Great athletes don't settle. Whether it be in the midst of competition or between competitions, they always seek to accomplish more. It should especially be this way for the Christian athlete. They should always be seeking to give God more of their best, and getting better so that their best can glorify Him more and more and with increased levels of performance. You are not being responsible with your talents if you are not striving to get them better and accomplish more with them.
This idea can be related to the rich man who gave talents to his workers. He was proud of the ones who went and invested the talents and made a profit, but was extremely ashamed of the one who buried the talent in the ground and made no profit. I must always seek to increase my talents, getting them better so that my performance can bring about increased "profit" for God and His glory. And in the process of doing this, I can worship Him by making sure my attitude is one of worship and surrender to Him.
Monday, 17 November 2014
It's Okay to Pursue Your Best
I have often struggled with the idea of working hard at things that I want to get better at. I have felt like if I am not careful, I may pursue things that God does not want me to pursue. While this is a righteous concern, I feel like I have not viewed it correctly.
It is true that I must always be surrendered to the Lord. I must make sure that I am not pursuing things that He does not want me pursuing. I must make sure that I am seeking Him in everything that I do and pursue. However, that is with pursuits. I feel God revealing to me that when I identify something that I can get better at, it is okay to do this. Below explains...
I can identify things that I want to get better at, and then work hard to get better at them for God's glory. I can then give God my improved talents and say, "God please take these and use them as you see fit. How do you want to use these talents? What do you want to accomplish through them?" This I believe is righteous. What would be unrighteous is if I was striving to get better at something to bring glory to myself. For instance, striving to get better at golf so that I could make lots of money and be famous. That would not be a righteous desire. However, if I am striving to get better at golf and then say, "God, I am surrendered to you. Please take these talents and use them as you see fit". There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is righteous because God calls us to always give Him our very best. He calls us to work our hardest at all times to manifest and develop the talents He has given us. Working hard as working for Him, to bring glory to Him, that is righteous.
It is true that I must always be surrendered to the Lord. I must make sure that I am not pursuing things that He does not want me pursuing. I must make sure that I am seeking Him in everything that I do and pursue. However, that is with pursuits. I feel God revealing to me that when I identify something that I can get better at, it is okay to do this. Below explains...
I can identify things that I want to get better at, and then work hard to get better at them for God's glory. I can then give God my improved talents and say, "God please take these and use them as you see fit. How do you want to use these talents? What do you want to accomplish through them?" This I believe is righteous. What would be unrighteous is if I was striving to get better at something to bring glory to myself. For instance, striving to get better at golf so that I could make lots of money and be famous. That would not be a righteous desire. However, if I am striving to get better at golf and then say, "God, I am surrendered to you. Please take these talents and use them as you see fit". There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is righteous because God calls us to always give Him our very best. He calls us to work our hardest at all times to manifest and develop the talents He has given us. Working hard as working for Him, to bring glory to Him, that is righteous.
Sunday, 19 October 2014
Be bold and confident
I played the club championships this year and lost by a stroke. I did a good job of trying to have fun glorifying God, but I failed to add bold confidence and determination to win. God is more glorified by, "I am going to have fun going out and winning for God's glory" then He is by, "I am going to go have fun for God's glory and see what happens". God wants us to be confident and bold. Jesus was. I must work as if it depends on me, but live realizing it doesn't.
Our best is accomplished when we go out and are confident and bold and believe that we are going to win, because this is the attitude necessary to accomplish your best. When I strive to do my best to glorify God and worship Him, I should have an attitude similar to the one I would if I was striving to impress Brie with my performance. I would go out there and do everything I possibly could to be successful. I would not be scared of the competition, I would not be passive, but rather I would be bold and confident and truly believe that I was better than them and strive to whup them. Otherwise, I would not be impressing her at all, but rather making myself look weak. It is similar with striving to do my best for God's glory. While I cannot "impress" Him, I must glorify Him, and He is glorified when I do my best in the ways described above. Therefore, viewing the idea of worshiping and glorifying God in a way similar to striving to impress Brie with my performance is a good one, as long as I understand that I cannot impress God, but I can glorify Him and worship Him through performing to the best of my ability, and performing to the best of my ability requires the attitude that I would have if I was trying to impress Brie.
God is not honoured when we are scared of somebody else. He is not honoured when we are scared of the competition. The only person I should fear is God. I must be bold, confident and believe that I will destroy my competition. I need to be respectful of my competition and not look down on them as people or disrespect them as people, but as competition, I should be looking to destroy them. Sports are a battle. Destroy the competition, and in Christ-like love, shake their hand after. Again, it is important however to ensure that you are not disrespectful to them while destroying them, for it is a game, not war. Be mindful of being Christ-like when you are seeking to destroy your competition in sport.
In order to do my best I should have an attitude of, "No competition can stand against me accomplishing what I am seeking to accomplish. No competition is better than me". The only One whom I should understand can prevent me from accomplishing what I am seeking to accomplish is God. That is a very comforting thing which breeds confidence, because it allows me to go out there with an attitude of desiring to accomplish something for God and His glory, understanding that I will only accomplish it if God chooses to bless my efforts. He calls me to do my best though. He calls me to do my part. Therefore, it is important for me to be confident and truly believe that no competition can stand in my way. Doing so will ensure that I put forth my personal best, and then allow God to take care of the results. I can say, "I give you this effort and performance Lord. Please be glorified and do with it as you see fit".
Look at David. When he fought Goliath, he was extremely bold and confident. I know that he had faith that God was going to bring him out on top, but he could not be passive. He still was bold and confident and he went out there aggressively and went after the victory. He was in no way passive, waiting for God to bring the victory to him. David understood that he had to do his part in the process. David had to work as if it depended on him, but he lived realizing that it didn't. David understood that in the end, God's will would be done. David understood that he would only be victorious if God chose to bless his efforts.
Our best is accomplished when we go out and are confident and bold and believe that we are going to win, because this is the attitude necessary to accomplish your best. When I strive to do my best to glorify God and worship Him, I should have an attitude similar to the one I would if I was striving to impress Brie with my performance. I would go out there and do everything I possibly could to be successful. I would not be scared of the competition, I would not be passive, but rather I would be bold and confident and truly believe that I was better than them and strive to whup them. Otherwise, I would not be impressing her at all, but rather making myself look weak. It is similar with striving to do my best for God's glory. While I cannot "impress" Him, I must glorify Him, and He is glorified when I do my best in the ways described above. Therefore, viewing the idea of worshiping and glorifying God in a way similar to striving to impress Brie with my performance is a good one, as long as I understand that I cannot impress God, but I can glorify Him and worship Him through performing to the best of my ability, and performing to the best of my ability requires the attitude that I would have if I was trying to impress Brie.
God is not honoured when we are scared of somebody else. He is not honoured when we are scared of the competition. The only person I should fear is God. I must be bold, confident and believe that I will destroy my competition. I need to be respectful of my competition and not look down on them as people or disrespect them as people, but as competition, I should be looking to destroy them. Sports are a battle. Destroy the competition, and in Christ-like love, shake their hand after. Again, it is important however to ensure that you are not disrespectful to them while destroying them, for it is a game, not war. Be mindful of being Christ-like when you are seeking to destroy your competition in sport.
In order to do my best I should have an attitude of, "No competition can stand against me accomplishing what I am seeking to accomplish. No competition is better than me". The only One whom I should understand can prevent me from accomplishing what I am seeking to accomplish is God. That is a very comforting thing which breeds confidence, because it allows me to go out there with an attitude of desiring to accomplish something for God and His glory, understanding that I will only accomplish it if God chooses to bless my efforts. He calls me to do my best though. He calls me to do my part. Therefore, it is important for me to be confident and truly believe that no competition can stand in my way. Doing so will ensure that I put forth my personal best, and then allow God to take care of the results. I can say, "I give you this effort and performance Lord. Please be glorified and do with it as you see fit".
Look at David. When he fought Goliath, he was extremely bold and confident. I know that he had faith that God was going to bring him out on top, but he could not be passive. He still was bold and confident and he went out there aggressively and went after the victory. He was in no way passive, waiting for God to bring the victory to him. David understood that he had to do his part in the process. David had to work as if it depended on him, but he lived realizing that it didn't. David understood that in the end, God's will would be done. David understood that he would only be victorious if God chose to bless his efforts.
Monday, 6 October 2014
God is honoured through my efforts to pursue excellence
God is honoured when I strive to do my best in anything I am doing. Pursuing excellence honours Him.
Pursuing excellence means working my hardest to get as good as I can. This takes time and energy. I need to work hard in a way that honours Him to get great in a way that honours Him.
