Too Crazy to EVER be Crazy! - 2
I’m SOOOO FAR from living out this CRAZY LOVE! But, it’s my mission and my life. Even as I disappear from stages and spotlights, I sense Jesus’ purpose and passion more and MORE! The steps I’m taking next may be the CRAZIEST yet! I hope so! Jesus is my ONLY goal!
12 Truths that Keep Me Sane! (part 2)
7. It’s a Relationship NOT a Routine!
You must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18
Every Christian needs to create some kind of a spiritual growth game plan. Mix up your routine, don’t feel like you need to read the same book every time, or do the same thing. Here are several options (in alphabetical order) for what to do during your quiet time:
Journal about a meaningful passage, exploring what God wants to teach you
Journal about your life, examining your actions
Journal your prayers to God
Meditate on a single verse or phrase, thinking about what it means
Memorize a meaningful verse
Pray out-loud or silently
Read a devotional book or commentary
Read a large portion of Scripture (two chapters or more), to get general ideas and thought flow
Read a small portion of Scripture, and carefully digest each verse
Silence: sit and listen to God
Sing praise songs
Write out major life lessons and reread them periodically to remember what God has taught you in the past
Another aspect to this RULE is where you do your quiet time. It's important to have a consistent place where you normally spend time with God. But it's also good to have some special places (like the beach or a park) where you can enjoy God's creation.
8. Be Careful NOT to Forget!
When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. Deut 8:10-11
“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Deuteronomy 4:9
People are great at getting used to things. We normalize our repeated experiences, becoming accustomed to them and often taking them for granted. Our mind creates stereotypes because they are essential for living a normal life. Without stereotypes, it is impossible to learn from our past experiences. If we can’t learn from the past, every situation is new. In a new situation, we lack confidence and quickness. For example, when you go to sit down in a chair, you probably just throw yourself into it without much thought. Now think back to the first time you discovered a chair (you were probably too young, so I’ll refresh your memory). First observed other people sitting, next you grabbed the chair and tested its strength. Finally, you climbed up into it and began to relax, knowing it would hold you. After several successful attempts, you “stereotyped” what it means to sit in a chair. Before long, you’re throwing yourself in to a chair without a second thought.
Some actions need to become familiar if we want to live a normal functioning life. Our spirituality shouldn’t become one of those things we get used to. Spirituality shouldn’t be stereotyped. The Israelites fell into this rut (see the warning in Deuteronomy 8:17), and became complacent in their faith.
The antidote is twofold: praise and observation. Praising God means thanking him for his blessings. Praising God for the good things he did in the past, will alert us to watch for them in the future. Waiting expectantly for God to act is a sure way to fight off spiritually devastating familiarity.
It is also important that we become careful observers. Keeping a close watch on our lives will prepare us to tackle the beginning stages of stereotyping our faith. Instead of waiting for the shipwreck, we can make important adjustments the moment we veer off course. Feeling dull and dried out? Tired of that same old thing? Start praising God today, and commit to keeping a close watch on your life.
9. Full of Power = Powerful!
. . . Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:12-13
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit. John 15:16
Spiritual growth is a lot like water skiing. In order to ski, there are two basic, yet required, elements: the boat and the person. The boat clearly has more power and does most of the work, but the boat alone can't make a person ski. Although there's not comparison between the powerboat's engine and the skier's muscles, both are required elements. When it comes to growing spiritually ("skiing"), it takes God's power (like the boat) working in us, and our power to 'work out our salvation.' Many non-growing Christians either lack the diligence to do their part, or they try and do it all without waiting for God, without working alongside him. Are you playing your part to grow in your faith? Are you trying to do it all on your own, apart from God?
10. Let Love EXPLODE in EVERYTHING!
And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:18-19
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:4-5
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
Have you forgotten how much God loves you?
We need that perspective. Remembering that God loves us brings everything else into focus in it's proper light. When the big picture isn't easily or often remembered, things get out of proportion. Worries and dangers become more than what they really are, like frightening shadows in a child's room. Those shadows disappear with the light. God loves us more than we can possibly love ourselves and he's more concerned with our growth than we are. Take hold of this hope and be ready for his help. Have you remembered how much God loves you?
11. You have already WON!
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13
And here we come to another aspect of the big picture worth remembering: you're not alone. There’s not a mature Christian alive who hasn’t faced (and overcome) a rut in his/her spiritual growth. Slow progress and no progress has been happening since the beginning of time, and will continue until Jesus returns. You can--with God's help, of course--pull yourself out of the rut. No problem you ever face will be too big for you and God to handle.
12. DON’T BE IGNORANT!
Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant! 2 Corinthians 10:12
Comparison leads to trouble: when you compare your own spirituality to someone else, you'll almost always lose. If you see the other person as less mature, you become puffed up with pride. If you see the other as more mature, you can become discouraged. Pride leads to laziness and is pure garbage (pride was the first sin). Discouragement leads to giving up. The reality is that there will always be someone "above" you and "below" you and this shouldn't affect our attitude since we are to always consider others better than ourselves--no matter what (see Philippians 2:3). Movement towards God is important, not one's position in relation to others. It doesn't matter how far you've run, just make sure you keep running.
