Transformation Killers - Martin Wiles

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Romans 12:2 NKJV

 

We were on the precipice of a breakthrough when I heard those infamous words: “We’ve never done it that way before.” Transformation killers. 

 

Every church I’ve led wanted transformation of some sort. I witnessed it before accepting the position, but the key leaders also saw it. 

For one, it was size. They had dwindled to thirty-five people. Young adult families with children had moved away. The church needed new programs. At the next church, a new building lay on the horizon for some. The current one had deteriorated. Bats filled the belfry. No bathrooms existed upstairs. The next church was steeped in traditions that were killing the church's future. 

 

As the other leaders and I attempted to enact the changes necessary for transformation in appearance, attitudes, and attendance, we were often met with resistance: We’ve never done things this way before. We can’t afford for people to leave. How will we pay for it? Are we large enough to support this program?

We All Need Transformation Sometime

 

Churches periodically need transformation because those of us who go there need transformation. Instead of conforming to the world's destructive attitudes and evil actions, Paul says we should transform or renew our minds so that it reflects Christ’s thoughts.

Watch the Transformation Killers

 

Discouragement, fear, unforgiveness, and pessimism are all transformation killers. Naysayers will always be present when transformation lies on the horizon. Their lists of reasons why transformation can’t take place can be lengthy, but they are all designed to discourage enthusiasm, whether they realize it or not. Discouragement can spread like a raging wildfire and bring pessimism with it. Both will kill excitement.

 

Fear is sometimes behind transformation resistance—fear of change, fear of the different. But God isn’t the author of that spirit. He gives a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Belief, faith, and trust will drive away the fear of transformation.

 

Unforgiveness will also kill transformation by preventing us from working together to make it happen. It can be old feuds or conflicts between personalities.

 

Give God any mindset that keeps you or your church from being transformed.

 

Father, renew my mind daily so my actions will move me into the areas of transformation you desire.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

When God Calls - Martin Wiles

So he said to Samuel, “Go lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, Lord, your servant is listening.’” 1 Samuel 3:9 NLT

With a clear, distinct whistle, my grandfather mimicked the female bobwhite until the male was almost within sight.

Pappy, as I called my maternal grandfather, was an early riser. Why, I’m not sure. He farmed … a little. He made his living doing it but hired out most of the manual labor. He was up by five every morning, made his cup of instant coffee, and retired to the porch, where he smoked his cigarettes and waited for the sun to top the nearby row of pines.

As dawn began to break, the distant call of the male quail was common. Pappy puckered his lips, whistled a counter tune, and waited for the bobwhite to answer. When he did, Pappy would call again. Within a few minutes, the male would be perched in the large magnolia tree just a few feet away from the porch where Pappy sat. The male answered what he thought was a female’s call. What he found was a tall, overweight farmer.

After Samuel’s mother weaned him, she took him to the temple to assist Eli, the priest. As Samuel lay on his bed, God called. Not being familiar with God’s voice--and since God’s word was rare in those days--he assumed it was Eli. Eli thought the boy was hearing things, but after three times, he concluded it was God calling Samuel.

Just as my grandfather did the quail, God calls people to trust him as Savior, to enter a special area of service, or to walk closer with him. When God calls, we have a few options. We can obey, disobey, or delay doing anything. The free will God has instilled in us allows us to make these choices.

Of course, obedience is the best choice. We should obey all of God’s calls out of love and appreciation for what he has allowed his Son to do on Calvary’s cross. No one has ever demonstrated a more significant act of love. But obedience isn’t always so simple. 

Sinful patterns, fear of surrendering to God, or uncertainty over whether we’ve heard God can all lead to ignoring God’s call, or at least a delay in answering it. Obedience, on the other hand, builds experience by listening to his call so that we’ll not mistake the voice as Samuel did when God beckons in the future.

Think about how you will respond when God calls.

Father, may I always respond with obedience when you call me. 

