1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Run Harder

24 Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. 25 All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

God spoke to me in the gym today. I was praying to him about my life (as I tend to do), and praying "God, I pray that I will be all that you've called me to be". Then he spoke to me, very clearly - "Run harder".

It's ironic that God should speak to me about this in the gym, because the context of this verse is very much exercise-related. In the same way that I am motivated to build my body through exercise (to be more attractive, confident & healthy), God wants me to be motivated to run to the goal of self-control and disciple. Discipline for two things:

1. Building other people. God, grant me to desire and more passion to build other people in love.
2. Running away from sexual immorality (see also 1Co 6:18, 1Ti 6:11, 2Ti 2:22). God is calling me to chase him more, through purity. In purity I can draw closer to God. This will involve running. Actively running.

God is calling me to run towards him, and run away from impurity. May he grant me the desire and strength to do so. Maybe this way more people's lives will be changed for the better.

1 Thessalonians 2:7 - Motherly Leadership

7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.

Okay, so it's 11:54PM and I'm really tired so I'm going to keep this short... :)

Paul is writing to the Thessalonians, describing his leadership style to them (in defence of accusations he was using them for the money - interesting hey). Rather than saying "like a roaring lion leading their cubs into the charge", or "as a general to his troops, so was I", he describes himself as "motherly". Sort of like when you were sick at home so your Mum would stroke your forehead and give you ice cream.

Don't know about you but that surprised me when I saw it. Not a lot of the leadership I experience in the church is like a mother caring for her little children. I'm not even too sure I want it to be like this. And yet that is how Paul described himself. And I kind think of him describing his leadership style any differently in other passages.

Why are my experiences so different to what is described here? I don't know. I'm off to bed to think about it.

Think I'll start calling up people in my zone and ask how their day was... offer them ice cream or something...

Okay, definitely off to bed now. :)

1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 - The journey of salvation

4 We know that God loves you, dear brothers and sisters, and that he chose you to be his own people. 5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know that the way we lived among you was further proof of the truth of our message.

6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7 As a result, you yourselves became an example to all the Christians in Greece. 8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it, 9 for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Ever read a passage of scripture and find that a theme or concept just jumps out at you? Well today is one of those days.

Don't know how many times I've read this but it just occurred to me that this a description of the journey of salvation of the Thessalonians. There are three means listed as being possible ways of someone finding Christ:

1. With words. There's one saying I really disagree with an that's "Preach the Gospel, and where necessary use words." That's wrong. God calls us to open our mouths - with wisdom, empathy and love - and preach the Gospel, in season and out of season.
2. With power. This is something I desperately crave to have more of. How many pathetic pseudo-philosophical arguments could be put to rest if we could just demonstrate God's power. I personally need to have more boldness in praying for healing for people.
3. Being a good ambassador of Christ. Our lives should be attractive to people. The aroma of Christ in our lives should draw people to Him, just as the smell of baking bread draws people to the kitchen (apologies for the bad illustration but you get my point). This is on three levels:
   
1. v5 - Practising what we preach. Exhibiting God's love
   
2. v5 - Demonstrating God's blessings in our lives
   
3. v6 - Demonstrating perseverance in the face of opposition/persecution

The great thing about this is that the Thessalonians then went out as Christ's ambassadors and spread the Gospel. The cycle replicates itself like tree branching out. Beautiful stuff (*sheds tear*).

How do I compare to this church? Hmmm...