More Than a Church Kid

Oftentimes, the Gospel is advertised as a ticket out of hard times. We may say things like, "If you believe in God, He will heal your body." Or, "If you have enough faith, God will take away your financial struggles."  Some say that God wants you to chase your dreams. While He often  does  use our desires for His glory, our number one goal should be to chase  Jesus. Whatever gets us to that end, we can be willing to endure for the sake of worshiping, enjoying, and exemplifying Christ. After all, I don't think it was Paul's dream to go to prison. However, he learned to be content in all circumstances (Philippians 4:11) through the joy that Christ brings. Although we serve a healing, delivering, all-powerful God, we aren't promised that life will be a bed of roses. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The Bible promises hardship (see John 16:33, Hebrews 12:5-8). However, there is hope. One thing that you won't hear me

     If you keep a prayer journal, I'm sure your list of prayer requests is very long. In whatever local church you attend, you are sure to find countless needs: people going through sicknesses, deaths, job losses, financial struggles, and more. The list goes on and on with all kinds of physical and emotional needs. However, we often forget about the most important needs of all: spiritual needs.      How often do we (myself included) pray for our friends in the good times? Not just when they are facing a difficult diagnosis or going through financial problems, but when life is going well. I assure you, even when someone's physical, emotional, and financial health is flourishing, their spiritual health could be withering.

     This afternoon, my parents and I had one of those great, deep discussions. I love it when that happens. It's an impromptu conversation (or an occasional debate) where we express our views on political or theological topics, discern the truth, and I pay absolutely no attention to the fact that I'm still a teenager. You may have been surprised that a discussion between a teenager and their parents could follow all of the following: 1. The discussion includes the teenager (not just the parents). 2. The discussion is not a lecture. 3. The topic is deep, mature, and meaningful. 4. The teenager is actually interested (and participative)  in what is being discussed. This is exactly the kind of integration and unity that I want to write about today.

     In my last post, How to Memorize Hymns, I mentioned that I might do a hymn study on 'Come Behold the Wondrous Mystery." However, I feel God leading me in a different direction. The words speak for themselves, and I just wanted any excuse to share the lyrics. So, I decided to just share the link for them and also a lyrical music video for the song. The reason I wanted to share the music video is because that is part of how I learned the words. Lyrics are much easier to memorize when you know the tune of the song. Also, it is a great song to get stuck in your head, because the lyrics can replay over and over in your mind.

One day, as I was sitting and reflecting (one of my favorite hobbies), I began to write down goals I wanted to achieve and things I wanted to do. Specifically, I wondered, "What things should I start doing (or doing more) that will grow me spiritually?" A question came to mind that changed my perspective and flipped my priorities upside down.  I asked myself, "If I were stuck in a prison cell for the rest of my life, with no personal possessions, what spiritual sustenance would I want to have stored up in my mind and heart?" In other words, what would I want to have memorized?