Forgetfulness and Faith

    

Phil 3:12-14

 

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

NKJV

 

I love the beauty of the Word of God.  I can study a passage of Scripture for years and gain understanding.  Then all of a sudden, on a day like today, a difference nuance springs to life that I have never seen before.  Something new to encourage me, challenge me or change me.

 

That is what happened to me today.  As I read this passage, I was reminded of all the application, teaching and preaching I have heard concerning the importance of forgetting what lies behind.  Always this has been applied with an emphasis on not staying stuck in past sins or failures.  A time or two I was exhorted to not hold on to yesterday's victories either, because they keep  me from living in today. Both are beneficial application of this passage. But as I read this verse this morning, I realized that there is yet a third way that I could benefit from applying this passage.

 

Sometimes in my journey of faith,  I struggle with believing because things have not worked out as I had hoped.   In those moments, I find myself left with less hope, less courage and less audacity to believe.   I recently had a minor disappointment.  But somehow,  without me realizing it,  I allowed that to completely halt my forward progress in faith for a prayer need. I allowed it to limit me, not only in that moment, but for the months that followed.   I was not even aware that I had done that.

 

I know when an athlete is competing, those that do the best are those who forget the pass that was not caught, the strike that they swung at, or the hoop that they missed. Each moment is a new opportunity to capitalize, and hopefully turn the tide in a forward motion.  A winning direction.

 

What if we approached our Christian walk in the same way?  What if we chose not to focus on disappointments or failures, but instead, focus on the moment at hand?   I believe that would revolutionize the way we live our lives.  You cannot stay on the road if you only look in the rear-view mirror. We have to look at the road before us.  What is behind us has little impact on where we are now.  In Christ, it has even less importance than we even know.

 

Give it a try!  Seize the moment! Believe this time it will work.  Give God some raw  material He can work with-  faith, trust and belief!

 

  Dear God, help me to live in the moment, looking to the future.  I choose now to repent of past sins and failures, as  well as disappointments.  I choose to go forward in You.  Please renew my hope.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

Do You Have a Conduct Disorder?

 

Phil. 1:27

 

27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,

NKJV

 

I used to work in mental health.   One of the most interesting gamut of disorders that we dealt with, was the conduct disorders.   Simply put, behaving badly.  I do not mean to minimize anyone's struggles with their adolescent or child,  but this label to me  stands  to add a clinical or medical diagnosis to a problem without actually getting to the root of a problem and  providing a solution. I do, however, understand that the diagnosis is the first step toward a recommendation.

 

Now, I am not a psychiatrist, nor do I play one on T.V., but I think that there are a lot of Christians who demonstrate a conduct disorder as well.  Doubt me? Jump on Facebook for a few days and monitor the posts of "Christians."

 

It is appalling when you can go to someone's timeline and see "Praise the Lord" reports interspersed with vengeful, crude, or  hateful posts.  One day they are talking about church attendance, another, a drunken brawl.  What is the meaning of this? Does their own hypocrisy not prick their conscience?

 

We all mess up. We all have attitudes, tendencies  and behaviors that are not the best. But we should not be living "schizophrenically" or in a double-minded way.  It should not be hard to tell which life we have chosen- the Christian life or the life of the world.  As Paul says in this verse, our conduct should be "worthy of the gospel of Christ."

 

In other words, the vessel should live up to the contents!  How can we proclaim a message with our mouths that we refute with our lives? Ungodly behavior for a Christian should be a rare and sorrowful occurrence, but never a habitual practice.

 

As Christians, we are to live as one person, thinking in one mind and one Spirit. Because that is who we are!  Christians are baptized into the body of Christ.  In modern day, we are His hands and we are His feet on this Earth.  At the risk of being cliché', the saying is  true, "You are the only Bible some people will ever read."  Will your "followers" make it to heaven, or will they find themselves falling short on the day  of judgment?  Be careful how you live, others are following you.   You may not even be aware of it.

 

I can hear the nay-sayers already.  It is my life, I can do as I please.  Yes and no.  You are indeed a free agent.  But,  If you received Christ as Savior and asked him to be your Lord, you have technically given over the reins of your life to another. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3) It is His life, and you should live it well.

I am not a perfect example of a godly life.  I fail every day and I despise my own carnal nature. Please understand me.  I am not talking down to anyone.  This is a lateral conversation.  But the Bible is clear, we do not really get to decide how we live when we follow Christ.  Rather, we are imitators of Him.  Is your conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ?  No? Then let's get busy! Time is short and we have a world to win!

