By Gobel Brockman
Well, another year is almost gone. I imagine most of us feel a little older, maybe a little wiser, but definitely a lot more tired. It's been an eventful year, both on a personal level, and for all of us as a nation. But my thoughts today are on how it seems like it was yesterday we were bidding adieu to 2011. I remember as a kid being told that the older you get, the faster time goes. Wise words indeed.
As I look back on the last 12 months, I see areas in my life where God did some great things. Sadly, I also see many places where I can't say the same about myself. Things I shouldn't have done or said. Things I SHOULD have done or said. But instead of focusing on those things, I choose to focus on the goodness of God, Who promised in the Bible that "...I will never leave you or forsake you." Even when I blow it. Man, I can't put into words how thankful I am for that.
As I think on all of this, I'm reminded of how it's time for 'New Year's Resolutions', which I consider to be one of mankind's worst jokes on itself. I recently saw a cartoon where someone said that a New Year's Resolution is a day planner for the first week of January. I couldn't have put it better. And that's what I want to focus on this week - how I plan on making 2013 better that 2012. There'll be no resolutions, no promises to myself or God that I let go by the wayside, and no unrealistic goals that do nothing but bring disappointment. I choose to follow the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:34: "So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today." (The Voice Translation) Am I telling you not to plan for the future? Of course not. I'm just reminding you that none of us have the promise that we HAVE a future, and Jesus told us basically to let our focus be on honoring and being faithful to Him today.
So, how am I going to do better in 2013? I'll let you know when it gets here. Today, I'm going to put my effort into following Christ today. That's good enough for me. Because that's what He said to do. If I get a tomorrow, same thing. And the next. Basically, 'Lather, rinse, repeat.' (Hey, there's a good slogan for 2013.)
I pray that God blesses all of you in this coming year, and that we all grow closer to Him as well. One day at a time.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
There's Only One Answer
By Gobel Brockman
It's Christmas time in America. A time for celebrating, a time for good cheer. Instead, we as a nation are mourning. Senseless tragedy has brought us to tears yet again. First, a young man walks into a shopping mall and shoots people who were there to simply buy presents for people they love. Then, in a crime most of us may never be able to wrap our minds around, another young man walks into an elementary school and murders 26 people, 20 of them children. A horrific, tragic story that I believe will stay with us for a long, long time.
There is so much to say about this that I can't do it all here. So for this week I'll simply talk about my primary thoughts in all of this. We as a nation do not need more laws. We don't need more political debate. We don't need men and women in Washington D.C. attempting to control more of our lives. This nation needs to REPENT. We need to stop shutting God out of our lives, then blame Him when things like this happen.
One comment I heard a day or two ago went something like this: "I wish Christians would stop saying that we need God back in schools. I thought they believed God is everywhere." That is true, but if you've ever been somewhere where you knew you weren't welcome, you know how that feels. I've been involved in ministry in one form or another since 1982. There have been a few times when I've went to someone's house to offer assistance for something they were facing, and almost immediately could tell that the people there wanted one thing - my exit. How much good did I do in those times? Not much. I pretty much had to walk away and leave them with their problem. Why should it be any different for us as a nation?
In a few days, our shock will wear off a bit. We'll return to our shopping and our holiday cheer. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I think we all know that there will be more. More pain, more suffering, more senseless tragedy. My point this week is that our problem isn't political or legal, it's spiritual. More politicians and more legislation is not the answer. The answer will be found on our knees.
It begins with the church. Starting now.
It's Christmas time in America. A time for celebrating, a time for good cheer. Instead, we as a nation are mourning. Senseless tragedy has brought us to tears yet again. First, a young man walks into a shopping mall and shoots people who were there to simply buy presents for people they love. Then, in a crime most of us may never be able to wrap our minds around, another young man walks into an elementary school and murders 26 people, 20 of them children. A horrific, tragic story that I believe will stay with us for a long, long time.
