Grasping Grace

In the four years of college, I have had a list of physical difficulties from knee pain carried over from cross country to a herniated disc to stomach problems. I’m not stating this so that people can have sympathy on me, but rather to share what I learned about the importance of exercise.

It is easy to go on either extreme on this topic. The culture we are in often idolizes the “ideal body”, where people undergo strict exercise regimes solely so that they can have that perfect set of abs. On the other extreme, people may say that exercise can be put on the back burner because they are investing time in things that are more worthwhile. What is important is that we understand why exercise is important and what kind of heart we should have when doing it.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” –1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In this verse, Paul is addressing what it means to belong to Christ and how this truth should motivate the way that we maintain our bodies in purity. But the truth that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit extends beyond the topic of purity. Back in the biblical times, the temple of God was viewed as sacred and undefiled because it was the dwelling place of God. In the same way, our bodies are not merely for our own pleasures or desires, but rather it is a sacred dwelling place of the Holy Spirit that functions to bring glory to God. Some ways that we can bring glory to God include serving the church, discipling other believers, and evangelizing. Our physical body is an important tool that enables us to do these things on a regular basis. When we fail to take care of our physical bodies, we can limit the ways in which we serve God. Ministry becomes more challenging and restrictive when health problems due to lifestyle choices lead us to experience fatigue and pain more often. Despite the tiredness and sweat, we are extending our physical potential for ministry when we exercise. My prayer is that we cultivate hearts motivated to exercise based on a desire to serve the Lord with excellence…all the years of our life so that He may receive the most glory!

Here are some practical tips to get you started!

1. Be creative: Exercise is not only going to gym, but can include swimming, playing tennis/racquetball, or even vacuuming! Try out new pilates or kickboxing moves for a change
2. Take a study break: Instead of going on Facebook as a study break, go for a short run or do an exercise video from Youtube.
3. Go right after class: Save some time and go right after class before you head back to your dorm room or apartment.
4. Get an exercise buddy: Add some fun by going with your friend and take the time to catch up!

Wow, it’s spring quarter! You have gotten into the groove of things, whether it’s knowing your once-new roommates, serving in a ministry team, or studying for your classes. With this comes the danger of complacency as you cruise along into summer. Are you lacking the enthusiasm that you had in the beginning of the year to study or to do ministry? Are you just “not feeling it”? Or ask yourself this, why are you doing the things you do?

Let’s check out this verse from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians:

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” –1 Thessalonians 4:1

So, why is Paul exhorting the church to excel still more? Is it because he said so? No. Is it because that is what they should do? Incomplete. Paul is encouraging the church to strive for the best in order to obey and please God. How do we maintain this kind of lifestyle? It all begins with the heart. We can exert all our physical and mental strength to study for midterms, to meet-up with small group, to complete tasks for internships. But what matters most is that our lifestyle is motivated by a heart that strives to obey and please the Lord. Whether you are lacking motivation or still going strong, take some time to examine your heart and make sure your efforts to excel are centered on bringing Him glory!

Honoring parents is something that people often overlook or belittle. It is considered not a “serious” issue, at least not as “serious” as cheating or committing murder. We even see media putting a comical spin on rebellious and defiant kids, such as in the TV series Malcolm in the Middle. However, when we look into God’s Word, it is very clear about what our hearts and actions should be like when we interact with our parents. Over the summer, I shared a post titled  “Loving Your Parents Despite the Distance” on how we practically imitate Christ’s unconditional love towards our parents when we are no longer living at home (check it out here). One of the greatest ways we express love to our parents is to honor them as God calls us to, so let’s dive into part 2 on how we actively live this out in college.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you” –Exodus 20:12

In this verse, God commanded the Israelites to show respect and reverence to their parents. God promised to bring His people into the Promised Land and to bless them when they faithfully obeyed this commandment. When the Israelites continuously disobeyed this commandment, it eventually led to various punishments such as the exile to Babylon. The connection between obeying this commandment and obtaining the blessing shown in the Old Testament illustrates that God does not view honoring parents as a trivial matter, but rather sincerely cares about believers’ interactions with their parents.

