The saying “iron sharpens iron” never really spoke to me until recently. When you’re growing up you are surrounded by friends; you have friends you go to school with, friends that live on your street, friends at your church, and all the others you meet along the way. But as I approach adulthood (not sure what I consider an adult but I’m not there yet) I realize just how many real friends I don’t have.
Don’t get me wrong, I have tons of friends but those are more of acquaintances; the people we hang out with occasionally but they don’t really have much of a say in our day to day lives. The real friends I am referring to are the ones who we turn to when we need a shoulder to cry on after a broken heart, when we want to celebrate because we found a new job, when we just need someone to talk to; real friends are the ones we go through all of life’s ups and downs with and they still love us no matter what.
Finding the “real friends” is harder than we think and keeping those close friendships as the years pass is even more difficult. I can think of a few people who are standing the test of time with me and I cherish them more than they’ll ever really know. One has lived with me and still loves me, one I grow closer to on a daily bases, one relationship is growing and changing with time and maturity, one I met on a mission trip and we’ve stayed in touch ever since, and one I’m still trying to determine if the struggles of our friendship are worth the fight.
I’d never really reflected on the characteristics of my friends until an article I was reading this morning. I love the classifications but I see them more as traits that each person I consider my “friend” possesses. Each one takes turns being my intercessor, celebrator, encourager, teacher, and questioner; and without them all I’d be fumbling around this messed up world. God is ultimately all we need but isn’t it a relief that He gives us others to help carry the burden of this life! To all my friends, I could not be more grateful for you, I love each of you more than you’ll ever realize!
September 16, 2009
June 14, 2009
Success vs Failure
As a recent college graduate I have been submitting my resume via the internet and patiently awaiting responses for about 2 months now. The anticipation of a possible new job venture is both exhilarating and terrifying; a new job means more money, new responsibilities, and new co-workers. When you’ve worked at the same place for over 3 years, a new job is a little daunting. Despite my above mentioned fears another that I had not anticipated crept up on me this morning as I was checking my emails.
In not so many words, it was the fear of rejection!
I sat staring at my inbox that held an obvious response to one of my resume submissions I felt my heart rate begin to intensify rather quickly. You know the feeling you get when you begin anticipating the worst. Well the worst for me would be that my potential employer thought me unworthy of the job.
While I sat waiting to draw up enough courage to face my perceived rejection, I realized how ridiculous I was acting. So what if I did not suit that particular company, there are plenty of others out there with just as promising opportunities that I had not even applied for yet. Basically I was finding my worth in whether or not someone found me hirable.
Why?
One of the scariest things in my life is dealing with the thought of failure. Growing up you hear what great things you can accomplish but when it comes time to achieve these goals, what do you do if you can’t figure out how to define success in your life? Sure there are some of us who are meant to be great things out in the world but what if some of us are meant to do great things for the world? Too many times we get caught up in our dreams, our goals, our lives and we forget that this life is not about us.
After getting frustrated with myself I remembered reading this amazing commencement from this blog I read on Bounless' Web site that had challenged my thinking just yesterday...I'm a slow learner obviously. In the Boundless article the author said “God cares about the kind of person you will be even more than about what kind of things you will do.”
How quick we forget that the measure of a man (or woman) is his character rather than his bank account! So if the God who created the universe and every possible job that I could ever do cares less about the details of my day to day tasks and more about me as a representation of Him, why do I put so much emphasis on a job? We get so distracted by the world’s idea of success and forget how the bible measures success…to be a successful Christian you need only go and tell. The greatest commandment Christ ever gave was to go and tell others about Him
Whether we’re meant to be a teacher, lawyer, mom or whatever else we can imagine, as long as we are lifting high the name of Christ, “there will be something about your motherhood, teaching, preaching, lawmaking or machinery-making that transcends and glorifies motherhood, teaching, preaching, law-making or machinery-making, because it speaks undeniably of Him.”
In not so many words, it was the fear of rejection!
I sat staring at my inbox that held an obvious response to one of my resume submissions I felt my heart rate begin to intensify rather quickly. You know the feeling you get when you begin anticipating the worst. Well the worst for me would be that my potential employer thought me unworthy of the job.
While I sat waiting to draw up enough courage to face my perceived rejection, I realized how ridiculous I was acting. So what if I did not suit that particular company, there are plenty of others out there with just as promising opportunities that I had not even applied for yet. Basically I was finding my worth in whether or not someone found me hirable.
Why?
One of the scariest things in my life is dealing with the thought of failure. Growing up you hear what great things you can accomplish but when it comes time to achieve these goals, what do you do if you can’t figure out how to define success in your life? Sure there are some of us who are meant to be great things out in the world but what if some of us are meant to do great things for the world? Too many times we get caught up in our dreams, our goals, our lives and we forget that this life is not about us.
After getting frustrated with myself I remembered reading this amazing commencement from this blog I read on Bounless' Web site that had challenged my thinking just yesterday...I'm a slow learner obviously. In the Boundless article the author said “God cares about the kind of person you will be even more than about what kind of things you will do.”
