The Word Needs to Be Read

"How would you know to be Christ-like if you don’t even read the Bible to know how Christ is." ~Francis Chan

I had a bit of a wake up call the other day. One of my blog followers brought to my attention that I might be a bit weak in the faith department if I'm so easily influenced by my coworkers, allowing the world to slowly control my actions. His suggestion was that I needed to make sure to read the Bible everyday so that I'm constantly immersed in the Word. Some might have a knee-jerk reaction of anger, but I was actually quite thankful for the carefully worded rebuke and advice.

In Galatians 5:16, we are told, "...walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." But what I've come to realize is that one cannot understand the inner workings of the Spirit if the Word is not read. Only God can provide us with the wisdom on how to lead our lives and act in the world, and if the Bible is neglected, our faith weakens and we're easily influenced by the world that surrounds us on a daily basis. 

My follower suggested reading Psalm 51, which I found quite useful, particularly verse 51:10, which says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Too often humans insist on going about their lives on their own without consulting God. Even though we are weak and sinful creatures, we continually insist that we know best. On the contrary, we are the ones most likely to bungle our lives and end up in a mess if we don't refresh our Spirit everyday by reading the Word and understanding how to walk as a Christian. It is my goal to make reading the Bible a priority in my life in order to help prevent being so easily influenced by the unbelievers who surround me on a regular basis.

Marathon Reflection

On this day, around this time last year, I could hardly walk. Some of you might find that a scary proposition, but once I tell you that I had just completed a marathon, I'm sure it makes perfect sense. For those of you who might still not understand completely, marathons completely pummel the body mentally, physically, and emotionally. They are not events to be taken lightly, and I'm still amazed that I even finished the Delaware Marathon.
The post, Obstacle Conquered, is what I wrote following my marathon completion a year ago. As I reflect upon this race from my past, I realize even now what a miracle it is that I was able to gut it out over the course of 26.2 miles. Thinking back, there were many mistakes that I made by not sticking to my original game plan. First off, I went out wayyyyy too fast. Who in their right mind runs a 7:46 first mile, only to come to realize there are 25.2 more to go? Along with that, I over-hydrated. During training, I would have a drink maybe every 6 miles. Throughout the marathon, though, I was having a drink every 2 miles. Talk about an upset stomach.
Thankfully, God was watching over me that day. I would not have been able to finish without the support of my parents and friends. Grigs and Jess were great motivators throughout the course, while Chrissy and Rhi stepped up and ran with me when I needed it most. I'm so glad that Deuteronomy 31:6 is true when it says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
The Delaware Marathon was definitely a learning experience. Though I took most of the year off from physically running, I feel as if I've been mentally running, trying to escape myself for some reason. It's been a year of ups and downs, of spending time with friends and hiding from them. A year of believing in my abilities and doubting myself. A year of being sure that I was meant to help people, but not knowing exactly in what capacity. Luckily, through all of this I have come to understand what is meant by the words in Romans 8:28 ~ "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." I may not be able to comprehend all of the circumstances that I have undergone this past year, but I am positive that there was a reason behind each and every situation.
I'd like to leave you with a song that I felt compelled to listen to on my drive home today. It's by Addison Road and is entitled "Start Over Again." The lyrics seem quite fitting for my situation, and I think it's about time I turn my life around and start over with each aspect of my life. I know I've let myself down and I've let some friends down, and for that I'm sorry and hope that you'll forgive me.

Open up your eyes

Awake, arise

Love like a hand reaches down

And pulls us up from the dirty ground

Now is the time

To step from the dark into the light

Cause you can’t change what you’ve done

But you can choose who you’ll become

(CHORUS)

Every moment is a second chance

At starting over, at starting over

Move from the past to the present tense

You can start over, start over again

If you feel ashamed

Of the choices that you’ve made

You can be whole again

And return to your innocence

(CHORUS)

Yesterday is gone

Today is all you’ve got

You don’t have to be who you’ve been

You can change within

It’s never too late

To start over again

The Necessity for Accountability

"And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." ~1 Thessalonians 5:14

I believe a variable missing from society as a whole in America in this day and age is accountability. This concept seems to have died out with the coming of age of the American Dream. The American Dream is an individualistic, self-centered attitude based upon hard work, ensuring that nobody has to be accountable for his or her actions. Unfortunately, this is why America's infrastructure and economy now seems to be crumbling because nobody reminded anybody to save and then pay, or to even pay bills at all. Why else would individual, state, or national debt be so high?

