Jump Start # 787

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

This week, I want to focus upon some of the common expectations God has for Christians. Just “getting saved” isn’t enough. There’s more. God expects more. We leave ourselves short and miss out on some powerful opportunities when we “settle” in our faith.

We begin with this great admonition found in Ephesians. This leads into the spiritual armor of a Christian. There are many things to be learned from this simple verse.

Be strong is a choice. It doesn’t just happen. A strong mind, a strong body, a strong faith all takes effort, diligence and a plan. The opposite of being strong, is being weak. Weakness in any area is not something we desire. A weak mind is gullible, shallow and easy prey to wild ideas and falsehoods. A weak body is an easy target for the flu and other sicknesses. A weak body can’t do much. A weak faith doesn’t help a person much. There isn’t much resistance given to the devil by a weak faith. A weak faith isn’t one that will accurately tell the story of Jesus. A weak faith is just a step away from throwing in the towel and quitting.

God’s words are, “be strong in the Lord.” We look upon the leaders in the church as men of strength. We want our Bible class teachers to be people of strong faith. With strength comes conviction, assurance and answers. The world throws doubt at the Christian. A strong faith deflects those doubts. A strong faith recognizes error in a book. A strong faith sees through the shallow hype of trendy fads that many are attracted to. People of strong faith build strong families and strong congregations. You cannot have a group of weak members and believe that from that you will have a strong church. Strong churches are made up of strong members.

So, how do you become strong in faith?

• It begins with wanting that. Like anything else in life, until we are motivated to change, we tend to settle for the easy things. It’s easy to come home at the end of the day and spend hours watching TV until we fall asleep. There is nothing wrong with TV, as long as the shows are decent. But patterns and habits are formed and watching TV doesn’t take much effort. A week goes by, has my faith gotten any stronger? Like saving money, or losing weight, a desire to better self spiritually is the key. It will take changes of habits and effort to become stronger.
• It will take more than just what the church offers. A person ought to get stronger by coming to worship and Bible class. If they are reading their Bible, listening, taking notes, they will learn, make applications and thereby become stronger. But more is needed than simply what is done at the church building. A plan at home. Reading passages every day. Having specific things you want to learn. Thinking about what you have learned, read and heard is part of the process. What am I going to do this day? This week? This month? Goals are part of the process. Start simple. Learn the books of the Bible. Learn about each of the books. Learn about Jesus. Learn why certain things happened certain ways. It’s like anything in life, the more you put into it the more you will get out of it. Paul’s words, “be strong,” are intended to say, “put your all into it.”
• Use your faith. Teach others. Tell others. In difficult times, rely upon that faith. Like building muscle, the more you use it the stronger you become. Think spiritually. Think about what this show or this friend or this activity will do to you spiritually. Think about how you can glorify God TODAY. Be thinking. Be praying. Be looking.

• Spend some time with those who have strong faith. Ask them what they are reading. Ask them about their routines. Learn from those who have become strong. If a person was serious about saving money, he’d read books and listen to those who have achieved financial success. Following the advice of a broke cousin won’t get you there. The same is true spiritually. Following the example of others who are weak in faith will not make me strong. Get to know personally your preacher and shepherds of the church. Ask them questions. Learn from them. Strong Christians pray often. Strong Christians attend every service, unless they are sick. They come straight from work. They come tried. But they come. Strong Christians are engaged in worship. They are singing, fellowshipping, participating and connected during worship. Strong Christians have family time where they help the faith of those in their household. Strong Christians are readers. They love reading the Bible. They love reading about spiritual things. Strong Christians are busy with others. They are sending cards, making phone calls, encouraging and doing what they can. You’ll run into them at the hospital and funeral homes. They are there because they care. You’ll see them long after services have ended, talking with others. They are open, friendly, kind in heart and generous with time and resources. These are the people that have helped you in the past. These are the people that you go to when there is a problem. These are the people that you count on. Spend time with them. Learn from them.

Be strong. This is what God expects from you. A weak faith not only hurts you, it hurts your family and it hurts those you impact. Being weak is not acceptable. It is not pleasing to God. It is not the best that you can do. Be strong…people will notice. It shows. It’s what God wants from you. This is something that you CAN do, because God said so. Are you strong?

Roger