Month: March 2015

Spiritual Complacency

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If you have been a Christian for any length of time, surely you know what it is to feel complacent, cold, sluggish, and even stagnant in your walk with Christ. Pressures of the home or family, the job, and a thousand other things seem to squeeze the life right out of us, or at least crowd out any room for fervent devotion to Jesus. Our first inclination many times is to look at our schedules as the cause of our spiritual stagnation. Perhaps we feel that a vacation is in order to refresh us spiritually. Yet we all know that although vacations can remove us from the routine, they can never remove the routine from us. In other words, whatever you stress over in Phoenix, you’re still going to stress over in Cancun.

I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.—Revelation 3:18

Three things are identified as needing to be restored:

  • First, a restoration of spiritual values—This is the “…gold refined by fire so that you may become rich…” True worth comes not from what the world values, but it lies in what Christ offers to those who believe.
  • Second, a restoration of spiritual virtues—This is the acquiring of “…white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed…” What the Christian needs is true righteousness because the world can see right through the pretense of a shallow and unrighteous life.
  • Third, a restoration of spiritual vision—This is the “…eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.” There is a big difference between a carnal person and a worldly person. A carnal person indulges in the things of the flesh like fornication, smoking, drinking, cursing; these are all deeds of the flesh. A worldly person is one who gossips and seeks to keep up appearances for the sake of looking good in others’ eyes. However, both of these categories of sin have one thing in common: they cloud spiritual perception. Whenever you are not seeing spiritual things clearly, you’re in danger of perishing. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov.29:18a KJV).

 

Application

  1. Are you willing to face spiritual issues in your life that Christ exposes by His Word?
  2. Are you willing to change your ways according to His Word?

 

If so, approach Jesus by faith now. Acknowledge your need. Seek grace to do His will. Honestly admit that you have offended Him in your life and ask Him for the power to turn from it. If you are sincere, you will find Him!

The Good Life

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There is this popular idea in our world today that the best thing that could happen to you would be to win the lottery. Then you could spend the remainder of your days on a beach somewhere, living the “good life.” But nothing could be further from the truth. Interestingly, many people end up going broke within a few years of winning.

 “What if the life you wanted was actually right in front of you?”

A year and half ago, I transitioned to working part-time. I thought I had prepared and planned for everything. However, I discovered there was still one big shift I hadn’t planned for… silencing the call of my desires. My desire for shopping and other material indulgences seemed perfectly fine to me, especially since I didn’t have anyone to take care of but myself. Although my spending habits have never been extravagant, I did enjoy this newfound freedom. However, as I settled into my new lifestyle and income, I became increasingly aware that the end game as a Christian is not about acquiring more and more material goods and wealth. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

It is dying to self and living for Christ.

This change in my lifestyle is more than just a journey to own less stuff and live for Christ. It’s about not allowing myself to fall into the trap of how society defines success—brand name clothing, price of your car, square footage of your house, dollars in your bank account, even the model of your cellphone. Too often, those who make, spend and keep the most resources for themselves are labeled as the “successful ones.”

 

It’s quite the contrary in the economy of the Kingdom: it all comes down to dying to self and living for Christ (Gal.2:20; 2 Cor.5:17). This simple yet essential truth changes hearts and minds. For me, it has meant a shift from being rooted in the nebulous idea of what I wanted to accomplish, into a new approach to life that is fueled by the excitement of being known and used by God. Each day, I have the opportunity to see life through this lens and everything has changed. In fact, it infuses meaning into everything I do from the seemingly mundane to the obviously profound.

 

“Lord, my life is not my own, what would you have me do?”

 

 

 

Ever Changing

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If you’re like me, maybe you find it amusing that the only thing that remains constant, the only thing that never seems to change is change. Think about it. No matter how hard we try, we cannot stop change. It is a mighty, ambiguous force, which may work either for or against us. It cannot be controlled, tamed, or thwarted. It is part of the very fabric of mankind; to be human is to be subject to change.

As it relates to our families, some changes we anticipate with great eagerness, like the first steps or first words of a child. As parents, we long for the day when our children are out of diapers, when they finally begin to sleep through the night, or when they hit their first home run. However, some changes are unexpected and come upon us when we’re least prepared for them. These may come in the form of a sudden change in a child’s demeanor, often referred to as “phases,” or maybe a job loss, or even a serious injury in the family. Finally, some changes are so slow and gradual that they are really imperceptible. Good examples are those that come with growing older—the loss of eyesight, stamina, and hair!

So if our families are a hotbed for change, how are we to deal with them? Especially those changes that seem to work against us or take us by surprise? Is there some anchor for our soul in the midst of this chaotic, swirling sea of change? Most certainly! His name is the LORD, Jehovah, and He says of Himself that He does not change (Mal.3:6). Referring to God in human flesh, the writer of Hebrews said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb.13:8). So when dealing with difficult providences, when faced with sudden changes, we must remember to lean on the One who never changes. That is why God is likened to a rock in the scriptures (Deut.32:4; 1 Sam.2:2; Ps.18:31). He is the unchanging, solid foundation beneath our feet when everything else around us is chaos.

As I said before, the only thing that never seems to change is change. However, change is not greater than God. In fact, He is the only One who never changes and He uses change, among other things, like a tool in His hand to shape and fashion our lives so that we may be conformed to the image of His beloved Son (Rom.8:29). May we learn to trust our Great Potter as He forms the clay of our lives. He promises to work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom.8:28). His unchanging nature guarantees it.

Bloom Where You Are Planted

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My friend, Elly, recently posted a quote on Facebook that she read on the bottle cap from Sweet Leaf tea: “Bloom where you are planted.” Elly said she thought that was a pretty good one. Me too!

I think every Christian would agree that our deep heart desire is for God to change us to be more like Christ. We read the Word, put our lives up against it, and see how woefully short we fall of the divine standard. Then, we look at the Savior and are filled with thankfulness that He has lived the life we never can. But, we don’t stop there. Out of that thankfulness, we want to live holier lives.

I will at least speak for myself and say that sometimes I look at my circumstances and wonder how I can change when things are just so hard. If my circumstances were different, I can think, fleshing out this Christian walk would be easier. Yes, that’s it! That’s the change I need. I need to just have a change in my circumstances and everything will be ok…or will they?

See, we really don’t need a change in our circumstances to thrive for God. In fact, the very opposite is true. We believe in a God who providentially orchestrates everything in our lives to bring about our full and final salvation (Rom.8:28-30). At times, I can feel like just running away from the pressures around me. But, the problem is, I cannot run away from my own heart. God has placed me in the city I live in, the church I attend, the family I live with, the friendships I enjoy, and the difficult circumstances (and attacks from foes) I face. Any difficulty I am having to live how God wants me to, where He has me, does not merit a change in my circumstances so much as it calls for a heart change. And, what is so amazing about all of this is that God will use the difficulties to change me, but only as I walk by faith and repentance…here.

If you find yourself consumed with longing for the day when your circumstances will be more bearable on earth, stop yourself and ask:

  • Do I believe that today is a gift from God to me? (Ps.118:24)
  • Do I believe God does all things well? (Mark 7:37)
  • Who will I choose to serve this day? (Josh.24:15)

Choose the Lord, and bloom, by faith, right where He has planted you.