Holy Update, Batman!
Fear not, I've returned. After three weeks of fierce battle in the Appalachians, I've returned unscathed, once again committed to my blog.Alright, alright...so it's been a while. Sorry...I'll do better...maybe...
Pine Cove was awesome this weekend...the trip was filled with laughs, tears, friends, food, closed-head injuries, and of course, Commando. Which, by the way, although Bent Tree was out-numbered by two other churches by about 4 to 1, the Wildlife students still managed to lose. Kick it up a notch, yall! Hmm..maybe next time yall will have received better training beforehand.......Last place...pfff.
This weekend, Payless (Jason) was our speaker...he talked about living as Above Average Christians. It really challenged me when I thought about it in relation to my school. We have a website group at CCCCD (my college) called Christians at Quad C..there are about 80 members right now...80, out of the 2500 or so students enrolled at my school. Even though I am thankful to have a great group of Christian friends at school, Jason's lesson got me thinking about what my own personal representation of Christ looks likes to others while in class. How, as believers, is it possible to build relationships with fellow peers in ways that demonstrates Christ and His love within us? I think this goes much deeper than actions...Being a "good Christian" doesn't mean just standing up to peer pressure by saying no, or not looking at your neighbor's test. Although as Christians, we strive for this, in order to represent Christ, we must know why we live this way. Paul clearly outlines in Romans just how important it is to understand the difference between law and grace. If our relationship with Christ is to be based on how well we follow rules, or as the Jews defined as our 'works', then we are missing the point. Romans 3:20 says "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." That last phrase is key...through the law we become conscious of sin. We say no to drugs, cheating, etc. not because those decisions define us, but simply because we recognize those things as sin. We do not abide in the law to live Christian lives...we abide in grace! Romans 6 says that we've died to sin, and since "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us", we are now "slaves to righteousness". Every time I read Romans, I get the chills...I can not comprehend how much God loves us. We have been saved from our sin by Jesus' blood, and now live in his grace, simply because he loves us.
So, how does this apply to my school? The way I see it, simply demonstrating to others that I strive to not break any of the rules isn't good enough. I think that that would make me an "average Christian"--Especially since I often fail miserably. But if I iterate the reason behind my life to my peers--the fact that it's because of God's grace, Christ's death on the cross, and God's eternal love for me--that I have been saved from my sin, then as a Christian, my identity will truly lie in his grace. What does it take to show that? I have to make myself available for God to speak through me...to Live out Loud in the classroom. It's a choice not to settle for simply saying no. By God's grace, he will enable us to demonstrate the reason we follow him. Remember, we are not our own.
Average stinks.
posted by Seth @ 7:58 PM
6 Comments:
Holy crap on a pita! It's an update! I thought your digital self was dead somewhere in the world of Tron...
So I don't exactly get what you're saying here--abiding by "the rules" isn't enough to demonstrate God's grace to people (which I agree with--I don't think it demonstrates much of anything) so we do... what exactly? Be "louder" in the classroom? What exactly do you mean here? Get up and preach during class? Talk to people before & after? Get to know a few individuals over time?
I'm not trying to disagree or anything, but just needing some clarification...
thats cool seth thanks
Very challenging. Flip-flop school for work and that message will be relevant for the next 40 years.
This is something I struggle with (among many other things) at work virtually every day. How can I let these guys see and know my light?
I kind of left it open for that reason..it's very hard for me to specify the how when trying to show Christ in my life. While standing up and preaching seems inappropriate, is it possible to just turn to your neighbor and ask them direct questions about Christ? I feel like I miss many opportunities to open conversation regarding what I believe, maybe a lot of them by choice. I think that if I can be more engaging, I'll focus more on planting seeds.
Thats cool. It seems that many times, there's not a specific answer, because that would be too limiting. Sometimes that openness bugs me, but only cause I'm a bit of a control freak.
I especially like what you said about our identity being in His grace. That should be what defines us. I'm trying to write a lesson for WL on this concept--if only I really "got it" myself...
I think it revolves around our identity. We "act" according to who we are.
I can look like a duck, walk like a duck, quack like a duck, act like a duck, but, that doesn't make me a duck! Someone sees me and says, "hey - there goes some idiot who thinks he's a duck"! (Who I am? Well, I'm not a duck - just a quack.)
I'm a duck, only if I'm "born" a duck, i.e., I've been made a duck. So, the most natural thing for me to do is to "be" a duck. People see me and say, "hey, there goes a duck"! (Who am I? I'm a duck, being a duck.)
In the same way, I can preach hell, fire and brimstone on the street corner, thump pagans over the head with my Bible or try to shove Christianity down my friends throats. None of whicj makes me a Christian. John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Okay, so how do I love in the classroom?, at work? Well, I can't. (Or if I try, I'll mess it all up, that's for sure.) But, I know someone who can! Christ! And, he lives in me! So, I be who I am, where ever I am. I am a child of God - that's who He made me to be! (1 John 3:10). Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
I don't think its up to me to "do". If I do, then its me doing it. I think I am supposed to "be". That allows Him to accomplish His will through me.
His light will shine. I just need to be "out there" (school, work, etc), being who I am (not acting or doing), where His light can will be seen.
P.S. Don't feed the ducks.
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