DTLC Radio

Gumption - it's a word we don't hear much anymore. There was a time when many - if not most - people spoke of gumption. Some have, some don't, but all need it. Gumption is the self-initiative, aggressive moxie that has the courage to change the status quo. This lost key to success taps personal resourcefulness, provides bold enthusiasm, and persists in moving forward. It may sound like an old-fashioned idea but I believe the time has come for this concept to be renewed and restored.

Got Gumption?

Gumption is about taking responsibility, facing your shortcomings, and determining to grow. I didn't mention this during the episode but it occurs to me now...I find it interesting that gumption contains the name Gump, as in Forest Gump. Do you see the picture? Forest Gump never let his "slowness" keep him from the things he desired to accomplish, even if they appeared to be accidental. Forest was always thinking ahead and moving forward. He took life a day at a time, dealt with what each day brought him, and did not make excuses. I think there are some great similarities there that serve as instructional illustrations for us all.

Gumption is not sitting back and just letting life happen to you. It's about taking charge of what you can - your attitude and actions - and making the most of it in living for Christ. Gumption is about increasing self-awareness that focuses you on what lies ahead and taking it on head on. In this episode, I discuss eight things you can do to increase your "gumption level" to realize your potential to transform your life.

What You Can Do

Use your mistakes as learning opportunities

Celebrate your daily successes

Avoid the traps of negative self-talk and others' negativity

Remind yourself why you set this goal to start with

Increase your resourcefulness

Be persistent

Increase your enthusiasm by being fit and healthy

Be courageous - not avoiding fear but "doing it scared"

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Doing what matters most. This is the goal for those who desire to live their true potential. But exactly how do you do that? Today's episode addresses the importance of breaking things down into manageable parts.

The Main Things

True fulfillment and contentment in life are products of intentional living focused on the main things. What are the things that matter most to you? This has to do with your vision, purpose, mission, and goals. But it also deals with who you are, whose you are, and your purpose in life. In turn, these can be further condensed to what do you want to have, what do you want to do, and who do you want to be?

Spending time in the questions has a way of unraveling the complicated and allowing clarity to shine through. Many people become overwhelmed with circumstances or responsibilities. Others fail to move forward because they don't know where to start. By taking time to focus attention on some key questions or listing out options can go a long way in helping you move forward.

The Power of Breakdown

There is power in breaking things down to more manageable parts. Everyone would be overwhelmed to try tackle a 7-room house in complete chaos. However, taking a room at a time and first creating a place to retreat in peace makes the project more attainable. Start with cleaning one room. Then clean the next. After that, tackle a third, and so on. It will take time and you likely won't be done in a day, but you might be surprised by how much you can accomplish in just a day.

The importance of making progress and taking baby steps forward cannot be over emphasized. All progress is progress! Whether a little or a lot - you're always moving forward - and that's the real goal.

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God's Will

God's Will for My Life Specifically

Are you pushed by your past or are you pulled by your future? This phrase encompasses much of the challenge for many. A bitter past experience. A lousy past relationship. Someone who appears to have gotten away with something with little to no consequences. A past filled with mistakes, poor decisions, and vile actions that you struggle to move past. All of these can be attributed to a perspective that is focused almost exclusively on the past. You may be moving forward on the calendar but you're really being pushed by your future.

Make A Better Decision

Make a better decision. Choose to be pulled into your future by the promise of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Focus you attention, not on what has happened but on what has yet to happen. You have a future. There is a purpose and a plan for your life. You must choose to trust it, to engage it, and to live in it. God is calling you forward, regardless of your past. It doesn't matter whether you're responsible or not. You can repent, turn away, confess, and make restitution for your past. You can let it remain behind as you learn lessons from it while propelling yourself forward.

God is not interested in punishing you for the past...why punish yourself. Christ went to the cross for the purpose of taking on the wrath of God - the punishment due to you and me - so we could be forgiven. Christ's righteousness has been imputed to us while our sin was imputed to Him.

Not Fair?

But - you say - that's not fair. Fair from who's perspective? Yours or God's? We are not in a position - due to our own guilt and sin against God - to judge what is fair, right, or just. However, God is in exactly that position. He is just - He is righteous - He is fair. In fact, He is the very definition of these qualities. His actions are always right while ours rarely are anything beyond selfishness and self-justification.

We "think" we know what others have had to go through as a result of their sin against us. Truth is, you and I have no idea what anther person has gone through in confronting their sin and coming to Christ. To say someone "hasn't been punished enough" is not a right we have. If that were the case, none of us ever would have received grace and been forgiven. Good thing God is God and none of us are.

_____________________

Episode Note:

During this episode at about the 30:10 mark, I noted that Dr. James Dobson had interviewed Jeffrey Dahmer while in prison, after his conversion and prior to his death. I have been unable to determine if in fact, Dobson did interview Dahmer. My apologies. I did however find an interview with the minister who worked directly with Dahmer during his conversion. You can find that article here. Again, this is likely to be a deep challenge for many of you - accepting that God could forgive and receive a person like Jeffrey Dahmer - and yet God's grace knows no limits. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13 

Can you think of other murders that God forgave? Here are a few: Moses, David, Saul/Paul...you! Yes, you! According to Jesus, anyone who has ever hated or been angry with his/her brother is guilty of murder (see Matthew 5:21-48). And yet you have found forgiveness, grace, and love from God through Christ. Jesus bore the wrath of God for Moses, David, Paul, Jeffrey Dahmer...and you!

