Romans: Did you think Day 1 should have started with Genesis?

The Re-find project. Finding Truth by studying the source. So it would make sense that  I start with Genesis (you know, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..."). While that is Truth and it would be a good place to start. I wanted to start from a different book. One that I always found hard to swallow. I like to refer to Romans as the "suck book" because it isn't fun to go through it. It gets at all the things I don't want to. So why put it off and just start here. (Thinking: I can't wimp out on Day 1 otherwise I'll never get to Day 2)

So here we go. My reflections on Romans 1. ( I would love to know your thoughts too so please leave comments)

I remember why I refer to Romans as the "suck book". This passage was NOT pretty! Am I right? I like to think of Romans as a mix of wrath and mercy. However, to grow we have to endure growing pains. If there were a ever a book for it Romans would be it's name. It stings enough so that you are moved by Truth but later we will see it provides enough grace to ensure growth over time.

Paul, the one writing, talks of two things, those who live by faith and those who live by flesh. Yes, it's the faith vs. flesh debate but I promise that there are good things in store here. This passage hits hard but it is in no way to sound condemning. (If you feel like it's talking about you than that's a good thing! Keep reading on in Romans, it'll get better). However, God is very clear about following Him. He does want all or nothing.  That is definitely reflected in this book.


Verses 18-32:
This is where the not so fun part begins. So lets start there and work our way backwards. Paul talks of God's wrath. This may sound a bit "King James loving, fire and brim stone" so let me explain. God's wrath is expressed for good reason since his power and divine nature are clearly revealed through the world he has made and yet He is rejected by all people. The world, and people in it, that He loves was in a sense being destroyed. Now imagine, or maybe you already have,  that you had to watch someone you loved slowly slip away from you or continually hit you over and over again and shout "I don't care". Does that hurt?

They ignored God (v.21). They exchanged truth of God for a lie. They worshiped a creature rather than the Creator. Now I want you to change the "they" to "I". It's hard and trust me I didn't like to say it either. But I have. I have ignored God (and still do sometimes due to my own stubbornness). I have exchanged the truth for many lies. "If I just lose a this much I'll be happy", "If I can get that guy I'll know I'm beautiful",  "If I could just get that internship or that job, I will know I've made it" or my personal everyday favorite; looking through Facebook and saying " I have x and y over that person". I would rather worship myself over the one who made me. (I may not have wanted to admit that but it's true because I am a sinful rotten person).

This is what made this passage so hard for me. Facing my reality without the idea of grace. Where's the "happily ever after"?  I told you in the beginning that Romans was a book of wrath and mercy. Here is the wrath so where is the mercy? We'll get there. 

In 18-on seems like it's condemning those who aren't followers of Christ but it's not. We were all once like this. Whether we have found faith or not we were all at one point like this. And for me, I'm still like this today! Find truth is a process, not a Step 1,2,3 program. The good part is that we don't have to do it alone. I'm glad you all are here along with me.

Today I am asking God to help me see my own broken image reflected in the pages of these passages so that I may re-find the Truth in Life.

These are just some of my reflections I could have gone on for hours more but I'd rather hear from you! What do you think?

The Re-find Project

Re-find(v): To find again; to get or experience again.

Most people know by now that I have a heard for students, whether you're in high school or college. Recently, my heart has been breaking by our cultures shift in truth. Media slights information for us to have an opinion one way or another, we hear different views from each teacher and professor and let's not forget to mention peer groups; our friends, our Twitter followers etc. Truth. It's such an easy but yet so complicating word. Today so many communicated messages come to you in 24 hours it's hard to know what's real and what's fake. Truth.Are we so sure what that is anymore?

Which is what has brought me here, to begin my own journey. It's time to open up. Open up our minds, our hearts, and our mouths (or in my case my laptop). Let's re-find what's we've lost or maybe just temporarily misplaced.

The Plan: 
My hope is that we go at this together. Each day I will be opening up my Bible to find and re-find the truth in life. I will post here on the blog, Twitter and Facebook what passage I am studying. So follow me, my journey and participate by reading along with me, commenting, asking questions. Let's get the dialogue going. I'd love to know what Truth you find.

In the sweetness of "not yet"

In the sweetness of "not yet" God is faithful.

I think so many times in my life I live for the destination and not the journey.  I've built my life, my college major, my career, my relationships and my marriage off of Point A to Point B. While it's not a bad thing to have a plan and know how and when you are going to get there; life tends to have a few more windy roads than I'd prefer. What I'm finding out lately is that it's okay to have windy roads.

This morning I was reflecting on Galatians 4: 1-8. Paul was talking to the churches in Galatia and he tells them that those who will in the future inherit their fathers property are currently children. This means that while they are still children they are to obey those who care for them. Paul goes on to say that we were the same way until Jesus (our inheritance) came to free us and make us his child. When I said yes to Jesus I was receiving an inheritance! An inheritance lived in honoring my Savior with my life.  Paul ends this section with " So now you are not a slave, you are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised because you are his child."

Let that sink in. I focused in on a few words. Child. Blessing. Promised.
I looked up "promised" in the dictionary; here is what it says:

1. To commit oneself by a promise to do or give; pledge: left but promised to return.

2. To afford a basis for expecting: thunderclouds that promise rain. 

3. To make a declaration assuring that something will or will not be done.

4. To afford a basis for expectation: an enterprise that promises well.

 

I'd love to know, which definition seems to resonate more with you today? 

I like each of them for different reasons. 2 and 4 because it talks about expectation. In the time expectation we rest inside the "not yet". The fuzziness between the destination and our original point of origin. 3, which says "a declaration assuring that something will or will not be done"; and here is where my confession lies. This one is hard for me to swallow about promise. 

 

I am a fan of resolution. I don't watch movies like "Inception" because I know I will be up at night thinking of how to resolve it.  I like my stories tied up neatly with a bow and , preferably, a happy ending. However, in the "not yet" I am left waiting. Waiting and not being able to determine my ending. And yet, I can be content in that because in the fuzziness of "not yet" because in my heart I know I am God's child. Psalm 16:6 says" The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a beautiful inheritance". God has promised me, his child, a beautiful inheritance. One that I cannot inherit just yet, but I am to be obedient to the Father until that time. In that I am content, in that moment the "not yet" doesn't seem as frustrating. 

The Old Testament talks about the promise of an inheritance. If you have a chance, Go to biblegateway.com and type in inheritance and see the different verses where it is mentioned in the Old Testament it was definitely a topic I will be reflecting more on in the new year.