I want to take two verses from two different psalms and link them together. Psalm 25:17, "The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses" and Psalm 34:6, "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles." I think you can see where I'm going with this. Hard times come. The troubles of our heart get enlarged. And, look, to me that phrase "the troubles of my heart" really speaks to the things we care about in this life. The people we care about. Sometimes it's so hard to see someone else going through hard times. Like, when my kid is sick, or hurt, or whatever... and there's nothing I can do to fix it... that's the hardest thing for me. Not being able to help. Not being able to do anything except just be there. Which, by the way, IS doing something. Just being there for someone is doing a lot. But I think as much as we can be selfish sometimes, it's even bigger and more important when we're focused on others. When we're praying for others. When we're distressed about others, and then we give that to God. Let God and let go, right? I think it's so powerful when we look past ourselves and focus on others. Focus GOD on others. No that He doesn't know what's going on. Of course He does. But just breathing God into a situation. Crying out to Him and giving Him the room, and the opportunity to move in a situation. And that's where the second verse comes in: When we cry out to God... He answers. Even if it seems like He doesn't. Because, let's be real, no answer IS an answer. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of his troubles. Let me say it another way, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). Unfortunately, it seems like this particular verse has been used to scare people into "accepting Jesus as their personal Savior" in order to "avoid hell when they die." I think it's a lot more practical than that. I think we should call on the name of the Lord any time we need to be saved from anything. Invoke His name in any and every situation. And I think we can do that without even saying "God" or "Jesus." I think we can pray in Jesus's name simply by loving people. I think we can be saved out of our troubles by saving others out of their troubles. I truly believe that whatever we want to feel... we need to do. If you want to feel forgiven, forgiven someone. If you want to feel loved... love someone. Receive it and release it. Breathe it in and breathe it out. Let what's inside come out by knowing and believing that it's in there. Hard times WILL come. In this world we WILL have tribulation. BUT. We can be of good cheer. Because Jesus has overcome the world. We can stop worrying so much about what WE'RE going though by helping people with what THEY'RE going through. Sometimes we enlarge the troubles of our own hearts by focusing so much on what's going "wrong" that we miss out on what's going right. Sometimes we get stuck in our own hard times when all we need to do is invite God into the situation and help others with their hard times!

As an unabashed wrestling fan when I thought of the title for this Rant series I immediately thought of the old school wrestler Big Boss Man. Which, by the by, is what I call my boss at work. "What's up, big boss man?" But I digress. Big Boss Man was a cop. And his theme song talked about if you mess with him you'll be serving hard time. So that's where my head space was when I started this Rant series. Thinking about serving hard time. And, of course, kind of the opposite of that. Where nothing is too hard for the Lord, and where as long as we trust in Him, and rely on Him, HE will carry us through those hard times. How we can have joy no matter what--even in the midst of tribulation--because Jesus already overcame the world. Being an overcomer doesn't mean you CAN overcome. It means you HAVE overcome. Because JESUS overcame. In us. And through us. And as us. When Jesus was lifted up from the earth on the cross, He drew all men into Himself. Drew us out of Adam and into Christ. From that moment on, what happened to Jesus happned to us. His death was our death. His resurrection was our resurrection. And vice versa. What happens to us happens to Him. We live in Him and He lives in us. Our hard times are His hard times. Look at Hebrews 4:15, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." In the Message Bible it reads, "We don't have a priest who is out of touch with reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all--all but the sin." He knows what we're going through... because He's been through it. Fully God and fully man. Son of God, and Son of man. He knows what we're going through... because He's going through it with us! He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. Whatever we go through--the good, the bad, and the ugly--He is going through it with us. CARRYING us through it. We don't have to worry about getting on God's bad side and serving hard time. Is what I'm trying to say. In my normal wander around and hope my point shines through way. The hard times don't come from God. The strength to get THROUGH the hard times comes from God. In our weakness, He is strong. When we can't, that's when He will. Being still and knowing that He is God is about letting God be who HE is, in us, and through us, and as us. Letting the joy of the Lord be our strength. Being of good cheer even in the midst of tribulatoin. Understanding that sometimes we have to go through things... and that's ok. Because we learn and grow from those experiences. We get stronger. And then we can help others when they go through the same kinds of things we've been through. Tough times don't last, but tough people do. Hard times may come... but we know that they came to pass, not to stay. We know that the fire in us is always hotter than the fire we're in. We know that no matter what... we'll be ok. Because our heavenly Father has our back. Because we're never alone. He lives in us. We live in Him. That's our blessed assurance. That's what we cling to. That's what get's us through whatever we find ourselves needing to go through!

