It seems like it is almost a daily occurrence for me to hear someone tearing down the Pastor.  It always seems that they either do to much of something or not enough of something else.  I know there are a lot of people out there who say they are serving the Lord to fulfill a calling and they haven’t given a whole lot of evidence of a real and legitimate call upon their life, but don’t you think that God is a big enough God that He can and will take care of the imposters when He wants to?

There are some out there that make me want to complain, but it is not our job to complain.  It is our job to glorify God and I have discovered that we can’t glorify God, while we are tearing down his creation, even if it is a flawed and sinful creation.

The real sad thing to me, is that there are people out in our world who have given their lives to serve God by serving others through His Church and many of these people cannot do what God has called and gifted them to do, without having to continually be distracted by parking lot politics, attacks out of left field and a continual questioning of their heart and motives.  I’m talking about real servants, with real servant hearts.  Men and women who really love God, care about people and give all they’ve got and then some to the church.

If you call yourself a Christian, I want to challenge you right now to say a prayer and ask God to help you to help, not hinder His work through the leadership that He has provided for you.  Pray for the leadership that He has given you and ask God to help that leadership face what they need to face, with a growing faith in God and His ability to take care of them through even the worst of attacks and storms.

I know there are servants of the Lord who are hurting and can’t seem to find the strength to want to even make it through another day.  This should never be the case and it would never be the case, if we were really working with each other for God’s glory the way that we should!

Some of you may wonder what has me so fired up?  It’s not attacks on me, while I get my fair share, the truth is:  I serve a wonderful congregation of some amazing people who I am blessed to call family and friends.  The majority of us love working together for the common cause of sharing the glorious Gospel of God’s Amazing Grace in so many different and diverse ways.  And we actually have fun working and serving together!

It was a couple of things actually that got to me.  The first thing was hearing people out in public tear their church and their pastor apart.  It broke my heart to think that other people where hearing this and it grieved my spirit to think about the damage that this has to be doing to the cause of Christ.  The second thing that got to me, was hearing about yet another Pastor, who walked out into the cemetery beside the church and took his own life, because he just couldn’t take another day of ministry!

I thank the Lord for loving me, for calling me into ministry and for blessing me all of these years with brothers and sisters who walk with me for His glory!  And while I am expressing thanks, I need to also say a great big thank you to my very understanding family and friends who stick with me, even when I am too busy and preoccupied with ministry!  I love you guys and gals and I love our Lord!  G3!

Most people want their life to make a difference, but give up on the idea because they just don’t think it’s possible without a lot of really hard work.  We tend to get caught up in ourselves and become selfish and self-centered, often without even realizing it.

We don’t wake up one day and proclaim:  “I am going to be selfish.  I am only going to look out for me.  I don’t really care about anyone else.  I am the only one that matters in this world.”  But if we are not careful, this is exactly the life we begin to live!  And the truth is:  This is not a very good life!  Deep down we know it, but we don’t want to admit it and even if we did admit it, it is just too big of an obstacle to try to overcome, so we just become satisfied and get by the best we can.

Here is an idea:  Start asking yourself the “100 Year Question?”  Forest E. Witcraft wrote an article called “Within My Power!” in the October 1950 Scouting Magazine.  The article ended with what has now become a pretty popular quote:  “100 years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.”  You can find in this quote a powerful question to ask yourself, that when asked and answered – will begin to shape your life in an amazing and beautiful way!

The Question:  “What difference will it make in 100 years?”  The things we allow to upset us and pull us off track, the things that we get so excited and into that have no real eternal value.  What difference will these things make in 100 years?

Before you waste your emotion on anger, ask the 100 year question.  Before you use up your energy getting excited about something that does not really matter, ask yourself the 100 year question.  Before you throw in the towel and give up, ask yourself the 100 year question.  Before you step away from this article, ask yourself the 100 year question and let it challenge and change the way you live your life!  You will be glad you did!

You are an orignal!  A one of kind, unique, master piece!  There is only one you!  Up to this moment, there has never been anyone like you and I can promise you that there will never be another you.  You are you and the only you like you around!

Does that make you feel special?  It should!  Not because of something that you have done, but because of the amazing reality that God your Creator chose to make you unique, different and special in your own way.

Today – think about who you are!  Think about who God made you to be!  Think about what God created you to do that only you can do!  Be and do who and what God created you for and you will discover an amazing fulfillment in the accomplishment of that purpose.  You can do this and you will be glad you did!  G3!