My Wife on the Purpose of Difficulties
“Difficulties have been placed in my life for the purpose of cultivating my character, and conforming me to reflect Christ-like qualities” (source: Joni Eareckson Tada). “That statement helps me face my difficulties head on and trust God. (I didn’t need to ask my sweetheart if I was one of those “difficulties” God placed in her life. I already knew.)

Retired Marine Colonel Myrl Allinder on Inner Peace
“Search for the truth. Love the truth. Embrace the truth — about yourself!”

Early in his life, Myrl was interested in engineering truth, so he became an engineer. He was interested in mathematics truth, so he earned an MS in statistics. Then he got interested aviation truth, so he became “the world’s greatest aviator,” he jokingly told me. In actuality, he was a fighter pilot, helicopter pilot, transport pilot and carrier pilot.

When GOD turned his “life-direction toward the Cross in 1964 in Vietnam,” Myrl interests turned to biblical truth. He enjoyed being in the limelight as a Christian speaker.  He “hit the charismatic road from 1968-1975… leading men’s camps, doing missionary work in Africa, South America, and Russia… telling others what great things God has done through me… all the time avoiding the truth about me!

> secret, lies
> secret motives of self glorification
> secret this-and-thats…. all were hidden.

“God had to crush and humiliate me again, and again, and again, until I finally said to my wife, ‘Do NOT ask me a question again, unless you want to hear the answer.’ ”

“The more I told the truth, the more God began to open up my heart to my inner self. The more I began to see the truth — that this flesh is full of lust and that there is no sin which I am incapable… ‘I am the worst of sinners’ (Christ did not make it optional when He told us to pray without ceasing).

“The more that I began to love the truth and look at the truth about myself, the more I identified with Paul’s scream, ‘O wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me from these bonds of corruption?!’

“The more transparent I become, the more honest and open I am in all relationships — with my wife, family, friends, enemies, street people, cashiers at Macy’s, boys in jail — the more peace comes into my life.”

Spiritual Leader Don Atkin on Mentoring
In 1971, Don had a divine appointment with Dr. Richard Halverson, who later became Chaplain of the U.S. Senate. It was in the early 1970s, when Don asked Dr. Halverson if he had any counsel for a minister just getting started.  He said:

“Spend time with men!”

“He went on to explain that helping men to be who and how God made them to be would be the greatest service that I could possibly offer to women and children,” Don said.

“His words pierced my heart and have stayed with me for nearly forty years. Since that time, I have been privileged to serve dozens of younger men and helped to bring them to maturity. These men are godly leaders on several continents today. I have been abundantly blessed to live long enough to see their fruitfulness.

“Four words, ’spend time with men,’ have been shared with all of these men and more, including speaking to groups and congregations over these many years.  Dr. Halverson’s counsel changed me and I made it my counsel, so that others may grow up and pass on these powerful words.

(Don Atkin is moderator of a global communion of apostles, their companies, teams, networks and local church expressions. He lives with his wife of 56 years near Charlotte, North Carolina. They are surrounded with grandchildren and great grandchildren, both in natural life and in the Spirit.)

My Cousin, Pastor Monte Wike
I found my distant cousin Monte a few months ago on the Internet. He pastors First Christian Church in Colorado City, TX. He told me about an experience he had at Seminary:

“When I was a student at the Golden Gate Seminary in Berkeley, CA, I got a job as a lab assistant at the Radiation Laboratory, University of California. I knew nothing about nebular physics, but had a minor in chemistry, and this was the scientific background I needed.  We were searching in those days for first the K-meson, and then the antiproton with particles generated by the Bevatron. The physicists were Jewish refugees from Germany, Gershom and Sulamith Goldhaber. Since I was studying for the ministry, religious discussions often came up. One day Sula said, “I can show you the same God in the microscope as in the telescope. The universe has perfect order. Everything we are looking for already exists in space. We are just making it easier to find.” God is so precise that He can be represented by the least things, and the greatest. He can use any person regardless of qualifications or importance. His love is universal.”

