The Calm Before the Storm

Several years ago, I was really into poker. And when I say I was really into poker, I WAS REALLY INTO POKER.

I would drive to DC on a Friday night and hang out at my friend Ben’s house, sitting around a table and shuffling cards with four other guys while watching reruns of the World Poker Tournament (WPT) in the background.

The more we played, the more we were hooked, and eventually we had to experience the real thing. So we made a trek to AC (Atlantic City).

Some people love the atmosphere…the pinging and zinging of slot machines in the background, the cheesy outfits, the smell of burning pockets.

Me? I’ve always loved the feel of the felt tables. The way the chips make a faint dull thud when they land in front of you. The way you can press your fingers under the cards to lift them up just high enough to peak at the surprise underneath. Would it be Ace / King or Deuce / Seven? Pocket Rockets or a same suit set?

So when we came back from our AC adventure (I lost $300), I made it my mission to make a poker table. I wanted to bring that experience home. Sure I could have bought one online for $150, but what was the fun in that? I’ve always enjoyed being a creator and I usually appreciate a good challenge. And since I was without a job and heading for prison, I welcomed the distraction. I figured it would take my mind off of things.

So the first thing I did was plan. I went to a local billiards supply store and scoped out the high end poker tables. I obviously couldn’t afford a $2,000 poker table, but I figured that I might be able to pick up a few tips just by observing what was out there.

But this poker table had to be transportable and it had to be able to fit into my trunk. Getting the guys to drive to Frederick from DC would have never happened on a regular basis, so I knew I needed to bring the table to them. So when I got home, I began drawing up some plans, and using techniques from my internship at an architectural firm from when I was in High School. My schematics produced a solid wood, folding, transportable poker table with a padded felt surface. A one-of-a-kind poker table that couldn’t be bought in any store.

I looked around the garage and searched for any tools that I thought might be applicable for the project. I found a table saw, jig saw and power drill. As far as I knew, I had everything I needed to get this project under way.

I was anxious to get started. I couldn’t wait to make my first cut. Surprisingly, it didn’t take me very long. The actual construction of the poker table only took me about seven hours to build. But if I didn’t have the right tools in my garage, if I didn’t know how to use them properly, and if I didn’t possess the initiative to follow through and actually build that poker table, it would never have happened.

So this week, as I was preparing for our bible study for lifegroup, I was thinking about the lives of its members, and the challenges we were all facing. Many of us are facing addictions of sorts – things that we want to change but can’t seem to make happen. For some of us it’s pornography or lust, or impatience and irritability towards others. Some of us are struggling with trusting others because of the betrayals that we’ve experienced from people that were close to us, and others have been struggling with trusting in God’s perfect timing for things in our lives. The bottom line is that we each recognized that we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and we all have a need for tapping into God’s power to create something beautiful.

Ever notice how we are well intentioned and talk a lot about change? We talk a lot about becoming someone or something, and yet it rarely ever happens. We go to conferences, we read self-help books, and we are told to get rid of bad habits, to stop thinking and being negative. And sometimes, we have the will power to break out of these cycles for a short time, but usually we just fall right back into our mold. Our projects never quite get off the ground. They remain in the planning stages of our minds. Sometimes we get motivated enough to even gather the supplies and begin the project, but we don’t finish them because we get exhausted with the process.

So what does it take? How do we change?

I thought about the process of building a poker table and began to think that it’s not all that different from how we should go about changing our lives. There are practical steps you need to take to building a poker table, and similarly, there are (6) practical steps (required steps) to building a life that is pleasing to God.

1) YOU NEED A PLAN:  You need to know what you’re building before you start a project. Spiritually speaking, the Bible is our blueprint for how we should live our lives. It shows us what we should be working towards, and gives us hope that change is possible. Psalm 119:105 tells us that “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

2) IDENTIFY WHAT TOOLS YOU’RE GOING TO USE – You need to ask yourself,

What resources has God placed in my life?

God has given each of us gifts. He has equipped us with the necessary tools (1 Corinthians 1:7). So it’s not a question of whether we have enough tools available to us to make necessary changes in our lives.  The Bible says that we’re not lacking any.

3) KNOW HOW TO USE THE TOOL: read the manual (the Bible). Be honest with yourself. How are you using the “tools” that God has given you? For his glory? Or for yours? If it’s for yours, it’s not being used as intended, which means that it won’t be as effective. Think of it this way. If you had a jig saw, and you were using it to cut wood, how effective would that tool be if it wasn’t plugged into the electrical socket? Are you using that tool correctly if you don’t plug it in? 1 Peter 4:10 says that “each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

How do I know how to use the tools that God has given me?

Just ask. Yeah, it’s that simple. Read the manual (the Bible), and ask God how He wants you to use the tools He has given you. James 1:5 says that “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

4) PLUG THE POWER TOOL INTO ITS SOURCE: A tool is virtually worthless without a power source (you can’t do it in your own strength…you need the Holy Spirit. Imagine using a power drill, jig saw, or table saw, but without electricity).

What is the power source we should be plugging into in order to use our tools more effectively?

Philippians 4:13 says that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (see also Colossians 1:15-17). And Romans 8:1-2 says “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

How do we we know that there is power in Jesus Christ?

Just take a look at the the sick woman who touched Jesus’ robe (Mark 5:21-34). Jesus instantly notices and says, “someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46). Interesting choice of words, “power has gone out from me”. Sounds kind of like an electrical socket to me.

5) USE THE TOOL – It’s one thing to acknowledge the power, it’s another to have faith and put it into action. I wouldn’t have gotten very far if I hadn’t actually picked up the jig saw or drill and started cutting away. I could have acknowledge that those tools would get the job done, all day long, but if I hadn’t taken action to use them, there would be no poker table built by me. Similarly, the sick woman not only acknowledged the power of Jesus, she believed. Then she took that belief and put it to action. If she never took action, she would never have been healed.

Scripture tells us that it’s not enough to believe. Even the demons believe (James 2:19). And it was Jairus’ belief in Jesus’ power and his action to pursue Christ for help that healed his sick daughter (Luke 8:40-42; 49-55)

6) PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Do you think that a carpenter becomes great at his craft after his first project in his career? No way! It takes many years of practice and repetition to build beautifully crafted objects (unless, of course, you are me, and you build a beautiful poker table on your first try). Similarly, we shouldn’t get disappointed and discouraged when we don’t change overnight. In fact, you should expect scars and injuries along the way.

The important thing to remember is that with God’s power, change is made. We are reminded in Colossians 1:29 “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” and that “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).

We will become tired and weak, but “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31)

So here’s a final question that I’d like to see you answer on this blog.

What would happen if you 1) had a plan, 2) identified what tools you had, 3) knew how to use those tools, 4) used those tools, and 5) practiced, BUT didn’t plug those tools into the power source? Do you think you would be able to complete your project?