Four Arguments for the Elimination of Complaining

A good friend- Jay Hellwig- invited me to attend a devotional this morning at the Ziglar corporation. Jay and his wife- Jill- work for motivational speaker- Zig Ziglar. Ziglar has built an outstanding reputation through the years as a salesman, communicator and most importantly devout Christian.

I have read some of his books over the years and listened to a few of his tape series. Having met him today for the first time in person, I came away impressed that he's the real deal. The positive attitude is no facade. He lives a life of gratitude, joy and hope.

Jay and I spoke after the event- as we beat each other up on the basketball court during our lunch basketball game. We discussed the importance of the stewardship of our attitudes. God has entrusted to us eternal hope. Christians are called to aim at perfection- 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)- by becoming excellent stewards of money, abilities, time and health. But we are also called to be good stewards of the hope that is in us. We are to be ready to explain this hope to others- 1 Peter 3:15.

I am by nature cynical and some might say critical. I have to battle these tendencies daily. One of the easiest things in this world is to be negative and live out of fear, jealousy, bitterness and comparison. It is tough work to live by faith, love, joy and contentment. So on the theme of living as if there is a reason for hope, I concoct four arguments for the elimination of complaining:

1. We are commanded in the word of God to avoid complaining. Philippians 2:14 tells us, "Do all things without complaining or arguing (NIV). God knows our nature is to complain. Therefore, He had to command us to avoid this behavior. One of the prayers that I ask God for daily is to eliminate complaining in my vocabulary, thoughts and actions. Some days I do better than others.

I stress this daily with my 2-year old son and have him already reciting Philippians 2:14 to me when he whines. I say, "Hudson what does God want us to do? Do all things without complaining or ______?" He replies, "whining." If we desire to honor God, we will work hard to eliminate complaining from our daily life. Repeat with me: I will not complain because God has commanded that I avoid it.

2. We deserve nothing. The two most destructive words in the English language are "I deserve". If we want to be biblical, we quickly see what we deserve. Paul tells all who reject God's Son, "Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed."- Romans 2:5.

CS Lewis says it well, "God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from. He is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies. Some talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again. They are still only playing with religion. Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger--according to the way you react to it. And we have reacted the wrong way."

We deserve death and misery due to our sin. God has been patient and merciful. He has given common mercy to us all- oxygen, water, food, climate stability, etc... He has given specific mercy to all who trust fully in Christ. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."- John 3:36. Repeat with me: I will not complain because I deserve nothing good. Everything good in my life comes from a merciful God who has commanded me to avoid complaining.

3. Many who deal with far greater adversity daily than I do exude daily joy that puts me to shame. I am not belittling the trials that we face. Every one of us has a cross to bear in this life. It might be health-related. It may be a family crisis. It may be a financial problem. It may be regret over a big mistake. It may be a relationship that is hard to deal with. Job 5:7, "Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Acts 14:22, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."

Trials are a sign of God's love not displeasure. He has important lessons to teach us. The person who avoids trouble is likely avoiding the will of God. John Calvin calls the man/woman who runs from trouble constantly: self-centered, self-absorbed, gluttonous individuals who like pigs are unaware that they are being fattened up for the day of slaughter. Loving others involves pain.

I look at someone like Joni Eareckson Tada- a quadrapeligic- who is helping thousands upon thousands with her joyful perseverance in the midst of daily handicap and I feel like a loser for every complaint that comes out of my mouth. I think about the millions of people that would trade places with me to have the opportunity and advantages of living in America. What do I have to complain about? I met a man blind from birth today at the Ziglar corporation- Blake Lindsay- who exuded joy. God uses these "chance" encounters to remind me to be thankful. Repeat with me: I will not complain because I am blessed. If I am breathing it is because God has willed it. I am to make the most of every moment God has entrusted to me.

4. Complaining chokes out all the blessings God has in store for me. Specifically, complaining chokes out the hope of experiencing God as Father, Son and Spirit in a resurrected body and a resurrected earth- the eternal promise.

Dan Stewart is a friend, neighbor and life saver for me. Dan knows how to fix anything. He runs a handy-man business. When something breaks in my home, I call him. Dan has a relaxed way about him and is never in a hurry. He works efficiently, but you can tell there is a peace. I enjoy spending time with him because Dan loves Christ and we talk about the things of God. He has a bumper sticker on his truck that sums up his life: "I am too blessed to be stressed."

Jesus warns us that thorns will attempt to choke out the truth of God- Matthew 13:22. We need to daily fixate our hearts on every reason that we have to be thankful. There are millions. To be more thankful, we need to be more thinkful. Think about everything we take for granted. As Zig Ziglar would say, "We need a check-up from the neck up." Repeat after me: I will not complain because I have been lavished by the grace of God. He has entrusted blessings to me so that I might bless others and glorify the name of Christ in the process.

The self pep-talk is finished. Thanks for bearing with me. Complaining is a cancer. It destroys life. Thankfulness is the cure. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Stewardship Plan- Abilities

God has entrusted specific abilities to each of us. For those who have been chosen to receive the gift of faith, God has prepared specific good works for us to perform- Ephesians 2:10.

God's command to us is to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself- Mark 12:30-31.

In other words, we should strive to do the maximum amount of good to the maximum amount of people as our worship and obedience to Christ.

Why should we continually examine our lives in relation to our God-given abilities? Because God has called us to excellence. He has called us to be ministers of His grace and truth. He has called us to give the world a glimpse of heaven where we will learn, grow and realize our potential as perfected stewards of our unique design, talents and abilities.

I have read that only 10% of workers feel that they are performing work that is a good match with their abilities. Considering that we spend over 100,000 hours working in our lives, this is a tragedy. We are not meant to waste our life in this way. One of the most important priorities is to hunt for what we are best at and to find purposeful work that is a match for these strengths. I am not referring to working only for income. Managing a household is work in my book.

Here are some questions to ask ourselves as we are setting goals for the use of our God-given abilities to perform good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

1. What am I most passionate about?
2. What have others said that I excel at?
3. What are the things that I do that feed my energy rather than drain it?
4. How can I sharpen my skills to maximize the natural abilities I have been given?
5. What areas do I need to commit to prayer so that God can fully use me?
6. If I could design my ideal job, what would it look like?

We should set goals for the stewardship of abilities. Create a mission statement. Think about how to execute that mission. Eliminate distractions. Avoid or delegate work that you do not do well. Play to your strengths. Manage around your weaknesses. Focus, focus, focus. We have one life to make a difference on the destiny of souls.

Read books about how to find your calling if you don't feel that you have a grasp on what it is. I have listed some resources that have helped me under the Abilities section of my website: http://stewardshipmandate.com.

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Against the Wind of Prevailing Thought

Ecclesiastes 7:13, "Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future."

I have been reading and thinking about three areas where the consensus may be wrong. Conventional wisdom tells us that global warming is a huge problem leading our planet on a path of disaster. Conventional wisdom persuades us that medical and college costs are going to spiral out of control for the foreseeable future.

I have no idea if any of this is true. Experience and observation have taught me that the gloomy scenarios often don't materialize. God is firmly in control of every detail in this world. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:19-20, "For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.' Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?"

We can look at history and see examples of consensus fears never realized. Nuclear war with the Soviet Union; food and gas shortages due to overpopulation; Y2K; Germany attacking the United States in World War II; diseases that were going to kill half the world's population. The list could go on forever.

This brings me to three fears that are prevalent today that are likely to be irrational. First global warming. I am a terrible scientist. My dad earned a PHD in nuclear physics. But I did not inherit his love for science. I do follow stories on global warming with a passing interest- mostly because I live in Dallas, Texas and hope that all the projections of global warming are terribly wrong. Dallas summers are plenty hot already.

Al Gore and Tom Brokaw tell us that the evidence for global warming is overwhelming. Are they right? There are some other voices.

