"I came to win, to fight, to conquer...to fly..."
These are lyrics from Nicki Minaj's song, "Fly" and I'm going to totally take them out of context and make them into a biblical pep talk that I hope will give me fire to fight and hopefully, you too.
"I came to win." I came to DC to share Christ boldly. I came to DC to teach others how to do the same. I came to DC to help proclaim the ONLY message of freedom there is--that Jesus Christ alone saves. There are people in this city living in bondage and darkness without hope. I came to win them to Christ.
*****Let me cover all of my bases and make sure my heart in writing this is not misunderstood. (In other words, here's the "small print disclaimer" for all of my seminary trained friends. ;) I don't think that God needs me. He can use any monkey to proclaim his message and I just happen to be the monkey writing this blog. I also don't think that I personally can do anything good apart from Christ. I don't view myself as some super hero or think that I am capable of anything apart from Him. I didn't move here because of a noble heart or because I'm a good person. I long to share Christ with others because I was a hopeless wretch, sitting in the mud and filth of my sin when Christ so graciously rescued me.*****
I want you to know that I am writing this because sometimes you just need to give yourself a good pep talk and I hope this blog will serve to not only reignite my own passion and desire to fight for Christ but that it might serve to be a pep talk to anyone else who the enemy is currently attacking. I have been experiencing spiritual warfare at a heightened level this week. Without going into the details, it has been a time where the enemy has sought to discourage me in several areas of my life. I have seen some outright Satanic things happening right before my very eyes--things that have been intended to discourage me. I'm not a person who will quickly point to spiritual warfare so I assure you that when I say that I have felt the hand of the enemy trying to push me around, I mean it. Even as I type this, my soul feels tired and I am fighting the battle. So when I sat down this morning to spend time with the Lord, I became convicted that I need to passionately renew my vows to God where everyone can see and lean on a Savior who is greater than anything the enemy can throw my way. It is my way of thumbing my nose at the enemy, laughing in his face and loudly proclaiming that yes, even today, I will boldly seek to share and live for Christ.
"I came to win." We know from Romans 8:37 that we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. I came to DC to help my church win people to Christ. "I came to win" over the battles that the enemy might throw my way. To win over the temptations, trials and sufferings that I might encounter. Our culture has taken the word "win" and has made it something equal to fame, wealth and self-esteem. Winning, in America, is something that we earn and is based on our deeds. I spit in the face of that definition. Winning as a Christian has nothing to do with my good deeds or my bad deeds. The only way I can win is by committing my life to Christ and depending on His good deeds to give me the identity of a winner. The outworking of that winning faith is sharing the Gospel with others because when you love someone you constantly tell Him and you tell others how much you love Him. So even if I have nothing materially, if I serve the Lord and seek to bring Him glory even through my failures, then I am winning---not because of what I do but because Christ already won the battle at the cross for me and because I have placed my faith in what Christ did at the cross as payment for my sin, when God looks at me, he doesn't look at my good works. He sees Christ in me. Because my identity is in Christ, I am a winner based on Christ's life--not mine.
"To fight." As we set out to share Christ with our neighbors, co-workers, friends, family and strangers, we better rest assured that we are fighting a very real spiritual battle. I confess that I haven't been living my life in a way that acknowledges this great battle and I think it is why my soul feels like it has taken a beating--because I haven't been looking and leaning to God the way I should. 1 Peter 5:6-10 points out my sin and how I correct it. "Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time, he may exalt you. Casting all your anxieties on Him for he cares for you." Here is my sin. I have been apathetic in my prayer life in regards to sharing the Gospel in DC. I haven't been on my knees praying nearly as hard and as long as I need to. This must and will change. I must humble myself and rely on God to provide for everything. I must, as my good friend, Herb, exhorted me this morning, lean on my sword (My Bible) and then watch God unleash His mighty conquering power which is based on those truths. Verse 9 goes on to say, "Be sober minded. Be alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone he can devour. Resist him firm in your faith." Do you hear that? He prowls around like a roaring lion. This isn't some passive attack. He is fierce and looking. He wants to devour us by discouragement, unbelief and temptation to sin. I confess that I haven't been as alert as I need to be. I have to understand that the enemy wants to silence me, slow me down and discourage me. You need to understand that he is doing this to you too. He is fierce but our God crushed him at the cross so he does not have the victory. Christ does. We must be alert and as James exhorts us, we must flee from the devil and draw near to God. Verse 11 teaches us what happens when we draw near to God, "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." There's the promise.
