I’m going to share with you today a very deep, theological
statement: If I ate every day, the way I
know I should eat, I would not struggle with my weight. OK…maybe this statement wasn’t deep and maybe
it wasn’t theological…but it sure is true!
My weight has nothing to do with my knowledge. In other words, I can’t use the excuse that I
don’t know what I should be eating as a reason for my extra pounds, because it
wouldn’t be true. I do know enough about
carbs, fats, sodium, sugars and general nutrition to be able to make a healthy
meal plan to follow. So my current
weight is not a result of a lack of specific information, it’s a result of not
using what I know to make the right, healthy choices.
You may be wondering what in the world inspired me to share with
you this not-so-flattering tidbit of information about me. Well, believe it or not, it came from a
scripture I read this past week. It was one
of those verses that just jumped off the page at me and hit me between the eyes
and trust me, it wasn’t a good feeling.
The verse can be found in Romans 2:15 and I read it in the
Living Bible translation. It said, “After all, salvation is not given to those
who know what to do, unless they do it.”
Ouch. Even though I have accepted
the Lord Jesus Christ into my life as my Lord and Savior…this verse was still
painful. Why? Because it reminded me of the areas of my
life where I have the head knowledge that I need to follow Christ, but my
actions don’t always show it. Just like
knowing nutritional facts doesn’t make me healthier unless I incorporate them
into my lifestyle, knowing Bible facts doesn’t do me any good unless I am
living them out every day.
Reading verse 16 didn’t leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling
either. It said, “The day will surely come when at God’s command Jesus Christ will judge
the secret lives of everyone, their inmost thoughts and motives; this is all
part of God’s great plan which I proclaim.” Wow, I knew I should have read in Psalms that
day instead.
These verses tell me what I already knew, but sure need reminded
of often. Living life today is not for
my pleasure. The decisions I make every
day should not be made just to make sure I am comfortable and don’t ever have
to suffer. Christ doesn’t want me to
follow Him only when it is convenient for me and doesn’t go against what the
world is screaming at me. Finally, the
Bible wasn’t written with just “suggestions” on how I should be living; it is
filled with commandments that I need to take seriously and follow day in and
day out.
We are living in a time when it isn’t popular to go against what
the world says is “normal”. Standing up for God’s Word as it is written,
without just picking and choosing verses that make us feel better about our sin,
isn’t accepted well either. But that is
what is commanded of us to do if we are going to be true, devoted followers of
Christ. We are called to be His
servants, whether it makes us feel comfortable or not, and that is true when we
are in public or in the “secret” confines of our home.
This coming Sunday I am going to be speaking at Hope Missionary
Church in Bluffton in all three of the morning services. What Christ has laid on my heart to share may
not make people feel good. I haven’t
spent time sugar coating His words so that people will make sure and like me
when I’m done. I take the responsibility
of stepping onto that platform very seriously and I don’t think Christ will be
glorified if I’m not true to His Word.
I so covet your prayers for me as I do my final preparation for Sunday. Please pray that I am sensitive to the
Spirit’s promptings and that my words will be His words so that those who hear
will truly listen and be drawn closer to the One who makes life worth living. May our time together inspire all of us to
make sure that our head knowledge results in everyday choices which brings Him
honor and glory and impacts eternity in a powerful way.
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