To hot for email.

The other day I was looking at a house to buy for my real estate company. On occasion I get to see the house before all the trash is removed by the foreclosing bank. This particular house had so much porn in it that I call it “The house of porn.”  Just about every room was scattered with the stuff.  I know what your thinking, why am I riffling through some else’s porn. Sadly, I have become desensitized to piles of porn in foreclosed houses.  I end up spending more time trying not to fall over it rather than discover the home owners’ preferences. Don’t get me wrong, I think in cases like this one, there are spiritual forces at work. Immediately, when I open the doors to these kinds of houses I sense it, creepy on so many different levels. 

I think that when the sheriff evicted these people they thought nothing of the years of porn they were leaving behind. I’d guess that it became so normal for these people to be immersed by this stuff that weren’t embarrassed by it any more. The sheer volume is embarrassing by any standard.

So what’s this got to do with God?

Don’t we do that in our spiritual lives? We go to church for years and seem to let the crud build up. Don’t we use trite Christian ideals to hold it all together when it’s all really falling apart? We try quick fixes. In our spiritual lives we like to have God served on a platter. We go from one spiritual high to the next. We miss what it’s really all about.

Someone else.

We have been talking about getting away from our selves during this VS Series. But what does it really mean to legitimately care for some one else more than we care for our selves? Why do we continue to hit our heads against the wall trying to get our own “needs” met when the reality is that by caring for other people we end up being liberated our selves?

After the fact I found out that the previous owner was a doctor. Last I checked doctors make some serious money yet this guy became so consumed with himself that he lost his house.

You might have heard it said “We all have something that we could lose it all over” but maybe the better question is what are we willing to give it all up for?

Prayer

A couple of Sundays ago I was moving hurriedly through the cantina and I noticed Thom Yencer leading his Set-up team in prayer. Totally unsolicited, I witnessed a team gather and pray for the kids who would soon be learning about Jesus, in part as a result of their work. Although I didn’t cry, (because I am a heartless manJ) I had to pause and thank God for our volunteers who get it.

 

Who’s driving your boat?

While on vacation, Carly and I rented a two-person kayak. We were heading to the shallow waters to manatee cove. I noticed being in the back the boat made me in control.  Carly sat upfront and did all the hard work and I just stuck my paddle in and turned us left and right.

Once we reached our destination, we were met by at least ten manatees. These manatees were happy if you know what I mean. It was cool for us because our small boat allowed us to hover over top of these fat beasts. I even grabbed one. Don’t tell the fish and wild life people. It was a pretty cool sight to see.

 

Here are a couple of things I noticed about our seating arrangement.

Front seat:

You’re the person moving the boat forward. When you sit in the front of the boat everything coming your way hits you first; every thing that happens to you is immediate. You’re the first to see life’s cool stuff and bad stuff. You lose a little bit of control.

 

Back seat:

Being in the back of the boat gives a broader perspective. The person in front trusts you. You make choices that affect direction and everyone else you have contact with.  Power comes with responsibility.

 

Here’s the thought. We all have things that steer us. As believers was try to allow God to be our guiding force.  But in reality we let other people, feelings, and self interest guide us.  Often we are so involved in the front our life’s boat that we can’t keep perspective. We become consumed with our current realities rather than where God wants to steer us. Ironically some times we strive to be all that we can be for God that we kill direction he might have started in us to run to another Godly direction.

 

Questions.

How can we take a step back and gain perspective?

How much of our life’s choices are thought about through the character of God.

How can we discern between God’s direction and our feelings masquerading as God’s voice.?

Why do we serve?

This morning I found myself stuck in a flood of water. Car stalled out, other motorists were passing me on every side. I wasn’t sure what to do. The closest exit had a steep incline, that I didn’t think I could handle by myself. I tried to crank the motor a few times to no avail.

I was trying to figure out how to get this car out of the road. Call AAA, push, just wait right there till it dries out. In the back of my head I was reminded of how I never stop to help any one in auto distress. I usually justify my unhelpful behavior with “I don’t know how to fix cars” or “ I’m going to be late”. I was not counting on any help from a fellow motorist because I am not a helper myself. I may be insensitive but at least I am a consistent insensitive jerk.

A man wrapped in a yellow rain coat is riding his bike down the sidewalk. He appeared like the type that would hold a sign in an intersection “Homeless-Vet God Bless”. The guy approaches my car and hollers through his salt and pepper bushy beard, “You want me to push you out of the road?” I took my shoes off and together we pushed my car up the steep incline to a dry spot in a parking lot. I shook his hand and thanked him and we went our separate ways.

While I was waiting for my engine to dry out I wondered a few things.

Why did this guy help? He was on a bike clearly going somewhere. Why would he help me when I surely wouldn’t help him? Was he already wet and figured might as well? Was he hoping that I would hook him up with some money?

After getting the car started I continued my journey through the flooded streets of South Tampa; cars flooded everywhere. In Hyde Park I passed a woman that almost had water in the doors. I thought I couldn’t push that car alone, she won’t help. She was in a business suit. In the back of my head the passage about the Good Samaritan played over and over. Here I am the church guy who was just helped and I passed others in need.

Here are my questions:

• What does it take to live a life of service? To be at the point where we respond to needs instead of reflect about needs.
• How do motives play into our decisions to respond to needs? What motives prevent us from responding when opportunity slaps us in the face?  Many people serve with wrong motives yet God blesses their efforts. How can we identify our motives and realign our heart with our actions?

 

The next day I was on my way to work and I noticed a nice Mercedes with a blown tire in the road. I didn’t want to be a dirt bag two days in a row so I turned around and offered to push her out of traffic.