Do or do not, the wise, grizzly Yoda advised his enthusiastic pupil, Luke Skywalker, there is no try.
When you are nine years old, straining forward in a blackened movie theatre, the buttery popcorn in your lap all but forgotten as you are transported once more to far away galaxies where the lines between right and wrong, good and evil, are clearly defined, you are ready to take on the challenge with your hero Luke. And you share in Master Yoda’s frustration when Luke lets the distractions of his friends keep him from moving forward in his training for the privilege of being a Jedi.
When you are decades older than that nine-year-old movie fan, you take a few moments to reflect on the wisdom of what Yoda has to say in his funny, inside-out kind of dialect. If we approach anything with an attitude that we will try, we have already admitted to ourselves the possibility of failure. Either we must proceed with the sincere belief that we will succeed in what we are doing, or we have already failed.
“All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one,” Christ tells us (Matthew 5:37).
Yes or No. Do or do not. If we are living the life that Christ calls us to live, than when we say we will do something, it should be a certainty that that thing will be done.
Above all, my brothers and sisters, James admonishes, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. 5:12
Perhaps, it is a bit of a hard line to say that with God, there is no try. There are certainly times in every person’s life when we feel so broken, that even being able to say, “I will try,” seems too much effort. But isn’t the precise point of faith in an Almighty God that we should take that bold step in full belief that by leaning on God we can do whatever He wills?
Christ, ever leading by example, gives us full proof of this process as He prays in the Garden on the night of His betrayal:
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done,” He says (Luke 22:42).
To reach success in anything, one must be disciplined to practice the skills required, over and over, in order to improve one’s abilities. Whether those skills involve scales on a piano or speaking with patience, humility and love, the discipline means moving forward with an attitude of doing rather than trying.
I cannot fail God because He already knows all the mistakes I am going to make in this life. I cannot earn God’s love because I already have it through my acceptance of Christ’s grace. But, when I accept the grace Christ offers, I am saying I will go beyond trying to follow the word of God.
Isn’t it strange how sometimes you hear something over and over again, but then when you hear it one day, you understand it in an entirely different or more profound way? The Elder helping our congregation prepare for Communion this morning made a key point that struck me in just such a way.
Peace, he said, only exists in the presence of Jesus.
We humans have a difficult time with abstract concepts. Peace is one of them. We have a tendency to equate peace with ideas like happiness, easy times, successful times, smooth waters on a sunny day. But, those who truly walk with Christ know peace even in the midst of great trouble.
Peace isn’t happiness or smooth sailing. Peace is a state of mind gained through an honest relationship with God that keeps one calm and centered no matter how many winds of change or trouble swirl around. At Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of God-made-man, the Christ who died for our sins and rose again, we hear more often than at other times of the year the phrase, The Prince of Peace.
I don’t usually think too much about that title for our Lord, but today’s comment in church made me pause to think about it. Usually, royal titles such as Prince are important for the things of this world. In fact, when Christ came to this Earth, He was rejected by many Jews because He did not create a Kingdom they could see and control. Instead of throwing off the chains of Roman oppression, the Messiah told His followers to turn the other cheek!
So, what’s so important about understanding what it means to call Jesus the Prince of Peace?
Before I give my answer to that question, let me point out another concept (for want of a better word) I’ve found useful lately. When I start to feel really stressed, I repeat to myself until I feel better, I know what calm feels like. As silly as that may sound to those of you who don’t often feel anxious, it actually works quite well. For one thing, I do know what calm feels like. The more I say the statement, the more I get flashbacks of times when I felt strong and able, the more I am reminded of problems I have conquered in the past that are much more serious than what is making me nervous now.
But what is really happening as I remind myself what calm feels like? What I am really doing is reminding myself of the times when I really leaned into what FAITH means–believing that God will keep His promises, including the ones where He says that He cares for me, where He tells me not to be afraid. After all, if I really believe that God has a plan for my life, shouldn’t I also believe that what happens in my life will eventually be revealed to my good?
Christ Himself emphasizes His role in knowing peace in this life:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
Truly accepting Christ as your Prince of Peace means facing the good and the bad in this world with a steadiness that will be hard for others to ignore. It means truly shining the light of Christ in a dark world.
Just in time for a wintry world squinting skyward for a bright and shining star.
I found a sticky note with this question scrawled in my own writing as I was tidying up this weekend. I’m sure I read it in one of my theology books, wrote it down to emphasize the point, and then, as often happens, life got in the way of my good intentions.
