Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Excellence in quality used to be a big deal. I remember when houseware items were made from strong metals that would last. In 1980, I purchased a steam iron that still works today. Nowadays, there’s a lot of plastic breakable parts in the merchandise we buy. Things aren’t built to last and certainly aren’t manufactured with excellence in mind. Anything that’s run-of-the-mill is not outstanding in quality and is considered ordinary, average, and not special. I’m not fond, and certainly not impressed, with the attitude and design that screams “it doesn’t matter.” Excellence absolutely matters in all areas of life.

The Lord told Moses to send twelve spies into the land of Canaan which He was giving to the Israelites. At God’s command, Moses commissioned them to find out what kind of country it was, the number of people, how strong they were, etc. They returned after their 40-day reconnaissance mission and reported that the land was rich and fertile. Caleb said, “We should attack now and take the land; we are strong enough to conquer it” (Numbers 13:30 TEV). But the other ten spies disagreed, “No, we are not strong enough to attack them; the people there are more powerful than we are” (Numbers 13:31 TEV).

Not only were the ten negative spies disagreeing with Caleb and Joshua, they were ignorantly disagreeing with God because God had said that He was giving it to them. It was a done deal, but the Israelites had to display obedience, courage, and faith in order for God to give them the victory. In Numbers 14:36, the ten spies who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report were immediately struck dead with a plague. If they  had stuck to their assignment, things would have turned out differently for them. They were to simply scout out the land, not give their opinion.

After this serious meeting, Moses and God had a heart-to-heart conversation about the Israelites’ stubbornness and lack of trust in the Great I AM. God said to Moses, “They have tried My patience over and over again and have refused to obey Me. They will never enter the land which I promised to their ancestors. None of those who have rejected Me will ever enter it” (Numbers 14:22-23 TEV.) God also had something important to say about Caleb: “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it” (Numbers 14:24 NIV.)

Caleb’s integrity stood out from the other run-of-the-mill spies. He chose to believe that God would do what He said. God promised to give His chosen people a good and large land flowing with milk and honey. However, it wouldn’t be handed to them on a silver platter; they had to do their part to believe God and fight. Caleb was not a half-hearted individual; he gave his whole heart to following and obeying God. And God noticed and rewarded him for being different from the others.

Caleb was a leader of the Tribe of Judah and was a faithful servant of God, known for his courage, strength, and determination. He had guts and grit and was as tenacious as a Bulldog after a bone. He wasn’t wishy-washy in half-believing and half-doubting God’s promises. Caleb’s character should inspire all of us to strive for a spirit of excellence in everything we do, including following Jesus with all our heart.

The Key: Let’s live exemplary lives of faith and obedience. And a bushel basket of dogged determination wouldn‘t hurt either.

I love the K.C. Chiefs!  I have the jerseys to prove it, and Hubby, bless his heart, remembers my fondness for their memorabilia every Christmas and birthday. This makes me happy. This past game, however, in the AFC championship game, I found myself unhappy–a nervous wreck, to be honest–when the score got close.  “What’s wrong with Reid?”  “Pacheco keeps running into a brick wall; why don’t they throw a pass to the sideline for a change?”  My questions prompted Hubby to remind me that Coach Reid just “might” know a little more than I do.

Hmph…                                                                                                                                  So, late in the game, when the Raven’s rookie receiver Zay Flowers ran 54 yards before being tackled by L’Jarius Sneed, one of our players, he stood and straddled Sneed while twirling the football on the ground. (Not good for someone who had been a first-round draft pick and who led the Ravens in catches and receiving yards all season.) I was ultra-impressed with how our Chief did nothing. He let the referee do his job.  Flowers was called for taunting, a 15-yard penalty.            Soon after, with the Ravens down 17-7, Flowers fumbled on the one-yard line when Sneed knocked the ball out of his hands.  And the rest is history.  My phone lit up from girlfriends across the country, celebrating and thrilled that Flowers “got what he deserved.”

Why is it we love payback?  You act cocky; you learn humility.  You punch first; you’re punched harder.  Justice is served.  Amen and Amen.

Matt. 5:38-48 (MSG) disagrees with that attitude when Jesus opposes the “eye for an eye” philosophy: “…Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

You know, how Sneed acted. Not how Flowers or I acted.