One of the biggest problems people face is being committed to living out what we claim to believe. We commit to a belief. But are you committed to living that belief out in your daily life? This episode of DTLC Radio addresses the reality of committing to living out our beliefs. This podcast addresses many of the issues conveyed in an earlier article - A Perforated Life.

Make the Decision

Most of the challenges we face in life have more to do with our mindset and perspective than it does with the circumstance itself. Too often, there is a great discrepancy between what we believe and how we behave. This creates cognitive dissonance - psychological stress - that has the potential to cripple us. The decision to commit to living consistent with what we believe is the only way to eliminate that stress. Committing frequently, daily, if not at times hourly, helps us see our beliefs as reality in our behavior.

It's the failure to commit that often creates the problem. We may have committed in the past to living a godly life but the commitment has waned. If you want to be someone different - someone consistent with God's calling on their life - then you have to commit to it. Sometimes repeatedly. No, actually, daily.

The Power of Decision

People are often unaware of the power of decision. Moreover, they are often unaware of the power of indecision or no decision. As the great theologians and progressive rock band Rush have said, "If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice." It is not enough to claim a particular belief or worldview if you're not also actively striving to live it out. Living it out is often simply a matter of decision and choice.

Being committed to the commitment to being who God has called you to be is a matter of choice. Making that choice then results in power to live it out. as Charles Stanley has said, "Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him." Play to an audience of one.

Doing is often the measure of being. James tells us that works must accompany our faith if it is real faith. Doing is the result of our thinking and our choices and too often we lose sight of our control over our own decisions. When you aren't sure what you should do, doing something as simple as making your bed in the morning can have a profound impact.

You Have the Potential

Every one of us - as Christians - has the potential to transform our own lives simply by stopping some things and taking control over our own choices. At times, the best thing you can do is to do something...something that marks a task completed, no matter how small. Many of us simply need to stop doing what we've been doing in order to see the change we desire. Our potential is more often than not, determined by our own decisions.

If you want to lose weight and stop overeating...stop overeating. Are you over-spending, stop it. Do you mostly think negative thoughts, stop it. If you're judgmental, stop judging others. Do you get the point? Often, all that needs to happen is for us to simply make the choice to stop. That one action can begin a process that leads to transformed lives. You say you can't? I beg to differ. Yes you can. It's a matter of choice. It's a matter of awareness and taking responsibility for your own thinking. The answer is very simple but the process may not be that easy. That is where a partner and accountability can be a real advantage.

2018 Could Be the Best Year Ever

This new year could be the best year ever but it will ride primarily on the choices and perspectives you take. You control much more than you might realize. You've heard me say, you control only two things in this life - your attitude and your actions. And yet, these two things are the foundation on which a life of fulfillment and significance are built. God has changed you from the inside-out. Now He expects you to do your part in making it a reality in your life. The good news is, you don't have to do it alone.

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A simple message from some old friends. Merry Christmas!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Final episode for 2017...see you next year!

You wouldn't think that apologetics and Christmas would necessarily go together. But Christmas is a great opportunity to share the gospel while addressing some of the skeptical challenges to Christ and His birth. In this episode, I briefly answer five common challenges to the Christmas narrative. Certainly there are more we could delve into but these seem to be the most common. For more information and accurate detail, study the first two or three chapters of the Gospel of Matthew and Luke. Pay particular attention to the footnotes and cross references to the Old Testament prophecies about the promised Messiah.

Merry Christmas!

Many Christians struggle with the idea of celebrating Christmas. Is Christmas a pagan holiday that should not be acknowledged by the church? Does God prohibit Christmas celebrations? If Jesus was not really born on December 25, why are we celebrating? These and many other questions can steal the joy of the season and ruin an otherwise enjoyable time. In this episode, you are granted permission - by way of God's Word - to celebrate Christmas. What a thing to celebrate - the arrival of our Savior and give God thanks for His indescribable gift!

Guest Speaker

Instead of trying to cover all the material I'd like to cover, Mike Fabarez shared a similar message with his congregation. I first learned of Mike's ministry through Wretched Radio and Todd Friel (wretched.org). Mike preaches in Orange County, CA. He delivered a Christmas message a few years ago that is appropriate for us to hear. Again, it made more sense for you to hear from Mike than for me to try to "reinvent the wheel" so-to-speak. As a result, Mike is our special guest.

Know The Bible

In my humble opinion, there are far too many people - Christians included - who are completely and utterly illiterate with regard to the Bible and what it teaches. Knowing what the Bible says and doesn't say - IN CONTEXT - is critical to having a right perspective. Case in point (and there are numerous others), I heard someone on the radio state, "the Bible condemns Christmas trees and any Christian who has one is sinning." Well, hush my mouth! I did not know that! So, as is typical for me, I noted their Scripture reference and looked it up myself.

