Tag: change

Glocal: Getting involved Locally and Globally

This past week I was in Germany for International Board meetings for cbm Canada (www.cbmcanada.org). This is an organization that is absolutely fully committed to breaking the cycle of poverty and disability. They practice deep transparency, inclusion, and fantastic work. I heard stories of people being changed through medical interventions. I heard stories of people receiving sight, of being included where they were ostracized before, of lives and communities being changed through their work. And what I realized was something really beautiful: it’s not just their work, but also my work.

This is something that is powerful about the day and age we live in. My life no longer can just have a local impact, but a global impact. We can spread the Kingdom of God not only here, but also all over the world. The impact and influence of our lives are not confined to our neighborhood, or even nation. Our actions can change our communities here, and in Kuala Lumpur. The point is simple, if we follow Jesus our lives should change people locally and globally. Our lives should change others locally and globally through our service, our advocacy, and our giving.

And so this week as I heard stories, I realized I was a part of those stories.

So my question to you is simple: what stories are you involved in? What stories is your life contributing to? Is your life changing lives not only here but also all over the world? Because we have an amazing gift, and a responsibility to partner with God’s Kingdom change everywhere.

So my challenge to you is this: get involved locally and globally.

If you aren’t consistently and regularly ensuring that your resources, time, and finances are changing lives globally, then I think this is something worth changing. In fact, I know it’s worth changing, because you will be investing in changing lives. So adopt a sponsor child, challenge your friends to join with you, and choose to regularly give. Obviously I’m biased as to what organization you should be involved with, but I’d rather you give anywhere than nowhere. So spend some time, research, and get involved. Because the way you live, can and should change the way others live across the world. This is both our calling and our privilege, and it’s a beautiful thing to be apart of.

by Andrew Mills

Finding God in a Dark Bathroom

601631_10152708652060643_280127811_nHudson had to go pee last Sunday. So we ran quickly at church to the bathroom. The lights were off because we were closing up and leaving, so he said “Dad I scared”. I of course turned on the lights, but I thought while using a urinal would be a good time to have a little talk.

So I told him we don’t need to be scared with mom and dad around. Then I told him that even better than that, you always have God with you. He loves you, and is with you even if things are dark, so we don’t need to be scared.

I thought I had done a great job explaining things, but little did I know Hudson would do an even better job. He said to me, “Oh yes daddy, God, I know him. We have him at our house, I do devotions with him” and he ran out of the bathroom.

Nothing as a dad, or a pastor makes me happier than little moments like that. In case though you are picturing me and Hudson sitting down and reading the Bible together having deep prayer moments, that’s not what it’s often like. It’s often like what every interaction with busy boys is like: loud, sometimes difficult, and sometimes frustrating. Hudson is often jumping around, getting out of the covers, singing, making car noises, playing with a car he snuck into bed, and most often not looking at our devotional book. But we press through and do it every night in spite of the ups and downs.

And as Hudson ran out of that bathroom saying, “I know God, we do devotions” I realized something. That the very rhythm and action of trying to lead him into a deeper relationship with God is in fact leading him into a deeper relationship. The point isn’t perfection, it’s perseverance. We might not get it right every night, but the very act of trying is leaving an impact.

I tell you this, because I don’t know if you’re at all like me, but sometimes faith is tough. Sometimes following Jesus isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s a struggle. Sometimes our nighttime routines are beautiful and wonderful. Sometimes they seem like an utter disaster. Sometimes I wonder if me reading our devotions to a jumping boy making car noises is having an impact – if it even matters. But what I realized on Sunday was that sometimes just sticking it out is succeeding. Sometimes the very act of us not giving up leaves a bigger impact than we might imagine.

So even if tonight goes rough, I’m not going to quit doing devotions, praying, and following Jesus with my little boy because it’s making a difference. Because on Sunday after months of up and down devotions, I’m so proud to share with you that Hudson told me that he knows God, he’s at our house, and we all do devotions together.

by Andrew Mills

New Year’s Questions ~ Not Resolutions

We often make resolutions about how we are going to improve, and change. But as everyone knows we rarely keep these for the month of January let alone the whole year. So rather than giving you a list of goals I want to ask you some questions that might awaken something in you, shape you, challenge you, or inspire you. If you consistently ask them I truly believe this year will be different for you and better than last year. So here are some New Year’s Questions:

  • What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
  • What wastes the most time in your life?
  •  What is the one decision you know you need to make but have been avoiding?
  • What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
  • Who has God put in your life to encourage, support, or mentor?
  • What’s one experience you want to have this year? Who do you want to share it with?
  • And lastly where is Jesus already active in your life?

