Archive for the Category »The Backward Kingdom «

12
Jan
Discover the Christian’s Secret to Business Success

Sign pointing to successWell dang, I’ve started a new direction in my writing and need to know the secret to success. I’ve check Google for articles and mentors in the Succeeding in Business Department and have received all kinds of advice—most indicating that there is no magic bullet unless I purchase their “Magic Bullet Online Marketing Course” that will guarantee me instant, millionaire, awesomeness business success.

So I’ve gone back to what I know and value. I can do the work of getting my books up in ebook format, updating my website and blog, and learning the ins and outs of social marketing, but none of it will mean diddly-squat if I neglect this one, foundational ingredient for success in business:

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8 NIV).

First bit of work, which is more important than any other work I do for my business, is to meditate on God’s Word during the day and let it marinate in me during the night.

OH, but there’s more! (I copied that line from the Magic Bullet Online Marketing Course ad.) The next condition is that I have to be strong and courageous—unafraid in the face of economic hardships and a huge amount of competition. *looks for the nearest blanket to hide under*

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 NIV).

Are you feeling overwhelmed yet? Ready to drop this like a hot potato and purchase that online millionaire’s course mentioned earlier?

Let’s break this down, shall we?

My responsibility:

  • Memorize, meditate, and marinate in God’s Word.
  • Obey the instructions I find written there—think them, do them, and let them adjust my attitude and my actions.
  • Don’t let my self-talk go the direction of discouragement and fear. Grab onto the Word that has been marinating inside of me and let it be what motivates me—not fear.

God’s responsibility:

  • He will be with me wherever I go—through all the twists and turns of running a business and learning new things.
  • Fulfill his promise of making my business prosperous and successful.

So the questions now are:

Will I mind my part of the business and let God take care of his?

Can I keep my mental musings out of his arena of responsibility and focus on mine?

I have a little book of flip cards where I write down all the promises God has for my business. Joshua 1:8-9 heads the pack. I read it, recite it, pray it, and muse on it everyday. Amazingly, the Spirit Holy will bring those words up to my memory when I’m tempted to let discouragement invade my mental musings. (I think that has something to do with the Spirit being the guard of peace around my heart and mind mentioned in Philippians 4:6-7.)

So, what you have found helpful in marinating in God’s Word, and how has that influenced your business? Inquiring minds want, and need, to know.

Susan Gaddis, Helping you build your spiritual legacy

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Category: At work, Brain overhaul, Ebooks, The Backward Kingdom  Tags: , , , , , , , ,
08
Sep
How to Survive a Fire Greater Than 9/11
How to Survive a Fire Greater than 9 11

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com

The tenth anniversary of the worst attack in history on American soil is this Sunday. The actions of 9/11 shocked us and left us deeply shaken with fear. Although we all experience things that shake us and leave us fearful, 9/11 magnified our private shakings to a national level. Unfortunately, that is the nature of our world.

But there is a kingdom coming that cannot be shaken, either on a personal level or a national one. Because we currently are citizens of that kingdom, we’re asked to embrace fear—the fear of the One who is a consuming fire.

That is scary—serving a God who is a consuming fire. We are called to be people who embrace the fear of a fire far greater than the fire that consumed the Twin Towers and planes full of people. And—get this—we’re to embrace this consuming fire of a God and still experience the security of his unshakable kingdom.

So how do we do that? How do we serve God in an acceptable way with the reverence and godly fear that is a hallmark of his kingdom people? How do we stand out from the crowd as people of God walking in the reality of a kingdom that cannot be shaken?

I don’t know about you, but I find that an impossible assignment. I seem to fear many things, and most of the time the fear of God is not at the top of my list.

It isn’t surprising that the #1 ingredient for serving God with the right kind of fear is grace. I just can’t get the fear thing right apart from the supernatural power of grace. Without grace, I act and react much the same as those outside the kingdom of God.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

The truth and grace that flows from Jesus Christ (John 1:17) is the secret to living in a kingdom that cannot be shaken by terrorists, personal failures, economic woes, fractured relationships, or health problems.

Grace is required to embrace the God of consuming fire without being destroyed. (You can find tips on how to tap into this grace in my post “The Secret to Being a Supernatural Follower of Jesus.”)

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is Sunday. Are you tapping into God’s grace in such a way that those around you see a person calmly serving a God whose fire is more powerful, consuming, and totally different than that of 9/11? How do you know?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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20
Jun
How Good Do You Have to Be to Get to Heaven?-A Monday’s Moment Clip

Many wonder how good you have to be to get to heaven, but few understand the secret. Watch the following clip and see how well you would do on the “Good-O-Meter.”

If you received this post via RSS or email and cannot view the short clip, please visit my Holy in the Daily blog for today’s dose of  truth.

Do you agree with this Monday’s Moment video clip? What do you think is the secret for getting into Heaven?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Eternity Future, Humor, Monday's Moment Videos, The Backward Kingdom  Tags: , , ,
11
May
Blindness is Required for an Aha! Moment

I just realized that blindness is required for an Aha! moment. Yes, I know–I’m a little slow on the uptake at times. For the first time in my life I awake to view the sharp details of my bedroom dresser and the wrinkles on Husband’s face instead of fuzzy colors meshed together. It’s true—only with clear sight can we know how blind we have been.

