Unless you’re extremely lazy, under the age of 2, or a squash, you’ve had a job at some point in your life. Even most children have some sort of chores they have to complete at home. Having a job typically means you are under someone’s authority. There is someone who leads, manages, or supervises the quality and quantity of your work, i.e. parents, teachers, coaches, and bosses. Even a squash(es) are under the authority of the farmer, (except yellow squash. You have to watch out for them).
So let me ask you: what has been your experience with the authority figures in your life? Have they been generally positive? Do you frequently say to yourself, “Man I’ve been blessed with a wonderful teacher/coach/parent/boss/director/etc.?” What about the political leaders you know? Do you look at them and say, “Boy, those folks really work to serve me and the best interests of the country?”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! Oh boy, that’s a good one, right?
There’s a reason incredible teachers, coaches, politicians, and leaders stand out and that we memorialize leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. It’s because they’re so rare in this world. If we’re being honest we can say the norm of leadership is average or just plain awful. Why? Because the world is fallen and corrupted by sin. As a result we experience authority figures who are rude, selfish, incompetent, unpleasant, and sometimes even tyrannical and destructive. Continue reading
My wife and I had such high hopes. We were going to take our kids to a state park, hike to a waterfall, observe God’s glory in creation, play in the sparkling water at the foot of the falls, and most importantly, create some wonderful family memories. It would be a fantastic experience we would all remember forever. It started out so well. The drive to Dupont State Forest outside of Hendersonville, N.C. was beautiful. The weather was cool, the trees were green, and the sun was shining.
Bellies full and nerves a bit frayed, we climbed to the pool by the falls. Pictures were taken with smiling happy faces. We took our shoes and socks off to let our feet rest in the cool waters. The glory of God was seen in nature. My wife and I hugged each other and smiled. We said to our kids, “Enjoy yourselves, children. See what God has made. Look at the beautiful water. Listen to the roar of the falls as it –” “MOMMY, MACK FELL IN THE WATER!” yelled child #1.
knowledged the morning had been a disaster and prayed for his grace for the rest of the afternoon.
Waiting stinks. We have to wait in traffic to get to and from work. We wait at restaurants to get lunch. We wait in line at the grocery store. We wait for our children to go to bed so we can get a few minutes of peace. We wait for college football to start, (at least I do). We wait for packages to arrive. We wait and wait and wait and wait…
Last week my wife and I were talking about a tough time our family was going through. In a moment of brutal honesty, she stated, “Spiritually I’m a wiener.” I totally understood what she meant. In my walk with the Lord I want to be a person who faithfully trusts God, who perseveres in trial, and lives a life of unswerving excellence and godliness in spite of whatever challenges and stresses I face. I want to be someone my kids look up to and say, “Daddy trusts and walks with God no matter what.” In hot dog terms I want to be the premium quality sausages at the grocery store which costs the most money; the kind you have to ask the butcher for specifically. “Yes sir, can I have the Travis Sausage, please? We’re having a very special event and I only want the best.”
Churches these days are seeking diversity in their congregations. “We need to be more diverse,” they say. Diversity is particularly sought among the racial makeup of the church. If a church has large numbers of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians mixed together, it is considered a diverse church. If a church is mostly filled with Caucasians, (saying “whites” just sounds weird), then it’s suddenly not diverse. Some churches make accommodations to their services, (worship/teaching styles, decor, etc), to encourage diversity among their members. It’s a big deal these days.
