Seeking God, Part 3

In my mother’s womb, my parents dedicated me to God. At six-years-old, I realized I was a sinner, begged for His forgiveness, received His grace, and committed my life to Him. At 15, even when I didn’t understand His call, I surrendered to serve Him in ministry with my life. With our history together, He wasn’t going to let me forget these things and His purpose for me.

When my world came crashing down around me at age 20 and I was left at the merciful hands of the Father, I made a decision to change. Not the kind of change you make and then turn your back on three days later—like when you change your eating habits, start a strict, new diet, and out of nowhere, just a few days later, a piece of chocolate cake walks right into your mouth before you can say anything. It was a change that involved total surrender.

My decision to finally wave the white flag and surrender changed my world. I knew that to truly seek Him, I had to literally move away from the environment that had entrapped me. I had to emotionally pull out my scissors and cut the ties that bound me to that destructive lifestyle. And as I entered the unknown—feeling bruised, beaten, even bludgeoned—I trusted Him again for the first time in a long time.

In 2001, I left my home in Texas and transferred to Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas as a sophomore looking for a new start. Almost immediately upon entering school there, I met and bonded with a small group of girls who embraced me in genuine biblical community. Aware of my tattered state, they prayed for me, picked me up when I fell, and sometimes carried me over four semesters until I graduated in 2002. They became my sisters and remain so today.

It all sounds so dramatic, I know, but it’s not far from how intense things really were. At OBU, I re-discovered a deep love relationship with God and He began a long healing process that lasted the next few years. He was preparing me. So, after my college graduation, when I entered Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and began working at a church in Dallas, I was ready to actually do what God had called me to.

I can honestly say that my time during seminary was challenging. I knew God had called me there to continue my education, but I also spiritually felt a little like someone who had lost the use of his or her legs and was learning how to walk again. However, I had a fresh new perspective on my relationship with God—I was raw, humble, and surrendered to whatever He had planned for me.

During seminary and shortly after I graduated in 2005, I grew spiritually in leaps and bounds. I couldn’t believe I’d never known His love and grace like this before. So I decided I was ready to go deeper with Him and I made the bold decision to ask for brokenness on January 1, 2006. Big mistake? Or even bigger blessing? I asked myself this over and over for the next 10 months. God broke me every way but loose that year.

Just one more to go. Keep looking out for the final part of “Seeking God."

In my mother’s womb, my parents dedicated me to God. At six-years-old, I realized I was a sinner, begged for His forgiveness, received His grace, and committed my life to Him. At 15, even when I didn’t understand His call, I surrendered to serve Him in ministry with my life. With our history together, He wasn’t going to let me forget these things and His purpose for me.

When my world came crashing down around me at age 20 and I was left at the merciful hands of the Father, I made a decision to change. Not the kind of change you make and then turn your back on three days later—like when you change your eating habits, start a strict, new diet, and out of nowhere, just a few days later, a piece of chocolate cake walks right into your mouth before you can say anything. It was a change that involved total surrender.

My decision to finally wave the white flag and surrender changed my world. I knew that to truly seek Him, I had to literally move away from the environment that had entrapped me. I had to emotionally pull out my scissors and cut the ties that bound me to that destructive lifestyle. And as I entered the unknown—feeling bruised, beaten, even bludgeoned—I trusted Him again for the first time in a long time.

In 2001, I left my home in Texas and transferred to Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas as a sophomore looking for a new start. Almost immediately upon entering school there, I met and bonded with a small group of girls who embraced me in genuine biblical community. Aware of my tattered state, they prayed for me, picked me up when I fell, and sometimes carried me over four semesters until I graduated in 2002. They became my sisters and remain so today.

It all sounds so dramatic, I know, but it’s not far from how intense things really were. At OBU, I re-discovered a deep love relationship with God and He began a long healing process that lasted the next few years. He was preparing me. So, after my college graduation, when I entered Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and began working at a church in Dallas, I was ready to actually do what God had called me to.

