Category Archives: Divine Inspiration

Shiny Shell with a Mission

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My husband and I recently took our boys on their first beach vacation. We could only fit in a couple of days, but it was so worth the 7 hour drive to see them running in the sand, jumping waves, exploring and taking an interest in one of my favorite things to do at the shore – look for seashells. I have to admit, several of the shells they found didn’t exactly meet my criteria for “keepers” and were left in the sands of the Gulf Shores. I thought I was a pretty selective seashell collector, but somehow we still managed to come home with a gallon sized Ziploc bag full of them!

Early one morning, I was fortunate enough to sneak out of our room before my boys woke, and escaped down to the beach alone. I wanted to be among the first people combing the edge of the water for any treasures that washed up over night. Quite by accident, I discovered that the best shells were a ways back from the surf, buried in the soft sand that seemed to be virtually untouched. I walked along, sweeping the sand away with my foot, hoping to stumble upon that one perfect find.

As I sifted through the sands, I realized that a shell had to first catch my eye, before I would consider bending over to pick it up. It might have been the glinting reflection of the rising sun on a perfectly polished jingle or lettered olive, the tell-tale swirl of a conch or snail, the sharp, pointy end of an auger, or even an interesting pattern or color just peeking out from under a pile of sand that would snag my attention. I had to be attracted by some small portion of the shell to give it a closer look.

It wasn’t always the shells that appeared perfect to the naked eye that made it into my bag.  After finding about three dozen pristine olive shells, I was no longer all that interested in them, as most collectors would be. Eventually, even the thrill of perfection lost its allure for me. I wanted the shells that were interesting. The one that had an unexpectedly bright lavender color on the inside of what was otherwise a rather dull home to a bi-valve intrigued me. I selected one that was cracked down the middle, revealing the intricately twisted inner workings of a conch. I claimed a few that were so tiny and fragile looking that it defied logic to imagine them surviving the harsh conditions they had endured. I kept one piece that was just the outer edge of what I believe is a scotch bonnet, simply because of its distinctive curve and texture. Even some fragments found their way into my bag of keepers, because I was intrigued about what they could have been, by just how big and beautiful the whole was before the elements broke it apart. The shells that held the most interest for me were the ones that seemed to have a story to tell, the pieces that caused me to marvel at the possibilities of what once was.

All those shiny, seemingly perfect shells I picked up that morning were only perfect until I got a closer look. Not a single one of them is entirely void of flaws. There are microscopic nicks, tiny cracks and imperfections that can only be seen with close inspection or even a microscope. They all bear scars where wind, wave and sand have beaten them, but every one of those shells that I brought home was a survivor.  Each, in their own way, either mostly whole or riddled with holes and cracks, miraculously arrived on the beach. As I looked upon these small pieces of creation, I found myself in awe of the mighty power of our Creator.

The message I learned that morning on the beach was even more valuable than the rarest of sea shells I might ever discover.  It was an understanding of my purpose as a Survivor!  The original survivors who inspired this series for me were a small portion of God’s people, the Israelites, whom He allowed to escape His righteous judgments.  These people, though scattered from their holy land by exile or in refuge, had an important mission to carry out.  God told His prophet, Ezekiel, over and over again what purpose he had for them.  After all the years of punishment for both individual and national sin were carried out, His desire was that, “Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”  Ezekiel 7:27.  These people would stand to remember the sinfulness of Israel and the righteous condemnation of God.  Those among the remnant who chose to repent and obey Him would be used to restore Israel to a status that would exceed its previous splendor.  Their mission was to tell the story of how God saved and reestablished them according to His faithfulness so that He alone would be glorified.

Even the most sparkling of shells has no inherent light.  It must reflect the light of the sun.  We also have no light of our own, but rather are called to reflect the brilliance of God to all whom we meet.  Do you remember how shiny Moses was when he descended from the mountain after spending time in the presence of God?  Every one noticed him and they knew he had an important message for them.  Before we can begin to share our personal story of what God has done in our lives, we have to grab somebody’s attention so they will listen. Let your best characteristics peek out from under all the things that tend to bury us and let your shininess in God be noticed. Spend some time with God and get yourself polished up so that people will notice you and want to hear what you have to say.

Let me be clear, this is not a recommendation that you should perform good deeds so that you yourself would be praised by man.  Rather use the gifts God has blessed you with to get the attention of people for the purpose of glorifying Him.  Paul’s message to Christians in Colosse was similar, “…whatever you do in words or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”  Colossians 3:17.  Give thanks to God for all that He has done to make you lustrous and glorify Him through the use of those skills, talents and abilities.

Just like the seashells, God made us each unique and intricate and beautiful, but we have to let people see those inner workings that make us interesting individuals. The shells are cracked and tossed about by wind and wave or crushed under the weight of a predator, and we humans are marked by the events of our lives as they shape and mold us. None of us lack faults either. These flaws are what make us interestingly human.  Our perfection and our righteousness come from Christ alone.

We are all keepers in God’s book. He guaranteed that for us by sending His Son, who came from the line of David through the preserved remnant of Judah, to earth so that each and every one of us who believe in Him will be saved for eternity in heaven.  None of our shininess, nor any completion of our mission can earn heaven for us.  When we call upon Him as our savior, instead of baring all our faults and failures, God will see only His Son’s perfection and draw us into His arms.  Eternal Survivors are assured of their keeper status because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Jesus, the Ultimate Survivor, also knew that his purpose for coming to earth was to glorify His Father in heaven.  He said, “But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name.”  John 12:28.  This is the mission for all survivors, to emulate Jesus, to live out the purpose of bringing glory to the Father right up until our death.

After His resurrection, Jesus reiterated this purpose for His apostles to glorify God in what we refer to as the Great Commission.  He told them to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  Mark 16:15.  Their mission is the same as ours today…Go and tell everybody you can get to listen to you what Jesus has done for you, glorify Him in all you say and do, where ever you may find yourself.

My favorite shell didn’t actually catch my eye, it caught my foot. I remember thinking it was probably just an old shoe, but it turned out to a 10 inch piece of a lightening whelk. Although a large portion of the outer curve had fallen off, it was certainly a keeper just for its massive size and because enough of it was intact to be identifiable.  Sometimes we, too, stumble upon people who haven’t polished up their shiny side, but still have an amazing testimony to share.  I feel we have a responsibility to seek out these fellow survivors and help them to be radiant for God.  Who can you point toward the light today?

