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  • Slowing Down to Greet Our Savior

    Slowing Down to Greet Our Savior

    It’s that time of year. On the one hand, we’re focused on the season’s school concerts, holiday shopping, the parties and festivities that come in December, and time with friends and family. At the same time, we’re focused on ending the year strong in our businesses, a last push to hit our numbers for the quarter, pleasing customers, and leading our teams.

    Reading that paragraph above, your blood pressure may have risen slightly. You may have also noticed that “Christmas” wasn’t used once.

    If culture had its way, that’s where we’d leave it. December would come and go, and we’d leave Christ out completely while we frantically dash through December to get to January. Even without culture’s influence, it’s easy to let Christmas come and go without slowing down to greet our Savior…

    That’s my encouragement to you today. Slow down.

    If you’re anything like me, December 26th arrives, and Christmas lets me down. The parties are done. The presents are done. The festivities are done, and all the people have left. Why am I let down? The answer is simple. I’ve spent a month focused on all the stuff, but not the Savior.

    My mom used to have a sign she’d put up each year. “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” This catchy little holiday rhyme unimpressed the younger, less mature version of myself. Over time, though, I’ve come back to this, and I realize it is true. Jesus really is the reason. I need to slow down and make time to let him into Christmas, but how?

    Here are three ways to greet your Savior…

    1. Schedule time to get quiet and get into the Word each day. The Gospel of Luke shares with us the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. As you’re slowing down to greet your Savior, spend some time getting to know him.
    2. Be present where your feet are. Part of slowing down is being present. Whether you’re at the choir concert, church, work, or at a party with family, resist the urge to drift back into the busyness of the season. Be grateful for the moments and keep your Savior present in them.
    3. Be grateful that Jesus came. Let the reality of that set in. Because Jesus was born in Bethlehem as a baby, the door has been opened for you to spend eternity in Heaven. No baby, no Savior, no open door.

    To each of you reading this right now, Merry Christmas.

    My prayer for you is that the arrival of our Savior will fill your heart and that each of you will make and take time to think about why His coming means so much to you.

    –       John Gamades

    CBMC Webmaster

  • Looping in the Lord

    Looping in the Lord

    During a recent Friday morning study with some guys, we landed on the topic of our quiet times. As one of my friends shared, “I do my quiet time when I wake up, say “Good morning” to God, and then I go my own way and spend the rest of my day disconnected from Him.”

    It was an honest and transparent description of the relationship many of us have with the Lord.
    We wake up, spend some time in the Word and prayer, and then go on with our day. Often, we move quickly from this time of intimate connection into days spent on auto-pilot, trying to check all the boxes and hold everything together until we crash for the night so we can do it all over again tomorrow. In this race to the end of the day, we never loop back and reconnect with God. Instead, we try to do it all on our own.

    Today, that’s the concept we want to share: Looping.

    What if, instead of talking to God once in the morning, we spent our day looping Him back in? Walking into a challenging 10:00 meeting, we loop God back in and ask Him for guidance. Sitting down to lunch, we loop God in and thank Him for our food and the people we’re sharing the meal with. Working on a project in the afternoon, we loop God back in again and ask him for the clarity and energy to do our work well. Driving home through traffic at the end of the day, we loop God in, asking Him for patience and thanking Him for the family we’re about to rejoin over dinner.

    The point of looping is simple. Rather than one conversation with God that we think will sustain us for an entire day, we loop him in and out of our day, bringing him into each situation. We create ongoing conversations with God that last instead of one quick check-in that fades.

    Here’s the crazy part. God wants you to loop Him into your day. He wants to stand alongside you in the challenges, the wins and the losses, and throughout all the moments your day brings.

    “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

    -Psalm 1:1-2 NIV

    “Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

    -1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

    To be clear, there are times in our lives when looping God in is easier than others. When big challenges arise, the kind we can’t handle on our own, we are more prone to looping God in.

    Often, though, our days come with distractions and challenges that try to draw our attention away from this most important relationship in our lives. We will be tempted to try and handle our challenges on our own and to leave God where we left Him, in that early morning quiet time. Remembering to loop God back in is not always easy – but when we do loop Him back in, the amount of peace, joy, and contentment we receive will quickly remind us of His power in our lives.

