BLOGS
Okay, so if you haven’t heard, I recently enlisted in a Couch to 5K (C25K) program in preparation of running my first 5K event ever at the Anamosa Pumpkinfest. In order to share in this pleasure I also signed up my oldest son, Wyatt, to run with me. Wyatt and I are not in the best shape and in fact we lean quite heavily toward the couch side of this equation (pun intended). We are well aware of our physical shortcoming so we thought this program would be a good place to start.
The very first night of our training came and I admit we were slightly nervous. One consolation was that we figured there had to be a few people in the group who were similar to us (i.e. heavy and slow). We arrived and started to make our way to the group gathered next to the track. Right away we knew we were in trouble. The majority was slim and looked quite fit. One woman gave us hope by her appearance but she soon revealed that she was a former track coach. One guy was doing stretches I had never seen before. Despite our initial evaluation, Wyatt and I walked bravely up to the group and introduced ourselves; everyone was very nice. In the back of my head I thought, “Once again my purpose here may be to make others feel better about themselves.” Once the running began it was soon apparent that sometimes you can judge books by their covers. Wyatt and I quickly fell to the back of the pack, trudging along at the speed we could manage. It wasn’t too long before we decided that this was perfectly okay, now the others will be impressed with any improvement they see in us, including showing up next week. We could do nothing but laugh between gasping for breath as some of the runners lapped us. The super stretchy guy we cleverly nick named “Mr. Speedy” since he ran past us so fast we could feel a breeze. Later he would become known as “Ol’ Three-Lapper”, I think you can guess why. Now, while it is fun to laugh at the situation above, I want to talk about another type of race that should be taken very seriously. It says in 1 Timothy 4:8, “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” We need to be training ourselves spiritually in godliness. This not only has value for today but for eternity as the verse states. Did you get that? For ETERNITY. The writer of Hebrews even compared the life of faith to a race: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 Picture your spiritual journey as a race. Not a race against each other, but a race toward Christ likeness. As the verse above states we are to keep our eyes trained on Jesus as the “founder” (or originator) of our faith. He calls us to faith in him, like he’s picking us for his team. Jesus is also the “perfecter” (or refiner) of our faith through sanctification, so he is also our trainer. We aren’t told to stroll along hoping to pick up some wisdom here and there as life and time allows. We are called to run, and run “with endurance”! So run, girl, run! Work hard at becoming more like Jesus. There is also wise training advice contained in these awesome verses. We are told to get rid of dead weight, “…lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…” Ever try to run a race while carrying large bags of trash? No, that would be stupid, so is carrying sins while we try to be more like Jesus. So lay aside anything that even potentially hinders your spiritual growth. Take the time to really think about this one please. While you are running you will gain strength and encouragement from God’s Word, since it is your sustenance (Matthew 4:4). Jesus will be ever near with his commandment of “Go” (Matthew 28:19). Paul also spoke of this race in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” This verse even promises a prize for running the race well, a “crown of righteousness”. This does sound like an exciting prize, but far greater than that will be praise from our Savior when we get to the finish line (Matthew 25:21). Wyatt and I will have ups and downs as we train and many more laughs along the way (especially since I told him we have to dress up like big pumpkins). But our true race is one towards Christ and that race is the only one that really matters. So, Ladies, its time; lace up your running shoes and step out on the track. Set your eyes on Jesus and run, girl, run! I’m in a bad mood. I have a nasty cold and my energy is gone. I have a “to do” list the length of my arm and no will power to get it completed. My house is a mess and I have visitors coming the day after tomorrow. My laundry is only half done and I need to go grocery shopping. Its days like this I start to feel down; the weight is too much and I don’t feel qualified for the job of life. I want to crawl into bed and fall asleep so I can ignore the world for a little while longer. Honestly, I use this strategy occasionally and the fact is, that darn world and all its problems are still there when I wake up.
So today, instead of the cowardly route, I grab the Word of God desperately needing some encouragement. I feel led to the book of Hebrews and leaf through it until I find what I am looking for: “…he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5b-6 “The Lord is my helper”… help… that’s just what I need! I repeat the verse over and over to myself feeling tears well up in my eyes and I ask for help. I pray that God will help me to accomplish what needs to get done this day and that I leave the rest alone. I pray that he will give me the strength I lack. This is the verse I take with me wherever I go for this day. From these words of God, I draw my strength. Make sure you are not confused; God doesn’t call himself a helper because he is weak and we are in charge. The exact opposite is true. He is our helper because we are so needy and cannot accomplish anything without him. We are the weak ones and we have to learn to fully rely on our Creator to sustain us. God is the everlasting well of strength that we draw from. It says in Colossians 1:11: “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” We are strengthened according to his glorious might for all endurance! Wow, is that what I need or what? Yes, please. When I belong to Christ, I can receive strength from the well of his might which is endless; and it is freely given. Oh, the gifts God gives us are incredible! Help is one of them. I can’t imagine a better helper in life than God himself who has all power at his disposal and infinite control of everything. We on our own are empty and frail; we have no well to draw from. That is why so many of us walk around broken, weak and dried up. We try to live life on our own strength and eventually we burn out and crumble to pieces. As Christians we are called to live differently, we are called to draw from the source of Christ. God tells us in John 15:5 “apart from me you can do nothing.” Today I feel the truth of that statement. I need God to help me. Are you in need of help today too? Read these verses for yourself and call out to God to claim this promise for yourself. Allow him to be your helper and draw from his deep well of strength. Then give thanks in joy as the second half of the verse from Colossians tell us. Carry on in Christ! I have had the opportunity to talk to several mothers one on one lately and in each conversation there seemed to be a common thread. It had to do with feeling the weight of responsibility for their children. Whether it be in their child’s decisions, actions or even appearances. One mother worried about how her actions today would affect her young children in years to come, another mother worried that her children were gaining too much weight and how that would reflect on her parenting, and still another mother worried about the decisions that her adult son was making and how it would affect his future.
