You’re Doing It Wrong!

2020 is almost over. I don't think anyone will be sad to see it go. It's been a tough year for many people. 

This has been the longest I have ever gone without physically being around family, which has undoubtedly made this year more complex than any I can remember. That's not to say that I have had a bad year. I am incredibly blessed to have Ashlie and her family in my life. Even in a year that is chock full of disappointments, stress, and uncertainty, I still managed to get engaged to an incredible woman, and everyone has been safe from getting sick. So, I am not complaining. 

As I write this today, I have officially made it to week 50 of my Bible study. That's much further than I have been before. I was determined at the beginning of the year to see it through to the end. I saw others drop off because of everything life throws in our path. The Devil hates it when we desire to be closer to God by being in the Word. That has also been the case this year for me. There have been so many days where I have fallen short. There have been so many days where I have let life win. There have been days where I missed my quiet time completely. These days, I feel different throughout the day than when I begin by being in the Word. 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I am so thankful to my pastor, Chris, for encouraging me to go on this journey this year. One of the biggest things I realize that being in D-Group has done for me is that it has made me fearless about speaking about my faith. What a fantastic thing it is to feel that free. This experience has given me confidence and ignited a passion I never knew existed. It has made me more aware of my actions in all aspects of my life. 

I've never been one to tell anyone that they are doing anything wrong as it pertains to how they live their lives, especially as it pertains to religion and their faith. I would become annoyed when people would act that way against others. I still feel that way, but I heard something that jumped at me the other day. It was like hearing someone scratch their nails over a chalkboard. 

I'll tell you what it was here soon. Keep reading.

Mask Up!

2020 has become and will go down as The Year Of The Mask. Everyone is supposed to wear a mask to be safe from the Covid-19 pandemic. Right before I wrote this today, I was in my car and saw a giant billboard with an image of a surgical mask. It said, "Seasons Greetings, Mask Up!" on it. It reminded me of what I heard in one of our Sunday School lessons about a month ago.

That day, we were each given a blank piece of paper and told to draw our masks as we believed others viewed us. The idea was that many of us always wear masks and never let in others. How often have you been dealing with something or possibly not having a great day, but when someone asks you how you are doing, your immediate response is, "I'm great"? If we all poured out what we were feeling on the inside, many more of us would not be doing great, and we could begin to get better by saying something. 

I've learned that God knows whether or not we are great. I've learned that trying to wear a mask around Him is impossible. Our society has become such an introverted group that everyone wants to say they are great and go about their day. Everyone has on their masks and is too focused on playing their perceived roles instead of being their true selves.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to wear a mask. I'm not talking about the physical act of wearing a mask to protect myself and others during Covid. I'm talking about that imaginary mask that we all like to wear. I wonder what it would feel like if the church and those who follow Christ would remove their masks regarding how we present ourselves. If other non-believers were to see us, would they see our masks, or would they see confident Christians who are bold in their faith? I don't know the answer to that question, but I know what I strive for it to be.

So, the phrase that I heard the other day was about going to church on Sundays. Someone said that they waited until Sunday to recharge their batteries. My immediate thought was—you're doing it wrong! 

I may be taking that phrase out of context. I am writing this as a guy who spent over seven years never stepping foot in a church. 

I've realized more this year than any other in my life that we are missing something if we wait until church on Sundays to refuel or recharge our batteries. If we wait until Sunday, we may be doing it wrong. It should be the exact opposite. We are each called to go out and do our best to reflect Christ into the world. I fall short of this, too, but it is always on my mind. 

I plan on leading my own D-Group in 2021, and I cannot wait! I am ready to reset the clock and dive deeper into The Bible. 

I hope we all can remove our masks and stop living in fear.

I hope we can all stop doing it wrong.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:19 CSB