Podcast: Tiny White Bugs I was sitting at my desk, looking out the window at our beautiful yard and the golf course beyond. A number of months ago we planted a young Hibiscus tree about fifteen feet from my window. It had beautiful orange flowers on it when we brought it home and planted it. After a while, the flowers disappeared. We examined the young tree and found it was infested with tiny white bugs that were feasting off the flower buds. They were destroying the buds before they could bloom into beautiful flowers. The bugs have successfully resisted the spray that’s supposed to kill them. We have determined to keep working to eliminate the bugs, so we can enjoy the beauty of the Hibiscus flowers, even though it will be a battle. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” Have you noticed that it’s always the little things that seem to affect us the most? Perhaps it’s because they are not easy to notice or identify as the cause of our problems. Have you also found that even when we identify the little things as the problem, they can be difficult to deal with and eliminate from our lives? We may even choose to ignore them because they seem so small and couldn’t possibly cause us so much trouble, yet, they do! I’m Dr. Bob Like the little white bugs on my tree, the issues of life that seem insignificant can be recognized, dealt with and ultimately defeated. Don’t allow something that seems insignificant ruin what has so much potential for beauty in your life. It will take determined perseverance and faith, but with God, all things are possible.

At breakfast with my friend, Pastor Bryan Rosenbarger, we talked about how vital it is that leaders in the church live organized, disciplined lives. Everyone is watching. Pastor Bryan said to me, “Leaders who are disorganized and undisciplined are like junk drawers in a kitchen. Most of us have one or two of these drawers, filled with all kinds of things that were randomly thrown in them.” For the most part, the things in a junk drawer have become part of a mixed up mess of seldom or never-to-be used again items. In Philippians 3:7-8, we read that the Apostle Paul well understood junk, as he wrote this: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. {8} Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ…" A junk drawer, jammed together with neglected and effectively useless items, is a picture of confusing disorder. It speaks of a lack of discipline and perhaps even laziness. We all (and especially leaders) need to clean out our lives of any confusion, lack of discipline or disorder and sometimes, even laziness. I’m Dr. Bob. People are watching. They value, are affirmed and secured when their leaders display steadiness, discipline and order. Eliminate the junk! No More Junk Drawers

Are you dealing with someone who has depression. Here's a Mentoring Minute I posted recently. Perhaps it will help: "Let’s talk about a great question God asks us from time to time. It’s “What are you doing here?” 1 Kings, Chapter 19, tells us of Elijah fleeing from Jezebel’s threat to revenge the deaths of the prophets of Baal by killing him. If you take the time to study the chapter, you will seethat Elijah first went to Beersheba and left his servant there. Then  Elijah continued on alone “a day’s journey into the wilderness” and rested under a “broom tree.” He was so depressed he asked the Lord to allow him to die, and then fell asleep. He was awakened by an angel, who encouraged him to eat and continue on his journey. Elijah then traveled for forty days and nights, until he found himself going into a cave at “Horeb, the mountain of God.”  It was there that God asked him a question. It’s found in 1 Kings 19:9 (NKJV), which says, “…and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”” The Lord knew perfectly well what Elijah was doing in that cave. The question was God’s way of directing Elijah to a state of mind in which he could get past his fear so he could hear what God wanted to say to him. God then told Elijah to leave the cave and stand on the mountain. There, He provided the prophet with a display of His omnipotence with powerful winds, an earthquake and a show of divine fire. Following this, the Lord repeated His initial question to Elijah, but now, in “a still small voice” (That’s found in Verses 12-13). God had taken the prophet on an indirect route to a place where He would meet with him and instruct him to move ahead to fulfill the His God-ordained purpose. After hearing God’s voice, Elijah moved on to anoint a new king over Israel and then to find Elisha, who became his disciple and eventually his successor. I’m Dr. Bob. Are we so engaged in our emotions sometimes that we’re not ready to hear God until He isolates us from our problem? He did it for Elijah. He will do it for you."

My friend, Pastor Glenn Holderead, raises cattle in Oklahoma. We talk often, encouraging each other with what the Lord shows us from our every day lives. We were talking about the corral in which he gathers his cattle to care for them. Pastor Glenn described it to me and explained how it’s used. As he did, the Holy Spirit began to show both of us how a simple thing like this fenced in holding area for cattle can illustrate how perfectly God cares for us. Here’s how Pastor Glenn cares for his cattle in the corral. First, he brings them in and shuts the gate. Once they are secure, Pastor Glenn feeds them fresh water. After this, he moves them into what he calls the “squeeze chute.” This is a part of the corral that grows increasingly narrower until the cattle are no longer able to move freely. Then, Pastor Glenn examines them to see if they’re healthy or in need of any special care. Before he lets them leave the “squeeze chute” he vaccinates them against disease. Finally, he sets them free to the safety of the green pasture awaiting them beyond the corral. Psalm 23:2 (NKJV) says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.” Romans 12:2 (NKJV) says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."  I’m Dr. Bob. The corral, with its “squeeze chute,” illustrates Christ’s design for how He cares for His “sheep.” First, the Lord brings us into the sheepfold. Then, He provides rivers of living waters, from which we can drink and never thirst again. Next, He takes us to His divine “squeeze chute.” This is where the Holy Spirit works to transform us by renewing our minds, and vaccinates us against the world’s way of thinking. Finally, we’re set free to lie down in His “green pastures… beside still waters.” That’s a perfect picture of grace!

