What kid doesn’t like legos? They boost creativity, motor skills, and problem solving. (They also are among the most painful things to step on!) My brothers and I used to spend hours on the floor building anything and everything, then taking them all apart and starting over. I still enjoy experimenting with legos. Recently, my Youth Groups’ “Atomic Friday” was themed around legos. Split into teams, we each built and raced our cars. Some crashed right off the ramp, some exploded half way down, and some surprised us and sped across the room. So, why am I talking about legos, you ask? Because more and more, my mind has been corresponding objects with spiritual ideas. I have not been able to see a lego without being reminded of an incredible, life-changing experience in my life.
We used to go to a youth conference in Tulsa every December. This was four or five-ish (yeah, “ish”) years ago. Bro. Kenny Baldwin brought this awesome message at a pivotal time in my life. I struggled with the thought of failing in my Christian life, especially in my later teen years. Watching the casualties of this invisible war around us, I was terrified I would be one of them. The text was 2 Peter 1.5-10: “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in yo, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be baren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." This was a very comforting and challenging message indeed. Since then, it has been a passage I go to often, and still gain something from it every time. I always view this passage as a set of legos we are to build with. First of all, it’s on OUR faith, not on anothers' faith. We can’t rely on the faith of our parents, our pastor, or youth pastor. We must have faith in the Lord to begin with. Without that foundation, nothing else is possible. Personally, this would apply to what we believe; the principals and standards of my life. We must make it OUR faith. We must believe it ourselves. Otherwise, when we move away from home, we won’t have our parents, or our pastors faith to rely on. We must already have a strong belief ourselves, or we will never make it. Know what you believe, and why. There’s a reason for everything we do, find out what it is, down to the smallest matter. I am in the process of doing that very thing. Even if you think you already know, it never hurts to take a refresher course. You first need that first building block of faith. It says to add to your faith. So, you first need a strong faith. Ask God to build your faith. But be prepared, I have learned, He may do so in uncomfortable ways. Once you’ve got your foundation of faith, don’t stop there! Keep adding to it. Add virtue, knowledge, a little temperance, patience, godliness, some brotherly kindness, and charity. If you’ve got these all built up, you will be fruitful for the Lord, and you can be sure you will never fall in your Christian life.
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Lizzy parkerMarriage.
Motherhood. Ministry. Missions. Archives
January 2023
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