But let's just say that as difficult as what's in the video below is to accomplish, it didn't make the top three:

And as wicked cool as the dude in the video below is, his skills don't even register on the difficulty scale of the human feats we're talking about:

This looks a little tougher, but still not one of the three most difficult tasks for a person to master.

Ok, enough teasing!   As difficult to master as the above human achievements are, their difficulty pales in comparison with the following 3 Human Accomplishments:

1.  To Give Love in Response to Hate

2.  Standing up for those who are not present.

3.  Admitting when you have made a mistake or when you need to change.

Think of how you apply (or don't apply) these core behaviors in your life:

• Do you respond with kindness when someone won't let you merge lanes in traffic?

• Do you defend a friend or loved one when someone dogs them in their absence?

• Do you live in a state of constant self-assessment; willing to make any adjustments to bring your intentions in alignment with God's?

If you can answer "Yes" to any of those questions then congratulations, you've done something more difficult than breaking the world bench press record, beat-boxing on a national level, and balancing the weight of your entire body on the tip of your index finger!

The most amazing aspect of this is that the power to accomplish any of these three tasks lies within every single person on this planet. You do not have to have superior genetics to respond with love, you do not have to have super human strength to stand up for your friends, and you do not have to be an enlightened spiritual guru to make the necessary changes in your life.

The ability to master any of these three tasks is as simple as making a decision; a decision to do it.  God has endowed each of us with a free will; the ability to chose for ourselves what we are to do in this life.  It is in the mastering of this will, in the mastering of ourselves, that we can give all we really have to offer God.  I'm sure He appreciates good beat-boxing like anyone else, but something tells me He'd rather we focus on smiling at the guy who just cut us off in traffic.

What say ye?  Comments welcome as always:)

Is seeing believing?

Let me shoot straight right off the bat here:  I’m a Christian.  So obviously when I say “problems with Christianity”, these are things that the world sees as issues with the Christian religion.  I consider them more like difficulties, because Christianity is a difficult religion to live, but I also believe it happens to be true.

Occasionally I talk with people about religion, spirituality, etc. and I’ve found that many of them have the same hang-ups regarding their notions of religious truth.  So I figured I’d do a series discussing many of these issues in hopes that it will bring a new perspective to what many people consider to be an antiquated religion.  Bear in mind that I’m no theologian; I’m just a guy who has an opinion and wants to help others discover the happiness that I’ve found in a relationship with God.

Parting the Waters

I was working on a construction site with a rather ruckus dude a few years ago and we somehow found ourselves on the fiery topic of religion.  He was making the case that there was no way he could believe in something he couldn’t see.  The job was on a piece of water front property and he looked out over the water and passionately said “buddy, if you can part that creek I’ll join your church right now!”  I thought that was hilarious and we both actually laughed about it, but I think he and I both realized that if I really did part those waters it would not lead to any change in his life at that time.  I mean come on, Moses already did his thing and it ultimately made no difference in the lives of The Children of Israel.  They all eventually turned away from God anyway.

What does this mean?

It means that seeing God has nothing to do with our eyes but everything to do with our heart.  It’s a matter of the will, not of the mind.  The world is full of stuff we can’t see but we know is real…..radio waves, cellular signals, the wind, etc.  You don’t have to be a metaphysician to accept those things as “real” even though you can't see them.  Why is God any different?

But you’re probably thinking ‘Yes, but we can prove that these things exist.  I can tune into the radio, I can make a call on my cell phone, I can feel the wind on my skin!’.

This is true, you can prove the existence of these things to another person through empirical evidence.  But aren't there things that we accept as real but can't be proven?  Like love, for example.  We all know love is real, but imagine trying to prove it's existence to someone who didn't believe in it.  You can't!  One has to experience love first hand in order to know it exists because it's reality cannot be demonstrated.  It simply exists.

So in the words of the great Huey Lewis, "Do you believe in Love?"

I would submit that it takes no more faith to believe in God than it does to believe in Love.  The problem is that although everyone experiences love, not everyone experiences God.

How can I have this experience?

