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Above My Pay Grade!

I remember in college working with a guy and anytime he would encounter something that negative, to much of a challenge or going to be overly frustrating, he would simply respond: “That is above my pay grade!” It was his way of saying: “They don’t pay me enough money to deal with those kinds of issues, they belong to the higher ups!” The thing that was really cool about this guy is that he did not let anything rattle his cage or get him shook up. He really rolled with the punches and made the best of most every situation that ever came his way.

So many times in my life, I have wished that I could be more like that, but I have always told myself that I just care way too much. The truth is: I have often cared about the wrong things and have ended up way above my pay grade, which just ended up costing me even more.

Life has this way of throwing us curve balls. Truth be told: Life has a way of beaming us up side the head with the ball. When life gets to be more than we can handle or more than we signed up for, we don’t need to sweat it. We just need to admit to ourselves and everyone else:
That’s above my pay grade!” There is no shame in being honest, real and down to earth when it comes to things that are bigger than we are.

One of my favorite quotes is: “Don’t Tell God How Big Your Storm Is, Instead Tell Your Storm How Big Your God Is!” This is another way of saying that some things are above our pay grade, but we know the ONE Who can take care of it. We have been given amazing power and whatever comes our way that we do not have the power to take on and handle, God is willing to take on and handle for us, if we will get out of His way and trust Him.

We are trying to learn about our power and how to use it! We have each been born with amazing, incredible and supernatural power. Power that had the ability to open closed doors, move mountains and produce miracles, but we have to believe and if we really do believe then our life of faith will make the impossible, possible through Jesus.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. -Romans 5:3-5

We are learning that much of what we worry about is a waste! This is why we should not waste our energy and time worrying, but instead on trusting in God’s power and strength. Look back on your life and you will discover that most of the times you wasted time worrying was spent on things that you never ever really needed to worry about.

We are hopefully understanding the greater purposes to the challenges that God ALLOWS to come our way. God allows troubles and tribulations to come into our life to help us learn patience and trust in Him. As we begin to practice patience, we will discover that much of what happens to us is trying to change and grow something inside of us. The more we learn this most basic of lessons through the experiences of the ups and downs of life, the more we learn that so many times we deceive ourselves and rob ourselves of greater blessing than we could dream or imagine.

Next time there is something you can’t handle or shouldn’t handle, just admit that it is above your pay grade and trust the Master to take care of the rest…

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Feed Your Faith And Starve Your Fears!

Once we really begin to think about our life and the way we are living, it should become pretty obvious that faith, not fear should be calling the shots. While it is obvious that this is the way we should be living, it is not usually the way we are doing it. We know better, but we still allow anxiousness, doubts and fears to have more power in the say of our life and living than we should.

Feed Your Faith!

It is important to feed our faith through daily Bible reading, prayer and fellowship with fellow Believers, but that is not enough. We need to also at the very same time that we are feeding our faith, make sure that we are starving our doubts, fears, insecurities, worries and anxious thoughts.

28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? -Luke 12:28

Look at it this way: Part of feeding your faith is starving your doubts, fears and insecurities! The two go hand in hand and work together to help you experience victory in taking back control of your life, so that you can experience the blessings you were created for.

We’ve already talked about some of the spiritual disciplines we can practice to feed our faith. Another thing we can do to feed our faith and starve our doubts and fears is look back on our life at what we have already survived. That’s right remind your body, mind and spirit of what God has done and if God has done it, then we can trust that God will do it again and again and again as many times as it needs doing…

God created you to do more than survive – God created you to thrive! Do not allow yourself to be satisfied with anything less than God’s absolute best for you and yours. God loves you and has an amazing plan of blessing and growth for your life. Believe it, claim it, experience it and give God the glory!

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How Much Is This Going To Cost Me?

The older we get, the more we begin to realize and recognize value. We start to understand that some things are worth it and some things are not. I’ve heard more than one old timer say: “You get what you pay for!” and “How much is this going to cost me?”, and I have lived just long enough to discover that this is absolutely true most of the time – we do get what we pay for and anything of value is going to cost us. What is extra important to remember is that we don’t just pay with dollars, we also pay with our time and life.

This human experience that we call life is too short to waste on things that do not really matter, but if we are not careful, that is exactly what we will end up doing. We allow ourselves to get caught up in stuff that does not really matter and end up loosing the precious gift of value.

25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. -Luke 12:25-27

We have already established that worry is a waste of time and resources. But how do we take on and take out worry, so that it stops robbing us of the precious gift of life. Jesus said: Look around you and see God’s faithfulness! In other words: Realize that you have the power to choose what you will focus on and the direction you will live your life…

If God takes care of this great big world, then He is going to take care of you! Just open your eyes and see all of the things God is taking care of. Look back on your own life and remind yourself of all the times God has taken care of you. Do you really think that the God Who has been taking care of you and seeing you through is going to stop? Of course not, we know better, but we often allow our minds to wander to the worst of places. Remember: God’s got me and I’ve got this!

Every now and then it is good to stop everything we are used to doing. Turn off all of the noise and take a few moments to sit in the still, quiet presence of the One Who brought us to the dance. Spending this time in God’s presence will help us to think about and remember what really matters. We need to Consider our investments! Your life and the way you spend it is an investment, so you need to ask yourself: Am I living a life of diminishing returns or am I living a life of blessing and growth? You were created for a life of blessing and growth. If worry does you no good, then why waste your time???

So remember: A good question to ask yourself is: How much is this going to cost me???