"This is just not my day," came pummeling into my mind today as I put away my breakfast dishes. My dog woke me up at 2:30am and 8:30am on my sleep-in morning with incessant barking, cutting my sleep into inadequate chunks. I ache all over from weeks of little sleep and my eyes ache from the pressure of allergies in my sinuses. And it's only 10am. It's just not my day.
But who ever said today was supposed to be my day in the first place? I've never had anyone walk up to me and say, "Here. Today is your day. Everything will go exactly as you want it. Enjoy." So why do I grumble when it is made abundantly clear to me that today is just not my day?
Once again we are reminded of our deeply rooted selfishness---we actually believe we have ownership over the day. Because we are living through the day we are under the impression that we own it and that it should go however we want. But today is not our day. Yesterday was not our day. And tomorrow---and all the tomorrows to follow---will not be our day. They never were in the first place. After all, "this is the day that the Lord has made..." (Psalm 118:24, emphasis added) Since God made it, shouldn't we understand it's His day to do whatever He wants with it?
But this feeling of ownership is only a symptom (which should definitely be treated) of a deeper problem. If our mind was really focused on God wouldn't the thought be more about Him than me? Instead of "this isn't my day" shouldn't the statement end with a question? "Today is already difficult. What are you planning to do in and through me today, Lord?" But we don't tend to see that when the day starts off bad.
This selfish thinking infects every part of our lives and, more destructively, every relationship in our lives. I've heard Christians and unbelievers complain about their days in the exact same way. If I hadn't already known those claiming Christ as their Saviour and Lord I wouldn't have been able to distinguish between the two. I know this is probably true for me, too, and it saddens me that our words are not seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6) for the whole world to see that we have a different perspective on life, a hopeful perspective on life.
Our unwillingness to watch our words is only the beginning. We do it because we think today is all about us and because we want to fit in. But how little do we have to love God to be willing to put people ahead of Him?
The people I love the most are also the people for whom I am willing to do anything. I'll look like a fool to make them laugh or sit through cheesy, boring movies so they won't go alone. I'll cut huge chunks of time out of my day/week at the slightest request and won't give it a second thought. But when it comes to making a fool of myself for God in front of my co-workers or acquaintances I think it through and try to make excuses about it not being the right time or me needing to have a more solid relationship with them before I share the Gospel with them. Why?!
Basically, I'm more willing to make a fool of myself in front of my Saviour at His expense instead of in front of my fellow sinners who need His grace. How on earth do we make sense of this? Since when does it make sense to hide the amazing life of Jesus Christ? We can talk non-stop about Michael Phelps, Gabby Douglas, and Missy Franklin, but when it comes to their Creator we shut up like it's a secret. People will tweet pics after meeting someone famous, but how often do we see tweets about someone's time with God? Maybe a verse or retweeting a quote, but why not a quick note about how awesome God is because ______ (fill in the blank).
People say all the time that we need to be bold about our relationship with Christ and in some countries this boldness is necessary and may even require the life of Christians. But in the good ol' U.S.A. we can say anything we want about our relationship with Christ and hang on to our lives. So, instead of thinking that we need to be bold about who Jesus is, we really just need to be open. God is alive! Let's treat Him as such.
Let's talk about Him as if He's our family. He's willing to call us His friends (John 15:15), so let's start treating Him like He's ours, too. Talk about something cool He's shown you today or this past week. Every time you go to church talk about it like it's a family reunion (the one that you actually want to go to), because that's exactly what it is.
Remember to spend time with Him every day because He will be the best friend you could ever hope for without any of the drama that makes relationships complicated. He'll be the best teacher and supporter you could ever dream of having. Seriously, He is the best at everything, so be willing to treat Him that way. Hold Him to the highest standard you can imagine and He will still blow it out of the sky! Nothing---literally nothing---is too hard for God! (Genesis 18:14)
I've always thought of God as competitive; He likes to show us who He really is. It's ok to try to stump God. I have complete confidence that He will exceed every expectation without breaking a sweat. Don't be afraid to tell God that something is big and beyond your abilities. I see Him hearing that and gently smiling at you, saying, "Challenge accepted! Let me show you what I can do!" I know that God takes joy, pure joy, in showing us more of who He is by showering His grace, mercy, strength, wisdom, love, and so much more onto us.
Allow that to happen and you won't have any choice but to say, "Today's hard, but I'm excited to see what you're going to do with it, Lord! Surprise me once again with your goodness!" And God's response without fail will be, "My dear child, challenge accepted! Let me show you what I can do!"
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