Author: TimMaynard

For most Christians, the subject of prayer is guaranteed to generate a number of emotions. Some have deep and wonderful memories of time spent in the presence of God. Others find that prayer has sustained them through times of wilderness wandering even when feeling far from the presence of the Lord.

And for many, prayer evokes feelings of guilt. “I know I should pray more.” “I have a friend who prays and seems to always know just the right words.” Some of us struggle to find time; others to find time alone. And some have just given it up all together and have left their prayer life in discouragement.

The secret to success as a believer and follower of Christ rises or falls on prayer. If we will not pray, if we do not pray regularly, if our “backstage” life is a shambles, then the life people see before them will suffer. Prayer, however, is just like many other life skills. We learn how to talk by listening… and imitating those who pray. Our granddaughter lights up and mimics sounds when her Mamaw gets close and begins to talk to her. She’s learning how to speak, even though she does so by imitation.

We don’t learn how to play piano reading books about it. We listen, and then we sit at the keyboard and begin to practice. We don’t learn how to fish by reading a book or going to a seminar. We can’t sharpen our knowledge about fishing that way, but learning how involves holding a line and hook and rod and reel in the water. You didn’t learn how to ride a bike watching a video.

Likewise, if you’re a person who has said, “I don’t know how to pray,” this blog will not teach you how. You must simply pray. It is, first, a discipline we commit ourselves to. Daniel’s prayer in Chapter 9 of his prophetic and inspired work, was a monument to a man who had “purposed in his heart” to pray regardless of circumstance or consequence. He prayed three times a day… morning, noon and night.

Prayer is a discipline… just do it. It requires some model to follow. Find someone in your world you would like to pray like and study their prayer life. And don’t be surprised if you discover that someone may be learning from you!

There is not a “scorecard” for prayer. God simply wants to hear from you, His beloved child. You don’t come as a beggar. You come as family. You come as you are.

And you leave transformed forever!

FOR MEDITATION: The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

FOR REFLECTION: What is the first step you can take today to enter into a consistent prayer life? What must you say no to in your life so that you can say yes to this important discipline?

A study was conducted to study the effects of amphetamines on the behavior of mice. While the outcome was fairly predictable on the physiology of the rodents, their behavior as a group was a surprise to the researchers

A mouse alone receiving the controlled dose of drugs would last for ten minutes before dying. When administered in a group the mice died much more quickly and the behavior together was much more erratic. They would only last a matter of a few minutes.

But when a mouse who had not been given the drug was dropped into a group that had been, the erratic behavior of that mouse mirrored the others and the undrugged mouse would “go off like popcorn” in the words of one researcher. And it too would die in a matter of moments.

The power of the group we associate with is underscored here. We live in a culture that is hurried and anxious and “going off like popcorn” in ways that impact us every day. How do we “come apart” from the crowd before we “come apart” at the seams?

1. We must find some time daily, weekly, regularly to be alone. That’s hard for some but necessary.
2. We must be aware that the “course of this world” does impact us. We need to ruthlessly evaluate ourselves to make sure we are not floating down a stream toward destruction. Examine yourself.
3. We must listen to the still, small voice of God in our spirits through the chaos of the day. The world is marching to a different drummer. Don’t buy into that rhythm.

It’s hard to be distinctive in a world that’s falling apart. But that’s our calling.

And now, it’s our hope of survival.

FOR MEDITATION: Come out from among them and be separate says the Lord.     2 Corinthians 6:17

FOR REFLECTION: Think of one thing you can do today that will allow you to step out of the “rat race” and breathe the pure oxygen of Heaven. Your survival may depend on it!

It is an honest and continual challenge for Christian (aka church) people to deal graciously and lovingly with those who are newly converted to the faith or who are marginal at best in their lifestyle. Russell Moore, in his book Onward, illustrates this well.

He tells the story of how he, a young boy growing up in a Mississippi Southern Baptist Church, was sitting one morning in service with his grandmother when a member of their church brought a guest. This guest, obviously unacquainted with church life, came in wearing a sleeveless shirt and sporting a tattoo of a woman on his arm who, shall we say, was immodestly attired.