    Even as you’re reading this right now, loop Him back in.

    Ask God right now to point your heart back toward Him, and in those moments today where you need Him, ask God to remind you to loop Him in. Loop God into your challenges, into the moments where you feel gratitude, and into those areas of your life where His presence will meet needs you cannot meet on your own.

    Include Him in your day beyond your morning quiet time, prayers, and devotions.

    He’s waiting for you. Loop Him in.

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Love God Not the World

    Love God Not the World

    I recently led a devotional time for a group based on a chapter from the book Choosing a Life That Matters by Dennis Rainey. Specifically, I was sharing the book’s third chapter, which focuses on loving God, not the world.

    In this chapter, Rainey addresses the idea that God and the world are competing for our affection… and one is winning. How do we know which one it is? We look for the evidence. Rainey helps us think about this by providing a list of things we do if we love someone.

    If we love a person, we like to think about them.

    If we love a person, we like to hear about them.

    If we love a person, we like to hear from them and read what they have to say.

    If we love a person, we like to please them.

    If we love a person, we like their friends.

    If we love a person, we are jealous about their name and honor.

    If we love a person, we like to talk to them.

    If we love a person, we like to be with them.

    As I read this list, I immediately began thinking about my wife, whom I love dearly. One by one, I asked myself the questions. Do I like to think about her? Do I like to hear from her and listen to what she has to say? Do I like to please her? Do I like to talk to her and spend time with her?

    That was the easy part, and I ended up pretty content with my answers.

    Next, I applied those same questions to my relationship with God. Do I like to think about Him? Do I like to hear from Him and listen to what He has to say? Do I like to please Him? Do I like to talk to Him and spend time with Him?

    Answering these questions about how I love the Lord was more challenging… and convicting. I want to answer yes to all of them, but like many reading this right now, I am also getting pulled in another direction by culture. This is where Rainey hits the nail on the head. The world and God are competing for my affection. I get to choose which one I am going to love.

    Rainey cites Matthew 22:37-38 in this chapter. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.”

    If we believe those words that Jesus gave us, and we lean into them in our lives, then we know where our love needs to be focused. Above all else, we’re commanded to love the Lord with everything we have.

    Today, that’s the challenge we all share. As we’re getting pulled away from our first love by our work, possessions, and desires for pleasure and power, we need to surrender those things. Rainey also reminds us that we also need to surrender some things that seem good and pure. We’re called to surrender our marriages, our children, and our time to the Lord as well, putting God first above all else.

    Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind. Start there. Think about Him. Listen to what He has to say. Please Him. Talk to Him and spend time with Him. Resist the world’s distractions, and surrender everything to the Lord, putting him first. Then, let God handle the rest.

    CBMC Webmaster

  • The One Leadership Book You Need Above All Others

    The One Leadership Book You Need Above All Others

    Culture is full of resources on leadership. Spend any time in Barnes and Noble or searching books on Amazon, and there is a massive amount of writing on the topic. Everyone has their take on where leadership begins, what leadership looks like, and even when leaders should eat. (Simon Sinek reminds us that leaders should eat last.)

    As Christian leaders, what book should we pull off the shelf to guide our leadership? Other options may come with some gold nuggets, but the one book that should guide how we lead above all others is our Bible. With that in mind, here is a word from Paul in the book of Titus on what leadership looks like.

    “An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”

    – Titus 1:6-9 NIV

    As Paul is writing this to Titus, he is guiding Titus in what he should be looking for in the leaders he appoints. Reading the above passage, Paul outlines what a man of character looks like, creating a checklist that Titus can use to guide his appointment of elders. He is to find men who fit this description, not perfectly, but who can be trained to excel in all of these areas.

    You and I, as leaders, should be open to training in all of these areas as well. Leaders do not aim for perfection, but an openness to growing in these areas is essential. As leaders being trained by God, we should be looking to grow in self-control, hospitality, discipline, and holiness. We should be striving everyday to hold firm to the words of scripture while encouraging those in our circles to do the same, especially our wives and children. 

