Friendships - In the World or Of the World?

Had a great conversation with some incredible friends last night. Essentially the entire talk revolved around having friends who are believers of Christ and those who are not. Some of our closest friends are not believers - and perhaps we've missed multiple opportunities to share Christ's love with them.

CS Lewis said, “Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?”

And I wonder, what if the friends around the fire are not all Christians? What if some of them are actually adamantly against the idea of Christ?

How do we, as Christian men, show our love for Christ, live as Christ lived and proclaim our Christianity, but allow our friends to possibly miss out on enjoying a relationship with Christ like we have? Is it not our job to sing the praises of Christ's love to all we come in contact with?

Proverbs 11:14 says: Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

As a Christian man, I believe that my non-believing friends are living life without guidance - and I've failed time and time again to properly share Christ's love with them. I often use the excuse that the time isn't right to bring the topic up. After my conversation last night, I think it's a poor excuse - what is a "bad" time to talk about Christ?

I don't know the answer to the questions above, but I do feel a sense of duty and obligation to show all of my friends Christ's love so they can be saved and they can enjoy the freedom, love, care and compassion of Christ. I want to walk into Heaven knowing that all of my friends will be by my side when I get there.

My good friend said that it's really a tough concept to grasp that the life we live on earth is so short in comparison to eternity. As much as I enjoy being with my friends on earth, I'm confident that I'd trade it all to enjoy eternity with them next to Christ in Heaven.

I don't know what my plan is to address to on-going debate in my heart as to when it is "appropriate" to talk about Christ. There are many times that I'm in a great position of influence and I hope that I'm using it further Christ's mission. The reality is, if I truly care about my friends, I'll make sure I do everything I can to share Christ's love. Otherwise, I'm not really a friend.

Houston

I hope that all my followers on this site can appreciate my love and appreciation for Ken Kruger. One of my favorite things in the world is when people doubt me and I can prove them wrong. Thanks Kenneth M. Kruger for granting me this great opportunity to enjoy one of my favorite things.

Death

Two friends have mine lost fathers over the weekend. I always try to find the right words to say when trying to express my sympathy and condolences. Yet, I seem to only feel a sense of discomfort and awkwardness when I try express my sympathy.

Is there a right word or phrase? Is it possible to fully express your heart-felt sympathy with words?

I guess the best I can do is to pray for them and reassure them that I am praying for their families and their lost one.

Here's the best I can offer:

Dear Lord, please welcome my friends' fathers to your kingdom. Please welcome them with open arms and allow them to sit next to you for eternity. Grant the families a sense of peace and calm. Allow them to know that their fathers have come home. Please help the families to feel the love of their fathers - even though they have left this world. Thank you for your love and compassion - please shower these two families with your love. Amen.

New Year's Resolution #2

It may be a little late to discuss New Year's Resolution #2, but what the heck? #1 was about being a better listener - I think the verdict is still out as to whether or not I'm able to declare success with that resolution. However, I have made a concerted effort to be a better listener.

NYR #2 is to be more connected with Christ. I feel that my relationship with Christ has been much stronger over the last few years. Having a strong church community has helped to continually remind of me God's grace. However, I sometimes feel that I lapse in my talks, prayers and conversations with Christ. It's not that I feel like I'm abandoning Christ or He's less of an influence in my life - it's just that I don't have constant chatter. I want to constant speak to Christ. I want pray more diligently, including thankful prayers. I want to listen more intently to all that Christ wants to convey to me. This shouldn't be a difficult task, and I'm sure it's one that will bring great rewards.

New Year's Resolution #1

I normally resist the temptation to make a resolution to "better" my life at the new year. I think it's a bit cliche to think that January 1 is the time to make the commitment to get fit, be more financially responsible or improve relationships. In reality, all of these should be commitments that are analyzed daily.

However, this year I've decided that I would make a few resolutions that will start approximately January 1. There are five total resolutions I've made this year - I think they are all achievable. I'm going to write about the first one today and follow up in the next week or so with the rest of them. Maybe if I post them, I will be more likely to follow through.

New Year's Resolution #1

Become a better friend by listening.

When I coach I often tell the players, "you have two ears and one mouth so you should listen twice as much as you talk." Maybe I should take that advice myself. I often find myself being distracted in conversations. It's not that I'm consciously tuning out, but I think I can easily find a different "thing" to focus on while someone is talking. I can usually recover pretty well and give a standard response - uh huh, ha ha, sure, yup definitely - but I always feel guilty. I'm going to try to be more tuned in when people are speaking with it. I think it's respectful and honorable to listen intently to my friends. I think it's rude and inconsiderate to get distracted. I don't think my friends always notice that I'm not completely listening, but I've made the resolution to try to focus on the conversation at hand.

Life...

So it's been quite some time since my last post. My life has been busy - but as I think about the idea of being busy, I wonder how "busy" affects my relationship with God.

I pray every night and normally pray at least once during the day. I receive a daily devotional in my e-mail from Horizon Church in San Diego and receive the Text e-mails from RiverView. Recently, I've allowed those e-mails to remain unopened. Though I don't think God is measuring me based on the number of Christian e-mails I open each day. However, I do know that when I read the daily e-mails in the morning they provide a positive foundation for my day - one that is solid because it's based on God's word.

How can I possibly be too busy to read a few e-mails? How can I possibly be too busy to say an extra prayer asking God for forgiveness? The least I can do is thank God for dying for my sins - sins that are evident my daily life.

Being too busy for God means I need to put myself in check. I need to get my priorities straight and I need to focus on how my life can most closely resemble Christ's.

Lord, I pray that you will forgive me for "being too busy" for you. Please help me to focus more of my time and attention on you and your works. I know that life will be much easier with you as my foundation. Thank you for loving my unconditionally; thank you for blessing me with the many gifts that are constants in my life; thank you for dying for my sins. Amen.

Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado

Each Day...

It's quiet.  It's early.  My coffee is hot.  The sky is still black.  The world is still asleep.  The day is coming.  In a few moments the day will arrive.  It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.  The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day.  The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race.  The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.  For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.  It is now that I must make a choice.  Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose.  And so I chose.

I Choose Love...

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.  I choose love.  Today I will love God and what God loves.

I Choose Joy...

I will invited my God to be the God of circumstance.  I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker.  I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God.  I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace...

I will live forgiven.  I will forgive so that I may live.

I Choose Patience...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.  Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.  Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray.  Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.  Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.  And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness...

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.  I will be overlooked before I will boast.  I will confess before I will accuse.  I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness...

Today I will keep my promises.  My debtors will not regret their trust.  My associates will not question my word.  My wife will not question my love.  And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I Choose Gentleness...

Nothing is won by force.  I choose to be gentle.  If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.  If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.  If I make a deman, may it be only of myself.

I Choose Self-Control...

I am a spiritual being...After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.  I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.  I choose self-control.  I will be drunk only by joy.  I will be impassioned only by my faith.  I will be influenced only by God.  I will be taught only by Christ.  I choose self-control.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  To these I commit my day.  If I succeed, I will give thanks.  If I fail, I will see his grace.  And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.