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What Super Mario Bros. is teaching me

29 Feb
New Super Mario Bros. Wii

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In recent months my daughters and I have become addicted to the Wii version of Super Mario Bros. My wife laughs at us as we alternately cheer, scream, and groan while our respective characters, Mario, Luigi, and Lemon-head face off against giant mushrooms, poisonous fish, and nasty snapping turtles. We’ve gotten pretty good—we’re more than halfway through the entire game—and we’ve also learned an important lesson along the way.

Heroic fights can seldom be won alone.

Through our Mario Bros. exploits we have discovered the incredible power of synergy, and we’ve learned to rely on one another during the tougher parts of the game (Amber is the best at dodging falling rocks, and I’m the best at jumping on the giant frog at the end of each level). When we pool our strengths, and guard each other’s backs we progress much further than we could ever do on our own.

That sounds almost biblical doesn’t it? :)

The Bible makes it clear that life’s adventures should be tackled in community. Jesus never sent His followers out to do great works alone—at the very least he sent them out in pairs so that the power of unified synergy would accompany them. Leviticus 26: 8 says, “Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.”

The principle in that verse has proven repeatedly true in my life–and it will likely be proven again tonight when Amber, Maddie, and I attempt to conquer level 5.

When the magic fades

13 Oct
Created by Phil Scoville on June 25, 2005 Down...

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There’s something exciting about the new—new possessions, new experiences, new relationships, and even new churches—and it’s very easy to get swept up in to the euphoria of that newness. It’s wonderful to see someone enjoying a new relationship, a new season of life, or being drawn in to a new church experience where the music stirs them, the messages speak to their soul, and the people warmly embrace them.

Unfortunately, sometimes the magic fades. Relationships lose their spark, shiny new paint jobs fade, and hope-filled expectations lose some of their giddy excitement.

I hate that! I don’t want to be doomed to either losing the magic, or having to make a life change every few years to recapture it. There has to be a way to sustain the magic for the long haul.

I love it when people are new to Grace Church and find themselves drawn in by the music and our wonderful people, but it’s even more inspiring to see them two years later when the magic has faded a bit, and they’re still contributing, engaging, and anchoring their lives firmly to the Word of God.

I think those people are on to something. I think they realize that we control the magic by how we spend our lives. Anyone can respond to an initial attraction, but mature men and women realize that the rewards of cultivating a deep, abiding love far outweigh the emotions of exciting, but untested, love.

Let’s faithfully invest in Jesus, our key relationships, and our callings, and then enjoy the magic for a lifetime.

Walking with giants

8 Sep
The young Hebrew David hoists the head of the ...

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You look like your associations. You know that, right?

It’s an undeniable fact that you and I will eventually begin to resemble our closest friends and confidantes. If they are wise, we will become wise (Proverbs 13:20), but if they are of a lesser character, they will damage us (1 Corinthians 15:33).

God wants you to walk with giants, and develop a giant-sized foundation of character and integrity to build your life on. He wants you to have a giant-sized heart of compassion and concern for the people around you. And one of the primary ways to walk with giants is to spend daily time in God’s Word. The men and women of faith who have gone before us have cast some large shadows that we would we wise to emulate. If we’ll turn to them through daily Bible reading and journaling, we’ll eventually begin to look like them.

  • We’ll have the holiness of Moses, and the passion of David.
  • We’ll have the purity of Esther, and the determination of Paul.
  • Or better yet, we’ll start to resemble Jesus Christ.

In Acts 4:13 it says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Who have we been with? Who are we walking with?

People can tell if we’ve been walking with giants, or merely strolling along with the characters from our favorite television shows. Let’s opt for giants.

The ten-minute walk

4 Aug
Girl walking in a beach. Porto Covo, Portugal.

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How much time do you need to cool off when you get ticked? Are you an instant processor that needs to talk ASAP, or do you need time to think, evaluate, and reflect before re-engaging in conversation?

Neither temperament is wrong; both approaches contain inherent strengths and weaknesses. The instant processor avoids the simmering and build-up of negative emotions, but they also risk the premature expression of raw emotions. On the other hand, while the slower processor might avoid saying the wrong things, sometimes they take too long to say the right things. To minimize the downside of these approaches, I suggest that each temperament should practice a specific technique called “the ten-minute walk.”

The ten-minute walk is a quick trip to the altar of God where we cry, vent, express our emotion, and then wait for His comfort, conviction, and quiet guidance. It’s a brief time of intentionally seeking God’s counsel and perspective before re-engaging in conversation.

Helpful prayers during this time include: “Lord, heal my heart where it’s beat up and bruised…forgive me of my own ugliness…give me Your take on this situation…crush every scheme of Satan/the enemy that might be at play…and help me to please you with all of my responses.”

We don’t need to instantly blurt out our every emotion, and nor do we need an evening of silent treatment and withdrawal—sometimes a ten-minute walk is all that is necessary.

Resolving Conflict 101

27 Jul
"Satan Sowing Seeds" by Felicien Rop...

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Hurts happen. And following Jesus does not provide insurance against the pain, angst, and heartache of relational breakdowns, disappointments, and ugliness. What the Bible does provide is comfort when things fall apart, and a clear set of instructions on how to attempt restoration.

Here are the basics. When we experience a relational breakdown and are seeking conflict resolution and repair, we must:

  1. Resolve it worshipfully. Jesus ranked conflict resolution as high in significance as He did our corporate worship expressions.
  2. Resolve it quickly. Things sour and burn when they simmer too long.
  3. Resolve it personally. Jesus said GO to your brother or sister—He didn’t say post a comment on Facebook, or send a well-crafted text or email.
  4. Resolve it privately. One-on-one and face-to-face conversations are the starting points for biblical conflict resolutions.
  5. Resolve it truthfully. Truthful communication is clear communication that focuses on truth—what are the facts? What is the context? What is the heart motivation? Avoid suspicion, emotion, or unfair character assassinations.
  6. Resolve it lovingly. A true friend says, “I love you enough to not let this go. I love you enough to talk to you instead of becoming offended by you. And I love you enough to forgive you and attempt reconciliation.”
  7. Resolve it thoroughly. Satan, the “accuser of the brethren” operates his spiritual warfare through hurtful or confusing communication patterns—we must communicate in ways that shut his operation down.

Scripture references: Matthew 5:23-25; 18:15-16; Ephesians 4:15; Revelation 12:10

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