Living Water Church

In talking with a youth group leader this week, I discovered that the LWC youth are doing a special fast.  They are fasting negativity, which means they are not allowing negativity into what they think, say or hear.

I wonder what our world would be like if everyone fasted negativity for a week?  So I decided to try it.  I wasn’t going to let myself think negative things.  I was going to say positive, encouraging words to everyone I meet.  And finally, I decided to tune out all of the negative words that entered into my hearing.  (By the way, I found this to be the most difficult piece.  Our world is full of negativity.)

So as I post this, I am 4 days into my fast.  And let me tell you, I was tested on this immediately.  I started this on Tuesday and that evening I was hit by two troubling events that rocked my world.  And in all honesty, I didn’t handle the hits very well at all.  Negative thinking and frustration entered into my world in time- warp speed and brought my fasting success to a screeching halt.  As I muddled through my bad attitude, I remembered my fast, and once again got to humble myself before the Lord in repentance.  Amazingly, His mercies are new every morning.  So, I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and began my fast again.  Next week, I’ll tell you how this whole thing concludes and what I learned from the experience.  To be continued…

The book of Philippians tells us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.  Philippians 2:12.  A healthy fear of God is the one of the key ingredients for which we build an honest, loving, and genuine relationship with God.  But what does fearing God look like?

It seems to me that many Christians struggle because of misperceptions about fearing God.  Here are two common ones.  Some people fear God as if He were a giant with a big stick ready to whack them if they do wrong.  Others swing to the other side of the pendulum and focus only on God’s love and mercy.  Consequently, they view sin lightly and don’t concern themselves with the need for purity and sanctification.

Scripture says to consider both the kindness and the severity of God.  Romans 11:22.  We must believe that God is a loving, kind, and merciful Father, ready to forgive, quick to offer mercy and grace.  At the same time God is a holy, righteous Judge, who does not look lightly on sin.  Scripture says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”  Galatians 6:7.

As I see it, I am to walk with God, in awe and reverence, constantly amazed at His sacrificial love.  I am not to lived scared of Him, but I need to know that He will allow consequences for my sin.  Ultimately, I cling to the fact that God is good!

When I was in school, I took a music theory class.  One of the subjects that we discussed a lot was the importance of dissonance in music.  Dissonance refers to a combination of tones, that when played together, create discord.  For example, it might be playing a C and D note at the same time.  Played together, these notes create tension within the score of music.  A song that only contained musical dissonance would be disastrous.  You would walk away from hearing it covering your ears in disdain.  However, when you add dissonance to a musical piece, but then resolve it, by bringing the notes back together in harmony, the tension is dispelled and the resulting harmony sounds even more beautiful and melodic.  Dissonance resolved highlights the harmony. 

As in music, so in life.  In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul addresses the need for unity and harmony in the church.  Truthfully, our harmony can be so easily disrupted.  In our relationships things get said, feelings get hurt, and the relationship becomes full of tension.  And if the situation remains as such, the end result is disastrous.  However, just like in music, when discord (or dissonance) exists, and is then resolved, through repentance and forgiveness, the resulting harmony is even more beautiful.  Think about it.