It Makes Sense

Many decisions in life are "no brainers". You get up in the morning and take a shower. Why? If you don’t take a shower, you will stink the entire day. You put gas in your car when it's running low. Why? If you don't, you will run out of gas and look like an idiot on the side of the road. Professional Basketball players train in the off-season. Why? They train to prepare for the upcoming season. You set the hook when the fish bites your bait. Why? So that you don't lose possibly the biggest fish of your life (This has happened to me too many times. Jason Gaston can say "Amen" to that statement). Pastors prepare before they deliver a sermon. Why? So that they can correctly handle the most precious book in the entire world and rightly divide the Word of Truth. Followers of Christ should choose to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God on a daily basis. Why? It's a no-brainer. It makes sense. Let me prove it to you.

In Romans 12:1 Paul writes "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." This verse is very popular among Christian circles today and behind pulpits. In my recent study of this text, I learned something fresh and new about what Paul is communicating to the Roman Christians. Let's focus today on the word "reasonable" in the latter part of verse one. The word "reasonable" can be translated as "rational" or "according to logic". What is Paul saying to the Roman Christians through verse one? I strongly believe that Paul is urging the Roman Christians to make a decision to present their entire lives at the disposal of God because it flat out makes sense. It's rational. The decision that Paul is begging the Roman Christians to make follows the train of logic. He is not commanding them to do something irrational. Ultimately, Paul's command in verse one is reasonable based upon the content he just shared in the previous chapters.

In the chapters leading up to chapter 12, Paul discusses many profound theological themes that apply exclusively to the believer in Jesus. He touches on the doctrine of justification (Romans 4). Justification can be defined as the act of God imputing his righteousness upon a believer. 2 Corinthians 5:21 say's He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we could become the righteousness of God. That's some good food right there. Chomp on that for a second. Wow! In addition, he talks about God's love for his children. Romans 5:8 say's "But God demonstrated his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 8:38 explains how nothing can separate God's Church from the love of Christ. Hallelujah! Furthermore, Paul touches on the process of sanctification (The process whereby God is committed to conforming believers in Jesus in to his image). In addition to these sacred promises, Paul talks about the mercy of glorification (The act of God transforming our lowly bodies in to heavenly beings). Paul does indeed touch on many mercies in the first eleven chapters. He details these mercies for a reason.

Based upon all of the information that Paul has shared with the Roman Christians in Chapters 1-11, he provides a no-brainer type command in Chapter 12:1. Since the Roman Christians are loved by God, justified, in the process of being sanctified, and one day glorified, it makes absolute sense for them to lie down or present their bodies as living sacrifices to God Almighty. It is a "no brainer"!

Today, be encouraged by this scripture passage. As believers, we are commanded to surrender our lives to God in obedience. Surrender to God today, no matter how you feel or what’s going on in your life, no matter who's around you, because you are captivated by the mercies that God has bestowed upon you. It makes sense. Doesn't it????

Choose to Cheat

My wife and I are now parents! Kind of weird huh? In High School, everyone picked me to be the last to get married and by default the last to have a child. To be honest, I can see why they chose me to be the last.....I didn't have any style and I sometimes didn't even shower. Well, my friends were wrong. And praise God they were wrong. I can't imagine not being with my wife and child at this time. God has blessed my wife and I with the most beautiful little baby, Abigail Grace. After the birth of our little girl, God has reiterated a principal that Andy Stanley promotes in his book, "Choosing to Cheat", that I would like to share during this first post.

Everyone cheats. Working men all over the country choose to elevate their work over their family. A multitude of Pastors have chosen to focus countless hours a day to thier ministry and forget about their primary ministry, their family. As a man called in to the ministry, life gets busy. I'm sure all of you Pastors can say a hearty "Amen" to that statement. Furthermore, as a man devoted to the healthy upbringing of my family, I have a choice every day to either cheat my ministry, my job, or my family. Ever since my precious little girl was born, God has restored an unexplainable passion in my heart to lead and love my family. What does that mean? I am committed to spending time with my family no matter how busy life, my job, or the ministry gets, in order to cultivate a God fearing atmosphere in the home. In addition, I am devoted to pouring the Word of God in to my family's life so that we can be encouraged and challenged to live a lift that reflects the charachter of God. As the leader of my home, that's my job. If I don't do that, I fail as a husband, father and as a minister. Furthermore, I am not even equipped or qualifed to lead God's flock unless I "manage my household well" (1 Timothy 3:4). It makes absolute 100% sense for you as the leader of your home to cheat every other facet of your life(when necessary) in order for your family relationship to thrive. You can't do everything. You can't pour every ounce of who you are in to every element in your life. You can't work 80 hours a week and spend quality time with your kids on a consistent basis. You can't "hang out with the boys" every weekend when you barely see your wife during the week if you desire to lead and love your wife in a Biblical manner. If you want to invest in your family, you can't go play golf on every off day that you have. You must cheast somewhere and something. Pastor's have responsibilities, that is a no brainer. However, when you load your week up with countless number of ministry responsibilities, and leave no room for quality time with your spouse and children, you cheat your family.

Today, and I pray every day, I am focused and commited on choosing to cheat the lesser important areas of my life in order for my family relationship to thrive. Sure, ministry is important; it's what God has called me to do while on earth. I am extremly passionate and very serious about local church ministry. However, it's not as important as my precious family. Before ministering in the local church, I am called to minister to my family. What good am I to hundreds of people within a local Church if I can't lead and love my family of 3?? So, when you have an opportunity to go see the NC State vs. UNC game on a Friday night with a friend, and you haven't spend quality time with your wife the whole week, choose to cheat and say no to a rather inviting ACC rivalry game in order to be the husband your called to be. Cheat......It's Biblical. It's rational. It's healthy.