What question resonated most with you? Which one fell flat? Which one is a real challenge?

And even better what questions would you add to the list?

by Andrew Mills

Change, Control, and Our Lack of Both

faithful

I want to ask you one simple question today: “Are you being faithful?”

This is possibly the most important question you can answer in your life, job, calling, and relationships.

The somewhat harsh reality of our lives is this:

  • We can’t change anyone
  • We can’t do as much as we wish we could
  • Things get difficult and dark sometimes at the worst times
  • We aren’t in control as much as we would hope

This is the reality that we live in.

I think deep down we know this. We know that trying to force a 17 year old to change is next to impossible. We know that if we could there are so many people, situations, and lives we’d love to be involved in. We know that there are more needs around us than we could possibly meet. We know that life happens and for the most part we can’t control any of it. But this reality isn’t a reason to be apathetic or hopeless, because there is one thing that you can control. There is one thing you can change: Your own life.

We might not be able to change others, control the world around us, or fix the hurts of our friends but we can still act. We can focus on being faithful friends, spouses, parents, and family members. We can focus on doing our part in that friendship or relationship. We can focus on meeting the needs God is calling us to. We can focus on being faithful to what God is calling us to do.

We don’t need to do everything possible to make an impact. We simply need to be faithful to God’s calling.

So today I want to ask that question again: “Are you being faithful?”

Think through your role as a parent. Think through your role as a spouse, a friend, an employee…whatever. Are you being faithful to what God is asking you to do in that relationship? If you can say yes…then trust that God will do his part of healing, leading, guiding, and giving grace.

Our responsibility has never been to fix everything, to change others, or control the world. Our responsibility is to be faithful…so focus on that today…

by Andrew Mills

Failing Communities = Failing Churches

Here is a general rule I live by:

If your church is doing well and your town isn’t; your church is not doing well.

The point is that the church can’t grow and thrive as the community that surrounds it and supports it fails. If the church is growing but your neighbors are drowning in debt, depression and difficulty, the church isn’t really growing.

  • The church cannot be doing well, if our neighbors are struggling.
  • The church cannot be doing well, if the youth of the town aren’t valued.
  • The church cannot be doing well, if single mothers across the street aren’t loved.
  • The church cannot be doing well, if people don’t know one another’s name…

The point for me is to change our perspective. My goal isn’t to have our church grow massive; but to have a deep impact in the people and places that we are a part of. My goal isn’t for the church to be the biggest church in the area but to truly be the church to the area; meaning that we bring life, love, and grace to people needing it.

I think this is what Jesus gets at when he calls the church salt. Salt is supposed to change things. It’s supposed to preserve good things, enhance flavor, and bring out great taste. This is what the church is to do too. So today why not bring a little flavor and life to your community. Help a neighbour, start a conversation, invite someone over for coffee…

Because I think the reverse of my rule is true too. If your community is being filled with grace, life, God’s love, and is doing well…then your church is doing well too…

by Andrew Mills

Where I Saw Jesus This Week

This week a friend of mine took me out for breakfast.

This in and of itself may not be a big deal. But it was a big deal for us and our friendship.

Many months ago we started meeting for breakfast. And things in his life weren’t great to say the least. He was stuck in a cycle of addiction, unhealthy relationships, debt, difficulty, and not wanting to go on.

But I believe people can change. Jesus believes people can change. Jesus believes that what defines us is not our past, but the future he has for us.

So around coffee, eggs, and polish sausage I found Jesus. Because my friend has taken the incredibly hard steps to change. He’s overcoming addiction, finishing off school, stopped unhealthy relationships, and took me out for breakfast. He’s living change. And that reminded me of Jesus.

So this week don’t stop believing that people can change. It might seem like a long time coming, but when it does, why not celebrate and go out for breakfast…

by Andrew Mills