Monday, January 5, 2015

Get down with your bad self...

     Well, when I was growing up, I had thoughts of what my family would be like. I hoped that my wife would be good looking and very similar to my mom. I also hoped that she would love the Lord and that she would love our kids. I thought that my kids would be funny, goofy and well rounded. I also wanted them to love the Lord as well. If I may be honest, I think I wanted these things, not because I wanted the best for them, but I think I wanted this because of how it would reflect on me. Who wants a wife and kids that are wrecks and how would that make me look? Now I have realized that I want my kids and wife to love the Lord and walk out their faith because it is the best thing for them. So, I got a better grasp on the "why" I wanted my family to love the Lord and thrive, but what did that look like. Honestly, I have been in ministry for about fourteen years and I have been a follower of Christ since I was in the seventh grade. But I had not idea of how my family thriving and loving the Lord would play out. I thought that maybe we would be the like the Cosby's but maybe a little cooler. I thought that maybe, I would preach a sermon to them before they went to bed at night and they would sit around and "Amen" me. I thought that I would have the answers to all things that they could possibly ask. But once I got the family it didn't quite play out the way that I thought it would. Not in a bad way, just not how I thought it would play out in my head. For example I thought that I would always be home for dinner, hasn't happened. I thought every night of the week we would have a family devotional and pray together every night, that has not happened either. I know some of you are thinking, what? But I have to be honest with ya. So it would seem like my family has not quite met my expectations, and you would be right. My family has exceeded them....Yep, that was not a typo, my family truly has exceeded every expectation I had. Not in the way I thought, but nonetheless every expectation has been exceeded.  
 Let me explain that a little more. See I thought that my family was suppose to look like everybody else's family. But the truth of the matter is every body's family is different. See we have all been called to be a great steward of what we have been entrusted with. But being a great steward may look different for your family than it does for mine. See I was under the impression that I had to do it like everybody else. But that is not it at all. The Lord has just called me to be a great steward. He didn't say I have to be like everybody else. Actually, the Lord has put unique gifts, talents, and desires in my heart and
He has called me to use those for his glory. Like it says in Colossians,
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
(Colossians 3:17 ESV)
So if i read that right, whatever it is that the Lord has put in you and gifted you with and entrusted you with you are called to use it in the name of the Lord! Everything. In essence, the Lord is saying be the best you for the glory of the Lord. Don't be the best somebody else, be the best you for the glory of the Lord. Honestly, that is one of the most freeing scriptures in God's word. It allows you to be you for the glory of the Lord. This plays out in many different ways in our home. Let me give you one example. I love to dance, I always have, I probably always will. So, as a family we dance. We dance a lot, it is how we finish a lot of meals. After we are finished eating, I, as the DJ, will pick out a song and we dance hard. There is always a lot of laughs and giggles and fun had by all. We dance, we even take turns doing dance solos. You may ask, how is that using gifts and talents for the glory of the Lord? I'm glad you asked. Through our dancing, we are becoming closer. If you can dance in front of somebody, you can be vulnerable with that person. You view them as being safe. So the more we dance, the closer we get, the closer we get, the more trust is built, the more trust is built, the more our family will listen to each other and value what we have to say, so it allows me to speak even more truth into the hearts of my wife and kids. Here is the thing, you don't have to dance with your family, but you should use whatever you love, whatever you are good at, whatever makes you smile, for the glory of the Lord and allow those gifts and talents to bring your family closer together and allow it to plant eternal seeds in the hearts of you kids and spouse or even just those people who are around you. So whatever you do in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord. I pray that you will get down with your bad self and truly let your light shine!

We are the people...


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Much love,
Nick and the people.