A Life Worth Living

I was speaking with someone the other day about a talk I had just heard from Francis Chan early this month. He is an author and used to be a pastor at a church in California, but recently he has felt lead to serve God in other ways outside the church. For the last two years, he has been one of the main speakers at Passion, which is a non-denomiatioanl ministry geared building up and encouraging college students in their faith. I couldn't tell you everything that he touched on during his message last year, but one question that he asked has kept me stirred up most of the year;

"Are you living your life worthy of the gospel?" 

I had to take a step back and reflect on this question for a minute. Is that my life? This question was based off a passage written by Paul in Philippians 1:18-22 and  27-30. From it we learn several things about a person living their life in line with the gospel of Jesus:

• They believe in the gospel, follow the laws based on the gospel, and lean on gospel promises. 
• They make every effort (live and die for) to honor and make Christ known through their lives.
• They rejoice in making Christ known around them.
• They stand firm in their faith in the gospel themselves and with other Christian believers (one mind and spirit).
• Are not easily shaken by things others opposed to their faith say or do to them.
• They embrace the conflict and suffering in their lives for the sake of Christ. 

Reading this list for the first time, I was like 'Whoa!' Evaluating my relationship with Jesus, I could say that some of those things were true of me, but not all. I am proud to stand for Christ and bring honor to His name, but can I honestly say I made EVERY effort to live or die to make Christ known? For myself, I did do some of these things. And maybe sometimes only when it was convenient for me. Or other times I did have this mind set, but then I was easily distracted by the things going on in my life. I was easily caught up in doing so many other things, living my life worthy of the gospel fell to a quick second or even last place.

I had heard about Chan's book "Crazy Love," which talks about this same idea and topic. God's amazing crazy love for us and what our lives would look like in full awe, fear, and reverence, toward this God who loves us enough to send His Son to die on a cross to accept the penalty for me breaking His commands. A God we say we love. So I bought it, but it like other books, it got lost on my book shelf for the past year. But this question stuck with me and wouldn't go away, "Are you living your life worthy of the gospel?" Did my life reflect the true joy and thankfulness toward a creator who loved me beyond measure? I felt compelled to have my life truly reflect what God desires of those who follow Him. All of me. And not just out of convenience.


So I started reading more of my bible, sometimes feverishly. I felt compelled to drop to my knees when in prayer or singing out to God. At other times wondering why people didn't get excited about really praising God when worshiping at church. Did they want to shout out or clap their hands but felt shy or that others would think that they were weird or uncool for doing so? I know I have felt this way before. I have sometimes wondered if people would think I was too over the top with praising God or that maybe I was putting on a show. All I know are lies I believed for too long. It is ok for us to be jumping up and down when we are singing or crying out to God. Whatever we feel, God gives us the freedom to express in whatever way our love for Him. Blessed are the uncool...


If you are wondering if I ever picked up that book to read it finally, the answer is YES! And it is blowing my mind like I knew it would.So that question that haunted me for over a year now will be with me longer. Whatever it takes to motivate me toward living a life worth living. Outside any books in the bible, I feel like it is already the best book I have read this year. And yes, I know it is still January. It has already been that good. I will take time to reflect my thoughts on it here. But I would say why wait to read my thoughts. You should honestly just go and buy it and start reading it before you get anywhere close to your bookshelf at home.


The video below is of Chan speaking on some of the things I have touched on here. It is 15min long, yet worth the time to listen to fully. And then take a little time yourself to stop and ask yourself, "Do I believe in an creator of all things and people? If no, what is it that holding me back from believing in an all loving God who desires to show great love to all? If yes, am I living worthy of the calling He has placed on my life?   

...To the Least of These

I began a new adventure a few months ago by volunteering with the Cru ministry (formally known as Campus Crusade for Christ) on our campus here at Central Michigan University (CMU). It is a non-denominational campus ministry focused on sharing the gospel of Jesus and being a spiritual resource to students; helping them to understand and grow more in their faith in Jesus.

