Isn't this a wonderful, extra day? How cool that every now and then, we are given an extra 24-hours in the year to use as we may. Although it is a little gloomy now where I am, I hope that today will be a productive one.
It's hard to get started when you're so unmotivated. I have been siting at the computer writing for an hour, avoiding the pile of schoolwork that lies to my left. Yes, I know I will have to tackle it eventually, and I am full aware of the fact that the longer I delay the harder it will be. Strangely, though, I'm still not moved to get started. I find it so much more fulfilling to write.
Nobody’s perfect. Everybody’s going to screw up sometime, to
fall into temptation, to get out of line with where they are supposed to be. In
our minds, we uphold great Christian figures, like Paul and St. Augustine and
Billy Graham. Compared to them, our Christian lives seem small and
insignificant. How could I possibly make a difference in the world like Paul?
How could I even attempt to influence people to Christ like Augustine? I’m not
even going to get started on Billy Graham.
Although we seem weak to ourselves, we have muscles that
have the capability to move mountains. In Romans 8, Paul (ha, Paul again!)
points out that “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living
in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through His Spirit who lives in you.” The same power that brought life
back into Jesus’ body is ALIVE IN US! This mere concept should be enough to
encourage us in our daily life. 1 Timothy 4 says to not “let anyone look down
on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech,
in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.”
I am small, but He is big. Like in the Veggie Tales episode
when Little Dave is facing the Giant Pickle. “He’s big, but God’s bigger.” My
insignificance may be magnanimous, but God’s mercy and faithfulness is
immeasurable.
Still, we fall out of being exhilarated by God’s Spirit in
us. We forget how “wide and deep and high and long is the love of Christ”.
Keeping on track isn’t easy, and it takes a genuine effort.There are five concepts that outlined in Susan Boe’s Total Health which, if we stick with
them, will remind us that Christ is living inside of us. He is there, fighting
the urge to give in to temptation and encouraging us to live a life pleasing to
Him. Keeping Him at the front of your mind at all times requires 1) renewing
the mind, 2) growing in values, 3) staying disciplined, and through 4) hopeful
perseverance and 5) ceaseless motivation.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what god’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will”.
Romans 12:2
Renewing the Mind
sounds like a complicated process that may instigate images of doctors with
scalpels or perhaps Frankenstein’s monster. In reality, “renewing the mind”
simply means keeping goods thoughts in your head so that there isn’t room for
the bad ones. Yes, bad thoughts are going to slip in (and ,consequently, out),
but if you have a “renewed mind”, then the good thoughts will silence the bad
much quicker.
Attaining this “renewed mind” first requires a heart that is
occupied by Jesus. Without Him, none of the good things which we hope to
achieve in life will come about in our lives. Everything good, everything
right, it all comes from Him, and without Him, there simply isn’t any hope of a
better life.
Channeling our thoughts can prove challenging. In a day, the
average person may think close to 2 million different thoughts! Most likely,
not every one of those thoughts are going to be pure and edifying, but God does
give us clear guidelines as to what He wants our primary thoughts to entail.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Additionally, “do not merely listen to the word…Do what it
says. The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – He will
be blessed in what He does.” James 1:22, 25. Securing honorable thoughts,
positive thoughts, breeds good character, so says Proverbs 4: “Above all else,
guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” A renewed mind eradicates
“arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God”
and it takes “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2
Corinthians 10:5)
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to
self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness,
brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these
qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and
unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8
Growing in Values
begins with one important value that we can never attain on our own: goodness.
This is why He encourages us to pursue growing in values; because we can never
be good enough on our own. We have to draw upon Him for help. Paul himself
said, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for is righteousness could be
gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21) In Romans
chapter 7, Paul also confesses that “when I want to do good, evil is right
there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another
law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a
wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God
– through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Becoming a person of virtue isn’t so much a chore we must accomplish
as it is a relinquishing of the reins to a greater power. Alone, we are
powerless, but “with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a
man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away
and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into
the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting
what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:23-25
Staying Disciplined
is a daunting task. What comes to my mind is intense working-out, complete with
weight-lifts and mile runs. Indeed, this is the hardest part of living a life
pleasing to God. It doesn’t say we can be tentative or lukewarm in our faith;
it calls us to be resolute, firm, unshaken. “I have set the Lord always before
me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8)
The Bible is chockfull of ways for us to stay disciplined.
There are whole books dedicated wholly to instruction and ordinances. Knowing
these things, however, and doing these things are two very different concepts.
