When Your Way of Practicing Christianity Gets "ALL SHOOK UP"- by @ShelleyHendrix

Free to be ME 

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 TNIV

For most of my life I seemed to be doing quite well in my Christian life and journey, even through some really tough bumps in the road. I didn’t realize how much or how often I was relying on my own strength, my own wisdom, or my own abilities to get through tough times. 

I prayed. 

I read my Bible. 

I attended and volunteered at my church. 

I was very good at “doing.” 

I thought that since it was my responsibility to “die to self,” and “live for Christ,” that I was doing my utmost to make that happen with utmost sincerity. 

Can I be completely honest? Without truly realizing this about myself, the truth was that I wanted to impress God with how much I could love Him and how good I could make Him look to others—I thought this was the way He wanted me to live my life. 

But there was a problem with this way of living: Striving with all my might to be as close to perfect as humanly possible, to check off "the list," to perform well enough for God, others, & even myself, kept my relationships completely guarded. I wore a different mask for different people and different settings--but I wasn't even aware of it! Allowing God to remove the masks, one by one, started out with unrelenting pain. Actually, my willingness to even allow this was as a result of God showing me how I COULD NOT handle life on my own, nor did He ever expect me to even attempt to do this. 

It was torturous to my mind and emotions that had been stuck in the same patterns for so long. Those masks are usually glued on tightly enough that we don't even see them in the mirror or feel them hiding our faces, and we have NO clue how much they are impacting our own vision and perception of the world and others, much like the masks we don for costume parties . I thought I was the most sincere and ‘real’ person I knew. For most of us who have learned this way of living—especially as Believers in Jesus—it can be the shock of our lives to find out we aren’t as “authentic” as we’ve perceived ourselves to be. 

Okay, with this in mind, take a DEEP BREATH with me here… “Until the pain is greater than the payoff, there will be no change.”

God loved me enough to confront me with truth. Learning to trust His skillful hands to do the kind of surgery only He can do, opened my life up in countless ways and has given me opportunities to be truly known...and deeply loved. To be free—indeed! 

The masks may have looked more appealing than the real me, but it definitely wasn’t worth the relational isolation it required to maintain. Knowing Christ intimately, and knowing Christ IN Shelley has made every single ounce of discomfort and pain MORE than worth it. 

His Grace still amazes me! 
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"All Shook UP" is the theme of this year's AWAKEN 1-Day Conference hosted by Church 4 Chicks on November 8. Deadline to register is October 31st and you can do that here on the blog (right hand column) or www.church4chicks.ticketbud.com ~ We would love to see you there!

 Shelley Hendrix is the founder of Church 4 Chicks and the brand new Heart Smart- Counseling, Coaching and Consulting practice with her best friend and husband, Stephen Hendrix. 

You can find Shelley's website, social media links and more at www.ShelleyHendrix.com but you'll typically find her sipping coffee, taking pics of sunrises and sunsets in her new coastal hometown or wrestling with her crazy Beaglador named Annie. 

"Why Water?" A guest post by Jordyn Redwood

Photo by I-stock photo

As a pediatric ER nurse, I understand how essential water is for life.  A newborn that has missed as little as three feedings can have concern for dehydration.  Our bodies are primarily water.  An adult’s body is made up of approximately 60% water, whereas an infant is in upward of 75%. This, along with a baby’s size, explains how they can get into trouble much more quickly than an adult when they are unable to stay hydrated.  Without water, you’ll die in as short as three days.

Generally, water is free.  Of course, you have a monthly water bill, but you can go up to a water fountain and get a drink without having to throw some quarters into a coin slot.  Businesses will give you water for free.

I do think God gives us physical examples for spiritual principles, and water pops up scripturally over seven-hundred times.

One of the more well-known verses that discusses water is John 4:14.  Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again.  Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever.  The water I give will be an Artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.” MSG

Could you imagine never being thirsty again?  Because water is readily available to us and costs very little, the imagery may be lost, but think of living in a desert and you have to trek over arduous terrain to simply get water to drink.  Imagine being the person sitting on windswept sand floors dreaming of never having dry, cracked lips or a parched tongue ever again. Ever.

This imagery came to me at church - about how something as important as water is free - and it got me thinking about other free things.

Other free things that are essential to life, free things essential to everlasting life, and then the words grace and belief came to mind.

Once, our preacher shared the follow joke.

“You are speeding and are pulled over.  Now, you really were speeding and fully deserve this penalty.  The officer writes you a ticket.  This is called justice.  But say you are having a bad day, and some tears are shed, and the officer has pity on you and lets you off with a warning. This is called mercy.  Let’s take that same example, and when you’re pulled over for the speeding ticket you fully deserve, you curse and swear at the officer for ruining your day. The policeman stand up, straightens his shoulders, pulls a key from his pocket, and says, ‘Ma’am, not only am I going to forgive the foul language that you used and your disrespectful attitude, but I’m going to give you this key to a brand new Ferrari, and I’m going to pay for the gas and insurance for as long as you own the car.’  This is called grace.”

Grace is an overabundance of underserved blessing, and maybe the way we understand grace is to couple that with how much we need something else like water.

But there is a cost for God’s grace to cover our sinful lives, and that is belief in Jesus as our Savior.

How strong is your belief?  Is it as strong as your need for water? 

Jordyn Redwood is a pediatric ER nurse by day, suspense novelist by night.  She hosts Redwood’s Medical Edge, a blog devoted to helping authors write medically accurate fiction. Her first two medical thrillers, Proof and Poison, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal and have been endorsed by the likes of Dr. Richard Mabry, Lynette Eason, and Julie Cantrell to name a few.  Proof was shortlisted for the 2012 ForeWord Review’s BOTY Award, 2013 INSPY Award, and the 2013 Carol Award.  Poison has shortlisted for the 2014 INSPY Award and the 2014 Selah Award.  In addition to her novels, she blogs regularly at Redwood’s Medical Edge and the WordServe Water Cooler, which has been named one of "Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers" two years in a row. 

You can connect with Jordyn via her website at www.jordynredwood.com.