Let's stick with the love metaphor.  They say that love is a verb and I agree.  This flies in the face of Hollywood's notion the feeling of love being the foundation of all relationships.  If you don’t feel as though you’re particularly ‘in love’ with your spouse at any given time, go out of your way to serve them.  This demonstration of real love is sure to produce the desired feeling of being 'in love'.  "Love the feeling is the fruit of love the verb”, as Stephen Covey puts it.

I think the same is true with God.  I think this is the underlying principle behind Christian statements such as “seek and you will find” and “faith precedes the miracle”.  In other words, faith is a verb.  It requires action on our part, the strong conviction of the reality of God is only the fruit of our efforts to come to know Him.  In my opinion, it's not all that different than any other relationship.

Why does God wait for me to take the first step?

I don’t know.  Maybe it has to do with a need for us exercise our free will.  Maybe he’s not waiting at all; maybe He’s been there our entire lives there with open arms and we simply haven’t taken the steps to discover it.  All I know is that I’ve found this principle to be true in my life…..with my spouse and with God.  If you seek, you will find.  This is why faith is considered one of the greatest virtues.  It requires a step into the darkness without a clue of what you’ll find….but it’s only a step, and the first one is the hardest.  The journey becomes more and more illuminated the further you go.

I can tell you that God is real, He knows each of us personally, and loves us unconditionally; all things in my life flow from this truth.  I’m convinced that if you seek, you will find.  I’m also convinced that if God did make a grand showing to all mankind, it would make no real difference in people’s happiness or level of consciousness.  Knowing He exists is one thing, knowing Him is another.

What say you?

It was about 9:00 pm and I was walking down Houston Ave in downtown Fort Worth, Texas desperately seeking a hot meal. It had been a hectic day of travel that included a full blown sprint to catch a flight, lost luggage, “misplaced” hotel reservations, and no food. It was cold, I was tired, and my quest for an authentic Tex-Mex meal was looking bleak, so I compromised and settled for some Applebee’s wanna-be. By this time I had reached caveman status so I grabbed a seat and ordered way too much food. While anxiously awaiting the arrival of my meal I tried to distract myself by reflecting on the purpose of my trip. I had traveled to Texas to attend a three-day course to be further trained in the arts of high-end residential swimming pool construction…...and I was pumped. An opportunity to learn, meet new people, and…never mind here comes my food. My meal finally hit the table and I was ready to dig in when some dirty guy taps on the window, points to his wide open mouth and lips the word “homeless”. So I kind of look down at my food for a split second and think, ‘this is awkward’, but instantly look up again to gaze at the man. But when I did it wasn’t the same person. In my eyes his appearance had completely transformed. You see, in that split second I looked down, I remembered something I had read in the Bible that changed the way I saw the world as well as everyone around me. It is one of Jesus’ teachings found in Matthew chapter 25. He taught “what you have done to the least of these your brethren you have done unto me”. When I looked out of the window the second time the person I saw was Him…..literally. So, let’s pause to ask ourselves an honest question: If Jesus tapped on your window and asked you for help how would you respond? Probably exactly as I did. I got up, went outside and talked to Him. After we exchanged a few words and I gave Him some money (I mean come on, it was Jesus, the least I could do was give Him ten bucks!). At that point his eyes welled up with tears and he said “I just want to give you a hug”. Then we embraced. Not only did I meet Jesus in Fort Worth, but He gave me a hug as well! This was an experience I will always treasure. It has little to do with giving to the homeless and everything to do with the little opportunities we have on a daily basis to serve others. Based on my experience, it is only on the rare occasion I forget myself and seek to help others that I find anything close to real joy, the kind of happiness that endures. All other types of pseudo-happiness eventually wither, leaving only a feeling of utter emptiness. This requires a change of focus, a paradigm shift. It’s extremely difficult. Only the best people in history have even come close to it, only One has ever done it perfectly. Service is not about the why, the where, or the how….it is about the Who.

Please share a faith building experience you've had in the comments section below.  Thanks!

