I’ve been home all week and haven’t blogged! I said to Bobby last night, “I want to write a blog tonight….ah, I’ll do it tomorrow.” But I don’t like it when I let a whole week go by because we shouldn’t put off to tomorrow what we could do today! It isn’t that I haven’t had things to write or even that I haven’t had time–I guess I’ve just been lazy.

I am really enjoying the changes that fall brings. The sun sets earlier, it’s much cooler out, and I have a pumpkin spice candle burning in the living room. I went through some boxes in our closet (yes, they had not been unpacked the last 5 months!) and got out our jackets and sweaters. Then I went through Tyler’s closet and pulled out the clothes that will fit him that are long sleeved, sweatshirts and sweaters. I know that we don’t really have drastic seasons here in California. I’m wearing long pants and a nice warm sweater today, but I’m still wearing my flip flops.

I’ve started reading a new book–Damsels in Distress: Biblical Solutions for Problems Women Face by Martha Peace. Bobby brought it back for me from the counseling conference I missed earlier this month. I’m enjoying Martha’s Biblical approach and how she gives confrontation where necessary and encouragement where necessary. Her writing has such a tone of care and compassion–I’m really enjoying the book!

I had been reading Romans 8:28 and in the first chapter she wrote about it!

We probably know that first part very well, but the rest of this passage we are not as familiar with. We usually cite God causes all things to work together for good and don’t even finish the sentence–to those who love God. Martha Peace writes–

Those who love God are Christians who obey His Word. As a result, God somehow supernaturally uses good as well as bad circumstances to help mold us into Christ like character. There is nothing, however painful, that we must go through in vain. God will not only help us, but He will also use all things for our good and for His glory.(p. 18)

The thought that stood out the most was that there is nothing however painful, that we must go through in vain. It can be easy amidst a painful experience to feel as though God has forsaken me, but that is far from the truth. He is even using that experience to teach me and mold me. That is why James says we should be joyful in our trials.

Our joy is not in the pain of the trial, but in the sure hope that God is using the trials to work together for good as we are obedient to Him.

It’s so good to be back to blogging! Last week I went up north to help my friend Missy move here to Orange County. Tyler wasn’t having the best time sleeping at nights so I came back early, but she still made it here on Saturday and we are thrilled to have her living less than two miles away. Bobby was away at the men’s retreat and then the Biblical counseling conference during the week. It’s so good to all be home.

I sure missed the high school Bible studies and was very encouraged to be with the group yesterday. Bobby is teaching through 1 John on what it means to be a Christian. His first lesson was “Who is a Christian?” a serious wake-up call to be sure of our standing before God. I remember that Bobby said in that lesson,

The worst place we could possible be is in the middle. And yet, I see so many people desperately trying to find neutral territory. They don’t have the confidence to say that they are a legitimate Christian because their lives prove otherwise. But yet, they don’t want to admit that they aren’t a Christian either. And so they try to walk the fine line of lukewarm Christianity.

You can find more on this lesson and the following lessons– “To Be a Christian Is…Having a Relationship with God” and “To Be a Christian Is…Repenting of Sin”– here.

Yesterday Bobby continued this series with “To Be a Christian Is…Obeying God’s Commands.” 1 John 2:3-6 says–

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God
is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked.”

I thought it was poignant that Bobby related obedience to a test. It is a “pass” or “fail” test. But just as so many want to be in the middle in a lukewarm Christianity, the same is true of obedience. Our lack of obedience is why we become lukewarm.

Obedience is necessary, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Most of the time it is hard. We must submit ourselves, our desires, our stubborn wills, thoughts, feelings and confusion all to God’s commands. We can’t ever say “I’m right, you’re wrong” to God. He is always right because He alone is holy and that is why He requires that we strive to be the same.

I was convicted when Bobby spoke of our motivation for obedience. He pointed out that much of the time we are waiting for God to do our obedience for us. We say “If God wants me to read my Bible, He needs to make me really want to.” Some go a little further, “I really want to spend time in prayer, I just need God to make it happen.” Obedience in many things is something that we must do in the Lord’s strength and by His grace disciplining ourselves to follow Him. Ephesians 2:10 says–

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

How many of us wake up and one of the first things we are thinking is “I need to do each good work that God has for me to do today.” Probably not that many of us! We’re often busy thinking about what we have to do that day, where we need to go, what needs to get done for school or work. It’s good to be on top of all these things, but we should make sure we’re aware of the good works we need to be doing–being honoring to our parents, encouraging a friend, sending that e-mail or making that call we know we need to do eventually. Sometimes our obedience can get lost in all the busyness of life.

Failing the test of obedience is one of the worst things we can do. James 4:17 says–

“Therefore to him to knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

But on the other hand, even the smallest acts of obedience will be rewarded by the Lord. In Mark 9:41 Jesus says–

“For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name,
because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you,
he will by no means lose his reward.”

This was a convicting and encouraging message for me and helped me evaluate my own life and consider steps of obedience that I need to take.