Category Archives: Inspiration

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Be Careful What You Ask For, You Might Just Get It

If you really want something, don’t be afraid to ask. I learned that lesson just this past week. It came as a result of some of the work I’m doing on my book before it is complete. It’s always helpful for an author to receive endorsements for a book before the book itself comes out. The endorsements can be printed on web sites, in advertising, and right on the book itself as a way to draw readers in and encourage them to purchase the book.

Pinecone

My new book, Fully and Creatively Alive: How to Live a More Joyfully Fulfilling Life, is mostly finished. It’s down to final edits and design. So I reached out via email to a number of people I consider to be “big name” authors, asking them for an endorsement. I knew an email solicitation may be a long shot, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask. The worst that could happen is that they would say “no,” or simply not respond to my request.

A couple of authors, who shall remain nameless, did what I mostly expected and never responded to my request. I don’t blame them one bit. They are busy people trying to build their business, write their books, and deal with the other pressing needs in their families and lives. They’ve got to make the best use of their time, and that may not mean reading my book and writing a short paragraph for publication.

But there was one author who shocked me by responding to my request. Jeff Goins is a bestselling author whom I have admired as I have followed his career skyrocket and as I have watched his books generate all kinds of buzz. I sent him an email knowing full well, by his own admission, that he’s not the best at keeping up with his email. I also happen to know that he’s in the midst of building his own six-figure business into a seven-figure business. Not only that, but Jeff and his wife have two young children.

Jeff is a busy guy.

One thing that Jeff always preaches on his blog is to be generous, to help other people. He says, “It’s not who you know. It’s who you help.” Helping other people, he says, goes incredibly far as you try to build an audience and influence. I wondered whether he’d put his money where his mouth is and be willing to help a little peon like me. So I sent him an email. We had met each other, and had had some prior contact, so it wasn’t like this email was coming from someone completely unknown. Nonetheless, it was a long shot for me to receive any kind of answer.

A week or two after I sent the email I got this three word response from Jeff: “Send it over!” I was shocked. This busy, busy man…this bestselling author, was going to read my book and perhaps provide an endorsement. I sent the book file over to him and waited.

Before long Jeff sent me an email with an endorsement of the book, ending with the words: “Well done, Tom!” I will never doubt Jeff’s sincerity, nor will I doubt the fact that when he says something he means it. Jeff owes me nothing. Yet he took the time not only to read my book but to provide some kind words that may lead other people to read it.

It was an extremely valuable gift. Jeff’s time is worth more than I could probably afford to pay him. He gave me a gift that I didn’t deserve and he did it purely out of the goodness of his heart.

There are a few other people who have done the same. You will see their words on the back cover of my book. They are generous beyond measure. I am incredibly grateful to them.

So here are two insights that I learned based on the generosity of Jeff Goins:

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask for something; you might just get it. What can you ask for today that, in the asking, might scare you just a little bit? Why not give it a go anyway? You could be greatly surprised by the response.
  2. If someone asks you for something, you never know the impact it will have on their dream, goal, or life. What unexpected gift can you give today when someone asks for it? Why not be generous today?

When have you received an unexpected gift for which you have asked?

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Why a Simple Spoon Reminds Me of My Mom

Today’s post is a guest post from my friend Jim Riedel. Jim doesn’t have his own blog but, trust me, he’s filled with opinions. Maybe those opinions will one day find their way into a blog of his own. Jim is most literally a Jack-of-all-trades. He’s helped me in more ways than I count. He is a friend of the highest order. He’s also a skilled and qualified real estate agent, amongst other things. If you’re in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area and are in need of a home, look up Jim.

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I have a spoon in the kitchen drawer that does not match the set. I will come back to this…

Mother’s day is almost here. A day set aside to appreciate the woman who brought you into this world. Nine months she carried you in her body….and then carried you on her body for even more months (too many factors involved to guess how long that was)… I was a shy little boy so she carried me for many…maybe years (not really). Anyway, nine months is about 270 days. If you gave her appreciation one day a year, she would have to live 270 years to be thanked for each day she “developed” you. But she didn’t stop there in development, did she? It is not the days in her tummy that we remember but the many years after that give us our memories of our Mom.