It is one thing to know that it is bad to steal, but it is another to actually not steal. Discipline requires
repetition, commitment, and action. First, you must know what it is you should
do. Once you know and understand what is being asked of you, then do it! Jesus
said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) He didn’t leave room for people who
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path
straight.” (Pr 3:5-6) A picture of someone who is disciplined – and because of
this, perfect – comes from Proverbs 31. This woman is indeed the real
Super-Woman. She is invigorant, incorruptible, unstoppable. She “works with
eager hands”, “she sets about her work vigorously; he arms are strong for her
tasks. She is clothed with strength and dignity…and does not eat the bread of
idleness.” For “blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the
wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his
delight is in the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-3)
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 9:9-10
Hopeful Perseverance keeps
us on our toes. Like discipline, it is a sign of commitment, but like
motivation it gives a reason to keep moving forward. The road may be rough,
you may get hurt along the way, but do not be discouraged! Joshua had to face
an entire nation of dissatisfied people; they all looked to him for guidance,
and he had to lead them in the way of the Lord. Even Billy Graham doesn’t have
that kind of pressure! God knew the task He had set before Joshua, so He said,
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do
not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where you go.”
God chose you, specifically you, with all your faults and
with all your mistakes, to be a part of Him. Think of God and us as a glass. We were
all one, God and man, until the Fall. When Adam and Eve sinned, that glass
shattered. Now, every one of those pieces of glass that used to be so unified,
so flawless, is scattered. Some of the pieces are hidden before they are picked
up and put where they are supposed to be, some go years and years before
realizing what they truly are. But regardless, the truth remains: together,
they become something more magnificent and more glorious than anything known in
a shattered-glass world. Not until God brings all of the pieces together are they
where they are supposed to be. We are all pieces of glass, shattered, broken,
waiting to be repaired. Jesus took the glass and made it beautiful once more so
that it could be a part of the Kingdom of God.
“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called
you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) “Take heart!” No
matter where you are right now, you will not be there forever. Jesus has
“overcome the world” (John 16:33) Remember Jeremiah 19:11-14, “’For I know the
plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, plans to prosper you, and not to harm
you; plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come
and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you
seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you…”
“We…who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerly for our adoption as son, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope
we were saved.”
Romans 8:23-24
Ceaseless Motivation is
vital to getting out of bed every morning, especially on cold rainy days when
just slipping out from under the covers is enough to send you curled up in a
corner somewhere. It also keeps you studying dry history textbooks for hours
upon end instead of turning on the TV or going out with friends. In these perspectives,
motivation actually seems like a kill-joy. That’s not really what it is.
Instead of giving us what we want when we want it – and that’s never possible
because we are never truly satisfied
by chasing after our lust – motivation gives purpose to the things we do. It gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Given, staying beneath
those covers may give a few fleeting moments of contentment, but in the end the
backed-up schedule you’ll have to face later really isn’t worth it. Motive
instead says, “Once you get all the things done, you can get to bed early and
get some really good sleep.” Or “Finish this up and spend the weekend at the
lake with your friends.” Worth it!
In our spiritual lives, our motivation is God’s kingdom. Why
did Jesus die for us? Why did God care to send His Son to earth? His love for
us is one reason, but to be a bit more specific, the reason is so that we could
someday go to heaven and be with Him.
My view of heaven, like everyone else’s, is tainted.
Sometimes it seems that going to spend eternity anywhere may get dull
eventually. To a mortal with laughable expectations in comparison to God’s,
this is true. We can’t comprehend its glory. We can imagine what it would be
like, having no pain or suffering, needs or wants, being always fulfilled and
always joyful. My mother told me to imagine the best day I’ve ever had and
multiply it by a hundred. “That’s a little like what heaven will be like,” she
told me.
Still, my perception was sketchy. Paul Tripp gave an
illustration of heaven by telling a story. There was an art exhibit at the
museum, and he really wanted to see this one particular piece. Having an errand
to run nearby, he found the time to slip away just so that he could get one
glimpse of this magnificent painting he was so excited to see. Unfortunately,
he was not the only one. So many people crowded the hall, that all Paul was
able to see of the picture was one corner. And what a corner! It was so
beautiful, even that small portion, that Paul was struck. That is what heaven
is to man. The tiniest taste of heaven is breathtaking to us as humans so that
we could never fully grasp the concept while we live on earth. If we did, then
nobody would want to stay on earth!
To elaborate upon Paul Tripp’s example, I think God did
instill within man a sample of what heaven will be like. Ecclesiastes 3:11
says, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom
what God has done from beginning to end.” What is the only emotion felt by
every person? Love, of course. Love is the eternity God has placed within us.
