All Fired Up

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. --Romans 12:11 (NIV)

Serving the Lord should be an all day, every day event. Much like many things that we should do, this is far more easily said than done. Fortunately, zeal and enthusiasm are not entirely the same thing. One source defines zeal as "prompt willingness." This is an important definition to consider, because it does not require us to be constantly in motion in order to possess spiritual fervor.

There are days when I worry that my zeal may be a bit lack-luster because of a lack of activity on my part. What I have learned in considering this verse is that I don't need to be "all fired up" in order to be effectively serving the Lord. The sincerity of my heart and the strength of my zeal is not dependent on how many activities I do with the church, how many people I encourage or how many Bible verses I can memorize. So long as I am willing to respond obediently to God's call, I am serving the Lord with fervor.

There's nothing wrong with this. Each of us equipped with a set of spiritual gifts. Zeal and fervor may look different from one person to another. In my mind's eye, I picture a heart aflame in one of two ways. Some people's hearts are lit in such way that their flames leap higher with every activity. These are our dear brothers and sisters who return from ministry planning events filled to the brim with ideas and excitement. Others (like myself) tend to exude a more steady, intense flame. It may not fluctuate much, but over time it proves consistent.

I think what Paul is trying to tell us in this verse is that our flame doesn't need to be huge in order to be effective. A steadily burning flame has just as much ignition potential as the crackling fires that spread quickly from one heart to the next. No matter how we get "all fired up" spiritually speaking, we need to do whatever it takes to keep the flame burning. To do this we need to maintain the prompt willingness that is fitting of a person with a zeal and passion for the Lord.

Waxing Philosophical: Knowing God

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. --Romans 1:20 (NIV)

My knowledge of and belief in God--the one true God--comes as a result of what theologians have termed special revelation and general revelation.

People of faith for centuries before this millennium were called to put their hope in One who was unseen. Hebrews 11 gives an account of several examples of people who knew that God existed and behaved faithfully in response to that belief. Some of them had their faith bolstered by special revelation, which is how God reveals himself to mankind in a way that is not part of every day common occurrences. Hearing the voice of God for example, as Noah did when commanded to build the ark, was a form special revelation.

As a believer in modern times, I am challenged to cling to faith in a Savior who is no longer walking and talking among us in the physical sense. However, I do have the benefit of general revelation. General revelation is probably what Aristotle was talking about when he applied the philosophy of empiricism, which defines all knowledge as coming via the senses. I imagine that understanding and believing in the Divine must be difficult for empiricists since they would likely need to see, feel, hear or touch something before it would be real to them. I wonder if the Jesus' disciple, Thomas, was an empiricist.

I walk by faith and not by sight. In doing so I accept the reality, character and nature of God to be something outside my grasp. I am finite, therefore I cannot comprehend that which is infinite. My brain simply does not compute such a thing. Even with God's inspired Word, I must grapple with faith and hope that will not be completely fulfilled on this side of eternity.

Awareness of God is not something I could have attained solely by natural means. I believe that I am able to recognize God and demonstrate faith in him because the Holy Spirit continually tunes my heart to do so. The part of my psyche that longs for this universe to make sense demands that there be a creator God and that he be greater than anything I could hope to comprehend. In my soul I know that God is real and that he exists in infinite time and space. Anything I know about God, any awareness or understanding I have of him is because he has chosen to reveal himself to me as he sees fit.

Training for Glory

For him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. --Romans 11:36 (NIV)

Ever since my husband and I moved further south, we had been hesitant yet resolved to visit a more local church. After more than a month of failed attempts due to health issues and being out of town, we finally went. I had been almost physically aching to be back in fellowship among fellow believers. Initially I thought I was because there was something in me that longed to have my social needs met, but this was not the case. There was a deeper calling--almost an urgency--that tugged at my soul.

What was it that beckoned to me? Why was it that I felt so compelled to be at church?

Going to church should not be about meeting my needs; it is about knowing and carrying out my immediate purpose in life and being mindful of my eventual eternal purpose. Specifically, my purpose is to glorify God. In order to do that most effectively in my day-to-day life throughout the other six days of the week, it is vitally important that I remember the sabbath and keep it holy. This means worshipping and glorifying God with a body believers.

But couldn't I glorify God wherever I am? Why do I need to be at church?

Church attendance is an important link in the process of learning to glorify God. This helps explain why I felt so displaced during the time that I was away from church. Church is a place where I am instructed in the scriptures by someone in authority who has studied them and can help me understand them more clearly. Since scripture, which I believe is inspired by God, contains instructions for how I am to glorify God. Unless I attend church, I'm not doing a very good job of learning what I must do to glorify God. It would be just as pointless as if I showed my employer asked that I attend a training seminar about how to perform my job better, but I foolishly decided not to go because I didn't think I needed any instruction.

I believe that as long as I was not in regular attendance at church, I was not fulfilling my purpose. Without purpose I felt disconnected on all levels, and not just from God. The Westminster shorter catechism--a series of questions and answers about what the Presbyterian denomination believes and why--states that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever."

