Which sounds more enjoyable - going on a journey with close friends or going solo? There are probably many who would defend both sides of that question. For me, however, I'd much rather set off on an adventure with someone to share in my quest. I believe it enhances the fun, the observations I make along the way and the depth to which that journey takes me and endures in my memories. Together, the challenges don't seem quite as fierce or insurmountable and the mountaintops take on even more color and brilliance because the joy is compounded.

In a similar way, my walk with God deepens when I share what I'm learning with others and in return, hear what God is revealing to them. It reminds me I'm not alone - both in the celebration of God's amazing attributes and in the doubt and worry that plague humanity.

I want this to be a sacred place where I can share what God is teaching me and hear from others who want nothing more than to know God personally. So, I welcome you to this site. Read. Comment. Question. Teach. For in doing this journey of faith in Jesus Christ together, I believe we gain the opportunity to know Him more fully and leave a little bit more conformed to His Image.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Can You Really See?

“To be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

I work full-time in a Christian ministry and am surrounded by believers for the majority of my days and yet more and more, I am meeting Christians who have relegated God, or spiritual things, to certain parts of their lives. In a snapshot, this is what they look like: They go to church on Sundays. They call out to God only when they’re in need. Some can even hang with the best of them when it comes to Christian lingo. But where are the truly spiritually minded Christians? Where are those who see ALL of life through the lenses of Scripture and what God is up to in the world? We wonder why our lives lack purpose and meaning and why we can’t sleep at night. As a culture (and even a Christian culture), we obsess over money, over trying to keep up, over being perfect, and we look to relationships and materialism to fulfill the deep longings of our hearts. But if we’re honest, God is the answer to each of those issues. God alone brings real and lasting purpose to our lives. He is our security and our true fulfillment. We do not have to be perfect to earn His love; He looks at us as righteous and pure if we’re covered by the blood of His Son. He has given us everything necessary for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3). He is our peace. What other explanation but God can suffice when you see a Christian couple who has lost a child to cancer but can still smile and praise Jesus. Knowing that we serve a loving God who is infinitely powerful, completely sovereign over our circumstances and who promises a plan for our lives that is full of hope, creates a peace that passes all understanding.

How do we stay spiritually minded? Romans 12:2 reminds us we must constantly renew our minds – in God’s Word, through prayer, by being in fellowship with other believers – sharing with each other what God is teaching and being held accountable to live lives worthy of our calling as believers. So let’s hold ourselves accountable right now and ask these questions together:

  1. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the greatest), how spiritually minded am I? What does my time with God (in His Word, in prayer, in fellowship with other believers) look like and where does it need to improve?
  2. Am I experiencing the abundance of life and sense of purpose that God has intended for me? If not, what needs to change? Is He a part of or is He ALL of my life? If only a part, what needs to change for Him to become Lord over all of my life?
  3. Am I experiencing peace in my current circumstances? If not, what attributes of God do I need to reflect on to renew my perspective?
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