    At the same time, we should resist being overbearing or quick-tempered. We should also fight against drunkenness, violence, and winning by cheating or bending the rules. Again, discipline and self-control should guide us, even when our emotions and chaos try to get the best of us.

    Becoming a man of character is a daily battle. Every day, we encounter challenges that test our commitment to developing this kind of Biblical leadership. There will be pressure in our marriages, raising our children and in our relationships with them, and in our work and professional lives. Becoming the kind of leader Paul describes to Titus is not easy… but it is worth it.

    Today, look at that list and do a quick assessment. Where are you winning today and leading the way God guides us, and where could you use a little work? What areas do you see that need some attention in your life? Defining where you need some training is the first step in becoming a man of character and a leader worth following. Answer those questions, and then start strengthening yourself to become the leader God designed you to be.

    -John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • What's God Telling You To Do?

    What's God Telling You To Do?

    What’s God Telling You To Do?

    Often in life, we find ourselves asking God what He wants from us. What do you want me to do? How should I react in this situation? Where should I set down this fear and anxiety?

    Life would be easier if there were billboards along the side of the road with personalized messages for us, answering all of these questions. The bad news is that’s not how our walk with God works. The good news is that God has other ways of communicating with us, one of the primary ways being His word.

    An example of this comes from the first few verses of Psalm 37, which I’ve repeatedly returned to over the last six months. There may not be a billboard, but we see that God has given us some powerful instructions on how to live and what He wants from us…

    “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;”

    – Psalm 37:1

     

    “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.”

    – Psalm 37:3

     

    “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

    – Psalm 37:4

     

    “Commit your way to the Lord;”

    – Psalm 37:5

     

    “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;”

    – Psalm 37:7

    All of these verses point back to one theme: Confidence.

    As a business owner, a husband, a dad, a son, and as a man, I spent the first two-thirds of my life chasing confidence in many areas of my life. I wanted to feel like I was enough as a husband and a father. I wanted to feel like I belonged in the conversations I was having at work. I wanted to feel like I measured up as a leader. I wanted to feel like I was making the grade and keeping up in the world’s eyes.

    Over and over again, chasing confidence led me to chasing the wrong things—success, money, respect, titles, accolades, and attaboys. I wanted to be seen, valued, and in some cases, to be put on a pedestal. Over time, the chasing became exhausting.

    Then, I came to realize that my confidence comes from one place and one place only – from God. His message for us at the beginning of Psalm 37 is clear. Find your confidence in Me.

    Do not fret before Me.

    Trust Me.

    Delight in Me.

    Commit your ways to Me.

    Be still before Me.

    Wait patiently on Me.

    Find your confidence in Me.

    As men, the world attempts to eat away at our confidence every day. Sometimes it chips away at us aggressively, and other times, the wearing away comes in the form of ocean saltwater that crashes against our shores and erodes our coastlines over years and decades. We battle that voice on our shoulder that tells us we’re not enough, we’re not keeping up, and that we should keep chasing what the world has for us – that what the world offers will build us up and make us confident.

    It won’t.

    Instead, we lean into our Father. As sons of God, we approach Him expectantly. We trust Him, delight in Him, and commit our ways to Him. We make time to get still, and we practice patience. And we know that He has everything we need.

    If you’re anything like me, you need other men around you to remind you of these truths from time to time. When life’s challenges show up at work and home, we can find ourselves questioning God and if He is who He says He is. In those moments, the counsel of other believing men can be what points us back to truths like Psalm 37. Sometimes, when we’re tempted to chase our confidence, we need another man to remind us who we are and who we serve. It’s in those moments that iron truly does sharpen iron.

    Today, ask yourself, “Where does my confidence come from?” Spend some time with that. Wrestle with the tough questions, and ask God to show you how He wants you to show up, living life His way.

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Embracing Life in the Fire

    Embracing Life in the Fire

    In Daniel 3, we hear the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar had created an image of gold and instructed the people to fall down and worship it with this warning… Those who did not worship the idol would be thrown into a blazing furnace.

    In Daniel 1, we learned that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were not followers. Along with Daniel, they had taken a stand and, unknown to King Nebuchadnezzar, they had refused to eat the choice food and wine from his table. Fast-forward to the king’s new golden idol, and these men would stand again. This time their stand would be visible and obvious to the king.

