Distractions

Last winter, my husband and I got a gym membership at our local city run gym.  It is a great place to work out.  When we joined last year, I went daily.  Each afternoon, my husband and I would religiously go after work.  At first, I could only do a couple of miles on the elliptical.  I was doing good to get in a good, solid workout.  I stuck with it, and over the course of a few weeks, I was doing 8 and 9 miles everyday between the bike and elliptical.  I was working out for a good hour to an hour and a half every night.  I lost weight, and I felt better than I ever had.  I was honestly amazed at the confidence that I found in setting and reaching goals--and pushing myself to see just how much I could do.  I actually enjoyed and looked forward to working out with my ipod blasting my favorite high energy tunes.

Somewhere, distractions crept in.  A new job, a different schedule, one night missed here and there...and well, the habit died.  Now, I am in the process of trying to make exercise a daily habit again.  Distractions are the biggest killer of good habits, and we are in a fight to keep up good habits.  I think that could be why Paul compares the Christian life to a race.

Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us.
(Hebrews 12:1)

Cultivating Christian habits are just like running a long term race.  We have people all along the sidelines cheering us on (and if you are like me, you need a loud cheering section just to keep you motivated to keep moving).   We have to throw off everything that could distract us and slow us down.  We have to get rid of the things that trip us up, and hunker down and run the race.

The Christian life is not a sprint, but a marathon.  We are called to be in the race for the long haul.  We start off with a deliberate pace, and keep putting one foot in front of the other--step by step and stride by stride we run the course that God has laid out before us.

When we set out running, we are going to be hit with distractions.  Satan does not want our focus on God and making Godly habits.  He will throw obstacles in front of us just to get our minds sidetracked.  If you are like me, once you are sidetracked, well it is all downhill from there.  The habit that we worked so hard to make, has become something we seldom do--or if we do it, we do it half heartedly because of the discipline that we lost from not being consistent.  I think that is why it is so important to stay focused--and why we need to stay immersed in Bible reading and applying it to our lives.

When we make that appointment to be with God reading His Word, we can daily seek his will and make sure we are focused on the goals and opportunities that lay before us.  We have to constantly look at where we are and where we are going--all while enjoying the opportunity to spend time with God in a loving relationship.

Christian disciplines are not something that should feel like a chore, or something that you daily check off of your to do list.  It is a relationship, and like every relationship, you have to discipline yourself to do the things necessary to deepen the relationship.  Although it is work, you enjoy the time you invest in the relationship.  That is the same way I see spending time in prayer and Bible Study.  As long as you keep the focus on building the relationship and learning and applying Biblical truths to your life, you will look forward to the time you can spend doing them--even though it takes discipline.

Surviving the Storms

 

Last night brought about a series of thunderstorms that produced tornado warnings, strong winds, heavy rains, and some localized flooding.  At about 10:15 the tornado sirens sounded, followed by a 3 1/2 hour power outage at 10:30.  My husband got an oil lamp from the mantle and used it to light our dark, quiet home.

At that moment, I was thankful for the data plan on my husband's phone, and phonecalls from my mom to let me know what the local weather stations were saying about the weather.  We were in the dark in more ways than just our power situation...we were also in the dark as far as information.

Somewhere around what I think was 11:00, we finally began to settle down and go to sleep.  Used to the sounds of the hum of the central heating unit, and fridge...it was uncommonly quiet.  The neighborhood was pitch black for blocks--except for when the occasional lightning bolt would light up the dark house.

If you could not tell, I do not like storms.  I do not like them because I have to deal with the dark blackness of a power outage, I have to deal with rain and lightning, and the noise created by the ominous thunder.  As a child, it would send terror into my world.

I also feel the same about those spiritual storms that come into my life.  As one who thrives on order, peace, and the well orchastrated plan, storms just seem to rock my little world.  I do not like my darkness exposed.  I do not want to acknowledge its existance, much less deal with it on a personal level.  I do not want to be flooded by fears, emotions, and doubts that I need to face.  I do not want to be uncomfortable, and that is probably the one thing that I hate worst about storms.

