February 7

Scripture focus: And what we believe is that the One who raised up the master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise! So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. 2 Corinthians 4:14-18 MSG

We need to get serious about assessing how our way of living is working for us.

I’m not talking about a life without troubles. I’m asking you quite directly – do you feel as if your life serves a purpose? That it is rich with meaning? If we want the good life, and we define that as trouble-free living with lots of toys, I don’t have anything to offer you in words of encouragement. If that life worked, wouldn’t someone like Tiger Woods have the sweet life? That guy, from an appearance management perspective, had it all - skill, victories in his field, fame, fortune, a beautiful family, and parents who adored him. Sure, he worked hard. But he played hard too. I’m not knocking on the guy. I am actually expressing empathy for him. Because we are so foolish as to look at the outward appearance of things, I doubt that many people were offering this man a hand up. Who would have thought he needed it? But what we’ve discovered as the Tiger Woods scandal has unfolded is something we should have known all along – appearances are deceiving. We all desperately need God to protect us and explain our lives to us. All of us are defiled and defined by our sin; we are hopeless and helpless, a condition that is offensive to God but never diminishes his love for us.

Our lives are unmanageable (no matter the appearance of things) when we live independently of God.

“You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” Matthew 5:8 MSG

Every detail works to our advantage and God’s glory if we ask God to make new life inside us. Then we will be equipped to provide a hand up to the next guy who has the good sense to reach his hand out and ask God to save him. This is our calling – to love as God loves, extending grace and mercy to others in need. May we reach up and out today!

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4 comments:

I Might be Wrong said...

"I’m asking you quite directly – do you feel as if your life serves a purpose?" My head tells me NO! My heart say that if I continue on the journey of enriching my relationship with God that yes my life is serving a purpose even when I do not see it or understand it. I do not like the other side of that question. If your life is not serving a purpose is your life just a waste of time? I can honestly say there are times when I feel I have wasted a lot more time than served purposly. I use to ask what my purpose here is, I do not ask anymore. I believe my purpose will be shown to me in His time and by His will not when it would be comfortable to me. I do sometimes fear that at the end of this leg of my journey that I will look back and still think what was all that, why? Most days I swim pretty good, it's when I jump in the deep end of the pool that I am glad there is a lifeguard on duty. It's funny as long as my feet touch the bottom I do not look to the lifeguards chair as often. I know that I have a greater chance of drowning in the shallow end of the pool as it is there I am less likly to think I need saving. Today I simply pray for the knowledge of His will for me,the ability to do the next right thing, and for the day that I feel blessed “You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” Matthew 5:8 MSG. It that time again, Gotta run. It's nice to be running towards something than from something. God Bless

February 7, 2010 at 9:15 AM
Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing. I think many of us relate to the ups and downs, doubts and hope, etc. and certainly to the grace to do the next step as God speaks no matter how insignificant that step might seem at that moment. God Bless you.

February 7, 2010 at 10:08 AM
m.e. said...

You know, for me, doing the next right step can be the simplest of things. Example: yesterday I realized that I had not attended to the kitty litter box like normal, having been distracted by all this crazy weather. The box was overflowing. Well, obviously the worse the box is, the more I want to put it off. I challenged my stubborn resistant nature and tackled it right then. It was a big job because I had to empty all the contents and scrub the contraption with bleach in the bathtub. But first I had to clear out all the toys that my three-year-old keeps in there. Guess what I found underneath all of it in the suds? My husband's wedding band. Luck? I think not. Positive reinforcement for doing the next right thing. I am so stubbornly resistant that God uses creative ways to show me that it is always worth it to do the next right thing, no matter how menial.

I know some people are probably thinking this is a really stupid story. That's fine. But I also know that there are other people out there who would agree that God is in the details.

February 9, 2010 at 9:06 AM
Hzjewl said...

m.e. your story isn't stupid at all. Be blessed you used a very good example.

February 9, 2010 at 5:56 PM

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