fun with facial hair

It has been a while since I’ve been able to sit down and write out some thoughts that I could share. In these past several weeks …I’ve grown a beard and shaved it off. I grew side burns and shaved them off …I grew a goatee and shaved it off. I’ve transformed into the apostle Paul wearing chains and back into little ole me. I had the privilege of ministering to my very own ageing parents. I was heartbroken at hearing of a tragedy from a sister near and dear to me. I was discouraged by another tragedy a friend shared with me even as I tried to encourage and counsel them. In Pennsylvania, this past week, I was blessed to see twenty-something people give their heart to the Lord in a thought provoking service on the rapture and last days. My wife and I have been praying and trusting in the Lord for several important issues in our home. I have been counseling with several people struggling with the complexities and disappointments of life and family relationships. I have even had the privilege of watching my wife spatter a news anchor with pureed carrots on live TV. Suffice it to say, it has been a busy couple months! I have been up and I have been down. I have rejoiced with those who rejoice and grieved with those who grieve. Romans 12:10-18

Why haven’t I shared all this with you? Well, because the truth is, although it’s enjoyable to share my own devotional thoughts with others, many times they are simply meant just for me. I love to minister, to preach the Word of God, and worship publicly, but the focal point of my relationship with Jesus is a journey meant only for me.

It ‘s wonderful to seek Godly counsel and encouragement from brothers and sisters in Christ, but it is absolutely vital that we are able to find the answers for ourselves! Take, for example the relationship I have with our two year old. At this stage in his journey he comes to us for everything, and that’s good. I certainly can’t expect him to boil a little water, put in some kid friendly pasta, strain it, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it with freshly grated parmesan cheese…. you get the picture. In several years from now it will be a different matter. I will always be his da-da but as he matures, he will discover how to take more and more responsibility for his own journey.

I wonder today where you are on your journey? When you run into a spiritual conundrum, when you have questions, where do you turn for the answers? Do you panic? Do you begin to call on all the “spiritual” people in your Rolodex? Do you rely on mom or dad or your spouse? Perhaps you call an aunt or an uncle or a sister…or maybe you call them all. In the interest of clarity let me share with you the other side of this “coin”. We are not islands. You are not meant to be alone. We are not meant to suffer in silence with out the love and support of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Just re-read Romans 12:10-18. It illustrates this point beautifully. However, as we mature in our faith, our dependency should shift from anyone who will listen, to Jesus Himself. At some point we will transition from milk to meat. We will learn to draw strength from the Lord Him self as opposed to the people around us!

David said, in Psalm 144: 1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. 2 He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge…” Praise the Lord! We have an unending source of strength and confidence!
Allow me to be brutally candid for a moment. There are times when little Julian is resistant to eating breakfast. Because he’s only two I have resorted to some shameless tactics to get him to eat. For example, just this morning I was dancing around the kitchen on my toes as I hummed the “Nutcracker Suite” while holding his oatmeal aloft. I would then twirl the spoon around and around coming to rest in front of his mouth where I would rapidly shove in the cereal amidst his giggles. Let me be very clear. I do not expect to be tiptoeing around the kitchen waving a chicken leg around in an effort to feed Julian when he’s ten years old.

So I encourage you today. Examine where you are in your journey. If I were to ask you, Can you feed yourself? Surely you would say yes. Well I want to ask you, Can you feed yourself Spiritually? Let’s dive into the Word and into prayer today in a deeper way. I hope I have motivated you to seek new maturity in your relationship with Jesus. With that said, I have to go shave.

God bless you and may He make us blessable.

Pastor Jimmy E. Rovaggi
Associate Pastor
West Hudson Christian Center
557 Kearny Avenue Kearny, NJ 07032
p 201-997-7762
c-973-600-8544