Bank of Bad Habits

Heres a confessionI listen to Jimmy Buffett. There are some songs I object to, but overall its the escapism of being at the beach anytime I want to go simply by listening to one of his songs that I enjoy.

Theres one song that I particularly enjoy due to its biblical basis. Its called the "Bank of Bad Habits." For those of you who listen to or have listened to Buffett in the past, it will be no surprise that its a bouncy song with a beach/blues sound.

The song talks about (I dont mean to point out the obvious) a bank of bad habits where we make deposits and withdrawals. However, at this bank its not money, CDs, etc. its a bank where we deposit and withdrawal our bad habits.

Believe it or not, the bad habits he lists are, as I mentioned before, in the Bible. They are pride, coveting, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. One of the reasons I enjoy this song so much is that when I commit one of these sins a little song starts playing in my head. Can you guess which one? It seems almost as if its Gods comical way of reminding me of what Im in the midst of. For those of you who object to me inferring that God has a sense of humor, let me answer you with a joke. How do you make God laugh? Make plans. I digress.

Another part of the song has the following lyrics:

Bank of bad habitsOne by one they'll do you in
They're bound to take their toll

Heres the other truth of the song. These same habits, which at times can become idols we hide at all costs, will catch up with us some day. They will reveal us either at work, home, with our kids or spouse. Usually its at the most inopportune time.

Numbers 32:23 says, Be sure your sin will find you out.

How do we resolve these sins? How do we break free from them? Pray, pray and then pray some more. We have to ask for forgiveness for each of them. Identify them one by one as best you can. We also need to truly repent of each sin, going so far as to ask God to help you break free. However, the decision is still ultimately up to you as to choosing Gods will or your own. He will never let the temptation be stronger than what you can handle and He will always give you a way out. He promises it in scripture:

1 Corinthians 10:14

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

To give Buffett some credit, one of the other lines in the song is:

"So put away those alibis
You can't fool that Banker in the sky"

Boy is that the truth! So what will it be todaya deposit or withdrawalor possibly a permanent closing of the account?

Where Do You Find Approval?

Every Sunday my son and I play soccer. Little did I know that while having fun that I'd learn something on the field.

I'm an athlete, and I don't like to just watch sports, but I need to be involved. I'm always moving.

Almost every Sunday my son and I participate in a pick-up soccer game with folks of all ages and all skill levels. The players consist of young people from the ages of 6 to men in their 50s -- so the demographics are spread out. Within that group there are guys and gals in their last few years of high school who play on select and varsity teams, sometimes at the same time.

To say they're good is an understatement.

Then there's me. I'm in my thirties and have been playing soccer for most of my life. However, since my playing hasn't been that consistent over the last few years or so, my ball handling skills aren't always that great. I have my moments. But I also have those OTHER moments that we don't always want to run home and share with our family.

Every time I play it's an absolute blast. It's a time for me to see friends and release some stress built up during the week, allowing me to start the new week refreshed. It's a time of decompression for me.

After the game I always call my wife to let her know that we're done and we're heading home. The other part of the conversation is what I did, or what our son did on the field. No matter how hard I try, I can never wait until I get home to give her highlights of the good and bad things that happened.

To say I love soccer is also an understatement.

To my surprise I've learned something from this otherwise innocuous, but exhausting game. There will always be somebody better than me. There will always be someone waiting only a step away from me who knows strategy better and who can control the ball better.

Now some of you may be wondering where I'm going with all of this. Hold on, there's more.

Let me ask you, what can a person do to improve their skills? The quick answer is, practice, practice, and practice some more. However, let me pose another question to you. What if I'm as good as I will ever get, and my skills will probably start to diminish as I get older? Also, if I plan to get better, am I doing it for me, my family, or the guy or girl I've always tried to beat but simply can't? Is it one-upmanship that motivates me?

I have to be honest. In my life it's usually trying to prove to someone else that I am better than him or her when they have shown me up in the past. Oh how I/we love to feed our egos. Come on. Admit it. We all do. Usually the only thing that separates us when it comes to our egos is to what degree we feed them.

