Keeping the Faith - Runner's Terms

Running is an interesting hobby. It takes time to appreciate, and most of the time, it's like a movie without a happy ending. Why do most of us run? To be happy and healthy. But, when you press play on your iPod, do your stretches, and prepare your 4-mile run, it's not the most exciting feeling. For the most part, you just want the end result. Once you begin running, time halts. Every second feels like an eternity, and every muscle in your body reminds you that bedtime is better than any physical activity you try to perform. You envision an effortless prance through the field, but you feel torment. You dream dreams of bounding with the antelopes along the lush hills of Ireland, but you are constantly awoken by the harsh realities of being out of shape. 

Often, running and life go hand-in-hand. Just like running, life can sometimes be one twisted ankle after another. Eventually, we throw our hands up and yell back, "Why me?!" When we watch the Hollywood movies and look at Facebook pictures of our friends at parties, we envision that perfect society we've created in our head. No trickery, no harsh realities. Unfortunately, what we wish for does not come true.

As life continues taking its course, it continues taking a toll on our lives. We begin to lose heart, and just like running in a race, we begin to feel discouraged. We feel dehydrated, hurt, and our legs give out. Quitting never sounded better. All of the cliche "You can do it!" posters only mock your chances of making it.

Well, you do have your reasons. You do have your excuses. And boy, are they good. They could almost convince anyone that your moping, whining, and complaining is perfectly acceptable. According to Scripture, though, no reasons or excuses are worth responding that way: "Do everything without grumbling or complaining, so that you may become blameless and pure" (Philippians 2:14-15). And, according to Philippians, this means in all circumstances. It does not say, "Do certain things without grumbling or complaining." It says everything.

So, now that we understand when it is acceptable to complain, whine, and moan, we should look at Paul's response to our desire to quit running the race of life:

Galatians 5:7-8: "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you (God)."

The Galatians - the people Paul was speaking to at the time - were believers in God and the Law, but began being led astray. They were runners who were quitting on their faith. Circumstances caused them to throw in the towel. Paul confronts them and asks, "What reasons do you have to quit? You were doing well!"

We often look at circumstances around us and think there are enough adequate reasons to stop running, unaware of how well we were actually doing. While it is crucial to attend to your feelings and understand where they come from, we have to be careful so as not to remove ourselves from the race. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "...let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith (NLT)." So, with Jesus as our Usain Bolt of life-runners, we can now follow his lead because he was a "champion" during his time on Earth. Jesus demonstrated what a Christ-like life should look like as a human being with feelings, skin, bones, and a soul.

So how can we "run with endurance the race God has set before us"? First, we can "Set our mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2). Additionally, we can "Be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full amour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" (Ephesians 6:10-11). Finally, we can "Rejoice always, pray continually, (and) give thanks in all circumstances..." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - also Philippians 4:6). There is nothing like combating the world's troubles with praise, thanksgiving, and genuine prayer to our Lord.

As a cross-country runner growing up, the phrase heard most often was, "Pace yourself." In running terms, that meant to save the sprint for the last .1-.2 miles left. The last leg was meant to be an all-out sprint because it was an opportunity to pass a lot of other runners who did not pace themselves very well. As a result, if the last tenth of a mile were run correctly, the runner would usually climb three to four spots in the ranks because of this all-out sprint. Despite feeling nauseous and woozy at the end of the race, there was satisfaction in knowing you gave it your all; you held nothing back. When Paul wrote to the man he was mentoring, Timothy, he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7).

When you are ready to be with God in Heaven; when your time comes to a close, do you want the assurance of knowing that you were ready to meet with him for eternity?  Do you feel you could say that today? No matter what happens in this lifetime, you know with 100% assurance that you did not waver in your faith? Do you want the confidence of knowing that you fought the good fight?

Which House is Yours?

If you do not want to read the blog, get the summary in this video:

The Three Little Pigs has always been known as a classic bedtime story that sparks the interest of children around the world. In fact, its popularity has become so immense that there is more than one version to watch or read. While one version is more graphic (the wolf actually murdering the pigs), the other version has the pigs running away and finding refuge in the highly intelligent pig. Ultimately, despite the various versions available, the moral remains unchanged.

"With good work comes good fortune," one might suggests. "Heed the wisdom of the wise," another exclaims. Again, the message stays consistent throughout the decades.

