A 'Good' Christian

People often times throw around the term “Good Christian”.  Until recently, this term didn’t bother me so much.  But the more I hear it, the more I find it being misused as a judgment tool and a way to make some people feel better about themselves.   

As Judgment:

For instance, she isn’t a good Christian because she doesn’t go to church every Sunday.  Or he wasn’t a good Christian because he didn’t give one-tenth of his wages.  But it seems as though we’ve forgotten that there is only One who has any place to judge how we live.  We have no right to judge anyone for anything, but especially judging others on how good of a servant they are to our Lord.  That is His job not ours.  And when we judge others on the scale from not-so-good Christian to good Christian, it takes us one notch in the wrong direction.

As a way to indulge our ego:

For instance, because I’m a good Christian, I signed up to head the food drive at church.  Or because I’m a good Christian, I kept my mouth shut in that situation and didn’t say what was actually on my mind.  Are we forgetting that it’s not how other people see us that matters?  It’s about how He sees us.   It’s not about what we look like to other people.  Yes, we want to set a good example but not so WE look ‘good’ to others.  God knows our motives.  God knows what we want to say even when we hold our tongue.  He knows our feelings inside and knows when we are being genuine.      

Being a ‘Good’ Christian isn’t about going to church on Sunday or giving one-tenth because we feel obligated. It’s about wanting to go to church to worship, learn, and become closer with God.  It’s about giving of our money, praise, and most importantly our lives because He gave so much to us. 

The term Good Christian also got me thinking about our rating scale.  When I hear the word good relating to a book or a meal or any other type of experience- I think subpar.  The book wasn’t a real page-turner but it was good.  Not great, but alright.  The meal was a little bland, but it was still good.

 This use of the word ‘good’ makes me rethink the term Good Christian.  Because if this is how we use the description good, then I don’t want to just be good.  I want to be great.  I don’t want to just skate by, and be an okay Christian.  I want to give him everything I have to be a GREAT Christian because we have a GREAT God.  If our God was subpar or just alright, would He have created this amazing world?  If our God was just okay, would He give his only son to be tortured and tormented so that our sins could be forgiven?  I don’t think so.  I think that takes something better than just good.  It takes something even better than great.  So the least that I could do is strive to be a great Christian.  I’m not saying I’m perfect or anywhere even close, but I want to strive to be a better than just ‘good’ at serving our God and living a life for Christ.

The greatest among you will be your servant.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Matthew 3:11-12 

Moving Mountains

As I was driving through the hills between Erie and Elmira, I was thinking about all the bills that had to be paid, the appointments that needed to be scheduled, and all the items that needed to be packed.  I was thinking about the stresses in my life.  I like to pray when I drive as well as think about how great our God is.  I marvel at the hills and streams as the light shines down on them, and think about what a beautiful Earth we are blessed with.  But during this particular part of the drive, the only hills I was seeing were the forthcoming mountain that was my to-do list.  I turned up the radio in attempt to drown out the internal fears and stressors that were running through my mind.  Then I heard something that changed my entire thought process.  The XM radio said,

 “Don’t tell your God how big your mountain is, instead tell your mountain how big your God is.”

I had never thought of that.

I had probably heard this saying before, or something similar, but I never really listened and though about it.

I know God is all powerful.  I know He never gives us more than we can carry.  And I know if we call on Him, he is with us every step of the way.  But, I was telling God how big my mountains were almost on a daily basis.  As if he didn’t know already or something.  I was asking God for strength and courage as if He could give it to me and I would be okay out there all on my own.  I was telling Him about my future as if He Himself hadn’t already planned it.  God loves us, and he wouldn’t give us mountains we couldn’t climb.  But what if it’s not about asking Him for the proper gear to climb the mountains.  What if it’s not about packing God in with our fleece and trail mix.  What if, just maybe, we told that mountain how big our God was and that mountain moved. 

Because God can move the mountains.

It makes things seem a lot less scary when I remember who has the power over all things, and who already knows how things are going to turn out. 

I’m not saying we should live carelessly risky or unprepared lives, but I am saying that God has the power over all things so it’s unfair to give power to our stressors. 

It’s belittling to our God when we continue to tell him how big these mountains in our lives are as if he has no power over them.  He is all powerful and all mighty, and he moved my mountains that day.

My to-do list hasn’t gotten much shorter; in fact it might actually be longer than the one I was thinking up in my head during the drive.  But it’s no longer a mountain.

These types of mountains can shade the light of God in our lives.   

When these mountains are there it’s not pitch black, He is still there.  But His true beauty and power can’t be seen because we act as if these mountains are more powerful and deserve our attention. But they don’t.  And the most amazing part is, if we surrender to His power and truly believe that He can move mountains, He will.  And His light will shine even brighter in our lives.

Satan has this way of putting mountains in our lives in attempt to shade God’s power and strength.  But when we call on the Lord, even Satan has no ground to stand on. 

So I’m done telling God about my troubles and asking for strength for myself.  I’m telling my troubles about my God, and letting them no they don’t have a chance.  I’m going to be led by the Lord and serve Him with all of myself.  I don’t need to pack my gear, and put God in my pocket for when I need Him.  My gear is God.  Instead, I’m going to serve our Lord and tell my stressors to take a hike.   

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:18-22

Common Misconceptions

Common Misconception Part I: We have power over our God.

Last night I was sitting on the side porch with my family talking about getting accepted to medical school, and they said something that at first made me laugh a little but then got me thinking.  They were talking about God answering prayers.  Someone said something along the lines of “God must have been tired of all our prayers and said we got to get her in so these people will stop praying about it all ready!” 