People around him were shocked but none more so than young, impressionable Russell (now our director of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission). He nudged his granny to look in the direction of the visitor. His eyes were wide as he looked with as much indignation as an eight year old can muster.

That’s when his grandmother shocked him. She said, “Russell, we mustn’t judge this man. He may not know Christ yet.” And with that, Russell learned an important lesson… not about inking… but about grace and dealing with a lost world.

Russell watched this man who gave his heart to Christ, was baptized and then started coming to church with sleeves to cover the tattoo on his arm. As he grew in Christ, Russell noticed one day when the man wore short sleeves that he had altered the tattoo by adding a bikini to the figure. Then later it became a one-piece bathing suit. And though Russell didn’t attend the funeral, he imagined the tattoo was clothed in a plaid pant suit under the gentleman’s suit!

We are often far too quick to write people off by external appearances. Lost people and an unreached world will come to church bearing the marks and scars of their past. And while we are not as quick today to assume a person with a tattoo has lived a raucous past, (this is not a pro- or anti-tattoo post, by the way) our ability to look beyond externals when dealing with a lost world, whether at work or when they do come to church, is a needed part of our evangelism strategy.

And who knows? The next Billy Graham God raises up to win the next generation…

… may be sporting a tattoo!

For Meditation:  If any man be in Christ he is a new creation…old things pass away and all things become new.      2 Corinthians 5:17

For Reflection: Does you attitude reflect a judgmental, self-righteousness that is unbecoming of Christ or can you show the grace that was shown to you as you work around, live around, and reach out to a lost world?

My granddaughter McCail is smiling at me now. Well, sometimes. But I can usually get a grin from her and when she smiles, it makes my day. I’ve learned, as you have, that smiles have that effect on people. (Especially grandfathers). One place you can go and get a guaranteed smile is the wonderful, “magical” place a couple of hours to our south called “Disney World.” Disney World’s motto is that they are “the happiest place on earth.”

That’s a tall order to fill. Especially since I’ve BEEN to Disney World and it is most assuredly NOT the happiest place on the planet. In fact, it can be a downright UNHAPPY place to be, especially if you have two or three unhappy children in tow. You know, the ones who no matter what they see, what you buy, what they eat or drink; there is always something they want that you haven’t gotten to. Happiness.

But the employees of Disney, from the umbrella salesperson to the poor kid locked inside a hot costume all day, are commanded to smile. That’s right. No matter how they feel… SMILE. Smile at the unhappy, whiny children and their stressed, now bankrupt parents. Smile. Smile and the whole world smiles with you, right? According to Walt Disney, YES.

There is some science to back that up. When you smile at someone, they will almost always smile back at you. Try it for yourself. Walk through your office, your school classroom, your team meeting smiling. Everyone will wonder what you’re up to. But I guarantee, if you look some of those folks in the eye while you’re doing it, they will automatically respond with a smile in kind.

I wonder sometimes even at church if we would make more of an effort to smile at folks, if their experience would be remembered as happier. Would that make a difference in a person’s life who came to the campus bearing burdens that are overwhelming? Probably.

Wouldn’t it be great if our reputation was “the happiest church” people have ever attended? Maybe the Gospel could be shared more easily, not with a scowl…

…but with a smile?

FOR MEDITATION: The joy of the Lord is your strength.      Nehemiah 8:10

FOR REFLECTION:  Could you turn your life upside down today… with a smile?

The majority of our adult lives, according to one estimate, is spent at work. Almost 150,000 hours, or 40% of our waking lives is spent getting up, getting ready, going in and living through our day (or our night) at our place of employment or vocation. Today, it should be added, that many spend their days logging in to a computer at home or from a remote office locale. But that is still an exception and not a rule.

So, it’s off to work most of us go. And how we treat those hours has eternal significance. We don’t simply “spend our time.” We invest it… somehow. Whether wisely or foolishly, our time at work is a stewardship of a precious resource. As author Dorothy Sayer noted, “our work is the way we offer ourselves to God.”

