What's in you?

Over the past few weeks our pastor has spoke at length about what is on the inside of us. Much like the Gatorade commercials where the athletes sweat comes out the color of the Gatorade that they have consumed we have the same thing that is going on. Daniel asked the hard question - how much of the world is in you? Difficult question if answered truthfully.

Along those same lines Rick uses a similar analogy of the sponge. If a sponge is dipped in clear clean water then when it is squeezed the water will be clean whereas if a sponge is dipped in Kool-Aid then the sponge, when squeezed, will be the color of the drink.

So what IS on the inside of you?

This one is difficult because it is a mature question. For a young believer there is a chance for a ton of condemnation to come in when a message like this is taught. Maybe there is a tendency for that person to "force" themselves to study and pray even though that is not what God is calling them to. They may well be in a phase of their lives that they need to be taking it slow.

As for me I kind of took it on the chin when I hear this message. There are some things that I enjoy. Those that know me know that I really enjoy my college football and don't mind to attend some games or maybe buy some Hokie gear.

The thing that I have to be careful of when Saturday's rolling around is what is God doing? Seriously. I have to understand what His plans are before I get started on Saturday's. If not I can see my marriage go haywire, condemnation can and will jump on me, or I might even get depressed.

So how do I handle/balance whether I am striving toward the goal of knowing Jesus and Him crucified? Several things play into this.

1) There are two things I cannot sacrifice (regardless of who Va Tech is playing) and that is my quiet time with Jesus and my wife. Sometimes these two go hand in hand other times no so much. I need to seek the heart of Jesus daily. It helps me to be the priest and prophet of my home. It also helps my wife, just ask her.
2) The fail safe in all of this is my heart. This helps with the condemnation.

Psalms 44:12
...For He knows the secrets of the heart.

and don't bother faking the funk
Psalms 94:11
The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath

if I can guard my heart and not allow my identity be in the things that I am doing in this world then I am in a safe place.

for example
taking pride in the fact that I have tickets when thousands of other people would love to be there

thinking more highly of myself then I ought to
Romans 12:3
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have a sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith

To bring it all back together and close up we are the King's kids. I am firmly convinced that we are not put here on earth to lead solitary dour lives. HOWEVER we must keep Jesus first in our lives even over our families. It really is that simple. My identity cannot be that I am a Hokie my identity is I am my Father's son who enjoys Va Tech sports.

The toughest part of the lesson I had to learn and walk through was giving it all back to the Father and letting Him restore a healthy appreciation for those worldly things in my life. When He asked for a television fast right in the middle of college football season I about lost my mind. Yet what I learned through that and what God was able to do was remove the worldly influence of my likes and restore a pureness to them.

I am still walking that out but I have gotten to the point now where most of the time my entire Saturday's aren't consumed by football and I can go shopping with my wife and not get into a fight because I am missing the "game". God had to do that work in my life and I had to be willing to go along with Him. And you know something? Those worldly things never advanced my life or the Kingdom anyway.

So what is in you? Do you have the desire to get rid of it and turn it over to God or do you want to hang onto it? If you get rid of it just know there is a ton of mercy and grace for ya.

See a banana split is the perfect dessert for me. Been eating them my whole life and could never imagine them getting any better. Then one day someone puts walnuts on my split and all of a sudden that thing that I loved has been improved and now I really love them.

Same thing with giving your passions and desires over to God. When my Father restores he does so with a gentleness and with love and the next thing you know that thing that could never get any better - well suddenly it is.