I can honestly say that my time during seminary was challenging. I knew God had called me there to continue my education, but I also spiritually felt a little like someone who had lost the use of his or her legs and was learning how to walk again. However, I had a fresh new perspective on my relationship with God—I was raw, humble, and surrendered to whatever He had planned for me.

During seminary and shortly after I graduated in 2005, I grew spiritually in leaps and bounds. I couldn’t believe I’d never known His love and grace like this before. So I decided I was ready to go deeper with Him and I made the bold decision to ask for brokenness on January 1, 2006. Big mistake? Or even bigger blessing? I asked myself this over and over for the next 10 months. God broke me every way but loose that year. Just one more to go. Keep looking out for the final part of “Seeking God” to see what happened.

Seeking God, Part 2

When I left my adolescence and graduated to middle school and the first two years of high school, I was more than made fun of for my faith. Consistently, I was called “God’s daughter” and “Prude” and “Jesus freak” to my embarrassment. (Actually, I proudly wore the last label since that particular DC Talk song was popular at the time.)

I was left out of most secular social activities. I was mocked behind my back and to my face—in the youth group and at school. And even got plenty of criticism from church members.

I was one hurt little girl—not understanding how my Protector could not protect me. So I waned in spending any time with God—feeling as though He had nearly abandoned me and was even allowing the torture to take place.

In my heart, I loved Him like I loved my family. But, in my flesh, my resentment grew and bubbled up inside of me until it erupted my sophomore year of high school. My parents didn’t know it at the time and neither did I, but I began slowly spiraling downward and out of control.

I was sick of being a Christian. I was sick of the mockery. I was sick of the judgment. I was tired of being the rug others wiped their feet on. The church and God both became my enemies. I thought he could give me popularity, peace, and happiness in my situation, but He hadn’t. I was angry.

Sometime during the summer between my junior and senior years in high school, I snapped. My parents didn’t know what happened to me—and I couldn’t explain it either. I think it was a combination of things—a broken heart (brought on by a bad breakup with my first boyfriend), critical Christians, my weakened faith, and my desire to finally fit in for once in my life.

I began running with the wrong crowd, attending all the hottest parties, doing things I said I never would, breaking curfew, lying to my parents, acting out in public—you name it and I did it. Needless to say, my desire to have a deeper relationship and understanding of God wilted altogether and my popularity flourished, as did the sin in my life.

For the next two years, involved in a dangerous relationship with a guy, living the life I chose, and feeling miserable and empty inside, I ran as fast and as hard as I could from God and anything holy. It was the darkest time in my life.

The popularity I’d desired for so long was extremely short-lived and came at a devastatingly high price. I had turned my back on God and embraced the way of the world, and it was time to pay up. My actions came with severe consequences—ones that caused me crash and burn, and finally left me on my face before him begging for mercy.

Stay tuned for Part 3 …

Jesus is Lord of my life when...

My dad sent this to me this morning. He’s had it written on the inside cover of his Bible forever. I think he got it from one of Charles Stanley’s sermons a long time ago.

Every once in a while, he brings it out and e-mails it to my brother and me. It’s incredibly powerful. I hope I live my life every day just like this.

Jesus is Lord of my life when...

• I obey the initial promptings of the Holy Spirit without argument.
  
  
• I’m committed to do His will and I don’t even know His will.
  
  
• I’m available to serve Him without regard to time, place, or requirements.
  
  
• Pleasing Him takes priority over pleasing others and myself.
  
  
• I acknowledge and recognize Him as the source for all my needs and desires.
  
  
• I submit to His ownership and sovereign possession of all I am and all that I have.
  
  
• I turn my failures and difficulties into times of opportunities for spiritual growth.
  
  
• To know Him intimately becomes the ultimate obsession of my life.

Seeking God, Part 1

I’ve decided to break up the story of my journey in search of God into a few parts. Being a writer, it seems like the right thing to do since my life has worked itself into some semblance of a novel—broken up chapter-by-chapter.

Hopefully, mine will inspire you to seek God and know that not all stories are perfect—but are pieced together like a patchwork quilt with various God experiences, wrong moves, right moves, hits and misses, and incredible blessings spotted all along the way.

