Living with Intention: Embracing Stewardship, Presence, and Purpose in God's Plan

Have you ever paused to consider that every breath, every moment, and everything you call 'yours' is a gift from above? That's where we start in our latest conversation, as my co-host Steve and I, Mark, delve into the profound sense of presence that comes from recognizing God's hand in the minutiae of our lives. We share candidly about our personal struggles and breakthroughs in the quest to remain connected to the Divine amidst the whirlwind of daily commitments.

This episode takes you through a transformative shift in perspective on what it means to 'own' something. With stories from our own lives, we explore the liberating concept of stewardship over ownership—how treating our possessions, our businesses, and our families as precious loans from God can infuse our daily routines with gratitude and purpose. We also dissect the nature of giving, shedding light on its power not just as a duty but as a heartfelt response to the generosity of our Creator.

Finally, we reflect on the paths to unconditional love, radical forgiveness, and peace beyond understanding. These are not just theoretical ideals but targets we aim for in our own lives, even as we stumble and press on. We share practical ways to be fully present for our loved ones, to actively listen, and to embrace the spiritual practices that keep us grounded in the reality of God's ever-present love. Join us on this journey, and let's together discover the richness of living in alignment with God's purpose.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

Welcome to Foxhole Symphony, a podcast about the transformational value of men in authentic community.

Speaker 2: 0:14

In our foxhole. Men are equipped to build relationships that foster belonging, accountability and growth.

Speaker 1: 0:20

Stop believing the lie that you can thrive in isolation and instead join us on the journey from broken to whole.

Speaker 3: 0:27

Hello everyone. They call me the Maestro and we are back in the foxhole where we actively pursue belonging, accountability and growth through authentic relationships. No masks, no agendas, just iron sharpening. Iron. Mark and Steve are in the foxhole today and they are contemplating some heavy stuff, and that's okay, right, sometimes in life we have to do some heavy lifting. You know what time it is. Open your favorite notes app and settle in, because it's time to get her done.

Speaker 2: 0:58

Welcome back to Foxhole Symphony Podcast. I'm Sarge here with my good friend Mark. Hey brother, good morning. It is morning, is it? It is Yep, at least at the current moment it is. And you know, interestingly well I'm sure not everybody's listening in the morning and who knows where in the world people are listening from. They should be, because this is a great way to start your day. It is, and you know the way to work. Absolutely, there's something about, you know, our little corner of the world and circumstances right, our perspective, that you know right.

Speaker 2: 1:37

Just even as we say, like it's a good morning for us right now, right here. This moment in time, you know, is a time and space that God ordained for us to be together. And so you know, yeah, it's so easy to go through life, you know, taking so much for granted and seeing things through our own lens, right as if we are the center of the universe.

Speaker 1: 2:06

Oh, dangerous, yeah, and so you know, I do it every day. Right, who wrote that song? Danger zone?

Speaker 2: 2:15

I can see his face, I can hear it.

Speaker 1: 2:17

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 2:18

And top gun.

Speaker 1: 2:19

Yeah, right.

Speaker 2: 2:21

Um, so you know that perspective and an alternate one which is, you know, just a bigger perspective, an eternal perspective, a, you know, godly perspective, you know, as the creator of the universe, as the creator of all things, you know that's, that's a perspective that you know. We don't often put that pair of specs on.

Speaker 1: 2:50

No, I I have been a little more lately. It's it's been thrust in my face over and over and over in the last few months in particular. I mean I always know. I mean I believe God made everything. Yeah, right, I believe in the creation story and I mean I always know, I mean I believe God made everything. Right, I believe in the creation story and I'm biblically oriented in that way.

Speaker 1: 3:11

But in order for me to process that at all, I've got to stop. I have to eliminate all other distractions to get my brain around the creator of the universe story, my God, master of the universe, the creator. I did it today, driving back from a store prior to recording with you, where I stopped, was listening to something from the Bible project and turned it off, looked out the window in front of my windshield and just said it's all his. Just for that moment and I'm not kidding, it probably lasted 20 seconds, but that's what happens to me. I've got a pretty much disconnect from everything else. To give that a fair chance of settling in, I'm living with the understanding that I serve a God who made every single thing I can see and touch. Yeah, that's not an easy place for me. It's not a comfortable place for me to go because I'm running Right.