Coffee

The spoon might be silver or silver plated, I am not really sure. It is tarnished a little…

I was the last child born of my siblings – 6 of 6. Mom was 35 when I was born. Not young but not old in the range of moms’ ages. Over a period of ten years she carried and gave birth to her children. It left its mark – for one, a scar clear across her entire belly. Back then, a C-section was a major incision, from one side to the other. Since my brother before me was born that way, I had to be too. They didn’t think mothers could carry out a natural birth after having a C-section. Thank God the medical field keeps improving so that doesn’t still happen.

The spoon has a really cool design on it. It is one of the reasons I like it….

I don’t know how women do it. It must be pain beyond what I can understand. I assume the memory of the pain must fade or no woman would have a second child. Not all women experience motherhood…that is, not all women give birth to a child. But even some women without children of their own experience “momhood” – those who care for and raise a child. An adoption makes someone a mom or an unfortunate accident causes an aunt to raise a niece. Sometimes that person may not even be a woman – a widowed father has to play the role of a mom on occasion.

Because of its design, it stands out in the drawer, it is really easy to find it among the other spoons……

My wife, Patty, and I don’t have kids. Circumstances were such that it didn’t happen for us. Sometimes I think that is too bad. Had we had kids, I know they would have had the best Mom I know of. I have seen her with her nieces and nephews as they grew up, or our neighbors’ kids, and sometimes even someone we just met, to see how caring and loving and fun she is with children of all ages. Patty certainly is a mother type; in fact she has hundreds of kids. You see, she has been a teacher since she graduated from college. She also trains kids in leadership skills at camps every summer.

I use the spoon almost every day – it is my tea spoon. Each morning, I have a large glass of green tea and stir the honey into the tea with it. Some days I take it with me to eat a yogurt on the go.

Moms sacrifice a lot for their child. That sacrifice mostly seems to be of her time. The sacrifice takes place when she nurses a newborn or rocks a fussy toddler, reads to a kindergartner, watches a soccer match, helps explain geometry, or looks over college applications. But she also takes the unexpected calls, puts life on hold to help a frustrated college kid, comfort a broken heart, or give advice to a son about a birthday gift for his spouse.

The spoon was probably bought at a flea market or rummage sale…..  

So Thank you Mom. Thanks to all of you moms. Thank you for taking the pain, for your lack of sleep at three in the morning to welcome a scared little kid into your room, for the countless meals you made when you didn’t even know what to cook, for staying up to wrap all the Christmas gifts from Santa, etc., etc, etc.

I have almost lost that spoon on at least one occasion and searched everywhere to find it in my car or truck.

My Mom liked nice things – like jewelry, china dishware, silverware. She bought full sets and individual pieces. She passed away almost 19 years ago. The spoon was a single piece she probably got second hand. Now I have it. And I also have tea with her most every day.

Every mom is a lot like that spoon. She doesn’t match any other yet is like them all, probably has a little wear due to the worry she experiences for her children, she is the coolest design ever, and stands out to her own kids in any crowd…and you never want to lose her.

So maybe you are a mother or maybe a mother type. To all of you out there, know that you make a difference in this world when you love your children and show them love. They will remember you for the little things you did and the big things you did. They will remember when you were really mad at them….”those teenagers”….and when you made them laugh for something you always do that they think is goofy. They will remember you for the love you gave them. There is no more important role in this world than that of “Mom”.

One more thought to emphasize that last point. I actually have many “moms.” My Mom called me her baby. Yes, no matter how old I was she would introduce me that way, and for a while it annoyed this boy to no end. I would say, “I am not a baby!” But I think as a young child, I realized the importance of moms. I realized the importance so much so that throughout my life, I have collected surrogate moms: friends’ moms became mine because I would call them Mom too…and will continue to do so. I guess a shy little boy can never have too many “moms”.