I need to work hard as if it all depends on me, but then live realising it doesn't. Any success I ever have directly relates to whether God chooses to bless my efforts. Either way He is still glorified by my efforts regardless of the outcome, and I have the responsibility to pit that effort in. This is because He is worshipped by my efforts and also He
expects me to work hard and do my part in the things that I pursue.
In striving to worship God through my efforts, simply work your hardest and then ask God to use those efforts to bring about something beautiful for Him. That is the sole purpose of my efforts.
When I look at all of these concepts, I have at times felt like I have to make them all blend together and/or build off of each other. I don't know if that is the best way to look at them. They certainly relate to each other, but I think it may be better to simply recognise them as individual principles which you apply as the situations call for them. The one thing to look out for is to make sure that none of these principles contradict each other, but most importantly that they don't contradict God's Word.
Pursuing excellence means working my hardest to get as good as I can. This takes time and energy. I need to work hard in a way that honours Him to get great in a way that honours Him.
I need to work hard as if it all depends on me, but then live realising it doesn't. Any success I ever have directly relates to whether God chooses to bless my efforts. Either way He is still glorified by my efforts regardless of the outcome, and I have the responsibility to pit that effort in. This is because He is worshipped by my efforts and also He
expects me to work hard and do my part in the things that I pursue.
In striving to worship God through my efforts, simply work your hardest and then ask God to use those efforts to bring about something beautiful for Him. That is the sole purpose of my efforts.
When I look at all of these concepts, I have at times felt like I have to make them all blend together and/or build off of each other. I don't know if that is the best way to look at them. They certainly relate to each other, but I think it may be better to simply recognise them as individual principles which you apply as the situations call for them. The one thing to look out for is to make sure that none of these principles contradict each other, but most importantly that they don't contradict God's Word.
Audience of One...He sees my failures perfectly
Another huge bonus of playing for Christ is the fact that He views my failures perfectly. Often we fear failing due to the fact that we care what other people think. When we play for Christ however, He understands perfectly that we are not perfect. He doesn't demand perfection. He doesn't even demand a win. He simply wants me to go out and do my best as an act of worship to Him.
Other people look at our failures and judge us. My Audience of One, Who is the perfect Judge, simply loves me and wants me to enjoy worshipping Him through my efforts. He looks on with perfect love. There is no better audience than that. What incredible peace and freedom playing for Him alone brings. Why would I ever fear?
Other people look at our failures and judge us. My Audience of One, Who is the perfect Judge, simply loves me and wants me to enjoy worshipping Him through my efforts. He looks on with perfect love. There is no better audience than that. What incredible peace and freedom playing for Him alone brings. Why would I ever fear?
Monday, 29 September 2014
Apart from Me you can do nothing.
http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/we-can-do-nothing
I have often wondered about the verse, "Apart from Christ I can do nothing". I wondered because you look at non-Christians who accomplish great things in this world. Things like charity work, or athletic success or business success. What this verse is actually saying is that you cannot bear true fruit for God without Him. You may be able to accomplish great things, and these things may seem like they are examples of fruit for God's Kingdom, but they are not examples of true fruit if we do them on our own effort apart from God, for God is saying in this verse (John 15:5) that apart from Him we cannot bear fruit.
This becomes that much more clear when we examine Romans 7:18, John 15:5 and Galatians 5 together. You recognize the fact that nothing good dwells in my sinful flesh (Romans 7:18). Galatians 5 outlines all the characteristics of my flesh. However it also outlines the Fruit of the Spirit which God will manifest through us when we are surrendered to Him. As you examine the fruit of the Spirit, you realize very quickly that you cannot bear this fruit by your own effort. You need to surrender to God, ask for His help and strength and then allow Him to supernaturally work through you and bear these fruits.
When you examine these verses together it becomes increasingly clear that Jesus is bang on (as always) that we cannot bear fruit apart from Him.
When I have read this verse in the past I misunderstood it to mean that I can't do anything meaningful by my own effort. This is not what the verse is saying. In actuality there is a lot that I can do and accomplish by my own effort. The fact that non-Christians can accomplish success in this world proves that. But no one can bear meaningful fruit apart from the Lord. No one can bear the fruit of the Spirit.
These truths should not serve as permission to go out and try to accomplish things solely by our own efforts. All our pursuits are always most meaningful when we are doing them to glorify the Lord. In everything we do we should be working our hardest at it as a means of worshiping and glorifying Him, and then trusting Him to make from our efforts whatever He wants - to bring about the results from our efforts that He sees fit.
It is important to realize that any success I ever have in anything directly relates to the degree that God chooses to bless my efforts. Also, even though it is possible to accomplish things by my efforts (as explained above), it is important to seek God in everything I do. This means asking for His help to do my best, asking Him to bless my efforts, seeking Him for how to go about things, dedicating all my effort to Him, etc.
As I work my hardest at everything I do, I also need to do so in ways that are God honouring and glorify Him. For instance I should be confident, loving, patient, etc.. It is also important to check your motives. Everything we do should be for the glory of God. There is a verse in the Bible which speaks about how our deeds are like filthy menstrual rags if they are done out of selfish ambition. We were made to worship the Lord, so everything we do must be for His glory alone. I have had this wrong in so many areas if my life. I need to stop doing things to bring glory to myself. And when I do that it helps take away stress because I am striving g to perform for an audience of One, and He does not want me concerned about results, but rather the process of worshipping Him.
-talk next about how this relates to doing my best in teaching, sports, etc....He has blessed me with abilities and I have to work my hardest as if depends on me...I have to actually do it confidently because Christ gives us Spirit of courage. These circumstances are not what "apart from Me" is speaking about. The fact that I have messed up in the past by being nervous proves that I have to do it...
Let the Lord work through you naturally. You still work hard but let Him work through you naturally
Is my obedience and service and worship about the genuine fruit of Christ's presence and power? I must be always examining myself and checking my motives.
Won't be fruit
Therefore there are some things which you can do by self but fruit is not beared when doing on own effort
If it isn't about Him in us then it won't be worship. If it is not about pleasing Him alone then it is not worship.
I have often wondered about the verse, "Apart from Christ I can do nothing". I wondered because you look at non-Christians who accomplish great things in this world. Things like charity work, or athletic success or business success. What this verse is actually saying is that you cannot bear true fruit for God without Him. You may be able to accomplish great things, and these things may seem like they are examples of fruit for God's Kingdom, but they are not examples of true fruit if we do them on our own effort apart from God, for God is saying in this verse (John 15:5) that apart from Him we cannot bear fruit.
This becomes that much more clear when we examine Romans 7:18, John 15:5 and Galatians 5 together. You recognize the fact that nothing good dwells in my sinful flesh (Romans 7:18). Galatians 5 outlines all the characteristics of my flesh. However it also outlines the Fruit of the Spirit which God will manifest through us when we are surrendered to Him. As you examine the fruit of the Spirit, you realize very quickly that you cannot bear this fruit by your own effort. You need to surrender to God, ask for His help and strength and then allow Him to supernaturally work through you and bear these fruits.
When you examine these verses together it becomes increasingly clear that Jesus is bang on (as always) that we cannot bear fruit apart from Him.
When I have read this verse in the past I misunderstood it to mean that I can't do anything meaningful by my own effort. This is not what the verse is saying. In actuality there is a lot that I can do and accomplish by my own effort. The fact that non-Christians can accomplish success in this world proves that. But no one can bear meaningful fruit apart from the Lord. No one can bear the fruit of the Spirit.
These truths should not serve as permission to go out and try to accomplish things solely by our own efforts. All our pursuits are always most meaningful when we are doing them to glorify the Lord. In everything we do we should be working our hardest at it as a means of worshiping and glorifying Him, and then trusting Him to make from our efforts whatever He wants - to bring about the results from our efforts that He sees fit.
It is important to realize that any success I ever have in anything directly relates to the degree that God chooses to bless my efforts. Also, even though it is possible to accomplish things by my efforts (as explained above), it is important to seek God in everything I do. This means asking for His help to do my best, asking Him to bless my efforts, seeking Him for how to go about things, dedicating all my effort to Him, etc.
As I work my hardest at everything I do, I also need to do so in ways that are God honouring and glorify Him. For instance I should be confident, loving, patient, etc.. It is also important to check your motives. Everything we do should be for the glory of God. There is a verse in the Bible which speaks about how our deeds are like filthy menstrual rags if they are done out of selfish ambition. We were made to worship the Lord, so everything we do must be for His glory alone. I have had this wrong in so many areas if my life. I need to stop doing things to bring glory to myself. And when I do that it helps take away stress because I am striving g to perform for an audience of One, and He does not want me concerned about results, but rather the process of worshipping Him.