Am I willing to do what Jesus says?
There are times when that is not an easy yes. Doing things happily for people who irritate me, refraining from gossip, and loving instead of judging are just a few of the daily foibles for which I have to be on guard. God loved me enough to come down to earth, live as a man, and die a humiliating death on the cross for me. And I rationalize not giving something to the guys on the corners holding cardboard signs that are a mainstay of the “big city.”
Am I willing to do what Jesus says?
The holidays are the time when we find it easier to love. Everywhere we look, there are shiny decorations. Everywhere we go, there are songs about happy times, family and warm fires on chilly nights to make us feel good inside. I already have my Sirius radio tuned to the Christmas channel!
But, what will we do when January rolls around, when the icy fingers of winter are full upon us, and the holidays are a fuzzy memory? Will it be so easy to love then? Not without prayer and study and practice and faith. If we want to shine the light or leave the kind of footprint in the sand that is the mark of the love of Christ, we have to choose to follow Him everyday of our life, not just during the holidays.
My computer hard drive crashed earlier this week. I knew I was in trouble when I woke up to one of those blue screens filled with white type in a language that I know is English but doesn’t mean a thing to me. I rebooted to get an even worse message. My writing and all my business work were in the proverbial wastebasket.
And I hadn’t even had my morning bowl of cereal yet.
Twenty years ago, when we all accessed the fairly new internet through our phone lines, FTP’ed everything, and experienced conversations in semi-real time on black screens with just words and symbols, I loaded a new program onto my new computer without first creating a directory for it, thereby giving my computer a signal for two executables that left it confused. I was in tears, literally. I managed to remove all the files of the program I had just installed improperly (there weren’t so many files to a program back then), and my computer was up and running again. But, I was a basket case.
In contrast, Monday morning’s fiasco was just another day in the life of me. Why? Well, for one thing, I use an online backup service that constantly keeps all my files up-to-date, just in case. So, staring at a computer screen that wasn’t going to operate, I knew that, worst case scenario, I would be able to download everything that I needed if I had to start over. My second backup was the knowledge that I have a great guy for working on computers who has gotten me out of more than one mess. Before the day was out, I had a new, cloned drive and hadn’t lost a thing!
The moral of the story? Experience and a backup plan are the key to facing life’s challenges with the kind of calm demeanor we see portrayed on the big screen by great teachers like Yoda, or better yet, with the utter peace Christ, our greatest Teacher, demonstrates in the Bible.
Experience is one thing that time itself takes care of. The longer you live, the more things you have to deal with. As my Dad is always reminding me:
“90% of the things you worry about don’t even happen, and the 10% that do are never as bad as you thought they would be.”
With a growing body of lessons learned through actually living through problems or challenges, you discover as you age that, even though life always has curves to throw you, your growing arsenal of problem-solving skills makes those curves much more manageable.
Life’s backup plan works a lot like my own online backup subscription. All we have to do is “sign up” by knowing in our hearts that Christ died for us and then come before Him to ask for Him to be our Savior, repenting of our sins and taking on the guardian of the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our new life. With Christ as our backup, we cannot lose! He took on our sin so we would not be condemned by it to eternal death. He has in mind our ultimate best interest, which is glory in the eternity of Heaven. Jesus has our back.
Make no mistake: a Christian life still has problems. In fact, that is part of God’s design. Paul explains:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35-37)
We are going to face problems, in the name of Christ and as just a part of living in a fallen world. But God has a plan to bring us out on the other side of those problems. The better we get at leaning on Him during times of trouble and triumph, the more we will feel Him catching us even before we have time to get too worried about the problems we are facing.
Kind of like my reaction to a crashed computer Monday morning. Truly, I took the problem as a sign that I needed to take a break from the electronics for Monday and reflect on my own relationships with God, my family, and myself. It was a nice “break” that really helped me set up a happy, productive, and calm week.
Paul emphasizes the bonus of our backup plan:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
So, as you face challenges this week, remember that you have the greatest backup plan on the planet. And you not only have a lifetime subscription, but an eternal one:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future,nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Color me Disney. Last week, I pondered the positive side of a Pollyanna outlook. Today, I pulled up one of my WDW vacation pictures for a little inspiration.
The truth is, I have a couple of really juicy ideas to write about. I even have some excerpts from the book I am currently writing that I wouldn’t mind sharing. But, frankly, it’s the middle of summer, and the only thing saving me from the heat is my wonderful a/c and dreams of ice cream.
