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Step back in time with me for just a moment. It’s July 4th, 1776 and Continental Congress just finished signing the Declaration of Independence. Everyone is talking about it but you’re trying to mind your own business. Like the dinosaur on Toy Story, you hate confrontations. You’re quietly sipping your favorite beverage at some historic tavern, when the bartender looks at you and says, “So…where do you stand? With the English or with the rebels?”

Oh, bummer.

“Neither,” you say, “I stand with the Declaration of Independence & Thomas Jefferson. That’s good enough enough for me.”

He says: “So you stand with the rebels?”

You say: “No. (Are you deaf?) I side with Thomas Jefferson & the Declaration of Independence. The end.”

He says: “You drink too much.”

His reasoning is simple: by siding with Jefferson & the ‘ole Declaration, you are adopting it’s stand regarding the English & rebels. There’s no way to side with a declaration without taking a stand alongside what said declaration declares to be true.

In our day and age, it’s popular to adopt an “anything goes!” approach to doctrine. When we talk about specifics of the Christian faith – such as God’s sovereignty, man’s depravity, local church, eternal security – I frequently hear people say something like:  ”I don’t take a stand either way. I believe the Bible & love Jesus. The end.”

That’s awesome that you believe the Bible and love Jesus. However, you must realize the Bible takes a firm stand regarding a plethora of specific doctrines. While the Bible doesn’t force us to adopt names (Calvinist or Arminian! Trichotomist or dichotomist!) nor defend the bitter fighting surrounding different declarations of faith (You abdominal heretic!), the Word of God does encourage us to dig down deep into the specific doctrines it teaches.

Paul was overjoyed to tell the Romans:

“Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you”. (Romans 6:17)

Knowing where you stand regarding the specifics of God’s Word is healthy. It’s also a sign of growing up. Hebrews 5:11-14 admonishes us not to be “dull of hearing” by contenting ourselves solely with the “first principles of the oracles of God”. Instead, we’re supposed to have our “senses exercised” as we dig into the “strong meat” of God’s Word. Sure, this might require tougher chewing and at times it’s hard to swallow, but strong meat strengthens our discernment, helping us “to discern both good and evil”.

Before you skirt the issue by saying “I stand with the Bible,” stop a moment and ask yourself: Does God’s Word draw a line? If so, on which side does the Bible stand? And then double-check you’re on the same side.

I’d like to ask you a question and it’s ok if you struggle with it. In fact, I hope you do struggle with it. I hope the answer doesn’t come easily but instead motivates you to spend time in prayer, asking Him for the answer.

The question is, “What’s holding you back from being more dedicated to the cause of Christ?”

Simon and his brother Andrew were fishermen in the sea of Galilee. They were meeting their family’s needs and providing fish for the local marketplace. That’s a good thing. But notice what happens when Christ calls them.

And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. Mark 1:17,18

The same account in Matthew 4:20 says, “They straightway left [their] nets, and followed Him.”

Let this sink in: they walked away. They had been fishermen from a young age, their father having taught them the trade. Society expected them to be fishermen. They expected it of themselves. But when Christ called them, they were able to walk away.

Today, there are young men who could do much for the cause of Christ but they don’t, because they can’t walk away from their videogames.  They can’t walk away from wasting their money on the newest gadget, the newest iPod, iPad, laptop, HDTV screen, the latest fad. There are young women who could do much for the cause of Christ but they don’t, because they can’t walk away from their fairytale movies & silly stories. They can’t walk away from being dreamy and living life superficially. There are dating couples who could do much for the cause of Christ but don’t, because they can’t walk away from each other. They can’t walk away from the bliss of romance and having someone to hug. There are parents who could do much for the cause of Christ but don’t, because they are tied down with work & pursuing a specific lifestyle. They can’t walk away from trying to be like ‘the Jones’ even at the cost of debt. There are church-goers who could do much for the cause of Christ but they don’t, because they can’t walk away from the ease of being a ‘benchwarmer’. And there are hundreds of young people who find they can’t walk away from being addicted, accepted, lazy or online.

