A Simple Reminder

If you had the power to write the story of your life and submit it to God for execution, I highly doubt you would script any trials, struggles, or pain. We are creatures of comfort. We don't want to hurt or experience suffering. We are as adverse to pain as Cousin Eddie is to a job or James Harden is to a razor.

In fact, this aversion to pain has led many to believe the blessing of God in our lives is incompatible with suffering or loss. The idea goes like this: God's blessing in my life equals relatively pain-free living and smooth sailing. Pain and struggle must mean God is displeased with me.

This could not be further from the truth. This false thinking has come into our minds from poor teaching in churches and pink-haired ladies on TV.

God's love for you is not measured in your level of pain.

God's blessing and favor is not determined by your trials.

I was reminded of this truth when reading from Genesis this week. In Genesis 35, we see God protects Jacob as he travels through rivaling cities who could try to plunder Jacob's possessions. Jacob does not fear and describes God as "the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." (vs 3). This is an incredible promise and hope that Jacob clings to. And it was true.

But later in Genesis 35 we see that Jacob's wife, Rachel, is having their son Benjamin, Rachel dies in childbirth. In an instant, Jacob's wife is dead.

Though God's blessing and favor are clearly over Jacob, Rachel dies giving birth. Trials and tribulations are a part of life for all of us. Trials in our life and God's presence and favor in our life, are not two separate lives, but one.

I don't know what you are going through today or what trials are consuming your thoughts and emotions, but I know God wants you to seek Him in them. I don't know what hurt you are processing, but I know that Jesus wants you to process it at His feet. 

A simple reminder today: God's pleasure with you and His favor in your life is not indicated by the trials you suffer. When you face trials of many kinds, rejoice, for God is working in them to mature you and grow your faith (James 1:2-4). Remember that Jesus' grace is sufficient for you in all things (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Never mistake trials for God's abandonment or displeasure of you. The world is broken due to sin. In this world you will experience trials and tribulations. But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).

Half-Butt Apologies

"Kaleigh, did you hit Wyatt?"

"He is being mean to me!"

"Did you hit him? Yes or No?"

"Yes," she poutingly admits. 

"Then you need to apologize to him."

Silence.

"Kaleigh, tell him you are sorry, now."

"Sorry."

This is not atypical to what is bound to happen whenever my four year old daughter and her four year old cousin get together. And you have seen this unfold before too. You get on to your kid and have them apologize to their friend, cousin, or sibling, and they do. But do you ever notice they do not appear very sorry at all? In fact, their apology is begrudging. If words could smack the taste out of someone's mouth, that is what many of these apologies amount to.

We somewhat expect kids to do this. They don't want to apologize. They only do it because we make them. We just assume (or hope) they will one day learn to be genuine when they make mistakes. We tell ourselves they will mature and learn to take responsibility for their actions. They will learn to apologize when they wrong someone. 

Fast forward the clocks.

We are those kids. 

We suck at apologizing. In fact, some people have gone years without apologizng to those whom they have hurt. Many just wait for things to blow over or go away and then pretend like everything is normal. Others attempt to apologize, but when you investigate the apology, it isn't actually an apology. 

Let me explain. 

If you say something offensive to someone and it hurts their feelings, you should say to them, "I'm sorry I said that, it was wrong and hurtful. I apologize." That is an apology. 

What you should not say is, "I'm sorry that you got your feelings hurt." This is not an apology. It is an effort to put responsibility on the person whose feelings were hurt, instead of your actions. You said something hurtful, but instead of owning it, you are shifting the blame on the other person. "I'm sorry that you got your feelings hurt," is making them to blame for the relational conflict or impasse. Interestingly, when the person who has been offended doesn't feel the apology was adequate or genuine (because it wasn't), the offender will say something like, "Well, I apologized, I don't know what it else you want me to do."

Beware. This can happen in your marriage, with your friends, with co-workers, with family members, and the list goes on. If we do not learn to truly apologize when we hurt others, it will damage these relationships and produce bitterness, resentment, and anger.

This is how many people approach "apologizing" these days. Not many are willing to take responsibility for their mistakes and missteps. I want to challenge us to learn to take responsibility for our actions. It is not an expectation that anyone will be perfect. So instead of refusing to take ownership of our faults and apologizing to those we hurt with them, let's be reminded we no longer have to maintain a front of perfection. 

If there are people in your life today that you need to say "sorry" to or give an extensive apology, then do it. Just be sure your apology doesn't like the 4 year old doing what daddy told her to do.

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The Calamity of Conceding Our Voice

It is safe to say that I will probably not be giving any Presidential Inauguration prayers in my lifetime. Is it possible I could be invited? Sure, I guess it is. But it is probably just as possible that I'll lead a space mission to explore Jupiter or be the next skipper of the Chicago Cubs to lead them to a World Series title (side note: we will probably be inhabiting condos on Jupiter before any skipper leads the Cubs to a World Series title). Bottom line: I don't have to worry about being asked for this honorable task.

But let's pretend for a moment that I was asked. Let's imagine for a moment that for some reason, some newly elected president had heard of me or knew me - it would probably have to be a hometown friend, but growing up in Lebanon, TN probably rules this theory out too - and wanted me to give the Inauguration Day prayer. Wow! What a privilege! What an honor! What an opportunity! It's ashamed I wouldn't be allowed to do it. 

"Why wouldn't you be allowed to do it?," you wonder. Legally speaking (at least right now), nothing would be able to keep me from doing it. However, the censorship police and mafia-like bullies represented by organizations like GLADD and others like them, would quickly pounce on the president-elect's choice of having me give the prestigious prayer. Why? Because I have written, spoken, and support the Bible's teachings on homosexuality being a sin. This would disqualify me for such a role in our ever-changing culture. The track-record is proving this.

The Silencing of Christians

Consider what happened to Pastor Louie Giglio in January of 2012. Giglio was asked by President Barak Obama to give the Inauguration Day prayer. Incredible! One of my guys (conservative evangelical) is given an incredible platform and opportunity. Yet, quickly after the announcement was made, Giglio rescinded the offer and issued a statement. He cited not wanting to be a distraction from the Inauguration. Giglio had been asked to participate because of his amazing work with Passion and leading a movement to end sex-trafficking and slavery around the world. What in the world could possibly make Louie Giglio offering a prayer a "distraction" on Inauguration Day? 