It is vast, endless, and infinite. Heaven is vast, endless, and infinite. We
cannot fully explain the work of love, nor can we fully grasp the idea of
heaven. Fred Astaire sang, “Heaven, I’m in heaven. And my heart beats so that I
can hardly speak. And I think I’ve found the happiness I seek when we’re out
together dancing cheek to cheek.” I don’t think Fred was seeing about God’s
glory there, but the comparison of love and heaven stands. Anyone who has felt
love, genuine love, not the love that comes from racing hormones, then he/she
understands. A mother who looks at her baby for the first time; a man who sees
his bride walking down the aisle; the incomprehensible joy that excites the
senses, this is heaven on earth.
Therefore, apathy is a danger. To cease caring or to cease
loving means to cease being motivated. This world brings sorrow and suffering;
it is felt by every person. Some days, life feels like a slap in the face, but
still we cannot give in to it! We have to remain motivated! It’s the only way
we will survive. We must “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”(2
Corinthians 4:18)
I’m not saying all this because I have my life together. On
the contrary, I had to drag myself out of bed this very morning! Depression and
discouragement wrack my life, and the only way I can combat them and keep from
falling under their deceptive spells is through Christ. The promises He has made
to me – and to you, too – are trustworthy and faithful. I can rely on them
because I know that He is the only one who will never disappoint me. My
parents, my best friend, even I disappoint me sometimes. God, though, He never
fails.
So when the weather is gloomy in your world and the rain
won’t stop falling in your life, hold fast to this promise, the promise God has
made to you and will never forsake:
“When the kindness
and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous
things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing
of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously
through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace,
we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
I have to go to a center and sit at a strange computer and
take a test on a time limit, no text, no notes, no going back. AH! My last
test, in a different subject, I got n 82…and it was open book! It’s like they
want to confuse the students on purpose. Half the time, I didn’t even
understand what they were asking!
Breathe, just breathe. It’s going to be OK. No matter what
grade I get, I will have done my absolute best. It’s only when I think that I
haven’t done the best that I can that I start getting really nervous and
stressed. Have I done all the quizzes? Looked over all my notes? Do I
understand every chapter? So much information!!! I think my brain will explode.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled; trust in the Lord,
trust also in Me.” Jesus said that, John 14:1. Well, my heart is troubled. My
shoulders feel tense, and the small of my back is tight with stress and worry.
“Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” is another verse I’ve heard a
lot, but I don’t remember where it’s found. Give it to God…well, I have. And it
does calm me, but it doesn’t positively assure me a perfect score. Sometimes I
still fail, sometimes I still get nervous, even after I pray about it. Praying
isn’t a passport to la-la land…it’s not a free ticket to the Island of Perfection.
Things are still going to go wrong, but like Clark said in Love Comes Softly, He doesn’t say that nothing bad will happen;
what He promises is that He will be there when it does.
We sing a song at my youth group that I particularly like; it comes verbatim
from Isaiah 43:
Fear
not, for I have redeemed you,
I
have summoned you by name; you are Mine.
When
you pass through the waters,
I
will be with you,
And
when you pass through the rivers,
They
will not sweep over you.
When
you walk through the fire,
You
will not be burned;
The
flames will not set you ablaze.
For
I am the Lord, your God,
The
Holy One of Israel, Your Savior.
Jesus is my hope. He is made stronger in my weakness,
because when I’m upset and not myself, the part inside of me that is Him shines
through. It makes itself known to me. It gives me a chance to exercise my faith
and to put it to use. I have to trust in the hope that Jesus brings – that no
matter what score I get on my exam, He will make it into something beautiful.
Sometimes we are hopeless to change the situation we’re
in…sometimes it doesn’t change. But we have to trust that God knows what he’s
doing. He has such a bigger picture in mind we cannot even fathom it. The
secret things that are the Lord’s. Our
hope is that God will step in and do something no mortal man could – heck,
would even think to – do. If I just focus on that hope, then I will be alright.
Times like these I think it would be nice to have a boyfriend.
Because sometimes it's lonely to be without love.
I know what it's like to be lonely, to not have anyone but the people you live in the same house with. And there are moments when all you want is to have a reprieve from being with them.
Everything I have was given to me by God. My family, my
friends, my ambitions, my dreams, my talents…if I have any. Isn’t it so amazing
that God has given me so much? I can hardly believe it sometimes. There are
moments when life seems too good to be true. I step back and think “Wow, I am
really lucky.” Well, it aint luck, it’s grace!
