Culture

Radically Ordinary

/ RedeemedInGrace / 2 Comments

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” -Edmund Burke 

The other day I was in a coffee shop waiting by the bar for my tall vanilla flat white. The gentleman working behind the counter solo began quietly singing a spiritual song as he crafted my caffeine. I couldn’t place the song, but heard phrases like, “Come, Lord Jesus”, “Hallelujah”, and “Coming soon”. It was a wonderful moment of kinship to realize the barista and I (hopefully) share the same faith, family and Father. He handed me my coffee and I thanked him adding, “Hey I like your singin’ too!”

It got me thinking about how Christians live in our culture today. When the LGBTQ “community” wants to identify themselves with their sex life, they wear rainbow colored t-shirts and accessories, or dress in drag. You know where they stand. This is true of any group- wearing a MAGA hat, donning a shirt with ‘I am black history’ or ‘Black Lives Matter’, sporting 2nd amendment rights, or a Choose Life bumper sticker- all speak volumes as walking billboards. But how do you spot a Christian stranger?

One reason I believe this country looks like Sodom and Gomorrah is because Christ followers in particular have acclimated, capitulated, and kept our heads down. Instead of heads up, shoulders back, smiling and speaking as God’s ambassadors, we have allowed the world to dictate what subjects are acceptable to talk about in our communities. Why is it polite society cannot comment on politics and religion? The topics go hand in hand as politics make policies that affect real people, reflecting the things we value as a society. Do we champion life in the womb or murder of an unborn child? Do we support homosexual marriages or Biblical marriages? Do we believe God created two genders, male and female, or 100 fluid “identities”?

Reformed Christian circles in particular have moved away from preaching these values to a muddled, merging with the world over the last ten years. We are no longer clear in where we stand on issues that should not be debatable as Christians. Instead of remaining set apart by using discernment in how we engage the culture, some have welcomed Vanity Fair with open arms inside the church walls. This is defended by well meaning church leaders as “loving” and “winsome”, all the while your unconverted neighbor remains content and oblivious in their sins because Christians have watered down truth, making it less offensive and more palatable for the general audience. It sends the message of not taking the Bible too seriously, because who would want a sermon when we can put on a show? Calling out sinful lifestyles is branded as judgmental and legalistic instead of what it actually is- loving someone enough to tell them they are about to fall off a cliff. The opposite of love is not hate but apathy. Even God has righteous hate over sin (as should we) but He is never apathetic. The definition of how we love our unbelieving neighbors has become skewed. In reality, mainstream Christian Reformers have morphed into another brand of a seeker sensitive church. The Christian’s response to all this confusion should not be unity at all costs (especially when that unity is tied to a secular world), but truth at all costs. Truth is what unifies believers from every tongue, tribe and nation. If we cannot stand together on God’s inerrant Word and the commands He gives us, then what is our foundation but sinking sand?

David Platt wrote a little book called Radical years ago about how Christians should sell everything and move overseas as missionaries. That was the gist of it. Shortly after that wave, Michael Horton came out with a book called Ordinary, arguing believers are called to stay faithful right where God has placed them to influence the spiritual landscape. It doesn’t mean some are not called to be missionaries overseas, but we need faithful Christian engineers, doctors, pastors and homemakers here too. I think Horton was on the right track, but Platt has a point too. What if Christians in the Western world were radically ordinary Christ followers? What does it look like?

Whatever your profession, we must live differently than the world by the choices we make. This is our antidote. How we spend our time and money, what we watch, read and listen to, all play a part in shaping how we think and feel. Most of the time the messaging is subtle, yet over time these choices influence our worldview. Whether it is watching ESPN (which has become culturally outspoken), Disney+, the 24/7 news cycle, or even a show on Netflix, we start to listen to the commentary or plot as Gospel truth instead of fact-checking with Scripture. Even when we know a statement or action is unbiblical, it may not affect us as much because Christians have become more tolerant, passive and apathetic to the sins which grieve our Holy Father. By choosing to think critically ourselves instead of absorbing whatever Twitter says, we can learn to swim against the current instead of drifting like jellyfish.

