Chapter Excerpt

They call her "Amazing Grace."

Do you remember the classic Star Trek series of the 1960s? Then you undoubtedly remember Captain Kirk's blond assistant, Yeoman Rand, played by actress Grace Lee Whitney. Before appearing in Star Trek, Miss Whtiney had an exciting career in films and television. She worked with the biggest stars, directors, and producers in Hollywood, including Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Mac- Laine, Jack Lemmon, George Burns, Groucho Marx, and Billy Wilder. When she landed the continuing role of Yeoman Rand on Star Trek, it was an actor's dream come true—a continuing role on a weekly dramatic series, with all the wealth and fame that goes with it.

If you are a true Star Trek fan, then you probably know something terrible happened to Grace Lee Whitney: her character disappeared from the series before the end of the first season. For years afterward, fans wondered why Yeoman Rand simply vanished from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. After a long self-imposed silence, Miss Whitney came forward and told her story in a book called The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy.

One evening after a cast party on the Star Trek set, a studio executive invited Grace to his office for a talk. He told her he had big plans for increasing her role on the show and wanted to discuss her future. But once he had her alone in his office, he sexually assaulted her. As if the assault weren't devastating enough, Grace came back the following week to begin shooting the next episode—and was told she was being written out of the series. The producer who assaulted her didn't want her around to remind him of what he had done—so he got her fired from the show.

Even before this crisis in her professional life, Grace Lee Whitney struggled with crippling childhood memories and shame. After being assaulted and tossed off the TV series, she plunged into a deep depression. She tried to deaden her pain by binging on alcohol, drugs, and compulsive sexual behavior. She didn't merely want to stop hurting—she wanted to die. Over the next ten years, as her alcoholism and other addictions spun completely out of control, she was reduced to sitting on a curb in downtown Los Angeles, drinking cheap booze straight from the bottle.

Finally, she was admitted to a hospital, suffering from dehydration and delirium tremens. The doctor who examined her said her liver was dangerously enlarged and her esophagus was perforated from all the cheap gin she'd been drinking. "If you don't stop drinking," he told her, "you'll die."

"How long do I have?" she asked. "How many months?"

"Not months," the doctor replied. "Days."

This scared her—but Grace didn't know how to stop drinking. Alcoholism had her in an unbreakable grip.

Soon after Grace was released from the hospital, a friend invited her to a twelve-step recovery group. She was introduced to a roomful of people who admitted they were powerless against alcoholism. They lived day by day without drinking by relying on the power of God. Grace Lee Whitney never took another drink after she began her twelve-step recovery process. She remains in recovery to this day. In 1983, after two years of sobriety, Grace committed her life to Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

Today, Grace Lee Whitney represents Jesus Christ at Star Trek conventions and in radio and TV interviews. She shares the story of what God did in her life at twelve-step recovery meetings and in women's prisons. She donates countless hours, counseling and sponsoring women with addictions. Now you see why people call her "Amazing Grace."

After suffering childhood pain, a sexual assault, and a nearly fatal addiction, Grace has received salvation, physical and emotional healing, and a new life from God. Not content to merely receive the gift of God's love, she also gives His love away to others. Grace Lee Whitney is a living example of Paul's first secret of positive living: "The Inflow-Outflow Equation."

The First Secret

In my study of Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, I found at least fifteen powerful, life-changing secrets of positive living. I would encourage you to sit down with this epistle and read it from start to finish. Bathe your mind in the truths of this great message from the apostle Paul, and I guarantee you'll find it a life-changing experience.

You cannot read this letter without being amazed at how one man could endure so many tragic and unjust experiences as Paul. He was like a boxer. Again and again, the world took its best shot at him, sometimes knocking Paul to the canvas—yet he would always get back on his feet and fight his way through each round. Paul never went down for the count. He refused to let negative people and negative circumstances keep him from going the distance for God.

