To All Generations (Day 6 of 50 days)
What Will You Do? Day 5 of 50 Days
Day 4 Grit and Grace
50 days (day 3)
Just Do It Anyway!
Today I made a promise to God that if I had a day off I would post my first message of 2018. So Here it is.
For years I have stood on the sidelines of life waiting for clarity. There are so many things I don’t know. Why do some people pray to God and immediately become free from addictions while others struggle their whole life through? Truth be told we all have something that we would like gone that still is there.
In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul talks about the fact that despite his great experiences and all the exciting revelations he had experienced he still had a thorn, a messenger of Satan that afflicted him. And although he had prayed three times for it to be removed the answer he received is that God’s grace is enough for him and that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
The title of our thought for today is “Just do it anyway.” “Just do it anyway.”
I’ve been reflecting on an amazing woman, my mother. Although both my parents made a great impact on my life, my father passed away when I was in my early twenties. My mother, now 86, is an incredible overcomer. To think that she had a stroke in 1990 but almost 30 years later is out performing so many half her age.
I’ve been studying her because quite frankly I need some of what she has. When I don’t feel well I usually shut down. I know that my body needs rest to heal and when I really don’t feel well I go into hibernation mode. I haven’t felt well for 6 weeks. But now I’m coming out and have energy and motivation. But she isn’t like me.
She finds strength to do what others need even when she is incapacitated. It seems that almost every day my mom in a subtle way coaches me on her success. She says that when she gets up she knows that there are things that won’t happen unless she does them. So she thinks of and studies about things that could make her feel better and she tries them all….but her key is that she doesn’t stop doing what needs to be done.
Maybe you, like I, have shut down in life. Your marriage imploded so you secluded yourself so as not to have to answer curious questions. Your awesome business venture didn’t make it off the ground and so you’re too embarrassed to dream again or to depressed to even try and start another one…or to reinvent your first one making it better and better. Perhaps you are obese and know you don’t like who you see in the mirror and figure no one else does either and so you retreat into seclusion and binge watching Netflix. Perhaps we can learn something from a parable Jesus taught.
There were some servants who were given talents. Two of them in faith took action to increase what they had been given. The other hid what they had in fear. As you may recall when the master returned those who acted in faith doubled what they had. But the one who acted in fear had taken away from them that which had been given to them.
Here is our lesson from the parable today.
1. Life isn’t perfect
The great women and men of the bible and history were all flawed. You and I are flawed. Stop focusing on the fact that you aren’t perfect as a reason not to take action. Those who follow Christ have accepted His righteousness. His perfection is what you need. Stop waiting for perfection and JUST DO IT ANYWAY!
2. Faith takes action and grows
When someone comes to study voice with me they may want to be the next Whitney Houston or Pavarotti in 3 weeks but it’s not happening! It takes time. The great athletes commit to routines that cultivate their gifts and propel them to greatness. Faith believes not just that there is greatness in you but that God really did give you what you have and that he is willing and able to bless the action you take to yield growth and develop greatness. So JUST DO IT ANYWAY!
3. Fear hides and diminishes
When I haven’t played the piano or sung in a while I lose a bit of my skill. My muscles aren’t quite as strong or flexible as they were when they were in training. If you have been sitting on the sidelines of life feeling sorry for all the things life has brought your way, perhaps discouraged because you thought you’d have more or be further along the path towards your dreams, listen for I have good news for you. You only have to have the courage and faith for one step. That’s it. With one step things start to change. With only one step you start to feel progress. With only one step your self esteem starts to grow a little bit. With only one step depression starts to evaporate. With only one step things will get better.
Conclusion:
I have learned in life that we grow together. There are insights you have that will transform my life. There are miracles that will take place when two or three are gathered in His name. God is pleased when his children love one another. And so He has made it such that we have exponential blessings by adding value to each other’s life. How do I know? I don’t think you need a proof text for this one.
If you help me and I help you then more helping is happening than if only one of us helps or if neither of us helps. If my friend helps you and me and we help my friend then even more helping is occuring. And we are happier because we feel loved and a satisfaction from meeting the needs of others.
That’s why Satan has spent so much time first destroying the family unit and then transforming church from a participation experience to one of performance and observation. We are so wrapped up in our personal devices that we don’t look each other in the eye much anymore. We don’t have conversations like we used to. We are so addicted to the dopamine hits from advancing to the next level of our video games on Facebook or the Xbox that we find it difficult to enjoy praying or reading God’s word.
So I encourage you as I encourage myself to take a new approach. Do not hide from the world by immersing myself in entertainment to mask my pain and disappointment but rather accept that life is not perfect but God is still able to get the glory from my gifts so I’ll JUST DO IT ANYWAY. I may not have all the answers but I’ll JUST DO IT ANYWAY. I may feel unworthy but I’ll JUST DO IT ANYWAY.
And the result will be more love and more glory to our Heavenly Father.
I’m Minister David Griffiths
I Love you, God loves you more, so Just Do It Anyway!
It’s Your Song
When you are sick you desperately want to change the way you are feeling. You may reflect on the reasons why you got into this state. The kids brought a bug home. You obsessed on chocolate and now your immune system is out of commission. You stayed up late working on that all important presentation or term paper. And now THIS!!!
And what makes things worse is that being sick has changed over the years. It seems that colds or flu bugs have grown more violent. They last longer and hurt deeper! I remember being OK with getting sick so I could stay home from school as a child. But if being sick was how it is today I might have wanted to tough it out in the classroom. Perspective is everything.
But isn’t it strange how things change when you are well? You have energy to begin new projects. You are excited about the possibilities in every moment. You are patient with those you come in contact with. And you often engage again in the careless behaviors that contributed to your fall from health.