 

 

Dear Lord, show me the areas of my life that fall short of your righteous standards.  Help me to live a life of impact. One that matters to you and to others.  A life that is worthy of the gospel. In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Faith Remediation

 

 

Mark 9:17-24

 

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."

19 He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."  20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21 So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?"

And he said, "From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."

23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe,* all things are possible to him who believes."

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

NKJV

Honesty and humility are traits not esteemed by our society.  I know this because of experience.  It is  very rare indeed to encounter someone willing to admit when they are wrong, weak, or lacking.  Most people will lie to cover over a shortcoming,  rather than just "fessing up". 

Possibly that is why this dad is one of my favorite in Scripture.  Not because he was a man of great faith or renown.  But simply because he was a real guy, with real weaknesses and a real problem.  And he knew to come to Jesus.  That sounds a lot like me. (Except for the guy part.)  How about you? 

I want to be a person of great faith.  I am endeavoring daily to increase my faith, to meditate on truth and grow.  I do not  want to stay where I am.  But I thank God that perfect faith is not required.  Just like this passage with this father, we can approach God and be honest, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"

I do believe.  I do know that He is God.  He is all powerful.  He is able.  But if I am really real, I will admit that I am not always convinced that He will work a situation out as I hope.  That is when I identify with this father. My dialogue with God goes something like this:

Yes, Lord, I believe.  I know you can.  But help me on the part that is lacking.  Help me on the unbelief issue.  I cannot make it go away.  I need You to help me!  I need something.  I know that You are the answer.  Whatever is lacking in me, that hinders my answer, O God, please help!"

Are you like this dad today?  Do you need help with a problem?  Are you struggling to fully believe?  Jesus can help on both.  Call on Him today!

Dear Lord, help me to grow in faith.  Forgive me for my faith-failings. Increase my faith, O Lord.  Thank you for covering my lack.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.

 

Embracing Change

 

 

    

Eccl 3:1

 

3 To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

NKJV

   

I will be straight with you.  I am not a fan of change.  Oh sure,  I am up to trying new restaurants and vacation destinations. I do not mind to try new movies, books or foods.  But when it comes to the rhythms of  my everyday life, I like them to stay fairly predictable.  Comfortable. Safe.  Especially if it is something that I enjoy.  Each year I am  saddened to say goodbye to summer, with its fewer pressures and days of fun.   I dislike the end of  Christmas or the conclusion of  vacation.  While I do celebrate each of my children's milestones, it is hard to close the door on the various stages of development. Can you relate?

 

But God  has assigned  seasons to our life. In His wisdom and good purpose, He allows there to be  cycles, new beginnings and endings. Each of them have their own charms, difficulties, challenges and joy.  It keeps us sharp to go through changes.  It also keeps us reliant upon God.

 

In the never  ending changes of  life, we can still enjoy stability, safety and security.  Why?  Because God is always there.  And He never changes.  His heart, character, and purpose are steadfast and immovable. He will always be love.  He will always be just.   He will always  be merciful.  We can count on these unchanging truths.  Whenever we are afraid, His guiding hand and comfort will  rest upon  us.  Because of  that, we do not have to fear.  We can face the future with confidence and expectation.

 

Each time the Lord  closes the door on a season, He has a good purpose for us.  Our future is always full of hope and promise  because He ordains support and help to meet every challenge.  Hear the voice of the Lord to you today,

 

Josh 1:9

 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord  your God is with you wherever you go."

NKJV

 

Dear Lord, give me grace for the change that is ahead.  Help me to rest in You and find joy in this stage.  Help me  to make the most of the seasons you give me.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

 

Relating to Myself

 

Rom 12:3

 

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

NKJV

   

How is your relationship? With yourself?  The relationship you have with yourself is one of the greatest examples of a love-hate relationship most of us will ever experience.  On the one hand, we hate ourselves, our short-comings and failings, and our weaknesses.  On the other hand, it seems we can be so self-focused that we expect others to make it all about us all of the time.  How can we resolve  these complex issues?

 

Finding the correct balance is important.   We should "love our neighbor as we love ourselves." (Mark 12:30-31) This indicates that a certain amount of self-love is important.  It is not a sign of humility to constantly talk bad about yourself.  We have to recognize that we are created in the image of God and for His glory.  We are to be "trees of righteousness, a planting for the display of his splendor." (Isa. 61:3)  Because of that, we must work to see ourselves through God's eyes- with purpose, value, and potential.

 

Even more dangerous, though, is a Christian who thinks more highly of themselves than they ought to.  Pride, boasting, bragging, and self-promoting are not flattering.  No one wants to be around the person who has all the answers, can "out-do" everyone else's accomplishments, and thinks that they have the corner-market on God.  Being in love with oneself is repulsive both to God and man.

 

We must not think more highly than we ought to... but we need to see ourselves higher than we sometimes do.  A sober and balanced self-assessment includes:  1) recognizing our weaknesses and asking God for grace to improve and 2) recognizing our strengths, while recalling that they are all His doing and gifting.

 

We cannot hold on to our past failings.  Self-loathing causes us to walk in defeat. C.S. Lewis once said it best, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself  less." When we mess up, we must repent and once again return our focus to God.  It must be about Him.

 

Dear Lord, forgive me for the times I have loved myself too much, as well as  for the times I have hated myself.  Help me to have a balanced  relationship with myself, and a correct relationship with you.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

 

The Act of Belief

 

    

Gal 3:6

 

6 Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God.

(THE MESSAGE)

Believing God.  This is an action that a four-year-old can easily do. Yet it seems a forty-year-old can struggle to do it. Why do we  struggle so much with believing God? 

I can list a hundred reasons why a person may struggle to believe- previous disappointment; offense with God or man; staleness in their walk with God... the possibilities are endless.  But does it really matter why we do not believe?  Isn't the more important question how do we get back to believing?

Today's verse talks about Abraham.  He was old- well beyond any hope of child-siring.  And yet, God appeared to him and made him an outlandish promise:

    

Gen 15:4-5

 

4 And behold, the word of the Lord  came to him, saying, "This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir." 5 Then He brought him outside and said, "Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."

NKJV

There are many ways that Abraham could have responded, but only way held the potential to make it reality. He believed.  He did not spend his time reflecting on the impossibility of it,  but he somehow grabbed hold of the irrefutable knowledge that God was able. 

I think many of us fail to believe, because our image of God is way smaller than what He is.   We do not recall His omnipotence (that He is all powerful),  His omniscience (that He is all knowing), or His omnipresence (that He is everywhere present).   We forget that He is above all, in all and through all.  We fail to focus on the fact that He is limitless in knowledge, power, resources, and ability.  There is NOTHING outside of His ability to perform.  He is not bound by the laws of nature.  He is not limited by a human vessel.  Time does not constrain Him.  He is the mighty, covenant-keeping God.  We must expand our view of Him.  We must exalt and magnify Him.  Then our belief can stretch to meet the demands of our need.

Dear God, I believe, but help my unbelief.  Forgive me for not seeing who You really are.  Grant me the faith to grasp all that You have promised me.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

 

Unashamed

 

    

Rom 1:16

 

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

NKJV

When my son was little, I went with him to some school events- field trips, parents' day  at school, helping out in the classroom, etc.  When I asked him if he wanted me to come, he was quick to assure me that he did.  But when I would show up at school, he would  literally shrink down in his chair and refuse to look at me.  When I would talk to him, he would barely answer.  I am not going to lie to you- that hurt my feelings.  My own child was ashamed to be seen with me or associated with me.  Looking back, I recognize that he was just very bashful and did not want to do anything to draw attention to himself. 

At the time, I could not imagine why he would be ashamed of me.  I had always had a close relationship with him.  I did not baby him in front of others.  I  was always careful to be well-dressed and presentable.  He was ashamed of me for no apparent reason.

God is love.  He has our best interest at heart.  He moves mountains on our behalf.  He brings provision to us.  He offers us comfort and strength. How on Earth could we be ashamed of Him? 

Most of us would be quick to refuse the allegation of being ashamed of God or of His gospel.  But let's look a little closer.  Have you ever lowered your voice  out in public when speaking about God?  Have you been self-conscious to pray over your food in public- especially when others were not? What about when everyone else is condoning sin, and ask your opinion?

No matter whether we "lose face" with our friends or if we experience outright rejection for our beliefs, we should never be ashamed of God.  His gospel is what has freed us from darkness and brought us into life.  He hung on a cross for our sins.  Unashamed of His association with us. When, in truth, we are the ones who have behaved shamefully.

Christianity is becoming less and less politically correct.  People appear to have little tolerance for the beliefs of Christians.  But still, we must continue to boldly profess the good news- that Jesus has come to free us.  He has canceled our debt and offers salvation to all who will believe and receive. 

If we are ashamed of Him here, He will be ashamed of us before His Father.  I don't know about you, but I need Jesus to speak on my behalf.  I must be careful to speak for Him.  No matter what.

Dear Lord, please forgive me when I act in ways that I appear ashamed of my association with you.  Forgive me for the times that my behavior have disgraced Your Name.  Help me to have a bold testimony even among unbelievers.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.