I invite you to try my book A Whisper in the Woods in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

When God Gives Extra Time - Martin Wiles

So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. Joshua 10:13 NLT

What could I do with an extra day or on other occasions when God gives extra time? 

Almost every four years, February gets an extra day. More than two thousand years ago, Roman general Julius Caesar introduced Leap Years into the Roman world, which at that time used the Julian calendar. Every year that was divisible by four was classified a Leap Year. This practice produced too many Leap Years but wasn’t corrected until the introduction of the Gregorian calendar.

Leap Years are necessary to sync the Gregorian calendar with the earth’s revolutions around the sun. The earth requires 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to make one revolution. Since the Gregorian calendar year only has 365 days, failing to add one day every four years would mean losing six hours annually and a total of 24 days over 100 years.

Joshua needed extra time, too. Daylight was waning, and he hadn’t finished defeating God’s enemies. He decided to pray and ask God for more time. God answered by allowing the sun to stand still.

I’ve often wished for more than an extra day. A few more hours in every day would do nicely.

Joshua’s reason for needing extra time was admirable; mine doesn’t always fall into the same category. I suppose when God gives extra time I need to reflect on why I have it. Is it because I’m lazy? Are there things I should do? Does God have plans I’m not following? Does he want me to rest?

Of course, the opposite may also be true. God might withhold extra time because I’m not using his allotted time judiciously. Jesus tells several parables demonstrating the necessity of using wisely what God gives along with warning about what can happen when I don’t.

Leap Year gives us an extra day for meditation—and perhaps action. A day that won’t surface for another four years. A day to meditate on some crucial questions: “What have I done with Jesus?” and “What am I doing for him?” A day to contemplate his goodness in spite of our badness as well as his undeserved unconditional love and forgiveness even when we don’t meet his expectations.

Leap Year re-aligns the calendar with the earth’s rotation, preventing the loss of time. Taking advantage of the extra time God gives can re-align priorities, decisions, relationships, and life in general.

Let God reveal extra time in your calendar and how he wants you to use it.

Father, enable me to always use the time you give wisely. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

When Rejection Comes - Martin Wiles

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT

He was a washed-up shoe salesman caught up in a town gossiping war.

In the Andy Griffith episode, Those Gossipin’ Men, Aunt Bee and a friend sat in the local drug store, enjoying a cool drink on a hot day. While spreading a little gossip among themselves, they were startled when a stranger came in and tried to sell them a pair of shoes. And surprised because he didn’t try extremely hard. In fact, they labeled him as the tamest shoe salesman they’d ever seen. He offered once, they said no, and he went on about his business. Little did he know a gossiping war between the ladies of the town and the men who hung around at Floyd’s Barber Shop would soon engulf him.

Prior to the salesman’s arrival, Andy had come into the drug store to get sulfur powder. Barney had cut his finger while cleaning his pistol. The cut was small, but several hours later, someone called the sheriff’s office to report that Barney had shot himself in the chest and was dead. When Aunt Bee and her friend hurried in to console Andy, they were surprised to see Barney still standing. That’s when Andy accused them of being the biggest gossipers in town.

The tame traveling shoe salesman gave Aunt Bee and her friend an opportunity to prove to Andy that just as much gossip came out of Floyd’s Barber Shop. So, when Andy and Barney asked who the stranger was, the two women planted a seed of doubt in their “conceited” male minds. They told Andy and Barney who the man claimed to be, but then questioned the man’s honesty. He didn’t seem eager to sell shoes.

Initially, Andy dismissed their suspicions and again accused them of spreading gossip. But then, he himself became suspicious. Before long, he and the other men in town had turned a washed-up shoe salesman into a New York City television producer. Soon, he and the other men in town gathered their sons and daughters, ushered them to the man’s hotel room, and had them audition for the traveling salesman. In the process, they buy numerous pairs of shoes—so much so that the failed salesman set a company record for a day’s sales.

