A Life Worthy

For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret (Ephesians 5:12).

I scroll through my news feed and see the darkness masquerading as light, and I wonder…

if this is what we shout to the world, what do we hide?

And I shudder.

Beloved, do not flirt with the dark.

Just don’t go there.

Be in the world

but not of it.

Love the sinner,

while hating the sin.

Shine the light you have been given, and trust God with the shadows.

For some things really are none of your business.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

…find out what pleases the Lord.(Ephesians 5:10)

There’s a big difference between desire and love.  Desire is about you—your wants, your needs, and how the object of your desire can fulfill them.  Even the term, “Object of your desire,” sounds like a thing, not a person.

Love, on the other hand, is not about you; it is about the beloved.  Your wants and needs are subordinated to theirs.  When you love someone, you want to know everything about them.  So you spend hours with them, hanging on their every word. You study them, looking for the things they like to do, to eat, to wear.  Kind of like stalking, only not so creepy. You pay attention; you get to know them. Then you show your love by doing things that you know they’ll appreciate. It can be hard work, but it feels like pure joy.

When was the last time you dove into Scripture with the sole purpose of knowing God better, of finding out what makes him happy?  Better question: When will be the next time?

Happy Thursday, Beloved

For of this you can be sure: no immoral, impure, or greedy person–such a man is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them (Ephesians 5:5-7).

We have to take God seriously.

Seriously

Grace is essential.  Grace is enormous.

But grace isn’t everything.

There is also wrath.

I know we don’t like to think about it, much less talk about it, but there it is. Wrath is as much a part of God’s character as grace is. Without it, there would be no need for grace. Wrath is a byproduct of his holiness, the natural response to our violation of God’s righteousness. Those who live for this world and its pleasures have not placed themselves under God’s authority, so they are not protected by his grace. They face his wrath.

And it is a consuming fire.

I’m not trying to freak you out, Beloved. If you belong to Jesus, then you are under his grace, and you are already forgiven. Praise be to God for his endless mercy!

Just don’t take that mercy lightly. It cost a lot.

Don’t play with fire today.

Or arsonists.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  (Ephesians 5:2)

This verse goes along with yesterday’s.  One of the most powerful features of God’s character is his unending, unstoppable love.  If we imitate him, as Ephesians 5:1 tells us to, we will live a life that mirrors that love.

And what an example we have to follow.  Jesus loved us, and he told us in a way that goes far beyond words.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  (John 15:13)

So how do we do that?  I mean, laying down your life is all well and good if you’re rushing into a burning building to rescue people, or if you dive into traffic to save a toddler.  But that opportunity doesn’t arise very often, and frankly, you can only do that trick once.

There is another way to lay down your life—but you probably don’t want to hear about it.  This is the daily act of dying to yourself, of putting other people first. It’s the little things—taking out the trash even though it isn’t your turn, letting someone else have the last doughnut even though you’ve been salivating over it all morning, letting the other car in front of you at the onramp even though it means you have to slow down and why should you have to slow down why can’t they just wait their turn like everybody else and it would serve them right if you just stayed the course and forced them off the side of the road—

Yeah, it’s that kind of stuff.  Not terribly dramatic; nothing to get you a mention in the paper, but loving nonetheless.  That’s your challenge.

So, Beloved, what will your fragrant offering be today?

Happy Friday.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you  (Eph. 4:32).

There’s an interesting thing about forgiveness.  It works for the forgiver as powerfully as for the forgivee.

Some of us—and by that I mean me—have trouble in the forgiveness department. Oh, we’re pretty good about forgiving those who apologize to us.  We can be gracious and charitable to folks who acknowledge their offense and want to make amends. But as you know, most people who offend you don’t apologize.

Because they’re jerks.

And yet we’re called to forgive them anyway.  The passage says, “Forgiving…just as in Christ God forgave you.”  He didn’t wait for us to apologize before acting to forgive us. If he had, he would have been waiting forever, which he could do, because he’s eternal, but what’s the point when we never would have taken the first step?  Romans 5:8 says that, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were still hurting God, he was offering forgiveness.

Does this kind of forgiveness heal the relationship?  Not necessarily. The offender needs to acknowledge their sin and accept the gift of forgiveness in order for that to happen.  

Kind of exactly like it was with you and God.

But forgiveness does more than release the offender from guilt; it releases the offended from bitterness.  Forgive, as an act of obedience to God, and you are free to move on, regardless of what the other person does.

If you need to forgive someone today, I humbly suggest that you follow God’s command and forgive.  They hurt you once; don’t give them the power to hurt you over and over again.

What? There’s no one in your life you need to forgive?  Don’t worry; you’ll get your chance. It’s only a matter of time.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.