Let me start with my memory verse. I don't usually like to, but it asks the question that I want to address today. "Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son" (Genesis 18:14). And there's really so much good stuff about this story of Abraham's promised child. About Sarah's womb being dead because she was so old (Romans 4:19). About how Abraham even tried to take a shortcut into his servant's tent in order to make the promise happen, but how God didn't need Abraham's help. It's such a rich story. So much there. And I like all that stuff. But my question is the same as God's question. "Is there anything too hard for Him?" The answer, of course, is no. How could anything be too hard for Him? The Creator of heaven and earth all of a sudden can't do what He says He's going to do? Nah, man. That's not anything. That's just us getting all worked up and thinking that WE have to do what HE wants us to do in our own power. Which is not the Divine Order of things. Which is not how God operates. We always say things like, "Before God made cows, He made grass." Which is to say that He always provides what is needed... before it is even needed. When God wanted Moses to speak for the people of Israel, and Moses said he wasn't good at talking... God gave Aaron as Moses's right hand man. It's not about ability. It's about availabilty. It's about being willing to move when God says move. That gives HIM the opportunity to move in you. And through you. And as you. And that is really, really important during hard times. Especially with the snapshot mentality that we seem to have so often. Where we think we're stuck wherever we're at right now... forever. Where we think "this is how it is, how's it's been, and how it will always be." But that's NOT the case. Tough times don't last. But tough people do. It came to pass, not to stay. We go THROUGH things, in order to get to where God wants us to be. In order to learn and grow. In order to be able to help others go through those same kinds of things we've been through. The important part, and what I'm really trying to say today, is... when we need God the most... that's when He shows up the best. We think, like, "Well, I've made my bed. Guess I have to lay in it." But we KNOW, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there" (Psalm 139:8). No matter where we go or what we do, God is there for us. He is there WITH us. And when we need Him--even if it's because we made a mess of ourselves--He's there. Nothing is too hard for Him. You haven't gone too far, or done too much. God is a stalker. He will never leave you nor forsake you. So when hard times come--and they will. Jesus said in this world we will have tribulation--we can be of good cheer. Because we've got an ace in the hole, if I can say it that way. We've got the power of love coursing through our veins. We've got everything we need in order not just to survive, but to thrive! To enjoy the gift of abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life that we've been given... by giving it away. By taking the good, the bad, and the ugly... and learning from all of it in order to be able to keep on keeping on. Nothing is too hard for God. God lives in you. That means nothing is too hard for you!

There's a saying that goes, "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." I like that. All my life I've been told, "Tough it out." Which, I have to say, I think was a benefit. Because that caused me to believe I'm tough. Which allowed me to get through those tough times. Sometimes, though, we need a little help. Even tough guys need support. I don't believe asking for help when you need it is a sign of weakness. I believe asking for help when you need it is a sign of wisdom. You can't do everything. And you can't do everything yourself. Which is ok when you understand that you're not supposed to. Matthew 6:34 in the Message Bible is our key verse for this Rant series, "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." I love that. What's that other old saying? "The past is history, the future is a mystery. All we have is now, and that's why it's called the present--because it's a gift!" Something like that. The turtle on Kung Fu Panda is where I'm remembering it from. Anyway. We learn and grow from the past. We plan for the future. But all we can really do is what we can do right now. And while I'm stuffing this Rant full of old sayings, I want to drop this one too: Over and over again the Bible says, "It came to pass." So at my old church we would always say, "It came to pass, not to stay." Life is movement. Life is change. Where you're at right now is not where you're always going to be. You might not even be there tomorrow. You almost certainly won't be there ten years from now. But we, as a human species, really seem to have perfected a snapshot mentality. You look at a picture and it's like the whole world in that one image. Where we think, "This is it. This is how it's always been. This is how it will always be." Even though we KNOW better. We know things are so much different now than they were. And we know that things will be different in the future. It's just so hard sometimes to see past this instant. Even when we're worrying about the next one. Let me do one more memory verse to try to wrap this up and really get us focused on "God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." It's a verse I use a lot, because it's one of my favorites (I know, they're all my favorites...). "These things have I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Life happens. Tribulations come. Life happens. Every. Single. Day. We all have challenges. But really we all have opportunites. Opportunites to let God get involved. To ask for help when we need it. To learn and grow. To let what's in us come out instead of letting stuff get into us. Tough times don't last... but tough people do. All you can do is let God keep leading you forward. It won't always be easy... but it will always be worth it!

