People Matter More Than Politics

Something I've noticed since coming to work with New Man a number of years ago is that many of our readers, and even some of our contributors, are inordinately focused on politics and the state of American culture. The letters, blog comments and opinion columns we occasionally run tend to focus on the big picture "state of America" and all the many and varied problems we are facing right now.

One of the things I'm concerned about is that we, as Christian men, do not get so preoccupied with these issues that we take our focus away from God and our personal faith.

Does politics matter? Of course it does. Does the changing American culture matter? Of course it does. Do they matter as much as your personal faith? Absolutely not.

California pastor Rick Warren touched on this subject earlier this month at the Assemblies of God General Council meeting in Orlando, Fla. He said: "What does God care about most? It ain't politics. It isn't changing American culture. He wants His lost children found."

You're talking about a guy who is heavily involved in the culture. He hosted a presidential debate last year. He spoke at the presidential inauguration. But you know what matters most to him, and what completely overshadows everything else? It's the fact that in the month of April, his, Saddleback, experienced a small revival and saw 1,600 people come to Christ.

If we truly want to change our nation, that's the kind of thing we have to pray for and seek after. That's the kind of news we have to focus on. That's the way Jesus did it.

Notice that when Jesus came to this earth the Jews were expecting Him to be a political leader, a powerhouse who would overcome the Romans. Instead, He was the opposite: a humble carpenter calling people to repent. But His life and the influence He had on His circle of friends changed the world in many more ways than a political victory could have.

Instead of complaining about the state of America, I'd like to challenge myself, and you the readers of our magazine, to let a change start with us: Let's live with authenticity. Let's share the gospel with our neighbors and co-workers. Let's build strong friendships of accountability with our fellow brothers in Christ.

Are Christians Bad Tippers?

I was having a laugh today with a friend who was telling me stories about his former life as a waiter. In between stories about ridiculous customers and snarky co-workers, we got to talking about how good he became at guessing which patrons would be good tippers and which ones would cheap-out on him.

He named three telltale signs of a bad tipper:

1. Any young couple with kids. They're in bad moods because they have to fuss over the kids during the entire meal, and they don't have very much money to begin with. Perfectly understandable.
   
   
2. Anyone who orders Thousand Island dressing. Apparently this is an absolute lock, though he had no idea why.
   
   
3. People who just got out of church.

When he said the last one, I raised my eyebrows. I was skeptical, but he said it was totally true. For some reason, almost everyone who comes to lunch straight from church was, at least for him, a cheapskate.

Then he said something that really shocked me. "The worst is when they try to witness to you. When that happens, you know you're getting two bucks and a Jesus tract."

We actually got to have a decent discussion about faith after he said this, but hours later I couldn't get his quote out of my mind. Are Christians really bad tippers? Who would give someone a Jesus tract and then cheap-out paying their waiter? I understand that someone's soul is way more important than any amount of money, but think about the association that was built in my friend's mind with Jesus tracts as this happened to him again and again.

His story reminded me again of how careful we have to be, as Christians, about the things we do and say. It's amazing how many lives we touch and influence every day. If you're dressed up on a Sunday at noon, they probably know you just got out of church. If you're having a regular Bible study at a coffee house, the barista knows. And if you ever share your faith with your co-workers, they're going to keep their eyes on you.

It's a daily challenge for us to live our lives with integrity and a selfless attitude for everyone all the time, regardless of whether they know we're Christians or not. There's nothing more detrimental to the authenticity of the gospel than having bad experiences with Christians. I've known so many people who said they were turned off from faith in Christ because of their experiences with people who called themselves Christians.

Be sure to do your best to go through your day in a way that would please Jesus, no matter who you're talking to. And please … tip well.

Real Life Is in the Journey, Not the Big Event

I have been thinking about the fact that the most momentous days in life have almost as many mundane moments as the other days have. Has God made it this way so we'll look to Him to find a deeper truth about living?

