Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

What About My Questions?

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Photo by Emily Morter

I’ve been listening to Annie F. Downs’ podcast called “That Sounds Fun”.  If you haven’t ever tuned in, I would highly recommend it, although it’s not as light and airy as the title implies.  Annie interviews Christian authors, musicians, ministry leaders and athletes currently making an impact for God’s kingdom.  And sometimes the conversations get deep.  Recently she spoke with two back to back guests about crisis’ of faith.  This topic stirred my heart in light of a recent guest lecture I attended at church on Generation Z (kids born between 1999 and 2015 – like mine).  All three resources had one theme in common – the lack of a safe place to take questions.

 

For those of us who came to a believing relationship with Christ at a young age, the decision might have been a no brainer.  When presented with a scenario like, “Jesus loves you.  Won’t you love Him too?”  Of course.  Why not?  Then we grow up.  And although the Bible’s teachings about Jesus remain the same, we awaken to the ever changing landscape of the world.  There are many different flavors of people and we aren’t sure how they all fit in.  We experience heartbreak.  There’s dissension in our church.  Someone we love and respect views the Bible differently than we do.  Disease or death strikes a devastating blow, or our “’til death do us part” falls far short.  When life looks so very different from the way we imagine it, our faith often takes a hit.

 

I have walked with a friend who traveled back to square one – examining EVERYTHING she believed and taking nothing for granted.  I personally have experienced what I’ll call minor doubts – never questioning the existence of a loving God or even a Savior who gave His life for me – but becoming uneasy or unsure of other Biblical teachings and church doctrine.  What do we do with this?  I have heard faith compared to a brick wall.  It stands strong and sturdy, but many believers are afraid that if one brick crumbles near the bottom, the whole thing will topple.  So we shy away from testing the strength of the bricks.  We don’t ask the questions because we are either afraid of the answers or afraid we won’t be able to find the answers.  Or do we fear what others will say/think of our doubts?

 

When we don’t have anywhere to go with our questions or even suspect that our faith is not strong enough to endure them, we are closer than we may realize to abandoning it altogether.  And I’m afraid that’s exactly what happens to many Christians who grow up and out into the world.  They find it easier to walk away than to wrestle.  Who wouldn’t?

 

But the truth is, Christianity has survived for more generations than we can count.  And the Bible remains the most published and read book in the world for hundreds of years now.  More importantly, our God withstands the scrutiny.  When we are wrestling the thing out (studying, praying, seeking counsel), whether it be theological questions, or anger at God, or just flat confusion, we are in relationship with Him.  That’s what He wants.  Communion with us.  Do you remember memorizing John 3:16?  God sent Jesus – this whole thing – because He “so loved the world.”  NIV

 

Testing our faith can make it stronger.  Not only is it important for us to know that personally, but we need to be intentional about making sure our homes and our churches are safe places for people to have doubts.  That’s how we build a strong community of faith.  But as we struggle with issues and feelings we must remember that we are not God.  Isaiah 55:8 NIV says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  Some things we may not wrap our finite minds completely around.  Although there is evidence to be found, sometimes our faith simply takes faith, which Hebrews 11:1 ESV defines as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  God promises, however, that when we meet Him face to face it heaven, it will all become clear.  “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV

 

When we wrestle, we actually hold on tight.  That’s the only way to victory.  Think of questioning in those terms.  And happy grappling!

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13 Days in Ferguson

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As some of you know, I have been slowly awakening to the problem of systemic racism in our country and intentionally seeking out people and resources to continue to learn and empathize.  I wrote about that here.  When the opportunity to read a complimentary copy from Tyndale House publishers and review the new memoir 13 Days in Ferguson by Captain Ronald Johnson presented itself, I jumped at the chance.  Because he belonged to the community, the governor thrust Captain Johnson, an African-American Missouri State Trooper, into a leadership role when the shooting of a young, unarmed black man caused rioting in the streets.

 

His earliest musing of this seemingly impossible situation made the hairs on my arms stand up.  “I see both sides.  But there shouldn’t be sides.  Taking sides implies a winner and a loser.  There are no winners here.  Even if some police see it as a battle to be won, I see only a no-win situation. ”  For the five previous nights since Michael Brown’s death on August 14, 2014 police lined up wearing riot gear – shields, camouflage, gas masks, bullet-proof vests – with military-style weapons at the ready and dogs restrained on leashes.  Johnson, now in charge, decides on a different tactic.  He marches.  Not in a line of defense, but side by side with the protestors.  Without even the covering of his bullet-proof vest.  He walks and he talks and he listens.  He gives the angry and hurting people of Ferguson what they haven’t had up until then.  A voice.

 

During the anguishing days that he marched, he saw tiny victories and huge setbacks.  Protestors initially saw him as the enemy because he wore a badge.  Law enforcement, even those he had served alongside for years, questioned his loyalty to the badge due to his lack of force in dealing with the constituents.  The Captain lets the reader into his loneliness and inner turmoil, and eventually the anguish that swallowed him whole when he felt forced to call for tear gas and riot gear as the protestors once again turned to violence and other criminal activity.

 

In the retelling of those harrowing days, Johnson admits to mistakes and regrets, but ultimately enough improvement in the community’s safety to call the city back to business as usual by the end of the month of August.  And yet, everything has changed. After a relatively calm fall, the news in late November that the grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer responsible for Brown’s death, again incites protests and riots.  This time it lasts only a couple of days.  Then in March of the following year, the Department of Justice concludes its 6 month investigation into the Ferguson Police Department, finding that it “was routinely violating the constitutional rights of its black residents”, using force “almost exclusively on blacks and regularly stopp[ing] people without probable cause.”  The police chief resigned one week later.  Baby steps.  Inches.  But change.

