In It To Win It!

Winning is not an event, a time and place, and an action. It is not the sudden celebration of being on top of your goals, your dreams, or your fights. Winning is much more than the comparatively brief moment of excitement when all is said and done, at the end of the day when you receive the reward of your labors.

Winning is an attitude. It is a way of life.

Winning is every second of all four quarters of a game. It is every burn and muscle ache of a marathon; it is every minute and hour of study, every moment of initiative and extra hard work, every decision to put away the weights and hinderances from you, regardless of how petty they may seem, or how long the temptation persists.

In everything a real winner does, he wins. The final score may not show it, the last blow may be the one that knocks him out of the rink, and the last shot that falls may be the nail in the coffin that sinks his every effort to come out on top. But he wins. He wins because no matter what he does, he leaves everything, his heart and his soul, on the floor and leaves that fight knowing he did his best. In victory, he cherishes it. In defeat, he learns from it, making it not a defeat for him, but a lesson.

Winning is an attitude.

"Yeah, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,..." Phillipans 3:8

I have won many things, and in this world, there is much allurement out there to win and to succeed in various things. As with any winning, it comes with much sacrifice. But this is the part of winning that makes most people losers. It is hard, sometimes painful, to sacrifice in order to win. Consider a fighter, who gives up all foods that would hinder his physical shape or bodily systems, keeps a sleep log, trains for hours a day. etc. He gives his life, literally, to be the best fighter he can be. Or an athlete, who does similar routines in health and dieting, physical exercise and training. Or an elite soldier, who once again demostrates unquestioned determination in giving up his home and family to be the soldier he needs to be.

Winning takes sacrifice.

But to win Christ? As I stare in amazement at the phrase itself, it seems an impossibility. For one thing, he had to win me, sacrificing himself on Calvary! How could I win him?

This is ultimate sacrifice. It is not sacrificing family, food, fellowship, or life itself. It is being willing to sacrifice any and all of those things, including any honor you would receive for those sacrifices! At least with a fighter, you may enjoy the benefits of a healthy life and good self defense. At least as an athlete, you enjoy health and millions of dollars due to the idolizing of American sports today. As a soldier, should you truly give up life or limb, you will have much honor in this country, whether you died or were injured in an act of courage and bravery for this country and for your comrades. These are no small things to speak of.

But when you become a pursuant of winning Christ, it is of no benefit to you. It is all a benefit and glory to Christ! In the pursuit of winning Christ, you will have nothing of which to boast, nothing to claim, and should you sacrifice all, and "count them but dung," you will, in the end, hope against hope that you may get closer to understanding what Paul meant when he said, "Let this mind be in you..." You will chase that presence of God that demands ultimate sacrifice of self and pride. YOU gain nothing.....except the likeness of Christ!!! And even this serves only to glorify his name and further his cause, leaving you the with only the blessed priveledge of knowing you gave to him somewhat similar of what he gave to you. Self sacrifice is a pursuit in a Christians life that desires to make him more like Christ, so that you can aim to live in his steps, spending and being spent for others.

I can only hope that I can come close to pleasing my Saviour as much as he pleases me.

I don't suppose I will ever fully understand the concept of winning Christ. I can only pray and work, so that when I stand before him, he will say, "Well done!" If I could hear those words one day from my heavenly Father, I'd say that would be winning enough for me.

Double Decision

It is always easy to say things. It’s not always so easy to do them.

Words spoken in time of ease many times are hard to swallow in times of testing. And due to the excess of words, we find ourselves questioning things that we once have said, and now are expected to act upon.

It’s not that what was once said was wrong. It doesn’t even mean that we no longer believe it now that the testing is upon us. But our flesh gets into situations where our desire is so overwhelming that the things we once stood for are now being second-guessed and even being tossed to and fro in our minds.

As a Christian who takes a stand for many things, this is especially important. You must take that stand, but taking that stand will require you to live a very specific way.

“LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?…[he] In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.” Psalm 15:1,4

Swearing to your own hurt, and changing not. These are powerful words spoken by the psalmist, realizing some things he knew personally.

