Tag: BRANT HANSEN

THROWING ROTTEN FRUIT

And then I began to get mad. In the parking lot, I angrily confronted the woman. In my spirit was a load of rotten fruit.

It was the mother of all annual congregation meetings. The church already struggled with strong personality clashes, but I didn’t make it any better. One congregant stood up and angrily announced that I personally slighted him by not giving him more solos. His rant continued at great length. I just wanted to disappear under a pew. And then I began to get mad. In the parking lot, I angrily confronted a woman who had added further verbal ammunition to the soloist’s fire. In my spirit was a load of rotten fruit.

I WAS NO BETTER THAN MY ENEMY

I was no better than the man who humiliated me. He ran over my life, and I responded by throwing rotten verbal spiritual fruit at the woman in the parking lot.

GOD TIRES OF OUR SPIRITUAL NOISE

God tires of our spiritual noise. Spiritual racket, cacophony, and clamor produced by our hearts when we don’t put Him first? I have noisily imparted my gifts without first offering what matters most: love. Not only love for Him, but for people. The fruit produced when I don’t walk with Christ is rotten.

THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID

Jesus talks about rotten trees that produce rotten fruit. Brant Hanson, in his book “Blessed Are the Misfits,” writes about things Jesus never said regarding trees (religious people) and the fruit they produce: “If it offers powerful-sounding prayer, you can trust it. If the tree leads an awesome ministry, it must be an awesome ministry tree. If it sings great and has a Christian record deal, it’s legit. Take it to the bank.”

BUMP INTO A TREE, SEE WHAT FALLS

Brant continues, “Nope. Jesus said you look at the fruit. That’s what falls out of the tree when you bump into it. What’s “fruit,” then? Not a Christian vocabulary. Not the position someone holds in church culture. Even ‘ministry impact’ is not fruit. Many have reached thousands for Christ, only to be found out as utter frauds. Bump into a tree, and see what falls. Sometimes it’s jealousy, anger, and power plays. Now you see what kind of tree it is.

JESUS’ FRUIT

Jesus was betrayed, abandoned, and publicly humiliated, and while His life was being ripped from Him, He prayed for forgiveness for the very people who were killing Him. He intervened to defend them. Bump into a tree, and see what falls. Sometimes it’s love and self-control. Now you see what kind of tree it is.”

PUT LOVE FIRST

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned but have not love, I gain nothing” (I Corinthians 13:1-3). Have you ever thought God gets tired of our noise? Put love first (and don’t track women down in parking lots).

HOW TO BE UNOFFENDABLE

I have an amazing gift. In the middle of the night I can wake up and fully review the latest pain of the day.

WEEK #2

I have an amazing gift. In the middle of the night I can wake up and fully review the latest pain of the day. I then compose an entire plan in my head how I propose to respond to what hurt me. Wait! Did I say this is a gift? No, it is a curse. I lose a lot of sleep functioning this way.

INSOMNIA

AI says this insomnia can “cause significant mental, physical, and functional impairments, ranging from short-term fatigue and irritability to chronic, serious health conditions. Key effects include accidents.”  Did I include that I am accident prone?

THE TOXIC BREW

I use the excuse “This is the way I am wired.” In Week #1 of this series I referenced the book “Unoffendable“. Brant Hansen observes, “But regardless of how we feel, we can actually have a choice on how we respond. It doesn’t mean that we ignore the situation, but we can act without contempt, anger and bitterness.” Brant also admits, “I have lost a lot of sleep with anger and bitterness. I drank that toxic brew, and it percolates within me.”

MY EXCUSE

Life seems so much easier if I allow myself the excuse: “This is just the way I am wired.” However, God tells us to put down the mug of toxic brew. It should not be percolating in the middle of the night.

There are too many good and healthy paths my Shepherd wants to travel with me. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.” (Psalm 37:7-8)

Lord, help me to turn to Your paths…even in the middle of the night!

HOW TO BE UNOFFENDABLE

The longer I live as a believer, the more I realize my Christian life is full of holes. I’m Swiss Cheese, when I should be a block of Cheddar.

WEEK #1

The longer I live as a believer, the more I realize my Christian life is full of holes. I’m Swiss Cheese, when I should be a block of Cheddar. This is especially evident when I am tired. With Bill’s illness I exist continually exhausted. One evidence of this is how easily I become offended.

LIVING LIKE THIS STEALS ENERGY

My emotions run into a sprint when people ignore our situation or say clueless remarks. What about when someone zooms first into the parking space closer to the clinic doors and my husband can barely walk from the car? Yes, I ratchet up the offense meter awfully fast. Living like this steals a lot of energy.

GENUSES AT OBSERVING OTHERS

I asked God for help. That’s when I came across the book “Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better” by Brant Hansen. Brant writes: “We want to think people are worse than us. It’s one of our favorite pastimes. Go to a mall food court, sit down, and listen to the conversations around you. Compare how often people are telling stories about hurtful, wrong things other people did, versus confessing hurtful, wrong things they, themselves, have done. We’re brilliant at this. Geniuses, really.”

HOMEWORK WEEK #1

Homework for Week #1: Daily, note the negative things you hear people say about one another and the negative things which spew out of your own mouth. Take a notebook and write down ten positive things each day you have notice about that day and confess to God the toxins you contributed to the sound waves around you. Let me know your observations.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

Verified by MonsterInsights