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Using Collaboration to Get the Job Done

Challenges are a good thing. They’re even better when you have others to hold you accountable. Collaboration keeps you on track when you’re faced with a challenge. If you’re trying to accomplish something major enlist others to help you, support you, even call you out if need be. It’s much more difficult to drop the ball when you have someone else expecting you to keep it in the air.

Group

Our church is working on a collaboration with two other churches. One of the other pastors has developed a 40-day challenge based on the red-letter words of Jesus from the Bible. All three of our churches are going to embark on this challenge beginning later this month. All our members will be able to sign up to receive a daily email that will have a Scripture passage quoting Jesus, a devotion to go along with those words, and then a challenge to carry out that day what Jesus has called us to do. Over the course of the forty days we will find a number of times for all three churches to worship and serve together.

There are really three levels of collaboration here:

  1. The staffs of the three churches. We have already met to talk about ways we will work together and how we can help and support one another.
  2. The three churches themselves. As members of the churches interact and get to know one another there will be a deeper bond with other members of the body of Christ. It will be a reminder that the church exists outside the walls of our own.
  3. The members within each of those churches. When certain members of each church ask others how they are doing on the “challenges” it will create accountability and a sense of Christian camaraderie.

The more layers of accountability you can build, the more assured you will be that you accomplish something you set out to do. My wife, Tammy, and I are still working on the goals we set for ourselves this past January. We use collaboration to hold one another accountable. Since we know each other’s goals we can periodically check in with one another. We have also formally written them down and keep them in a prominent place, which is another level of accountability.

Collaboration is the leverage that can make even the toughest challenges a bit more manageable. When faced with a challenge we can often use all the help we can get. Collaborators push, pull, encourage, and provide incentive. Surround yourself with people who have the same goals as you. You’ll find that you will accomplish much more.

With whom do you collaborate to accomplish your goals and overcome your challenges?

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How to Make the Journey Just as Fun as the Goal

Sometimes the journey is just as fun as the fulfillment of the goal. Our son, Ben’s, journey to becoming a full-time musician started in the basement of our old house on 58th Street in Milwaukee. He had picked up the guitar and learned mostly on his own. Before long he bought a little four-track recorder and started writing and recording songs. Tonight he is the opening act in Atlanta for Parachute, a major label recording artist and pop band.

Ben Guitar

For the first time he will be riding on a tour bus for a run of dates. He will be playing in front of sold out houses. He will be enjoying the green room amenities in each city. He will be selling merchandise and meeting fans.

But it’s all only one step of the journey. The fans in those sold out houses haven’t necessarily come to see him. They have come to see Parachute. He’ll be fighting an uphill battle to draw attention and win over even some of the crowd. He’ll probably be playing over folks who’d rather look at their phones and talk to each other until the major act comes out. He’ll be hoping to sell at least a few items every night so that he can make a little money as he goes*.

(*Side note: if you’re ever at a concert and are tempted not to pay attention to the opening act, remember that this is a huge opportunity for that artist; remember that they have worked very hard to get where they are; remember that they have family and friends cheering them on from afar.)

This is just one single step on the journey to become a full-time, money-making musician. But it’s a pretty fun step. It is the most recent in a series of steps that have brought Ben and his musical project, “My Red and Blue,” to this place in time. These steps have included:

  • Moving to Nashville to attend Belmont University, a school for hopeful musicians
  • Meeting friends in Nashville who eventually became members of his band
  • Writing and recording a first EP on a shoestring budget and some of Mom and Dad’s money
  • Being selected to participate in Belmont’s Songwriter’s Showcase
  • Being selected to participate in Belmont’s Rock Showcase
  • Graduating, taking a corporate job for Warner Records on Nashville’s Music Row
  • Deciding that the corporate life wasn’t for him
  • Writing and recording two more EPs, the most recent with top notch Nashville studio musicians
  • Being signed by Sorted Noise, a company that places music on commercials, TV shows, and films
  • Traveling to Los Angeles to participate in a conference for music placement industry people
  • Working in a restaurant to make ends meet, while spending the rest of every day writing new songs, making connections in the industry, and learning the business

It hasn’t been always easy, but there’s always been an element of fun. Ben’s goal is to be a musician who makes his living on music alone. Being invited to participate in a small leg of this tour with Parachute is just one step — a big one — but just a step nonetheless.

