I have noticed that people are often seeking advice from any and everyone. They will post on Facebook a request for doctors, mechanics, surgeons, plumbers or will simply ask a question/discuss a problem and they get blown up with more advice than anyone person can manage.

But is that the best way? God tells us in Psalm 1:1 that…

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…”

Now does that mean that asking anyone for advice on a good mechanic is a bad thing? Not hardly. But on the important matters in life, getting good godly advice from a fellow believer is a good thing. I believe that God takes us through some of the trials we experience to help guide others through the same challenges later. If we share our experience with them, especially when they are challenged to the very core of their soul, it can give them hope in a very dark place.

In my own experiences, I have been through more than a few pits and valleys. I have scars that run deep. Yet, I have used those stories to help others more times than I can count. TD Jakes, pastor of The Potter’s House, once said –

“I was at a pastors conference and they were all telling stories of long lives of faith, never knowing a moment without Christ. Lives filled with strong family histories of faith in Christ going back generations. While these stories are great and wonderful, You can’t help me! You’ve never been to the pit or grown up in a single parent home. You know your father, many don’t. You don’t know what it’s like to visit family in prison or to hear fighting in the bedroom late at night. You can’t help me.”

To often we discount the broken as having nothing to offer. Too many times, the church is the worst about this. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to go to the bar to get advice on how to kick an addiction to alcohol or how to help someone who is. But I am telling you that maybe you should go to someone who is actively winning the battle of sobriety and has done so for years.

One final note:

Christians, do not throw religious cliches at someone who is struggling and in need of your advice. They can be useless, hurtful and lead to alienation. Be practical and specific. Use words that the person can relate too. Don’t just tell them Bible stories, tell them your story. Be real with them, even if it makes you vulnerable and exposed. Lead them through it by being someone who doesn’t try to fix them but encourages them. If the problem or need is beyond you, don’t be afraid to say so. Seek out the counsel of someone else who might know. The main word of advice here is to love them in the pit, let them know that they are not alone.

Praise Him!

Dr.Cliff Robertson, Jr.

2 Timothy 4:2

How can less be more? It seems to be counter-intuitive.

As I look at the growth of this ministry, called The Carpenter’s House, I am asking myself this very question. When I look at a need, I think, “how can we fill that need or fix that problem. Maybe we need a group or a ministry or…” The list goes on. When is it too much?  As a pastor, my job is to lead people to Christ and help them to get to know Him better (aka – disciple). There is no limit to the need for that work. But what about the other issues? Jesus fed the hungry and healed the sick. So how does that translate to us today? When do we say, No?

What I have learned is, that as individuals or churches, we are not built to meet every need. The only one that can do that is Jesus. We are not Him but we are part of His body. So we do have a job to do. What is that job, where do we find it and how do know where it begins and ends? Good questions… tougher to find the answers. But I do know this truth, when I eliminate everything other than those things that I absolutely have to do, I can focus and do a really good job. In those moments, I discover that less, truly is more!

What about stuff in our lives? Whether it is the things that clutter our houses, desks or lives, too much is still too much. Where do you draw the line in your personal life? I’m not going to meddle in someone’s personal house clutter but to say, minimalism is healthy. Clutter free desks are good too. My desk use to be a horrible mess and I would call it “stack management”. It was a mess because I was mess and things fell through the cracks and didn’t get done. I know people will argue with me about this, so enough said.

In your life, you can have so many things going on that you never get to really focus on the most important things. It has been said that “Good is the enemy of Great”. You can be so busy doing good that you miss the truly great thing you were called too. In ministry/church work, there is never any end to the demands. If you get off track and simply become reactive to every demand/request, without funneling it through your mission statement, a ministry/church can drown in the demands and miss their true purpose.

As individuals, we can do the same thing. We have to create priorities and boundaries and filter all the requests we get through it. If it doesn’t pass the check, you must pass on the request. You may think by saying no that you are being unchristian but nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible tell us all we have gifts. One of your filters should be our gifts. If it isn’t in the realm of your gift, pass on it. The next thing to consider is where does this request fall in order of my priorities? You have to know what your priorities are before you can answer this question.

Let me help you a little but…

1. Your relationship with God (not your ministry)

2. Your Spouse

3. Your family

4. Your Job/Ministry

5. _________________

6._________________

7._________________

The top three on this list are non-negotiable.

If you will look at anything new in your life through this paradigm of priorities, it will be easier to analyze what you should allow and what you shouldn’t. I also want to challenge you to look at the current list of “to-do’s” and see if you can find some things that need to be eliminated and be ruthless.

To live simply and focused on the highest and best that God has for you is a very rewarding life. It requires daily discipline to remain on course but you can do it. I have to be honest, one of the reasons I am writing about this is because it is a huge personal challenge for me as well. Will you pray for me? If you will comment on this post and request that I pray for you, I certainly will.

Praise Him!

Dr Cliff Robertson, Jr.

2 Timothy 4:2

I was reading the blog of Meredith King and her struggles with the discipline of writing. Yet, she stuck with it for a solid year or more. She inspired me or convicted me, that I have neglected my call to write….

I read what she wrote and I wrote in my journal, “I’m going to start writing today!” Well that was several weeks ago. Oops! But today… I’m finally following through with my commitment and calling!

I want you to help me hold me accountable. If you don’t see me post something, at least once a week, tell me about myself! I give you permission to call me out!

Today, I am reflecting on all the changes that are taking place in my life, ministry and the message that I shared the Monday at theCarpenters.House. “Launch Out!” We have to be willing to give our greatest possession for the cause of Christ and it begins with our hearts – which is our most precious possession. Will we give that to Christ? I said, Yes! When I say yes to that, it means the rest of me goes with it. Which in turn means that I am going to be writing again!

The changes in the ministry are happening – Two Churches becoming one! It is a beautiful thing.  There is so much to write about here but today, I just wanted to …. Begin Again!

Stay Tuned – more is coming! Soon.