goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Who, Me?

By Linda Tancs

“I’m not up to the task.” How often have you felt unworthy or unfit for a task? At least once, no doubt. We often shrink with fear when faced with an assignment that we perceive will test our limits—physically, mentally, emotionally or socially. During those times it’s good to remember how ordinary folks in the Bible were used by God to accomplish extraordinary things. Consider the prophet Jeremiah, called by God at a young age to minister to a nation; he thought he was way too young and inexperienced to be effective (Jeremiah 1:4-8). Mary pondered how she, a virgin, could become mother to our Savior (Luke 1:34). Moses felt inadequate to the task of demanding Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery (Exodus 3:11). Jonah was so intimated by God’s call for him to witness at Nineveh that he fled on a ship (Jonah 1:2-3). Gideon thought himself too lowly of a man to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:11-16).

You get the picture. Yet in each case, God didn’t expect his draft picks to act alone. He promised to be with them. And so it is with us. He’s present in every task, duty, charge, assignment or obligation (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10; Deuteronomy 31:6; Matthew 28:20). Because of that, you can accomplish anything with the strength that He gives you (Philippians 4:13).

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

It’s Okay to Wobble

By Linda Tancs

If you’re of a certain vintage, you probably remember the Weebles toy—“Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” Think of that toy as a metaphor for life. Each of us needs to bounce back in the face of setbacks. Maybe you’ve fallen short in some area of your life—marriage, career, parenting. Just don’t settle for lack; get back on the horse, as the saying goes.

Discouragement scourges and oppresses progress. Consider the Israelites, whose grumbling and complaining kept them out of the Promised Land, ultimately for 40 years even though the journey was roughly only 11 days (Numbers 14:2-4; Deuteronomy 1:2). And then there’s Abraham’s father, Terah, who set out with his family in tow for Canaan but then settled for Haran (Genesis 11:31). In each case, the parties outright surrendered to discouragement and thwarted the progress God intended for them.

Wobble if you must, but don’t surrender (see Proverbs 24:16). Don’t settle for less than God’s best. Pray for the strength to hold on and not give up (Luke 18:1). You can’t reap a harvest without tending to the field (Galatians 6:9).

 

 

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

When it Rains, it Pours

By Linda Tancs

You know what it’s like when you’re having “one of those days,” when everything that could possibly go wrong does exactly that. The prophet Habakkuk could relate. He lamented over fig trees that did not blossom, vines that bore no fruit, failing olive trees, fruitless fields, flock cut off from the fold and no cattle in the stalls (Habakkuk 3:17). I guess you could say he was having a bad day.

Do you often get overwhelmed when circumstances seem out of control? Habakkuk did, too, but God reminded him to trust Him in the midst of oppression and destruction. He instructed him, in essence, to create a vision board and stand by it (Habakkuk 2:3). After all, what’s the use in focusing on what is going wrong when you can visualize a better outcome? It’s easy to quit in hard times, the storms of life. Habakkuk resolved to trust God to make his feet like hinds’ feet—in other words, swift and nimble. How swiftly and nimbly do you act when life throws you a curveball?

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Life Outside the Box

By Linda Tancs

Sometimes life may feel like one giant closet organizer. There’s a box for hopes and dreams. A box where we shelve our concerns about money. A box for work. A box for relationships, past or present. You may even put God in a box, usually opened on Sunday for an hour or so.

Benjamin Franklin said, “A place for everything, everything in its place.” Well, that might work for closets, but living a box-like life is stifling—and unrealistic. Life is messy. It’s hard to compartmentalize feelings, actions or emotions. We’re not robots; we’re human beings created to be interdependent. Living inside the box fosters independence, isolation and self-sufficiency; living outside the box produces reliance and interdependence.

Interdependence is vital to Christian unity. The Scriptures remind us of its value in personal relationships (Genesis 2:24; 1 Timothy 5:8), teamwork (1 Peter 4:10) and character development (Philippians 2:3-4). Thinking outside the box is a business cliché. Living outside the box is a profundity.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Busyness or Business?

By Linda Tancs

How often have you heard, or said, “I’m so busy.” What is busyness? Sometimes, it’s action for the sake of action (“busy work”), something to do to fill the void. Other times it’s something necessary and purposeful, like washing the dishes or preparing a meal. Business, on the other hand, often implies a purposeful activity, something with real consequence attached, like personal or professional growth, income or reputation.

