“Existing Breath”

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

    is God in his holy dwelling”. Psalm 68:5 

Jeremiah 22:16 reminds us that to “know God” means helping the widow and the orphan. 

I still want to know what it is that really motivates you? This question has been with me every since I was a kid spending time in an orphanage. This was a life-changing experience of a question asked by a bible Sunday school teacher within this horrible place, the orphanage. You see while there I learned great survival skills like being superficially charming, being stronger (fighting every day), and being sneakier, but not great commitment as a young Christian. Through this person at the orphanage Jesus continued to extend his ministry of love and care for me. 

I would think back often after this experience, about the true distinctiveness of Christian life, not only in what we do, the place, but in why we do it. Because of The Christian life is a battle of the sinful flesh against the new nature given by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), I found myself asking questions like “Why do I need to know about union with Christ? Is it really necessary? I’ve gotten along fine thus far without understanding it. What right does he/she have to pry into another person’s life? “The reality of the question now is: “as a believer, “Why not to care for another person’s spiritual life”? Isn’t it our eternal responsibilities for our lives here on earth?”

At that time what I often overlooked was that on my journey was a need to accept Christ as Lord. Being a blood-bought child of God means I/we give up the right to ourselves (1 Corinthians 6:20). This is the point where sanctification begins, and this moment-by-moment dying to self continues as long as we live in our earthly bodies (Matthew 16:24).

Anyone who tells you that committing your life to Christ makes your life easier is not telling the truth. Fulfilling, yes. More joyful, absolutely. But easier? No. In some ways, life got more difficult for me after coming to Christ. My struggle against sin became more pronounced, for one thing. It led me to Laziness, gluttony, swearing, anger, envy, self-centeredness, materialism, covetousness, and other issues—the temptations seem never-ending. The world was like sinking sand, the flesh, and the devil don’t go away because we have stepped into a relationship with Christ.

We are reconciled to Him, and we have all the legal rights and privileges of a son or daughter (John 1:12). We now have a relationship with the Creator of the universe. The Spirit’s regeneration sets off an alert system that lets us know things have changed. Sinful behaviors that we once found comfortable no longer are. The old way of life grows rather—old (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I thought to myself as a Christian I must now confront this life from a different worldview that comes with a new set of values—God’s values. I for one was being immersed in a world system that trumpets its ideals and slanders anyone who demurs. Before we are saved, we accept what the world says without even thinking about it. We don’t know anything else. After we are saved, our eyes are opened to the truth, and we can perceive the lies of the world. Fighting against those lies can be difficult.

Being a Christian is difficult because, once we are saved, we are suddenly swimming upstream, against the current of the world around us. Though our appetites will change, our sanctification can be a difficult process. Friends no longer understand us; our families question our new involvements and associations. Those we love often feel rejected, angry, and defensive. They don’t see why we can no longer continue in our old ways.

Christianity requires growth. God loves us too much to let us stay the same. Growth can be painful at times, and we usually don’t like to leave our comfort zone, but positive change is always rewarding. As we grow in Christ, we realize that God isn’t just desirous of our conforming to a set of rules. He wants all of us; He wants a crucified life, given totally to Him. We learn through obedience and trust to find rest in His guidance.

Life as a Christian is difficult because we must constantly say “no” to our own fleshly desires and yield to the Spirit. We learn to handle conflict with grace, instead of through retaliation. We learn to forgive, rather than hold grudges. We learn to replace the vacillating emotions we once called love with true, unconditional love. We grow through the opportunity to die to ourselves daily, to become obedient.

Yes, being a Christian is difficult in many ways. But that’s only half the story. The difficulties believers face is not tackled alone. Every challenge is met through the power of Christ who lives within us (Philippians 4:13). The faithful follower of Christ is never completely overwhelmed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Never forget: Satan is absolutely opposed to God, and his single goal is to stop God’s work—including His work in our lives. When we come to Christ, we change sides (as it were), moving our citizenship from Satan’s kingdom to God’s Kingdom.

What is the solution? First, don’t give the devil a toehold in your life! If old “friends” drag you down, stay away from them. If old habits or sufferings have you in their grip, ask God to help you replace them with new ways of living. In addition, learn to walk with Christ every day through reading the Bible, prayer and fellowship with other believers. Finally, don’t rely on your own strength to win the battle but on Christ and His strength.

There are definite, eternal rewards for following Christ (Luke 18:29-30). We learn by experience that God’s ways are better, safer, and more reliable than the world’s ways. Our trusting obedience to God becomes the pathway to a transformed and abundant life (John 10:10). 

God Bless You and This Ministry!