Trust Be Like…

A bank is likened to trust. Though there are deposits and withdrawals that happened there, we have to believe that God is the holder of these resources. We hold loosely to that which is not ours because, as a believer in Jesus Christ, we believe that God owns everything. 

Today I have a new appreciation for time. Why? Well, we are given an extra 24 hours today, this being leap day. It is a sacred trust that has been given to all of us. Even though it is adjusting the calendar it is nevertheless an opportunity for us to never waste what has been given to us.

I hope that everyone can take advantage of this day, and not make too many withdrawals, but provide deposit into the lives of others more than ourselves.

We could always Google the history of this particular day and find interesting and fascinating nuggets of truth yet, I wanted to share how encouraging it is for me to be part of a team that is strengthening & trust in one another.

Not to sound like an old man, but I am trying to grow and develop even though I’m as old as the Super Bowl, but as young as the Ford Mustang. Each generation defines the strategy for building trust differently. My generation is rather old-school. We believe that trust is earned not given. But this generation today has flipped that idea on his head. While my generation peers skeptically into relationships, young people seem more open and vulnerable. Perhaps naïvely believing that trust is automatic, you have to respect the notion nonetheless. Life passes quickly so plant a tree of which you will not enjoy the shade of.

Trust is so essential for all of us. Communication is a tool that I think will further help us. I believe that trust is given, and not based on merit or earned.

Though tested at times we can believe that someone has our best interest in mind at whatever they are doing.

Stephen M. R. Covey, the son of the famous thinker wrote the book, The Speed of Trust. I read it often as I am reminded of the importance of trust. 

Take this quote as an example:

“In a high-trust relationship, you can say the wrong thing, and people will still get your meaning. In a low-trust relationship, you can be very measured, even precise, and they'll still misinterpret you. The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today.”

See what I mean? Even Stephen Covey, the father, made sure we understood that true leadership is based on the ability to inspire others to do what they don’t have to do. 

Trust is a key component of every relationship! 

So, God has trusted us to give us this additional day, so make the best use of it! In fact, the day, after mankind was created, God gave a day of rest. Perhaps it could be said that even before we do anything that proves ourselves, God blesses us with a day off.

So extend trust as you can, and especially knowing that God has given us this day. Make the most of it because this particular day will not show up again for another four years.

I love the devotional that my friend Pastor Gene Rohrer shared recently through email.

"Leap day a gift of 24 hours that only comes every four years. Picture a child standing anxiously at the edge of a swimming pool, trying to muster the courage to jump into his father's arms. That child is you.

What leap of faith will you take to show that you trust God? What is holding you back?" (Missy Buchanan)

"You of little faith, why did you doubt?" --Matthew 14:31

- Pastor Gene E. Rohrer

What are three things that you can do today that can provide for somebody else’s tomorrow?

What’s In A Name?

 This past week I had the opportunity to share The Word with a local church. They sent me the passages of scripture for me to speak from. It wasn’t long before I knew the theme and direction I was to share from. 

This blog entry comes as a summary result of those thoughts. 

Too often we try to make a name for ourselves The Bible makes it clear that this kind of lifestyle is vanity. The Bible offer an alternative to self-centered living to a life that both receives blessings and those which we can also give!

We are not to live for self but for the Glory of God. 

As I sit at a local café, I watch all the people that come and go. I can quickly observe that people need a blessing; that being a blessing that only God can give!

Last Sunday I read Mark 8:34-38. It records that those that live for themselves alone will lose their own lives. 

Mark 8:35

If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Again we find this Truth in the life and Calling of Abraham. (Genesis 17) It was through this relationship with God that he is given a new name. From Abram to Abraham we find the theme that he did not feel like he was measuring up. He didn’t feel that he was enough! 

His birth name, Abram means exhaled father. Well, as he was approaching 90 he still didn’t have even a child. He was no living up to the earthly expectations. Yet God, (and I love that phrase, yet God) Abram was going to be challenged to trust God’s plan; receive God’s blessing. While God wanted to bless him, he added to expectations by saying that he would be called, Abraham. This means, father of the nations! Wow! 

In the midst of already feeling like he wasn’t enough, God challenged him to consider that with God, nothing is impossible. From nothing and no where we can experience God in a way that takes us from no where to some place and from nothing to everything! (As long as it is in God’s Will.) 

Recently, traveling to Florida with our Youth of Christ team I realized how essential it is to have your name match your ID. When I arrived to the airport, I quickly learned that the spelling of my name was wrong. Consequently, it meant that I could not board the plane unless they can figure out a way to correct the error. Who would’ve thought that having a T in your name rather than a D in your name would make a difference? CarTer :: CarDer. I ultimately did get to Florida and back and didn’t have to walk. Names are important! 

God wants to bless us! It is in His nature to bless! Abraham made a covenant with God! This agreement means obedience and a journey that provided for his Blessing!

We can also learn from this lesson that God wants to use us to bless others! Abraham made mistakes yet God brought him into a relationship that blessed others. Consider what he did for Ishmael or even his nephew Lot. These were opportunities that helped others! By His own hand (and as a result of God’s blessing) we can see how others received, while unworthy yet God made a way possible! 

We have opportunities each and every day to represent the name of Christ and everything we do. Whether at the grocery store or at a restaurant. Perhaps even among friends and family, we can make a difference. We can bless others in the Name of Christ! I love how we can impact the lives of others! 

Psalms 22:30-31 reads; Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.

His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything He has done.

I am listening to a new book. In the context of the global impact, I am reminded of a book I have recently been reading: “Where Am I Eating?” by my new friend, Kelsey Timmerman.

Where does your coffee come from? The book tells the stories of local farmers in Columbia, Brazil…. Within this book I am discovering the origins of community :: Where my food comes from. My consumerism must be informed by the original origins of families and communities in far away places.

We have the opportunity to bless others all over the world just by paying attention and knowing where our food comes from. 

When it comes to leaving a legacy, not just a blessing, we can consider the impact our lives can make and leave a legacy for others! Like Abraham, we can impact the lives of all who find us faithful. It is an incredible reminder that we need to plant tree of which we will not enjoy the shade of. In Gen. 21, we find that Abraham build an altar to God by planting a tree for generations to benefit! He planted a Tamarisk tree. A tree that takes 400 years to grow! 

Those who have been martyred for their faith — so that we can enjoy the freedom of faith yet, we may be asked to sacrifice for the sake of others! 

Though we may not be tested in the same way, yet, we have a message to deliver. 

The message is that of an amazing grace that we have received through Jesus Christ. As we close this blog let us consider God’s Amazing Grace.  Let us thank God for the incredible blessing that is ours that we can give away yet today, and commit to invest into future tomorrows of generations to come!

If interested in the message I shared at Church click this link to listen.