Is this how the blind man felt after receiving his sight? I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. *silly grin* Really—this is amazing! I once was blind, but now I see. Dr. Johnson is my new favorite-person-of-the-month. I have 20-20 vision in my right eye where Near-Sighted-Since-Birth fought with a cataract for total visual domination. The left eye is scheduled for renovation on May 17th and then I shall conquer the world! Maybe.

I still need multifocal lenses in my soul. For some reason Jesus doesn’t seem to want to wave his spiritual scalpel over my Near-Sighted-Since-Birth soul and instantly replace all cataracts with the multifocal lens of the Spirit Holy. It seems to be an ongoing surgical process—sight on the installment plan. Not nearly as much fun as Dr. Johnson’s better vision plan, but it does come with an eternal lifetime guarantee.

I do awake every now and then to the clear details of a situation where once only fuzzy colors had meshed my opinions together into a not so godly near-sighted mess. Spiritual cataracts fall off. A sliver of God’s multifocal lens glimmers into place. Maturity happens. Slowly.

Why does spiritual sight reveal blindness? Why can’t we just know we are blind? You would think a blind person would know he was blind, but that isn’t usually the case when it comes to spiritual things. We don’t see our blindness until we have sight. Go figure. Just another reason we call it the Backward Kingdom.

Comments? Questions? Opinions? What’s your experience with spiritual blindness?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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05
Jan
Laughing at Your Shoulds

Little children laugh at falling leaves, men with long white beards, and puppies. Of course, all of these things can make a small child cry too, but usually what comes forth is a giggle. I wonder where we have lost our ability to giggle at falling leaves.

Life is gloomy when lived in a depressing economy or with people who take themselves too seriously, especially when such people bear your name. There will always be work to be done, people draining our energy, and taxes. Yet God has called us to joy, and laughter expresses joy (see Psalm 16:11).

My first New Year’s resolution states: To learn to laugh like a child again. For me, the best strategy to accomplish this is to question all the shoulds I’m feeling at any given moment in my day—whether directed at myself or another. A should blocks joy and restricts the peace of God that allows room for quirky thoughts and time to laugh with friends. A should colors responsibility as an obligation and weighs heavy on shoulders that need to lighten up. Laughter is caught in the moment, and a moment focused on a should has no room for laughter.

Some things won’t get done today—there are children visiting their grandma who need her undivided attention, and she needs their world view more than that given by the latest news report. A review of the day with the pastor I live with favors the lighter moments mentioned as well as the heavier ones to balance our perspectives. The message waiting to be finished for the women’s meeting will be richer if I rest in laughter as well as the Scriptures.

They call the Kingdom of God the Backward Kingdom because nothing seems logical to the earth bound. Finding joy as strength is one of those backward principles that keep the Backward Kingdom filled with laughter (see Nehemiah 8:10).

How’s your laughter learning process coming along? Any tips you can share?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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Category: Daily, Humor, Personal growth, The Backward Kingdom  Tags: , , , , , ,
06
Dec
Incarnation–The God Who Put Himself into a Woman’s Womb

Advent is a season of remembering that it is always God who takes the initiative to have relationship with us. This initiative is expressed in the three comings of Christ, which is the theme of Advent and the topic for my three posts this week. I hope they help bring Christmas home to your heart this holiday season.

Our first remembering focuses on the reality that the God we serve became a human and walked among us (see John 1:1, 14). This is HUGE! We call it the Incarnation—God altering himself to become a man. Christmas celebrates the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies that God is not only spirit, but would take on flesh and blood—a permanent body.

God put himself into a woman’s womb. He experienced birth. He wore skin. He ate and drank. He laughed. He listened. He loved. He revealed his glory. Jesus still is human and has a body. A transformed body, yes, but a body that still wears skin, eats, drinks, laughs, listens, loves, and reveals his glory (see John 20:24-29; John 21).

In The Liturgical Year Joan Chittister comments, “Advent and the Christmas season show us life in its essence. In it, we are brought face-to-face with life stripped down and effulgent at the same time, simple and radiant at once. Here in the Child is promise and meaning, purpose and potential.”

“The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master’” (The Message Bible).

A Savior born—One who is totally God and totally human. One who can relate to my humanness and embrace me with his Godness. This is the first coming that Advent remembers—the Incarnation. In what ways are you encountering this Jesus, the God/man, during this holiday season? How are you remembering his coming?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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23
Aug
Blood, Guts, and Authenticity

Around 1,000 years ago, Viking Leif Ericson landed on the east coast of North America and began a colony called Vineland. Although the Vikings were fierce warriors, they had a difficult time with the Native Americans.

The Vikings were confused by the Indians and believed that they were often demons in disguise. The problem of distinguishing a real Indian from a demon was simple: Authenticity was established by blood. A real Indian would bleed when stabbed while a demon would disappear.

