How crazy is that thought for a Christian? I mean, c’mon…making decisions about your faith like it was a lunch order? Really? Yep. That was how I was thinking early in my faith walk. Ouch.    I had elected myself as BOSS and put myself in charge of making every decision in my life as if it was nothing more than a lunch order. I was a corporate CEO at the time and EVERYTHING in my life could...

You get cut…blood comes out. You squeeze a tube of toothpaste…toothpaste comes out. You wash a load of clothes…dirt comes out. Here’s the first step in allowing God to determine and animate what comes out when life squeezes us: Recognize our INADEQUACY without God. Otherwise, we will be tempted to play BOSS and try to control–on our own–what comes out of us. And that never turns out...

God gives children a natural curiosity about life and its wonder. He gives them a quizzical and probing nature. He gives them a spontaneous bent and joyful heart. And then, like magic, it seems to vanish in the night as we grow up in a cynical bubble with oxygen infused with doubt and fear. Worry and fret. Problems and pain.    That’s a problem for us adult Christians who are told by God...

It is IMPOSSIBLE to fully recognize our INADEQUACY without God if we do not have Christian HUMILITY running through our veins and invading our soul. That’s why it is important to regularly check in on ourselves by asking: “Are YOU a HUMBLE Christian?”    Here’s a snapshot of what Christian humility IS: Respect for the dignity and worth of all God’s people. Putting God and others ahead...

We’re a couple of weeks into exploring the need to recognize our INADEQUACY without God and I can feel the Holy Spirit working in my life and in the lives of many other members of this ministry’s 1.2 million-strong global online tribe. The comments and questions that are coming in bear that out. Here’s an interesting one: “I am beginning to trust God more than me, but even though I’m trying hard,...

One of the biggest BARRIERS to recognizing our INADEQUACY without God is wrapped up in our DESIRE. But it is not the obvious, on-the-surface signs and symbols of our desire. You know…things like playing boss of our life. Chasing money and success. Pursuing pleasure and power. No, not that kind of desire. I’m talking about the desire beneath our desire.    In other words, what is the desire...

Earlier in my faith walk I thought God’s peace and joy would appear instantly and automatically. I had no idea that Christians could have UNDIGESTED SADNESS that prevents them from fully realizing the amazing power and peace of walking with God. Back then I asked myself this question many times: “Why Am I Still Sad?”    Another “spiritual misread” on my part was thinking it was possible...

Christians everywhere are fighting a force most of us cannot see. It is a two-headed challenge we all face: Living with spiritual INTENTION—focused commitment–and not have it be derailed by our worldly INATTENTION.    Beating back the world’s distractions and committing to an intentional focus on Christ is one tough job.    It’s a silly understatement to say we are living...

I have no idea why the notion of MISSING THE BUS consumed me with my first breath this morning and then shot forward like a rocket when a jolt of java delivered its brewed energy. Perhaps MISSING THE BUS came from the busload of youngsters—masked but still giddy—I saw on the way to this one-room wilderness cabin housing me to work on my book for a couple of days.    But forget about the...

Are you still feeling ADEQUATE? Are you still wanting to be the BOSS of your life? Are you still thinking it IS possible to be partially connected to God? If the answer to any of those questions is YES or MAYBE, please join ME and you’ll be in the right spot. Here’s why…    We’re only one third the way into this month’s hyper-focus on the spiritual imperative of recognizing our INADEQUACY...