"My Body is Trying to Kill Me"

My adult son said that yesterday and of course, we laughed.

He went on to explain that his body tells him to eat the wrong food, skip exercise and avoid any kind of prevention or intervention.

He's right.  The sum total of life seems to be our swimming upstream, battling the desire to take the easy way out of each day's dilemmas.  We secretly hope that our bills will be magically paid, our relationships mended, our bodies effortlessly healthy.

Why is it true that going in the best direction for our body, mind, heart and soul usually requires hard work, self-denial, and slow progress?

If you parent children, you know that "easy street" often results in kids who are overindulgent and bratty to be around.

Wonder if God, as our parent, knows that "easy street" often results in adults who are overindulgent and bratty to be around.

So we are left with the truth that our body--including heart, mind, and soul--is trying to kill us or at least take us off the path to life-giving strength and productivity.

There is no neutral.  Choose life.  Get strength.

Jesus...Wants Volunteers?

Jesus is a radical.

First of all, He routinely dealt with evil spirits--just all in a day's work.

Secondly, He prayed for hours, even days.

And, of course, He loved the culturally unlovable.

But the craziest part is that He left us to do His work as nothing more than a volunteer army.

Hmm...a volunteer army might work since all of our armed forces begin through volunteerism.  Our country has stayed on the map through these volunteers.

But what does Jesus want us to do with the concept of volunteering?

Volunteer our time and resources to help the poor, the downtrodden, the real-life neighbor next door?

Volunteer our time and resources to help the local church we are a part of?  Should we be tithing our time as well as our money?

But wait, I thought this life was mine to do with as I please.

No...that is the greatest volunteer choice of all--volunteering my life to His cause, whatever the cost.

The Idols of Our Worship

A young girl asks, as I am telling her about a Christ-centered book on healing, if it uses the King James version of the Bible.

An adult in our community tells me Jesus was a Baptist.

No, He wasn't.  And it doesn't matter what translation an author uses if it is one of today's many credible options.

Where did we jump off the rails into a box of idol worship?  I say "box" because this worship puts walls all around us and all around our message of the freedom and the light of Christ.

Here might be a measure of whom you worship as an idol:  What or who changes your behavior?

Reading only one translation of the Bible changes your behavior in that you will look down on every other translation.  Believing Jesus is better represented in one denomination--or any denomination--changes your view of those who don't use your denominational lens to view Jesus.

Does alcohol change your behavior?  Does food addiction change your behavior?  Does worship of your children, your spouse, your whomever change your behavior?  Does television change your behavior?

If God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the center of your worship, They will change your behavior for sure.  But the change will be toward freedom, light, kindness, service, love, joy.

It is our responsibility to recognize the boxes of our idol worship and ask God to help us disassemble them.

Your spiritual freedom is on the line.

Curiosity and the Cat

We have a cat.

My friends would say, "No, your husband has a cat."

Okay, that's true.  I am more of a people person than an animal person.

Nevertheless, for the past several weeks, I have watched her (the cat) prowl around, poking her head through doors I forgot to close, being...curious.  I keep thinking the old adage, curiosity killed the cat.

This morning it occurs to me that curiosity is life-giving to people.

Curiosity in your skill area makes you a better employee.

Curiosity about your life stage makes you a better student, spouse, parent.

Curiosity makes you wonder if you should investigate the Jesus thing, as in is there really an afterlife and do you have any impact on that or not.

Curiosity makes you want to read enough of the Bible that you can know those people you hear about, like Solomon and Abraham and Paul and David and the Jews.

Curiosity leads you, inspires you, shines light of new learning on your sometimes mundane days.

It's Monday--why not pray for some curiosity for this week?

Loving Yourself Through Reactions

What reaction(s) are you immersed in?

Worry?

Hope?

Prayer?

The truth is, we are all immersed in some characterizing reaction that accompanies us through each day.

What would others say about your demeanor?

Are you a worrier?

Are you generally hopeful and optimistic?

Are you a person known for praying?

Most importantly, are you feeding your strength or feeding your weakness by the reactions in which you are immersed?

Ponder how much your are loving yourself through your reactions.