Granted, most of us won’t have our injustices played out on national television.  Still, we are hurt by comments people make or how we are overlooked for a promotion or how a teacher is treating our child unfairly or how our spouse just shaved his head, knowing how much his wife disapproves.  (Pick which of these you think applies to me.)  And there’s no one to call “Taunting” and penalize our offender.  So, we sulk silently, carrying our offense like a tattered backpack.  We don’t allow God to do His work, to teach both us and our offenders the lessons needed to be learned.

Maybe it’s time we learn a Sneed style of doing nothing when we are wronged.

Actually, I think Hubby would prefer that.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Through the years, I’ve always appreciated the cue for when to stop playing the prelude for funeral services. After seating the family and the minister, the funeral director would walk past the piano and quietly say, “Finish this verse and we’ll be ready,” or “Play the chorus again and we‘ll start.“ His cue to me was very important for ensuring a smooth start of the service. Since I was unable to see what was happening out front, I relied on his cue. Cues are important, but we need to be careful who we take our cues from. Not just anybody will do.

The Passion Translation has the chapter heading, “Characteristics of the Last Days.” Apostle Paul is writing to young Pastor Timothy and boldly lays it on the line: “But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce. People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly. They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander. Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right” (2 Timothy 3:1-3 TPT). I could be wrong, but it appears these scriptures have become a reality in today’s culture.

I refuse to take my cues from today’s culture because it usually stands in the opposite direction of  God‘s Spirit. Believers are called to be God lovers, people lovers, humbly gracious, reverent to God, and forgiving of others. I believe our American culture is actively practicing what Jesus talked about in Matthew 12:25 TEV: “Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart.”

Apostle Paul later admonishes the Romans on how to live as Christ followers in a pagan culture: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT). Believers need to be brazen enough to wisely decide for ourselves by allowing God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to lead us. Let’s leave the crowd behind and stop allowing society to influence us to do stupid stuff. I recently heard a message about how important it is for a shepherd to keep all the sheep safely together. Because if one wanders away from the flock, others will follow it and fall off the cliff just like the first one. Surely humans are smarter than sheep and won‘t do something silly or ungodly just because someone of influence does it.

As believers, let’s not become so well-adjusted to our culture that we fit into it without even thinking. Let’s continue to fix our focus on God and what He wants. If we’re asleep at the wheel, today’s influencers can drag us down to their level of disrespect for God. Many in our culture are faithless, twisted in their thinking, and defy general truth and the truth of God’s Word. They’re far from being trustworthy influencers from whom we should take our cues. I could be wrong, but it appears that some of them have lost their minds.

The Key: Let’s continue to conform to God’s standards and not today’s culture.

Last week, I wrote about how we Little League mothers were asked by our sons’ fathers if we would like to coach our nine-year-old boys in this, the last game of their season.  This was not, I might add, because our hubbies considered us knowledgeable.  This was payback for how we had questioned the way they had handled the team throughout the season.

In an effort not to follow their lead, we shuffled the positions.  The boys were thrilled.  The right-fielder moved to third base.  The utility player pitched.  Who knew what talent had gone unnoticed by the dads who never did anything unpredictable!  When Toby, a small lad who came in only when we were slaughtering the other team, asked to be catcher, we agreed.

Poor little guy couldn’t catch a pitch.  But that wasn’t the only problem.  When we moms noticed a bulge in his uniform behind his thigh, we realized his cup, a protective device for the groin, had slipped from his jock strap.  None of us felt comfortable addressing the problem, so we asked for some help from the dads…who obviously found this hysterical and something we “coach-wannabe’s” needed to handle ourselves.

Fine.  No problem.  I was appointed.  Between innings, I took Toby aside and asked him if he realized that something was caught in his pant leg. He did.  He even referred to it by name.

“Do you know what you’re supposed to do with your cup?” I asked.

He smiled and nodded. “Yes…but it won’t stay there.”

“Toby, it goes inside your jock strap.”

“But I don’t have one on.”

I could feel every dad’s cynical ear straining to hear.

“Well then, just…just…just stick it down inside your underpants.”

“I don’t have those on, either.”

