Giving It All You Got

As a coach, often throughout my career, I have relayed the charge to my athletes to go out there and "give it all you got". What I was asking for was for them to not leave anything in the reserve tank, go out and do everything in their body and soul to compete and hopefully win. In the classroom, those of us that work inside the world of education, can attest that they too have often used this phrase as students in their classes prepared for an exam or high stakes mandated test. I feel certain that "Give it your best", "Don't give up", or "Give me all you got" could be heard around the world in classrooms of all grade spans. We want this for our children, we want this for those we "coach" and teach, and we should definitely want this for ourselves. But what does that mean for us as we navigate our relationship with God? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explains what it means to "give it all you got" to a young man, which aptly fits today's Flat Tire Ministries Thought for the Week. 

 

Today's topic of giving it all you got hit home pretty hard with me today. We may feel like we are doing all we can because our schedules surely make us feel like we don't have anything else to give. Maybe it isn't time, could it be that we are holding back in another area beyond how we spend our time? Giving it your best can be applied to any area of your life. Do you give your best when it comes to giving of your tithes? Do you give it all you've got when it comes to your faith? How about your commitment to fulfilling God's design for the life He gave you to live? In Matthew 19 we read the story of a rich man who wanted to know what he needed to do to gain eternal life. The wealthy, young man thought he had done all that he needed to do to earn a seat in Heaven, Jesus explained it a bit different. 

 

Everyone's "giving it all you got" thing is different. The area where you need to step up is most likely different from my area and my area is probably different from the next. It all depends on where you are holding back. The rich, young man in Matthew 19:16-22 seemed to be doing everything right, that is until Jesus explained what the man needed to personally do. At first glance it appeared the well to do young man was knocking it out of the park but, "... a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.” The man asked, “What in particular?” Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.” The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”  “If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.” That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go. (Matthew 19:16-22) The wealthy man was under the impression that if he committed his life to following God's commands then surely, he would inherit eternal life, but in reality, he hadn't committed everything to God. He was holding back in the one area that he just didn't want to give control over to God. For this young man, his wealth was his true god. Jesus commanded him to give everything away, not just the areas that are easy for us, but in all areas of life. When the young man was asked to give it all he had literally, he turned away with his material possessions in tow and turned his back on God. 

 

It isn't always clearly evident what you or I may be unintentionally holding out on when it comes to serving God. Could it be your time is split? What about service to others? Service equals time and giving of our time sacrificially can be a challenge. Maybe it is your finances, our society encourages us to borrow and create debt which in turn makes us a slave to our money. Or, we become so obsessed with material possessions that we forgo giving, instead focusing on self. Whatever it is that God asks you to give it all to Him, we have to make the decision to submit it to the One it belongs to in the first place, or we will decide to withhold the one thing that creates a wall between you and the One that offers us eternal life. My advice to self-included,

“Give it all you got!”

Coach Carter

Be Slow, But Be Quick

What's the first thing you do when you get into a disagreement? Do you jump right in the fray and state your case because you know you are in the right? Or, do you pass judgement on the other person because of the way they look or the words they are saying even before you give them a chance to share their thoughts and their perspective on the situation? Well, in the Book of James, the author gives us a formula on how we, as Christ followers, should enter a disagreement with family, friends, or even that complete stranger who has entered your personal bubble. 

 

In James 1:19 James shares the following steps on how to effectively work through disputes and avoid arguments, "... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry ...". The way I interpret James guidance is more of a 2:1 ratio in being slow to do certain things and then being quick to do the one thing that can dissipate a disagreement effectively. Our job today is to gain a better understanding of the aforementioned formula, Slow + Slow + Quick = Christlike relationships. 

 

So, what does it mean to be slow to speak and slow to get angry? Well the first part is pretty easy, don't talk. The first thing many people want to do in an argument is defend their position and win the disagreement. In their mind there is no doubt, they know best and if the other person would just listen to them then they too would come to a better understanding and a place of agreement with them. Sound familiar? Don't worry, I've been there myself, probably more times than I'd like to admit. King Solomon, recognized as one of the wisest men of all time provided a full chapter in Proverbs to the topic of disagreements and the vast majority of wise counsel provided by Solomon directs us to listen before speaking, "Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish." Proverbs 18:13 NLT and "Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions." Proverbs 18:2 NIV. Sounds like sound advice from wise counsel to me. To avoid arguments be slow to speak. From there the second slow down suggestion is be slow to anger. Anger is defined as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. What if instead of delving into a state of being annoyed and hostile, we slowed down and sat in the other person's seat for just a moment. An antonym of sorts for the emotion of anger is empathy. We can still disagree with another person's point of view, but giving a moment to consider the circumstances that might be framing someone's stance gives us the ability to view things a little differently. To show empathy requires us to slow down and not give our two cents worth. Our opinion may not change, but giving a little grace instead of a harsh response may be the very thing that helps us avoid an argument.  

