Gifted into goodness

I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Sometimes I think we honestly believe we can 'work our way' into God's good graces, but if that were possible, there would have been no need for Christ to come to this earth, sacrificing his life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, and then battling death, hell, and the grave to redeem us from ourselves. A gift is given - then it must be received - period. There are no strings attached, nothing the one receiving the gift must do in order to receive it. If that were the case, it would be 'earnings' and not a 'gift'!

When I was working, I earned a paycheck. I put in my 40-50 hours a week, performing certain tasks, then received a fair wage for a fair day's efforts. Every now and again, my employer would add a little 'bonus' to the paycheck. That was an unexpected blessing - a 'gift' of sorts. It still 'cost' me something, though. I had to show up, put forth the effort, excel at what I was doing, and then pay taxes on that bonus! Was it really a 'gift'? Not really - it was a 'little extra' unexpectedly blessing me in my paycheck.

There are times we approach our 'salvation' much like that bonus. We think 'showing up', putting forth some form of effort, and then working hard to 'do right' is all we need to 'earn' our salvation. While God may want us to 'show up' in this relationship, 'putting forth the effort' to allow this relationship to develop, he does all the 'work' of preparing the 'gift of salvation' we so desperately need and don't deserve! Yes, we need to take time in his Word. We definitely need to spend time talking with him and learning what his voice sounds like. We even need to do the things he directs us to do - that is called obedience.

Do these things help us get into heaven, or earn us some form of 'brownie points' with God? Nope! They are the natural outcome of wanting a relationship with someone! We invest in the relationship because we have a desire to know this God of grace better. Maybe if we approached prayer as communication, time in the Word as willingly listening for his direction, and service in whatever form he asks of us as the outflow of gratefulness we have for being welcomed into this relationship so willingly, we might just find ourselves 'working toward goodness' a little less and see how much 'goodness' he has already gifted into our lives. Just sayin! 

It is a parallel thing

I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I'll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. {I Corinthians 1:10}

We are all living life in parallel to each other. It can get a little messy to live life in parallel to anyone else, but it is not exactly easy to live life running in opposite directions of each other! When we seek to live life in parallel, we are commanded to do a couple of things - be considerate of one another and cultivate the "parallel life" as deeply as possible. We have to become familiar with the life circumstances the other person is presently experiencing, as well as those which have already shaped their lives. I have not experienced the hatred and contempt for one's race, color, or creed as others may have experienced firsthand. Does this mean I cannot walk in parallel with those who are different from me? Absolutely not! What it does mean is that I may have to "cultivate" that walk a bit.

To "get along" we must do more than just tolerate another's way of life or unique character qualities. It also means more than respecting them. It involves each of us remembering we are not different from each other in one important thing - we were all born sinners, in need of a Savior, and no man, woman, or child is without sin in their lives. Start there and we will find a good place to begin to cultivate our relationship with each other. There is no better place to begin to experience community than on "common ground". When we set out to cultivate soil, it is with the purpose of planting, which in turn is done to produce growth, resulting in something which can not only sustain us, but pass life onto others. To cultivate a life in parallel with each other, we find it takes more than a little work - it requires repeated passage over rough areas with such frequency that we eventually see the things which stand as barriers to growth. Soon we see they begin to break down into smaller and smaller pieces until one day the relationship is able to accept the seed, allowing rich and vibrant growth to come forth.

In a time when differences seem to be at the forefront of our news stories, media posts, and daily conversations, it is important to remember what we are to be cultivating. We are designees of God's grace and as such, we walk in parallel with others who may or may not have experienced that grace in all of its fullness yet. We cultivate growth within those areas of differences through the extension of grace. We may not see eye-to-eye or feel impassioned about every topic we will discuss, but we stand a better chance of getting to appreciate the perspective of the one who has walked that path if we are willing to extend a little grace into the relationship. Just sayin!

Do I really need this?

My brothers and sisters, if anyone wanders away from the truth and someone helps that person come back, remember this: Anyone who brings a sinner back from the wrong way will save that person from eternal death and cause many sins to be forgiven. (James 5:19-20)

Most of us don't run away from truth - we let little things come into our lives that 'add distance' between us and God. It isn't really all that recognizable at first. The little things come in, crowding out time with Jesus, refocusing our attention away from truth, and silently bringing death where life once dwelt. Compromise isn't always a conscious choice - sometimes it is accomplished without us even noticing.

It is always important to have at least one person in your life that is able to spot the little things that might lead to even bigger things. We call that an 'accountability partner' - someone who is willing to 'take notice' and then isn't timid about letting us know they have noticed even the subtle changes in our lives - especially when they aren't in the right direction! We want them to encourage us when we are moving in the right direction, but we also need them to help us see what we might not be seeing when we are moving in the wrong one!

There is much growth needed in our lives - we each spur one another on toward growth. When both of us stagnate, or find ourselves drifting away from Jesus, it isn't a good thing. When one isn't careful, they will surround themselves with others who 'allow drift' instead of encouraging a 're-centering' of one's focus. The company we keep may just be the company that keeps us - on track with Jesus, willing to confess our sins to one another, and just as willing to pray for one another until we are both traveling the right course once again. Just sayin!

Committed, but cheating?

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

What does 'wholehearted' devotion look like? It is more than just being 'committed'. I can be 'committed' to a diet and still 'cheat' on occasion! My 'commitment' may only go so far and then I need to satisfy some craving! When God asks for a wholehearted commitment to him, it doesn't make room for 'cheating'. 

There is a sense of 'abiding' that is involved. We don't look to the right or left or behind. We focus on what is right in front of us - Christ Jesus. We 'abide' - remain and are loyal to him alone. We don't 'take leave' from our relationship for any reason. It is as though the 'attachment' we form with him is 'life-giving' and cannot be broken.

There is a 'steadiness' that comes when one is 'committed' in a wholehearted manner. There is no shallowness, but deep-rooted connection. Those deep roots actually lend a much-needed stability to our lives that makes it easier to endure even the toughest of trials without wavering in our attentiveness to the relationship. 

