Confidence

"Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.

But the Lord said to me:

Do not say, 'I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak....Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."

- Jeremiah 1:6-10

The story of Jeremiah is a great one. He was called out by God to be a mouthpiece that would proclaim a difficult word to the people of Judah. The first few verses in this book describe a turning point where Jeremiah moves from a normal routine into the challenging call that God had appointed for him. He was on the verge of entering a great new opportunity.

Notice Jeremiah's initial reactions:

1. "Ah Lord God!" - Anxiety
2. "I can't speak for I am a youth" - Doubt in capability and power

You can't blame Jeremiah for his reaction. I mean c'mon, he was called to go before leaders and tell them that they need to change how they live and renew their relationship with the Lord.
Jeremiah did what most people would do. He looked at himself first.

Aha! #1: Look in the mirror and you will see your biggest challenge.

When you read Jeremiah further, you will find our hope and a key message. It was God who called him. It was God who would give Jeremiah the words to say. It was God who would protect him and it was God who would establish Jeremiah's authority.

Aha! #2: God is big time. We're small time. God still works with us, around us, and in us.

You will be called to a new challenging opportunity. As an Evangeleader, new promotions, new jobs, new projects, big meetings, and new leadership roles are going to be a part of your life. Its a fact that Gen X and Y leaders will find themselves in these situations. Fear, anxiety, and doubt are bound to arise but we can all learn from Jeremiah's life that confidence is not an innate gifting. The confidence you need to take on the next "big thing" in your life comes from God alone. Don't believe the hype of those 7 step books that say confidence is found by exercising your inner strength. Heh?

Aha! #3: True confidence is a by-product of God's strength and grace working in your life.

Its not a one time experience. Confidence is developed over time as you allow Christ to flex a little muscle. Move forward when you hear the call and remember what the Lord says..."I am with you".


Pop the Culture,

B.A.P

Timing Vs. Conditions

I'm back! How is everyone doing? I know it has been awhile since my last post. I've been working on releasing a new album with my hip hop group, planning a wedding for April 26th, and have been working really hard! I'm not making excuses though. My beautiful fiance was telling me that I need to get on the ball with the blogs again...so here I am. I'm already getting used to the powerful influence of a wife :-)

" He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favorable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. As you know not what is the way of the wind, or how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so you know not the work of God, Who does all." - Ecclesiastes 11


Raise your hand if you've ever said one of these phrases:

- I plan on doing XXXX when I have more money or time
- I can't do XXXX because of other responsibilities
- I will know it is time to move forward when God does X, Y, and Z

It is our human nature to look for perfect conditions before we take a step forward. We wait for all the stars to align before we decide to launch out. Like the above passage, we wait for the wind to stop blowing, the clouds to move, and we stand in one place until the sun shines. Somehow, we seem to confuse God's timing with perfect conditions. We all want to be in God's timing but we mistake God's perfect timing with perfect conditions. For example, you may feel an urge to switch careers but your hesitant because of the years you've spent in your latest job, the money you may lose, and a host of other reasons. For others, you may be holding off on those wedding vows because YOU think the conditions are not juuussst right. Maybe there is a risk that the Lord wants you to take in order to fulfill a greater purpose but your hesitant because the factors of life don't seem ideal for taking flight.

In God's system, perfect timing does not always equate to perfect conditions. God is beyond the natural situations of life and He can do great things in spite of dangerous winds. Are you carefully watching His timing or the conditions of life? Take a thoughtful and prayerful look at why you are hesitating to sow. What is keeping you from reaping what the Lord has for you? The changes you need to grow may be hindered by your current focus. Turn your eyes to the Lord and listen to the subtle call to "Go" and don't focus so much on current conditions. Till next time...


Pop the Culture,

B.A.P