So, what about a list of five things we can be doing on hot summer days to offer the love of Christ to those who are of the world and not just in it?
Write a blog post! 🙂 Or better yet, read some blog posts and find someone you can encourage in their own walk with Christ. Many of us writers are much better communicators when we can put something on a page (or computer screen) then when we are speaking in person. Let’s put those skills to use to be encouragers of the Word.
Turn your favorite hobby into an act of giving. I enjoy knitting. I’m not very good at it, but I can at least cable-stitch a decent lap or baby blanket. I buy soft yarn and take my time knitting as I am able. When I complete a blanket, I wash it to make sure it smells nice and holds up. Then, I give it to a friend of mine who works for a community outreach group. She passes the handmade blankets on to nursing homes and/or programs that provide clothes to mamas who have nothing to take their newborns home in.
Clean out your closets. Did you know that anyone who has to go to the hospital for a suspected sexual assault has to give up all their clothing as evidence? Most hospitals have some kind of program to take in clean, nice clothes as replacements. Or, your nice clothes that you don’t wear anymore could go to your local outreach organization for them to distribute or sell in their thrift shop to fund programs that do things like help kids get supplies for school.
Stock up on some cool bottles of water and canned goods or snacks and make the circuit in your car. When you see one of the people on the street corner with the signs about needing work or money, hand them the bottle of water and a protein bar. You could even have a typed or handwritten message about God’s love for us to hand to the person as well. The policeman out on patrol wouldn’t mind some cool water on a hot day either, I’m sure.
Phone an acquaintance. We all have people in our lives that we know and have felt a call to reach out to, but we just haven’t gotten the courage to do it yet. What better excuse than a day too hot to be outside to give them a call? Depending on the situation, it could be under the guise of making sure the person has enough resources to make it through the heat (like an elderly neighbor on a fixed income who may not be able to afford the a/c) or to just say hello.
I know none of these suggestions are particularly earth-shattering. They also are nothing new. I have blatantly taken them from ideas of kind acts I have seen others do. Grace is such a wonderful gift, may we never take it for granted. So, even on lazy, summer days, we can find ways to be the hand of grace toward others for the One who makes all things new for us and through Whom all things are possible.
In a culture where even our favorite “good” guys often come with a bit of a dark side, it may be difficult to fathom (if you are younger) or remember (if you are older) the days when a hero could be so good, we used terms like “syrupy” or “wholesome” to describe them. But the 1960 Disney film, Pollyanna offers just such a hero. In fact, the young girl from this film who maintained a positive attitude in the face of all things to the contrary became so synonymous with the concept of goodness that those for whom goodness is an uncomfortable concept turned her name into an actual insult: “Don’t be such a Pollyanna,” they’ll say. And what they mean by that is that you are putting your head in the sand, ignoring reality, and being just, plain stupid.
But Pollyannas are actually quite the opposite. In fact, Pollyanna is a forerunner of an idea that has been around since time began, but that cycles in and out of popularity, like so many things: the concept of CHOICE. For no matter where you turn in the pages of history, or even your Bible, those who find peace are those who master the ability to realize that we choose how the things that happen to us will actually affect us. By choosing positive, God-directed thoughts, we keep ourselves on the narrow way of Kingdom citizens. Let’s see how Pollyanna did it.
As the story opens, Pollyanna has every reason to curl in the fetal position and hide in the attic room her aunt has stuck her in following the death of the young girl’s missionary parents. She could be angry that her aunt owns the town and yet sees her as a charity case. She could even be cowered by the servants who snarl at her and warn her not to get in the way.
But Pollyanna has been raised to be made of sterner stuff. First, she introduces to anyone who will listen the “glad game,” a way of thinking her father had taught her when the missionary barrels brought crutches instead of dolls to play with. If any situation comes up that might make Pollyanna feel down, instead she looks for a way of thinking about the circumstances that could be a good thing. She CHOOSES to be glad.
Guided by Pollyanna’s aunt, the local minister spews fire and brimstone from the pulpit each Sunday that leaves his congregation with a case of indigestion to last for the rest of the week! One day, as the preacher is alone at the top of a hill worrying himself over how little he seems to reach that congregation, up comes Pollyanna with a folded note to deliver from her aunt. As the preacher finds himself sharing his lamentations with the young girl, she has a bit more wisdom to impart from dear old dad.
If you look for the evil in mankind, expecting to find it, she tells the preacher, you surely will.
