THE LIFE OF A CHAMPION
IS CREATED WITH PURPOSE-INTENDED FOR GREATNESS AND CALLED TO
FIGHT FOR IT.
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"The less people speak of their greatness, the more we think of it.
-Lord Bacon
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Champions BYTES
December 9, 2009
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"And John's disciples came and took up the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus. When Jesus heard it, He withdrew from there privately in a boat to a solitary place. But when the crowds heard of it, they followed Him [by land] on foot from the towns. When He went ashore and saw a great throng of people, He had compassion (pity and deep sympathy) for them and cured their sick. When evening came, the disciples came to Him and said, this is a remote and barren place, and the day is now over; send the throngs away into the villages to buy food for themselves. Jesus said, they do not need to go away; you give them something to eat. They said to Him, We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish. He said, bring them here to Me. Then He ordered the crowds to recline on the grass; and He took the five loaves and the two fish, and, looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and blessed and broke the loaves and handed the pieces to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people." - The Greatest Love Story Ever Told Whatever you put your hands on is designed to increase and be given to humanity. You must be able to FLOW in your gift (and give) in chaotic times and seasons. Jesus had just suffered the loss or death of his cousin, John the Baptist (his forerunner in ministry), who was beheaded. When he hears it, He withdraws privately to a solitary place to pray and reflect on His loss, demonstrating that He was truly touched with all of our infirmities and weaknesses. But even His retreat, he could not escape the needs of crowds that found him. Verse 14 says, "...And when He saw the great throng of people, He had compassion (pity and deep sympathy) for them and cured their sick." How was He able to do that? How was He was able cope with human loss, grief or sorrow, while healing families, sickness and feeding a multitude? There was a secret meeting place that He preserved for only Him and God; that no one or nothing could penetrate. A place where He was able to pray, be quiet, recharge and draw from His reserve to do what He was called to do. Too many of us abandon the call on our lives when things don't go our way. We become unresponsive, shut down and stop flowing out of our heart. But our destiny is determined by our ability to respond to bad news, disappointment and failure. Peace (freedom from distresses) cannot flow out of a "walled, distracted or preoccupied heart." Regardless of what is going on in your life, you have a responsibility to give and exude compassion towards others. In his book, "You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader," Mark Sanborn writes: "True leadership isn't about what you achieve, but what you give. Being a consumer of the world's resources isn't enough. To achieve deeper fulfillment, we must contribute. We all must choose, whenever possible, where to invest our energy." There were five thousand men, not including women and children, so it's likely there were 10-20,000 people on the beach that day. Jesus commanded the frenzied crowd (chaos) to sit down, revealing an incredible principle: "God cannot command miracles or multiply us in life, until we command ALL chaos to be still." The famous Psalm 23 says: "THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.(A) He refreshes and restores my life (my self);" God cannot restore you in chaos. You must spend time with Him away from the "noise of life." The Spirit of God makes you lie down in green pastures and leads you besides "still" waters, to refresh and restore what is lost in your life (the creativity, the passion, compassion, dreams that have been silenced.)
It's amazing how much you can dream, create, build or plan sitting on the grass or under a blue sky near a lake, river or beach shore. There is peace in the Presence, will and favor of God. God always meets us in solitary, secret places; isolated from the distractions of this world. If your peace was enough, He wouldn't have died and rose to give you His. Isaiah prophesied the marvelous entrance of God into human flesh saying: "For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace." Dictionary.com defines a "prince" as: "A title generally applied to the chief men of the state; A person or thing that is chief or preeminent in any class, group; a ruler of a principality; A KING." It's exciting to know that Jesus wants to be chief and preeminent in our state of mind; in the thoughts that suffer violence and need to be refuted or overthrown by force.
Everything I succeed in life demands peace. Peace is: freedom from any strife or dissension; freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, quarrels and disagreement; it is silence, stillness, a state or relationship of nonbelligerence or concord; it is to be untroubled, tranquil, content, not at war. At a time of war, when David was called to pursue his passion, calling and peace, he was looking a woman bathe naked AND HE BECAME DISTRACTED. Distractions face us all. Whenever David was doing his passion or fulfilling his call, he was chasing evil spirits and killing giants and his tens of thousands. Likewise, on the inside, we are giant slayers; on the inside we are worshippers, righteous; the apple of God's eye. But on the outside, we are distracted. Today, ask yourself, what's keeping my gift in the place it is at? What greater level is my life demanding that I give? Eventually, the supply and demand of your anointing must outweigh the distraction or addiction draining your potential. One of my Directors quoted a college lecturer this past Monday saying: "We all have a duty to share our gifts to devote our energies for the public good." How are you sharing yours with others?
SHAKE THE PLANET WITH COMPASSION THIS CHRISTMAS.
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