-talk next about how this relates to doing my best in teaching, sports, etc....He has blessed me with abilities and I have to work my hardest as if depends on me...I have to actually do it confidently because Christ gives us Spirit of courage. These circumstances are not what "apart from Me" is speaking about. The fact that I have messed up in the past by being nervous proves that I have to do it...
Let the Lord work through you naturally. You still work hard but let Him work through you naturally
Is my obedience and service and worship about the genuine fruit of Christ's presence and power? I must be always examining myself and checking my motives.
Won't be fruit
Therefore there are some things which you can do by self but fruit is not beared when doing on own effort
If it isn't about Him in us then it won't be worship. If it is not about pleasing Him alone then it is not worship.
Monday, 22 September 2014
Take chances...don't fear failure
“What on earth would make someone a non learner? Everyone is born with an intense drive to learn.
Infants stretch their skills daily. Not just ordinary skills, but the most difficult tasks of a lifetime, like
learning to walk and talk. They never decide it’s too hard or not worth the effort. Babies don’t worry
about making mistakes or humiliating themselves. They walk, they fall, they get up. They just barge
forward. What could put an end to this exuberant learning? The fixed mindset. As soon as children
become able to evaluate themselves, some of them be-come afraid of challenges. They become afraid of not
being smart. I have studied thousands of people from preschoolers on, and it’s breathtaking how many
reject an opportunity to learn.”
Saturday, 13 September 2014
Audience of One = Peace & Joy At All Times
God calls me to live for Him and Him alone. He calls me to do all things for His glory, not my own. When I stop and think about this truth, I find that there is incredible peace and joy in it. Unfortunately I have not allowed myself to fully experience this peace and joy because I have been focused on myself, rather than my Savior - the audience of One whom I solely should be focused on.
When I look back on any time that I have ever been worried, anxious or nervous it has been because I have been focused on what I want to accomplish. It has also been because I am worried about what others will think about me. Notice, the keywords "I" and "me". I am focused on what I want, and what I want others to think of me. THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF LIVING FOR MY AUDIENCE OF ONE - JESUS CHRIST!
I have allowed society to brainwash me into thinking that in order to do my best, I need to be focused on specific results. As a Christian, I should never measure success by the world's standards, but unfortunately I have allowed myself to be suckered into this.
I want to experience the extreme freedom that comes from living for the audience of Jesus alone. In order to do this, I believe I must do the following:
1. Courageously work my hardest at everything I do.
I must work my hardest without any fear. When you look at characters in the Bible who were successful warriors, they were focused on what God wanted, not what others expected of them. There eyes were locked on the Lord. They courageously served God and followed His instructions. I must be courageous in everything for "God has given us a spirit of courage", and He also calls us to work our hardest in everything, "As working for the Lord, not for men". Courageously work your hardest, for God is honored when we do.
2. Seek excellence in everything I do.
While working my hardest courageously, I must not work hard aimlessly. God is honored when I seek to be excellent in the things he brings my way. After all, the world is watching us. Do you think the world will respect us if we are half-hearted in what we do? God calls us to take the talents he has blessed us with and manifest them - developing them to the greatest extent we possibly can, and relying on His guidance and strength to do so.
3. When it's "game time" find freedom in focusing on The Audience of One
Once I have put in all the preparation to be the best I can be, then I can go out and seek to be excellent courageously. As mentioned above, I can find increased courage and freedom in being focused on God alone. I can seek to perform to glorify Him alone - making that my sole purpose. This way, I am not focused on what I want, and I'm not focused on what others want. I am simply focused on doing my best as an act of worship to the Lord, and doing it in the ways that best honor Him.
If I do find myself nervous, anxious or scared in any way, shape or form, I must examine where these feelings are coming from. Chances are, they are a result of me being focused on results that I personally want, or from a fear of not meeting the expectations of others.
These principles have been most evident for me in my athletic endeavors, specifically with golf. I have so often sabotaged myself from achieving my best results because I have been worried and nervous. There have been countless times where I feel like if I had simply relaxed I would have won tournaments, or at least achieved much better results. In other words, I don't feel like I have achieved my best for God's glory, not just from a results standpoint, but from an attitude standpoint as well. I have been so focused on the results that I want, and being concerned about what others will think of me if I don't achieve them, that it prevents me from doing my best for the One who really matters.
To find freedom and joy in doing your best for God, with Him being your true Audience of One, it is imperative that I focus on Him alone, and not care about what I want, or what anyone else wants. When I am truly focused on God, then all worry and fear should not be present.
Many athletes get their confidence from cockiness. As Christians, our confidence should be found in Christ which is so much more powerful and useful and effective than the cockiness of any human being.
I need to be focused on joyfully and confidently doing my best in the process, and then allow God to take care of the results. Any time I am focused on results, I make it about me, and when I make it about me, that is when fear and anxiety creep in.
When I look back on any time that I have ever been worried, anxious or nervous it has been because I have been focused on what I want to accomplish. It has also been because I am worried about what others will think about me. Notice, the keywords "I" and "me". I am focused on what I want, and what I want others to think of me. THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF LIVING FOR MY AUDIENCE OF ONE - JESUS CHRIST!
I have allowed society to brainwash me into thinking that in order to do my best, I need to be focused on specific results. As a Christian, I should never measure success by the world's standards, but unfortunately I have allowed myself to be suckered into this.
I want to experience the extreme freedom that comes from living for the audience of Jesus alone. In order to do this, I believe I must do the following:
1. Courageously work my hardest at everything I do.
I must work my hardest without any fear. When you look at characters in the Bible who were successful warriors, they were focused on what God wanted, not what others expected of them. There eyes were locked on the Lord. They courageously served God and followed His instructions. I must be courageous in everything for "God has given us a spirit of courage", and He also calls us to work our hardest in everything, "As working for the Lord, not for men". Courageously work your hardest, for God is honored when we do.
2. Seek excellence in everything I do.
While working my hardest courageously, I must not work hard aimlessly. God is honored when I seek to be excellent in the things he brings my way. After all, the world is watching us. Do you think the world will respect us if we are half-hearted in what we do? God calls us to take the talents he has blessed us with and manifest them - developing them to the greatest extent we possibly can, and relying on His guidance and strength to do so.
3. When it's "game time" find freedom in focusing on The Audience of One
Once I have put in all the preparation to be the best I can be, then I can go out and seek to be excellent courageously. As mentioned above, I can find increased courage and freedom in being focused on God alone. I can seek to perform to glorify Him alone - making that my sole purpose. This way, I am not focused on what I want, and I'm not focused on what others want. I am simply focused on doing my best as an act of worship to the Lord, and doing it in the ways that best honor Him.
If I do find myself nervous, anxious or scared in any way, shape or form, I must examine where these feelings are coming from. Chances are, they are a result of me being focused on results that I personally want, or from a fear of not meeting the expectations of others.
These principles have been most evident for me in my athletic endeavors, specifically with golf. I have so often sabotaged myself from achieving my best results because I have been worried and nervous. There have been countless times where I feel like if I had simply relaxed I would have won tournaments, or at least achieved much better results. In other words, I don't feel like I have achieved my best for God's glory, not just from a results standpoint, but from an attitude standpoint as well. I have been so focused on the results that I want, and being concerned about what others will think of me if I don't achieve them, that it prevents me from doing my best for the One who really matters.
To find freedom and joy in doing your best for God, with Him being your true Audience of One, it is imperative that I focus on Him alone, and not care about what I want, or what anyone else wants. When I am truly focused on God, then all worry and fear should not be present.
Many athletes get their confidence from cockiness. As Christians, our confidence should be found in Christ which is so much more powerful and useful and effective than the cockiness of any human being.
I need to be focused on joyfully and confidently doing my best in the process, and then allow God to take care of the results. Any time I am focused on results, I make it about me, and when I make it about me, that is when fear and anxiety creep in.
Sunday, 7 September 2014
Golf notes to remember to start next season
When pitching, if I do not have a good view of where to land it, then just hit it to the pin.
2. I am hitting it well when I forget about shoulder turn. I am even hitting it long this way. I just bring arm back and feel like I am not even moving my shoulders and back. It is almost like how I feel with a wedge going 3/4 back at times. Obviously I am not taking 3/4 swings with other clubs but it feels this way.
