Ben Lemery | Church & Culture

Living in the Now While Looking Ahead

About three years ago, I knew that I was moving to California.  A year later, I moved. 

For an entire year, I was looking ahead to what was going to happen.  I built my dreams, my visions and my hopes on everything good happening when I got out here.  In the meantime, the present day life somewhat slipped.  The projects and activities that would help others build to the future didn't really matter to me because....I wasn't going to be there in a year to see the results of my work, so why do it with the full gusto?

I did the work, I got it done but it certainly lacked the passion that I would put into past work. 

In fact, the only thing I did put major passion into were the things that would benefit me in the future.

I find myself in the same predicament now as I feel God stirring my heart for the future but this time it has a big banner along the road with two words:

FINISH WELL

How you finish in the present determines how well you will operate in the future. 

So now I have to make a choice.  How will I finish well before the next step of the journey takes place?

Have you been in this position before?  How did you finish?  Would you have done something different? Same? 

Realities: It's The Little Things

Big events tend not to affect me one way or the other, it is always the little things in life that will keep me up for hours analyzing why a person is this way or that.

I was looking on Facebook, literally two seconds ago and I had reached out to someone I haven't talked to in a long time.  My connection with that person is loose overall but because they represent everything that I am not in my own mind, I value the relationship....which by the way is a horrible way to build any relationship on (your own insecurities).

Of course, in reaching out and not hearing anything back, I instantly feel that pang of "why don't they like me enough to respond?"  Which then creates the list of why I feel they don't respond.  These lists can be rather comical because they are simply untrue.  My list kinda goes like this:

This person doesn't talk to me because:

• I am fat
• I am not as good looking
• I don't talk like a cool person
• I am not a cool person
• I am a fat, not so good looking, uncool person
• I don't wear the right clothes
• I don't say things in the right way
• I am to "to the point"
• I am honest and people don't like that
• I have feelings and I share

and depending on the issue or the day, the list can go on and on and on.  Of course I was formulating this list in my head and then I thought, what the heck, I will just blog about it so everyone can see how wrapped up in ourselves we can get.

I expend more energy on the minors in my life and then I wonder why I keep myself from getting anything major done.  Obviously none of the statements above are true in a negative way but they certainly get me wound up enough to keep me from focusing on 1. Jesus, 2.  The call on my life and 3.  the people I could be influencing in a positive way if I would get my eyes off of myself.

Do you make lists?  Do you wind yourself up over the little things in life?  How do you handle it, besides bearing your soul on the internet like this?

Realities: The Past Is The Past

There had to have been a point where Moses made the decision to say, "the past is not going to rule me anymore."  I don't know when it came, if it happened when the bush was burning, when he was standing in front of Pharaoh or whenever.  There must have been a point where he no longer let his past decide his future.  For forty years, he stayed back, had a decent life and because of his past as second in command to Pharaoh, killing an Egyptian guard and then running for the hills, I am sure he thought he was going to die on the backside of the desert. 

Paul, once known as Saul, had to make a choice at some point.  He had killed and viciously pursued Christians for their faith and going against the Jewish law.  I wonder how long during his three years of training that he allowed his identity to shift from what he had been to what God was now making him. 

The past is an incredible bondage to people.  Whole people groups become enslaved to it.  As a person, it can rule our identity.  Everytime you think you can start fresh, the past is sitting next to you saying you can't.  It is meant to defeat you and keep you from fulfilling your legacy. 

Reality: The past will always be there, you can't forget it, you can't change it; it is simply there.  However, you can certainly learn from it and change your future.  

I have done things in my past that would change people's opinions of me instantly for the worse.  If people knew some of the things I still think, it would certainly change their perspective of me.  While those things still cling to me and attempt to wiggle up in my ear to keep me from thinking into the future, I have tried to make the choice to say, "this isn't going to rule me."

Recently, I was telling a friend of mine that we simply have to say, "the past is not the portion that God has laid out for me; He has a good portion for my life and I need to accept it."  It is hard to think that way because our past choices love to come on the television screen and roll like credits.  We ponder what would happen if people knew about this thing or that. 

Reality: If people's opinions change about you because of something you did in the past, no matter how big or small, that's a THEM problem, not a YOU problem.  

We need to stop letting our destiny and our legacy be shortened by other people's opinions and agendas.  We need to step into the new day, the new choices we are making for the Lord and let Him take care of whatever else needs to be done. 

Obviously, this doesn't excuse you from needing to repent or sometimes seeking forgiveness from people that you have harmed but it certainly shouldn't deny you from going after the call of God on your life. 

So as you begin this week, will you lay the past on the altar?  Will you not let past situations or people alter the calling of God on your life?  Will you go back and repent, ask for forgiveness that you need to ask from and then move on from that part of your life so it doesn't rule you continually?  Will you stop being a victim of your own doing?

Start the week with a new step of freedom in Christ.

Humility Doesn't Make Sense

If you truly want to accomplish anything in this world, it requires radical humility.  Christ said, "but many who are first shall be last; and the last, first." (Matthew 19:30)  He says this in response to Peter reminding Jesus that the disciples had left everything to follow Him. 

It is difficult, in the midst of taking a risk, to understand the cost and the reward for an action.  Peter wasn't reminding Jesus to boast but simply to state a deep down thought, "is this all worth it?" 

Humility doesn't make sense because it requires letting go of control and logic and placing it in somebody else's hands.  It means to go low, even when situations sting.  It also means to not react immediately, even when you may know you are right. 

It really doesn't make sense but in the long run it does.  I guess my question to you is, are you willing to envision your own personal growth in the future, if you can make some small changes now?

What do you think?

What Have You Accomplished?

I met a lot of great people during my time in Mt Pleasant.  Many talk about changing their current culture; others want to do it. 

Accomplishment doesn't always show publicly.  But even done in private, it can have lasting impact on those who surround you and beyond. 

What do you want to accomplish in your own personal journey?  What about those around you?  Could you start today?  Could you connect to someone tomorrow so that you can see a greater impact? 

Are you willing to make the sacrifice to see something bigger than yourself happen?  Are you willing to not get any of the credit, even if it was all your work?

What have you accomplished so far?  What are you going to do from this point forward?