That literally puts a different spin on our jobs, doesn’t it? If “whatever we are doing” (Colossians 3:23) is to glorify God then nothing we do is menial work. Everything we do has meaning. Whether we work well or poorly, there is significance to our employment. God sees what we do and according to 1 Corinthians 7:17, He has “assigned” us to our task. Therefore He has a purpose for our being exactly where we are, even with an irritating supervisor or annoying co-workers, we are being watched by God’s eyes. Even if the eyes watching us are the eyes of children we are spending our days raising; every act has value and weight.

This is not meant to add pressure to an already pressured life that some may feel. It is simply (hopefully and encouraging) a reminder that “nothing we do in the Lord is in vain.” It is a reminder that we need to “keep on” for the Kingdom’s sake, even if we can’t find reason to “keep on” for the company or the people we work for or with.

And as a caveat, let me add that this applies even for those who are working jobs that you feel are far below your level of skill, expertise, seniority or capability. You may have lost a lucrative, prestigious job with a nice office and expense account with assistants scurrying at your command and now you are the second-shift, night manager of a convenience store. You still work, and live for, the glory of God. The downsizing may have blindsided you but it didn’t take God by surprise. Many who were addressed in the New Testament books and verses were “slaves,” which in that context usually meant an educated, skilled worker who was owned by or who worked under a household manager. Even the slave had a choice about the attitude with which they worked, even though they may not have had a choice about being there.

At the end of your life, I pray we can look back over a “job well done” because of our labor. And if you are working for the right Boss and living for the right Audience, you will find you can.

FOR MEDITATION: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.   Colossians 3:23

FOR REFLECTION: How can you work to keep your attitude right… to keep your work focused… on the right motivation? Can you begin each day by praying, “Lord, may I so do my work today that I will be the answer to someone’s prayer.”

Since we have labored long through the summer on the subject of leadership and we closed the book on Nehemiah’s journal last Friday, I want to press into one more area. This is more than just a sidebar, but a critical and central area of concern. This has to do with a leader’s character and integrity.

Over the past week or two, several high-profile leaders (not in the Presidential campaign) have found their “dirty laundry” floating for the public to see. One story concerned a rising star general who was caught (actually reported on) by his former partner in adultery. As one story after another surfaced confirming his adulterous affair, it was also discovered that this General, working in a secure military post, using a secure military phone, was actually sneaking around the endless security screens inside the facility where his office was located to make secretive phone calls to his lover. There was no denying his affair, which has cost him his job, his rank, his impending promotion to five star general and certainly his family. All because of a fatal flaw in his character. And a miscalculation that he would never be caught.

Meanwhile over the same days sordid details emerged about Congressman Paul Weiner, who was again caught sexting illicit photos of himself to a woman. This now the third time he has been caught in the same act. This time, because of the proximity of his child, he is being investigated by child protective services.

What do these two men have in common? Both were high profile leaders. That means, contrary to some opinions of them, that they are highly intelligent individuals. So this is no failure of intellect. Both were in seemingly happy marriages with loving spouses, with Weiner’s wife being a close personal assistant to Hillary Clinton. So they were socially connected as well as politically wired in. They both are paying a high price for their “private” lives… which most today will tell you is nobody’s business but theirs.

And they are both proving, unwittingly, the truth of Scripture. “The way of transgressors is hard.” Ask them. They will tell you. “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Ask them. Even with an assumed name on Twitter and a secured military phone. And by the response to both men’s situations, “The wages of sin is death.” At least for them, it has meant the death of their reputations, their marriages and their careers.

So does the invisible, inner world of the leader matter? Simple illustration: try crushing an empty soda can in your hand. Now try to crush one that is full. The illustration is mundane but very true. The person who is empty of character on the inside is devoid of substance and integrity to guide them, ignorant of the significance that the inner part of a man is where character is formed, and, though unseen, is sorely missed when absent.

