Living a Lifestyle of Worship

As I sit here typing, my fingers are probably the only part of my body that does not hurt right now. You see, this week I began working out with a trainer...and not just any trainer...a psycho trainer. Keith (or "Big K" as I usually call him because I'm out of breath) LOVES this fitness stuff. He eats, sleeps and breathes it...and he's made it his goal to whip me and my training partners (my fellow church staff members) into shape. And whip he has done! Nearly every muscle in my body is intensely sore, or was intensely sore and is now only "really sore." You know, the kind of sore that causes you to just let your back itch because it's more painful to even try to scratch it!) So why do I do this? Why do I put up with the pain? The answer is because I know that 6 weeks from now I'll be in better health, I'll feel better, and I'll look better (and stop growing out of my clothes). I grew up hearing coaches say, "no pain, no gain." And I believe it.

Tonight I was also reading "The Shack" by William P. Young. I realize that it has been somewhat controversial in staunch religious circles; but then again, "religion" always challenges fresh thinking. You can say what you want to about the book's theology (or lack thereof) and the metaphors the author chooses, it paints a pretty fresh picture of how God (the Trinity) loves and interacts with us. I won't spoil the book for you if you haven't read it, but there is a chapter in which the main character, Mack, is talking with the Holy Spirit about "good" and "evil" and she challenges his definition of "good." (Yes, I said "she" - in this book, the Holy Spirit is depicted in the form of a woman - hence the controversy!) She suggests that humans are not capable within ourselves to define good and evil, because our perspective is skewed by our humanity. For instance, what benefits us we typically define as good, and what we don't like we define as evil. Unfortunately, there are 6 billion of us on the planet, and we all have different definitions.

Instead, she suggests that "evil" is simply the absence of God, just like "dark" is the absence of light. Where there is light, the darkness is gone...so where there is God, evil is not there. The point she's trying to make, is that when pain and hurt come into our life, our natural instinct is to flee from it and call it "evil." In reality, though, that's not always the case. Sometimes God allows pain into our life. Our natural tendency is to call it "evil," but in reality, God uses the pain to grow and mature us. I've recently been undergoing some heavy stress and trauma in multiple areas of my life...and naturally, all I want to do is to cry "evil" and run screaming into the woods. I really want to be found faithful at the end of this, but sometimes I just don't know how I'm gonna make it through. In my Bible study time the other day, however, I read this...

James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Now, I've read the "consider it pure joy" part hundreds of time; but the line that caught my heart's eye this time was verse 4..."perseverance MUST finish its work so that you may be MATURE and COMPLETE, not lacking anything." So, the trials are necessary to develop perseverance; and perseverance is necessary for us to become mature and complete.



If I believe that God is over everything (which I do); and if I believe that God is always with me (which I do); and if I believe that He always has my best interests at heart (which I do); THEN, I have to look at pain, trials and frustrations differently. I have to see them, and the pain they cause me, as tools that God is using in my life. The pain I feel in my body right now from working out is intense...BUT, I know that the pain leads to muscular and cardiovascular growth. And I endure it with a smile because I know the outcome in my body will be worth it.

So why do I treat the trials of life any different? Why do I look at something unpleasant and cry "evil," instead of powering through it like I am this workout thing? God has my best interests at heart...there's no doubt in that. And just because it hurts, doesn't make it bad. And in point of fact, according to this scripture in James, sometimes it HAS to hurt in order to produce maturity in you. After all...no pain, no gain!

In two weeks our church is going to spend an entire Sunday focused on prayer. The music, the message, and even an afternoon event will all focus on prayer - in this case, particularly as it pertains to the need to pray for God's hand in our efforts to relocate our church campus.

As such, a friend of mine and I were discussing the concept of "praying without ceasing" today. Scripture instructs us to "pray without ceasing;" obviously this doesn't mean that we are to stay in our closets on our knees all day. So what does it mean? After a time of reflection and discussion, we came upon two pertinent things.

First, to pray without ceasing means that you have a continual open dialogue with God all the time - one that you can start, stop, restart, come back to later, etc. all the time. Driving down the road, when you see a pretty sunset and thank God for the beauty around us...or when you find yourself talking to someone and you begin to ask God for wisdom because they've just popped open the lid on a very sensitive subject...or when a new business deal comes across your desk, and you start your evaluation of it by asking God what He thinks...or whatever else. The point is, talking to God no longer stops with "the Big 3" (Sunday morning church, mealtimes, and right before your head hits the pillow). You are in constant contact with him all day, every day - alert to His presence, and open to His will.

Second, praying without ceasing keeps you focused with a Kingdom mindset. Ever notice how you feel pumped up and encouraged after going to church on Sunday, but by Monday afternoon you're beat down by all that is going on around you? When you're in continual communication with God, your connection to His Kingdom perspective stays intact. People's bad behavior is easier to handle because you can see their pain a little better through God's eye...bad news still hurts, but you can handle it better. In essence, you are more apt to react in a Godly manner to whatever situation comes your way.