[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”70490″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]If you are someone who loves exercise because it makes you feel good, you might appreciate this conversation. Or if you’ve ever climbed a mountain, caught a wave surfing, or if you love supporting your favorite sporting team, you may have experienced a natural high. When we do moderate exercise, endorphin chemicals are released into the brain producing a natural high of positive emotion that assists in the release of things like stress.
As you will appreciate Christians are almost universally anti-drugs, shunning the pursuit of chemical highs because the downside is personally destructive. Psychotropic toxins are an artificial stimulant contrary to the Biblical exhortation from 1 Corinthians 6, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own. You were bought with a price, so glorify God with your body.
So, our conversation is not about chemical highs, but about natural highs. What we might call a natural high that comes from the activities of the Christian life. Many Christians will be able to testify to the good feeling of surrender and abandon that comes in Christian worship. Others will be able to testify that in a quiet time, in the presence of God, there’s a peace that surpasses all understanding, and others will be able to tell of how they felt when they shared their faith with someone. Maybe it was on the street or in a coffee shop, or when they led a friend to Christ.
Stu Miller is the founder of Train to Proclaim, and he’s also the Australian coordinator of Global Outreach Day, that’s now called ‘Go Day’. And in fact, May is ‘Go Month’, so it’s great to welcome Stu into the discussion.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”32351″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Stu starts by saying he loves to exercise. “We may not know all the technical, physiological reasons why we have these highs, but we do know that it happens. So while I’m not a Neuroscientist, I know that this is an experience that we have all probably had in the Christian faith.”
Stu believes that we walk by faith and not by sight. “We know that we believe in the Word of God and we live by it, and not by feelings. But following Christ has its benefits, and you do actually have these amazing natural highs when you do things like be obedient to the great commission and go out and share the Gospel. When you come back from sharing Jesus with people, how do you feel? You feel like you’ve just been in the presence of God. I know as an evangelism trainer, that it’s a hard thing to motivate people to share the gospel. But when they actually do it, they come back so excited.”
Stu continues that he understands that there are some people who are just not into feelings. “But Jesus came to give us life to the fullest. And He is the one that actually created our bodies and these natural highs that we feel when we’re doing good for someone. When you give a gift to someone, how do you feel? You feel great. And you feel a lot better when you give a gift than when you receive one.
That feeling that God has created and made in us is a natural thing that He’s put there. When we do the right thing, we feel we’ve got life flying through our veins. We’ve got that natural high.”
Stu also says that not feeling good is normally associated with sin. “When we do wrong, we feel bad. When we do right, we feel great. But in persecution we know from the Scriptures that the disciples experienced great joy. Matthew Chapter 5 says, ‘blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, for great is your reward in heaven.’ So there’s a fantastic precedent. Paul and Silas and were in jail singing praises to God at midnight, they were worshiping God while they were in chains. We can rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.”
Stu believes that there is a joy in Christ that remains regardless of our circumstances, because we can’t always control what’s happening around us. “Sometimes things go well for us, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes we look too much at circumstances and try to apply blame.
I think when we aren’t being obedient we feel guilty, and when we are being obedient, we feel joyful. That feeling is definitely connected with obedience.”
Stu goes on to say that it’s such a privilege to be God’s child, and to be able to share his word with other people. “God’s Word does have an impact on other’s lives. We know that Romans 1:16 says ‘I’m not ashamed of the Gospel for it’s the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.’ That is such an encouraging thing for us that we can share this divine message with other people, and it can impact lives for all of eternity.
But obviously it’s God doing it, not us. It’s His powerful message, but the fact that He uses us in the process is such an exciting thing.”
Listen below to listen to more of Neil’s discussion with Stu about sharing faith.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Tune into 20Twenty and join the conversation with Neil Johnson, weekdays on Vision Christian Radio. Click here for your local times.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
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