(Monte Wike is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, OK, and Golden Gate Baptist Seminary (now in) Mill Valley, CA.)

My Youngest Son’s Advice on Business and Life
My son likes the comment, “Priorities are what you *DO*… Everything else is just talk,” by Don Barefoot at C12 Group.

“When I learned what the phrase ‘to each his own’ really meant and I began to not overwhelm myself with everyone’s problems, but focus solely on myself and *my* relationship with God, the peace and joy and love for life that followed was immeasurable.” My son heard this from his wise and gracious grandmother.

And finally, regarding marriage he said, “Premarital counseling is a non-negotiable!” His college major was counseling, and he’s been married for over ten years, and his marriage seems perfect.

(My son, David, is President of the JCA Company in Greer, SC.)

One of my Favorite Pastors
I used to attend an EPC church here in Wilmington, and Pastor Brian Slater has faithfully served that congregation through difficult times. He told me, “In any church, you choose who you lose.  You’re going to lose somebody, so why not choose by setting standards.” He heard this from Dr. John Maxwell on one of his simulcasts. (I hope he wasn’t referring to me!)

Ad Agency Owner Greg Ford
Greg loved and respected his grandfather who told him, “Son I want you to understand something about life. There will always be someone who has more money, more success, title, is stronger, faster etc. I want you to always remember the most important thing: Be a good man with integrity and honor. These are things that can’t be bought. People will respect a man who can be trusted and cares for others.”

(Greg is the founder of Ford Design Design Group in Wilmington, NC.)

My son has told me several times about the Christian CEO peer group he joined last year. He’s described some of the benefits he’s received, how much he’s saved his company, increased sales, and the spiritual impact it has had on him. The Chair of his group told my son that he could be a “poster child” for the organization because he’s gotten so much out of it.

A few days ago my son mentioned another success story. He got some great advice on negotiating at a recent meeting and he used what he learned to save his company thousands of dollars.

Then, after talking to me about his Christian peer group he suggested once again that I check into leading a group like the one he attends. With enthusiasm and sincerity he said, “Dad, you’d be really good at this.”

Of course, I enjoy helping business owners whenever I can, and especially my sons. Sharing whatever insight or experience I can is always good for my ego. So after our conversation I decided to check into it. I visited their web site and got excited. It seemed to fit well with the personal mission statement I had recently put together on the Franklin Covey web site.

I filled out the form on the organization’s web site to get the ball rolling. After several conversations, I got my hopes up. It seemed this could be very fulfilling personally, by investing my life in helping other business leaders.

After several conversations with the recruiter, completing the application form, and submitting a short bio and resume, I thought I had the qualifications needed for the job. The combination of their training and my experience would make me a pretty good Chair, just like my son said.

Not exactly.

The next stage in the evaluation process included taking two job tests. You’ve probably had to take one at some point in your career. Requiring two tests is smart. If one said the opposite of the other, you’d know the test results were off… but if they both drew the same conclusions, it would be very helpful.

Both of mine said similar things. Here’s an example:

“Extremely assertive, very self confident, highly results and goal oriented. Extremely perfectionistic, very detail oriented. Very reserved, skeptical, hands-on. Very work oriented, very strong drive for achievement, hard driver, bottom line oriented. Highly analytical, very technical, very task oriented, calculated decision maker. Very direct, perhaps blunt, very authoritative. Very structured, likes procedures, guidelines. Impatient, sense of urgency, thrives on change, multi-tasker, needs variety.”

I suppose some of those traits are good. But after reading all the results, I concluded I’m not right for the job. Guess which words jumped off the page for me:

Extremely perfectionistic. Skeptical. Perhaps blunt. Impatient.

Despite these character and personality flaws the Lord has blessed my socks off over the years. Somehow through my weaknesses He demonstrated His strength, and used me for His purposes. So I’ll just chalk this up to one of those  ”my-dad’s-stronger-than-your-dad” experiences and put it behind me.

