Fresh Start

Sometimes we just need a reboot. Just as rebooting requires a shut down and a moment of rest before a restart, something must end and pause before we can begin again.

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God has gifted us with necessary endings in order that we might not be overcome with despair and discouraged to the point of giving up. Just as the day and the week and even the year may end in weariness of heart and mind and spirit, there is a time for rest between the end of one and the beginning of another. We lay our heads down, close our eyes and take refreshment in the sleep of restoration.

Life is a lot like rebooting a computer. Rebooting is the thing I do when my computer acts up and everything else has fail to remedy the problem. Turn it off, shut it down, disconnect it’s power source; let it rest and plug it in, turn it on and voila! Problems and issues resolved and I am back on line.

Sometimes we just need a reboot. Just as rebooting requires a shut down and a moment of rest before a restart, something must end and pause before we can begin again. A difficult day may end in a fog of despair and gloom but after a good night’s sleep morning dawns with fresh hope, battle-readiness, and a grace-strengthened, renewed mind and spirit equal to whatever the day brings. There must be rest for the weary in order to revive and restore the fatigued spirit, mind and body.

While each day promises a new beginning, on a larger scale, each week has a Monday. How many times have we decided that we would begin a new thing on “Monday?” I have started many a self-improvement plan on “Monday.” Monday is a pivot day. Whatever new plan I have initiated and failed at can always be reinstated on the following “Monday.” There is a curious hope is the power of Monday reset.

The year 2020 came to a close with resounding cheers and jeers. People find hope in a new year. We look forward to and anticipate blessings in the year ahead. God created us needing a fresh place to begin again so it only stands to reason that people look to the calendar for endings, rest and new beginnings.

Those of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus recognize that morning is not our savior; Monday is not our savior; January 1st is not our savior. Jesus, who is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Rev. 22:13) gave us, in perfect wisdom, beginnings and endings that we might not faint or grow weary to the point of despair but that we might be renewed and strengthened with the hope of new morning mercies. Jesus, in whom strengthening grace sufficient for the day is found, is our Savior, Redeemer and Deliverer.

How easy it is to forget that our hope does not lie in a moment in time but the One created time! I must be reminded that my hope, my confident assurance, is rooted in the promises of God stated over and over again, throughout His Word; He will never leave us or forsake us; His steadfast love endures forever and His mercies never end.

Philippians 3:14 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

And so disciplining our hearts to focus on Jesus; not looking back to the past, counting the cost and bemoaning what was lost but forgetting, in a sense, that none of it matters or has genuine value compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. With eyes riveted on the prize, reaching out for what is yet beyond us, straining forward, pressing toward that which our eyes behold.

As we begin afresh the year 2021 let us look to Jesus, the anchor of our hope, to the praise of His glory, and cast a blessing to one another with a resounding Happy New Year!

Great Joy

In the center of this season there are many hindrances to distract us from the reason for our hope and joy but we are not rendered powerless.

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While Christmas should be a most joyous celebration of the heart, for some, the cares of this world are many, rendering them unable to access this joy. There is much hardship, pain, sorrow and sin overshadowing the joy of our salvation. We lose sight of our joy in the fog of confusion. The echo of the resounding joy becomes silent and lost amidst the worries and cares of this world.

Luke 2:10-11 And the Angel said to them, fear not for behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you this day is born in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord

This good news of great joy is the news of a Savior. Jesus, the second person of the Godhead became a man; a baby no less…a helpless babe needing nurture and care. He left his heavenly home and came into this world to save mankind from death and eternity without God. Jesus was born to die that we might live (1 Tim 1:15). He is God’s gift to a lost and dying world. This act of greater love is our good news of great joy!

This plan of salvation was not only our joy – It was His joy. Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him; our salvation (Heb. 12:2). Jesus withstood temptation, hardship, persecution, abuse and death because of the joy set before him. He looked beyond his circumstances and fixed his eyes on the glorious victory that was His for us. Our salvation was His great joy!

Satan, true to his nature, endeavored to rob Jesus of that joy by tempting Him to give it all up (Luke 4:1-13). Satan hoped to appeal to Jesus’ human senses and cravings by enticing him to avoid the cross and shipwreck God’s perfect plan of salvation. But Jesus joy could not be stolen.

Satan tempts us with the same snares for the same purpose. He is known as Tempter, Accuser, Father of Lies, Deceiver and Thief whose mission is to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10) all that is good and rob us of the Joy of our salvation. We, too, are in the crosshairs of the thief of glory and joy.

