When you buy your kid a Happy Meal, you’re not just buying fries, McNuggets, and a toy; you’re buying happiness. Their advertisements have convinced my children they have a little McDonald-shaped vacuum in their souls: “Our hearts are restless till they find their rest in a Happy Meal.”

The problem with the Happy Meal is that the happy wears off, and they need a new fix. No child discovers lasting happiness in just one: “Remember that Happy Meal? What great joy I found there!”

Happy Meals bring happiness only to McDonalds. You ever wonder why Ronald McDonald wears that grin? Twenty billion Happy Meals, that’s why. [Happy Meal Spirituality, Christianity Today, May 1993]

Ortberg finishes this idea by saying, “When you get older, you don’t get any smarter; your happy meals just get more expensive.”

What’s the last Happy Meal you bought for yourself? A car? Some clothes? A house? A spouse? How long did it last? No matter how hard we try, or how much we spend, as long as we live with a happy meal mentality, happiness will elude us.

Ortberg paraphrased a familiar quote by St. Augustine: “Our hearts are restless till they find rest in thee.” Or as David said it, “My soul finds rest in God alone…” (Psalm 62:1)

Take a moment today to think about your next Happy Meal. Instead of pursuing one more thing, one more possession, one more acquisition … instead of striving for bigger numbers or better money or more praise directed your way … spend a few minutes alone with the God who loves you, and let his presence in your life satisfy you.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. (Isaiah 55:2)

There’s a verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here!” (Ecclesiastes 3:21)

Here’s a key distinction: Solomon didn’t say, “There is nothing better for people than to have work that makes them happy.” The emphasis is on you being happy in your work, not on your work making you happy.

In my experience, some people get bored with great jobs, others approach the most mundane tasks with passion and enthusiasm. It’s not really about one’s job, it’s about one’s attitude in doing it.

Your job is what it is, and that won’t change. But you can take steps today to change the way you approach your work, steps that empower to find (in Solomon’s words) satisfaction in your toil.

On May 26, 1959, Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Harvey Haddix accomplished something no one else in baseball has accomplished. He pitched 12 perfect innings in a game against the Milwaukee Braves. It was enough to set a record, but it wasn’t enough to get a win.

The score was tied at zero in the bottom of the 13th when the Braves’ leadoff hitter reached first on an error. Two batters later, Joe Adcock knocked in the winning run. The Braves took the game, 1-0. And Haddix took the loss.

The Pirates had men on base all afternoon — more than a dozen altogether — but they couldn’t manage to get any across homeplate. And so, with no help from the offense, Haddix’s brilliant record-setting performance wound up in the L side of the ledger.

Today many leaders are convinced if they themselves can maintain a certain level of brilliance, it will be enough to guarantee the success they’re looking for. While brilliance won’t exactly work against you, it will never take the place of teamwork. You’re not enough by yourself. Whatever it is you’re trying to do, you can’t do it alone. You need a team — a team of team players.

Solomon wrote, Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:10, 12)

I encourage you to remind those on your team today that you’re committed to doing your part, that you’ve got their back, and you’re thankful that they’ve got yours.

If so, you already know about Armando Galarraga’s near perfect game. You know about the bad call: The throw beat the runner. Galarraga deserves to be recognized as the 21st player in 135 years to pitch to perfection. His accomplishment deserves to be memorialized in the Hall of Fame, as all perfect games are. But it won’t be, because his perfect game was taken away with a bad call on the last out.

Instead, Galarraga will be remembered for something greater: his response to the injustice. Did you see it? Umpire James Joyce called the runner safe, and Galarraga smiled.

We know how other players might have responded. We’ve seen entire teams collapse and championships lost in the aftermath of a bad call. [St. Louis Cardinals, 1985]

But Galarraga just smiled — albeit a sardonic “you’ve got to be kidding me” smile — and then he went back to the mound and got the last out. Even after the game, he refused to lash out at the umpire’s mistake.

ACKNOWLEDGING A BAD CALL
Blown calls are a fact of life. They come at us in different ways: The boss who gives credit to the wrong guy, the teenager who blames everyone else for their own insolence, the church member who finds fault in everything the pastor does. The result is that sometimes you get short-changed. You deserve credit, but credit doesn’t come your way, thanks to someone else’s bad judgment.

It’s happened to each of us before, and it will certainly happen again. In Galarraga, we see how to respond. You don’t lash out. You don’t lose your head. You smile and go back to work. You do your job with excellence, even when you have to deal with a little unfairness along the way.

Galarraga didn’t get the perfect game he deserved. But he did show fans everywhere how a sportsman plays the game.

It reminds me of how Paul praised the believers in Thessalonica for their example in the face of suffering…

And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia…your faith has become known everywhere. (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

Today, you’ll have a chance to show your corner of the world how a believer responds … to setbacks, to struggles, to criticism, to conflict, to disappointment, to injustice. You don’t lash out. You don’t lose your head. You smile and keep doing your job with excellence. Others will notice.

Run in such a way as to win the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24)

I was in a production of My Fair Lady in high school. My role was small; I think I was credited as the third cockney on the left. But didn’t someone say somewhere that there are no small roles?

Regardless, our school was entered in a state-wide drama competition. First prize included the chance to perform in a professional playhouse. The judges were scheduled to come to the Saturday night performance, but for some reason they showed up on Thursday, the night of our dress rehearsal.