So, it all begins with mother pig recognizing that her three piglets' childhood have inevitably come to a end. They have all grown up and have a chance to put to practice what they learned. The first two pigs quickly grab what they feel will make a shelter to live in, while the third pig takes his time. However, the major difference between the first two pigs and the third is the mindset they have. Pig 1 and 2 want to build a house as quick as they can; the sooner they finish, the more time they have to relax and enjoy life on their own. Pig 3 builds his house out of bricks, cement, and blueprints he has set up. His house is built out of sturdy material that will not collapse; he has a plan. The result of picking these resources means more labor and less relaxation time. Yet, Pig 3 recognizes his preparation will pay off.

As a result, Pig 1 and 2 find themselves buried beneath the wreckage of their own clumsiness, while Pig 3 eventually fools his enemy and triumphs over him. Pig 3, while he spent a majority of the story working, knew his hard work would pay off and keep him safe.

The philosophy the third pig carried with him worked: Prepare in advance what you need to do so you are ready when the enemy comes. The big bad wolf was prepared for a meal, but was the pig prepared to protect himself?

Jesus uses an illustration to communicate how crucial it is to be grounded in Christ:

"I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well-built" (Luke 6:47-48).

Then Jesus adds what it would look like to not obey:

"But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins" (6:49).

We have an enemy who is constantly after us. He "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Like the wolf, our enemy wants to destroy us, deceive us, and lie to us. He comes wanting to blow our house, our foundation, and our security in Christ, down. Not giving up, he wants 'The bacon.' Are we ready for him when he comes to us? Do we have confidence in the framework of our life? Do we trust that our foundation in Christ is going to keep us from harm?

The way we build our house is up to us. We can spend our life without purpose and without being grounded in anything. James 1:6 commands us with a similar warning: "Be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind."

If we walk in our own desires like Pig 1 and 2, we will get swept away and lost among our own ineptitude.

In Luke 6:47-49, Jesus offers two paths. In each, there is a reward/consequence that follows. Fortunately, we don't have to be like Pig 1 and 2; we have Scripture. We also have the Holy Spirit that dwells in us when we receive his guidance and recognize our inability to run things independently. James 1:21-22 provides more direction: "So get rid of all filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says."

The Word of God, including the Holy Spirit, is your foundation. Rest in it, and the big, bad wolf will be huffing and puffing, huffing and puffing, and nothing will come down.

As you live out your journey, are you being swept away, ensnared by the desires the wolf has for you? Or, are you grounded in the Word and carefully listening to the guiding of the Holy Spirit? You always have the option, but either way, that wolf is coming to blow at your house.

"Spit" Decisions

Littered through our lives is one thing that will never go away. It can be the toughest challenge to face, and it is always fought best when confronted personally. No one can make it for you, yet so many times we do not know what to do about them. These are infamously known as "decisions". Lebron James made one in 2010, President Barack Obama makes them all the time, and as Christians, we constantly have to be mindful of them. Unfortunately, many times in our lives, we are indecisive; with our jobs, our lifestyles, our friendships, etc. Worst yet, we are indecisive as Christians. We are not sure whether we should stay in the boat or whether to trust God and get out. We are not even sure whether or not we should "really" live for God. Oh, decisions, decisions, decisions.
In Revelation, there are seven churches that are mentioned. Each church has made some decisions and has to deal with them, and at each church - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, a letter is written to the angel that resides there. To the church in Smyrna, the letter encourages the angel saying, "I know about your suffering and your poverty - but you are rich!" (Rev. 2:9). As opposed to the church in Smyrna, the church in Laodicea claims it is rich materialistically, but it is really poor in spirit. Furthermore, what the church struggled with greatly was what is was doing in the sight of the Lord, and it was all...worthless.
As a matter of fact, if we are to fully understand the meaning behind the letter written to Laodicea, we would have to understand the context in which it was written. Around this church was a source of water in the form of a fountain and water tower. Along with the tower, an aqueduct was constructed from hot springs four miles south of the town. All around the Laodicea, cold and hot water was used to take care of the people and the land. Hence, giving some context to the letter to Laodicea, which boldly states:

"I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" (Revelation 3:15-16)

The Laodicean church was doing things (and/or not doing things) that were unacceptable in the eyes of God. The letter is explaining that, like lukewarm water, there was no use for it and it might as well be tossed out (or more repulsively, "spit out"). There are many who are hot and seek the Lord faithfully, while cold water people have a heart that rejects God. Laodicea?  It couldn't make up its mind. In this context, it is far better to be cold and stone-hearted than be halfway between yes and no. A relationship is  unhealthy when one desires to go to his/her lover and then rejects the relationship moments later. Being indecisive is one of the worst strategies to use to get into or out of relationship because it is dishonest. This is how Laodicea was treating its relationship with God.