I believe part of the reason is that nobody chose to "admonish the idle" since our concerns are focused upon self, as opposed to society. Everybody likes to blame society for all of the problems, but those same people tend to forget that they in fact are also part of the same society. We are all interconnected, whether we like it or not. No longer should we adopt the attitude of, "It doesn't involve me, so it's not my problem." Instead, God urges us to hold others accountable, but also to encourage and help those who are fainthearted and weak. If we focus inwardly on ourselves, we miss out on chances to help others who are truly in need.

Accountability has many forms. It should be used within the church in order to ensure that all the members are doing their best to maintain their walks with Christ. In the community, it could help promote honesty and concern among neighbors. Where accountability is helping me most at the moment, though, is within the sphere of running. I have not maintained a consistent running schedule since I ran my marathon last year, which has been rather frustrating. Part of me just needed a break from the sport, but part of me longed for the enjoyment of cruising along trails. Thankfully I have been blessed with someone from Bible study who has taken upon the task of holding me accountable when it comes to running. We both benefit because he is an aspiring running coach and I am in need of a more structured training regimen. Knowing that somebody will be checking in with me about whether or not I chose to run is definitely a great motivator.

I believe that if a more structured form of accountability was established within churches in America, many would put more thought behind their actions. Knowing that we will be questioned about our decisions in day to day life should help motivate people to draw closer to Christ and try to walk in a way pleasing to Him. Accountability encourages us to take responsibility in our lives and promotes caring to others within the community. I think it's about time we all tried some on for size.

W.A.I.T. Part 13: Do You Attract Moths or Bats?

With summer approaching, I think of the times I have watched moths dancing around a porch lamp or a campfire. They are completely drawn to the light, to the point in which they are occasionally consumed by their interest and desire to be close to the light. This desire to draw close to the light should be how Christians react to Jesus. We should have a desire to draw closer to the light of Christ so that he might shine through us. A good self check on whether you are thriving to shine with the light of Christ, or whether you are living in darkness, can be found in Luke 11:33-36: "'No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.'" This is reminiscent of the new song by Kari Jobe, entitled "We Are." The chorus of this song states, "We are the light of the world. We are the city on a hill. We are the light of the world. We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine." It is our job as Christians to shine as beacons for Jesus in order to guide the lost to Him and glorify our Father in heaven.
On the other hand, a winged animal that completely avoids the light, but prefers to come out in darkness, is the bat. Bats can always be found sleeping in the rafters of homes during the day, only to come out at night when it is utterly dark. Sure, these are nocturnal animals, but it reminds me of John 3:19-20, which states, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." There are many in the world who are afraid to have their pasts exposed, so they flee from God. Instead of realizing that Jesus is the only one who can bring healing and forgiveness, many assume they will be harshly judged for their actions. As Christians, we must help to alleviate this misconception in order to allow others to be drawn to the light of Christ.
Christians must also be aware of some warnings that are found within the book of 1 John. These warnings should help Christians to focus on whether or not they are honestly drawing closer to Christ and reflecting Him in order to thrive. 1 John 1:6-7 tells us that "If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." We cannot claim to be walking with Christ if we are deliberately sinning and choosing to not change our ways because our personal desires trump our desire to live a life pleasing to God. The other verse to be aware of is 1 John 2:10-11, which says, "Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." I'll admit that this is a verse that I need to remember and focus on some days. I don't necessarily have outright hatred for any of my brothers and sisters in Christ, but I'll admit that I can get rather frustrated with people in certain situations. When I find myself in those moods, I think it's important for me to reflect on the fact that I'm not reflecting Christ if I am seething over a silly situation or misinterpretation. A song that helps me during these difficult times in my life, and serves as a good reminder of how to thrive in the light is "Spark" by The City Harmonic. The opening of the song goes like this: "Could a spark of Your love light a fire in me? Just a spark, warm my cold heart. It's the living that breathe."
If you find that you are living more in the realm of darkness, take your cue from Paul when he spoke to the church in Ephesus. In Ephesians 4:17-19, Paul said, "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed." We are to flee from darkness and into the arms of Christ. The closer we are to Him, the more closely our actions will mirror His and bring God glory.
So after analyzing your current life situation and your day to day lives, are you attracting frantic moths or do you have bats in your belfry? My hope is that you are attracting moths because that means that your relationship with Christ is growing and thriving, which is glorifying your Father in heaven.