Shortly before the performance, our director explained the mixup to the cast and crew: “This is not just a run-through. Tonight counts. Give your best performance.”

This changed the atmosphere backstage. Getting everything right — every line, every cue, every entrance and exit — was now more important than ever. The judges were in the audience. This was no dress rehearsal. It was the real thing.

You know what? The life you’re living today is the real thing. Sometimes we live as if this is all a run-through, as if we’ll have another shot at it someday.

This is it. Life is now. There is no dress rehearsal. Today counts.

By the way, we won the competition that year.

Barbara replied, “George, you’re confused. If I had married him, he’d be president of the United States.”

Some people have the ability to bring out the best in others. Maybe Barbara Bush is one of these people, I don’t know. But I do know that this is something all leaders, all parents, all husbands and wives must strive to do: Help others become what they can be.

It’s not always easy helping others develop their potential. Paul compared it to childbirth. He said to the Galatians: “Oh my dear children! I feel as though I am going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.” (Galatians 4:19)

When it comes to building others, what’s the difference between inspiring them and nagging them?

Your tone of voice is the first indicator.

The second indicator is the words you choose. Are they accusatory or encouraging? Do they imply doubt or belief in the other person’s ability to reach the goal?

The third indicator is your willingness to hang in there with them. If you’re constantly threatening to withdraw from the relationship, to wash your hands and walk away, you’re not inspiring them — you’re loading them down with guilt.

Paul told the Philippians that he was confident God would finish what he started in them. [Philippians 1:6] Let’s show that same confidence to those whom God has given us to lead.

Do you feel like you too are getting nothing but a “good education”? Do you feel like you’re knocked down more times than you deserve, crossing the goal line fewer times than you should? We all go through stages of defeat — sometimes stages of extended defeat — but Warmath is right: this is where lessons are learned; it’s where we get the best education.

Bill Gates once said, “Success is a lousy teacher.” One of the world’s most successful men understands this principle: You learn more from your losses than you learn from your victories … that is, if you’re willing to take the time to evaluate your failures.

Ever preach a bad sermon? When it happens, how do you respond? Do you shrug your shoulders and say, “Oh well; guess I wasn’t ‘on’ today.”? Do you ask, “I wonder what was wrong with those people today?” Or do you relive it moment by painful moment, analyzing the introduction, scrutinizing the outline, reframing your major thoughts?
It’s the sermons that fall flat that often teach us our most valuable lessons in preparation and dependence on the leadership of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, I am thankful for the sermons that went awry. In the long run, they’ve helped me preach more effectively and more consistently.

This principle works in every area of life, if you’re willing to learn from your past mistakes — jobs that didn’t work out, relationships that failed, ministry projects that fell short of expectations, and on and on. We need to get in the habit of using mistakes as a foundation for a good education. Failure is a good teacher if you’re willing to pay attention to what it says.

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. (Proverbs 16:20)

In what ways is your work transforming you? Since the ministry is not without its difficulties, some who serve God in the local church let the long-hours, low pay, unseen results, and undeserved criticism make them bitter and disillusioned.

The book of Hebrews says that Christ was made perfect through his sufferings. This is not referring to Christ’s sinless perfection; he had already achieved that. “Perfect” here refers to his fully realizing his potential — fully accomplishing the mission that God had given him. How was this accomplished? Through suffering. His suffering brought many to salvation.

And it was only right that God — who made everything and for whom everything was made — should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation. (Hebrews 2:10 NLT)

Your work may involve difficulty and hardship. Like Christ, your suffering can make you a perfect leader — it can enable you to fully realize your potential and fully accomplish God’s plan for your life.

Remember that the reward for your work is not a pat on the back or an increase in pay. The reward for your work is the transformation of your soul into the likeness of Christ, and the opportunity to hear the ultimate words of approval: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

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This principle should be the driving force behind our ministry efforts. It’s not enough to play it safe, reaching only for goals within our grasp. Like Schuller has been challenging church leaders for decades, we should attempt things so great for the glory of God that unless he intervenes, we will certainly fail.

Think about the goals projects you’re currently engaged in. Are there any impossible items on the list? Is there anything beyond your reach? If not, maybe it’s time to aim a little higher.

Jesus said, “With God, all things are possible.” We need to remember what this promise does and doesn’t imply.

It doesn’t mean that all things are easy. Accomplishing the impossible typically takes extended effort.

It doesn’t mean that all things are immediate. Reaching worthwhile goals require a long-term investment of time.

It doesn’t mean that all things will be painless. Personal sacrifice is part of the process.

It may not be easy, immediate, or painless, but for those willing to step out in faith, for those bold enough to trust God to do the impossible, for those willing to pay the price of perseverance, the reward will always be greater than the investment. As Paul said…

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Check your list one more time. Is there any impossible thing in the works?

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Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)

When a farmer anticipates a windy day, he puts off planting seeds; otherwise the gusts will blow the seed away before they can penetrate the earth. And when a farmer anticipates rain during the harvest, he puts off cutting wheat or oats; if the grain gets wet it gets ruined. So a farmer needs to exercise a little caution. Exercise too much caution, however, and your seeds will never get planted and your harvest will never come in.

The Living Bible renders this verse: “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB)

If you need to begin a new project or start a new diet or launch a new ministry or make some big changes in your life, don’t wait for the perfect conditions to come along. Instead, seize the perfect moment — this moment — and take the first step in moving forward.