Corona Devo 3000
I went to the gym the other day, and while there was a time (and even a couple decades of my life) when working out, athletics, jogging, and staying physically fit was a part of my everyday routine...it has been another couple of decades since that type of routine has been routine in my life.
At the gym, there were elderly people and young children, and every age in-between on the track and utilizing the exercise equipment, and (young or old), I knew that they all knew much(!!) more than me when it came to exercising in that place.
I was walking in ignorant, raw, and out-of-shape...and I knew it. I could have no exercise "chip" on my shoulder because there was no truth or reality in that being true.
If I had come in with pride, or hastily jumping-in to a rigorous routine, I could have gotten hurt or made a fool of myself. Plus, we can't learn anything if we are not honest with ourselves about our current state, and then we must be teachable.
My only impetus in entering the gym was a willingness to begin, and I knew that everyone else there had once had that same desire. They were (now) much more advanced than me, but I didn't care, because I was starting, and that (in itself) was both exhilarating and liberating.
And so...I started. I walked.
Around and around the track, I walked for almost two hours. My family (and lots of other people at the gym) did lots of other things that you can do at gyms, but I walked, and I was grateful to be doing any sort of exercise because I know that I should, and I even desire to, but day after day has gone by, and even year after year...
But today can be different. We can decide to become active if we want to.
~~~
I think the very same thought process is true of our faith in God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
There comes a point when we must decide to accept or reject Jesus Christ as our Savior.
If we are like a meat-head at a gym, then we don't see the need for God or His Son in our lives. We feel that we are enough, and or that we are good enough without God. We don't recognize our sin as offensive to the Lord, and so we hold God at arms length and we convince ourselves that "other" people might "need" Him, but we don't.
The problem (error) in this way of thinking is that this is our (human) logic, and not the Lord's. Here is what He says about our life (and death) without Him:
- ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God... ~Romans 3:23
- Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ~John 3:18
- Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. ~Revelation 20:11-15
~~~
Just the same as it would be ignorant and dangerous if I had put hundreds of pounds of weights on a dumbbell and attempted a dead-lift at the gym, or if I had broken out in a full-sprint on the track...the same is true of us and our acceptance or denial of God in our lives and over our lives.
2 +2 can only equal 4, and if we are living in our own realities or our own version of truth, then the result will be ugly, painful, and even torturous. And it will also last for all of eternity (the Bible says).
“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. (23) From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. (24) “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” ~Isaiah 66:22-24
We cannot be the lord of our lives, and it is a farce and an illusion to believe that we are. Like a meat-head in a gym, we are making a fool of ourselves before our (holy) Lord. We will never learn anything about His forgiveness and promises for us if we are not honest with ourselves about our current (sinfull) state, and then we must be teachable.
BUT...the same parallel is also true in relation to us coming to the Lord. I walked in the gym ignorant, raw, and out-of-shape...and I knew it. This is exactly the frame-of-mind that Jesus desires as we approach Him: humility. Not because He wants to lord His divinity over us, but because unless we bend-our-knee to Him, we can never fully experience all that He has in store for us. Humility is the first step to accepting Jesus into our heart. We must realize and admit that we need Him, and the moment we come to Him in humility, He meets us there.
- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~I John 1:9
- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ~John 3:16-17
- I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. ~Isaiah 43:25
- Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. ~Psalm 34:31-32
- As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. ~Psalm 103:12
The choice is completely ours.
Perhaps there was a time (or even decades of our life) when God was a part of our everyday routine, but we have fallen away and perhaps it's been days or weeks or another couple of decades since that faith-routine has been routine in our life.
Perhaps we feel today that (young or old), they all know much(!!) more than us when it comes to faith in God.
It's okay.
Ignorant, raw, and out-of-shape...He welcomes us today with open and loving arms, no matter how long it's been since we were last together.
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. (19) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ (20) So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. ~Luke 15:18-20
Let our only faith-impetus today be a willingness to begin with the Lord. And we can have peace and encouragement in knowing that every other son and daughter of Christ has made this choice at one time as well.
Today, no matter where we've been or for how long...we can start with God, and that (in itself) is both exhilarating and liberating.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ~Matthew 11:28-30
And so...we start.
Don't sprint...just sit at His feet.
She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. (40) But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
(41) “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” ~Luke 10:39-42
If we know that we should come to Christ, and we even desire to, but day after day has gone by, and even year after year...
Today can be different. We can decide to become active if we want to.
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.
Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
(15) But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” ~Joshua 24:14-15
Begin again with the Lord today. Come in humility before Him. Today can be different.
sarah
Https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com
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