Learning how to glorify God will never stop as long as I am on this earth. When my time here is finished, I will be in God's presence glorifying him eternally. That is the ultimate goal and the ultimate realization of God's purpose for me. In the meantime, I'm still in training as I fulfill my immediate purpose as a woman who seeks to know God better.

Fighting On My Knees

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. --Romans 8:26-27

Throughout the last year, God has been revealing to me the incredible power of prayer. I have come to see that prayer is not just about asking God for things. Nor is it solely for thanking Him for the many blessings that he bestows upon me. Prayer is a way for me to converse with God. It is a means for connecting me, a lowly creature, with the power of the Almighty Creator.

Still, prayer’s power goes just beyond conversing with the Holy One. Prayer is my most effective method of fighting in the ongoing battle between good and evil—a battle where souls are at stake and lives are either gained or lost for all eternity.

Lately I have felt myself becoming somewhat battle-weary. As my desire to pray becomes more intense, the enemy will do whatever it takes to stop me. I constantly struggle to hold my train of thought, and I become frustrated with myself for not being able to concentrate fully on God. Still, I know that for my prayers to be effective, I do not have to worry about having the perfect words.

There are times in prayer when words fail me. I have come to think of those instances as having “losing my breath”, spiritually speaking. God hears the longings of my heart that never manifest as clear, coherent words. It is in those moments that I rely on the Holy Spirit to intervene for me and carry my prayers to the Father for me. Even when I’m on my knees, gasping from the battle, I am still fighting.

From Darkness to Light

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools. --Romans 1:21-22


Today I am wearing my new glasses and everything is so much clearer. However, my eyes have not yet adjusted to this extraordinary new way of seeing the world, and they are rebelling a bit and causing a headache. Instinctively I want to reach for my old glasses because I know my eyes are more accustomed to them. However, I know that unless I force myself to wear the new ones, I will not be able to see clearly and I will remain in a vision impaired state.

All of us at one time or another are spiritually impaired. Despite our exposure to godly relationships, church, or Biblical teachings, we decide that doing things God's way is too inconvenient. We are more comfortable doing things on our own rather than risk the possibility of discomfort in a new state of being. Instinctively we are selfish, refusing to acknowledge the benefit that we stand to gain by surrendering ourselves unto Christ.

The longer we resist God, the longer we suffer needlessly. By turning our hearts away from God we are essentially inviting our earthly, sinful nature to take up more permanent residence there. The well-lit picture we had of who God is begins to fade and we may eventually lose sight of Him completely, thereby allowing ourselves to become engulfed by darkness.

God has revealed himself to us in order that we might believe in Him completely. He has given us His Word to serve as a light to our paths. God the Father has also sent His Son, Jesus, to be the light of the world. Only through a relationship with Him can the darkness of our foolish hearts be edged out. As we thank our Heavenly Father and glorify Him, the Holy Spirit envelopes our hearts and we can see things clearly by the light of wisdom He gives. No longer fools wandering in the world's darkness, our vision is restored and we can walk boldly in the light.

My Take on a Classic

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. --Romans 5:2b-4

A young woman went to visit her mother one morning during 10:00a.m. coffee time. Between sips of coffee laced with cream and sugar, and nibbles of Windmill cookies, the young woman began to unload her current frustrations. (Usually she'd babble away at the beauty shop or with her girlfriends, but this time the situation called for more extreme measures.)

Her mother sat patiently, listening to her daughter describe the frustration of wanting to have more energy to be a good wife to her husband, to be able to make more friends easily at church, and most of all, how to resist the urge to throw a pity party when it felt like God wasn't very close. Through salty tears of frustration, the daughter confided that she was exhausted--emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually, and didn't know how to cope any longer with the struggles that never seemed to ease up.

The mother set her coffee cup down on the table with a "clink", and confidently strode across the room to the kitchen. Before the daughter could ask what was going on, her mother beckoned that she join her in the kitchen. The mother quickly and efficiently pulled three different pots from their cupboards beneath the counter. She then reached into the refrigerator for a single raw egg and a handful of crisp carrots. Last but not least, she retrieved the coffee beans from where they rested on the counter, having just been finely ground by "The Magic Bullet."

The mother instructed her daughter to fill each pot with water and set them on the stove. The daughter complied, despite being utterly bewildered as to how this was going to solve her problem. She watched as her mother wordlessly gathered the three ingredients and placed them each into a pot of water.

In the first, she placed carrots.
In the second she placed egg.
And the last she placed ground coffee beans.

The mother set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes and returned to the kitchen table where she finished her cup of coffee. When the timer let out its urgent alarm, she returned to the stove and turned off the burners one by one.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the egg out and placed it in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she said, "Tell me what you're seeing."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied, "but I know that's not the right answer."

She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they felt soft, overly tender to the point of being mushy. (As a newlywed, she was quite familiar with that type of carrot.)

