Not Separate But Rather Together – Days 3 and 4

So yesterday was not my most successful triumph in terms of my 21 day goals. I needed some time to have fun – I exercised bowling seven games alone (kind of took a sabbatical to spend a few hours by myself) and thoroughly enjoyed the leisurely activity of reflection and the sound of pins falling. Before my fast to exercise twenty-one straight days, I certainly would have exercised much less with no movement on the front side whatsoever….just settling for the desk duties of a cubicle each day. So bowling as a legitimate sport was legitimate exercise in my mind. I did however forget about the blog entry or my daily discipline to write. So I decided to combine two blog entries into one here. I have stayed on track and committed to The Big 3 in terms of my spiritual disciplines. I have a logical manner in which I memorize Scripture through note cards day by day working through different verses for each day of the week. Slowly the scriptures start adding up as you continue to add different passages of memory.

While I was at my desk reading through another scripted conversation with yet another student, I was thinking about my New Year Happiness Project goals and how I was going to accomplish all such tasks and things by myself, and then the titled subject entered my mind, “Not separate but together.” How many times do you imagine trying to achieve goals by yourself without God like I can actually publish a book with a major contract or get a promotion without God in the picture? That almost sounds ridiculous just writing such a thought knowing the love I have in my heart for Jesus Christ. As believers, we do not exist alone as individuals. We exist together as Christ enters us when we confess to believe in His Name accepting in the faith that we stand in. Christ within us gives us the ability to become great! Everyone at some point in their life needs the assistance of someone to do something. Even if you lead a team, you depend on the team to follow your instructions as you lean into members to commit to whatever transpires. As Christians, we commit to each other to assist in whatever ways possible, but it is Christ in us that compels, gives strength, motivates, inspires, and ultimately leads us to succeed, to never back down, and to finish the race strong.

We measure success and triumphs on individual measures, but while God tests me in the immediate moment within the present, He reminds me that to move on it is not by my own measure and earthly efforts but rather us together through His infinite blessings and His Grace. In the end, we all end up in the same place anyway, together with Christ – again to die is gain! For if you believe (another friendly reminder here), you might find that together nothing is impossible with Christ. Dare to believe, and dare to achieve together in relationship.