With that, Toby traded places with the right fielder, Greg, who had never caught, either, but at least he had on a jock strap.

Leading effectively isn’t easy.  This coaching thing always had looked so simple from the bleachers. Even Toby probably could have managed better than we did.

The term “arm-chair quarterbacks” was created because of people like me.  Second-guessing decisions coaches make is one of my talents, and right now, with the K.C. Chiefs vying for a Super Bowl spot, I am in high gear.  The problem is, whenever I voice my objections, Dave explains to me why that decision was made…something I never considered.

I wonder how many of us do that with God.  We ask for a “yes,” but He has other plans. Please let me get that job.  Please heal my child.  Please let me meet the right guy/gal.  Please get me out of debt. Please fix this relationship.

We, lacking the infinite knowledge God has, think we know best, forgetting that God’s ways are not our ways, and many times, God’s silence forces us to get on our knees and realize that He is the only One who sees the big picture.  Isaiah 55:9, NIV (God speaking to the prophet Isaiah): As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.            He already knows who will win the Super Bowl.  I’m guessing He probably doesn’t care.  Players and fans on both sides are praying for a victory.  The only thing He wants is that we give Him the glory, no matter what.

As for Toby, I have no idea what became of him, but, no thanks to the dads, I imagine he still brags about his catching debut.  He has us moms to thank for that.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Everybody thinks of BYOB as “Bring Your Own Bottle,” but I’m not. Nor am I referring to it as “Bring Your Own Baboon” or “Bring Your Own Bassoon.” Nope, I’m thinking of “Bring Your Own Bible.“ When I was a young girl, an older gentleman in the church once said to me, “I can look in the pages of someone’s Bible and tell you what they believe because of the scriptures they’ve underlined.” I’ve pondered his statement many times as I continue to underline in my Bible 55 years later. Howard was also the same Christian man who once told me, “I love ya, but it puts an awful strain on me.”

The value in reading and studying the Bible is not to argue theology, but to learn how to live out God‘s design for our everyday lives. We are to renew our mind every day by reading, meditating, and practicing God’s Word. It’s a choice. After we decide to follow Jesus, the decision-making process has only just begun. “I am constantly renewed in the spirit of my mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude] and I put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:23-24 AMP.) “I put on” is a choice.

I stand in my closet and choose the clothes I’m going to put on. I stand in front of the bathroom mirror and make up my mind as to whether I’ll put on makeup. We make minor preparations for the day and often neglect the major ones that matter the most. In the morning, we sometimes forget to make up our mind to be Godlike. And then wonder with regret that evening why we blew our stack, spewed out unkind words, and didn’t act a thing like Jesus. It’s really not a good idea to try to put our life together without referencing the official Instruction Manual.

Sneakers or sandals, button-up or T-shirt, we’re constantly making choices. No one is holding a gun to our head to get us to put on the nature of Christ every day. It’s our call. Apostle Peter invites us to holy living when he writes, “So think clearly and exercise self-control….So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do…” (1 Peter 1:13-15 NLT.) In order to stay alert and obey God, we must know what He says. Everything we need to know is provided in the pages of His Word. It’s our user’s guide for “How to be Holy” in all of our conduct and manner of living. Nothing is left out in the tall order to “Be holy in everything you do.”

Consecrated followers of Christ are instructed to be holy, which is living a dedicated life to God and being devoted to His service. It’s the ongoing practice of individuals being set apart to God and aiming for moral and spiritual excellence. God never tells us to be something that’s impossible. Apparently, it’s possible to be holy. So knowing and practicing His Word guards against ignorance and helps us in our walk with Christ on the highway of holiness.

The Key: BYOB to church and underline in it. Then when you’re gone, the next generation can read it and be reminded of what you believed.

We mothers thought it a grand idea when our husbands asked if we would like to coach our nine-year old sons in this, their final game of the baseball season.

They had won their conference, so this contest didn’t count.  Why we thought this a grand idea is anyone’s guess.  Who in their right mind would ever want to try and corral a bunch of spirited, impulsive pre-adolescents whose parents care a lot more about their children’s success than these miniature athletes do? We did.

