Southview Connect

Running The Race - Even If You're Not A Runner

Over the past year and a half or so I’ve become an avid walker, probably averaging two and half hours a day.  I have a friend who’s also an avid walker and we’ll regularly do an hour to two hours of walking together.  The other day as we walked we were remembering our high school days and I mentioned that I ran cross country track in high school.  My friend immediately remarked that he never cared for track and field events and that he had been a football player and loved it. 

What he didn’t like was the coach pushing them into track and field events during football’s off season.  He decided that since he didn’t like running but he did like hitting people he would become a sprinter.  This way he only had to run a very short race and that would be it for track, plus it helped him develop quickness which he could use in football to more rapidly hit someone.

I realized immediately a lot of the differences in our thinking and our approaches to the challenges and tasks of life (plus I’m not big on hitting people).  As a long distance cross country runner my training, planning, and execution during a race was completely different from his.  In a sprint it’s all about getting off the starting line quickly then running as fast as you can for a short distance.  In fact, the last thing you want to see as a sprinter during a race is someone passing you, your goal from the outset is to be quicker than everyone else in the race. 

In cross country running your thinking is completely different.  You plan for a race that’s over varying terrain and surfaces – a sprinter is always on a gravel track and a flat surface.  As a long distance runner you learn to run in any condition because the likelihood is in any race the climate and other weather conditions will change over time, a sprinter is not likely to encounter climate changes during the sprint.  The sprinter normally runs in front of a stadium full of fans, the cross country runner is lucky if a couple people even notice him or her.  The sprinter puts all of his energy and strength into a quick burst of time, the long distance runner has to learn to be patient, set a good pace, and conserve energy for the last half mile where most races are won and unlike the sprinter the long distance runner actually expects people to pass during the race – its all about pace and running your individual race that assures the victory.  As long you pass the lead runner just before the finish line the other passes don’t matter.

In the end one runner is a tactical runner and the other a strategic one – but both run the race to win, but with a different pace and strategy.  As I meditated on this the Lord revealed something else to me – that everyone runs the race.  That is, when the team bus pulls up to the field and the team gets off the bus each of them, the javelin throwers, hurdlers, sprinters, milers, relay runners, long jumpers, pole vaulters and cross country runners are all there to run their race – the one they’ve trained for, the one they’re gifted for.  But so too are the trainers, the coaches, the managers, the equipment guys, the bus drivers, the referees, the timekeepers and that statisticians.  All of them on that day are there to run the race set before them and to do it to the best of their ability.  Even more importantly while each has an individual race or job to do – all are there to win as a team, to be the absolute best team that they can be – shouldn’t we as Christians have the same attitude?

I wonder sometimes if some of us don’t run the race at all because we feel we don’t have the skills or gifts required, we don’t think we have a race to run.  I think we look at really gifted people and assume God’s doing all His work through them, how could He possibly use me, and yet nothing could be further from the truth.  If you’re a believer and have accepted Christ as your personal Savior he has a race for you, he has gifts and talents for you, your job is to ask him what he wants you to do and then be prepared to do it. 

Just as with the track and field team running the race as a Christ follower takes many people, not just the track stars.  And every one of those people on the track team took the time to learn their jobs, to develop their talents and gifts, and to exercise between events to stay in shape.  Whether it’s the trainers or the runners or the timekeepers all of them have to stay sharp, to exercise, and to learn in order to be at the top of their game or profession and so do we.

This week take the time to seek out God and ask Him what His will is for you, then respond by getting in the race.  It’s only through careful attention to preparing for a race that we can actually run the race.  You don’t have to be a winner you just have to run the best race you’re capable of, or be the best trainer or coach or bus driver.  Do all that you do to the glory of God and you’ll run the race set before you – even if you’re not a runner.

Yours In Christ
Wes

Galatians and Freedom

We're in week three this Sunday of a series of messages on the book of Galatians that we are calling "Freedom." Last Sunday I talked about how the churches of Galatia were slipping away from the truth that salvation is by faith, not by what we do. There were those in the church who taught these new believers that faith was important, but their salvation was also dependent on obeying the law of Moses, especially circumcision and the dietary laws. This emphasis on works led these believers astray, and Paul wrote the letter of Galatians to correct this erroneous teaching.

We read the words of the first chapter of Galatians, and maybe we wonder about how these Galatians could have been tripped up like this. Paul started their churches, teaching them about salvation and how it comes from God, not from something we do to earn it. We wonder how they can be so quick to forget what they had been taught and instead submit themselves to the bondage of the law of Moses, not relishing the freedom that we find in Jesus.