The mother then asked her to take the egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg inside, but the yolk had become so overcooked that it crumbled at even the slightest touch. (Again, nothing new to the novice chef.)

Finally, the mother urger her daughter her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

"It's not exactly a toffee nut latte, but it's certainly more appetizing and pleasant than the carrots or the egg. But what exactly is the point?

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid center. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its insides had become hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water...they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "And how do you think God would have us respond to life's difficulties? Are you a carrot , an egg, or a coffee bean?"

***

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt
and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?

Did I have a fluid spirit, but when the winds of change kick up a storm, haveI become hardened and stiff? Does my outer shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water - the very circumstances that bring the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor of the bean. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you instead of letting it change you.

adapted from a story by Mary Sullivan

Ming Vase or Spittoon?

"...shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'why did you make me like this?'"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?...What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--" Romans 9:20b, 21, and 22b


All Christians go through periods of struggling with our personal identities as God-followers. We are inclined to think that as long as we do our best to live basically decent lives, go to church as often as we are able, and participate in fellowship activities, then our spiritual identity will be secured. We even go so far as to consider ourselves precious treasures of God's kingdom, thereby insulating ourselves to the point that we doubt that anything truly awful could actually happen to us--after all, with God on our side, who can be against us?

Whereas it is true that we are precious creations, it is also true that we are living among other members of God's creation whose sole purpose may be to serve as an object of wrath. This coming wrath, just like our future glory, is by definition, a thing of the future.
The problem with living in this world is that we are fallible human beings, surrounded by myriads of other fallible human beings. In the meantime, Christians who may be the equivalent of a Ming vase when they get to join God in His presence, must temporarily endure the disgusting reality of being used as a spittoon here on earth.

It is not our place to question God (although we may certainly shake our fists at the sky in indignation), but rather to accept that our true purpose, our real identity is in the fact that we have been designed to honor God for eternity. As stated in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Glorifying God should have nothing to do with whether or not we feel in the mood to behave as Christians. It has everything to do with recognizing that He has created us with an immediate purpose as described in the Great Commission, as well as an eternal one.

Ming Vase or spittoon, the point is that God's hands crafted us with care in order that He can work through us in the best way possible to reveal his glory to objects of wrath who walk the earth each and every day--and that includes ourselves.

Sacrificing Self

Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 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 12:1-2

I am sorry to say that I am not a very good example of what it means to be selfless. The idea of self-sacrifice isn't very appealing to someone who occasionally still has to be told by her mother, "it's not all about you." Even in what I believe are my most genuine efforts to be a good Christian witness, I find myself subtly edging God out of the picture in order to satisfy my self-indulgent nature. There are times when I desire, no, demand a great deal of attention, and when I don’t get it, or fail to receive the appropriate measure thereof, I become a brooding, mewling wretch. That's not exactly the correct picture of a living sacrifice as described in Romans 12:1.

Giving in to a crabby, selfish attitude is exactly how the enemy wants me to behave. Satan would like for me to forgo any acts of worshiping the one true God. Rather than turn my focus outside myself and reflect on the goodness of what God is doing, I get hung up on myself. Shakespeare wrote “to thine own self be true” but that phrase seems to contradict God’s first commandments which say that He is the one true God and that we are to have no other gods before Him. That includes seating ourselves on God’s throne.

The danger to our Christian walk occurs when we let our over-inflated sense of self override our desire to follow Christ. When we are unwilling to sacrifice our own pride, we gain nothing no matter how well we think we are doing spiritually. Selfishness keeps us from seeing anything beyond the tip of our own noses. Moreover, we put up a wall around us that keeps our Christian brothers and sisters from being able to get through to us to tell us that we are behaving in a manner that is despicable.

Within our closed off ego-bubbles, we start to believe that everything good that happens is a result of our own doing. So too do we begin to think that the bad things are brought about by our own hands. Foolishly and futilely we attempt to make good things happen in order to bolster our pride and self esteem. Before long we are utterly deflated, frustrated, and stuck in a rut, all because of our selfishness. This is the pattern of the world.

Freedom is found in focusing our hearts and minds on Christ. He has already delivered us from our most selfish actions. He has delivered us from our sinful nature—the natural sin into which we were born. When we place Jesus in a central position in our lives, we are able to see Him no matter where we are standing. A life centered on Christ is balanced much like a wheel’s spokes and the way they attach to the rotation point. As the axle turns, so does the wheel—always perfectly aligned, each spoke bearing the same amount of weight as the other.

When selfishness threatens to make the wheels of life unbalanced, it is important for us to step back and examine whether Christ remains central in our day to day activities. If not, we need to realign our hearts and minds with His, and ask Him to forgive us for disobeying His greatest command. We need to unseat ourselves from where we don't belong (God's throne) and climb atop the altar of self-sacrifice.

