Not Called to Weakness

This morning started off rough, few misc. moments of fear, a few points there where I thought “Oh Geeze!” and things just seemed to sort of pile up, a client complaint, a client who didn’t understand “re-occuring billing” - just a few things I really let get to me, and the one joy with sharing a house with a pastor (aka my dad) is that he peeks in now and again and knows when things are crazy.

Once things cooled down we got to talking, and one thing that came up as we talked out what was going on in our lives was a typical thing I hear from folks, both Christian & Non-Christian - “How could you!? I thought you were a CHRISTIAN!!!!” a classic line, I have heard it from the non-believer a lot in business dealings “So that’s how your going to play it? *insert line here*” and it was on something simple like a business choice, a call I made, standing my ground and not just letting a bill ($100+) slide under the table, because that’s what Jesus would do.
But getting it from other Christians is just plain sad. As Christians we should be compassionate, caring, friendly, and great talkers at parties - but it never said we had to be a coward and give to every whim someone has to somehow PROOVE we are a good christian - all were doing is letting someone other than Christ control our actions/life.

I admit, there are times God’s just nudged “Just do that, walk away” and I have followed, heck there have been times I have known and done the oppisite (my Jonah Complex), only to pay the price, but Christian isn’t some greek work that translates into “Floor Mat” - I have let it though in my time, working for CMCentral.com I think sometimes I said “Yes” a lot to go above and beyond, be a blessing, and stand in the gap if something was lacking, and to Mike Janke, I would like to publically say “Sorry for stepping on your toes” - Mike was a new senior editor, trying to work the forums, and I sort of stepped in, and pushed a bit, may not of seemed like it to Mike, but I do feel bad about it - but I look back at my time @ CMC and really see where I could of, and should of, said NO - and if meant I wasn’t good enough to work for the site, walked away and never looked back - not that CMC ever DEMANDED it of me, but rather never stopped me from doing it as it benefited them, but in the end - twas my choice.
But there in lies what some say is a “awesome spirit of giving” and others say is my “greatest weakness” - I tend to give myself to something fully, 192.4% (I know that’s not a real precentage) - and just really give all I could, like my time at JesusShack here in town, went, and went, and went, and it took me unplugging overheated PC’s and placing them in the middle of a room to cool off for the night to have a “talk” with the head hancho, and decide it was time to go, was it a pretty phone call to get when they found the PC’s in the morning unplugged? No - but it really pushed me to move on.

What am I saying? Well if your a believer, your a Child of the King, your royalty, and you can use the blessing the Lord gives you (time, talents, treasures) to better things, but beware of those who would abuse those 3T’s (copyright Ron Brown 1998-2006) for their own uses, and until your exhausted, because in my experience, 9/10 after you put your foot down and say no, or your too tired to be useful, you are thrown away, and that’s a sad way to be treated as a human in general.

So take off that “I’m a Floormat” sign from your forehead, and use your time wisely, and learn to say “No”, it may be hard and you may think your letting someone down, but it can lead you to what God would truly have for you in your life, and if that person can’t understand the boundry of Ministry vs Business, Friendship vs Slave Labor, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate that relationship anyway.