David said he would not touch God’s anointed. When Saul began throwing spears, David ran. He honored his word. But it did not end there. After more than 5 years of running from Saul, the opportunity to kill him was well within David’s grasp. Yet he apologized and repented for simply cutting the cloth of Saul’s garment. Swearing to your own hurt… and CHANGING NOT!

Stability is probably the most lacked character trait in this generation. People don’t even know what to stand for, and then those that do know what to stand for don’t stand.

There’s no such thing as making a decision for God only one time. If you make a decision for the Lord, the devil is sure to test it. Try it. If you made the decision once, you will need to make the same decision again.

I made the decision a long time ago to do whatever the Lord told me to do. A semester into college, I’ve made that decision at least 100 more times. :)

I made the decision not to use certain language. I make that same decision every time I go to work and deal with certain people that do their best to bring out the worst in me.

I made the decision to keep myself pure, saving my heart and body for the precious young lady I marry. I made that same decision again today.

The point is, if you made the decision for the Lord, expect to make it again, and again, and again. A world of sin is against everything you promise the Lord.

Have you made the decision to do whatever God wants? If you have, then never let financial circumstances, geographic locations, or self-will deter you.

Have you vowed to keep yourself pure? If the answer is yes, then never, ever give your heart, emotions, or feelings to anyone whom God has not expressly told you is the man or woman you will marry, and only then after you have the go-ahead from God’s authority in your life. In fact, I ask every unmarried young adult with Christian parents reading this to make a vow to the Lord: Vow to never pursue a relationship that leads to marriage until both of your parents approve. If one of them sees a problem, then there’s something wrong. But I promise you, if both of them agree that it is good, you can be sure the Lord is in it. (That advice was unplanned so that was free of charge) :D

And that will be another decision that your flesh will be sure to test you on. Just remember, even if it hurts, CHANGE NOT! What was right when you made the decision is still right today. Do not change based on the situation. The circumstances do not warrant exceptions, the circumstances show what you really believed all along. Stick with those decisions… especially when it hurts. God loves to see his children make decisions, and then make the same decision again when the going gets tough and it isn’t easy, because it honors him.

Double decisions will be the greatest tool of public testimony you can have. And to top it off, God will be pleased. And when he smiles, the frowns of the world won’t mean a thing. I love to make God smile, and he put it on my heart to write this post. God is pleased with double decisions!

Our Problem with God’s Will

I appreciate God’s will. I’ve seen it guide, work, and lead in many situations. The will of God has led me as much as I’ve seen it lead anyone. I’ve seen God speak when I had questions, showing me his will. I’ve watched God’s will work in the lives of others. I’ve seen the blessings of those who followed it, and the horrible consequences of those who did not.

I’ve never believed God’s will was a mystery. I always believed that if you truly wanted God’s will, God would show you what he wanted. People act sometimes like God is playing hide and seek with his will, like he gets some sort of pleasure out of seeing you distress over what he might want for you. I don’t believe my Lord does that.

But there is something about God’s will, that, if you don’t understand it, you could be greatly discouraged and disheartened. This concept is called God’s timing! Revealing his will is an art that only God understands, and it’s where faith comes into the picture. There is a beauty that turns the head of God Almighty, and it’s faith.

God does not show you his complete will. He only shows you what he wants you to see. I used to deeply wonder at why he would do this. One night, as I was meditating on this, I asked God why he wouldn’t tell me some important things I felt like I should be able to know. I simply asked God to show me why he wouldn’t let me see the whole picture, or at least more than I was seeing at the time. Then, whether by divine inspiration or common sense I don’t know, it occurred to me that what I knew about God’s will, I would prepare myself for. What I didn’t know about God’s will for me, I could not try to prepare for. Maybe God didn’t want me to try to prepare for my own future instead of letting him prepare me for my future.

