The Monday Memo from John Stanko

909: Thinking the Thoughts of God

This is it. I promise, this is the last entry in our "Put Me In, Coach" series. After this, I will being to edit my rough draft of the manuscript, and hopefully, the book will be available in September. Thank you for your encouragement as I wrote that kept me going. And now, for our last entry, let's go back and look at the Apostle Paul's life that is a good example of the put-me-in-coach mentality.

THE MIND OF CHRIST

Paul wrote this to the Corinthians church: 

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:12-16, emphasis added).

Paul made the remarkable statement that he and his co-workers had the mind of Christ. Does that mean you and I have it, too? If we do, why are we so surprised, because the Spirit resides in us to lead and guide us into all truth (see John 16:13)? How long does it take to obtain this mind of Christ? Ten years? Twenty years? Longer? It seems that Paul had it almost immediately: 

 

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 9:19-22, emphasis added).

 

This indicates that the mind of Christ is only accessible after long periods of study and discipleship. Paul almost immediately (at once) went to work to preach, proving from the Old Testament that Jesus was and is the Christ. Is there a chance that you have the mind of Christ, but have been hesitant to say so because of fear of teaching that has warned you to be careful and not assume what is in you is worthwhile? Then let's look at some insights to help you accept that what you have is from the Lord, and can therefore confidently ask God to put you in the game based on those thoughts.

 

AGREEABLE TO HIS WILL

 

The Amplified Version translates Proverbs 16:3 in these words: "Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed" (AMPC). This process may seem you natural that you suspect it is not spiritual, preferring to wait for a more dramatic encounter with God's will so you will be certain of its source. Yet that is not what occurred in Luke's life when he set out to write his gospel:

 

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught (Luke 1:1-4).

 

Luke did not write that the Lord directed him to write or report that he had a heavenly visitation commanding him to write. Luke said, "I decided to write." Luke had the mind of Christ. He put himself in the game of writing, so to speak, and the Spirit inspired his words -- yet he interpreted the experience as his decision to write.

 

Do you have any ideas, something that has been in your mind and heart for a while, or something that is more recent? Have you delayed on the older ideas, hoping they would go away? Have you dismissed the newer ideas because they may be a trick of your own, or worse yet, of the devil himself. Either way, you may be missing the point that you have the mind of Christ and those ideas, old or new, may actually be agreeable to His will. 

 

As we wrap up this series, I hope you are now more eager to be productive by making yourself available to be used by the Lord. I trust that you have seen that fear is our common enemy, and causes us to shrink back instead of move forward with confidence. I will continue to ask the Coach to put me in the game, and I trust that as I go in, I will look up and see you joining me so that we can play on the same team and enjoy our victories together. Until then, I ask you to at least consider that you are thinking the thoughts of God so you can find a reason to act on them instead of sitting on the sidelines while you critique and evaluate them. Have a blessed week!

908: Make Yourself Available

The last two weeks, we have looked at bad examples of what I am calling the "Put Me In, Coach" mentality. People with that mindset is not only ready to be used by God, they are also aggressively seeking ways to be used, making themselves available. Our bad examples the last two weeks were King Saul and Moses, but our two good examples are Nehemiah and the Apostle Paul (who we have already looked at, but we have more insight to garner from his life). Right now, let's look at Nehemiah.

PASSION

When Nehemiah heard some visitors' answers to his questions about the conditions in Jerusalem, he was deeply moved: "When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven" (Nehemiah 1:4-5). 

When I speak or write, I sometimes substitute the word passion for purpose. Passion is a driving force that activates your creativity and will to do something. Tears of joy and sorrow often accompany that passion as you respond and make yourself vulnerable and available to a need that exists in the world. The first time I spoke about purpose, people in the room wept. I have seen thousands more cry over the years. Tears and purpose seem to go hand in hand.

In 1998, I was watching a television documentary about the suffering of women in Afghanistan and began to cry. I remember praying, “Lord, why am I crying? I don't know anyone there, but if you need someone to go to Afghanistan, I’m willing.” Out of the blue in 2003, I received an invitation to go to Afghanistan from people I didn’t even know. I went and it changed my life and the course of my ministry.