Some have a 'cordial' relationship with Jesus. They know him, have likely even asked him to forgive their sins, but they really haven't determined to follow him with any intensity or integrity. They are 'casual' Christians - something that is much like the 'lukewarm' church goer. They attest to faith, but their lives are not centered on Christ at all.

God's promise to those who make a 'wholehearted' commitment to follow him is that they will find him. As a matter of fact, they have fellowship with him, so the 'finding' is really not a 'physical' thing as much as it is a heart thing. Their emotions, mind, will - all of their inner being is connected to him in a living, vital relationship. They have a passionate steadfastness in their walk that reveals the depth of their connection with him. Are you in such a relationship? Just askin!

Treasure Seekers

"Treasure your relationships, not your possessions." (Anthony J. D'Angelo) There are all kinds of treasures we 'seek', 'find', and 'maintain' in life, but the greatest treasure is that of relationship - first with God and then with others. We can never neglect the importance of each of these, for our very sanity and safety depend upon them!

Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. Such people may seek you and worship in your presence. (Psalm 24:3-6)

Relationship with God actually brings us to a place in our lives where we are made 'right' in our daily walk. In other words, we have our sins erased, minds renewed, hearts made pure, and spirit energized by him. As a result, we are free to relate to one another in a way unlike any way we relate to each other apart from this renewed heart. All relationship that is devoid of God putting a life right with him is rather self-centered. Those with him at the center find their relationships with others richer and more meaningful.

We might assume we can 'get along' without Christ in control of our lives, but there is nothing that brings us closer together than Christ's love at the center of their lives. There is a drawing effect of Christ's grace in our lives that brings each of us into union with each other. A union that would otherwise be impossible when selfish ambition and misguided trust were at the helm in our lives. 

What do you treasure? Who is it you treasure most? When do you reveal what it is you treasure? Do you trust God to show you the way to love one another? These are questions we must ponder if we are to fully understand the depth and breadth of grace's work within our lives. Our 'treasure' begins to shift from what we can get to what we can give. We begin to treasure people above stuff. We find our 'focus' is not so much 'what's in it for me' any longer. We find 'anchor' in Christ, and we are secure in his love.

The more we treasure grace, the less we think about sin. The more we treasure God's love, the less we think about ourselves. The more we treasure each other, the more we fulfill God's plan for his children. Just sayin!

Be Jesus

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.  For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. (I Peter 3:8-11)

We improve our relationship to Jesus through time in the Word and in prayer. We can get down to improving our relationship with others only after we get our relationship with Christ right. Mom always used to say I was to treat others as I wanted them to treat me - the Golden Rule. The only way to treat others right is to be sure the 'rightness of our heart' is maintained through time with Jesus. Try as we might, we cannot control what another says or thinks - even though we may be trying to do that for them. A wise counselor once told me I could never be another person's conscience, nor could I ever improve their behavior or attitude - that was the work of the Holy Spirit, not me. I could focus on the attitude I maintained and the behavior I exhibited - period. I will say there is power in being a positive example, though!

If you have ever tried to be kind when someone else is being a little bit of a bugger, it isn't all that easy! In fact, you might just want to be a bugger right back! It took me a long time to realize my attitude was all I could control. The more I took it to Christ, spending time exploring what he said in his Word, and what he was saying to me, the less I wanted to correct that other person's behavior. Why? Mine was enough to handle! Is it difficult to respond to criticism with grace? Yes, it can be, but when we listen 'between the lines' of what is being said, we sometimes find elements of truth that expose just a bit about ourselves or the circumstances we didn't really see on the surface. Some of the worst arguments have begun in my life because I never stopped to consider if there was any truth to what the other person was saying!

It is hard to stop to listen when an argument is beginning to raise your hackles, but somewhere within the two worlds that are colliding in a barrage of words and attitudes, there might be a little bit of truth we need to hear. It took a lot of time with Jesus to change my attitude toward some individuals - time well spent, I might add. When I allowed him to point out things I needed to work on instead of always focusing on why the other individual was 'wrong' or 'misled' in the situation, my attitude began to change toward the other individual. Gracious words began to replace hateful ones. Acts of service began to replace begrudging duty. Change like this within relationship is only possible when we get the first part of all relationship correct - Jesus in the center. The other individual may not even know Jesus, but your example may be the exact thing that draws them into a relationship with him of their own. Just sayin!

A change of heart

I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:14-19)

God's people will continue to struggle with the influence of those 'religious individuals' around them who seek to 'bind' them with rules and regulations. In Paul's epistle to the Galatian church, he recounted the purpose for the Law of Moses - to point out the need for a Savior - but he also reminded them how impossible it is to ever keep ALL of the Law. In fact, he goes so far as to say the Law was meant to be kept in its entirety, but no one was actually able to do that, so depending on those rules and regulations as your means of being made right with God was quite foolish. Grace came to us through the sacrificial offering of Christ dying on the cross. Grace differs from the system of works in the Law - one is God doing it all for us, the other is us trying to do it all for God!

In our passage today, we observe Paul's earnest desire for each of us to understand the unlimited resources available to those who enter into this relationship with God through faith in the finished work of Christ. His Holy Spirit comes to empower us to live right - something we find very difficult without his presence guiding us out of 'slavery' to the way of living by 'rules and regulations'. There is something powerful that happens when we stop 'trying to work our way to God' and we begin to trust that God has already worked his way into our hearts. We begin to find rest and a sense of peace that permeates our every fiber. Is sin still a constant temptation to us? Yes, as long as we live on this earth, sin will tempt us, but with God's Spirit within, sin need not win.

The 'inner strength' that comes from being empowered by the Holy Spirit is more than our 'internal willpower'. Our own willpower is quite ineffectual in changing our motives. Our motives are changed when God's Spirit energizes our thought life, moves upon our emotions, and settles into our heart. The desire to 'live right' or 'upright' is not something we can 'will' ourselves into - it is a condition of the heart that is accomplished when God's love begins to permeate the mind, emotions, and spirit of man. Religion keeps us bound to 'doing' and 'redoing'. Relationship with God sets us free to realize a change of heart we can never accomplish on our own. Just sayin!

