Not a Switch - A Journey...


Not long ago, a pollster named George Barna conducted a study of so-called "born again" folks whom he defined as those who said they had a "personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important today."

After interviewing them, he concluded that the morals and way of life for these "self-identified born again" people was not substantially different from those of the general public. 

That is actually surprising - because while identifying as "Christian" or "born-again" isn't like a light-switch where your world is suddenly turned upside down, you no longer sin, and all of your decisions are God-honoring, I DO believe that such a declaration starts you on a path.  It is a long journey that continues to mold and shape us, to smooth our rough edges, and to develop us into the people God created us to be.

For example, take for instance a few of my friends who decided to fly (at their own expense) to Nicaragua to run (at their own peril) in a race where the shortest race distance was 25K, and the longest was 100K.  They did this in order to raise money necessary to install water systems for people they've never met.  Years before they had a personal encounter with Jesus - I doubt such a thing would have happened.

The race is called Fuego y Agua (Fire and Water) and basically it is the worst nightmare for people like me who don't run.  For in addition to the long distances, the path of this gruelling race takes them UP and down a steep narrow path on an active volcano.

Within this group that ran a few days ago, I know a number of people - Reynato, Caroline, Walter, John, Scott, Roger, and Sandy.  If you ask me - they are all heroes.

The transformation that comes after finally submitting your life to God isn't a switch - it's subtle.  It happens little by little, day by day until we are "new".  

That's where Barna got it wrong, because if you ask me, God is doing some amazing work in these wonderful friends - transforming them, so that they can help transform the lives of others.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

"So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel.  But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him." - Jeremiah 18:3-4

If you can't run - but want to support these efforts - it's not too late.  Just click this link:


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