Before he knows it he’ll be back home and working, writing, learning, and working some more. He’ll be making art under the mantra: “Don’t wait for opportunity; create it.” And opportunities will most certainly arise, just as this one has. Ben hasn’t reached his ultimate goal, but he’s having fun along the way.

What about you? What step can you take today toward a goal you have for your life? When you take one small step every day pretty soon you’ll look back and find that you have traveled a long way toward your goal.

As you take those steps make sure that you are enjoying the journey. There is fun to be had even before a goal is reached. It’s fulfilling to look back and see the steps you’ve already taken. There is gratitude in recognizing those who have helped you along the way. There’s no sense in thinking it’s only the goal that brings pleasure.

The journey itself should be fun, as well.

How are you seeing to it that you are enjoying the journey toward your goal?

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When Courage and Faith is All You Have

Sometimes courage and faith is all you have. Today I met someone who is filled to the brim with both. Thanks to a lead from one of the members of our church, I went to the hospital to see her. This woman, thirty-years-young, has a debilitating and sometimes terrifying disease called Paramyotonia Congenita. She needs both courage and faith. And the minute you come into her presence she exudes both.

Hands of Faith

Paramyotonia Congenita is a disease that causes muscles to stiffen, periodic paralysis, and in severe cases, can even constrict the diaphragm and chest muscles so much that it can stop one’s breathing. That has happened to her far more times than she’d care to count. Doctors tell her this is the worst case they’ve ever seen. She’s been in and out of the hospital in life-threatening situations numerous times over the past couple of years. That’s why her life has been boiled down to the essentials: courage and faith.

She beautifully tells her story on her blog. She speaks of worrying about her young daughter, who also has a form of the disease. She feels badly that her parents’ lives have often been put on hold to care for her. She longs to be well and live what she calls a “normal” life. You can’t help but cheer for her every step of the way.

There are many things she’s lacking in life. But there are two things she has in spades: courage and faith. Very rarely have I heard someone with such a serious and unsettling disease speak with such calmness and conviction. Very rarely have I heard someone with such an uncertain future speak with such solid trust in her Savior. She told me that when she can’t do anything else, she prays. Some people just say that. I know for certain that when she prays she does so until her words don’t know what else to say. Then she puts the full weight of her faith on Jesus.

My problems pale in comparison when I sit in her presence. I learn from her that I need more courage and faith. And here’s what I know as a result of meeting this true hero:

  • There is nothing this world can take from me
  • There is nothing the Evil One can steal from me
  • There is nothing my own stupidity can do to rob me of the One who gave His life for me

Courage and faith are essential in a life that is filled with uncertainty. That defines life for all of us. Some of us need more courage and faith than others, but we all need a measure of both.

What will you do to feed your courage and faith today?

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When Life Is About More Than Just Survival

There’s nothing like Florida mornings. They teem with life. Every morning when I ride my bike on our local trail I get to observe the beautiful sunrise. I see the mist rising off of the open fields. And I get to ride through lush green woods filled with banyan trees, palms, and deep green vegetation. It’s the time of day when the wildlife is waking up. I see hawks, turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, egrets, osprey, and even an occasional alligator.

Tropical

What strikes me every morning is that all the birds and animals are waking up simply to survive another day. They are searching for food. They are hiding from predators. They are both eating and trying not be be eaten. Every day for an animal is simply a matter of survival. I’m not sure how much enjoyment there really is. It’s all survival of the fittest.

It reminds me that for us human beings life is so much more than simply trying to survive. We live at a time when food is readily available. Our homes and vehicles are climate controlled. We don’t usually have to fight for our lives. Life is relatively easy in the twenty-first century. I get to step out of my garage, put on my helmet, and ride through a gloriously green suburban trail.

