Inspiration Thursday - Abundant Life

Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people?  If Christ said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly", then why to Christians seem to suffer the same difficulties in this life as non-Christians?  Why do some bad people seem to catch all the breaks?  These are not easy questions to answer, but there are some clues to why Christians must often journey through some very difficult times in their lives.
First of all, we live in a society that has very little use for the Christian life or its Biblical world view.  Our world is not all that different from the world that Christ walked in.  We should not expect better treatment than our Savior.  Christ was physically abused, verbally abused, bullied, denied by one who loved Him, betrayed by one who served Him, rejected by one who was crucified beside Him, and ultimately killed for his world view.  Why should we feel entitled to better treatment from this world than the King of kings?  Still there are circumstances in this life that we may be required to face that we just don't understand?
The Bible tells us, "...He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:45).  Tornadoes destroy the homes of Christians and non-Christians.  Crimes are committed against Christians and non-Christians.  Deadly diseases afflict Christians and non-Christians.  Christians live in this world and as long as we live here we are subject to the same difficulties in life as everyone else.  Why?
There are many reasons, but one is that God is preparing you for a special ministry.  Think about it.  Most successful support groups are made up of people who have experienced the issue.  WeightWatchers is filled with people who have successfully overcome eating and weight issues.  Alcoholics Anonymous is made up of people who are waging war on alcoholism.  We are best prepared to mentor someone through a difficult situation when we have been through that situation ourselves.  It is not an absolute requirement, but there is credibility, sympathy, and understanding that only those who have walked through the valley of despair can understand.
Our muscles grow, strengthen, and mature when they are stressed and exercised, not when we are stretched out on the couch watching television.  Likewise, our faith and trust in God grows stronger and more mature when it is stretched.  We can exercise our faith by spending time with our Savior, in prayer and Bible study.  These activities prepare us for the day when our faith will be tested...and it will be tested.  The next time you are required to travel through a difficult life situation, instead of asking "Why me Lord?", say "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."  Have a blessed day.

Inspiration Thursday

Recently I attended a mens event at our church that challenged us to be more disciplined in our relationship with Christ.  That may seem a like a strange topic, but there is great truth in the concept.  I must admit that I am one of God's children that is in great need of more discipline when it comes to my relationship with my Savior.  Exactly what does this spiritual discipline look like?
Look around you and identify people of great faith that you admire.  Someone like Dr. Billy Graham may come to mind.  A parent or grand parent may be the most spirit filled person that you know.  How did they become so filled with faith and trust in the Lord and so knowledgeable about the things of God?  The answer is discipline.  Just like an athlete spends hours and hours training to be the best, or a musician spends a lifetime practicing to become a concert artist, growing spiritually takes practice.
We have to discipline ourselves to read God's Word.  Many Christians attempt to read the Bible in one year, yet they get bogged down in the chapters that trace the genealogy of Biblical personalities.  It takes discipline to forge ahead.  We have to discipline ourselves to spend time in prayer and deepen our relationship with the Lord.  He cannot speak to us unless we are willing to take the time to listen.  We have to discipline ourselves to hear what God is trying to tell us.
Even spending time with God's people in corporate worship takes a certain amount of discipline.  Church is a place where God's people gather and give Him our praise and worship.  It is also a place where He meets us and speaks to us through those that He has called to preach.  Church gives us an opportunity to minister to a hurting world and share the love of God.  No church is perfect.  No Christian is perfect, just forgiven.  All of us are running the race and are in need of God's mercy and grace every day.
The only way to experience God's mercy and grace on a daily basis is to spend time building our relationship with Him.  Bible reading, Bible study, scripture memorization, prayer, and corporate worship with God's people are all pieces of our relationship with the Lord.  It takes discipline to become proficient in any of these areas of our life.  I need to become more disciplined in my walk with the Lord.  Precious Lord, lead me home.