Now, let's go back to that question again. Where am I going with this? I'm pretty certain -- in fact completely sure, 100% unquestionably, undeniably sure, that approval of man or ourselves is not where we are supposed to be seeking approval. The only One we are supposed to seek approval from is our Heavenly Father, God -- Daddy.

That's a difficult one. Are you guilty -- as I am -- of wanting at least one person to notice when you do something that people don't normally see? It could be anything from cleaning the floors at home, or finally figuring out something that's been plaguing your department at work.

Guess what? Even when nobody else notices, someone always notices. It's our heavenly Father. I'm reminded of a verse in Galatians 1:10:

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

I'm also reminded of the verse found in Proverbs 14:12:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

I think that's pretty fair warning of where our approval seeking should be focused. Not from man. Not from our spouse, boss, coach, etc. The only one we should seek approval from, true loving confirming approval from, is God. It's that simple! Seek his approval with your full heart and see what happens.

How Did I Get Here?

Let me pose a question maybe a few. If I told you that you were going to gain 10 pounds tomorrow when you woke up, would you wake up? What if I asked you to become a drug dealer? What if I said you were going to get a divorce? How about I ask you to lie to your family? Would you do it? Would you do any of the last few questions I asked? I would imagine that everyone's answer would be a resounding no. However, we do it everyday. Let me elaborate.

I recently met with our church teen group. We had a great meeting. The Holy Spirit was really moving -- in the teens and the adults. After our share time I asked the teens to get into small groups, be transparent with each other, and pray for each other's needs.

The prayer time went great. The adults got together as well and prayed for some of the teen's needs.

After we were done praying I walked around to see how everyone was doing. It was great. The teens were really opening up to each other. I was very moved by what the Holy Spirit was doing, not only in me, but also in the teens. Basically, I wanted to see if I could help in any way. I stopped at one group and talked with a guy who shared about the lows we can get to. I told him how much I appreciated what he had shared and noted that we always ask ourselves how we get to those low points in our lives.

So I posed a question. I asked them if they would take cocaine tomorrow if someone asked them to. Of course they all said no. I agreed. Then I gave them a scenario to show them how they could get to that point, and told them how each step was larger than the last. Here's what I shared with them.

This, of course if from a teen's point of view, but it DOES NOT apply only to teens. Give me just a few moments to make my point.

Let's say I'm into skateboarding, but have never done it before. I make friends with a guy who knows how to skate. He shows me some tricks and we become good friends. One day he asks me if I want to take a drag from his cigarette. I figure he's my friend, why would he point me in the wrong direction? A little while later, I'm hooked. Then one day he offers me some pot. There's no harm in doing it. I mean, he's my friend. We've had some great times together. So I agree to do it. Then before I know it, guess what? I'm doing cocaine, have been kicked out of school, have lost my friends, can't get along with anyone, including my parents, etc I think that may be that slippery slope people talk about. I've just stepped on it and over it.

Now, back to all of my audience. The scenario I presented doesn't only happen with teens and drugs. Have you gained some weight lately and don't fully understand where it came from? Have you lied to your family or in your business life? Have you told God no, even in a soft/nice/ignorant way by not doing what He's asked you to do?

We all have. No one's free of that sin.

Am I suggesting that it's always going to snowball like that? Of course not. However, it's the little things that seem benign that catch us asking ourselves, hopefully, somewhere down the line, "How did that happen? How did I get here?"

What's my point in all of this? The obvious, but sometimes elusive fact that we have to be careful! All it takes is one more thing. It always starts as something small. Something that's easy to hide if need be and before we know it, it's become something so huge that we don't know what to do. Many times it escalates into something so huge that it becomes a repeated cycle, a.k.a. a catch-22.

Who's responsible? We are, but Satan's got a starring role as well. He's going to do everything in his power to destroy us either by failure, lies, deceit, destruction, the little things, etc. Is he not the author of destruction? He most certainly is. So watch out. Will that little harmless thing you're considering be possibly the snowball in hell everyone talks about? I'm pretty certain it is. So before that next step happens, stop and think about it. Will this become something bigger than what it looks like right now? So think about your actions before you get to the point when you ask, "How did I get here?"

