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.

Is it Time to Pop Your Protective Christian Bubble?

I had a realization last night. As Christians, I think we get too much into the habit of surrounding ourselves with fellow Christians without thoughts of expanding to outsiders who are considering coming to faith, or others who realize they have strayed too far into the world. Sometimes we focus too much on people's past failures instead of on the positive future they could have in knowing Jesus. As much as we don't want to be overly influenced by the world in order to not fall into a temptation, I feel we are precariously balanced in a realm where we shun those who seem to have awful pasts in order to protect ourselves, and there in lies the problem. We are too self focused.
This line of thinking all came about last night as I was chatting with an acquaintance of mine online. She has a bit of a rough past and is struggling to make improvements in her life. I had never really discussed Christianity with her, other than a couple of verses in passing, but in our conversation, she said something that struck me to the core. She was considering going back to her church, but they weren't very open to her because of her past. She said she felt as if she had to change herself before going back to church. What came to mind was when the Pharisees questioned Jesus about the people he chose to keep company with. Jesus' response can be found within Luke 5:31-32: "And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'" I believe we fail as a Christian community if we turn somebody away based on their past. If they truly repent for the wrongs they have done and the sins they have committed, and if they honestly want to build a relationship with Christ because they know something bigger is out there, then we should invite them in with open arms. Nobody should feel rejected before they even walk in the door.
I think it is easy to forget that we are all sinners. We all have temptations that we wrestle with on a daily basis and needed Jesus to pick us up out of a ditch somewhere along the path as we wandered through life. This should be in the forefront of our minds when a newcomer with a questionable past inquires about Jesus. It should excite us that they are interested to know more and we must be willing to get to know them and pray for them to come closer to Christ.
Many who have troubled pasts have been abandoned by either friends or family. This usually will lead them to spiral downward because they have nobody looking out for their wellbeing and nobody who cares. It reminds me of a line from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. He was discussing his middle school football experience and how a coach rode him particularly hard one practice. Another coach came over to him and said, "When you're screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you." I find this quote motivating when I have someone giving me a hard time about doing something right. But then I am also reminded of the times that I gave up on people because they would either shut me out of their problems, or there appeared to be no progress being made. These of course were selfish decisions, and I believe we all fall prey to responding in this fashion.
I believe God has given me a second chance to remember to not give up on people. This acquaintance of mine who is struggling but wants to get to know Jesus has really inspired me and motivated me to help her in any way possible. I don't want to give up on her just because the majority of other people have done so. Everybody deserves the chance to get to know Jesus and it is not up to us who gets to experience salvation. We can help answer questions and lead Bible studies, but only God's grace can save somebody. As stated in John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Everybody deserves to learn about Jesus. Salvation is the most important part of our lives, which requires us to build a relationship with God. This is only possible through His grace and mercy and it is completely up to Him who is accepted into heaven. Stop protecting yourself from the people of the world and instead realize that everybody needs to learn about Christ and that your first calling is always to discipleship. Be willing to step outside your bubble and extend yourself to somebody who everybody else might have given up on. We all deserve to have someone believe in our abilities and we should be willing to assist somebody in their walk with Christ, no matter what their background, or how far away they may live.

Motivation to Run

I get some motivational daily devotion emails from PrayFit. I find these short little devotions encouraging, but today, the devotion really convicted my heart. The title of the devotion was Health Doesn't Come Naturally. At first, this might appear to be a simplistic approach, almost making you want to say, "Well, no kidding." I then looked to the verse that was featured, which happened to be 1 Corinthians 6:20, "You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies." That was when it hit me. I haven't been honoring God with my body. Don't get confused by this statement, though. I don't mean it in the sense that I've given in to sexual impurity or forms of gluttony. What I mean is that I have not been exercising and honoring God by keeping myself in the best shape possible.

Ever since my marathon back in May, I haven't really done much running. I did the Warrior Dash in June, but with minimal training and I felt sluggish the entire time. I also participated in the Shawnee Mountain Mud Run, but I think I walked a lot of it because it was literally up a ski mountain. That race was back in August, though, and my exercise regimen has been sporadic at best ever since. In February, I had maybe ten days that I ran, but then I felt like I was getting sick, so I stopped that routine. The nice warm weather that came through mid-March provided me with a brief couple days where I was determined to get outside to run to enjoy the sunny days I was blessed with, but this also passed. I just seem to have this inability to remain dedicated to the sport. I've become a little too good at talking myself out of running due to either aches and pains, or it just seems difficult because I'm so out of practice.