Let's look briefly at the background of this letter. The city of Corinth was a major center of trade, wealth, and culture in the Roman Empire. It was also a city given over to moral depravity and the worship of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexual love. The Christians in Corinth were surrounded by the same kinds of pressures and temptations surrounding us today. So the words Paul writes and the principles he shares in this letter are meant as much for you and me today as they were meant for the Christians in first-century Corinth.

Paul had a special relationship with the church in Corinth. He founded the Corinthian church around A.D. 52 or 53 (about five years before this letter was written) and he lived, preached, and ministered in that city for about eighteen months to two years. From Corinth, he moved on to Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). While he was in Ephesus, word came to Paul of problems in the Corinthian church. He wrote the letter we know as 1 Corinthians in order to address those problems.

Later, Paul left Ephesus and went to the region of Troas in northwest Asia Minor (Troas was named after the ancient city of Troy, which was located in that region). After spending time in Troas, Paul journeyed into Macedonia, where he met with Titus, his partner in ministry, who had just come from Corinth. During his journey from Troas, Paul suffered great persecution and opposition, and he was weary and discouraged by the time he stopped in Macedonia. So when Titus came with good news from Corinth, the apostle Paul was greatly encouraged.

So Paul told the Corinthians:

However, not all the news from Corinth was good. Sometime after Paul's last visit, the Corinthian church was infiltrated by people who spread lies about Paul while preaching a false gospel. Paul refers to them as "false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:13). They opposed Paul's work and caused him considerable grief and suffering. We will learn more about these false teachers in later chapters.

In Paul's second epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle reveals his inner anguish and frustration, his discouragement and temptations, his loneliness and weaknesses. He describes how he was beaten, criticized, and falsely accused for the sake of Jesus Christ. Most important of all, he reveals to us the power of God working in the midst of his pain. In this letter, the apostle Paul opens up his life for us to see—and he reveals to us how God's power is at work in the midst of trials and afflictions.

We begin our study of Paul's fifteen secrets of positive living with "The Inflow-Outflow Equation." Paul writes:

In these verses, there is one word Paul uses nine times, and it is the key word of this passage: "comfort." Paul speaks of comfort in terms of giving and receiving, and hence The Inflow- Outflow Equation. Inflow is only the first half of the equation.

First, the Inflow

Because we live in this evil and fallen world, we face problems and troubles of various kinds: illness, sorrow, loss, opposition, injustice, difficult people, strained or broken relationships, disappointments, disillusionment, helplessness, hopelessness, and despair. If you have not faced these kinds of trials yet, you will. Affliction is an inevitable part of life.

Satan wants to use painful experiences to discourage and defeat us. He wants to stop us from accomplishing great things for God. He wants to keep us from having an impact on the world for Christ. In the Old Testament and the New Testament and in our daily lives, we see that one of Satan's favorite strategies is to use tragedy as a weapon against God's people.

When you are under attack by Satan, it will do little good to prop yourself up with "the power of positive thinking." Satan can outthink you every time. But here's the good news: Whenever you hit one of life's brick walls, God is there. His infinite power is available to you. His weapons are far more powerful than the weapons of Satan.

We can't always feel God's presence—but He is always dynamically involved in our lives. He is ready to soothe your wounds, fill your emptiness, and mend your brokenness. He is ready to restore your confidence and renew your hopes and dreams.

God never promised us a life free from trials and troubles, but He repeatedly promises to be with us, comforting and strengthening us in the midst of our problems. We see this truth dramatically demonstrated in the life and letters of the apostle Paul. One fact comes through clearly in this letter: If ever there was a man who struggled, who faced persecution and opposition, and who had every reason to be resentful, angry, discouraged, and pessimistic, it was the apostle Paul—yet Paul was never defeated by his trials. Instead, he shouts to us, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles" (2 Cor. 1:3?4a).

Is this the same apostle Paul who was beaten with fists and wooden rods? Who was stoned almost to death not once but several times? Who was shipwrecked and falsely imprisoned and lied about and opposed by false teachers? Who endured hunger and thirst for the sake of the gospel? Shouldn't he be bitter and pessimistic about his life?