Each of us who woke up this morning is a survivor. We have washed up on the shores of our lives by the grace of God who has lovingly blessed us with a shininess that reflects His love.  I am committing myself to using my shiny shell of God-given gifts to grab people’s attention so that I can share with them what He has done to make me an eternal survivor.  Have you told your story of how God made you a keeper?  How can you use your skills, talents, and spiritual gifts to bring Him glory?  Put your best facet forward and shine for Him today so that others are attracted to you, then live out your purpose as an eternal survivor by glorifying Jesus!

Emphatically Empathetic

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By helping others, you ultimately help yourself.  Who doesn’t get a rush from knowing they filled a need in the life of a friend?  Helping others can even has great health benefits according to the Huffington Press article 19 Healthy Reasons to Help Others.  Feel good chemicals, like oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin are released by our bodies.  These chemicals have been shown to treat depression and block the stress hormone cortisol.  There are also spiritual benefits to experiencing empathy.  Here is the kicker, though…You have to genuinely care about the person you are helping.  Volunteering out of obligation with no real connection to the cause or overextending yourself for even the best of reasons can actually be detrimental to your health.  Eternal Survivors must seek guidance and power through prayer.

The author of the book of Hebrews talked about being in fellowship with and thinking diligently about others “in order to stir up love and good works” Hebrews 10:24.  If we care for others and come to know and love them, we will genuinely understand their needs.  With understanding comes empathy, then action.  This is when all those healthy benefits of helping really kick in.  We are to “let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”  Philippians 2:3-4.

Our own life experiences give us a unique way of connecting with other people in order show them empathy.  We identify with people in situations similar to our own.  I feel a pull toward people who have similar life experiences…. To mothers of young boys.  To single, young women in the Army.  To people searching out their gifts and passions in order to live fulfilling lives.  To other Army wives.  To people who aspire to hear the voice of God.  To ladies who are willing to run for God.  The things from our own lives that have made a profound impact on us are the most powerful  tools for building the kind of empathy for others that spurs us to action in their time of need, because we understand what they are going through and what how to help.

Jesus, the Ultimate Survivor, was moved with compassion numerous times throughout the gospels.  When He was, His compassion compelled him to action.  He healed lepers, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, fed the five thousand, and cured the sick throughout His ministry.  If we are called to become more like Him, we need to take some cues from His actions.  We may not be blessed with miraculous powers for the work He did, but we can certainly cook a meal, volunteer at a shelter, serve in our church, shop for a homebound friend, make a donation, provide childcare for a busy mom, or help out in any number of ways within our own community.

When He comes again to judge us, I want to be among the sheep to whom he says, “Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.”  Matthew 25:34-35.  There are countless opportunities in this world to do these things for people.  It will be the eternal survivors who hear Jesus say, “Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me.”  Matthew 25:40.

Can you imagine being as busy helping others as Jesus was?  There is so much need in today’s world, that any of us could likely be burned out in no time.  The need was great in Jesus’ day, too, but he never seemed to grow weary despite the “great multitudes [that] came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.” Luke 5:15.   I think there is great insight in the very next verse that tells us what Jesus did in order to restore Himself for His ministry. “He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.” Luke 5:16.   All four gospels record Jesus’ solitude in prayer.  This is how He regained His strength, received His guidance from God, and renewed His capacity for compassion and empathy.  The same benefits are available to us today.  Through prayer our relationship with God and our faith is strengthened.  By this strengthening of our faith, we will naturally become more empathetic and compassionate.

Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good…”  Luke 7:45.  James goes on to clarify that, “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace and be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” James 2:15.  Are you simply wishing well or praying for those in need, instead of realizing your call to be the hands and feet of Jesus to do the work of God for them?  Let your faith move you with compassion to come to the aid of those around you.

We all need help at some point in our lives.  Perhaps we can begin to more readily allow others who care about us to lend a hand if we view it as giving them an opportunity to help themselves, too.  If we find it difficult to graciously accept some small act of assistance from a friend, how much less likely are we to fully grasp the ultimate act of compassion … Jesus’ death on the cross for our salvation?  If we are unable to accept our need for earthly help, how much more difficult is it to fathom how utterly desperate we are for help from God in our daily lives?  Eternal survivors have come to understand empathy from the perspective of a giver and receiver of help from both man and God.  Their faith produces works of compassion for their fellow man while the acceptance of their own need for assistance gives them a deeper perception of their full reliance on God.

What are you passionate about?  How can you use your skills or gifts to help others?  What can you intentionally do for a neighbor or friend as if you were doing it for Jesus?  Are you willing to let others demonstrate their faith with compassionate acts toward you?  Are you living like an eternal Survivor! by manifesting your faith through empathy for others?  How will you exercise the call to be emphatically empathetic?

Words of Wisdom

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The Survivors Club article listed intelligence, or the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge, as one of the key characteristic of survivors.  Being intelligent gives people the ability to solve problems.  I can see how having a knack for learning could give you the ability to survive in any number of sticky situations, but to live like an eternal survivor requires wisdom.

What’s the difference, you ask?  I first heard this quote attributed to Miles Kington, who was a British journalist, musician, and broadcaster, from my sister a few years ago:  “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.  Wisdom is knowing it doesn’t belong in a fruit salad.”   Plenty of intelligent people can quote scripture, rattle off the Ten Commandments and recall biblical history, but eternal survivors have figured out how to apply their knowledge to their living. For an eternal survivor, wisdom is the word and it begins with the fear of the Lord.  Proverbs 9:10.   It is spiritual wisdom eternal survivors seek after and live out, not the supposed wisdom of the world we live in.  “Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.”  1 Corinthians 3:18-19

So, what is this fear of the Lord?  I have found myself somewhat confused by the apparent contradiction between this and verses like Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you…”  A first glance, the two seem mutually exclusive.  But through the use of my new favorite app, Strong’s Concordance, I found that the two Hebrew words are slightly different.  The “fear” used in Proverbs 9:10 means to reverence or to be in awe of.  The “fear” used in Isaiah 41:10 is used more along the lines of being dreadful.  So, through the use of two connotations of the Hebrew words both translated to mean fear, the bible tells us to be in awe of God and also to not be afraid of anything of this world.  The more we reverence God, the less we have to fear the things of this world.  So, how do we cultivate this characteristic in our own lives?