Living FOR, not just with

You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:16-17)

Choice - to select from a number of possibilities - usually because you know something about what it is you are choosing. I choose one of a couple of brands of toilet tissue because I know the quality of those brands. I sometimes see other choices that may cost a little less, but I don't choose them because I have no clue as to their quality. I choose one brand of dish detergent because I have observed what it does when I make a sudsy water to wash my pots and pans. We make all kinds of choices each and every day, some of them pretty much a matter of 'routine' in our lives. There are choices we make consciously and others we make subconsciously, something we might not even realize we are doing. How is it we choose to serve Christ today? Is it a conscious or subconscious decision? Is it purposeful or by rote? If we truly love him as he has loved us, I daresay a relationship that is 'rote' or 'routine' is not really a relationship at all!

Paul put it this way in his letter to the Philippian church: "To me, living means living FOR Christ...but if I live, I can do more and more fruitful work for Christ." (1:21) Christ's command to his disciples those many years ago still stands today. We are to be 'grafted into' his family, taking care of one another, loving one another as he first loved us. A relationship is established in his 'choosing' us, but it is our responsibility to keep the relationship fresh and vital by actually engaging with him each and every day - consciously. When you first start a relationship, you make very conscious decisions to get to know each other, what the other person likes, how they relate to you when they are happy, tired, sad, or hungry. You are learning 'about' them, but does that learning ever truly end? Not if you want it to be a vital and lasting relationship!

Jesus asks us to learn who he really is - yes, learn about him, but we must also learn things we can only know by spending time WITH him. We can know a whole lot 'about' Jesus and totally miss out on the joy of actually getting to spend time in his presence. We call that being a 'churchgoer' - one who merely warms the pew with their presence, but totally misses that Christ's presence is right there beside them. When we really want to grow in relationship with Christ, we soon discover we want to see certain fruit develop within our lives. The fruit we might desire is gentleness of spirit, kindness of heart, wisdom to speak words of hope and comfort. We only develop fruit through attachment to the vine. We only remain attached and vital when we take that time at his feet developing the relationship. Just sayin!

A heaping helping, please

 Have you ever said of one thing only to act an entirely different way when push came to shove?  We pledge to do one thing, but we do another.  It is just human nature to "preserve" ourself when the times get a little tougher to deal with than we first imagined them to be.  When it comes to loving another individual, we want to save face, come out on top, and not be "found out" for the cowards we really are. When it comes to loving another individual, we are pretty cowardly at times - not willing to face danger, difficulty, opposition, or pain within the relationship.  Face it - relationships can get pretty messy!  When it comes to facing them without fear, we don't do a very good job with this unless we rely upon Jesus within us to actually help us love with the intensity of love he shows us.  We become pretty timid and often are intimidated by the "confines" of love.  Love is truly "messy" business, but it is the "business" we are to excel at!

God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God. That’s how we stay one with God and are sure that God loves us. God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won’t be worried about the day of judgment. A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love. We love because God loved us first. But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see? The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”  (I John 4:15-21 CEV)

Love begins with God and it ends where it started - with God!  As we ask Jesus to come into our lives, filling us with his intense and unconditional love, we receive "true" love for the very first time.  In serving Christ each day, we are allowing this love to bring us closer to God - experiencing afresh each day the intensity and depth of Christ's love for us.  No one is as close to God's heart as those who serve one another in the love Christ brings to bloom within their heart!  As a matter of fact, it is this service of love which keeps us close to God's heart - keeps our relationship vital, builds strength within it, and draws us closer into intimate fellowship with him.

If we have experienced this "messy" job of loving another individual, we know just how hard it can be to serve when that service seems to be one-sided, or to forgive when forgiveness seems to be demanded over and over again.  Love is not for cowards!  Falling in love with Jesus is not for cowards!  Serving others in the love of Christ is indeed not for cowards!  In fact, there isn't a kind of love worth pursuing which is for cowards - other than this thing we call "eros" love.  That is a Greek term used to describe the self-gratifying love we all possess an affinity toward just because we are human. Eros love is focused on what is in something for "me".  We don't do it, dream it, or move toward it if there isn't anything in it for "me".  Indeed, this type of love doesn't require a whole lot of courage, just the natural instinct to satisfy every craving our minds might conceive!

Two other types of love are spoken of in scripture:  Phileo and Agape, but there is a third type we experience - Storge.  Phileo love is commonly referred to as brotherly love - the type of love we enter into because we are drawn toward someone with common interests.  With Phileo love, we focus on what we have in common and share in personality traits - as when two people are best friends. Storge love is what we might call "family love" - it is based on sharing the same "genes" with another.  Somehow, just because we are "in family" with others, this type of love happens.  Moms take care of babies, babies bond with moms, siblings bond with siblings, etc.  It is just part of human nature to bond in some type of relationship - especially when it is with those we have so much in common with.

Agape love is the one love used to describe God's intensity of love.  It is more than a "natural draw" to another - it is based upon the grace of God and his intense desire to commune with his kids.  Of all the types of love, this is the one which is not natural.  It is something which comes only as Christ inhabits our hearts - it is only possible when one is in relationship with him.  It is this type of love spoken of here, the type of love which chases all worries away. It is the love which binds us together with those outside of our "natural family" and allows us to serve those who may be a little less than lovable themselves! This is the type of love we are to desire above all - and the type of love we are to have govern our thoughts, intentions, and actions.

God places us within love relationships here on this earth, not so much because we need them, but because we cannot learn to love God as he loves us until we are serving another out of the love he places within our hearts. We need another to reveal the intensity of love God has for us, just as much as they need to see and experience this same love from us. It is only as we serve one another that we finally connect with the heart of God. I don't know where you will serve today, or who you will touch, but every action today is a means of serving a heaping helping of God's love upon someone's life!  Just sayin!

