Stand Firm in the Faith

As I browsed the news yesterday my heart was broken as I read the headlines. Once again, another Southern Baptist minister was in the headlines for being caught having an inappropriate sexual relationship. It saddens me and yet is also a stark reminder for my own life because no matter who we are, or what position we are in, we are all still vulnerable to sin. Even though as Christians we are forgiven, we will still reap the consequences that not only affect us but also impact others. How do people get that deep in sin? I’m sure that person did not wake up one day and say to themselves, “Today I think that an affair is really tempting,” or someone else say, “Today, I really feel like I’m going to cheat on a test.” It is often the little choices that we make each and everyday of not choosing Christ and doing instead what we want to do. It’s choosing each day to not pursue Christ but to choose our own selfish desires. There is a famous phrase that is so true that states, “Sow a thought, reap and action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a lifestyle. Sow a lifestyle, reap a destiny.” It all starts with a one thought that in the moment may seem harmless.

1 Peter 5:8-11 states, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

The devil is very good at his game. His tactics are perfected. We need to be prepared for his attack. We need to remain trained and equipped and not vulnerable. We need to daily put on the whole armor of God. If we don’t, the consequences will be great. If we don’t, we will be defeated. God has given us what we need but we must be faithful to depend on Him seeking him with all our heart. The devil may be good at his game, but the Lord is the victor.

Not a Balancing Act

A few weeks ago, my family went to Kemah and Galveston just to get away for the day. At Galveston we walked The Strand and came across a juggler. He was not only juggling lit torches but he juggled the lit torches while balancing on a giant ball! Needless to say, I believe that everyone watching was very impressed!

I feel that often I'm trying to live my life like that juggler. I try to juggle everything like work, being healthy, keeping a clean apartment, working on future and present goals, writing, working on homework, keeping up with friends etc. But eventually everything drops, just like that juggler couldn't juggle all night, the show had to end at some time. And not only does the show end, but the juggler is exhausted! As in life, at some point the juggling will have to stop and all it will do is leave us tired and exhausted.

I believe one of the key life verses is found in Matt 6:33 when Christ stated, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." We aren't supposed to juggle, we are instead called to seek first his kingdom and then everything else will fall into place. God must be our priority, that will never end. That's everyday. Just like the first and greatest commandment states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Matt 22:37 Life should not be a juggling or balancing act. Life should be focused on Christ and doing his will.

Life - Not always like a box of chocolates...

Psalm 33:4,22 "For the word of the Lord is right and true, He is faithful in all He does...May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."

In the popular movie, Forrest Gump, the the phrase "Momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" became popular. However, I don't think that life is always like a box of chocolates because no matter what kind of chocolate is in the box, it's never disappointing, because it's chocolate!

However, life is full of disappointment. Like the time I was at work and I got a calzone from the cafeteria. I was so incredibly excited, it looked great on the outside, I was starving and my mouth was watering. But as I took my first bite, I immediately realized something was wrong. Instead of putting pepper into it, someone had put WHOLE peppercorns - over 30 of them to be exact. I was gravely disappointed!! I also remember a time when I was a child and I became a sucker for a mail ad. There were these beautiful shoes for sale that I just knew that I had to have. After I convinced my parents to let me get them, I saved and saved and saved for them. And finally the day came that I had enough money to order them! (Now who really orders shoes from the coupon section of the mail, I don't know, that should have been my first clue!!) When they arrived, I ripped open the box, and low and behold, it was the ugliest and cheapest pair of shoes I had ever seen. I was so disappointed. But embarrassing or not, I still wore them to school even though I could barely keep them on - I guess I was just hoping all the time and money I had put into them would somehow turn magically worth it! But it didn't happen!! (Thank goodness I have never ordered mail order shoes again!)

Life is full of disappointment. The greatest disappointment is when we are disappointed in people. We are disappointed because we have expectations of perfection on people who aren't perfect. Recently, in my own life it seems that I could easily turn away from a lot of things that have disappointed me, give up and never look back. But I know that that is not the answer. Life is hard sometimes, and disappointment can be difficult to handle. We often even disappoint ourselves. The fact is that we are all human, and we all make mistakes because we still, until we reach heaven, have a carnal nature. However, there is an amazing truth that I have been constantly reminded of as I'm reading through the bible. God will never disappoint us. He will never let us down. He is always faithful. He always fulfills his promises, no matter what we do! (That means the good promises and the bad promises such as punishment for sins) What he says, He will do. I'm reminded of a chorus that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote years ago that states, "My Redeemer is faithful and true. Everything He has said He will do, And every morning His mercies are new. My Redeemer is faithful and true." Our redeemer IS faithful and true. He is the only one to place our trust in. He is the only one that we can really depend on! Everything in life will disappoint us eventually - except God! Even when we don't understand how God is working. Even when we don't see his hand in our circumstances and in the circumstances around us, He has not forgotten the promises that He has given us. What an amazing truth!