 

The third component in our equation today is to be quick to listen. It would appear obvious that if we are being slow to speak and slow to anger then listening would be the only other option. Au contraire mon frère, to truly listen means we not only hear what the other person is saying, but we also have to take in what is being said and then apply the empathic olive branch to it. As we listen we gain a better understanding of the other person's frustration. Over the years I have mentored educators and administrators to listen to an irate parent or guardian before saying a word, sometimes they just want to be heard! How can we ever find a resolution if we don't fully understand what the other person is wanting to resolve in the first place?

 

We live in a world today that is defined by a stark division. I'm not going to claim that all of today's societal woes will be healed by being slow to speak, slow to anger and quick to listen, but I do believe that by following James three step advice we will be on the right path to God's design for our walk with Him. I write that with confidence because the very next verse in James 1 tells us that "human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." James 1:20. Refrain from the urge to argue, avoid swift judgment on your neighbor, and use the two ears God gave you twice as much as the one mouth he provided. 

Coach Carter 

 

Contentedness is Not Complacency

The title of today's Flat Tire Thought provides two words that we need to make sure aren't confused as being one in the same. The two words need a clear distinction in our understanding of their meaning, but also an understanding of how the two words play out in our actions and interactions. To provide context to our time together today, let's look at the definition of each and then we may be better able to discern how we apply the two concepts in our daily lives. 

 

Complacent - adjective, pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger

 

Content- noun, a state of satisfaction 

 

Equipped with the definition of the two words it is obvious that they have similarities, yet the subtle differences in the two make for a worthy conversation and warning to take heed for us today. 

Being complacent as the definition points out has a certain degree of danger to it. We can actually go from a state of contentment to a place of complacency. The problem with being complacent is when we become too comfortable with our surroundings, we almost take on a sense of laziness. Another issue with complacency is that things have to be going in our direction for us to settle in on being complacent. As the definition explains, "without awareness of some potential danger". Many times, the fall comes after the situation is cast into play. Kind of like Jesus's warning that the man would have been prepared if he had known what hour the thief was coming that night. (Matthew 24:43) At the end of the day, being complacent in life is just one step away from a bad fall.

 

In comparison, being content is all about being able to comprehend that God is in control, God has a plan, and at any given moment God's plan is being played out in your life. The Apostle Paul was not a complacent person. In Philippians 4:11-12, while imprisoned in Rome, Paul explained to the church in Philippa that he had discovered the key to contentment. "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." This was not complacency. Paul stated that he had learned what the secret sauce was to be content in the circumstances you are currently residing regardless of how good or how not so good things are going. 

 

To the complacent person, as long as life is good at the moment, that person is at peace. To the point that if things were to turn bad it might be the front end of a disaster. For the content person, as long as we are cognate that our contentedness isn't a product of something we do on our own, but instead we adopt the philosophy of Paul in the verse following his declaration of being content in all situations, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. Key point to remember, not on our own, but through Christ. As we prepare to start a new week, let us be filled with the spirit of being content, but far removed from a sense of complacent bliss. If we are willing, He is able!

Coach Carter

 

"I Know a Place"

 Sitting around with a group of friends or colleagues and the topic of discussion turns to where are we going to grab a bite to eat, inevitably someone in the group will comment, “I know a place". Their recommendation will be based on a personal experience, or it could be that someone else gave them the point of reference. Regardless, when someone recommends a place to eat they are basically telling you "I went, I tried it, and I liked it, you should give it a try!" 

Currently, there is a song out on the airwaves that made me think about the whole idea of sharing a good recommendation. Contemporary Christian artist Leanna Crawford's song "I Know a Place" shares a similar message to one of a friend recommending the chicken parm at a new Italian restaurant. In Crawford's song she references a metaphor found in Psalm 34:8 in which David encourages us to "Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." Throughout the song we are reminded that there is a place where we can find hope and peace for our weary souls. "Are you stuck on hopeless? Does everything end up broken? I know, I've been there too, let me tell you. Has your soul been shaken? Do you need a new foundation ..." The list goes on and on, but the response remains the same and never changes, when you feel hopeless, "I know a place". You may feel like your life is broken with nowhere to turn, but "I know a place", a place where mending your broken heart is the norm. When that figurative earthquake hits you or your family and your soul feels like it has been shaken to its foundation, we can find peace and rest because we know a place!

If you know God then you know where this "place" is, God's peace and restoration are promised to us in a conversation between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus stated to the disciples, “... if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." We may experience challenging situations in this present world, Jesus pretty much guarantees that will be the case, but within the challenges of this world, Jesus tells us that He has overcome this world and we will one day move from the place we are to a place that God has promised us, (John 16:33). 

If you feeling overwhelmed, remember God offers a place of peace. If the waves and winds of life's storms are making you feel like your ship is about to sink, know that God has a place of comfort and rest. If you are hungry or thirsty, the message is clear "come taste and see" I know a place!

Coach Carter