A Life Worthy

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…  (Isaiah 9:6)

Babies are amazing.  Tiny noses and toeses and fingernails.  They even smell good.

Mostly.

The feeling of joy, of life, that you get from holding a newborn—it’s…wow.  It doesn’t even have to be your baby.  It can be a nephew, or a cousin, or the child of a friend.  Hey, it could be a random kid from the mall that you grabbed just for the experience.

Not that you would ever do that because that would be very very wrong and earn you psychiatric evaluations and the serious threat of incarceration.

My point is this: Hope arrives with every baby.

How great is it that God chose to bring Christ to us in this way. Think about it—the Messiah could have appeared fully grown, striding out of the desert on a Thursday morning.  He could have simply walked into the temple and started preaching.  Instead, we get to see him as a baby—yes, so that his genealogy could be verified and so that prophecy would be fulfilled—but also so that we could see the Lord of the Universe willing to humble himself by birth, as he would one day humble himself by death.

Your God loves you so much that he sent a baby—the epitome of life—to call you to eternal life.

Heed the call.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Have you ever seen a little kids’ dance performance?

Because I have.

Lots of motion and kicks and spins and vague arm gestures and all at different times.  It’s cute, but ever-so-slightly-painful.

How about we not do that?

Or the video of the marching band in which 99 kids execute a sharp turn left, and one poor trombonist chugs to the right.

How about we not do that?

Or the Blue Angels performance where…oh, wait…the Blue Angels are pretty much always perfect.  A million miles an hour, ¾ of an inch from wingtip to wingtip, near-perfect symmetry.

How about we do that?

We have a choreographer, Beloved.  Let’s follow the steps.

Happy Wednesday.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus…  (Galatians 5:24)

Stop right there.

Let’s begin the week with a quick heart check.  As you read the above words, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus,”what was your gut reaction?

1.  Did you just blow right past it, doing the obligatory read so you can get on with your day?
2.  Did you rebel just a bit–or just a lot–thinking about how you’re your own person and you don’t belong to anyone, while images of slavery and oppression ran through your head?
3.  Did you feel guilt, knowing that you just don’t measure up to what a Christ-follower ought to be?
4.  Did you smile, feeling peace and joy and contentment run through you at the thought that he loves you, that the Creator of the Universe has called you to be his own, that you are completely, irrevocably, thoroughly his?

I know what the answer is supposed to be, but that’s not what I asked, now is it?  

May I suggest that you make time this morning to go before the Throne of Grace and let your Lord refresh, renew, restore that heart before you take it into the week?

I’ll be right there beside you.  But don’t worry…there’s room.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness , goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

If you read Monday’s post, you need not wonder about my level of self-control.

On the other hand, I teach twelve-year-olds for a living, and I’ve never hit one with a stick, so maybe I’m learning.

That’s the thing about self-control.  You are trying to control the self, the will, the flesh, the part of you that wants, not to be controlled, but to be in control.

The part of you that strives against Almighty God.

Does that mean that every time I go back to sleep when I should go to the gym, or play on Facebook when I should be getting work done, or blah blah blah when I should Ta Daaaaaaaaaa! that I’m sinning against God?

Be careful, Beloved.  That way lies madness.

Yes, our blatant slovenliness is a reflection of our sin nature.  That’s why it’s not counted as a fruit of the Spirit.  But you know what?  Most of the people I know–especially among the womenfolk–already acknowledge and confess and beat themselves up about it.

News Flash–you’re not perfect.

News Flash 2–you will be.

Let the Spirit do his work, Beloved.  The fruit will ripen.

Happy Thursday.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness , goodness, faithfulness…  (Galatians 5:22)

Faithful

Old Faithful

The term conjures up images of geysers and hound dogs and brings along words like reliable, dependable, stable.

Boring

Better to be known as exciting, mysterious, edgy, unpredictable, dangerous.

Maybe…in books and movies.

But in real life, we long for faithfulness.  It means you will be there, day in and day out, come hell or high water.   You will not be distracted or enticed or driven from your commitments, your promises, your oaths.

You will reflect the nature of God.

Hence the fruit of the Spirit.

How many homes have been destroyed by faithlessness?

How many hearts?

Too many

Embrace boring, Beloved.

Happy Tuesday.