Yet, Paul's response is a shout of triumph, praise, and thanksgiving that "the God of all comfort" has comforted him in all of his troubles. Had you and I suffered what Paul suffered, we might not be so full of praise. We would hire an attorney to sue everyone who lied about us and falsely imprisoned us. We'd demand our constitutional rights. We'd send out mass mailings, protesting our unfair treatment. We'd put up a Web site on the Internet, explaining our innocence.

But Paul's response is one of praise and thanksgiving to the God of all comfort. He says, in effect, "I'm not focused on the negative circumstances in my life. I'm focused on the God of all comfort, who comforts me in all my troubles and afflictions. I'm focused on the Friend who, as Proverbs 18:24 says, ?sticks closer than a brother.'" As Paul wrote in another New Testament letter, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" (Rom. 8:31b-32).

As long as the God of all comfort is with me, no one can get me down. Problems can't cripple my faith. Financial setbacks can't cause me to despair. Neither illness nor injury can hinder me. False accusers have no power over me. Troubled relationships can't lessen my resolve. I refuse to allow even a bad hair day to ruin my demeanor. Why? Because the God of all comfort continually comforts me in all my afflictions. I continually receive an inflow of comfort from the Lord my God.

You may say, "But I'm not experiencing this inflow you speak of. I'm hurting, and I'm not being comforted. Why don't I receive this inflow?"

I can't judge your heart, but I do want to offer one possible explanation for why you may not be experiencing an inflow of comfort from God: It may be you are using a "do it yourself" approach to finding comfort for your afflictions. The "do it yourself" approach says, "I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!" The truth is: no, you can't!

Your business has failed. Or your romance has ended. Or a friend has betrayed you. Or your teenage child has turned away from you. Or a loved one has died. You're trying to keep your chin up. You're trying to prop up your spirits and keep going on. Chances are you're gritting your teeth so hard your jaws are ready to crack.

I know how it feels. I have been hurt and I have tried the "do it yourself" approach myself—and every time I've tried it, I've failed. You can't pull yourself up into the air by tugging on your shoelaces. By the same token, you can't comfort yourself in your own afflictions. You need God to lift you, to put His loving arms around you and comfort you.

Today, you can know the comfort of God. He's not the God of some comfort; He's the God of all comfort. He will comfort you—not just in some of your afflictions, but in all your afflictions. Not just occasionally, but always. Not just in certain areas of life, but in all areas of life.

That's why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:5, "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." In other words, Paul is saying, "Make my day. Bring on the sufferings of Christ. The more afflictions come my way, the more comfort I experience from God! And the more comfort I experience from God, the more His comfort overflows from my life to the lives of others."

This is the "inflow" half of The Inflow-Outflow Equation: as we experience trouble and trials, God's comfort flows into our lives.

Next, the Outflow

Paul begins describing the inflow with these words: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles" (2 Cor. 1:3?4a).

But Paul's sentence doesn't end there. Had Paul ended his statement at this point, he would not have given us the whole truth. He goes on to say God comforts us in our troubles "so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Cor. 1:4b). In other words, God comforts us so we can give His comfort away to others.

If you truly want to experience the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions, there must not only be an inflow. There must also be an outflow.

The inflow of God's comfort and blessing is yours for the asking. The fulfillment of His promises is sure and certain. You need never doubt the availability of the inflow. But there must also be an outflow. In order for the inflow of God's blessing to take hold in your life, for His comfort to meet your need in times of affliction, there must be an outflow.

The Bible speaks of sowing and reaping. Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded" (Luke 12:48); and also, "With the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Matt. 7:2). So if you give a little thimbleful, don't expect to receive buckets in return. But if you give freely, cheerfully, and abundantly—open your front door wide. A heavenly dump truck is on its way to pour out God's blessings upon you!

But be careful about the attitude with which you give. Some people view God's blessings as an end in themselves. They receive a blessing from God and they say, "That's what life is all about—receiving blessings from the Lord." They think God's ultimate purpose in time and space is to shower them with blessings.

