Steve Macchia

How many times in a day or week do you find yourself saying, “I really should have…” or “I wish I could have…” or “If only I would have…”? Many of us say these lines without a second thought.
But, what value do they hold for us? When are these statements most helpful? Most of the time they feed our sense of guilt, shame, blame or regret. Rarely are they productive, unless used as a sincere reflection that’s genuinely positive or profitable for the future.
Lately I’ve found myself saying my own shoulda, woulda, couldas…surrounding my recent water skiing accident and eight weeks of therapy that haven’t brought about the healing I had anticipated. On top of that, we recently discovered through another set of x-rays and doctor visits that I was misdiagnosed originally…instead of torn muscles alone, we now know that I have two fractures that need the attention of an orthopedic specialist and a new regiment of therapy.
I’m left with a spiritual, emotional and physical dilemma… continually look back with regret, shame, blame and guilt? Or, look forward with lessons learned and a newly transformed prognosis for healing?
Shame, blame, guilt and regret are not good for the soul…I’m going to choose patience, joy, and a faith-filled anticipation of brighter days ahead.
What will you do with your “shoulda, woulda, couldas” this coming week?

Last week I met a former chief development officer of a seminary in the USA who has recently launched his own ministry to encourage generosity among philanthropists and effective fund raising in Christian ministries. The key “take away” from our conversation was differentiating two words: gifts from givers.
As a leader of a Christian non-profit organization, it made me pause…are we developing gifts from donors or spiritually forming givers to Kingdom causes? There is a huge difference between the two…ones is transactional and the other is transformational.
We sent our quarterly appeal out to our donors and potential donors the week before this meeting…I had to go back and review what we had sent. How much of my letter was about our need for a gift and how much was it directed toward the giver? I hope it was about both…the spiritual vitality of the one who gives and the Kingdom impact pursued by the ministry in receipt of the gift – namely LTi.
The next time you receive one of those (or ours for that matter!) appeal letters ask yourself, “Does this ministry only care about the gift they hope to receive from me, or do they truly care about the giver’s heart for building up the Kingdom?”
Worthy of a prayerful pause, don’t you think?

Ever feel like a P.S.? As an after thought, add on, or in addition to? Either in a social setting or a ministry context? I had that feeling just yesterday…I made a public announcement about one of our ministry resources on the heels of a powerful message by a well-known preacher. When the message was done, the final song sung, and the benediction pronounced, those assembled in the audience were asked to sit down for “an announcement” and then I was introduced. I rarely feel this way, but yesterday I felt more like a “P.S.” than a central part of the message. I did the best I could to integrate my “announcement” into the message we had just heard, but still felt like it was more like “and now a word from our sponsor” – yuk! I was pleased to be present at the event and affirm its importance, but what kept running through my mind was, “How do I redeem this moment with something that ties into the meeting and not be simply a P.S. that has no connection to the main event?”
In the Kingdom of God, the gospel is central and Jesus is Lord…when we try too hard to put ourselves in the center, we are really misplaced – there’s no way to displace Christ from His throne. It’s not all about us, it’s all about Jesus…but then again it really is all about us, because His heart is continually about us! We certainly aren’t post scripts to the salvation story…we are central to the heart of God where He considers us His top priority.
The next time you feel like a “P.S.” just remember…you matter more to God than you’ll ever ask, dream or imagine. Never an after thought or add-on in the heart of God…you are a beloved child of the King!
P.S. He loves you with endless, extravagant affection!

We had workers in our house all week long…what was supposed to be done in three days ended up taking six. Doctor visits, family needs, warehouse mishaps, scheduling confusion, lost products, misplaced items, unexpected delays, all contributed to the longer than anticipated process. It seems like this happens more often than not. Is that your experience too?
In order to manage the change in plans it’s crucial we remain open to what God has in mind…what is he inviting us into as a result of things not going as we anticipated? Our best plans are often modified by his greater will. Our wants and needs are shadowed by his preferred, desired intentions. Staying open to God’s best for us is far greater than clinging to what we think is better. It’s important to remember to commit our plans to him and pray: Lord, have your way in my heart, life, mind and will. All for your honor and glory and the fulfillment of your will in, through and around me. Amen.

Is there any virtue to being a person who’s always in a rush? What is the fruit of or gain received from rushing? The fruit apparent to me includes higher blood pressure, greater stress, and the potentials of increased anger, frustration, impatience, disappointment, exhaustion, or sadness…just to name a few! So why do we rush? Usually because we lack the discipline to be ready or timely, we have too much on our plates, or we don’t plan very well.
As I’ve been on crutches now for ten days I simply can’t rush or I will hurt myself. One day this week I actually gave myself one hour to accomplish two errands around town and end up on time for a meeting – something I normally would accomplish in at most one-third the allotted time. I was conscious of every step I took and paid greater attention to my surroundings and ended up with five minutes to spare before my appointment began.
I don’t want to stay on these crutches much longer but I do want to stay in this unhurried, no need to rush state of heart and mind! What about you? Linger, attend, slow down, don’t rush, be still, and know that He is God!

I’ve been on crutches now for 7 days…I’m tired of the nuisance and inconvenience, even though my pain threshold tells me I still need them! When our son Nate was in middle school and high school he was off and on crutches for the better part of 7 years…it amazes me that he persevered for so long. I can’t imagine such a long stint on crutches, but then again that’s why we often said Nate’s middle name should really be “Perseverance” – he suffered long and hard, but over time God redeemed his pain and he’s been walking crutch-free for the past 7 years of his young adulthood, praise God.
Perseverance is a biblical concept, with passages like Heb. 12: 1,2; James 1: 2-5; Rom. 5: 3-5; and 2 Peter 1: 5-7 informing our understanding. Paul’s words in Romans 5 are clear…rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that they produce perseverance, character and hope. With what or whom do you need to persevere today? Cling to the promise that character and hope will be the fruit…and trust the Lord to give you the strength to persevere.

“Christian ministry is more than doing good. Ministry is an act of service performed either consciously or unconsciously in the name of Christ. Ministry is Jesus Christ expressing his life through us. It is born, therefore, not in activity, but in solitude, where through the Spirit we experience the power of life from within.”
From Ministry and Solitude by James Fenhagen
At LTi we come alongside leaders and teams and encourage them to prioritize the care of their soul…out of which vitality in service is best experienced. We believe that true ministry is indeed birthed in the prayer closet, where we create the space to meet with Christ and deepen our intimacy with him on a daily basis. My prayer is that leaders everywhere will create the space and carve out the time they need to spend with the Lover of their souls – for indeed Jesus longs to express his life through you. What is the state of your soul today?

This is my first post…check out our newly redesigned website! I’ll be adding to this blog soon and look forward to staying connected in this way. God bless you!

Check out LTi’s newly redesigned website https://www.leadershiptransformations.org