There were articles in 2003 scientific journals saying that the ozone layer was starting to repair itself. Khabibullo Abdusamatov and his colleagues at the Russian Academy of Sciences believe that global temperatures have reached peaks and that the earth will begin cooling over the next 50 years with or without the Kyoto protocol.

Why do most scientists disagree with this theory? The answer might be found in a comment by climate expert Richard Lindzen of M.I.T. who says that the vast amount of government research money available for studies on "global warming" discourages skeptics from being vocal about their skepticism.

Something I am more familiar with are the financial implications of rising college and medical costs. These two areas are spiraling out of control and are putting major financial pressure on American families. College and health care costs are going to continue to go up, up, up. Right?

What if that is wrong? I have thought that two areas that can benefit most from technological innovation are education and health care. Technology has the ability to drive down costs dramatically in those two areas if it is used efficiently.

I recently read a book called The End of Medicine where the author Andy Kessler discusses the coming technological advances in the field of medicine. Most of Kessler's speculation is centered on the idea that diagnostic testing can become advanced and affordable for every American. These tests can be hooked up to computers, toilets or swallowed as pills with probes inside. If cancer and heart disease are diagnosed early enough, they can be treated and billions of dollars in chronic care costs are saved. Of course it is never that simple. But there are some compelling reasons to believe that technology will drive health care costs down and not up over time.

The same is true with college costs. There is a terrific website: http://collegecosts.info. This website has articles of research showing how using technology can make the learning experience more effective and drive down the cost of education by more than 35%.

I don't know if any of these changes will be implemented. But I suspect market forces will work on health care and education to force them to offer better value for money. The point of all of this is beware of the consensus. It is often wrong. Harry Truman once said- inspired by Ecclesiastes 1:9, "The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know."

Believing that problems are never as bad as they seem,

Ashley Hodge

Comments on Kiyosaki

Robert Kiyosaki has sold millions of books. He sprinkles enough God talk into his material to get him shelf space at Christian bookstores. There is a point in my life where his message of get filthy rich by doing as little active work as possible appealed to me. But the truth of God changed my mind and heart.

Kiyosaki's message is clearly the opposite of what the Bible teaches and therefore should be rejected by biblical Christians. But instead professing Christians are latching on to his message as just another example of their love affair with the prosperity gospel. Kiyosaki was asked to write a column for Yahoo Finance. Let's look at his perspective in his latest column on August 22, 2006. I will put his words in italics and then make comments in bold.

Go Forth And Multiply Your Money- Robert Kiyosaki

If the No. 1 reason people aren't rich is because they're lazy, the No. 2 reason may be that they're also wicked. Not that being wicked ever stopped anyone from getting rich.
Given all that, should we save taxes by stopping government entitlement programs? Does giving money to poor and greedy people reduce their numbers, or does it just ensure more poor and greedy people?

Kiyosaki seems to believe that poor people are greedier than rich people. Although I agree that poor people can be greedy, greed is an issue that plagues rich and poor alike. So in Kiyosaki's world all poor people are lazy and wicked. Hmm.

Great Spirit, Great Wealth

As you can tell, I'm in the same politically incorrect frame of mind as in my last column, "Lazy People Don't Get Rich." Many of you had a lot to say about that article, and I'll comment on that in an upcoming column. For now, this week I derive much of its inspiration from the Bible. Or Maybe he should say a couple of verses in the Bible taken out of context that support his worldview. Since money and religion are controversial subjects, I should clarify my religious position: I prefer the Native American Indian term "Great Spirit" as a more approachable reference to God. At least Kiyosaki is not pretending to align himself with the God of Scripture.

I also don't like religious fanatics, regardless of what religion they belong to, but I support freedom of religion. For that matter, I also support the freedom to not believe in a god at all.
As for my position on wealth, if you're reading this column you know it pretty well by now.

A Talent for Abundance

While I'm no Bible scholar (I completely agree), I'm going to use a passage from the New Testament book of Mathew to illustrate my point about wickedness and the lack of wealth. If I misinterpret its message or don't follow your interpretation I mean no harm, nor do I claim to speak for God.

I draw my politically incorrect message from the parable of a master who, before leaving to travel, gave one of his servants five talents (a valuable unit of currency), another servant two talents, and a third servant one talent. When the master returned, the first servant had doubled his money and gave his master 10 talents.

The second servant had also doubled his master's money and turned over four talents. To each of these servants the master said, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

The third servant was frightened of his master, so instead of multiplying the money he buried his single talent. To this servant the master said, "You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest."

The master then took the servant's one talent and gave it to the servant who had turned 5 talents into 10. The parable ends with these words: "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Evil Is as Evil Does

My politically incorrect interpretation of this parable is that the poor are wicked and slothful -- in other words, evil and lazy. My favorite line from it is "Enter into the joy of your master." If your master is God, then God's joy is the abundance derived from making money, which in turn creates more abundance. If that means God doesn't like poor people, then so be it.

Wow! What does political correctness have to do with this article? If Kiyosaki wants to use a biblical passage then he should at least try to get to the original meaning of the passage. To say that this passage implies that poor people are wicked and slothful and that rich people have God's favor leaves me speechless.

I will ignore the hundreds of verses in the Old Testament that communicate God's concern for the poor and oppressed. Mr. Kiyosaki, please read these verses before you make further ridiculous conclusions.

James 5:1-6, "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you."

Luke 12:13-21, "Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

I Timothy 6:9-10; 17-19, "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs... As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."

Just to clarify... I am pro people obtaining massive amounts of wealth through honest work that benefits mankind. I especially want those who have been trained in stewardship to make a ton of money. I want to get the maximum amount of resources in the hands of the best stewards. But just as the 1 Timothy passage teaches, the pursuit of riches is self-reliant. The pursuit of stewardship is God-reliant.

This is contrary to the ideas I often hear from socialists, religious leaders, and the poor themselves. I meet many people who believe that it's the rich who are evil, and that money is the root of all evil and rich people won't go to heaven. But this isn't what the Parable of the Talents says; I interpret it to say that the poor are evil and lazy. Your interpretation may be different.

For me, it brings up the problem of entitlements and government safety-net programs. My interpretation of the parable indicates that the government's social programs are evil because they support people who are wicked and slothful, and even create more of them.

That doesn't mean just more poor people, either. As we all know, some of the most corrupt practices in government are derived from the rich wanting more government handouts for their corporations, special interest groups, or political action committees.
Most of us are mature enough to know that it's only the less intelligent politicians who get caught. Some of our most wicked (and most famous) politicians are in important positions of power. Many of them are the ones we see posing for photo-ops in churches or at prayer breakfasts.

Money-Happy

One of the more financially dysfunctional notions I hear from poor people is that "money doesn't make you happy." I don't know about you, but I'm much happier when I have an abundance of money. So does God feel the same way -- is He happier when you're rich, or when you're poor? That's a question you'll have to answer for yourself. I think you know how I feel.

I will concur that some poor people are lazy. But not all. Kiyosaki has butchered this parable of the talents passage. The meaning of the word talent in this passage does have financial implications. But Christ seems to be teaching that professing Christians are to be fruitful with what God entrusts to us.

Money, abilities, time and health are resources that God entrusts to us in different measures. We will one day account for how we used these gifts. Our charge is to use all of these resources in a God-glorifying way not on selfish indulgence. We are to help alleviate the sufferings of the poor by providing opportunity. I do agree with Kiyosaki that entitlements are generally bad. But to say that the poor are wicked and lazy is naive and arrogant.

Kiyosaki's attitude reminds me of the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. This rich man ignored the needs of the poor beggar- Lazarus. Jesus teaches that the rich man is told in hell, "remember that you received your good things on earth while Lazarus suffered. But now Lazarus is comforted while you anguish."

We all need to have a steward's mind and heart. We are what we are by the grace of God alone. Period. And we must understand that this grace requires that we love justice, mercy and walk humbly with our God. This means not patting ourselves on the back when wealth comes our way. But instead asking- how can I follow Christ by being more frugal towards myself and generous to others?