As each of these mothers shared with me, I could feel the burden they were carrying; it was heavy. I understand this burden well; I have carried it many times myself. Mothers of all ages and stages feel this burden no matter how old their children are. We feel responsible for how our children behave, how they respond to others, and how they perform in life. We take the full credit when they do good and even more so when they do poorly. Mothers, my advice to you today… lay the burden down. It is not yours to carry. Oh yes, we need to “Train up a child in the way he should go” as it says in Proverbs 22:6. And “… do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” as in Ephesians 6:4. Absolutely, God has given us the responsibility of raising these specific children. He has put them under our charge and into our care. That is a great responsibility that we need to take very seriously. However, the RESULTS are not on our shoulders. The results are God’s alone. God has a specific plan and path through life for your child to follow. Jeremiah 29:11, “ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.” No one can change God’s plans or put their child on what we feel to be a more “appropriate” path to follow (or a more socially acceptable one). Remember God has already written out your child’s entire life for eternity and he knows what is truly best for your child. Plus, (brace yourself for this one)…God loves your child MORE than you do (see Romans 5:8 and 8:38-39). I remind my children of this often. Do you think that this would confuse them or worry them? No way, they know how much I love them and for them to know that the Almighty Creator loves them even more – how awesome! It is wonderful that they (and we) can rest in the assurance that God loves them and is in charge of their everyday life and their futures. To assume that we are to take the credit when our children excel or the blame when our children experience a failure is putting ourselves in the place of God in their lives. That is not where we are supposed to be, he alone can be King. We can teach them to eat healthy and engage in physical activities with them, but God determines their body type and what he wants them to look like. We can set boundaries and provide godly discipline as they grow, but we are not responsible for every bad (or good) decision they make when they are grown. I realize that it is no easy task to let go of this burden of how our children “turn out”. We cling to it like it is a part of who we are, but it’s not meant to be that way. So take a deep breath and release it to God. Take reassurance that God welcomes your burdens and instructs us to give them to him: “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalms 55:22 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 Keep your focus on raising your children to love Christ and his powerful Word. Guide them with godly discipline and train them up in the way they should go, but understand, their final destination and how they get there is up to God. I recently took my two young boys, ages 7 and 9, to Eagle Point Park in Dubuque. It is a beautiful, historical park with overlooks of the Mississippi River, Lock and Dam #11, and the tri-state river valley. The nice views were not the reason for our visit this day, however, but the Fish Pond. More specifically the limestone rock walls all around that pond.
My two boys, like many others, love adventure and the feeling of accomplishment. Neither is what I would call “fearless”; they never jumped into a pool before they knew how to swim as toddlers or hopped on a bike without training wheels without first being encouraged and held up by an adult. They have a healthy fear of risk and potential injury (I am thankful for this). This being said, God still made them boys, and God made boys to be inquisitive, brave and eager for a challenge. I want to encourage this as their mother, physically and more importantly, spiritually. So on this day at the park after shoes were tied and bug spray applied I let them loose with instructions to work on their bravery - to climb walls, jump over crevasses, and discover new trails. I watched as they started out cautiously and little by little gained courage to try something new: scaling a higher wall, jumping off a rock to a nearby tree, walking down a path that was dark and crowded with greenery. I held myself back from calling out too many reminders to “be careful” or to hold out a hand to help them do something they should do on their own. I prayed as I watched them; yes, I prayed for their safety but also so much more. I prayed that God would transfer this learning over to their walk with him and make them increasingly bold for sharing his Gospel and proclaiming Christ in their lives. We need to do this same thing in our walk with Christ. We need to continually push ourselves to be more like him. We need to be intentional in our continued growth. This comes by giving ourselves spiritual challenges. If we do the same things over and over, year after year, like attend church, go to an occasional Bible study, attend a special event here and there, we can’t expect spiritual growth like we need. We have to push ourselves further; we need to dig deeper. If you are a follower of Christ, this should be a fairly intense and natural internal desire. You should feel a need to learn more about Christ and to do more to bring him honor. It is a byproduct of a close relationship with your Savior. As Christians we often pray for courage to share the message of Christ; we ask for boldness to proclaim the Good News to the lost around us. Why do we feel the need to pray this? Because we lack it in our daily lives, many times we are riddled with fear and keep our faith hidden away. Boldness is the antidote to fear and praying for boldness is Biblical. In Acts chapter 4, Peter and John had just been released from prison and joined the other believers in prayer. Verse 29, “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.” Despite the real threats