Give First

Since we came into this world, we have had not had to tell ourselves to demand or seek out the things we want, but rather we have had to learn how to deal with all the things we want to figure out if we really need it. We might have come face-to-face with the reality that food was a necessity, but the black patent leather shoes weren't; the school clothes were, but the frilly dresses and designer jeans weren't; the reliable means of transportation was a necessity, but the shiny new car every other year was not.  We will often struggle with trying to decipher the difference between need and want throughout life - simply because the circumstances change and we are called upon to change with them.  In time, we can become a little confused between the two, especially when we aren't aware of this nasty little thing called "greed".  It rears its ugly head more often than we'd like to admit and we struggle with this thing called "contentment" more often than we'd like to admit.  The words we need to embrace:  "Life isn't defined by what we have - but by whose we are!"

Someone out of the crowd said, “Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance.”  He replied, “Mister, what makes you think it’s any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?”  Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”  Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’  “Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’  “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”  (Luke 12:13-21)

Isn't it so like us to go running to someone with some authority in life to "arbitrate" our differences?  This man didn't know Jesus - he just saw him as this great authority who was drawing in the masses, thinking he could intervene on his behalf to persuade his brother to give him what he was not able to get on his own.  We know one brother feels he has not received "his fair share" of the family inheritance and he wants it!  What we also know is the very evident tendency of Jesus to speak truth into a moment, exposing heart and soul pretty quickly!  So, when Jesus responds to the man to beware of greed in his life, he probably knows the inward struggle of this man's heart!  I have been in those same moments of time - coming to Jesus for what I thought was the right thing for my life only to have him expose something within my heart that wasn't allowing me to see things correctly!  In that moment of "correction", I got a little huffy and put-out with Jesus, but within a short while, I realized my attitude was impairing my ability to see what Jesus wanted me to really see!  

As was Jesus' custom, he launches into a story to "drive home" the warning he gives about not being defined by what we have (what we possess).  It is another "word picture" to help us realize the intent of his instruction, simply because we "get" words better when we "see them" in a picture!  Building new barns would be something the crowd understood, for these were places to keep their harvest - safe from predatory birds and animals; shut up against the weather.  Everyone who worked the land likely had a barn of sorts - maybe not a fancy one, but something which allowed for storage of the season's crops.  It doesn't seem like much could go wrong with building a new barn, does it?  After all, if you have enough grain to fill the first barn to overflowing, it stands to reason you need a second one to contain the excess.  The problem is, we don't really need the excess, do we?  Maybe this is what he was really trying to teach - our excess isn't doing us much good, but it could do a whole lot of good to the ones around us with tremendous need!

I subscribe to the teachings of "give first, save second, and live off the rest". This doesn't mean I figure out how much I want to live on, then determine what I can give and save in response to what I want to live on.  What it means is that I have determined my reasonable standard of living - what some might call a budget.  Our "excess" is not what defines us - it isn't going to provide anything of lasting value to our life.  What does define us is our position "IN" Christ - a child of God, loved and adored by him, cared for under the shadow of his wing, and safe in his sheltering arms.  I kind of chuckle when I go by a neighbor's house, not because he is particularly "funny", but because of the priorities he seems to have established for his life.  You see, he bought the lot next door to him, tore the house down, erected a two-story garage complete with these fancy lifts which allow him to park cars on both levels!  Exactly how many cars can you drive?  Unless I am missing something, we are all only capable of driving one car!

My neighbor subscribed to the farmer's philosophy - bigger barns make for "more stuff" he can amass!  As is always the case with Jesus, he points us to the importance of relationship, not resources.  Let's not lose sight of this important lesson in our own lives - relationship first!  First with Jesus, next with each other, then in turn touching those in our lives who cross our paths. This is better than bigger barns any day!  Just sayin!

I want out...I think...

I don't know of anyone who starts out in family life having figured out how to make a relationship work, let alone how to raise kiddos that are emotionally healthy and well-adjusted. Somehow, we bumble through this 'family life', making the best of the relationship woes we are challenged with and doing the best we can with what we have right in front of us. The knowledge about how to build a solid family is something that God gives as we 'walk through' the various challenges we face. 

It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong. It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and beautiful treasures. Wise people have great power, and those with knowledge have great strength. (Proverbs 24:3-5)

Those with knowledge - isn't that what we are lacking? We face a bump in the road within the relationship and then all of a sudden, we realize just how 'inept' we are at handling it. We wonder how we got where we are, not realizing that a bump here or there got us off-course totally, and now we are facing relationship woe after woe, wondering if there is any way 'out' without actually leaving the relationship. Kids bring a new level of challenge, placing tremendous pressure on parents just trying to do their best getting through figuring out their own relationship hiccups. Now what?

We take those 'woes' and 'challenges' to God. We might not realize it, but he cares so much about each one of those bumps in the road and he doesn't want us to give into the idea of needing to 'get out' of the relationship in order to get beyond the bumps. The bumps may be of our own doing, but there are a great many we face because of all the interacting challenges. The ones he faces are added to by the ones she faces, then the kiddos add even more, until we are spiraling out of control as a family. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you - this is what family life can be like!

God's advice is to ask for his advice! Get the issue before God - in prayer, in time in the Word, in conversations with other Christians with a solid foundation in their own relationships. You aren't going to just figure it out on your own. You need his help. Wisdom is applied knowledge - the more you ask for his help, take what he tells you in prayer, his Word, and solid advice, the more you will develop the wisdom to navigate the challenges. Will it be easy? Never! Will it be worth it? Yes! Family life is complicated, but his wisdom applied within it makes for a much stronger outcome! Just sayin!

Carried over the threshold

It never ceases to amaze me what Jesus did to counter the "religious" in his generation and what he still does to counter the religious in ours! A Samaritan woman, coming to draw water for her household, the time of day about noon, has a "chance encounter" with Jesus, the Great Teacher of the Jews. The Samaritans were considered to be "pagan Jews" - not exactly respected by the religious Jews simply because they chose to worship in Bethel or Dan (two places of worship established when Jeroboam was king). They were "replacement" cities of worship - replacing Jerusalem as the one place of worship. Then Mt. Gerizim became the worship center for the Samaritans. To the staunch religious Jew, this was an outrage - for God's presence dwelt within the Holy of Holies within the Temple in Jerusalem. There is not a whole lot of "good will" between the two peoples. The fact Jesus would even "bother" to speak with a Samaritan, much less a woman from the Samaritan "clan", was an outrage to many. To spend time in their towns was absolutely unheard of! 