However, life is not about comfort for the Christian.  It is about allowing God to work in those dark spots--exposing all of those portions of life that need to be whittled away.  It is about allowing God to flood into your life and expose those emotions, fears, and worries that need to be dealt with by exercising our faith and turning them over to God. Storms shower us with a hard rain to cleanse us  all of those things that need to be washed down the proverbial drain.

Storms can be scary, stressful times for us--but they also bring about new growth and regeneration into the world around us.  Just like storms in nature, spiritual storms can bring about spiritual growth and increased faith into our lives.  What we dread and see as "uncomfortable", actually becomes benificial and necessary in the life of a Christian.

The next time life throws a storm your way, just realize that nothing can enter the life of a Christian without passing through the hands of the Almighty God.  He will not put you through anything that He will not walk you through.  So the next time you hear the thunder begin to roll in the distance, just light a couple of lamps and settle in with the God who will carry you through the storm.

What If?

 

What would happen if we actually accepted others the way Christ accepts us?  What would happen if for just a moment, we could realize just a glimmer of the love that God has for each and every one of us, regardless of what we have done in the past?  What if we chose to share that love to each and every person that we come in contact with--whether friend or foe, family, friend, or perfect stranger? 

If we could make the conscious decision to  share that love, it would vastly impact our families, friends, and our world.  As Christians, we have what each and every soul is looking for...love, acceptance and hope.  We have received those through God, who equips and commands us to share them with the rest of the world.

He does not tell us to share our judgemental attitudes.  He does not tell us to hide ourselves away and accept only those like ourselves, but to reach out and love each other--regardless of who they are or what they have done in the past.  The Bible actually even says that the world will know us by our love.  That is how God tells us to define Christianity to the rest of the world.

If we could just be loving to those God places in our path each day,  I just bet the world would stop viewing us as a bunch of legalistic hypocrites and would actually be interested in the message that we are supposed to be sharing...God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you.  He wants to walk with you through the good and the bad that life offers, and help you to find and fulfill the special purpose for which you were placed on this earth.

True Christianity is not about rules, but is a relationship--with God and your fellow man. May God truly bless you and show you his perfect love and peace so that you can share them with everyone you meet.What would happen if we actually accepted others the way Christ accepts us?  What would happen if for just a moment, we could realize just a glimmer of the love that God has for each and every one of us, regardless of what we have done in the past?  What if we chose to share that love to each and every person that we come in contact with--whether friend or foe, family, friend, or perfect stranger? 

If we could make the conscious decision to  share that love, it would vastly impact our families, friends, and our world.  As Christians, we have what each and every soul is looking for...love, acceptance and hope.  We have received those through God, who equips and commands us to share them with the rest of the world.

He does not tell us to share our judgemental attitudes.  He does not tell us to hide ourselves away and accept only those like ourselves, but to reach out and love each other--regardless of who they are or what they have done in the past.  The Bible actually even says that the world will know us by our love.  That is how God tells us to define Christianity to the rest of the world.

If we could just be loving to those God places in our path each day,  I just bet the world would stop viewing us as a bunch of legalistic hypocrites and would actually be interested in the message that we are supposed to be sharing...God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you.  He wants to walk with you through the good and the bad that life offers, and help you to find and fulfill the special purpose for which you were placed on this earth.
True Christianity is not about rules, but is a relationship--with God and your fellow man. May God truly bless you and show you his perfect love and peace so that you can share them with everyone you meet.

Taking the High Road

I have been taught since childhood to take the high road.  You never know who is watching, so always act with integrity and go beyond others expectations so that you are known as a person who takes pride in themselves, their work, and their relationships. 

As I have gotten older, I am learning that this is easier said than done.  Expectations are high.  You get tired.  Sometimes, you just get tired of dealing with the same struggles day in and day out.  Sometimes we just want a shortcut or an easy way out, because life can just get too hard at times. 