I want to end this pep talk by sharing with you, my friend, Herb Young's, exhortation to me.
"Michelle,
I never imply to speak for God, but I am so impressed that you must realize that these curses are not leveled at you. This hate is for God. You walk this earth as an ambassador. You represent God and this man represents the father of lies and he spews them at you. It is not even about you, it is about who you represent. I'm sure defensively, God has shielded you but you have been struck hard and wounds hurt. You represent the army of the Living God. This time you are the front line. You now draw your sword not in your own defense but for the glory of the One we serve. With a pure heart and no malice, God will use you in this fight. But it is his not yours. When this sword is drawn, it is unleashed."
Let us all keep persevering in our faith. I encourage you to meditate on 1 Peter 5:6-10 and boldly step forward to fight the battle with Christ. Win others to Him. It is the only truth.
"I came to win."
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Get out of my way!
I have been learning a lot about life here in the city. I love the sites and sounds of DC. There is so much to see and do here and I love the wide variety of nationalities, personalities and styles of the people here in the city. Transportation here can always be a little, uhm, sanctifying. Every time I get behind the wheel of my car, it is a different adventure. I'm not talking about the traffic necessarily. Of course, the traffic is crazy and I feel like I do more reading than I did in seminary just trying to read the road signs that are posted at every traffic light regarding different rules for different times of day. Yes, this can make driving interesting but it's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the people. In a world of "me first!" DC reigns supreme when it comes to driving, bussing and even walking. People are constantly cutting you off, swerving from lane to lane and honking at the slightest delay. People clamor to get the best seat on the bus or shove themselves on the metro when it is obvious that not everyone will make it on.
These types of behaviors can be annoying but what absolutely drives me insane, what makes me want to stop and shake people is when they refuse to move out of your way on the sidewalk....
I'm currently training for my first full marathon (yes, thank you for your applause.) As you might expect, I'm doing a significant amount of running these days. I try to vary my routes to keep things interesting for me since the runs are so very long. But no matter where I run, no matter where I go, my run always ends up being an obstacle course with people acting as the little orange cones in my route. Everyone who has ever navigated a sidewalk whether walking or running knows that there are rules of etiquette in doing so. You stay on the right side of the sidewalk so that someone who is approaching you has your left side of the sidewalk to travel. It also allows someone who is going the same direction as you, but a little faster, the opportunity to pass you without delay.
But this does not happen in DC. There can be someone walking all by himself in the middle of the sidewalk. He will see you approaching and he will see that you are in need of a portion of the sidewalk yet he/she will stare you down and refuse to move. And this happens with 50% of the people I encounter on my runs. A few weeks ago I literally bruised and scraped my shoulder because a man that I was certain would move just a bit to his right refused to do so. And it's not a cultural thing. These are all types of people from all sorts of places refusing to move. And it makes me CRAZY!
But then I have to be honest with myself. Why does it make me crazy? Why can't I just let it go? And then I realize that it is because I, like those on the street, believe that I am the most important person on that sidewalk. I am no different. I am just as selfish. And this is my sin. Philippians 2:3-4 says, " Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." I know from Scripture that I am to conform myself to the image of Christ. Christ humbled himself by coming to this earth as a man so that he could save me from my sins. Philippians 2:6 says this of Jesus, "who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." We know that Jesus did this so that he could become the sinless sacrifice required to free us from sin and reconcile us to God. As John Stott puts it, Jesus became a slave so that he could free us from our slavery. So when I get indignant because others don't give me the sidewalk that I think I deserve, I have a serious heart problem. I think I am entitled. I forget that I am a sinner saved by the grace of Christ. I forget the slavery that he freed me from. And I disobey his command to consider others better than myself. I forget the example of humility He has set before me. My sin is my pride.
So now I am learning to see my daily runs as an opportunity to exercise humility. No pun intended. It is a time for me to constantly remind myself that these people are better than me. That I deserve eternal separation from God just like them and that we all need Christ. If I truly want to display the love of Christ to others, I have to seek to do it even when I think no one will notice and yes, that includes voluntarily and humbly stepping off the sidewalk when I get in other people's way. Ugh. This is going to be a process...