After reading my email from PrayFit, I realized that I was neglecting my body in the service of our Lord. Now I know that I can't do anything to save my soul (Ephesians 2:8), but a thought crossed my mind. If I can't even take care of myself by doing a daily exercise routine that takes up 2-4% of my entire time, how can I possibly dedicate myself to helping others realize they need Jesus, which requires much more time and effort? My hope is that I will renew my thinking about exercise and that I will realize that my ability to run is a blessing from God that must be utilized. There are so many people who can't run either due to disease, disability, or injury, that it would be a shame for me to waste my ability all because I just don't feel like lacing up my sneakers to struggle through a run. What I need to remember is that over time, it'll get easier. Much like how our souls need to be sanctified in order to be obedient to Christ, in a sense, my mind and body need to be sanctified in order to be obedient to my running regimen. I believe that if I look at my running as a ministry tool, it'll become easier to re-dedicate myself to the sport.

W.A.I.T. Part 8: Fear of Man

According to Anxiety Disorders Association of America, there are 40 million adults in the United States dealing with anxiety disorders. People can have anxiety for all sorts of reasons, but my assumption is that social phobias and fear of the unknown are the top reasons behind most anxiety. I speak from experience because I am an introvert by nature and I have to force myself into certain situations that usually make me uncomfortable. Sometimes I try to focus on Proverbs 29:25 which states, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." I would rather not be hindered by my fear of man because it keeps me from enjoying life to the fullest and it gives me unnecessary stress.
For those of you who know me, you are probably aware of the occasional stress I feel under certain circumstances. One of my least favorite things involves talking on the phone. I'm not sure why I have this particular fear, but it exists in my life. What's humorous, though, is the fact that God keeps putting me in jobs or situations where I must talk on the phone. I had to call campgrounds to make reservations on my cross country roadtrip, I had to use the phone working at my summer campground job to verify reservations and boat counts, and I currently have to use the phone at my temp job, which has proved interesting with two incidents of a man making harassing phone calls. By submersing myself in these situations, my fear has slowly subsided because God has been with me the whole time. He presents a reminder in Isaiah 41:10 stating, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Knowing this, I try to dive into new situations even if I feel ill at ease. With music as another motivator, the song "Miracle" by Paramore has a line that says, "I don't want to run from anything uncomfortable..." This mentality has proved especially useful recently, and I'm thankful for that because the uneasy feeling in my heart has since subsided.
I think what many don't realize is how living in fear caters to Satan and his minions. Satan is a master at taking advantage of us during our weakest moments and infusing our minds with fear and doubt to further put a strain on our lives. I think in the song "A Dustland Fairytale," The Killers hit the nail on the head with the lines, "God gives us hope but we still fear what we don't know. Your mind is poisoned." This is exactly what the devil does; he poisons our minds with meaningless garbage in order to create stumbling blocks. This can hinder both our relationship with God, along with our ability to share the Gospel with those around us. By creating doubt in our mind, we question God's sovereignty and authority, which limits our ability to trust Him in times of need. Also, if we have an unnecessary fear of man, we will never reach out to them in order to determine if they have heard about Jesus Christ and the importance of building a relationship with Him. Instead of fretting over people and their opinions, focus on Jesus' words in Matthew 10:28, which tell us, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One both soul and body in hell." It is only once you realize how this fear hinders your life that you can move towards change and a different framework of thinking.
No matter where you are in life, you are bound to be surrounded by people who don't like you for some reason or another. Most people would avoid contact with these people, but I think it would be beneficial to analyze the Parable of Weeds in Matthew 13:24-30. This parable says, "Jesus told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 'The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' "'An enemy did this,’ he replied. "The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?' "'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" The weeds symbolize the unpleasant or evil people that Satan sprinkles into your life, and according to Jesus, it is actually better to live among them than avoid them. It builds character and patience when you spend time with people who you don't always agree with, or don't even really like. Some might actually be enemies who try to break you down, but if you trust God and don't live in fear, you can serve as an example to God's sovereignty in your life, which will glorify Him at the end of the day.
The bottom line is that in order to thrive in the Christian life, one must face their fears and realize that they are holding you back in the long run. We must allow God to be glorified through us by holding our ground in the midst of our foes. By trusting God, you will be able to hold your ground instead of running the other way. I think Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it best when he stated, ‎"Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes." It is our job in life to try our best to exemplify Christ in our actions in order to try and bring others closer to Him. If we live in constant fear, others will doubt the greatness of God. By embracing God's love, fear can diminish in your life so that you can thrive, for 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

