Shiny or Shady?

Shiny or shady?  

I know...it's a strange question to ask, but I just couldn't help myself.  You see, there's a passage in Philippians 2:14-15 that's been intriguing me lately.  I even printed it out and taped it to my kitchen window.  One of the main reasons is that I struggle with these verses, so I need the reminder.  Here, I'll let you read them for yourself:  Do all things without grumbling or arguing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.  

Other translations render the phrase "appear as lights in the world," to say that we "shine like stars in the universe." How cool that is.  You know, to shine like a star for Jesus...unless, well...we aren't so shiny.  How does that happen?  How do we as Believers lose our effectiveness - our "shininess" - to those in the world around us?   

It's sadly, very simple: we grumble and argue.

Now, I don't have trouble arguing with people, for the most part. However, grumbling (or complaining, as other translations state), is definitely high on my "fix it" list.  I can complain with the best of them.  "This is bad, and that is bad."  "This can't get any worse, and that has to BE the worst."  "How could that happen, and why didn't it happen earlier?"    

See what I mean?  I can take a perfectly beautiful day and turn it into a miserable one for anyone in the hearing distance of my voice. Hence, Philippians 2:14-15 taped to my kitchen window - eye level - on a bright neon index card.  

I think if I - if we - truly understood the detriment our complaining does to the cause of Christ, we'd stop.  I think if we knew that by murmuring against another brother or sister in Christ, we actually hinder the Spirit's work (grieving the Spirit) within us and around us, we'd stop.  I think if we stood outside tonight, gazed up at the stars and picked out the dimmest one, realizing that we are THAT star to the rest of the world, we'd stop.  

So, let's stop...and then, start.  Let's stop complaining about our service at restaurants and start taking it as an opportunity to look like the servants of Christ we say we are.  Let's stop complaining about our bosses and our jobs and start being thankful that we have both.  Let's stop complaining about our spouses and our children not fulfilling our expectations and start serving them and loving them as Christ has served and loved us.  Let's stop our light from fading, and start polishing up our pointy little arms, so we can shine like the stars He created us to be...for His glory.  

Oh, Jesus, I really want to show people an accurate representation of Who You are here on this earth.  I want to shine for You, so that they can see who You really are...not the shady version...but the shiny one.  Thank You, Jesus.  Thank You. 

Freedom Begins with Focus

"I just can't!  I try and try and try to do the right thing, but it never works.  I am forever doomed to live a life in bondage to sin.  I hate it.  I wish I could be free."

Oh dear friend, you CAN be free.  Jesus has come that we could have life, and life more abundantly.  He conquered our sin, nailing it with Him to the cross - along with its power and influence.  

We just don't believe it.  We think our "sin" is some huge obstacle that cannot be beaten, when in fact, it's already BEEN beaten.  We, as Believers in Jesus Christ, have all the power necessary to conquer the "things" that haunt us.

We are power-filled, literally.  Ephesians 1:18-20 says, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you (not "disappointing life"), the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and (here it is) His incomparably great power for those of us who believe.  That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the heavenly realms."

Did you see it!?!  Did you see that we have the very power that raised Christ from the dead at our disposal.  So, if we are indeed power-filled, then why can we not seem to conquer our "besetting sin?"

I think our problem is focus.  You see, we focus on the "thing," while trying to conquer it.  We stare it straight in the eyes, becoming more and more powerless the longer our gaze is held.

Then, where should our focus be, if not on the thing we are trying to conquer?  I'm glad you asked.  The answer is so simple, it's easy to overlook.  Our focus should be...get this...our Savior.

Colossians 3:1-2 tells us to "Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."  Again, Paul tells us in Hebrews 12 to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith."  Nowhere in Scripture (that I know of) are we told to fix our eyes on our sin...to focus on the "offending thing," NOWHERE.

My husband shared this story from the pulpit today.  It defines clearly what happens when we focus on Christ.  Read it carefully and really think about what Dannecker was saying:

"Dannecker, the German sculptor, spent eight years in producing a face of Christ; and at last wrought out one in which the emotions of love and sorrow were perfectly blended that beholders wept as they looked upon it.  Subsequently, being solicited to employ his great talent on a statue of Venus, he replied, "After gazing so long into the face of Christ, think you that I can now turn my attention to a heathen goddess?'"  Here is the true secret of weanedness from worldy idols, "the expulsive power of a new affection."

Dearest Jesus, set my affections on You today...and every day.  Change my lifestyle, my habits, my comings and goings to reflect constant contact with You, so that whatever tries to take my thoughts away from You can be seen for what it truly is...unworthy.  I love You, Father.  

The Resurrection - Does it Matter?

Here we are a week or so post-Easter, and one question (along with its answer) has been floating around in my head. The Resurrection...does it matter? Is it really that important that Christ rose from the grave?

Well, if you answered, “Yes,” you are absolutely correct! You get 300,000 points. (They are pretend points, by the way, so if you got really excited, I apologize.)

If you answered, “Well, it really doesn't matter. It's not a big deal whether or not He rose, just as long as He died for our sins,” then, I would love to share something with you.

Let's take a look at 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. It is a lengthy passage, but we're gonna take it piece by piece. I will dissect the passage as we go, interspersing my comments in italics and using bold font for the Scripture.

Here it goes: 12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? In other words, there were people in the Corinthian church at that time who didn't believe in the resurrection of Jesus or anyone else for that matter. Resurrection, to them, was not reality. 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. Did you see that!?! If the resurrection didn't happen, then what we tell others is a joke. Worse than that though, Paul says that if the resurrection was a farce, then our faith in Christ is useless...empty...powerless to save. We might as well pack up our Bibles and never darken the doors of church again. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. OUCH! If there is no resurrection from the dead – if Jesus did not rise again – then any one of us who speaks of Christ being raised from the dead is a, for lack of a better term, LIAR to and about God. But He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. I don't know about you, but that's just plain scary to me – the thought that I could still be “in my sins.” I believe that Christ came so that I didn't have to be condemned by my sinfulness. If He is not raised, then I am in BIG trouble and so are you! 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. Oh, and if this hasn't been bad enough news, if there is no resurrection from the dead, then all of your and my deceased loved ones are just that – deceased. They are not waiting for you in Heaven. You and I will never see them again. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Yep, I agree. If Jesus never rose from the dead and conquered death and its power, then we are living a lie, lying to those around us, lying to ourselves and just plain deceived. If that were the case, I would pity me, too. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. And there you have it. Don't you just love it when God slides a “but” in the midst of something so awful and terrible you can't bear to take it another second? I sure do.

So in light of these things, let me ask you again. The Resurrection...does it matter? Is it important that Christ rose from the grave? The resounding answer that I so long to hear even through my computer speakers right now MUST indeed be “YES!”

Until we see each other again...in print, enjoy your life in the light of the resurrection. For, it truly is a reality.

Dearest Jesus, I am so very thankful that I can trust in the resurrection...in Your resurrection, which secured my own. Thank You for conquering death and sin and giving me life here and in eternity with You. Thank You.