Salt & Light 3

A table with two legs is a wobbly, if not impossible affair.  Add just one more leg and the stability is exponentially increased.  The same can be said about our spiritual life, a three legged approach can drastically change they way we experience God.

What do I mean by a three-legged approach?

In Matthew 6 Jesus is in the  middle of his well known Sermon on the Mount.  His discourse in this chapter revolves around ostentation.  Doing things to be seen, revered and honored in the eyes of man.

We can understand the teachings of Christ to be humble, to refrain from showing off.  But watch how he does this:  Jesus uses the three-legged approach to teach what we should be doing, while at the same time telling us how not to do it.  Pure genius.  (Pretty sure it has something to do with being God.)

In Christ's time giving, praying and fasting were integral to the practice of Judaism.  Can we say the same in our lives today?  Are we practicing our faith, are we following Christ through giving, praying and fasting?

If not, the instruction that Jesus is giving to us through this passage means nothing.  We don't have to worry about how not to do it because we aren't doing it anyway.  We are living dangerously by basing our lives on a very wobbly table.   Giving, praying and fasting are the legs to our faith table.  They are how we follow Christ.

Now, one of these may scare you more than the others.  Perhaps two of them are difficult for you to do.  Maybe all three of them seem out of reach to you.  But do not despair.  As you begin to draw near to God by practicing them you will begin to experience God in a whole new way.  You will experience His provision, understand His will, feel His very breath as He draws near to you.

Are you ready to make the effort?  Are you ready to change your status quo?  Are you ready to experience God in a whole new way?

Over the next few weeks I will break down each "leg" in an effort to help you make the changes you need to have a fresh experience with God.  Together we will talk about giving, praying and fasting so that they are no longer things that you should be doing, but rather things that you are doing.  We will begin to make them an integral part of your life.  Together we will build up your faith table so that it is no longer wobbly and unsecured, but rather firmly rooted, strong and capable of holding up anything that life throws at you.

Join me in this journey.  I'm looking forward to it.