CLARITY

Nehemiah prayed and fasted to clarify his passion and way forward. Then his big break came. One day he was serving the king and the king noticed that Nehemiah was sad. Let’s read the rest in Nehemiah’s own words. 

The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me (Nehemiah 2:4-9).  

When the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted, Nehemiah had a ready answer. The king understood what he wanted and could then either say yes or no. There seemed to be no hesitancy or ambivalence on Nehemiah's part. He had prayed and thought out what he wanted to do. Also, notice how little religious jargon there was in his dialogue with the king. Yes, Nehemiah did admit he prayed and that God's gracious hand was upon him, but besides that, he was remarkably natural: "Send me . . . so I can rebuild." "I set a time." "May I have letters?" God was not offended or put off by Nehemiah's desire to help the city of his fathers. At no time do we see that God told Nehemiah to go. He made himself available to go, and asked God's and the king's help.

What do you have a passion to do? What problem do you have a passion to address? Are you clear about what you want to do to engage that passion? I urge you to get the kind of clarity Nehemiah had, and then pray, "put me in, Coach." After that, watch for the door to open and see it as God's help so you can participate in the matter that is close to your heart. Nehemiah had nothing but success when he went home, and you can expect that can kind of success as well, but only if you follow your heart to put yourself in the game where it is most meaningful for you. Have a blessed week!

907: Don't Put Me In, Coach

I promised a few more entries on the topic of 'Put Me In, Coach," so here is the second with two more to go. Last week, we looked at King Saul and his reluctance to step up and step out to fulfill God's purpose for his life. This week we look at Moses, and you may be surprised to learn that he also was reluctant to put himself in the game, so much so that the Lord's anger burned against him. Let's look at how all that played out in Moses' story and life.

EXCUSES

When God spoke to him from the bush, Moses’ first comment was, “Here I am!” He seemed ready to do what God wanted before He knew what it was, an attitude that we would do well to imitate. Then Moses offered his first excuse, however, when he asked, “Who am I?’ I related that question to our tendency to discount our ability to accomplish our purpose when we find out what it is.

Later, Moses’ second excuse was: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" (Exodus 3:13). Moses was coming up with the excuse that he wasn’t ready and didn’t know enough about God, so he could not go. His third excuse was: “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" (Exodus 4:1). This question indicated that Moses was concerned he would fail, which is a common hindrance to being purposeful and creative for all of us.

Moses’ fourth excuse was, “Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he [Moses] replied” (Exodus 4:2). God was teaching Moses to use what he had and not to fret over what he didn’t have. Moses’ fifth excuse was: “Moses said to the Lord, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue'” (Exodus 4:10). With this excuse, Moses had moved from honest questioning to procrastination. He was working hard to come up with some excuse, any excuse, so he wouldn’t have to go to Egypt.

When we look at Moses’ final comment at the burning bush, we see that Moses, having expressed five excuses, simply refused to go to Egypt. “But Moses said, ‘O Lord, please send someone else to do it’” (Exodus 4:13). In essence, Moses said not to God, refusing to go and basically saying, "Don't put me in, Coach."

What was God’s response? “Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses” (Exodus 4:14). Up to this point in the story, God was patient and gracious with Moses, responding to all his objections. At this point, however, God was angry. I hope I never make God that angry, but this story proves that it can happen. God is patient but there are limitations to His patience, and we are never quite sure when we will reach those limitations.

MISSING PURPOSE?

People ask me all the time, “Can you refuse your purpose?” and my answer is always a resounding yes. Consider these two passages:

1. “But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves” (Luke 7:30).
2. "As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

You can receive the grace of God’s purpose in vain, choosing to ignore or do nothing with it. You can sit on your gifts, remaining in the comfort zone of life rather than experiencing the discomfort of new faith experiences. You can also be so afraid of doing the wrong thing that you choose to do nothing. God had answered and addressed each of Moses’ questions and concerns so that the real reason for Moses’ reluctance could be revealed: Moses just didn’t want to do it.