After all, we had coached from the grandstands for years, critiquing our husband/coaches.  We moms viewed this as a chance to prove we could do more than just pour Gatorade, bag popcorn in the concession stand, and bang our rock-filled milk bottles to add a little team spirit.

We were naïve not to recognize this as “pay back” for all the times our spouses accused us of second-guessing their fielding decisions during the regular season. Since I had three sons playing and a husband who had played professionally, the other mothers assumed that I knew how to make out a line-up card or give signals from the 3^rd base position.  They were wrong.

Huddling in the dugout, we agreed on one thing: we would be creative.  None of this “best batter bats fourth, fastest runners play outfield, etc.”  We would mix things up a little bit. So, when Toby asked if he could be catcher, we knew the dad-coaches would say something like, “No, because he’s petrified of the ball” or “No, because he can’t catch”—you know, gutless responses. We would switch everyone’s predictable position.  Genius!

And so, Toby played catcher.

Let me rephrase that.  Toby put on the catcher’s gear.  (Even that is more complicated than it appears).

The rest was not pretty.  Poor little guy was just target practice for the pitcher, getting drilled with every pitch.  The fastballs bounced off of every part of him except his glove.  But Toby was loving it. He would chase down every ball he missed and then throw it on two hops somewhere near the pitcher.  It was apparent to all of us coaching moms that he finally felt like “one of the boys.”  We might make lousy managers but we were sure terrific psychologists!

But Toby’s safety was not the only problem. Another issue became apparent in the first inning.  We noticed there was something weird about his catcher’s squat.  Some blob-like thing was bulging from the back of his uniform pant leg just above the knee.

We “coaches” convened for an emergency meeting in the corner of the dugout.

After we dismissed the more disgusting possibilities, we finally realized it was his cup, a plastic device designed to protect the male groin area; somehow Toby’s had slipped from his groin and migrated down the back of his leg.  Our novice catcher seemed clueless that anything was amiss.

Understandably, none of us wanted to be the cup-bearer of such embarrassing news.  This had to be a dad’s job.  We just needed to find a kind, compassionate, sensitive father who would help us out.  Toby’s parents weren’t there, but surely one of the others would lend support.

We could not believe the united front we heard:

“Hey, we’re just fans.  You’re the coaches.  Take charge.”

“Never happened to us—isn’t that amazing?”

“Guess that’s what happens when you move a utility player to a catcher.”

I wanted to say, “Gee!  You guys are a load of laughs. You should start your own comedy club!”  Actually, I’m pretty sure I did say that, and a lot more.

Needless to say, our husbands were not examples of godly men that day. Whatever happened to Mt. 5:7:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”?

Stay tuned next week for what happened next.

.

Keys to the Kingdom By Carolyn Tucker

Growing up, my parents gave me a lot of good general advice. At the time, I didn’t always understand the “why” behind some of their statements. For example, Mom told me, “It doesn’t turn out well to work with family.” Because I was so young at the time, I didn‘t get it. Now that I’m older and have witnessed a lot of life, I‘ve watched some families try to work in business together and it was a total fail. I’ve also seen a few families work successfully together. Nevertheless, in the majority of cases, it appears that Mom was right. Another bit of advice I didn’t get as a kid was, “Don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your appetite!” I didn’t give a hoot about my appetite, I just wanted to eat that delicious piece of chocolate fudge.

It’s easy to focus on the aspects of our life that don’t make sense to us. At the close of  Jesus’ earthly life, he was talking in the Upper Room with His disciples (specifically Simon Peter): “Jesus answered him, ‘You do not understand now what I am doing, but you will understand later‘” (John 13:7 TEV). Jesus knows we will experience disturbing  situations that we won’t understand. But I’m thankful that we’ll understand it by and by (either later on earth or in heaven). We can, and must, release our curiosity and lack of understanding into God’s capable hands. Leave it, let it go, and focus on living the good  life that Jesus died and arose to give us. We have to commit the things we don’t understand on purpose because it won’t happen automatically; it‘s simply not natural to us. But trust is the antidote for a troubled heart and weary spirit.