I love when God gives me something I ask for, not because I got something that I wanted but because it reminds me that He is here with me.  But sometimes I love when God gives me something I didn’t ask for, or even more when He says no.  I don’t believe that God doesn’t answer prayers.  I think he answers each and every prayer we sincerely pray to him- I just think sometimes His answer is no.  And His answer is no because He doesn’t always give us what we want.  When I was first applying to medical school and starting hearing back from schools, I always had this hope that the answer inside the letter would start with a “Congratulations!”, not a “Thank you for your application, but unfortunately…”  But what I came to learn as I continued to read “We regret to inform you…” is that I was thankful to God for His guidance and support.  I was thankful that He said no, this isn’t the right time for you or this isn’t the right place for you. 

God knows what we want, he hears us.  But, that doesn’t mean we have power over him.  We’re not his nagging children that He gives into if we just ask enough, and pout, and give reasons why we should have certain things in our lives.  God doesn’t give us what we want; rather He gives us what we need.  God knows what we need far better than what we think we need for ourselves.  And I thank God for that.  If we had power over God, and thought we knew what we needed better than Him then everyday would be a sunny day.  We’d all be driving beamers, have the best looking boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife, and we all would be working a job we loved that never stressed us out.  But there are rainy days.  There are storms because God knows that sometimes we need storms to appreciate the sun.  We need things that aren’t perfect on the outside so that we can see the value on the inside.  Sometimes we need hard times to not only better appreciate the good times, but to remind us that our Savior is with us every step of the way if we call on Him. 

I feel like this entry has kind of shifted off topic, but I guess that’s the path that it was meant to take.  I just wanted to remind myself and whomever may be reading this that we don’t have power over our God.  He doesn’t give in to our wants, because he knows what’s better for us.  God graciously and mercifully gives us what we need. 

I came to this amazing place of peace only a few months ago where I prayed to God, “Okay, God, I’m listening.  I’m done talking... I’m finally listening.  Please just let me see what I need, because I know your plans for me are so much greater than what I could have possibly planned for myself.  So if I need a year off or two years off, I’m going to be thankful.  If I need a complete change of career choice, that’s just fine too.  It’s better than fine, because I know that if I trust in you, that you’ll give me something greater than the chains of this world.  When I think of an eternity with you, my career doesn’t seem so big after all.” 

I’m not saying wants are all bad.  A friend recently reminded me of that.  I told him I was worried that my aspirations for myself would get in the way of God’s plans for me.  I didn’t want to be selfish about this whole medical school thing; I didn’t want my time on Earth to be about me.  And he reminded me that sometimes these desires are put in our hearts because they’re God’s desires for us too.  That he gives these ‘wants’ because it’s what he wants for us as well. 

I am thankful to God for answering my family’s prayers, with a “yes” but not because it’s what they wanted or what I wanted.  I just want to be led, and in my heart I know I need to be led and because of that I let go of “my plans” a few months ago. 

So tonight, I thank God for leading me to what I need, not what I want.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Matthew 6:25-33

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your…

The man answered, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Luke 10:27

As I was praying, I was devoting myself again to the Lord.  After all the amazing blessings I had received today, I felt it was the least I could do.  I said to the Lord, I give you all my heart- that I don’t love things or people more than I would ever love you.  I give you all of my soul- that my entire being yearns to serve you and trust you.  I give you my strength- that my physical strength can push harder to remind me that my limitations don’t exist, and that you are limitless-  and that my mental strength (and the inevitable soon to be all-night study sessions) could be used for the benefit of your people, not just myself.  And I give you my…  I was blanking.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your….  

Yes, I had completely blanked on a verse that I had read many times before.  These lines were in worship songs I had sang to praise him.  I had heard others say this verse time and time again.  Yet I couldn’t think of it. 

 I started wondering,

‘am I really that tired?  I guess I did had a long day and I had been driving a lot and...your mind’

Love the Lord your God with all your mind.

God reminded me as a knelt praying that my something was missing, and that I wasn’t serving the Lord with all of my mind.  I was missing that the Lord lives inside my heart and my soul and my strength, and also he lives within my mind.  I realized at that moment that my brain had not yet let the Lord in completely and without hesitation.  My brain full of mathematical formulas, chemical compounds, and lists of diseases and various ailments failed to include most important formula, most potent chemical and most powerful cure.  Jesus Christ.  It’s as if my blood-brain barrier wasn’t just protecting my brain from infections; it was keeping out the good stuff too.  He wasn’t diffusing across the membrane.  He just wasn’t permeable.  As if He was too polar, too charged, or had too much steric hindrance.  Then I realized how much of a nerd I was for the fact that this was actually what I was thinking.  But nerdy-ness aside, this really opened my eyes to something I had been missing.   

Today I asked the Lord to consume my mind.  It was the last thing, like I was holding out on letting Him have my complete self.  And maybe for you reading this it’s not your mind but it’s your heart or your soul or your strength.  But whatever it is, isn’t it time we gave Him everything?  Not just some or parts of ourselves, but ALL of ourselves.

 It’s not about giving of ourselves of what we feel we have left over to give or the parts of us that sin has broken to give.  It might be the weakest part of ourselves that we are hesitant to give, but sometimes it’s the stronger parts too.  Or at least the parts that we naively believe are stronger.  As a Christian, I find myself giving the Lord my problems in a sense.  I give the Lord what is broken in me and ask the Lord for healing.  But what I failed to realized is that the most damaged part, was the one that I didn’t think was broken to begin with.           

"You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind."