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Bad stuff happens to all of us. Romans 8:28 says, We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. The Paralympic athletes have had to deal with illness and injury, yet they are now representing their countries on the world stage. Even though their illnesses and injuries have caused them pain, suffering and hardship, something good has come out of it. Can you think of a time when something bad happened and God used it for good? When bad stuff happens we need to trust that God is helping us through it and that he can use it for good.
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1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says, There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve, but we serve the same Lord. And there are different ways that God works in people, but it is the same God who works in all of us to do everything.
At the Olympic Games, each country sends a team, but not everyone competes in the same sport, or even the same event. There is track, field, swimming, equestrian, skateboarding, cycling, basketball and so many more. In the Christian faith there are different spiritual gifts such as teaching, prophecy, encouragement, serving, giving, wisdom, leadership, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracles, healing, discernment, and speaking in other languages. The gold medals for each of the Olympic sports are the same, just like all of the spiritual gifts are equally important. Do you know what your Spiritual gifts are? Perhaps you can do a Spiritual gifts quiz. At the Olympic Games, behind every athlete is a team of people supporting them - coaches, doctors, physiotherapists, sports psychologists, friends and family. It's hard to succeed at that level without people supporting and encouraging you. It's hard to succeed at any level without people supporting and encouraging you. As human’s we’re designed to do life together - that’s what the church is for. In Hebrews 10:24-25, Paul tells us, We should think about each other to see how we can encourage each other to show love and do good works. We must not quit meeting together, as some are doing. No, we need to keep on encouraging each other. It's important to meet together with other Christians at church, youth group, and/or bible study so that you can encourage each other in your faith and you can grow in spiritual maturity.
I love the Olympic Games - people from around the world competing against the world's best. These athletes didn't just wake up one day and decide to go to the Olympics! They have trained for years to prepare themselves for the opportunity to compete at the Games. They have endured early mornings, pain, financial hardship, failure, emotional strain, disappointment, blood, sweat and tears. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win!
Being a Christian is like being an Olympic athlete - you will face obstacles, opposition, disappointment, temptation, and setbacks. We need to train so that we will win the race. A Christian trains by practicing the Spiritual disciplines - prayer, reading the Bible, fasting, giving, confession, service, fellowship, worship and gratitude. Are you running to win? Or is your Christian faith more like a walk in the park? Choose one Spiritual discipline to practice this week.  I went to a restaurant this week with beautiful views of the sunset. As I waited to be taken to my table, I overheard the waitress ask the guests behind me if they had a reservation. They did not and were disappointed that they were to be seated at the back of the restaurant, away from the stunning views.
As I reflected on this, I realised that eternity is a bit like that. You can't just wing it, and rock up at the end of your life (whenever that is) and expect to get the best seat in the house. You need to make a reservation. In Philippians 4:3, Paul talks about some of the people who had helped him spread the Good News about Jesus and said, Their names are written in the book of life. The book of life is like eternity's reservation book. So, how do you make a reservation to spend eternity with Jesus? 1 John 1:9 says, But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. We can trust God. He does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrongs we have done. Nothing we can do on our own can get us there, only what Jesus did on the cross. Do you have a reservation? This is a great illustration of what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit!  I'm running with the boating theme this week. We're like boats and life is like the ocean. When a boat is on the water it is at the mercy of the wind and the waves. Sometimes we take our boat out to one of the local islands and pull up on the beach. We put the anchor out so the boat doesn't drift off out to sea. Even when the wind blows, the currents pull and the waves toss it about, the anchor holds it in place. Hebrews 6:18-19 says, These two things cannot change. God cannot lie when he makes a promise, and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong.
The fact that God keeps his promises gives us hope, especially when the storms of life hit. We can be confident that:
 Life is like a boat - it's not living out its purpose unless it's on the water. We have a boat and get to enjoy going fishing, watching whales and dolphins, knee-boarding, and exploring islands - the kind of things that boats were designed to do. According to Mark chapter twelve, as Christians our purpose is to love Jesus and love others.
Mark 12: 29-31 (ICB) The most important command is this... Love the Lord your God. Love him with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second most important command is this: Love your neighbour as you love yourself. Unless we love Jesus and love others, we're like a boat that hasn't made it off the boat trailer and into the water. To be fair, you don't get tossed about by the waves while you're on dry land, but you also don't get to watch Wales, catch fish, go skiing or knee-boarding or all the wonderful things you can do on a boat. So, if your life is like a boat are you in the water living out your purpose, or are you still on dry land?  Almost every city in the world has a market that sells cheap imitations of designer handbags and clothes. That Gucci bag you bought in Bali for $10 probably isn't the real deal. If you look at if from a distance you might be fooled but a closer inspection will reveal the wonky stitching, ill-fitting lining and broken zip. If you do have a spare $5000 to buy an authentic Gucci bag (not that I condone spending that much on a handbag), you will be able to tell from the workmanship that it is the real deal.
Your Christian faith can be a bit like that. If you look at it from a distance it looks real. You go to church and youth group but if you take a closer look at your life it may reveal some flaws. It's impossible to be perfect but if your faith is legit you should be moving towards Christlikeness. Your faith should show in your words and actions. Matthew 23:5 was referring to the teachers of the law or pharisees and said that they did the right thing to be seen by others. Are your actions motivated by your genuine love of God or are you just trying to look good for others? |
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