harder but my faith and peace in Christ has grown stronger.
I was reminded this morning when reading Jesus’ words in John 15: 20 “….If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” Persecution should be expected. After all, the early church was hated by the world because they didn’t understand the truth. Most of this hate surrounded by the fear of the unknown. It was good, though.
Most of the conflict I encounter today is with other Christians. The themes around that conflict is usually about pride. I bet if someone who doesn’t know Christ would observe the way we act, he or she would have every right to say “I hate you.” But you know what? That person is probably not caring because we as Christians become irrelevant when we fight amongst ourselves.
There are so many people fighting for their faith in this world. They are being persecuted. They risk their life just to have the chance to read the Bible. We as followers of Christ should be causing the right kind of stir that causes people to stand up and say, “I want that.”
The goal isn’t to go out and try to get people hating you. It is about being bold in your faith fearlessly sharing the Gospel. This happens by earning the right to be heard and letting the truth speak.
Being hated by this guy woke me up. It reminded me that if I’m not causing a stir then I’m not quite living out the true Gospel.
May you cause a stir with me.
————-
Updated from December 28, 2011
For years this moment kind of haunted me, mainly because I didn’t understand it completely. Today, God reminded me of why we as Christians are here.
John 15:18-19
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Preceding these verses is this line from Christ himself in John 15:17,
This is my command: Love each other.
What encouragement!
What is your “motive” in life?
I love watching legal dramas, especially in movies. Most arguments by the defense come down to proving one thing, a person’s motive.
Motive: Noun. Meaning: 1. Something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive
motive.
A case rests on proving a defendant’s motive to commit a crime. It is hard sometimes to prove in a court of law but the drama of understanding someone’s emotions leading into actions is powerful to watch unfold. Whether it is A Few Good Men, A Time To Kill, or To Kill A Mockingbird, motive is all that matters in court.
And as in life…
Motive is all about the “reason” we do what we do, positively or negatively.
I hadn’t really thought about what this meant to me until reading this passage.
“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Proverbs 16:2 (emphasis added)
It made me more aware that I can’t fool God. I can fool others and even myself but ultimately God knows what I am really up to whether good or bad.
Am I really giving “decisions” in life to the Lord? What is my motive for the way I treated that person at work today? What is my motive for asking someone to help me do something? Did I say something about myself that gave the listeners a better view of me? Did I tell the joke just so people would laugh and think I’m a funny guy? Why? Well, every day my motive is in question.
I am a phony, poser, fake, etc. until I come to terms with this.
Ask yourself the hard questions about the motive behind why you do what you do.
Give permission to your trusted friends to question your motive if they don’t already.
Don’t fool yourself because God knows what is truly in your heart.
The good news in Proverbs comes in the next verse.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3
My challenge is to go to God with my motive to truly understand it. If you don’t completely understand it, pray. By trying to understand it, I give it to Him. Ultimately God will lead me on the path that He desires. His path is greater than mine. His story is bigger than mine.
I have learned that God brings out the best in us when we give our motive to him.
Give it to Him and may your “motive” be genuine, honorable, and committed to the Lord. His plans will be yours and they will be great.
The Circus Rollercoaster
A great friend from college called me this week. We talk from time to time and he brought up how much life has changed since we lived in a house together in college. We’ve each had difference paths with ups and downs. He’s single and been trying to figure out his “vocation” at the moment. I filled him in on how my wife and our two kids were doing. Our family had recently been to the circus when it came through town.
If you haven’t been to the circus before then you should go just to see the amount of stressed out parents. Yes, my wife and I were two of them. Despite the chaos, it was so much fun. We smiled. We laughed. We ate snow cones out of animal-shaped cups. We felt a little queasy. The kids wanted to be held. They ran in circles while we chased. We were exhausted but what an unforgetable experience.
Our time at the circus reminded me of the film, Parenthood directed by Ron Howard and starred Steve Martin. Pay close attention to this short exchange.
I think of that scene often because I relate so much to Steve Martin’s character. I react. I freak out. I over-analyze. I can be loud. I blame others. I even run away like a Monty Python and the Holy Grail character.
In life we are not guaranteed perfection. We strive to achieve some height we cannot attain here on earth.
“Then he (Jesus) said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must first deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (NIV)
I’ve always been challenged by Jesus’ calling for us in life because ultimately he does not promise us an easy life but one filled with many challenges. Ultimately there is “hope” by following him even when I feel the emotions of the circus or a rollercoaster.
As I thought about the circus and watched the rollercoaster scene again, they have become reminders…
-To lighten up.
-To laugh more.
-Keep going back to the circus and ride a rollercoaster
-That ultimately in life we will be fine.
Life is a Circus-Rollercoaster. It feels cliché but it’s true.
Enjoy the ride.
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