slammed by the profoundly obvious

Today I was sitting there in chapel and the preacher said something that just blew me away. He was talking about "fighting the good fight" and being faithful. (This is an area that I'm specifically trying to work on, so I was interested now.) In the course of the sermon, he said, "If a week goes by that I don't win a soul to the Lord, I know something is wrong."

I sat there stupified.

Now it wasn't like a pseudo-guilt like "Oh, man shouldn't we all be that way." But more like an obvious, "Well, Duh!" Here I am, at Bible College, and am required to go door-knocking 2 hours a week, and even in that I haven't won a soul to Christ in a while. Like over a year.

Isn't this supposed to be the main reason for living anyway?

How many of us have this mountain in our mind called "soulwinning" and assume that special people are called to climb it? Or at least really spiritual giants. It's a scarey thing, I admit! I'm scared to really try, but why is that?

You know, I'll bet that if I would try it, you too, and just start doing this on a regular basis, we may just get over that idea. I got over my fear of walking when I was a baby, riding a bike without training wheels when I was a kid, and I can even drive in the car with my sister now after a few months of therapy, a neck brace, and plenty of Tylenol. :) I would guess that the discipline of soulwinning would be the same way.

It's worth a shot. Why not go out and win a soul to the Lord this week? Sure, He's the one that "giveth the increase" but I really don't think He'll withhold that joy from one that is earnestly seeking it.

Engage!

Bearing Fruit

Galatians 5:16-26

Paul opens up this passage with an observation that he has made before: that the flesh and the Spirit are in a constant struggle with each other. He lists the vile sins that we used to participate in. These range from inner hatred to witchcraft, but one who does any or all of these “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Paul makes a bold statement in verse 24, speaking in the past tense that the Christian has already “crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Then he says that we are living in the Spirit, so then we should walk that way.

Often I am tempted to dwell on my sin, trying to get it figured out. Rather, I should simply recognize that that part of me is already dead. Now I must move forward and walk in the Spirit. I find it challenging that we are not told to bear these fruits. No, we are told to “Walk in the Spirit.” It should not be a frantic decision of which fruit I should bear, because in and of my self I “cannot do the things that [I] would.”

I'm grateful...

...that my salvation is independant of my blog performance. While writing is a blast, when I do it throughout the week for school, journal, letters to friends, I soon find my time gone. (And since most of what I put on here is the same as school, journal, letters to friends... well sometimes I guess I don't see the point.)

But either way, I blog on! I'm gong to post a report I did on Galatians last week. This was really good, because it opened my eyes to the fact that I am not the one that has to stress out about the fruit of my labor. I focus on my performance and faithfulness, and the fruit will come.

Related to that, I just finished studying the command of Christ: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." The promise was that he would make them fishers of men. The command was to just follow. Same type of thing really: I perform and be faithful, what I do is God's business.

One of our founding fathers said, "Duty is ours, the results are God's."

May we all be faithful to our duty.