Are you ready for this? He preached a sermon speaking against homosexuality 15-20 years prior. There you have it. The censonship police and mafia-like bullies went rummaging through Giglio's past, searching tirelessly to find their silver bullet. They found it. A message where Giglio affirms Scripture's teachings on the sinfulness of same-sex practices. Hence, I will probably never be doing an Inauguration Day prayer.

While we are eliminating things I will never do, we can add being on a reality tv show now, especially on A&E. With the Phil Robertson/Duck Dynasty dust-up last week, we were reminded again that Christians are not allowed speak out or against homosexuality.  

The Bully Tactics

How did these things happen? How did Giglio get pressured into rescinding his invitation? How did A&E succumb to pressure to suspend Robertson? The answer: from the pressure of groups like GLADD and others. Their mission is to target and eliminate all views that oppose homosexuality. They intentionally target news media and entertainment media to push their agenda and to rid any conservative or biblical values on the subject from the discussion. 

How are they able to do this? Simple: they bully. They, along with the media, and others with liberal ideology, revert to bully tactics. They are not interested in rational conversation where ideas are exchanged and debated. They have one agenda: exalt their idea and demolish opposing ones. They have succeeded in winning some public opinion, not because they have debated ideas well, but because they have castigated their opponents. They name call: bigot, homophobe, racist, intolerant, judgmental, hate-monger. That's the strategy. Yet interestingly, amidst all the name-calling, they never provide evidence to back their accusations. This is classic bullying.

And before you are duped into thinking that the pro-choice, pro-homosexual movements are about tolerance, multiculturalism, and diversity, consider the truth. They are not tolerant of any view but theirs. GLADD exists to rid the media and entertainment of different views. Multiculturalism is a sham too. They do not want a culture with multiple streams of beliefs and values. Again, they want one - theirs. And if it is not self-evident already, diversity is not a value either. The conservative, Bible-believing Christian's ideas are not welcome or wanted by those on the left. There is no desire for a diversity of ideas; it's all lip service. It is a smoke-screen. It sounds good. But it is empty of any substance. 

Draw a Line in the Sand

At a time when Christians need to be speaking out, we find ourselves with a serious case of laryngitis. We have lost our voices. Many are silenced out of ignorance, they simply do not know what to say or how to say it. Others are silenced out of choice. The former issue is corrected through being taught about the issues and shown how to engage in them. The latter is only fixed when we get courage. Many do not want to speak out because they fear being rejected and/or persecuted by men. Many thought leaders in the evangelical world are making it a mark of spiritual maturity or gospel-nobleness to not fight this fight. I think they are wrong. (Doug Wilson makes a stinging case about this)
 
We need Christians and churches who stand strong and intelligently proclaim truth. We need not make homosexuality are only focus; however, we refuse to be bullied into silence. We need Christians who demand their pastors and leaders not be cowards. One of the saddest parts of the Giglio story often not discussed is the fact that detractors of Giglio had to search back 15-20 years to even find a sermon where he dealt with this issue. This issue has been raging in the culture for sometime now, and that type of extended silence is why we are in this current cultural landscape. It is a calamity to concede our voice. The church, which is made up of believers, needs to learn to speak again. 

The Voices of Saints From Old

Listen to Martin Luther's famous words when pushed to recant his beliefs that went against the power-structure of the Catholic Church: 

"Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves) by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."

Consider Calvin's words: 

“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent."

In a sermon Charles Spurgeon preached about the jeer of critics he said:

"Whenever the world reproaches you, say, "Well, I thank you for that word, I will strive to deserve it and you shall be more displeased, if you will. If it be a vile thing to serve Christ, I will serve him more than I have ever done, and be viler still; if it be disgraceful to be numbered with the poor, tried, and afflicted people, I will be disgraced. Nay, the more disgraced I am, the more happy shall I be; I shall feel that disgrace is honor, that ignominy is glory, that shame and spitting from the lips of enemies, is but the same thing as praise and glory from the mouth of Christ." Instead of yielding, go forward, show your enemies that you do not know how to go back, that you are not made of the soft metal of these modern times."

And later in the sermon,

"I pray God to send a few men with what the Americans call "grit" in them; men who when they know a thing to be right, will not turn away, or turn aside, or stop; men who will persevere all the more true to their Master because they are opposed; who, the more they are thrust into the fire, the hotter they become; who, just like the bow, the further the string is drawn, the more powerfully will it send forth its arrows, and so, the more they are trodden upon, the more mighty will they become in the cause of truth against error."

I'm afraid Mr. Spurgeon's desire for his London congregation to reflect American "grit" would be unfounded today. We have lost our "grit," at least in the church. Yes, we are to preach the gospel. But we are also to speak truth to the culture we live in. Preaching the gospel should not be our excuse to sitting on the sidelines while our culture is imploding. The church needs a recovery of her voice. It begins with her leaders. It will then spill into the rest of the seats. If the leaders will not speak and lead the way, then the church needs to find new leaders. May God give us the courage to clear our throats for such a time as this.


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Wisdom Cries Aloud: The Foolishness of the Sexting Craze

Where has wisdom gone to hide? She is noticeably absent and missing. Everywhere you turn you feel the void her absence brings. Like Kevin waking up to find out he is all alone while the rest of the McAllister family is cruising at 30,000 feet Paris bound, it seems we awaken to find ourselves looking around to discover wisdom is nowhere to be found. We appear to be home alone. 

Wisdom is interesting. You cannot touch wisdom. You cannot buy wisdom. You cannot smell, taste, hear, or see wisdom. Yet, interestingly, we all know when we encounter wisdom, and, as I hope to highlight, we all know when it is missing. A simple description of wisdom would be: the ability to connect cause and effect. Wisdom is knowing how decision x will produce consequence y. If I do this, this will happen. If I fail to do this, this will happen. Wisdom is the ability to see these factors and conditions, and with all the information, make the smartest and best decision. That is wisdom.  

What is the evidence that wisdom has long left us to our own devises? There are endless examples that could be pointed out to support the claim that wisdom, along with Elvis, has left the building. 

The Sexting Dilemma 

One such craze happening right now all over the world, and in all age groups, is sexting. This is a particular practice among young adults. For those who have been hanging out in a bunker somewhere and are not familiar with sexting, it is simply take nude photographs of yourself and sending them to someone via text message. Yes, this person is usually a boyfriend/girlfriend or someone trusted, and not a stranger. But it is unwise nonetheless. 