There is so much to say about this that I can't do it all here. So for this week I'll simply talk about my primary thoughts in all of this. We as a nation do not need more laws. We don't need more political debate. We don't need men and women in Washington D.C. attempting to control more of our lives. This nation needs to REPENT. We need to stop shutting God out of our lives, then blame Him when things like this happen.
One comment I heard a day or two ago went something like this: "I wish Christians would stop saying that we need God back in schools. I thought they believed God is everywhere." That is true, but if you've ever been somewhere where you knew you weren't welcome, you know how that feels. I've been involved in ministry in one form or another since 1982. There have been a few times when I've went to someone's house to offer assistance for something they were facing, and almost immediately could tell that the people there wanted one thing - my exit. How much good did I do in those times? Not much. I pretty much had to walk away and leave them with their problem. Why should it be any different for us as a nation?
In a few days, our shock will wear off a bit. We'll return to our shopping and our holiday cheer. And there's nothing wrong with that. But I think we all know that there will be more. More pain, more suffering, more senseless tragedy. My point this week is that our problem isn't political or legal, it's spiritual. More politicians and more legislation is not the answer. The answer will be found on our knees.
It begins with the church. Starting now.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sometimes It's the Little Things
By Gobel Brockman
Several years ago I heard a minister tell a story that's stuck with me. It was the end of the church service, and he was inviting people forward who needed prayer. One man came up, and when the minister asked him what he needed, the man replied, "I'm just going through a lot right now. I'm not being overwhelmed in some huge battle; I feel like I'm being pecked to death by a flock of sparrows."
Ever felt that way? Nothing major going on, but a lot of little, aggravating stuff. Get one problem taken care of, and two little ones come in to take its place. Solomon referred to it as '...the little foxes that spoil the vine.' This time of year can really bring that feeling on. A lot to get done, and not much time to do it. Gifts to buy, programs to attend, meals to prepare, etc. etc. etc.
For me, the best way to approach it is to recognize the reality. We live in a busy world. There's always something to do. There will always be problems associated with it. The idea of a trouble-free day is a nice thought, but little else. Some days will be better than others. There are times we face extreme situations, but most of the time it's the 'pecked to death by a flock of sparrows' that gets us. Job said that 'Man's days are few, and full of trouble'. Why did he say that? Because man's days are few, and they're full of trouble. But here's what helps me: God cares about the small stuff too. He's there to help when we lose a loved one. But He's also there when we have a flat, have a bad day at work, or stub our toe. And let's be honest - we're experts sometimes at making mountains out of our own molehills. (I find it humorous when busy people are never too busy to get on Facebook or Twitter and talk about how busy they are...)
But if you are in a 'flock of sparrows' time right now, what I'm going to tell you is this: tell God. Be honest with Him about how you feel. He cares when you're hurting, but He also cares when you're frazzled. We may sweat the small stuff, but He doesn't.
Several years ago I heard a minister tell a story that's stuck with me. It was the end of the church service, and he was inviting people forward who needed prayer. One man came up, and when the minister asked him what he needed, the man replied, "I'm just going through a lot right now. I'm not being overwhelmed in some huge battle; I feel like I'm being pecked to death by a flock of sparrows."
Ever felt that way? Nothing major going on, but a lot of little, aggravating stuff. Get one problem taken care of, and two little ones come in to take its place. Solomon referred to it as '...the little foxes that spoil the vine.' This time of year can really bring that feeling on. A lot to get done, and not much time to do it. Gifts to buy, programs to attend, meals to prepare, etc. etc. etc.
For me, the best way to approach it is to recognize the reality. We live in a busy world. There's always something to do. There will always be problems associated with it. The idea of a trouble-free day is a nice thought, but little else. Some days will be better than others. There are times we face extreme situations, but most of the time it's the 'pecked to death by a flock of sparrows' that gets us. Job said that 'Man's days are few, and full of trouble'. Why did he say that? Because man's days are few, and they're full of trouble. But here's what helps me: God cares about the small stuff too. He's there to help when we lose a loved one. But He's also there when we have a flat, have a bad day at work, or stub our toe. And let's be honest - we're experts sometimes at making mountains out of our own molehills. (I find it humorous when busy people are never too busy to get on Facebook or Twitter and talk about how busy they are...)
