LACE 'EM UP

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I went over to the First Four with a good friend and my son last night. THE NCAA tournament is one of my favorite times of the year. I love filling out the bracket, the upset specials, the story lines, the passion and the drama! It ushers in spring for me and leads right into the MASTERS, which is arguably, the best that golf has to offer. It is must see TV for me.

But as I was sitting there munching popcorn and watching warm-ups a little thought occurred to me. Those coaches from LIU Brooklyn and James Madison were pumping their teams up in the locker rooms below. They were convincing them that they had what it took to win last night. They likely mapped out a strategy on the chalkboard, gave an inspiring speech, and did their best to convince their team that it had what it took to win!

But as the clock wound down to game time, all the talk all the rhetoric all the speeches and strategies had to give way to execution; it was time to “lace ‘em up” and play. It was time to apply all the knowledge, strategy, and emotion to the effort on the court. It was time to “shut up and get to work!”

I think the same can be said for us in our walk with Jesus. Sometimes it is time to “shut up and get to work”;or more gently uttered, “stop with the talk and walk the walk.”

1 Corinthians 15:58

…Throw yourselves into the WORK of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

One of the real cripplers to an advancing recovery is what I call “I’m gonna” disease. It is brutal to our Christian pursuits as well.

“I’m gonna start a bible study.”

“I’m gonna volunteer my time to the kids at church.”

“I’m gonna get busy getting a steady job.”

“I’m gonna help that mission.”

“I’m gonna listen to my sponsor.”

Almost as dangerous is the “I should be” affliction.

“I should be getting to my meetings.”

“I should be sticking with my life plan.”

“I should be avoiding those people places and things.”

“I should be DOING more for Jesus.”

But sadly the “I’m gonna’s and the I should be’s” don’t carry the mail when it comes to our walk with Christ or our recovery. They all sound great in the locker room and they can really fire us up, but unless we PUT ACTION behind those “good intentions”, they are nothing but hot air.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good WORKS, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I don’t see anything in that verse that says we are created for “good intentions” or “good speeches or ideas”. No we are created in CHRIST Jesus for APPLICATION; for doing the WORK GOD called us to do; not to just "strategize" it or marinate on how to do it nor to just “pontification and emote” about it.

We are to as NIKE said, “JUST DO IT.”

So don’t get trapped by the “I’m gonnas or I should be’s” today. Replace the "I'm gonna's" with "I am" and the "I should be's" with "I will now's".

Let’s zip the lip. The time for rhetoric and rah-rah is over.

Let’s “lace ‘em up” hit the floor and GET TO WORK!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney