Make His Teachings Personal
In April of this year I wrote a post called "You're a Millionaire" where I talked about how much more we have than we believe. I mentioned that many of us (including myself) make grand promises and declarations of what we would do if we had more money or were millionaires, but that few of us realize we already are, and that because we are it is time to live up to those promises. Someone commented on the post and while replying back I realized one reason why I am so much more passionate about God's teachings (and God) now than I was after the routine of being saved had set in.
Today marks four years that I have been saved and started really living for God. In the beginning, I was in love with God because of the hope He had given me and how much He had taken me from. As time passed, there was a point where my walk with God began to feel like a routine. I was praying, reading my Bible, and involved in church, but it wasn't enough. I knew that I needed to do something different. It was time to take my relationship with God outside myself. I realized that I needed to do more doing. In living that out, my growth since then has become consistent.
Lately, in my attempt to continue to grow where God is leading me, I have been reading through Acts again. As I read, I began wondering why Christianity seems so boring. I wanted to understand why more people aren't passionate about God. There was nothing boring about the stories recorded in Acts. It was exciting, dangerous, and powerful (...and thousand were saved!). I cannot really say that this is a reality I see in a lot of Christians today.
I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be another boring Christian. I have resolved since then to pray for the impossible, do the difficult, and really ask God to stretch me. Man, has He answered! It has been a rough year, but I cannot really say there has been a dull moment. We grow stagnant with God because we stop asking Him to do things within or outside us that are impossible for us. We stop putting ourselves in positions (upon His leading) where we need Him. Instead we live out the routine and do what we are able to. There is no challenge, and thus, there is little fruit (reward or evidence) to our walk with Him.
If we really want to lead the exciting lives God has planned, then we need to make His teachings personal. It is easy to be a Christian simply in thought. Yes, I can think in a manner that's pure and pray, but how will I take these things outside to the world? Now, there is the challenge!
As I have grown into an adult, the reality of (one day) having children and understanding what it takes to raise children is setting in. I was fortunate enough to have parents who did whatever it took to take care of me. I have grown up with the mindset that you do what needs to be done for the people you love. You don't just make promises or say nice words, you act to take care of them. That is when you know love is true.
First John 3:8 (NIV) says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth."
My walk has become exciting because I have decided not only to think of or speak to others with love, but to really show it. How easy it is to gloss over God's teachings to care for the widow and the poor, and to love our neighbors when it is simply a vague idea that holds no weight in our hearts. As I was replying to the comment to my post, I realized that the reality of being a good steward and caring for those who have little came when I had a specific person to reference. It became a consistent lifestyle when I allowed a girl with virtually nothing into my life and took responsibility for her.
We find living out God's teachings boring because they seem just like empty theories. They look nice on paper but we don't see it played out in our every day lives. But, when we allow these teachings to flesh out in our lives, then we will really begin to see the fruit that God promised. We stop speaking cliche lines and living detached lives and allow God to really show us the heart of His teachings. It is when we allow ourselves to love others fully that we can come to an understanding of why God instructs us the way He does.
It begins to make more sense as we move and take ownership of these lessons in our own lives. That is where the excitement, passion, and power that we see in Acts lies. The apostles did not do all those incredible things devoid of love. They put themselves face to face with the problems of the world to show people who God is and to give them hope. The apostles could have lived more comfortable lives if they hadn't done everything recorded, but they took God's teachings personally and in the process of being faithful, they grew closer to Him.
We have to apply what God teaches us, not just try to understand it. When we stop living God's mission and standard for our lives and instead align our life's mission and standards with His, then our walk will become more than just a checklist or routine. His teachings will become what drive us when we make them relevant to our lives (bring the poor, the broken, the hurting, etc. into your life and put a face to those labels).
Today marks four years that I have been saved and started really living for God. In the beginning, I was in love with God because of the hope He had given me and how much He had taken me from. As time passed, there was a point where my walk with God began to feel like a routine. I was praying, reading my Bible, and involved in church, but it wasn't enough. I knew that I needed to do something different. It was time to take my relationship with God outside myself. I realized that I needed to do more doing. In living that out, my growth since then has become consistent.
Lately, in my attempt to continue to grow where God is leading me, I have been reading through Acts again. As I read, I began wondering why Christianity seems so boring. I wanted to understand why more people aren't passionate about God. There was nothing boring about the stories recorded in Acts. It was exciting, dangerous, and powerful (...and thousand were saved!). I cannot really say that this is a reality I see in a lot of Christians today.
I don't want to be like that. I don't want to be another boring Christian. I have resolved since then to pray for the impossible, do the difficult, and really ask God to stretch me. Man, has He answered! It has been a rough year, but I cannot really say there has been a dull moment. We grow stagnant with God because we stop asking Him to do things within or outside us that are impossible for us. We stop putting ourselves in positions (upon His leading) where we need Him. Instead we live out the routine and do what we are able to. There is no challenge, and thus, there is little fruit (reward or evidence) to our walk with Him.
If we really want to lead the exciting lives God has planned, then we need to make His teachings personal. It is easy to be a Christian simply in thought. Yes, I can think in a manner that's pure and pray, but how will I take these things outside to the world? Now, there is the challenge!
As I have grown into an adult, the reality of (one day) having children and understanding what it takes to raise children is setting in. I was fortunate enough to have parents who did whatever it took to take care of me. I have grown up with the mindset that you do what needs to be done for the people you love. You don't just make promises or say nice words, you act to take care of them. That is when you know love is true.
First John 3:8 (NIV) says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth."
My walk has become exciting because I have decided not only to think of or speak to others with love, but to really show it. How easy it is to gloss over God's teachings to care for the widow and the poor, and to love our neighbors when it is simply a vague idea that holds no weight in our hearts. As I was replying to the comment to my post, I realized that the reality of being a good steward and caring for those who have little came when I had a specific person to reference. It became a consistent lifestyle when I allowed a girl with virtually nothing into my life and took responsibility for her.
We find living out God's teachings boring because they seem just like empty theories. They look nice on paper but we don't see it played out in our every day lives. But, when we allow these teachings to flesh out in our lives, then we will really begin to see the fruit that God promised. We stop speaking cliche lines and living detached lives and allow God to really show us the heart of His teachings. It is when we allow ourselves to love others fully that we can come to an understanding of why God instructs us the way He does.
It begins to make more sense as we move and take ownership of these lessons in our own lives. That is where the excitement, passion, and power that we see in Acts lies. The apostles did not do all those incredible things devoid of love. They put themselves face to face with the problems of the world to show people who God is and to give them hope. The apostles could have lived more comfortable lives if they hadn't done everything recorded, but they took God's teachings personally and in the process of being faithful, they grew closer to Him.
We have to apply what God teaches us, not just try to understand it. When we stop living God's mission and standard for our lives and instead align our life's mission and standards with His, then our walk will become more than just a checklist or routine. His teachings will become what drive us when we make them relevant to our lives (bring the poor, the broken, the hurting, etc. into your life and put a face to those labels).
Comments
Post a Comment