Can God restore such a person? Absolutely. Can they be forgiven if they ask? Certainly. Can they be fully restored to their former influence, value and usefulness? Doubtful. Weiner was fortunate. He had a forgiving wife, and a forgetful public who almost elected him at one time after his first indiscretion to Mayor of New York City. The General? Busted down to the last rank he held “with honor,” according to military officials. For the most part they are now as useful as empty soda cans.

If there is a hopeful postscript to all of this horrible mess, it is this: there is still the reality of moral outrage happening in our culture. People are horrified by the acts of both of these leaders, who whether they knew it or not, were being held to and judged by a moral standard. And if their lives and stories are useful at any point, it should strike terror into the heart of any person… and certainly any leader… who thinks people aren’t watching or that people won’t care.

Because they are… and apparently, they do.

FOR MEDITATION: There’s a way that seems right to man, but the end thereof leads to death.      Proverbs 14:12

FOR REFLECTION: While this post is directly pointed to those in leadership, let us all remember that there are people watching us and who will stumble if we fall. Count the cost of your moral choices and decisions… each one adds to your inner strength or erodes it.

Let me end our series of blogs on Nehemiah by reminding those of us who are reaching the zenith of our career or ministry that the most critical times are when we are closest to victory… or coming down the mountain from the other side. Mountain climbers know that these are the most dangerous moments; as we near the top or begin descending from it. So it is in life. In Nehemiah 6, we read about the last moments of his run to complete the wall of Jerusalem. He has almost crossed the finish line when he met with three common dangers:

1. The danger of distraction. We can lose our focus in trivia at any time in leadership. But the temptation to relax as the goal is in sight can be a fatal flaw. Nehemiah was invited to non-essential matters and responded clearly by saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.” Keep your focus on the goal… you’re almost there!
2. The danger of fearful thinking. Nehemiah was threatened by his enemies who promised that they would spread untrue rumors to the king in Persia if he continued. Nehemiah knew “they were doing this to make me afraid.” The enemy knows our weak spots. He knows the power of fearful thinking in moments like this and their power to paralyze us. Nehemiah responded by praying, “Lord, strengthen my hands.”
3. The danger of compromise. By far the greatest temptation Nehemiah faced was to run to the temple to protect himself from those who threatened his life. But he knew that by doing so, he would violate a clear command from the Word of God that he not do that. In moments of fearfulness or conversely in moments of overconfidence, we can begin to think that we are exempt from the price we pay when we give up our integrity to our own selfish ends. “Should such a man as I flee?” Nehemiah asked himself? His answer, thankfully, was a resounding NO. You do not negotiate with the enemy in moments when victory is almost in sight.

And so we read finally, that “in fifty-two days the wall was completed.” While the work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was finished, the work of rebuilding the people of Israel into a covenant people, worshiping God in Jerusalem as He desired, was yet to come. (See Chapters 7-13) But for now, the victory lap for Nehemiah was well-earned and well-deserved.

And may the same be said of us all!

FOR MEDITATION: In the month of Elul, on the 25th day, the wall was completed in fifty-two days.      Nehemiah 6:15

FOR REFLECTION: Though the dangers faced by those finishing their race are unique in some ways, in others they are common to us all. John Newton wrote, “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come…..” Nehemiah could have sung that song… LOUDLY. We will come to the victor’s circle only after we successfully navigate the dangers that seek to stop us. Trust God, as Nehemiah did, to “strength your hand” for the work. And every time, He will!

Nehemiah forgot to close the door. I know, I know, it can happen to anyone. We’ve all gotten up in the morning and a door left unsecured or the alarm not set…or maybe it was accidentally left open. Thankfully, we awakened safely and no unwanted guests were waiting for us when we got out of bed!

