Essential to Living & As Real as Air

To those “living,”

Is God really real? Let me rephrase that. Is God really real to you?

This morning I was listening to a song called “Abba” and in it the lyrics say, “You’re more real than the wind in my lungs.” Really? Is God more real to me than the very air that I breathe? I mean… I breathe a lot. Without air for more than just a few minutes survival is impossible. Life + no air = no life.

Is this the same with God? Is he as real to you as the air you are inhaling right this very moment? Would you, frankly put, die if he withdrew his presence from you for more than a few seconds?

I regret to say but I feel as if most of us already know the answer. Even for most of those who would check the “devout Christian” box on their proverbial religion cards would admit that as real as God is to them, that their lives could continue if God withdrew his presence. I’ll be honest: as much time as I spend attempting to advance the Kingdom, I can and will often go through the majority of the day forgetting to acknowledge that God is even there. Sure I do daily devotionals to Jesus, but for some reason after that He seems to take the backseat to my hectic schedule.

Why is this? 

When I went to Haiti, I met a missionary there who had the privilege to talk to an elderly man full of wisdom. This sage told him that, “He ( and every Christian) should depend on God so much that if HE ever failed them then they would die.” Let that marinate in your heart. Let that soak your dry bones. Let that become your anthem.

If God failed us would we perish or would we continue chugging on like we have always done.

Since I’m in the same boat as most, the only advice that I can offer is to stare at Jesus. Yes, stare at Jesus. Look Him right in the eye 24/7. No matter where you are or where you are going, if you want Jesus to be as real as the flesh of your skin then you need to constantly focus your mind on His face and His beauty. Only then will you find an intimacy with God that Satan could never shake.

So… is God your air?

Merely,

Chris Gerac

““One is so near to another
That no air can come between them.
“They are joined one to another;
They clasp each other and cannot be separated.” Job 41:16-17, NASB

Running & Exhaustion

To those walking,

Whew! Since when could my body sweat this much. I swear it was like I had just gotten out of the pool. You may be thinking, “Ew, Chris that’s gross,” but all I was thinking was water and air conditioning. You see the other day I ran 2 miles. Yes, 2 whole miles! And yet I was looking like the Niagara Falls.

I hope you’re picking up on the fact that I was utterly and hopelessly exhausted, that I was out of shape, and that my run was beyond difficult. But here’s the kicker: On March 19^th (around only 6 months ago) I gloriously passed the finish line of Baylor’s Half Marathon. For those of you who don’t know a half marathon is 13.1 miles! Just 6 months ago I was running 13.1 miles and now I could barely do 2. In fact I struggled to do 2 miles without walking. Hmmmm. What was going on? I was shocked to find myself having to exert so much effort on 2 measly little miles.

It’s funny how this happens to us as Christians too.

Do you see the connection?  

           

For some reason we’ve been duped into thinking that our past accomplishments actually mean something in the present. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Since March 19^th, 2011 till this slip n slide of a run I have only gone for a run twice. After the Bearathon, I was tired of running, and apathetic towards even the thoughts of doing it. I went months, literally months without ever putting on my running shoes, and yet I somehow had the audacity to assume that since I had ran 13.1 miles months before surely I could lace up the Asics and hit the ground running… how wrong was I.

You see, spirituality is a lot like running; it’s a continual practice. 

It doesn’t matter how many times we’ve gone to church, attended bible studies, or read the bible, all that matters is if we are continually staring at Jesus. All of those 13.1 miles weren’t going to save me from the last 2. All of that effort I put into training for the half wasn’t going to save me from all of the running I had put off. All of the things we have once done, in and of themselves mean nothing for the present work of The Kingdom.

In 1 Corinthians 9:27 Paul says, “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”  Paul, a man who had done extraordinary things and had reached an extraordinary number of people, realized that he had to constantly train himself in order to prevent spiritual dystrophy. 

In order to finish the race strong we must constantly strive.

We have to give everything we have to God on a daily basis, not just Christmas and Easter.

We must continually and consistently run.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that what you have done makes up for what you aren’t doing.

Train now and you’ll avoid the sweat.

Merely,

Chris Gerac

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Philippians 2:12, NIV

Brokenness & Broken Chains

To those enslaved,

You will never get free until you want to be free.

You will never want to be free until you realize the grossness of your sin.

You will never realize the grossness of your sin until you see the beauty of Christ

You will never see the beauty of Christ until you look beyond Sunday mornings

You will never look beyond Sunday mornings until you acknowledge that on your own you can’t do anything (John 15)

You will never acknowledge that on your own you can’t do anything until you understand how weak you really are

You will never understand how weak you are until you realize how sinful you are

You will never realize how sinful you are until your comprehend the Holiness of Jesus

You will never comprehend the Holiness of Jesus until you seek him with all of your heart (Jer 29:13)

You will never seek him with all of your heart until you see how far we’ve fallen since Eden

You will never see how far we’ve fallen since Eden until you realize how worthy you are

You will never realize how worthy you are until you understand that you are the Son or Daughter of a King!

You will never understand that you are a Son or Daughter of a King, until you comprehend the Father Heart 

of GOD

You will never understand the Father Heart of GOD until you ask him to reveal himself to you

You will never ask him to reveal himself to you until you desire him

You will never desire him until you realize that you’re enslaved

You will never realize that you’re enslaved until you want to be free

You will only want to be free when you realize the grossness of your sin. You will never understand this until you begin to see the world as our Father does. Ask first for his eyes, and watch as your chains melt like wax before you. 

Merely,

Chris Gerac

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33 NIV