Speaker 2: 4:20

Yeah, and I build noise? Yeah, the word that comes to mind. Is it just this awareness, this hyper awareness that it's tough to have if you're running right from one thing to the next, to the next? Because that's that's the focus. The focus is, whatever it is we're running towards, you know, rather than um, an awareness of our surroundings and our environment and what's happening, both a self-awareness and awareness outside of ourselves, and an awareness of God in that moment, his presence, his movement.

Speaker 1: 5:03

I need to be fully present with God and the Holy Spirit in any moment. I want to give this a fair shot.

Speaker 2: 5:13

Yeah, right.

Speaker 1: 5:15

As I would anything else, because I'm hyper aware of God's creation right now. But to give this whole you know, god's in charge and God's got it mentality, I'm I got to stop.

Speaker 2: 5:30

Yeah, yeah, and part of that surrender, part of it's, you know, god wants to take us on a journey, each of us, and you do it, you pass it on to me on that darn encounter app.

Speaker 1: 5:44

Okay, I've had some great moments. I don't I just can't do that every day. I can't either, but when you throw one over the wall, I know it's valuable.

Speaker 2: 5:53

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:54

And those 15, 14, 16 minutes, whatever it is. Yeah, sometimes I can get lost in there, Eyes closed, headphones on.

Speaker 2: 6:03

Yep.

Speaker 1: 6:04

Yes, and he gives you a break. The guy says oh, you're drifting now.

Speaker 2: 6:09

Yeah, how did he know that? How about he says you know like it's okay, you know like gives you permission to like, don't beat yourself up?

Speaker 1: 6:18

Of course you drifted. It's like my mother.

Speaker 2: 6:20

Just let it drift by. It's okay, come on back.

Speaker 1: 6:30

It's okay, honey, come on back. It's okay, honey. I didn't mean to cut you off there, but I was just thinking of the Encounter app and that guy rocking me to sleep. But there's that quiet.

Speaker 2: 6:36

Yeah, those have been some of the most profound instances when I've heard from God. As a result of those know, as a result of those 15 minute, you know, prayerful meditations, guided meditation.

Speaker 1: 6:49

So shout out to the encounter app. I don't know who does it. Do you know who birthed?

Speaker 2: 6:52

it. I don't either, okay, well, thank you, it's awesome.

Speaker 1: 6:55

It's like dwell encounter it's it's you may have heard of it before and if you are doing it, hallelujah.

Speaker 2: 7:08

You know, we were just and I do two a month, you know, but so it is, and what's so fruitful about it is it? You're forced to stop. Well, you're given the opportunity to stop, to focus just on him and on a scripture, and to hear, to hear from him and to listen. Um, but you know, through in, in and about, as we go about our daily lives, um, you know, having that awareness and I think it just, it's just practice, I think it just takes practice right To, you know, have a level of awareness of God's presence, you know, and that again, it's all his and that, no matter what we're doing, whether it's in the mundane or it's on the mountaintop, or it's in the valley or it's circumstantial, you know there's a, not just an awareness, no-transcript that he not that he caused it necessarily. I think he could or allowed it to pass right and so, regardless of which one of those it happens to be, it's ordained by him.

Speaker 2: 8:33

It's a moment in time that. So you know, what does that mean? Like, what does that mean for our lives, for everything that we do, for every interaction? You know, it all matters. How about that? It all matters, Like, I don't like who among us live our lives a hundred percent of the time, as if every moment and every interaction and everything we do know like that it all matters. Yeah, no one.

Speaker 1: 9:01

It's impossible, it's impossible so, and that's what I was thinking of this morning when I wanted to ask you to talk about this is is what's the what's? John smith, you know john q public think think about this and is it causing introspection of how often do I stop and remember that it's all his? You just said those words before and I want to ask you I'm not picking at you at all what's that mean? It's all his.