I grew up in a solid Christian home, the daughter of a Southern Baptist preacher, but I often think my religious perception was a little one-sided as I began my spiritual journey. I was sheltered from much of the world’s evils yet fully aware that I lived under a magnifying glass—under the watchful eagle eye of church congregants 24/7 just waiting for me to make a wrong move so they could snatch me up and swallow me whole.

Because I developed this perception growing up, I viewed the church that way as a whole. And because I viewed the church that way, I viewed God that way for a long time.

Back then, in my heart and head, God had two personalities: 1) He was a caring, loving Father some of the time who wanted to forgive, protect, and love me unconditionally, and 2) the rest of the time he was an old grandfather-looking man sitting in his heavenly rocking chair with a wooden paddle in his right hand (with my name stamped on one side) who constantly gave me “the look” and was ready to punish me when I even neared the appearance of sin.

You know “the look”—the one your mother gave you when you started to act up in church. My mother would look me square in the eyes like she was giving me the spanking of my life in her mind. And when “the look” didn’t work, she would either grab the tender flesh on the back of my arm and pinch it until I cried out or growl at me through gritted teeth, “Stop. It. Right. Now.”

From the time I came into a personal relationship with God when I was six years old to the time I entered high school, seeking God was a difficult task for me. I wrongly misjudged him for many years because of my skewed perception.

Still, I knew that I could find the Father that I loved in people, the Bible, and through prayer—even if it was full of too many “thees” and “thous.”

There were the moments when I saw him in my parents love for me and each other and through the biblical lessons they taught me, in the small ways He comforted me amidst friends who were ruthless in their mockery against my faith, and the few church members who surrounded my family and supported them faithfully.

My spiritual journey during childhood and adolescence was rocky and full of discovery, but let's not stop here. It continued after this point down a different path.

The post above and others to follow are a part of a collective piece written for JosiahRoad.com.

A lot of people think that seminary graduates are all knowing in theology, Scripture, and have some sort of inside connection with the Almighty. I’ve had so many people say, “You must know everything there is to know about the Bible and God!”

That’s just funny to me because it’s so far from the truth. I don’t fit into their perceived stereotype at all—it doesn’t exist. As a matter of fact, there are so MANY things I don’t know about the Bible. I learn new things every day. There are still passages that stump me and religious questions that I don’t know how to answer.

Just the other day, I came across this passage in Mark (11:20-24, HCSB): "The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. He said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again!' And His disciples heard it. Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Then Peter remembered and said to Him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed is withered.' Jesus replied to them, 'Have faith in God. I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them…'"

After reading it, I was so confused. I immediately thought, “Why was this passage even included in this Gospel? What is its significance? Is this included to show the power of faith and prayer? Or is it something more?”

I didn’t understand the correlation between this illustration and message on faith. I had to do a little research, but I found out that when Jesus cursed the fig tree, He was acting out a spiritual lesson.

Jesus threatened to pass the same judgment on Israel that he did on the fig tree because of their disbelief in His Lordship. Israel had all the leaves of piety. They went through all the motions of religion, but they were actually dead and fruitless on the inside. Jesus is just as frustrated and disappointed with us as he was in the Israelites and the fig tree when we also act this way.

Just as it was with Israel, the main ingredient missing in most of our spiritual lives is that of belief (or faith) and prayer.

Hebrews 11:6 (HCSB) says, “Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”

We can find all the “seasons,” or reasons, in the world not to believe, but it all comes down to having faith (belief in His supernatural power) and a prayer life (personal conversations and relationship with God). Do you have these things?

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/there-are-so-many-things-i-dont-know-about-the-bible

Standing in the Gap

At church, we’re doing a study on Nehemiah. Most recently, the pastor taught from the fourth chapter titled (in my Bible): “Progress in Spite of Opposition.”

Background up to this point: Nehemiah, the Persian king’s cupbearer, heard about the destruction of the walls of his hometown, Jerusalem, and the devastation of his people, the Israelites. He got permission from the king and left with his permission to return home, gather his people together and rebuild the city’s walls.

