The Plumbline

  “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with  getting , so you can respond to God’s  giving . People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (Matthew 6:33) The more we 'strive' the less we 'rest'. The more we seek attention, the less we feel appreciated. The more we worry, the less peaceful we become. I guess the lesson here is that we reap as we sow - sow the good seed and reap the good harvest; sow the 'so-so' seed and the harvest will be less than stellar. As I drove through the countryside a few weeks back, I was taken aback by the ...

I came across a quote the other day that spoke to me deeply: " Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself ?" (Thomas a Kempis) Let that one sink in a little and it may just give you a moment of pause as it did me. The very thought of overcoming myself is almost maddening, for there are many complex issues within that are actually in conflict with each other, the Christ-centered beliefs I want to live by, and the way I should be living if I were living by the standards others would create for me to live within. The conflict is real for all of us - we honestly don't appreciate the full impact of this struggle until we step back and ask ourselves if what we are doing at the moment is actually what Christ would desire of us! 23 But anyone who believes that something he wants to do is wrong shouldn’t do it. He sins if he does, for he thinks it is wrong, and so for him it is wrong. Anything that is done apart from what he feels is right is sin. (Roman...