What's your "that"?

I spoke with a friend the other day who stated, with great determination in her voice, “I am going back to the gym.”

“That’s great.”  I said

She continued, “I have decided I am going to run a marathon next September and if I want to do that I need to be in training, asap.”

She is not trying to run a marathon, she is in training to run a marathon and if you were with us on Sunday, or joined us online, we talked about the significant difference between trying and training.  Check it out.

Honestly, how many of us can just get up off the couch after a long season of Netflix binging and run a marathon without conditioning and training our body?  I would say not many, if any at all.  It would be unthinkable not to mention dangerous!  My friend knows that. So she has committed to a training regimen to prepare her to achieve her goal.

I am not a runner but I, probably like you, have goals that I would like to achieve. My friends’ words were spot on for all of us.  

“….and, if I want to do that I need to be in training, asap.”

What is your “that”?

What is the goal you want to achieve?

Maybe there is a change you want to make, or a habit you want to break.  What is your that?  What is it that God is calling you to do, to change, to add or remove from your life?

Perhaps it is time to stop half-heartedly trying to achieve our goals, and go into deliberate, intentional training of our body, mind and heart to achieve the outcome we want… but perhaps more importantly… becoming the person God has created us to be.  

And who are we called to be?

The Apostle Paul said to his young protege, Timothy. "Train yourself to be godly.” (1 Timothy 4: 7)

We are each called to that - to be godly. And guess what?  It doesn’t happen by accident.  We don’t just stumble into godly behaviours, attitudes and thoughts.  We are to be in spiritual training to become who God created us to be.  And as we honour God, we will be blessed in ways we can hardly imagine!

Join me Sunday, in-person or online, as we conclude our series entitled Our Sure Reward.

What does God think?

Have you ever taken a personality test? Or maybe a quiz in a magazine or on social media that inform you of who you are? Are you a lion, a beaver, an ENFP, the skeptic, the giver, a competitor, and activator? We all want to know who we are, don’t we? 

As helpful, and as fun as those tests can be, have you ever stopped to ask, “What does God think about me? 

Who does God say that I am?”

God actually has a lot to say about the matter — a whole bible full!  From the beginning of the bible to the very last page, we are told that we are valuable (Matthew 10:31), created in the very image of God (Genesis 2:7; Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:16). That God knows everything about us and that we were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13; Matthew 10:30; Psalm 139:4; Psalm 139:14).

We are told that we are free and forgiven (Romans 8:1-2; I John 1:9) We have been saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). We are secure in God (Romans 8:39; John 10:29; Hebrews 13:5).  And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Go on a hunt to discover what God thinks of you…you may find that the quizzes can’t define you… but what God thinks of you does!

On Sunday we sang this amazing song.  Check it out. Who You Say I Am

(Words and Music by Ben Fielding & Reuben Morgan)

VERSE 1

Who am I that the highest King

Would welcome me

I was lost but He brought me in

Oh His love for me

Oh His love for me

CHORUS

Who the Son sets free

Oh is free indeed

I’m a child of God

Yes I am

VERSE 2

Free at last

He has ransomed me

His grace runs deep

While I was a slave to sin

Jesus died for me

Yes He died for me

CHORUS 2

Who the Son sets free

Oh is free indeed

I’m a child of God

Yes I am

In my Father’s house

There’s a place for me

I’m a child of God

Yes I am

BRIDGE

I am chosen

Not forsaken

I am who You say I am

You are for me

Not against me

I am who You say I am

JOY!

In the midst of stress, worry, fear, and uncertainty, how can we obtain the abundant joy that God promises throughout the Bible to those who love Him? 

Having joy and peace seems almost impossible in these tumultuous times, doesn’t it? But let me tell you from very personal experience, you can.

This year has been difficult, on so many fronts, and yet this past weekend was full of incredible joy as we celebrated the wedding of my daughter, Emily, and the love of her life, Matthew.  Everything about it seemed magical: the venue, the flowers, the candle lit aisle, her outfit, even the mist in the air as we were having photos taken outside. In the middle of a global pandemic and all the stresses and complications — there was joy!

God does that. God continually provides for each of us reminders that we can find joy even in the midst trials and difficulties.

It's true that some trials are big, and some are small. Trials come in all different shapes and sizes.

So what is the secret to joy in trials? What’s the secret for a Christian to have joy while suffering through financial hardship, cancer, the loss of a loved one? Is it realistic that both joy and grief can exist together?

We can see this throughout scripture. Peter writes about it and Paul lived it. Look at what the Apostle Paul said about his trials in 2 Corinthians 6:10: “Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything”.

Paul said he was at the same time “sorrowful” and still “rejoicing.” 

To have joy in trials is not to deny pain. It’s to recognize the fact that they can exist together. They can co-exist in the same way two people can exchange vows and promises of a joyful future in the midst of a global pandemic, or as an expectant mother can go through the pain of childbirth and still have joy in thinking about what is to come. Both have joy because they have the “right focus” as they consider their promising lives together. In the same way, we must have the right focus in order to have joy in the midst of trials.

What is the “right focus” to obtain joy in the midst of our trials?

• Focus on God’s love, sovereignty and purpose in trials. The trial may be necessary for our growth and maturity in Christ. (1 Peter 1:6)

• Focus on our faith, trials prove the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:7)

• Focus on our relationship with God, trials can bring deep intimacy with God. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

• Focus on the eternal glory; faithfulness in trials will be rewarded. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

May you persevere by staying focused on the prize and know that God is preparing you, maturing you, and blessing you beyond what you could ever hope or imagine!

May you find JOY!