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12).

If Dogs Can See Past It, Why Can't We?

Reguarly I listen to a local college radio station that plays gospel. There is a radio show they have in the morning called, "Gospel Express." It's high-energy gospel music. Some of the music is at an aerobic level, blood pumping, wake you up in the morning whether you want to or not.

One morning while driving to work and listening to the show a segment called, "Ask the Bishop," which is hosted by a local pastor, aired. The Bishop answers e-mails that listeners have sent. There are questions from, "Why did 9/11 occur?" to "How far can you go when dating." A recent question was rather interesting, because I've pondered this very question. The question was, "Should people marry someone from another race?"

I love this question, because people get really passionate about their answers. The Bishop was just as excited about answering this. Before he began, he stated that he would be giving his answer based on scripture, not personal opinion. My immediate thought was, "Go for it! I can't wait to hear this."

He, of course, mentioned the example of when Moses married Zipporah, found in Exodus 2:21. She was not of Moses tribe, however, she was still an Israelite. His point was that the rule then was to not marry outside of Israel to protect them from other religions and influences.

Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons... (Deuteronomy 7:3NIV).

Then the Bishop moved to the New Testament examples written by Paul. One of which was not being unequally yoked.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 NIV).

The other example was that of God not being a respecter of persons.

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34 KJV).

For there is no respect of persons with God (Romans 2:11 KJV).

So his point, from a scriptural basis, is that intermarrying is not a problem. It's our personal viewpoints that get in the way. Of course, we always have to keep in mind that being unequally yoked from a spritual sense can be incredibly destructive. However, as I stated earlier, someone marrying outside his or her own culture or race is not a problem!

This doesn't only apply to marriage!

Here are some other questions I pose to you. Are we not supposed to be the most intelligent, most enlightened species on this planet? Are we more intelligent than dogs, elephants, zebras, ants, snakes, and any other cold or warm-blooded animal? Have we not been given permission by our Heavenly Father to reign over the earth, Genesis 1:28? The answer to allof these questions is yes. That being the case, why is that we can't get past the color, or accent, or looks of another person? I see dogs always get past the fact that other dogs don't look like them. How many of us have dogs at home that are mutts? There aren't too many families out there that are pure bred. I guess dogs see it as, "There's a dog, simply in different wrapping."

So why with our highly developed minds can we not get past our differences when it comes to things such as intermarrying, segregated churches (by choice no less), feeling threatened when someone from a different race asks us if we need help when we have a flat tire, etc? Are we not smarter than our dogs? Are we not from the same two people -- Adam and Eve? If dogs can see past their differences why can't we?

Where Are You God?

How many times have I asked this very question? The difference this time when I asked is that I got an answer.

I recently endured ACL reconstruction. For me, when I was told that I had to go through the surgery and 6 months of recovery before I could get back to running, soccer, biking, and rock climbing, it was just as bad as giving me a life sentence.

If you've read any of my past devotions here on CBN.com, you know that I am a very active guy. So being told I couldn't do the things I enjoy for a while was quite a blow. After some tears, prayer, and counsel of family and friends, I realized it wasn't that bad. It wasn't cancer, and it wasn't death; it was a relatively routine surgery. So I stopped my dramatics.

I blew out my ACL while playing soccer during a typical Sunday afternoon pick up game. I was going for the ball and stepped in a hole or simply misplaced my foot. I won't describe what happened, but I will say that it was the only injury I've ever incurred whereby I actually saw and heard everything as it happened. I'll leave the description at that, because it wasn't pretty.

If you don't know what ACL reconstruction is, please do a search on the Internet. There's tons of information out there. I don't want to bore you.

The surgery went fine. When I woke up, my right leg was in a knee immobilizer and the world was spinning much faster than what I was used to. It wasn't fun, but I knew it was necessary.

My wife comforted me while I was waking up from the anesthesia. Then she drove me home for a weekend of lying on my back trying not to get cabin fever while icing my knee 24/7. To put this in perspective, about the only time I am still is when I'm eating or sleeping. Anytime other than those two, I'm doing something. Type-A personality? I think so.