But that's not what life is all about, according to the Scriptures. Paul tells us the Christian life is to be lived according to The Inflow-Outflow Equation: first, there's an inflow of comfort and blessing from God into our lives; then there is an outflow of comfort and blessing from our lives to others.

The apostle Paul sees it as a matter of stewardship. God has entrusted a measure of comfort to Paul—but Paul is not supposed to merely keep that comfort for his own use. God intended to make Paul a channel of comfort and blessing to the people around him. To Paul, it would have been a sin for him to receive blessings from God only to bottle them up and put them on a shelf. Blessings and comfort are meant to be shared.

A Tale of Two Seas

There are two major bodies of water in Israel. One is the Sea of Galilee. It's a beautiful, untainted sea, and its water is clean and sparkling. Why? Because the water flows from the slopes of Mount Hermon, down into the Sea of Galilee—and then the water flows out again via the River Jordan. Millions of people, both Arabs and Jews, are blessed by the outflow from the Sea of Galilee. The sea is fed by an inflow and it feeds the River Jordan with its outflow.

The second major body of water in Israel is the Dead Sea. The name of the Dead Sea tells the story: the water flows into the Dead Sea, but it does not flow out. Scientists tell us the Dead Sea is the deepest hypersaline (supersalty) lake in the world. The Dead Sea is located at the lowest point on earth (1,371 feet below sea level), so its waters can't flow out. The Jordan River flows in—and its waters simply collect and evaporate in the basin of the Dead Sea.

Because of the high salt content, it's easy to float on the Dead Sea—but nothing can live in that brine. In fact, those who step into its waters say it has an unpleasant oily feel and it stings the eyes. The Dead Sea is shrinking year by year—drying up and becoming increasingly salty. Eventually, if nothing is done to prevent it, the Dead Sea will dry up completely, leaving behind a broad plain of crystallized salt.

What clearer picture could we have of the life that receives great inflow but which experiences no outflow? God wants us to be sparkling, life-giving Seas of Galilee. Tragically, all too many of us are Dead Seas—all inflow and no outflow. Our lives are drying up, shrinking, and devoid of life. Those who live by The Inflow-Outflow Equation know that the outflow of comfort and blessing must keep pace with the inflow—or the result is death.

The most positive people on God's earth are people who live by The Inflow-Outflow Equation. I've known a number of people who live by this principle, and I'm sure you know such people as well. It doesn't matter how negative their circumstances, they live positive lives and are a blessing to everyone they meet. They may be afflicted with poverty. They may suffer from chronic pain or cancer. They may be bound to a sickbed or a wheelchair. Yet, a few moments with them feels like a fresh breeze from heaven.

Paul was that kind of person. He wrote that God "comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." Notice the clause: "so that." It's called a "purpose clause." Paul is saying he received comfort from God for a specific and important purpose. What purpose? It is so that Paul might share the comfort of God with other people who are suffering.

Spiritually Fit—or Spiritually Obese?

Here's an illustration of The Inflow-Outflow Equation from my own life: I get a lot of exercise. I work out five and even six days a week. I run. I pump iron. I do everything I can to stay in shape. I avoid junk food and try to eat only good, nourishing, healthy food. I have been trying to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly for quite a while—but I wasn't always so health conscious.

I only became serious about my health after my doctor examined me one day and said, "Michael, you are digging your own grave with a knife and fork. If you keep living that way— eating too much junk food and not exercising—you're going to get sick. You're on track to develop diabetes or have a major heart attack." Those words scared me—and I decided to get serious about my physical health.

Now, if you've ever seen me in person, you know I'm no Superman. Even exercising and eating right as I do today, I am not likely to be mistaken for an Olympic athlete. So I wonder what I would look like if I was still eating junk food and never working out. I would probably be as big as a house. But because I exercise and eat healthy food, I feel better today than I ever felt before.