The traveling salesman came to town a rejected mess, but left a success. Eliab knew a little about rejection too—as did all young David’s brothers. As they passed before Samuel—the prophet God had sent to their father’s house to select the next king of Israel—they each felt the sting of rejection. And imagine how much more humiliating the experience when they discovered God had chosen their younger sheep-tending brother.

Rejection in life is inevitable. We’ll be turned down for promotions, teams, dates, marriage proposals, jobs, projects, clubs, community organizations, assignments, book publishing. And we cannot deny that rejection hurts. Acceptance is one of our basic needs, but not every person will accept us. Nor will everything we attempt to do gain acceptance.

The good news is that while others may reject us or things we propose, God never will. God selected David because He knew David was a boy (and would later be a man) after God’s own heart. In that respect, nothing has changed. God accepts every person who wants to love and serve Him. No turning away. No turning down.

Life teaches us—often the hard way—that rejection is a part of our existence. But not as it relates to our walk with God. He always walks by our side. Nothing we do will drive Him away. Nothing we face will be so intense that He can’t walk us through it. And He will love and accept us…no matter what. Now and throughout eternity.

Let God’s acceptance bring you the comfort you need when others reject you or something you’ve done.

Father, I thank You for Your eternal love that never turns away those who come to You.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Not about Me - Martin Wiles

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 1 John 3:17 NLT

Opportunities abounded. All we had to do was walk a few feet.

My wife and I lived in a small patio townhome community. Many of the residents were senior adults, many of whom were widowed. My wife—the one in our marriage with the more sensitive heart—discovered numerous ways for us to help them.

Two of the neighbors—one widowed and one not—needed their grass cut. While the homeowners’ association paid someone to landscape the front area of the townhomes, the small back yards were the owners’ or renters’ responsibility. When these two asked if I’d cut their back yards, I said, “Sure.” I didn’t have a lawnmower, but I didn’t need one. The yards are so small a weed eater worked fine. Fifteen minutes was all I needed to finish a yard.

One of these neighbors also watched her husband have several strokes, leaving him unable to walk, tend to himself, and eat solid food. My wife loves to cook—large meals. And sharing our food with neighbors was her way of showing love. After taking a meal to this neighbor, the neighbor asked her if she’d be willing to cook a meal a day for her. Of course, my wife couldn’t resist. Our neighbor became a good friend—with a full stomach. In addition to taking her food and cutting her grass, we checked on her almost daily to see if she needed anything from the store and to see how her husband was doing.

The other of the two neighbors also received some of our food occasionally. She also asked my wife to fix things she had messed up on her smart phone. And any little odd job around the house she needed doing, she called me. In addition to cutting her grass, I sprayed her weeds, put out Snake Away when she saw a snake, lifted bags of mulch when she decided to do more landscaping, helped her move a piece of furniture, changed her house filters, and anything else she asked.

A third neighbor lived across from us. She, too, was a widow, but, unlike the other two, had no children to help her. When she went to the post office, she asked if we needed her to take anything. Sometimes, she invited my wife over to see her flowers. If we went off for a few days, I asked her to watch the outside of our house. And since she was a neighbor to the other neighbor who hated snakes, I sprinkled some Snake Away in her yard, too.

All small acts of kindness, but love nevertheless. As Christians, we proclaim our love for others, but John says if that’s all we do we haven’t done much. Nor have we shown actual love. We must match actions with words.

I’ve found God will more likely send opportunities to be neighborly if we ask Him. But busyness often consumes our schedules, so we also have to pray for spiritual eyes to see those opportunities when He sends them. Otherwise, we’ll miss them every time.

Sometimes, the neighbors’ requests came when I had other things on my agenda. If I wasn’t careful, I found myself complaining when I should have been thankful for the opportunities. A regular check on our attitude always proves appropriate. God loves a joyful giver, whether the giving is monetary or otherwise.

Life is not all about us. In fact, it is about God and others, and the sooner we discover this the happier we’ll be and the more fulfilled life we’ll live.

Think of ways to show a neighbor some love.

