Father, thank You for giving me the opportunity to interact with others that You love. Sometimes it’s a joy. Sometimes it’s a challenge. But whatever the case every interaction is a chance to grow and love.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
The day before Thanksgiving we had some very heavy winds. For the most part, our area did not suffer any ill effects, though others lost power. We had a few branches come down but our biggest casualties of the wind were a couple of dead ash trees falling.
The trees that fell hadn’t been dead for more than a couple of years (victims of the emerald ash borer beetle) but when trees die, the sap stops flowing and they begin to dry out. The flexibility that life gave them ebbs away with time they become rigid.
Strong vibrant trees with solid penetrating root systems can withstand some pretty harsh gusts, for as the winds blow, they can bend, they can move – having some give and take when buffeted.
As we walk this journey of life one thing that is important for us to be, is flexible, as well. As a follower of Christ, I believe that our relationship with Him helps us with that.
A couple of things… First, we are not perfect – I know I am not! (Don’t even get me started about irresponsible drivers!) Jesus calls us to love as He does, but that doesn’t come easy.
Secondly, since creation we have struggled to keep ourselves set apart for God – that is, being holy. It is our goal but unfortunately, a side effect of that is that we start to become legalistic.
From dictionary.com:
legalism (noun)
1 – strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
2 – Theology.
a. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
b. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
Becoming legalistic ends up making us inflexible spiritually speaking. It can even lead to spiritual death. The idea that salvation is gained through good works is dead wrong! We can do absolutely nothing to earn our salvation for it is found only in Christ.
This was part of the problem with the spiritual leadership in Jesus’ day. They followed the Law to the letter! They abided by the entirety of the Law, as well as everything they added to it! They were letter followers, not spirit followers – in more ways than one!
We’re not perfect and even when we try to do what is right in following God, we can end up way off in left field. When it all comes right down to it, Jesus alone is the example by which we must live. He understands our imperfections. He, the Author of the Law, never went down that road of legalism. Each situation He encountered, He responded to in the uniqueness in which He found it. He was flexible.
Lord Jesus, You know that we struggle to live as You would have us live. We are weak. We are easily distracted. May we diligently seek Your heart and in so doing, may we, through the love you generously pour on us all, may we be firm but flexible as the many storms of life come whipping by. Amen.
Dec 10th, 2019, Tues, 12:29 pm
