Walkin'

 

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.  Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.  Colossians 2: 5-7

It seems like yesterday that our youngest son, Elijah, was transitioning from crawling to walking, but now he's growing up way too quick. Elijah is now in 10th grade in high school and has his driver's license and grader our oldest, Elliott, is a freshman at UTC (GO MOCS!), which is still just so hard to believe.

Many Christians associate faith with their salvation experience, but after we enter into a relationship with Christ, we must learn to walk with Him the remainder of our days on this earth.

We live in a performance driven society and many Christians also view their Christian life the same way.  God is not as concerned with our individual performance as He is with our faith.  When you think about it, we receive Christ in faith, so why would that change once we begin our walk with the Lord?

So what does walking with Christ entail?  We must learn to plant our roots in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and build our foundation through obedience.  Finally, and over time, we must trust Him, which ultimately makes our faith grow exponentially.

Walking with Christ is a continuous process that will more than likely last the remainder of your lifetime, but as you trust God and your faith grows stronger, you will live in the stability of His love and blessings regardless of any circumstance you face.

Lessons

 

Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  1 Peter 4:13

The more I learn about Jesus, the more I begin to understand just how radical He was.  In fact, Jesus was and still is so radical that believers must seem insane to the outside world.  I mean, who in their ‘right mind’ says things such as “love your enemies” or “rejoice in your sufferings?”

Human nature has very little interest in a faith that includes joyful self-denial and hardships.  Basic Christian beliefs simply do not seem rational to those who live for today only and misunderstand God’s love to mean comfort.

We know that we can face hardships on this earth with joy because we know the outcome.  We also understand what it means to follow a Lord who suffered.

Even though it may not have always been evident at the time, Jesus won every battle He ever faced.  Appearances truly are deceiving.  Sometimes what seems like defeat is often times the road to victory, especially when God is involved. We may seem crazy for keeping our joy during hard times, but in the end, we know what our suffering was for…

Working Man

 

For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. Ecclesiastes 10:9-10

 

I have been blessed with some wonderful opportunities at work that I have been able to capitalize on recently.  It wasn't too long ago that I felt defeated and a bit like a failure, but after clinging to God's promises and with continued effort, things began to turn around in my career path in a big way.

Like anyone who has ever questioned a career move or daydreamed about greener pastures when you feel that life has been unfair, we cannot let the inequities of life keep us from earnest and dedicated work.

We must keep our perspective; we serve God, not people.  Whatever it is that you are doing, do it with all of your might and trust that with God's help, you will be successful.

I'm Amazed

 

Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And He said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified.  He is risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”  Mark 16:5 

Sometimes, especially with the arrival of fall, the wonderful and exciting news of the risen Christ, which is celebrated during the spring at Easter, can seem like a distant and fading memory.  The daily grind of life and our normal daily routines often dull our senses which cause us to forget just how amazing it is that our Lord and Savior conquered the grave.

On my morning jog, I noticed the bright rays of the morning sun breaking through the October clouds and it made me ponder how truly awesome our God is.  The disciples must have felt defeated, alone, and scared over the course of the three days between the crucifixion and the morning they went to check the tomb, especially Peter, who had denied Christ three times before Jesus’ death.

Just think for a moment how the disciples must have felt when they rolled away the stone and found an empty grave…thanks be to God!!!

Joy and Happiness

 

How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands.  Psalm 112:1

 

Just as a friendly reminder, happiness is a fleeting emotion that is based on our circumstances, while joyfulness is much deeper and comes from the assurance of knowing that God loves us. 

We need to remember that there is no passage of scripture where we are promised happiness in God’s Word.  However, God promises us something far greater-joy.  If you trust Him, and you know that the God of the universe loves you, and wants to have a relationship with you, and He has promised an eternal future for you, then you can be joyful too.

This kind of joy is not temporary and fleeting and runs much deeper than happiness, because it’s not based on your circumstances. How is your life characterized?  Is it by joy or happiness?

Depending On You

 

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Ephesians 6:10

One of the reoccurring missteps I make as a Christian is becoming way too self-reliant after experiencing a little success.  This mistake is one that is easy to make as a believer in the body of faith, as it is totally unnatural to live in total dependence on God. Think about how many self-help books you can find at any given bookstore...placing dependence on God goes against everything that the world tells us we need to do.

The truth of the matter is that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle while we are here on this earth; life will be a struggle until we draw our last breath and spend eternity in heaven.

The number one rule of engagement in our spiritual battle is to draw our strength from God.  While it seems simple, our natural default mode is to depend on ourselves and not on Him.

We must prepare and equip ourselves daily by prayer and staying grounded in His Word. If we are to bear spiritual fruit, we cannot rely on our own limited resources and strength; we must tap into God's never-ending strength and resources and essentially die to ourselves.

It's the only way we can win and survive; be strong in His mighty power!!

Enjoy The Silence

 

He makes me lie down in fresh, tender green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.  Psalm 23:2

Every fall, particularly Q4 in the employee benefits arena, things move at the speed of light.  Most employers want their benefit plans to start and renew at the beginning of the fiscal year and our work load has increased exponentially this year with many employers facing double digit rate increases on their group medical renewals paired with the continued implosion of the industry due to failed ACA regulations, so needless to say, I have felt a bit overwhelmed at work recently... 

Being so busy, it’s hard for me to even imagine the “still and restful waters” mentioned in the above Psalm.  Regardless, I know that the “still waters” are where I need to go to truly begin to find quiet rest and the strength that I need to face the pressures of life.

The “still waters” are healing waters that are available to all believers at any place or any time, but rarely do we ever go there.

The next time you are feeling the need to find rest for your soul, let everything get quiet and enjoy the beauty of solitude, if only for a few moments.  We can learn more in moment of silence than we ever possibly could in all of the noise of the world.

Spend more time in the still waters and enjoy peace and rest for your soul.