How about you? Are you testing God’s patience through delays and excuses? The good news is that after Moses gave his final answer, God assigned Aaron to go with him and sent them both on their way to Egypt, where they changed the course of history. If you confess this week that you don’t want to fulfill your purpose, that you’re scared, lazy, or lack confidence, then the Lord will still help you.

You are not alone in your PurposeQuest; God is with you, even if you are hesitant. All you have to do this week is acknowledge where you are and ask God’s help. He will do the rest. Let this be the week when you face reality and still move on to do great things for God, just like Moses did. Have a blessed week.

906: Hiding

I know I said last week that we were finished with our "Put Me In, Coach" series, but for some reason, I am not able to stop. As I read, meditate, and continue to mix with reluctant people as I coach and counsel, I see the need to cement this life philosophy in you -- and to some extent in me. Therefore, I will make no more promises I can't keep and we will carry on until we exhaust the subject (and until I have enough words for the book). These next few weeks, we will look at two bad examples of the put-me-in-coach strategy (King Saul and Moses), and two good examples (Nehemiah and the Apostle Paul). Let's start with King Saul this week.

CONFIRMATION

I regularly hear people say to me, "If God would show me His will, if I really knew it's what He wanted, I will be glad to do it. I will go to Africa with you, write, preach, or start a business" or do whatever it is that we are discussing that is before them. I have had enough experience with people who say this but then ignore the signs before them that they are to act and even outright refuse to budge, wanting to do (or not do) what they are considering on their own terms and according to their own timetable. They have no urgency and no intention of moving out of their comfort zone.

These folks cause me to think of King Saul. There is no one that had more miraculous confirmations around God's will for his life than Saul. These verses explain why I have come to that conclusion:

Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his inheritance? When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’

“Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine.They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

“After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you" (1 Samuel 10:1-7). 

Would you say that God confirmed His desires for Saul's life? And once He did, notice the wonderful put-me-in-coach mandate the Lord gave him: "do whatever your hand finds to do." God anointed and commissioned Saul and then told him to go do whatever he found that needed to be done. What was Saul's response? Did he run forth to free his people? Did he feed the poor? Set the captives free? No, he did none of those things, in fact, he ran the other way.

HIDING

When Saul returned home from his lost donkey search, his uncle asked him where he had been and what Samuel had said to him, Saul answered, “'He assured us that the donkeys had been found.' But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship" (1 Samuel 10:16). I find it odd that Saul would not report the exciting news that he had been selected to be the next king. Was he reluctant to draw attention to himself? Was he being modest and humble? Did he not want to offend his father, who perhaps wanted to be king one day? We don't know but we find a clue later in the chapter:

When Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken.Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden himself among the supplies" (1 Samuel 10:20-22).

We learn that after everything that had transpired to confirm Saul's role, he was hiding among the baggage. He was concealing himself in the everyday clutter of life because he was either afraid of being king, or he simply did not want the position. Saul seeing what he had seen was not enough to motivate him; Saul being among the prophets and prophesying was not enough; Saul hearing from the great man of God was not enough. He still hid in the midst of all the confirmations and super-spiritual events. (Also, note that the Lord knew exactly where Saul was and was only too happy to reveal his location to others. You may think you are hiding from the Lord, but you are not).

How about you? Are you hiding? Are you making it difficult for God and others to find and involve you in work you are capable of doing? Are you still sitting on the sidelines after frequent thoughts of what you would want to do for the Lord? Have you thought to do what you hand finds to do, only to shrink back in fear or indecision? This week, ask the Lord if you are guilty of following in Saul's footsteps by playing hide and seek with the Lord. If He indicates you are, then stop waiting for an engraved invitation and instead put yourself in the game, no worrying about missing the Lord by doing too much, but concerned that you will miss Him by doing too little. Have a blessed week!

