Be Beautiful

I recently received this advertising mailer, from a clothing store in the mall, and was immediately struck by the statement on the cover.  It simply reads, "Be Beautiful".  I have nothing against beauty, but it was the inferred message that bothered me.

Behind the words is a model decked out in the company's clothes.  The message seems to be that by wearing their clothes you will be beautiful.  The world promotes beauty as being all about the outward adornment and fitting into some prescribed mold.  Though it deceives many, there is a fatal flaw with this line of thinking.  This ideal of beauty is not real.  Even if one could somehow obtain it, they couldn't sustain it!  Such a one would have to continually chase the latest trends (and at 40 the latest anti-aging products), obsess about their weight, and still remain unfulfilled, self-centered and exhausted!  Solomon was right when he said, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting". (Proverbs 31:30)  At least the world's idea of beauty is.

There is another form of beauty that lasts.  True beauty comes not from the outside, but from our inner character.  1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."  This does not mean we leave no regard for our appearance, but rather we keep it in perspective and our confidence comes from who we are in Christ instead of our looks.

If you have ever been around a woman whose spirit is at rest, who knows her true identity, then you know what I am talking about.  For not only is this woman at rest, but she puts you at rest too.  There is no need to prove anything with her.  You feel comfortable.  You can be yourself.  Outward beauty alone can make people shy away, but inward beauty invites them in.  What kind of beautiful are you?

Wilson

Wilson.  That name may bring to mind different things depending on your age, like Denise The Menaces poor neighbor or the volleyball from Castaway or even someone you know.  When I think of Wilson, I think of an adorable, redheaded, one year old who melts my heart with one look.  A child who reminds me what simple devotion is.

He doesn't speak using words yet, but he doesn't have to, his eyes say it all.  He sits contentedly in your arms, trusting, looking into your face with adoration, as if you are his hero.  Wilson has reminded me of the adoration God desires from me.  A pure, simple desire to be content in His presence, looking to Him to be my hero, my Savior.

LORD, teach me to bask in your presence, content, trusting and adoring you!  May I lift my eyes to you and look upon your face with wonder and joy, not because of what you can do for me, but simply because you are you and you hold me always.

Solitude

 

Though I have not birthed any children from my womb, I have many children that I hold dear in my heart.  One of them, my sweet Annabelle, came to visit me recently while I was camping.

While my husband was busy working on some property we own, I was enjoying some much needed time alone.  Upon arriving to our camper and finding me alone, Annabelle declared, "Aren't you bored?". I think it only appropriate that I mention the facts.  She is 18 years old, from a large family and very busy with friends, work and college.

Albert Einstein put it well when he said, "I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity".  I didn't always appreciate or enjoy solitude.  In my youth the idea of doing anything by myself, even shopping, seemed depressing. Time has changed this; has changed me.  But don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a good party and require "girl time" with my friends.

Sometimes it is simply a matter of needing to recharge, but my strongest desire for solitude comes from a calling of God, if I might call it that.   It is He who keeps calling me deeper.  A time to study and meditate on truth and what really matters.  A limiting of distractions and false ideas of happiness.  Time to worship and pray.  A contentment and desire to be in His presence and nothing more.

It is in these times of solitude that I find what I need to be of good to others, as Thomas Merton once said, "It is in deep solitude that I find the gentleness with which I can truly love my brothers. The more solitary I am the more affection I have for them…. Solitude and silence teach me to love my brothers for what they are, not for what they say".

Applying What you Learn

My husband, Michael, and I had a great opportunity this week to apply what we had learned in Sunday School.  We have been discussing God's will for our lives and though we have found much on the subject to debate about, you can't really argue with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".  However, it does fall into the "easier said than done" category.  It was time to take it out of the classroom and put our faith into action. 

