Dealing with Pricklies
Father, we are on the cusp of one of the busiest times of the year on many levels. Please help me to think clearly. Please help me to be sensitive to the many things clamoring for my attention and to give the utmost attention to what is truly important. Amen.
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (<<click here to read the passage)
Life is full of prickly situations and topics. There are many things that you wouldn’t dare bring up in certain circles. Sometimes, they may be family-oriented – “Don’t ever bring up such-and-such with Aunt Mable!” They may have to do with things in a work environment – “Don’t ever do such-and-such! It’s not a corporate rule, but it will set off the store manager for sure!”…and then there are some church / Biblical things. And, of course, politics seems to be more prickly than ever!
Today’s passage deals with some very prickly things – rules in marital relationships and the role of women in the church. Some churches still follow them to a “t,” but many no longer do so, chalking them up as a “cultural” thing in the New Testament church.
We need to be careful that we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Yes, some things may be “cultural” things, but at their core, there is still a truth that, regardless of their, and our, cultural mindset, must remain…and be adhered to.
My Life Application Study Bible had this to say,
While Paul’s specific instructions may be cultural (women covering their heads in worship), the principles behind them are timeless: respect for spouse, reverence and appropriateness in worship, and focus of all of life on God.
Our goal as followers of Christ is not division but unity. Jesus prayed for us, as believers, as recorded in John 17:20-23,
“I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message, that they all may be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe [without any doubt] that You sent Me.
I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected and completed into one, so that the world may know [without any doubt] that You sent Me, and [that You] have loved them, just as You have loved Me.
In the scope of eternity, there are many things that are far too important to forfeit because we are fixated on petty things of no consequence.
Lord Jesus, enable us to see the world and our place in it through Your eyes. May our eyes not be clouded by traditional mindsets that we hold above Your truth. Amen.
Nov 26th, 2023, Sun, 2:57 pm
Happy Thanksgiving!
Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik
Be Intentional
Our last day before Thanksgiving break, and we are all more than ready for the respite. Help us all to look to You, Father, as the source of our blessings and to praise You for them. Amen.
1 Corinthians 10:16-11:1 (<<click here to read the passage)
What are the motivations in our lives? Some have only themselves to think about, but many have others with whom they are intimately connected. It could be spouses, or children, or parents. It could even be connections with people in our workplaces and numerous others that factor in.
Where the rub takes place is the fact that that may all be well and good for regular men and women of the world, but as believers, all aspects of our lives (whatever we eat, drink, or do) should be done with the intentional purpose of giving glory to God. That was your first thought…right? Probably not.
I’m not here to point fingers at anyone (remember, Point One Finger, Three Fingers Point Back). We are all guilty. And “we” includes me.
Now, before we sell ourselves short, there are things that at least some of us do that align with what God desires for us to do; we just may not understand what it is from that angle.
The beginning of verse 33 from the New Living Translation reads,
I…try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others…
I’ve stated many times before that I am by no means perfect, but I strive to live my life this way. I am a people pleaser, and I endeavor not to just think of myself. I really do work at doing what is best for others…
I genuinely love other people, and though it may not always be at the forefront of my mind, at least subconsciously, I do what I do so that many may be saved. The way the Amplified Bible puts it helps me process it, too. I live the way I do so that they [will be open to the message of salvation and] may be saved.
Paul is a good example to follow, and that’s because he follows Christ’s example (you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.)
So, if we can learn anything from this passage, we need to learn to intentionally give glory to God in all we do. And when we do that, we will be aiding people to be receptive to accepting Christ as their Savior.
May the Lord help us follow His example day in and day out. Amen.
Nov 21st, 2023, Tues, 3:42 pm
Lighten Your Burden
May our time be productive and yield much fruit, Father.
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I was perusing Facebook today and saw that one of my high school friends had shared a post from an online blogger, Catherine Shea. I found this post from last year to be very much what so many of us need to hear. Because we are on the cusp of going full-tilt into holiday preparation, it is the perfect time to take a deep breath and read this post before going any further. She wrote,
I just pulled over in my church parking lot to write this because it’s burning in my soul.
Christmas was never meant to be a burden.
Paying expedited shipping to make it magical and stressing about going into “more” debt and keeping up with all the pics we see on social media is an absolute scam.
A scam of evil proportions.
Don’t get me wrong.
I’ve done it.
That’s how I know…it’s a scam.
We’ve got to let it go.
I’m not going to pretend to know what that means for everyone, but I hope it gives you permission to release yourself from the charades and parades and all the demands that are never-ending.
He came to free us.
Not burden us.
There is really nothing more that needs to be said…except I will add what Jesus said.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT
And then, in the last part of John 10:10, He said,
I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. AMP
Remember, as we step into the up-and-coming season, He came to free us…not burden us.
Nov 19th, 2023, Sun, 7:14 pm
On the Outside Looking In
With a bus trip between routes today, I haven’t been home too awfully long. As You know, Father, I was productive while away, but now is the time for us to come together. Please open my eyes to see what is before me this evening.
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This has been weighing on my heart and mind recently. I regularly pick up a middle school student toward the end of my route. There are students in almost every seat, most sitting alone. They are new residents of the house where I stop, but I don’t know if they’ve been a part of our district for a while or not. What has been weighing on me is the look on the student’s face when they get on and find an empty seat. Their expression is one of loneliness—the look of one looking upon the inside from the outside.
To my knowledge, they have no friends on the bus, though I see them coming out of the school in the afternoons accompanied by others – they ride another bus to their grandparents’ home, I think.
There’s another event that ties into this one. Last weekend, our family went to a Christmas Bazaar at a large church in a neighboring community. Many vendors were selling their wares, and you could tell that many of them had invested a substantial amount of time, effort, and resources into their creations.
The ones that got to me were the ones whose wares were a little subpar. They weren’t awful, but the quality of what they were selling just wasn’t getting people’s attention. …the looks on many of their faces was heart-wrenching, at least to those who were looking…
Are you looking? Do you see the lonely and the lost? Do you see the faces of those on the outside pressed up against the glass, trying to get just a glimpse of those enjoying the warmth and camaraderie of those on the inside?
I am as interactive with my student as I can be, as they get on and off the bus. But that is my only contact. I call them by name every single time, hoping that that communicates their importance, to me at least.
Maybe I should have at least stopped and chatted with the downhearted vendors. It probably wouldn’t have hurt to buy some small thing from them, but…I didn’t…
The Apostle John wrote in his first epistle (letter),
Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words]. 1 John 3:17-18 AMP
Saying we care about people and love them is not enough. We must take action […because practical acts of love are more than words].
May we strive to see the world through the eyes of Christ. Our powers of perception are too narrow and limiting. Only the love of Christ, in action through us, can truly make a difference in the lives of others.
Nov 16th, 2023, Thurs, 6:23 pm