Truth is, God uses each of us as He wants. He knows us better than anyone. He created us for His purpose, and He promises to fulfill His purpose for us (Psalm 138:8). He has searched us and He knows us inside out. Not once or twice, but every single minute. Before we were born, before we make a move. Every thought. Every word. Every action. He’s even put guards in front of us and behind us. And He will lead us every step of the way (Psalm 139).

Maybe I’ve just fooled my sons. Hopefully I’m not too blunt, impatient, or skeptical with them. Regardless, I’ll keep doing all I can, and trust Him to do the rest.

Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers. – Proverbs 17:6

It had to be God. So I launched the newsletter and over the next decade lost a lot of money publishing it. Thankfully, the rest of my business was successful, so I could cover those losses.

This expensive learning experience eventually paid off. When we got to the point where we couldn’t cover the costs (paper prices had skyrocketed), the Internet was coming on strong. So we folded the newsletter and started an electronic news service that grew incredibly fast. Fortunately, we were one of a very few profitable companies in the early dot-com days.

What do you do when Plan B fails?
Soon after our Web site launched, several Christian men put together a public company and raised millions of dollars with an IPO. They needed content, so they asked me to merge my company with theirs. I’d never had millions of dollars in a “war chest” (as they called it) to carry out my communications dream for the cause of Christ, so this seemed like a terrific opportunity to take it to the next level — better and faster than I had ever imagined — and reach millions more people.

After the merger, I watched management run through many millions of dollars in about a year. I think they were well-intentioned. But sadly, they were clueless about running a business targeted to Christians, and as a result, plan B failed.

After a year, I quit. Literally. I walked away. Within a few months they were forced to sell what little was left of the business to another communications firm. It was a heart-breaking experience for everyone involved. The resentment took some time to work through. I only wish I’d had the book I’m reading now back then. It’s called Plan B, and it’s written by Pete Wilson, the lead pastor at Cross Point Church in Nashville. Here’s a brief excerpt…

Your options.
When life doesn’t turn out the way you thought it was going to turn out, you may think you’re losing control. But the truth is, you never had control in the first place. The only thing you do control is how you respond to your disappointments and unexpected obstacles.

You can allow the river of fear, anger, and disappointment to rage. But you need to know that rage will affect every relationship you touch, every job you have, every plan you dream. It’s just the way things work.

Another possibility is to keep trying harder. You can turn yourself inside-out trying to make things happen. You can keep throwing yourself at your problems, wear yourself out yanking all those strings. But the truth is, you can pull and tug… and still have your dreams dissolve in front of your eyes — perhaps along with some of your most treasured relationships.

But you have yet another choice.

You can get to the place where you can say [to God], “Not my will, but your will. I’m not in control. You are.”

If you can do that, if you can leave the puppet strings in the hands of someone who actually knows what he is doing, you’ll have a lot better chance of surviving your shattered dreams.

†

There’s so much more to the book Plan B. It’s packed with insight and wisdom that will help you get through failed plans — A, B, C, or whatever. But I’m only allowed to excerpt a small portion. Get your copy directly from the publisher, Thomas Nelson, or your favorite bookstore.

I don’t remember a more discouraging Easter time in our nation. We are in the midst of war overseas. Thousands of husbands, wives, fathers and mothers are risking their lives on the front lines, separated from their loved ones. At home many millions are out of work. Many of those who are still working live in fear they will soon lose their jobs. Employers wonder if they’ll make it through the year. State and federal government leaders talk about “change,” while creating a socialist society destined to fail, bankrupting our economy, and creating a financial burden that our children and grandchildren cannot bear.

No matter who you lead — employees, soldiers, students, or your children — this is an Easter when we need some good news. Some supernatural encouragement. Not pie in the sky. We need real hope. So let’s remember a few very important things and share them with others:

First, the Creator of the universe loves us so much that He sent His very own Son to suffer on our behalf and pay the ultimate price for our sins. Jesus earned the right for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

And even when He was suffering terribly on the cross for our sakes, Jesus demonstrated His love — and the Father’s love — for us by saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Finally, after living a perfect, sinless life and dying a terribly painful death for our sins, He rose again. And He promised to send His Spirit to reside in us. He promised to strengthen and empower us. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Nothing is out of His reach or control. And nothing is impossible with Him.