Up until this point, the people had made progress but there were still gaps in the wall. But some leaders in surrounding areas got upset when they heard what was going on and decided to attack the Israelites and destroy what progress they had made. Nehemiah placed individuals and their families—the jewelers, the goldsmiths, the gatekeepers, and others from all walks of life—in the lowest gaps and armed them with a weapon in one hand while they continued to work with the other.

We can assume they were terrified, because Nehemiah told them, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes” (Nehemiah 4:14).

The story goes on that everything turned out OK. The wall was rebuilt in 52 days and God protected the Israelites.

But this really got me thinking about our roles as Christians today. How often do we stand in the gap and fight for our faith? Or how many times do we stand behind the wall, almost silently squeaking out our praises to the Lord, and hope the enemy doesn’t see, attack, and bludgeon us?

In chapter four, Nehemiah went on to say, “And I, my brothers, my men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing” (Nehemiah 4:23).

And Ephesians 6:11-18 says: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”

Do you always wear the full armor of God? Are you ready to stand in the gap and defend your faith at any time?

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/stand-in-the-gap

Dry Tears

It’s not often that you hear of young people who are changing the world. If teens today are anything like I was, then most of them are only concerned with sleeping in and doing everything possible to not miss the next big social event.

Recently, I read an article about five guys from Acworth, Georgia, who don’t fit the mold mentioned above. No, they aren’t superheroes; they are life-changers.

It all started when a young man named Conner Cress, a junior in high school, saw an image in a magazine of a “skeletal-looking baby, with toothpick-thin arms and legs and wide hopeless eyes,” accompanied by an equally sad story about the horrific conditions in Third World countries due to poverty, starvation, and dehydration. Conner felt he needed to do something. So he brought the issue to four of his closest buddies—Logan, Dan, Kyle, and Jared.

From that group and their desire to do something to help others, they created a solution. Dry Tears, an organization to help provide clean drinking water to people in Africa, was formed. They chose the name to represent the lack of tears produced when someone is suffering from dehydration. The boys used their savings to purchase 1,000 bracelets with the words “Dry Tears” printed on them, and they began selling them.

Today, these young men have created a movement of change. They travel around speaking to schools and youth groups in their community. And they continue to raise money by selling rubber bracelets and T-shirts to support this campaign.

Breakaway magazine recently featured a story on these guys. The article stated: “Around the world, 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water. Each day, about 6,000 people, mostly children, die from diseases related to bad or no water; that’s nearly 2.2 million deaths a year.”

Many times, we take for granted the freedoms, privileges, and blessings we have living in this country. Even in the simple things—like having clean water to drink. Jesus called us to serve others. Our “neighbors” in Africa are suffering—and so are people in our own backyards.

Jesus said, “I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me’” (Matthew 25:40, HCSB). These young men are setting the example (see 1 Timothy 4:12), living out service to others (see Hebrews 13:16), and expressing their love for God. Even as teenagers, they are a fitting model for all of us.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/dry-tears

Searching

“Set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
—1 Peter 3:15 (HCSB)

I’ve heard sermons and Bible studies based on this verse more than once in my lifetime. But just recently, it came alive for me in a real-life situation.

A new girl joined our small group this past week. We’ll call her Sarah. A friend of mine introduced her to my roommates and me, so we invited her over. We all went through the typical introductory questions: Where are you from? What do you do? How long have you lived here? And she seemed like the rest of us—until we started the study.

My roommate asked everyone to open to 1 John 2. Sarah pulled out a brand-new Bible that was still covered in factory stickers and plastic. As she cracked it open for the first time, she looked at my roommate and whispered, “My Bible is new. Can you show me where First John is?” It wasn’t hard to notice that she was unfamiliar with the book lying on her lap.

As we talked about what it meant for a Christ-follower to live a righteous life, Sarah fired off one question after another trying to understand what John was talking about in his letter. It suddenly hit me. This girl didn’t know anything about Jesus.

At first, I thought she must have been a new believer. But as we dug deeper into the study, it became apparent she hadn’t even made that decision yet.