Speaker 2: 9:27

Yeah, well, what's all his? Is this all his? The world and everyone in it? I mean, that's what the scriptures say.

Speaker 1: 9:34

Right.

Speaker 2: 9:35

Yeah, the entire world and everyone in it.

Speaker 1: 9:38

You know my little windshield exercise this morning I mentioned yes, I looked out and said it's all his. There was a Dunkin' Donuts out of the corner of my eye, the orange. Yeah, you can't miss it. Yeah, and I'm thinking where's his. Right, it's his. So God. God made everything that could be purposed or repurposed to make that Dunkin' Donuts happen. That's how I settled with that.

Speaker 2: 9:58

And not only that, but you know, john Q, public smart aleck, is saying that's, you know, that's Bob's Dunkin' Donuts, right? Whoever the franchisee is, whoever the owner of record is and you know, yeah, that's true in some respects right, it's his to steward the way that you know, god intended. And you know, at the end of the day he might think it's his, but it's not. Think about the number of things we call ours, it's mine. We start when we're two mine, mine, mine, mine. It's not yours, it's not yours.

Speaker 2: 10:48

No, you know, I mean we. You know God allows us to have it, enjoy it.

Speaker 1: 10:53

you know, whatever it is Right, like I mean clear up that delusion and even you know whatever it is right.

Speaker 2: 10:57

Let me clear up that delusion. And even you know our spouses, our children, you know like Not mine, Right Like are they mine, yeah, god's.

Speaker 1: 11:07

They're on loan. They're mine to love. They're on loan, they're mine to love.

Speaker 2: 11:10

To love and steward and lead, but they're his so much more than their mind. So, um, it's, it's co-ownership, you know it, just as we're called to co-create, like God is the creator of the universe, creator of all things. But, like you know, this table right Was created by someone's hands, or a machine that was created by someone's hands, and we, we have the opportunity to co-create in this world because that's how he made us. This was John Ikea, right.

Speaker 1: 11:40

By the way, you just, I think, hit on something really important about our wives and families and ultimately, I think I've had my priorities straight for a while God, family, job, kind of thing when I line up the things that consume the most of my time. But it's essential, essential that every man listening, every person listening, get those priorities in order, noting that your family belongs to God and I treat my family differently with that lens. I don't know what it was, I don't know if it was a moment or a year, but go ahead.

Speaker 2: 12:24

No, that's at the crux of the entire conversation. That's. It Is that, you know. Do we treat things differently? Would we treat things differently if we knew, and we were hyper aware that they were on loan from God, that they were his on loan to us to care for and steward for a time right, like you know? The scripture that comes to mind is that you know, the master that you know left the gold, you know the bags of gold, right, he came back and said like what did you do with it? Right?

Speaker 1: 13:00

What did?

Speaker 2: 13:00

you do with the talents, right, you know? Yeah, like if we had the perspective which is an accurate one that it is all his on loan to us for us to steward and enjoy so that we might thrive and flourish, how would we treat things differently, whether it was our possessions, whether it was our, our business, our employees again, our families? Just as you said, really critical, really critical mindset and perspective shift that should really change our entire, not only our entire perspective, but how we live.

Speaker 1: 13:46

Yeah, this, this for me and my family. This takes me to a conversation I've had with my boys in the past about. Let's just call it the. The episode would be called You're Not that Lucky, because I just don't buy it. I forget when it was. It was probably 15, 20 years ago maybe, but I just decided to stop using the word luck. It's kind of fine. It's where fine is in my vocabulary.

Speaker 2: 14:08

It's not.

Speaker 1: 14:09

I don't say fine very much, unless it's a pencil point, you know, and lucky not so much. Right, you know God gives you blessings, grace, mercy, love. They're fruits of the spirit that are mine because I've you know, I believe in his son, that he died for me and my sins and I'll be in heaven with him. But trying to convince my millennial boys that when something positive happens in their life you know they're lucky and when something negative happens they're cursed, that's kind of that's the two sides of it for them.

