The REAL World

Have you ever heard someone say the phrase "out in the REAL world"? Or maybe you've even said it yourself. It is usually spoken in reference to secular culture or the workplace, and often separated from the "church" world. Maybe you've heard it said like..."you don't know what it's like in the REAL world!" As if life within the church or a Christian family is somehow less than real, perhaps even fake, or at least sheltered.

Is it really the "REAL" world that people speak of? Who is the one to define the terms? We as Christians believe that the one who made the world also gets to define it. Is the phrase "the REAL world" talking about God's view of things? Usually not. So why do we settle for defining life by the standards of those outside of a relationship with God?

The "REAL" world is defined by God and HIS WORD. It is there that we see what the "REAL" world is, and it looks much different from what the secular culture would have you believe is real. We find what "REAL LIFE" is about no where else. What the standards and life of the world looks like outside of the church is FALSE and a poor imitation of how life should be.

The "REAL" world is what we experience in church and in worship. It is there that the Word of God is spoken, the TRUTH, and we respond back with those same words from His Word. If you want to experience the "REAL" world, spend some time in worship and in God's Word.

The next time you hear someone say "When they go back to the REAL world" or "I want my child to have some REAL world experience" remember where the REAL world exists. Don't settle for a cheap imitation!

How I Did It

People keep asking me how I lost weight. Okay, I'll give my secret, but promise to keep it to yourself, okay?......I've been eating less. I've been working out for the past 8 years pretty much every morning and that helped along the way. But there are only so many calories you can burn by working out. So I cut my food intake in half and starting loosing weight. A key was eating less at dinner and nothing after dinner until breakfast the next morning. It has been in connection to an overall discipline in my life that has grown. So as I become more obedient to God in other areas of life I can control things like eating as well. It's a win/win for me as God continues to mold me in many ways. Boy, do I need it!