It Can't Be Hacked

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. --Romans 15:5-6

In computer terminology, the word "hack" is sometimes used as a verb meaning to alter some aspect of a program by manipulating its code, rather than using it "as is." As a noun, a hack is a less than elegant solution to a problem. My husband and I enjoy reading articles on a website called "Life Hacker." Basically what it contains are suggestions, tips, and tricks for making some parts of every day life easier to manage. I'm always amazed at how many simplified, time saving solutions are out there for a wide variety of situations.

Many of us would like to apply this same principle of "hacking" to our relationships with God. We could like to put our faith in a tidy box and keep it on a shelf where it won't obstruct the rest of our lives.

We try to convince ourselves that all it really takes to be a Christian is to show up for an hour or so each Sunday and listen half-heartedly to a sermon. We buy devotional books that look and feel more like a 12-step program for attaining happiness, rather than spending contemplative time reading God's Word. At mealtime, we slough through an insincere prayer at breakneck speed before stuffing our faces. During our commutes to work, we battle with road rage, only keeping our attitudes in check when we happen to see that the car that just cut us off has an ictus plastered to the back bumper.

This is not what it means to be in a relationship with God, and this is certainly not the type of attitude that promotes fellowship among believers. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Rome, reminds us that it is through endurance and encouragement that we find unity as we follow Jesus. Surely this cannot happen when we attempt to shortcut our faith in some way or relegate it to Sunday mornings only.

Currently, several of the community groups at our church are reading the book "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction." The title alone is accurately descriptive of how we are to engage in our walk with Christ. We are to be obedient, and consistently so, for a sustained period of time. That period of time is roughly equivalent to our life spans.

We cannot and must not think that there are any shortcuts that can help up jockey for a better position of favor with God. The reality of the Christian life is that it is a continual relationship--one that we must participate in and nurture at every given moment, in every given circumstance. There are no life hacks for this one.

Struggling Against Sin

But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! --Romans 5:8-9

Anne Frank, who witnessed first-hand the horrifying reality of fleeing for her life in the midst of the Holocaust, believed that "in spite of everything, people deep down are really good." When asked whether man's basic nature is good or evil, many people would agree with Miss Frank's sentiment and would argue that "deep down", humans are decent and kind. As much as we all would like to live in a world where that is the reality, as Christians we know that man's basic nature is less than admirable. In truth, mankind is not good. Only God is good.

The prophet Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful above all things. Our hearts can deceive us into thinking that we aren't "that bad." When we claim to be without sin, we fool ourselves and essentially call God a liar! Because of the sin of our first father, Adam, each of us is cursed to remain inherently evil. Without the influence of the Holy Spirit, we will never be capable of anything except that. Every though, every action, every aspect of our basic nature is constantly in direct opposition to the nature of the holy God who created us. To think any differently is foolish, although it is very common.

In fact, this type of thinking is especially easy to fall into for those of us who have already repented of our sins and accepted God's forgiveness and gift of grace. Christ's work on the cross offers us complete freedom from our sins; however, I don't believe for a moment that it means our human nature is extracted from us in the moment that we decide to follow Christ. Many of us would like to say that because we are forgiven, we are no longer sinners. As long as we draw breath, we are sinners. This is exactly why we need a Savior--to save us from ourselves and the punishment that awaits us when our earthly vessels fail us.

The good news is, our lifespan as sinners is nothing compared to the eternity we will spend as justified, sanctified creatures in God's presence. There will be a day when we will no longer struggle, groaning as we climb ever onward, pressing toward that final goal. Our basic nature makes us want to give up. Although giving in to temptation is often far easier than fighting against it, the lasting reward of striving to be godly in spite of our fallen nature, far outweighs anything that the world has to offer.

No matter how hard I try to be obedient, I will inevitably fall short of God's command to me to be holy. My day to day battles against my sinful nature may run me ragged, but I know that I have ultimate victory in Christ who is my strength and salvation for ever and ever. Amen.

Get a Grip

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. --Romans 12:9

Paul gives this very concise directive in his letter to the Roman church. Love must be sincere. Earnest. Unadulterated.

Although the following story of the origin of the word "sincere" is historically inaccurate, it serves to provide a good picture of what the word means.

According to popular legend, less-than-reputable Roman quarrymen would sometimes cut corners by applying a thick coating of shiny wax to marble. They did this rather than taking the time to polish it properly in order to remove visible surface scratches and imperfections. So widespread was this shysterly practice, it is said, that honest stoneworkers took to advertising their wares as being sine cera (i.e. without wax) in order to gain the confidence of their customers. As as result, "sincere" gradually came to be used more generally to mean "honest" and "straightforward."

Aside from this alleged origin of the word, what should our understanding be of what it means to love sincerely? Paul provides the answer in the next part of verse 9. We are told to hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

In order to cling to what is good, we need to grip it tightly with not just one hand, but with both so as not to let go of it easily. In clinging to what is good, we are essentially keeping our hands full and therefore unavailable for anything else. But what is this "good" that we are holding with our kung-fu grip?