The caller was referencing Jeremiah 10:1-5 and interpreting it as a condemnation of Christmas trees. Certainly, just a quick glance could lead someone to the conclusion that Christmas trees and decorating are forbidden by God. After all, the passage talks about "wood cut from the forest" and decorating it with "silver and with gold." However, with just a little bit of effort and study you quickly realize God is not talking about Christmas trees. In the first place, the practice of decorating a tree was not yet invented. Secondly, the context of the passage is God's command and judgement regarding the creation of carved images to be worshiped. God is talking about idolatry and making "gods" to be worshiped.

There are many more examples I could point to but suffice it to say, biblical literacy goes a long way in answering most, if not all, of our debates about Christmas and its celebration.

Back to the future is not just a fun movie but also a necessary step in the process of realizing your potential. Looking back to see just how far you've come is reason to celebrate. Reviewing the past helps you make adjustments toward your future. This time of year is the opportune time to look back, evaluate, and identify the areas of your life where you desire the most growth. Rear view mirrors helps us see where we've come from, what might be coming up behind us, and how we can continue to move forward.

Routine Process

Year-end evaluations are common for employers and employees alike. Annual reviews are also a key component for those who desire to be successful in the future. It's an opportunity to step away from the busyness - especially during the holiday season - and ponder, consider, and take time to review and plan ahead. Looking backward helps us move forward by determining the areas in which we've done well and those that still need work. This is an intentional exercise that will lead to intentional consequences, your desired consequences and outcomes.

We are not going to dwell on the past but only evaluate it in terms of our desired goals, mission, purpose, and vision. We're seeking to find balance as well as those areas where we need improvement. Taking the time to consider and evaluate each of these life areas will help us to move forward - back to the future.

Areas to Evaluate

What areas should we be looking at?

Spiritual Life - Where do I stand in my relationship with the Lord? Am I growing deeper?

Ministry/Service/Church - Am I involved and engaged with a church family? Do I have a church home? Am I serving and growing?

Personal Fitness - Am I taking care of myself physically?

Mental/Emotional/Thinking Health - Am I healthy mentally? Am I aware of the connection between my spiritual health, physical health, and emotional health?

Personal Relationships/Marriage - Am I growing in my closest relationships? How can I improve?

Children/Grandchildren - How healthy are these relationships? What can I do to improve them?

Family - Is my family growing closer? How am I doing as a family leader?

Career/Vocation - Am I growing and moving forward as I should and have been called?

Finances - Am I stable, balanced, and generous? What is the difference between my wants and my needs?

Social Life - How are my friendships?

Recreation - Am I taking enough time off? How and when do I make time to renew and refresh?

All of these areas, and a couple others, need to be evaluated and brought into alignment with my vision, purpose, mission, and goals. You can evaluate these areas by rating them on a scale from 1 to 10. One means I'm not remotely close to where God calls me to be in this area. Ten means I am exactly where God wants me to be in this area. Most all of us are going to fall in between these extremes. Some areas may apply while others do not. The idea of the exercise is to take the time to be intentional about looking back to move forward. As Tony Horton often asks, "How can you know where you are if you don't know where you've been?"

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Thanksgiving is a one hundred percent stress free holiday...yeah, right! Stress-proofing the holidays is a key factor to making your time with family and friends enjoyable and memorable. Memorable in a positive sense, that is. The holiday season - from Halloween to New Year's - can be a time of high stress and anxiety for many people. The holidays present their own unique stresses and challenges. But with a few well-placed, practical steps you can proactively secure the promise of a great season.

Expectations

Much of our stress during this time of year is brought about by way of our own expectations. What we hope to have happen compared to what actually happens is often the source of our frustrations and stress. In the middle of having family over is not the opportune time to stop and regroup. A little pre-planning, anticipation, and early decision-making can go a long way in reducing your stress. Just taking the time - even just 15-30 minutes - to make up your mind how you're going to set your mind for the holidays can save you boat-loads of anxiety.

The holidays present a dizzying array of demands — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining — to name just a few. Making up your mind on how you approach these demands will go a long way in alleviating potential points of stress. It might be much easier than you think.

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Above everything, make a commitment to keep the main focus of this time - giving thanks to God for His blessings and indescribable gift of Christ - the main focus of this time. Go out of your way to emphasize your gratitude to the Lord for His many blessings. As the host - or even a guest - lead or suggest going around the table/room and identify those things your family is thankful. Lead your family in prayer. Focus on the birth of Christ and the connection of the manger to the cross. Remember, this is a time to worship God for who He is and all that He has done for you. Making a specific and intentional effort to keep this focus in your heart will help to head-off any troubles you might encounter. This focus will also help you to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, even if you have a challenging season.

Your mindset is the primary weapon to guard against experiencing a negative holiday season. Alongside your attitude, this episode shares some practical steps you can take to stress-proof your holidays.