Press on Toward the Goal

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Julia Charleston

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  Romans 12:2 (NLT)

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with change.   I get comfortable and complacent; I am afraid of the unknown.  Fear drives me back to that place of security, especially when I cannot see what’s up ahead.  We all do.  We can’t help it.  Sometimes it is all we have ever known.

As Christians, when we are faced with change, we run back to our comfort zone like a frightened child runs to his parents.  That place of contentment we call home; that we have come to know and love is not always the best thing for us.  Sometimes it is a danger to our health, or worse, a danger to our souls.

As I reject change and visit places of my past, Proverbs 26:11 comes to my mind.  It states “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.”  I really do not like this verse. It seems rather harsh. I hate to think of myself in these terms, but God’s word is truth, and this verse holds true in my own life.  I talk about making changes, and then I go back to that comfy, cozy, unhealthy place; a place where the old Julia once lived.

We pray for new eyes that warn us not to return to things that are not of God, forgetting the past.  We pray that we will go in another direction.  Our faith helps us trust in a “new” way; a “new” instinct, one that God drives, not us.

We can persevere through change toward the goal that God has laid out before us, “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:13b-14 (NIV).

A pastor once said, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at will change.”  I’ve quoted this many times over the years, and people in my life have grown tired of it, but it restates what Paul was trying to tell us in Romans 12:2.

We can change the way we think in order to learn God’s will for us.  And God’s will for us is good and pleasing and perfect.

Peace be with you.

~Julia

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The One Who Knows

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Julia Charleston

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about the things we cannot see.”  Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Most of our life journey is traveled without knowing what lies ahead.  We do not know what to expect.  We do not know what the future holds.  That scares us a little bit.  Oh, who are we kidding?  That scares us a lot!

We often get anxiety about traveling unfamiliar roads, especially when traveling alone.  Rather than seeing adventure, we get anxious about the unknown route, wondering what’s up ahead.

What if there are roadblocks?

What if there’s a detour?

What if we get lost?

We allow fear to take control and end up driving 20 miles out of the way on a route we are more accustomed to traveling.  It is easier for us to control the outcome when we know what is up ahead.   We are  comfortable with familiarity rather than the way of the unknown.  The unknown is vast and scary; sometimes it’s dark and lonely.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus reminds us not to worry about what’s up ahead:  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.  Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

As our faith grows, God reveals a different path; a new and exciting journey that is lead by Him.  We, in turn, want to change directions and follow Him. No doubt there will be bumps in the road.  There will be roadblocks and detours.  We may even get lost along the way.

Our job then is to pray for the courage to change, and to persevere through the unknown until we arrive at our known destination.  We must persevere through our faith, knowing that what we hope for will actually happen, even when we cannot see what’s up ahead.  When we look at life as an adventure rather than the scary unknown, we allow room for God to show up and work in our lives.  And when God shows up, we can trust that His way is always better than our way.

Let’s persevere through our faith.  Let’s get off of Comfort Road and take the route that God is leading us to take.  We will find that it’s not important to know where we are going when we know the ONE who does.

Peace be with you.

~Julia

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Can’t Never Could

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Julia Charleston

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13 NLT

Growing up, anytime I would say I couldn’t do something within earshot of my grandma, she would respond, “Can’t never could!”  It did not matter what it was that I claimed I could not do, her response was always the same.

Can’t never could.

I have been neglecting my health lately, and one of my resolutions for 2012 is to exercise more.  So I went to the local park for a walk and some fresh air.  The park was lively with many walkers and runners.  I was walking at a brisk pace, and every runner buzzed past me, leaving me in their dust.  As I continued my walk, I thought, “I wish I could run, but I can’t.”  And there was my grandma’s voice telling me “Can’t never could.”

“I can’t run, I am too old.”

“I can’t run, I am too overweight.”

“I can’t run, I am too slow.”

For every excuse that entered my head, my grandma’s words echoed through my mind, “Can’t never could.”

I began thinking about my resolution to persevere through change.  I realized I was allowing the excuses to get in the way of a change God wanted me to make.

So what if I’m old, it’s never too late to start.  Who cares if I’m overweight?  What better way to lose a few pounds.  I probably will be slow; you can’t run a marathon in a day.

Grandma was right.  Can’t never could.  But I can.  And I will.  So I prayed and asked God for the strength to run.  And then, I ran.

I ran at a snail’s pace, but I ran.  I had to stop and start many times.  But I ran.  God gave me exactly what I needed to persevere and I finished strong with the song Jesus Freak blasting on my ipod.

The next time you think you can’t do something, just remember my grandmother’s words.

Can’t never could.  But you can do anything with Christ who gives you strength.

Peace be with you.

~Julia

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Perseverance

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Julia Charleston

“That is why we never give up…”  2 Corinthians 4:16a (NLT)

This is the time of year when people like to make resolutions.  We promise ourselves that we will make changes to improve our lives during the coming year.  We make our declarations on New Year’s Eve, and by the time Easter rolls around, we forget all about our good intentions.

Every year I look to the Lord for guidance for the upcoming year.  Each year I end up with one word on my heart; a theme, if you will, to follow throughout the year.  Last year, my word was change.  I encouraged everyone I know to pray about one thing God would like them to change, and then I encouraged them to implement that change.  I spurred them on to change not for themselves or their spouse; not for their children or their friends.

Change for God.  Change for good.

Many people made many changes and I was grateful to have witnessed God’s glory in their lives.  But I made very few changes in my own life.  I tried to change, but then I would quit.  I allowed life to get in the way.  I made excuses why I couldn’t change.

Change is hard, and I am a creature of habit.

This year, as I prayed for my one word theme, the word that kept coming up was PERSEVERE.  I am called to persevere as I continue to change.  We are all called to persevere.

One of my goals for 2011 was to start a blog; which has been on my mind all year, yet it’s a task I have not accomplished.    It seems only fitting that I start my blog on the last day of the year.  Since perseverance is my theme for 2012, I have decided to blog about persevering though any hardship in life.

With God’s help, we can do anything.  I pray you will join me in this journey as we unfold the mysteries in scripture about perseverance.

Peace be with you.

Julia

“Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.”  Revelation 3:10 (NLT)

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