Ideas have consequences, good and bad. Christians since the Fall have needed discernment, and we are in dire need of it today. We as fallen humans are susceptible to fear, pride, gullibility, idolatry, and indulging self-love over servant-love. Our daily choices, however small they seem to us, can alter the culture we live in. Choosing to not shop at a store which brazenly promotes self-mutilation and the breakdown of nuclear families; knowing when to speak up and when to keep walking; turning a show off when the content is anti-God; thinking critically about current events instead of being swayed by our emotions; learning all the facts before listening to mob rule; voting for leaders who support Biblical values; daily feeding our spirits with Scripture; being Spirit-led and not gratifying the flesh; practicing a healthy prayer life; and fellowshipping with other believers, are just a few ways you and I can become radically ordinary Christians. 

Obedience is how we worship. Obedience then to what or whom is the question. Are we trying to satisfy the world and live like God fearing Christians? Its getting mighty hard to do the splits these days. In the Old Testament (1 & 2 Kings), even good kings left “the high places” for people to worship false gods. It was a compromise for fear of public opinion. The worship of idols was popular and ingrained into the culture so these godly kings let it slide under the radar, except that their lack of total obedience led to more disobedience from the people they were meant to protect not just from physical harm but spiritual apostasy.

In the same way Christians will not look different from the dying world when we remain milquetoast. Acts of kindness are encouraged by Christians and unbelievers alike. What sets a Christ follower apart is not merely acting nice so everyone will like us, but also speaking the truth about sin even when it is uncomfortable. Being winsome toward others we disagree with is how we advocate the truth, not by compromising the truth.

It is easy to feel helpless as wicked leaders takeover and God’s values are mocked. But we have ways to engage the culture by combating the hell-bound lies which have been normalized, even seen as righteous, in the eyes of men. Let us make the most of the opportunities given to us individually, not merely speak on approved subjects to our neighbor, but initiate conversations about Truth. In our society today that is jaw-dropping radical. Our language needs clarification, or rather purging, about what truth is and the source of it. It is up to ordinary Christians to take back the dictionary as we learn to communicate frankly, openly and unashamed about what the Bible has to say about sin. The Gospel is the greatest love story, with the power to break the chains of sin that have so many enslaved. This is what loving your neighbor looks like right where you live. Perhaps God will use our personal obedience to spark spiritual revival and repentance in our world.

Grace upon grace,

April

Growing deeper: Ephesians 5:1-21

Let’s sow

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

“Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.” -Psalm 97:11

One spiritual marker in my life has been remembering the wonder of God. That night I distinctly remember, as the Lord drew my eyes up to His star filled sky, instead of inwardly focusing on myself. It’s not that I didn’t understand Him to be the Creator Who spoke everything into existence. I knew He threw the stars into space, igniting the sun and moon, causing planets and galaxies to appear in splendor. Growing up I heard creation stories of God forming the elephant and the ant; the eagle and the caterpillar. I understood He made me according to Psalm 139. But somehow I wasn’t focusing on His Glory as much, still treating Him casually.

The commentator in my psalter devotional speaks of such thinking, calling believers to consider God in all His Majestic Glory. Confess wrong thinking of the Lord in which He seems small. By meditating on God’s Greatness, His truth, radiance and glory take root in us as we seek Him each day. I’m convinced that the downfall of Christianity has happened because believers stopped communicating to the world the wonder of our Lord. As we behold God, this serves as spiritual arrows which lead to questions about Jesus, the Gospel, commands in Scripture and finally, where we’ll spend eternity. We begin remembering Who God is in His rightful place by first telling the truth to ourselves. Some exchange the truth for a lie (even in the Church) which is why it is imperative to remain vigilant in pursuing truth, clinging to the Author of Truth. We begin with sowing- so let us sow, becoming our truest selves in Christ.

Let us be consistent in our reaction against evil. Whether this be condemning six months of burning cities, looting small businesses, wreaking terror against police or rioting at our nation’s capital. There is a stark contrast in peaceful protest versus chaotic rampaging. The latter does not promote any kind of justice, but is the exact opposite. The Bible says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19). We do not repay evil with evil, but sow a deep seated trust in the Lord’s Sovereignty and wisdom to lead us.

Let us speak plainly. Words matter in how we say them. The language indoctrination caused by “political correctness” has seeped into every aspect of our culture. Two people may use the same word but have very different meanings. In his book ‘Live Not By Lies’ Rod Dreher says, “we are repeating the Marxist habit of falsifying language, hollowing out familiar words and replacing them with a new, highly ideological meaning. Propaganda not only changes the way we think about politics and contemporary life but it also conditions what a culture judges worth remembering”. Avoid rhetoric and kernels of truth kneaded into a lie. Also develop discernment to spot it when you hear it. Language is powerful. We must speak kindly but plainly.

Let us remember our history. One way to sow truth is to have a correct understanding of where we’ve come from. This applies not only to one’s nation but our Biblical history as well. We cannot understand the present if we are not informed about the past. Christians need not repeat the wicked actions of previous generations if we know what signs to look for and how to respond accordingly. How we react to the present will dictate who we are as a people in the future.

Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25). In light of our cultural climate and political theater, believers need one another now more than ever. Some benefits of gathering together include strengthening the weary and downcast Christian, knowing they are not alone but in the presence of their spiritual family. We also lift one another up with Biblical encouragement, smiles, hugs, handshakes and accountability as we meet face to face. As we sing songs of worship, receive communion, hear words of exhortation in preaching, knit our hearts in prayer, we are being edified, our spirits refreshed. This is the ministry of meeting together which Hebrews 10:25 commands. It is for our own good.

Let us live in truth with our words and deeds. For generations America in particular have sown what God hates- the abortion of millions of people created in His image, same-sex mirages, sexual promiscuity which has led to pornography, pre-martial sex, adultery, lust and divorce to name a few. The material wealth of this country has turned Americans into a consumerist entertainment driven society, dulling our spirits as we live only for the temporal. We are now seeing the fruit of sin heaped in judgment today. It seems each day we wait to see which powder keg will explode, leaving many in a state of fear, anxiety and despair. This is not to be the mark of a Christian. This is not our legacy. Instead, let us cling to the Lord who is all Truth, Power, Wisdom, Judgment and Love. Know what God’s Word says, viewing each event from a spiritual perspective and act accordingly. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:12-13).

Let us sow righteousness each day into our ordinary lives. This is how we bring about a quiet resistance to the evil of our day. Meet with others believers where you can speak freely, teach your children Biblical principles, protect the family unit, have a correct understanding of the past. Victory has been secured in Jesus Christ. He has already overcome sin and death for us. His is an everlasting kingdom which will never be destroyed, intimidated or censored (Daniel 7:9-27). Although the present time will require courage, boldness and sacrifice to live out what we profess, Christians must act like the victors we are. The next generation depends on how well we sow.

Grace upon grace,

April

Grow deeper: Revelation 19:11-16; Galatians 6:7-10; Psalm 63:8; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 43:1-3; Psalm 2; Psalm 33

The Gift of Silence

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

Hi reader! I’m over at Our Shared Tales today talking about the gift of silence and why it matters. Maybe you think carving out slices of quiet is a luxury, but it can be practically applied to you too. Read the full post here or check out the excerpt below. 

***

B2F599B5-C0B7-40AA-B2A8-196ABF72C24F

Fred Rogers aka “Mister Rogers”, once said in an interview that “silence is a gift”. He then proceeded to sit in silence with the interviewer… the awkwardness in the room is palpable. You can see this clip in a documentary on his life called Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Mister Rogers wasn’t trying to get a laugh, although it was amusing to watch. Rather, he was communicating a truth I often fail to see.

Silence seems boring and unproductive. It can make us uncomfortable. In America, we are hardwired for the exact opposite. From the moment our eyelids peel open each morning we have access to sensory overload. It can start to become normal, serving as background noise….

Click to read the full post

 

Grace upon grace,

April

2019- God at work

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered if God’s presence and divine activity is something that happened only in the Bible? After the canon of Scripture closed, so did God. He won’t “reappear” until Second Advent when all future promises are fulfilled.

It can feel that way sometimes, especially in our current climate.

But this isn’t true.

In studying the book of Esther at church recently, I was reminded of God’s presence now, “hidden but present”. The Lord moved powerfully behind the scenes to keep His covenant promise to Abraham in Esther’s time. God protected the Jews from total annihilation even though His Name is never mentioned in this book.

The hand of God was actively engaged then as He is today. Esther’s world didn’t honor God as Lord either- The Jews were exiled in captivity, far from home, without reminders of His presence. Persia was filled with extravagance, opulence, many gods, and wicked leaders. Not much has changed today.

FullSizeRender-3img_0178

It seems like God has forgotten us or doesn’t care anymore.

Yet our Father is with us even when our faith is small and the world looks bleak. Evil, sadness, weariness, even apathy, can’t win. We know God has the final victory and so I rest in that hope. But He is also here right now. The Father leaves His fingerprints in creation, wields His power in Heaven, commands the storms of nature, but gave us the unique privilege to not only work with Him, but to represent Him. God works through His people. He is working through me and you.

Just as the Lord used the actions of Mordecai, Esther, and even Haman and King Ahasureus, the God of this Universe can use our actions (even the failures) for His glory. It’s the mystery of God’s Sovereignty and man’s will weaved together.

I best understood this in reading Inconspicuous Providence. The author quotes an old Portuguese proverb that says, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” It doesn’t give us a license to sin, since God can use us no matter what, but an encouragement that though we fail God is not limited by how “holy” we are.

Our lives matter in 2019.

How we live it out day after day interests the Lord because He ordained each one. God the Father wisely placed you and me in this time in history with a purpose. It may not ever make headline news (thank goodness) but we aren’t forgotten either. Not by Him.

img_4784

img_4783

Unbelievers will face judgement one day. This is a tragic horror unless the Holy Spirit intervenes and repentance happens. Our eternity far outweighs the burdens we bear now.

Jesus loves you.

YOU.

Don’t forget this one soul-saving fact.

God is at work this day using His Spirit in all believers. What a humbling and comforting truth. Just like in Esther’s story, God will not let His people be destroyed. He will not give you up to Satan’s hell.

God is the Covenant-Maker and the Promise-Keeper who works all things throughout Time for our good and His Glory. Even in 2019.

God is in our midst.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

it’s a mad, mad world. but you already knew that.

/ RedeemedInGrace / 3 Comments

A billboard that I see each morning driving Jesse to school shows 3 women on a beach wearing bikinis. The slogan says “On December 3 their tops will come off”.

Another one along this same road boasts, “Your wife knows, and so does your girlfriend”.

These are obviously intended for shock value and I’m not quite sure what the selling point is, but the goal is to make you look.

The problem with it is that we live in a culture that has no shame, no filter, no decency. One thought I had was, do these people have kids who put up those signs? 

IMG_4515

The world in 2018 continues to become godless and develop a we don’t care attitude, do what you want lifestyle . We’ve always known that, but it seems more direct than ever.

Angry mobs threaten individuals who they vehemently disagree with – in both political parties.

Brett Kavanaugh, a Supreme Court Justice nominee had his life dragged through the mud because of political agendas, more than the actual accusation.

Commercials subtly insert homosexual couples in ads to normalize it.

Voting chaos in mid-term elections.

Journalism and the media report with bias and behavioral outbursts.

 

IMG_4491

It makes me sick to my stomach because the world is bold in rejecting God, blinded by sin.

Yet there are three things we can take away from our current cultural climate that can help us stay faithful as Christians:

1. God will judge those who remain unrepentant.

Reading through the Old Testament minor prophets, the one thing that strikes me is the certainty of the prophecies. It’s not if but when the Lord executes judgment. It sounds very fanatical and this is where the world mocks Christians (much like in the days of Noah) but it serves as a warning right now- a mercy, until its too late. The prophets were mostly foretelling of the fall of Jerusalem and exile that took place beginning in 597 B.C.

God is patient but swift to act when the appointed time comes.

“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Habakkuk 2:3)

FullSizeRender

2. God will preserve His people because of His covenants.

In the days leading up to Babylonian captivity, God promised to leave a remnant of His people so they weren’t completely annihilated. One of the reasons for this was to preserve the line of Christ. Just as God provided physical deliverance for Israel, His plan was also to bring spiritual deliverance for humanity through Jesus.

“I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.

One who breaks open the way will go up before them; 

they will break through the gate and go out. Their king will pass through before them, the Lord at their head.” (Micah 2:12-13)

3. We cannot stay neutral.

Because you are either a follower of Christ or a follower of Satan. Sure, you might not phrase it like that, but it comes down to where our allegiance lies. This isn’t a game or a fairy tale. The spiritual world is just as real as the couch you’re sitting on, reading this post.

IMG_4527

Jesus says in Revelation that we can’t be lukewarm (3:14-22). God says in Zephaniah that complacency is sin (1:12). I would propose to you that neutrality doesn’t even exist- it serves as a cover for not wanting to get mixed in. Because when you finally choose a side, it will cost you something. We in America have the current freedom to not experience physical persecution like other Christians around the world. I don’t fear for my life when I profess to follow Christ.

Maybe if I were bold and unashamed like the world is bold and unashamed of how they want to live it would cost me more. I’m thinking that from an eternal perspective this is how I should live.

But remember, God is with His Beloved, He is with us and not against His people. We have the Holy Spirit as our help and comforter. So we don’t have to live in fear, or despair the spiritual rebellion happening all around. He dispenses grace and strength we need for each day. God is hidden but present. He is Providentially at work.

“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

1 Corinthians 1:8-9

Grace upon grace,

April

Fight like a good neighbor

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

For my birthday Jason and I rented Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the recent documentary about Fred Rogers’ life. Most of us knew him as Mister Rogers from his children’s show, with the same name, on PBS. I was reduced to tears halfway through the film, seeing this man fight for goodness in a culture hell bent on being hell bent. Mister Rogers was a counter-cultural show, and relevant at the same time.

He purposely talked slower, keeping a quiet pace for his viewers, in reaction to the fast moving, in-your-face entertainment catered toward young consumers. Mister Rogers never dumbed down his message but instead spoke directly to children as people, not half-human martians. He also addressed the current issues of his day with subjects about assassination, politics and race. It was never overt but more like a gentle conversation, leading by example.

The documentary shows how Fred Rogers used his life to display kindness to all people. In essence, he saw every person with inherent value, choosing to treat others with dignity. Mister Rogers demonstrated what it means to show grace in an angry world. It’s a good lesson for Christians too.

It doesn’t mean we ignore the wickedness of our time, but first view each person as an image-bearer in need of God’s salvation and grace.

We start the good fight here, not for external moralism, but compassion for heart transformation. The greater war within each of us is spiritual. A person, a people, a nation cannot change without the inner man being renewed.

It is so easy to become disheartened in our current climate, to watch evil win. When everyone does what is right in his own eyes sin will prevail. We do what we want under the disguise of “tolerance” to justify our sin. Helplessness sets in for the Christian so we keep our heads down.

But Fred Rogers bravely and publicly lived out his conviction to reach children with the hope of transforming the next generation from hate to love, anger to kindness. And yet we go a step further because it isn’t enough. Outward change only results from inner change first. We operate out of our own regenerated hearts before engaging in spiritual battles/culture wars. Only then can we approach others from a place of sincerity and live out the Gospel message.

Friends, don’t grow weary in doing good. Even with mass chaos in our world we have the invaluable gift of giving the lost what they need most- Hope. We are the Light Bearers to darkness.

Remember who you are in Jesus Christ and fight the good fight right in your own neighborhood.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

 

Go deeper:

Revelation 2:2-7

Hebrews 12:3

Galatians 6:9-10

 

Is ordinary okay?

/ RedeemedInGrace / 2 Comments

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.” -C.S. Lewis

Yesterday Jesse had a half day of school, so I drove there to pick him up at 11am only to get home some time after 2pm. What happened in between was this.

I was buckling Jesse in the car of the school parking lot when another parent came over, remarking that I had something in my tire. Well you could definitely hear the air hissing out with a thin, sharp metal object pierced in the rubber. I called Jason to see if he could come check it out and later he determined the tire needed changing.

He changes the tire then makes the executive decision for all of us to eat a late lunch at Chic-Fila (which why would anyone ever oppose that?). After lunch and Jesse playing in their indoor jungle gym (I make a mental note to use a ton of hand sanitizer afterward), we head over to the car shop.