The difference between busyness and business is found in Luke’s telling of Jesus’ friends Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). When Jesus visited their home, Martha was too busy attending to household tasks to enjoy Jesus’ company like Mary did. Martha even asked Jesus to chastise Mary for not helping with the hostess duties! Instead, He chastised Martha. Why? Because despite Martha’s seemingly hard work, Mary was the one who was truly productive. She got down to business, so to speak, in the Word of God. She took advantage of the opportunity for personal growth and understanding by learning at Jesus’ feet. She seized the day.

Sometimes the distinction between busyness and business comes down to a state of “being” (like Mary) or “doing” (like Martha). We all need to be doers in some respect, but don’t neglect being in relationship with Christ. When you’re lost in a maze of duties, lay down the distractions and put on His mind (Hebrews 12:2).

A popular poem called The Dash by Linda Ellis reminds us that all that separates birth and death is a dash (–). What does that dash represent for you? Busyness or business?

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

A Voice of One

By Linda Tancs

John the Baptist identified himself as the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness (John 1:23). Do you sometimes feel like a voice of one? Are you a non-conformist? John certainly was; he lived alone in the desert, adorned in camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:3-4).

John had the privilege—and grace—of not being seduced by majority rule or peer pressure. In our modern day it may sometimes seem easier to conform. We’re afraid to stand alone, worried about being set aside. Paul’s first-century dictate not to be conformed to this world may seem impossible, even dangerous, in today’s society (Romans 12:2). But the more we conform, the less able we are to discern and follow the righteous path, to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-2). We run the risk of following the masses in doing evil (Exodus 23:2).

As a teenage motto reminded me years ago, stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.

goforwardinfaith Faith-Based Business, Religion, Theology

Back to the Future

By Linda Tancs

Are you surrounded by other people who specialize in prophesying your future (Ecclesiastes 8:7)? That idea will never take off. It’s all been done before. That book will never sell. You can’t go back to school now. You’re too old to adopt. The list goes on and on, and it’s often less than life affirming. Do you let the opinions of others control your goals and dreams?

It’s easy to get discouraged over someone else’s opinion of you, however uninformed if might be. And it’s especially difficult to deal with in this season because a new year often brings new reflections on the future. The power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Don’t let someone else’s tongue bring death to your dreams. Keep calm and carry on is a popular expression these days. The Bible expresses the same sentiment (Ecclesiastes 9:10; 10:4). Give yourself to what you’re dreaming to accomplish, staying calm and composed in the face of opposition. Let God be the one to guide you toward what is appropriate and to discern what needs letting go.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Hope Springs Internal

By Linda Tancs

What is hope? Dictionaries define hope as a belief that something is attainable. Biblically, we can define it as trusting, leaning on and relying on God to deliver us in every situation (Psalm 25:2). Hope begins on the inside with an expectation that God will provide whatever we need, both externally and internally.

So what happens when we lose hope? Proverbs 13:12 says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. Unlike deferred compensation in the business realm (which will get to you eventually), deferred hope is a loss of expectation, a state of despair. Despair provokes the attitude that it’s useless to hope for a better tomorrow.

Innumerable situations are ripe for producing despair, like the loss of property from a natural disaster, long-term unemployment, domestic abuse and chronic health conditions. How do you rekindle hope when you’re hurting? Romans 15:13 reminds us that God is our source of hope. When you place your faith and trust in Him, then the Holy Spirit works in you to restore hope.

Let go and let God. That’s what Job did. A man of exemplary faith, he never lost hope in God despite traumatic loss of his family, wealth and health. His persevering faith was rewarded in the end with a restoration of his fortunes. And, in the end, (like Job) the fulfillment of your hope will be a tree of life as promised in Proverbs, mending your heart, mind, body and spirit.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

Faith in Action

By Linda Tancs

Pablo Picasso once said that action is the foundational key to all success. Although it’s understandable that one must make a move toward something to learn and grow, the underpinning of all action must be faith. Action for the sake of action is a haphazard way of living. It isn’t purposeful. As the Bible reminds us, God works for the good of those who love him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Do you try to discern God’s purpose for your life? Many people question how they would know it. In our worldly existence it often manifests as a “gut feeling,” an inner knowing of the proper course, particularly if that feeling brings God-given gifts of inner peace, encouragement and confidence (Philippians 4:6-7; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 40:31). Do you need to adjust your inner compass? Ask the Holy Spirit, your counselor and helper, to guide you (John 14:26).