How quick we forget that the measure of a man (or woman) is his character rather than his bank account! So if the God who created the universe and every possible job that I could ever do cares less about the details of my day to day tasks and more about me as a representation of Him, why do I put so much emphasis on a job? We get so distracted by the world’s idea of success and forget how the bible measures success…to be a successful Christian you need only go and tell. The greatest commandment Christ ever gave was to go and tell others about Him
Whether we’re meant to be a teacher, lawyer, mom or whatever else we can imagine, as long as we are lifting high the name of Christ, “there will be something about your motherhood, teaching, preaching, lawmaking or machinery-making that transcends and glorifies motherhood, teaching, preaching, law-making or machinery-making, because it speaks undeniably of Him.”
October 29, 2008
Get Over Yourself!
It’s about time we all “got over ourselves;” why do we assume we are the center of the universe? I realize that no one ever will seriously say the world revolves around them because believe me I’m not about to do it either. HA if you think I’m getting up in front of a crowd and informing them that I’m the most important person in the room then you are sorely mistaken, but isn’t that how we are living our lives?
Maybe we don’t verbalize our great love for ourselves but we show it by our actions. We spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothes, food, and cars because we have to take care of ourselves. We pamper ourselves with a day at the spa or a round on the golf course. Don’t get me wrong I love doing these things, shopping is one of my favorite hobbies, but we get so caught up in ourselves that we forget who made us; we forget that the point of our existence is to bring God glory.
I’m reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan, in it he talks about having an abandoned love for God that transcends anything we’ve ever imagined; a love that changes our very thought process so that we are no longer consumed with our lives and our small world but we are able to see who God really is so that we can get a glimpse of His bigger picture. If we, for one millisecond, are able to get a fraction of an idea of who God really is, and I don’t mean the God we have placed in a convenient box that we take out while we’re at church and occasionally in the comfort of our homes, I mean the God who made the world and everything in it; the God who sent His son to die on a tree for past, present, and future sins of the world; the God who gives us the best He has for us simply because He loves us. When we see this God, only then will we realize our smallness in comparison. Not until we’ve realized our nothingness can we ever take our focus off of ourselves and place it on the only One who matters.
By shifting our focus, our lives then begin to look like those patriarchs of the Bible, ones who did whatever it took to follow Christ’s call to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.” Understanding the complexity of who God is helps remind us that our “one woman (or man) show” has no place in His ultimate plan. He allows us each to have a small role but we have to understand that His will is what will be accomplished; love the world like He loves the world.
As I thought about this I began asking myself the tough questions: how much would my bank statement change if I was truly loving those in need, what would my prayers sound like if my mind was on lost souls, would it really be a struggle to make it to church every Sunday morning, night and Wednesday night? I challenge you, whoever God has lead to read this, to question what impact you can have on the people around you. We all have people in our lives that need Jesus but how many times have we shied away from sharing…here’s our chance to show people that unconditional love God has for everyone and isn't that what we're all looking for?
Maybe we don’t verbalize our great love for ourselves but we show it by our actions. We spend a ridiculous amount of money on clothes, food, and cars because we have to take care of ourselves. We pamper ourselves with a day at the spa or a round on the golf course. Don’t get me wrong I love doing these things, shopping is one of my favorite hobbies, but we get so caught up in ourselves that we forget who made us; we forget that the point of our existence is to bring God glory.
I’m reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan, in it he talks about having an abandoned love for God that transcends anything we’ve ever imagined; a love that changes our very thought process so that we are no longer consumed with our lives and our small world but we are able to see who God really is so that we can get a glimpse of His bigger picture. If we, for one millisecond, are able to get a fraction of an idea of who God really is, and I don’t mean the God we have placed in a convenient box that we take out while we’re at church and occasionally in the comfort of our homes, I mean the God who made the world and everything in it; the God who sent His son to die on a tree for past, present, and future sins of the world; the God who gives us the best He has for us simply because He loves us. When we see this God, only then will we realize our smallness in comparison. Not until we’ve realized our nothingness can we ever take our focus off of ourselves and place it on the only One who matters.
By shifting our focus, our lives then begin to look like those patriarchs of the Bible, ones who did whatever it took to follow Christ’s call to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.” Understanding the complexity of who God is helps remind us that our “one woman (or man) show” has no place in His ultimate plan. He allows us each to have a small role but we have to understand that His will is what will be accomplished; love the world like He loves the world.
As I thought about this I began asking myself the tough questions: how much would my bank statement change if I was truly loving those in need, what would my prayers sound like if my mind was on lost souls, would it really be a struggle to make it to church every Sunday morning, night and Wednesday night? I challenge you, whoever God has lead to read this, to question what impact you can have on the people around you. We all have people in our lives that need Jesus but how many times have we shied away from sharing…here’s our chance to show people that unconditional love God has for everyone and isn't that what we're all looking for?
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