We all have a shortage of time.  There just isn't enough to go around.  Most folks are overworked, overscheduled, and frankly overwhelmed.  So how does a true disciple of Christ possibly find time to make Christian Service an integral part of their life?  Great Question!  Probably one of the finest, but most difficult questions one can ask.  Fine because asking the question demonstrates a desire to be more like Christ; difficult because to genuinely seek the answer forces us to look inside of ourselves to see what really makes us tick.  Most times we don’t like what we find, I know I don’t.  Isn’t that wonderful!  That is the miracle and essence of Christianity.  To see ourselves as we truly are, to see Christ as He is, and hold His hand as we bridge the gap together.  Bridging this gap basically means throwing part of our old self on the scrap heap and replacing it with something divine.  The fact is that all of our souls are cluttered with piles of debris that stand between us and the Savior.  Maybe some of that garbage keeps us from providing Christ like Service to others.  The following are five simple concepts, or ideas that may help us focus on the “fruit” that comes from serving others:    

 5 Ways to Make Christian Service Part of Our Daily Lives:

1.  See Christ in Those You Serve

Matthew Chapter 25:40 states, “And the king shall answer and say unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’  Maybe we should take this counsel literally.  Think of how powerful it would be to actually see the face of the Savior in those we serve; to shake His hand or give Him a hug.    

2.  Make it a Family Activity

Seek ways your family can serve others together.  This can be difficult, especially with young families but it is possible.  Here are a few ideas:

-young children:  have a family meeting explaining how there are many children who do not have toys to play with.  Pray together as a family and then ask the children if they would be willing to give some of their toys to other children less fortunate than themselves.  Then allow the children to choose any toys they are willing to part with.  Never impose or force anything.  If a child doesn’t want to give, that’s fine……no biggie.  But watch as their siblings encourage them to participate.  Watch as they struggle to decide whether to part with a favorite toy.  Watch as they smile after the decision is made; a smile that comes from inside out not the outside in. 

-pre-teens:   consider yard clean-ups or working at a food bank.  Anywhere they can burn energy and be productive at the same time.

-teenagers:  any situation where they can see that the work they are doing has an impact on the individual they serve.  This can have a profound impact on their lives as it puts their life situation in perspective and strengthens their testimony.       

3.  Remember a Time When You Were Served by Others

When you were broken down on the side of the road…..When you were down and out and needed food, clothing, money, a place to stay……When you sought the counsel of a busy friend who stopped what they were doing to take time with you…..When you were frustrated with life and the world and the smile of a stranger gave you hope.  At one time or another, we have all been the recipient of service.  Let’s take a minute to reflect on these periods of our life and let this inspire us to do the same for others. 

4.  Be Honest With Yourself        

What has kept us from serving more?  What barriers stand in our way?  Sometimes the obstacles are extrinsic, but many times they are our own internal thought patterns or prejudices.  Ask yourself the following self-searching questions:

-Do I truly see the value of serving others?

-Do I have negative feelings about serving the needy? 

-Do I feel that they can and should do for themselves?

-Do I rationalize why I can’t or don’t serve others as much as I think I should?

-Do I fear what other people think or fear being judged by others?

-Do I feel that it is the responsibility of someone else, like the government to meet this need in society?

5.  Take Control of Your Life

Who is in control of your life?  Who decides how you spend your time?  I have news for you:  if it ain't you, that’s a problem.  If you feel that Christian service should be a major part of your life and it’s not, I would suggest you change that!  This applies to anything that you value in life.  If you should spend more time communicating with your spouse, having family prayer or scripture study, or anything else that resonates with your soul, you should re-structure your life and put these first things first.  No one else can or will do this for you.  I’m here to tell you that it is possible!  Not because I have achieved it, but because I have seen it achieved by others. 

In my opinion there is no better way to become more like Christ than to emulate Him.  There is no better way to show our love for Him than to see Him in every person we come in contact with and to find ways to bless their lives.  We must build our lives around this principle of service.  We must make it a part of our family culture.  Every one of us has so much God given power to influence the lives of others in a positive way if we will only take advantage of it.  The great thing is that this does not necessarily mean we have to work in a homeless shelter every weekend.  The ways we can serve others are as diverse as the people we come in contact with.  We only need to have empathy toward others, seek guidance from the Holy Spirit, and fear nothing!