Do you feel like you can’t walk away? You feel that way because you can’t. You can’t do it alone.

And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27

It is possible to walk away. It is possible to dedicate your time, money, mind & life to the cause of Christ. Ask yourself, “What keeps me from praying more? Studying more? Volunteering more at church?” Guys, ask yourself: “Why am I pursuing what I’m currently pursuing? How do my current objectives have a direct effect on the thousands who have never heard the Gospel? And what keeps me from trying to meet that need? Why is it the other guy who is missionary-minded and concerned for the lost world? Why not me?”

What’s keeping you back from setting “your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Col 3:2)”?

One memorable night, young Samuel wrestled with God’s call. He was unsure how to answer. Older, wiser Eli advises Samuel not to ignore such a call but instead give himself fully unto the Lord.

So Samuel went and lay down in his place. I Samuel 3:9

We need more young people like this, who are willing to serve God ‘in their place’. No matter how monochrome your life may be, it is your place. It was God’s Hand that set you there. Your parents may be ungodly, your resumé may be shallow, your education may be wanting and – while your friends are off getting married – you may be the most single person in a 100 mile radius. Yet, are you aware that this is where God has placed you? Or perhaps do you lie down at night kicking against the pricks?

Young Samuel knew his place. Personally, I find his early responsibilities (opening doors, keeping the fire) quite boring. But it was where the Lord had placed him and he was content in it. He knew his place and served God in it.

For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11

Common sense teaches us: if it looks like a skunk, move. If it smells like spoiled milk, don’t drink it. If it was mailed by your archnemesis and makes a ticking sound, call a bomb squad.

Modern Christianity – in an attempt to become more accepted – has adopted the fashions & flavors of a rotten, decaying culture. The idea is: we’ll look like the world, sound like the world and smell like the world but guess what? We’ll be full of yummy honest-to-goodness Christian purity on the inside! What you see on the outside is only packaging and doesn’t matter. God looks on the heart anyway.

Paul disagrees:

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1Th 5:22

If it looks like the world, don’t hang around. The very appearance of evil should turn you off. No sheep in its right mind wears wolf clothing to be accepted by the pack.

As a quirky, confused tween, I spent considerable time trying to figure myself out. The adage “just be yourself” sounded easy but was actually quite difficult in practice. Primarily, because I had never been me before. This was my first attempt at living as Daniel Gardner and I wasn’t born with a manual.

If you’re having trouble figuring yourself out, try this: just be Him. God’s plan is that we be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8.29).

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory. II Cor 3:18

Instead of figuring ourselves out, we should be more preoccupied with being changed into the image of the Lord. And here’s good news: there’s a Manual.

So stop trying to be you. Start trying to be Him. After all, isn’t that the point of decreasing so He may increase?

In Titus 1:15-16, Paul describes unbelievers as having a defiled mind. Clearly not walking on eggshells, he then sums up their lifestyle as abominable, disobedient and reprobate. He even calls their bluff on their false Christianity:

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him. Titus 1:16

Nowadays, Paul would be accused of labeling or legalistic judging. But his words echo true regardless.

We should look at those who deny God and admit: “Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed” (Luke 16:26). We aren’t two peas in a pod. Wise Amos asks the question: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) He isn’t defending a nose-in-the-air, holier-than-thou crusade; he’s explaining that the ‘buddy system’ doesn’t always work. Light and darkness don’t mix.

If you are trusting in Christ as your Savior, He has transformed you into a new creature & called you to purity. Don’t be surprised if you feel uncomfortable around unbelievers. Be surprised if you don’t.

(Bonus: Pastor Doug Wilson touches on the topic.)

Let me break it to you: you’re gonna die.

Death is such a taboo subject. People pretend it’s not there. “Eww, make it go away!” If you talk to a speeding driver about death, he’ll slow down. People assume that death always slows us down and no one wants to be slowed down. Death is discouraging right?