Nehemiah 6:15 gives us the victory shout of Nehemiah’s journal: “Now on the 25th day of Elul the wall was completed in 52 days.” If you’ve seen the old city of Jerusalem and the walls around it, you know that was no human task. It was God-empowered! Fifty-two days is an Olympic record of construction… from rubble and disorganization, to disenfranchised and discouraged workers, to out-and-out opposition and threats of terrorism while the stones were being rebuilt… it is nothing short of amazing and no one would have been shocked had it taken 52 weeks or 52 months to complete!

But 52 DAYS… that was a God-sized achievement. And it was an unavoidable confirmation that God had sent Nehemiah; first to rebuild the structure of the wall and then to participate in the rebuilding of the government of God’s people. He went quickly from contractor to governor… not his agenda but that’s what happened. But first the walls had to be rebuilt… the framework and identity of the people of Israel… their call to be a “peculiar people,” a missionary nation… a lighthouse… was contingent on those walls going back in place. God had promised it would happen.

And He delivered!

We see again that God’s purposes always prevail. God always does what He said He would do. He keeps His Word. But we have to make sure something happens… we have to watch for the entrance of deception and impurity inside our “walls” personally. Nehemiah built the walls but “the gates and bars had not yet been hung.” And Sanballet, and Tobiah and Geshem kept finding a way in!

And as long as they were open, the enemy kept coming. Whenever the devil can find an entrance, he will always use it. It may be a temptation that keeps knocking… a grudge that keeps reoccurring… wrong choices that we keep making. Far too many fall because of unsecured areas and entrances into their souls and lives.

Keep the door closed. God wants us to live at peace but when the doors are open the “enemy comes in like a flood.” Watch for weak points. Station guards to make sure those areas are secure. Pay attention to breaches in the wall. God empowered Nehemiah to build the wall but apparently it was up to him to make sure the doors were closed.

Be watchful; be on guard. As your rebuilding is concluded, don’t forget that most important piece of the fortification:

The doors.

FOR MEDITATION: And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.                Nehemiah 6:16 ESV

FOR REFLECTION: Are there unsecured areas in your life right now: your relationships, your thought life, your intake of media, reading or listening? Be careful that these do not become open doors for the enemy to enter your life. What is one area you could decide to close today?

A few years ago while doing a missions conference in Dubai with our missions personnel working in the Red Sea cluster, I was preaching through the book of 2 Corinthians for the Bible study. When we came to 2 Corinthians 4 where it speaks of our bodies being like “jars of clay,” our worship leader at the time decided we could maybe find some “clay pots” to put on the stage for decoration. So Richard hailed a cab driven by a Pakistani man, and set off into the city of Dubai to search for “clay pots.”

Richard had far too much confidence in his driver’s English because when he asked him to take him somewhere to purchase “clay pots,” the driver heard something else. The next thing Richard knew, he was driven off the main road onto a residential side road where the driver told him he could find “pot” here!

Thankfully, we didn’t have to bail him out of a Saudi prison for his excursion down a side road. We didn’t have “pots” or “pot” that night but we did have our adventurous friend safely with us!

Focus is essential to success whether in sports, business, building or rebuilding a family or ministry. We have to keep our eye on the ball! Great athletes tell of learning to live “in the zone” when they are competing; meaning that they are mentally fighting to keep focus on the moment at hand rather than listening to the crowd or the jeering of their opponents.

It’s far too easy, in life and in leadership, to find ourselves down a side road and off the track we thought we were on. Sometimes it’s really no fault of our own. Life is distracting… many things crowd our attention and our focus off the “main things.” Sometimes the enemy comes in and decides to allow distraction to serve as his greatest weapon. This was a battle Nehemiah fought on his way to the finish line of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. His detractors, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, invited him to a meeting (translated: a trap) in the area of Ono. A friend of mine in ministry tells when teaching this passage that whenever someone invites you to a meeting in Ono, you need to just say “oh no!”

Wisely, Nehemiah did. He refused because “he was doing a great work.” He knew what was at stake in this “side road” meeting. He kept his focus. He kept his eye on the goal. And because he did, he finished well!

FOR MEDITATION: I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down and meet with you.
Nehemiah 6:3

FOR REFLECTION: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” What is the main thing in your life?