Anything good is anything that comes from God. Consider this verse along with the discussion of God and love found in the book of 1st John, particularly chapter 4. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God. God is love personified. He is the epitome and the embodiment of love. When we cling to Him, we are tapped into the source of real love. The moment we loosen our grip on love and good, we risk being influenced by evil.

We are told to hate what is evil. Hate is an emotion so strong that it demands action. It carries with it the desire to remove, restrict, destroy or otherwise obliterate its object. Although we would like to take such action into our own hands so to speak, we need to remember that our hands should already be committed to clinging to that which is good. Only God has the power to act on evil to eradicate it, but this will not be accomplished in full until a later time.

In the meanwhile, as we maintain our firm grip on the goodness of God and spend our time deepening our ability to love sincerely, God is at work in us as He furthers His plan to wipe out evil. We are to hate that which is evil, but concentrate our actions and efforts on clinging to what is good.

A Christian's Job Description

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. --Romans 15:14

My "job" as a Christian is the most rewarding and challenging endeavor I have ever undertaken. The best part is, I didn't need to take pass basic education requirements of earn a certificate that says I'm qualified to tell others about Jesus. I believe in the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus and I have a vibrant, dynamic, personal relationship with Him. Those are my qualifications that allow me to be an ambassador for Christ's kingdom.

God wants everyone to come to know Him. He could this on a grand scale by completely revealing His awesome power to everyone simultaneously, but it's not time for that yet. Someday, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, but in the meantime, God chooses to allow the Christian community at large to reach people for His kingdom as well as edify and build up His church. We are competent to instruct one another, full of goodness and knowledge.

We all have been given different gifts and talents that are useful for such a task. For me, that gift is writing. My friend Kate has been blessed with an incredible musical talent and combines it with a ministry of public speaking. There are many manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, all of which enable us to instruct others in the ways of God's love. We are all working together to do God's work, building up the body of believers. God wouldn't have given us such a responsibility if He didn't think we could handle it.

Sometimes the thought of sharing my faith is a scary thing. I am not eager for people to think that I am a pushy "religious nut" or worse. I have seen that an abrasive approach in telling others about God just doesn't work. Instead, we need to speak His truth to others in love. It may be the quiet ways we live out our faith that have the most impact.

It is my prayer that everyone who knows God will be aware of the need to share His word with others. The great commission charges us to tell all nations about Christ. We are all competent teachers and God uses each of us. We have His word which gives us the knowledge to share, and the Holy Spirit to give us the boldness required to speak up about our convictions. Instructing others is a job we can all handle. Unless you're going to be speaking to people from a church pulpit, no formal is education required. The job of being a Christian is a definite challenge. The hours are long and many of the positions are thankless, but the benefits are exceptional--particularly the life insurance plan!

Returning to Joy

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. --Romans 5:2-5

So many people misunderstand what is meant by the phrase "rejoice in our sufferings". This does not mean that we are supposed to grin and bear it, nor does it mean we should put up a false front and pretend that everything is peachy when clearly it isn't.

I understand the word "rejoice" to mean a return to joy. One of the definitions the dictionary gives of the word is "to fill with joy". When Paul writes that "suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character, hope" he is clearly outlining a process that leads to being filled with joy.

Becoming filled with joy is a gradual process and not an instantaneous one. When you sit down to eat a meal, are you instantly full? Of course not. You become full by taking one bite at a time. The same is true of becoming filled spiritually. Today's verse is sort of a meal plan as to how we are to proceed if we are to reach the point of being filled with joy. It is also a flowchart of how God develops our inner strength and our identity in him.

Life will continue to present each of us with trying circumstances. The good news is that with God's help, we have the strength to persevere. Furthermore, such experiences will inevitably teach us about ourselves and about God. If we have the maturity to learn those lessons, we develop a more godly character and possibly a different outlook on life. People who have strong character know that God will, in his timing, allow them to return to a state of joyfulness.

As Christians we have our hope in the Lord. We know that his plan is an ever moving process--a journey rather than a destination. Personally, if I didn't have hope in the Lord, I would most certainly feel overwhelmed by the times of suffering in life. Thankfully, I have God as my source of strength. Even when I'm not particularly joyful about things that are going on, I trust God enough to believe that he will fill me with joy once he's developed in me more perseverance, character and hope.

Free Will and Submission: Puzzling and Paradoxical

Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. --Romans 10:3-4

*disclaimer* As with most of the things I write, this subject is approached from a Reformed (Calvinist) point of view. Although I would gladly compose a lengthy paper discussing free will, I have decided to condense my thoughts into just a few paragraphs so as not to lose your interest completely. *

Perhaps it began just over two centuries ago when the colonists decided to declare their independence from what they believed to be the tyrannical rule of King George. In the years since, we Americans have come to develop a very distinct notion that we are free to do as we please--to make our own rules regarding public and private matters. We tend to resent any intervention on the part the government or any other ruling authority. We demand freedom of expression and belief. In our pursuit of happiness, we seek to exercise free will. This prevalent attitude represents what I believe to be the paradoxical nature of one of our finest attributes as a nation and as Christians. This mind-set is our greatest strength, yet at the same time it is also our greatest weakness.

