Author: watchstandpray

92 – God the All Powerful

God is all-powerful. The theological term for this is “omnipotent”. Nothing is stronger than Him. Not even your rage or anger can dent Him. No insult can provoke His heart snap out of impatience.

Not only does God have more strength than then entire universe, He has infinite emotional self-control. Even the universe itself is no fair measure of His strength; all the galaxies combined are nothing compared to His brute strength. He could whisk them away in an instant. And, that means that whatever obstacle course you face, He can help you through. He is gentle.

His strength is not moderate or intermediate, where He struggles not to crush small things. From His great strength, He can be infinitely tender and gentle. God is the epitome of the Gentle Giant—a virtue that also originated in His imagination.

If you struggle with gentleness, ponder God’s nature. In kung fu training, we learn that we don’t need to try so hard when we have enough strength for the task. Pushing and pushing, forcing and prying—these are for people who lack strength. God does not do these things. He does not pound or smack. God is the Great Thug who never needs to pick a fight. When He walks in the room, everyone behaves themselves.

God also reveals the nature of His omnipotence in the thug at the pub, except God is much gentler and much stronger. His power is not only in brute force, but also electrical. The sun keeps its strength because of Him. Lightning continuously arcs from His Throne. For God, electrical and brute power are one in the same. Just as much is true for His political and social power. Jesus demonstrated remarkable “people power” in his arguments with the Pharisees. Even then, He does not use His power for everything. At times, He uses His Spirit to guide and lead us.

Jesus told his disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them after they would wait. God’s power makes its way into our lives when we wait on Him. We cannot muster enough of anything to even compare with the infinite power from God Almighty.

91 – Eventual Justice

God seems slow to humble our opponents so that they remember.

Every person with worthy leadership potential will have opposition. On the one hand, it makes each of us stronger. On the other hand, it teaches those opponents. Notice the ironic reversal in life: Often times, unworthy leaders end up with power, which they then lord over others like children trying to parent younger siblings. They do that because they lack an attention span for identifying folly, especially in themselves. God puts them there almost as an educational mockery.

Don’t be bothered by anything they do or say, especially what they do or say to you. It’s all part of God’s process to give them years of going on record, being wrong about not just you, but many others you’ve never encountered. They are even capable of being in those positions of supervisory authority because they are so blind to their own glaring faults. It’s almost embarrassing just to watch. Only by giving them such a gross, public embarrassment will they ever learn whatever it is they are too thick-headed to learn.

At this point in reading, if you can’t identify with the problem of unfair opponents or you think this is an overrated dilemma or an imagined problem, YOU are probably that foolish leader and you need to pray for God to expose some stuff to you quickly. This is not to shame you, but to give you help you’ve not yet received. The saying often went to pilots in Vietnam’s War with America: If you’re not taking flack, you’re not over the target. Get over the target, pronto.

The ground flack you take serves valuable purposes. In part, the enemy gives away his position by attacking. But, for your own peace of mind and happiness of heart, you need to get this seated in your soul’s understanding: God is already giving you victory over whomever you contend with. Every step along the way already is a victory for you, God’s just drawing it out to overcome their learning disability; it’s not that God’s slow, they are. Pray for them because they’ll need comfort when sprout the weed seeds God allows them to sow.

90 – Never Strongarm

Strongarming is bullying. But, when you have the strong arm, it doesn’t feel like it to you.

God makes it rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Even people who curse their Creator God get to keep breathing the very air they use to curse the God who maintain’s that air’s molecular cohesion—and God doesn’t insert electrical charges to zap them into not acting like brats.

God will eventually punish the dunce, at least if God cares about him. But, as the Sustainer of Creation, God allows all people to continue enjoying their most basic needs.

If employees or contracted help want to leave, let them. Don’t make their exit troublesome. If the child wants to run away from home, one of the best tactics is for mom to pack his backpack. “You’re going to need your toothbrush. Don’t forget the bug spray, there are a lot of mosquitoes at night.”

Even the former friend who now spites you may need a favor or an act of kindness. Hold the door for him at your “random encounter”—and the godly know, it wasn’t “random” at all. Don’t attach any strings or rub his nose in it and certainly don’t overdo it.

It’s mainly good, old fashioned chivalry to look after even those who spite you. Not everyone who fights you is your worthy enemy, so don’t treat them as such. In fact, if someone is a formidable opponent, you might melt him down to size with some chivalrous charity. It’s not about “loving enemies” so much as it is about being the grownup in the room.

The path to harassment begins with strings attached to so-called “favors”. In everything you do—everything—remind yourself that every gift is truly a gift. Never, never, never expect anything in return—and especially don’t ask for something in return! Never remind anyone of the favors you’ve given, except for those rare circumstances where a brat is out of hand in the mind of the nearby crowd.

God doesn’t berate us for being ingrates, unless we get lippy like Job did. Correct and rebuke someone who needs a reminder to be grateful. Short of that, be a sustainer.

Matthew 5:43-48

89 – Know Your Seat

It’s overbearing for a teacher to use friendly-jousting humor against students. It’s out of place for a boss to make jokes about employees. It is equally out of place for any leader to mislabel painfully honest feedback from subordinates as “disrespect”. It’s out of place for a parent to tease children about romance.

While in the seat of the subordinate, some level of respect is in order, but there is much more freedom to be honest from the seat of the subordinate. Children should be allowed to act like they are. Employees and students should have freedom to be themselves.

Brutal honesty from a superior is threatening, but a subordinate can do little harm. When in the place of power, reprove people gently and allow them to express themselves in return. If you are the subordinate and hope to lead, practice being both candid and respectful; practice for the role by conducting yourself as if you are already there.

