Tag: God

If I Only Knew

Have you ever had an, “If I only knew,” moment? The kind of moment that you look back at something wishing you would have known ahead of time so you could have done something different.

If I only knew that buying furniture on credit as a young couple would spiral into a mess of credit card debt, I would have….

If I only knew that the company I worked for was going to downsize this year, I would have….

If I only knew that my friend would be shot and killed today, I would have…..

If I only knew that the children in that neighborhood didn’t have shoes, I would have….

If I only knew that there was a need in ministry for this, I would have….

If I only knew that God was leading me in this direction, I would have…

If I only knew my kids were feeling this way, I would have….

Life would look different if we had some crystal ball or mirror we could look into and see the future, but that’s just a Disney movie. But God can see what is, was, and will be, for each of us.
Have I not commanded you?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. From eternity to eternity I am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what I have done.” Isaiah 43:1-3, 13 NLT
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel, and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!” Psalms 139:1-6 NLT

God knows our struggles, the struggles of others, and also what each of us needs. He sent his son, Jesus to the earth to live a life as human, yet as God, to reconcile us to his purpose for eternity. Jesus told the woman at the well, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” (John 4:10 NLT) When the woman at the well discovered that she was in the presence of the Son of God, the Messiah, she and many in her village became believers.

13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15 NIV)

It is my responsibility as a Christian, (and of every Christian) to make sure others ‘know’ the story of Jesus. To listen to the life stories of others so I know what is going on in their life, how/what to pray for, how I might help them and how to connect God’s story with them. It’s my responsibility to know what’s going on in my neighborhood, what’s going on in the schools, what’s going on in the ministries and the lives of my friends by asking critical questions often.

We must put aside the excuses of saying…
IF WE ONLY KNEW

Written by Jeff Shicks, Executive Director at Youth for Christ, Nashville, TN. To find out more about Jeff or Youth for Christ, visit www.nashvilleyfc.org.

The Power of Excellence

I’m a perfectionist! It’s one of my greatest assets and one of my greatest struggles! Perfection is actually not a healthy goal. It’s actually not even a healthy mindset. And it’s definitely not biblical. So why do we strive to be perfect, when we know for a fact it’s unachievable? I mean the reason that Jesus gave his life for us was to be the perfect sacrifice that He knew we could never and would never be. So why do so many of us struggle so much with this ideal of perfection? Because it’s Godly, and we are called to live a holy and pleasing life? Maybe?

So how do we shift our perspective and objective to be healthy and pleasing, rather than unhealthy and trapping? The answer is something I’ve spent years learning… excellence. Excellence vs perfection is something that will release you from disappointment, shame, guilt and  burn out. Not only as a human being, but as a team and even a church.

Working out the freedom of excellence is a very important lesson to learn! Excellence is simply doing the best you can, bringing your best offering, working to be the best you can be at your gift, calling, job! And letting go of unrealistic expectations, so that you are free from burning out or giving up on some impossible goal you may never achieve.

A mentor once told me “the only person you can compare yourself to is the you that you were yesterday.” This is a mantra I carry with me! As long as I’m trying to be better today than I was yesterday at the task at hand or the gift I find myself using, I’m doing okay!

Cultivating this mental shift within yourself and your team, will release an atmosphere of excitement, learning, and grace! You will ignite a passion for the things you can achieve and set goals that you work towards with realistic standards. The end result will be a much healthier mental space, a much healthier team, and a much healthier church!

So release yourself and your team from perfection and strive for excellence and see how God will work in and through you!

Written by: Kelli Wright

Kelli is the Consulting Director at Froot Group, a worship staffing and consulting company.