Christianity in the Trenches

Does the world only see my public Christianity? Do they only see a woman who looks like she has it all together, greeting and chatting like all is well with the world complete a Sunday smile pasted her my face? Do they only see the crisply pressed, buttoned up Bible toting image I portray on Sunday mornings?

What about the Christianity that goes into the trenches with me? The person I am when I'm on the floor pleading with Jesus for strength to put the cookie back in the jar, when I need to turn the television channel but am having a difficult time looking away. What about my Christianity in arguments and disagreements, disappointment and sorrow? Does the world ever see this side of my faith?

It is nothing to be ashamed of. It is the nuts and bolts of why Jesus came. When I hide the guts of Christianity I am hiding the most powerful testimony of all. I have joy because Christ navigates me and helps me out of the rough places. This is praise worthy and should be very public.

If I hide my struggles and the help that comes I'm not reflecting Jesus at all. I'm giving a false impression of who Christ is and why he had to go to the cross.

Let me open the book cover of my life and allow the world to see chapter after chapter the struggles of my humanity and how Christ has come along side and comforted, and admonished, and helped and pruned, and cleansed, and strengthened.

This is the light that shines brightest. This is the light that illuminates the way for the next weary traveler who doesn't feel they can go another step. Encouragement does not come from someone who has never fallen. True encouragement comes from the one who has fallen and has found Jesus at the bottom of the pit. Brokenness and the experience of Jesus' forgiveness is the ladder that enables me the freedom to climb out of the trench. This should not be kept a secret.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I've known you the most and the best when I've been in the trenches. This is when your sweet hand of strength and forgiveness greets me and lifts me up. May I never shy away from sharing the most powerful part of my faith.

This little light of mine, I'm going let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine, let it shine, let shine, let it shine!

Let it shine til Jesus comes, I'm going to let it shine!

"If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." II Corinthians 11:30

"…My power is made perfect in weakness" 2 Corinthians 12:9

"…a broken spirit and a contrite heart, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17

Do I have to be pre-qualified for this job?

In my quiet time this morning I read from a reading plan that started on January 1 and will take me through the Bible this year if I stick to it. (It is my intention to do so, but I also know that from past experience that when February rolls around I may be finding it hard to sick to my guns when it comes to the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy). As most plans do, it started in Genesis. Today I read the story of Noah and was particularly inspired by what I observed about him.

"Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." Gen 6:9

Noah was one man among many who walked on the earth at this time in history, yet we see that he was the only one who is recognized as being righteous. The Bible implies that he had an intimate relationship with the Father for it says that he walked with God. I can imagine that this walking also included some talking and praying.

We learn in this passage that God also confided in Noah, for God told Noah that he was going to destroy the earth and all the people in it for "the earth is filled with violence."

Then God gave specific instructions to Noah to build an ark to save his family and a remnant of God's creation from destruction.

Obviously, a trusting relationship existed between them for how else would Noah possibly believe and say yes to such preposterous plans? We don't know that he was a ship builder. We don't know that he was a veterinarian, or a rancher, or even a lover of animals, and here he is saying, "Okay Lord, I will do this thing that no one has ever done before to save my life and my family and all these critters from something that has never happened before."

Building the ark had to be a monumental task and what about collecting all those animals? That must have been harder still. Yet "Noah did everything just as God commanded him." Gen. 6:22

Before this assignment was given to him, Noah was just as obscure in the world as I am. The only thing that singled him out was that he knew the Father intimately. He did not have to be prequalified as a zoologist or a sea captain, or shipbuilder. The only attribute that we see that qualified him for this job was that he walked with God.

What assignment has God given you that you feel unqualified to do? If God is the same today, yesterday and forever, what he required from Noah is the same thing that he requires from you, which is to walk with Him, the other qualifications will follow.

Dear Jesus,

Continue to make this true in my life. I will walk with you daily and you will qualify me for the rest.