I heard Pastor Jamie Peters say something that really caught my attention. It was, ““Who” is more important than “how.”” He was referring to the Gospels’ descriptions of the different ways Jesus healed three blind men. Jesus spit in the eyes of one man to heal him and rubbed mud on the eyes of another to heal him. He also simply touched a third man to heal him. Pastor Jamie said it was not about the Lord’s methods of healing that was important, but about the Healer, Himself. As I heard this, I considered how easy it is to focus on the miracle, and not the miracle Maker. 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT) says, “He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.” Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God’s methods may change, but His identity as our Healer and the history of His redeeming work never change. We can certainly expect surprises in how He performs His will over us, but we can always have complete assurance that we can trust and rely upon Him. He’s there for us, and willing to intervene on our behalf. He’s faithful and able to heal us. Even when He doesn’t, He’s still God. He’s forever faithful to us and always worthy of our praise. I’m Dr. Bob. Meditate on the following two verses from Lamentations and then, check your attitudes toward who God is in your life. Lamentations 3:22-23 say,  “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,Because His compassions fail not. {23} They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

With God, all things are possible. When you make possibilities your destination, you can be sure that you can get there, because with God, all things are possible, and nothing is impossible. In today’s world, that’s better assurance than a bucket of gold or a stack of silver. In fact, trusting God for His wisdom for the journey is invaluable because it is like “apples of gold in settings of silver.” In Mark 9:23 (NKJV) Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Proverbs 25:11 (NKJV) says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” The difference-maker is that it’s God’s gold and His silver. It never tarnishes or devalues because it’s divinely sourced and full of endless possibilities. Here is sound biblical instruction that will guarantee your success. It’s “A word fitly spoken” and clearly states what God requires so all things can be possible for you. It comes from Micah 6:8b (NKJV). It says, “And what does the Lord require of you - But to do justly, To love mercy, And walk humbly with your God?”  I’m Dr. Bob. You can go where God says you can go and do what He says you can do… and anything is possible. It’s simply a matter of having unwavering faith and then, acting according to God’s instructions for the journey: Will you “do justly… love mercy, and walk humbly with your God”?

I have a pleasant view from my desk in my home office, looking out into the yard. I have a bird feeder there and often watch various kinds of small birds coming to feed on the seeds we’ve put into it. The behavior patterns of the birds remind me of how people interact with each other. The blue jays patiently wait for each other to finish at the feeder before moving onto it to feed. The small doves prefer to stay on the ground under the feeder, passively waiting for seeds to fall from the other birds’ efforts to feed. They’re content to glean what has fallen to the ground. Finally, there are the black birds. They’re not content to allow each other to share in the feeder’s provision. They aggressively chase each other off the feeder and fight for every seed. Psalm 133:1 (NKJV) says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!” Isn’t it amazing how similar our behavior can be to the birds at my feeder? Some of us fight to get what we want, at the expense of others. Then there are those who are weaker. They passively wait until the more aggressive of us finishes. They’re content to glean what they can and not demand what they should. Finally, there are those of us who esteem others more highly than ourselves, willingly allowing those who are weaker to go before us and get the best. I’m Dr. Bob. God has not equipped the birds in my yard with consciences. They don’t know if what they instinctively do is right or wrong. They are designed to behave in whatever ways are best for their survival. As God’s children, we aren’t like birds. We know what’s right and God-pleasing. The Lord expects nothing less than that we imitate Christ’s behavior, and allow those who are weaker to have every advantage we can give them. If you were a bird, would you be most like a black bird, a dove or a blue jay? Why? A Blackbird, a Dove, or a Blue Jay?

There’s a well-known story about a race between a turtle and a rabbit (a tortoise and a hare). The rabbit was much faster than the turtle, but he failed to take the race seriously. He got distracted along the way and lost his focus. The turtle just kept plodding along, determined to stay focused. As you probably know, the turtle, in his own determined way, just slowly kept moving ahead until he finished the race and won. This story illustrates that steady perseverance wins over an inconsistent effort that’s uncommitted to finishing. In Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT) Paul wrote, “but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, {14} I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Knowing his time on earth was short, Paul wrote to Timothy, saying, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV) Paul called his apostolic journey a “race” and described it as a “good fight.” He knew that keeping faith in Christ was the reason his “fight” had been a good one. Now, awaiting his appointment with the Roman executioner, he was content in knowing the consistent, committed stewardship of his faith was the reason he could be satisfied as he looked forward to meeting Jesus in glory. I’m Dr. Bob. I have learned that consistent commitment is an attribute of immeasurable value. It’s the key to achieving the “perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). Would you describe your Christian life a demonstration of consistent commitment?