Many of the Samaritans from that village committed themselves to him because of the woman’s witness: “He knew all about the things I did. He knows me inside and out!” They asked him to stay on, so Jesus stayed two days. A lot more people entrusted their lives to him when they heard what he had to say. They said to the woman, “We’re no longer taking this on your say-so. We’ve heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He’s the Savior of the world!” (John 4:39-42)

Jesus "wowed" the woman at the well when he told her he had "living water" which he would share with her and that the "living water" did not come from a man-made well. If this wasn't enough to give her a moment to pause, she certainly would have when he announced that neither the Samaritan's Mt. Gerizim nor the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem would be the ultimate place of worship for either group of people - for the day was coming when the place of worship would not be a building, but the heart and spirit of a man or woman! He exposes the truth about her "multiple marriages" and current "infidelity" without ever before meeting this woman! He challenged her beliefs, exposed her real self, and then reminded her that a way was made for her to enter into true relationship with God by receiving this "living water" (Jesus himself)! Isn't that so like God? Making a way even before we realize we need one!

This woman could have kept this to herself, but instead, the whole town was told what she had seen, heard, and experienced at noon on that hot day in the region of Sychar. Many believed - many received - many were transformed. At first, this was only because of her "witness" - because she told them all these things she had experienced. We might first believe based on what we see and hear from another. We are drawn in because of their own life story - their story of change. In their story, we find hope and we allow ourselves to believe the change is possible for us, as well. For belief to take root, it has to move from "hearsay" into personal experience.

Sad truth, we settle for "hearsay" - the testimony of another. In so doing, we never move from believing the "witness" to the place of becoming the witness. There is a transition which occurs between belief and action - one which "cements" or "settles" the faith upon which our beliefs are based. We commit because we see the possibilities of faith - in the life of another. In the end, Christ asks that we commit to the fruitfulness of faith because he invades our own life. This is when transformation begins to occur - at the place of transition. We come to that specific place which challenges us to "crossover".

Movement from hearsay (what another lives and believes) into the place of action on our part is where we find strongholds of unbelief and areas of unforgiveness breaking down. The lives of these Samaritans would never be the same because one Jewish Teacher took the time to sit at the well with this one woman. Don't lose sight of the woman and her testimony in bringing them to the place of transition! It was her testimony which created the interest - his presence created their hope! This is also the case in our daily walk - the testimony of another may peak our interests in transitioning from one place of belief into another - but it is his presence which brings us safely across the threshold! Just sayin!

Begin, Spread, Maintain

 They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (I Peter 2:8-9)

Obedience is a hard topic to discuss, but a much harder lifestyle to maintain. We WANT to be obedient at ALL times, but we honestly do well to be obedient MOST of the time. How do we get from MOST to ALL? This is the question that has plagued mankind since the Garden of Eden. God's Word seems to be central in what it is we are to use as a 'guide' for our actions, but how is it that we actually get the Word of God to produce the right actions within us when our human nature wants something entirely different?

If we look closely, maybe even read between the lines of these verses, we can probably begin to pick up it isn't about what we know, but about who we are in relationship with at ALL times. While the Word of God is our 'manual' of instruction toward obedient actions, the real obedience begins in taking time to get to know the God we serve. Relationship vs. Religion - the two seem similar, but there is a huge difference. Religion demands obedience to the rules. Relationship shows us how to actually incorporate the rules into our lives, so they become 'first nature' to us and our human nature becomes 'second nature'.

Relationship isn't attained through casual contact - it may be attained in a moment, but it is maintained in many moments, each day, without fail. This is where we get a little 'off course' in our lives - we take a moment 'here and there' thinking all will be well in our lives. While any moment with Jesus is going to strengthen our lives, it is the repetitiveness of being together that actually helps us get to know him and understand his ways. It is as we get to know him deeper and get to know his ways better that we find obedience easier and more frequent in our lives. 

We are God's holy people, called out of darkness and into light - not just to enjoy the light, but to have that light reflected into the lives of others. In order to do that, we need to allow the relationship we build moment by moment with Jesus to be built into the lives of those we touch moment by moment. Just think how many 'need' light, but who have no idea where to find it - then you come along, and they begin to see something in you that is different from every other relationship they have experienced. Light began with relationship - it is spread by relationship - it is maintained within relationship. Just sayin!

Not impressed with weak excuses?

If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know—someone not impressed with weak excuses. (Proverbs 24:10-12)

Ever get that eerie impression of "being watched" - finding yourself looking over your shoulder, trying to see who may be seeing you at that very moment - almost a subtle form of paranoia brewing inside? Others are watching your every move, but you may not even realize it! What happens to us in the midst of a crisis is sometimes a matter where we are being observed by others - watching, waiting just to see if we will fall apart or keep it all together. When we actually rise above the crisis, it doesn't escape their view! When we see another struggling with a crisis of their own, stepping in quickly to render aid, do you think it escapes the view of others? Even if you think you have done it in secret, at least one other person sees the action - God himself. What makes someone fall to pieces in the midst of a crisis? If we were honest, it probably stems from a root of pride. Pride keeps us from asking for the help we really need. It centers us on our own strengths and abilities to figure out a solution to the problem, totally missing that God has another way for us to solve the issue. 