My wife was great at keeping me occupied. She made sure I was fed, watered, entertained, etc Sounds like a pet doesn't it? Sorry! She was a great caretaker and I was/am really blessed to have her.

Then Monday came. She had to go back to work. I was stuck at home to recover and to work from home since I wasn't permitted to drive. I was still on crutches and still in the knee immobilizer. If you don't know what a knee immobilizer is, it's a brace that goes from your ankle to your upper thigh to make sure that you do not move your knee. Getting around with it is not easy, but manageable.

I was left to getting the things I needed, i.e. food, water, ice, bathroom breaks, etc If my hands were free, that wouldn't be a problem. However, I was on crutches. So doing things myself was not an easy task.

Back to Monday. I started my morning after my wife and son left for school. After a few frustrating attempts to fix something to eat and drink for breakfast, I was struggling to catch my breath and figure out how to do this without losing my temper. (Side note: it takes a lot for me to lose my temper. I am a very calm person even in stressful/chaotic situations. So I was being tested.) Not only was I struggling to get around the kitchen, but I also hit my foot a few times, which, of course, prompted pain to shoot straight up my leg and hit me right in the knee.

As I was struggling with pain and patience, I very quickly asked God where He might be. For me, that's a foolish question. I'll get to that later. Almost as quickly as I asked the question, I got an answer. The answer was something along the lines of, "What do you mean where am I? I've been here all along. Where have you been?"

I'm sure that it won't surprise you that the answer I got hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately started to think about "Where I have been." I'd been busy letting others take care of me. I'd been busy wondering how I would handle not running, playing soccer, etc I'd been wondering what the future would hold for me with a gimp leg for the next few months. Did I make time for God during a time that I was at a slower pace? It was a time when I have more time to pray and talk with God. Did I take advantage of it? No! I was too busy wondering, planning, and running scenarios through my head. Sound like anyone you might know?

The funny thing about this whole lesson learned -- at least I think I've learned it -- is that I've been a Christian for just about my entire life. God has guided me through so many things. After I've made it through whatever difficulty I'm dealing with at the time, I have to laugh that once again I doubted Him. Once again my agenda has gotten in the way of His agenda, His guidance, and His blessing. Am I hardheaded? You bet!

There are many Scriptures that answer the question I posed earlier as to where God is. Here are two verses. Both are in Deuteronomy:

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Can He be any clearer? I was taught in church, college, books, and life that when something is repeated, generally the author means it. I am very certain He means it. I take comfort in it many times.

Today, every day, you have a choice. The next time you ask God, "Where are you?" you should be asking yourself, "Where am I?" You know where God is going to be. Where are you going to be?

A Love Letter for The Father, on Father's Day

For all things you've lead me through and taught me

And for promising me that you will never leave me

Through and through you've shown me the ropes

Helping me in anything and everything I face

Everyday you're there for me by simply calling your name

Rarely do I get to thank you enough. So on this special day, I do exactly that.

Thank you for being my father!

---

Dear Father, Daddy, God and Jehovah;

What a day!? A day to remember who has taught me, guided me and instilled wisdom in me my entire life. You have promised countless times that you love me. You have promised countless times that you will never leave me. You even went so far as to show me how much you love me by sending your only Son. Can I ask for anything else? Of course I can, and I always do. As any good father would do, you do what you feel is right in whether or not I should get what I ask for.

I hope one day to be even half or even a quarter of the Father you've been to me. I hope that when my kids need something, I'm there for them as you have been for me. I hope that when my kids have questions, that I'm there for them as you have been for me. I hope that when they are going through good times or bad that I'm there for them, just as you have always been there for me.

So I end this letter by thanking you for being my Father and by writing that I have been VERY blessed by being one of your children! Furthermore, I want to thank for your undivided attention for me by treating me as your only child when I'm talking, even though you have countless children.

Happy Father's Day! Love your son, Aaron

Don't Spill the Dog Food

Last night I was talking with my son, Chippy (that's his nickname of course), about our dog Paddington (if you missed Paddington's adventure, please click here to read it). Chippy is 7 years old. As every child should, he does chores around the house, one of which is feeding Paddington.