So what was this grand opportunity we had placed in front of us?  Camping.  Yes, that crazy thing people do, where they actually pay to live below their means. Crazy as it may be, we were all in.  We previously bought a piece of property and Michael was going to be spending quite a bit of time there, so we decided to haul the fifth wheel out there and set up home.  Everything was going quite well until we plugged in to power.  Nothing.

There are a couple of buildings on the property and Michael had the power turned on to them months ago.  He had even used the power previously, so he was at a loss as to why it wasn't coming on.  He tried all he knew to do.  By this time it was getting late, and frustration was starting to set in with the setting of the sun.  This is when the scripture from that morning came to mind,  "I know I am supposed to be thankful, but...".  Sometimes it is hard to see.

Michael decided to call the power company and report the outage.  Within a few minutes we received a call back.  It turns out they knew about the outage (caused by a storm a month ago) but hadn't bothered to fix it because they didn't think anyone was using the property.  Oops!  They sent a crew out right away and within an hour or two we had power!

The moral is that if we hadn't gone camping and discovered the power outage, we would still be paying for power that wasn't even on!  We learned that prayer matters and though the power being out didn't seem like something to rejoice in or be thankful for at the time, it was.  A blessing in disguise.  Then there is the story about the lost keys...but that will have to be for another time.

LIfe Lessons I Learned From Running, Part Two

There is an old saying, "No pain, no gain".  Is this just a godless myth or an old wives' tale?  Now, while we must remember to keep things in balance, I think this saying does have truth to it, both in the physical and spiritual realm.  I know that the pain in my life has brought gain when I have allowed Christ to use it. 

If we want to be godly, then we must train ourselves (1 Timothy 4:7).  In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified from the prize."  And again, in Hebrews 12:1, he says, "and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us".  He obviously thought there was a connection to be gained from the metaphor.

So, the following are observations I have made while pounding the pavement:

1) Growth and change require hard work.  Our bodies are made to gloriously adapt and grow stronger when pushed to their limit.  And conversely waste away with complacency.  Remember the saying, "use it or lose it"? Our faith is much the same.  As we exercise it, it grows stronger and we are able to handle more.

2) We put in the time, but it is ultimately God who causes our bodies to grow accordingly.  It is his design.  Just as Proverbs 21:31 says, "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory rests with the LORD".

3) Our training depends on what we want to accomplish.  For instance, if I want to win sprints I train hard and fast, but if I want to run a marathon, then I train slower for longer, building endurance as well as speed.  So it is with life.  Make sure you are working hard at what you want to accomplish in the end.

4) You can't depend on feelings.  Sometimes you have to get out that door and train even when you don't want to.  And the joy comes afterward.  This is a huge lesson for marriage.  We may not always feel "in love" with our spouses, but we need to honor our commitment and in time we will feel the love again.

5) Running consists of different terrain.  Sometimes it is uphill, sometimes down.  Sometimes you run and sometimes you have to walk.  Some are more enjoyable than others, but there is benefit in it all.  So with life, circumstances vary, but we can learn to appreciate them all.

6) It is hard to be great at anything if you are spread too thin.  Look at an elite athlete.  They rarely do more than one sport and they spend an incredible amount of time on that one.  They are extremely focused.  Everything goes into this one goal.  Maybe that is our problem as Christians, we want it all.  Instead of being focused on Christ and his kingdom, we are trying to get all we can from this kingdom as well.  As a consequence, we aren't that good to either.

Maybe the greatest lesson came one afternoon after a particularly grueling run.  I made it through the run and all I had left was the cool down walk home.  But I was so tired.  I wanted to sit down and rest for a bit, but I knew that if I did I very well might not get back up!  So, I kept on going.  Willing my body to put one foot in front of the other.  I made it home!  And so it is with our Christian walk.  At times we grow tired and weary, whether it be from burnout or hurt feelings.  However, we must not give up meeting together.  Even if it means we have to crawl through the doors for a while and drag ourselves to Biblestudy or to our prayer closet.  Because if we give up, we may find our current spot not so bad and decide to stay there, giving up the glory to come.  Perseverance is the key. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up".  So keep going...don't give up!