Here's how important what we believe is: "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean" (Romans 14:14). Let me say it another way, "And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition" (Matthew 15:6). Now see, the truth is the truth. Always has been, always will be. But while the truth has set us free and made us free... it's the truth we know and believe (the truth we accept AS truth) that equips and empowers us to BE free. To enjoy our freedom. What I'm trying to say is: What you feed is what will grow. What you magnify in your life is what will manifest in your life. What you esteem--or give prominance to--is what defines your life. Like we saw in our memory verse: God said it was clean. But if you esteem it to be unclean, then to YOU it IS unclean. What you believe is so important. You can even make the commandment of God of none effect in your life by your traditions. God has made the Kingdom available to us... but that doesn't mean He's forcing it on us. It is at hand, right? Within reach. All we have to do is reach out and grab it. Receive it and release it. Know it and believe it. God (who is love) is supremely esteemed, right? The center that holds everything else together. When we truly accept that... everything else flows from there. It starts with love. Ends with love. And love is everything in between. It's all about love. That is what we need to esteem. If we put love in its (HIS) proper place--again, right at the top. Right at the center--everything else works itself out. Because all things work together for good. All things might not feel good, in the moment, but if you look at the big picture, the grand scheme, you can see that even a setback is just a setup for a comeback. You can see that mistakes are just opportunites to learn and grow. You can't learn from your mistakes if you never make any. And you learn more from mistakes than you do from successes. My point today, to wrap up this Rant series and put a nice bow on it, is that we have to see things properly. Get our priorities in order. God and people. Loving God and loving people. Loving God BY loving people. When we esteem people higher than ourselves--putting others first, not thinking they are better than us--we really have a chance to make those bonds and connections and relationships. We really have a chance to love each other. And that's what this life is all about. So don't think less of yourself. Just think of yourself less. Let that still, small voice deep inside you lead you and guide you. Because that voice is the voice of your heavenly Father saying, "I love you, and I can't stop loving you." That voice is saying, "Because I love you, you can love me back by loving others." That voice is esteeming YOU so that you can esteem OTHERS. Receive it and release it. Breathe it in and breathe it out. Let God's love flow into you and out of you with every breath you take and every move you make. Esteem love and you will be esteeming others!

I think this is what I've been trying to say in this Rant series: "GOD is supremely esteemed. His center holds. Zion brims over wtih all that is just and right" (Isaiah 33:5 MSG). When we put the emphasis where it belongs, everything else falls into place. When God is the center, what's inside can (and will) come out. Naturally. By filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. By focusing on what is really important. Which, of course, is God. And God, of course, is love. Love is the center. Love is what needs to be front and center. Love is what needs to be esteemed. We need to esteem EACH OTHER by loving each other. By putting others first. Which doesn't mean we think other people are better than we are. It simply means we trust our heavenly Father to take care of us, so that we can stop worrying about ourselves and can focus on the needs of others. Humilty isn't thinking less of yourself, it is simply thinking of yourself less. Look at Philippians 2:4, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." And let me say this: That doesn't mean you have to be nosy, or overbearing. You never have to force yourself (you "help") onto someone else. If you offer it to them, make it available to them, then you've done your part. Not everybody is going to pick up what you're laying down. Not everybody will hear what you're saying. Or be ready to hear it right as you're saying it. Sometimes you plant a seed but someone else waters it. Sometimes doing your part doesn't mean fixing someone else's problem. Sometimes it just means listening. Being there for them. Showing them that you care. Showing them that they matter. But you can't do that without God being supremely esteemed. You can't love someone without love. Sounds like a no-brainer, but I think we miss that point so many times. Why is it so important that God first loved us? Because you can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. God had to first give us love in order for us to be able to give it back to Him by giving it to each other. The New Commandment. Love one another as Jesus loves you. Receive and release His love. That's the Divine Order of things. Knowing and believing... receiving and releasing. That's how this life works. We experience what God has given us... by giving it away. By sharing it. And when you love someone--when you esteem them, or give them a place of honor--that's how they know they are important. I think most people have a pretty low self-esteem. We've all been through stuff, or done stuff, that has made us feel bad about ourselves. So when someone does the opposite--makes us feel GOOD about ourselves--that can be kind of shocking. Kind of jarring. That can feel foreign and alien. Hard to believe. But it's the truth that is buried down deep inside of us. The truth that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The truth that we are perfect. Complete in Him. Immaculately and unconditionally loved by our heavenly Father. He is supremely esteemed. The center of all. And He has esteemed us. We are His favorite. The apple of His eye. His love flows into us, and out of us, so that we can experience it by loving each other. By esteeming each other!