Be Encouraged.
One of the stories I like most in all the Bible occurred after Jesus was resurrected. It’s recorded in the 21st chapter of the gospel of John, verses 3-12:

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. (From the RSV Bible)

So when it seems things couldn’t get any worse — and you’ve been working ”all night” just to eat — be encouraged. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will show up — often when you don’t expect Him and in ways you won’t recognize Him — to show you where to cast your net. He will not leave you or forsake you. He will watch over you, protect you, provide for you, and bless you. And if He doesn’t do what you want or expect, He’ll do something better.

Best of all, if you believe in Him and follow Him, He will eventually take you home to be with Himself — eternally — in paradise.

Happy Easter! Glory to God in the highest!

Some people aren’t at all concerned about current events or the “signs of the times.” Others are more cynical, reminding me that Christians have been talking about the “eminent return” of Jesus for 2,000 years. They sound like a fulfillment of St. Peter’s prophesy:

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  – II Peter 3:3-4

So, is it really important that we know and understand the times? And if it is, why?

I believe it’s important because Jesus was emphatic about it on several occasions. He made some very serious comments, warning us about the end times. He wanted us to be prepared for it — to be on watch — and to pray that we could escape the worst of it:

“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”  – Luke 21:36

It’s true of course that no one knows the day or hour. Not even Jesus. He said only our Father in heaven knows the exact time. But Jesus did say, in no uncertain terms, to watch diligently for the final days — and He told us why  we need to be on the lookout: Some of us simply won’t make it.

At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.  – Matthew 24:10-13

I don’t want to be one of those who turns away from the faith. I’ll bet you don’t either.

Once, when I was reading about the end times in Revelation, I had an interesting experience. It was night time in the mid 1970s and I was on a plane trip from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles.

I knew the five-hour flight was coming to an end, and I hadn’t finished studying. I had a couple of chapters to go when the captain told us to fasten our seatbelts for the final approach into the Los Angeles airport. I asked the Lord to let me finish reading Revelation, and a moment later the pilot turned the plane toward the Pacific Ocean. He announced over the loudspeaker that there was thick fog at the airport so we needed to circle in a holding pattern until it lifted. We landed about an hour later, just after I read the final chapter.

I gained a new perspective on the end times that night. And I’ve never forgotten it. In my next blog I’ll tell you why I believe we’re entering the final chapter here on earth…

The verse above really stood out this morning when I read it. It made me go to God again before I wrote my observations about Pastor Andy Stanley’s The Principle of the Path.

I don’t want to be “a fool … who delights in airing his own opinions.” And Lord knows I could be all wrong. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time. So be prayerful as you read what I’ve written below. My intentions are not to be critical or disagreeable. But after reading Andy’s book yesterday, I have to admit I was disappointed.

In a nutshell, I don’t think he said all he needed to say about the principle of the path.

Feeling Lost
Some of us are in places we don’t want to be. We thought we were obediently exercising faith, doing what God asked us to do. But the outcome doesn’t look anything like what we expected. So in the first four chapters of his book, when Andy asks, “Didn’t you see this coming?” many of us honestly answer, “No, I didn’t.”

There are times, of course, when all of us take the wrong path (some of us much more than others). And in those cases, Andy’s response is appropriate for us: “You should have seen this coming. And what you couldn’t see coming you should have been prepared for.”

But many people today need a more compassionate response. What should we say to the millions of hard-working people who faithfully served a company, but are now unemployed? I’ve heard that our nation’s real unemployment rate is close to 20 percent, and more than 3 million jobs have been lost in the past year. I’ve watched my sons from a distance as they were forced to take cuts in pay and lay off workers at each of their companies. I read reports of thousands of car dealers who ran profitable businesses for decades, only to be shut down by the manufacturers. Plus, these dealers laid off 300,000 employees from their dealerships across the country. Here in Wilmington, a successful Christian owner of a large dealership committed suicide.