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Stewardship Plan- Money

It is amazing what God teaches us in short periods of time. Seven years ago my attitudes towards money were selfish and not biblical. I was introduced to a Crown Financial Ministries Bible study and those beliefs began to change.

After reading many books on the subject of the stewardship of money, I began to write down a philosophy of money that hopefully is in line with God's revealed will. I published a book-Stewardship Mandate- in June of 2005 where I summarized those beliefs along with ideas about the stewardship of abilities, time and health as well.

I am currently working on a edit of Stewardship Mandate and I am amazed at how God is revealing new things to me all the time. Although I stand behind 95% of the things I originally wrote, I often cringe and think, "I didn't communicate that very well," or "Why did I write that?"

One of my core beliefs is that the things you will measure will improve if you commit them to prayer and work a plan towards the desired goal. As Christians, we should set goals for improving in areas of whole-life stewardship. Are you a good steward of money?

Jesus says, "You cannot serve two masters. You will either love the one and hate the other; or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Money"- Matthew 6:24. What is your plan to serve God using money as a tool rather than serving Money using God as a way to acquire more money?

My belief is that all Christians should strive for the attitude of George Muller who housed, fed and clothed over 10,000 orphans in England. Muller often said, "My goal is to become more frugal towards myself and more generous to others." Now that is a worthy stewardship goal- one that is Christ-glorifying.

How do you accomplish this? First, you must know where you are at. Do you keep a budget/spending plan? If you don't budget, start by recording every expense that you have for 30 days. I recommend continuing to do this daily. It takes 5 minutes each day. I have found that those who record their expenses will spend less. It does not matter whether your income is $5,000 per year or $5,000,000 per year. If you are a Christian, you should strive for excellent stewardship of what God has entrusted to you today.

After you know where the money is going, develop a spending plan. Here is a simple spreadsheet to help you with categories- for example purposes only since every situation differs: http://www.stewardshipmandate.com/Finances_BudgetProjections.pdf.

Once you have set up a spending plan, you must start to ask key questions and form goals to the answers of these eight important questions:

1. If you died today, would your spouse or family members know where to find all of your important financial documents? Have you prepared a list of family advisors on one page for them to contact? 2 Kings 20:1, “…Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die…’”
2. Have you adequately protected your family from these three financial risks: death before seventy years old, living past ninety years old and/or a disability? I Timothy 5:8, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
3. What is your plan for paying off all debts including your home? Romans 13:8, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other…”
4. Are you striving to live out the call of Christ to be more frugal towards self and generous towards others each year? John 3:30, “He (Christ) must increase, I must decrease.”
5. What is your plan to increase the percentage that you give to the work of Christ every year? Are you giving out of guilt or in response to the grace of God that has transformed your heart? 2 Corinthians 9:7, “Each one must give as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
6. Are you saving on a regular basis for the goal of financial freedom- to be able to free up more time to serve Christ in creative ways? Do you save in order to help others in times of need? Proverbs 21:5, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”
7. Are you a wise investor? Do you invest with patience and discipline? Do you have a plan for investing to combat the two risks- principal and inflation- that every investor faces? Ecclesiastes 11:2, “Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.”
8. Are you encouraging/modeling strategic living free from the love of possessions? Luke 12:15, "Take care and be on your guard against all covetousness for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

If you want to print out these questions in a pdf format, you can find them on the home page of http://stewardshipmandate.com under Critical Questions.

If you only set one goal in these areas and worked towards accomplishing that one goal, you would be further along in your stewardship journey than if you did nothing.

We were created to be stewards over all of God's resources. Adam was given a stewardship mandate- Genesis 1:28- to take dominion over all the earth. Sin has screwed up this plan. We have become wasters of money, abilities, time and health as a result. But when Christ returns, we will once again be ideal stewards of all God's abundance. Until then, we train. We strive. We press on. We set stewardship goals and work towards achieving them. We seek progress each year in faithfulness to Christ. We realize that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion on the day Christ returns- Philippians 1:6.

For the Ultimate Goal of Perfected Stewardship,

Ashley Hodge

Pension Problems?

There is a problem facing the world's largest economies. That problem is guaranteed pensions. It is projected that the United States, Europe and Japan will have over 1/3 of their combined population over 60 years old by 2040.

People are living longer and therefore spending a greater amount on every day expenses to live. Health care costs alone are currently $5300 per person each year and are expected to rise to over $10,000 per person yearly in the next 10 years.

What happens to the economies of the United States, Japan and Europe if 1/3 of the population that is able to work is not working but rather consuming? It will put a tremendous strain on the economies of each of these countries if expectations are not altered. Companies will have trouble paying pensions as obligations continue to grow and asset growth cannot keep up. The governments will not be able to meet social security and medicare obligations.

Is there a solution? Yes. Don't retire or retire later. Most of these problems would be solved if the average retirement age is increased to age 75. We will see the social security and medicare ages increased to age 70 very soon. The United States cannot afford to have a majority of its citizens consuming and not producing. One of the trends that I am most excited to see is the trend of people working and being productive well after 60 years old.

I had a conversation with my dad about this yesterday. He is still working daily for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a nuclear physicist at age 65 despite having quadruple bypass heart surgery this year. He is able financially to retire but chooses to work. I have a client who is a doctor still seeing patients daily at age 71. Another client runs his Plastics company daily at age 75. Each of these live purposeful; less stressful lives (my dad's heart problems were not related to job stress).

The retirement of the future needs to look different. Life is a growing experience. Travel, learning, purposeful work, serving others and leaving a legacy are the things that make life rich. I see more people over age 60 choosing to take a few years off from work and then launching another career or starting a business. Or working part-time as they mix goals of travel and spending more time with family. We need less emphasis on pursuing leisure and more emphasis on pursuing purpose.

There is only one example in the Bible of someone retiring in the traditional sense- the Levitical priests who retired at age 50- Numbers 8:25. But these priests were then expected to mentor younger priests. Jesus tells us, "We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no man can work." John 9:4. As Christians, we should strive to be productive and serving until the day the Lord calls us home. This may or may not mean working for income.

For those who choose to work for income and continue to produce, I believe you are doing a good thing for society. The greater sacrifices we can make for the common good; the better futures will be in store for our children and grandchildren.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Costco's Steward

I watched 20/20 last night on ABC and saw Jim Sinegal Costco's CEO profiled. I had read articles about him before and have always admired the way he runs Costco. Costco pays their workers almost twice as much as competitors on average. Employees only contribute 8% of their pay towards health benefits when the industry average is 25%. But remarkably Costco is profitable and the employees generally like working there (surprise, surprise).

What is particularly amazing is that Costco, despite the higher wages has higher averages than Wal-Mart in revenue per employee. And much lower labor expenses and overhead per employee- 9% versus Wal-Mart- 17% (2005 Labor Research Association). A big part of this equation is that Jim Sinegal earns $350,000 in salary which is significantly less than other retail CEOs.

Sinegal says, "Our attitude is that if you hire good people and pay them a fair wage, then good things will happen for the company." Costco hires almost exclusively from within. Many of the Vice-Presidents in the company started out in the warehouses.

I don't know anything about Sinegal's commitment to faith in God. A quick Google search shows him active in Catholic causes and many liberal causes as well. He's a wealthy man due to the success of Costco's stock over the years. His share of the company exceeds $150 million. But from every measure it seems like he has been able to build that wealth while practicing the Golden Rule.

I wish there were more shining examples of a stewardship mentality in the boardrooms of corporations like Jim Sinegal. Greed is a destructive force in our economy and more importantly souls. Sinegal seems to understand that stewardship over the finances and lives that have been entrusted to you makes a huge difference in the long run. Stewardship is always the right path. "To whom much is given, much will be demanded." Luke 12:48.