When was the last time you were in awe of something?  Was it a breathtaking sunset, a flower in glorious bloom, the majestic colors of a rainbow, or perhaps a newborn child’s tiny fingers?  My challenge to you is to find one thing today that leaves you in amazement.  Fully recognize that thing as a work of the Creator.  Let the realization that you also are a glorious work of that same God wash over you.  Then, acknowledge God and His incredible power and unmatched holiness.  These are the first steps toward gaining wisdom.  Jeremiah marveled at the work of the Lord, saying, “Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm.  There is nothing too hard for You!”  Jeremiah 32:17

Once I have gained a little wisdom, I want more, don’t you?  God created us to crave this kind of knowledge and its application.  Proverbs 9:9 tells us that if we “give instruction to a wise man, he will be wiser still,” and if we teach a just man, he will increase in learning.”  How do eternal survivors go about gaining more wisdom?  Romans 15:4 tells us that all things in the bible “were written for our learning.”  So, if we are to increase our learning, we need to be in The Word of God.

I consider myself fortunate to have been raised in a Christian home and blessed to have had many loving Sunday School Teachers over the years.  I grew up with a fair amount of biblical knowledge, but it wasn’t until last year that I determined to actually read the bible from Genesis to Revelation for my own edification.  Let me tell you, this has been an eye opening journey.  In just over a year of faithful daily reading, study and application, I am still in the old testament, but I have learned so much.  The more I read, the more I realize that I and our generation are not really so different from those who lived alongside Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Jesus.  The more I learn, the more I am committed to applying the lessons to my daily living.

The people of the old testament were just like me.  They were unable to keep their end of the covenant with God.  They were sinners who needed a savior.  The only difference now is that Jesus has come and died for my sins, so that I may claim my eternal survivor status through Him.  This is the kind of fool Paul was calling the Corinthians to become.  To be fool for Jesus is to be wise in spiritual matters.  God spoke to Isaiah and promised that “the wisdom of the wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”  Isaiah 29:14.  By sending His son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of His people, he shattered all that they had previously known.  Some viewed it as foolishness for God’s son to die such a brutal and humiliating death. They and we still today struggle to make sense of a love so great because we view it through our own filter of worldly knowledge.  But Godly spiritual wisdom understands that this was the only way because even when the world is in possession of God’s wisdom and law, we cannot keep it.  We tend to refuse to know Him  and continually fail to acknowledge Him with our whole hearts.  So, “it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”  1 Corinthians 1:21.  This message is the gospel: that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected for our sins, so that we could join Him in heaven.

I do not profess to be a bible or religious scholar and some people who have known me for more than a decade might question everything I write about the topic.  But that, too, is a testament to the awesome power of God to change lives and work through His people to bring glory upon Himself.  Lately, that has been my point of wonderment… that God would bless me with the life I enjoy while I was yet unworthy.  That He would willingly provide the path to my righteousness long before I was born, despite, and even because of, His omnipotent knowledge of the multitude of mistakes I would make along the way.  God has a purpose for this wisdom in my life.  He has given me the way to eternal survivorship through His holy and precious son Jesus Christ and this end state is intended to give me hope and eliminate fear in every circumstance of my life in this world.

How do we apply what we know from the words of wisdom in the bible to our daily lives?  The same way you would apply a training plan to your goal of running a certain race distance.  What if you purchased the best training plan money could buy, authored by the most renowned trainers, but never read it?  What if you read it, but didn’t understand it?  What if you figured out what it said, but disagreed with it?  What if you understood and believed but refused to implement the plan?  You might not make it very far come race day.  In order to go the distance, you must apply the training to your own life.

Cultivating wisdom follows a similar pattern.  First, get a copy of the Training Plan for your life, authored by inspiration of God.  Commit to knowing what the bible says.  Through faithful reading, study and prayer both individually and with other believers, come to understand what scripture is teaching you.  Then by way of reverencing the Lord, you must believe it to be entirely true and applicable.  The prophet Jeremiah warns us against rejecting the word of God.  He called out the supposed “wise” men who were teaching false doctrine and saying they had been ashamed, dismayed and taken into captivity, convicting them with this question, “Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; so what wisdom do they have?” Jeremiah 8:9.       Finally, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can put those truths into practice.

In Job 28:28, God spoke to Job saying, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.”  In other words, reverence God, to gain wisdom and then with understanding, apply it to your life by departing from evil ways.  Psalm 34:14 takes it a step further and calls us not only to “depart from evil,” but also to “do good.”  This is knowledge in action.  This is wisdom: to depart from evil and do good!

Eternal survivors have learned that spiritual wisdom is more valuable than silver or gold and more desirable than any treasures on earth.  They know that “when wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you to deliver you from the way of evil…”  Proverbs 2:10-12  By allowing the knowledge of the almighty God to penetrate our hearts and then applying His lessons to our lives, we will find protection from the ways of Satan that seek to destroy us.  What are you seeking in this life?  Are you ready to be a fool for Christ?  Do you long to apply biblical knowledge in your life by living like an eternal survivor?  How can you put spiritual wisdom to work in your life today?

Go with the Flow

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Flow calls to mind an image of a gentle stream meandering through the country side.  Can you picture it?  I would like to imagine my life like that, the stream is God’s path for me and I float peacefully down it resting calmly in the inner tube of God’s faithfulness.  How idyllic if life were truly like that, but not many of us can equate that to our own personal experience.  My life is rarely like that picture, especially this past spring break week.  It has been more like a frenzied white water rafting trip.  With the boys’ constant stream of urgent requirements, I’m finding it difficult to go with the flow, and have had to stop myself on a number of occasions from the futility of trying to control the uncontrollable.  I’ve been finding it hard to make any forward progress and nothing has happened with anything that resembles ease to me.

Real life is full of changes in course, forks in the river to navigate, Class IV rapids, crashing seas, and flood waters.  Our faith in God, “who stills the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.” Psalm 65:7, is the thing that keeps us moving forward along His path for us. Everything that distracts us from that faith threatens to knock us off the raft.  God wants us to rest peacefully in our faith, certain that He will keep us afloat.

Just as hidden dangers below the surface cause rapids to form in a stream, stress, pain, suffering, guilt, shame, troubles, pride, sadness and sin shake our ability to rest safely in the faith that holds us afloat.  By the words of Psalm 93:4, we are reassured that ”The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.”   Because God is greater than any undercurrent or tsunami in our lives, greater even than sin and death.

To an eternal survivor, flow means following the will of God in your life without being weighed down by sin, held back by your past, fighting against current circumstances, or crippled by fear about the future.  It means simply resting peacefully in the present, supported by the faith that God is greater than anything that threatens us now and forever.  It means  surrendering to His will for your life.

Unrepented sin as well as grief and guilt about our past can weigh us down and inhibit our ability to flow.  Paul pleads with the Hebrews to “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us…”  Hebrews 12:1  Let it go, confident in Christ’s redeeming work on the cross that secures our status as eternal survivors.  By so doing, we can be free of the anchors that hold us back so we can freely flow the course He has set before us.

