The apostle Paul compared the Christian Life to a race and encouraged us to press
onto the goal. Every athlete seeks to win the race and achieve the best performance
possible. Likewise we can seek for excellence in our Christian Life. The question
is -
Pursue the Goal
Many of us start our adult life with a great deal of enthusiasm. We have goals and ambitions that we want to fulfil. What sort of goals do we have? Some of us want to change the world and make it a better place. However maybe you’re pragmatic and just want to settle down, have a good job and earn as much as possible. We are all different.
Remember living the Christian life is like being a sports person. It takes practice and training. The word discipline is not a popular one but in the same way that an an athlete has to practice, so we have spiritual disciplines. Finding time for prayer, fasting and bible study is important if we want to live successful lives.
Maybe as you get older you realise that things are not quite that easy. Maybe you
have hit snags like redundancy and difficult teenagers and your experience of life
seems to sap at your youthful ideals. Even younger people experience blow-
There is a beautiful passage in Isaiah (chapter 40) that says that even the young
can grow weary as they struggle with the realities of life. However it goes on to
say that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. The word ‘waiting’
in the Hebrew is not a passive one but rather one that is active. The question is
-
If we are to renew our strength and prepare ourselves for serving the Lord we need to enter into that place described in Hebrews Ch 4 which is a place of rest and known as the ‘Sabbath rest’. This is a place of inner stillness where we do not fret or become anxious, because we have perfect trust in the God; who either helps us by changing our circumstances for the better or alternatively gives us grace to cope with the situations that we find ourselves in.
The place of stillness is not about inactivity or apathy; we can be leading a very active life. It is however a complete trust that God is on our side. Jesus said not to be anxious about what you will eat or drink. These are in fact the cares of the world. However we all know that this is easier said than done and real life situations are often complex. I am including some suggestions to help you deal with anxiety. I do not claim to be an expert but I have found these simple ideas to be helpful.
Application
Learn to relax in your relationship with God. Be natural in your relationship with God. You don’t have to use long words and fancy prayers. Thank him briefly for the good things that you have and commit your burdens to God. Once you have done this try and forget about them as they are in God’s hands.
Take interest in others. It is said that people who live to 100 are often positive people and think about others. Take an interest in those around you and pray for them when appropriate. Be prepared to help and support them.
Rekindle your desire to read the bible. There is a place for serious bible study and also a place to feed on some of its inspirational passages. Choose some passages that you particularly enjoy and read them out loud. Meditate on them and allow it to build you up.
Pray with your mind and pray in the spirit. Sometimes it is helpful to use a written prayer, prayer list or poem as a basis for prayer. However it is also good to step out in faith and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit; it’s amazing who and what you might pray for. Also praying in tongues builds us up spiritually. Seek the gift and practice it daily.
Chill Out. Whilst it is good to extend our prayer times etc and aim for excellence, we also need time to relax. Don’t be afraid to have some fun.
Conclusion-
Best wishes,
Karl
©Karl Longworth
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Phew!