Faith-in-Training

Recently, I was driving around town and found myself behind an extremely slow-moving minivan. Suddenly, it stopped at a green light in a right turn lane, then forgot to signal and advanced into the other lane, almost hitting the divider. My impatience got the best of me as I pulled up alongside the vehicle to catch a glimpse of the errant driver.

“Do I need to dial 911 and get some assistance on the road? This person is clueless, distracted and probably texting while driving”, I thought nervously while I passed judgment.

Finally, both of our cars pulled up to a red light and I casually craned my neck to investigate, my face set with a firm look of disapproval that was sure to set them straight! To my surprise, it was a sheepish and sweet-faced 15 ½ year old boy with his mother sitting next to him in the passenger seat. Her hand was gripping the handle above the passenger door, (You know that handle for those of you who have teenage drivers) while he looked every bit like a deer in the headlights.

My demeanor completely changed in an instant.

“Ohhhh, he’s a driver-in-training… That totally makes sense! I remember those days… Been there done that”, I murmured to myself.

It’s interesting how quickly my response towards the driver changed, once I understood the full picture and was able to see the road from his vantage point and not mine.

I thought about this experience and the people in our lives who drive us crazy with the way they navigate through life. We don’t agree with their decisions, or the way they’ve responded to whatever circumstances or challenges they’ve been facing. It’s easy to pull up from behind and tailgate them from a place of pride and self-righteousness, instead of grace and understanding.

Do you have people like this in your life? You see them making decisions that you don't agree with. Or you watch them respond to challenges they may be experiencing from a place of incessant worry, fear, deep insecurity and even anger. Maybe you don’t agree with or approve of where they are in their faith journey and think they should be "further along" or "more mature" in their faith. Do you find yourself impatient with their “faith-in-training” process?

Proverbs 14:29 reminds us:

“Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”

When we come alongside people and see the road from their viewpoint, suddenly things make sense to us and it’s much easier to be gracious and patient with them. 

Things come into focus and we begin to understand the WHY behind what they’re doing, in a way that not only makes sense but helps us to grow in compassion towards them. I have learned that there is always a back story to what you might see on the front page of someone's life.

 

A few things to think about:

• Consider the many people where you or I have tested their patience, annoyed and driven them crazy with the way we navigate our challenges and decisions. The grace we extend always come back to us when we need it as well.
• Can you remember a time when you found yourself navigating obstacles in your life in a similar way? If so, take a minute to thank God for how far you have come along!
• Have you taken time to come alongside others in a way that gives you greater understanding and insight on how to love, pray and support them during their faith-in-training process?
• God uses challenging people for OUR faith-in-training process. Consider the unloving qualities that are revealed in us when we judge a person without first seeking Christ’s perspective: self-righteousness, impatience, anger and pride. God uses these relationships to train your faith to display qualities that reflect the heart of Christ.

Galatians 5:22-23 says:

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Finally, on this side of eternity, we are ALL in training!

We will serve each other well if we remember to see things from God's vantage point. Thankfully, He’s given us the greatest Faith Training Manual – the Bible – to help us in our faith-in-training journey so we can help others as we grow!

“Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

”

— 2 Timothy 3:17 The Message

Replacing Lies with The Truth

Sometimes my worst days are when I spend time in my head. I can easily give the enemy a foothold to come in and tell me how I am not good enough, how I let others down, how God must be tired of dealing with the same old stuff with me, and how everyone else has it going on spiritually, and why I don't. I obsess and obsess…giving in to the lies. Such a waste of time.

Maybe you find yourself having a day like this?

Recently, the Lord gave me this great visual of what to do when I find myself caving in to the lies of the enemy. Think of the game, Dodge Ball. The goal of the game is to take people out by throwing balls at them. And I mean pegging them to the point of pain. That's what the enemy does all day long. He throws all kinds of lies (balls) at us. The enemy works to keep us self-focused and absorbed in our minds, that we forget God is available to take the enemy out in a second and Game Over!

God wants us to respond to the lies of the enemy swiftly, and replace them with His truth. 

Next time you find yourself obsessing and entertaining lies in your mind, bounce them up to God. God does not want you to hold onto these balls another second. God will catch these balls of fire, and replace them with living waters of truth, to extinguish the chaos in your mind and give you the inner peace you need.

 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (MSG)

Get Out of The Boat!

I was tagged in a photo on my Facebook page from 20 years ago when I worked at Malibu, a Young Life Camp in Canada. I was nicknamed Fern that summer because I had really big hair, particularly my bangs! I often remark to my husband how much I miss the old Lisa- care free and with a faith that seemed so real, alive, and easy. It was easy to be a Christian back then. I was surrounded by Christians like myself. I was part of something special, reaching teens for Christ. It was exciting to watch lives being changed and to have my own life changed by these experiences.

I would do anything for God as long as I was comfortable and liked.

I remember telling a friend 8 years ago that I was a seed planter. People knew I was a Christian but I wasn't about to proclaim anything about my faith that might make me uncomfortable or not liked. I managed safety for many years in my walk with God. Sure I heard sermons and read passages in the Bible that spoke of the discomfort about being a Christian, but I did everything to protect myself from experiencing any of that. I was managing my faith and why rock the boat. As God was preparing my heart to begin Faith Journey Bible Studies almost 14 years ago, little did I know that my boat was about to get rocked in a big way! All of a sudden, I was forced to come out of MY closet as a Christian and let it be known what my faith was all about.

God has taught me many things through these experiences;

I am beyond my comfort zone, I understand what rejection feels like, I have been lonely, I have been persecuted for my faith, laughed at and ridiculed, rejected, and have felt people distancing themselves from me. As a recovering people pleaser, this has been very difficult.

I tell God often, He has me in the wrong place. But deep down I know He has me exactly where He wants me to be. Scripture over and over affirms our purpose as Christians in this world."You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14(NIV).

Maybe you can relate to this? We are good at maintaining a safe distance from others and comfort level when it comes to our Christian faith. We do everything to blend in with the world and not stand out. The safer route is just to believe in God, the harder route is to begin walking with God. John Ortberg has a great book called, "If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat." I am grateful to be where I am at in my journey with God because where He has taken me from and where He is taking me to is developing me into a woman who is living more care free and full of adventurous life than she was 20 years ago but without the big bangs!