Last Words
The final chapter of Andy Stanley’s book, The Principle of the Path, is entitled “Road Closed.” He starts the last chapter with these words:

“The subtitle of this book implies that there is always a way to get from where you are to where you want to be. But we both know that that’s not always the case. …Time, bad decisions, and experience put some destinations out of reach. There are dreams that can’t come true.”

Then he says, “I want to answer the question, What do you do with the dreams that can’t come true?”

Andy’s answer, and the final words in the last chapter of his book are, “You pray, not my will, but yours be done. And then you rest in the fact that you have done all you can … and all you should.”

I’m sure Andy didn’t mean that we should just give up and throw in the towel. But I wish he had better demonstrated the hope that we have in this life as we walk with the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

I totally agree that it would be much better to avoid wrong turns, shortcuts to nowhere, and dead ends. (He quoted Proverbs 27:12, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”) And Andy accurately makes the case that we should avoid problems by looking ahead, and turn around quickly when we discover we’re lost. But I think he could have better demonstrated the hope we have when we are not where we want to be, or think our dreams will never come true.

Dead End vs. Detour
When we make mistakes, get off the path, and find ourselves where we don’t want to be, that’s not the end. Never. Not even for those who are dying of cancer or who have lost their jobs and everything else that is important to them. We may not be where we expected or hoped, but I believe that is because God is showing us a new path so we can end up in an even better place — both here and in the afterlife.

Eternity with God is our greatest hope. But there is also one example after another in scripture that here in this life God provides new paths when we reach the end of one.

When Jesus said, “Not my will, but yours be done,” those weren’t his last words. The dream wasn’t over. It wasn’t the end of the story. Not by a long shot. He didn’t throw up his hands and say, “Oh well, I gave it my best shot.” He went on to heroically redeem the world! He courageously suffered, demonstrated His love for us, hung naked on the cross and died for our sins. Then He was raised from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and was given all authority in heaven and on earth.

I’d say He reached His dream, even when it looked like there was no hope. (He died trying to reach it!)

In fact, that was the beginning of a whole new story. Read the book of Acts. Jesus traveled a rough path to end up at His coronation ceremony as a demonstration for us. That is our path. An exciting journey, full of twists and turns, mountain tops and valleys, battles, victories and defeats.

Jesus couldn’t take a shortcut to reach His dream, and neither can we. But this is no time to give up and throw it all away. We’re closer than ever to reaching it. So keep working toward your dream. Do as Andy said and focus on the right things. And do the right things. Because eventually you’ll end up where you want, even if you didn’t know it was the right place.

But God works everything out for good, right? Right. On the same day, I watched an interview with Pastor Andy Stanley from North Point Community Church in Atlanta by Joyce Myer.

Andy seemed a little uncomfortable. It was probably all in my head, but I couldn’t help but wonder if his book publicist at Thomas Nelson Publishers had set up the interview so he could sell more books, and he was wishing he was somewhere else — anywhere else — doing whatever else.

It was sort of fun to watch Joyce ask Andy a question and then spend five minutes answering it for him. No, actually that’s not exactly true. Both of them shared some terrific insights. (They are talented and gifted speakers, but for some reason, watching Joyce is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. I like what she says, but not her delivery … and that really bugs my sweetheart. Over the years, Joyce’s teaching has played a major role in helping my wife mature in her faith.)

What went wrong?
Andy talked about the fact that many of us have admirable life goals, but we end up far from where we intended to be. Even bright people with clear ideas about where they want to be financially, relationally, and professionally find themselves far from their desired destination.

Andy says there’s one simple reason why so many of us get lost along the way. He calls it the principle of the path. And I think he’s right.

Like the cover of his book says, the principle of the path not only explains “the disappointment and regret that characterize the lives of so many, it provides a way for you to be the exception.” And from the interview, it sounds like this principle “…will enable you to avoid life-wasting detours along the way.”