For The Rewards That Await God-Honoring Stewards,

Ashley Hodge

Network Marketing- Plaguing the Church?

If you have been a member of a church, you have probably been approached about a significant opportunity to own your own business and make a little extra income. And on top of this, you are able to spend more time with your family. Who wouldn't want this?

Network marketing or multi-level marketing feeds into some basic desires:

1. Earn money from the efforts of others without having to do a lot of work.

2. Own a "business" that allows you flexibility to work around the needs of your family.

Network marketing promises so much. But does it deliver? This issue is close to me because I have seen family members get sucked into the promises of network marketing and spend many hours and dollars chasing a dream that never materialized. And this is the problem. According to Robert Fitzpatrick who wrote a book titled False Profits, network marketing:

• Promises a lot but the fact is that less than 1% of all MLM distributors ever earn a profit.
• Is an ineffective way to distribute products. Less than 1% of all retail sales are made through multi-level marketing.
• Feeds into basic impulses of living a life of luxury and materialism. In every network marketing organization, there are a chosen few who are making tremendous incomes at the expense of the masses at the bottom of the pyramid.
• Rarely sells more than 20% of its products to people outside the organization.

I will acknowledge that there are probably a handful of decent products sold through network marketing. I have bought a couple. But the system is faulty. In preparation for a sermon that I will be delivering Sunday, I have been meditating on 1 Timothy 6:6-12.

1 Timothy 6:9-10 says, "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

Network marketing at the very core feeds this desire to get filthy rich without having to work for it. Whatever happened to acquiring wealth as the direct result of many years of hard work? The steward realizes that the words of Scripture are true. Proverbs 12:11, "He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment."

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Happiness

I recently re-read a sermon on Happiness by my favorite author- JC Ryle. The text of the sermon can be read http://biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT10.TXT

The Pew Research poll at http://pewresearch.org/assets/social/pdf/AreWeHappyYet.pdf tells us that 84% of people in America are either pretty happy or very happy. But my experience leads me to a different conclusion. True happiness seems to be elusive to most people. I don't know how else to justify that the divorce rate is close to 50%, the record high levels of debt and that 80% claim that they are performing daily work that is ill-suited for their God-given strengths.

What is true happiness? How can I be happy? I believe that true happiness must be defined by three traits:

1. Contentment- true happiness cannot be circumstantial. Economic circumstances change, people will disappoint and die on us, our health is fragile. True happiness must be outside all of these things. The apostle Paul said, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:12.
2. Peace- the truly happy person will be at peace with the past, present and future. They may regret many things, but they will press forward with a peaceful heart. "One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14.
3. Hope- happy people must live independent from this world. They must have their hope set on Heaven. The person who places their hopes in sex, family, sports, leisure, retirement, money, work, vacations, etc... is building on a foundation of sand. All of these things have their fulfillment only in the perfection of the everlasting life. Paul again, "Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there- the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21.

I agree with JC Ryle's conclusions on how a true Christian can be truly happy. He offers three suggestions:

1. Work every year to grow in grace. The holiest people are always the happiest. Beware of standing still. Let your aim be to be more holy every year- to know more, to feel more, to see more of the fulness of Christ. Search the Scriptures more earnestly; pray more fervently; hate sin more; become more humble; die to self more; seek more direct personal communication with God.
2. Work every year to be more thankful. Learn to have a deeper sense of your own wretched sinfulness and be more grateful to God you are what you are. Put to practice Philippians 2:14 which says to do all things without grumbling and complaining.
3. Work every year to do more good. Jonathan Edwards said that the goal of his life was to do the maximum amount of good to the maximum amount of people. This should be the goal of every Christian. Psalms 119:68 tells us that God is not only good but He does good. We should seek to imitate Him in every way.

I have some things off the top of my head that I am happy about today:

• Air conditioning- it is 107 degrees in Dallas. I am also thankful for a small house that allows me to pay my utility bills without too much pain.
• Gary Joe Kinne Jr. committing to play football for Baylor. It is has been a long time since a QB this talented has committed to the Bears out of high school- chose Baylor over Florida, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
• Great clients- God has blessed me with some tremendous people to serve.
• A loyal and beautiful wife. A son who brings laughter and joy to every day.
• Contentment, peace and hope. I don't want to imagine my life without Christ. I long for a resurrected body in a resurrected earth serving a righteous King.

Jesus explained the way of happiness to us in Matthew 5:3-12. One of the things that I learned by taking Greek is that although these verses start with the word "Blessed," a better understanding in our day is probably "Happy". We long for happiness. Our deepest need is to be content, peaceful and hopeful. None of this can be accomplished apart from Christ.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Heaven- The Steward's Final Destination

When the words are prayed: "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," what does it mean?

For me those words mean that the hope of the Christian is to have paradise restored. The Bible is a simple book in many ways and complex in other ways.

As I study the Bible, I see a consistent framework leaping off the pages. The Scriptures tell a story. The story is summarized by four major themes:

1. Creation- God created all things in perfect order.
2. Fall- Sin has completely distorted this world. There is currently a mixture of the good and the bad in all of creation.
3. Redemption- A Holy God has offered a solution for our sin problem. To throw ourselves on the mercy of God by trusting in His gift of Christ dying for our sins.
4. Restoration- The redeemed man/woman submits to the Kingship of Christ and proclaims that He will return to this earth to judge sin. Paradise will be restored to its perfect state and this earth will display beauty without the decaying effect of sin.

Genesis 1:28 is an interesting verse, "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth'.”

God created us to be stewards. In paradise, Adam and Eve were commanded to be great managers of God's resources. The potential was astonishing. But something went terribly wrong- sin entered the equation. The results have been devastating. We have now inherited a nature that is anti-stewardship. We have become wasters of resources. We use money, abilities, time and health for our own selfish ends rather than maximizing these resources for the glory of God.

But Christ says we should pray that His kingdom comes again to the earth as it is in Heaven. In this way, Genesis 1:28 and Matthew 6:10 are linked. God created us to be stewards. Sin screwed it up. God redeems us in Christ in order that we would be stewards again. This life we know is stewardship training for the Christian's ultimate destination. Heaven is the fulfillment of the mandate in Genesis 1:28.

In Heaven, we will reach our potential as we learn and grow in the knowledge of God. My vision of Heaven- shaped by Scripture and books like Heaven (Randy Alcorn) and the Chronicles of Narnia series (CS Lewis) is that the resources of money, abilities, time and health will be used for great ends.

Money will be maximized as we learn to use it for purposes that benefit the growth of God's kingdom. Cities will become vibrant as we build in worship of God. I had this thought as I looked at the building of high-end projects in uptown Dallas. There is a Ritz Carlton going up. A W hotel/condo project recently was finished. There are drawings for a great park in that area. As I looked at the drawing of the park, my thought was- doesn't this picture of the park look great before it gets trashed with debris and people passed out drunk or high? The uses of money in this life are always tainted by the effects of sin. But in Heaven, money will be used for noble purposes.

Abilities will be maximized as we use the unique talents that God has entrusted to us for work that glorifies Him and serves others. I believe that all work that is redeeming in value will be continued in Heaven free from the distractions of sin. What great things will be discovered? What will happen when great minds gather and learn from the Creator of all things? How great of a basketball player will I be when I can do the things my mind conceives but my temporary body cannot achieve? I digress. By the way have you seen the video of the guy that did a 720 degree dunk? That was sick. It can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRdpjxIlhvM&mode=related&search

Time will be maximized as we invest time in learning, loving and doing great things. What could you accomplish in this life that you neglect due to time constraints? What if the stresses of life were lifted and you were able to be devote time to projects that were an outflow of how God created you? Imagine the possibilities.

Health will be perfected. A resurrected body in a resurrected earth- that is something to get excited about. No more disease, disabilities or lack of energy. There will be great adventures to be explored. Mountains to climb. Oceans to dive. Rivers to be rafted. Hikes to be taken. Sports to be played. Beaches to be enjoyed. No financial, time or health constraints to hold us back.