Why does this demonstrate a lack of wisdom? Okay, let's evaluate: taking a picture of your genitals or breasts to send to someone who then has the image on their phone, for as long as they desire, to show anyone they please, to send to infinite numbers of people...hey, you're right, what could go wrong? 

This phenomena has and continues to wreak havoc in countless people's lives. People are having their nude selves broadcasted to their entire school, or worse yet, online for endless millions. "How dare someone violate my trust by sharing my photo with other people?," you say. How foolish! What did you expect would happen! Forget the fact that you should not be showing your naked body to anyone other than your spouse - which means if you are spouseless you should not be showing your naked body to anyone - taking pictures with your electronics and sharing them with others is just plain dumb. 

Do you really think the person you are sending these pics to respects you? Do you think that the person you are sending these pics to wants to have a relationship based on friendship and something of substance? No way! Not when your willing to act like one of Hugh Hefner's insecure ladies who try to garner the affections and attention of others using their bodies.

Will your future spouse - because I can almost guarantee you the person your sending these pics too is not the one - going to be excited to know your genitals have had 5,698 views via the internet sites created to house such photos? What is your plan for when the "relationship" doesn't work out? Are you going to send a friendly text that says: "Hey, sorry it didn't work out, would you mind erasing that picture of my boobs I sent you? LOL #embarassing" I hate to break the bad news, by the time you have sent that text, your lady parts have already been shown to all his buds, plus a few of his female friends (who all think you are a skank now).

Foolish, Foolish, Foolish

"I just didn't think he/she would hurt me like that. I can't believe they shared my pics with others." This is spoken by a fool. If wisdom is defined by the ability to connect cause and effect, the fool is defined as someone who cannot make this connection. The fool is the person who acts without thinking of the consequences. The fool keeps repeating mistakes because they never learn to assess how one decision may bring about a set of consequences they do not desire. 

At the heart of the sexting craze is rampant foolishness. Guys and gals alike are both acting foolishly. Because they hear of other couples sharing pictures with each other, it becomes the thing to do. Many are just burning with lust, seeking to find fulfillment through sexual contact and exploitation, rather than relationships built on friendships and shared beliefs. The truth is, everyone knows it could backfire and that it's wrong, but they do it anyway. This is why it is foolish. Friends, when you press "send," you can never ever get the picture back. You no longer have control as to who will see your naked body. This is also why you should not be surprised when your worst fears have come true and your desire to run and hide far outweighs the adrenaline rush you had when sending the pics. 

A Closing Plea

As a father of three younger children, two being girls, I greatly desire to teach them to be wise. I do not want them doing things simply to blend with the crowd and culture. I want them to respect themselves enough to not broadcast the body God gave them to people who have no business seeing it. I want them to know their dignity and respect is far more important to keep than some zit-face kid with raging hormones and desire to impress his buds. 

What I would say to them, I say to you. Exercise wisdom. The Bible says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Fearing the Lord is about reverence and honor to Him as your Creator. He made your body. You were made in the image of God which is what gives you dignity and worth. You deface that dignity and worth when you seek your value from your body. Your body was made by God. Your body is not God. Your body has worth because you are made in the image of God. You do not find your worth in your body. This is crucial to understand. 

Wisdom cries aloud in the streets (Proverbs 1:20). She is seeking for all who will listen to her. She desires to protect us. We must heed her instructions and listen to her pleas. She'll return to us again if we would open our ears. If we would stop and think, she will dwell among us. Unlike Kevin, I do not think we will survive long with our house absent of her presence. We need wisdom to return and take her rightful place in our lives. I have smelled the repugnant fragrance of foolishness in our culture long enough.

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5 Everyday Sins That Stunt Spiritual Growth

When many of us think of sin, we think of big things: murder, adultery, perhaps idol worship. In our own minds we rank those sins up there as the big dogs. Unfortunately, when we make this type of distinction, we actually desensitize ourselves to the reality that we sin everyday in many different ways. Each of these sins are real sins which contain the power to separate us eternally from a holy God and required the sending of Jesus to sacrificially atone for at the cross. These sins, when not dealt with, can stunt the growth of a Christian, and will stand to condemn the unbeliever. 

In this post I want to highlight 5 common, everyday sins we need to be aware of, begin to identify in our lives, and repent from. 

1. Worry -- Everyone has worried at some point. Some people live in constant worry. Worry is a sin. At the root of worry is unbelief in the reality that God cares for His children and provides for them. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 6 when he teaches that God sovereignly cares for the birds of the air, feeding them, and aware of their livelihood. He then concludes by asking, "How much more valuable are you than the birds?" Jesus' argument is that worry is silly. First, your God is sovereign over everything, including your life. He even knows the number of hairs on your head. Second, worry is the result of not knowing something or not being in control of something. When we recognize we are not in control of something, it can produce worry; however, this is where faith should be present. We should put our faith in the Lord, who knows all things and rules with power over them.

Confess that you are a worrier, admit that it is sin against God, and repent from worrying by placing complete trust of your life in God's hands, knowing He is good, wise, and powerful.

2. Loose Lips -- What do I mean by loose lips? A number of sins can emerge from loose lips: gossiping about others, slander, lying, and angry outbursts. All of these are examples of sins that flow from loose lips. James 3:5-6 speaks of the tongue being able to set fires. This is metaphoric for the great damage the tongue can do when not tamed. If we do not learn to tame our tongue, it can damage relationships, cause us trouble when angrily lash out at people, or lead us to lie our way out of accountability for things we have said or done. Many things on a daily basis come out of our mouths that are not glorifying to God or encouraging to people around us.

Confess that your mouth causes you problems, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by watching closely what things you speak and in what manner you speak them. Train yourself to ask the question: would I say this if Jesus were present with me in this room? (By the way, he is.)

3. Poor Stewardship -- This issue, like the last one, has multiple components that may be present. Poor stewardship is our mismanagement of all that God has given us. This manifest itself through mismanagement of our money, time, resources, and spiritual gifts. This may look like wasteful spending. It could look like failure to serve God with your gifts and talents. It may be failure to tithe your money to a local church as Scripture outlines. Or it could manifest itself in laziness. Maybe you complain about wanting to spend more time in the Word or prayer, but you waste countless hours on Facebook, Twitter, or Pintrest. Jesus tells the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) to remind us that he who manages well what he has been given, will be given more. Those who waste and squander will have what they've been given taken away. 

