40 Days Closer to Christ

What if they decided to hold a concert and every member of the orchestra showed up with their instruments tuned anyway they wanted? I’ve been to a few middle school concerts and I have to tell you that it wouldn’t be good. There must be some standard to which all the instruments are tuned, or else you end up with a cacophony. But not only do the instruments need to be tuned, but they need to be tuned to a Master note.

In my house I have three guitars. (Actually since my kids played rock star with one of them only two are playable, but for illustration purposes lets suppose all three can be played.) If I tune one of them to with a pitch pipe or with an electronic tuner than I am pretty sure that it is conditioned for optimal performance. Now I can go to the second guitar and tune it by the first one. And I can get around to tuning the third one by using the second. Theoretically, all three should be tuned up just right. But if I strum a note on the third one, and check it with the tuner, more than likely it will be a little flat or a little sharp. It is just not quite in tune. No matter how good my ear is, a little variation sneaks in as they get tuned down the line. All three guitars have different tones and pitches but if they are all tuned with the electronic tuner and to the same standard then they sound good together.

It is the same way with us. We can get pretty close to where we should be in our spirituality, in our righteousness, and in our walk with God by sharpening ourselves against each other, but we will always be a little off. We need to go back to the Master to make sure that we are where we need to be. It is Christ alone who is the standard by which we measure ourselves. And it is by Him alone that we will be able to perform as we should. That is why we take forty days leading up to Easter and use it to draw closer to Christ and to reestablish our discipleship.

Forty days is the optimal period to form a new habit, to establish a new practice, and to change the pattern of your life. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an activity (we won’t use the word program) that can change your life.

Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. When God brings about change, the scriptures often represent a significant event as having a forty day duration. Noah’s world was changed forever in forty days. Moses saw God face to face and in forty days received the word which is still the basis for law and government. The city of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and turned away God’s wrath in the space of forty days. David became a hero after all Israel cowered under Goliath’s forty day challenge. Elijah lived by faith for forty days after God sustained him with one meal. The disciples were given the mysteries of the kingdom as they were taught by the Lord during an intensive forty day seminar after the resurrection. Jesus prepared with a forty day fast for a ministry which culminated in the salvation of mankind.

We can grow closer to the Savior as we study His life and His appearances throughout scripture. We become the people we should as we strive to lead a life of diligent discipleship. In these forty days we can review and renew the vital things that bring us to the Lord. We can refresh our memories and recall the eternal truths of who God is, who we are, and how we can have a close relationship with Him. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an opportunity to more fully develop that relationship, so that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Day 3 ~ The Door (John 10:9)


Radio and TV talk show host Glenn Beck tells of an award banquet for the Cross Country Team when his oldest daughter, Mary, was in high school. Mary was the team captain. The team was just coming off the most successful season in school history. As Glenn stood and looked at the posted results of all the meets, he could see his daughter's name was listed in last place in every single race. Not only had Mary come in last, but she was often ten minutes or more behind the last name.

"My daughter was born with cerebral palsy. And when she was born, there was no hope. She could never feed herself, etc. But the doctor looked at me and said, 'But you never know. A baby's brain is an amazing thing.' My daughter is right-side affected – she has trouble using her arm, she has trouble using her leg, her whole right side. And she's dead last, dead last. Last night at the awards ceremony, she won an award that she wins every year. That is for sportsmanship. She is the most encouraging person I have ever met. When I look at the people that have pivoted my life, at the top of that list is my daughter, Mary. I have learned so much from her. And so have her teammates. She is constantly telling people, 'You can do it. You can do it. Run, run, run – you can beat that time!' She is the most optimistic person I have ever met – and she finishes in last place every time.

"Last night, because she's the captain of her team...she got up. She talked about what a wonderful experience it was for her to run. What an unbelievable experience it was for her to be on this team even though she finished dead last, ten minutes after everybody else had finally come in. She pushed herself. She said, 'When I hurt, when I would fall, I would pick myself up, and I would continue to run, and I would finish. I remember the first time that I ran, the coach looked at me in a way that said that he didn't even know if I could finish. And when I ran for that first time, I didn't even know if I could finish. But I did, and I finish every time.' She was talking to her teammates, but she was really talking to me and everyone else in the room. She said, 'If knowing me would teach anybody anything, it should teach that never, ever give up. Never stop believing that you can do what you set your mind to. You can accomplish whatever it is that you want to accomplish.' "

Every great belief system seems to recognize this truth. We are capable of unimaginable and incredible feats if we put our all into it. We nod our heads when we hear it. But so few individuals actually live life as if they believe that it applies to them as well. Here are the facts. Heavenly Father has given us the chance to become whatever type of person we want to be. We can't always choose what happens to us but we can choose who we are through any trial or hardship. We wanted to be like Him and His Son. We wanted eternal life. And He has given us that very opportunity. It is the greatest gift imaginable. We are free to choose who we are. The potential is staggering. In the words of Walt Kelly's Pogo, "Gentlemen, I fear we are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities."

The only person that really shapes who you are is you. You make the call. You make the decisions. You make the good, you make the bad. Life is nothing but a series of choices, and you can choose to be anything you want to be. The world may beat upon you, circumstance may be painful, and situations may go awry, but you can never be forced to be someone you do not consent to be. To be sure, some bad decisions will be made. But here is the beauty of God's gift. It comes with a twin. The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides us a chance to change direction when we miss the mark. To start anew when we find out that what we chose wasn't so good after all. The Atonement allows us to go places that we would have been banished from and to achieve goals which we would have already failed. Jesus does this for us. He gives us the chance to try again. Christ said, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" (Rev 3:8).

To be sure God uses our choices and our agency to bring about His purposes. Opposition and choice make the universe move. God uses both the good and the bad. It is like a battery. Touch only positive and nothing happens. Touch only the negative and still nothing. But touch both and your hair will stand up. You will have no choice but to become dynamic. Agency is the power source which makes the universe go, and the Atonement is the oil that keeps it from grinding to a halt. Who you are is your choice. Choose well.
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