Heaven is going to be sweet. Don't allow the culture shock to be severe. The steward's training is now. We say, "Come quickly Lord Jesus." The very best thing that could happen today for those who are in Christ is for Him to return and restore this earth to it's glorified state. But in the meantime, let us learn to be stewards over the resources He has entrusted to us as we pray for Christ's kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

The Crowd

Soren Kierkegaard remarked about crowds, "No witness to the truth gets involved with the crowd. His work is to be involved with all people, if possible, but always individually, speaking with each and every person on the sidewalk and on the streets – in order to split apart. He avoids the crowd, especially when it is treated as authoritative in matters of the truth or when its applause, or hissing, or balloting are regarded as judges. He avoids the crowd with its herd mentality more than a decent young girl avoids the bars on the harbor. Those who speak to the crowd, coveting its approval, those who deferentially bow and scrape before it must be regarded as being worse than prostitutes. They are instruments of untruth."

I have been thinking recently about the danger of following the crowd. I have discovered that most people would rather be mainstream than right. Many people believe that it is safer to be in herds. The crowd mentality shapes everything we do- how we spend money; how we invest; how we do church; how we invest time; what kind of work we choose; exercise and dietary habits. The crowd is quietly whispering in our ear, "Conform, conform. Don't expose yourself. Play it safe."

I am sometimes asked- not very often- what voices I listen to when it comes to investing? The answer to that question is: I like people that have humble hearts, intelligence, wise perspective and aren't afraid to stand on convictions despite the mood of the crowd. Some examples of this in the investment world are: Rusty Leonard, John Mauldin, Lincoln Anderson, Jeremy Grantham and David Swensen. These five men are examples of thoughtful analysis and men who aren't afraid to stand alone on their convictions. Therefore, their advice is worth consideration.

Then there are some voices that many people listen to who I consider fools. One of those voices is: Robert Kiyosaki. Kiyosaki is the author of Rich Dad/Poor Dad. This book has sold millions of copies due in large part to his devout allegiance to the multi-level marketing industry. The book has many flaws from an advice standpoint. Those flaws are detailed at this website: http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html. I won't repeat the bad advice here, because John Reed has done an excellent job.

How did Kiyosaki ever obtain an advice colum on Yahoo Finance? Two of Kiyosaki's recent columns were titled: "Why Mutual Funds Are Such Lousy Long-Term Investments" and one of his all-time classics "Why Savers Are Losers." Despite the fact that many long-term investors have averaged over 10% per year after fees in stock mutual funds for long periods of time, Kiyosaki says they are lousy investments. He prefers great long-term investments like gold- which has averaged close to 4% per year over long periods of time. I am not saying that a small portion of gold in a portfolio is not wise as a hedge. I am merely pointing out Kiyosaki's foolish advice to avoid a portion of investing that can produce great long-term results.

In his "Why Savers are Losers" column, Kiyosaki exposits on why people who save money in liquid cash reserves are stupid. He says cash is trash due to the imminent decline of the dollar. Really? And why is Kiyosaki such an economics expert all of sudden? Because he wrote a best-selling book about get-rich quick real estate strategies at the height of the real estate boom? I fear that many people who listen to this man's "expert" advice have been selling stock funds, liquidating cash and piling into real estate and commodities. This is herd mentality at its best.

Beware of the fools that play to the crowd. They feed on fear and greed. And the advice they dispense is often dangerous to your pocketbook.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Wasting Time

" He who lives by killing time dies with it." I remember reading this quote in a book by Chuck Colson years ago. Time is an invaluable resource and yet so many have no plan for how they invest time.

My wife- Amy- always makes fun of me because I started keeping a daily time sheet in 2003. She says I waste a great deal of time tracking my time. She has a point.

I got the idea from reading books about John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards. Both men had rigorous plans for their time and surprise, surprise both men accomplished a great deal of good for the kingdom of God with their lives.

Henry David Thoreau said in Walden, "most men live lives of quiet desperation but I have chosen to live deliberately." We need to heed this wise advice and have a plan for how we invest time on a daily basis.

Most are not addicted to structure like I am and would find tracking time to be a onerous exercise. But I have one strong suggestion. Track the amount of time that you are investing in two areas: watching television and playing video games.

The statistics are numbing. The television is on 7 hours and 40 minutes per day in the American home. The average viewing per person is over 4 hours per day. The full array of stats can be view at http://tvturnoff.org. I was under that average when I started tracking my time in 2003. But I was wasting many hours watching television. The first step in decreasing my television time was to start measuring how much television I was watching.

My goal was to decrease my television time to less than 2 hours per week. In a year, I accomplished that goal. What you measure will improve. So now that the NBA playoffs are over, I can preach again- without hypocrisy- of the importance of limiting your television time. And instead investing that time in more God-honoring activities- prayer, relationship building, study of the Word, reading, exercise, family time, etc...

Here are three tips for decreasing television time:

1. Go to bed early and wake up early. Most people watch TV when they are tired at the end of the day. Our family has moved from the family room where the TV is to the bedroom after 7pm. In the bedroom, we read to our son, talk and play. In the family room, we typically revert to the idiot box.
2. Get rid of the television in all bedrooms. The bedroom is a place for rest and sex with your spouse if you are married. TV in the bedroom is a terrible idea.
3. Set goals for your time in the evening. Keep a list of books to read to children or for your own development. Study the Bible- set a goal to read 4 chapters of the Bible daily and you will read through the Bible in a year.

The best suggestion of all is to get rid of the TV. But I realize less than 1% of Americans are without a TV. I did it for a year when I was single and still look back nostalgically on all the great things I was able to do with time as a result.

"Make the best use of time..." Ephesians 5:16

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

In Case of Emergency

America used to be a nation of savers. I have been in the financial advisory business for over 13 years. Other advisors will verify what I am saying. There is a huge disparity in the savings habits of older- over 70 years old- and younger clients. Many of my older clients live in houses that are modest and have large amounts of cash reserves- over $100,000.

Younger clients tend to place little value in cash reserves and invest large amounts of resources in homes. I am not sharing anything revolutionary here. But I believe it is important to continually stress the importance of having a healthy emergency fund. Asset prices have risen dramatically in the last thirty years if you have been an owner of stocks, real estate and lately commodities. Having money saved for a rainy day has seemed like a stupid financial decision in light of these advances. But let us heed Proverbs 21:20, "A foolish man devours all that he has."

I have four reasons why it is important for you to build up your cash reserves.

1. Adversity will come. Whether it is a medical problem, an unexpected downturn in business, a family situation or some type of disaster, you will experience adversity. Job 5:7, "Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward."

2. Adversity creates opportunity as an investor. Successful investing often comes down to having cash reserves at times of maximum pessimism. Harvey Firestone for example built a fortune in large part because he was able to buy up real estate during the Great Depression.

3. Adversity creates opportunity as a giver. Since most people do not prepare for the future, you will be in a position to show the love of God to them in a tangible way. I am not encouraging supporting financial irresponsibilty. But many who are faithful to God experience unexpected loss- health issues, job losses, divorce. Katrina, 911 and the Tsunami remind us all that disaster can strike a moment's notice.

4. Healthy cash reserves affords peace of mind to allow your longer-term investment and giving plans to work. From an investment standpoint, most people fail because they panic. They sell at times of pessimism and overinvest in times of optimism. A Dalbar study recently confirmed this fact. From 1984- 2002, the average equity investor earned 2.57% per year on their money while the S&P 500 index earned 12.22% per year. From a giving standpoint, I agree with Dave Ramsey in that the reason people don't give is that they are overspent. They have no savings and too much debt, therefore giving among Christians is less than 3% of net income annually.

In saying all of this, I don't want to advocate ever putting your trust in cash. There is only One who is worthy of your trust- a God who saves us out of the trials and adversities we are sure to face. Acts 14:22, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." But cash is a good thing- it allows the faithful steward to maximize resources in times of need and opportunity.