3. God has answered my prayer and helped my putting. He has taught me to see the line of the Pitt and then Pitt across this line. However I must not force it. I put best when I look at hile, look back at ball and loosely see the line in my head when looking at the ball, and then I use that line to hit it across the proper line with the proper weight.
4. Chipping has been better in that I look at where I want to land ball and then just do it. It is like my mind has got used to seeing where it has to land and my club and swing just kind if follow. My eyes, club and hand are kind if in since and I don't have to force it. My eyes see the line because I know the trajectory the ball will take off the club from that distance...the ball will not fly as high the closer I am to the pin because the closer I am, the less club head speed generated.
5. For draws and fades, stick with the method of lining up the club at target, and my body at where ball is to start and then swing along shoulder/body line and trust your swing.
6. Use the club as a tool. Remember to think about putting hammer on back if nail. Think about this before and even during swing if needed. Sometimes need to think about this in backswing but it still makes for very efficient swing.
2. I am hitting it well when I forget about shoulder turn. I am even hitting it long this way. I just bring arm back and feel like I am not even moving my shoulders and back. It is almost like how I feel with a wedge going 3/4 back at times. Obviously I am not taking 3/4 swings with other clubs but it feels this way.
3. God has answered my prayer and helped my putting. He has taught me to see the line of the Pitt and then Pitt across this line. However I must not force it. I put best when I look at hile, look back at ball and loosely see the line in my head when looking at the ball, and then I use that line to hit it across the proper line with the proper weight.
4. Chipping has been better in that I look at where I want to land ball and then just do it. It is like my mind has got used to seeing where it has to land and my club and swing just kind if follow. My eyes, club and hand are kind if in since and I don't have to force it. My eyes see the line because I know the trajectory the ball will take off the club from that distance...the ball will not fly as high the closer I am to the pin because the closer I am, the less club head speed generated.
5. For draws and fades, stick with the method of lining up the club at target, and my body at where ball is to start and then swing along shoulder/body line and trust your swing.
6. Use the club as a tool. Remember to think about putting hammer on back if nail. Think about this before and even during swing if needed. Sometimes need to think about this in backswing but it still makes for very efficient swing.
How to think in golf.
When playing the club championships this year, I lost by one when I should have run away with it. I was playing more than well enough to do so. I lost because I was tense, nervous and tentative. When out playing tonight, I played really well because I played relaxed. I cared about the results but I wasn't nervous about them. I let the results happen by caring but having an attitude if indifference and that attitude was not forced. I need to work on implementing the following in my game while in competition:
1. Only think about the "do's" not the "don'ts". I have the tendency to think a lot about where I don't want to hit it and that tenses up my swing which in turn prevents me from scoring as best as I can. Just think about where you DO want to hit it and then do it. It is like how Michael Jordan said that He would never think about the consequences of a miss.
2. Have fun! God has revealed to me this year that I glorify Him better when I am relaxed and have fun. This does not mean that I don't care, it just means that I am having fun and accepting results rather than worrying about them....HAVE FUN AND RELAX CARE ABOUT RESULTS BUT DONT WORRY ABOUT THEM. HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF INDIFFERENCE, ACXEPTING WHATEVER THE RESULTS ARE. MY FOCUS IS GLORIFYING GOD.
3. With focusing on the do's and not the don'ts, I must at the same time trust my body to execute the shot. Anytime I am tentative in any way it prevents me from doing this. FOCUS ON THE DO'S AND THEN TRUST YOURSELF TO DO IT.
1. Only think about the "do's" not the "don'ts". I have the tendency to think a lot about where I don't want to hit it and that tenses up my swing which in turn prevents me from scoring as best as I can. Just think about where you DO want to hit it and then do it. It is like how Michael Jordan said that He would never think about the consequences of a miss.
2. Have fun! God has revealed to me this year that I glorify Him better when I am relaxed and have fun. This does not mean that I don't care, it just means that I am having fun and accepting results rather than worrying about them....HAVE FUN AND RELAX CARE ABOUT RESULTS BUT DONT WORRY ABOUT THEM. HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF INDIFFERENCE, ACXEPTING WHATEVER THE RESULTS ARE. MY FOCUS IS GLORIFYING GOD.
3. With focusing on the do's and not the don'ts, I must at the same time trust my body to execute the shot. Anytime I am tentative in any way it prevents me from doing this. FOCUS ON THE DO'S AND THEN TRUST YOURSELF TO DO IT.
Sunday, 3 August 2014
Next Steps for Golf
-try to get better as an act of worship to the LORD and see what doors He chooses to open. Don't try and force doors open, that is foolish. That is disobedient to God and could lead me to miss out on His perfect will. Just like all other aspects of life, take one step of obedience at a time. Right now I believe that step is to play golf joyfully as an act of worship to the Lord, and in the process try to get as good as I possibly can. As I do this, keeping my priorities straight - only working on my game when I have the time to do so and not sacrificing more important things in life, I can surrender to the LORD and allow Him to open any doors that HE chooses in His perfect timing.
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
GSP book notes
Work like a champion. Fight like a champion. Love winning and always so what you need to to win. Ebem love the battle against myself and getting in my own way. Love the fight and always expect to win.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
GSP book notes
Work like a champion. Fight like a champion. Love winning and always so what you need to to win. Ebem love the battle against myself and getting in my own way. Love the fight and always expect to win.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
GSP book notes
Work like a champion. Fight like a champion. Love winning and always so what you need to to win. Ebem love the battle against myself and getting in my own way. Love the fight and always expect to win.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
GSP book notes
Work like a champion. Fight like a champion. Love winning and always so what you need to to win. Ebem love the battle against myself and getting in my own way. Love the fight and always expect to win.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
-set a goal, make a plan, work tirelessly, achieve, repeat
-work tirelessly towards goals and accept whatever the result. Should be that much more true for Christians
-mediocrity is not trying. Greatness comes from working tirelessly toward a goal and either failing greatly or achieving greatly. Accept whatever result God chooses to give you or allow for you.
-he loves his fear bc of what it makes him do and accomplish
-see failure as great bc it teaches you HIW and what to improve
-your unexpected success is powerful against your opponent. You are not surprised, just them.
-get the mist out of training. Make every moment count and develop stamina to go hard for long, but meaningful and appropriate amounts if time
-sometimes with training you need to mix things up so that you don't get into a stagnant routine. Always be finding ways to improve. This involves innovation. While others keep doing what they are doing and getting stagnant, I maintain innovative attitude toward my training anroutine
getting better by not being stagnant.
-clearly visualize your goals
-way to get better is to identify weaknesses and work to make them strengths. Do this by taking small things and practicing them until they are perfect then move onto the next small thing. Don't try to work on to much at once. Set meaningful/strategic plans.
-a big part of success is the marriage of vision and discipline. The key to this is routine
-success also comes through working hard and practicing hard on the day and timed that you don't feel like it. They may not be the best practice sessions, but because you make it a priority to still work hard even when you don't feel like it it leads to greater likelihoods of success. Anyone can work hard and get good work done when they feel like it, but the difference is working hard even when you don't feel like it. Because of that difference one might argue that the practice sessions when you don't feel like it might be the most important
-practice like you are number 2, play like you are number 1
-focus completely on task. If you had $100 worth of focus, then focusing on anything other than task is waste if focus.
Saturday, 19 July 2014
priorities & joy
Today I played in a Golf Channel tour event and won. The night before I was reading a book to Aivry and it was about a fairy who won a race because she was having fun and didn't really care as much about winning as she did about enjoying herself. I felt like this was a fun way that God was reminding me to just go out and play with joy for Him and His glory. My golf score does not define me, my relationship with Him does, and so when I play I must do so in the ways that best honor Him.
Earlier in the week I got my first hole in one. I got it in the evening after deciding not to play in the morning because I wanted to spend time with Aivry, Josiah and Brie, but most importantly spend time in devotion to God. I felt God telling me that the hole in one should serve as a reminder of the blessings that come from keeping my priorities straight. Life in general is better and more blessed when God is first and center in all things.
Earlier in the week I got my first hole in one. I got it in the evening after deciding not to play in the morning because I wanted to spend time with Aivry, Josiah and Brie, but most importantly spend time in devotion to God. I felt God telling me that the hole in one should serve as a reminder of the blessings that come from keeping my priorities straight. Life in general is better and more blessed when God is first and center in all things.
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Total Surrender...I Haven't Even Been Close
A life that is truly surrendered will be one which reflects that of Jesus. He was the perfect example of surrender and humility. He was equal to God, yet He did not live His life to gain the recognition that should come with that. Rather, He lived as a servant. He humbly lived His life in total surrender to God and His purposes, and this meant living as a servant, not for His glory, but for the glory of God.