Speaker 2: 14:45

Or you know, hey, listen, there's a whole you mentioned John Q public. I mean there's a whole segment of the population that that, you know, don't believe in God and would call this the universe. This is the universe, Everything belongs to the universe, and you will get what you give right, Karma, and you know, okay, I mean that's one perspective, Sure, you know, not one that we ascribe to.

Speaker 1: 15:17

Not now. I can recall growing up thinking like that though. Absolutely, I'm quid pro quo. I have t-shirts, you know oh my gosh Really. Yeah, you know I, yes, I am. I spent many years with that lens on of give out a little, get some back. It was all about ROI and not just finances. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:44

So, and then there's the whole circumstance, you know conversation right. So you know, because even those right like God's in them. God not only created it all and owns it all, but he's in it all. And so you know, it's another wildly shifting perspective to, and again it comes back to focus, right, like, like you know, when there's a significant circumstance in our lives, who among us is not hyper-focused on the circumstance and the results and the turnout? And you know, again, like, what it means for us and our lives? It's very, listen, the focus becomes, you know, selfish.

Speaker 1: 16:40

Yeah, that has a real negative connotation, but there's a survival part of that, right it's I'm protecting me, my stuff, you know, et cetera.

Speaker 2: 16:48

Yeah, or my family or what have you and the world Self-focused, call it self-focused.

Speaker 1: 16:54

Yeah, and the world applies a lot of pressure there, right, I mean in order to pull yourself back and have an eternal focus for something is so anti-world view. Yeah, I know that's not a real word, but you know what I mean. Wow, is the world telling my millennial boys. It is all about you, sure, get as much. All about you, sure, get as much as you can. Yep, right, what are some practical ways we might be able to help folks be thinking about how to take your circumstances, and I'm going to use the same metaphor that I learned some time ago about the Holy Spirit, where I used to invite the Holy Spirit and now I know he's right here right now and I just need to engage.

Speaker 1: 17:43

Similarly, god is in your circumstances. It's now in my house. When Maria and I are talking, or I'm talking to anybody around the house, I'm often saying God is good, you know, god's behind that, god's in front of this, god will go with us, et cetera. That's the lingo.

Speaker 2: 18:03

I mean one of the things is I mean, I think it requires having that perspective, requires a relationship with God. So let's just start there.

Speaker 1: 18:14

Okay.

Speaker 2: 18:15

Because if you don't have that, you know everything else, I would say, comes back to that it's rooted in having a relationship with God and communing with him and conversing with him. And so you know things like um, you know asking God and listening, I mean truly like you know. What is it? What is it you're doing here? What is it you want me to see here? How is it you want me to respond? How is it you want me to? You know move, what action do you want me to take? Like literally asking God those questions, asking for whatever it is we need, for the wisdom, the courage, the peace, the perspective, the clarity, the right, like um, to navigate those circumstances. So I think that's a big part of it. And then it's it's it's surrender and trust, which you can't do if you're not in relationship, and that our faith is not about having all of our needs met or some cushy life. You and I sit here having most of our needs met and having a pretty cushy life, but there are plenty that love Jesus that don't have that.

Speaker 1: 19:31

No, there's lack.

Speaker 2: 19:33

So and pain and martyrdom and all kinds of you know, really tough stuff.

Speaker 1: 19:40

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:41

And yet God's in it.

Speaker 1: 19:43

Absolutely For me. It even, I think, a step just before what you were talking about is. I often find myself saying Lord, open my eyes, like, make me aware, you know, soften, open my eyes, soften my heart, and then open my mouth so that I can like say what, what is happening to me?

Speaker 2: 20:00

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:01

If God blesses me with that awareness.

Speaker 2: 20:03

Isn't it interesting? That's who you've been praying for and that's what he's given you. Yeah, yeah, this is what I'm saying. You made my point Right. Like you, ask him, ask him and you know he's pretty faithful.

Speaker 1: 20:23

He's pretty faithful. Can you imagine we're sitting here talking about God and calling him pretty faithful?