He loves to feed Paddington. He does it with much eagerness, vigor and excitement. It's great to see the world through the eyes of a 7-year-old!

I've noticed lately that when he goes out to the garage to get Paddington's food, he spills it all over the place. The amount spilled is almost equal to the amount that actually makes it into the bowl. He doesn't do it from lack of skill. He spills the food all over the place because, as he states, "He doesn't want to miss anything." What he feels he is going to miss, I'm not sure, but it seems to be quite important to him.

I've asked him several times to be careful. As I spoke with Chippy for the umpteenth time about waste and such, I sensed God was tapping me on the shoulder. "Yes God, do you need something?" The answer was enlightening to say the least.

What God showed me in this situation is that He unquestionably and unconditionally blesses us so abundantly that we too end up wasting it for fear of missing something! We, including me, get sooooo busy trying to do this or that that we end up missing, or spilling on the floor in a sense, the blessings that God has given us!

So the next time you reach into the bag of dog food, I mean life, don't forget to be careful with the contents in the cup! God blesses us even when we're not paying attention because we don't want to miss something! So pay attention and be careful not to spill His blessings!

...you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever (Psalm 23:5 & 6).

How Do You Know It's Real?

I'm sure this has been discussed, debated, preached, or what have you since the dawn of time. I've had many conversations with others for years about it. The question is, "how can you rely on something that you can't see?"

What a great question!

A while back, while tying up loose ends before leaving my old job and returning to CBN, I was having a conversation with a dear friend of mine. She had a discussion with someone who asked her how she could have faith. She couldn't see it. She couldn't touch it. She certainly couldn't taste it, hear it, etc I don't remember if she was stumped by the question or not, but I have to admit that when she shared this with me I wondered how I would answer that question. Even though I've been a Christian since I was a kid, I have to admit that, at first, I struggled with my answer. Then, as I was listening to her, I quickly asked God how I could best serve Him with my answer when and if this question was asked of me..

Then some things came to mind. Have you ever told someone that you would see them tomorrow while leaving your place of business? Have you ever decided to start and grow a savings account, a retirement fund, or a college fund? Have you ever waved goodbye to a loved one as they stepped on a plane while anticipating their arrival? Have you ever wondered if you would have your next breath? I'll bet you have. There are countless examples.

Why do we expect each of those scenarios to come to a conclusion? Why do we not only expect, but are usually certain, that each of those scenarios and more will occur when they are supposed to? No matter how you cut it, slice it, dice it, call it, or whatever, it's called faith. Whether you are a believer in Christ or not, you have faith.

Don't believe me? Let's go back to my prior examples. You have faith that you will return to your office tomorrow. You have faith that your retirement fund will grow, not counting the last year or so in the market of course. You have faith that your loved one will return when they go on vacation, a business trip, or whatever. You have faith that you will be here tomorrow, whether or not you are heading to work. I'm pretty certain you are breathing while reading this.

Why shouldn't we expect each of these to happen? They are the logical conclusions to each of the scenarios, and more, that I presented. However, the Bible does not promise tomorrow.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes(James 4:14).

The only absolute promise that we have is that God loves us no matter what we've done. He's proved it time and time again with countless examples. The easiest and most known example is that of John 3:16. Just in case you've forgotten it:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

He DOES NOT promise tomorrow, but what He does promise is His love and redemption for each of us.

As to faith, it only takes a little, a smidgen, a tiny bit. Every one of us has at least a little bit of faith. Otherwise we wouldn't assume that we would return to work each weekday morning. Jesus talked about faith in Matthew 17:20:

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Faith as small as a mustard seed -- that's an incredible example. Do you realize the size of a mustard seed and then the size that the tree or plant grows into!? If not, please check it out. I hope and pray your promise of tomorrow, your Father's love for you and your faith is based in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that some of you don't believe in Jesus. If you don't I ask you to please re-evaluate where your faith is based. For those of you who do believe, it might be a good time to re-evaluate where you faith is rooted as well. Take that look and have faith that you will find it, because hint, hint, He promises that too in Proverbs 2:3-5.