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905: Don't Be a Fool

Today is my last day in Nairobi; I depart tonight on the direct flight to New York, a first for me (a direct flight, that is). This has been a wonderful visit for me, and I look forward to returning in October at the latest.

This week will be the last installment in our "Put Me In, Coach" series which we began last year. After this, I will edit all the Memos I have written along with a few from the archives on this topic and publish them as a book under the same name. My premise has been that we need to involve ourselves more aggressively in doing the work God has for us to do. We have been much too passive and cautious to say' Here I am, Lord, use me, involve me," even volunteering if we don't see a door open. Let's now look at the role that others can play in helping us put ourselves in the game.

A FOOL

This week, I was editing an entry from my daily Proverbs devotional that focused on this verse: "He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he walks in wisdom is kept safe" (28:26). If you are like me, you have read that verse to be negative in that if we trust in ourselves, we will go astray or get into trouble because what is in us is wrong because we can be so deceived. Is there another way to interpret that verse? There is and here is what I wrote this week:

It is easy to underestimate your potential and the power of your ideas. That's why you need other people speaking into your life if you are to walk in wisdom. Who are your coaches and mentors? Who challenges and broadens your perspective on life and purpose? Who is on your personal "board of directors"? As an example of the kind of input and encouragement you need from others, read about the encounter that Jonathan and David had in 1 Samuel 23:16-18

And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

Jonathan did not visit David to rebuke him or tell him he was doing something wrong. He came to remind David of the promise of God and to encourage him not to give up. Jonathan affirmed the call and David's role in serving the nation even though under the threat of death, and helped keep David on the right path. Yes, we may need people to correct us when we are wrong, but we more often need them to encourage us to accept our own greatness and brilliance in the area of our gifts and purpose. You are a fool if you don't listen to people who tell you what you are doing right and encourage you to do more of it.

AN ASSESSMENT

About 13 years ago, I had what's called a 360-degree evaluation done on me. I chose 30 people who completed an online survey that evaluated me and my leadership and character in 29 different areas. It was a long and complicated assessment, which I also completed, answering the same questions as the 30 participants about myself. When I got the results, it scored me in areas like collaboration, community care, communication, personal growth, criticism, cooperation, among others.

The scores came back on a complicated circle graph that had dark gray areas in each category with a red line somewhere in that category as well. The red line was where I saw myself and the gray area was where others saw me to be. Without exception, my red line fell below the gray areas of others in every positive category, but was above the gray areas in the negative characteristics. I had overestimated my weaknesses and underestimated my strengths. 

I was stunned by the results, but I heard the Lord. He was telling me to stop playing small, to stop being "Christian" by being humble. My humility was actually false and was denying what the Lord had done in my life and who He had made me to be. I determined after I examined the results that I was not going to shrink back, not be "Christian" and act like everything depended on God and I had no role in His plan for my life. From that point, I decided to publish and broadcast everything I knew and seize every opportunity to make myself available to help as many people as possible.

As I walked out of church today, a place I had not been in many years, I was greeted by three women (and it is a church of thousands) who told me how I had changed their lives when I met with them in 2005-2006. They gave me their stories, wanted my card, and promised to re-connect with me. I was surprised because I thought my impact was forgotten there due to my prolonged absence. It had not, and I am not more determined than ever to renew my efforts to play big and live by the "Put Me In, Coach" philosophy. 

I invite you to join me because my guess is you are just like I was and to some degree still am: underestimating my capacity for God's work and purpose. Don't play small and don't hide in the crowd, insisting that if God wants you, He will have to find you (and you won't make it easy for Him to do). Present yourself to the Lord in the fullness of who you are and make a difference while you still have time. Find other people, coaches, mentors, friends, or whoever they are who will help live up to your potential and not live down to your fears. Don't be a fool and only trust yourself where your strengths are concerned. Listen to what God has been trying to tell you through others and don't stubbornly cling to your negative view on who you are and what you can. If you do that, the best is yet to come for you. If not, then get used to the view from the bench, for that is where you will sit as you watch others play the game of purpose. Have a blessed week!