When you esteem something (or someone) you are giving it a place of honor. Weight and importance. Esteeming others higher than ourselves is not thinking we're worse than anybody else. It's simply putting others first. Humilty is not thinking less of ourselves... it is thinking of ourselves less. Look at Hebrews 11:26, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." Did you catch that? The reproach of Christ is greater than the treasures of Egypt. Let me say it another way: "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8). Jesus on one hand... everything else on the other. Jesus wins hands down. Even His reproach is better than the best the world can offer us. The grass isn't greener on the other side. The Kingdom is the place to be. Period. And when we stop looking over the fence, when we stop comparing what we have to what someone else has, or what we wish we had, or what we think we don't have, that's when we can be content with what we have. That's when we can start to give what we've got instead of always trying to get something we think we haven't got. That's such a huge mindset shift. Being happy about, and grateful for, the things you DO have instead of worrying about, and trying to get (by hook or by crook) the things you think you don't have. It's that attitude of gratitude. It's putting more importance on what you've got--and what you are DOING with what you've got--than on whatever else. Paul said everything other than Christ was dung. Think about that. That's how much he esteemed God. Not even "God first, then everything else." But "God only." When we get to that place where we are so full of God's light, love, Spirit, self that we don't have room for anything else... that's when what is truly inside (what we know and believe is inside) can and will come out naturally. Filling ourselves to overflowing with what we've already been filled with. Focusing on what's truly important. Which is God's love. Receiving and releasing God's love. That's as simple as I can make it. That's the Divine Order of this abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of love. We let God love the hell out of us and then we love Him back by loving each other. Esteeming the things of God--even the reproach of God... every Son He loves He chastens and corrects, right?--higher than any and all of the things of the world. Getting our priorities straight. When Jesus spoke of the thief, who comes only to steal and kill and destroy, I believe He was speaking of US. WE rob ourselves from what has been given to us. What is available to us. And we rob ourselves from the gift we've been given by trying to be someone we're not in order to get something we think we haven't got. We're so busy trying to get something else that we can't even experience or enjoy what we have. We have to esteem those things higher. Give them a place of prominance in our lives. Focus on what really matters. Focus on what we've got. And give what we've got to others. Give it away. That's what love is. Share it. Esteem it!

I'm a pretty low-key guy. Ask my wife. She'll tell you. If I say something is pretty legit, that's about the highest praise I have. When I was getting my first book published I told Jeff--the publisher--that a thumbs up from me meant jumping up and down with excitement. Which is what I was doing when I got my first book published (giving a thumbs up, not jumping up and down... but, you know, same thing). My point is, even someone like me can (and should) give people props when they do what they do. And I'm not even necessarily talking about people doing things for me. I'm talking about... there's not enough excitement in this world. It seems like anytime someone gets excited about something, someone else wants to rain on their parade. And for the life of me I don't understand why. I think it's probably because we've been disappointed so many times we are resentful of anybody else experiencing what we used to have, or what we wish we had. Misery loves company. That sort of thing. Which I guess I understand. Intellectually. But which I don't understand... practically. Because making others feel worse DOESN'T make us feel better. It might seem like it should... but it doesn't. Now there are just two sad people instead of one sad person and one happy person. To me it would be better for all involved to increase the happiness rather than decrease it. I think happiness can be contagious... if we let it. If we joy with those who are joying instead of getting all upset about someone else's joy. I think the good things (the GOD things) in life are more powerful than the bad things. (And, really, I think we need to move out of the realm of good and evil althogether, but that's another Rant for another time.) I think what we magnify in our lives is what will manifest in our lives. I believe that what you feed is what will grow. What you allow is what will continue. How you treat people--and how you allow people to treat you--teaches them what's ok and what's not. If you let people walk all over you... they'll treat you like a doormat. If you act ungrateful when people put effort into you... eventually they'll stop. When someone reaches out their hand to you and you slap it away... it makes them not want to reach out. Trust me. I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt. And, listen, being connected to the unlimited supply of God's love means you never HAVE to stop reaching out. But when people make it hard... it's hard. Here's my point for today, before I run out of room: You should love people no matter what. That's why we were created. There doesn't need to be a reason for you to love someone. To lay your life down for them. To give them everything you have and everything you are. That's what love is. And that's amazing. Now add this to that: When someone loves YOU... when someone lays their life down for YOU... gives YOU maximum effort... the least--the very LEAST--you can do (and SHOULD do) is be grateful. Let them know that you appreciate them. Let them know that they succeeded in making you feel special. Because that will make THEM feel special. And then that goodness... that love... will feed on itself and continue to grow and grow. Then that joy will increase. Because you receieved it... and released it. And that, friends, is the Divine Order of things!