Paul said, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT). Like Paul, who didn’t perfectly understand everything, we can choose to trust God’s truth and believe in His promises. This will ultimately bring us peace  and inner rest of spirit. It’s comforting to know that we can have a personal relationship with the Master Creator who hung the stars and controls the tide. He is the Great Physician who holds us together. He is the Good Shepherd who loves and protects us. He is the Alpha and Omega who knows what we’re going to say and do from beginning to end. He is the Redeemer who sets us free from the chains of bondage and fear.

The original Hebrew for Genesis 17:1 states that God told Abraham, “I AM El Shaddai,” which literally means “the All-Sufficient One” or “the God who is more than enough.” God is more than any current or past circumstance that we don’t understand. I believe there will be life outcomes that won’t ever make sense while living on planet earth. But scripture tells us that we will eventually understand everything completely with perfect clarity. In the meantime, we can sufficiently live on the gift that Jesus left us:  “Peace is what I leave with you; it is My own peace that I give you. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid” (John 14:27 TEV). This wonderful peace cost Jesus everything, but it’s  free, real, and ever-present to believers.

When you don’t get it, remember you’re in good company.  Simon Peter didn’t get it, Paul didn’t get it, and many others. But when you’ve got the peace of King Jesus, you’ve got all the understanding you need for right now.

The Key: If you “don’t get it” now, you’ll “get it” later in heaven.

Over the Christmas holidays, Dave and I drove to Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. Countless times, we were stuck behind a semi-truck, inching its way up a mountain pass.  If not that, double yellow lines prevented us from passing, and even where they didn’t interfere, it was difficult to see around the larger truck.  We had no idea if there was a fleet of other semis in front of that one.

We commented on how much easier it is to drive in Mexico where those large trucks pull over onto the shoulder and put their left blinker on, indicating it is safe for the vehicle behind to pass.  Why hasn’t that caught on in America?  I mean, it is such a friendly gesture, not to mention a time-saver for those of us who are always in a hurry.  Think of the benefits.

Comparison is so easy, yet it can be a dangerous game, can’t it?  Just as soon as I focus on what our country lacks, I have to remind myself of all it offers that is far superior to others.  We Americans know that the list is endless…which is why so many people are trying to come here to live.  Yes, even from Mexico.

Teddy Roosevelt called comparison “the thief of joy.”  So, why is it human nature to want what someone else has? Their hair.  Talent.  Sense of humor.  Charisma.  Height.  Weight.  Self-discipline.  Marriage. Walk with the Lord.

The problem with too many comparisons is they aren’t based in reality.  If I’m feeling “less than” because my kids have colored the walls with each other’s blood or the laundry is piled on the living room floor or the smell of burnt spaghetti sauce lingers in the air, all the while comparing myself to my friend on Facebook with the perfectly decorated house whose kids are sitting upright on the couch, smiling and holding hands, I’m in trouble.

We risk exposing ourselves to either pride or low self-esteem when we compare ourselves to others, but there is a type of comparison that can move us toward good…toward God.  I know two Christian women whom I want to emulate.  By comparison, I fail.  They are gentle, kind, soft-spoken, non-judgmental and unselfish.  I need improvement in all five of those areas.  I learn from those ladies and admire them.  Romans 9:21 tells us that God is the potter; we are the clay. I love that He has molded these women with such a beautiful, generous faith.  They make me want to be a better person.  Still, they are not perfect. Romans 3:23 makes that clear.  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

When we are tempted to compare, we need only to look to Jesus, knowing that He is holy and good and we are not.  1 Peter 2:22 ESV tells us so: He (Jesus) committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  He is the only model we need to follow, so the next time we’re tempted to want what someone else has or to be like someone else, we need to change our focus to the One who is “more than.”  With that, we cannot fail.

Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Hayward Tucker

At the expense of sounding like the worst driver in the world, I’ll share my personal experience because it’s the perfect lede for this column.

My mother convinced me to enter my seven-month-old daughter in a baby contest in 1987. When we were in the car and on our way, I heard Mariam sneeze from the backseat. The thought of the possibility of snot running down her face was more than I could bear, so I turned around to see if there was a “disaster on aisle 3.” With my head turned and looking backward, I sideswiped an oncoming vehicle and my Buick and ended up in a bean field. My daughter and I were unhurt, and the driver of the other car had some scratches on her arm from the broken driver’s window. The wreck occurred because my attention wasn’t focused on what was in front of me. Looking backward instead of forward is the worst technique for driving.