Are you building up your short-term cash reserves on a monthly basis? Are you living below your income level? If your outflow exceeds your income, then your upkeep becomes your downfall. Are you aggressively working to retire debt? Are you working towards a simpler life free from the entanglements that distract us so that you can be more available to God's calling?

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Tender and Tough

One of the ideas that has revolutionized the way that I view the Bible and the Christian life is the balance of tender/tough. John Piper presented this idea to me in his biographical series- Men of Whom the World is Not Worthy. Piper challenges us to read the Gospels and record every tender statement that Jesus makes. And also record every tough statement He makes. There is a remarkable balance.

The Christian life is designed to be a delicate balance between grace/truth; mercy/holiness; tenderness/toughness. I was reminded of this in hearing stories of Avery Johnson- the head coach of the potential World Champion Dallas Mavericks.

Avery has modeled and transferred mental toughness to the Mavericks- a team that has been talented in the past but also labeled as "soft". Dallas' star- Dirk Nowitzki- has been transformed from a jump shooting 7-footer to a guy who will do whatever his team needs to win- rebound, get to the foul line, drive the ball to the basket, defend, etc... Avery Johnson said something profound, "The players have responded to criticism well because they know how much I love them. They know my motivation is to make them better players and people."

My goal as a parent is to carefully preserve this balance of tenderness/toughness. I am caught up in Dallas Mavericks fever as many in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are. I enjoy the NBA playoffs because the playoffs are a war of attrition. The toughest teams usually win- because they are able to persevere through times when the mind is willing but the body is fatigued. Dallas is proving that they are the toughest team. There are many heroes.

Without DeSagan Diop's defense against Tim Duncan in OT of game 7, Dallas would not be playing for the championship. Jason Terry has been clutch. Josh Howard is a budding superstar who can lock down opposing players at key points. Devin Harris gave the Spurs problems. Jerry Stackhouse has been huge in key situations. Dirk Nowitzki dropped 50 on Phoenix along with his normal superstar play- including a 3-point play against the Spurs when Dallas looked like it would blow a large lead. Eric Dampier shut down Shaq in Game 2 of the Finals. Perhaps Shaq regrets calling Dampier "Erica". But no one deserves more credit than Avery Johnson.

Avery is an outspoken advocate of Christianity. I love how he models the tenderness and toughness of Christ. The Christian life is dependent on the daily radical grace of God. And the Christian life is war- persevering faith in the midst of trials, temptations and doubt. Our stewardship in areas of money, abilities, time and health have eternal implications.

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks the words of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 4:10-11.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Dire need for stewardship

There is a problem in this nation. It is a problem that should drive every Christian to his/her needs daily in prayer. This is a nation of poor stewards. The visible church of Christ in America by every indication is no different from the general population in areas of stewardship.

We have squandered God's resources. We have allowed comfort and affluence to become our god. We need revival in this land. We need to learn and practice biblical stewardship.

Consider these sobering statistics on American life:

• Average credit card balance in 2005: $9,312 (cardweb.com)
• Savings rate in 2005: negative for first time since Great Depression (marketwatch.com)
• 80% of workers feel that strengths/talents are not being utilized in current work (Now, Discover Your Strengths)
• Amount of television Americans watch daily: over 4 hours (tvturnoff.org)
• 10% of US population is addicted to pornography (International Bible Society)
• 7% of the US population have gambling addictions (National Gambling Impact Study Commission)
• 65% of US population is overweight or obese (obesity.org)

Christians are different, right? George Barna- researcher- had these findings:

• 40% of the US claims to be "born again" but only 4% of the population has a Christian worldview
• Christians give less than 3% of income to the work of Christian ministry
• Less than 3% of Christian parents said that their children's conversion to Christ was the top priority
• No significant statistical difference between Christians and non-Christians in the following areas: divorce, use of pornography, visiting a psychic, getting drunk and having serious debt issues

Stewardship is the essence of the Christian life. Excellent daily management of God's resources: money, ability, time and health are the mandates for a follower of Christ. Why aren't more churches talking about whole-life stewardship? If we could get this right, everything else would fall into place.

"From everyone who has been entrusted with much, much will be demanded." Luke 12:48.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Warfare

The Christian life is often compared to warfare. Every follower of Christ is called to prosecute sin from within our own hearts. True Christianity is a daily fight.

1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

There are three enemies in this war: sinful desires, the selfishness of this world and evil. The daily warfare mentality is a crucial part of whole-life stewardship. Every day we have a new opportunity to fight, pray and struggle for godliness or to allow our passions to control our lives.

I have been reading a very provocative book by Soren Kierkegaard called- Attack Upon Christendom. The book was one of the very first to bring up the concept of "cheap grace". Kierkegaard argues that a religion that cost nothing is worth nothing. Jesus' own words, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow that leads to life and those who find it are few."

I have been reflecting on- and hopefully engaging in- this warfare a lot lately. I know based on my own habits of sinful patterns that one of the keys to fighting this war is to not allow sin an opportunity to engage a foothold in our thoughts. Sin is a sleeping giant within all of us. It is crucial that we not allow it to awaken.

Philippians 4:8, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

• Do I struggle with lust? I am told to flee sexual immorality- 1 Corinthians 6:18.
• Am I tempted to lie? I shall not lie to others because I am a new creation in Christ- Colossians 3:9.
• Do I find myself saying "I deserve?" Philippians 2:14 tells me to do all things without grumbling or complaining.
• Am I tempted to be lazy at work? Jesus commands me to work while it is day because night (death) is coming- John 9:4

Holiness is not an option for the Christian. It is a life goal that must be pursued and fought for. Hebrews 12:14, "without holiness no one will see the Lord." Am I saved by this pursuit of holiness? Absolutely not. I am saved only by the perfect work of Christ on the cross. I put my trust only in His grace. But I am commanded to pursue holiness; therefore I must.

We are a slave to our affections. There was a time in my life when I believed I was a Christian but allowed my continual appetite and affection for sin to control my life. I believed that I was saved by grace and therefore forgiven to commit all kinds of terrible deeds. Looking back, I don't believe I was converted to Christ at that time. I was making a mockery of His grace. His grace is costly. It required my total surrender.

Although I fall short, I must battle, fight, watch and pray. Are you in the battle? Kierkegaard had a powerful analogy in Attack Upon Christendom. Kierkegaard writes, "Imagine a man with a loaded pistol says, 'I will torture you to death unless you make your life here on earth as comfortable as possible.' This would be comical."

Kierkegaard is making a point that Christianity that promotes the easy path is a joke. It makes a fool of the words of Christ that the way is narrow. Unfortunately this is what we see taught in many churches today. Say a prayer. Walk an aisle. Be baptized and you are forever saved. Does that one time intellectual agreement save us? Of course not. We are saved only by continual faith in the promises of God. We are saved by trusting continually in His grace alone. We are saved by a daily fight for holiness and a continual desire to be conformed into the image of Christ.

Are you engaged in daily warfare for His sake?

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

On Church

I have been reading a lot lately on house churches. My family currently attends an excellent, God-honoring church in Dallas- Northwest Bible. The church is doing a lot of good in this city. The pastor- Neil Tomba- is a humble guy who seems to model the Christian life well.

But I have unrest in my soul because I only know a handful of people with any real depth although I have been involved in small groups there. My life doesn't intersect enough with the people that I see on Sundays or at Bible studies. I don't know if God's intention for church was to have us stare at the back of someone's head for 90 minutes on a weekend.

My journey into this house church issue started with reading a book by Randy Frazee called "Making Room for Life". Then a couple of books found me that really spurred thoughts- "Revolution" by George Barna and "Houses That Changed the World" by Wolfgang Simson.