There's a Bit of Jonah in All of Us

Have you ever found your heart full of resentment towards another individual or group of people? Have you ever resented blessings coming to those who have hurt you and find it hard to truly be happy for them? Then you have a bit of Jonah inside of you.
Jonah was a prophet of the Lord. His God given mission was to preach to the city of Ninevah so that they would repent. The only problem was that Jonah harbored a deep resentment for the Assyrians of Ninevah due to the atrocities they had caused using brute force. They were the epitome of evil, in Jonah's mind, and he didn't feel that they deserved God's love and mercy. So instead of obeying God's mission, Jonah decided to make a run for it: Jonah 1:3 ~ "But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish." (For those who don't know, Tarshish is in the complete opposite direction of Ninevah. It would be like heading to New York City from Denver, instead of going to Los Angeles.) Jonah soon learned that fleeing from the Lord is cowardly and impossible, and that his decision greatly impacted many around him.
The ship that Jonah boarded to take to Tarshish soon encountered a great storm, which instilled fear in the sailors onboard. They started crying out to their false gods for help, but soon cast lots to determine why such a calamity had arisen. Only then did Jonah speak up in Jonah 1:12 ~ "'Pick me up and throw me into the sea,' he replied, 'and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." It is interesting to see that once Jonah realizes that he has caused distress in others that he chooses to alleviate it. This is the first time his conscience sensed that maybe what he was doing was wrong. The irony, as stated in the notes from my Life Application Study Bible, was that he was trying to seek God's love while running from it at the same time. Essentially, "if you want more of God's love and power, you must be willing to carry out the responsibilities he gives you." Jonah finally took some responsibility in Jonah 1:15-16, which demonstrates the lengths he was willing to go to in order to spare the sailors from the storm: "Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him." The lesson that can be gained from this is the fact that "God is able to use even our mistakes to help others come to know him."
What happened next to Jonah is what he is most known for; he got swallowed by a great fish and was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17). This verse provides some foreshadowing to when Jesus will spend three days in the center of the earth before being resurrected. Jesus actually makes reference to this verse in Matthew 12:40, stating the aforementioned foreshadowing in response to the Pharisees asking for a sign from the Lord.
While inside the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord to give thanks for being spared from the raging waters. Deep inside his heart, Jonah knew that God had shown him mercy and he was very grateful. It's while he was within the belly of the fish that Jonah realized that he must obey the Lord and repent for not following through in the mission to preach to the city of Ninevah. Upon hearing Jonah's repentance, "The Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up on dry land" (Jonah 2:10). We often have similar revelations when we suffer hardships. We immediately call upon the Lord to repent for our lack of trust, once we realize that that is why we have ended up in a particular predicament. The best thing we can do in storms, and even in the good times, is holdfast to the Lord. He has the authority over all circumstances and can have us placed in the correct spot on our journey through life if we decide to relinquish our desire for control. Allow yourself to be puked back up on dry land to continue God's mission for your life.
Once Jonah was back on dry land and given a second chance, he obeyed the word from God to go preach in Ninevah (Jonah 3:1-3). After a days journey into Ninevah, he declared that the city would be overthrown in forty days (Jonah 3:4). The Lord wants his Word preached to everybody, even to the most evil people on the face of the earth. We shouldn't allow our fear of people get in the way of sharing the most important Truth with others. Through Jonah's presentation of God's Word, the people of Ninevah repented and were spared God's wrath (Jonah 3:10). As stated in the notes from my Life Application Study Bible, "Ninevah's repentance stood in stark contrast to Israel's stubbornness. The people of Israel had heard many messages from the prophets, but they refused to repent. The people of Ninevah only needed to hear God's message once." We must always remember to not just listen to the Word of God, but to repent and try to refine our way of life to meet Christ's standards. Without doing so, we are merely fooling ourselves into a life of complacency when we are meant to live a life of devotion to the Lord.
Instead of being joyful over the repentance of Ninevah, Jonah decided to sulk and be angry (Jonah 4:1-2). Luckily for Jonah, the Lord remained patient with his anger and chose to teach Jonah a lesson instead of bearing down with wrath. The Lord provided a plant to give shade to Jonah, but caused it to wither the next day (Jonah 4:6-7). This was to teach Jonah about how the Lord shows mercy to all, not just the chosen people of Israel and how it is wrong to be angry when evil people, like the people of Ninevah, receive mercy and forgiveness after repenting to the Lord.
In the same way, we must not let our emotions dictate who we share the Word of God with. God wants everyone to be saved and to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." We often get angry when God showers mercy on those we resent, but we must not focus on our own foolish desires and hatred. We must make the choice to be concerned about the salvation of every human being on this earth and not refuse to share the Gospel with certain people just because we feel they are unworthy, or because our sinful nature is holding a grudge. Try your best to quell the Jonah inside of you in order to fulfill God's purpose in your life.