I disagree. Death should motivate us. It should encourage us. Here’s why: if I’m aware my time is limited, then I better get busy making the most of it, shouldn’t I?

But how do you make the most of it? Christ made the most of life & death this way:

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Rom 5:10

Are you spending your life helping others be reconciled to God? What are you waiting for?

[photo by peterszvoboda]

Mark 5:1-20 relates a story about a unique conversion. The main character is a possessed man who broke out of chains but was not free. He made his home in a cemetery but couldn’t find quiet peace. So much changed when he met Christ (v.6). Christ changed him inside-out, giving him a new heart, a new peace and new desires.

It’s easy to understand why this man was so willing to follow Christ to the ends of the world (v.18). His eagerness to serve reminds me of the young people of today. My peers and I have this eager zeal to be passionate missionaries. We’d be thrilled if the Lord called us to devote our lives to Africa, Haiti or the slums of India.

Christ’s answer might surprise. Verse 19 says:

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home…

Be a witness at home. Be a light among your family & friends. They know you better than anyone. Show them what has changed and Who made the change in you.

This is a challenge for my generation. It’s so difficult (and boring) to be a Christian at home. My home knows my shortcomings. But if I don’t have a genuine testimony at home, what good is my testimony abroad? What would we think of Christ if He healed the lame, cured the blind and yet fussed with His parents? Would we listen to His message of salvation if He was bitter towards those closest to Him?

Still fired up to sacrifice your own dreams in order to do great things for God? Good. Let it show at home. Africa, Haiti and the slums of India will wait.

“I’m so bored”. I see this phrase all over the internets. Now that we can broadcast our current status to the world, more and more of us are admitting that – despite fancy technology and new TV shows – we’re still quite bored.

Studies show that the glow of our computer & television screens are tripping up our internal clocks. I think they also play a part in bringing our self-motivated, focused sense of purpose to a halt and plunging us into a pond of shear boredom. Our videogames and smartphones can give us a false sense of purpose and a real sense of pointlessness.

That’s not healthy, especially for our spiritual lives.

Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep…And Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:14)

If you want to serve the Lord, there’s plenty of work to do. But we gotta wake up first. We gotta wake up from the nonplused stupor in our high-speed, heading-nowhere lifestyles. Wake up to the shortness of life. Wake up to the reality of lost souls. Wake up to a God Who will give you work if you make yourself available.

The world is a giant glazed donut. With extra filling. Everything is so sweet about it. It smells sweet, feels sweet and tastes sweet.

The world has a sweet message. A message of acceptance, “come as you are,” “we’re one big happy family”. There are no absolute affirmations, no cardinal truths or sins, no definite word on God. Everyone recite together now, “Judge not so that ye be not judged.” Or, “God is love”.

The world has a sweet savor. There’s glamor on TV and buildboards. It glows with attraction. The music is sweet, the movies are sweet, the ever-changing fashions are sweet. Everything is glazed over with sugar. Eat it, drink it and be merry.

Like bees, we are attracted to our blossoming culture and bright flowery society. It makes us buzz with excitement.

Yet, God calls us to be salt. And that changes everything.

The world looks at us with a sour expression. SALT? He’s called you to be SALT? How can something so bitter mix in with a world so sweet?!

They’re right. How can we? Some of us spend our whole lives testing new theories but the truth is: we can’t. We weren’t meant to mix.

I remember staring bleakly at my homework, back in the high school days. I wasn’t estatic about science. The text was explaining the two forms of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. And I was reading over it for the nth time.

The subject comes to mind when I think of my generation. Potential energy is like the taunt spring on a mouse trap: it has the potential to snap something, do something, move in some way, but hasn’t as of yet.  That sounds like my generation. We have all these tools at arms reach, online and off. The world is at our fingertips in many ways. We could do something; too often we don’t.

We’re scared, we’re shy, we’re unsure. We wait for the “big opportunity” without realizing we’re living in it.