 

Through it all Captain Johnson leaned on his faith in God and the sanctuary of the bathroom to cry out in prayer.  And yet our country still bleeds.  Cities all across the nation continue to have racially driven incidents and compare themselves to Ferguson.  But as James Baldwin said,

“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

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Click here to read the first chapter for free!

On Being Battle Ready – A Guest Post

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I sure could use a fresh infusion of faith and fearlessness in my life, so I’m turning my blog over to blogger and author friend Kelly Balarie to tell you what she’s learned writing her latest book.

 

5 Tips to Being Battle Ready

By: Kelly Balarie

 

If a baby bird never moves out of the nest, she’ll never fly. If a toddler never takes that one inch forward, fearing falling, she’ll never walk. If a woman never takes a small step, she’ll continually stay, nowhere.

 

A small step out of move-out faith is mission-critical.  Why? Faith brings to life what we cannot see, but desperately hope for.

 

Where do you stand on the faith-scale? 1-10? Do you see new life arising from your hopes, hunger, and hardships, or are you simply staying stuck, where you are?

 

You know, my life has lived as a big struggle. I’ve gone through an eating disorder, depression, a health scare that threatened to take my walking legs, financial debt struggles, heart-breaking, joy-stealing relational problems, companies going under and constant self-doubt. The list goes on-and-on…

Nearly every time, in these situations, I thought: There’s no way out. This is impossible. I don’t know what to do. I am going under. I don’t have the (time, ability, resources or wisdom) to get through this. God won’t really be there for me; He’s got better things to do. I am stupid for letting this happen. No one understands. I’m all alone.

 

If faith is hope in what we cannot see, I’ve lived hopelessness. If it’s “impossible to please God without faith,” no wonder I felt so displeased with myself.  If God says, “everything is possible for those who believe”, I suppose I haven’t believed.

 

The inclination here is to be angry at myself saying, You always mess up. You always fall short. You never do anything, right.

 

But this is not how God speaks to me. This is not being Battle Ready.

 

Instead, God restores me by saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

Knowing this prepares my mind to walk into fearlessness, boldness, and purpose.

 

God’s grace welcomes in new faith. This is a vital, because faith is our greatest battle weapon. It takes us places, it tames our trials and it forges us ahead, like doubt never can.

 

So, how do you walk out life-changing faith? Here are a couple tips from my vast arsenal of faith-building, doubt-reducing, and life-changing thought-strategies I’ve discovered on my many battlefields of hardship…

 

5 Small Steps To Building Battle Ready Faith

  1. Envision Jesus one step ahead of you. If you know God is at the place you’re afraid of, how much more can you trust He’s preparing it for your arrival?
  2. Hear in your mind, continually: God really cares for me. The more we believe God sees us, the more we’ll believe He’ll see us through.
  3. Taste His victory history. If you remember how you felt when God came through last time, you can almost taste him doing the same thing again. Let your mouth water for His “new thing.”
  4. Inhalethe reality, God is with you. Sure, there may be bumps in the boat. This doesn’t mean Jesus is sleeping. He’s fully aware of all your going through, the path He has you on, and your perfect escape with Him.
  5. Holda light schedule. If you clear way in your schedule, you’ll make room to experience God’s Word in such a way where it can begin to dwell in you.

 

Pick up your shield of faith. When the enemy throws an arrow at you, like a random email that makes you feel sad, a rejection from a friend that leaves you disappointed, remember: God is with you, for you and He is on your side. He is working out something in you and for you, that’s even better than you expected.

You can become battle ready and live victoriously. You can prepare in advance rather than emotionally responding and reacting to the hardships that you face. God will give you peace as you learn His wisdom and strategies.

Buy here

 

 

About Battle Ready: Train Your Mind to Conquer Challenges, Defeat Doubt & Live Victoriously

 

“The best time to be strengthened against the Enemy’s tactics of doubt, disappointment, and devastation is before he makes his first move toward us. We all desperately need the biblical guidance and preparation found in Battle Ready!”

Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

 

 

Battle Ready is a hands-on scriptural plan that teaches you twelve easy-to-implement, confidence-building mind-sets designed to transform your thoughts and, therefore, your life. You’ll gain practical wisdom, like how to

· make new habits stick in just five steps
· disarm the seven most common attacks that plague women
· exchange self-limiting thoughts for purpose-driven, love-releasing thoughts
· implement thirty-second mind-lifters that deliver peace
· create boundaries so you live life full of what matters

 

To get Battle Ready freebies – printables, devotional reminders, a customizable daily Battle Plan and the “Find Your Battle Style” quiz, visit: www.iambattleready.com

 

 

Buy here

 

 

To order the companion Battle Ready Daily Prayer Journal that will help you practically change your thoughts, then your life, visit:

 

 

Kelly Balarie, an author and national speaker, is on a mission to encourage others not to give up. Through times of extreme testing, Kelly believes there is hope for every woman, every battle and in every circumstance. She shares this hope on her blog, Purposeful Faith, and on many writing publications such as Relevant, Crosswalk, and Today’s Christian Woman. Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, 700 Club Interactive, Moody Radio and other television and radio broadcasts. When Kelly is not writing, she is chilling at the beach with her husband, a latte, and 2-toddlers who rightfully demand she build them awesome castles.

 

 

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