Since we don’t have to put all of our energy into surviving life we get to use life to create things, help people, and find meaning. We get to read, and work, and travel. We get to eat for pleasure, gather around a table with friends, and throw parties.

When life isn’t merely about survival there is a certain joy that should always be in the undercurrent of our minds. That obviously can’t always be the case when there is trouble, and trial, and difficulty. But in the open spaces of life when everything is relatively easy we ought to be taking every advantage not only to get ahead in life, but to do what we can to help and serve other people.

Unlike the animals it isn’t just about living one more day if we possibly can. We get to live as God’s highest creatures in God’s great creation doing what we can to enhance life for other people. Helping and serving brings meaning to our lives and provides joy for the journey.

What will you do today with the relatively easy life God has given you? How about trying some of these things:

  • Smile
  • Lend a hand to someone who doesn’t expect it
  • Give away something of value
  • Write a poem
  • Read that book that’s been on your shelf for a long time
  • Let another car cut safely in front of you
  • Volunteer to watch the neighbor’s kids
  • Start something brand new
  • Take a nap
  • Stay up late
  • Watch a documentary

So what will you do today with the relatively easy life God has given you?

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Love Yourself Like You Really Mean It

I’ll be totally honest with you. I don’t always love myself. And I bet you don’t either. When I compare myself to certain others I don’t always measure up. My children know how much I love them, but there were times in their lives I could have done better. Sometimes I wonder why my wife loves me. I feel like I don’t deserve it. Loving oneself is sometimes harder than it seems to people on the outside looking in.

Leap

The Bible says that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How can we do that very well unless we love ourselves first? The world and our TV screens are filled with people who don’t love themselves. They show it by hurting not only themselves, but hurting others. Instead of making the world a better place, they make it worse. Instead of helping out, they hinder. Far too often I am that person, too. And so are you. I want to love other people well. It’s just that I far too often get in the way of myself.

I’ve found it a great comfort to be surrounded by people who love me despite my faults and failures. I’m reminded on a daily basis just how much I fall short in so many ways. That’s why it’s good to be around those who love me so much that I can’t help but love myself. They do it by:

  • using encouraging words when I don’t feel very encouraged
  • simply sitting and listening
  • creating opportunities to help me succeed
  • making me laugh
  • allowing me to be myself
  • giving without expecting anything in return
  • expressing appreciation for something I have done
  • remaining loyal
  • not allowing time or distance to impact our relationship
  • bringing comfort when I feel nervous or under appreciated

A pastor friend of mine whom I respect very much recently met me for lunch. He commented that he’d really appreciated the things he’d seen me do online with respect to creativity and writing. He said, “It’s like you’re becoming who you really are.” For me it was the greatest compliment I could have received. He recognized a gift in me and saw that I was working hard to become the true me.

Even I can appreciate the true me. It’s why I’m passionate about you becoming the true you, too. The closer we are to fully utilizing the gifts we’ve been given as a Divine gift, the easier it is for us to love ourselves. And when we do that, we find it easier to show that same affection for those in our lives who need it, as well.

So love yourself like you really mean it. You are valuable. You are worth fighting for. You are full of gifts and talents given to no one else. You are appreciated. You are the creation of the Creator.

The world needs the true you. 

What does loving yourself well look like?

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How to Show Passion for the Things You Love

This past Sunday we had guests from Pennsylvania at our church. It certainly doesn’t always happen, but this couple stood up at the time we introduced guests and revealed how impressed they were with our service. They were going to take ideas back to their home church. Following the service they told me one of the things they really appreciated about the service was my passion in leading the worship. Now you could probably criticize me for a great many things, but I hope that I could never be criticized for the way I lead worship and am passionate about it.

Passion 2

I would hope the same could be said of you and your work. I would hope that people see the passion when you fulfill the vocation to which you have been led. Lack of passion can kill momentum more quickly than you can even say the word. Lack of passion could be a deal breaker. Lack of passion can halt the forward motion of an organization, let alone your own career or pursuit.