Confess that you have been guilty of poor stewardship, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by evaluating all the areas you have been given to steward (time, money, gifts, resources) and make the changes needed in these areas to bring them into alignment with God's will and Word.

4. Unforgiving -- Many sin daily by holding grudges against people and failing to forgive. Not forgiving others who have hurt us is sinful. Why? Because those who have been forgiving infinitely more by God Almighty, have no grounds or right to withhold forgiveness from others. No matter how wronged you have been, you still have not been sinned against the way each of us have sinned against a holy and perfect God. In fact, Jesus says in Matthew 18 if we fail to forgive others, we will not be forgiven. It is that big of a deal. Many think forgiveness means reconciliation, but it is not (more about this here).  

Confess that you struggle with being unforgiving, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by taking your struggle to forgive to God, ask God to be your vindicator, and release the person or people who have hurt you by choosing to no longer let their actions hurt and define you. 

5. Lack of self-control -- One of the fruits of the spirit is self-control. This is not talked about a lot in church. There are not many books written on this subject. However, self-control or lack of it, is at the heart of many struggles people face. Whether it is our eating habits, exercise routines, how we dress, the way we represent ourselves on the internet, or many other issues, self-control is often at the heart of whether we're honoring God or sinning. Self-control helps us to be slow to act. It aides us from having to immediately give our opinion or saying things we will later regret. Self-control is important in a marriage. If there is a lack of self-control with one or both people, it can cause serious problems. This issue plays out in different ways with different people. 

Confess that you need more self-control, admit that it is sin against God, and repent by beginning to lean more heavily on the grace that God supplies when we seek Him in prayer for help in this area. Rely on the Spirit's power, available to all believers, to begin operating with more self-control in your life.

With all of these everyday sins, it can be helpful to enlist the help of a friend or loved one that can offer accountability and ask hard questions. With the grace of God, the forgiveness Christ offers, and the Spirit's power, we can labor to rid our lives of these issues. I believe our lives would look very different, and our spiritual growth would be noticeable, if we dealt with these common issues. I invite you to join me in making these issues a priority. 

This list is not exhaustive. If you can think of other everyday sins that you or others struggle with, list them in the comments below. 

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Rid of My Shame: Opening Up About Mental Health Issues (Part I)

Last night, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Community Church in California shared his family's story of their son's suicide in April after a lifelong battle with mental health issues. My wife and I watched with tears as we imagined their anguish and grief. 

One of the things that stood out to me from the interview was Pastor Rick's words about mental health issues in our country. He spoke about how mental health problems are still a lingering taboo in our culture. People don't like talking about or admitting they struggle with these things. As somebody who has dealt with ongoing bouts of anxiety and panic attacks, I know exactly what he is talking about.

My Story

When my son, Kaleb, was born, he had numerous medical issues. We lived in the hospital for months. Two months after he was born, doctors felt he needed to have surgery to fix what was going on. To make a long story much shorter, the surgery went incredibly wrong, leaving his life in the balance. We were faced with decisions about his care that would determine whether he lived or died. We chose to fight. That fight was a two year battle which finally led to Kaleb receiving a kidney transplant. However, the battle had taken its toll. 

Approximately six months into Kaleb's treatment and hospitalization, I had a panic attack driving down the road. I was on my way to a college class, and out of nowhere, had a full scale panic attack. My heart was pounding rapidly. I thought I was having a heart attack. I broke into a cold sweat. I was freaking out. I pulled over on the side of the road and started crying. I called my wife, trying to calm myself down. I explained to her what had just happened, but even as I explained it, I felt foolish. What was wrong with me? Am I going crazy? What just happened? Will this happen again? All these questions and more lingered the entire day at school. 

Living with Mental Health Struggles

Nothing like this had ever happened to me. Until this point, I was a picture of perfect health, especially mentally. Over the course of the next several months and years, I would deal with these attacks. I would feel anxiety driving in my car, laying in the bed to sleep at night, sitting in a movie theatre, riding in a plane, and many other places. I learned a few weeks after my first attack this was called anxiety. I was told many people suffer with it. This both comforted me and saddened me. I had never had any issues like this before. Prior to these episodes, I would have dismissed such things as created in the mind, not a real issue.

I felt I was crazy, or at least going crazy. I wondered if telling other people about my struggles would only confirm this thought. I didn't know how to explain to people what was happening, because explaining it only confirmed (in my own mind) how ridiculous it was. I was ashamed. I attempted so hard to "think about something different." But it doesn't work that way. You cannot control it with mind over matter. Mental health doesn't work like that. It is real. You can't outtalk it. You can't manipulate yourself into dismissing its realness. You can't reason your way out of it.

At one point, during some of the worse times I faced, I remember thinking to myself: this is why some people commit suicide. I get it now. I wasn't suicidal, nor have I ever considered it. But for the first time in my life, I finally understood the feeling of hopelessness that ensues when you think your misery and suffering will never end. When I would sit and think about struggling with anxiety and panic attacks for the rest of my life, it would depress me. 

Finding Hope

But friends, we are not hopeless. There is a God who gives grace to us in our hour of need. It is a sufficient grace that comforts us, even in our afflictions (2 Corinthians 12:9). I have found this true. It doesn't mean that my problems always go away or get better. It means that I have a hope and comfort from God that accompanies me in the suffering. Even when the suffering doesn't lift, I know He is with me.

Lastly, to all who have or are struggling with mental health issues, it's okay to talk about it. You are not strange. You do not have to be ashamed. There are others who face the things you battle each day. I have found that sharing my struggles over the last few years with others has opened conversations about their own struggles. Talking about it has actually helped me. I hope this post will serve to do the same. You don't have to live silent about your struggles. Get rid of your shame. You are not alone.

Tomorrow in Part II, I will discuss ways that I have found hope and help in my struggles with mental health. We'll talk about misconceptions and what I believe to be poor Christian counsel on this subject. 

Leave a comment below if this is something you or someone you loved has faced. What do you struggle with? What has been helpful to you? What feelings and emotions have you carried with this battle?

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Further Up & Further In

The concept of 'Further Up & Further In' is the concept of pressing further into a subject or thing. It is a phrase captured from C.S. Lewis in his Narnia series. It has continue to be used by others in different settings. John Piper used a 'Further Up & Further In' section in his T.U.L.I.P. series to share additional study materials at the end of each chapter.

