Stand Out

    For those of you who know me you know I enjoy Disney movies. One movie many people forget about is A Goofy Movie. In the movie Max Goof is in school and feels like he is invisible and ridiculed. He wants to stand out so a girl at school will notice him. To do this, he took over the last school assembly and lip sang to a song by a famous artist in that world.

   The song he sang was called "Stand Out." Most of the song is about how a boy wants to be noticed by a girl. But there are some lyrics that apply to our Christian walk. They are: "To stand out above the crowd, Even if I gotta shout out loud." As Christians, we are not to blend in. We are born again to stand out.

   Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." We are not to be like the world. We are not to blend in. As Christians we are to stand out and be transformed in God. We are to reflect his glory and light each day, so others are led to Christ.

   So, are you standing out as we are called to do? How do you reflect God's glory each day?

What is True Luck?

   Do you know anyone who just seems to have all the luck? You know, that person who seems to always be picked, who wins all the things, and who finds the lucky penny? Okay, maybe that last one is a stretch but you get my gist. I'm talking about the person who gets the promotion. The person who just seems to have everything. You have someone in mind?

   New questions: that person that you are picturing, do they have joy? Are they following God? These questions may not seem connected but they are. I've talked in the past about how happiness is fleeting. It is temporary. Joy is something we can have at all times because God gives us joy and we can have joy in him. If we are following God, we have access to that joy. 

   Did that person you were thinking of strike you as someone who has joy and is following God? Maybe they are and maybe they are not. If they are following God, then that will show in their life through their actions. They will not follow the way of the world and be selfish. Instead, they will show attributes of God. They will be giving and kind. They will have joy because they are following God. 

   Whether or not you have luck or wealth, we will all be judged one day. Matthew 16:26-27 says, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done." If you had all the wealth in the world but didn't know Jesus as our personal savior, none of that wealth would matter. All things in this world will pass away. The only thing that matters in eternity is our souls.

   You probably know this. But now I want to ask you a question, and I'm asking myself this question just as much as I'm asking you. What are you doing with the things you have been given? Are you using your possessions and gifts for yourself or others. Look back at those verses in Matthew 16. It says Jesus will reward each person according to what they have done. What have you done with the things you've been given? Have you told others how "lucky," and I say lucky to go along with the St. Patrick Day theme, you are to know Christ as your personal savior. Have you shown his love to others through gifts and actions as we are called to do? See, in the end, we are all blessed to have the opportunity to join God's family. We get to spend eternity with God. While here on earth we need to show God's love to others, tell others about what Jesus did for them, and grow in God. That's what true, eternal wealth is.

The Straight Path

    One time I was at camp and my siblings, and I were walking back from a campfire in the woods. We could have kept going on the path or we could have cut across the ballfield which was a shorter distance between where we were and our dorm. 

   We chose to walk across the ballfield. As we were walking across the ballfield I said, "the straightest distance between two points is a straight line." My siblings and I began to laugh when we realized what I said. What I meant to say was "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line."

   While that fact is true, sometimes we are not asked to walk the shortest route in our lives. Sometimes God leads us down paths that seem difficult or curvy in our lives. During those times we need to remember that God has a plan for our lives. He knows where we need to grow and loves us enough to walk with us on our paths. 

   Proverbs 3:5-6 says: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Many times, we wonder why God isn't opening the doors we want him to open. God knows what we need. He makes our paths straight even if they don't seem straight. 

   So, are you walking with the Lord today? How can you trust God on this journey of life? 

 

Hidden Sin

    I have a question for you and it's one of my favorite kinds of questions: it's a would you rather question. You ready? Would you rather have a rash that wasn't itchy, didn't hurt, and wasn't permanent in a noticeable place (like on your face), or a rash that hurt, itched, and was permanent in an unnoticeable place (like your upper leg or back)?

   It's not really an easy question, is it? I think we would all say we would rather not have the rash at all. But as annoying as it may be for a few days you would probably take the noticeable not permanent mark, right? 

   Well, what if we equated this to sin? If you are a Christian and sin in the open, you should have Christians who hold you accountable. They should see your sin and, in love, correct you. The sin wouldn't last long, hopefully. But what about when we sin in private?

   Hidden sin is dangerous. The longer it goes on the more ingrained in your life it becomes. Then it's hard to let go or let others in to help you get rid of it. How do you get rid of the itch of hidden sin?

   You have to bring it into the light. You need to tell others what is going on and ask for help. You need to ask God for help and forgiveness. Then take steps to remove the sin. In the itch illusion you need to put the medicine on to cure it. In this case, the medicine is prayer, reading the Bible, bringing others in to help you stay accountable, and getting rid of the things that would encourage you to continue in that sin. That's how we get rid of hidden sin.

   So, do you have any sin you need to bring into the light? How can you grow in God?