Fear of the future can keep us from flowing the way God has laid out.  But His Word provides reassurance for us even to the end times, to Jesus’ triumphant return.  God spoke comforting words to the prophet and author of the book of Revelation, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer … be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.”  Revelation 2:10.  Eternal Survivors know that in order to reach the prize, they must stay in the raft, no matter where it takes them.

Those who seek after their own pleasure or success without regard for the will of God in their lives are like salmon struggling to swim upstream.  Jesus did not seek His own fame or fortune, though He certainly could have exploited Himself to those means.  Instead He said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” Luke 6:38

Even those closest to the Savior struggled with their flow during a storm.  Jesus modeled for them this Survivor characteristic as he slept peacefully despite the waves that were crashing over the boat.  “Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him saying, ‘Lord, save us!  We are perishing!’  But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’  Then, He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”  Matthew 8:23-27  Jesus knew that God would take care of them and he slept while the others panicked.  He rested peacefully in the boat despite the raging storm threatening the faith of His followers.

The one lesson we can learn from the disciples is to call upon, God to bring us great calm in the midst of our own trials.  For Paul tells us to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7

Jesus knew His future included suffering and death on a cross.  He presented His request to be spared the agony, but still prayed, “:…nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.”  Luke 22:42.  Jesus is our role model to emulate as we cultivate the characteristics of survivorship in our own lives and He is also our assurance of becoming eternal survivors.

What are your anchors?  Where in your life are you swimming upstream?  Do fears about the future have you considering jumping ship?  Are you still on the banks of the river afraid to take the plunge?  Do you long to rest peacefully held afloat by your faith?

Eternal survivors have learned how to “Be still and know that [He] is God…” Psalm 46:10.  They don’t try to paddle against the current, they refrain from rocking the boat or making any waves of their own.  They know that God is greater than any storm that might oppose them on earth and that He “…will be exalted among the nations, [He] will be exalted in the earth!”  Psalm 46:10  That every change in course will bring glory to God and us to His Kingdom if we simply rest in the faith that allows us to flow toward Him.

 

 

 

Training Plans

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In Survivor!: Part II, I wrote that one of the characteristics survivors share is not just faith that God exists, but a firm belief that He has a plan for their lives. The goal of that plan is heaven for each and every one of us.  He has provided the guarantee of that through His Son Jesus Christ.  However, led by the Holy Spirit and their God instincts (read about how you can Hone Your Instincts), eternal survivors are not satisfied with simply getting there, they are driven by a desire to reach heaven having fully lived the life God calls them to by which He intends to draw us closer to Him and make us more like His Holy and Precious Son.  This is God’s Training Plan for each of us!

If you have ever trained for a race or athletic event, you know it can be helpful to have a training plan.  I am training to run a half marathon next month and through my research have found a multitude of training plans written by people who have trained for and survived races themselves or coached and studied those who have.  My goal is really just to finish, having run every step of the way and to honor the family and friends of Catherine Hubbard, for whom I’ve been praying throughout my training.  I’m not concerned with doing it fast, qualifying for a more serious race, or having an impressive time.  Just running that far with be a Personal Record (PR) for me.

Race training plans can be found on-line, in a library or book store.  Some are free, others are written by exerts trying to make a living.  You can find one to suit your needs, no matter where you are physically, or what your goals are.  The more strenuous the race, the more committed the athlete is to following the plan.  God’s training plan is one size fits all and has all of humanity running the same race together.  It stands the test of time and speculation and was written by many authors, experts and eye-witnesses with one goal in mind.  You probably already own one or perhaps several copies of it.  If not, you can pick up a free bible at just about any church.  It is the ultimate training plan authored by divine inspiration.  In the words of Paul to his protegé Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 16-17

I have been loosely following a plan that has me adding a mile to my long run every week.  Other plans call for you to add a certain number of minutes to you long run each week.  I realized last Saturday that time and distance are arbitrary numbers and do not necessarily correlate well to a point on the terrain where I’m running.  As I approached my turn around point, I was running at a good-for-me pace down hill, which meant that I had to reverse my forward momentum and then run back up that same hill.  Mentally, that was a challenging way to start the second half of my run.  Life can be like that, too.  We can be cruising along at a good clip, doing what we feel we should, when all of a sudden, our honed instincts tell us to “Turn Around,” to head in a different direction.  It may even be a significantly harder course, but eternal survivors have faith in God’s plan and live their life in constant training for the upward call of heaven.

Most plans for long races stop a mile or two short of the actual distance for which you are training.  So on race day you step out in faith, trusting that all your hard work will pay off.  Faith is belief in things unseen.  I don’t know if I can run 13.1 miles next month, but I have faith that my training plan will have prepared me for the challenge.  Eternal survivors can know beyond a shadow of a doubt they will cross the finish line into heaven but must have faith in God’s plan for our lives on earth to bring us closer to Him, to make us more like Jesus.  Jesus was quoted in Luke 6:40 as saying, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”  God calls us to be more like Jesus and He alone knows how to perfectly train and mold us in the image of our Savior.

Even the best of the best, the most elite athletes are always seeking to improve themselves.  They consider each training plan and race a means to achieve a PR, to out do themselves or sometimes others.  Even if our faith in Jesus for our salvation is strong, God calls believers to strive for more.  Eternal Survivors step out in faith, knowing that our race has already been won for us by Jesus, so by this faith we also seek to continue God’s training plan of righteousness for each of us.  Eternal Survivors should be fueled to improve themselves just as Paul who wrote to the Philippians, “Not that I have already attained or am already perfected but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.” Philippians 3:22  Our race is not over until we see Jesus face to face, so until that day we train by faith, holding fast to the plan God has written for us.

Training is hard, but there is a constant stream of motivation available to get you through it.  We see quotes like, “No pain, no gain,” “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and “Pain is just weakness leaving the body,” encouraging us to train harder, to train through the pain, to relish the pain that means we have given our muscles what they need to be stronger and our bodies more efficient.  We seem to have a higher tolerance for pain in our physical training, than we do in our spiritual training.  God’s training plan is designed to draw me closer and deeper into my relationship with Him, to make me more like Christ.  To trust His plan, to have faith in it is to accept that every challenge, every new distance, struggle, every change in course, all the pain He calls me to is intentional and aimed at giving me a more full, rich relationship with Him.