But if you are in a 'flock of sparrows' time right now, what I'm going to tell you is this: tell God. Be honest with Him about how you feel. He cares when you're hurting, but He also cares when you're frazzled. We may sweat the small stuff, but He doesn't.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
A Time to Reflect
By Gobel Brockman
The sports world was hit with a senseless tragedy yesterday. A member of the Kansas City Chiefs took the life of his girlfriend, then drove to the stadium and took his own life in front of innocent witnesses. But while all the news and sports networks reported on the story throughout the day, one of my thoughts was the simple fact that this kind of tragedy happens every single day and barely gets mentioned.
I once heard a police officer in a large metro area say that he once believed in God, but after seeing the evil that people were capable of it became difficult to believe in a 'good, loving God.' My thought is that stories like this don't prove that God doesn't exist, they prove that Satan, evil, and the sin nature of humanity DO exist. It's not that God's not there; it's that people reject Him, then blame Him when their choices cause pain.
Another thing that stuck out to me in this story is that this man had a $1.9 million contract, a girlfriend, a beautiful 3 month old baby, and still couldn't find happiness. It reminded me of what John D. Rockefeller said when he was asked how much money someone really needed: "A little bit more." It seems we're never satisfied with anything. No matter what we have, it's not enough. We're always buying, always looking, because instead of being happy with what we have, we want something else. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4 that "...I have learned in whatever state I am in, to therein be content." Man, how we need to learn that lesson. Badly.
I guess what I'm saying this week is that yesterday's tragedy reminds me that we live in an evil world, where people are capable of horrible things. It also reminds me that you can 'have it all' in the eyes of the world and still not have what you really need. It causes me to look at my own life. I have a great wife, three awesome kids, and two (soon to be three) fantastic 'kid-in-laws'. I have two grandchildren that give me more joy than I can express. I have a roof over my head, a decent job, more friends than I deserve, and most of all, a relationship with the God Who created me, made possible by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
I have more than enough to be content. May I be able to say the same thing that Paul did. And may all who are heartbroken by the evil in this world turn to Christ, since He's the only hope there is in it.
The sports world was hit with a senseless tragedy yesterday. A member of the Kansas City Chiefs took the life of his girlfriend, then drove to the stadium and took his own life in front of innocent witnesses. But while all the news and sports networks reported on the story throughout the day, one of my thoughts was the simple fact that this kind of tragedy happens every single day and barely gets mentioned.
I once heard a police officer in a large metro area say that he once believed in God, but after seeing the evil that people were capable of it became difficult to believe in a 'good, loving God.' My thought is that stories like this don't prove that God doesn't exist, they prove that Satan, evil, and the sin nature of humanity DO exist. It's not that God's not there; it's that people reject Him, then blame Him when their choices cause pain.
Another thing that stuck out to me in this story is that this man had a $1.9 million contract, a girlfriend, a beautiful 3 month old baby, and still couldn't find happiness. It reminded me of what John D. Rockefeller said when he was asked how much money someone really needed: "A little bit more." It seems we're never satisfied with anything. No matter what we have, it's not enough. We're always buying, always looking, because instead of being happy with what we have, we want something else. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4 that "...I have learned in whatever state I am in, to therein be content." Man, how we need to learn that lesson. Badly.
I guess what I'm saying this week is that yesterday's tragedy reminds me that we live in an evil world, where people are capable of horrible things. It also reminds me that you can 'have it all' in the eyes of the world and still not have what you really need. It causes me to look at my own life. I have a great wife, three awesome kids, and two (soon to be three) fantastic 'kid-in-laws'. I have two grandchildren that give me more joy than I can express. I have a roof over my head, a decent job, more friends than I deserve, and most of all, a relationship with the God Who created me, made possible by the sacrifice of His Son on the cross.
I have more than enough to be content. May I be able to say the same thing that Paul did. And may all who are heartbroken by the evil in this world turn to Christ, since He's the only hope there is in it.
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