Sarah grew up in California. She attended a church for underprivileged people until she was a teen, but really never knew God. In high school, she was told by one of the church members that her family was only worth anything to the church because of the paycheck they gave each week.

Poof! She had been burned by the Church in an instant.

Sick of God and Christianity, Sarah moved to L.A. after high school. From there, she pursued music and tried every religion in the book—Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, Scientology, and more. Most recently, she told us she left a New Age church where she had been active for quite a while.

She moved to Nashville to pursue music, but quickly got involved with a wild crowd who partied every weekend and spent most of their days in a drunken stupor. However, on January 1, she decided it was time to make some changes in her life. Still unsure of God, Sarah has decided to give this “religion” a try for 90 days.

Lucky for us, she found us 30 days into her experiment. She explained that she’s searching for truth and believes all religions teach some sort of it, but she wants to give the God she knew as a child another chance. This girl has had my heart and thoughts in a tangled mess for days now.

Her situation has made me realize that I have surrounded myself with only Christians—at my job, at home, the friends I chose—my entire life.

How could I ever share my faith in such a comfortable situation? Why would I need to give a defense to anyone asking for the reason for the hope that is in me? There’s been no point. But there are millions of people just like Sarah right next door who are wandering aimlessly throughout life—trying on a new religion every other month.

This encounter simply intensified the urgency for me to share Jesus with those who are searching for answers. I’m going to make it my goal to seek them out, walk with them through life, and hopefully lead them straight to the truth they’re looking for.

Jesus, bring new people across my path who are searching for You and need to hear Your message of hope. Give me wisdom and courage to share with them the truth. Amen.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/searching

From your Valentine...

Every February, during the days leading up to the 14th of the month, you can walk into almost any store and find an abundance chocolate hearts wrapped in foil, stuffed teddy bears in a wide variety of colors, cards that send out affectionate messages, and pink- and red-colored everything else.

In the United States, Valentine’s Day is the holiday when both lovers and friends express their feelings for others through romantic exchanges of cards, candy, presents, flowers, and other gifts. For some, it is a favorite holiday. And for others, it is dreaded and despised. Nonetheless, people spend pocketfulls of money each year at this time to show just how much they love those special someones in their lives.

So where did this holiday originate? Who first started the concept of setting aside one particular day out of the year to show those special people how you really feel?

History says that Valentine’s Day is possibly named after one of three early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine who were killed in ancient Rome.

One legend says that Valentine was a priest during the third century. During that time, Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young soldiers—claiming single men made better warriors. Valentine defied the injustice Claudius imposed by performing marriages for young lovers in secret. When he was found out, he was put to death.

Other theories say that Valentine was put to death for helping Christian escape harsh Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.

And yet another legend says that, while in prison, Saint Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him often. Before his death, rumor has it that he sent the first “valentine” in the form of a letter to her signed “From your Valentine.”

The truth behind these stories still remains a mystery today. But the message of sacrificial, undying love clearly continues to live on and even began before time. I don’t even know how many times the Bible mentions love—but I do know that it’s at the very core of who God is. This holiday should be a large reminder of what the Bible says about love:

• Proverbs 10:12—Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.
• John 15:13—No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.
• John 3:16—For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
• 1 John 3:16—This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.
• And the infamous passage from 1 Corinthians 13 (1-7, 13): "If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. … Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
  

In a society that is becoming increasingly selfish and less about loving others, we should be the first to practice daily before others the true, sacrificial, biblical love of Jesus. Make a new commitment. Start fresh today.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/from-your-valentine

Conversations with God

My prayer life took a dramatic turn a few years ago. I was thriving in my freelance writing jobs. But after a year of commitment to their projects and when I least expected it, my most solid client dropped me like a bad habit.

They said, “It’s not you, it’s us.”

Classic breakup line, right? I felt so rejected and almost a little betrayed. My mom and dad couldn’t provide the answers as to why this had happened. My friends didn’t know what to say. I felt like no one even really cared about the situation. But it was a really big deal to me.