I think it's important to remember that we are much like the Galatians sometimes. We too will impose certain elements of "law" on those who profess Christ - and if everyone doesn't look like, talk like, dress like, and act like we do, then we question their relationship with Christ. Like the Galatians, we have to remember that salvation is a free gift that no one can earn, but that anyone can accept wherever they are. You don't have to "get your life cleaned up" before you come to Christ - Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well in Samaria (John 4) teaches us that. You don't have to have a complete and full grasp of every theological doctrine in the Bible to come to Christ - Peter's sermon in Acts 2 teaches us that. You simply have to understand that your relationship with God is broken because of what you have done - the Bible calls that sin. You have to understand that the relationship is broken and there is no way for you to fix it on your own. It is only by accepting God's solution to the problem - Jesus Christ - that the relationship can be established and you will find life as it was meant to be, real and abundant life. That life, that salvation, comes by accepting what God has done for you in faith, not by what you do or what rules you obey. Salvation is a gift of God, not something that we earn or deserve.

May we, like the churches in Galatia, hear this word of truth that Paul is communicating. May we take it to heart, and may we never forget that every life matters to God. No one is too far gone; no one is beyond the reach of God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God loves all and extends his offer of love to all - but we have to choose to accept Him. We have to choose to believe and accept what He offers. Will our lives change? Absolutely. Will our actions and lifestyle be different? Absolutely. But that is a response to the grace that we receive through Jesus, not to earn our salvation. Our obedience is a response to the gift of life that we have received.

Centrifuge youth camp this week!

Our 7th-12th grade students are at Centrifuge camp this week. I've found that God uses times like these, when we pull apart from our normal, everyday traffic patterns of life, to get our attention. He speaks, and when we are in a different place, we can hear a little more clearly sometimes.

Be praying that God will use this camp to draw these students closer to Him; that He will speak clearly to each student there; that they will take the time to listen; and that this week will be a time when new markers are created in their spiritual lives.

Baptisms!

On June 7, we celebrated with a service of thanksgiving and praise, praising God for what He has done and continues to do in our midst. Seven folks professed their faith in Jesus Christ publicly by getting baptized, and it was an awesome day - seeing people accept Jesus and follow His example and command to be baptized never gets old!

Bits Of Wisdom

During my quiet time over the past several weeks God’s really been working in my life.  And one of the things I’ve noticed is that simple pieces of wisdom He passed on to me years back are now bearing fruit in my life.  As I reflected on them I realized too that these things are worth sharing with you in hopes God may use them in your life. 

For what it’s worth here are a few bits of wisdom to help you through the day:

The hotter the fire the stronger the steel.  All through God’s word we see His use of fire for cleansing and strengthening.  Gold becomes purified and the dross is easily removed after being subjected to intense heat, and the experience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo who not only walked out of a fiery furnace completely unharmed, they walk out of a furnace who’s fire was built up to such an intensity that men died just trying to get close enough to throw the three inside.  As we go through times of trials and testing in our lives we need to remember this truth, God is building us up and making us stronger as He leads us through the fire.

A broken bone heals stronger than its original strength.  I heard one time that a bone, once broken, will heal to a condition of strength much stronger than prior to the break.  Have you ever considered that sometimes God has to break us down before He can build us up?  It’s only when we’re brought low in humility and selflessness that God can truly accomplish all He desires in our lives.  Our pride and our own independence are actually weaknesses which prevent us from growing strong in the Lord.  God’s word tells us “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, oh God, you will not despise.”  If you feel broken this week is it because God’s preparing to do something awesome in your life?  Is He in the process of strengthening you for the work at hand, the challenge of the day, or perhaps preparing you for some new work? 

Butterflies, diamonds and marble are not initially beautiful; their beauty comes from the transformation process God puts them through over time.  Have you ever considered that a butterfly, for example, is only beautiful in the last season of its life?  Moreover, to achieve that beauty they undergo a long transformational process, in fact if you saw the pupae but never eventually saw the butterfly you’d never know the potential for its beauty.  We can learn several things from this, here are two: first, that we should never judge anything by its looks, but look to see the beauty it could become.  This is how God looks at us, being in Christ God does not see our sin and our shortcomings, no, He sees what we could become and works within us to transform us into His image.  We should do the same with those God places around us and in our daily lives.  Look to see the potential, overlook the shortfalls, and know that if we can lead them to Jesus He will do the transforming. The other thing we can learn from this is also true in our own lives.  We should not be down on ourselves because we focus on our weaknesses, nor because others do.  We need to see as God sees that we are a work in progress, His work, and what He’s creating in us will be more beautiful than man can imagine.  We are in a state of constant transformation as we allow to God to work His life changing will in our lives.  When things begin to get you down, when all you can see are your shortcomings, failings and sins – look up not down.  God’s not done with you yet, He’s in the process of transforming you.

Speaking of transforming, a lump of coal and a pile of limestone aren’t much to look at but through their transformational processes they become diamonds and fine marble.  From coal to diamonds, and limestone to marble who would think that?  From the ugliest black piece of carbon to the most beautiful and desirable jewel in the entire world, wow!  And what about simple limestone becoming gleaming marble adorning the hallways and entryways of king’s castles?  Both of them have something in common, they both require very intense heat and unimaginable pressure over a period of time in order to be transformed.  Do you see the truths God shows us in that?  First, He’ll use us even if we’re that ugly piece of carbon and transform us into a diamond or if you’re the plain hunk of limestone He’ll make you as fine and gleaming marble, it may require a lot of heat and pressure, however, in the end you’ll become something you never imagined in your wildest dreams and in ways you never thought were possible.

Cliff Barrows, the Music Director for Billy Graham, once said that “everyone wants to grow, but no one wants to change.”  We don’t like change much, we’d rather God wave a magic wand or do something miraculous in our lives and without any effort on our part change us into what He wants us to be.  But God isn’t like that and we shouldn’t be either.  Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  If we truly want to grow in Christ we need His Holy Word in us, and we need to be ready for change, God will do the rest.  Next time you feel the heat, don’t get out of the kitchen, it’s probably God at work in your life shaping, molding, and transforming you into a completely new creature, one who will not look like the original and one that when God is done could not be imagined when He started.

God loves people we don’t…but He expects us to love them anyway.  It’s a truth I believe that God loves people we don’t.  Jonah knows this truth first hand.  God wanted the people of Nineveh to hear the gospel, but Jonah didn’t like the Ninevites and didn’t want to go.  I think all of us have had that experience, knowing people we did not like but also knowing that God loved them.  As we move through life God will place many people in our path and He’ll call us to minister to many more – don’t allow your personal dislikes to keep you from following God’s will, even when it hurts – after all Christ died for everyone, we should be willing to do the same.

The rain falls on the just and the unjust – bad things do happen to good people.  I find myself often frustrated, just like King David and King Solomon, when I see the wicked and the unrighteous succeeding and the righteous suffering.  Something inside just doesn’t set right and yet I realize as well that Christ taught us the rain falls equally on the just and the unjust.  As I’ve grown older I’ve learned to catch myself when these feelings of injustice strike me just to make sure I don’t allow the emotion of the moment to cloud my judgment.  Now when bad things come into my life, as I’m sure they do in yours, I let them draw me closer to Christ and not push me away.  Funny, I also noticed I used to have the same challenge when good things came into my life – that for some reason we run to Christ when we’re in trouble or hurting but not always when we’re blessed or succeeding at something.   Now I’ve come to see Christ in everything, good and bad, and each day I live brings a greater dependence on him, stronger in my walk and not allowing the successes of the unjust to hinder my walk with Christ.

Cattle are driven – sheep are led – think about it.  This is a truth I was taught over thirty years ago that today still speaks to me.  So often we want something to happen, we want change or we want to succeed or we want our children to do something like go to college or get a job and we become driven to make it happen.  Then I remember that cattle are driven, but sheep are led.  As we go about living the life God has granted us remember that He is our Shepherd, not our Cattle Driver, and in-turn, we are to follow that model.  Leadership is leading and not driving those who God places under our sphere of influence.  We as individuals may be driven by our desire to achieve something, and that’s a good thing – but when it comes to leading people follow Christ’s example, otherwise you’ll see what happens when sheep are driven – they scatter.

I often do not recognize the wisdom God has given my wife.  I must confess that as husband, father, and now primary breadwinner in the family I have often overlooked or even discounted my wife’s wisdom.  These past few years of growing older however have shown me the error of this.  God has given in marriage two people to share in the work and the relationship and He equips each with specific talents, gifts, and wisdom.  Ignoring either the husband’s or the wife’s wisdom is handicapping the relationship and cutting short God’s plan for the couple.   Now I know that to truly know God’s will one of the first people I seek and pray with about it is my wife – she is wiser than even I can describe and God works great things in me through her.  How about your relationship, whether it’s a spouse, a parent, or a brother or sister – are you recognizing the wisdom God has given them as it relates to your life?

And finally – on a more practical and somewhat humorous note here’s two life lessons I’ve learned as definite truths:  Never sneeze while brushing your teeth….need I say more, and calories do count, painful but true, what we put in our bellies stays there unless its worked off…speaking of heat and pressure 

I pray that God is actively working in your life this week to accomplish His perfect will in you, and I pray that perhaps something I’ve shared here He’ll use to speak to you this week.

In Christ
Wes