UCB Word For Today

The Bible likens the Christian life to a marathon. The writer of the book of Hebrews said: ‘Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured’ (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV). Paul wrote to the Philippian believers: ‘There is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining towards what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me’ (Philippians 3:13-14 NCV). Chances are you aren’t at the starting line, nor are you at the finishing tape. You’re somewhere in the middle. When running a race, the start is always filled with such enthusiasm and energy. And the finish holds such promise as we run the final stretch and reach our goal. But the middle of the race – when we are long past the start and not sure how far away the finish might be – is what often tests us. That’s why the prophet Habakkuk wrote: ‘O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years!’ It’s in ‘the midst’ or the middle of the race that we need encouragement, that we need our second wind, and that we need to refocus on the prize that awaits us. Those who have run before us have passed the baton through the centuries, from generation to generation – without dropping it. What are you to do? Take the baton, run, and keep running!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

God is the giver of dreams. ‘For God does speak…in a dream, in a vision…when deep sleep falls on people’ (vv. 14-15 NIV). Unless you want to spend the rest of your life being unfulfilled and uninspired, take your dream out of the closet and blow the dust off. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘have tos’ of life – working; caring for children, spouses, and ageing parents; taking care of homes, etc. But you must believe that you can resurrect your life and your dreams and believe you have the ability to tap into the enthusiasm you once felt for life. You must have the courage to face the disappointments of the past, take a good look at how you got off the path, and see where you are headed. Then you have to silence the voice in your head that says: ‘This is all there is. Who are you to want more from life? You can’t do it; it’s too late for you.’ We give up on our dreams because we think that’s what grown-ups are supposed to do. But as we mature, we realise that reaching for our dreams is what makes us feel alive. The truth is that with love, prayer, and great attention, your dream, like Lazarus, can be resurrected (see John 11:43). The secret of recapturing dreams is to enjoy the pursuit of the dream rather than focus on the outcome. Achievement in this case is not about position, fame, or financial compensation, but about doing what you love. That’s what Jesus promised: ‘I am come that they might have life, and…have it more abundantly’ (John 10:10 KJV).

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Marcial Losada is an organisational psychologist who studies the power of positivity. He argues that we need a negative feedback loop to survive. Without midcourse corrections, we mindlessly make the same mistakes. But if you want to thrive, you also need a positive feedback loop. His studies have produced what is known as the Losada ratio: it’s the ratio of positive feedback to negative feedback in a system. It doesn’t matter whether that system is a church, a family, or your workplace, there needs to be at least 2.9 positive feedbacks for every one negative. So, what’s your ratio as a spouse, a parent, a worker, a friend? Part of the reason for the disparity is that negative feedback tends to carry more weight and last longer, so it has to be counterbalanced. A pretty good rule of thumb is this: dish out three compliments for every complaint. Instead of looking for faults, train yourself to catch people doing things right. And here are a few more things you can do to stay positive. 1) Memorise and meditate on the promises of God’s Word and anchor yourself to them. 2) Keep a gratitude journal. It will let you know how blessed and how well-off you are. 3) Cultivate the habit of sending a heartfelt note to people you appreciate. It’ll only take you two minutes, but you can make someone’s day, or even someone’s year! 4) Find a way to share ‘wins’ with your family and in your workplace. It has the power to shift the focus and shift the culture. It’ll also anchor you to your kids and to your colleagues in a powerful new way.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Fanny Crosby, the noted hymn writer, said she never attempted to write a hymn without first kneeling in prayer. Given that she wrote about 8,000 songs, she was obviously a woman of prayer! Beloved hymns such as ‘Blessed Assurance’, ‘To God Be The Glory’, and ‘I Am Thine, O Lord’ were born from times of prayer. But like many creative people, she was often under pressure to meet deadlines. One time she tried to write lyrics for a tune composed by W.H. Doane. She couldn’t seem to find the words, but then she remembered she had forgotten to pray. As she rose from her knees, she dictated – as fast as her assistant could write – the words for the famous hymn, ‘Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross’. Another time she had run short of money and needed exactly five dollars for a particular purpose. There was no time to call upon her publishers, so she simply prayed for the money. As she ended her prayer, she began to pace back and forth in her room, trying to get into the mood to write. Just at that time, an admirer called upon her. The two chatted briefly, and in parting, the woman pressed something into her hand. It was a five-dollar bill! Fanny fell to her knees in a prayer of thanksgiving, and, upon rising, she wrote one of her most famous hymns, ‘All the Way My Saviour Leads Me’. The secret of Fanny Crosby’s success is not a ‘secret’. Before she attempted anything for God, she first sought God’s help. So, the word for today is – pray about it!

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

Before leaving the leaders of the church at Ephesus for the last time, Paul told them: ‘The Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy’ (vv. 23-24 NKJV). There are two ways to deal with a problem: 1) Pray and believe God to remove it, like He did with the walls of Jericho. 2) Outgrow the problem. In the 1920s, an English adventurer named Mallory led an expedition to try to conquer Mount Everest. His first two attempts failed. On his third attempt, he and most of his team were wiped out in an avalanche. Upon their return to England, the few who had survived held a banquet to honour Mallory and those who had perished. As the leader of the survivors stood to speak, he looked around the hall at the framed pictures of Mallory and the others who had died. Then he turned his back to the crowd and faced a large picture of Mount Everest, which stood looming behind the banquet table like a silent, unbeatable giant. With tears streaming down his face, he spoke to the mountain on behalf of his deceased friends: ‘I speak to you, Mount Everest, in the name of all brave men and women living and those yet unborn. Mount Everest, you defeated us once; you defeated us twice; you defeated us three times. But we shall someday defeat you, because you can’t get any bigger – but we can.’

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.