It is our strength because by demanding freedom, we refuse to submit to acts of injustice. Our hunger for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is what has driven our success in socio-political endeavors both on our own soil (e.g. the Civil War and Civil Rights Movements) and abroad (e.g. Operation Iraqi Freedom). In a spiritual sense, it is our strength because it compells us to seek after something better than what the world offers. It drives us to find solace in Someone greater than ourselves when the injustices of the world threaten to overtake us, trampling our spirit.

It is our greatest detriment on a personal and spiritual level as well. Like the Roman population described in today's verse, when we refuse to yield to the higher power that is God, we suffer. Eternal consequences await those who fail to submit their own will to the will of God.We put ourselves in a position of misplaced and undeserved authority, and we make decisions without considering what God has to say in the matter. In our attempt to establish ourselves in righteousness according to our own set of rules, we spit on the holiness and sovereignty of God.

Even Christians, in our selfishness, forget that we are called to submit to God. We are His servants and must behave as such. The best application of free will is to exercise it by humbling ourselves. It seems inconceivable to our modern way of thinking that anyone, of their own volition, would choose to become a servant. But this is precisely what Christ did for us. He humbled himself, came down from His heavenly throne, and walked among us. The perplexing reality is that God did not do any of that simply to get our attention. We all too often fail to realize that. He does not force us to love Him.

Furthermore, God does not need anything from us in order to be satisfied in His existence. I doubt that the Almighty has a problem with self-esteem. God does not become moody when we choose to live without him, and he never forces us to love Him in order that He can make himself feel more powerful. This brings me to the befuddling nature of servanthood and submission in the spiritual context. Unlike masters and rulers in the created world, God gains nothing through our acts of servanthood. In truth, it is we who gain tremendous things. Further complicating things is the means of acquiring these blessings from God.

By serving Christ, we willingly kill off our self-serving lifestyle. We die to the world in which we are comfortable--the world in which we enjoy our personal freedom free from submission to anyone or anything. When we come under the authority of Christ and begin to live in a life of righteousness that comes from God, we find a new life.

Serving God is counter-intuitive, especially to Western thinkers. However, if we are to be truly free, we must offer ourselves as servants to the One who offers lasting freedom. In the context of American politics, I admire the way our country refuses to back down from injustice and tyranny. In the context of a relationship with God, I think more people, Christians and others, need to re-examine their attitudes about submission. Free will is a puzzling and paradoxical thing. Also, it is a powerful gift from God.

Basic Morality

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice...Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very thing, but also approve of those who practice them. --Romans 1:28, 29, 31

As she closes each hour of her radio program, Dr. Laura admonishes her callers to "go do the right thing". I find this ironic, especially considering that her success is built on the fact that most people are incapable of knowing that the right thing is, let alone how to actually do it. I am saddened to see how our society is crumbling. Basic morality and common decency are no longer basic nor common. We have put tolerance in the place of standing up for what is right. The fear of hurting someone's feelings or squelching their freedom precludes insistence on moral behavior.

C.S. Lewis, in his book "Mere Christianity" spends a great deal of time discussing the Law of Human Nature. Lewis believes that there is a right and a wrong in the universe, and humans have the capability to know the difference. Everyone, regardless or their cultural or religious beliefs, has a sense of right and wrong. This seems to be true in consideration of today's verses from Romans.

"Mere Christianity" was first published in 1952 and represents the social and ethical dynamics of its day. As I have been reading it over the last few days, I have realized that the world I live in is a lot like Rome in the first century and not so much like Mr. Lewis' time. At the time "Mere Christianity" was written, the western world was still reeling from the after-effects of WWII and the horrific destruction inflicted by the Nazi regime on millions of innocent people. For some, recognizing what was good and what was evil was as easy to identify as which countries belonged to the Axis powers and which to the Allies.

Now, more than fifty years later, our society's ideology has shifted. Instead of speaking out against blatant disregard for human and civil rights, we close our eyes and our mouths, pretending that we don't see the moral decay that is corroding us. Instead of telling our country's teenagers that sex outside of marriage is a recipe for disaster, we allow our tax dollars to be used to establish day care facilities at high schools so that 14-year-old unwed mothers can still hang out with friends, and the irresponsible fathers don't have to even acknowledge that they are parents.

Every day I see countless examples of bad decision making--I'm not just referring to people who turn left from the right lane without using blinker! What makes me the most upset is that no one seems to believe that they should be held responsible for their poor choices. We dismiss sinful actions by saying "they didn't know better". For example, a recent court decision ruled that juveniles who have been convicted of murder are no longer candidates for the death penalty. The courts feel that juveniles are just kids who don't know any better. Although I personally believe that everyone, even murderous criminals have the potential to turn their lives around, I disagree with the argument that anyone "doesn't know any better" when it comes to engaging in criminal behavior. I believe that C.S. Lewis would agree with me, and that he would add that everyone, including a teenager, has the basic morality to know that murder is wrong!