Taking the high road is difficult. It is a tough road to follow, especially when life begins to nip at your heels and you begin to struggle with all of the stress that seems to land on your plate.  I know…I have been there, done that, and have all too many t-shirts that advertise my struggle to stay on the high road.

With all of the difficulties, sometimes I wonder if it is really worth it.  After all, who would really know if I took the easy way out?   Who would know if I compromised my beliefs on this one thing?  Well, for me the answer was at least the two most important would know…me and God.

Being raised in a Christian home smack in the middle of the Bible belt, I am all too familiar with my conscience and the havoc it will bring on a poor compromising soul trying to sleep.  I know…again, because I have been there and done that-- in my younger, dumber days.

I truly believe that one of the few things that we have outright in this life is our character.  It takes a lifetime to build a good one, and just one poor decision to destroy one.  For me, it is one of the things that I treasure, because it is the basis of who I am and what I stand for.  A wise pastor of mine always recited the quote that “Character is who you are when no one is looking.” 

So often it is those moments when no one is looking, where we make the decisions that make or break our character.  One compromise can lead to another…and before we know it, we are off track taking a long walk down a road we never meant to take in the first place.  That road is usually riddled with more potholes and obstacles than the high road ever had.  The price of compromise and altering course is normally much higher than if we would have just hunkered down and did what we knew was right to begin with…even if it was difficult to do.  Compromise can destroy your character, your reputation, your relationships, and even yourself as a Christian.

You have to deliberately choose to take it with every choice and every step you make in life and that is what makes taking the high road so difficult.  It is the consistency that makes us who we are…and it is consistency that will keep us on the “high road”.

The Journey

This year, our church is challenging us to read the Bible through in a year.  I am following the chronological plan they provided, and am currently reading through Exodus and the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land.  

As I read, I am realizing that so much of this story illustrates the Christian walk.  God called Moses to rescue the Israelites from the bondage of Egyptian slavery.  Their life in Egypt was one of working in temperatures of over 100 degrees F, in the mud and muck making bricks.  They had taskmasters who would make sure the slaves met a certain quota.  As the slaves worked, I am sure the taskmasters would get to know the slaves in order to learn how to best motivate them and get the most amount of work out of each and every slave.  The taskmasters knew how to get every ounce of work out of the slaves without excuse, and when the slaves did not meet their quota--I am sure there was a severe penalty to be paid.

You would think that because they were living in those conditions, that they would be happy to escape with Moses--even if it led to wandering through the desert or fighting for their land.  Anything would have been better than what they left behind in Egypt...right?

Well, as with anything, the newness of their freedom begins to wear off, and life begins to get difficult.  They begin to miss the food of Egypt, complain about too little water, and I am not even going to mention that they make and worship a golden idol when Moses is away for a few days meeting with God.

But before we condemn the Israelites for being spoiled, ungrateful children, let's take a look into our own hearts.

As the Israelites, we were rescued from the bondage of sin by Jesus.  We were enslaved by Satan and doomed to live a life of sin without God.  Jesus rescues us from that and calls us into the Journey of the Christian life.  At first, we are on fire, ready to impact the world for Christ.  After all, we have seen his power first hand, and we want others to know feel what we have experienced.

As the days and years drag by, the newness begins to wear off.  Our short attention spans forget the miracles, wonders, and the lengths that Christ went to to save us from our sin.  We forget how helpless we were, and that we were enslaved by a cruel taskmaster whose soul purpose was to torment us in this life, and in the afterlife.

Life gets hard, and we lose faith.  We begin to try to do things in our own power, only to find out that we can't.  We look back to the good old days when we were captive and remember those pet sins that we used to indulge, or those days with no responsibility---because after all--slaves do not make decisions about their life, they just do what they are told.Then we grumble, just as the Israelites did as they wandered through the desert and the wilderness.  

