Hey everyone! I hope you are off
to a good start with Holy Week. Hard to believe we are almost to the midway
point of the week. Time sure flies, even in a quarantine. As I mentioned in my
last post, I’ll have plenty of Holy Week content. I started on Sunday with a
reflection of Jesus’s entrance into the city of Jerusalem. If you missed it,
the link is below:
I
like to use Holy Week as a time of personal reflection. I like to take time to
consider where I am now and where I have been. It’s a time to take inventory,
if you will. It’s been almost three years now since I dove headfirst back into
the faith of my youth. I had taken a wide detour during my high school and
college years until Jesus took the wheel and steered me sharply back onto the main
road. You can read an in-depth
recounting of my spiritual journey here:
I
started to think about all of the ways in which my life has been different
since God forcefully drew me to Himself. A lot of the changes are of the
superficial variety – church attendance, studying theology and Scripture,
sharing the Gospel when I can, etc. That’s not to say that these changes weren’t
essential. They are the foundation of my faith. At this point in my walk, I can’t imagine not
being in the Scriptures regularly. This discipline keeps me grounded and
reminds me constantly of the assuring promises of God. Something I need to be
reminded of regularly.
But
some of the life changes I’ve undergone have been much deeper than surface level.
These changes have taken place in the deepest chambers of my heart. They are
profound and have forever altered how I view myself as well as those around me.
I’ll outline just a few of these below.
Firstly,
my walk with Christ has changed the way I relate to those I meet along the journey.
As I mentioned above, reading the Scriptures has completely changed how I view
the world, the people in it, and the ways in which we relate to God. Even when
it may be difficult, I force myself to remember that every human being was hand
crafted in the image of God. Though it
may sometimes be difficult to discern on the surface, each and every person
that we come across is redeemable in the eyes of our loving Father. I think back to what people must have thought
of me before I reverted to following Christ and remember the seemingly
insurmountable grip that sin can sometimes possess. I try my best to approach each day and each
situation with a fresh sense of positivity. It’s my hope that everyone I come
across can encounter the love of God through my behavior.
I’ve
also come to embrace Christian community. Over the past few years, I’ve been
blessed to be involved with several wonderful small groups. Each group has been
encouraging in its own way and has provided next-level accountability. It’s
true what they say – we can’t do the Christian life alone! Growing up, I never
really had a ton of close friends. I had lots of friendly acquaintances, but it
was heavily surface level interaction. Being in these groups, doing life with fellow
Christians, and experiencing all of the ups, downs, joys, and triumphs of the
Christian life has allowed me to experience humanity on a much deeper level
than I’ve ever experienced before. For this, I am extremely grateful. I’m reminded
of Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
Secondly,
following Christ has narrowed my life’s focus and simplified my mindset. I now
have an end goal in mind. That goal is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
If an action or opportunity isn’t leading to this end goal, then it gets thrown
on the scrap heap to be hauled off. Following Christ and abiding in Him through
the Word and Sacraments has brought a clarity to me life that I would have
never thought possible just three years ago. That doesn’t mean I don’t ever
temporarily become distracted from this goal. Sin is a gnawing problem in my
life and always will be. I’m betting you are the same way. The main difference
between now and three years ago is that I have an internal guide to find my way
back to narrow path. You know that guide to be the Holy Spirit. John 16:13
outlines the role of the Holy Spirit, saying “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but
whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Again,
I am extremely grateful.
Finally,
abiding in Christ has given me a permanent identity. I’m not a huge Enneagram
person and certainly haven’t spent time studying all the different personality
types. I have taken the test, though, and know that I am a 5. I believe a 5 is
called “the researcher”. Given my studious nature and love of theology, this
probably a pretty appropriate label. However, I think I also have some select
characteristics of a number 4. The number 4 is “the individualist”. I’ve always
had an innate desire to fit in with the crowd – to be considered “normal” if
you will. In an interesting paradox, however, I’ve always felt a need to stand
out in some way. Growing up, my identity was often found in playing sports and
being the “smart kid” in class. I found ways to stand out, such as qualifying
for the state geography bee two years in a row (I know it sounds really nerdy,
but if I had advanced out of the state competition, I could have met Alex Trebek!
Who would have been laughing then!?). But these identities were fleeting, like a leaf
floating on a crisp fall day. Once I got to college, I was no longer playing
organized sports and was just another college student at a state university. For
some reason, I felt I had to create another identity for myself. Over the end
of my college career and into my young professional life, my identity transformed
into that of the “craft beer guru”. I knew everything there was to know about
craft beer and had tried every variety of brew I could get my hands on. Once again, I
found this identity to be fleeting like a light feather in the wind. Not to
mention that this was a hobby that was more harmful than good.
It was about this time that God drew me back
to Himself, His Son, His Word, and His Sacraments. It came in His perfect
timing and not a moment too soon. I opened the Scriptures and soon found a
brand new identify – one that would never change or fade away. It was found in Romans chapter 3, verses 22
through 24: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and
Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and
all are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” My identity is simply that I am
a sinner in need of a saving Grace, and for that I am extremely grateful.
In Christ,
Kendal May
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