Our country is in a very sad state, and it appears that from today's verses from Romans, we are in the same moral vacuum as Rome was 2000 years ago. As Christians we have the moral obligation to not only be light in this world of darkness, but to do all we can to stomp it out. We are responsible for letting the world know that God is real and his judgments are final. To do the right thing in today's world means going against the grain and demanding that each person behave in a manner that is consistent with the basic morality that God has instilled in the heart of everyone.

Spiritual Support

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. --Romans 12:15

When I was in college I participated regularly in a small group made up of other young women who attended Campus Crusade for Christ. We shared prayer requests among the group, confessed our shortcomings to one another, held each other accountable to living in a manner that was becoming of Christian young women, and generally enjoyed a lot of "girl talk".

Up until recently, I hadn't been involved in a group like that. That particular type of peer-group dynamic just hadn't been available to me as it had been during college. A month or two ago, one of my new friends at church invited me to attend a prayer group that meets at her home. That group of woman has come to be such a blessing to me. I believe strongly in the power of personal prayer, and I also believe that there is something intensely powerful about being in the presence of people who know God personally, and are willing to approach God's throne on behalf of others.

It is encouraging to me to hear the answered prayers and the requests of my Christian sisters. Very rarely is an issue brought up that I cannot relate to at least in some small way. The knowledge that there are other people who are experiencing the same ups and downs, joys and heartaches that I am, reminds me that none of us is alone in the world. It also reminds me that although I cannot see or touch God, he proves that he is real when he works through his people to demonstrate his love in a variety of ways.

Perhaps the most meaningful part of getting together with a prayer group or other similar form of fellowship, is the reminder that God truly is a personal God. It can sometimes be difficult to feel like God is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives. It's all well and good to believe that God cares about us, but sometimes we really wish that God was someone with skin on! When we receive a hug from a friend, it is as though God is using that person to express his love to us in a tangible way. By rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn, we are given a glimpse of the way that God shares in our experiences. I am truly blessed by the ways God uses my friends to teach me more about himself, and I hope that I am able to be a similar blessing and encouragement to others.

Righteousness, Wrath and the Gospel

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. --Romans 1:17-19

As our country prepares for the presidential election, voters are grappling with the constant influx of information about the candidates, all of which is aimed at getting them to know what the issues are and where the candidates stand on those issues. This, along with recently televised debates, has demonstrated that in order to win votes, a diplomatic approach is best. Neither candidate wants to risk offending any member of the public by defining an absolute on any particular issue.

How many of us demonstrate this same principle in our approach to witnessing and evangelism? In an attempt to win others to Christ, do we gloss over the absolutes of God's word and adulterate them so as not to offend anyone? Do we try to promote Christianity as simply a moral lifestyle, and fail to mention that unrepentant sin is grounds for dismissal from God's presence? I am afraid that too many of us walk on eggshells, afraid to be bold and call sin by name.

The message of the gospel is not a "touchy feely" one. Our God is a God of judgment, but this is because he is just and fair, not because he is mean or vindictive. God is very clear about where he stands on certain issues. He clearly communicates to us through his word that there are a number of things he will not tolerate--sexual immorality, divorce, and homosexuality just to name a few. If we let people believe otherwise about God's nature, we do them a great disservice. God and his truths are absolute. We cannot share God's word in a manner that changes depending on our audience. There are times when Christianity and diplomacy must not co-exist. God's truth is hard-hitting and uncomfortable. It is a double-edged sword with both the power to restore and to obliterate.

The most amazing truth about God is that it is precisely his method of judgment that can save us. There is not a single one of us who could stand up to God's judgment, and he knows that. Because of our inherently sinful nature, we are unable to come into the presence of our God, who is completely holy. For that reason, he sent his son, Christ Jesus, to bear the weight of the world's sin. Jesus faced painful death by crucifixion and then separation from God the Father by enduring the punishment of hell that we each deserve. It is in his death that the price for our sin was paid. In paying our debt of sin, death was conquered and Christ rose again and ascended to heaven. By claiming faith in Christ's death and resurrection, and by believing that it is the only way to get to heaven, we are saved.

Those are the absolutes of who God is. Those are the aspects of his righteousness, and the content of his gospel. Those are the truths we are compelled to share with others. Sharing God's word with others can be difficult--especially when we need to confront people with the reality of the effects of unrepentant sin. We must be bold and unashamed of the truth, always exercising tact and integrity in our witnessing to others, but never adulterating the truth of God's character in order to make his word less offensive to certain people.

Finding Your Fit

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

Everyone goes through a period of not fitting in, especially during the "Critical Decade" as defined by Dr. James Dobson. In junior high and high school, it might be the late bloomers or the early bloomers who feel like they are out of place. In college the peer scene is dominated by extracurricular things such as fraternities, sororities, or groups of particularly religious or ethnic affiliation. After college some people may feel like they don't fit unless they are married or at least dating, and have a job they thought they would by a certain age.