As Christians, we can easily become a Laodicea. We proclaim, as the Laodicean angel did: "I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing!" (v. 17) We get swept away by our comfortable decisions and our comfortable lifestyle. Our lives become about us. We may not like to admit it, but we become so full of ourselves that we become stagnant, stale, and unworthy of carrying the most prized possession: Jesus Christ. In the next season, we praise and love God for what he gives  us ("everything I want"). We can't make a decision on whether to be 100% in or 100% out, so we lower our expectations to maybes. God makes it clear we need to knock it off.

Coffee, in our generation, comes in all different forms. We need to stay awake, so a good shot of espresso almost becomes a necessity. In order to provide it year round, coffee joints sell iced coffees in the summer and hot coffee in the winter. 

Never do they sell lukewarm coffee. It is gross, and it can be compared to the coffee you leave sitting out all day. Just like the town of Laodicea, the hot water and cold water was used for something, but the warm water could not be put to use in any way. It was worthless.

Many times, we are that coffee that sits out too long. The ice melts and becomes watery; the hot coffee reaches room temperature. We sit out and do nothing with the spiritual blessings God has given us. And, God does give us them:

Paul says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)

Unfortunately, after we make the decision to follow Christ, we tend to pull Laodiceas all the time. We sink into a comfortable lifestyle and become useless couch potatoes, and because of our indecisiveness, we look less like volunteers for our most High God and more like lazy servants who do nothing with their gift (Matthew 25:14-30). 

If we dare sit still, yet claim we have made God our Lord, we are merely trees tossed out and thrown into a fire (Matthew 7:19). In fact, just because we cry out, 'Lord, Lord,' this does not ensure eternity with him:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven," Jesus said (Matthew 7:21)

We need to constantly be aware of His will for us. We need to "...use whatever gift [we have] received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 4:10-11). In doing that, we can then "...make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19), all for God's glory.

Despite all of the decisions we are constantly making each day, one decision that should never be difficult to make is to live out our commitment to Christ Jesus our Lord. Make yourself of use for the glory of God, and see how He can personally make you a vessel for His Kingdom.

So, what will your decision be? Will you be a stagnant servant, lukewarm in all your ways? Or, will you live out 1 Peter 4:10-11?

See also: James 1:22-25, Matthew 7:19, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 1 Timothy 1:6-7, 1 Timothy 4:11-14

Making Monotonous Marvelous

Ever have those days where you wake up and realize there is nothing in front of you but free time? And, when you have that free time, the only person around to share that free day with is you? Well, sometimes those days feel so monotonous and boring. In fact, it is obvious these days exist because many are so quick to voice their opinion on how they feel about days like these.

But, who could possibly disagree when your day is filled with nothing but you and your thoughts? Life certainly does not feel exciting or adventurous when your doing the smallest tasks that seem to make no difference to the world around you. Consequently, a quiet and lonely day to yourself seems grey, dull, and lacking excitement. In some cases, we want to become busy just to remove ourselves from the routine of boredom. We want to make everyday exciting, but some days are irresistibly mundane and stale. 
So, what's the remedy? What can we do?

We can change our attitude. After all, if we even have the slightest temptation to blame our day on anything, it should be our attitude. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (NIV) When we claim we are bored, it might be so, but do you think God's intention in making us was to entertain us? Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love, Forgotten God, and co-author of Erasing Hell, points out in Crazy Love that "The point of your life is to point to him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified."

Whatever you are doing - no exceptions - God wants it to be for him. Imagine your life as a tribute to God's goodness. He has given you the blessing of living in what he made, so owe him back your life. Make everyday extraordinary by placing God in the center of it; it's biblical! We need to do everything for the Lord. If our boss tells us to do something, you would do it with a joyful spirit - in the same way, "be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful" (Psalm 68:3, NIV). Do everything for the Lord, and rejoice while doing it.

It is your attitude and your choice; be a steward of the minutes you are given, and no matter how monotonous the day feels, make it monotonous for the Lord. Your entire life is his, and he deserves our best. Make monotonous marvelous, and see how God works through it. 

Check out this video!

Just Stop and Think

Finding Freedom in His Precepts

Precepts. It is not a word that is frequently tossed around, but when it comes to dissecting the meaning of it, we can easily apply it to our spiritual walk. However, in order to apply the word 'precept' to our spiritual walk, it is important to know the definition of a precept. Dictionary.com defines a precept as "a commandment or direction given as a rule of action or conduct." In the case of our Christian walk, it would be any commandment or direction from the Lord.

Psalm 119:44-45 has some good news about precepts, and apparently, they bring freedom and hope. “I will always obey your law, forever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” In other words, I will walk in freedom because I have decided to follow the Lord’s directions. I have obeyed his commands for my life, and because of my loyalty to keeping his commands, I now walk in freedom. How magnificent is this idea! The Lord’s direction brings freedom! A verse earlier, we recognize there is submission to the Lord and his ways. “I will always obey your law…” Notice the word 'always.' Obedience to the Lord’s laws becomes a promise, and the result is freedom in Him.

