Letting Your Light Shine

There are days I get so bogged down in the gunk from the world around me that I find myself depressed.  I look at the random acts of violence being perpetrated across this country, the political divisiveness, the latest murders on the news that leave yet another set of families devastated, and my heart cringes.  Add in the name calling, the mud-slinging, and the lack of civil discourse. It’s disheartening – and that’s not even counting all the turmoil that’s going on throughout the rest of the world!

Sadly, it doesn’t always stop there.  Once I get into that negative bent, I find “kitchen sink syndrome” kicks in.  Ever heard of it?  That’s when everything that has been wrong with my life ever gets thrown into the equation.  My past mistakes, the uncertainty of the future, the disconnect between where I thought I’d be versus where I am at, my regrets and the wrongs that have been done against me – they all start parading around in my mind.  If I couple that with my fears for our world, is it any wonder I end up feeling like an anxious mess, full of worry and despair?!

As I have wrestled through this, God has been gently reminding me of how to protect my mind and heart from being overly weighed down, of my secret weapon and the kryptonite against negativity and fear in my life: love.  It sounds overly simple, doesn’t it?  This idea that love can set you free.  Yet every time I turn toward it, I’m amazed at the results.  Consider the following from Colossians chapter three:

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God … Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature … Rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language form your lips.  Do not lie to each other … put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free (Republican or Democrat, etc.), but Chris is all, and is in all. 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity … Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.” 

This passage hits me on many levels, but what immediately jumps out to me is that I only have control over one person in my life’s equation: me.  My opinions, my thoughts and ideas, while important, aren’t my end game.  Heaven is.  Far from making me want to bury my head in the sand and tune out the world, I feel encouraged to be something different, to stand out in my own way as someone who can treat people with opposing views and ideas with respect and kindness because of who I am.  As a believer, choosing to treat others well is never rooted in whether or not they “deserve it.”   It’s rooted in Christ’s incredible mercy and grace for me, and the love He has for all of us overflowing from within. 

The same is true for myself.  God thinks I’m awesome!  So, I take off the old, ugly attitudes and I refocus my thoughts back onto all the good things that are around me, the beauty I see every day.  I see it in big ways, like watching my neighbor tenderly care for his wife as she battles cancer, or the confidence of my children as they gain direction in their worlds.  I see it in small ways with each person who holds open a door for me, or who is friendly and warm for no other reason than because they’re grateful for today.  And I see it in every way possible when I stop the negativity and count my blessings, which are so numerous over my lifetime I don’t think I could ever possibly count, let alone remember, them all! 

It’s that peace, that love, that incredible joy that enables me to move forward on my path again, reminded of what is true and right in this world.  I feel the anxiety shed away, and the fear melt back into the shadows.  And I realize, once again, that while this world is not my true home (heaven is), I can make a positive impact on it in my own God-given way as I march through.

For Further Thought:  Jesus taught, “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden … let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven,” (Matthew 5:14, 16).  When you find yourself caught up in negativity and/or self-defeating attitudes, allow your mind to reboot back to the source of your internal light – Christ. Count your blessings, forgive yourself and others – whatever it is you need to do to replace the old and ugly with the new and free and true.  You will find yourself shining brighter, both inside and out!

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The Runner

I trained for my first half marathon last year.  I remember making my first three-mile run and thinking, I’m exhausted!  There is no WAY I’m going to be able to run 13.1 miles.  But I kept reminding myself I didn’t need to run 13.1 miles yet.  I only needed to run those three.  So I followed my training schedule, and three miles slowly built to five, which eventually became seven and then ten, and before I knew it, I completed my first Flying PIg Half Marathon. 

