Recovered In Christ

April 23, 2015

Running hurts me. And I don’t just mean that my muscles get sore and I get all out of breath  – that’s all true. But it’s more than that for me. It FEELS exceptionally painful for me. I feel like I am going to collapse in a heap of failure halfway up even a baby hill. Don’t get me wrong, I love to run. Like – I really love to run. Ever since I was 12 years old living in a tiny town in British Columbia, running made me feel I could escape the terrible fear and chaos I lived in – and for those moments that I was racing through the streets or the park, it was a real escape. And not just as a distraction or a quick hit of endorphins. There is something about racing with the wind, feeling your feet hitting the ground, pushing yourself that makes you – real. It strips away all of the titles, personas and masks that make up most of what we present to the world. Even if the effects are temporary.

I no longer run to feel “real” or “free” – as God has produced those things for me without any involvement of my sneakers! But I still love to race the wind and just be with me – Layla, the last person I ever thought I could be alone with.

The only down side to my taking up running again is all of the “advice” I seem to get from people lately. And it usually comes from people who….(ready!!)…..don’t run!! Or who have a cigarette dangling from their lips telling me how to run, people who haven’t lifted a finger working out in years giving me strict guidelines on what I should and shouldn’t be doing..lol!

I’ll tell you something, all of the well intentioned rambling advice doesn’t compare with one word of real experience that someone shares with me.

Case in point, I was at an all time low the other day huffing and puffing my way into the end of a run, all of the voices in my head agreeing with my muscles – cheering me to stop and double over at a nearby bench. All of the “good advice” and one liner opinions of others didn’t even make it into the horizon of my mind.

But then I saw another runner coming towards me – she’s seen me before in the neighborhood, painfully building up my endurance over the last 4 months, she saw my run turn into a trot on its way to fizzling right out, and as she passed me, she made a u-turn and started running with me saying “Keep Going Mamma”.

3 words. That was it. That and the u-turn. I not only picked up my speed and continued to run with her, I immediately stopped listening to the voices in my mind tearing me down. It was just 3 words, but coming from someone who was IN IT WITH ME made all of the difference in the world!

So how does this relate to the spiritual path we’re walking on friends? I think it relates big time. I can’t tell you how many “well meaning” people are constantly spouting off advice, opinions and lectures, based on something they read, or a treatment center title they’ve received. And it has no real impact on anyone.

If you really want to have an impact, and be genuinely helpful, you first need to be doing what you are advising. Did you hear that?

You need to practice what you preach. You need to be in it. Not waiting on the sidelines ready to give advice. You need to get in the race yourself and be willing to make a u-turn for someone.

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

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Trying to get me to join your church makes you about as much a servant of God and His church as me trying to get you to join my gym would make me a personal trainer. In trying to expose my son to as many Christian fellowships as possible so he can not only see the many wonderful variations and members of Christ’s church, but to also give him first hand experience of the many traps masquerading as earnestness – it has been quite the experience for me as well. I am embarrassed at the lack of wisdom and discernment that so many of my “brethren” suffer from in so many churches. And I’m not talking about watered down non-biblical churches. I am talking about traditional, biblically based churches that have alot of well meaning people who love the Lord and are loyal to biblical doctrine. But they seem to think that cutting and pasting scripture into their lives like a list of rules they submit to and trying to “bring” people into their church is real Christianity.

Umm. No. Nope. Not even close! They don’t realize that they have become the very problem that Luther found in the Roman Catholic Church….that they claim they are nothing like. There is nothing wrong with wanting to see your group/church/community grow and flourish. There is nothing wrong with loving the order and comfort that comes with joining a church. But that’s not what I see. I see the real motive and reason and it’s ugly. When Christ is not TRULY the Lord and King of your life you will naturally seek an earthly one. Your message to a potential convert will be to draw them to your church or pastor, your message to a new convert will be to try to convince them that the seal of their conversion, the evidence of their faith in Christ will be to join your church. You will mix in your human tradition with God’s simple message…..no longer will it be good enough to simply invite people to your service, you will create rules and ordinances of refusing people baptism unless they make a “commitment to join your church”……saved by faith in Christ alone…..and a commitment to your church?

And why really? Is it really because you believe that you’re building up the body of Christ? Is it really because you are looking out for Christ’s sheep? Or is it really because in your heart you’re worried about how you’re going to pay the rent? Your dream and vision to grow your ministry has outgrown your loyalty to biblical authority.

You may protest and deny what I’m saying, but I’m just repeating back to you my extensive experience of the dozens of churches I have quietly and openly visited and studied. So many of you follow the same pattern!

Shame on you.

If you are truly loving the Lord and His Church with all of your heart, mind and soul I guarantee you that your message would be to lead people TO CHRIST. To lead them to a deeper understanding of His Living Word, to lead them to an active relationship with Him and I guarantee you that your church or position that you secretly worship would be destroyed and a real fellowship would grow up among you in your congregation. Filled with people hungry to follow Christ with you wherever you go.

You may claim that you do all these things anyway. But that’s not what I see. I see you putting your church, your agenda, your plans ahead of your King. I see your heart played out in your churches and it’s ugly.

Who do you really serve? Ask yourself in all honesty – are you in the Truth? Ask The Christ you claim to serve. He will answer you if you really want to know.

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter” or “I follow only Christ.”

Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.”

1Corinthians 1:10-17

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