“Abraham Lincoln said that,” Pollyanna concludes. She goes on to explain that about the time her father found that quote, he had begun his study of what he called the “glad texts.” These were the verses where God instructed us to be happy, to find joy, to embrace love. Pollyanna tells the preacher there were 800 of them. “My dad said, ‘If God told us 800 times to be glad and rejoice, He must have wanted us to do it,'” she tells him.
The next Sunday, the preacher has obviously done some thinking about choice. He delivers the happiest sermon of his career. And, he lets Pollyanna know there are actually 862 glad verses. He knew because he had spent the better part of the night before staying up to count them.
Last week, I offered the roadmap to beginning your walk with Christ. With Christ in your life, you’ll soon discover that CHOOSING a Pollyanna world is more than possible, mainly because you are no longer facing the challenges of this world alone. The moment you accepted Christ as your Savior, repenting of the sinful life you have led, that we have all led, you were open for the entrance of the Holy Spirit, our Helper in this world to shine the light of Christ for those still in darkness.
There are many places in the Bible that likewise show a CHOOSING plan of action. Here is one of them, from Romans 12:9-21:
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Each day, you are exposed to messages from television, the music you listen to, the billboards on the street. Many times, you don’t even have control over the messages that you are being bombarded with. But you do have the ability to CHOOSE which messages you will accept as truth. And you will have a growing understanding of God’s truth the more you study His word, communicate with fellow believers, and spend time in earnest prayer. Don’t forget, the devil has a real stake in making us believe the things that will keep us down, like “God can’t forgive me,” or “Nobody cares about me,” or “the Church will just judge me.” But God’s truth is about love and a believing community. Don’t let the devil make you confuse what feels good with what is good (but more on that another time).
For today, embrace the “glad game.” Choose to see the light in your situation instead of the darkness. Pollyanna managed to affect her entire new community in a positive way. It may have been a typical Disney ending, but it’s an ending God gives us the right to CHOOSE. Just open your hand and reach for it.
Sometimes, when coincidences happen, you start to think maybe God is telling you something He wants you to listen to. I had just such a set of coincidences this week.
It began when I decided to grab my copy of the Oswald Chambers classic, My Utmost for His Highest, during my morning Bible reading and turned at random to the January 5 entry. Chambers has chosen for his text the episode in John’s account of the gospels where Jesus predicts Peter’s denial of Him (chapter 13). Christ tells Peter that the loyal disciple cannot follow Him at that moment. Skip ahead to the risen Christ, who reinstates Peter, ordering the “fallen” disciple in John 21 to “Follow me!”
Chambers concludes:
Between these times, Peter had denied Jesus with oaths and curses, he had come to the end of himself and all his self-sufficiency, there was not one strand of himself he would ever rely upon again, and in his destitution he was in a fit condition to receive an impartation from the risen Lord.
In other words, Peter was finally empty and ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Once he was filled with the Spirit, Peter went on to be the foundation of Christ’s church, just as the Lord had said he would be.
When I finished reading Chambers, it struck me that to know true peace and purpose in Christ, this emptying is something that we have to do over and over again. How else do we keep from being diverted by the distractions of this world–the entertainment media, our jobs, our family obligations? Some of these are things we cannot put aside, but all of them are things that should come after our commitment to the One and Only.
I think we all want to acquire the kind of calm that being rooted in the Spirit of God has to offer. With that kind of peace, no force can move us. Traffic can be bad, the weather can be horrible, the job can present one challenge too many. But for those who have emptied themselves to be filled by the Holy Ghost, there is a sense of peace, faith and hope that does not leave us.
I picture Yoda, so in tune with the Force, that even Luke’s whining does not divert him from raising the spaceship out of the water. Not even Darth Vader can divert Yoda from his centered being.
But I began by discussing coincidences. Later in the week, I happened to watch a 1962 movie, The Spiral Road. In this story about doctors in the jungles of 1936 Indonesia, a young Rock Hudson begins by denying the very existence of God. He is an ambitious doctor who is convinced that he is strong enough in himself to defeat all the challenges that trying to offer medical treatment in the middle of a jungle among people from a different culture present.
In the movie’s climax, Hudson takes on a task two other doctors before him have failed to complete, despite their faith–overcoming the tricks and resistance of a local witch doctor in an isolated camp near a village where people need medical attention. Because Hudson has no faith, he is convinced he will defeat the witch doctor through his superior mind and logic.