We can verify a Christian with a similar test of authenticity. When a Christian is “stabbed,” he bleeds love. This is especially true when wounded by other believers. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35 niv).

Love is the core of Christianity. Everything we do must represent the love demonstrated by God towards us. This means that we should be genuine in our relationships. No masks, facades, or pretenses. We are to be authentic with each other.

Authenticity contains the idea of humility and honesty in how we present ourselves and how we respond to others. We are to be people experiencing the ongoing transformation of God’s Spirit, Word, and truth conforming us into His image.

Blood and guts questions:
  1. How does the aspect of bleeding love differ from the way we have been trained by our culture to respond to “stabbings”?
  2. What emotions and attitudes bleed out of you when stabbed emotionally by another? How would the people you live and work with answer this question about you?
  3. How can you authentically bleed love when your attacker needs to be confronted?

I invite you to leave your knives, swords, guns, answers, comments, and insights in the blue comment link below.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

This post is reprinted from my book, “Help, I’m Stuck With These People For the Rest of Eternity!”

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02
Aug
What Hat Will You Be Wearing to the Birthday Party?

Adelaide bounced into my study and announced in her high-spirited 5 year old voice, “Grandma, is that your sparkly hat on the bed—the blue one with all the little shiny things on it? Because if it is, I want you to wear it to all my birthday parties.”

Of course I promised I would, but I wonder if she will find the same pleasure in Grandma’s hat when Grandma wears it to her 16th birthday party?

Now if my 18 year old son had bounced into my study and said the same thing I would have called the doctor. What is it about little kids that melts our hearts? My grandkids can ask my husband for watermelon and he’ll go to the store to buy them watermelon without a second thought.

Maybe that’s the key—not thinking. When I chat with a small child, my thinking goes into fun mode and the heaviness of life slips away. Thinking is cushioned by joy. Possibilities open up and I’m pulled into realms of thinking that are closed to adult minds. Life takes on new sparkle.

Maybe that is what Jesus meant when he said, “Unless you become like a little child, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.” The ability to see and enter the Kingdom requires childlike thinking at times—wearing sparkly hats to birthday parties and going to the store for watermelon instead of the more adult things you should be doing.

The Backward Kingdom awaits—what hat will you be wearing to the birthday party?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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05
May
Is God Confused?

Sometimes I think God gets confused. Take a look at King David. The Lord called this king a man after his own heart, yet David committed adultery, lied to his people, murdered one of his men, and didn’t score too high for the Parent of the Year award.

According to God, Abraham stands as a man of unwavering faith, although Abraham looks pretty wavering to me—he fathered a son born of doubt, lied about his wife, and played the master deceiver when it suited his purposes.

Why on earth did Jesus leave the family business to twelve guys who fought among themselves, struggled with pride, and abandoned him when he needed their support the most?

If these guys were around today they would be discounted and disqualified by the rest of us—definitely not “spiritual” people. Yet in God’s book, they rank pretty high.

So what is it about our “people lens” that differs from God’s? Why do we tend to judge and devalue people when God doesn’t do that? Why do we focus on the negative in people rather than the positive? What does God see in people that we don’t? What does God see in us that we don’t?

I think it has a lot to do with love and grace. We value and appreciate these qualities, but we don’t understand them. Not only does God understand grace and love, but he is love and grace. Therefore, his “people lens” reflects who he is.

None of us likes to be on the receiving end of a person’s judgment, yet we do not hesitate to state our negative opinion of others—as if we understand their life and struggles! In the Backward Kingdom, people are viewed through the lens of love and grace, not the lens of how they are measuring up according to our expectations.

What are you missing in people by viewing them through the lens of expectations? What are you missing by viewing yourself this way? What might you see by looking through God’s lens of grace and love?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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05
Apr
Why Flawed People Have It Right

My flaws and bloopers would score high on a weekly sitcom. Like others, my personality lacks many positive traits, yet my defects are what attract the grace of God to my life.

God is not condemning you for your bloopers—he is using your flaws to jump-start his workings of grace in your life. Grace is God’s avenue for transferring all his perfection, power, authority, favor, and forgiveness to you.

This grace was brought to planet earth through Jesus Christ and contains the power to transform and teach you all you need to know to live a godly life (see John 1:17 and Titus 2:11-12).

God’s grace is not earned through any action on your part. It is a gift freely given to flawed folks like you and me. In fact, you can’t even feel the transformation as it happens—but the results are amazing! The parts of you that you are blind to, or unable to fix, change as you live out your days simply because God has infused you with his grace.

“Grace does not demand perfection or provide a measurement for it. It brings perfection—the perfection of the Blood of The Lamb. It invites us to relax in His forgiveness and to assimilate His nature rather than to attempt to perform for others.

Grace releases us from a performance oriented portrayal of perfection, giving us instead, His acceptance as we are. It is a heart thing! The results may be seen by those around us, but in grace we do not see the change as an accomplishment because we are too focused on Him to see ourselves.” –Pastor Dave Fritsch in Dimensions of Grace

The outtakes on your life may advertise your humanity, but they also attract God’s grace. Can you relax in your flaws and know that grace has already made you perfect?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

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