If you are in need of some motivation to run your own race of faith as an eternal survivor, I urge you to look at Hebrews 11 and read about the lives of God’s faithful people.  Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Rahab…  Their training plans were brutal yet they were able to overcome by their faith, not necessarily in this world, but certainly in their eternal home.  The medals for finishing the race as an eternal survivor may not be awarded in this life, but by faith we can look forward to our ultimate reward in heaven.

Encouraged by these stories recorded in the bible and also by people who live by great faith in our own time who can serve as our Training Partners, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”  Hebrews 12:1.  Because of the life, death and resurrection of the Ultimate Survivor, we should be “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.”  Hebrews 11:11  Faith, by the very definition of the word, is a belief in the unseen, but when faith is manifested in our lives something miraculous and very visible happens.  Eternal survivors run their race by faith and obedience to God’s training plan, acknowledging that God is the expert and foremost authority on our training plan, we are able to bypass any obstacles and relieve ourselves of the things of this world that encumber us from reaching God’s goal of righteousness for us.  By faith, we begin to live like eternal survivors, more concerned with living out the plan that God has written for us, than with the opinions of and goals of man.

No matter what distance you have been training for, who your Training Partners have been, or how good your plan, come race day you run alone.  No matter if you are surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of other runners, your training all comes down to how your own two feet carry you to the finish line.  We all stand alone with God at the finish line of life, too.  So, what are you training for?  Are you striving for success in this world, or allowing God to train you to be eternal survivor?  Are you studying His plan like an athlete preparing for an Iron Man?

 

Hone Your Instincts

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Survivors! have good instincts.  They have a sixth sense about how or when danger may be on the horizon.  I would argue that eternal Survivors in Christ have a God Instinct.  They are in tune with God on such a personal level that they can determine His will in their lives, and are willing to follow His leading. If you read Road Closed, you know I believe in prayerful perseverance.  But what happens when the encouragement from God for the course I’m on or the direction I’m headed disappears?  What happens when all the signs point in a different direction?  How do I know if I’m headed toward something that could threaten my Survival?

Last week, I set out to run 8 miles.  It was my long run for this particular week of the training plan I’m following in preparation for my first half marathon in April.  I ran alone because I needed some time with God.  I ran at a pace slower than my training partner would have appreciated, past the Marion Bonner Lakes and up through the lovely forests, encouraged by the redbuds blooming and the birds singing.  It really was a lovely day, despite threatening clouds.  Not too hot, not too cold, a nice gentle breeze.

My goal was to run 8 miles, but God had different plans for me.  About a mile short of my half-way point, I started to realize that all the usual signs that urge me on were disappearing.  The running app on my phone cut out and stopped tracking distance at 3.1 miles.  Then, I saw a sign that must have marked a previous run route that read, “Turn Around.”  It was a sad sign, with 100 mile and hour tape around the edges, that had seen the weather of a few storms and lay limp on the side of the trail, but it caught my eye.  Finally, I realized the trees were no longer blooming beautifully and had instead taken on a rather dreary appearance and the bird-song had ceased.  All the usual symbols encouragement had disappeared and I was left with a sign literally telling me to “Turn Around.”

Turn Around!

That is just what I did.  I may have only logged 7.5 miles, but I feel like I gained a valuable lesson.  God, in His own time and according to His own will, encourages us when we are headed in the right direction.  It doesn’t matter what we want to accomplish, what matters is what He purposes to accomplish through us.  We have to be so in tune with His will for us that we can see the signs, both literally and figuratively.  We must hone our instincts for the will of God to be survivors in His Kingdom.  His leading won’t always be as obvious as a rainbow after a massive flood (Genesis 9:13), a burning bush (Exodus 3:2), a pillar of cloud or fire (Exodus 13:21) a three day trip in the belly of a whale (Jonah 2:17), or even my sign on the ground.

But He does promise to lead and guide us. He says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8.  He in turn expects us to willingly react with wisdom and understanding at His prompting.  In verse 9 He says, “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.”  He has no desire to harness us or to force us to draw near to Him and do His will, but His will reigns supreme and if we fail to follow, we could wind up in our own Jonah Moment.

It is most difficult to discern the will of God for our lives when we believe we are doing good, God-pleasing things.  It takes a lot of courage to turn around from the way we think we should be going, even if we and all those around us think we are headed in the right direction.  This is when I find that prayer and study of His Word are the most vital tools in Honing Your Instincts to follow God’s leading, especially when He tells you to “Turn Around.”  Trusting Him is easier when we fully comprehend that “He leads [us] in the paths of righteousness for His names’ sake.” Psalm 23:3.  God will always lead us in the way of salvation and righteousness, it is up to us to sharpen our God instinct and follow, knowing His ways will lead us to our heavenly home.  We must trust God enough that we know the blessings He has prepared for us by following His lead are greater than anything we could ever imagine for ourselves.

Isaiah 42:14-20 in my bible is a section called “Promise of the Lord’s Help.”  God has revealed to the prophet Isaiah that He will once again bring the Israelites out of their captivity in Babylon, and that He will lead them.  Unfortunately, the Israelites had come to trust in wealth, comfort and idols.  They had forgotten the awesome works of God in ages past.  They were blinded by sin to the work of God in their own lives.  The section concludes with this admonition, “Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear?”  Are you looking all around, but not really seeing what God wants you to see?  Are you listening to the daily cacophony around us, but not hearing the message God has for you?

What is keeping you from seeing and hearing what God has planned for you?  Are you chasing after your own goals in the name of service to Him?  Are you running for your own distance, but not quality of life?  Are you working hard for your family or your reputation, but losing sight of the real prize of salvation?   Will you rely on the truths of the bible and the Holy Spirit to guide your steps and hone your instincts for things that threaten your survival? Are you merely getting through each day, or are you living like an eternal SURVIVOR?

Resiliency Training

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I have had a fairly privileged life.  It’s true, I have endured some hardships - an injury that could have changed the course of my life, enduring an education ”In the Men’s House”, two deployments of my own, two of Matt’s deployments, living in foreign countries, birthing my first baby without my husband by my side because of one of those deployments (but even then I had my mother for support), losing a baby to miscarriage, birthing a second baby, 9 moves in 15 years….  Perhaps some of that does sound stressful to many of you, but I count myself very blessed that I do not live with debilitating pain or illness, don’t suffer from piles of debt and rarely worry that I won’t make it to the next paycheck, have never lost someone I was particularly close to, do not have to care for a loved one with a chronic illness.  I haven’t had to deal with anything that makes me think I am overly qualified to discuss resiliency.

When I first wrote about resiliency in my Survivor! posts, I noted that it was the ability to recover rapidly from traumatic events.  To recover quickly from major stresses in life, basically.