Students and staff from CMU and Saginaw Valley State University

I was once involved in Cru as a college student. I will share about that experience another time. All to say, it has always been on my heart since college to encourage college students as they are on their spiritual journey. So God amazingly provided the opportunity this semester for me to get involved with the ministry here CMU!


Cru host annual Christmas conferences in several regions of the country, allowing for the students to gather together on a lager scale to learn more about and celebrate Jesus. So we packed our bags and road tripped to Indianapolis, IN a couple days after Christmas. We arrived to find about 2,000 students from various colleges in the region ready to learn how God was GREATER than anything and everything we can imagine or go through! Let's just say, it was a great time of mind blowing speakers and worship to God!   

After our second day in Indy, we took to the streets of the city to put our faith in action. Cru partnered with some local churches in the Indianapolis inner city to hand out boxes of food to those in need. I have done this same thing before and it was always and fun and growing experience for me when I was in college. But there was something about this time that was different. I felt that God broke my heart into many pieces after having conversations with several people in the community. They had similar stories - they felt the neighborhoods were not safe for the kids to play in and that they felt they had no support from others inside and out of their community. 

One of my conversations I had was with a single mom of two. She just wanted a place where her kids could play safely without the dangers of drug deals and violence going on nearby. She was worried about how to fully provide for her children while she is without a job. I was so thankful to have met her because listening to her helped me to put things in perspective. I told her that sometimes people have what they think are hard things going on in their lives and it seems like the end of the world. But there are people who really are going through things that are rocking their worlds in ways that IS the worst of the worst. I thought that I had really experienced hard times before, and I have, but here she was living it everyday.  

My heart hurt.       

All I could think of was a verse in Isaiah 1:17 which says, 

"...Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause."   

I desired greatly to help bless this woman in whatever way I possibly could. I couldn't leave without doing something. The problem was that right before knocking on her door, we had just given out our last box of food to another woman. All we had were some small toy presents for her baby. I sent the student who was with me to check down in the car for another box. After some time had passed, I did not know where the student was. So I left to go check myself. I quickly found out that we had no more boxes. Dang it. But I felt it on my heart that we had to check the church for any left over boxes. We went back and found no more boxes on the bus where they had been stored temporarily. I prayed out to God that we would find something, anything to bring back to her. I asked a man just inside the doors of the church if he knew of any left over boxes. He said that he thought someone had brought one back, but was sure that it was gone by now. There was nothing. I didn't know what to do. So I just started walking to the sanctuary, maybe just maybe... The second I walked into the room, I saw one box sitting on the floor. I grabbed it and rolled out of the church.   

Praise you Father! 

I drove with another student and thanked him for dealing with my craziness. I only had one objective in mind... seek justice, correct oppression. As we drove, I shared with him about this woman story which was the cause of me being so stirred up. He reminded me of the passage in the book of Matthew where Jesus is talking to his disciples about what the heart of a true servant of God's looked like, 

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it too me" Matt 25:40 

In other words, we are showing true love and worship to the Lord by serving and blessing his people. By providing food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcoming strangers, clothes for the naked, visiting the sick and those in prison (Matt 25:35-40) By loving those in need around us, we are showing love to God. There was no other explanation or conversation needed as we went to bless this woman and her children. Praise Him!

I didn't want to share this to puff myself up and have people be proud of what we did that day. I felt it was important to share the heart behind it all. That maybe someone else would be encouraged to be attentive to the needs of others around them. AND to share about how God always provides when there is a need to be met. I believe that God is able to provide whatever we ask in faith. He promises that in His Word. May we all choose to believe in faith that God is able to provide whatever our needs or the needs of others around us.

Before we left the neighborhood where these conversations took place, I took a picture to remember to pray for this place filled with brokenness...lest we forget.

 

Matt 25: 31-48 (full text)