all around them they desired to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. God answers their prayer just a few verses later in a powerful way. Paul also prayed for boldness despite how “naturally” bold he seemed to be on the outside. He was often beaten, sometimes to the point of death and yet he got back up and went straight back to preaching the Gospel. Ephesians 6:19-20, “and [pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” Paul needed courage and boldness just as we do today. He prayed for “words to be given to me in opening my mouth”. Many times that’s the hardest task simply opening our mouths to share Christ with someone else. So what does it look like to give yourself “spiritual challenges” to help you grow more courageous in Christ? It will take different forms for each person depending on where you are at in your walk, but here are a number of possibilities: inviting someone to attend church with you, attending church regularly yourself, offering to pray for someone, praying out loud before a group, starting a Bible study in your home, going on a mission trip, reading a chapter of the Bible every day, reading the entire Bible in a years’ time, inviting friends from church to your home for dinner, asking another lady for coffee to talk about Jesus, witnessing to a friend or coworker, sharing your testimony, saying grace before a meal in public, praying with your spouse, or praying over you children. The list goes on and on, but to be sure it will be something that throws you out of your comfort zone and into a position of trusting God. Someday I hope to take my sons rock climbing and repelling, but if I had led them to a steep mountain to begin their learning on the fear may have been overwhelming and the challenge too discouraging. So I introduce them to challenges that push them farther than they have gone before. It is okay to begin small in your journey of courage, but the key is to make continual progress toward Jesus. So begin to flex your courage muscles and allow God to bring larger and larger challenges into your life to grow you. After all, it is truly God doing this work, not us, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. Take that leap over the crevasse to get closer to Christ today. Ladies, have you ever wished you had a big “reset” button? I sure do. Days where I could start everything all over again just by pushing that big button. I would jump back in bed, fall asleep and wake up to begin the same day over. Only this time, do things differently. Sometimes this happens when I haven’t prepared enough for the busy day ahead - I push the snooze button one too many times, I realize I haven’t washed my work uniforms, I’m finally ready to leave and the gas tank is empty. Other times, despite my best efforts, nothing seems to go right - my hair looks funny, the dog pukes on the carpet, one of the kids spills their bowl of cereal, I get assigned an extra project at work.
To be honest with you, the times I usually wish to restart the day is when I have not used my time wisely. It’s the days I get lazy and don’t get done what I know I should have. Oh, I may have stayed “busy” on those days but I neglected the truly important things. I didn’t spend time with God like I should have, I didn’t demonstrate Christ to my children or spouse, or I didn’t reach out to help or encourage someone else. Those are the most frustrating days for me. I always seem to realize it when the day is coming to a close. As I plop into bed I feel an uneasiness that I know is from the Holy Spirit. Pains from a day wasted on business again. What an uncomfortable feeling. I can only compare it to when I was a child and the feeling I got when I knew I disappointed my parents. Yuck. Do-over please! I know many of you reading this are thinking I need to get a grip. Maybe you think, “I read the Bible enough and I go to church; I am a nice person and I can’t be expected to reach out to someone every day. I just need to give myself a break!” Umm… no. What God has called me to, I should not run from or neglect. I can’t just busy myself with other things to keep from doing my real work. That’s just Satan’s way of knocking me off course, he likes me off task. So I should hate it. I relate so well to Paul in Romans 7:15, 17-19 when he says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” I know what I should be spending my time on throughout my day, but instead I find myself staying occupied with other “important” tasks. I spend my energy on Earthly matters instead of Eternal matter. What a fool; what an easy target for the Enemy I allow myself to be! Paul expresses this perfectly in verse 24 when he says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Fortunately Paul goes right on to give the answer to his own question in verse 25. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Jesus is the answer! More specifically what Jesus has done for us in his act of salvation is where we find our power. He died in our place so that we would not have to be a slave to sin any longer. This means that I can stop playing the fool in my daily life. I need to remember Jesus and that he has already beat sin for me. I can stop being a slave to whatever business the Devil dangles before me and begin to see my daily life as having eternal significance. This I can do only through the grace of Jesus and through his power. I have failed to use my days wisely so many times and continue to do so, but I find so much encouragement in 2 Timothy 2:13, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful.” Despite our failures at being faithful to God’s calling in our lives, that does not change the goodness of God. He will always remain faithful to us. He will always restore us back to himself. So with the power granted to you through Jesus Christ get off the computer and pick up your Bible. Go encourage yourself, your family or a friend with the Word of God right now! Don’t waste another minute of this day! |
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