When you think about all the accolades that Jesus gave up it is incredible. He deserved to be absolutely worshiped 24/7 here on earth. And He did not simply give up these accolades. It is not like He simply hid in the background and went about life in that kind of humble way. Instead He displayed TRUE humility. Instead of seeking "Equality with God", He made Himself a servant. It is so important to get a clear picture of this. He was God, and was absolutely worthy of all praise and glory that comes with that, yet instead He chose to make Himself a servant of those who should have been worshiping Him. I MUST GET THIS!! If anyone who has ever existed deserved to take a break, take it easy and pursue their own glory, it would have been Jesus. A big reason why He did not seek any glory, but instead made Himself a servant was because He was providing the perfect model for us of how a Christian is EXPECTED to live their life.
I am humbled and embarrassed when I reflect on these truths. Jesus was 24/7 dedicated to His Father's will. He was 24/7 dedicated to serving others because this is what God called Him to. He did not even for a second live for Himself. Every single moment was for Jesus. If I compare this to my life, I am ashamed. I am a selfish, selfish person. I live for myself. I live looking for ways to please myself and serve myself. God has called me to follow the example of Jesus, and yet I fall so very short. I am not even close. I realize that I will never be close, but I am not even close, to what I could be.
I must begin following the example of Jesus. I must humble myself before Him and be surrendered to Him. I must stop being motivated by things that bring me alone happiness, and begin surrendering to Him completely so that I begin to be motivated by the desire to serve Him wholeheartedly. If I truly am imitating the life of Christ, I will be motivated to serve others. I will be motivated to look for ways that I can deny myself, and put my family well before myself. I will even be motivated by putting others well before myself because this is what Jesus did. If I am not imitating Christ, then I am wasting my life, because He provided the perfect model of what a perfect life looks like. I will never be even close, but I need to get a whole lot closer.
In my life I have been motivated by the things that I enjoy, by things that can bring me glory. I know that God has blessed me with things that I enjoy so that I can enjoy them, but I need to start enjoying them in the ways that He means for them to be enjoyed. My purpose for doing these things must be to glorify and honor Him. They must be to worship Him, and to bring Him alone glory, not myself. These are how God wants me to enjoy them. These are the best ways, the most pure ways, to enjoy anything. My glory is far to small a thing to live for. God and His glory is the only thing worth living for.
When you think about all the accolades that Jesus gave up it is incredible. He deserved to be absolutely worshiped 24/7 here on earth. And He did not simply give up these accolades. It is not like He simply hid in the background and went about life in that kind of humble way. Instead He displayed TRUE humility. Instead of seeking "Equality with God", He made Himself a servant. It is so important to get a clear picture of this. He was God, and was absolutely worthy of all praise and glory that comes with that, yet instead He chose to make Himself a servant of those who should have been worshiping Him. I MUST GET THIS!! If anyone who has ever existed deserved to take a break, take it easy and pursue their own glory, it would have been Jesus. A big reason why He did not seek any glory, but instead made Himself a servant was because He was providing the perfect model for us of how a Christian is EXPECTED to live their life.
I am humbled and embarrassed when I reflect on these truths. Jesus was 24/7 dedicated to His Father's will. He was 24/7 dedicated to serving others because this is what God called Him to. He did not even for a second live for Himself. Every single moment was for Jesus. If I compare this to my life, I am ashamed. I am a selfish, selfish person. I live for myself. I live looking for ways to please myself and serve myself. God has called me to follow the example of Jesus, and yet I fall so very short. I am not even close. I realize that I will never be close, but I am not even close, to what I could be.
I must begin following the example of Jesus. I must humble myself before Him and be surrendered to Him. I must stop being motivated by things that bring me alone happiness, and begin surrendering to Him completely so that I begin to be motivated by the desire to serve Him wholeheartedly. If I truly am imitating the life of Christ, I will be motivated to serve others. I will be motivated to look for ways that I can deny myself, and put my family well before myself. I will even be motivated by putting others well before myself because this is what Jesus did. If I am not imitating Christ, then I am wasting my life, because He provided the perfect model of what a perfect life looks like. I will never be even close, but I need to get a whole lot closer.
In my life I have been motivated by the things that I enjoy, by things that can bring me glory. I know that God has blessed me with things that I enjoy so that I can enjoy them, but I need to start enjoying them in the ways that He means for them to be enjoyed. My purpose for doing these things must be to glorify and honor Him. They must be to worship Him, and to bring Him alone glory, not myself. These are how God wants me to enjoy them. These are the best ways, the most pure ways, to enjoy anything. My glory is far to small a thing to live for. God and His glory is the only thing worth living for.
Friday, 4 April 2014
Roy Halladay Retirement Interview
-Some really good insights. Said that he had to be his own critic. Had to look at every game and examine what he did well, and what he did not do well, regardless of what the outcome of the game was. Had to be honest with himself. It would be possible to get a win, with only a couple hits, but realize that he really didn't pitch the way he should have if his defense was having to make great plays for him. Therefore, he needed to honestly identify what he did not do well and try to correct it. He also spoke about how he had to identify where his confidence came from. Success comes as a result of confidence, and so need to identify where your confidence comes from to enhance chances of success. Halladay said that success comes from your preparation, but it is important to recognize what part of your preparation your success comes from. Does it come from you workouts, your video work, you mechanics work. It is important to have an answer for that and feed off of it and build off of it. Preparation and routine are huge for developing success. Find your routine and just build tremendous confidence...and then as a Christian, allow God's will to be done in regards to the results. Prepare and build confidence as an act of worship to Him, and then surrender all results to Him.
Thursday, 3 April 2014
Empty my cup and allow God to fill it with what He wants
From listening to JJ Hunter and Kristina Hunter speak at church.
It us so important to always be completely surrendered to the Lord. I must empty my cup of all my own goals, dreams and ambitions and allow God to fill it back up with whatever He wants for me. After all, His ways bring true fulfillment and my glory is far to small a thing to live for.
I was inspired by JJ telling his story about how close He was to the NHL but He walked away because he felt God had spoken to him very clearly about other plans He had for Him. JJ said that he felt to.continue to pursue hockey would have been to disobey God.
I must from these wise pieces of advice. God has opened then do or for me to do other things beside golf. He has opened the door for me to be a teacher. I believe this is what He wants me doing. If He didn't want me doing this, then I don't think he would have done all that He has for me. In a time where teaching is extremely difficult to find a job in, God has always made the path extremely clear and easy for me. And He did this despite the fact that I at no point was extremely motivated to teach. It is another example of my foolishness, His grace and provision, and my need for utter dependence on Him.
Lord
It us so important to always be completely surrendered to the Lord. I must empty my cup of all my own goals, dreams and ambitions and allow God to fill it back up with whatever He wants for me. After all, His ways bring true fulfillment and my glory is far to small a thing to live for.
I was inspired by JJ telling his story about how close He was to the NHL but He walked away because he felt God had spoken to him very clearly about other plans He had for Him. JJ said that he felt to.continue to pursue hockey would have been to disobey God.
I must from these wise pieces of advice. God has opened then do or for me to do other things beside golf. He has opened the door for me to be a teacher. I believe this is what He wants me doing. If He didn't want me doing this, then I don't think he would have done all that He has for me. In a time where teaching is extremely difficult to find a job in, God has always made the path extremely clear and easy for me. And He did this despite the fact that I at no point was extremely motivated to teach. It is another example of my foolishness, His grace and provision, and my need for utter dependence on Him.
Lord
Saturday, 15 March 2014
We cannot comprehend God and His ways
Proverbs 25:2
Isaiah 45:15
Deuteronomy 29:29
Ecclesiastes 11:5
Isaiah 55:8-9
Romans 11:33
1 Corinthians 2:16
Romans 8:28
All if these verses above speak to the fact that we as humans cannot understand God and His ways. However, because Romans 8:28 clearly stats that God works all things together for His glory and purposes, we can have faith and hope knowing that whatever happens, God will use it for His glory and purposes.
The reason why I wrote this is because there are times where people have righteous motives and their hearts are in the right place, but God still decides not to allow them to accomplish the dreams that they have desired. It is just like how King David wanted to build the temple, but God said that it was a good desire to have, but He wanted Solomon to build it instead. We will not always understand all of God's ways, but we can trust Him and surrender to Him knowing that He works everything out for His glory.
It is like a computer being asked to fully comprehend everything about the human who created it...it just doesn't make sense.
