Of Graduations, Engagements and Fathers Day.

I spent the  majority of this weekend celebrating. I celebrated the end of High School for my youngest sister. I celebrated the engagement of my brother-in-law. I celebrated fathers day for not one, but 2 fathers after having gained a wonderful Father-in-law. This weekend was full of celebration. 

So I have decided that in celebration of those things I would simply take the time to write a few things that I have noticed about each individual thing. 

High School Graduation:

This is a wonderful time in your life when  you are utterly naive about everything you are about to step out into. You spend the entirety of it thinking that you have stepped into adulthood and that you "know" something. The reality is, all of us adults and smiling and laughing and saying "Oh remember when we thought that?" Not saying that I have all the answers now, just saying that I used to think I did and now I realize that I don't. High school graduation is that small time in life where you feel like now you can take on life. The next years in your life will prove that nothing is a simple as it looks coming out of high school. 

Engagement: 

This is a wonderful time in your life when you are utterly naive about everything you are about to step out into. (Wait... haven't I said that already?) You spend your engagement planning for how awesome being married will be. How you will love each other always, and will never fight. You will be the poster children for marriage. She will cook wonderful meals. He'll bring home the bacon and you will both sit down to the dinner table and talk about your days. It will be your "happily ever after". The reality is, all of us married folks are just reveling in your innocence. Smiling and remembering when we used to think like that. Maybe even giving our spouses knowing looks. Not saying that I know all about marriage now. Nor that I have really experienced true hardship yet (jeez its only been 2 years), but I now realize that it is not all princesses and white horse riding knights. Engagement is a time to be wrapped up in all of the romance. The following years will be the true test of your love for one another and God. 

Fathers:

This is where the rubber meets the road. High School Graduation and Engagements are looking forward to a flowery future that you expect to be easy and fun. Fathers day brings you back to the reality. The reality of life. Because fathers day is a day to celebrate what our fathers have done and been to us. And we already know that they aren't perfect. We know that they stumble and fall, but its about how they pick themselves back up, and how they remain in our lives to influence it that makes the difference. Not everyone has a great father, but everyone can have a perfect heavenly father. And watching my Dad, and my Father-in-law strive to be great dads by following their heavenly father provides the best example of how to live life. Day by day, on your knees. 

So celebrate the milestones in life, the fairy tales and the joy and excitement. But don't forget to take the lessons from those who have been there and done that. I for one am glad that I could celebrate all of these in one weekend - it gives me the opportunity to put it into perspective and to know just how blessed I am. 

God's Approval

To Follow.

In the book "Not A Fan" by Kyle Idleman, (A book I am currently in the process of reading with my Bible Study) the question is posed: are you merely a fan of Jesus or are you a true follower?

To be honest, as I am reading through this book and living my life, I cannot answer that question easily. I can tell you who I WANT to be, but I am not sure that I have realized that goal. Do I really know what it means to follow? because all that I think of when I think about what it means to be a follower are the actions that I must take. And although I know that a true follower will act according to their beliefs, I know that my perception of "what must I do?" is the wrong way to think about my relationship with Christ.

So instead of looking at actions, what am I supposed to do?

To Follow.

I have been reading this week through the book of Galatians. I started with the first chapter and read it all the way through to the end. Just like it is supposed to be read. And God knocked me over the head - Hey, hey you, pay attention, listen up.

It seems like this happens any time that I am thinking or dealing with things that are faith threatening. God knows where we need to be and wants our relationships with him to be strong. And as I read through Galatians on my phone (I read the Bible at work whenever I need a few verses of distraction time) I could feel God telling me - this is what you need to hear.

The book of Galatians has some interesting things to say about faith vs works. Or more specifically the saving grace of faith for EVERYONE. Paul is addressing a mixed church of Jews and gentiles and he advises them not to fall into worldly ways of defining their relationship with God.

Isn't that what I am struggling with? Isn't that what I am trying to figure out? How do I then define my own relationship with God?

I am an heir to a promise that started with Abraham. A promise that we would no longer be under the law, but that the free grace of Jesus Christ would be poured out for us. None of us are deserving. And we shouldn't put rules or stipulations on someone's faith in order to define them as a "good" Christian. You cannot automatically label someone as a "better than me" Christian based on their actions.

In the book of Galatians, making the Gentiles follow the law was hindering their ability to recognize the free gift of salvation - and the observing of the law by the Jews was making it hard for the Jews to recognize that the gift of life had been extended to the Gentiles as well.

In today’s world – this is judging the actions of our fellow Christians by their actions and conforming to that measurement of judgment ourselves. How much did you put in the offering plate? How many bible studies are you a part of? How much of your time is spent in volunteer work? Do you ever skip prayer before a meal?

These measurements are the “law” of our modern church. Whether or not we realize it, we are doing the same thing that God is saying – through Paul – that we shouldn’t do.

To Follow.

If following doesn’t equal actions then it is all about the heart. We shouldn’t be creating opportunity to flaunt our actions, our prayer life, or how “great” we follow Jesus. Because that doesn’t mean you are following Jesus – you might be following your pastor, your bible study leader, your idols of praise and pride.

So the question I have for myself then is, whose approval am I seeking? Am I seeking the approval of the church? Or of God? Because as Paul points out, sometimes they are not the same thing.

To Follow.

Have I been seeking God’s approval alone?