Allan Karr who oversees a network of church planters at Golden Gate Seminary has said that, "75% of a traditional church's offering is consumed by staff and buildings. This leaves little to do actual good works. In contrast, house churches are often able to give up to 90% of their offerings towards works that help the poor, missions, etc... Traditional church is fine if you like buildings. But I think the reason house churches are becoming more popular is that their resources are going to something more meaningful."

One of the textbooks that I used in studying Greek was by David Alan Black. I did a search for some materials by him and found an interesting blog that he keeps. One of his articles was on the subject of house churches. He brings up some great observations about what church has evolved into:

• The Lord’s Supper has changed from a celebration to a ceremony.
• Worship has changed from participation to observation.
• Witness has changed from relationship to salesmanship.
• Leadership has changed from servanthood to professionalism.
• Mission has changed from being missionaries to supporting missionaries.
• Body life has changed from edification to entertainment.
• Buildings have changed from functional to sacred.
• Child care has changed from the hands of parents to the hands of strangers.

In March of 2006, Time magazine did a story about the house church movement: http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1167737,00.html

There are some other reasons that I believe house churches have appeal other than the obvious reason of being able to stretch resources much further:

1. It can unify believing neighbors and become an intriguing structure to non-believers who start to witness true community among Christians.
2. Offers disabled and elderly people in a neighborhood a more viable worship option than traditional church.
3. If done right, it can really facilitate deeper growth among members because it forces members to participate and not be just a spectator.

I don't know where this is going in my life. But it seems that materials keep popping up from nowhere that have my attention. The Holy Spirit may be leading me there.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

How Now Shall We Give?

Francis Schaefer wrote a book called: How Should We Then Live? Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey wrote How Now Shall We Live? Both books challenged Christians to abandon the common thinking of the world. Rather, we should have a distinctly Christian worldview and life.

Someone needs to write a book called How Now Shall We Give? I had a conversation with a client at lunch yesterday on this topic. We were talking about the disparity between CEO pay and worker pay. The average CEO makes 475 times the amount that the average worker makes. This number is actually down from 2001 where the ratio was 525:1.

But shareholders and employees of publicly traded companies have a choice. If they believe a CEO is excessively greedy, they can vote with their feet. Employees can find other jobs. Shareholders can invest their money in companies that have a stewardship mentality. All of the information to make a sound decision is available online. Publicly traded companies are forced to have a level of transparency.

This is not the case with non-profit organizations. Anyone can set up a 501c non-profit organization and claim that they are in the business of charity. I am certain that there are abuses of this tax advantaged status at universities, hospitals, museums and other humanitarian causes. But since I am a Christian, I am most concerned about church-related organizations. I see church leaders teaching and living a version of a prosperity gospel that is openly condemned in the Bible. I see church leaders using tax-advantaged status as a vehicle to use a church as an ATM machine.

II Peter 3:10-11, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives."

Transparency is one key to living a godly life. Knowing what I do now, I personally would never give a dime to an organization that would not willingly open their books for scrutiny. I attended a church at one time that was not transparent in how they used finances. As that church has increased in size, the lack of transparency continues. They have found it necessary to purchase all kinds of "ministry" aids such as a private jet, a personal trainer on the payroll to serve staff members and who knows what else. If you ask the church to reveal how they are spending the "tithes and offerings" that they receive they will give you the standard line: "You need to trust us. If you don't trust us, leave."

How a church can justify this approach is beyond comprehension. If you are considering giving to an organization or church, you should know with some reasonable level of confidence that your money is being used wisely. Pastors and staff need to be paid. Buildings need to have heating and air conditioning. But if you see warning signs like pastors living in $2 million plus homes, churches having private jets, personal trainers on the payroll, etc... you should ask questions. If you don't receive satisfactory answers to those questions, don't give the money that God has entrusted to you to that church.

Yes, you give to God. But I am convinced that God wants us to be wise as to how we give. There are many organizations that are doing true works of the Lord. Oddly enough, these are usually the organizations that are not constantly preaching about the Scriptural "mandates" of tithing. There is nothing wrong with asking for money. But please be transparent- after all you are a non-profit organization. To view a list of how some larger organizations are using money- go to: http://www.ministrywatch.com

How now shall we give? We should get the maximum amount of resources in the hands of the best stewards and the most godly leaders. Andrew Murray, "How different our standard is from Christ. We ask how much a man gives? Christ asks how much he keeps?"

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

The Race

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Hebrews 12. This chapter has provided me with encouragement in times of trial and weakness. Hebrews 12 has sustained me with the assurance that God is preparing a people for a destination that far surpasses anything we experience on this fallen earth.

As I reflect specifically on Hebrews 12:1-4, I offer these observations. The verses say:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Verse 1: We have a race to run. The Christian life is never meant to be one of ease and comfort. It has been designed by God to be one of endurance, struggle and effort. No great athlete becomes great by accident. It takes years of preparation.

We also have a crowd watching and cheering us on in this race. Perhaps those who have died in faith now pray and root for the current participants in this race. Hebrews 12:1 would seem to indicate that this is true. In times of temptation, I have often visualized a godly relative who has gone on to be with Christ watching my life. Sin loses its appeal in the face of a great cloud of witnesses.

We must throw off everything that hinders this race. I have written about this ad nauseam in other blogs. Money, possessions, worldliness, sex, power, pride, etc... are all thorns that seek to uproot faith. We must guard our heart against them. We would be hard pressed to run a race if we had a fifty pound weighted vest attached to our body. Likewise, it is difficult to run the Christian race when we allow inward or outward temptations to distract us.

Verse 2: We have a goal to strive towards. We have an example to follow. Running a race would be pointless without a finish line. Christ is the object of our faith. He is the author of our faith in that He created us. He is the perfecter of our faith in that He was the only runner to run the perfect race. He lived a sinless life so that He would satisfy the justice requirements of a holy God.

Jesus kept His eyes focused on the joy of eternal reward for obedience. He endured the humiliation of the cross. He despised the shame that it brought. But He endured in order that we may be participants in the glory of God- experiencing His presence in a renewed body on a renewed earth. Our Savior awaits the completion of our race. He is at the throne of God ready to judge the runners of this race.

Verse 3: Do we get tired of doing good? Consider Him. Do we feel that we are alone in this world resisting greed or lust? Consider Him. Do we feel that life is unfair because we have to deal with ____? Consider Him.

Christ- the only One who ever lived righteous- endured opposition from sinful men and women so that we might not grow weary or lose heart. What a comfort it is to know that we are not alone in trials. We have a Savior that has experienced all of the weariness, despair and loneliness that we sometimes feel. We must experience many trials and hardships to enter the kingdom of God- Acts 14:22.

Verse 4: Resisting sin is hard. But remember that most of us are not shedding blood to do it. Christ did. He suffered a horrendous death to purchase us. His blood was costly. We have a model of self denial to follow.

We will receive no discharge from Christ until we die. Our struggle against the world, our flesh and Satan are never over. Our retirement is Heaven. Until the day that we breathe our last breath, we run. Holiness is the objective of every Christian- to be changed inwardly and outwardly by the Spirit of Christ.

I pray for perseverance so that we might run the race well.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Discovering Giftedness

My son- Hudson- loves to do things that make me laugh. For example, he enjoys finding my shoes and putting them on. He knows it is a quick way to draw a cheap laugh from his old man.

I have been reading a lot lately about the stewardship of abilities. One of my deep desires is to help my son hone in on his God-given talents and to develop those into meaningful strengths.

I can already see patterns emerging at the age of 2. He likes to play by himself rather than with other kids. But on the other hand, he enjoys being the center of attention. He loves to perform for a crowd of people.

When he decides he wants to do something, he becomes obsessive. He will weigh the consequences of punishment and decide that it is worth a reprimand or spanking to go ahead and do the thing he is determined in his mind to do.

I attended a seminar led by Bill Hendricks on "Discovering Your Child's Giftedness." Bill shared some tips on how parents should look for and encourage the development of talents in their children.