Looking backward to your past is not the best approach to life either. Please don’t live your life looking in the rearview mirror. “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 TEV.) Maybe your past hasn’t been perfect. If that’s the case, then join the crowd and realize you‘re in good company. The only perfect One on planet earth was Jesus. And even His life had some disappointments, hurts, and sorrow. I encourage you to let go of your past, move on, and embrace a future that’s full of hope in Christ.

It’s nice that we have a new year every 12 months because it gives us a fresh chance to change out the old and do things different and better. In Luke 9:51 TEV, it states that, “Jesus made up His mind….” Let’s make up our minds to do something beautiful for the Kingdom of God in 2024. We need to watch where we’re going and stop being halfhearted about our purpose and future.

Jesus is the loving and merciful Redeemer who can make all things new. Believe against all odds that divine help is on the way in 2024. Don’t look back at the things that have fallen to pieces, but look up and forward to Jesus. He is the One that is designing your future on a rock-solid foundation. “Look straight ahead and fix your eyes on what lies before you” (Proverbs 4:25 NLT.)

Although I’m uneasy about heights, I managed to walk across the Royal Gorge four times by looking straight ahead and focusing my eyes on the other side of the bridge. Life is short and there’s no time to waste on wallowing in regret or discouragement about the past. We can pour our heart out to God for any sin or failure, humbly receive His mercy, and then bravely move forward in hope and peace.

If you search your heart and find something that you should apologize and ask forgiveness for, by all means, do it for the sake of peace. But if there’s nothing you can do to defuse the bomb of your past, then simply walk forward into your future holding onto Jesus‘ nail-scarred hand. He loves you and can heal you everywhere you hurt. But you have to make up your mind to let Him soothe away the scars of your past.

Let’s stop looking back and intensify our commitment to do something worthwhile for the Kingdom of God.

The Key:  Obliterate your rearview mirror so you won’t look backward at your life.

Are you a considerate “wait-er”?  Not like the person who takes your restaurant order, but one who is asked to demonstrate patience?  Think of traffic jams. Lengthy red lights when no car is in sight.  Standing in a return line after Christmas. Unnecessary, college requirements in order to graduate. Impulsive credit card debt as opposed to saving money for a purchase. Writing off a potential friendship because of a bad first impression.

If you’re like me, your patience is constantly tested. Think, the grocery store line.  You choose the shortest one and watch everyone in the longer lines get out the door before you.  This is a regular occurrence for me.  My line always seems to be the one in which the customer argues about the price or has expired coupons or whose debit card is denied.  I wouldn’t mind it if they made eye contact and said they were sorry, but they seem oblivious to me tapping my toes or clearing my throat or semi-whispering, “Seriously???!!!”

We impatient types do not accept that this “now” moment is a teachable one but focus only on what is ahead.

The article “Exploring Your Mind” listed eight consequences of impatience.  Two came as a shock: (1) it causes obesity (because you eat impulsively) and (2) it speeds up the aging process by weakening the telomeres, structures that protect DNA from breaking down so the signs of aging appear. (In other words, if I don’t get my impatience under control, I will become fat and wrinkly.)

I make rash decisions with less-than-desirable consequences. Volunteering to help where I am not qualified.  Purchasing a car that cannot handle our town’s brick streets.  Becoming involved in a friendship that zaps my energy.  Defending someone without knowing both sides of the story. When I am impatient, I expect God to answer my prayers…Now!

The crazy thing is, being too patient also can be problematic.  I know people who are patient to a fault. (I do not fall into this category.) They cannot make a decision and miss out on great sales/ job opportunities. They spend too much time weighing their options for wonderful friendships or a loving relationship. They delay seeing a doctor until the prognosis is a deadly one.

Let’s face it.  We all are called to be a patient “wait-er.”  In the Bible, we read in the Old Testament of the Israelites waiting hundreds of years for the Messiah to appear, and as Christians, we also wait expectantly for that same Messiah to return to earth for the final days before eternal judgment begins.  In the meantime, we are to find the balance necessary between impatience and patience, to enjoy our journey and not waste the “now” in our lives.

Sounds like a perfect New Years’ Eve Resolution, don’t you think?