Spirit challenge

My husband and I were blessed to see our son on live television recently. One of the local television stations raises money through a school competition they call "School Spirit Challenge." where schools donate foods for a local food bank. The television station visits a different school each week and the school holds a big rally. It's all in great fun to see which school can donate the most food and which school is the loudest and craziest. I had to drop Kaleb off at our area high school at 5:30 in the morning for a pancake breakfast before the 6 am rally.

Jim and I watched the news station as they aired the rally live several times over a period of 2 hours. The kids were so excited. They painted their faces, wore the school colors and made posters. Representing the school was the girls softball team, girls and boys basketball teams, and boys and girls soccer teams. They wore their uniforms and showed off their trophies as well as some of their best moves. The band was also there to participate in the excitement. The kids were so excited, screaming and jumping and doing everything they could to show they had "spirit". I even got to see my son live a couple times, even though he was not as animated as many of the other kids. Just the idea he was excited to be a part was a pretty big thing for him, being one not to do well with change, transition, and being in a crowded environment with a bunch of screaming kids! He had a great time and it was worth getting us both up early so he could be there.

I loved seeing how much life was in the gymnasium that morning. The excitement of the students from grades 4 and 5 all the way up to seniors was contagious. I left for work that morning feeling excited myself, even in spite of getting up a bit earlier than my normal way-to-early time. I then thought about our response to the Lord and Sunday morning church often more resembles a funeral than it does a "Spirit Challenge." Nobody really wants to go to a funeral. No wonder people aren't lining up to enter in.

What would happen if we showed up at church with the same excitement and passion those students had at their Spirit Challenge rally. Isaiah 12:3 says With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. What are we drawing from when we walk in to doors Sunday morning? Better yet, what are we bringing? Too often, we haven't

drawn from the wells of salvation all week and as a result we show up dry and parched and there is a lot of "run-off". The soil of our hearts remain hard rather than pliable. Seed can't grow in those conditions.

Many of us can get excited about other things whether it's a sport's team, our favorite television show, shopping, etc.... We draw others in by our own level of excitement and passion. I remember when I first rededicated my life to the Lord. As a 21-year-old, I had just come out of living in the world. I was drinking and drugging and doing all kinds of things that were exciting for a while. It was fun. Believe it or not, as serious as I usually am now, "party hearty" was once my motto but deep down inside, it was my way to escape the pain of life. That was the well that I drew from but it was the wrong well and pretty soon, those bitter waters it left me dry. I realized that the ways of the world only went so deep and it wasn't long before I was left thirsty and longing for more again. My life wasn't full or abundant. It was full of weeds. I wasn't swimming in the river of life, I was drowning in despair. I knew I could not go on that way!

So when I first came back to the Lord and drinking of Him, I was so refreshed! I was so excited! Everyone that knew me knew that something was different and that I had changed. I didn't have to preach at them. It was obvious! Why? Because I was excited! I was full of life! Every moment I was awake, I was communing with Him. I was worshiping Him. I didn't hang out with my old friends. I stayed close to the anointing instead. You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep. What kind of company are you keeping? Are you commiserating or are you celebrating?

See, if you are going to follow after Jesus, He will set you apart for His own purposes. Your life is not yours anymore. You are His called out and chosen one. 1 Peter 2:9. We had a guest speaker this past Sunday and one of the phrases she used a couple times really stood out to me. "We live by a different set of rules." He called you out of darkness and into light. You do not live by the same rules as those who do not know the Lord. Your life and how you respond should reflect that. If we could grab a hold of this truth, it would be

a real game-changer for us. We may be in this world but we are not of it! We are not subject to the laws of this kingdom. We belong to a different kingdom and we need to be excited about that and start reflecting that in how we respond to life.

So I want to challenge you. (and myself too) Let's have our own "spirit challenge". Let's rise above the the circumstances that we have found ourselves in. Isaiah 60 tells us to rise and shine for your light has come. The Amplified version says this: Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you. Stop waiting for

something to happen. Nothing is going to happen until you rise and shine, right where you are and in the circumstances where you are at because the truth is, you are not really there, in those circumstances. You are In Christ Jesus, seated in heavenly places. Ephesians 2:6

Back to our local school's Spirit Challenge; being on television and having a chance at winning the challenge was the excitement. Every one of those kids that morning chose to show up excited. Think about this. Nothing in their personal circumstances had changed that day. They woke up that morning with their own personal lives no different than they were the day before. We could learn something from that!! I dare say that many of them probably have some pretty crappy circumstances in their lives and those circumstances did not go away that particular day. Yet, they showed up with the determination to show the world what "Bobcat Spirit" was all about. They didn't just go to school that day, they became the school, so to speak. If these kids can do that, why can't we? Why can't we who are called out, sent out, set apart, adopted into God's family, filled with the Holy Spirit and seated with Christ in Heavenly places do the same show up, wherever we are Imagine....we if showed up on the scene, full of Spirit? What a game-changer that would be!!

One final note about the School Spirit Challenge is that one thing strongly emphasized was the collection of trophies won by the softball, basketball and soccer teams. These were put on display for all to see. Those kids were so proud of all the championships won! I think of a song that I have not heard for years. No, it's not "We are the Champions", though through Christ that is what we are. I think of the old hymn,

The Old Ruggard Cross. I have not heard that song in years. There's the part that says "So I'll cherish the old rugged Cross Till my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged Cross And exchange it some day for a crown." Unlike the world, we don't need to showcase our trophies because we become the trophy. But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere. 2 Corinthians 2:14 - Amplified. When you are feeling discouraged, remember your past victories and know that God will do it again! There are more trophies to be won and more victories to be had! And, don't forget this game changer: because you are a trophy of Christ's victory, you play by a different set of rules!

Romans 12:11 says "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.