    In Daniel 3:12, the astrologers expose Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for their lack of worship. “But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    Nebuchadnezzar is enraged and brings the men before him, confronting them with the blazing furnace, to which they reply in Daniel 3: 16-18, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

    Nebuchadnezzar’s rage grew, and he ordered the furnace to be heated to seven times its normal temperature. Then, the three men we bound and thrown into the furnace – into flames so hot that the soldiers who put them inside were killed.

    What happens next is the reason for writing this post… In Daniel 3:24, we read, “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

    Nebuchadnezzar is amazed and has the men released from the furnace. They exit unharmed, and scripture tells us that “the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”

    This story brings us three truths we can all embrace today as men…

    1. We will be asked to bow down to idols. You and I experience this every day. Our idols may not be golden or brought to us by kings, but there are temptations around every corner trying to lure us into bowing down. Our careers and businesses can become idols, and even our marriages and children can become idols. When we take God down off the pedestal and replace him there, we worship idols in our lives – and this can be a very easy trap to fall into.
    2. Sometimes, not bowing down will land us in the furnace. It can come with challenges and friction when we resist worshiping the idols that culture brings us. It can feel like we are choosing to step into the fire when we choose not to worship the things of this world. Standing on our faith and choosing God over culture can be very uncomfortable, especially today.
    3. We can have confidence knowing that Jesus stands in the furnace beside us. Where idols and division and friction abound, the one thing we can lean into with confidence is this: We are not alone. No matter what fire we find ourselves in or how hot the world cranks up the temperature, we can stand firm, knowing that God is in control. The idols will not last – but God will, and that’s where we put our faith.

    We are called to stand as leaders, husbands, fathers, and men in our churches. We are called not to bow to idols but to keep our eyes and our worship on the one true God who stands with us in the fire. When we do that and exhibit that level of confidence to the world we live in, we can have the same impact that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had.

    Daniel 3:28-29 shares that impact with us. “Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • How's your quiet time?

    How's your quiet time?

    We ask this question like it’s expected that we all have a quiet time in our lives, but as men in the world today, making and taking the time to get quiet can feel almost impossible. There’s a lot of cultural noise to contend with, coming at us from every direction. Layer on top of that the challenges and expectations that can come with being a leader at work, and getting quiet becomes even more difficult. Add being a husband and a dad, and the noise can become deafening.

    Finding the mute button can feel futile and even impractical. We’ve been conditioned to prefer the noise, almost like we need it to feel productive. For some, myself included, the noise can sometimes become a badge of honor, and stillness can be elusive.

    The younger version of myself was always intrigued by the old men who talked about getting up at 5:00 AM for quiet time. “I get up before the sun, make my coffee, and spend an hour or so in my Bible with the Lord to start my day.” Their devotion and discipline were almost mythical. It was like listening to old warriors talk about the battlefields of their youth, and I always felt like they knew something I didn’t or had something I lacked.

    Over time, I learned what they had already figured out. I came across the scriptures that point to our best example of having a quiet time… Jesus. Who better to learn from than the Son of God when it comes to spending time with the Father? In scripture, Jesus left us some profound yet simple clues on how to get still with God…

    “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

    – Mark 1:35

    “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

    – Luke 5:16

    “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

    – Luke 6:12

    I picked up three things from Jesus’ example.

    Jesus made time to get quiet.

    Whether it was “very early in the morning” or late at night, Jesus set aside time to get still. This can feel futile for us today with overloaded schedules and packed calendars. “I’m too busy” can be an easy excuse. That said, we can assume that Jesus was also busy. He had a ministry to grow, a team of twelve to lead, and a full travel schedule. Amid all that, he was surrounded by individuals who wanted his time and attention. Sound familiar? Remember, despite all this, Jesus made time to get still. You can too.

    Jesus withdrew from the noise.