We are going to have a 'Further Up & Further In' time together at The Journey Church. At the end of our Counter-Culture series, we are going to have a time of Q&A around the issues from the series and other questions that the series provoked or inspired.

Everyone is welcome. The time of discussion should be both fun and helpful in our growth in Christ. Mark your calendar and start collecting your questions now.

Where: The Journey Church, 212 Leeville Pike.

When: Sunday, September 29th, 2013 (this is the last week of series)

What time: 12:45pm -- We are going to give everyone enough time to go grab a sandwich or burger and get back to the church. 

**Bring your children. There will not be childcare, but kids are welcome. It will be informal. They are free to sit with you, color, play on your phone, or play in one of our kid's rooms.

Struggling to Forgive

If you are like me, you have struggled at times to forgive people. People can say and do a number of things that hurt us. We all like to act tough and pretend as though things don't phase us. This is an act. We are tender people when it comes down to it. 

Things people may do that causes hurts includes: talking about you behind your back, saying something offensive, failing to live up to a commitment or expectation, lying to you, ignoring you, acting rude to you, doing something that brings physical harm to you or a loved one, and on the list goes. There is no end to the things that can hurt us. 

Are we to live constantly frustrated and angered at those who hurt us? Only if we want to live miserable lives. Failing to forgive those who hurt us does not get back at the one who caused the pain, it perpetuates our hurts. Being unable to forgive others only drowns us in a sea of despair and bitterness which leads us to feel worse about ourselves and our lives.

What is forgiveness?

It is important to understand the meaning of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not saying that what someone did is okay. Forgiveness is not pretending that something did not hurt you. Forgiveness is not acting like something did not happen. No, forgiveness understands that someones actions were wrong, hurtful, and did happen, but refuses to be held captive by those actions. 

Forgiveness is about cutting oneself loose from the hurtful actions of others. Forgiveness is about releasing the anger, bitterness, resent, and desire to hurt back. Forgiveness recognizes that no one is perfect, including ourselves, and chooses to pardon people for their wrongdoing. This naturally leads to an important question.

Why should we forgive?

Why should we let people off the hook who have hurt us? This is a question we wrestle with in dealing with forgiveness. We want people to feel the pain we feel. When someone hurts us, we want them to hurt too. This attitude is toxic. This type of attitude does massive damage to us emotionally. When we live to strike back at those who have hurt us, we quit living. 

Those unwilling to forgive others live miserable lives. The reason for this is they are chained to the hurtful actions of others. Instead of living life and moving on, they remain trapped in a state of resentment and vindictiveness. This is emotionally draining and physically exhausting. Choosing not to forgive others is a guaranteed way of being unhappy. 

In addition to the things stated, forgiveness is something God demands we give to others. Christ told us in Matthew 6 that we must forgive others of their trespasses or our own trespasses will not be forgiven. That is a massive reason for forgiving others. If we desire God to forgive our sins, we must learn to pardon the sins of those who hurt us. This is a major part of our discipleship and sanctification process as followers of Jesus.

How do we forgive? 

So what do we do? How can we go about forgiving others that have hurt us? I believe the first important step is realizing how much you have forgiven through Christ. If you are a Christian, all of your sin has been forgiven by God through Jesus. You did not earn your forgiveness, it was given. In light of that, we too should forgiven others. We should not force people to earn forgiveness. We should give it in the same way it was given to us. 

A second thing to remember is that other people have forgiven you when you have made mistakes. Just imagine if everyone you have hurt or offended continued to hold it against you. We would all have a lot of enemies if that happened. We should forgive others just as many have forgiven us. 

Lastly, forgiving others begins vertically as we take our hurts to God. We pray for God to heal our broken hearts. We ask God to give us strength to forgive. We ask for God to be the vindicator where we have been wronged. Once we have taken our issues vertical to God (which could be a long process), we are then able to extend forgiveness horizontally to others (even if we never see them again). 

Closing Thoughts

Forgiveness is something we want others to extend to us, but we often struggle to extend it to others. We act hypocritically when we expect people to readily forgive us and give us the benefit of the doubt, but when we are wronged we want to press full charges. We should be graceful people. Of all people, Christians should be the most eager and quick to forgive. We have been forgiven much.

A last thought: forgiveness does not mean that you pretend to be best friends with those who hurt you. Forgiveness does not always equal reconciliation. In order for reconciliation to occur, there needs to be repentance. Without repentance it is hard to reconcile hurts. The one who has offended or injured is responsible for apologizing and repenting. However, forgiveness is the choice of the person who is wronged. We cannot control people apologizing or repenting from hurting us, but we can forgive. I say, and more importantly, the Bible says we should do this liberally. 

Questions to ponder: Who in your life do you need to forgive? What do you need to do in light of this post to begin that process? Who in your life should you apologize to for things you have said or done? 


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How I Spend Time With God

On occasion I am asked by others how I spend time with God. Usually the question is asked from someone looking to find ideas for their own walk with God. They are curious to know what works for me, perhaps finding something helpful for themselves. I do the exact thing around other leaders. It is good to learn from others.

Since I get asked about this regularly, I decided to write about it. I'm going to outline my approach for spending time with God, then I'm going to give a few additional ideas and resources that can also be helpful.

My Approach

I like having routines. I do not always follow them perfectly, but they serve as guardrails to keep my life on the road. The following is my typical pattern and routine for spending time with God. 

1. I wake up before my wife and kids.

If you want to spend quite, uninterrupted time, you should wake up and start your day before the hustle and bustle begins. I am not against spending time with God during the middle of the day or in the evening, but I found personally I am more alert, rested, at peace, and ready to spend time with God in the morning time. If I wait until later, I either never get to it or it is always rushed and/or interrupted. Phone calls, texts, emails, and other things will snuff out quite time with God if I do not schedule it first thing.

Some people do not feel like they can afford to miss 30 to 45 minutes of additional sleep. My philosophy: I can't afford not to miss that sleep. I need to start my day with God. My family needs me to start my day with God. Something that may help you is to approach your time with God as a standing appointment. You wouldn't skip an appointment with your boss because you were sleepy. So you shouldn't skip time with God either.