Isaiah 45:15
Deuteronomy 29:29
Ecclesiastes 11:5
Isaiah 55:8-9
Romans 11:33
1 Corinthians 2:16
Romans 8:28
All if these verses above speak to the fact that we as humans cannot understand God and His ways. However, because Romans 8:28 clearly stats that God works all things together for His glory and purposes, we can have faith and hope knowing that whatever happens, God will use it for His glory and purposes.
The reason why I wrote this is because there are times where people have righteous motives and their hearts are in the right place, but God still decides not to allow them to accomplish the dreams that they have desired. It is just like how King David wanted to build the temple, but God said that it was a good desire to have, but He wanted Solomon to build it instead. We will not always understand all of God's ways, but we can trust Him and surrender to Him knowing that He works everything out for His glory.
It is like a computer being asked to fully comprehend everything about the human who created it...it just doesn't make sense.
Is my heart right?
God does not look at us the way the world, or even we, look at ourselves. "God looks at the heart, not outward appearance.". Therefore, it is important to realize that God can use us in any way He sees fit. It doesn't matter what we think we may or may not be good at. If God wants to accomplish something through us then He will - as long as we are surrenders. The surrender is the "heart" part. God looks at our heart, and He can use us as long as we are surrendered. For this reason, we must always be examining our heart to ensure that we are surrendered.
When I look at my last experiences with golf I realize that my heart was not where it needed to be. I did want to be a pro golfer in order to have a witness for God and His Kingdom. I genuinely wanted to use that influence to lead people to Christ. However, my heart was not where it should have been. There was pride in my heart. I wanted the attention that came from speaking in front of people. I wanted the attention that came from playing golf in front of millions of people. I wanted the celebrity that came from all of this. I do not believe that it is wrong for people who are in these situations to enjoy these things, but it is wrong to love these things. When those things develop pride in your heart, and cause competition with God for your surrendered heart, then it is wrong.
I am sure that there are many other reasons why God did not allow me to become a professional golfer, and I believe the condition of my heart was one of them.
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
What God has been teaching me about the ways I was wrong in pursuing golf
God has helped me to realize that I have not been surrendered to Him. I have been trying to pursue golf because it is something I wanted to do. Although I did have righteous desires in it, I also had some unrighteousness, selfish desires too. God has helped me realize that I was trying to pursue golf, but I had not surrendered the results to Him. I was obsessed with the results that I wanted and was not surrendered to allow God to use the talents He has given me for His purposes, and to fulfill the plans that He sees as best, the plans that He has for me.
It is very ignorant of me to take the talents God has given me and then say, "Thank you God for these talents. I will use them in this particular way for you. I am not interested in using them in any other ways that you might have me to".
God has been helping me realize that it is okay to pursue golf as long as my priorities are straight. Golf must take a back seat to many other things in my life which are so much more important - namely God and the beautiful family He has blessed me with. So, He has taught me that it is okay to pursue golf as long as my priorities are straight, but with that said, my pursuit must be surrendered to Him. I should pursue excellence, however, I must surrender all results to Him. I must surrender where it takes me and what I do with golf. I must be seeking God for how He wants me to use the talents He has blessed me with. I have always wanted to be a successful tournament player, but if God wants me doing something else with my talents, then I have the responsibility to do that. And what a joy I know that will be because I am always most fulfilled when I am surrendered to God's perfect will. When God leads me away from my initial dreams toward something else, He is doing this out of love. I want what He wants because it is ALWAYS best, and will always lead to the greatest joy and fulfillment.
Something else that God has been teaching me, and I find this so exciting, is the fact that in the past I wrongfully attempted to find joy in my pursuit of golf, but now, god is calling me to put that passion into priorities which are so much more important. I am excited to put that passion into loving and serving God, growing with Him and seeking opportunities that He leads me to to minister for Him and spread the gospel. Also, loving and serving my family, raising my beautiful children, growing with and supporting my gorgeous wife - these are priorities that are so much more important than pursuing the "possibility" of becoming a professional golfer. Even as I type this, I am more excited to pursue these things than I ever have been about pursuing golf. The reason for this is because to pursue golf has an element of selfishness in it. By pursuing things in a way which keep my priorities straight, that brings peace because I am aligned with God and His Word.
It is very ignorant of me to take the talents God has given me and then say, "Thank you God for these talents. I will use them in this particular way for you. I am not interested in using them in any other ways that you might have me to".
God has been helping me realize that it is okay to pursue golf as long as my priorities are straight. Golf must take a back seat to many other things in my life which are so much more important - namely God and the beautiful family He has blessed me with. So, He has taught me that it is okay to pursue golf as long as my priorities are straight, but with that said, my pursuit must be surrendered to Him. I should pursue excellence, however, I must surrender all results to Him. I must surrender where it takes me and what I do with golf. I must be seeking God for how He wants me to use the talents He has blessed me with. I have always wanted to be a successful tournament player, but if God wants me doing something else with my talents, then I have the responsibility to do that. And what a joy I know that will be because I am always most fulfilled when I am surrendered to God's perfect will. When God leads me away from my initial dreams toward something else, He is doing this out of love. I want what He wants because it is ALWAYS best, and will always lead to the greatest joy and fulfillment.
Something else that God has been teaching me, and I find this so exciting, is the fact that in the past I wrongfully attempted to find joy in my pursuit of golf, but now, god is calling me to put that passion into priorities which are so much more important. I am excited to put that passion into loving and serving God, growing with Him and seeking opportunities that He leads me to to minister for Him and spread the gospel. Also, loving and serving my family, raising my beautiful children, growing with and supporting my gorgeous wife - these are priorities that are so much more important than pursuing the "possibility" of becoming a professional golfer. Even as I type this, I am more excited to pursue these things than I ever have been about pursuing golf. The reason for this is because to pursue golf has an element of selfishness in it. By pursuing things in a way which keep my priorities straight, that brings peace because I am aligned with God and His Word.
Thursday, 20 February 2014
Don't fall into the trap if pursuing in a way that you shouldn't
As a Christian, it is very important to make sure that your priorities are straight. It is not a bad thing to pursue sports for God's glory, but this must not be done at the expense of more important things such as family or other ministries God has called you to. It can be easy to fall into the trap of justifying an unhealthy pursuit of sports by saying, "well I am doing this for God's glory. I am doing this to further His Kingdom". While there is nothing wrong with this desire, there is something wrong with it if you are placing this pursuit ahead of other priorities which are more important in God's sight. It is important to be seeking God to make sire that your priorities are in line with His and that you are not attempting to justify an improper pursuit of sport.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
What Ecclesiastes Teaches About Sports (and the importance of time management in the pursuit)
-If I could see His glory I would give Him all of my time and energy and be completely surrendered to Him. I would not seek to live for my own glory, but His alone. I would be so completely surrendered to Him.
- I must recognize that I am so tiny and insignificant, that to live for my own glory would be incredibly ridiculous. I must seek to live for God's glory because His purposes are meaningful and worth being a part of. To live for myself would be meaningless. It would be a waste of a life. Only God's purposes are truly worth living for.
- it is shameful to think that I would be excited to serve a celebrity and do stuff for them. How much more I should do this for God. I know the God of the universe. This just goes to show how foolish I am. I must take God so much more seriously. I must see Him for what He truly is.
I am to live as if my life has a point, and I am not it. My glory has no meaning, God's glory is the definition of meaningful, and He wants me to be a part of it. My glory is too little a thing to live for. I am too small a thing to live for.
Priority determines capacity. When I get my priorities straight it allows life to be more enjoyable. It is not necessarily a case of not getting to do the things I enjoy, it is just making sure that the most important aspects of my life come first. A good visual of this is trying to fit big rocks into a jar if pebbles. The rocks represent the important priorities in life, while the pebbles represent the things that we simply enjoy doing. When the pebbles take priority and go into the jar first, then they take up too much space and you can't fit in all the rocks. If you put the rocks in first however, then when you put the pebbles in they will find space around the rocks and you can then fit both the rocks and the pebbles into the jar. Priority definitely determines capacity. If you prioritize correctly, then you should be able to fit everything into your day/life that you need to.
When you try and rush things in life, in order to fit everything in, then it greatly hurts intimacy. Therefore when it comes to my relationship with God, as well as Brie and my kids, I must never rush. I never want to hurt intimacy in these relationships.
By putting the "God rock" into the jar of my life first, it helps me maintain proper priority in all areas of my life. After all, why wouldn't I do this. God says in Matthew 6:33 that He knows everything that I need and therefore I am to "seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness", and that when I do that He will provide for me everything else that I need. It is amazing that God knows what I need and promises to give it to me when I seek Him first, so of course He must come first in my life.
