MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! I hope you’re enjoying this special day. Since this is a celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s birth, I thought I would write a special Sunday message today. I hope it will temporarily distract you from the gifts and Santa and stir some deep thought about our Savior and how we are representing Him today and how we will represent Him in the days to come. Beware this is a long WFTD, but in part it’s my heartfelt apology to Jesus for not always acting the way I should. I could write another 10,000 words and it would still be inadequate.
My son has developed a new software system that is phenomenal. Now that the word is finally beginning to get out to the open market about it, there are some entities that have come forward that have shown interest in private labeling his software system and bringing it to market under their company’s name as being their own product.
Most folks would readily agree to sell their product under those conditions; (after all we’re in business to sell product). In discussing this issue with him over the holidays, I reminded him that while we did indeed allow various vendors to private label our former software company’s products; while negotiating those deals I always insisted that our own brand be included in all of their marketing efforts regarding the use of our technology. I advised him to insist that all advertisements must include the phrase, “Powered by Long Leaf Software Solutions”. I also advised him that we spared no expense in researching those companies to ensure that they were the type of companies that we wanted representing our good name.
“Powered by Long Leaf Software Solutions” is not an ego fulfillment issue; rather an awareness statement to consumers that the superb engine that powers this awesome technology is available to one and all through his great company.
This issue reminds me of Jesus Christ. We should give credit where credit is due. Whenever I speak to a live audience or the press about “my” achievements, I am quick to mention that I do not deserve any of the credit for them. Jesus Christ is due the credit and I mention in my book, “Miracle on Luckie Street” that it is not about me, but about the power of God to transform my life. In short my life is “Powered by Jesus Christ”.
I’ve worked hard, sacrificed, studied, persevered through the many storms of life presented by marriage, family, tragedy, and business for many decades now and I have achieved success. But without Jesus powering my life I would be an abject failure, (just like I was prior to accepting Him as my Savior).
NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is a good example of someone who doesn’t mind giving God the credit for his success on the football field (and off). He has worked hard in the weight room, studied films, run thousands of miles, conditioned his body to a well oiled machine, practiced throwing, etc. since childhood, but after every good play or win he acknowledges that his success comes from God first, and then he mentions his teammates, coaches, parents, and others; never once mentioning himself and all of his hard work.
Tim Tebow is powered by God and he doesn’t mind telling anyone.
That is fine for the successes, but what about the failures?
- What if the company that is touting that it’s Powered by Long Leaf Software Solutions misrepresents those products, rips off their clients, provides poor service, and cheats people?
- What if I don’t act like a Christian and perhaps get angry and let out an oath (or string of them), or forward a hilariously funny but crude e-mail, or nearly snap my old neck out of place and lustily-leer when some lovely comes parading down the beach in a bikini, or say something unkind to someone, or any of a myriad of other misdeeds.
- What happens if Tebow has a bad day on the football field and cusses like a sailor? What if he were caught sending nude photos of himself to a female reporter?
It seems to me that there are those who just can’t wait for something like that to occur in order that they might gleefully deride Christianity. They will not give Christ the credit when things go well, but let a Christian falter and they are all over it saying, “See, I told you that Christianity is just a bunch of malarkey and full of hypocrites. If that is what being a Christian is all about, I’ll remain secular”.
Christ is perfect; it is those of us who love Him and make it known to others that at times fail to live up to His good name because we are imperfect. This is not by design on our parts, in fact we hate it! The Apostle Paul was frustrated to no end and pointed out that he hated the sin in his own life when he wrote in Romans 7:15: I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
Christ understood that we would be faced with this dilemma and He pointed out that we are inhabited both by the Holy Spirit in a spiritual sense, and by the evil of sin in a fleshly sense.
This remaining evil in Paul’s heart was obviously upsetting and frustrating to him. His desire to serve God in perfection as the angels do was stymied at times by his flesh as manifest in his own strong words, temper, and occasional regrettable actions. Fortunately for Paul he was rescued by a powerful and gracious Savior.
I can relate and am haunted by the fact that Jesus Christ gets the blame for my lapses in sanity and poor judgment. It is maddening to spend decades loving the Lord and trying to work diligently on His behalf, only to slip up now and then and exercise poor judgment. This seems to occur most often when I’m in front of some non-Christian who sees my poor behavior which turns them against Jesus Christ and all of Christianity for the rest of their days.
Sigh….
If you proudly wear “Powered by Jesus Christ” on your sleeve or throughout your entire being, try extra hard to live up to what that really means. A friend of mine gave me a Christmas present that is a clock that plays a verse of Amazing Grace on the hour – every hour. It already is having a positive effect on keeping me focused on God’s amazing grace. Maybe I can get a wrist watch that will do the same.
How about you? Is your light illuminating the darkness? The New Year is nearly upon us…What better birthday present could you give Him than to renew your resolve to represent Him properly at all times.
2 Cor. 4:6
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.