You're Never To Old

Last week all my children and grandchildren and other family members got together to celebrate my father-in-law's 90th birthday! It was a surprise so we all hid in the house waiting for dad to arrive. You should have seen the surprise on his face when he walked in and heard the shouts of "Happy Birthday" and "We love you, Papa.” (Papa is the name we affectionately call him). What struck me was not only the look of surprise on his face, but the joy of being appreciated and loved by so many! You see, it doesn’t matter how old we get we want to know that we are cared for, loved, and appreciated! It was awesome to see my children and my grandchildren, one by one go up to Papa and give him a hug and tell him how much they loved him, and to wish him a Happy Birthday. The truth is, we don’t need to wait for a birthday to let others know we love them! We can and should do it often to those people in our lives that we care for.

Does anybody in your life need to know they are loved and appreciated? Why don’t you send them an e-mail, a letter; or better yet pick up the phone! Everyone loves to hear “I love you!”

The Legacy

A couple of weeks ago some of my kids and their families were over for lunch one Sunday after church. After we had eaten we were all sitting around talking when my three year old grandson Jordan came up to me and wanted me to play with him. Never turning down an offer like that  - we played for a little while and then I asked him a question, “What’s your last name?” He looked at me kind of funny and then he said in a somewhat loud voice “McBroom!” I said, "That’s right! " And then I asked him, “What’s your full name?" And just as emphatically he said, "Jordan David McBroom!"  I told him it was awesome that he knew his name and then I asked him if he knew what my last name was. He answered, “Papa Papa!” (I had to hold in my laugh!) So I told him that my last name was McBroom too, and that my full name was David McBroom, just like his. And without hesitation he said, “Papa David McBroom!” (We both had a great laugh with that one!)

I turned to my kids and I said, "Wow, I sure have a lot of children named after me! My own son, David Jeffery, Conner David, Jordan David, and most recently Josiah David." And then someone casually said, “That’s your legacy!” When they said that, I didn't say anything but I lodged that thought in my mind.

Later, however, l began to reflect on the statement, “That’s your legacy”. Honestly, I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of having so many people in my immediate family that I have the opportunity to influence….for good or otherwise. And it got me to thinking, “What kind of legacy do I want to leave? What do I want to be remembered for? And more importantly, how do I leave a lasting, permanent legacy?” As I thought more about it I came to the conclusion that  . . . I have to be a man of character in all areas of my life if I truly want to leave a lasting legacy. As an individual person, a partner, a parent, a papa, and pastor! Wow! What a great opportunity I have to model and to pass on to my children and grandchildren what a man of character looks like; so they too, can pass on their legacy from generation to generation. I’m so glad I had the chance to have that conversation with my three year old grandson… for out of the mouth of babes!

So what do you want to be remembered for? What legacy do you want to leave?  Maybe it’s time to have a conversation….?

Three Things!

This past month I’ve been doing my devotions reading the book of Philippians and it’s challenging me on every level of my life as a Christ follower. Even though I’ve been a Christ follower now for about 40 plus years; if I’m not careful I can go from “relationship” to “religion” without noticing the gradual slide. It’s so easy to get distracted from what’s really important. One verse in particular that rocked Christian world and life is found in Philippians 3:3 which says, “For we are the circumcision who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Wow! Three things, which those who are in “relationship” with God do, versus those who are in “religion” who don’t do.

• Worship!
• Rejoice!
• And put no confidence in the flesh!

And you need all three to be in an intimate, personal relationship with God! I’m convinced that a true follower of God has all three of these characteristics operating on a consistent basis in their lives. In other words my life needs to reflect an attitude of worship! A lifestyle where I don’t just go through the motions but meaning it from the heart! God doesn’t just want me physically; he wants my heart and my soul! (And man am I challenged to reflect the joy of knowing Jesus)!  My life should not be characterized by discouragement, depression, or a victim mentality. (So many who claim to be Christ followers live this way). The bottom line is that if I lost everything but still had my relationship with Jesus then I have a reason to rejoice. Worship is needed! Rejoicing is needed!