There was a time, back in the days before I was exercising, when I would huff and puff while climbing a single flight of stairs. I could hardly catch my breath. Why? Because I was ignoring The Inflow-Outflow Equation in my personal health. I was experiencing an inflow of calories in all of the food I was eating—but I was not experiencing an outflow of calories through vigorous exercise. The abundance of my inflow, which was not balanced by any outflow through exercise, was producing weakness and death in my physical life. Only when my outflow began to keep pace with my inflow, did I become physically healthy and strong.

You may be physically fit, but if there is no outflow to match the inflow of blessing you receive from God, you are becoming spiritually obese and unhealthy. It breaks my heart to say this, but I'm convinced it's true: The church of Jesus Christ is filled with believers who are spiritually obese. Their souls are sick and unhealthy because there is no outflow of blessing from their lives. There is much coming in, but very little going out. They receive and receive and receive some more—but where is the blessing flowing from their lives to the work of the Kingdom of God?

One reason some people have no outflow to match their inflow is they lack faith and trust in God. They are reluctant to give because they don't trust God to bless them tomorrow as He's blessed them today. So they hoard God's blessing. They bottle it up. And in the process of hoarding what God has given them, they become spiritually obese.

I have never known a positive person who only received blessing from God. I have never met a positive person whose outflow did not match his inflow. I have never met a positive person who was only a taker. Positive people are unselfish and giving people. Their lives are a constant blessing to others. Their lives overflow with praise to God, service to the Kingdom, and ministry to other people.

Can your outflow ever exceed your inflow? Absolutely not! You can't outgive God. Whatever blessing and comfort you give to others can never be greater than the blessing and comfort God has poured into your life.

How do you receive God's blessing and comfort? There's no mystery to it. Simply ask—and you shall receive. The blessings of God are yours for the asking. If you are not receiving blessing from God, it's not because He is withholding. It's because you have closed yourself up. God longs to give you His blessing and comfort. He has promised it to you in His Word. As Isaiah writes, "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. . . . He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart" (Isa. 40:1, 11a).

We know the inflow of God's blessing is certain and dependable. In His Word, God has lovingly obligated Himself to bless us. So the question we must ask ourselves is: does my outflow match my inflow?

Now, I'm sure, you can readily see the dramatic difference between the power of positive thinking and the secrets of positive living. All the positive affirmations and positive self-talk in the world will not last. It will not carry you through times of affliction and suffering. But if you live in such a way that the outflow of God's blessing matches the inflow of God's blessing in your life, then you will experience a continuously positive life, even amid the most negative situations. If you let the comfort, encouragement, and ministry of God flow through you to others, you will be a positive person in all the circumstances of your life.

You may say, "But I don't have time to minister to others and encourage others. I have a very busy life." I know that. We are all busy people. I remember when our children were young and we were constantly carpooling and transporting kids from school to music lessons to Little League, and on and on. In our busy lives, we tend to think, Oh, I have to go here. I'm obligated to do this. I have to attend that. I can't get out of all these obligations. And oh yes, I really should pencil in a little time on my schedule for ministry to others.

We make out our budget and are careful to pay our debts on time—the mortgage, the car payment, the credit cards, the grocery bill, the cable bill, the dog food bill. "And oh yes," we remind ourselves, "we should also give a tithe, if we can spare it."

The Scriptures tell us God is to receive the firstfruits—not just of our money, but of our time and energy as well. If we would just give gratefully to God, and give Him the firstfruits, then the rest of the list would be taken care of. God will provide all the time, money, and energy we need to meet the demands of our busy lives. I can personally testify that this is true. Many other Christians can offer the same testimony.

Unfortunately, all too many Christians give God the least and the last rather than the firstfruits. Here's a true story that illustrates how many of us feel about giving to God:

Isn't that how we often view our giving to the Lord? We lavish the firstfruits and the best fruits on ourselves, and we give God our leftovers and rejects. Have you been holding onto the storehouse of tithes and offerings, blessings and comfort, time and energy that rightfully belong to God? Have you rationalized in your mind, "God knows I don't have time to be involved in a ministry. He knows I have too many bills to put Him first right now." My friend, put God first. Put your ministry to others first. Put your service to the Kingdom first—and see if the inflow of God doesn't overwhelm you.

