What We All Need As Christians

What do we all need as Christians?

What is it that should mark our lives as Christians?

"For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into His kingdom and glory." (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

These are Paul's words in his letter to the church at Thessalonica. 

As I read those words, I was struck by one particular phrase in them.

Live lives worthy of God

This is a hard call. It's so much more than just praying a prayer to ask Jesus int your heart. This is actually about allowing Jesus to change your life.

The only way to live a life worthy of God is the be constantly growing and maturing in our relationship with Jesus. This is what allows for and causes the transformation that means we're living lives worthy of God. Discipleship is what this is about.

Discipleship is not a word we use regularly today. So, what do I mean by it?

When I use the word discipleship, I'm talking about the process of growing in our faith. About moving us from the point of salvation to being transformed. 

Some of this process happens as we spend time on our own in Scripture and in prayer. But, there's also a community aspect to it.

We learn from those who have gone before us. We encourage, comfort, and push one another along. This kind of discipleship comes out of relationship with people, not just be being an anonymous person in a crowd on a weekend. In Thessalonians 2:11, Paul uses the example of a father with his children to illustrate what this looks like.

I think we too often miss this part. We focus on salvation and miss the discipleship that must follow. It makes sense in lots of ways. Salvations are easy to count, to measure, to track. Discipleship is much harder to measure. But, if there is no discipleship after salvation, we've forgotten a big part of what being a Christian means.

Discipleship is where ongoing transformation takes place.

Discipleship is where we learn what God's Word says.

Discipleship is where we learn obedience to what God's Word says, even when it's hard.

Discipleship is the way we begin to live a life worthy.

So, how are you doing at discipleship? Both having people and places where you are disciple, and places where you're discipling others?

It doesn't have to be some sort of formal class or relationship for it to happen. But, we all need to have people who are further along in this Christian life than us who are pouring into us and we need to have people coming along behind us who we are pouring into.

If we're going to thrive and have an impact on a culture that is increasingly hostile to our beliefs, then I believe we must return discipleship to its rightful place in the church. As I read and study Paul's letters to the early church, I see again and again, his call to grow beyond that place of salvation. It's what we all need.

A New Year

A new year . . . it seems like this is a time of year when people are more reflective than usual.

The time when they look back on what the year that's ending has been.

The time when people make resolutions or goals for the next year.

But, how long do many of those resolutions and goals last?

It seems like so often, all those good intentions we had have long left by February, or even before the end of January.

So, is it worth it to even do so?

Are those reflections and those resolutions worth the time we take to think about them?

There is value in taking the time to reflect, to pay attention to what God has done in our lives in the last year. We need to remember and make note of the ways God has showed up for us. When things get hard in our lives and we're wondering where God is, it's those memories of times when He showed up in the past that give us courage to keep going.

I also think there is value in looking ahead to the new year. Thinking about what God might want to lead you into. We may not know exactly what God has planned for us in the new year, but we can still take the time to pray about what God has planned, and to surrender, again to His will for our lives.

When You Just Want to Avoid Christmas

As I started thinking about Christmas posts earlier this year and planning for what I would write, I had plans of what I would talk about. But, then a few things began happening with my extended family, and all those nice thoughts of Christmas posts went out the window.

The truth is, that as Christmas has approached, I've really wished it would just be done. Most mornings I wake up wishing it was 2019 already, and all of this was done. It's not that I want to skip the celebration of the birth of the promised Messiah, Jesus. It's just that all the rest that comes with Christmas these days is hard this year.

If we could just have the "religious" part of Christmas (for lack of a better word), and leave all the rest, that would be my desire this year. Things have changed in hard ways in my family in the last six months, and that's also emphasized some of the dysfunctional parts of our family that we try to hide. It's been hard and at times I've just wanted to skip it all.

But, as Christmas draws closer, I've been challenged on how I'm responding in the middle of the hard. If I keep focusing on what's hard, then I'm going to dread Christmas and all that comes with it.

But, that doesn't have to be my choice. I can choose to focus on the good things. To focus on the people who are here, rather than the people who won't be on Christmas. To focus on what we're actually celebrating. And to look for the joy and laughter in the midst of it all.

I'm realizing that it really does come down to a choice. And it's my choice. So, even though I still sometimes feel like I just want to avoid all of Christmas, I'm choosing to change my focus for these last days before Christmas.

I don't know where you're at, or what you're thinking about as Christmas approaches this year, but whatever space you find yourself in this year, can I encourage you to think about where you're focusing. Maybe it's fine where it is, or maybe it needs to change.

And, my you find joy and laughter, and the true meaning of what Christmas is all about. Our God came to be with us, to save us.