Tuesday, November 9, 2010

A spiritual lesson we can learn from Keeping Up with the Kardashians?

I was flipping through the channels the other night and landed on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.  I'll admit that I watched the show when it first came out, but I have not kept up with it lately.  That evening I decided to watch it for a few minutes.  I'm not sure what episode it was and honestly it went bad fast, so I changed the channel... but for the few short minutes I watched it,  here is what I heard.  Rob (the youngest Kardashian and only boy in the family) was giving Bruce Jenner (their step-father and olympic champion) a hard time because Bruce is too boring and straight laced. Rob asked Bruce, "Didn't you go out and party when you were my age?".  Bruce's response.. "No, at your age I had already won my first gold medal as was training to win my second".  Bruce didn't have time to party, he was focused on the winning the PRIZE. 

Fast forward to today where I read (again) Philippians 3:12-14.  "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

As I study Philippians I have Wiersbe's commentary close by.  He so easily describes these verses.  A couple things he points out:
1) "The mature Christian honestly evaluates himself".  That is where I have been lately - in an evaluation process.  This can be tough and liberating all at the same time.  Wiersbe goes on to warn, "Self-evaluation can be a dangerous thing, because we err in two directions: (1) making ourselves better than we are or (2) making ourselves worse than we really are."

Where do you fit in?  Me, I am one who probably makes myself worse than I really am.  One of my best friends used to say that we have an over-active Holy Spirit.  The two of us love the LORD and we feel so guilty over every little thing we do.  (I am kind of thankful for that though.. makes me realize HOW MUCH I NEED A SAVIOR.. JESUS). 

Wiersbe goes on to point out:
2) The "One thing" found in the second half of verse 13 is a phrase that is very important to Christians.  And yet another lesson we can learn from Keeping Up with the Kardashions.  Bruce was focused on "One Thing" winning a gold medal at the olympics.  Everyday and all day for how ever many years he trained was focued on that "One Thing".  This is where we need to be except.. not training for a Gold Medal, but focused on God and what He has for us to do with our life.

Wiersbe points out (and something I'm guilty of) "Too many Christians are too involved in "many things" when the secret to progress is to concentrate on "one thing".  The believer must devote himself to running the Christian race.  No athlete succeeds by doing everything; he succeeds by specializing."  Bruce Jenner did not try to win several different medals in various sports.  No, he trained specifically to win a gold medal in the decathalon.

The question I ask myself (and you) is... Are you too involved in "many things" or are you specializing in "one thing"?  If you are like me and are guilty of the "many things" ask the Lord to show you what skills and gifts he has given you.  So you may use that "one thing" to bring Glory to God and to point others to Jesus.


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