Be an Optimist Prime, Not a Negatron!

I try, at least to the best of my ability, to be one of those people that see the glass as half full. It was not always that way for me however. I used to be the kid that would throw himself into a rampage (think charging baby rhino) when something wouldn’t go the way I planned it to. I would throw a fit and only look at the negative of the situation. I had the mindset that things weren’t going to be as good because they didn’t turn out as I planned. I had a negative attitude. Let’s look at a guy who didn’t have this attitude:

^“12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. ¹³ As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴ And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Philippians 1.12-14 ESV emp. added)

Paul was a man who was in prison…a lot! However he didn’t view his being “in chains” as something to be said about! He actually turned it around and used his imprisonment as an evangelistic tool! The whole prison guard knew that he was in chains for Christ! We actually see that some believers may have come from his imprisonment from the house of Caesar:

^“22 All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household.” (Philippians 4.22 ESV)

These people would’ve more than likely been servants in Caesar’s household and were probably not Caesar’s family members. Nevertheless, Paul took an opportunity that we would view as a negative thing and it turned out that it was really a positive experience! We can learn a lot from this positive attitude of Paul’s. 

It may be that when something doesn’t go your way you keep your head up and “roll with the punches”, or maybe a traffic jam causes you and your co-workers you’re carpooling with to be late, but you stay upbeat anyway. People will notice your optimistic attitude! Optimism is contagious! This week I want you to try and look at the positive side of things and by things I mean EVERYTHING! See what kind of impact that positivity will have on your peers. I think you will be surprised and amazed by the results…or you may not, maybe I’m just being optimistic. –Jack D. 

The "Smallest" Cog

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. (1 Corinthians 12.15-20, ESV)

Back home I have a set of toy magnets that I got from Sonic. The toys are little gears that can connect together and by turning one cog (a cog is a gear in case you didn't know) you end up turning them all. Now these things are cheaply made and, in light of that fact, they would often slip out of place so that when you turned one cog it wouldn’t turn any of the other ones. In order for the whole thing to work together all the pieces needed to do their job! So it is with the church.

In the case of my toy gears I needed them all to do their job of connecting each other so that it would work properly. In the same way each of us in the church has a specific task/ability that we do in order for the body of Christ to work most efficiently. For some that task/ability may be teaching the younger children the word of God, for others it may be song leading, and still for others it may be preparing the trays for communion each week or maybe cleaning the restrooms. Now you may be thinking, “Is the person who gets the communion tray ready each week, really that important?” Absolutely! Imagine preparing your minds for the Lord’s Supper only to find out that none of the trays have anything in them! Although the job of preparing those may seem small and insignificant it’s really quite important. Think about some other jobs you view as small or unimportant and take the time to realize just how important it really is!

The main reason for writing this article today is to remind you all, as well as myself, about the people who are out doing these “unimportant” tasks. When was the last time you thanked someone for cleaning the restroom, or taking the trash out? To be honest it’s been a long time since I’ve done that.

This week I want you to join me in thinking of someone who does these “small” things and tell them “Thank you!” Those people deserve our thanks and accolades, yet we hardly ever let them know they’re appreciated!  Anyone reading this blog today who does these things we largely consider small, I just want to say thank you so very much! You really are doing a wonderful work for the Lord’s kingdom!   -Jack D.

Being Content!

Imagine the following scenario: You are sitting at home on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It’s too wet and dreary to do anything outside today, so you find yourself loafing about the house only to plant yourself comfortably on the nearest couch with the T.V. remote in your hand. You find yourself flipping through channels when all of a sudden you see a riveting commercial for the amazing widget 3.0. You exclaim at the top of your lungs “I have to have that!”, only to find yourself 6 months later lying on the same couch seeing a commercial for the brand new widget 4.0.

Do you see the problem here? Let me enlighten you, the problem is that you and I have a problem with wanting more! We, as a whole, want the newest, hottest thing when it comes out! What is it that makes us want these new items? Personally, I believe the answer to that question to be different for everyone, however I want to submit this opinion to you: We have a contentment problem! 

The culture we live in has saturated with us the idea that we need to get the newest and best stuff that’s out there whether it be cars, food, or technology. Whatever happened to being content with what we have? Today in Philippians class we looked at this verse:

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. (Phil. 4.10-12, ESV)

Did you read that? Paul in writing verse 11 says that he “learned in whatever situation to be content”, O and by the way at the time of his writing this…he was in PRISON!

Paul faced situations where he had “plenty” and an“abundance” while at other times he faced “hunger” and was in “need” and yet he learned how to be content through it all! This week I want you to take a look at your life and what you have (not what you want). Learn to be content with little and make the most of what you have! The world desires to have the newest and “greatest things”. Shouldn’t we as Christians be different and just learn to be content in everything as Paul was?

-Jack D.

Our Impact/The Impact of Paul and Silas

This week’s devotional is about our impact. Specifically what kind of impact are we having for the Lord? Do we even have an impact? It doesn’t take much to make an impact. Even a little act of kindness can open a window of opportunity to talk about the Lord. Take the account of the Philippian jailer for instance:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. (Acts 16.25-27)

What surprises you about this passage? Let me tell you what surprises me. I’m surprised by the fact that these men, Paul and Silas, were in jail and what were they doing? Not feeling sorry for themselves, not crying uncontrollably (like I’m sure I would do), but rather they were “praying and singing hymns to God” (16.25). Put yourself in their situation. These men didn’t see imprisonment as a hindrance to their telling others about God, but rather a perfect area in which to do so. We see at the end of verse 25 that the “prisoners were listening to them”. Did Paul and Silas’ singing and praying have an impact on them? Sure it did, look:

But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." (Acts 16.28)

What does the end of that verse say? “Do not harm yourself, for we are ALL here.” It appears to me, and maybe I’m wrong, that the prisoners were so impacted by the actions of Paul and Silas that they didn’t escape when they had the chance (or perhaps they were knocked out by the earthquake, haha). Paul and Silas not only had an impact on these other prisoners but also on the jailer, look:

 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 

Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. (Acts 16.29-34)

We see that Paul and Silas impacted the jailer so much that the jailer believed and “was baptized”. This is quite an example for us. Is our impact anything like theirs? If not, why not? This week I want you to look at yourself and see what kind of impact you’re making on your peers. Does it hurt the gospel, or further it?

- Jack Dodgen (All passages are from the ESV, unless otherwise noted)