In his essay on youth and age, Francis Bacon said, “The errors of aged men amount but to this, that more might have been done, or sooner.” I don’t want to look back on a life that could’ve been. Neither do you. We have the potential to do more, and sooner. Let’s do it. Don’t wait for the mouse.

There was this guy who went before Pharaoh with the hope of changing the Egyptian King’s heart. He threw his staff on to the ground and it immediately turned into a snake.

Wow. It was pretty amazing.

Watching from the sidelines, our knee-jerk reaction might have been to shout Hallelujah. Naturally, we would assume that since God is awesome, awesome things are clearly a sign of God’s work.

But there’s a problem.

The guy’s name was Jambres. According to Exodus 7, he and his buddy Jannes were Pharaoh’s sorcerers and magicians. They did amazing stuff. Yet all this awesomeness was intended to distract from God’s message.

I’m sorry that so many in Christian circles get carried away with the wind of awesomeness. God does indeed act in mysterious and even miraculous ways. But too often we quickly assume all amazing experiences are “God experiences”.

Elijah learned it wasn’t so. Huge winds, earthquakes, spontaneous fires – God wasn’t in it. Elijah had to pipe down and be still awhile before he heard the small soft voice of an amazing God.

If our faith is based on amazing, awesome walk-on-water experiences, we’ll always be on the lookout for new experiences to grasp. This eagerness to see & feel the next big “God thing” bruises our Christian walk. Paul says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Emotions come and go. Shock & awe dies down. But faith should stand firm no matter what.

And that’s more of a challenge then turning some piece of wood into a snake.

If you find you enjoy a certain hobby or discover a hidden talent, my advice is: invest in it. Buy a book about it. Sign up for a couple of classes about it. Visit a niche workshop about it. Join an online forum. Buy accessories, read tutorials, experiment with it.

And at some point, someone (perhaps yourself) will ask, “Is there any money in this?” And you’ll admit that … um…no. There’s not a big chance you’ll be making money off this anytime soon. And you might feel like hanging your head in shame. Or dragging your feet.

The mindset is: if you’re dishing money into something, but it doesn’t dish money back out at you, you’re doing something wrong. But take a moment and notice how much in life doesn’t give back money.

• Traveling to meet your grandparents
• Talking to a sweet girl over dinner
• Going to the movies with your friends
• Getting married
• Raising kids
• Volunteering for your favorite cause
• Going to a high school reunion
• Sharing a quiet moment with someone you love
• Calling your best friend & talking for hours
• Walking in the rain and being glad to be alive.
• Taking the longer, historical route across country
• Climbing to the top of Mt. Everest

None of these will make you a dime. So why pursue them?

Because memories last longer than money. No one can foreclose on what you’ve learned.

[Bonus: Got ten minutes? Watch this animated video based on a speech that cleverly illustrates how money & motivation work.]

Oh aged pizza slice, beacon of bachelorhood, to thee I write this ode. How often you have molded in the refrigerator. The meaty bits becoming less meaty and more bitty as days pass. Shreds of tomatoe curling like toenails and radiating odors I dare not classify as pleasant. The dry crust, clearly dead, crumbling apart. And sauces, quite unlike the sauces of yore, don’t keep for months on end.

This mess, this frozen catastrophe, plucked from it’s refrigerator grave, is cast into the microwave. If it can be reheated, it’s edible. That’s just common sense. Like a witch doctor attempting to remove a curse, the microwave hums its magical whirr.  The bachelor stares and listens. Previously, he felt like eating food but he must suffice himself with this compost sample. From a distance, the cockroaches take bets on whether he’ll actually eat it or not.

He doth.

The orange muck lurking upon it may look like cheese, but do not be deceived. It’s a rare form of nuclear waste which shows up less and less as bachelors get married. It plummets through his digestive track like a cannon ball through that one Red Coat’s digestive track. The other internal organs, trying to mind their own business, can’t help but notice the crude lump of pizza grossly descending toward the stomach area. And the stomach doesn’t look too happy either.