Nothing I have done has merited all the blessings He gives
me. Sometimes that makes me feel a little weird. I mean, why would Jesus want
to die a horrible death for me. I
literally have nothing to offer Him.
All I can do is thank Him for His amazing love and to trust
in Him. After all, He does provide everything
I need. Why shouldn’t I trust Him? Why do I still worry about wearing the right
clothes tomorrow or eating the right foods? Why do I always want more no matter
how much I have?
I’ll admit it, I always want new clothes. I’ll get some and
be very excited for awhile, but then I’ll see a billboard with a gorgeous model
wearing a cute jacket or pair of jeans and those old “new” clothes will be far
from my mind.
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we
brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But is we
have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get
rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires
that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of
all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith
and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:6-10
Great gain, huh? True, I can’t bring anything good into this
world, and I certainly cannot bring anything out. Those things aren’t even
important! And apparently, the lust of getting more things, or not being
satisfied, is a dangerous evil. James talks about some rich people who are a
little too haughty in chapter 4: “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow
we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make
money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life?
You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you
ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that. As
it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone then, who knows
the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:13-17)
A friend of mine pointed out from this passage that “money”
isn’t the only evil. It could be time that I’m hording, that I’m obsessing
about. God knows right where to point the finger. That’s the area that I
struggle with the most. In fact, just yesterday I was freaking out because I
had spent the entire day working, making the most of my time, worrying about if
I would have enough time. Even now as I write this, I’m thinking “OK, I have to
mop the bathroom floor, put in a load of laundry, get my shoes…yadadada.” Don’t
I understand by now that God is the Great Provider? He takes care of my soul,
why shouldn’t I trust Him with the rest of my being, too? I should. Trust Him
with my money, trust Him with my time. And, most importantly, trust Him with my
heart.
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may swell in Your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:16-19
Doesn't that just make you feel good? It's like a splash of cool water on a hot day, or the warmth of a hot drink on a cold one. It's rejuvenation, motivating, inspiring! Pray this today. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Even Jesus Himself prayed for us! (see John 17:20-21). For His love surpasses knowledge.
“For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man,
the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from
the father but from the world.”
1 John 2:16
Billboards, TV commercials, newspapers, magazines – they’re
all sending the same message: get what you want and get it fast! Just looking
at some of the girls and women that model for these propaganda makes me wonder,
are they really like that, or does someone make them look like that? Then I
think, should I look like that? Or, they buy that stuff and it’s supposed to be
better…should I buy that, too? That’s all the advertising people need to do is
put doubt in my mind. To make me wonder if I’m not good enough the way I am and
I should buy into their product to make me “right” or “beautiful”.
There is never an end to all the things that the world tries
to sell! Jesus names some of them in Mark 7: “For from within, out of men’s
hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immortality, theft, murder, adultery, greed,
malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” Wow. That just
about sums it up. I probably commit all of these in my heart every day. Jesus’
point, though, was, “Nothing outside a man can make him “unclean” by going into
him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean’.”
Own up, this is what Jesus is saying. Only when you
recognize there is a problem can you fix it. No, the world’s distractions make
it difficult to concentrate, even difficult to notice there is a problem
sometimes, but “because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to
help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18).
“…do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived
in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy.” (1 Peter
1:14-15) God, how can I be holy?? I’m such a sinful person, who sins every day,
and who is utterly at the mercy of Your grace. How could I possibly achieve
holiness?
What is the advantage of living out of ignorance – as in
without ignorance any longer? Because I know what is right and what is wrong,
now. Without the rules, I wouldn’t know how to play the game. Without a
rulebook, I wouldn’t know how to follow the rules. God’s rules are His word. The
“game” is not a game at all, but the most important, serious, vital thing about
my existence. For God said, “Keep my decreese and follow them. I am the Lord
who makes you holy.” (Leviticus 20:8)
God is how I become holy. There is no doing it on my own. I
would be so lost, I wouldn’t even fall close to the mark. “Our heart is
restless until it rests in You”, said Saint Augustine. There is no other way
for me to lose all the baggage that I carry around with me. “For in Him you
have been enriched in every way…” (1 Cor 1:5) lay it all on Him, and take up
His cross instead. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30) Jesus is talking to me here! He’s saying, “Be gentle and
humble in heart. Don’t worry about the things of the world, because only in Me
can you feel perfect. It isn’t a hard burden to bear, because I will take off
the worst for you.”
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set
me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2) Don’t be affected by the
world and its lies! They are so far from important. They only breed the things
of the world, which aren’t good. Instead, “Make every effort to live in peace
with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Heb
12:14)
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
Christ lives in me. The lift I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
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