God took the Israelites on a round about route to the land of Cannan, because they were not spiritually ready to fight the native people of the land.  He led them on a longer path, to build their faith.  I think sometimes God does the same with us.  He knows where our weaknesses are, and works those things out before we ultimately find that sweet spot where God meant for us to be.

We were not created for this life.  We were created as eternal beings for paradise, but sin came in and our purpose was altered.  We are not supposed to be comfortable in this life, but in the one yet to come when we enter Heaven.  Until then, life is a journey, and God uses this life to transform us into who we were meant to be.  As we travel on the journey, we will learn joy, peace, patience, love, and the other fruits of the spirit.  We will be transformed and even live an abundant life here--if we just trust God and allow him to work in the ways that He needs to in this life.  We are on a journey, and the purpose of the journey is to transform us and to make us like Jesus, and to have fellowship with him and obey his commands along the way.

I Choose to Love

My husband and I joked around before we were married about him loving his Mac laptop more than me.  One  morning, I got up and pressed the power button on the Mac...nothing.  I did it again...nothing.  So now I have to tell him that the laptop has a problem and I probably caused it.  I honestly expected him to rush into the living room and try to fix it.  He didn't.  He just said ok and continued on with his day.  I worried about the computer this morning, but he was not.  His attitude was there are other things more important and I will deal with it later.   When we got home from church and Sunday dinner, he sat down, and fixed it.  He told me not to worry, it is a machine and can be replaced, but I am his wife, and could not be replaced.  Wow!  His words and his actions conveyed his love.

Love is all about serving another because you want to bring them joy.  Love is guarding the others feelings, and building them up at every chance we get.  Love is consoling another when they are hurting.  Love is more than saying I love you every morning when you wake up, it is showing it through our actions and our respect toward others.  Love is a stubborn decision that we make every day.  Each morning when I wake up, I must decide to love my husband, no matter what.  He must do the same thing.  I think too many times we get caught up in the whole idea that love is a feeling.  Yes, love can sometimes ooze out as a warm gooshy feeling.  However many times love is a decision that we make.  And we must be stubborn in our resolve to love others, even when we don't feel like it.

The Bible tells us that love is patient and kind, it doesn't brag, and isn't jealous.  Love is putting another before your own self interest.  Love doesn't keep track of how many times we have been wronged, but chooses to look upon the good in others.  I think that is why the Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins.  Love will never fail.

I don't think that I had a good picture of God's love until I got married almost 3 years ago. (Which tells you what a wonderful husband I have. )   When we were married, he cared  for me when I was sick.  He held me when I was scared.  He encouraged me when I was helpless.  He was a rock that I leaned on when I felt that I had no strength....And when I needed a  refuge from the cold, cruel world,  He was there.  He knew that I was not perfect, and he loved me warts and all.  I think that us a picture of what God does for us.

Today, love is a word that is overused.  We misuse it to convey feelings for inanimate objects, when its real purpose is to convey a stubborn resolve to put another before ourselves.  When we belittle the meaning and purpose of love, then it is only a matter of time before we begin to see people, friendships, and marriages as disposable.  We must be stubborn and resolve to love one another. 

Compartmental Lives--A Christian's Frustration

As Americans, we have gotten to be quite good at sorting, organizing, and compartmentalizing everything in our homes and lives.  we organize our belongings to simplify our lives so that we control our stuff, instead of our stuff controlling our lives. 

All of this is well and good when pertaining to the "clutter"  in our homes, but it can be dangerous in our Christian walk.  Many times we compartmentalize our lives into segments that we control--areas like work, entertainment, finances, relationship, and faith.  We go to church on Sunday, and we tell Jesus, you are welcome to come into my life, but you have to stay in this little box here.  We don't want Jesus spilling over into the other parts of our lives that might be a little messy.  We don't want him to clean up those areas, because after all, those things are working well...since everything is in its place. 

