A Few Good Men

Photo Credit: The Wandering Angel via CC Flickr

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8

One man committed to a cause is greater than 10,000 merely interested spectators. A few good men is better. That’s how the greatest armies, greatest teams are built.

God is looking for such men. His missions are crucial. High stakes define them but they grow great through everyday faithfulness. His team is built on abandon, selfless, brave volunteers who say ‘Yes!’ and take on His noble missions with fearless honor.

Pushbacks:
* Heard the Lord talk like this to you? Recognize a true call and holy cause? Need to turn the volume down on other things?
* Feeling yourself moved by high calling? What could this be? Attaching any strings or fully surrendered?
* Willing to step up, step out, and offer full commitment to a cause greater than yourself, the greatest cause ever? Employed by God and engaged in mission?

LORD, let me feel Your heavenly surge and upward, outward cause. Don’t let me contract the disease of me and die in the dumps of disservice. May I take rank with You in holy mission.

Maximum effort.
Heart for others.
Bring honor to Christ.
Coach Mo

Three House Keys

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” Proverbs 24:3–4

When building a house (or a team, program, church, community, movement, organization, nation), here’s three keys upon which everything rests: wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. That trio holds the keys to living a well-built life.

WISDOM. Wisdom marks the way to build a solid life. It’s transcendent truth that comes to a man saying, “Here’s what’s really needs to be done.” It’s the ‘Aha’ moments where what needs to be seen is seen. And may I remind you that the fountainhead for such wisdom is Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3) To find Him is to find wisdom. To imitate Him is to become wisdom. And God has endless wisdom-supply. It’s only an ask away. (James 1:5)

UNDERSTANDING. Understanding comes when we process wisdom. It comes when we listen, when we make purposeful time for God, for others, for wisdom to work its way into us. Respect for others and from others grows and relationships reach building stage when we seek to understand before being understood. It allows brick upon brick to be laid in the construct of both self and team.

KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge helps us survey a construction with accuracy and informs each move in the making of a movement. It’s the raw material that wisdom and understanding use to build something great.

As these three are well established in and through our lives, whatever is built is built well and gets filled with rich treasure. If not, the integrity of the ‘house’ sits on shaky ground and never really becomes a home for anything truly special. Remember to use the three house keys to build something special.

LORD, grade us in the areas of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Please show us where we need to improve our construction. Infuse us with your Son and your Spirit so that we can build something special. We really want to. These three keys are key.

Maximum effort.
Heart for others.
Glory to God!
Coach Mo

Cheerful or Crushed?

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

I watched a team in Perth, Australia get crushed yesterday, completely overwhelmed. The game was Australian football, an aggressive, 18-men-to-a-side, continuous action, contact sport on a large, outdoor, oval pitch. The first quarter score alone was 49-4. It didn’t get much better. A sell-out crowd of 60,000 fans endured witnessing a massacre at home. I sure don’t wanna see that team stay down.

How do you recover from life’s crushing blows? Like yesterday, they do come. They crack the beach of our spirit like a huge ocean wave, stagger us like a punch from a champion prizefighter, and level us like a blindside sack of a football quarterback.

The answer? Apply the good medicine of a cheerful heart. It is balm to the mind, revives the soul, and resets the spirit.

And where does cheerful heart medicine come from? How do we find this merriment ointment? How do we get joyful recovery? All over the place scripture points to three things.

1. A GREAT DELIVERANCE. God delivers. It is His way. He delivers men from the crippling inner tyrannies of sin, self, guilt and shame. The Deliverer is Christ. Our deliverance awaits. Our Deliverer has come. He stands before us to fight to insure that our past will not condemn our future.
2. A GREAT PURPOSE. Great purpose gets a man bravely off the canvas. Such a man refuses to be beaten because the purpose for which he lives and fights is too great, too strong. He knows somehow that purpose will prevail, that victory will be won. Great purpose produces great fight.
3. A GREAT TRUST. When trust in deliverance and purpose truly forms, anxiety and fear must flee. This allows room for good cheer to grow and healing hope to enter. Trust in truth. The truth will prevail. And remember, Truth is a Person…Jesus. Trust Him.

Don’t stay crushed. Be of good cheer. Take some good medicine. Realize the great deliverance, purpose and trust we have in and through Christ.

Be strong.
Stand for truth.
Live for eternity.
Coach Mo