    One of the consistent elements of Jesus’ quiet times revolved around stepping away from the noise. Scripture tells us he withdrew, went to the mountains, and left for the lonely places. What this is really telling us is that Jesus departed from the distractions, which were many. He made time to get quiet and space to get still. This meant finding spots in his world where there was no noise – where he could find rest and hear from the Father. This means finding our own place to connect with God… a space in our home, out in the woods, walking through our neighborhood, or in our car during the commute. Jesus created space. You can too.

    When Jesus got quiet, He prayed.

    Jesus’ example for us is clear. Prayer and communicating directly with the Father are essential to our quiet time. I was reminded the other day that prayer is an open conversation that we enter into and not a challenge to use flowery words or Christian slang. It’s an opportunity to worship God, confess our sins, and bring Him our needs and challenges. It’s our chance to talk to Him… and to listen to Him. Don’t know what to say when you pray? Start with another of the examples Jesus left us with…

    This, then, is how you should pray:

    “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come, your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
    Give us today our daily bread.
    And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

    – Matthew 6:9-13

     

    Start there, and get quiet with the Lord. When you’re intentional about taking the time, making the space, and communicating with Him, He will meet you right where you’re at.

    –       John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Taking God Out of Our Small Boxes

    Taking God Out of Our Small Boxes

    I opened my Bible this morning for quiet time and landed in Jeremiah 32, and was reminded that it is time for me to take God out of the small box I keep Him in…

    To quickly put Jeremiah 32 in context, it begins with Jerusalem under siege by Babylon’s army. The city is at war, and the walls are closed off. As this is happening, the prophet Jeremiah finds himself imprisoned in the city for sharing a message from the Lord with King Zedekiah – words that the leader did not want to hear. The book reveals how God tells Jeremiah that his cousin will come to him asking him to buy a certain field in Anathoth. Keep in mind Jeremiah is imprisoned in a walled-off city. How is this possible? God continues by telling Jeremiah that he should accept his cousin’s offer and purchase the land.

    To recap…

    • Jerusalem is under attack.
    • The city is shut up, and its walls are closed.
    • Jeremiah is stuck in jail.
    • In the midst of this, Jeremiah’s cousin is somehow going to make it to him.
    • When his cousin arrives, there will be an offer to buy a piece of property.
    • God tells Jeremiah, from jail, to act on the offer.

    That’s a lot to process, especially if you are in Jeremiah’s shoes. As he’s accounting for all of this in verse 17, Jeremiah prays to the Lord, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Later, in verse 27, God responds, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

    Think about what God is saying there for a moment…

    “Is anything too hard for me?”

    God’s response is clear. Even though it ends with a question mark, there’s no question as to the answer. Nothing is too hard for God. It’s not too hard for God to get Jeremiah’s cousin to him in jail or to make the offer of the land possible, even in the middle of a war in Jerusalem. At the same time, for you and me, it’s not too hard for God to show up in our challenges and circumstances. God is able, and He doesn’t fit in my small box.

    This led me to ask myself… Do I have that level of confidence in God? He says nothing is too hard for Him. Do I believe it? Do I trust Him and His abilities enough to bring him my struggles, my stuck moments, my goals, and my dreams? The big things and the small ones?

    I find it easy to keep God in that small box up on the shelf. It’s easy to underestimate his power in our lives or to look at our challenges and think they are impossible and unworkable. It’s what leads us to be hopeless.

    What if, instead, we reminded ourselves that nothing is too hard for God?

    • The struggles we face in our marriages are not too hard for God.
    • The challenges we face in our businesses are not too hard for God.
    • The trials we face as leaders are not too hard for God.
    • The conflicts we face as dads are not too hard for God.
    • The battles we face with pornography and addiction are not too hard for God.
    • The clashes we face with pride and our egos are not too hard for God.
    • The assaults we face financially are not too hard for God.

    All of those challenges, when we’re trying to master them under our own power, can seem impossible. Our relationships, businesses and teams, sins and financial stresses… We may not have the strength to face those alone, but God does.

    Men, nothing you are facing today is too hard for God. It’s on us, though, each one, to take him out of that small little box on the shelf and trust Him to be enough. It’s on us to invite Him and his power into our challenges, leaning away from our own abilities and toward His. It’s time to take Him out of our small boxes. When we do that, we will see that nothing is too hard for God.

