A Reflection of Christ

January 22, 2017

Day 22: All In One Box:
"Whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." —2 Corinthians 3:16-18.

I love today's entry because it is exactly what I need to hear and how I need to think.  In the lesson Anderson explains how he views his medical practice as being in the same box as his spirituality and faith.  He says, "When I tell other physicians about the things I've seen, they often try to compartmentalize them, to fit them into a box formed by their own understanding—especially those who don't have faith in Jesus.  It's as if they are saying, 'Your scientific training is the only thing that can be used in your medical practice.  Your experiences should stay in a religious box.' In other words, they don't think my appointments with heaven should have any bearing on how I practice medicine."   He says that he understands their point of view, but he personally "can't separate [his] faith from [his] training."  He suggests that if we have compartmentalized our faith and have separated it from our jobs or our relationships, or if we have been hurt in our lives and feel separated from God, we shouldn't wait for a future event to upend our boxes.  We should "ask God to reconcile and restore everything into one integrated box—his box."

I love the concept of one box, but it also concerns me because I thought I had everything in one box when I was a member of ICC and I fear going back in that direction. My heart is to do everything as if I am working for the Lord, as we are called to do in Colossians 3:23, but I am hesitant only because of what that meant to me in the past.  I think I just need to not worry about the big picture and what it should all look like, but instead focus on the little things that I can do to be a positive influence in the world.  It is easy for me to feel overwhelmed with the tremendous responsibility of the name Christian.  I take it very seriously and my heart's desire is to be a loving, helpful, productive ambassador of Christ, not the kind of Christian that I had been or that I see many others being. My ultimate goal is to be a reflection of Christ from moment to moment in all situations.