Next, we find out that we play a role in this calling. “I have sought out your precepts.” When we seek the Lord’s direction, when we call out to the Lord, we gain freedom.

Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” When we seek the Lord and his precepts, we are given freedom in Christ; when we “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33) our freedom and so much more is promised.

Do you accept God’s purpose for you? Will you walk closely with Him, following him and walking in freedom? Seek God and his precepts first, and be obedient to his calling for your life. When you do that, you will find freedom like none other. We can have peace knowing that the Lord's purpose in our lives will give us the freedom from trying to figure it all out ourselves. We can go into the world in the name of the Lord knowing that his precepts will protect us and give us freedom in the long haul. 
Trust God completely, and what will follow will be far greater than you can imagine today.  Don't let your past dictate you future, and do not let fear of the unknown keep you from following the Lord completely.

Sowing the Seed

Trees take time to grow. You need to cultivate, prepare, and set the tree up for a successful maturation process. However you plant your tree, it takes a process that lasts a long time. Psalm 1, a chapter-long metaphor about trees and spiritual life, speaks about the appearance of a healthy tree.

"...They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season."

-Psalm 1:3 (NLT)

Notice how this tree bears fruit each season. It is continuously cultivated and given care so that it may bear fruit each season. If this tree is to bear fruit each season, it needs to be cared for every year.

Secondly, notice where the trees are planted. The placement of the trees are crucial in order for growth to occur.  If placed by a riverbank, trees will grow because the stream produces fertile ground. If placed in a desert, surely there will be no growth because the placement is not right.

As Christians, we need to continuously push ourselves toward spiritual excellence. Every season of our lives needs to be cultivated, prepared, and set up for success. In order to be successful as servants of the Lord, we need to prepare ourselves daily. Furthermore, our placement in the world is contingent on how we train

ourselves up as godly men and women. If we place ourselves around wicked behavior, we will prevent positive growth from the spiritual standpoint.

The good news is that, when you place yourself in the midst of spiritual encouragement and continue cultivating your "tree," incredible results show:

"Their leaves will never whither, and they prosper in all they do."

-Psalm 1:3 (NLT)

Like a farmer planting his seeds in the right place, he reward is healthy growth and development. His plantation prospers and there is clear evidence of his hard work. There is actually a story of a farmer sowing seed. It is found in the Gospel of Mark:

 "...As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

-Mark 4:3-8 (NIV)

Notice where the farmer places the seeds. In the end, where he produces the seeds determines whether there is growth or there is not. Some seeds were choked, while others were thrown on good soil. The end result for the latter? They "came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times." When the farmer placed the seeds in the right spot, good things resulted. When you place yourself in good spots, good things will sprout from your life. You prepare and set up yourself for a lifestyle that honors and pleases God. It will "never whither" and will "prosper" in every way.

Do you put yourself around positive role models and good spiritual influences? Furthermore, are you preparing yourself to live the lifestyle you are called to? Like a tree, spiritual growth takes work, preparation, and the right location to develop. Are you doing what needs to be done to create it?

Battle!

As I have grown older, I have recognized a truth that has come to my attention more and more. It is not that this truth has not existed until now, but that I have grown to become more dangerous.
What does this mean?
When we progress from adolescence to adulthood, we become more aware of ourselves; thus we also become more independent from others. Age three meant we would cling to our parents for everything; for food, for transportation, for appointments, and much more. At age twenty-two, we have to operate our life independently.
Therefore, we have more control over who we ultimately place in charge of our everyday engagements. We have the keys to our vehicle called life, and we can give them to whoever we so choose. Whether our boss, our family members, ourselves, gods, God, Satan, or anything else. The difference between adolescence and adulthood in this case is our choice. When we are young, we don't have much of a choice as to who will raise us or put us in our place. When we are older, we exponentially have more choices.
Due to us being increasingly independent by the minute, we thus become more dangerous from the perspective of our peers - including the heavenly realms.
This is not to say God nor Satan should or are daunted by our mortality, but to say that we have become an asset to any one of the two sides. If we are consistently living in sin, we are an independent who can choose to make a larger mess of this world (if capable of doing so). On the other hand, if we are living with the joyful realization that we can surrender to Christ and find our true identity, we can make an impact on this world for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Clearly, it's a battle, and your heart is right in the middle of it.
This spiritual battle is between God and Satan, and you are the target; you have a choice.
God or Satan?
You choose.