This summer I have the amazing privilege of going on a missions trip to Egypt. There we will be working with a pastor and his wife, Pastor Gamal and Mona, who lead a church in a very southern village of Egypt called Tema. They have devoted their lives and their livelihood to sharing Christ in a nation where 90% are Muslim, going out to the places where the poorest live in the most devastating conditions, and shower them with love, joy, compassion, and grace. Although I have yet to meet these two people personally (but can't wait to have that privilege), I anticipate that they will undoubtedly be one of the greatest displays of a life lived out for Christ I have ever seen; two people who purpose in their lives daily to live out what they know to be true with selfless works.
Getting to witness this example of Christ-like living has me so excited, but at the same time so anxious...as in my own life I know I am far from living this way. In James it talks about faith and deeds, and asking the question of whether our faith without works can save us. If someone is in need and we simply tell them to "Go, I wish you well," but we don't do anything to help, how useless is that? Faith without works is dead. It won't get us anywhere, and won't bear fruit. It creates lukewarm believer, a place that I've been one to many times. But Christ clearly says in Revelation 3 that "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth...you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."
Ouch. In living a lukewarm life we lead more people away from Christ than do those who don't believe at all, so why do we keep living this way? It's easier and more comfortable, but also because our eyes are focused on the things of this life rather than eternal life. C.S. Lewis says that "If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they become so ineffective in this." We will be judged by the fruit that our lives bear, but we have to understand God's grace in all its truth before we can truly live it out.
Lately I've been wrestling with this, feeling as though my life hasn't been bearing fruit and my faith isn't always put into action. It becomes stagnant and I get comfortable with it that way. Recently though, I have had to trust in Christ more than I ever have before, knowing that it's the only way I am going to get through this semester. Not sure why I am going through this, nothing drastic or devastating has occurred in my life, but I just know that everyday is a struggle to get through and I've found myself looking for little things each day just to bring back some of the joy. And thinking of it just now, it's become more clear that part of the reason this is so, is because I haven't lived out my faith through works. So much has just been through what I say...yes, this is what I believe. But what is there to show for it? I've become consumed and overwhelmed with the obligations and commitments I have right now, but at times I forget to show even the simplest acts of faith--two of the greatest and most beautiful gifts God has given us...love and grace.
It's a simple start, but it can have the most profound impact and can lead to so many opportunities to share and to bear fruit. It builds and strengthens relationships that are rooted in Christ, which then builds the solid foundation we need, so that we can get moving.
I don't want to live a life in vain. It's much easier said than done, but I don't want a faith that's dead, I want a faith that's alive in Christ. God is so full of love and mercy and grace, that if we fail (which I can guarantee I will), the next day brings new hope and new opportunity. There's so much freedom in knowing this, and that alone brings so much joy and peace...which makes for a great day :)
♥ C
Yesterday Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love (which I highly recommend), spoke in chapel. I love when he speaks because every time I leave convicted, as odd as that may sound, forced to take a good look at my life and answer the questions to the challenges he placed before us.
Yesterday he told us a story about a video he had seen the weekend before that a friend had brought back from a recent trip to India. Upon watching it, he saw first hand the horrendous persecution Christians were facing. People were literally being beaten to death and lined up on the side of the road because they proclaimed Christ as their savior; pastors and missionaries had made the ultimate sacrifice without even questioning it twice. We stand tall and proclaim Christ here and now, vowing to die for Him if that moment presented itself in our lives; yet, we do this in an environment that is safe. Never have we faced that kind of persecution. He couldn't help but question everything he said he believed. He told us, "If I were there watching this happen, I'm not sure I would speak up. And that scared me!" And after that I know he wasn't the only one who was scared by this fact, knowing that it was probably true for a good number of us, myself included. We say we are "fans" of Jesus, living a life that glorifies Him, showing love towards others and being who God created us to be. But he stated that although these things aren't bad, we do them in such a way where we still look good. We try to avoid making waves in our communities, wanting to be loved and well-liked by others....much like the Pharisees and false prophets. But in Matthew 5 Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven." Those are the true fans of Jesus, those are the people in India who were murdered for their faith. Each day they follow His command and take up their cross daily to follow Him, and did so in the face of immense adversity. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It was a challenge that made me uncomfortable, and like Francis Chan I questioned what I would do in that situation and thus questioned what I believed; but it only made the fact clearer that we aren't put here to be comfortable, and that's ok.
Faith without works is dead, and a lukewarm Christian will be "spat out." So the challenge before me is one of living out this faith, becoming a true fan of Christ. Memorizing verses and knowing the historical context of the Bible can be great, but by itself it won't get me very far. It is and will be a constant struggle, I know I'll stumble many times, but thank goodness our God is gracious and His mercies are anew each day! :) As far as I may stray, as much as I may question, and as lost and weak as I may feel at times, He's always right there.
So my prayer today, as I continue to absorb the message that Francis Chan shared, is that I would never settle and become lazy, content with where I am in my faith. Rather, that it would become a constant and continual journey that would challenge me and foster growth in every aspect of my life--from my relationship with Christ to my relationships with others, from the calling for change in my life to the calling to go and share that change with others here and abroad--and that the true condition of my heart that is revealed would be that of the love and the passion of Christ.
.....♥ C
Today's the day I decided "I'm gonna start blogging...but for real this time." It's been something I've had an interest in doing for quite some time now, as thoughts about various things in life are constantly flowing through my head like syrup over waffles, filling every inch of open space. The concept of blogging seemed odd at first, publicly posting things about my life for others to read and form their own opinions about; however, looking at it now and after reading the blogs of others, I have found myself being immensely blessed in ways I never anticipated. They may never know, but through the words they've written I've found so much encouragement to strive to live my own life in a way that brings God glory in every moment--good or bad, flourishing or challenging--a life that makes God smile and say "Hey, that's my kid!" :) I've found that I'm really not that good at verbally expressing the thoughts I have, as extroverted-ness is definitely not a quality I possess, and when it comes to organizing each thought (which are all mixed up and could come out a thousand different ways), there are times when I just fail at saying even part of what I had initially planned too. This is something anyone who has ever had any semi-lengthy conversation with me knows very well :) So writing is the way in which I can say what I need to coherently and completely, for my benefit as well as for everyone else :) And, as followers of Christ, we are called to join in fellowship with other believers, sharing how God is working in our lives, joining together in prayer and praise. Relationship is the greatest gift we have from God, first being our relationship with Him, and then the relationships we can have with others. This has become so clear to me just recently, as it become increasingly evident that there is no way that I will ever be able to do this on my own and I need those relationships more than anything.
That said, the journey shall begin. Not entirely sure how great I will be at being consistent, but we're gonna give it a shot :) I'm so excited to see how God will work and reveal Himself, even if it is only in my own life through this new experience. It is definitely a step in a different direction than anywhere I've ever gone before, but my hope is that it becomes an opportunity I look forward to and a blessing far beyond anything I expected :)
until next time... ♥ C