So, what is stress?  I’m going to skip the Webster’s definition and go with one that I think is more descriptive, attributed to Richard S. Lazarus:  Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.”  (taken from an article on the Holmes and Rahe stress Scale found on Mind Tools).  I love that the level of stress you feel is “perceived” by you and you alone.  That what might stress you may not even cause another to blink.

Holmes and Rahe also developed a survey to help you discover just how much stress you could potentially be under.  Of course I took the Life Events Stress Test, you know I’m a sucker for these things.  Exercising a little leeway, I considered deployment a “marital separation”, and discovered that in the last 12 months alone, I scored 379 points, which they say “means a significant amount of life change and a significant susceptibility (about 80% probability) to stress-related illness.”  Most of the events I consider to be extremely stressful in my life actually fall outside that 12 month window!  No wonder the Army tries so hard to get us to take their Soldier and Family Resiliency Training so seriously.

They go on to say that there are some “variables that interact on health including positive factors such as support from family, friends or work associates.”  I suppose these are the “resources” they feel we have to call on when stressors come knocking.  I have to say that I am entirely disappointed that faith and prayer did not make that list.  My ability to cope with stress is without question directly linked with the strength of my faith and the frequency of my prayer.  God has certainly blessed me with amazing ”family, friends and work associates” who have been crucial to my survival of stressful events, but it has been my personal relationship with God that has made the most significant impact on my ability to recover from trauma in my life, to be resilient.

Recently, I intentionally put my boys under a significant amount of physical stress.  They have never ridden their bikes more than a mile and a half and yesterday, I took them out on a 3.2 mile ride.  I didn’t tell them how far or how hilly it was going to be.  I prayed before we left that I wouldn’t have to carry more than one child and one bike at a time if they were unable to finish.  Well, to my utter amazement they not only finished, but were able to push their bikes themselves when the hills were too big and did it all without one single complaint.  I even caught the 7 year old encouraging his 4 year old brother up a particularly big hill….if that doesn’t warm a mother’s heart, I don’t know what does.  Through it all, I was there, encouraging them, offering advice, warning them of the dangers ahead, standing ready to pick them up and carry them.  That is precisely what God is doing for us as we encounter stress and traumatic events in our lives, if we let Him.

In two very famous verses, God promises this to us.  I love the encouraging words of Deuteronomy 31:16, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.”  Moses spoke these words to the Israelites as he told them that Joshua would be their new leader, and would take them across the Jordan river to take possession of the promised land.  I can only imagine how stressful this new obligation was for Joshua and for all the Israelites.  (The Life Events Stress Test doesn’t offer a score for conquering Canaan.)  These words were meant to comfort them.  Moses, on whom the people had relied for so long was no longer going to lead them, but he was reminding them that God would be with them no matter who their leader was on earth, no matter what they encountered on the other side of the Jordan.

The new testament verse that references this old testament text is particularly emphatic in its use of a double negative.  The second half of Hebrews 13:6 quotes God as saying, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  My study notes say this could also be translated, “I will never, ever, ever forsake you.”  Verse 7 goes on to say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”  The Lord is my helper and the only resource I have that will never be exhausted.  Because of His great love for me, I have no need to fear or stress.  No trouble on earth or of man can take away the love my God has for me or my salvation.

In Survivor!: Part II, I talked about how resilient Job was.  His life was fraught with suffering that eventually caused a strain on his relationship with God because Job thought he knew better than the Creator how he should be treated.  Job allowed his pride to get in the way of his faith.  All of his earthly resources failed him, but God never left him.  God picked Job up and talked with him about His own omnipotent and majestic power.  It is more like an inquisition found in Job 38-41, but at the beginning of chapter 42 “Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.”"  Whatever the cause of stress in your life, know its purpose is to draw you closer to God, to make you more like Jesus, and sometimes to shine a light on sin in our lives.  We have to learn to trust, lean, repent, and wait on Him.  When we do this, as Job did, we also will be blessed by the Lord in “the latter days .. more than [our] beginning…”  Job 42:12  That blessing may not be on earth, but those who believe in Jesus as their savior should take heart in knowing that heaven waits for us!

Being a survivor doesn’t mean never having to deal with traumatic events or stress, it means knowing how to overcome that feeling of being out of control and recover.  What are you struggling with now?  Are trials, temptations, sin, stress, or trauma causing you to feel like your earthly resources have been exhausted?  How is it impacting your relationship with God?  Your life may, at times, seem out of control to you, but God has orchestrated every event in it and He is there waiting to carry you if you should stumble or fall.  He is our greatest resource in becoming a resilient survivor!

Adapt and Overcome

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I am truly amazed at how adaptable the human body is.  When I was in the Army, I dreaded the PT test.  I had convinced myself that I just couldn’t run.  Honestly, my lower body has taken it tough over the years, MCL and meniscus tears, ACL replacement, surgery on both feet, dislocated and fractured knee cap, ankles sprained more times than I can count (surprisingly, none of those injuries occurred while falling from an airplane).  I used every one of these ailments as an excuse as to why I wouldn’t run.  I think it was only my pride that kept me from making it an official condition that would justify me taking an alternate event PT test.  So, every six months, I sucked it up and ran two miles and it was awful.  I can remember being incredibly sore for days after, despite what I considered to plenty of other exercise in between.

Now, I am running for fun.  I actually paid to run in a race last weekend.  Even more astounding is that 5K won’t be my longest run this week and I wasn’t sore after at all.  So, what happened?  Over time, my body has adapted.  I didn’t do it all on my own…If you have read my early blogs, you know there was much prompting by the Holy Spirit to get me out there pounding the pavement. I still had to choose to put on my running shoes and head out the door, but I’ve had a lot of help and encouragement along the way.

I can truly point to God as the giver of any success I’ve had at running, because it is certainly not a hobby I would have chosen for myself.  So, it was no surprise to me when I realized I didn’t do anything to warrant having run my personal record time in the race on Saturday.  I didn’t do anything the guides or manuals say you should do, with the one exception of running with a great Training Partner.  In all honesty, I did several things in the week leading up to the race that should have sabotaged my efforts.  However, I did ask God to carry me through, and He did.  I believe He has called me to run for His purposes and I trust Him to carry me through each step, so I will obey Him.

A couple of years ago you would have heard me say, “A half marathon… Pssshhhhttt!  I don’t even like to drive that far in my car!”  Today, I am training for that distance with a group of other folks here who have been called to run and pray for the friends and families of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy.  I have no idea what the end state of my running will be.  Will I just run for my health and for that quiet time it gives me alone with God?  Will I continue to challenge my mind and body with increasing distances?  Will I come to the point, where God calls me to do other things to bring glory to Him?