Speaker 3: 20:27

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:27

And he's listening and going.

Speaker 2: 20:29

Sorry, god's somewhat faithful, I'm really faithful I'm being sarcastic, of course, right Like you know, facetious he's pretty faithful meaning yes he is faithful period.

Speaker 1: 20:40

Maybe, then, a step, a practical step that a listener could take is simply getting yourself in a position where your conversations with God include words that sound like Lord, make me aware of this, open my eyes to blank whatever it is that you're looking for, whether it's the needs of others For me, it's often what words I'm choosing and how my tone at home, with Ria, with the boys at work Am I too forceful because of my energy level, et cetera. I often ask for that awareness and to soften just a little. Get my point across still and soften that a little bit, and I know that it's a grace vitamin for me. Yeah, you know, as I'm walking into interactions, I know it could be edgy. Just a little more grace, lord, you know, have me aware of the other person's needs, not just mine. And these are practical, step-by-step. I was just thinking home and business, but it could be any interaction that you're having.

Speaker 2: 21:49

Yeah, I think some of that, too, comes back to our mission, right Like who we know ourselves to be, our identity in him, our mission, right Like who we know ourselves to be, our identity in him, how he's uniquely gifted us to be in those interactions and to represent him in those interactions, because, ultimately, that's what we're called to do. And so it's not even just about the needs of that other person, but, god, what is it you want to do here? How is it you want to use me? How do you want to love this person? Right, I mean, you talk about you know everybody always, and it's you know. A lot of it does come back to that, just through the lens of you know, god's love for us and for others, and being being his vessels and his instruments, and in in every interaction, and it's the, it's the hard interactions that I should say the harder and the hardest interactions, the most difficult, that we have the greatest opportunity to um, to be that vessel to, to bring you know, comfort.

Speaker 2: 22:55

you know, in the midst of pain, you know morning, whatever it might be right, whatever those circumstances are. So you know, when everything's going along great, there's not as much opportunity for that.

Speaker 1: 23:09

No, no, and I'm, I'm so guilty of getting something done in my own strength and then, like two hours later, oh, thanks God, you ever.

Speaker 1: 23:24

Totally oh gosh, totally Just awesome. Yeah, oh, my goodness, he's talking about mission. Um, I, as you know, I tinker with my mission all year. My mission talks a lot now about unconditional love, radical forgiveness and confounding peace. I'd love to tell you that's how I live my life every day, right, unconditional love, radical forgiveness, confounding peace. But that's where I need to be. That's the relationship I want to have with my God and with other people. That's where I need to be. That's the relationship I want to have with my God and with other people. That's what I want people to see that, as I go through my day, I'm on mission with the creator of the universe and that's what he's calling me to, and I'm fine with it being aspirational. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 24:13

I could see that. I could see why you'd be fine. Yeah, I mean, really, they're always aspirational. I could see why you'd be fine. Yeah, I mean really, it's it's. You know, they're always aspirational. I think so too. I mean, that's the idea of it's. The idea of living on mission is like you know, this is this is me at my best, and unfortunately, most of us don't spend most of our time there, right? So it's most of our lives, most of our days. It is aspirational, but that's why it's important to know what it is.

Speaker 2: 24:42

Absolutely. You know, here's the target, you know and you know, lord, between now and the time you take me home, may I continually grow closer to that right and live that out. And uh, and we don't always.

Speaker 1: 24:56

No, and you know know, the mission statement has those practical steps. I do this by right and I've realized being present for my family, listening, well, staying on mission, like because the great news is it's a list, yeah, second for me, yeah, well.

Speaker 2: 25:14

Well, it is great news because I tell you what I mean. In many respects it should be. It should be specific enough that you know whether or not you've succeeded or failed by the end of the day. Right, so you can. You can look back and say, yep, nailed it, you know.

Speaker 1: 25:28

Thank you, lord or yeah, forgiveness right, thank god mercies are new tomorrow.