These types of behaviors can be annoying but what absolutely drives me insane, what makes me want to stop and shake people is when they refuse to move out of your way on the sidewalk....
I'm currently training for my first full marathon (yes, thank you for your applause.) As you might expect, I'm doing a significant amount of running these days. I try to vary my routes to keep things interesting for me since the runs are so very long. But no matter where I run, no matter where I go, my run always ends up being an obstacle course with people acting as the little orange cones in my route. Everyone who has ever navigated a sidewalk whether walking or running knows that there are rules of etiquette in doing so. You stay on the right side of the sidewalk so that someone who is approaching you has your left side of the sidewalk to travel. It also allows someone who is going the same direction as you, but a little faster, the opportunity to pass you without delay.
But this does not happen in DC. There can be someone walking all by himself in the middle of the sidewalk. He will see you approaching and he will see that you are in need of a portion of the sidewalk yet he/she will stare you down and refuse to move. And this happens with 50% of the people I encounter on my runs. A few weeks ago I literally bruised and scraped my shoulder because a man that I was certain would move just a bit to his right refused to do so. And it's not a cultural thing. These are all types of people from all sorts of places refusing to move. And it makes me CRAZY!
But then I have to be honest with myself. Why does it make me crazy? Why can't I just let it go? And then I realize that it is because I, like those on the street, believe that I am the most important person on that sidewalk. I am no different. I am just as selfish. And this is my sin. Philippians 2:3-4 says, " Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." I know from Scripture that I am to conform myself to the image of Christ. Christ humbled himself by coming to this earth as a man so that he could save me from my sins. Philippians 2:6 says this of Jesus, "who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." We know that Jesus did this so that he could become the sinless sacrifice required to free us from sin and reconcile us to God. As John Stott puts it, Jesus became a slave so that he could free us from our slavery. So when I get indignant because others don't give me the sidewalk that I think I deserve, I have a serious heart problem. I think I am entitled. I forget that I am a sinner saved by the grace of Christ. I forget the slavery that he freed me from. And I disobey his command to consider others better than myself. I forget the example of humility He has set before me. My sin is my pride.
So now I am learning to see my daily runs as an opportunity to exercise humility. No pun intended. It is a time for me to constantly remind myself that these people are better than me. That I deserve eternal separation from God just like them and that we all need Christ. If I truly want to display the love of Christ to others, I have to seek to do it even when I think no one will notice and yes, that includes voluntarily and humbly stepping off the sidewalk when I get in other people's way. Ugh. This is going to be a process...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
"Oooh Yeah!"---Kool-Aid Man
Ooooh Yeah! I made it to DC, baby. As many of you know, this has been something I have been praying about and hoping to do for two-and-a-half years. My roomie, Brandi, and I are joining an amazing church and hoping that we can play a part in what God is doing here in DC to make the name of Jesus Christ known to the people of this city. I wanted to start blogging about my adventures not because I think that you are all so fascinated by my life (believe me, I can be a snorefest) but because God is alive and well and active in my heart and I want to be able to share what he's doing in my life and in the city of DC with you. So what will this blog be about? Will it be serious? Will it be ridiculous? My answer--a little of both. I think the title of my blog sums it up best--Girl With the Kool-Aid Mustache. But what does that mean?!? Okay, since you're begging, I'll tell you. ;)
So the idea for this title came from a pretty funny story that happened to me. One day I walked into the Bank of America to fill out some information in order to get a new debit card. I was standing there talking with the customer service guy, when an irate customer stormed out of the bank while cursing out his teller. I looked at the man who was helping me and quipped, "Wow, I bet you guys have to deal with all sorts of people." To which he replied while continuing to look down at his paper, "Yeah, you see all sorts of interesting things in here." I finished filling out the necessary paperwork, walked out of the bank, climbed in my car...and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was sporting a kool-aid mustache. I began to laugh as I replayed the conversation I had just had with the teller. "Yeah, you see all sorts of interesting things in here." Yep, like a thirty something year old woman sporting a kool-aid mustache. Oh my...