The feelings of "fitting in" or not fitting in as the case may be, is highly subjective and subject to change at a moment's notice. There is always either some external force, such as our peer group, telling us we are out of place, or an internal feeling of dissatisfaction with ourselves that makes us feel out of place. Whatever the case, we need to evaluate ourselves based on God's standards, and not the world's.

In God's mind, the only thing that would cause us to not fit is to live outside his laws and commands. Missing the mark, living in unrepentant sin, failing to submit our lives to his will--those are the things that will keep us from finding a secure place in the hollow of his hand.

Only God can form us into a fitting shape, spiritually speaking. No amount of works that we try to do will earn his favor or make us fit into his will. So long as we are outside his will trying to plot our own course, we are like blunt, square pegs trying unsuccessfully to cram ourselves into delicate round holes. Trying to conform to the things of this world will continually frustrate and exhaust us. We will be unable to understand God's good, pleasing and perfect will, unless we allow him to transform us into something new.

Finding our fit with God is only one way to survive the critical decade, particularly in high school in college. It is of essential importance during those years to have a sense of identity in Christ. The world will try desperately to tell us where it thinks we should fit. Our faith can assure us that the truest and best fit is with God. Once we renew our minds and align ourselves with his plan, we are not guaranteed success in other areas of life, but we are promised that his will is perfect. By allowing him to craft us into a shape that fits, we can have the peace and security to know that we do "fit in" where it matters most.

The Greatest Decision

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through who we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.--Romans 5:1-2

When I was 15, I made a very big decision. I decided to become a Christian. Although I had grown up in a Christian family, being a Christian was never something that I did, rather it was something that I figured I inherently was, like being an American. I went to Sunday school, participated in youth group, played the hymns on the piano for Sunday morning worship, and did my best to be a good kid, and a moral person.

I eventually realized that all those things were fine, but unless I did them in response to my belief that God loved me, they were meaningless. At 15, I knew that I needed to do things out of personal conviction, and not just because it was something I thought my parents expected of me. I also needed to stop thinking that I was the one who was in charge of my life. I had to let God have complete control. I began my lifelong surrender to God two weeks before my 16th birthday.

For the last nine years, I have been deepening my relationship with God. There have been times when life has presented me with huge challenges, and I have wondered if being a Christian even matters. Like many people, I have struggled with questions about why God allows wicked things happen to his children. I have had times of feeling completely blissful and content in my relationship with God, as well as experiencing frustration and fury with him for things that I thought he should/could have prevented from ever happening.

I cannot say that I have discovered the meaning of life, but I have learned that my life is meaningful to God. He has been making himself evident in my life in a number of ways, large and small. He has blessed me greatly through different people, and he has taught me valuable lessons in times of pain. I have confidence that I am going to heaven when my time on earth is over. I believe that any pain endured here in life will be insignificant when compared to the future glory of being in God's awesome presence. The decision to become a Christian was the greatest decision I have ever made, in terms of magnitude and importance. There has not been a single day that I have regretted the decision to identify myself as a follower of God.

Convincing Evidence

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present nor future, nor height nor depth, nor any other thing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. --Romans 8:38


Throughout my life I have become more thoroughly convinced that of the truths in this verse. I'm sure that the apostle Paul had unique circumstances that led him to write this conclusive verse in his letter to the Romans, but that doesn't change its essence. The topics outlined in this verse are universal and apply just as much to each of us as they did in the time it was written.

The underlying and obvious truth is that no matter what the situation, no matter what the circumstances, God's love never ceases or fails. Even in the most fearful of places, we are not separated from God's love. In every painful moment and hurting heartache, God's love can sustain us.

God's love sustains us in death. Death's sting cannot touch us or hold us if we are believers for in fact it is in death that we are given a new life. This is why death cannot separate us from the love of God.

Angels nor demons cannot tear us from the grip of Christ's love for us. No created being (human, angel or demon) is as strong as the Creator. He holds us to Him with the tightest of grips, ensuring that no lasting harm can come to us.

Height and depth are unable to remove us from the reach of his loving hands. The Psalmist says that God's hand holds us fast even if we "rise on the wings of dawn" or "settle on the far side of the sea". Jesus himself went to the greatest of depths by descending into hell all for the purpose of demonstrating his love for us. His love for us was present there, and is present now as he sits in the highest of heights on his throne in heaven.

Nothing else in all of creation can separate us from God's love that is in Christ Jesus. All created things are subject to the Creator. We have no reason to fear anything because of the faithful promises that God has made to those who love him.

I am convinced that God has kept those promises to the letter and is worthy of my trust. Of course, there will be times that my human nature overtakes me and I will become fearful of some things. I know that even then, God reaches me in my humanity and in that way I am not separated from His love.