When we live like this, we become quite comfortable...after all, if Jesus is not involved in the other areas of our lives, then we can't be convicted to change our behavior and attitudes.  We become comfortable with our Sunday morning Savior...as long as he is not meddling in our lives. 

It is no wonder why people who are not Christians are frustrated and turned off by Christians.  This kind of behavior is hypocritical, and frustrates those searching for the answers.  When the world sees us living in this manner, they can not see any difference between us and them.  Why would they want what we have?  It is just superficial and a show for others to see.  After all, anyone can say things and put on a show. 

The truth is, Christianity is not supposed to be like this.  It is a relationship where Jesus has free reign in our lives and acts as a filter to control what comes into and out of our lives.  He is also the one who is in control of the organizing and prioritizing.  When Jesus is allowed to get into our lives and we choose to have a relationship with him, things will change.  They will change from superficial to authentic.  We will go from being a hypocrite to living authentic lives transformed by a living savior.  Our dreams are exchanged for His dreams,  His priorities become my priorities.  When the world meets this kind of Christian, I believe we won't  have to hit people over the head with a Bible to evangelize.  They will see the difference in how we live our lives. through our contentment, and through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives on a daily basis. 

I guess, the question that we are faced with, is what kind of god do you want to serve?  Do you want a wimpy god that we pull out on Sundays, because that is what we are supposed to do, or do you want a God of power who will turn your life upside down to transform you into the person that he knows that you can be?  Anything less than total surrender to God is denying that God can control and care for us as His precious child.  Anything less binds us to be a slave to religion instead of freeing us to live our lives as children of the Almighty God. 

Reflections from the Battlefield

Last weekend, we had incredibly beautiful weather, considering that we are in the middle of winter and for the last few weeks, our highs have been in the 30's.  Last Saturday, the temperature actually climbed up to around 60 degrees.  Since it was one of those rare, warm winter days, we decided to take a drive and explore the Stones River Battlefield.

Looking at the scenery there today, it is hard to imagine that thousands of souls lost their lives on that spot of ground.  It was just so peaceful and tranquil.  If those soldiers could see its beauty and serenity now, would they have ever thought that land could ever be anything other than a spot of turmoil, violence, and struggle?

I think our lives are much the same way.  When we are caught up in the middle of conflict or trials, it is often hard to see the outcome on the other side.  It is like we are blinded by the present pain, and can not see past the next few hours or days.  In times like this, it is easy to lose hope and faith, but that is the time when we need those things the most.

To me, faith tells me that there is someone higher than me in control.  Everything has to pass through God's hand before it can ever touch my life.  He promises that all things work for the good of those who love God.  With belief in that knowledge, I can have certainty that even the toughest trials will bring about something good in my life.  Many times for me, it brings out a heightened since of gratitude for the countless blessings I have, and usually I walk away with a new perspective or some lessons learned.  To me, the struggles are worth it, because I come out a better, stronger person in the end.

Hope is what keeps me clinging to my faith.  Hope can be a stubborn companion, because when you want to give up, hope refuses to allow you to have a limited vision.  Hope stretches you and reminds you that God has made promises, and even though you may not like what He is doing in your life at the moment, He has been the one who has given you life, and the strength to live it.  Hope reminds me of God's promises and renews my faith when it is running thin because of the circumstances of this life.  Hope is like God whispering his promises in your ear, and picking you up and dusting you off from your falls and walking alongside of you through the trials.  It is what keeps me going in the tough times.

I am sure that the soldiers in the middle of the Civil War battle at Stones River would have never imagined this spot of land a refuge of tranquility on the outskirts of a thriving city--but that is what it is a hundred and fifty or so years later.  It is a beautiful spot where people go to remember the struggle of the Civil War, and give thanks to the changes that the struggle brought.  I think our memories of trials can serve the same purpose.  We can look back and see the blessings and the growth that came because we endured and survived the trial.

(C) Jennifer Meyers 2011
Text and Photos by Jennifer Meyers 2011