On Monday we talked about the risk-failure-success combo and Bear Grylls’ take on the matter. I wanted to continue the thought-stream and touch on something that is near and dear to my heart…

POKER.

I’m just going to go out and say it: I’m good. Borderline cocky. Maybe not, outwardly cocky, but completely confident on the inside. I know how to hold a straight face. I feel like I’m judicious, calculated, and very reasonable when it comes to the risk/reward of certain bets. Part of that is my personality, but the other part rests on past successes and experiences.

On a side note: years back before we had kids, I was a part of a weekly game with some coworkers. My wife decided she wanted to come along and play with us. While she had never played before (I briefed her on the rules on the ride there), she dove in and swindled away all our our money and man-pride.

Part of the lure of playing poker for me falls back to the Risk vs. Reward. Do I fold my hand? Should I be reading my opponent differently? Will my next bet put me “all-in”? While I can’t completely control the outcome, I do have options when it comes to percentages and the risks involved.

While there is wisdom in being cautious and calculated in our decision making, I am learning that when it comes to my relationship with God, wholehearted commitment is preceded by going “all in”. What does this look like? I want to persevere like Noah, who continued to build an ark despite the ridicule and doubts from others. I want to lead with conviction like Moses, who stood up and demonstrated what a life of conviction looks like. I want to stand for God’s people like Esther, who knew her position would be leveraged for justice and truth. I want to be all-in.

Being all in for Him means being all out for me. Will that mean I’ll need to use certain things for the glory of God? Probably so. My influence, my family, my time, my resources – I want to be one characterized my willingness to leverage all that I have for the purposes of bringing glory to God’s name.

Do you play poker? What can be leveraged in your life to bring God glory?

Photo credit: maor-x

Undoubtedly, in the above clip Bear Grylls proves he is 124% more of a man than I am:  fearless, a calm demeanor, and a wicked-cool accent. What resonates in that video, however, is his composed response, “If you risk nothing, you gain nothing.”

Isn’t that true? Whether in business, personal choice, or in our faith, there always a level of risk involved. Late last year, I read similar thoughts in Erwin McManus’ book “Chasing Daylight”.

“You cannot fail without risking. If you have never failed, it might be just possible that you have never risked.”

What McManus wrote resonated with me. Oftentimes my first reaction to a situation tends be cautious and risk-averse. My thoughts are calculated and my pragmatic thinking tends to be very cafeful and guarded. That hit me in the gut, of course, because my “fear of failure” tends to affect my decision making at times–not so much in my business/professional life, but certainly in my family and friend relationships.

With regards to our faith, McManus goes on to write, “Our pop theology has eliminated the place for risk and insulated us with a comfort-and-security theology.” Bam! Do I make decisions, remain silent, or stand action-less because I want to do the “safe thing”? My answer in one word–Yes. Instead of chasing opportunities, I get caught up in managing the risk. Instead of confidently trusting in God’s character, l rely on trying to control things myself.

I was encouraged how McManus went on to close the book, “You know where to begin: take initiative. You know who God is, so embrace life’s uncertainty.”

How to you react to uncertainty? Do you watch Man vs. Wild?

My wife and I have been talking about a common theme lately: intentionality.

I believe that when we take a look at the life of Jesus, He lived with purpose and intentionality. His purpose was to glorify the Father. Jesus modeled for us a way to live out that purpose in every facet of life.

Some may argue that His life was characterized by sporadic acts of service, random miraculous signs, nomadic travels, and a lot of happenstance. When we dig deeper into the scriptures, we find that quite the opposite is true!

There was a method in which Jesus relayed His messages (ex. His use of parables). He was specific in the choosing of His disciples (ex. investing in the few). Jesus took every moment captive: from when He chose to meet with His father in prayer, to where He chose to break bread and with whom, etc. He lived life with a purpose, and He was intentional in pursuing that purpose.

As children made in the image of God, we exist to bring glory to our heavenly Father. In light of this, how do we fuse that God-given purpose with Christ’s intentionality in areas like relationships, finances, and work? What does it practically look like to glorify God in our relationships (marriage, children, extended family)? Finances? Work?

For me, one example with regards to our finances is embracing the “Give-Save-Live” way of managing our money (give first, then save for the future, then live). Our church communicated this idea a few years back and it resonated quickly and deeply with both my wife and I. Realizing what we have is not really ours to begin with, I want to cultivate a spirit of generosity with what we do have. Through that mindset, aside from tithing, we chose to partner with Compassion, outside missions organizations, and campus ministries–all specific areas that have impacted us at one point in our lives. Although a work-in-progress at times, this is one area that we (as a family) have committed to be intentional in.

In what areas of your life can you live with more intentionality?

Tony (who has a great blog I follow) shared the following quote on Friday:

Most people know an environment of grace when they see it. They simply point to the results: people feel safe, they grow up, they trust each other, they live authentically, they celebrate each other, they laugh a lot, they produce better. But in some environments, grace is so evident you can feel it from the first…
– The Ascent of a Leader

When I read that quote a few days ago, one question kept ringing over and over in my head: If I were to be unknowingly observed, what would the analysis of my life be?

Do I lead a family that lives out a demonstrated faith?
Do I foster healthy communication of trust and truth?
Do I create environments of grace?

When I stop and think about it, oftentimes I fail to live out those things. I discipline my kids because my patience is thin. I shortchange engaging with my wife because I want to watch some television. I avoid the coworker because “he always talks about himself”. I am not thoughtful because I want to do the things that I want to do.

My selfish nature creeps in and reiterates the lie that its all about me. This is sobering because, in the end, I am called “to act justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with my God” (Micah 6:8).  When I do that, the truth rises to the surface: it’s about God, not me. With that verity in place, the environments that I create will be more inviting, safe and upward-focused.

The challenge for me today is this: in my home and in my work, if I take steps toward building environments of grace, the heart of the matter will come to the surface. That being, people matter.

What can you do today to create an environment of grace in your work or your home?