I believe that this means that I should spend the first minutes of my day with the Lord. It is a way to put Him first and set my day off right. It makes sure that God remains the center if my life in general, and therefore all that will arise in that day.
A good saying from Martin Luther is "Pray and let God worry". God wants to never be anxious about anything.
You will make better decisions if you live realizing that your days are numbered.
Investing small amounts of time on things that matter will have a positive cumulative value. At the same time, neglecting spending time on things that matter also have a negative cumulative value. And no one installment of time really matters. It is cumulative value over time that matters. For instance, spending time with my family once will not have a positive impact on my life. It is spending time with them on a consistent basis that will matter. At the same time, if I consistently neglect spending time with my family that will have a negative effect over time on my relationship with them.
Often times it can be very easy to fill our time with random things. For instance, surfing the internet in a leisurely manner, watching t.v., watching movies, etc.. It is important to realize that when you take these things and add up the time youbsoend on them theubhabe no value. There is no benefit to them. Therefore, it is important that we spend those random amounts of time on things which will have a positive cumulative value when we add them all up.
Ephesians 5:15, 16, 17 teaches these principles. It instructs us on the importance of making the most of every opportunity and using our time strategically.
The book of Ecclesiastes speaks in depth about how meaningless life is apart from God. It talks about how life does not always make sense. An example if this is when someone is faithful to God and bad things still happen. The good news though is that no matter what happens in life, God still wants us to trust Him and be faithful to Him. And He will use all things for His glory. Therefore, with these truths in mind, it makes it increasingly clear how important it is to live surrendered to God following His will for your life. It is important tonseek His will, discovering that which he chooses to reveal to you, and then live to tally surrendered to Him. Everything else in this life is meaningless apart from Him. Everyone lives, works hard, gains stuff and then dies leaving all that stuff to someone else who didn't earn it. Living life surrendered to God is the onlynwaay to find true fulfillment.
- I must recognize that I am so tiny and insignificant, that to live for my own glory would be incredibly ridiculous. I must seek to live for God's glory because His purposes are meaningful and worth being a part of. To live for myself would be meaningless. It would be a waste of a life. Only God's purposes are truly worth living for.
- it is shameful to think that I would be excited to serve a celebrity and do stuff for them. How much more I should do this for God. I know the God of the universe. This just goes to show how foolish I am. I must take God so much more seriously. I must see Him for what He truly is.
I am to live as if my life has a point, and I am not it. My glory has no meaning, God's glory is the definition of meaningful, and He wants me to be a part of it. My glory is too little a thing to live for. I am too small a thing to live for.
Priority determines capacity. When I get my priorities straight it allows life to be more enjoyable. It is not necessarily a case of not getting to do the things I enjoy, it is just making sure that the most important aspects of my life come first. A good visual of this is trying to fit big rocks into a jar if pebbles. The rocks represent the important priorities in life, while the pebbles represent the things that we simply enjoy doing. When the pebbles take priority and go into the jar first, then they take up too much space and you can't fit in all the rocks. If you put the rocks in first however, then when you put the pebbles in they will find space around the rocks and you can then fit both the rocks and the pebbles into the jar. Priority definitely determines capacity. If you prioritize correctly, then you should be able to fit everything into your day/life that you need to.
When you try and rush things in life, in order to fit everything in, then it greatly hurts intimacy. Therefore when it comes to my relationship with God, as well as Brie and my kids, I must never rush. I never want to hurt intimacy in these relationships.
By putting the "God rock" into the jar of my life first, it helps me maintain proper priority in all areas of my life. After all, why wouldn't I do this. God says in Matthew 6:33 that He knows everything that I need and therefore I am to "seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness", and that when I do that He will provide for me everything else that I need. It is amazing that God knows what I need and promises to give it to me when I seek Him first, so of course He must come first in my life.
I believe that this means that I should spend the first minutes of my day with the Lord. It is a way to put Him first and set my day off right. It makes sure that God remains the center if my life in general, and therefore all that will arise in that day.
A good saying from Martin Luther is "Pray and let God worry". God wants to never be anxious about anything.
You will make better decisions if you live realizing that your days are numbered.
Investing small amounts of time on things that matter will have a positive cumulative value. At the same time, neglecting spending time on things that matter also have a negative cumulative value. And no one installment of time really matters. It is cumulative value over time that matters. For instance, spending time with my family once will not have a positive impact on my life. It is spending time with them on a consistent basis that will matter. At the same time, if I consistently neglect spending time with my family that will have a negative effect over time on my relationship with them.
Often times it can be very easy to fill our time with random things. For instance, surfing the internet in a leisurely manner, watching t.v., watching movies, etc.. It is important to realize that when you take these things and add up the time youbsoend on them theubhabe no value. There is no benefit to them. Therefore, it is important that we spend those random amounts of time on things which will have a positive cumulative value when we add them all up.
Ephesians 5:15, 16, 17 teaches these principles. It instructs us on the importance of making the most of every opportunity and using our time strategically.
The book of Ecclesiastes speaks in depth about how meaningless life is apart from God. It talks about how life does not always make sense. An example if this is when someone is faithful to God and bad things still happen. The good news though is that no matter what happens in life, God still wants us to trust Him and be faithful to Him. And He will use all things for His glory. Therefore, with these truths in mind, it makes it increasingly clear how important it is to live surrendered to God following His will for your life. It is important tonseek His will, discovering that which he chooses to reveal to you, and then live to tally surrendered to Him. Everything else in this life is meaningless apart from Him. Everyone lives, works hard, gains stuff and then dies leaving all that stuff to someone else who didn't earn it. Living life surrendered to God is the onlynwaay to find true fulfillment.
Monday, 27 January 2014
Pursuing goals in God honoring ways
God has been teaching me a lot lately about what it means to pursue things for His glory. These are some if the things He has taught me.
1. God has given me talents and abilities and interests. I am responsible for working hard to develop these (as taught in the parable of the talents). The way that I make sure that I am doing this in a way that pleases the Lord is to ensure that I am using my talents to honor and serve Him. I must seek to further the Kingdom of God through these talents and interests.
God wants me to be excellent. Whether it be golf or work, God calls me to strive to be excellent at it. I should work my hardest to honor Him and part of this is by working to become the absolute very best that I can be.
With this said, it is important to remember the fact that I must keep my priorities straight. While God is honored by me working hard to develop my talents for a His glory, He is not honored if I do this at the expense if more important things (i.e. my relationship with Him and my family). Therefore, in working hard to pursue excellence in all that I do, I must remember that part if this excellence is keeping my priorities straight.
I have often wondered if God has willed me to be a teacher , and at the same time if it was not in His will for me to be a pro golfer. Through what He has been teaching me, I am starring to think that it is God's will for me to simply serve Him and He will use whatever choices I make. This goes along the lines of the teaching which I have heard in the past which says that God's will is not about Him dictating every single move of your life. This would mean that you would need to know exactly what the next move is or else you will not be in His will. Rather, what God expects from us is for us to obey His Word, for that is what ensures that we stay in His will. Therefore, I believe that God has blessed my efforts in becoming a teacher, but I don't think that it was His will that I would be a teacher and nothing else. I believe God takes the choices that we make and then uses them to further His Kingdom. I believe that if I am truly putting Him first in my life and trying to honor Him with my work, then no matter career I am in, God will use me in it to further His Kingdom and purposes.
I may be wrong with this, and if I am I believe that God will reveal it to me, but I feel God has been revealing this to me as truth. Especially when I think about how I became a teacher. In high school I did not know what I wanted to do as a career. I decided that I wanted to be a high school gym teacher. I made this decision because I thought it would be cool to teach sports all day and then have the summers off to golf. I mention this because it shows that this was a decision I was making. I did not feel called to it by any means. However , I do know that God used that decision and guided me to a place that He wanted me. He led me out of high school gym and into elementary school. He also opened many doors for me to have a full time job as a teacher in Ontario. He also has blessed me with success while teaching - especially on the area of feeling like I have been able to show the love of Christ to students and their families. When I have looked at these blessings in the past I have wondered if this means that I am called to teach. I am starting on think that I may not be called to it, but God is certainly using me and blessing me in it as I strive to keep him first and look for ways to honor Him. He has taken that decision I made to be a high school teacher and led me to a place of blessing and success. He has used that decision to further his Kingdom. Due to the fact that I never felt called to teaching, I have reason to believe that God would have blessed another career path had I chose it.
