Do you feel lucky?
It’s hard to go wrong starting a blog where you quote Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry.
Luck is a valuable, perhaps even preferred quality as reflected in the saying, “I’d rather be lucky than good.” In today’s movies, virtually all heroes have superpowers and in the movie Dead Pool 2, the power of luck reached superpower status.
But this is the real world.
One definition of luck is being prepared when an opportunity arises. Others have used that same definition for success. That’s an interesting intersection isn’t it–that the definition of luck and success can be the same? We rarely have control over the circumstances and opportunities that come our way, but we certainly can do the preparation part.
The motto for both the Boy and Girl Scouts is “Be Prepared”. As an Eagle Scout, my heart breaks for what has happened to both these once wonderful organizations–hopefully, they will find their way again, but that is a topic for another blog. The critical takeaway here is being prepared and it is the first step for our journey of a lifetime, travelling in a most excellent way. Continuing with the travel analogy, this addresses the question of “What do we need to pack?” What are the character tools and skill sets that we need to pack and to clothe ourselves so we can successfully manage every possible situation we may encounter.
Before we get dressed and start packing, let’s evaluate the environment in which we’ll be travelling and the scenarios (opportunities) we may face. There are a number of ways we can classify or categorize our circumstances, but let’s separate them into just two: things that we can control or influence and things that we can’t. That covers all the bases.
Now let’s say a prayer. You may recognize it. It’s often called the Serenity Prayer: “Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
We should always focus our energies, efforts, and courage on the things we can change. This is a proactive mindset and it needs to permeate every thought we have. A reactive mindset is one where you empower your circumstances to rule over you and that leads to fear. As examples, saying, “That’s just the way I am” or “That person makes me mad” comes from a reactive mindset. You have the ability to control or change the way you are and how you feel. A military proverb is that the best defense is a good offense and being proactive vice reactive aligns with that concept. Remember Who is with you! Be strong in the LORD and be of good courage for God did not give you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Likewise, for the circumstances we cannot control…God can! Completely trust in Him for He knows your situation. God is never shocked or surprised. You’ll never hear God say, “Hmmm, I didn’t think of that.” He rules and reigns and He loves you with an everlasting love. There is great comfort, peace, and serenity in that thought!
The next major component in our prayer is wisdom. Wisdom is worthy of a blog all its own, but here’s a few quick concepts. Proverbs 9:10 tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”. As mentioned in a previous blog, grasping the first four words of the Bible is critical: “In the beginning, God…” It all starts with God and all things are under Him. Reverence and respect (Fear) is where wisdom begins because it properly aligns your perspective. It’s not about you.
We are to walk wisely, making the most of our time (Eph. 5:15). You are where you are today because of the decisions you made along the way. Think about that. Your decisions of what job to take, what car to buy, what person to marry…and voila, you are here. The goal then is to make wise choices and that is the greatest question to ask when making a decision. It’s not what’s the easiest thing, or the quickest thing, or the most satisfying thing, but what is the wise thing to do.
Pastor Andy Stanley elaborates on this concept by putting it into the context of your life journey. Restating: “In consideration of your past experiences, in light of your current circumstances, and in view of your future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing to do?”
You know your past and where you’ve had trouble. When I went through a season of time where I hit every pothole in the road–even circling back to hit some more than once, my sister did a needlepoint sign for me that still hangs on my wall today as a reminder: “Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.”
I certainly wasn’t exercising much wisdom in my actions and the consequences were not pleasant! So, consider your past and be mindful of your weaknesses. Next, understand your Current State or present circumstances. Sometimes a good thing may not come at a good time. Finally, always keep sight of your goals and Future State. We’ll discuss that more in our next “P”.
Time to Get Dressed
We find our clothing requirements in Ephesians 6:11-18. Our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but the powers and principalities of evil. We are courageously proactive in our hearts focusing on what we can influence and control, and prayerfully giving God the rest. We walk wisely, and we put on the full armor of God.
We hold up our trousers with the belt of truth for we should be truthful in all our actions. If not, we may be embarrassingly exposed when our pants fall down or worse—go up in flames–liar, liar, pants on fire. We protect our heart with the breastplate of righteousness guarding us from temptation and keeping us in the path of obedience. We put on the shoes of the Gospel of Peace as we fulfill the Great Commission to go and make disciples and be the bearer of Good News! We pick up our shield of faith to guard us against the flaming arrows (lies) of Satan. We protect our head and mind with the helmet of salvation—to not be conformed to this world, but transformed thru the renewing of our minds and to proactively go forward with a spirit of confidence in our eternal salvation knowing that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God. We take hold of the sword of the Spirit or the Word of God which is Truth with a capital “T” and can slay every lie. Finally, and most importantly, we pray continuously in the Spirit, keeping our communication lines with our Commander always open to receive instructions.
Did you notice the common thread in your clothing? It’s an element that Satan cannot defeat no matter how hard he tries. Take a moment to see if you can find it.
The core material of your armor is truth and truth can never be defeated. Satan, the father of lies, may prowl around like a roaring lion, but he’ll shatter his teeth on the truth within your armor. A lie cannot defeat truth, it can at best only hide it from view.
You have a belt made of truth, your shoes are literally the Gospel truth, your breastplate is righteousness which is the truth of God’s Holy character, your shield is your faith in the truth of God’s promises, your helmet is the truth in your eternal salvation, and your Sword is the Truth of God’s Word. Finally, you pray in the Spirit Who intercedes and prays with you (Romans 8:26-27) and you pray and communicate with God not only in truth, but note you are speaking to Truth.
Now you are ready! You are prepared and well-dressed for your journey. You have a courageously proactive attitude confident that God is with you, your mind seeks wisdom in all your actions, and you are dressed in the armor of truth that Satan’s fangs cannot penetrate. Don’t worry. We wouldn’t get you all dressed up and have nowhere to go. Get ready! For the journey that awaits is the grandest of the grand! To quote from another cinema product (TV show Kung Fu), “Patience, Grasshopper.” We’ll cover our destination soon. However, the next “P” we will describe is why we are travelling. It is our PURPOSE. Until then…be prepared.