Eric Liddell the 1924 Olympic gold medal sprinter told his sister who was urging him to quit track and focus on being a missionary to China. Liddell says, "God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure."

Bill Hendricks encourages us to find the blanks for ourselves and our children in the statement: God made me ________. And when I _______ I feel His pleasure. Three practical ideas that Hendricks shared in his talk:

1. Identify your own giftedness.
2. Pay attention to your child's patterns of... energy; activities; behaviors; satisfaction; focus; relationships; roles and circumstances in which they strive.
3. Keep a design journal- write down observations of your child throughout their lives.

Psalms 139:16, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The Bible is full of references that we have been fashioned, formed and designed for a specific purpose. Our job as individuals and/or parents is to be stewards of God's workmanship. There are many good resources to help you determine your areas of giftedness. These will also equip you with the knowledge to help others determine their talents.

From a general secular perspective, I found two books helpful:

1. Now, Discover Your Strengths- Buckingham & Clifton
2. The Pathfinder- Nicholas Lore

From a more specific biblical view, I recommend:

1. The Power of Uniqueness- Miller & Hendricks
2. Maximizing Your Effective- Aubrey Malphurs
3. From Success to Significance- Lloyd Reeb

I also must insert a shameless plug for a book I wrote- Stewardship Mandate. I devoted a chapter where I summarized some of my favorite concepts from the above books. Soren Kierkegaard says, "At a man's birth, there comes into being an eternal vocation for him, expressly for him. To be true to himself in regards to this eternal vocation is the highest thing a man can practice."

For the Glory of the Triune God- Father, Son & Spirit,

Ashley Hodge

What Easter Means to Me

This is a day that we celebrate Easter- the resurrection of Christ. This day has taken on new meaning for my family in the last two years. I have a two-year old son who reminds me daily of what a gift new life is.

But as often the case with this life, there is a continual mixture of trials with blessings. As my wife- Amy- was pregnant with our son, she was diagnosed with a neurological disease- CMT- that has caused her muscles below her knees and elbows to slowly waste away. This disease has brought daily challenges to our family and also perspective.

Every day, I struggle to watch my wife deal with neurological pain. I watch her have difficulty walking and doing many of the daily tasks that we often take for granted. We are reminded that this body is in a process of decay- 2 Corinthians 4:16. We have greater empathy for those who cope with physical disabilities.

But we are filled with hope. Easter is the basis for this hope. We believe in the resurrection of the dead. We believe that just as God raised Christ from the dead, He will also raise our bodies from the dead.

We believe that this body will be sown perishable, but raised imperishable; sown in dishonor, but raised in glory; sown in weakness, but raised in power- 1 Corinthians 15:42-43. Thank you God for the resurrection of Christ. The apostle Paul says, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile... if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." 1 Corinthians 15:17-19. I agree.

For the Hope and Assurance of Resurrection,

Ashley Hodge

Two Thieves

Today is Good Friday. What could possibly be good about a day that represents the most cruel, painful and unjust death ever suffered? It is good because this day represents an idea so radical that the mind cannot fully comprehend it. God became man to die a death on a cross in order that man could share in the glory of God. Christians celebrate Good Friday because we realize that one of the central doctrines of the Christian faith is justification.

Justification means that a man or woman can become righteous in the eyes of God through the cross of Christ. Not by any good works that we have done. The Bible reveals consistently that "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God." Romans 3:10-11. Yet a humble man walked this earth in sinless perfection in order to reveal who God is. He died a death for the sins of those who place their faith in Him. The just died for the unjust. "The result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life to all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19.

Nowhere is the idea of justification illustrated more powerfully than in two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. Luke's Gospel tells us, "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him, 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" Luke 23:39-43.

JC Ryle- one of the great writers and preachers in history- wrote a tremendous sermon on these verses. The sermon is titled Christ's Greatest Trophy. The sermon can be read on pages 120-129 of his book Holiness here: http://www.stewardshipmandate.com/Links_Holiness-Ryle.pdf. You owe it your soul to read this sermon.

Two thieves were crucified with Christ on Good Friday. Both thieves represent what our sins deserve- cruel punishment. Yet one thief was justified by Christ and one was not. One thief displayed amazing faith in the King of this universe at a point where the King appeared the most weak. Another thief mocked this King right up to the very end. The repentant thief gives hope to all sinners- myself included- that true repentance is never too late. Ryle says, "One thief was saved that we might never despair, but one thief was condemned that we might never presume."

Today, there are still two types of thieves in this world. The first type of thief persists in disbelief in the promises of God. They believe that Christ was a decent man- as all people do. But they resist calling Him God. They believe that they are deserving of good things and they mock in their heart those who have faith in Christ as narrow-minded and gullible. John LaFarge writes, "For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation is possible." This is one of life's great mysteries, faith is a gift. The same fire that melts wax, hardens clay.

The other type of thief comes to a realization of the hideousness of sin. He/she understands that our sins deserve death. The only option to escape this despair is to repent of this sin and throw ourselves upon the mercy of Christ- where transforming grace is available. He/she responds to this grace by allowing the Spirit of Christ to change a heart and declaring war on sin. They long for the day when the promise of Christ will become a reality: "Today, you will be with me in paradise."

As we reflect on Good Friday, I pray that we reflect on the evil of sin and how it has defaced everything great about this world. I pray that we reflect on the sacrifice of Christ and the penalty that was paid to redeem us from that sin. I pray that we look to the promises of Christ that one day those who have placed faith in Him will experience life in a resurrected earth with a resurrected body.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge

Should a Christian own expensive things?

Wouldn't it be easier if there were commandments in the Bible that said?

1. You shall not own a home over $300,000
2. You must drive a car that is less than $25,000
3. You must not take lavish vacations
4. Second homes are forbidden

The Bible is silent on specific lifestyle mandates. However, the Scriptures do have a lot to say about money and possessions. I have been meditating and thinking about one particular passage. 2 Timothy 2:3-4, "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him."

Possessions are a slippery slope. The people who live modest in our eyes; live lavish compared to over 90% of the world. God has blessed the United States with unbelievable prosperity and resources. Is this bad? Should we feel guilty because we are able to afford some things that add to our comfort and enjoyment in this life? Can Christians own million dollar homes, drive expensive cars, own second homes and take $10,000+ vacations? Is this sinful?

A common argument is that God calls some believers to live among the wealthy. The rich need Christ as much as the poor so the argument goes. Therefore, a Christian needs to live among the wealthy to win the wealthy. I personally don't buy that argument in light of Luke 12, James 5 and I Timothy 6. Those passages along with many others have stern warnings against acquiring possesions. Possessions want to be our master and it will compete vigorously for our affections.

This brings me back to 2 Timothy 2:3-4. I believe that the question every Christian must ask themselves in relationship to possessions is: Does this entangle my life or allow me to serve Christ with greater freedom? A strong argument can be made for buying expensive things. Nice things are often expensive because the quality is greater than cheaper versions. We have all experienced buying something at less cost only to spend more in the long run because it has to be replaced over and over.

The same is true for purchasing a home. There are lots of things to consider: schools, safety, family size, proximity to church, etc... There are no easy answers to these issues. God has taught me in recent years to enjoy nice things. Fine dining, vacations, possessions all come from His hand. These things are all a glimpse of Heaven and the eventual eternal prosperity that awaits those who call Christ Lord.

But these nice things are not to be treasured. They are to be used and shared but never trusted. Do our possessions entangle our lives? If the answer is "yes" what steps should we take to start untangling? As Paul said, "But one thing I do..." (Philippians 3:13). As Christ said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8). Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard interpreted this as purity of heart is to will one thing. It is to have a life that is free from the love of possessions.

Simple, strategic living allows a greater focus on the things that matter most. I pray that God moves our hearts to consider our entanglements carefully. We are called to serve one King, one Master, one Lord.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge