Scripture Sunday: The Great Wall in our Faith

We use walls a lot in our world. They support structures such as our homes. They keep things out, like the Great Wall of China kept out invaders. Or they keep things in, like we use our fence (basically a wooden wall) to keep our dog in the back yard. But we also use walls to designate a boundary line. The most famous of this type of wall would be the Berlin Wall. It maked the boundary between East Germany (communist) and West Germany (democratic). There were stiff penalties if one was caught trying to cross the boundary from East Germany into West Germany.

In Proverbs 3:6, God gives us a boundary for our faith and a line that we should never cross. It reads: In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Pretend like the comma in that verse is a wall, a boundary wall. The first half of the verse is our side of the wall. It is where we should dwell. The second half of the verse is God's side of the wall. It is where we should never go.

Our responsibility as God-followers is to "acknowledge him in all of our ways." That means that we are to live our lives commited to God's word. Every decision, every thought, every choice, every action of every moment should all acknowledge him in our life. When I have a choice of letting my daughter go to her ballet rehearsal on Wednesday night or participating in Bible study, then I choose Bible study every time. Why? Because I want to acknowledge God in all of my ways. When I choose to bite my tongue instead of letting anger spew forth even if I have a legitimate complaint, then I choose to let my anger cool before responding. Why? Because I want to acknowledge God in all of my ways.

God's promise to us is that if we acknowledge him, then he will "make our path straight." That means that he will lead us and take care of us. He will direct our life the way it needs to go. It does not mean that we will never be tempted, have trials, or have heartache. God doesn't promise us a life without problems, but he does promise to lead our path. We may not always understand what is happening, but we can be secure that God is in control.

The problem comes when we try to cross that wall, when we want to take over directing our own paths. Maybe we have in our mind the way that the problem should be handled, we have our own timetable of when it should be handled, and we know exactly the outcome that we want. There is only one hitch in that plan. You have just crossed over the wall and invaded God's territory. It is not up to us to determine how a problem should be resolved. It is not up to you when your trial should end. It is not up to you to choose the outcome.

The companion verse in the New Testament is found in Romans 12:1, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (emphasis mine). This phrase explains to us why staying on our side of the wall is such a hard thing to do. We must present ourselves as a living sacrifice; we must live our lives in submission to God. And as I heard someone say once, "The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar!" So every day, hour, minute, or second, we must constantly be checking ourself to make sure that we are acknowledging God and staying out of his territory.

When we live our lives following Proverbs 3:6, the result will be all of the benefits of a wall. It will support us on our way to heaven. It will keep out things that hinder our walk, like sin, worry, discontentment. It will keep in things like peace, love, and joy. And it will give us a boundary or a marker to make sure that we are living our lives in faith.

Working on my wall in the treehouse,

Chelli

Mama Monday/Thoughful Thursday Combo: Tebowing

I'm not a NFL football fan, I'm not even a Tim Tebow fan when it comes to his football skills, but I am a fan of his moral character and his Christianity, and I'm most definitely not a fan of the media and the other NFL football players who think that bashing Tebow because of his blatant displays of his faith both on and off the field is funny or necessary.

What is it about Tim Tebow that gets everybody so riled up?

Why is it that I think having a few more people in this world like him would be a great thing?

What does any of this have to do with Mama Monday?

First, I believe the main issue that most people have with Tim Tebow is they think he is overrated as a quarterback. That's fair enough. I don't think that is an unfair assessment. It's a valid opinion that can be backed up with statistics. There are others who think that he is an amazing quarterback. That is also a valid opinion that can be backed up with opposing statistics. So how does an argument over whether Tim Tebow is a good quarterback turn into mocking him as a Christian?

I think the problem that most people have with Tim Tebow is that he makes people uncomfortable with themselves. He is unabashedly Christian. He doesn't throw out platitudes when he receives an award or is congratulated on a good game. How many times have we heard, "First of all I want to thank God for everything He's given me, blah, blah, blah?" I'm not saying those athletes who say that don't mean it, but considering some of their off field behavior they definitely don't act like it! Tebow on the other hand does live it. He volunteers, he gives, he takes the focus off of himself time and time again. He prays on national TV on the football field. He points out that football is just a game and his focus is on the eternal. He doesn't lash back at his critics or those who mock him. His response to the guy that "tebowed" after sacking him was that he was sure the guy only meant it to be funny, not a big deal. 

And to put it bluntly, it makes me uncomfortable. I'm a Christian, but the mindset and commitment to my faith in all circumstances, even the uncomfortable ones or confrontational ones, is something that I definitely struggle with. Getting rid of my pride and turning my focus to God alone, I'm not too good at that one either. Remembering that this world and everything in it (the bigger house, newer car, etc.) is only chasing after the wind, chalk me up as getting wrapped up in that as well. For me, and for most Christians, I think that we see Tim Tebow as a breath of fresh air in our society. But for those who don't believe in God at all or who claim to be "Christian" but don't really live it, Tebow is a nagging reminder, a pebble in their shoe, of a true believer. And they feel judged without Tebow even saying a word. Judged by their own shortcomings, then they get afraid (what if he's right!), and once they are afraid, they get angry, which leads to all the hate and mocking in the media and by other players of Tebow.

Second, I'd love for there to be more Tim Tebow's in the world. More people who lived loud for Jesus in a quiet way. More people who focused on the eternal than the external. More people who devoted their off time and their down time to the sick and downtrodden. More people who lived for Jesus 24/7 instead of one day a week (if that!) and lived for themselves the rest of the week. For just a minute, imagine a world like that. It would be a revolutionary, wonderful place. This dream will be realized in heaven, but I would love to see just a piece of it here on Earth, wouldn't you?

Third, people like Tim Tebow don't just happen. They are made. They are formed from a young age to have this mindset, this love for Jesus. They are formed by their parents, especially their mothers. If you know anything about Tim Tebow, then you know about his mom and the special relationship they have. She was told to abort him and she chose not to. She stayed home with him and his siblings and homeschooled them. She knew that she had only a short time to make her children into the people she wanted them to be, ones that love the Lord more than anything.

I think that she suceeded. I want to suceed at that goal as well. I want to raise children who demonstrate their love for the Lord in any situation that they find themselves. While the odds of any of my children ever finding themselves in the national spotlight like Tim Tebow are slim, they will find themselves living their lives day in and day out. The world might not be watching but their community will, their co-workers will, their neighbors will, their children will, and most importantly God will.

I hope my children live their faith so loudly that they make others uncomfortable, including their mom. And if they catch flack for it, I pray that they handle it as graciously as Tim Tebow does. But these things are not just chance or good luck, they are determined and purposed by the parents. I hope your purpose is to raise some children who are "tebowers," I know mine is.

Tebowing in the treehouse,

Chelli