"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" - James 2:20
Is faith simply a frame of mind? Some see it that way... a passive attribute of a Christian waiting to see what God has in store for you: a promotion, cancer, depression, betrayal, blessing, wealth or injustice. They might say, "I'll just wait to see what God is going to do for me and go with the flow." That's crazy talk. Faith is active. It's not passive. It's a commitment. Look at your lifestyle and see what kinds of actions follow as a result of it. If you've got the real stuff, faith can be demonstrated. When you were baptized, you made a statement to God and the people around you. You said, "I'm in!" But it doesn't stop at baptism - not by a long shot! What else do you do? Faith is proven by how we live. Don't misinterpret this. What you do - your walking around, everyday life - doesn't get you into heaven. It doesn't make you saved. It doesn't mean you're a Christian. It shows you are a Christian.
The next steps:
Celebrate the lavish gift of grace! You were saved because Jesus is crazy about you and wants you to be with Him in heaven. Revel in it!
Show your faith. Wedding rings don't make you married, but they say yes in a visible way. In the same way, baptism isn't the thing that will get you into heaven but it's an act of obedience.
Share your faith with the people around you. If you are excited about what God has done in your life, then why not share it? There are lots of ways to do that. Get plugged into serving God!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Week 3 - How to Stay Motivated When You're Fatigued
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." - Proverbs 25:28
It's not unusual for people to become disillusioned, discouraged and fatigued about halfway through a difficult challenge. When I start to feel the fatigue, I look to Proverbs 25 and remember that my feelings are not a reliable measure of how things are going. We're to trust wholeheartedly in God and put no faith in our own perceptions.
Our feelings come from a variety of sources - past, present and future. But feelings often lie; they're not always a reflection of reality. Plus, life is complex and we must often live with mixed feelings: "Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief" (Proverbs 14:13).
People often compare life to a roller coaster of hills and valleys, but actually life is more like two rails on a railroad track. One rail represents the good and positive in your life; the other represents the bad and painful experiences in your life. You'll always have both at the same time! There will always be something good and something bad happening in your life. We can't expect everything to be good for one month and then everything to be bad the next. There's always a mixture of both, a blending of both bitter and sweet.
HOWEVER, we can choose the focus! "When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow" (Romans 12:15)
It's not unusual for people to become disillusioned, discouraged and fatigued about halfway through a difficult challenge. When I start to feel the fatigue, I look to Proverbs 25 and remember that my feelings are not a reliable measure of how things are going. We're to trust wholeheartedly in God and put no faith in our own perceptions.
Our feelings come from a variety of sources - past, present and future. But feelings often lie; they're not always a reflection of reality. Plus, life is complex and we must often live with mixed feelings: "Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief" (Proverbs 14:13).
People often compare life to a roller coaster of hills and valleys, but actually life is more like two rails on a railroad track. One rail represents the good and positive in your life; the other represents the bad and painful experiences in your life. You'll always have both at the same time! There will always be something good and something bad happening in your life. We can't expect everything to be good for one month and then everything to be bad the next. There's always a mixture of both, a blending of both bitter and sweet.
HOWEVER, we can choose the focus! "When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow" (Romans 12:15)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
End of Week 1
Yay! It's the end of week 1. I pray that you've had a great week and have had time to walk, but more importantly, have intimate time with God. You can do that on your walks, you know....PRAY. It is a great time to talk to God, move your body, and enjoy this beautiful Earth that He has blessed us with!
If you want me to log your miles through the blog, please make a comment to this entry. If you need any help, don't hesitate to email me at lindsaymwright@yahoo.com!
If you want me to log your miles through the blog, please make a comment to this entry. If you need any help, don't hesitate to email me at lindsaymwright@yahoo.com!
Friday, February 4, 2011
TGIF
Thank God it's Friday!! Thank God for every day (but Friday's just have this amazing joy about them, don't they?)
How has this week gone for everyone? Have you found time in your day to engage in physical activity? I hope that as we take this "walk" together, we begin to make exercise a daily habit, and not a chore. We all KNOW that we should be exercising regularly, but in all practicality, we usually let other things take priority. Work, school, laundry, bills, TV, etc. When you think about your day and how it is broken down into minutes, how much of it is spent doing the unnecessary?
I challenge you to cut some of the "fluff" out and walk a mile, maybe two. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can make this into a habit! You'll also be surprised at the example that you're setting for those around you!
How has this week gone for everyone? Have you found time in your day to engage in physical activity? I hope that as we take this "walk" together, we begin to make exercise a daily habit, and not a chore. We all KNOW that we should be exercising regularly, but in all practicality, we usually let other things take priority. Work, school, laundry, bills, TV, etc. When you think about your day and how it is broken down into minutes, how much of it is spent doing the unnecessary?
I challenge you to cut some of the "fluff" out and walk a mile, maybe two. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can make this into a habit! You'll also be surprised at the example that you're setting for those around you!
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