But the idea of the kool-aid mustache is something that kind of stayed with me. Now I embrace the memory of my kool-aid mustache because it reminds me of two important things. These two ideas have sort of become my mantra. To me the kool-aid mustache reminds me that no matter how hard I try to be serious, professional, hardworking or even faithful to God, I am still just a fool wearing a kool-aid mustache. Without Christ, I am nothing. Without Christ, all my plans and works are nothing. The kool-aid mustache serves to keep me humble, to remind me that I was once a fool living according to the desires of my flesh and following the "prince of disobedience" as Ephesians 2 puts it. Now because I have entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, I am a fool for Him now. But his salvation didn't just save my life. It continues to transform it and as long as I remember that I am a fool without Him, then I will remember to depend on Him to be my strength through all things.
But there's a second use for the kool-aid mustache...it's hilarious. I once joked with a friend that a fool proof method for asking someone for forgiveness was to show up on their doorstep sporting a kool-aid mustach. I mean, seriously, how could you not laugh at that?!? In the same way, I believe that God has given us the gift of laughter to remind us that in all things we can have joy. I believe it is a great skill to be able to laugh at yourself and even better to be able to make others laugh. Some of the most hilarious things in life happen in the day to day activities of our lives. Like rocking a kool-aid mustache in a bank. I try to look for the comedy in things I observe and experience. The good Lord didn't gift me with athletic prowess, or the ability to draw, or being able to play an instrument but He did give me the ability to make people laugh. I love using that gift to bring joy to others.
So in short, I hope that this blog will bless you in both ways. I hope you will be encouraged to hear what God is doing here in DC and I hope you will be able to laugh with me as I continue to learn from Him and enjoy the precious gift of life that He has given to you and to me. All the best!
Michelle
So the idea for this title came from a pretty funny story that happened to me. One day I walked into the Bank of America to fill out some information in order to get a new debit card. I was standing there talking with the customer service guy, when an irate customer stormed out of the bank while cursing out his teller. I looked at the man who was helping me and quipped, "Wow, I bet you guys have to deal with all sorts of people." To which he replied while continuing to look down at his paper, "Yeah, you see all sorts of interesting things in here." I finished filling out the necessary paperwork, walked out of the bank, climbed in my car...and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was sporting a kool-aid mustache. I began to laugh as I replayed the conversation I had just had with the teller. "Yeah, you see all sorts of interesting things in here." Yep, like a thirty something year old woman sporting a kool-aid mustache. Oh my...
But the idea of the kool-aid mustache is something that kind of stayed with me. Now I embrace the memory of my kool-aid mustache because it reminds me of two important things. These two ideas have sort of become my mantra. To me the kool-aid mustache reminds me that no matter how hard I try to be serious, professional, hardworking or even faithful to God, I am still just a fool wearing a kool-aid mustache. Without Christ, I am nothing. Without Christ, all my plans and works are nothing. The kool-aid mustache serves to keep me humble, to remind me that I was once a fool living according to the desires of my flesh and following the "prince of disobedience" as Ephesians 2 puts it. Now because I have entered into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, I am a fool for Him now. But his salvation didn't just save my life. It continues to transform it and as long as I remember that I am a fool without Him, then I will remember to depend on Him to be my strength through all things.
But there's a second use for the kool-aid mustache...it's hilarious. I once joked with a friend that a fool proof method for asking someone for forgiveness was to show up on their doorstep sporting a kool-aid mustach. I mean, seriously, how could you not laugh at that?!? In the same way, I believe that God has given us the gift of laughter to remind us that in all things we can have joy. I believe it is a great skill to be able to laugh at yourself and even better to be able to make others laugh. Some of the most hilarious things in life happen in the day to day activities of our lives. Like rocking a kool-aid mustache in a bank. I try to look for the comedy in things I observe and experience. The good Lord didn't gift me with athletic prowess, or the ability to draw, or being able to play an instrument but He did give me the ability to make people laugh. I love using that gift to bring joy to others.
So in short, I hope that this blog will bless you in both ways. I hope you will be encouraged to hear what God is doing here in DC and I hope you will be able to laugh with me as I continue to learn from Him and enjoy the precious gift of life that He has given to you and to me. All the best!
Michelle
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