And here lies the problem. Are we content to only see as much of God’s will as he allows us to? Do we allow our wishes to see too much of his plan deter us from doing his immediate plan. Could it be that your misconceiving that God is not showing you his will when in reality his will is for you to do nothing. You can’t see everything at once; it would take away from the sovereignty of God, as well as our dependence on his guidance. Don’t allow the road signs miles down the road that you can’t quite make out distract you from adequately obeying the road signs right in front of you. Focusing on God’s will in 5 years may cause you to lose focus on God’s will for you right now.

Faith is taking the first stair when you can’t see the whole staircase. Faith is trusting God to only show you what part of his will he wants you to know for now and being content with it. I say this not because I have conquered it completely. Rather on the contrary, I have been chastened on this quite recently. Without realizing it, you can build up a grudge against the Lord about something you don’t or can’t understand. Don’t allow that to happen. Be content with only a piece of the puzzle. One day, when the picture is all complete, you will enjoy the beauty of it tremendously, because you know every mountain and valley of each piece.

Just something to think about.

The Journey Goes On

Time has passed, and nothing has changed about the fact that things always change. I hate change...some of it anyway. It's always exciting to see the new, and at the same time sad to see the old go away. This is happening in more than one area of my life as of late.

First, I am officially a college student at Gulf Coast Community College. Honestly, up until this point, I was anxious to get the "ball rollling," so to speak. Now, I'm kind of apprehensive about the fact that for the next seven years, life is going to be full of changes. But, that aside, I'm glad that things are moving along. My first four classes are scheduled to begin August 19th, so please pray that the Lord would prepare me physically, mentally, and spiritually for what lies ahead. The starting classes are: English Composition I, General Psychology, Understanding Music, and American National Government.

On another sphere, Dad and Russell are just getting the hang of their schedules back after the overseas trip, and Dad had to work at the boys home today, and Russell drove 2 and a half hours each way to take Mom to the doctor today. Russell has acclimated better than some would expect, and I'm not talking about jet lag. (stifled laugh) Seriously, he has kind of jumped right back into things and done well for that matter. Russell and I just got to sit down tonight and really review his trip via videos and pictures. He could not have had a better trip, it seems. The Lord truly blessed it. From all the mushy stuff that normally happens, to the hilarious teasing that naturally takes place, to the supporting cast that is my Dad and the Huussen family, I had a great time looking at all the memories that were made. I wish I could have been there...
Anyway, Russell and I got to talk for a while...not something that happens very often anymore, and it made me realize just how little that has happened in the last 6 months or so. Let me advise you that have family and loved ones around you: appreciate those you love, and forget about the undesirables. Love and care deeply while you have them by your side. Because, like I said, life changes things. The perfect word to describe what I mean is the word cherish. Cherish the times you enjoy with those you love. Enjoy simple daily things that will not always be there. Cherish opportunities to make differences you will not always be able to make.

Well, if you can even imagine me being this way...I've been kind of quiet and to myself the past couple of days. And it's because of all that's going on that I just wrote about. My family will be taking a week and a few days of vacation at the beginning of August. It may be the last time our family is able to travel long distances together as a whole. Possibly, we can take one more the first week of October. We are jokingly calling it our "Farewell Tour." :D But when the laugh dies away, we know it's true. We won't be the same for very much longer. Life changes things.

But, as sad as it can be, it can be that exciting as well! The journey goes on, and God is looking to do much with the Maynard family in the future. Whether that is the college student trying to make a difference at school, the eldest trying to add Maynards to the bunch, the youngest making fun of both, or the parents trying their dead-level best to lead a ministry, a church, and some goofy Maynard boys toward God's will for them, I promise you, much is in store. Just wait and see!

If It's Right, What Else Is There To Know?

Since the dawn of creation, man has been faced with a decision. I've never liked decisions! I hate them. A decision means that one purpose has to be defeated in favour of the other.

But many decisions that you face are easily answered by the question, "Is is right?" There are so many factors in the decisions we make. How do we feel? What do we think? What do others say? What am I being pressured to do? What are others doing? How will this effect me or my future? etc.