There is a bullheadedness within refusing to admit we cannot stand alone. When the crisis comes, we head into it with every intention of "showing it who is really boss" and then we wonder why we fall. It probably is because the crisis was designed specifically to allow us to see who is "really boss" in our lives! It isn't God. Pride keeps us from connecting with God and with others. It drives us AWAY from relationship, not toward it. I am speaking from experience here, my friends. There is nothing as hard to do than face a crisis with the wrong "boss" in control of the movements we take in the midst of the crisis. Several years ago, as a much younger woman, I faced the need for some surgery for what appeared to be a couple years of worsening test results. There was suspicion of the dreaded "cancer" diagnosis, and I was a single mother with two young teens. In the stubbornness of my pride, I walked alone through that crisis. God heard my silent tears in the shower that morning, as I stood allowing the water to flow over my head, the tears streaming down freely, and my heart asking "why". It was the why me, why now, why this - the kind of talk we all probably have at times. The biggest why I think God wanted to answer was "why are you trying to go through this alone"!

I didn't want to be alone through it, but I had isolated myself so much from relationship after my divorce, I was indeed "walking alone". I had acquaintances, but no one really "tight" I could just walk with through the scariness of the crisis. Within minutes of arriving in the hospital for my scheduled surgery, a fellow pastor and his wife were at my bedside, holding the hand of my daughter, loving on my mom, and praying over me for God's peace to fill me as I went into the OR. I saw first-hand how much I had been presenting the "image" of being able to "manage my own crisis", but they knew the reality of me not managing very well! Thank goodness God knows us better than we know ourselves! The procedure over, as I was recovering in my room, I knew all was at peace in my world. That day stood as a turning point for me. In just one brief act on the part of two people I had no idea were "watching me", who recognized my deepest need, God began to turn my world around.

When I was diagnosed with a fast-growing thyroid tumor sometime later, I had friends at the ready to help me walk through the crisis. I was not going through it in my own strength, because my strength was faltering terribly. It was theirs and God's which bolstered my faith, renewed my determination, and kept me positively focused through it all. Some of those closest friends weren't even believers, but they knew my faith and they were consistently pointing me toward my center (Jesus), even when I was coming unraveled and losing focus! They had been watching when the crisis wasn't there - so they knew where to point me when the crisis came! People will see us, how we respond, what we do with what we know, and how we handle life's challenges. They ARE watching - our testimony matters. We may undervalue the importance of how much pride keeps us from relationships which matter - especially those who will speak life into the midst of our crisis. We may not realize how many are watching when we aren't faced with challenges outside of our ability to handle - but they are. We may think there is no hope in the midst of the crisis - but you never really know who will come alongside to help "center you" on the one who really matters in the midst of it all. No more lame excuses - get connected! Just sayin!

Permanent isn't casual

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. (I John 4:17-18)

Have you ever found yourself complaining about something that is not permanent in your life just because it gives you a little extra pressure or work or resistance? I think we forget where OUR permanency really is - IN God and therefore, IN a life of LOVE. Truth is, we all have a tendency to have a "semi-permanent" commitment in this Christian walk simply because we cannot seem to settle into what God has declared to be our place of "permanency". Since God lives IN us and we live IN him, we don't "pick up roots" every so often and just wander off into some region of life where the grass looks a little greener! We settle in and honker down in this life. That may mean some winter storms, but it also means some pretty beautiful springtime growth and summer maturity! If we are constantly picking up roots and moving to where life always seems to be a little easier to endure, we miss the "tension" of the "winter season" in our lives. This "tension" almost forces growth - we don't get to the point of desire without a little "tension" being created.

Semi-permanent doesn't really produce the same things as permanent does. I could get a semi-permanent hair color added to my hair to cover over some of my grey strands, but the fact is, the more I wash my hair, the less "permanent" that "added color" really looks! Why? It doesn't change what is at the root. When something is "permanent" it changes what is at the root - you cannot really change grey hair - it will always be gray right down to the root! For us to really see love become the way we live and breathe, we need to take up "permanent residence" in Christ's love - in relationship with him - deep, intimate connection. In other words, we let the roots sink in and we see what "permanent roots" will produce. It soon becomes evident that he puts "in order" the things otherwise "out of order" in our lives. The idea of someone or something "having the run of the house" suggests there is a comfortableness in their presence. When I go into a friend's house, I ask before I look in cabinets to find the water glasses. The second or third time, I may just let them know I am thirsty, and they will direct me to "help myself" since I know where the glasses are stored. In time, the more I visit my friend's house, the more comfortable I get finding things, but this is still not my "permanent residence", so I am still not given the "run of the house" like I am in my own home. The more comfortable we make Jesus in "our bodily home", the more he begins to "have the run of the house". He has the freedom to go where he wants, do what needs to be done, and then enjoy time with the one who is with him "in residence" - us!

Once we allow God permanency in our lives, his love begins to affect us deeper than if we only casually "visit with" him on occasion. Love is free to have its way IN us, so it is free to flow OUT of us. If we find it difficult to "put down roots" in Christ, we probably just haven't experienced his love as deeply as he desires. When we begin to experience his love, especially if we haven't known much love in our lives, we might find it a little difficult to allow anyone to be this "close" to the "real" us. This type of intimacy is a little intimidating at first, but trust me, it is worth the exploration! In determining where, and with whom it is we will commit everything to, we begin to actually feel our roots being affected. As long as we are just casual in our relationship with him, our roots will never have a chance to be challenged by the tension of life. No tension - no growth. You want to see change in your life, set down roots deep into his love. Then allow his love to begin to affect you at the deepest points. Nothing will ever be the same once we determine to "root deeply" in his love. Just sayin!

Is this the right direction?

Are you one of those folks who need to "have it all together" in order to "do life"? I bet you have been pretty disappointed with just how much you find yourself struggling to even get it together in the first place - let alone keeping it together! We constantly limit our potential whenever we think "perfection" is the goal and WE are the ones to actually accomplish this goal! My friends, perfection IS the goal (Christ), but WE are not the ones going to accomplish the goal (salvation and all the "clean up" that comes with it). All we can do is head toward it - Christ is actually the one beckoning us on and he will be the one who gets us over the finish line!