With all this said I know that God is sovereign. If I had been trying to make a bad career choice I don't think that He would have allowed it to happen. I am also not saying that it would be okay for me to pursue any careers or interests. It is extremely important to follow Proverbs 3:5,6 and seek God in all of life's decisions. However, when I examine what I know about God, and look at my personal life experiences with Him, I think it does confirm that God is not as concerned about what we pursue, as long as our focus is to keep Him first and honor Him in it.
To summarize these last thoughts, what I feel God has taught me is to seek Him in all decisions for what path to take. If He does not give clear direction, then choose the path you believe to be most wise, and then as you journey on this path, put God first and honor Him in it at all times. I think this puts us in the best position to be used by God to the greatest extent possible in whatever circumstances we are in.
If God does give clear calling and direction then I "pity the fool" who chooses a different path. I mean this quite literally.
I originally wanted to be a pro golfer. God blessed me in providing a respectable career that would allow me to very comfortably provide for my family while at the same time glorify Him. God has me teaching and I am very content in that and thankful for it. God blessed me in providing this job because I was not at a point where I was ready to be a golfer for money. I do believe though that if I get better some day that God could use me in that arena as well as long as I am putting Him first, seeking to honor Him and being surrendered to Him and His leading.
In anything you pursue, it is imperative to be honest with yourself in regards to why you are pursuing it. It is then important to ensure that the reasons why are in order to serve God and further His Kingdom in meaningful ways. It must always be for His glory, not my own.
1. God has given me talents and abilities and interests. I am responsible for working hard to develop these (as taught in the parable of the talents). The way that I make sure that I am doing this in a way that pleases the Lord is to ensure that I am using my talents to honor and serve Him. I must seek to further the Kingdom of God through these talents and interests.
God wants me to be excellent. Whether it be golf or work, God calls me to strive to be excellent at it. I should work my hardest to honor Him and part of this is by working to become the absolute very best that I can be.
With this said, it is important to remember the fact that I must keep my priorities straight. While God is honored by me working hard to develop my talents for a His glory, He is not honored if I do this at the expense if more important things (i.e. my relationship with Him and my family). Therefore, in working hard to pursue excellence in all that I do, I must remember that part if this excellence is keeping my priorities straight.
I have often wondered if God has willed me to be a teacher , and at the same time if it was not in His will for me to be a pro golfer. Through what He has been teaching me, I am starring to think that it is God's will for me to simply serve Him and He will use whatever choices I make. This goes along the lines of the teaching which I have heard in the past which says that God's will is not about Him dictating every single move of your life. This would mean that you would need to know exactly what the next move is or else you will not be in His will. Rather, what God expects from us is for us to obey His Word, for that is what ensures that we stay in His will. Therefore, I believe that God has blessed my efforts in becoming a teacher, but I don't think that it was His will that I would be a teacher and nothing else. I believe God takes the choices that we make and then uses them to further His Kingdom. I believe that if I am truly putting Him first in my life and trying to honor Him with my work, then no matter career I am in, God will use me in it to further His Kingdom and purposes.
I may be wrong with this, and if I am I believe that God will reveal it to me, but I feel God has been revealing this to me as truth. Especially when I think about how I became a teacher. In high school I did not know what I wanted to do as a career. I decided that I wanted to be a high school gym teacher. I made this decision because I thought it would be cool to teach sports all day and then have the summers off to golf. I mention this because it shows that this was a decision I was making. I did not feel called to it by any means. However , I do know that God used that decision and guided me to a place that He wanted me. He led me out of high school gym and into elementary school. He also opened many doors for me to have a full time job as a teacher in Ontario. He also has blessed me with success while teaching - especially on the area of feeling like I have been able to show the love of Christ to students and their families. When I have looked at these blessings in the past I have wondered if this means that I am called to teach. I am starting on think that I may not be called to it, but God is certainly using me and blessing me in it as I strive to keep him first and look for ways to honor Him. He has taken that decision I made to be a high school teacher and led me to a place of blessing and success. He has used that decision to further his Kingdom. Due to the fact that I never felt called to teaching, I have reason to believe that God would have blessed another career path had I chose it.
With all this said I know that God is sovereign. If I had been trying to make a bad career choice I don't think that He would have allowed it to happen. I am also not saying that it would be okay for me to pursue any careers or interests. It is extremely important to follow Proverbs 3:5,6 and seek God in all of life's decisions. However, when I examine what I know about God, and look at my personal life experiences with Him, I think it does confirm that God is not as concerned about what we pursue, as long as our focus is to keep Him first and honor Him in it.
To summarize these last thoughts, what I feel God has taught me is to seek Him in all decisions for what path to take. If He does not give clear direction, then choose the path you believe to be most wise, and then as you journey on this path, put God first and honor Him in it at all times. I think this puts us in the best position to be used by God to the greatest extent possible in whatever circumstances we are in.
If God does give clear calling and direction then I "pity the fool" who chooses a different path. I mean this quite literally.
I originally wanted to be a pro golfer. God blessed me in providing a respectable career that would allow me to very comfortably provide for my family while at the same time glorify Him. God has me teaching and I am very content in that and thankful for it. God blessed me in providing this job because I was not at a point where I was ready to be a golfer for money. I do believe though that if I get better some day that God could use me in that arena as well as long as I am putting Him first, seeking to honor Him and being surrendered to Him and His leading.
In anything you pursue, it is imperative to be honest with yourself in regards to why you are pursuing it. It is then important to ensure that the reasons why are in order to serve God and further His Kingdom in meaningful ways. It must always be for His glory, not my own.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Insights on what it means to work for God
From the following article....
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/100-000-hours-eight-aims-for-your-career
The bus driver’s route and the surgeon’s precision and the concierge’s counsel are all the Lord’s work when they are done in reliance upon him for strength and wisdom and giftedness. God calls me to serve him in faith. I am to work at all things for Him in faith. In faith I am to work to glorify Him by in faith trusting in Him to provide me with strength, wisdom and giftedness to accomplish the tasks to the greatest degree possible.
How I see this applying to the idea of "work as if it depends on you but then live realizing that it doesn't" is as follows. I work toward a certain result, working my hardest to achieve it. I do this in faith to glorify and worship God, trusting in Him for the strength, wisdom and giftedness needed to complete the task. If I don't achieve it that is okay because God is sovereign and will use all results for His glory and purposes (Romans 8:28). At the same time it is possible that the desired results did not happen because God did not want them to. In those cases I believe that God will still count my faith "as righteousness" (Hebrews 11) because in faith I was working at it for Him - relying on Him in faith to provide me with the strength, wisdom and giftedness to accomplish the task.
Everything not done for Christ will be in vain. Therefore, make sure that everything I do has God at the center and is for His glory alone. Anything not done in this way is an absolute waste of time.
With these thoughts i n mind I believe the following to be true....seek God before pursuing anything. Anything that He leads you to pursue work at it to glorify and worship Him. At the same time pursue in faith, trusting in God to provide the strength, wisdom and giftedness needed to be successful. I believe that this is the deeper meaning behind "work at it as if it depends on you, and then live realizing it doesn't".
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/100-000-hours-eight-aims-for-your-career
The bus driver’s route and the surgeon’s precision and the concierge’s counsel are all the Lord’s work when they are done in reliance upon him for strength and wisdom and giftedness. God calls me to serve him in faith. I am to work at all things for Him in faith. In faith I am to work to glorify Him by in faith trusting in Him to provide me with strength, wisdom and giftedness to accomplish the tasks to the greatest degree possible.
How I see this applying to the idea of "work as if it depends on you but then live realizing that it doesn't" is as follows. I work toward a certain result, working my hardest to achieve it. I do this in faith to glorify and worship God, trusting in Him for the strength, wisdom and giftedness needed to complete the task. If I don't achieve it that is okay because God is sovereign and will use all results for His glory and purposes (Romans 8:28). At the same time it is possible that the desired results did not happen because God did not want them to. In those cases I believe that God will still count my faith "as righteousness" (Hebrews 11) because in faith I was working at it for Him - relying on Him in faith to provide me with the strength, wisdom and giftedness to accomplish the task.
Everything not done for Christ will be in vain. Therefore, make sure that everything I do has God at the center and is for His glory alone. Anything not done in this way is an absolute waste of time.
With these thoughts i n mind I believe the following to be true....seek God before pursuing anything. Anything that He leads you to pursue work at it to glorify and worship Him. At the same time pursue in faith, trusting in God to provide the strength, wisdom and giftedness needed to be successful. I believe that this is the deeper meaning behind "work at it as if it depends on you, and then live realizing it doesn't".
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