But also, I should never put my hope in the arm of the flesh. Yes, use my talents! Yes, use my gifts and abilities, but put on my trust and confidence in the flesh….no! Certainly, we should do all we can and give it our very best; but always remembering what Paul said in Philippians 2:13 “For it is GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU both to will and to do for His good pleasure”. When I’m living in the will of God my life should be filled with praise, joy, and trust so that God gets all the glory!

For me, one of the ways I’m learning to “worship more intently”, “rejoice with more passion;” and “putting no confidence in the flesh” is by living my life through the lens and the grid of eternity! You see, in life, it doesn’t really matter how long you live…what matters is…how you live! It’s not the “duration” of your life that matters; it’s the “donation” of your life. I’m learning (and you would think I would have learned this by now), that there is no way I could ever accomplish what God had called me to do on my own. It’s WAY bigger than me! So how are you doing these days with worship? Are you living a life of joy, rejoicing in your relationship with God through Christ? Are you trying to do what God has called you to do on your own? Why not commit today to serve God where you are with a worshipful and joyful heart that is trusting completely in God!

BTW – When I’m doing all three of these….my STRESS LEVEL goes way down and the JOY goes way up! Three things….three choices….what are you going to choose to do?

Reading The Red

For about two months now I’ve been “reading the red” (the words of Jesus) and specifically the Sermon on the Mount; and I have to tell you that Jesus is turning my world upside down. I’ve read the Sermon on the Mount many, many times but I’ve never approached reading it and meditating on it like what Bill Hyble’s describes as “saturation reflection”. For me, that means reading the Sermon on the Mount everyday for the rest of 2010.

A few days ago as I was reading I stopped at Matthew 5:46. I had one of those “aha” moments when God zeroed in on my heart like a laser and I knew the Holy Spirit would not let me leave this verse. I had to ask myself some very tough questions. Am I applying this verse to my life as a pastor and as a person? How well is love operating in my life when it comes to “all people”? 

If I'm being honest - it’s easy for me to love those who love and appreciate me back. But what about when people wrong me, or say unkind things, or become very critical? My first reaction when people hurt me or do unkind things is to retaliate and get even. (I hate to admit that but it’s true). I guess I didn’t realize how much Jesus raised the bar regarding relationships in this one verse. According to Jesus, just loving those who love me - well even the tax collectors do that…ouch…!  That doesn’t take much effort at all. There's nothing great about that. But CHOOSING to LOVE the unlovable, that’s a whole different thing all together.

What Jesus is teaching me though is that when I do that I’m positioning myself to be like my heavenly Father. What He is asking me to do is to have the kind of love that is all-inclusive that really does SEEK THE GOOD OF ALL. It doesn’t mean that I’m best friends with everyone, but I do seek THE BEST for them. Jesus is saying that instead of following the example of sinners who love only those who love them, I’m to be like my heavenly Father in also loving those who don’t love me! I can only do that with His help.

I love "reading the red"!

Heroes

We all have heroes in our life, don’t we? Every once in a while God will remind me that heroes come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. We just have to keep our eyes open to see them.

This past Friday night I had the privilege of going to watch my granddaughter Hailey perform in her grade school’s Talent Show. (She was definitely the best in the show as I'm sure you would of agreed had you been there!) Hailey is six years old and in kindergarten and honestly, I never dreamed that she would get up in front of a gym full of people and sing and dance. But she did . . . and she blew me away!

Most of the kids in the show sang songs by their heroes; Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and others. Now there’s nothing wrong with that – back when I was in grade school boys were singing, “She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah”, by the Beatles with black mops on their heads - so I understand how these young kids emulate their heroes. We all did it when we were young.

But what stood out at this Talent Show and made this “Papa” so incredibly proud was that Hailey and her little friend Cora sang and danced to the song, “Jesus Is Our Superhero”. At age six they were the only ones to sing about JESUS in a room full of peers and adults. And guess what? Everyone cheered and clapped loudly for them – and no one more than me!!

My prayer is that Jesus will always be Hailey’s superhero no matter how old she gets. I’m so proud of you Hailey girl and you were my hero that night!!