What kind of ministry should you do? Well, start right where you live. Have you had your neighbors over for coffee and dessert and a conversation about what Jesus Christ has done in your life? Have you ever created an opportunity for witnessing at the supermarket—perhaps by letting someone go ahead of you in the checkout line? If you're a woman, have you started a book study with some of the women in your neighborhood? If you're a man, have you invited some friends out for golf or bowling or a barbecue and a chance to get acquainted and share your faith? There are countless ways to let your outflow match your inflow right in your own neighborhood.

And, of course, there are many ministries within the church: Hosting a Bible study. Teaching Sunday school. Volunteering for children's ministry. Serving the homeless. Donating time in the church office. You can even ask God to give you a vision for some ministry never before done in your church—and you can lead it. Ask God to show you some creative new ways to let your outflow match your inflow.

God is pouring out His blessing in your life, and He is looking for people who will be like the Sea of Galilee, not the Dead Sea. He wants His blessings to flow through you and on to others. Don't bottle up His abundant grace inside you. Share it with others. Take that important first step toward positive living by offering yourself in service to God and others.

God blessed you in so many ways. He's given you an education, shelter, food, health, and finances. He's blessed you with friends, relatives, loved ones, and close relationships. Have you been through trials and difficulties? Then He has blessed you with mercy and comfort.

Have you responded in gratitude to God's blessings? Or have you taken credit for all the blessings He has poured out on your life? You may have thought to yourself, "I don't owe God anything. The things I have are due to my own hard work, my own ingenuity." But who gave you the strength to work? Who gave you the ingenuity to achieve what you have?

God has blessed you, my friend, in order to draw you to Himself. When He blesses you, He invites you to come to Him and accept Him, to repent of your sins and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life. If you have never made that decision before, you can do so right now, even before you finish reading this page.

"I made a pact with God"

Writer Benjamin Hughes, of the BaltimoreStories.com Web site, tells the story of Kevin Anderson. Several years ago, Anderson worked as a liaison for international affairs at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. One fall morning, he overslept and was late for work. The date: September 11, 2001.

If Kevin Anderson had not overslept that morning, he would have been in the section of the Pentagon that took a direct hit when terrorists flew an American Airlines Boeing 757 into the building at over four hundred miles per hour. Kevin Anderson believes his life was spared for a reason. God blessed him, he says, so he could be a blessing to inner-city kids.

Anderson retired from the military and took a position with the Department of Agriculture. Today, in his spare time, he coaches youth basketball at a YMCA in inner-city Baltimore. And he doesn't just teach basketball to those kids. He talks to them about life—his life and their lives. "He uses lessons in basketball to carry over into everyday life," writes Hughes. "Anderson says if a kid is late for basketball practice, then he'll be late for his job. He wants his players to treat playing basketball for him like a job."

Working with youth has given Kevin Anderson a few scary moments. For example, there was the time a disagreement erupted on the basketball court and a young teen pulled a gun on him. Anderson was able to convince the gun-wielding teen that he was there to help—and the teen eventually became a friend and supporter. "Kids will work for you," Anderson says, "if you show you will work for them."

Before his brush with death on 9/11, Kevin Anderson led a less-than-exemplary life, which included drugs and fighting. Now he leads a new life. "I made a pact with God to stay off drugs," Anderson says today. "God has blessed me. And I'm out here trying to bless others."¹

Kevin Anderson is blessed to be alive after the 9/11 terrorist attack—and he lives to share his blessings with others. That's what it means to live by The Inflow-Outflow Equation.

Copyright © 2008 Michael Youssef

1. Benjamin Hughes, "Basketball with a Purpose," Around Town: Stories from Charm City, http://www.baltimorestories.com/main. cfm?nid=1&tid=290.