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (Philippians 3:12-14)

All Christ expects of us is to get "underway". In nautical terms, when the ship is said to be "under way", it has begun to move. It may not be traveling under its own power or at lightning speed! In fact, in the old days, before we saw the advent of diesel turbines, ships were powered by the elements of nature such as the wind and the flow of the current. It was an external power of wind and current they had to tap into in order to move. It really isn't much different for us - we need an external power to affect us in order to get us "underway". Once that "external" power becomes something we allow to move us, we find we begin to embrace this power as the means by which we make progress in our lives.

It is not the power of suggestion, or even the independence of will-power, getting us across the finish line. It is the external power of Christ brought inward within our lives until it affects us, moving us little by little in the right direction. If you have ever seen a baby learning to walk, it is important for them to have things they can reach out to as they take the next step. If there isn't anything near enough, they won't venture away from what they have in their reach. They toddle back and forth on the object they hold onto, but as soon as they reach the end, they just don't go further. They need the stability of whatever gives them the sense of "standing strong". We need the stability of whatever we think will give us strength and help us to stand strong. As soon as we reach the end of whatever it is we are holding onto, we just freeze. What we often fail to see is the hand reaching out to us to beckon us forward - to take the step of faith we need to take in order to reach the next phase in our lives. As long as we hold tightly to what gives us "anchor" we won't ever be able to "get underway". This is why it is important to look at what might be anchoring us in the present position we occupy. It could be fear - or even pride. Either way, neither of these will help us reach our destination.

These religious pursuits some of us have only anchored us into a life of futility - walking back and forth across the same path, unwilling to let go of what gives us anchor. Religion is just like that - it gives us anchor, but to the wrong stuff! It anchors us to what we can do ourselves and doesn't stretch us beyond our capacity, nor does it build our faith. It isn't until we are willing to let go of our hold on religion and enter into the freedom of relationship that we recognize we are finally "underway". Nothing puts more "wind in our sail" than relationship - nothing anchors us right where we are more than religion. All religion can do is keep us focused on the rules and develop frustration inwardly each time we don't adhere to those rules the way we should. What relationship can do is to begin to lighten the load - so we can finally get underway! Religion is us working our way TO God; relationship is God working his way TO us. If we are to make any positive movement, we have to let go of the things we have held so tightly to and stretch for the hand just in front of us. It isn't the lack of movement on our part which gets us bogged down - it is the lack of movement in the right direction! Just sayin!

Innumerable pixels

If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both. (I John 4:20-21)

It can be hard work to really get into any relationship - from our relationship with Christ to the one with our cubicle mate at work. If you haven't figured it out yet, Christianity is not something you "live out" alone - you actually do much better in your growth when it is shared in relationship with another. We "sharpen" each other by the various things we each lend to the relationship. It is the "differences" we each possess that actually make each relationship so important - for it is in the "differences" where we learn to "walk out" our Christian faith. Immaturity demands everybody be just like who we are - maturity recognizes the differences actually allow people to grow. The sooner we learn to appreciate the differences in each other, the sooner we are open to learning FROM each other. It is not just "what" another person is that makes them different, it is "where" they are in their life experiences, too. The "what" is the make-up of their personality or temperance - the "where" is made up of the relationship characteristics they bring into the mix because of their own personal struggles and strengths. God accepts us just as we are, and soon we begin to acknowledge his work in our lives at exactly the right moment. We should be exhibiting just as much acceptance of the other person in our lives - because we are examples of his love. When begin to interact with others on a different level - not from a self-absorbed, self-focused level, but one which is much deeper because it looks beyond the stuff people so often focus on in relationships which is nothing more than surface deep.

We may come to a place where the "what" of another person's make-up will kind of get on our nerves. If they are in a place where they are struggling, we might just get impatient with them. If they fail us because of where they are at in their own growth experience, we get disappointed. There is nothing that squelches relationships quicker than failing to deal with these disappointments or holding onto them until they mount into one mighty big deal. The other person is not equipped to take care of our disappointment - if they were, they wouldn't have disappointed us in the first place! The only one really in a place to deal with our disappointments is God himself. He knows the bigger picture and can help us "re-frame" our own "picture" of the situation, so it comes into better focus. When he does this, we often see our disappointment in a new light, and this helps us let go of it or know exactly how to help the other person. The Bible is a textbook for living - complete with all kinds of instruction and insight into the "stuff" that makes us tick, helps us when we need help the most, and just plain gets us moving when we don't feel like we can take another step. 

People will disappoint, so we have to learn to forgive them and do it quickly. No offense is meant to be held onto. The condition taught in scripture is the "obligation" to forgive, not the "option" to forgive. Forgive as God forgave you - you don't see any option presented there. If you remember an offense, stop what you are doing, go and forgive your brother, then bring your prayers before God - no option there. If we'd learn to forgive a little sooner, we might just save ourselves a whole lot of additional frustration and disappointment! We cannot expect others to do for us what only God can do in our lives. Whenever we elevate someone else to a place of significance in our lives which only belongs to God, we are in danger of having some pretty unrealistic expectations in the relationship. Your fellowman is human - don't expect him to be divine! Don't expect them to fill your emptiness - only God can truly do that. Feelings have to be worked through. The best one to help us with this is God himself - he is able to sort through them and bring us to the crux of the issue in a shorter period of time than we could ourselves. It is in the process of allowing him to walk us through our feelings until we reach a place of being less reliant on them that we come to a place of being able to stop relying on those feelings as a measure of whether things are "okay" or "working" in a relationship. We get focus - feelings muddle our focus - God sorts things out and brings the "innumerable pixels" of relationship issues into focus.

Nothing is more important than knowing we can take things to God. No relationship issue is too small, or too great, for his help. He is concerned with what concerns us. He uses his word and his "children" to speak to us when we most need to sort things out. Don't just rely upon his "children" (fellow believers) to help you sort it out - be intent on learning what the Word has to say about the issues, as well. Jesus is our example of how to work through many relationship issues. He was pretty much treated with every form of contempt; loved by some, hated by others; had an inner circle of close friends, and knew many others as acquaintances; and dealt with the worst of sinners as though they were the most valuable of people in this entire world. Since he already figured this out for us, we might just save ourselves a lot of headaches if we'd just learn to take things to him a little sooner! Just sayin!