Even on the "big" days in life, you wake up, shower and make coffee. You eat three squares during the day. You brush your teeth and set your alarm before you go to bed. It's funny how we build up the momentous days and look forward to them a great deal, but then when the day itself rolls around it moves along just like any other, albeit with maybe a few special moments.

Sometimes, in fact, these red-letter days will give you a bit of a letdown. You'll have a birthday on which not much really happens. You'll look forward to an evening with friends or having family come into town, but then the day passes away just like that.

Even if you have a great time or a memorable moment, it always moves so quickly. I still can't believe how short my wedding day felt last year. The whole thing was surreal.

Sometimes we can get too focused on these big moments or special events at the cost of the everyday stuff. It's good to have something special now and then, but it seems that the more we focus on that moment, the faster it passes us by.

That is one of the reasons God's Word so often compares life to a race, journey or walk. In a race, for example, every moment is just as important as the next. You have to put forth effort during every part of the experience.

If you want a more modern-day analogy, I think life is more like a baseball season than a football season. There are rare moments of spectacle, but it's the consistent pitching, hitting and defending that will carry you to the playoffs.

You have to focus on building your marriage every day, not just on your date night. You have to work hard at your job every day to achieve results, not just when you have a big meeting. If you want to be happy, you have to find that happiness in your everyday life, not just on weekends and vacations.

It's not only life that bears this comparison, but our faith in Christ and our relationship with Him. Many times I'll find myself looking forward to a church or ministry event, thinking it will be a great time with the Lord. Even if it is, I can't let the event distract me from my daily, regular, moment-by-moment walk.

It's not the dramatic moments that make us into the Christians God wants us to be or lead us into the type of relationship He desires us to have with Him. It's the little moments that happen so often that make the difference—everyday decisions that build integrity, trials that build character, short-but-consistent times of study or prayer that deepen our faith.

Oswald Chambers puts it this way in his classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest: "Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises. God will give us touches of inspiration when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty."

Think Work Stinks? Here's Why

How many people in America genuinely like their jobs? My wife posed that question to me a few nights ago after enduring a particularly nasty day of work, and I started wondering about it.

According to the most recent poll I could find, 55 percent of Americans in 2007 were "satisfied" with their jobs, which was the lowest percentage ever recorded. I'm guessing that number is even lower today because of the economy and the massive impact it has had on many careers. Plus, "satisfied with" and "genuinely liking" your job is not the same thing.

When you think about it, it's really tough to find something you truly love to do, do it successfully, make enough money from it to support your family and not get tired of it—all at the same time.

Many men become successful but find the stress at the top excruciating. Many men choose a field with more stable incomes but wonder if they should have taken a shot at their dreams. Many men can't stay in the same job for a long time because they get bored and frustrated with a routine. And we're talking about Americans here, who generally have the best job opportunities in the world.

On the other hand, there are few things more fulfilling than a job well done. There's nothing like the satisfaction of working hard at something and seeing the results. It's a feeling God has placed on the heart of every man.

So where is the rub? Why do we love it and hate it at the same time?

As usual, God's Word provides the answers. In Genesis, we find out that Adam was working the land in Eden well before the fall of mankind, when the world was still perfect. That holy desire to work and work well has been ingrained in us since the beginning. But after the fall, God made the process of work laborious, filled with pain and toil.

Right after Adam ate from the tree, God said to him: "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life" (Gen. 3:17, NIV).

Work is one of those things that most guys will always love and hate, and, as Christians, Genesis 3:17 tells us why. What a wonderful thing to be able to look forward to in heaven—a world where we can work without the "painful toil."

Until then, we have to learn not to look to our careers for true fulfillment. Brad Stewart, in this issue's second article, talks about how God promises to meet our needs but that often we're focusing on our careers to fulfill not just our needs, but also our earthly desires and rewards. I know that can be true in my life.

Instead, we should focus on the eternal rewards God has given us and look to those for true fulfillment. He will take care of the rest.