Not that my running specifically is making me more like Christ, but by trusting and obeying God in this area of my life, I am adapting my thinking to trust and obey Him in other areas.  And I can tell you that, the adaptation from being one who does not run to dare I say it, a runner, has been a process.  It has not always been fun and the fruits of my labor are often not readily apparent.  Sometimes, it has been downright hard.  The time it takes me to run 8 or 10 miles could have seemed pretty lonely without God by my side encouraging me.  I could simply say that I have changed over the years, but I prefer to recognize this as an adaptation of my mind and body to overcome a weakness through the power of God working in my life.

Change happens.  And it isn’t always pleasant, but none of us can stop it from touching our lives.  Adapting, however, is an intentional decision laced with the power and desire to overcome, to be a Survivor!  You must choose to adapt.  You must take the first step by inviting the power of God into your life and then allowing Him to work the adaptation of your heart through the Holy Spirit.  As Christians, we have to make a choice to adapt ourselves in order to meet whatever situation life or death throws at us.  We have to be willing to let God work in our lives.  When we first make the commitment to trust Christ for our salvation, we are asking God to be with us as we “put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:24  Sometimes, we have to make a conscious decision to put on the new man each and every morning.

Change can be gradual or can happen in the blink of an eye.  Adapting is a process, one that can take a long time to see completion.  “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:6  God’s work with the whole body of Christians will not be complete until Jesus returns to earth.  Individually, His work in us continues until we take our last breath here on earth.

Change is ambiguous, shifting like the wind, and often we cannot easily determine which direction that wind may blow.  Adapting, has a singular and perfect end state.  Paul told the people of Corinth, that because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we are given the hope of His glory. ”But we all with the unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18  A mind, heart and spirit as similar to that of Jesus as is possible for those of us with human flesh is the end-state of our Christian adaptation.  There is no better place to learn about that than in the unchanging Word.

Change can be lonely.  In the Army we endure a lot of change.  Every couple of years (or even less in some cases) we change home towns.  We change schools, neighbors and jobs.  As we go through the process of adapting, we have the promise that we never have to be alone.  You can “be strong and of good courage,” because God “is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Change can be hard and so can adapting.  All of the change that seems to blow through our lives indiscriminately is designed by God to propel us toward our Christian adaptation in one way or another.  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2     Read, study and renew your mind, feed on the Word of God.  Allow God to adapt you by the testing of your faith through these changes, so that you may be made more like Jesus.  What God wants for us is His perfection, not that we would fit in with this world, but that we would fit in in heaven.

Adapting to be more like Christ is not necessary for our salvation.  Belief is all you need to be saved because John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His  only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  The desire to want to be more Christ-like is, however, a natural outcropping of vibrant faith.  Just as “faith without works is dead,” James 2:20, faith without a desire to be more like Christ is also a dull and lackluster kind of faith.  How can we call ourselves true Christians, yet be resistant to the transformation God desires to work in our lives for His glory?

Are you ready to pray as David did in Psalm 139:23-24 and invite God to begin His adaptation of your mind and spirit?  Are you are willing to ask got to search you and know your heart?  To try you and know your anxieties?  To see if there is any wicked way in you?  We are able face any earthly change, test or trial simply by calling on the power of Christ, who has “overcome the world.”  John 16:33.  Are you willing to trust and obey as He leads you in the way everlasting?  Will you heed the call to adapt your mind, your life and your heart to the ways of Christ so that you also may overcome this world and join Him in glory in Heaven?  Are you ready to Adapt and Overcome?

 

SURVIVOR!: Part II

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Yesterday I posted about living like a SURVIVOR!.  If you missed, be sure to go back and check it out!  As I was researching, my post got really long, so I decided to break it up into two parts.  Below are the biblical references I found for incorporating the 12 characteristics of survivors into the life of a Christian.  I guess it really shouldn’t be a surprise that the bible would include step by step instructions that cover every aspect of what researchers today are identifying as traits common to survivors.  After all, it is the manual for eternal survival!

Adaptability affords us the ability to change to meet the needs of a variety of situations.  Our ultimate ‘situation’ is death, so how do we as Christians meet the needs with that end state in mind?  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 Allow God to change you by the testing of your faith so that you may be made more like Jesus…adapt your life to the ways of God and be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Resilience is the ability to recover rapidly from traumatic events. Think of a branch that bends in a strong wind. The wind does not break it, but the branch quickly returns to its original shape when the wind stops blowing. Christians are often buffeted by sin in every direction, even when we bend to it, we know that through confession our relationship with God can be restored. I can’t think of a better example of this than Job. He was a strong Christian who endured great suffering and temporarily lost sight of his proper relationship to God. When Job confessed his pride, God forgave him all and restored his blessings twice over. Job 42  He bent in the storms of his sinful pride, but was not broken beyond repair because he repented.

Not just faith that God exists, but a firm belief that He has a plan for our lives is a quality that survivors also seem to possess. In a letter written to the elders who were being held captive in Babylon, the prophet Jeremiah reminds them that it iwas God who allowed them to be removed from the promised land of Jerusalem and that He ultimately means it for their good. Jeremiah writes to them what God has revealed to him,: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. The good that God desired for them and for us today is that we would seek Him with our whole heart and He promises to be found by us.

Survivors share a common hope that everything will turn out alright. This is also the greatest tenet of Christianity. Our hope is in Christ, Himself, whom God promised would save us. This is how Paul began his letter to Titus encouraging him in his work of teaching true doctrine to believers in Crete. He said that “the hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” Titus 1:2 God is faithful to His word and promise. Because of our faith in Him, we know that no matter what trouble comes in this life, we will be granted entry into heaven because of our faithin Christ. Our hope of survival rests upon the sacrifice of Christ.

Feeling a sense of purpose means we focus on accomplishing our objectives no matter what might slow us down. It is this sense of purpose we should feel when our objective is the kingdom of God. Romans 8:28 tells us “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” No matter what things cause us trouble in this life, we can rest assured that God has planned them for our benefit. When our goal as a survivor is heaven, we should be able to find strength to withstand many hardships, knowing that they are designed to help us get there.

The article describes tenacity as being the ability to handle the pain and keep going. I love the way Paul’s letter to the Romans encourages us to not simply keep going, but to find joy in troubles because of their purpose. He reminds us that “we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Christian survivors are tenacious; they may feel the pain of this world, but still find the glory and hope in the love of God for us.