Squander no moment

So, my dear friends, listen carefully; those who embrace these my ways are most blessed. Mark a life of discipline and live wisely; don’t squander your precious life. Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me, awake and ready for me each morning, alert and responsive as I start my day’s work. When you find me, you find life, real life, to say nothing of God’s good pleasure. But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul; when you reject me, you’re flirting with death. (Proverbs 8:32-36)

We began to look at this passage yesterday and I would like to focus on the idea of becoming 'nurturing' individuals today. Nurturing carries the idea of protection. We protect what we value most, don't we? I have insurance on my car, not so much because it is the law, but because it gets me too and from everywhere I need to be. To be without it for any length of time, or to lose it completely, would place me in a position of having to walk long distances in the Arizona heat - something not very appealing to me! I "insure" my vehicle because I value the convenience of having this transportation. The insurance is a means of protecting this huge investment. The same is true in every relationship - we invest in, watch over, and insure the existence of it because we have come to value it. It has a "declared worth" in our hearts and minds.

Nurturing speaks to the support and encouragement which is so desperately needed in times of our spiritual, emotional, and even physical growth and development. Relationships require support and encouragement as they move or transition from one level to the next. Nothing is easy as it applies to moving into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God or another individual. Both require much support - both flourish when they are encouraged. We sometimes experience relationship "burnout" because we don't feel the support of another, nor do we sense there is any encouragement from the other to keep pursuing any depth within the relationship. At this point, what we do in our relationships with each other determines whether they will "last" or "split apart". Sometimes the difference is made is the tiniest bit of encouragement - even a glimmer of light is better than nothing at all.

What we have been speaking about today is something we might call relationship development. We want to guard against 'squandering' the life we have been given - including every relationship we have within our life. Focus first on your relationship with God, then on the ones he gives you for that day-to-day support. We cannot be in relationship with anyone if there is any form of arrested development - if development stops, there is a lack of continued growth. In other words, death ensues. Where there is a lack of growth, there will be insufficient "supply" in our storehouses. To ensure "full" storehouses, we must focus on the development and growth of that which results in their "filling". Anything short of watching "for" and "after" those things which really provide for the ultimate "filling" of our storehouses is to neglect some of the greatest opportunities we are afforded. Just sayin!

Ignore Religion

 Blessed are you who give yourselves over to God, turn your backs on the world’s “sure thing,” ignore what the world worships; the world’s a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts. Nothing and no one compares to you! I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words. Neither numbers nor words account for you. Doing something for you, bringing something to you—that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious—that’s not what you’re asking for. (Psalm 40:4-6)

If you are like me, you almost get speechless when you consider the wonder and power of our God. That is okay because the words we use to proclaim the things we know about God pale in comparison to who he is, the power he possesses, and the intensity of his love for us. If you find yourself speechless at times, don't fret - it is the perfect way to worship at his feet! Just 'give yourself over' to that sense of his presence and bask in just being there. 

Ignore what the world worships and you are sure to be labeled as 'odd' or 'out there'. Why? The world doesn't understand the mystery of God's grace, his goodness, or his peace. They don't 'get' what we see in 'all this religion'. They have absolutely no idea it isn't 'religion' we have - it is God's presence we possess. He is 'with us' - Emmanuel - God With Us. It would also be right to say he is "God WITHIN us". No wonder it leaves us speechless!

Doing and bringing suggest actions on our part to get something from God, or to entice him to act a certain way. The fact of the matter is there is nothing God doesn't already have, nor is there anything we can do to convince him to act a certain way. His desire is that we just fall deeply in love with him and then let that love fashion us into the most beautiful creation. Religious people aren't really 'speechless' before God - they find ways to talk 'about' him - but they truly don't 'know him' all that well.

Nothing and no one compares to you - words cannot explain what that really means. The mind has a hard time not 'comparing' God to something or someone. We NEED to figure this stuff out, don't we? It is like we crave a way of explaining God. I guess that may be why he gave us a living and breathing example - Christ. In Christ's coming to this earth, walking amongst us for a season of time, we have a way of understand God a little bit better, but we still don't 'explain God' because our words don't even come close to 'explaining' grace. Some things we just need to accept with the heart and leave the understanding to God. Just sayin!

We set out

I came across a quote from the journals of Christopher Columbus the other day and it struck me as a very simple way of proclaiming the truth about what happens when a man or woman decides to follow Christ. He said, "Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World." I know very well he was speaking of leaving one shoreline in search of another, but change up just one word in that and you have a pretty cool picture - "Following the light of the SON, we left the old world."

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

We set out for a 'new world' when we choose to follow Christ, don't we? Old has passed away, new begins and the journey before us is filled with hope, but maybe just a hint of reservation is mixed in with that hope, isn't it? We aren't sure about the journey, so we kind of 'hold back'. If you are like me, it didn't take you long to realize your 'reservations' about serving Christ weren't going to last very long. In fact, the longer I walked with him, the greater my hopes became of discovering the 'new' he had prepared for me to discover!

All those years back, when the men, women, and children who chose to take that journey with Columbus were setting foot onto those vessels bound for a 'new world', do you think they did so without fear? Not likely. They were leaving homeland, family, relationships, and there were probably some others who were leaving a 'bad past' behind in hopes of finding a new future ahead of them. Our 'homeland' isn't this earth, my friend. When we come into relationship with Christ it might just surprise each of us to realize how 'little' this earth has a hold on us anymore. 

Following the light of the SON - we set out. We leave behind the old, and take on the course of entering into the new. This is indeed a solidly biblical picture of what it is like to know and walk with Christ. We may not recognize how 'brave' we are when we take that first step down that path, but let me assure you of this - no one enters this relationship with Christ by osmosis or some magical 'poof'. We all have to take the first step. There will be lots of 'first steps' as we 'follow the Son', but let me assure you of this - the reward that awaits us at the end of the journey far outweighs the little bit of 'bravery' we need to muster with each of those 'first steps'. Just sayin!