Sometimes it requires hypnosis. Sometimes, a death in the family. But somehow, the bachelor will forget he actually hit a new low in eating standards.  To him, it is all but a distant memory, or perhaps a distant tummy rumble. He will only recollect that in his haste to chew something, he grabbed something from the fridge, warmed and swallowed it whole. The Department of National Health would have his head if they found out.

Oh left-over pizza piece, thou art an icon of masculine independence. Kitchens are for girls, receipes are for wimps and food is for the feeble. Behold how brave, how solumn, how awefully well fed, is the young man with pizza in hand and access to a microwave.

I salute thee, disastrous meal.

I’m sitting in a restaurant, sipping at a large cup of amora berry juice. I’ve never been here before and up to 30 minutes ago, I couldn’t have cared less this place existed. As far as I was concerned, I would never stop in at this restaurant and order amora juice.

But something changed my mind.

While window-shopping at a store nearby, I heard some soft, beautiful music. Six days a week, Barbaresco‘s hosts live music gigs. Tonight, a husband and his wife are playing slow jazz. She has a light yet smokey voice that flows up and down with the melody and he accompanies her with a groovy saxophone.

Usually, I don’t listen to this kind of music. But this duo are good. And so I thought, “It’s been a long day at work. I think I’ll stop in and spend some time looking over my agenda and maybe get some writing done.” So I did. And here I am.

This illustrates a favorite phrase of mine. I read it on the internet somewhere, years ago: attraction instead of promotion. This restaurant has a new client (me) and this evening we became acquainted because of an attraction, the music. I’m sure Barbaresco’s advertises their franchise, food, prices, exquisite decor, whatever. Their promotion didn’t get my attention though. It never would. The stuff they shared for free – music is as free as a bird after all – attracted me here.

Are you trying to reach new clients? Perhaps net more blog readers? Find more supporters of your start up? Or on the low scale: do you want more people to check out your yard sale, buy your CD of music, call your number?

What are you doing to attract them? Too often our focus is concentrated entirely on promoting. Spam them, call them, berate them, beg them. But people react more amorously when you attract them. When you offer something different, something more humane, something without a “catch” or a price tag attached. Something that doesn’t scream “I’M TRYING TO CONVINCE YOU TO SPEND YOUR MONEY ON ME!!”

Honey doesn’t need much promotion. Bees find it on their own.

And for the record, I’ve never ordered amora juice before. I guess tonight is a night for firsts.

There’s a man desperately thrashing in a pond. Someone from a bridge throws him a lifesaver. Between gasps of air and water, the man replies, “I’m too busy drowning to reach for the lifesaver…”

An Eskimo in short sleeves is frantically trying to get warm. But he refuses a heavy jacket offered to him. Teeth chattering, he insists, “I’m too busy freezing to put on something warmer…”

A hurry & worry Christian faces another trying day of work. He tells himself, “I’m too busy struggling through the day to read the Bible…”

Sometimes it’s what we don’t do that hurts us the most.

Do you know what “fitting in” is? It means you’re included in a generalization. If you wore pajamas to a black-tie event, you wouldn’t fit the generalization, “All the guests looked their best”. You wouldn’t fit in either. Sticking out would be uncomfortable.

For every generalization, there are always exceptions. “Everyone knew the lyrics to the song except that one girl who just hummed along awkwardly.” ”My classmates are cool, except this one guy who stares at his feet and doesn’t make eye contact.” No one wants to be that “one girl” or that “one guy” who people remember because of their faults. Fitting in is more comfortable.

Perhaps you fit in more than you realize. People may assume you fit generalizations like these:

• Homeschoolers are self-righteous and judgemental.
• Political activists are loud and pushy.
• No one compliments the janitor.
• Guys don’t wash dishes.
• People who share their faith don’t know when to shut up.
• Companies only give away free stuff if it’s worthless or part of a marketing scheme.
• iPhone owners are always distracted.
• Nobody asks how the waiter’s family is doing.
• Young people don’t take an interest in an elderly person’s life-story.
• Sons tell their mothers “I love you” only on special occasions.

