Here's another exercise you can try at home that will help you live a faithful Christian life. Like the exercise I introduced to you last month, this one is also really simple and easy to remember.
When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself this question: "What do I need to do today to be a faithful Christian?" Mull over that question. Pray over that question. Don't just come up with the first thing that comes to mind. Don't just say, "Oh, I just need to go through my regular routine." Really dig down deep. Think about the whole of your life. Is there something burning in your heart - perhaps trying something new you've never tried before, perhaps stepping out into the unknown in some new way, perhaps doing something you've been thinking about doing for years but keep putting it off because "I'm not ready yet"? Find something that will stretch you. Find something that will help you grow to become the kind of person God is calling you to be.
Your goal with this question is not to come up with a "to do" list. This is not the time to think about taking your car to the shop, or what you need from the grocery store, or the errands you need to run. This is not the time to think about buying new clothes to replace worn-out old ones, or the tasks waiting for you to do at work, or remembering to call a family member on their birthday. Those things are all important - but that's not what this question is all about. "What do I need to do today to be a faithful Christian?" Your answer to this question should not be something that you ordinarily do. Your answer to that question should be something extraordinary.
Maybe you've been estranged from a family member for years. Maybe it's time to reach out to that person in a kind and loving way, to try to begin rebuilding the relationship.
Maybe you've been feeling on and off for some time that your current job is not making effective use of the gifts and talents God has given you. Maybe it's time to seriously begin exploring other possibilities, or make an appointment with a career counselor.
Maybe there's something in your marriage that really troubles you and you're afraid to discuss it with your spouse because you're not sure how they will respond. Maybe it's time to tell your spouse that there's something bothering you and you want to find a time when the two of you can talk privately, or maybe it's time to meet with a good counselor who can help you figure out what are the next best steps to take.
Maybe you've been carrying around guilt about something you did a long time ago that caused another person harm. Maybe it's time to send them a note or talk with them over lunch and apologize for what you did.
Maybe you're tired of being harassed, beaten down, or burdened by a pattern of behavior that someone else is engaging in that is causing you pain. Maybe it's time to tell them that you want and need it to stop. If you've told them before, maybe it's time to tell them again, more firmly, and to let them know what the consequences will be for them if this behavior continues - and maybe it's time to muster up the courage to hold firm to what you tell this person.
Maybe you're carrying around a secret burden that no one else knows about. Maybe there's a habit or an addiction in your life that you are trying desperately to hide from other people but that's tearing you up inside, or maybe there's a habit or an addiction that you have that lots of people know about, but that you've never tried hard to change. Maybe it's time to ask a friend for help and advice, or maybe it's time to pick up the phone and find someone with professional experience who can help you.
Maybe you've been feeling that God has richly and abundantly blessed your life, and that you haven't been doing enough to demonstrate your gratitude and thanksgiving. Maybe it's time to take a significant step up in the amount of money you're willing to donate to the church or other charitable causes, so that more people will be able to be touched by God's love.
Maybe you've reached a point where you're tired of looking in the mirror and not liking what you see. Maybe it's time to make some big changes to the way you're living your life so that you will be able to relax more, enjoy life more, have more fun, feel better about yourself, and live a longer, fuller, happier, and healthier life.
I could go on. You get the idea. "What do I need to do today to be a faithful Christian?" The answer to that question should be something that challenges you. It should be something that stretches you. It will probably be something that causes you some degree of fear or anxiety. It will probably be something that, at least to a certain degree, you're afraid of doing. The whole point here is that we're trying to stretch ourselves to be the kind of people God is calling us to be. The whole point here is to step outside our normal comfort zones - because God is calling none of us to stay within our normal comfort zones. The whole idea of discipleship is to follow where Jesus leads us, and everyone who takes that journey seriously will find times and places when some serious courage and determination is required to do what God is calling us to do.
I try to ask myself this question almost every day. I find that a great time to ask it is when I am alone, away from the normal chaos and busy-ness of life. For me, that often comes when I am getting an early morning workout - a great time just to be quiet with God, pondering my life, thinking about tasks that lay ahead of me, reflecting on mistakes I've made in the past, figuring out what I need to do so I won't make those same mistakes in the future, and - above all else - trying to listen for God's call. In short, challenging myself to grow. Often, I come up with things I need to do in order to be a faithful christian that, quite frankly, scare the dickens out of me. "Wait a second, God, you want me to do what?" Sometimes, I come up with things that I know I need to do that will require a tremendous amount of emotional and spiritual energy - and sometimes, my response is, "Okay, I know I need to do this, but in all honesty, I don't have time to work on that today." When that happens, the next question I need to ask myself is: "Okay, then - when will I have time?" Or, perhaps that should be put: "When will I make the time?" Once God has put a thought in our head about something we truly need to do, we can't just set it aside and pretend it doesn't exist. That's not faithfulness. That's not what God wants from us. God is looking for people who are ready and willing to listen for God's call, and then to stretch themselves to live into that call. Is it easy? Heck no. Is it worth it? Heavens, yes.
Little exercises like these are the kinds of thing that bring us closer to God. They're the kind of thing that bring us closer to Christ. As we enter this Advent season - what else could we desire? God has come down to earth in human form, and sends forth an invitation to each one of us to let go of our nets and follow him. That - above all else - is what the Christian life is all about. What do we need to do to follow faithfully? The answer to that question is different for every single one of us . . . and we need to keep asking it, again and again and again.
Peace and blessings,
Bill
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