I learned a lot during that time.  Running is a very mental sport.  You’re constantly battling with your own mind to keep moving long after your body would tell you to quit.  Sometimes I would experience that runner’s high around miles 5-7, but it would eventually fade, and the last 3-4 miles for me were always sheer will.  Many things pushed me through those last few miles.  I would look for fun distractions in the scenery around me to shift my focus away from the pain.  I would find a song I love and crank the volume up even higher on my earbuds.  I’d watch people even older than me and seemingly in worse shape running hard and strong, which was always motivating.  They reminded me I didn’t have to quit.  I could do it.

I have found my faith works a lot like training for a race. If I’m just haphazardly running around with no plan, no focus or purpose in place, I don’t get very far.  I get weak and tired quickly.  I stop and start; I quit and walk away.  I get frustrated and angry when things don’t go my way, so I start running from God instead of to Him. And all around me is a wake of half-baked, half-hearted and ultimately abandoned attempts at spiritual growth, taunting reminders of my failures.

Faith doesn’t have to be that way.  Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  I’ve come to understand that God isn’t trying to stress me out or put me through some crazy obstacle course in life in order to prove myself.  Instead, He’s trying to train me so I can become the very best version of who He created me to be – not perfectly, but consistently.  It’s about taking one step of faith, completing that step successfully, and then completing another, then another.  Over time, all those small steps add up to big growth and change! 

Paul tells us in Hebrews 12:2,-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  When the course of this life feels overwhelming, I look at Jesus and His incredible, rich, extravagant love for me, and I get the extra push I need to keep moving.  I hear His voice all around me through nature, through song, and in many other ways, encouraging me to move forward.  I look at what Jesus, and all believers throughout history, endured and overcame, and I’m reminded I don’t have to quit.  With God on my side, I can do it and overcome.

“So take a fresh grip on life and brace your trembling limbs.  Don’t wander away from the path but forge steadily onward.  On the right path, the limping foot recovers strength and does not collapse,” (Hebrews 12:12-13).  You got this, because God’s got you!

For Further thought: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever,” (1 Corinthians 9:25).  When your path feels overwhelming and overbearing, take time to let God build back into you and strengthen your spirit by doing something you love or that refreshes you.  Read through the Psalms and Hebrews 11 about others who have struggled yet have overcome.  Ask God to show up and strengthen you.  You will find yourself strengthened again for the journey. 

Tackling Self-Doubt

If, like me, you’ve got a few personal “dents in the fender” delivered to you by life, you probably get it when I say it can be hard sometimes to believe in yourself.  When we’re young, the majority of us start off with a sense of hope, and a sense of possibilities in what life can be.  As we get out in life’s trenches, that hopefulness can fade and morph into something else entirely.  Fear of both failure and success, shame, lack of worth, and the judgement of others can grab you by the jugular and refuse to let go. 

One thing that has always touched me about God is His incredible compassion for the wounded and hurting.  Consider the following:

• He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  (Psalm 34:18)
• He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:29)
• Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along.  If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter.  He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, or aching groans.  He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.  That's why we can be so sure that every detail of our leave of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:26-7).

God is always there for me.  When I get caught up in defining myself by my failures, Jesus is right there reminding me that His grace and forgiveness are sufficient for me.  When I feel the tendrils of fear wrapping around my heart getting ready to squeeze, God reminds me He is in control, and nothing can separate me from Him and His path for me.  When I forget my many blessings, He has a way of bringing them back in front of me.  And He does this for me again and again. 

God loves you and He wants the best for you (His version of best, not yours)!  He is able to work through the ugly and create something healing and beautiful.  He is able to take pain and turn it into a hope that runs even deeper.  He can take our fears and our weaknesses and turn them into confident strengths.  But that’s God—His heart is to always love you no matter what.

So, if you catch yourself feeling faithless in what God can do through you, remember: it doesn’t depend on you.  God is faithful to us even when we are faithless to Him (2 Tim.2:13).  Our job isn’t to be perfect; our job is to continually reach toward Christ and let Him strengthen us so He can move us forward.

For Further Thought:  What is one way you can allow negativity to zap your strength?  The next time that happens, turn it over to God through prayer.  I promise you over time you will notice the difference!