Society expects us to fit into these generalizations. You stick out if you don’t.

Do you want to fit in?

It takes a just a simple act to break from the norm. A little word, a little note. It won’t even cost you a dime. No one expects you to show concern for the checkout girl with the flu symptoms. No one expects you to say “Hey, get better soon” and mean it. The entire world – including the checkout girl – expect you to just pay and leave. That would be fitting in. But just because it’s unexpected doesn’t mean it’s unappreciated.

Who are the people that inspire you? What makes them so memorable? The fact that they meet status quo? I doubt it.

Fitting in is safer. But being exceptional is more meaningful.

When I’m browsing expensive stores like WalMart, I put myself on guard not to spend too much money. While drooling over a geeky techy widget, I’ll remind myself, “But can you afford this?” I think a lot of people ask themselves this. Somehow it’s supposed to keep us in check and keep us from writing too many checks.

But it’s really quite silly. The answer to “Can I afford this?” will most often be a resounding YES.

It’s extremely rare that we are faced with a purchase SO large that we absolutely can not find some way to cover the price, by means of monthly payments, credit cards, borrowing or just spending our milk money.

And here’s another angle: Just because you can afford something doesn’t mean you need it. I guarantee you can afford these items:

• Fresh water-buffalo head in an African market
• a box of secondhand toothpicks (recycling is healthy!)
• “Gary the Gallbladder’s Guide to Hiccuping” coloring book
• half of a dead cat
• the other half of a dead cat

You can afford to waste your money in a ton of ways. I think the better question is, “Do I honestly need this right now?” or if you really don’t want to spend, ask yourself  ”Will this item be the defining purchase that keeps me from dying a slow and painful death?”

You’ll tell yourself NO more often.

One of the things you learn about teamwork right away is the need to ask for money opinions from your co-workers.

When you call over a co-worker or friend to take a look at your project, it’s easier to search for approval than an opinion. Some people ask “Hey can I have your opinion?” when they really mean “Hey can I have your approval?” These same folks will get all defensive if you dare to gently remark on a defect in their prototype.

Asking for an opinion is a risk. The “Opinionator” may choose to spend the next 10 minutes dissecting your dream machine or he may give it two thumbs up. It’s a toss up. But in the long run, it might spare you some future heartache. An opinion usually gives you at least a different point of view. And knowing how to look at something is a huge part of discovering the solution.

I don’t like it when someone thinks my shiny idea has the gumption of a dead horse. But looking for approval is shallow and doomed to disappoint sooner than later.

I like having ideas. And I like seeing those ideas turn into clean cut finished products. Who doesn’t?

But here’s the catch: creativity is a struggle. It requires effort. To turn your brilliant idea into a brilliant something, there will need to be molding, creating, designing, planning. This simple graph drawn by a four-year old with ADD me illustrates the creative process:

For example, I enjoyed tossing around the idea of this post. I will be glad when it’s finished being written. But between these two stages, there’s a middle stage where I wrestle with the wording of the post. How to lighten up this paragraph? Should I place this prepositional phrase at the beginning or end of my sentence? Is this sentence even necessary? Would my time be more profitable if I slammed my face against a brick wall? Repeatedly?

I wish instead that creativity were like a toothpaste tube that oozes creative goo on cue. Need some creativity? Here, take some. Or perhaps if it were like a perfume that I could bathe in and leave an aroma of creativity wherever I go.

But it’s rarely that easy. Instead, it requires time and effort.

But really, that applies to pretty much everything, doesn’t it? Health, happiness, consistency, growth, the list goes on and on. Even exercise:

What do you want? It’ll take work to get it. The process might involve a series of victories or a series of mistakes but there will be a struggle in there somewhere for sure. I don’t think creativity is a talent given to a select few. Creativity is like exercise: everyone can do it, it just takes work.

Don’t let the struggle scare you away. Let it teach you.