So I got in my car, drove aimlessly around Dallas, Texas, and eventually started venting to God about my crisis. It felt weird at first—honestly spilling my guts and using a tone that I thought may be somewhat irreverent in his presence.

But then I realized something. That’s the way he wants me to come to him—he wants to talk with the real me. He sees all of my junk, my thoughts, and my actions every day anyway. Why not talk openly with him about it? Why not share my deepest emotions and feelings with the one who created me?

I don’t make it a habit of being mad at God or taking weekly road trips in order to talk to Him about my misfortunes or headaches. But I have learned to have real, candid conversations with him about my hurt, my joy, my day at work, my friends, my desires, my job—things like that.

Since I made this discovery, my prayer life has become more alive than ever before. I don’t feel like I’m praying to the ceiling any longer. I feel connected to the Father in a way that is even harder for me to explain. I never fully understood it when people would talk about Jesus as if he were their best friend. But now I do.

When I am feeling lonely, I talk to him. When something great has happened in my life, I thank him profusely for his blessings and tell him how sovereign I truly believe he is. When someone or some situation has tripped me up, I ask him questions and wait for his answers.

No longer are my prayers ritualistically rigid. They have morphed into beautiful conversations with the one I adore, the lover of my soul, and my very best friend—Jesus.

Also posted on here on JosiahRoad.com.

Ask and You'll Receive. Just like that?

Like most young people, I struggle to stay afloat financially; I miss my family, who live far away, so bad that I constantly hound them about moving my way; and I wonder when, or if, I’ll ever find that “someone” and get married.

This short list is just a fraction of a more extensive inventory of things that cause me to worry, keep me up at night, and stay unchecked on my never-ending “To Do” list.

Sometimes I let these things get to me. And sometimes I try to remind myself of the bigger picture—that I’ll look back on them 10 years from now with a whole new set of things to deal with and laugh at how petty the old ones were.

I don’t think these states-of-mind are out of the norm for most people. Yes, even those who follow Christ. I just have a problem of trying to deal with everything on my own and I can’t decide which one I want to live in.

“Ask God for what you want and need. Just ask.” This is all I’ve heard lately—from Sunday sermons, to small group Bible study, to my daily e-mail devotional. Perhaps this is the Holy Spirit’s response to this growing issue in my life. Still, the understanding I have about this simple message doesn’t make me want to give my stuff up to Him or ask for His help.

I’ve always had a hard time asking people for things because I don’t want to put anyone out. And I always feel so selfish asking God for anything, so I regularly say, “I know you’re busy and I don’t want to inconvenience you, so I just won’t worry you with my life. I’ll just take these things on.”

But Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).

And He offers up at least one answer regarding things unanswered, not resolved, or unfinished in our lives in Matthew 6:25-34: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

I haven’t worked all this out in my heart and head yet. And I know what God’s Word says, but I need to implement these truths into my life—and sometimes, for me, it’s a process of figuring out how.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/ask-and-youll-receivejust-like-that

Training

On the first day of 2008, I joined thousands more Americans by adding “Lose weight/Get fit” to the top of my New Year’s resolution list once again—something I’ve done every year since I graduated high school.

But this year, I have determined to actually accomplish my goals (again, something I say every year). I have, however, done something new this time around that I haven’t added to my workout regimen in the past few years. I got myself a personal trainer.

I’ve never been very athletic, only participating in dance until I went to college. So I figured it would be a good idea to work out WITH someone who knows what they’re doing—someone that would push me and show me how to work the areas I’d like to improve.

But the fact is, I didn’t expect then what I’ve now gotten myself into now. My personal trainer has been kicking my tail. I wake up sore. I go to bed aching all over. I feel like I’m consistently starving myself. And I’ve nearly drowned myself a few times by drinking so much water. But somehow I feel more invigorated and fresh.

In addition to all of this, my trainer recently informed me that I’ll be participating alongside her in the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in Nashville at the end of April. That’s not long for me to go from seasoned couch potato to experienced 13-mile jogger.