So how do you show that you’re passionate about something? Here are some proven ideas:

  1. If you’re not passionate about it don’t do it. Really. Stop doing the things you don’t love. It may mean taking a leap, but it’s worth it. John Lee Dumas, the host of the “EOFire” podcast tried his hand at a few things before he became a podcaster. He went to law school but dropped out. He tried commercial real estate but found he just didn’t enjoy it. On his many commutes to work he started listening to podcasts and came up with an idea for a new one: interviewing a different entrepreneur seven days of every week. He had found his passion, and now he makes over six figures a month doing it. Listen to him for just a few minutes and you can tell that he’s extremely passionate about what he does. He stopped doing the things he wasn’t passionate about and found something in which he now is.
  2. If you’re passionate, prepare. People can tell when you’re not prepared. Passionate people plan ahead. They prepare for meetings, things they do in public, things that will be open to the outside world. Not too long ago I took the StrengthsFinder inventory. It revealed that one of my strengths is “Maximizer”: “Excellent, not average, is your measure…you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.” Since I want to maximize things, and make them better, I feel the need to prepare so that all will go well and go smoothly. It greatly bothers me when there are public mistakes or things happen because people aren’t prepared. Show that you are passionate by your preparation. Professionalism is a key to drawing people in with your passion.
  3. If you’re passionate, let your voice show it. A dull voice and dull speech patterns are the quickest way to show people you couldn’t care less about what you’re doing. When you’re passionate about something it flows from your brain to your toes and back up through your body to your heart and finally out of your mouth. One of my favorite things to do all year is to tell the story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection when that time of the church year rolls around. I’m passionate about it because I believe it with my whole heart. One of the things I’ve been able to do is read the story out loud from Walter Wangerin, Jr.’s account in his Book of God. If you can’t be passionate using those words to tell that story you’re going to need some help. Have excitement and expression in your vocal tones. People will catch your passion.
  4. If you’re passionate, let your body show it. Like a dull voice, stooped shoulders and a slouched posture will show your lack of passion. In college I had a professor to sat in his chair and lectured from notes every class the entire semester. How involved do you think we, his students, were? On the other hand, I had a professor who actually stood on top of the desk when he was lecturing one day, without a note in sight. It’s not too difficult to remember the things he passionately taught us.
  5. If you’re passionate, tell other people about it. Be an evangelist for the things that make you prepare, and shout, and smile, and sing. Don’t keep it to yourself. Your enthusiasm will rub off. The president of our congregation is passionate about our church. Every Friday in our weekly email he writes about the people doing things that make our church a better place, serve others, and are carrying out their own passions without even desiring recognition. His passion is spreading the passion around.

Seeing people passionate about the things they love makes the world a better place. What are the ways in which you will show your passion today? You may just change a life with your passions. And the life you change could be your own.

How do you show passion for the things you love?

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What Happens to the Gift of Time You’ve Been Given?

The older I get the more I realize just how precious is the gift of time. I’m surrounded by reminders that it goes by very, very quickly. We have pictures in our home of our children when they were young. I don’t know how those pictures could have been taken that long ago. This weekend the Master’s golf tournament kept showing recent shots of previous tournament winners. Arnold Palmer couldn’t even participate in the ceremonial opening drive. He had to look on from a chair. When Jack Niklaus took his turn he swung the club like a player who has most definitely seen his better days.

Clock

Have you noticed the value of time in your own life? Some days it seems like I get up in the morning and before I even know it it’s time to go to bed at night. The days just fly by. Like many before me, I want to hold time, slow it down, maybe even make it stop.

But since I can’t do that, I have made a concerted effort to make the most of the gift of time I’ve been given. I seem to get more frustrated when I waste my time, or have it wasted by others. But more importantly, I’m attempting to use my time more wisely. Many times I fail to do so. But I’m getting better at using my time more wisely. That’s going to be one of my life’s goals from this day forward.

If you’re looking to recover some wasted time, may I make a few recommendations? 

