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Pressing On to Lay Hold
I recently had an opportunity to be with a rich and varied community of believers who represented churches and faith communities from many different areas in the U.S. and abroad. I was struck, anew, by the beauty of that glorious creation of God: His church, the body of Christ. To belong to something so much larger and beyond myself is simultaneously awe inspiring, comforting, and provoking. In Philippians 3:12, Paul says, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (NKJV) I am reminded, of course, that He “laid hold” of me…
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What a Friend
I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have many dear friends in my life. I trust that you have, as well. Friendship is a rich and many faceted relationship, and mysteriously it is also one without rules. What primarily marks a good friendship is the shared willingness each one has to prefer and defer to the other’s interests, needs, and desires. In it’s truest form, it speaks of the heart of God, who is entirely faithful and trustworthy. It is a relationship that evidences the selfless love of God. I had a friend once show up on my doorstep with 3 bags of groceries and a pair of stockings. At the…
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A Greater Love
In John 15:12-13 Jesus says to His disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (NKJV) Of course, we know that Jesus laid down His life for us and chose to die on a cross so men could be saved from the penalty of sin, which is eternal separation from God the Father. He literally laid down His life. Is He saying that we are to do that, too? And, apart from the brave men and women who put their lives on the line in active duty…
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“Lean not on your own understanding”
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV) This has long been a favorite scripture of mine. And I’m grateful to be able to come to it again and again when I need to recalibrate. By the grace of God, I “know” trusting Him and acknowledging Him is not just crucial but actually singularly foundational to a purposeful journey in Christ. But there are still times when I act like I don’t really “believe” it. In other words, I still do a fair amount of leaning on…
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The Heart of the Matter
Have you ever felt like you were just going through the motions? Ever felt less than authentic? Insignificant? In this life, we are often distracted, discouraged, even disillusioned by the world view of what is acceptable, what qualifies as success, or what we think others expect of us. We can become weary of accomplishing daily tasks in order to live up to a standard set by other people and lose sight of the reality that we were created to live alive unto God. What do I mean by “alive unto God”? I think it’s a little like being aware of someone you know very well who has just walked into…
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Just As I Am
I spent two days this weekend helping a friend who lives in another city stage her home for a moving sale. She’s a single mother of four who is now an empty nester, making a significant move out of state, and starting a new job. She decided it was time for a “clean slate.” After 18 hours of culling, sorting, trashing, stacking, shifting and staging, we were completely spent but sufficiently satisfied that doors could be opened to the public next weekend with hope for a maximum return on our investment. The job was physically grueling, and the temperature was in the 90s with high humidity. I’m sure I don’t…
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Dawn Breaks
The night is dark, but as the Earth turns, the light of the Sun chases the dark away. This is what we call a sunrise. Of course, we know that the Sun is set in space, and it is the Earth that is rotating. Yet, the coming of the day is heralded by the “rising” of the Sun because we do not feel the Earth spinning. We only see the Sun brimming above the horizon. Light breaks in. Night turns to day. I am generally awake before the darkness begins to fade, and I have long appreciated those first conscious thoughts as being the expression of my true self. I…
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Joy Cometh
I had a weeping cherry tree. It must have been 30 or 40 years old, and the trunk was rather gnarly. It had, however, the most glorious profusion of blossoms for a brief time each Spring. It was such a rare pleasure, and I looked forward to it with anticipation. The Spring before my father passed away, the cherry blossoms were truly spectacular, and I made a point of calling him to tell him about it. I wanted him to see it. I wanted to share the beauty of it with him. Sadly, he was by then already less than vigorous, and he said, “I’ll see it another time, honey.”…
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Mercy and Grace
Mercy is a relatively easy word to understand. Quite simply, it is not getting what I deserve, implying that my motivation and my action warrant an undesirable consequence. In other words, I’m actually guilty, but mercy granted protects me from the consequence of guilt. Grace is different. It has more varied applications. In basic terms, grace is getting what I don’t deserve, with no inherent implication of guilt. It is undeserved and freely given: a gift that is indicative of the generous nature and heart of God. Grace is like oil. Things seem to run smoothly when it is present. After taking a fearless personal moral inventory, I find that…
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“Yet will I rejoice…”
Sometimes it seems as though not one thing is going right. Times when you are just getting to the end of a particular hardship when another one appears to block your path. If you’ve lived very long on planet earth, you’ve encountered hard things, maybe even tragic things. Possibly you’ve had the thought or even said to others, “It shouldn’t be this way.” Take this thought captive to the obedience of Christ. At no time in all the things that Jesus suffered did He tell His Father the plan was a bad one. Even in His darkest hour, His prayer was “Is there another way?” Asking if there is another…