I’m informed that they can’t even look at the tire or replace it until tomorrow morning. So, weary and with a slight stress headache, we head home to watch Frozen for the hundredth time.

This was not a normal day for us, but not anything extraordinary either. It happens every day to people. Most of life isn’t flashy and exciting and like life on vacation. We get up, go to work or school, meal plan, buy groceries, laundry, clean, etc. All to do it over again the next day.

But here’s the thing. Sometimes the subliminal message in our culture seems to be that ordinary is boring and therefore to be avoided. There is a push to be “unique” and in one sense we all are because God didn’t create any of us alike. Even twins develop different personalities (ask me how I know). But if everyone is striving to stand out and be “different”, isn’t that just another kind of conformity?

In Paul’s letter to Titus he says, “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives” (Titus 3:14).

We still have to work, eat and sleep. Our basic needs still apply and often this includes taking care of others too. My hope is that you and I learn not to despise ordinary living. That even being ordinary is okay even as you use the unique gifts God has blessed you with.

Because it really sums up most of our lives. The moments each day add up over time and turn into weeks, then months and years. It would be a tragedy to have wasted your one life, always seeking the next thrill and not appreciating the commonplace. Our worth isn’t calculated by how “exciting and interesting” we are is it? It’s so much more than that.

So what does Paul encourage Titus and the church to do?

Do good. Live your lives.

I think this is part of “keeping your eyes on your own paper”, to stay faithful right where you are.

When we are faithful to do this, we begin to realize that we are exactly where we need to be. You and I have a different ordinary, but it doesn’t make mine or yours less significant.  Our kingdom work happens here.

 

Grace upon grace,

April

Fighting for slow

/ RedeemedInGrace / Leave a comment

Some mornings the day seems to begin without me. I’m not ready to keep up with the pace it demands. My body and spirit are a little sluggish and sleepy-eyed on those days. Like the time I tried a Zumba class with disastrous results- I fall behind in the steps and can’t keep rhythm. Some days feel like that leaving me frustrated, packing up 15 minutes into the class as I awkwardly dance toward the exit.

We weren’t meant to keep a fast paced life 24/7. Sometimes for the sake of our spirit it is necessary to take a breath and turn off the noise.  Step away and bench ourselves to the sidelines, just for a while.

IMG_3103

I recently took a break from Instagram this past winter to reset. I wanted to make sure my priorities were in order. Was social media serving me or was I serving social media? Saints will need to fight for fellowship with God even more as busyness and distractions invade our calendars.

These devices aren’t wrong when used in the right way. But they can easily become idols as they fill a desire in us to be worshipped or noticed. I’m afraid we will forget how to be still without something entertaining us. For believers this is a serious danger because God only carries us deeper with Him once the white noise is gone.

 

We risk a shallow existence with the Lord when the culture dictates our free time. My former pastor often said we need to “go hard after God”. I’ve mulled over that phrase, trying to see how that is practically done. I think part of what it means to “go hard after God” is to fight for time with Him. The world is already against God’s ways so our culture could care less whether you have quiet time with Him or not. It’s irrelevant to the unbeliever. But it is life for those who believe. To keep our souls fed, to direct our thoughts, and whisper prayers only for His ears, we need to get quiet and alone.

 

If you still have doubts just look to Jesus as your example. He was busy after His ministry became public with thousands of people wanting His time and attention. Yet He still made it a priority to slip away and pray to His Father. It was His lifeline. And it is ours too.

Cultivating a deep-seated relationship with the Lord isn’t an option but a necessity if we want to stand firm.  And maybe your unbelieving friend, neighbor or co-worker will notice how you set boundaries for your free time, how you don’t subscribe to the fast-moving life the rest of society does. FOMO is not something that bothers you.

Stop, look and listen right where you are. You might be surprised to discover things you never noticed before. God’s wonder and message of redemption is all around us when we take time to see. Spend time nestled in Scripture and wrestle with a passage. Seek God and ask Him questions. Let’s not waste the valuable time we have here.

To quote the teenage guru Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Those seem like good words to adopt.

 

Grace upon grace,

April