Do we hold honoring our parents as highly as God does? Do we view dishonoring our parents as a great sin as it is in God’s eyes? A sin that is comparable to adultery and lying? God calls us to respect our parents, but what does it practically look like?

Here are some practical tips I learned these past few years:

1.    Check your heart attitude and tone of voice. 

What is your heart attitude like when your parents say “no” to your plans? Are you grumbling or are you joyfully submitting to their decision? What is your tone of voice when responding to your parents?

In Psalm 19, the psalmist says, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (v. 14). There is a direct correlation between your speech and your heart. Something that you can ask yourself is, “Can I stand before God with a clear conscience and say that my heart and words in response to my parents are acceptable to Him?

2.    Be thankful for your parents’ authority.

In the summer post, I shared about how we express love by being thankful for your parents, but this specifically focuses on being grateful that God has placed them as authority in your life. Whether your parents are believers or unbelievers, God’s sovereign plan is perfect and good in where He has placed you. Do you value and treasure that God has sovereignly placed them as authorities over your life?

3.    Seek out counsel and listen.

Before making a significant decision (ie. summer plans, relationship, career), seek out their counsel and listen with an open mind. If you were seeking counsel from John MacArthur, you would be attentive and seriously consider his counsel, even if it was contrary to what you initially thought. Are you consistent in showing respect and reverence to your parents just as you would to your pastor?

My prayer is that we cultivate a lifestyle of honoring our parents that is an overflow of not only our love for God and His Word, but also a desire to be submissive to His commandments!

Wow, the school year is now in full force with midterms, projects, and ministry opportunities. The summer days of leisure are far gone and our days are jam-packed with numerous responsibilities.

Let me share with you a little bit of my experience since school started. In the past couple of weeks, I diligently completed my schoolwork, served at GOC, and fulfilled my duties at work. All of these activities are considered “good”…more than that, they are all blessings from God! But I soon realized that I was losing perspective. You may wonder, what do you mean by you were “losing perspective”? As I completed each of these tasks, I did not have Christ as the focus of my mind. Even though I knew in my head that I should be serving God and seeking to glorify Him, my heart did not echo this truth and I lacked joy in what I was doing.

Are you “losing perspective”? Feeling tired and spiritually drained? If so, I want to share this passage and sermon to encourage you in midst of your busyness. Spend some time meditating on these verses and check out “Who is Jesus Christ?” from the 2010 Resolved Conference. I hope that this will orient your mind to dwell on the greatness of our Savior, stirring your heart to be in awe and in worship for who He is and what He has done!

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” –Colossians 1:15-20

Sermon link: http://media.resolved.org/2010/Resolved_2010_Session_3-128.mp3

Steve Lawson presents various points of who Jesus is, one of which is “Jesus is Lord.” Even though we have heard this numerous times and have uttered the words “Jesus is Lord over my life”, our actions and priorities sometimes do not line up with this truth. In midst of busyness, it is easy to become self-sufficient and to forget why we live the way we do. Lawson said, “Jesus is jealous to have first place in every inch, every ounce of our lives. And He has the throne rights to make such a demand of us.”  Because Jesus was raised from the dead, He deserves to be first place in our lives (v.18). By Christ’s death and resurrection, we are freed from bondage to sin to become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17). We are no longer enemies of God or facing the condemnation of death, but rather we have a restored eternal relationship with our God. As I was reminded of why Jesus is Lord, my heart overflowed with gratitude and amazement because I, a wretched sinner, do not deserve such a holy and omnipotent Lord. It is a display of God’s grace that Christ is Lord over us and it is a privilege that we can submit and live every day to please Him.

I hope that this basic truth guides us to maintain a lifestyle perspective that submits all our responsibilities at His feet, so that we live to magnify Him. May our hearts overflow with joy in knowing that Jesus, the Holy and Almighty One, is reigning in our lives as Lord!