Life Lessons I Learned From Running, Part One

First Timothy 4:8 says that,  "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come".   Exercising does have value!  Though my non exercising friends might disagree, can you really argue with the Bible?  I am going to share how this verse plays out in my life.  You see, I have found both parts to be true.  Physical training has had value for me, but it still can't compare to godliness.

I turned 40 this year which is still hard for me to comprehend and leaves a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.  Not that I mind some of what comes with age, like wisdom, but I am just not ready for my life to be half over or my body to be groaning at me so much.  In my attempt to stave off the clock a little longer, I decided to run another long race like I did when I turned 30.  After all, being in shape makes me feel a little less old.  However, I am half way through the year already and I am not accumulating the necessary miles.

As I pondered my dilemma, I began to go down a list of possible culprits.  Well, there is my lack of prior training due to a broken foot, the traveling that makes scheduling runs hard, the weather (hey that is a legitimate issue), the fact that I am 10 years older, and then there is that illusive culprit called motivation.  While these are all good suspects, I have realized it goes much deeper than that. 

The real culprit is pride and the lack of godliness in it.  It goes back to the verse above, that physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.  I have found that the physical training only has lasting value if its foundation is godliness.  Just stop running for a few months and see how non lasting it is! 

Before we go any farther, we should define godliness.  The following is an excerpt from Jerry Bridges book, The Practice of Godliness.  he defines it as follows:

               Here, then, are two important clues: Enoch walked with God, and Enoch pleased God. It is evident from these two statements that Enoch’s life was centered in God; God was the focal point, the polestar of his very existence.

              Enoch walked with God; he enjoyed a relationship with God; and he pleased God. We could accurately say he was devoted to God. This is the meaning of godliness.

               Devotion is not an activity; it is an attitude toward God. This attitude is composed of three essential elements:

• the fear of God
• the love of God
• the desire for God.

         Note that all three elements focus upon God. The practice of godliness is an exercise or discipline that focuses upon God.

         Consider the exacting requirements of a godly lifestyle as expounded by the saintly William Law in A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life. Law uses the word devotion in a broader sense to mean all that is involved in godliness—actions as well as attitude:

         Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted, to God. He therefore is the devout [godly] man who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God; who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety [godliness], by doing everything in the name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to his Glory.

        Note the totality of godliness over one’s entire life in Law’s description of the godly person. Nothing is excluded. God is at the center of his thoughts. His most ordinary duties are done with an eye to God’s glory. In Paul’s words to the Corinthians, whether he eats or drinks or whatever he does, he does it all for the glory of God.

In 2003 when I turned 30 and ran both a half and a full marathon that year, it had a value that is lacking this time.  This year it was my idea and all about me not wanting to feel old.  I did not consider God in it or think about it for His glory.  But 10 years ago, it was about God's work in my life.  The desire to complete a marathon was not a natural desire for me.  God used it to teach me many lessons.  And it was His grace to get me through a trying time.

When we are immature in our faith, God often uses people or things in our life to hold us up, teach us and ultimately to draw us to himself.    But once we have been trained by them and grown, we no longer need them.  It is like training wheels on a bike.  We aren't meant to ride with them forever.  And so it is with God.  He is patient with us, lovingly allowing some training wheels.  However, there comes a time when the wheels must come off and we find that He alone is all we need and that glorifying Him is our ultimate goal. 

And so, while I found valuable lessons through the physical training, it is the godliness that I gained that will last forever.  I no longer need running for the same reason I once did.  I have found God to be my sufficiency and His presence to be my delight.  And for this reason I may never accomplish with running what I did that year, but that is okay, because I don't need to.  My running  can have a new value as I see it in its proper relation to godliness.  Now I can run with freedom, for it no longer has to fulfill a role meant for God alone.

This post was longer than I anticipated, but I hope you will stick with me, as I share in later posts some of the lessons God taught me...mile after mile.