Don’t pretend to know something you don’t. If a matter is out of your expertise, say, “I don’t know about that. You’ll have to ask someone else.” This is difficult for everyone because we each begin with little expertise and, thus, need to say, “I don’t know,” in regard to most topics. Know that you don’t know what you don’t know and your seat will rise.

Jesus came into the world in a barn. He position himself to sit in every seat available. Being a baby was the only way for it to be appropriate for God to throw up on mortals. If he had spoken one word of rebuke on the road to Calvary it would have been overbearing. Leaders can take flack, but should never give as much flack as they are capable of. Patience is the seat of power; to gain power, first gain patience.

In the position of weakness, it might be wise to hold your tongue and live to see another day. When things got bad among the Philistines, David drooled on his beard in order to lower his seat so as to be less able to offend and thereby escape harm. Whatever seat you are in, know where you sit.

88 – God who Sees and Knows ALL

God sees and knows everything. The theological term for this is “omniscience”. Whatever your circumstance, God sees you. Not only does He know all knowledge and theory from an academic vantage point, He also knows all events as they occur. He is up to speed on everything, from the hatching of worms into butterflies to the reproduction of protoplasm to the machinations of wicked conspiracies among Mankind.

When a child knows that his mother or father or grandparents are watching, he feels safe. In some sense, the child feels accountable and will guard his behavior for fear of punishment—or, more importantly, fear of disappointing the adults who love him. We have that same comfort in knowing that God sees us and everything in our universe.

From the bad to the good, God is there. He is not limited by distance or spectrums of light. There are no obstacles that can obstruct His omniscient vision. Even your thoughts He knows. If no one in this world understands you, rest assured that God the Omniscient does know and understand you perfectly.

He understands the people you work with and struggle against. He knows all about the people who fight against you—He knows their excuses, their stories, and whatever-in-the-world they may be thinking that drives them to do whatever-in-the-world they do. You don’t know these things, but that’s okay because Someone does and He is Good.

God is not blind or incapable. He doesn’t struggle to read your letters. He doesn’t play favorites because we are each His favorite equally. He sends no one to Eternal Hell without knowing all about them nor does He forgive anyone and welcome them into Eternal Bliss without knowing every bad thing they ever did.

When we don’t know what to do, we can call on Him. Pray for wisdom or insight. Pray for God to help you understand or lead you to the information you so badly need. The tasks of tomorrow and today are much easier to bear when we know that the light of His Vision shines down on us and we can always ask for suggestion and guidance from the God Who sees and knows everything.

87 – Engage Opponents unto Friendship

Whenever someone gives you negativity and “slap back”—for any reason, misunderstanding, picking an old scab, et cetera—just keep being positive. Change the subject they aimed for by celebrating the positive with childlike enthusiasm. Let’s say you comment on someone’s car because it’s old and you like old cars. The guy takes it personally and vomits shame backtalk at you—but he admits his car is old in the process. Zero in on the fact that he did tell you the car was old or look for anything else positive in what he said.

Love fuels the power to overcome any challenge for greater friendship. If someone is mean to you, even for no reason at all, engage communication. Don’t cower and hide in that little emotional cocoon of anger and fear. That urge to avoid someone you have a conflict is a sure sign that God wants you to talk to them because the devil fears what will happen when you do—that’s the devil’s fear you feel, not your own; let him keep it.

Bring up little, small things like weather or the latest gossip of the office or the ongoing drama of the hotel. Maintain friendly gestures and stay on normal “talking” terms. Deliver messages and help as good chivalry and teamwork invite.

So often, things that “offend” us are a mere misunderstanding in tone—especially in written correspondence. You can’t solve a conflict through the mail, whether snail mail, email, or messaging. To solve a problem you need a sit-down with a face-to-face. So, don’t even try to “resolve conflict” through text-only means. In the world of text-only, presume the best and stay positive. That will strengthen your skills for real life’s social turbulence. Assume the best there also.

Many friendships begin with a good, solid rumble. A few spilled drinks, some misunderstandings, even a fist or two—keep on with the love. Think “lemonade”. A bumpy first impression is a great recipe for a long term friendship; never undermine, overlook, belittle, or forgive the guy who offends you off the cuff. You should praise God for being part of the path on which some of the best friendships begin.

86 – When People…

When people tell you something can’t be done, they mean that they tried, failed, and want everyone else to fail.

When people tell you that you won’t succeed at doing something, they mean that they don’t want you to succeed.

When people misrepresent what you believe then disagree with their misrepresentation, that means they disagree with you.

When people protest change, listen. People need their own size; never coerce anyone into changing or learning.

When people stonewall, they want a small, puny, little relationship with you; start there and they might want more.

When people didn’t see what you saw, ask you to clarify what you saw multiple times, then doubt the facts you claim, that means they are drowning in their own experience of the world so much that they can’t breathe in anything to the contrary.

When people misunderstand you and run away from you as a result, that means they have so many other worries that they do not have the capacity to understand the truth about you even if you showed them.

When people talk for a long time, that means that they have a lot to say; listen, whether to validate, help, learn, or perhaps save yourself with some important message you never would have thought was important.

When people don’t forgive it’s because they need forgiveness more than you do, but don’t want to repent. They want to stay stuck in their rut; let them, and use good manners when you do. Don’t bother apologizing because that will make it more difficult for them to hold their grudge against you for whatever good thing you did without asking their permission for them to refuse.

When people evade you over a disagreement, it’s because they know they can’t hold a candle to your reasoning on the matter. Either they are wrong and know it or they think they are right, but are too cowardly to stand for their beliefs. Either way, evasion in disagreement is cowardly; expect subterfuge to follow and take immediate steps to softly make your position more flexible and robust while also more approachable, yet conscientious. If you act strongly and charitably, even the evasion might diminish.