Risky Business

I hope you’ve had a GREAT week! Mine has been a wild ride. Speaking of wild ride let me ask you a question…. How is your RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? How’s your FAITH? On a scale from ‘bored to tears’ to ‘wild ride’ where does yours fall? It seems that many people in our community are hovering somewhere around ‘bored to tears.’ Why is this? It’s because people aren’t really living a life of FAITH at all. You see, faith is deeply tied to risk. Without risk, there is not much faith. Risking things for God is at the heart of a real and exciting relationship with Christ.  

What are you risking for God? Are you risking your reputation? Your finances? Your life? Your future? Are you attempting anything for God right now that will FAIL if he does not come through? Or are you just trying to stay comfortable? If you’re trying to stay comfortable, you’re probably hovering near ‘bored to tears.’ Staying comfortable isn’t really faith at all. What you need is to exercise your faith. Step out on a limb for God. Take big risks for Him. 

Final Day ::: God Made it so I Ate it

Ok, we’re here! We ended the final day of ‘God Made it so I Ate It’ today at my house. We ended it in style! For Valentine’s we had a healthy balanced meal of fish, steak, asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, mexican squash, couscous, and rolls. It was awesome. Here is an overview of what I experienced and/or learned in the last ten days:

1) We’re addicted to junk! Shame, denial, sneakiness, avoidance… all of the things involved in classical addictions were involved as we tried to eat more simply and healthier for 10 days.

2) Even if you fail, there is much joy in trying. In my home, we had our arguments over this diet, times when we couldn’t stay on the diet, and flat-out failures… but at the end of ten days, my family was eating HEALTHIER. I’m so glad we tried!

3) Eating healthy is hard in the good ‘ol USA. Everywhere you turn, someone or something is pushing you to eat unhealthy food. We are literally awash in junk. Jesus said in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." We are to be about Jesus’ business, so it seems to me that we need to be encouraging people to eat healthier. Another day a person lives is another day of opportunity to get right with God. It’s no different than Christians studying to be doctors, lawyers, firefighters, etc. to make this world a better place. Jesus commands us to be salt and light in the world. Spreading the Gospel is the primary way to do that. Making ‘wrong things right" is another.

4) Americans, including myself, COMPARTMENTALIZE their lives. Some people have gone through this series ‘kicking and screaming’ figuratively speaking. They are uncomfortable talking about these things. It’s the "dichotomy" that I have mentioned each week, separating body from soul. But the truth is God is concerned about the whole person. What happens to our physical bodies effect our souls.

5) Being healthy doesn’t make you a good Christian, any more than keeping any law does. What makes someone a good Christian is that they love God with all of their heart and are actively seek to live in HARMONY with Him. We hang out with God by spending time in prayer and Bible study. When someone is born again, they are given A NEW HEART! This spiritual hearts beats inside of them. It beats to obey God. Our obedience then flows out from the INSIDE of us! But that doesn’t negate us learning about His commands. It makes it even more necessary.