Self-esteem is important. Especially if you don't have it. But, at the same time, you don't want to get too big for your britches. Being humble is not necessarily thinking less of yourself, but rather thinking of yourself less. Putting others first. Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." Again, not thinking you're worse than anybody else, but just focusing on others. Not competing with others... but helping others. Lowliness of mind is the mind of Christ. Not worrying about yourself because you know your heavenly Father has your back. Not worrying about what you've got, but using what you've got to help others with what they need. When you give (or share) what you've got... that's how you can really experience it. If you want to feel love... love someone. If you want to feel good... make someone else feel good. Here's my key memory verse for this Rant series, because I really want to focus on esteeming OTHERS, "And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves" (1 Thessalonians 5:13). And this is a big key to unlock the door on HOW we be at peace among ourselves. We stop looking at it like us vs them and we start to understand that we are all in this together. Let me tell you something about myself: I really appreciate effort. I know life is messy. I know stuff happens. Every. Single. Day. So to me, the whole point of the whole thing is to do your best and forget the rest. If you're at least trying, that shows me that you care. And if you care enough to try, that's good enough for me. I've mentioned before many times that the old wrestler Mr. Perfect was one of my favorites. He was so good at everything. And he was super cocky about it. Just as cool as the other side of the pillow. He was the man, and he knew he was the man. However, as cool as he was, that's the opposite of what we're talking about here. Spiritual perfection is not never making a mistake. It is the maturity to know that you can't learn from your mistakes if you never make any. It's knowing that we are all learning and growing. Grace to grow as we grow in grace. And the best way--look, the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Right? Learn by doing. Give what you've got. Experience it by sharing it. Shared experiences are almost always better than solo experiences. I kind of went a little bit astray from my original idea for this Rant series tonight. But that's why I do them in series form--so I can have a few days to really dig into things. I really want to talk about appreciating the people in our lives. "Esteeming them very highly in love for their work's sake." That's the effort I was talking about. When someone does something for you... that's important. That's huge. A labor of love. And we need to make sure we aren't taking that--or the person doing it, especially--for granted. Because there's nothing worse than feeling like you extended your hand to someone and they slapped it away. Or that you reached out and they don't even care. Makes you want to stop reaching out. So, on the heels of what we've been talking about regarding treating people with a basic level of dignity and respect... we need to make sure we appreciate the people in our lives. Highly esteem them!

How you treat people should not be a trick. That's what I've been waiting to say for this Rant series. That's why I titled it that way. How you treat people... should be a treat. Listen, I'm gonna get real with you. You can help people and make their lives better whether you like them or not. And that's not being fake. That's being mature. That's being a child of God. That's being love incarnate. And that's who we are. Not just what we do... but who we are. The fire in you is always hotter than the fire you're in. You don't have to let things get into you when you know what's already in there. When you're full to overflowing with the love of God. When that is the case--and that IS the case--you won't have room for anything else. In light there is no darkness at all. Treating people with dignity and respect should be universal. There shouldn't be room for anything else. That is the bottom line basis that we should start with. Treating people like people. We are all in this together. And things work out better when we work together. We need each other. Those bonds, and connections, and relationships are what literally makes this world go 'round. You can't make or strenthen those bonds be tricking people. By treating people like they're less than. You can't make yourself look bigger by making someone else look smaller. It doesn't work that way. Because how you treat people says nothing about them and everything about you. Making someone else look smaller just makes you look like a bully. Ask my son, there's nothing, in my opinion, worse than a bully. People don't go around destroying people. That's not how this works. Those kinds of "people" are the most miserable, angry, sad, lonely "people" out there. Which, of course, means they need love. Because they aren't getting any. Because they are hard to love. Which means we need to love those people too. Or, in truth, it means we need to love those people especially. Love conquers all, right? Love wins. We destroy our enemies by making them our friends. And we make people our friends by loving the hell out of them. Receiving the love of God and releasing it with every breath we take and every move we make. Letting God love the hell out of us and then loving Him back by loving the people He puts in our path. Only you can be you. Only you can reach the people you can reach in the way that you can reach them. That's important. Because if you don't reach them... who will? Maybe nobody. So do your part. Stay in your lane. You don't have to try to do everything. Just do what you can do. Love the people you have the opportunity to love. Jesus said people would know His disciples by the love they shared. And let me say this to try to put a bow on this Rant series: Love is limitless. We are connected to the unlimited source of love. The more we give it away... the more of it we have. We can't run out of it. We experience it by giving it away. By sharing it. If you want to feel love... love somebody. Give what you've got. Lay your life down for your friends. Understand that everybody is your friend... even if they don't know it yet. Don't trick people. Treat them right!