I watched a film recently called "Come What May," and it was one of the best I have ever seen. However, it was the slogan of the film that I want to address, "Do what's right, come what may."
In our hearts and minds, as Christians, we know to a great extent what ought to be done. I admit that there are exceptions where it takes some searching of God's will to find the truth. But this is truly an exception. What is right for the Christian is usually found in the conscience that has been directed by the Word of God and reinforced by the Holy Spirit.

Our flesh wants to consider ALL of the factors because it will not submit to the only factor that matters, God's will. And when you begin to allow your flesh to rationalize the truth with the "factors," you begin to lose the battle. What is right is all that matters.

Not your environment. Not your past. Not your present circumstances. What is right! That's it!
Not how you feel. Not what others say, do, or think. Not the possible negative effect that it may incur on you by others who do not agree. What is right! That's it!

We must quit making excuses for why we have not done right. We must quit making excuses for why we are not doing right. We must simply quit making excuses!

If it's right, what else is there to know? The answer is nothing! You need nothing else. Let's just do what's right, come what may.

It was a short, but important, thought. Consider your ways.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
Believe it or not, I sit here at 1:30 a.m. at the living room desk, and it’s January 1, 2009! My, how time has flown! I don’t even know what to say. Paul told us to “redeem the time, because the days are evil.” Time is like riding a bike downhill; it seems the longer you ride, the faster it goes. That can be sad sometimes, and exciting sometimes. In any case, I had a great year! And that’s a HUGE understatement. I wanted to write a post about 2008, but I didn’t get time, and the new year is here.

I was at church through midnight and we had a fantastic service, ending by each family praying in the new year together! I have always enjoyed watch night services to bring in the new year, and this year was no exception. We were honored to have the presence of the Huussen family, as well as my Uncle Tim and his family, for the service via skype call. The Huussen’s usually tune in on Sunday mornings, and my Uncle’s family tunes in on Sunday nights. I call it our church’s “skype ministry!” :D

I was honored to be able to preach tonight..er..um..last night! :D I preached a message entitled “On Fire for God,” out of Proverbs 30:15-16.

Well, all that to say, I believe in “new years resolutions.” Simply, because I think second chances are gifts of God! And that is part of what the new year is about; changing some things that you did in the previous year. So, here goes…


1. Eat healthier

I did pretty good for part of this past year, and then somewhere during the holiday season, I crashed! I don’t know why, either. There were also other spells throughout the year where I didn’t pay good attention to my eating habits. Frankly, I do not wish to put myself in an early grave when I could live a longer, healthier life by making better choices. “Let your moderation be made known unto all men.” Phillipians 4:5

2. Get better exercise

I did the same thing with this that I did with my eating habits. I believe that we ought to do the best we can to be in good health. There’s certainly no reason for an able-bodied person like me to be a slob. I went through some dry spells with this last year as well, but…that was last year!


3. Read more Bible

This is one of those things that you constantly have to work at. I think it’s because my flesh is absolutely opposed to it. I have to work at it, though. Also, this includes being a better student of the Bible. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be “…ready always to give an answer…”

4. Pray more

There is never time for prayer. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t have an answer. On some of the most relaxed days I have, it seems like I didn’t pray like I wanted. Then I look in the mirror that night as I brush my teeth and say, “You bum; your such an idiot!” Think I’ve gone bananas? I answer myself too!!! :D That’s the flesh warring against the spirit, brother! Amen! The truth is, so many people need the prayers of the saints, and less and less prayer is going around. We need to do our part.

5. Love God more

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

You see, this one thing affects everything else you do. And not just everything you do, but the motive for which you do it. A love relationship with anyone is not built on words alone, but on actions to prove the love.

“I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.”

1 Corinthians 8:3 says, “But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” So, in all honesty, empty words of love to God do nothing for others, because they know what you really love!

Just a few of my resolutions…for a new year! Well, seeing it's now 2:30 a.m., I guess I should go try to get myself to go to bed. Good night...morning...whatever! :D

Happy New Year, 2009!!!