In the end, Hudson’s mind fails him. He becomes as empty as the two doctors who have failed before him. And in that moment of emptiness, Hudson cries out to the very God he said did not exist!
So, I think it is high time I pay more attention to the concept of my own emptying and the subsequent filling by the Holy Ghost. After all, when I have a difficult time clearing my mind from all its random thoughts in order to meditate for five minutes in yoga class, how am I making room for the Almighty to come in? No wonder I experience anxiety instead of peace!
But this is a journey that is just beginning, again. I have decided to share it as I go. I want to concentrate on practical steps I should be taking to grow closer to God. In the words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.” I want to do every day, in the peace of God.
So, I start with the promise of what we have because of our faith. In his letter to the Philipians, Paul explains it this way:
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (4:11-13)
A mind that has learned to be content no matter what is a mind that understands how to empty itself and accept the peace of the Holy Spirit. I appreciate in advance any and all thoughts on how you manage this process in your own walk with God, the One with Whom there is no coincidence.
Christmas and Easter each have different reasons to bring about celebration. Why both of them are vitally important to us, I would argue that Easter’s reason edges out Christmas. And, yes, I know we actually couldn’t have one without the other. Still, here are the reasons that I think Easter gives us just a smidgen more to celebrate.
On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God loved us so much, He came to earth to live like one of us in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Some people have trouble with the concept of God in the form of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I read recently a really interesting metaphor to help us understand this concept (sorry, I can’t remember where I read it to give full credit). Think about the sun and all the power and life it brings to our planet. The sun itself is visible in the sky. The rays that we can’t see give life to plants. We also feel the heat the sun provides on our skin. The Son and the Holy Spirit are functioning like the heat and UV rays of the sun as far as the relationship between all three are concerned. Like the sun and its physical properties, almighty God exists in the three forms we know as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As Christ walked on this earth, He referred to Himself as the Son of God. He also told us that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with us when He no longer was physically walking the planet. God, despite what the deists or materialists might say, is in everything and about everything that we experience in this world, if we will just open our minds and hearts to let Him in.
So why is Easter about so much more than bunny rabbits and chocolate eggs? Easter celebrates the triumph of Jesus, God-made-man, as the culmination of His walk on the earth sees fruition through His resurrection from the grave. If Christ had not allowed Himself to be taken prisoner by the Roman authorities,to be beaten and mocked by soldiers He could have called a legion of angels to defend Himself from, to be nailed to a cross to die an ignominious death, to have suffered the humiliation, pain, and torture of that death as a sacrifice for all of us, when He Himself was perfect and required no sacrifice on His own behalf, then there would be no hope for salvation for the rest of humanity.
In order for the promise of Easter to be true, Christ has to be the divine living as a man, dying as a perfect man for the sins of all, rising as a triumphant God who has set all sinners who are willing to believe free, and making Himself continually accessible for those believers through the strength of His Holy Spirit made available through the gift of grace.
Easter celebrates the faith that lets us believe without seeing. It celebrates the truth that the omnipotent God, whom no one can fully understand, makes Himself available to us in multiple, wondrous ways that open to us as easily as the plastic, pastel eggs that will hold prizes and candy on Sunday morning, as long as we open our arms in faith and believe.
Yes, Christmas celebrates the miraculous birth of God-made-man. But Easter celebrates the awesome gift of grace that became available when that same man rose from the grave to offer salvation to all who believe.
Have you accepted this gift of grace? Does your life reflect an Easter-every-day attitude? You don’t have to wait until this Sunday to accept the gift of grace and live the kind of love that spreads that gift to the rest of your world.
Within the last couple of weeks, I had the pleasure/challenge of spending some time at one of the happiest places on earth, otherwise known as Disneyland. Along with all the wonderful sights of the magic land, I also got to witness up close and personal the bare truth of the mass of humanity: crying children, frustrated parents, bickering spouses, selfish line jumpers, immodest dressers. Fortunately, I also got to witness the happy side of being human, the smiles, laughter, fun and acts of kindness a happy atmosphere generates that are all part of the reason so many people are willing to open their wallets, literally, and partake in the wonderful world of Disney.
Once I got home and had time to decompress and reflect on my time in the “land,” I was struck by the awesomeness of the love that God has for us, all of us, even in our frustrated or downright mean moments, a love so strong and all-encompassing that He sent Jesus, His Son, God-made-man, to sacrifice Himself so that we might be saved. How short did I fall standing in the long line waiting to ride Space Mountain from loving the people around me as Jesus loved them, even the bored kids swinging on the aisle chains despite being told by park authorities and their parents not to? As I was soaking in the bright colors of the varied architecture and the sightings of costumed characters from various cartoon movies, did I once take time to think about the opportunities before me to love people I would likely never see again?
