Fire Shut Up in My Bones!

Ever have so much going on in your life that it seems like one tidal wave after another. In the midst of the battle you become overwhelmed and you start to lose yourself and in the face of all that is happening you start to avoid things. Life has been really rough over the last couple of years. Between being laid off from my job because they decided to merge departments and I was the most logical choice due to the distance that I lived from the company and the salary savings it would bring; the severe back issues that seem to get worse and worse even after having surgery and being on medication to stop the pain, which has not helped at all and then the most impactful of all, losing my mom in January of this year after a yearlong battle with her health.

It’s funny how things like this can cause us to go into avoidance mode, and when I say funny I guess I mean sadly. The sheer volume of trials at times takes its toll. I have always prided myself as being one that knew God was in control Continue reading “Avoidance vs Advancement” →

In reflecting on this year, I can see that we have gone through quite a bit of transition. Some of it has been bad but some has been very good. The fact is that we will always be going through something, especially if you are a Christian. The one thing that I find interesting is that most people don’t think about the fact that they will go through trials. The belief of most is that they will become a Christian and all will be well. However, the trials that we face are part of the growing process. I have seen God work in so many situations over the years and it is truly hard to admit that at times I still struggle. I know, most of you reading this are thinking, if you are blogging about this doesn’t that mean that you have already overcome all of this. The simple truth is that no matter how long you have been walking this walk, you will still have moments that you struggle, even if you are going through a similar trial that you have seen Him come through and do something miraculous in. I contribute this to different seasons in our life where we may have been strong in one area but we stopped renewing our mind or working out our faith and all the sudden when we face the same trial we find ourselves weak and unable to stand. People always ask, “Well, if I believe in God and have a relationship with Him, why do I need to go to church?” Well first let me correct a way of thinking there. We are the church, we don’t go to church. The fact is, we meet together as Christians (brothers and sisters in Christ) and worship together in a building or outdoors or anywhere that we can come together and worship Him. Now, with that mindset corrected, the reason that we should go to a building where other believers are worshipping together is so that we find strength and fellowship. We cannot walk this walk alone and we were never meant to. If I am facing a trial and I find that my faith is weak, in attending with a body of believers, I can reach out and ask them to stand with me and pray and I will gain strength through that relationship. The Word of God says that where two or more are gathered in His name that He is there in the midst. Matthew 18:20

The thing that we must remember is that we are on a journey. That journey is with God and at times it will be riddled with trials and though we may have to walk through those trials, we do not have to do it alone. There is a reason that we are mentioned as the body of Christ. In Romans 12:4-8 it says, “⁴ For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷ if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” The fact is, the mouth cannot function without a face, and the foot cannot without the leg and so on. We all need each other to help us on this walk. I am truly thankful for the body of believers that I serve with. Each has a heart to serve and though we don’t always get it all right, we are striving to be more like Him every day. I hope you have someone in your life and walk that will stand by you and pray with you or that you are that somebody for someone else. If you don’t have anyone, then start now by reaching out. If no one else will pray with you, I will. It is time to rise up as a body and start helping the rest of our body function the way that God created it to function. There are so many lost and hurting out in the world and it is our job as believers to be reaching out to them. In a world where there is no hope and things seem to be spiraling downward, we are the hope that people need, it is Christ in us that we have to deliver to a dying world.

I hope you will not read this as just another article or blog, but that you will take these things to heart and start reaching out. Start pressing in and seeking God and ask Him what He would have you do. None of us are perfect and we will never be until we are in His presence but that cannot stop us from the mission that has been placed upon us. I implore you to look over your life and think about the trials that you have gone through. Think about the people that you can help because you have gone through the same thing or because God has supernaturally given you favor in the situation. Don’t look at the trials that you have gone through as being just that, trials. Look at them as a way to help others and in doing so you will continue to get stronger and stronger each day. It’s time to rise up and shine with the light of Christ and give hope to those that are hurting! You can do this, why, because God has called you to this moment.