Draft Pick

And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." -- John 1:12 When you were in grade school, did your classmates tend to pick you for kickball or other playground sports? And as you got older, did you ever try out--and make--your high school football, baseball or basketball team? While missing the cut can be demoralizing, there's something special about being chosen. And this unique recognition extends beyond school and sports. For example, when you've gone through that lengthy interview process and the Human Resources representative finally calls to offer you a job with the company, there's nothing quite like it. After all, you were picked over the competition to join their team. Kurt Warner knows that wonderful feeling that accompanies acceptance and success, But he also understands failure and rejection. The now-retired NFL quarterback excelled in football, basketball and baseball in high school, and even led his gridiron team to victory in Iowa's Shrine Bowl. This success, however, didn't translate into a big-name college scholarship. So for the next three seasons, Warner rode the bench at the University of Northern Iowa. It wasn't until his senior year that he guided the Panthers to an 8-3 record while garnering honors as Offensive Player of the Year. As good as Warner was in college, no NFL team picked him in the draft. He stayed in shaped and supported himself financially by stocking shelves in a supermarket. And before long, he joined an Arena Football team. NFL scouts eventually noticed his talent, but he was cut during tryouts with the Green Bay Packers. Warner finally broke through by starring in the NFL's now defunct European League, and he later signed a contract as the Los Angeles Rams' third-string quarterback. The next season, when the starting quarterback suffered a serious injury, Warner got his chance. And he responded by leading the team to a 13-3 record and an unlikely victory in the Super Bowl. "People think this season is the first time I touched the football; they don't realize I've been doing this for years--just not on this level--because I never got the chance," Warner told reporters. "Sure, I had my tough times, but you don't sit there and say, 'Wow, I was stocking groceries 5 years ago, and look at me now.' You don't think about it, and when you do achieve something, you know luck had nothing to do with it." Although he was finally a champion quarterback, Warner still faced obstacles in his career. For a short time, he accepted a stop-gap assignment with the New York Giants as they groomed another future Super Bowl quarterback, Eli Manning. Eventually traded to the Arizona Cardinals, Warner played in his second Super Bowl, where he threw for an impressive 377 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kurt Warner is an unabashed Christ-follower who's quick to give God the credit for his successes--both on and off the field. He wasn't always picked first for his sports teams. And he wasn't immune from failure and disappointment. But his gifts and talents always showed through. And the scouts and coaches noticed. If you've ever been overlooked or experienced failure on the playground, the office--or even in your own home--never forget that God notices and loves every Christ-follower. That's no promise that you'll ever lead your team to the Super Bowl. But you're still guaranteed to be His first-round draft pick.

The Gospel of Wealth

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

-- Proverbs 13:22

  

We think of the Wright Brothers for their history-making contributions to aeronautics, Alexander Graham Bell for telecommunications and Henry Ford for transportation. Their names and the genius of their work influence the world to this day. On the other hand, our nation's third president —also a great man—wished only to be remembered for what's inscribed on his tombstone:

Here was buried

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of American Independence

of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom

& Father of the University of Virginia

Andrew Carnegie left a much different legacy. Born into poverty in 1835, he leveraged

his thirst for knowledge to become a successful industrialist and eventually the world's richest man. Carnegie sold his steel company in 1901 for what's today $13 billion. And for the rest of his life, he became known as the Father of Modern Philanthropy for giving away most of his vast wealth to benefit others. Carnegie underwrote the construction of 2,811 libraries, established a retirement pension for teachers and founded what’s today known as Carnegie-Mellon University.

By the time of his death in 1919, Carnegie was the primary financier of half of America's public libraries. The premise of his essay The Gospel of Wealth speaks volumes about what drove him to spread his riches:

"The man who dies rich dies disgraced."

Millions of people still benefit from Andrew Carnegie's legacy a century after his death. What's more, there are biblical parallels to Carnegie's example of generosity for the betterment of others. Our bank accounts might be modest when compared to his. But as Christ-followers, we have enormous wealth to share by living out the key messages of The Gospel--the Good News of Jesus. We can tell others about Christ paying the price for our sins and theirs (past, present and future) when he died on the cross in our place. Then, just as predicted centuries before in the Old Testament, God resurrected him to life to forever defeat the power of sin and death in our lives. It's this same power that will one day raise all believers to eternal life and joy with our Creator.

Whether you're 19 or 99, rich or poor and famous or obscure, it's not too late to establish your legacy. A skeptical world is watching to see how Christ-followers live out their faith each day. Let's respond by freely sharing the riches of Christ's transforming power.