  1. Turn off the TV. Yeah, really. Turn it off. Very little that you see on TV will help you make the most of your time, move forward in life, or give you what you need to succeed. I haven’t turned off the TV completely, but I have drastically reduced what I watch. Even cutting back a little bit, or even to half of what you used to watch, will enable you to do things that you previously thought impossible. Some people have asked where I found the time to write as often as I do. This is where I found it.
  2. Read Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy. This book will help you create a life plan and stick to it. If you feel like you’ve been drifting this book will inspire you to take charge of your life rather than simply waiting to see what happens next. When you have a plan you can put the pieces in place to make that plan happen. You will more likely fill your empty spaces with things that really matter.
  3. Fill gaps with things that matter and move you forward. I have written here and here about the way listening to podcasts has changed my life…or at least driving in the car. The amount of time I have dedicated to this pursuit has taught me things, made me laugh, cry, think, and challenged me in ways too many to count. You don’t have to listen to what I listen to. Go find some podcasts that inspire you and teach you things you never knew before. You will thank me. What are some other ways you have found to fill the gaps between events in your life?

Time is too valuable to waste. It slips away far too quickly. You’re never too young or too old to make the most of it. Start today.

How have you made the most of the gift of time?

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5 Reasons Why Good Friday Is Good

There are a myriad of reasons why Good Friday is Good. It’s arguably the best day in the history of the world, even though it seems like the worst. The entire calendar revolves around this day. There are reasons galore why Good Friday is good. Here are just five of them. (*Warning: There are big words in this post, but I think you’ll see that they’re necessary.)

Italian Cross

  1. *Objective Justification. I know, I know. Big words. But these words changed your life and mine. Good Friday is good because of Objective Justification. Those two words mean that on Good Friday Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, sacrificed Himself for the sin of every person, of every time, and of every place. Jesus died for every human being who ever lived and who ever will live. Yes, even those terrorists of whom you’re thinking. Think about it: if Jesus didn’t die for all, then He didn’t die for me. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty good.
  2. *Subjective Justification. I know, I know. More big words. But these words also changed your life and mine. Good Friday is good because of Subjective Justification. Those two words mean that on Good Friday Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man, sacrificed Himself for you. In other words, let’s say that you were the only person that ever lived, or you were the only person in the history of the world that ever sinned. In that case, Jesus would have died for you. His sacrifice on the cross is yours. He did it for you. That’s subjective. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty good.
  3. Dramatic Worship. Good Friday worship is pretty dramatic. In the Tenebrae service, with each of Jesus’ seven words from the cross the lights get lower and lower until it’s almost completely dark in the sanctuary. After the last of seven candles has been doused the “Christ Candle” is taken from the sanctuary and a loud sound called the strepitus is heard to remind us of the sealing of the tomb. The service isn’t dramatic just for the sake of being dramatic. It’s dramatic because it tells the story of the climax of history’s most important account. To borrow a phrase from Harry Wendt, The Divine Drama comes to fruition in the crucifixion of Christ on the cross. And, in God’s plan, we were there with Him. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty good.
  4. Most people know what it is. If you utter the two words “Good Friday” to anyone, they will more than likely know what you’re talking about. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen anymore, but in my lifetime there was even a time when businesses shut down from noon to 3 p.m. on Good Friday. I once worked in a bank and that’s what we did. Though our culture is decidedly moving away from Christianity and Christian morals, Good Friday is still part of our vernacular which means that there’s still hope that people might listen to you if you invite them to church on Good Friday. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty good.
  5. Good Friday points to Easter. Good Friday is good because of what happens on Sunday. On Easter morning the dead Jesus comes back to life and leaves the grave on His own two feet. You can’t have Easter without Good Friday, and you can’t have Good Friday without Easter. They go together. Without one or the other our sins wouldn’t be forgiven, we wouldn’t receive the gift of salvation, and we would have no hope for our own bodily resurrection. But they both happened. So we get all of that. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty good.

Yes, Good Friday is more than good. It’s great. It’s incredible. It’s grace-full. It’s wonder-full. It’s life-changing and life-giving. And it’s all for you.

Why do you think Good Friday is good?