Father, I ask for opportunities to demonstrate Your love to others.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Tutored by God - Martin Wiles

The law was our guardian (tutor) and teacher to lead us until Christ came. So now, through faith in Christ, we are made right with God. Galatians 3:24 NLT

Tutoring isn’t usually initiated by students. And it wasn’t in my case.

Parents who observed their children struggling in grammar class approached me about giving their child extra help. Tutoring comes in several varieties. Some children need remedial tutoring. They haven’t grasped concepts learned in an earlier grade, making it difficult or impossible for them to keep up in their current grade. Others just need extra help understanding current concepts. A little one-on-one time with a tutor is all many children need to scale the hump. And then there’s the rare occasion when a student wants to get ahead of the class. This tutoring involves introducing concepts that would normally be introduced later in the year or even the next year. On whatever level of tutoring a child stands, teaching and understanding are the goals.

Paul considered God’s Old Testament law a tutor. God’s law was designed to guard or tutor until Christ fulfilled it. The sacrificial system tutored the people about the concept of the innocent being sacrificed for the guilty. Animals were slain during the Old Testament period, but Christ was slain in the New.

Now that Christ has fulfilled the law, God’s Spirit is the new tutor. Jesus said if He went away He would send a Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He is our tutor who guides, teaches, encourages, and comforts us. All traits of a good tutor.

God’s Spirit tutors the lost by introducing them to the way of salvation. He often uses people as the means to do that. After we’ve trusted Christ as our Savior, we should tutor others in the way of salvation. This tutoring can be accomplished by praying for the lost, being prepared to witness when the opportunity arises, taking training courses in how to witness, and by being sensitive to witnessing opportunities.

God’s Spirit tutors believers by guiding them to understand God’s truth as revealed in His Word, by teaching them how to apply that Word to everyday situations and circumstances, encouraging them to pick themselves up and try again when they fail, and comforting them in times of failure, sorrow, and grief.

Tutors have been trained in the material they teach. Believers have been tutored by God so they might become tutors as well. Make sure to tutor those God sends your way.

Father, thank You for the tutoring of Your Spirit. May I take what I learn and use it to tutor others.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

God’s Light - Martin Wiles

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the wonderful future he has promised to those he called. Ephesians 1:18 NLT

My world came crashing down, but it was too dark for me to see it.

On one of the first few camping trips my brother and I and my two children took together, we discovered the need for a good tent. I had purchased two small tents—one dome shaped and the other military style. My son and I slept in the military style.

During the night, our tent came tumbling down. I fumbled for my flashlight, and after turning on the light understood why. My son had dislodged one of the poles. Not only had the pole collapsed but the guyot line had unhooked from the stake. Luckily, I located the stake, re-attached the line, and re-erected our tent. But only because I had light.

The light Paul wanted early Christians to be flooded with didn’t come from a flashlight—or in his time an oil lamp. Rather, it would come from understanding the wonderful present and future they had because of God’s light of salvation.

When God’s light shines into our lives, it enables us to understand Him. While the process of fully understanding God is never complete—His ways and thoughts are higher than ours—knowing Him as our Lord gives a fuller understanding of who He is. He’s not just a far-off deity who really doesn’t care about our affairs. He’s a close-up friend and Savior who has our best interests at heart.

God’s light helps us comprehend His plan. He has a unique plan for each one of His followers. We don’t have to aimlessly wander around pondering what we’re supposed to do. We can know God’s desire and join Him in fleshing it out.

God’s light shining into our lives allows us to see a bright future. Life on earth can be abundant, but life in the future will be more so. Regardless of what we have or don’t have on earth, or regardless of how we’re treated, we will be loved for eternity by the one who gave His life for us.

When God’s light of understanding pours into our lives, we’ll see the matchless inheritance we’ve been given. Everything that belongs to God’s Son belongs to us. We are joint heirs with Christ.

It’s amazing what a little light can do. Make sure you are experiencing God’s light.

Father, flood my heart with light so that I might understand all You have in store for me.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.