I was riding my motorcycle to work this morning around 6:30am, and the temp was in the low 40’s.  Normally, I love this kind of weather, but when you are doing 60+ MPH, that gets stinking cold.  I had on multiple layers, but still the almost-freezing air was cutting through.  The commute was only about 15 minutes, but within the first 5 minutes or so, I found myself thinking that I could not take much more.  I toughed it out though, and made it to work.  On the way there, I started considering my overall toughness, or my ability/inability to endure.  I thought about all the times when things get physically demanding, and I have to just suck it up and tough-it-out.  I remembered all those wrestling practices, intense workouts, COLD RIDES, etc. . .   While considering all of this though, I started thinking of all the times that I had failed due to a lack of SPIRITUAL TOUGHNESS.  I started to wonder if this was common, and the conclusion I came to was, YES… I believe it is common.  We are so quick to call on our toughness during physically demanding times, but why do we crumble so easily when we need to call on our SPIRITUAL toughness.  I think that it is due to our lack of training, or even that do not even consider that we HAVE spiritual toughness.  Paul often refers to our Christian lives as something similar to an athletic event.  He even tells us to TRAIN ourselves.  I think all of this begins with the realization that since we have GOD in us, we can take much more than we think.  We need to remember this when things get tough.  It is alot like my ride this morning… at 5 minutes, I thought I was done, but soon enough I realized, “Yeah, I am just as cold as I was a few minutes ago, but really… has it gotten any worse?  No… and I could take it 5 minutes ago, so I am still good now.”  So, maybe sometimes I just need to suck it up… tough it out.  Life is rough- no doubt, but God makes us tough when we need to be.  Scripture assures us, that He will never allow us to endure more than we can bare.  Hold on to that… toughen up-  I know we can.

I was going over some stuff tonight with a buddy about a study on John, and some thoughts came up worth mulling over.  In John Ch2, Jesus cleanses the temple for one of two times.  I had never really studies the passage for any length of time until just recently, and this is what came to mind.

#1.  Christ had and still has such ZEAL (directly from scripture) for “His Father’s House”, which was the temple then, but now is US!  He went to such great lengths to cleanse the temple of all things that defiled it, and I believe He still desires the same thing.  What is in me that Christ would chase out with a whip?  What tables in my life would He toss!  How should I mimick His behavior here?

#2.  Although, I have gone over this before in my mind, and with others- it should be restated.  Christ is not passive when it comes to sin.  So often, the perception of Jesus is a that He was/is a passive savior.  Not SO!  Is the behavior in this passage, or any other related to sin, evidence of His passiveness??  Not a chance!  He was aggressive when it came to His dealings with sin.  He made it clear that it is something we should not take lightly.  Am I aggressively seeking to sin less and less??

It is strange how we get so used to things.  I have been involved in organized ministry for almost 10 years now, and I sometimes forget what a blessing it is to be used by God in the ways He still uses me.  I have spoken at tons of DNOW’s, and today I met with a leadership group from a church who is using me in a few months, and it was just a great experience.  Rarely is a guest speaker asked for input, but today this group was truly interested in how God is and will be speaking to me about this event.  So, often you are invited in, given little direction (a theme if lucky) and just let go.  Yeah, sometimes I appreciate that, but other times it is great to be asked well ahead of time, “What do YOU see God doing through this,” or “What can we do to help YOU?”  Sometimes I just expect to almost go in without help from those who are inviting me.  I have almost gotten used to it.  Is that sad?  So, when a group comes along that does over and above that, it is almost shocking.  It is a good “shocking” though.  Also, it enables me to do what God has called me to do… HELP IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE!  It gives me the opportunity to ask the church or leadership, ”What can I do for you?”  After all, that is what I should be doing right?  Sometimes, I forget that as well.  For that, I am truly sorry.  What a gift it is from God that I get to work for HIS kingdom!  I look forward to seeing what God is going to do through this group effort.  I am also pumped because a good friend is leading worship for the event, and it is planned for all of us, including the worship leader, to get together to plan things out.  I know that this is not always possible for alot of events, but it is nice.  So, note to leadership- go the extra mile for those you invite in to be used by God.  Greet them with the hospitality and love that you would want to be greeted with.  Ask them for input when possible, and ask how you can help them!  And, note to self-  ”YOU (Matthew) are being used to HELP… ask what YOU can do for THEM besides just come in for a day or so and teach a few times.”  After all, we are all part of the same Church, right?

PS… This is day 5 of the NO sugar, NO carbination fast.  I have not killed anyone, or attempted to use Krispy Kreme as a cuss word!  So, I think I am doing pretty well.