Sometimes people just don’t get it. I remember being on a ride-along where officers were called to the home of a single mom whose son was hanging out with drug-selling friends and getting into trouble. The son was ignoring Mom and causing problems between Mom and his other siblings. As Mom and son were separated, one officer asked the young man what he wanted in life. As you might imagine, there was no way this young man was going to reach his desired destination on the road he was currently traveling. The officer tried to show the young man how his current decisions would not get him where he wanted to go, but he just didn’t get it.
   
I have heard what this young man didn’t get described this way: Direction, not intention, determines destination.  Sometimes it’s easier to see this in someone else’s life than in our own, isn’t it? The good news is: we can reach our desired destination if we are willing to get on the right road. But sometimes we need to hear from someone with a better/bigger perspective.
   
It’s funny to me when I hear people accuse God of trying to “force” them to do this or that...to “follow a bunch of rules”. That would be like this young man saying he was being forced to make good decisions and follow somebody else’s rules. The decisions belong to us, but sometimes we don’t get it and don’t see that the road we are on (our direction) will never lead to our desired destination. It may take somebody from the outside to say, “This road doesn’t go there. If that’s where you want to go, you’ve got to change directions.”
   
Psalm 1 talks about two roads in life. One that leads to a solid life rooted in provision for all we need...like a tree planted by a river that will continually get the water it needs to survive. The other road leads to a life that is bounced around with no real purpose...like chaff that is blown about by the wind.
   
My encouragement for you this week is: ask God to show you your direction (the road you are choosing), and then don’t be like the young man at the beginning of this story. God has a great destination for you and He knows how to help you get there!

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

​Solomon talked a LOT about wisdom. He talked about how much easier life is for the wise, he encouraged making wise decisions and he gave examples of how to live wisely. One choice as to whether we become wise or fools has to do with the friends we choose. According to Solomon, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
   
There have to be very few professions that could give more personally-observed examples of this proverb being true than pastors, but I bet you as an officer have us beat. I would imagine without even pausing to think you could rattle off several stores of people you dealt with this past week who got in trouble not so much because they were bad people, but because they associated with fools. 
   
I love cop stories, so if we get to sit down and have lunch, you can share some of your favorite “associating with fools” stories, but today, let me ask you a question. What have you learned from all of the observations of people associating with fools? Do YOU, off duty, in your personal life, walk with the wise? What characteristic does your best friend possess that makes you wish you were more like them in that area? How do your friends make you a better person? When is the last time your friends KEPT you from doing something dumb?
   
A few weeks ago we considered Solomon’s proverb, “The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.” and we began asking, “How can I become wise?” Solomon said: 
Look to God for the ‘big picture. 
Get all the advice and instruction you can.
Choose wise friends (walk with the wise). 
   
Praying for you this week as you pursue wisdom. May you love life you are building for yourself and may you prosper.
   
Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

2021 Wisdom Series - Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4

Wisdom - Part 3

Where do YOU turn for advice?

This question can be read one of two ways:
“Where do you turn looking for advice?” or
“In what areas of your life do you look for advice?”

As we pursue loving life and prosperity (results of being wise according to Solomon) let’s ask the question the second way. In what areas of your life do you seek advice?

When I attend promotion ceremonies, an officer’s accomplishments and awards are announced as well as those the promoting officer counts as mentors. The question of “Who are your mentors?” at a promotion ceremony implies the understanding that to do your job well, to get better at your job...to promote, you need to know who to go to in order to learn. And the fact that officers list multiple mentors implies that different people impart knowledge in different areas (perhaps equipment/training proficiency, procedural knowledge, leadership, dealing with people...what other areas?)
   
Have you ever thought about how many of the skills or principles that help you on your job are transferable to your personal life as well? In what areas of your (personal) life to you look for advice (who are your mentors)? Who do you look to for relationship/marriage advice? If you’ve got kids, who do you learn from about parenting? You know officers who have planned well and some not-so-well for retirement. Where do you turn for financial advice? Job got you stressed? Who do you know who faces the same things you do but seems to be at peace? Can you talk to them?
   
My prayer for you this week is that you can get all of the advice and instruction you can, so that you will be wise for the rest of your life. May you choose excellent mentors on the job and in your personal life as well. Solomon said the one who gets wisdom loves life. Here’s to a happy life both on AND off the job!
   
Your service is appreciated, 
Pastor Rob

2021 Wisdom Series - Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4

Wisdom - Part 2

Do you like big dreams? How about this one...2,000 years ago there was a guy who thought he could change the world. As a matter of fact, he believed God told him to do it! This guy’s name was Paul and he ended up writing 2/3 of the New Testament in the Bible.
   
Paul figured one of the best ways to change the world in his time was to go to the capital where the rulers of the world were (Rome) and tell them God’s plan. Was this wise? Well, Paul DID make it to Rome, but not the he way expected...he arrived as a prisoner of Rome.

So what does Paul’s story have to do with Solomon and this quote about the beginning (foundation) of wisdom? The answer to that is found in the odd-sounding phrase “the fear of the Lord”...what is that? First, what it is NOT...it is not a trembling fear of God that would cause one to run away from Him, it is more like a “awesome respect”. Maybe similar to what we mean when we say we have a “healthy fear of electricity”. We don’t run away when a light is turned on, but we also make sure the power is shut off before installing new lights, changing electrical plugs, etc.
   
And this “fear of the Lord” is how Paul operated. When things didn’t go as he planned (he thought God sent him to Rome to convert rulers, instead he ended up appearing before them as a prisoner), rather than blame God, he had a healthy respect and looked for a different perspective. God gave him that different perspective. Paul recorded his new perspective in Philippians 1:12-14 (you can look it up in a Bible app or even Google it). Paul wanted to share his story and God’s plan to the Roman government. The government “supplied” soldiers who were literally handcuffed to Paul at all times (to keep him from escaping). Paul had a captive audience. And what do you think the chances were of Paul having an open invitation to speak to Roman rulers before this? But now, they had to hear him out because Paul was on trial. Not what Paul pictured, but it certainly put him before the government of Rome.  
   
Sometimes life does not make sense from our perspective. It’s been my experience that God has a MUCH larger perspective and I’ve found He ALWAYS knows better than me. When life didn’t make sense, Solomon (wisest man to ever live) and Paul (one of the most influential) decided the wise thing to do was to look to God for a different perspective.
   
Circumstances are almost always out of our control. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we frame it. This week I'm praying for you to know where to look (wisdom) to reframe situations that don’t go according to plan.

Your service is appreciated,
Pastor Rob

2021 Wisdom Series - Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4