Daily Huddle - Sun Dec 8, 2019 Granite Or Formica

Love you all, praying for you.
 
God challenging me in recent years about integrity.  It means wholeness, entirely, pure, genuine, the same through and through – nothing dissimilar, unadulterated.  Like homogeneous – everything of the same nature.  Granite is integrity – Formica is not.  Formica looks pretty and shiny on the outside, but just underneath the surface – it’s just particle board – that crumbles in your hands.  God challenged me that in life – nothing is insignificant – not even the insignificant.   Have you ever tested yourself – took an honest evaluation to see if the insignificant things of life – reveal you to be granite or formica? Take for example the meaningless arena of sports.  A home team that you cheer for and root for – but don’t even belong to as either a player, a coach or an owner - just a vicarious spectator supporting your favorite team.  When the big game comes – or any game.  How do you watch?  And what does it reveal of your character?  How do you conduct yourself when everything is going well?  And how do you conduct yourself when nothing is going well.  Are you granite or formica?  God’s Word says – without faith it is impossible to please God.  God’s Word commands us to count it all joy, to speak life, to let every word from your mouth be words that build up, rather than tear down.  What do you do when adversity strikes – do your shoulders slump, does your face fall?  The wise, the courageous, those who are leaders, set their face and their emotions, and their words - like flint.  Those who like Abraham – who against all hope believed – these are the ones who receive the promise.  What about those of whom the Bible said – died without ever seeing the promise – which you are now able to see?  What about Abraham who was 90 years old – still believing…  You talk about being down 20 in the 4th quarter...  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  He doesn’t respond to need, He responds to faith.  Of all the people in the crowd – one woman touched him – and was healed from what had bound her for years!  Not everyone got healed – she did.  Every story of classic wins – a victory for the ages!  None of them were cake walks.  In fact the biggest wins resulted from overcoming the biggest odds.  And in every big win – the reason for it - was not those who worried and doubted and complained.  Those great victories came from the strength of heart, mind and body transferred from those who believed we will win.  Your team may be the favorite or the underdog, the better or the worse team.  But how do you conduct yourself in the battle.  Do your words and actions – the look on your face – inspire victory or defeat?  If you were a player or coach on that team – would your actions bring victory or loss?  It’s funny how some people who aspire to be leaders – act like little boys in the heat of battle – melting away with every dropped pass, missed shot, missed block, or field goal, or bad call.  Do you take every opportunity – even in spectator sports – to make sure your entire life is that of integrity? Do you even realize it's a test?  Or are you a slave to your feeble and fickle emotions which rise and fall on every bounce of the ball?  Failure comes because method or effort are insufficient for success.  If you aren’t faithful as a fan – how will you be faithful as a player or a coach?   If you can overcome watching a game, you'll overcome they next time you are in a game.  It's God's principle of faithful with little.  Praying for you  - that the next time you watch a game - you realized it's not just a game - This is faith practice.  See the PRISM Topic Packet – What Are You Saying?  What if you believed that you were going to win – no matter what the odds, no matter how deep a hole your home team got themselves in?  But what if they lose?  But what if they win?  And if they lose so what?  In Christ, failure is not final.  I would rather die in faith than live in doubt.  Do your words and your face and your emotions – bring life and hope or ruin and loss?  What if what you say and do in your living room – really affected that game?  And what if this silly game – that no one will remember months even weeks from now – is really a test of your heart, of your ability to lead?  Would anyone follow you?  Do your words and body language - inspire greatness – do they establish faith – do they birth hope – do they establish victory even in the jaws of seeming defeat?  It’s just a game, but how you play the game, is what you do in life.  And how you cheer and root for your team – is exactly what you would do if you were on the team.  Praying that you will learn to lead – by learning to believe.  People are looking for those who believe, they are doubters and complainers everywhere, but they will follow those who live in hope, speak in faith, and believe when everyone else is doubting.  Your home team may or may not be the best team.  But win this opportunity for faith practice.  It’s not about this game… This is about you!  Are you granite or formica?  Praying that you will learn to demonstrate a faith that draws people to the undefeated one - the Savior of the World.  The One who loves them, and has good for them – through every win or loss – through every advancement or setback.  When your faith is in Him – your life will become significant.  Praying that every game you watch – you will remember – it’s faith practice.  That you would learn to lead by your words and your face and your belief.  That you would learn what it means to be an overcomer.  So you always lead others to life! 
 
Love you all,
dad