How is it that we can't seem to get a long?

What happened to:

"Treat others the way you want them to treat you"
"Don't look at the speck of dust in your brothers eye without first removing the plank from your own eye"
"Look at others as better than yourself"
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
"in humility consider others better than yourselves."

We do the complete opposite of these statements! We don't care about others! Every man, woman and child for themselves seems to be our motto.
We judge people around us because of the way they look, act, smell, where they shop, what kind of car they drive or where they go to church or even if they go to church.
We treat others like crap because we think we are better then they are and when people treat us that way we are shocked and surprised!

Do we really think these principles don't apply to us today. Do we think that the principle "you reap what you sow" doesn't really mean what it says?

What is interesting about these principles is that they apply to everyone! It doesn't matter what your religious beliefs are, or where you live, or what color your skin is...the principles work regardless.

So why don't we follow them and why can't we all just get along?

I have a friend who loves to ride his motorcycle and talk about rides, the new equipment he's purchased for his bike, the adventure of a trip and even the accidents that he's seen or heard about. One thing that he emphasizes when driving a motorcycle is, "what you focus on you will end up hitting".  In other words, when you are driving a cycle (or a car for that matter) and you focus your attention on a pot hole, a dead possum or the edge of a steep embankment, your tendency is to follow with the rest of your body. Now this isn't a bad situation if it's a possum or a pot hole (worse for your transportation than anything else) but if your staring down the edge of a cliff it could be fatal for both you and your vehicle! Instead, look up ahead to where you want to go and not on what you don't want to hit.

There are many times in our lives where we tend to focus on the negative, frustrating or depressing things that are going on all around us. It may be your job, your city, a marriage, your school, your church, friends, favorite sports team or country.  Whatever it is, we end up focusing on those situations and we find ourselves headed for something we don't want to hit. We end up being negative, frustrated and depressed. We can ALWAYS find the problems around us and get caught focusing on them OR we can look past them, up ahead, and see the good things around the corner, the light at the end of the tunnel, the beauty in the sunset, and enjoy the life that we have the privilege of living. Sure we will encounter some bumps, potholes and possums along the way, that's a part of life! Just don't focus all your time and energy on them and worrying about things you can't change! Instead, focus your attention on Christ who reminds us to "give all our worries and cares to Him" and aim at fulfilling the task that Jesus gave us to do. Love others.

Ask yourself these questions: What am I aiming at? What am I focusing my attention on?

Remember, it's always best to look at where you want to go- up a head - instead of what's right in front of you. You WILL hit what you aim at.

I don't know how you feel about religion, but I hate it! It sucks the life and love out of a person. Religion does the very opposite of what Jesus was all about and taught us by His example here on earth; to Love Out Loud (LOL). Religion causes people to caught up in a tangled web of rules, laws, words and indifference.

I was reading this morning in Luke 13 and verse 14 just hit me. It says, "Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "there are six days for work. so come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath"."

I sat in my chair and thought, "Are you kidding me! This woman was crippled for 18 years and Jesus, in an instant, felt compassion on her and healed her, but the religious people got angry because He did it on the wrong day!" I'm thinking, why didn't these religious leaders care enough to heal her on one of the other six days? Instead of loving, caring and being excited for this woman's miracle they are furious.

Religion is dangerous! It sucks and it's wrong. We are called by God to love one another, treat each other the way we want to be treated and care for those who need help. Be very careful not to get caught up in "religion" but develop your relationship with the One who loves ALL of us and showed us how to Love Out Loud.

When there is no vision what happens? People perish! Not physically die, but people lose hope, excitement, zeal and basically get frustrated. And when that happens you begin to slowly die on the inside. When there is no movement, nothing to look forward to, people lose the desire to hang on and fight. Life, church, work, family, whatever, becomes stale and stagnant, and if it's stagnant long enough it starts to stink and the stink will cause people to move! Where there is no vision there is no hope, no life, and no fight. Without hope, life and fight we begin to shut down, get sick and eventually die.

We are all built with an inner desire to move toward something that is exciting, alive, and fresh. It gives us hope, a sense of purpose, a hunger and a passion to fight on.
Passion defined is divine enthusiasm. It's what keeps you driving even when the tires are flat!
In Habakkuk 2:2 it says, "Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by".
When there is a vision that is clear it lets others know that there is life, there are goals we are shooting for , and there is purpose behind what we are doing. There is excitement in the air and it becomes contagious. Everyone wants to be a part of something that is flowing, growing and alive. It's how we were created.

Seriously take some time and ask yourself these questions:

What is my vision?
What am I shooting for?
Do I have goals?
What is my purpose and my passion?

Remember, If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.

My passion is students. My purpose is student ministry.

I thought I'd take some time and share some of my thoughts, rants, quotes and encouragement from the past year.  I began to journal a little over a year and a half ago and although the format has changed many times over that span the idea has remained the same - to put on paper my thoughts, ideas, encouragements and plans to look back on.   Peter says, "I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder." Journaling, for me, is a way to stir myself up by remembering.  Here is what "stirs me up"...

"If you keep doing what you have always done you will have what you have always had!"

If you don't stand for something you will fall for everything.

The things I am tempted to do is NOT who I am.

What you focus on you will always hit.

Everyone follows someone; I am just trying to follow Jesus.

If it's not worth dying for, it's definitely not worth living for!

If you'll begin to ask God new questions you'll begin to get new answers.

I'm not perfect, but I'm not pretending either! I'm no poser! (thanks Ed)

Life is not about finding yourself but about finding the person God created you to be.

"We don't really believe that God's love is that powerful because if we did we'd behave differently!" (Dan Merchant)

SIN - it will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you're willing to pay."

You cannot keep your eyes on God and your circumstances at the same time. You need to choose which one you will focus on.

"Innovation, when not tethered to the truth of the Gospel, leads to heresy." Mark Driscoll

Serve something greater than Yourself. In doing so you will receive what you need, want and desire.

If you made it this far I hope you found some encouragement, insight and hope in the things that have blessed my life and stirred me up over the past year. 

Stir yourself up by remembering the good things that God has done in your life and is going to do in the days ahead.

Be encouraged, 

Derrick