You can’t get there from here.
At least you can’t get where you want to be as long as you’re going the wrong way. Andy starts his book with an interesting story about a shortcut he took one night that turned into a real adventure. One that may have cost him his life, and definitely would have “ended up in a swamp because that’s where the road led, and that was the road we chose.”

Most of us have taken a wrong turn or two in our lives. Maybe more. If you’re stuck in a swamp right now, you probably have some regrets. You don’t need someone to point out the mistakes you made. You know where you took a wrong turn — or turns — and what got you into your swamp. You simply need some guidance. You’d like someone to tell you “how to get from where you are to where you want to be.”

Who wouldn’t?
Well, that’s what Andy promises in his book. I can’t tell you if he delivers on his promises, because the book is sitting here next to me — unread — on the couch. But I’m going to get into it tonight just so I can see how helpful it might be for you. (Like most guys, I’m not ready to admit I’m lost. But I will tell you there’s more water, mud and mosquitoes in my backyard than I want….)

Andy says that “when you’re lost, you don’t need a new solution. You need a new direction.” I’m going to see if he’s right. I’d love some new direction. I’ll tell you more about it as I read The Principle of the Path.

Why?
What made them commit suicide? I certainly don’t know why they did it. But I think I understand what they felt — at least a little bit. About 23 years ago I was close to doing it myself when my wife found me walking alone down a country road. I was so overwhelmed by what seemed like an insurmountable financial dilemma that I left my office in the middle of the day and walked for miles to consider what I should do.

I was totally perplexed and depressed. The Lord had clearly directed me to start the work and ministry I was managing. I had tithed for years. I was convinced that I was right where I was supposed to be when the bottom fell out on “Black Monday” in October, 1987. At that point nothing made sense. I was losing everything I had worked my whole life to attain, and there appeared to be no hope. I was biblical proof of Proverbs 13:12…

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

I thought the easy “solution” was suicide. Of course, I know now that those thoughts were just what the enemy wanted me to believe. He didn’t want me to follow God or be useful to Him…

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.     – I Peter 5:8

Satan often plays on our thoughts and depression to get us right where he wants us…

Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.     – James 3:15

As our Bible study leader pointed out last night, many of us don’t know the important difference between our financial worth and our eternal worth. He reminded us that our society pushes us to evaluate ourselves based on how much we own. Keeping-up-with-the-Jones is taught from cradle to grave, and we are bombarded with materialism on television. We even acquire an education just so we can earn the maximum amount of money, purchase everything we (and our family) desire, and hopefully leave an inheritance when we die.

The more we acquire, the more we have to lose. So those of us who acquire a lot, spend far too much time worrying about losing it. And when we do — and most of us will lose some portion of our material wealth — our disappointment is all the greater.

Our society has it totally backwards, as our Bible study leader pointed out last night with many scripture references. He reminded us to…

Be content.
Contentment isn’t based on what you own. It’s a state of mind and heart…

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.     – Philippians 4:12

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.     – I Timothy 6:8

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”     – Hebrews 13:5

Don’t Worry.
That’s not a suggestion. It’s a command by Jesus himself. So call on Him. He’s totally dependable, and He will provide a way.

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.     – Matthew 6:34

And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.     – Luke 12:9

…casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.     – I Peter 5:7

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.     – James 5:13

Find help.
When things fall apart, get help. If you don’t have a close friend you can trust and pray with, find a minister or professional counselor.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.     – Proverbs 17:17

Do not forsake your friend and the friend of your father, and do not go to your brother’s house when disaster strikes you – better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.     – Proverbs 27:10

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.     – James 5:16

It seems like a long time ago when I went through that period of my life. Thankfully my wife, along with a Christian counselor, got me back on track. One of the best things the counselor suggested was the book A Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life by Hanna Whitall Smith. And as I look back now, I realize those struggles – and that book – prepared me to handle even greater trials later on.