Today I want to change my perspective by changing my feelings. I want to challenge you to do the same. Stop to imagine and visualize how you feel when you aren’t in your current state. Does that change the choices that you are considering? Would you eat the same today if you could travel back in time into your sick bed with all the aches and pains? Would you make the same risky behavior choices while feeling the pain of the consequences? If you pause to reflect AND FEEL you might change your mind.
As smart as we may think humans are we invariably do what we feel like doing. And those who have mastered making better decisions focus on different feelings.
When I get into my van I can choose to think about how fortunate I am. For years I have loved the feeling of being in a studio like sonic environment. I love listening to music and feeling the bass. I love the thud of a kick drum pulsing on my body and inside my ear. The experience of hearing music through speakers that are crystal clear and at the same time have a full bass and warm mid section is for me like being in the story or in the movie. The music is beautiful to observe but when I feel it deeply and then feel like I’m part of the song…well that to me is as good as it gets.
You are part of the song!
But if I get into my van and forget what a wonderful sound system it has, and focus on my failures and regrets or problems and challenges, I will have wasted a wonderful opportunity. God knows how much I like being in the song and he blessed me with a vehicle that has an amazing sound system that allows me to experience joy at the highest level. But there are many days when I get into the van and miss out on the joy God provided for me through this gift to me because of what I choose to focus on.
You and I are part of the song, but we may not experience the joy of the performance because of what we choose to focus on.
I encourage you to choose your thoughts. Don’t let others decide your focus because they shouldn’t have that much power and often don’t have your best interest in mind, only their own. Don’t let texts and tweets rob you of joy at the highest level and being part of the song… your song!
I hate being sick. But when I take the time to reflect on how I arrived where I am, when I meditate on my feelings during my different experiences, and when I set my mental and emotional focus with intention, I begin to live the life of abundance my creator intended for me to have and enjoy. I make better choices that help to keep me out of the doctor’s office.
Your life is a beautiful song. Compose it. Direct it. But please, don’t miss out on the performance. After all, it’s your song.
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Real Heroes
Still Useful
Have you ever felt like you were not useful? Have you ever felt like what you have to offer doesn’t matter? I’ve been there too. I felt like this sign.
I’ve been covered up bythe debris of life. I had been dented by the negative words spoken of and to me. I had lost focus on the dreams got put within my heart. But then I was reminded of these words and I pray they will encourage you today to never stop believing that God will use you for his glory.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
Psalms 139:14 KJV
“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
Psalms 37:4 KJV
Stop believing with the enemy of your soul says and start filling your mind with what God says about you. Not a sermon just a thought.
Dcg
Pain Passion Purpose
Today the Honorable Elijah Cummings, congressman from Baltimore spoke at 19th Street Baptist church where I am minister of music. He said something that I shall never forget.
In life we all have pain. But we can choose what we do with our pain. His suggestion is that we turn our pain into passion. Try to find a passion within you that relates to the pain you’ve been through. Then as you relentlessly pursue this passion you will find your purpose! In my journey to worship I will seek to take all the suffering I am going through and have been through and use it to tune in to my passion. Then with my passion I will serve others needs. In doing this I will be like my savior Jesus and I will find my purpose! I’m on a journey to find meaningful worship. Won’t you come along with me?
You Don’t Love Them Enough!
My journey to worship has taken me to the classroom. I found out as never before how children can bring you a good dose of humility. Being a teacher is often hard work though rewarding. But being a substitute teacher is even harder in many ways. Your students don’t respect you for many reasons. They figure if you were a good teacher you would have a full time job somewhere. And they know that they won’t have you for very long so why should they listen to you.
I spent 3 months as a long term substitute teacher at a public high school in Maryland. While it was fun and exciting because I was doing music and working with children it was anything but easy. There are so so many emails to answer every day. There are all these abbreviations and acronyms – UBD, GT, etc. There is software for taking attendance and software for recording grades. But you have to transfer the grades from the one software and place them in the other. UGH!!! There is creating a sectional schedule and making sure the students and staff have it. Then you have to remind the students to come and when they don’t remind them to do make up sectionals. There’s scheduling outside time to rehearse students for All State chorus auditions and GT (Gifted and Talented) choir. There’s so much more but I’m just getting tired thinking about it!
Of course there’s teaching class. And then there’s performing. Extra rehearsals, hiring an accompanist and scheduling rehearsal with them. (I’m getting tired and stressed again)
But you may ask, “David, what does this have to do with worship?”
In the book of Hebrews I’ve found a quote to live by especially while being a substitute teacher.
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Heb. 10:24
The “Real” teacher may receive more respect than the sub, but it’s really a team effort. The permanent music teacher wants their choirs, bands, or orchestras to sound great when they return and so they want the students to cooperate with the sub to learn their music. So I focused on one thing: Loving them more.
There were days when the disrespect I encountered hurt me. And I prayed. And a voice whispered, “You don’t love them enough.” It didn’t matter that I was in public school and couldn’t “Share my faith.” All that was needed was for me to habitually love them more and more. To keep trying to prepare and present my best. To engage even with those who hurt me and to notice and share that I noticed the little things about each student under my care. If a student was missing to check on them. If invited to a student’s event to really try to go. And I prayed for them.
The amazing thing was all the love that came back. Students made cards and caramel apple slices and gave me other gifts as well. One class even took a picture and had one of the students draw it as the cover to the card they gave me-that’s the photo on this blog post. And they told me how much they appreciated my teaching. So today I want to challenge you as the verse says to acts of love and good works. Your job, your marriage, your situation may seem hopeless, but I bet you can love more. You can love more. You really can. I dare you to try and out love JESUS!
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