Built to Last

Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come. -- 1 Timothy 4:8 Long before Lexus, Acura and Infiniti began to dominate America's highways, Mercedes-Benz was the leading brand of imported luxury automobiles. They were--and still are--expensive when compared with your run-of-the-mill Toyota or Hyundai. And with some Mercedes sedans starting at around $90,000, these expertly-engineered vehicles are out of reach for most consumers. But for those who can afford them, their technological excellence is just the point. They do cost a lot. And they're built to last. Mercedes-Benz also builds a reputation for excellence through its High Mileage Award. First introduced in the 1960s, this citation recognizes those vehicles that have literally gone the extra mile by reaching the 250,000, 500,000, 750,000 or 1 million-kilometer mark. Proud owners are quick to attach the award's iconic Star and Laurel badge to their car's grill. According to the company's website, the current High Mileage champ is a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D that's been driven more than 2.8 million miles by a Greek taxi driver. Like an expensive, well-engineered automobile, Christ-followers are also built to endure long journeys--and often on roads that are winding and rough. But ours are designed to test and grow our faith--and ultimately take us to our eternal destination. The Bible tells us that those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior can expect their fair share of bumpy roads and unsettling hairpin turns. In fact, they can count on it. Maybe it's due to a layoff at work, an illness in the family or an unanticipated budget-busting expense. Whatever it is, we can respond by either giving up or by turning to God to see us through. Real faith will carry us past the finish line. But whatever is false is bound to stall us by the side of the road. Thankfully, life's not always about dodging potholes and head-on traffic. So while we're on our faith-journeys, we should take time to enjoy the ride God gives us and ask him for the wisdom to do his will along the way. And of course, we must also focus on the prize that lies ahead. It's not a shiny radiator badge, but an eternal crown of life.  Are you spiritually built to last for the long haul? If so, "Well done, good and faithful servant" are the incredible words you can expect to hear from our Creator.

Help Wanted

He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

-- Luke 10:2

Testing the job market or considering a new career?

With many employers facing shortages of qualified workers, now's a good time to sharpen your skill-set and update your resume. Bloomberg reports that the nation's labor market began the year on a strong note, with wage gains accelerating amid better-than-expected hiring. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve's February 2018 Monetary Policy Report reveals that we're near--or even beyond--full employment levels.

Good help may be hard to find these days, but employers are still looking for experienced, can-do candidates who meet some exacting criteria. Those who fail to impress and excel in some categories face the reality of not making it to that critical second interview.

Your first hurdle is to prove to the interviewer that you can do the job. What's more, employers have to decide if they like you. Even if you're well-qualified, you probably won't get the job if they think you lack the right chemistry. They also want to know if you're a risk. In other words, do you have a record of jumping from job to job every few years? And do you have a reputation for being difficult to manage? Finally, you must be affordable. Although the job market is tight, employers will eliminate you from the running if they think your salary demands are unreasonable.

Corporations aren't the only ones with high standards for their team members. For example, Christ-followers are tasked with preparing God's Kingdom and being a bright light in a dark, troubled world. And since it's such an important job that can yield eternal, life-changing rewards, only certain candidates are considered. First, they must be available on an as-needed basis. (Expect to work some weekends and holidays!) They also need to be obedient and follow the Boss' (Jesus) instructions--even if they don't always make sense at the time. Effective Christ-followers must also be humble in their work and share the credit whenever it's due. Overtime and sacrifice are a given. And to top it off, they must display initiative and be on the lookout for opportunities to help their customers (neighbors)--both local and foreign.

Is it any wonder that most people won't respond to Christ's help wanted ad? To quote the U.S. Navy's old recruiting slogan, "It's not just a job, it's an adventure." Here's how Luke's gospel records Jesus' words to his would-be candidates:

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it."

Landing a job can be hard--even in a vibrant, growing economy. But here's some good news: Jesus is recruiting right now for his organization's growing team. And many of his highest-producers never had experience in the field. Yes, the working conditions aren't always ideal. But there are plenty of rewards along the way. What's more, the retirement plan is out of this world.

Love Language

In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.

-- Matthew 20:28

It's estimated that there are up to 7,000 different languages in the world. Mandarin Chinese has the most speakers (about 1 billion), while Spanish and English come in a distant second and third with about 400 million and 360 million respectively. Meanwhile, the Bible teaches that every Christ-follower--regardless of their nationality--should be fluent in at least one Romance language. But that doesn't mean Italian, Spanish, French or even Portuguese. Instead, we should speak the language of love.

What's that mean? Let's look to our Creator for how he communicates his love to us. There's the famous story of the Prodigal Son, where the loving Father welcomes back his wayward--and totally undeserving--child with open arms. Or what about the Shepherd, who searches tirelessly for that single missing sheep? When he finally finds it, he returns it triumphantly to the rest of the flock. In both examples we see that love isn't a feeling or an emotion. Rather, it's all about action.

As Christ-followers, we should also speak this biblical love language by demonstrating God's goodness in tangible ways. It might be through helping an elderly neighbor run an important errand--or volunteering to manage a co-worker's project when he or she is struggling to finish an earlier assignment. Or maybe it's cleanup at a local park or visiting residents at an assisted living center. There's no shortage of examples.

The message is clear. We're to be Jesus' hands and feet on earth while we wait for his return--or that day when he calls us back home (whichever comes first). Until then, we're to help prepare his Kingdom by making a positive difference in the world through the gifts and talents he's given us.

When we serve, it's not about us. Let's instead put others first by speaking that special language of Jesus' love, truth and salvation.