2. Coffee, prayer, & self-gospeling. 

Once I am awake, I get my coffee brewing and I collect my Bible, highlighter, and pen. Once I have everything in place, I begin with a time of prayer. This prayer time is usually quick. I thank God for the gift of a new day. I praise Him for His greatness and glory. I ask Him to give me grace to read the Word and hear from Him. I pray for God to incline my heart toward His Word, so that I do more than read words on a page. It is also during this time that I rehearse the gospel message to myself. I remind myself that approaching God is all of grace. I thank God for His holiness and might. I reflect on my sinfulness and need of a Savior. I exalt in Jesus, my Substitute and Redeemer. And I place my faith once again in the risen Christ for my right standing with God. 

3. Intentional Bible Reading.

After I finish praying, I open my Bible reading plan to where I left off previously, locate the passages I am scheduled to study, and begin reading. I read carefully and thoughtfully. I highlight passages that really resonate with me or leap out. I jot down notes with my pen in my Bible's margins. When I finish my scheduled reading, but desire to read more, I'll go to the psalms or a Gospel or a letter from Paul.

I love using a Bible reading plan. I have not always done it, but I find it gives me consistency. In the past, when not using a plan, I would jump around to random texts, with no real purpose or intentionality. Using a plan that goes through all the Bible in a year keeps me neglecting major portions of Scripture I may otherwise never read. But all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for our learning (2 Timothy 3:16).

4. Closing Prayer.

After spending time in the Word, I close with prayer. This time of prayer is longer than the first, focused on repenting of sin, praying for strength, interceding for my family, and pleading for the Holy Spirit to help me apply the truths from the morning's study. While this is my closing prayer of my study time, I seek to pray throughout the day.

Additional Ideas and Resources

There are other practices that I incorporate into my time with God that are not always daily, but are regular. One of those practices is journaling. I will journal several times a week. I recount the events and conversations of the past few days that were meaningful or significant. I have done this for years, and find it enjoyable. Occasionally I'll go back and read prior entries to see how life has progressed. 

Another practice I enjoy is reading/singing/praying hymns. I love hymns. I do not always like their musical arrangement, but I cherish their lyrics. These songs are saturated with the gospel and feed the soul. I keep a hymnal on my desk. Similar to this is a handbook called Valley of Vision. It is a collection of short prayers on numerous topics. I often read one to close my morning study. 

Lastly, I like to sing. I'm not a great singer, but I enjoy doing it. I play music in the background as I pray and read. I also will pick a song or two to sing or sit in silent reflection. Music and singing flow from the heart's affections. It is difficult to enjoy music or sing if your affections are cold. I know it has been a good time with God when I'm bursting with gratitude while I sing. 

Resources: There are two books, in my opinion, that go unrivaled on the subject of spiritual disciplines and drawing closer to God. My first recommendation is Donald Whitney's Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life. This is a great book on all the different spiritual disciplines that can be incorporated into your walk with God. The second book is Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. Like the previous book, it outlines the different means of grace God has given to foster growth in our relationship with Him.

A Promise and a Challenge

James 4:8 promises that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. That is an incredible promise. If we will step toward God, make the time for Him, He will step toward and make time for us. How incredible! Take Him up on that. 

Remember Mary and Martha from Luke 10. Martha was busy, busy, busy. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha wanted Jesus to make Mary get up. Jesus' response to her is that, "one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42). Jesus said only one thing was necessary, and Mary was doing it. She was sitting at Jesus' feet. We should resolve to never begin a day without first sitting like Mary at the feet of Jesus. George Muller, the 19th century evangelist, believed it was man's first priority, each and every day, to get his soul happy in God. Let's heed that thought and spend time with God. 

Questions: what practices do you regularly incorporate into your walk with God? What new practices have you considered trying? Leave your thoughts and comments below.


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No Perfect People Allowed

The church is not for perfect people. The church is a gathering of imperfect people who have put their hope in a perfect Savior, Jesus. We all know in our minds this is true, but we often live differently.

In recent weeks, I have had a number of conversations with members and attenders of The Journey Church, which I pastor, who had not been around lately. In talking with them, I learned that these people had been experiencing various trials and pains in their lives. Some were struggling with areas of sin in their lives. Whether it was the experience of trials or struggles with sin, all the people felt inclined not to come to gather with the church for worship. This concerns me.

The first thing I wanted to know was whether their non-attendance was because they felt uncared for or judged by the church. In all cases the answer was "no." When I probed deeper into why these people felt the need to shy away from gathering with the church, it was a sense of guilt, shame, or lack of desire to be with people that emerged. They simply did not want to face other people. They reiterated that this was not because the church had done anything, but their own sense of guilt.

So what is behind their not coming?

This really got me to thinking about the paradigm that exists in most people's minds about the church. Many people view the church as a place where people have it together. One reason is many of our churches have turned into impersonal gatherings where we attend a service, say a few words to the people around us, and leave. There is very little interaction, so we all put on our happy faces. In this kind of setting, we do not let our guards down. We all put on a smile, look good, keep composed, and give our hour and a half of time.

The problem with this is that it gives the perception to everyone around us that our lives are great. Things are perfect. When this permeates the culture, even when things are not perfect, people will feel the need to fake it. In an environment like this, we send a message that struggles and pain are an inconvenience. When this is happening, people who are struggling with trials or sin, would rather not be in an environment that feels inherently judgmental or critical.

A Second Reason

So we see that one reason people may shy away from coming to church is that they do not feel that people facing problems are welcome to come. The illusion of perfection as a requirement keeps them away. A second reason, which is similar to the first, is many people choose not to gather with the church during seasons of struggle, is they do not want to "fake it." They feel conviction; they feel shame for their sin. Many simply don't feel worthy to come to church.

The reason this problem exists is two-fold. The first reason is that people forget that the church is a place full of imperfect people. If we realized that everyone is jacked up, we would have much more confidence in gathering with the body. The church is the body of Christ, made up of sinners who have been saved by grace. Our whole message as the church is that we are imperfect people serving a perfect Savior. People forget that Christ has forgiven them of their sin. They forget that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). There is no need to self-impose condemnation. If we realized this, we would gather freely with the body, even in the midst of struggles and sin.

The second part of this is that many church worship services are too chipper. What do I mean by this? I mean that many church services are too focused on being peppy and happy and chipper. While I am not against uplifting services, the reality is most people are not always feeling uplifted. If we read the psalms we see quickly that being downcast is normal for even the most God-loving people. Sorrow is a real part of the Christian life. Unfortunately, our services rarely reflect the lament and sorrow that accompany our lives. If our services were more intentional to reflect the different dispositions that many in the church feel, I believe we would have more people continue to gather with the body, even when they were downcast from trials or sin. 

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is this: church is not for perfect people. The church is a gathering of imperfect people, who have put their hope in a perfect Savior. If you are having struggles in life, you should gather with the body of Christ. If you are struggling with issues of sin, welcome, so are those gathered around you. Seek the Savior with other believers when the church gathers. Do not create an unreachable standard of perfection that is required before gathering for corporate worship. If you do, you are perpetuating the problem of making church a place for the supposed perfect people.


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My Reasons For Being a Pastor Involved with Students

Me & Kaleb in Philly @Fuge w/ a Youth Group from the Pittsburgh area

I never had a youth group. I did not go to church during those years. I may have attended one lock-in at a church. That was it. I was too busy living for the approval of my peers and working to blend into the cool crowd. I was regularly involved in things that were against the law, damaging to myself and others, and rebellious against God. I do not glorify those days. I look back with disgust at my conforming, go-with-the-crowd, ignorant self.

I recently had a guy remind me of who I was during those years. He reached out to me via Facebook. He was on my high-school baseball team. He was a freshmen my senior year. He reminded me that I used to pick on him and his friend for being "Bible thumpers." Yep, that was your boy, right here. The preacher who used to make fun of people who went to youth group.

But God...

Ah, I love those words. If it wasn't for "But God" I would be doomed. Without those words there is no telling where my life would be at this moment. God rescued me. God saved me from my folly. What was once boring and unappealing to me, was now insatiably interesting. What was once considered a set of chains and shackles to keep me from doing what I wanted, was now realized to be the very path of liberation. I was already chained, I just thought I was free. Christ gave me real freedom.

When I look back at teenage Erik, I want to slap his pimply face and challenge his worldview and actions. I want to show him that his choices matter and shape the future he will live tomorrow. I cannot go back to teenage Erik; however, I have a church full of teenagers, and soon-to-be teenagers all around me. This is why I am committing myself to investing in students.

I'm Diving In

For the last three summers, I have preached to thousands and thousands of students at Fuge Camps. I have been reminded over and over again that students are not "kids," though that is how they are often treated. They can handle the meat and potatoes of the gospel, if we are willing to walk with them. However, most of the time, they are treated like older versions of our preschool kids. We give them a few stories about some Bible characters, we connect a moral lesson to it, play a game, give out cookies and juice, and call it ministry. This will not suffice.

Students are facing tough challenges. They are making real choices. They are forming a worldview and determining career paths. In addition to values and their future direction, they are making moral choices. They are faced with getting drunk, smoking pot, doing LSD, stealing from stores, cheating on tests, sleeping with their boyfriend/girlfriend, watching porn, and on it goes. These are vital choices. These decisions have real consequences. I have watched as many of my teenage friends have continued to struggle in life today due to choices they made in junior and senior high. I want to be involved in helping students work through these issues.

Many Churches Are Failing

Many churches would claim that they are already helping students deal with these issues, and that may certainly be true. But that is not always the case. A recent article in The Atlantic had an article by Larry Taunton on the profile of many college atheists. To the surprise of many, most of these college atheists revealed that they grew up in church. They attended youth groups. A common theme was that these student ministries gave trite answers to their difficult questions. They focused more on entertainment than dealing with the real issues students face. The Bible was secondary.

This does not mean having fun is wrong. It does mean entertainment will not transform anyone. You cannot base a student ministry on having fun. They need to be shown the life-changing truths of Scripture and be shown a glorious picture of God. Many churches are failing to do this, which is why we have a lot of teenagers in youth groups, but not a lot of students sold out for Christ.

TJC Student Ministry

I have been meeting with several of the existing student volunteers we have at The Journey and talking with them about student ministry. We have discussed doing everything we can to pour into students and ground them in the gospel. We are implementing a strategic plan for ministering to students. It has me excited. As a pastor, I do not have tons of extra time to spare. I am certainly not jumping into student ministry because I am bored. Rather, I am completely convinced that I, the pastor, must be involved in this ministry. This is not because I am the expert, but as the pastor, I set the tone of the church's culture. Additionally, I want to be involved in shaping the next generation of Christian pastors, nurses, teachers, police-officers, and college students. I want them to have a big, glorious, God-exalting view of the world.

I believe it can happen through a vibrant student ministry.

I want to be involved in seeing it realized.

Let me hear from you: why do you think student ministry is often marginalized to entertainment? What was your experience or non-experience with student ministry as a teenager?

Check out our TJC Student Ministry page & BLOG

New Beginnings

I woke up this morning with a sense of newness. I feel it is a day of new beginnings.

I got home on Saturday night after two weeks in Philadelphia. I had the privilege this summer to speak at Ridgecrest, NC, New Orleans, LA, Panama City Beach, FL, and Philadelphia, PA. During these six weeks of student camps, I have spoken to several thousand students from across the entire country. I consider it a special privilege to have that opportunity. When I woke up this morning, with nowhere to travel, I finally realized the finality of camp for the summer. It gave me a sense of newness. A new chapter and season for the year is beginning. 

Then yesterday at church, we had an all-day going away party for  Robbie and Tiffany Cheuvront. Robbie has been our worship leader since the Journey started eights years ago. He has been there through every up and down. He will always be a dear friend. He preached at the morning services, then we had a praise and worship night in the evening. Saying it was a great night is an understatement. We all sang praises to God, with gratitude in our hearts. We spoke a lot of words about our love for Robbie and the Cheuvront family. Those words cannot capture the actual sentiments. When I woke up this morning, realizing Robbie was not going to be leading worship this Sunday, I felt a sense of newness. I am sad, but today feels like a new beginning, a new chapter. 

This got my mind thinking about new chapters in our lives. We all have those seasons of change. It may be a new job, a new child, a new home, or some other change. There are two major things that I think are important to remember during these new beginnings:

1. Give thanks to God for the previous season. 

Take time to take inventory of the way God has blessed your previous season or chapter of life. Sit down and reflect on the different experiences that the chapter brought into your life. Before simply moving to the next season of life, it is helpful to contemplate the previous season. 

2. Anticipate what God has coming.

New seasons can be scary because there are a lot of unknowns. However, we must trust that God is in control of those new seasons, just as He was the previous ones. We need to anticipate what God is going to do in the new chapters of our lives.

Things do not stay the same. Things change. It is not always a fun experience, but it is a certain reality. Rather than resisting change, we should be grateful for the seasons. These are the chapters that make up the story of our lives. 

The God of All Comfort

This life is full of so many ups and downs. It is undoubtedly easier to live in those "up" moments, but it is not always better. God can and does use our "down" moments to draw us near to Him. These "down" moments lead us to pray more pointedly, more fervently, and more desperately. Those are good things. When we are in those "up" moments we can easily get by without prayer (not in reality, but in our own minds), without any fervency or desperation.

My family and I have learned this through all the trials we have experienced with our son, Kaleb. As a kidney transplant patient, he is on medications that suppresses his immune system, so he can get sick easily. Any time he is not feeling good, it is easy to be catapulted into one of those "down" moments. This is just the reality of being a parent who loves your child.

But I have learned personally, that these moments cause me to rely more on God than I was before. I have learned that our God personally comforts those in affliction. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father or our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our afflictions..."

Friends, it does not matter what you are facing today; our God comforts in ALL our afflictions. I am comforted; that does not mean I am always comfortable. But I am comforted. I have peace, even when I am desperate. Thank God for the trials you face; these pains bring you closer to Him and make you more dependent on Him than we often are without the trials. Keep in mind the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior knows the agony of pain. He knows what we face. And he is our Mediator and Intercessor. He can sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) and he promises to give us sufficient grace for our trials (2 Corinthians 12:9). Run to him, friends.

Spiritual Slumps

Sports fans are accustomed to hearing about slumps. Basketball players have shooting slumps. Baseball players have hitting slumps. A slump for them is a season of time in which they have a difficult time making a shot or getting a hit. 

Slumps are common in sports. It is unrealistic to think you can constantly make shots or get hits. So when players go through this, we often here the antidote prescribed, "they need to shoot their way out of the slump" or "they need to keep swinging the bat until they hit their way out of the slump." 

The idea is that they need to keep going through the habits and routines of their craft, be it shooting a basketball or hitting a baseball, until they get out of the slump. 

In the Christian life, we also experience slumps. It is not uncommon for us to go through spiritual slumps. During these times our relationship with God feels stagnant, stifled, and unproductive. These seasons can make it difficult to pray, read the Bible, or gather with the church in corporate worship.

So how do we get out of these slumps? Is there an antidote for overcoming these times?

The same advice given to sports players would be my advice for getting out of a spiritual slump. You need to "hit" your way out of it. You need to "shoot" yourself out of these slumps. What do I mean? You need to keep going through the habits and routines of our spiritual disciplines, until we get out of the slump. 

The greatest thing we can do during our spiritual slumps is start pouring ourselves into the Word of God. We need to read and reflect and rejoice at God in His Word. We need to pray. Pray without ceasing and with a fervency that God would awaken our cold hearts to Him. We need to gather with the church for worship. We need to be singing the praises of God and hearing sermons from the Bible. 

James 4:8 tells us "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you..."

The promise of this verse is that if we will make a move toward God, He will make a move toward us. If we are in a spiritual slump, the antidote is to run hard after God. God is not elusive, He is not hiding from us. 

So if you are currently in a spiritual slump, or soon find you are, shoot your way out through prayer and Scripture reading until you are out. 

Question: how often do you find yourself in spiritual slumps? What things have you found helpful for getting out of them?

Put On Christ

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Rom. 13:14)

The book of Romans is one of the greatest books in all of the Bible. It is a well of great gospel-rich truths of what God has done for sinners through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is also practical for instructing us in our daily living as believers. One of those practical instructions is found in the verse mentioned above, a verse that Augustine, perhaps the greatest western theologian ever, read in 386 A.D. and was born-again on the spot. 

Paul writes for believers to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." This is a powerful metaphor for us to consider. Every day before we leave our homes we "put on" clothes, coats, jewelry, hats, and different items. Paul says we are to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to put on Jesus like a garment. We are to consciously wear him as we go. We should consider ourselves naked until we have robed ourselves with him. But what does it mean to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ?"

First, it is to remind ourselves that it is his righteousness that clothes us with acceptance before God. In Christ alone, and his righteousness, are we pardoned before God and looked upon as holy. It is not our holiness or by our works, but totally his, that reconciles us before the Father. Reminding yourself that you belong to God, and are loved by Him, not because of your works, but because the works of Jesus for you, is a great way to begin each and every day. It is also a good hourly reminder as your day unfolds.

Second, it to remind ourselves that we must abide in him daily for power to overcome Satan, our flesh, and the temptations of this world. Jesus says in John 15 if we abide in him, and his word abides in us, we will bear much fruit. Apart from him we can do nothing. We put on Christ to remind ourselves that if we are ever detached from him, the Vine of God, we will wither and die. 

But Paul is not finished. After instructing us to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ," he adds, "and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." This is vital to catch. We begin by robing ourselves in Christ and his righteousness. Then we choke out the flesh, which naturally breeds and gives birth to sin. We war against the desires of the flesh, not by gratifying what it wants, but starving it out. By not making provisions for our flesh, we are choking out the fountain and source from which sin flows. What does it mean to "make no provisions for the flesh?" 

First, it is to minimize your exposure to things that would provoke or breed sinful desires. If you have struggles with lust, do not put yourself in situations where temptation to lust will be prominent. If the computer tempts you to engage in inappropriate material, then put filters on your computer. If you struggle with gossip, commit yourself to lead conversations wandering down the road of gossip toward other topics.

Second, it is to immediately confess and repent of sin when we recognize its existence in our lives. One of the ways that we quit making provisions for the flesh is when we recognize sin in our lives, we confess it before God, and we quit doing it. We repent. We stop engaging in it, and we turn to Christ for strength. 

This verse is a command, but it is written in as a metaphor for powerful effect. Paul wants us to see how to live our daily life in Christ. He instructs us to "put on Christ," remind yourself of the righteousness that is yours in the Son of God. He warns us to "make no provisions for the flesh, to gratify its sinful desires." This command instructs us to turn from those things which would lead us astray. Left to ourselves, we will wander into sin. We wear garments of flesh, and these garments want and crave sin. To suppress these garments, we must wear something over them. We put on Christ. We are to robe ourselves in the majesty of the King from Nazareth.

This is how a Christian daily prepares themselves to start the day. Resolve to never leave your house naked; put on Christ.