We actually rode the bus for about eight hours. The other two hours were spent in restaurants…

There were 7,500 other guys at the conference, so when we worshiped it was pretty amazing.

I’m pretty sure this was the first time I was not the slightest bit self-conscious about my singing. (I wonder sometimes if God holds His ears so He can just hear my heart when I’m worshiping Him in church.) I sang as loud as all the other guys, and didn’t give a hoot about the terrible noise I was making.

In addition to worshiping we heard some awesome teaching by Dr. Johnny M. Hunt and other men. Johnny is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock (FBCW), and the current president of the Southern Baptist Convention. (He used to live here in Wilmington, North Carolina, before he became famous. He was born in Lumberton, NC, and he’s a member of the Lumbee Native American Indian Tribe.)

My Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) helped me decide to attend the leadership session entitled “The Adventure of God’s Will.” I’m glad I did. Allan Taylor, the minister of education at FBCW, was the speaker, and he was exceptionally good. Allan has written several books, and he also leads Ember to Blaze Ministries.

About 600 men attended Allan’s teaching sessions on Friday and Saturday. He based “The Adventure of God’s Will” on Joseph — Mary’s husband — in Matthew 1:18-25. As Allan said, we call this the Christmas story and we usually read it about once a year. As a result, we don’t often hear much about Joseph. Allan captured some interesting things from this scripture passage about Joseph’s decision making and leadership…

Leadership is based on adventure — the ride and the journey.
Like Joseph, the God-centered man must leave his security and go where faith is required. Often it is insecurity and instability that is the very center of God’s will for us. God’s call drags us from the comfortable and calculated into the adventurous.

God’s plan has many twists and turns in the road.
When things don’t go as we expect, like when Joseph found out his fiancé was pregnant, we must believe that our adversity has God-given potential. Rather than change our plans or direction, we may need to change our perspective, like Joseph changed his after his dream. Even though it may seem quite bizarre, we must remain open to the will and plan of God.

God’s adventure has greatness in it.
Because He is so great and good, God often leads on paths that look disastrous, only to provide a divine outcome for His glory. However, He requires faith — belief that God 1) is sovereign and in full control; 2) has thought it through beyond our comprehension; 3) knows the why, how and what is next, even when we don’t; and 4) will always be with us and do what’s best for us.

God’s plan asks for our obedience.
Like most people, Joseph wanted status, security and stability. But God wanted Joseph’s submission — one of the greatest signs of respect and honor we can offer Him. We cannot be compelling leaders until we are complying followers of Jesus Christ. Our greatest privilege is also our greatest responsibility — obey. We cannot fully understand, but we can fully obey, just as Joseph did.

The reason for gaining Bible knowledge is so we can learn to do God’s will and obey Him. If our will is to do God’s will, and we make it our business to do God’s business, it then becomes God’s business to do our business. And He will take care of those who do His will.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which means, “God with us.”
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

For more of Allan Taylor’s insight into fanning the flame of your heart, leadership, ministry and church, visit his web site at Ember to Blaze Ministries.

During the savings-and-loan crisis of the late-1980s and early-1990s he ran into some serious financial difficulties. His accountant, banker, attorney — virtually everyone — told him to file bankruptcy. They said he “had no choice.”

He refused. Instead he worked through his debts over four years and eventually paid back everyone he owed… and ended up much better off than before his problems began.

The week of Oct. 19, 1987, following Black Monday, I experienced a financial crisis of my own, and I didn’t think my business would ever recover.

I had launched the newsletter, National & International Religion Report, at the beginning of the year, and the week before Black Monday I mailed a large number of promotional pieces to get new subscribers. I invested quite a bit with a marketing consultant and list broker. I printed thousands of brochures, letters and envelopes. And I paid postage to the U.S. Postal Service in advance of the mailing.

When my direct-mail pieces arrived during the week of Black Monday, no one was buying anything. The promotion was a total disaster, and the number of subscription orders we received was dismal. In all my years of publishing, I have never seen anything like it.