It is this love that enables us to do things for those we in turn love. The very famous verse 1 Corinthians 13:13 tells us “now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Loving our friends, family, neighbors is the best way we can be imitators of Christ. Our love for them will motivate us to survive not only for ourselves, but spur us to work toward their survival as well. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” That is exactly what Jesus did…He laid down His life that we may have eternal life. That is the final word on our survival!

The article asserts that helping others is a powerful way to help ourselves. The bible couldn’t agree more. There are many verses about loving your neighbor and having empathy. Perhaps the one that is most known is the golden rule… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you from Luke 6:31 Jesus teaches His disciples not to love just those that love them, but to love even their enemies. It is easy to love those who love us back, but having empathy for those who hate us or what we believe is a much higher calling….it is the calling of the eternal survivors.

The ability to learn new things is intelligence and it gives us skills crucial to solving problems, which is another key factor in survival. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:10. Acknowledging God along with His awesome power and holiness is the first step toward gaining wisdom. Proverbs 1:5 tells us that “a wise man will hear and increase learning.” All the things in the bible “were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4. Reading scripture helps the wise to increase their learning which produces hope in the believer and ensures their survival.

Ingenuity is being clever, inventive or resourceful. For the Christian, we are much stronger when we realize we have no power on our own. Jesus is the source of all that we have and do. He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. Our greatest resource is the ability to call on Him for help. He also said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7 Paul summed it up once again when he told the Philippians, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

The article describes flow as an ability to move forward with ease while not fighting futility with those things beyond our control. The one thing Christians are always moving toward is our final calling to heaven. Death is the great equalizer of man. The rich, the poor, the sick, the healthy, the weak and the powerful will all die someday. It is not for us to understand or control why some apparently wicked people prosper while the righteous may appear to suffer here on earth. Paul’s letter to the Philippians tells us to “forget those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead” to “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 To flow through the things of this earth we cannot comprehend, knowing that through our faith in the death of Jesus for our sins, we will survive in Heaven.

Instinct is the ability to sense danger. The more in tune we are with God and His teachings, the more we will be able to anticipate trouble. He gave us His Word to be “a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path.” Psalm 119:105. If we read, study and meditate on the teachings of the bible, we will be less likely to stray for the path God has set before us and wander into danger. Not only the words of the bible, but God also gives us a helper in the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us so that we can be more aware of when we are headed toward something that could threaten our survival.

Today, in light of these scripture verses, I will end this post the same way I did Part I…  Do you allow the Holy Spirit to change you and make you more like Christ?  Will you exhibit a resilient faith by confessing sin in order to restore your relationship with God?  Does your faith give you hope and a sense of purpose that extends beyond this life?  Do you cling tenaciously to that hope even through trials?  Are you putting love and empathy into action?  Do you seek to become wiser and more intelligent through the Word?  Can you fully rely on Christ as your greatest resource?  Are you able to move forward through life toward the prize of heaven, despite the injustices of this world?  Do you rely on truths of the bible to guide your steps and hone your instincts for things that threaten your survival?  Are you merely getting through each day, or are you living like an eternal SURVIVOR?

SURVIVOR!

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Have you ever read something, something you had heard before, or already knew, but then you read it in a new way and something magical happened?  As I have been reading through the bible these last several months, the ‘remnant of Israel’ has been mentioned several times.  These are the people God allowed time and time again to carry on the lineage of the Israelites, to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham.  God remained faithful to His chosen people, as they repeatedly returned to idolatrous and evil ways, despite His punishments.  He kept this remnant and never allowed His anger to completely destroy them.  A couple of mornings ago I read the following sentence in the study notes of my bible, “The word remnant basically means “survivor”.”

Not really earth shattering on its own, but in light of the verse it was expounding upon, I was floored.  “Unless the Lord of hosts had left to us a small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:9  Unless God had mercifully allowed some of the Israelites to survive the punishment for their sins, the whole line of Abraham would have been wiped out.  But, God remained true to what He had promised, which gives us hope, even today, that His Word is truth.  The remnant of Israel was spared to bring us hope in God’s promises.

Old testament prophets often point to New Testament principles and events, and this passage was no different.  Isaiah was pleading with them to turn from their evil ways, but he realized that if they were “stricken again”, they would only “revolt more and more.” Isaiah 1:5  Later on in this book, Isaiah reveals God’s merciful plan to save miserable sinners from themselves.  Though not mentioned by name, it is clear that Jesus is the one who was to be ”stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”, who was to be ”wounded for our transgressions…and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5.  Isaiah knew through revelations from God that more punishments were not necessarily the answer for turning the hearts of the Israelites back to God.  Only the kind of love that would lay down the very life of His only Son to save ours’ could break through the sin-hardened hearts of His people.

Jesus is the ultimate survivor.  Though beaten, bruised, bloodied and crucified for our sins He triumphed.  He overpowered hell and death could not hold Him.  Before he ascended to heaven, He returned to earth to walk among the living, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the message of hope for all of us.

Countless others have gone before us, some to the fiery pits of hell, others called to their glorious home in Heaven, but we are all, each and every one of us whom God permits to remain, the remnant.  We are all survivors who carry the same message of hope.  I am a survivor.  My life has been spared me despite my sin.  In circumstances untold, God has rescued me from death.  He has saved me for His purposes.  God graciously allows each of us to be here among the living, to bring hope, to share the gospel, to be about His work.  It is so humbling for me to realize the power God gives me as part of the remnant and that He intends to use me as long as I’m on this earth to increase His kingdom. How is He calling you?

I looked up the characteristics of survivors and found a post on The Survivors Club, where they listed 12 traits that can be attributed to survivors:  adaptability, resilience, faith, hope, purpose, tenacity, love, empathy, intelligence, ingenuity, flow, instinct.  Certainly these are words that describe our Savior, but are they words that describe you?  Do you know how to cultivate these qualities in your own life?  As Christians, we are called to live out these same principles in our lives, showing that we are survivors, giving hope to all whom we encounter.

Do you allow the Holy Spirit to change you and make you more like Christ?  Will you exhibit a resilient faith by confessing sin in order to restore your relationship with God?  Does your faith give you hope and a sense of purpose that extends beyond this life?  Do you cling tenaciously to that hope even through trials?  Are you putting love and empathy into action?  Do you seek to become wiser and more intelligent through the Word?  Can you fully rely on Christ as your greatest resource?  Are you able to move forward through life toward the prize of heaven, despite the injustices of this world?  Do you rely on truths of the bible to guide your steps and hone your instincts for things that threaten your survival?  Are you merely getting through each day, or are you living like an eternal SURVIVOR?