Category: A Life Worthy

 

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing(Galatians 2:21).

Think about it.  When we try to work our way to heaven, when we try to be good enough,

smart enough,

strong enough,

stable enough,

blah blah blah enough

we are saying that Christ didn’t need to die,

that we can do this on our own.

We are setting aside the grace of God.

Wow…um…let’s not do that, ya?

Because I can’t think of anything in all the world scarier than having to be

good enough,

smart enough,

strong enough,

stable enough,

and blah blah blah enough.

Amen?

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

Frankly, I don’t know how those non-believer types do it.

I mean, to wake up every morning and move through the day, not knowing that you are forever, that you are loved by the Lord of Everything, that you are forgiven for being…you.

I’m telling you, I can’t make it three steps without throwing myself headlong onto the throne of grace.

We live by faith, Beloved.   And Faith is another word for Trust. We trust that, whatever comes, we are safe because Christ loved us and gave himself for us.

Whatever comes

Even if it’s Tuesday

You are safe.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).

You are not your own.

It’s not your body

not your mind

not your soul

not your money

not your time

not your stuff

not

yours

You belong to him.

Now, if we were talking about anybody else I’d be calling the Creeper Patrol and loudly asserting my rights as a free agent in the universe.

But we’re not talking about anybody else.

We’re talking about the Lord of the Universe, who also happens to be

the Lord of You.  He is the only one who has earned the right–by virtue of who he is and what he has done–to rule your life.

So, you know…let him.

Happy Monday, Beloved

I have been crucified with Christ… (Galatians 2:20).

But…I haven’t.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not second-guessing Paul here, and I’m certainly not questioning Scripture.  I get (sorta) the idea that Jesus went to the cross on my behalf, so that it is as though I were in fact crucified.  The Father looks at me and sees my record clean and my debt paid, because of Christ.

But

I did not bear the scorn

or the lash

or the thorns

or the nails

or the shame

or the tomb.

Those were his, and his alone.

Though it should have happened to me, it happened for me.

I am left with so much that I don’t deserve

and

so little that I do.

And that, I suppose, is grace.
Happy Friday, Beloved.

And now…back to Galatians!

For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God (Galatians 2:19).

The wages of sin is death.  

I have sinned.

(Some days, I feel like I am sin, but that’s just me.)

Therefore, obedience to the law requires me

to die.

Remember, Beloved–the law was not thrown out, cancelled, replaced.

It was fulfilled.

Completed

Met

When Christ died in my place, the law was satisfied, as though I had died.

I was free.

I am free.

So…what will I do with that freedom?

What will you do?

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

 

Today is a day to sing.

Sing this hymn we’ve been talking about all week. Sing it in your living room, in the shower, walking the dog, on the drive to work. Let it roll over you, and let the Holy Spirit do his work.   If you don’t know the tune, just say the words.  Make it your prayer today, Beloved.

Oh, and leave a comment telling us where you sang it!

 

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou, my best thought by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

 

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word

I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord

Thou my great Father; I thy true son

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

 

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise

Thou mine inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart

High King of Heaven my treasure Thou art

 

High King of Heaven my victory won

May I reach Heaven’s joy, O Bright Heaven’s Sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O Ruler of all

High King of Heaven my victory won

May I reach Heaven’s joy, O Bright Heaven’s Sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O Ruler of all

Someday.

Someday this will all be over.

A memory.

A blur.

Someday the promises will be fulfilled and you will stand in the presence of the One who has always loved you.

You will laugh

and sing

and weep

and dance.

Even I will dance, and nobody will laugh at me.

Not even my kids.

Until that day, we walk in the promise of what is to come.  Your Thursday may not look like glory, but the Lord of Glory is in it, waiting for you.

Walk in the promise today, Beloved.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise

Thou mine inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart

High King of Heaven my treasure Thou art

I wish this were true of me.

Oh, I don’t think I worship money—if you saw my car, you would know the truth of that.  But I must say I care a sight too much about, “Man’s empty praise.”

I wish I didn’t.

But I do.

Now, you probably don’t have an unhealthy focus on money or people’s opinions of you.  You seem pretty put-together to me.  But just in case, it’s worth noting that this song gives us an answer to our dilemma.  See, it’s not enough to try not to think about money, or popularity, or whatever worldly thing you obsess over.  Look, I’ll prove it to you.  On the count of three, don’t think about money. Ready?  1…2…3…Go.

See what I mean?

We need to focus on what we do have, the amazing treasure we possess.  If you belong to Christ, you are heir to a colossal inheritance.  You are a child of the King of the Universe.  You have eternal life.  Best of all, you have a relationship with the One who hand-crafted you, who created and chose and loved you before you even knew his name.  Remind yourself of that, today and every day.  That just might help you keep your mind off the so-called riches of this lost world.

He is your treasure.

You are his.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word

I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord

Thou my great Father; I thy true son

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Whence cometh thy wisdom, Beloved?

Sorry…I got a little caught up in the whole Thee and Thou business.

The question, however, is still valid—where do you get your wisdom?  Do you look to the world, with its political leaders and life coaches and self-help gurus?  Do you watch T.V., and adopt the attitudes and mores of the celebrity set?  Do you listen to the prevailing opinion of society, and claim it as wisdom?

Because you know that the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, right?

Like the first verse of this hymn, this one asks God to do more than provide.  It asks him to be.  Be wisdom in me.  Be truth in me.  You see, wisdom and truth aren’t just tools that you can get from God and go off and use on your own, like some sort of spiritual ratchet set.

Though I do find that concept intriguing…

Wisdom and truth come from, and are used in, relationship with the Father.  As we grow closer to him, we grow closer to the source of all wisdom and all truth.  They sorta seep into us, like vitamin D when you’re out in the sun.  They become part of us.  Walking in wisdom and truth then becomes as natural as, well, as walking.

I must admit, I still walk with two left feet and a bit of a stutter step, but I’m working on it.

What about you, Beloved?  Are you spending enough time with your Father to soak in his wisdom, his truth?

Make the time today.  I know you’re busy, but he’s worth it.

So are you.

Happy Friday, Beloved

*note: I’m a teacher and it’s the beginning of the school year and I’m desperate for sleep and so we’re pausing Galatians for the moment.   For the next few days, I’m going to revisit a piece from a year ago about a hymn with special meaning for me.  It may not be Scripture, but I think it has much to teach us about loving Christ.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou, my best thought by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

I love that it doesn’t say, “Validate the vision that I have for my own life.”

Although that would be catchy.

It doesn’t even say “Lord, grant me a vision for my life,” which is, frankly, about as good as I ever get.

The song says, “Be my vision.”  I gotta admit, I’m not even entirely sure what that means, except that it speaks of total commitment.  The following lines press the thought:

Nothing matters without you.

Be the focus of my thoughts every day.

Being with you is my reason for living.

Oh, Beloved, can we ever reach that level of devotion this side of glory?

I don’t know…but it’s what I want to want.

It will be the song of my heart today.