I was in way over my head. I had already borrowed from my bank and owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to suppliers. I didn’t have the cash to pay them back, or any hope in generating it. I had no place to turn. And like my developer friend, the sudden economic disaster affecting me was totally out of my control.

Drastic situations require drastic action.
I prayed and told my wife about our situation. She suggested we sell our house. (Just a few months before our financial crisis we had built our “dream home” — a cape cod on a hill overlooking the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.) We agreed to do whatever was necessary. We sold our home, office building, boat — anything and everything we had worked to acquire in the previous 20 years. Within a year we were able to pay off our debts and get out of trouble.

Today, millions of people and corporations across the country are filing bankruptcy. I read a report last year in USA Today that said our nation had set a new record of more than 6,000 people per day filing bankruptcy.

When I was young there was a saying, “As goes GM, so goes the nation.” Since GM filed bankruptcy, I guess the federal government will, too. The President and Congress are preparing a new budget with plans to spend a trillion dollars more than they generate for years to come. Is this the example they should set for citizens to follow? If China tightens its monetary policy, or anything else goes wrong, the effect on our economy could be insurmountable. And even if nothing terrible happens, how will we pay the interest on all this debt?

When government prints money to pay its debt, inflation goes through the roof. If we continue on this path, the results will be devastating. The Jimmy Carter economic fiasco will look minor in comparison. The inflation rate could be as bad as Germany’s before World War II. Back then, people were being paid in cash, and a wheelbarrow full of money was barely enough to buy a loaf of bread.

When the economy is this bad, and the problems are completely beyond our control, what should we do? Here’s what I would tell my three sons…

Pray first.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.     – 1 Thes. 5:16-18

Sometimes it’s hard to be joyful when the future looks bleak, but it’s God’s will for us, no matter how bad our circumstances look. He tells us that His joy is our strength. And before we make any drastic changes, we need to talk to Him about it. Listen carefully to His “still small voice” in prayer. Jesus told us to “ask, seek and knock,” and a door will be opened.

Prepare for the worst.
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.      – Proverbs 22:3

Times like these call for frugality. So cut back — way back. Wherever possible, reduce or eliminate expenses. If and when things turn around, you’ll be in a better position coming out of the downturn. And if these economic problems continue for an extended period, you’ll be in the best possible position to ride it out.

Hope for the best.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.     – Romans 15:13

Prayerfully consider how you would like your life to look in five years, ten years, and twenty years. Create a “big picture” plan and start working toward it. Make a to-do list of six things you must do to reach your goals and start to immediately knock them out. When you’ve eliminated the first six things on your list, create a new one, and continue working toward your goal. Be willing to give up short-term gratifications if the savings will help you reach your long-term goals.

Reduce your debt.
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.     – Proverbs 22:7

One plan that I’ve heard for reducing debt made a lot of sense: Pay off your smallest debt or loan as quickly as possible, and make minimum payments on all the rest. When your smallest debt is completely paid, add the amount you were paying on it to your next smallest debt until it is paid off. Continue to do this until you have no debts.

Keep your commitments.
A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.     – Proverbs 21:6

Scripture is clear about keeping our word, and it doesn’t leave room for not paying our debts. Romans 13:8 says, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another….” I don’t like saying it during these times when so many are suffering and out of work, but anything less than paying what we have promised is the same as stealing. If we can’t pay now due to a job loss or other circumstances, we need to make arrangements to pay what we owe as soon as we possibly can. “Walking away” is not a biblical option.

Conclusion
Our nation has always come out of recessions and depressions in the past. But this time our government leaders are taking us into debt on a scale like never before. Only the Lord knows how much worse things will get before they get better.

I suppose we could be headed into the period mentioned in Revelation 6:6 when we’ll receive “a quart of wheat for a day’s wages and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages.” But even if we end up in bread lines, we should “be joyful always” and keep a smile on our faces, because we know that “He has given us … an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven … ready to be revealed in the last time.”     – 1 Peter 1:3-5