Spiritually Slapped

Have you ever been spiritually slapped? I have...more times than I'd like to admit! Yet here I am, admitting that I have just been spiritually slapped! I'm taking two courses this semester in order to achieve my BA in Psychology; Theology 104 and Psychology 210. Today I studied for both courses (I do distance learning through Liberty University). Nothing huge in Psych, other than another 96% on my quiz (they're open book! I should get 100%!!). However, Theo, got me going. I'm only a portion of the way in and it hits me, I can do more! The book that I'm reading is Core Christianity by Elmer Towns; the chapter is titled "Christianity is a Practical Religion". Duh, no brain-er there! As a Christian we're taught very simple truths. But here I sit, realizing that I'm not doing all that I could. I had this conversation in my head: yes I am, no I'm not...blah, blah, blah. The truth, in my own little world, is that I do what Christ asks...but is there more I can be doing? YES! I'm not saying that I'm gonna sell all I've got and go live in a hut in Zimbabwe! But what are practical ways that we can do the Lord's work? For some it is to go on missions, or live a missions filled life! I do not feel that the Lord has called my little family to that (not saying I wouldn't go, I am saying that if I did go right now it would be out of my OWN will and not the Lord's). What I do feel Him leading (and have for some time, insert bashful smile here) is to be more loving, more considerate, more patient to His creation. I do have times of "fleshing out", but people should see more of Christ and less of me in this life. Which means I hold my tongue, not engage in slander, love the unlovable. I can serve the homeless, provide a warm blanket, give the shirt off my back. I can teach my kids that we live in a blessed nation, that we have a God who has provided for us in ways we never thought we'd have to be provided for...and we can pass on that blessing and provision. It's a fine line we walk between works and salvation...yes, we are saved by grace and not by works, however if we just sit here getting "fat and sassy" (as I like to say) on the blessings of the Lord, we are GLUTTONS! Just as sinful as the addict down the street. We are not here to get fat on the goodness of our God, we're created for worship, to be the imagine of the one true God. We're blessed to be a blessing...are we living that way? I can honestly admit that I haven't been all that I can be, I've still got a ways to go in this race the Lord has set out for me and I pray that His light is what is seen as opposed to my fleshy ugliness...