    Lean into that today. His power, not yours. Nothing is too hard for Him.

    –       John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

  • The Power of Your Words at Work

    The Power of Your Words at Work

    Our tongue is the most powerful of all the tools we use as leaders and influencers within our work. It can lift up those around us and show Christ’s love in our workplace, and it can also create the most damage. Someone we work with frustrates us, and we greet them with a snide remark. Someone misses a deadline, and our words light them on fire. Someone fails, and we meet them with sarcasm.

    When we get called out on our words, it can be easy to dodge responsibility. Our response is, “I didn’t mean it like that,” or “I’m just really direct.” Make no mistake about it. Your “directness” is no excuse for not keeping your tongue in check. And, just because you didn’t mean a comment in a certain way doesn’t make your response acceptable. If anything, it may mean that you need to reassess what you have defined as “OK.”

    Sharp responses are just one area of our work where our tongues can lead us off course. A coworker or client uses some language we would normally avoid, and we catch ourselves chiming in. Someone tells a joke that crosses a line, and we add to the conversation. Again, the tongue may be a small set of muscles in our body, but its strength is hard to contain.

    James 3 gives us a stern warning about the power of our tongues…

    “When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

    – James 3:3-6

    A bit in a horse’s mouth. The rudder of a ship. The spark that sets the whole forest on fire. James gives us some clear insight into how powerful our tongue can be. As he shares in the verses above, it can be downright deadly. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story. Consider these two verses…

    Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

    – Colossians 4:6

    Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

    – Ephesians 4:29

    Just as we battle our tongues in those moments of anger, stress, and frustration that meet us at work, our tongues can also be a source of grace and build one another up. This is one of our greatest opportunities as Christian leaders at work – to use our words to pull people toward the kingdom, not push them away.

    That’s our encouragement to each of you today. Guard your tongues, for they are a rudder and a bit that controls where we go. Be careful that your words do not spark fires in your workplace. Instead, focus on using your tongue as a source of encouragement, grace, and growth. Work hard to ensure that your words are an example of Christ wherever you go. It all begins with creating an awareness of the words you’re speaking, the direction those words are leading you, and their impact on others.

    – John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

    CBMC Webmaster

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  • Doing It Myself, Trusting in the Lord… or Both?

    Doing It Myself, Trusting in the Lord… or Both?

    “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes”

    -Proverbs 3:5-7

    I am a “make it happen” kind of guy. Like many other men, I was trained at a young age that if I wanted something, I needed to go get it. That journey began as a kid when I started my first lawn mowing business. I learned quickly that if I wanted things, it was up to me to go get them – and I had the power to make that happen. Align that with an inner desire to build, create, and hunt, and it was easy to slide into an “I’ll do this all myself” mindset.

    That mindset stuck with me. In my career, leadership, and running a business, it followed me. Years later, I am still that 12-year-old boy with a lawn mower on a mission to make things happen.

    Sound familiar?

    Proverbs 3 challenges that thinking. We are warned not to be wise in our own eyes or to lean on our own understanding. Instead, it reminds us that we need to trust in the Lord, not our own abilities, and that God alone will direct our paths. Proverbs 16:9 shares a similar message.

    “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”

    What does this mean for us? The Word clearly tells us to trust the Lord, lean into Him, and allow Him to establish our steps. None of those include a “now, go make things happen” directive. Hearing this, it would be easy to take a step back and become passive, but go back to those two verses we shared above…

    “He shall direct your paths.”

    “The Lord establishes their steps.”

    Clearly, in both cases, we are called to move. These verses tell the story of a man on a path, not sitting still but moving. We are called to take our steps and do our part to make things happen while God does his. It’s a collaborative partnership of epic proportions. God does his part, and we do ours. He makes things happen on His side, and we make things happen on ours – working together.

    So, yes. As men, we’re called to make things happen. There is work to be done, and God expects us to participate actively in that work. At the same time, we are called to trust God with the results, the direction, and where our work takes us. We’re reminded that as much as we know the course and where the journey is leading, God may take us in a different direction. Wherever that is, we need to trust Him to lead our lives, provide for our needs, and make things happen for us. Do your part… and let God do His.

    CBMC Webmaster

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