As I’ve been going through the day-to-day drill of “training,” I haven’t stopped thinking about Paul’s words written in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (The Message):

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

It all makes so much more sense now. I love it when God puts me in situations that teach me two lessons in one.

In my physical training, there are days when I feel like I’m going to pass out at any moment. In those moments, there’s nothing more that I’d like to do than fall flat on the ground, press my sweaty face against the cold concrete, and rest for 30 minutes. And then there are days I just want to give up and go back to indulging in my chips and salsa, venti mocha lattes (with whip), and daily, scattered snacks.

But I know that to get to where I want, I have to keep pushing, stay focused, and give the rest of what I can’t handle to Jesus.

The same is true with our spiritual lives. It would be easy to slack off or even give up in the race. It would be easy to participate in what the world is doing—enjoying the material goodies it has to offer—because it feels so much better. Right?

We are called to “stay alert and in top condition.” I don’t think it would be such a bad idea for all of us to add this to our New Year’s resolution lists as well.

Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/training

They get it.

Growing up as the kid of a pastor was hard. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back I see why I walked away from my relationship with God and rebelled during my senior year in high school (and a couple of years beyond).

I lived constantly under the “eagle eye” of a condemning, judgmental church. I grew tired of church member’s criticism and complaints. It seemed I couldn’t do anything right.

But it wasn’t just me they were after. Anyone else who stepped through the church doors that didn’t fit their man-made mold of the perfect Christian wasn’t accepted into the “club.” Only perfect people were allowed.

From that point on, I decided that I didn’t want to be that kind of Christian.

Since those experientially formative years, God has grown me in leaps and bounds. I’ve been as judgmental as they come on occasions, but he’s strategically placed some people in my life that I have been able to learn from —people who get it—along the way that have showed me how to be a genuine Christ-follower.

These are the people who have ushered an unwed, pregnant mother into their churches and walked beside her through the loneliest, scariest nine months of her life.

These are the people who have sought out those who are down-and-out—the homeless, the abused, and the neglected—and offered up their time, counsel, and resources.

These are the people who have welcomed, encouraged, and prayed for a brother or sister struggling with the issue of homosexuality without compromising biblical principles.

These are the people—my friends, mentors, leaders, and confidants—who have been the ones that made me say, “They get it. They actually know, love, and walk with Jesus. They really do understand what grace means.”

They are the ones who live as Jesus did—without condemnation or judgment. They are the ones who take the hands of the unwanted and unloved, and walk with them through the junk.

I want to be like them. I want to seek out and minister to the not-so-perfect people. And when these not-so-perfect people meet me, I want them to say, “She gets it. She really does know and love Jesus. If this is how Jesus is, then I want to know him too.”

Posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/they-get-it

New Commitment

As a single girl, I’ve lived by myself, making my independent way in the world, for the last five years since I graduated from college.

I recently decided I needed to leave my spinster-in-the-making ways behind and start a fresh adventure. So I moved in with two other girls into a comfortable three-bedroom house.

In my excitement, I didn’t realize that this would cause me to do some serious self-evaluation of how I had been living the past few years. My move gave me a whole new understanding of the verse: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).

It’s true. I’ve added a brand-new New Year’s resolution to my list. This isn’t something I chose to include; I was forced before I had the option to back out.

I’ve been made to sacrifice my privacy, and share my possessions and my time with my new roommates. I’ve had to be more considerate and mindful of their feelings, time, and stuff. I’ve actually had to stop thinking about myself and put them first.

It’s funny how God puts you in situations where you are made to realize and understand things you never saw before in yourself. All of a sudden I was faced with this new issue I never knew existed before in my life. As a result, I had to deal with it and change my ways.

I’ve made a new commitment to become less self-centered and more God- and people-centered. These moments of self-realization make me wonder what else I’m blinded from understanding about the person I am and/or should be in Christ.

How many times do I miss what God is trying to teach me? How often do I ignore the Holy Spirit because I’m too comfortable? And how much do I put myself before Jesus when I don’t even know it?

I think it’s something we all need to think about as we start a new year.

Posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/new-commitment