Saturday, September 11, 2010

Life Dare


Our small group has decided to go through the Love Dare book for our current small group session. I think this is a great idea to help strengthen our marriages. I also think this concept can be extended to help build Christ-likeness in each individual life. So, try these "dares" I decided a while back to implement in my life. Of course, I have to apologize here to my wife as she is the brunt of one of these. ;-)

  1. Read SOMETHING from the Bible EVERY day. Even if you only "have time" for one verse, read it!
    If you tell me you don't have time to read the Bible I am going to start asking you what else you read, what TV shows do you watch, how many college football games do you watch, etc. I know I excused myself for way too long with how little time I had to read my Bible. It was just that, excuses.


  2. Talk about what you read with somebody else (this is where my poor wife is probably saying – why is it always me? It's not honey, just seems that way.)
    Our calling from God is to share the gospel story with others. It isn't always easy to have these discussions, but at least start talking about the Bible with people. While I do indeed frequently talk to my wife about the interesting things I read in the Bible, I am also talking to other people too. The whole point of this "dare" is to start getting comfortable with humility that you might not know everything about the Bible, but you can still discuss it (and your faith) with other people. Hopefully, you will share your thoughts with non-Christians more often than those who already believe. In either case, growth of God's Kingdom occurs when we share the Word.


  3. Listen to Christian music instead of secular or talk radio (NeetToBreathe would be my top recommendation)
    It's rather interesting at how many eye rolls I get on this one. We seem to think that what we listen to doesn't really matter. I, and many passages in Paul's letters tend to disagree. If you don't believe me on this one, just try this dare for a month. Change your radio at home and in your car to the local Christian station, put in a Christian music CD, or create a good Christian playlist on your iPOD. Commit to it; don't change the station and don't tune it out. LISTEN to the lyrics! Music has an amazing ability to speak into your soul if you let it.


  4. Tell yourself (seriously, do this no matter how dumb/crazy you think it is) "God is going to use me in an incredible way today". Now on this one, believe it! Look for that opportunity, and if at the end of the day you don't think He worked through you, then get ready for that big moment tomorrow. IT IS COMING!
    God wants us all to make the most of our lives here. He wants us to have joy and contentment. That joy and contentment will only come when we allow ourselves to be used in His plan. He gives us chances every day to serve others, to share the gospel, to show love. Even in places where you may think something is very small, God can use it in a huge way. One simple conversation to encourage a struggling soul might lead to that person being a Christ follower the next day, month or year. That is HUGE! Even if you don't get to see the outcome, have faith that God uses your good and faithful acts in big and important ways.
I think if you commit to those dares each day, as I have over the last few months, you will see I change in your mind, heart, life. I am taking a bit of leap here, but I think my wife would vouch for the change in me during this time.

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