How's your faith spark holding up? All too often our faith gets lackluster from things like being overextended. Too many commitments. That's so easy to fall into nowadays. Sometimes, also, our faith suffers from S.D.D. - Spiritual Disciplines Deficiency. That is when we fail to maintain a daily relationship with God. And then, sometimes what dulls our faith is plain ol' unconfessed sin. But blockbuster faith is what God intends for His people and should be our goal as well. Not that we have to be at the raging fire level of faith all the time, but the cold ember level is no place for the Christian to dwell. Actually, the steady burn level or the hot ember level of intensity with a little raging fire thrown in now and then is the best place to be in our faith life. How do we get to these levels? First, reclaim Sabbath. Several years ago a rock 'n roll band touted, "You've gotta fight for your right to party!" Well, it's true. The world is always going to rob you of that which replenishes your soul. On a superficial level, that's partying. On a deeper level, it's the things of God: family, worship, contemplation, fellowship, etc. You cannot replenish your soul by haphazardly injecting a little God stuff into your life now and then. You must intentionally - not because it is finished - deliberately - not because it is convenient - totally - not only to put it out of sight but still hold it in your mind - lay down the world's business and throw yourself into those things of God which replenish the soul. God intended a whole day out of every seven to be dedicated to the replenishing of your soul. That's how important your well being is to God! Fight the world for your right to be replenished by God's gift of Sabbath. Second, maintain a daily dosage. Both the body and the soul need daily vitamins. Your body needs vitamin D for strong bones. The best source of vitamin D is the Sun. What supports, gives structure to your faith is the word of God. Each day you need to let it shine into your soul to keep your faith from becoming limp. Your body needs B12 for healthy blood, without which you become anemic. Prayer is B12 for the soul. A healthy dose of daily prayer fights off a pallid spirituality. Your skins needs vitamin A. The skin of the soul, that which others should first see, in the character of a Christian is thanksgiving. Let praise by the face you lift up to your Heavenly Father each day. Third, unchain your soul. Who can forget Charles Dickens' pitiful character, Jacob Marley, who came seven years postmortem to haunt his even more pathetic business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge? Dressed in heavy chains that represented his inhumanity, Marley scolded Scrooge to repent from his own selfishness or a worse fate would befall him. Misanthropy, egoism, greed weigh down the soul. As great a burden to the soul as inhumanity is spiritual arrogance. The attitude is best characterized by Jesus in his parable of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. The self-assured Pharisee sees no need to confess. He has no sin, and even thanks God for his righteousness. But of him, Jesus says he went away from that time of prayer not justified . . . not right with God . . . still chained in soul. Lackluster faith is sometimes the result of layers, so to speak, of unconfessed sin that covers the soul so that the image of God cannot be reflected in you. The layers are peeled off when you go to God in sincere sorrow for your sinfulness and ask Him to forgive you and even to . . .
And dig it out! In such times of confession the Holy Spirit makes very real to you the truth that you are brought near to God through the blood of Christ which still washes away all of your sin (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 John 1:5-10). Confession is a blockbuster. It bursts apart all that blocks your relationship with God from being healthy. So, for real blockbuster faith, reclaim Sabbath, maintain a daily dosage, and unchain your soul. The summer months offer a great opportunity to work on these lifestyle changes.
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