2:159 – Refrain and Reflect

#faithbites #faithjourney refrain

Yesterday I wrote about the joys of indulging and exploring all the bounty that God has provided. Today, we will look at the flip side, when do we need to refrain and reflect.

During lunch with a colleague, she asked me about my knee. I explained I had finished PT and was going to try to get it stronger. Then rather bluntly, but with love, she asked if I thought about losing weight as weight is hard on the knee. I explained my weight loss journey, where I am at, where i have been, and that it is a priority. At first, I wanted to get defensive, but then I realized where it was coming from, and that there is a time to refrain and reflect on what is I’m putting into my body and how I’m living my life.

On that same note, we should make time to reflect on how we behave and interact on a daily basis. There are time when refraining from doing something in order to think about the impact that activity has on those around us and on our spiritual well being is exactly what we need to do.

Even God rested on the seventh day. We should build that rest and reflection into our daily routine.

Scripture

• Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Roman 12:2
• For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? – Luke 14:28
• Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! – 2 Corinthians 13:5

Reflection

We have the greatest gift imaginable: the forgiveness of Jesus when we stray off course. In both the Romans and 2 Corinthian texts, we see the word test. That we should test ourselves to make sure we understand the will of God and if we are “in the faith”. What does this mean? It means, we should take the time to reflect on our course in life and our activities. Are we doing things that are pleasing to God? What impact do our choices have on those around us? Are we filling out souls with the equivalent of junk food because that is what the world says, or are we filling it with healthy meals of faith?

Lastly we see in Luke, the parable of building a tower. What is the cost of the tower? Do we have the resources (time, talent, and treasure) to build the tower before we start? What impact with the tower have on the scenery, on the livelihoods of all involved? This tower is the tower of our lives. We need to sit down and think about this impact and if God really wants us to build this towern.

Tonight at dinner, I started thinking about how I can retrain my body. I didn’t have a cocktail or an appetizer. I had a steak with broccoli and a little mashed potato with water to drink. Losing weight again will take planning and support, just like building and leading a Godly life.

Charge

Tonight before you go to bed or before you start your day, take five minute to yourself. Think about the day that just ended or the day that is to begin. Have you made choices that will reflect God’s glory or the glory of the world? Write down one concrete way that you can change your day to try to live more “in the faith”.

Prayer

Hello God, thanks again for another great day in the Blue Ridge. I know I sometimes indulge and explore more often than I refrain and reflect. Give us all the strength to say no and to take the time to sit, think, and see if we are living as you would have us live. Give us the direction and perseverance to take baby steps to living more in the faith. We know we can’t do this on our own. We welcome you always into our lives. In your name, Amen