The answer is, of course I didn’t. I was too busy trying to get the most out of my $300 tickets, too concentrated on not giving into the exhaustion of going and going for 15 hours straight each day in order to get the most out of this opportunity to experience something I don’t normally get to experience.
Today at church, I learned a new way of looking at opportunities like the ones I missed at Disneyland. The elder speaking to us before the offering plate was passed around encouraged us to begin to think about the power of changing just one vowel in our self-talk, making the word “got” to “get.” In other words, I have “got” to be nice to strangers, even when they are rude, becomes I “get” to be nice to strangers because I understand how much God loves even me, a sinner. When I have been forgiven, how can I not also be forgiving? Why wouldn’t I want to grab hold of the opportunities afforded to every Christian to spread the grace that is the only gift we don’t do anything to deserve?
This shift from “got” to GET is profound. GET is something we want to do. GET is special. GET holds promise. GET is going to Disneyland!
In the last few weeks, I have been concentrating more and more on the spiritual practice and practices that bring us closer to God. We are only saved by the grace of God, not because of anything we do, but that in no way means that what Christians do or do not isn’t important. In fact, we can argue from the Bible that professing Christians are expected to bear fruit, to strive to be in the Spirit and not of the flesh. For those Christians who are not striving to do these things, GET is not likely to be in their vocabulary. But it can be with just the shifting of a single vowel.
Paul implores the Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (6:7-10).
In this season leading to the greatest holiday of all, Easter, the celebration that He lives, that Christ has risen, we GET to reap the benefits of His love. We GET to share that gift of grace with those who may never have heard about it before. We GET to sow the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, faithfulness, goodness, peace, joy, kindness, patience, meekness, self-control. We GET to be Christ to the world.
Change got to GET this week. The life you change may not just be your own.
A waterfall is a beautiful thing to experience, in part because it can appeal to all of your senses. You hear the roar of the water rushing over stones long before you can actually see the falls if you are hiking to one. You smell the clean, crisp scent of water that is always in motion, constantly renewed. You feel the spray of that moving water as you near the falls, the gentle mist like a caress. Finally, you see the water tumbling, foaming, cascading into an otherwise still pool. Depending on the situation and your fortitude, you might even decide to risk a taste of the pool’s “pristine” waters, imagining the clean snow from above you that has melted, cut through mountainside, and tumbled to the falls, its taste still cold to the touch.
It is one of the wonders of nature that stone, such a hard, ungiving surface, can be so easily defeated by the persistence of running water. Even a steady, slow drip can manipulate the hardest granite over time. If you have ever seen the Grand Canyon, which was formed in large part by the rush of water, you can truly appreciate this molding facility of something we humans need a bucket or glass to get a handle on. Have you, after all, tried to hold a handful of water?
Christ told us that in His kingdom, the weak are strong and the least greatest. Water, essential to life, is a wonderful example of this principle. At first glance, it may seem a very weak substance. There’s a reason young children look for puddles to land in, sending sprays all around them and making the puddle disappear. But, when you take water into account in its full force, as in a flood, it can be the most destructive force imaginable. Still further, it only takes a tiny drop at a time to form and cut away entire caves and canyons, given enough time.
It’s appropriate that Christ chose water as His medium for baptism. Not only does water literally wash us clean, we can see in its effects on stone that it also forms us. The forming is not always a violent one. More often than not, it is like the falls, water sweeping over stone through time until the rough edges are smoothed.
For those of us who walk with Christ daily in the baptism in water that continues through the Holy Spirit, we too are smoothed over time of our rough edges. As long as we do our work to allow the Holy Spirit to wash over us through our lives, as the water flows over the stones of a falls, our own rough edges will be hewn to a shiny mutuality that will help us appeal to others concerning the value of a life in Christ. Like a beautiful falls that appeals to all the senses, we can be the peaceful, restorative place for those who have not yet found Him.
The Bible is full of verses that flow like water and smooth away the parts of us that stand in the way of our full relationship with God. Pray to see His word in truth and according to His will, and you will find that your Bible study will reward you in ways you hadn’t even realized. The mist of God’s love is waiting in the pages of His word. Now is as good a time as any to begin your walk with God, to continue it, or to begin again.
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