Day 38: Becoming a World-Class Christian

Three things.

(Man. . . I am conversationally anal-retentive. . . thank you Sports Night)

First, I HATE mornings. I don't know what to do to fix this. Even in college, on the mornings before Practicum or a fun filled Saturday of Broncoband, getting out of bed is the single hardest activity I do in the first hour of my day. I get to school (or wherever) and I'm so happy to be there, but taking the initiative to get out of bed. . . 94% of the time I hit the snooze or wait for the last alarm (or just lay around) before I finally force myself out of bed. Whether I got a lot of sleep, not enough sleep, or just enough sleep, I still am very averse to leaving my warm bed and actually starting my day. Any suggestions (other than not waking up at 5:30, which if I want to get a shower (and this is important, because it wakes me up and more importantly is part of my routine), I have to)? I know the issue isn't routine, because I've tried night showers, and that just makes me want to stay in bed even longer because I know I don't have to take a shower. This morning, I did not want to do anything but go to sleep, but this day of teaching is going really well; why can't I remember that when my alarm goes off?? Also, I need to figure out how to do more lessons that make the students work rather than them just listen to me talk (those can sometimes be good lessons, but I know other times it's very boring for them, but I don't have a textbook and whenever I make worksheets, they are poor quality because I don't like making them, so there's no sense trying that route again). And we have a pep rally this afternoon, and while it'll be cheesy and short, I'm excited to get the drums back out and have my students feel more successful than they have in the past couple months. Differentiated instruction does not work very well in music class, at least when it comes to actually reading music. The project we're working on now is working, but I'm literally going around the room and helping them individually. Hopefully soon we will be able to rehearse it as an ensemble (and then I have to write out more music). At least they are willing to try the things I'm asking them to do, and when they start to put it together, I think they'll like it.

EDIT: Strike an earlier comment; I'm having a GREAT day of teaching! Just what I needed. Thank you, Lord.

Second, I discovered something about myself. I don't have a problem with talking (which, if you read this blog, you see how easily I ramble on and on. . . and on. . .) UNLESS it's about myself. I'll talk about music, or art, or sports (well, tennis at least), or books, or my job (which is almost about me, but not really; I want to make a program at Taylor, but it will (well, it BETTER) outlast my tenure there; that's my goal at least), but if you want to know what's really going on inside my head, well, you'll need a crowbar and a lot of patience. Like the not-wanting-to-get-out-of-bed thing, I need to work on this.

Third, I can't believe that I'll be reading the last chapter of PDL on Thursday! I'll probably take a little time off to reflect on the whole experience, and then start a new book project (I think I already mentioned this- Max Lucado's "He Chose the Nails"). I like this whole reading/reflecting thing. I'm thinking next year I'll go through the Bible and use that as my blog-reflection, but I want to get through it all once on my own before I start that. Plus, I'm somewhat OCD and starting it in January will satisfy that aspect of my personality.

I feel like I can go conquer the world right now. Such a great feeling!

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Am I a "me-first" believer? How often do I come to church, thinking "What can I get out of the service today?" Am I trying to make a difference for Christ in the world? Or am I just trying to get the best for my life? Am I willing to go where He wants me to?

To get out of the "Worldly Christian" mindset, we have to change how we think. First, we shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking. This isn't the first time this idea has come up. "Children think only of themselves; grown-ups think of others." I realize that I have a long way to go, but I don't want to be a spiritual child much longer. Unfortunately I'm still toddling around and falling over, but each time, I get a little better at walking. The tempering process works only with extreme heat and hammering (oooh. . . I like that analogy, especially if the fire is the Holy Spirit and God is the blacksmith). Anyway, I digress. We should see every encounter with another person, especially non-believers, as an opportunity to be used by God to further His will, rather than thinking about what we will get out of the interaction.

Second, we have to shift from local to global thinking. There are some really easy ways to do this: PRAY!! So simple, but so easy to forget about. People are defenseless against our prayers. . . how powerful is that statement? Also, when we hear international news, we should think about what God must be trying to accomplish. Of course, actually going and being a missionary, for however long, will give us a huge change in perspective. I really really hope the Haiti thing in the fall works out in my schedule.

Third, we need to start thinking eternally. Again, not a new idea, but think about how much stuff we waste time with that we could be spending doing something for our global mission? Take that five minutes you waste on the internet while "checking e-mails" and instead pray for a specific missionary. So simple, but we have to be aware and think about it. Too often we get caught up in the everday, unimportant things, and God gets shoved to the backburner. Who am I to say "Not tonight, God, I'm too busy"?? (Who are YOU to deny the armies of the living God?? Oh GVG, how I miss thee. . .) We're changing that tonight.

Finally, we have to stop making excuses not to go. Age, experience, ability set, it doesn't matter; there are tons of different things we can do, and something fits each person's timeline and skill set. If we are waiting for God to tell us "Go do this," we are missing the point (and not reading the Bible; remember the five commissions from yesterday). Maybe we just have not been told because we have not asked?

Point to Ponder: The Great Commission is my commission.
I honestly can't say that I've ever really thought about it that much. . . at least, not at the global level that this chapter talks about.

Verse to Remember: Psalm 67:2- "Send us around the world with the news of your saving power and your eternal plan for all mankind." Living Bible
The most interesting thing to me here is that this is from the OT, and Psalms no less! The entire Psalm is worth the read; it's not very long.

Question to Consider: What steps can I take to prepare to go on a short-term missions experience in the next year?
Well, our church is planning a "short trip to Haiti in the fall." That's all the details I have so far. . . I'm hoping it works out to be before school starts in, or at least just an extended weekend that doesn't conflict with a football game. If God wants me to go, He will work out the dates in my favor; I can't really do much more than pray about it.