Speaker 1: 25:36

Right, by the way, you just hit the nail on the head for me. There is an account, there's a reckoning here. I was going to say accounting, but that's too financial. The reckoning every day is how'd I do? Like this is my mission. Sure, how'd I do? Yep, I don't do that very often, but when I do, it's not so much I beat myself, it's more of all. Right, let's focus Like is this your mission? That's what it helps me do. My mission evolves because it's what God is putting on my heart. What has he opened my eyes to, made me aware of? What can I change? What do I need to change? Have you told me something? Or my wife told me something? An area where I need to look at. What lens am I wearing in this particular area.

Speaker 1: 26:24

And do I need to get on my knees a little bit and refocus? So this is where I am right now. I'm stuck in love and forgiveness and peace, and those are the things I want to come out of my heart. When you see me, yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:39

I love it.

Speaker 1: 26:39

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:41

Yeah, I just, I just keep thinking about the fact that you, you can, your, your prayer has been God like, make me make me more aware of your presence. And he's given you this sort of awestruck awareness. You know of his presence in, in each moment, and, um, what a beautiful thing, what a beautiful thing.

Speaker 1: 27:02

Thank you, and it's. It's born from a few things. The chosen again pops up because of the Shema prayer and how they, they honor him. As you know, our God is one creator universe. Our God is one, it says, and it means he's the one, he's the creator.

Speaker 1: 27:20

It doesn't say the one, but it says our God is one yeah, it's the translation that I've seen everywhere, either Hebrew or Aramaic and our God is one Okay, I can start. Right there, that works for me. Yeah, right there, that works for me. Yeah Right, yep, you've got this, and I am finding more and more comfort in that. Because I'm a control freak, or I have been a control freak. I'm trying to be less of one, and I see the fruit of that, at least in my own eyes, and understanding that my wife, for instance, my wife and sons belong to the creator of the universe on loan to me to love and steward. Just like you said, that's a very comfortable nighttime. If I remember that when I go to sleep, it's a good sleep.

Speaker 2: 28:13

Comfort freedom.

Speaker 1: 28:15

Freedom really Right.

Speaker 2: 28:18

It's not up to me, I don't bear this burden alone.

Speaker 1: 28:23

It's almost hysterical that I'm surrendering my wife to the creator of the universe but that's really where it is. Exactly. I'm thinking God is saying she was mine to begin with, but thanks for the surrender Mark. Of course, yeah, of course I, of course. I appreciate you giving to me what is mine. Yeah, I love this.

Speaker 2: 28:42

Well, and it's. I mean, wow, it's, it's interesting. I mean this is even our financial giving and things of that nature. It gives us the opportunity to practice that. True, I mean this, this is this, this is I think it's part of the the spiritual disciplines, like as a reminder, like offering back to him what he's given us. I mean truly, and you know what we faithful with he blesses Right and so perfect. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing, it is Well. I'm thankful for this moment in time. Yeah, and you know, pray for many more. So, god, give us more awareness of your presence in each moment as we go about our days, more awareness of your presence in each moment as we go about our days, and may we just be awestruck by how you have created all things, and may we offer back to you everything that we have, because it's all yours anyway. Amen, amen.

Speaker 3: 29:51

Peace, peace. Psalm 47. Come everyone, clap your hands, shout to God with joyful praise, for the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. He subdues the nations before us, putting our enemies beneath our feet. He chose the promised land as our inheritance, the proud possession of Jacob's descendants, whom he loves. God has ascended with a mighty shout. The Lord has ascended with trumpets blaring.

Speaker 3: 30:26

Sing praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises, for God is the king over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm. God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne. The rulers of the world have gathered together with the people of the God of Abraham, for all the kings of the earth belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere of the earth. Belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere. That same God you just heard about in Psalm 47, he knows your name and my name. He calls us son and daughter. He is the God of all things, from the mundane to the lofty. Do you know him, lord? Please continue to use this podcast to impact the lives of all who listen. I ask that you would bring hope and healing to each and every one of them, lord. Meet them right where they are and reveal yourself to them like only you can do, in Jesus' name amen.

Speaker 2: 31:35

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