And yet we are not left alone in our struggles to recapture the joy of this season. We have been given the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us. He is our Comforter, Counseler and Guide. We have the written Word of God revealing God’s character, steadfast love and unending mercy; a love letter to the church. We have the testimonies of brothers and sisters in Christ throughout all the ages declaring the love and faithfulness of God. We have the hope and joy of our salvation revealed in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In the center of this season there are many hindrances distracting us from the reason for our hope and joy but we are not rendered powerless. Might we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith? We can boldly refocus and take back that stolen joy. We can take thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and replace them with truth (Phil. 4:8), allowing our thoughts to inform our emotions. We can shake off and lay aside ever weight and sin that mires us and every obstacle that impairs our vision of Jesus. Might we pray as David in Ps 51, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and renew a right and willing spirit within me?”

“Let me hear good tidings of great joy, and hearing, believe, rejoice, praise, adore, my conscience bathed in an ocean of repose, my eyes up lifted to a reconciled Father:”

Excerpt from O Source of All Good – Valley of Vision

Give Thanks

On this day, let us be reminded to give thanks for the good and bad – the beautiful and the ugly – the easy and the hard – the full and the empty.

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1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Today is Thanksgiving. As I sat down this morning to consider the blessings of this year – some enjoyed, some endured – I realized I do not have words that adequately express the fullness of the bounty that has been poured out upon me and my loved ones. August L. Storm beautifully expresses thanksgiving in everything with words that speak for me and to the deepest places in my heart.

Thanks to God

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

On this day, let us be reminded to give thanks for the good and bad – the beautiful and the ugly – the easy and the hard – the full and the empty. Because of God’s great love for us, he has brought us low and high that we might rejoice in His faithful presence giving thanks for His inexpressible gift.

In everything give thanks!

In Appreciation of Fall

As each season brings with it its own brand of artistry and appeal, fall brandishes its own unique beauty.

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Psalm 74:18 You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

Fall, the common name for the season wedged between scorching summer and frigid winter as a boundary separating the extremes. Autumn is its formal name. Most of us prefer its common name, as common is comfortable and without pretense. Fall is quite unpretentious.

Unlike summer and winter which bring with them their hot and cold temperatures, fall is moderate in temperature. Yes, moderate temperature, but not without a few warmer days peppered among the moderate to cool. We bask in those days, face to the sun, eyes closed, with the expression of full enjoyment on our faces.

For many who struggle with the heat of summer, fall has become a favorite season. They look forward to this in-between season as one looks forward to a cool drink after a long walk. Others see fall as a short slide into a long, cold, harsh winter. Fall cannot be enjoyed simply for itself because the anticipation of next season is like a black cloud of impending doom looming largely over them. Fall’s joys are stolen by the worry and dread of the future.

As each season brings with it its own brand of artistry and appeal, fall brandishes its own unique beauty. No other season produces such a spectacular array of tree color. Leaf peepers flock to the north to view fall’s reds, yellows and oranges displayed as a blanket across the landscape of hills, mountains and countryside. It’s glory satisfies the beholder.

But alas, as even the fairest of women, fall’s beauty wanes as its season draws closer to winter. Fall rains and winds strip the leaves from the trees. Acorns and pine cones drop to the earth leaving a harvest of provisions for tree and forest dwellers. The last vegetables have been harvested and the apples have been plucked from the trees. Its comfortably predictable.

Fall; Moderate, colorful, fruitful, predictable and seemingly sage. Such admirable attributes! If I were a season I should like to be fall.

 

For Such A Time…

While we are not Paul, we too, have a designated space and time in history. The Lord lovingly and faithfully has chosen our circumstances.

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Boundaries change things. Boundaries give us a perimeter within which to remain. Just as a beaver dam changes the course of water, new boundaries refashion our lives and force us to pursue new avenues of living within the new restraints.

Many of us find that Christian community and ministry as we once knew has been suspended. Sunday school teachers, nursery attendants, greeters, ministry team leaders and members have been challenged with the difficulty of finding a place to meet and serve within the walls of the church. Organized ministry has been turned on its head and come to screeching halt. We have new rules of engagement and gathering that limit our ability to assemble and interact as we once did.

We struggle to find our role; to use our gifts to build up the body. It is harder; it requires more thought and takes a bit of creativity. It takes respect, good communication and a solid you-before-me theology to navigate it all while maintaining peace and unity of the body.

While we may blame the Chinese, the Republicans, Democrats, state and local officials or church leaders for our plight; is it not God, who has willed our current circumstances as part of His good plan? And can we agree that His plan is always perfectly executed in wisdom?

Acts 17:26-28a And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place that they should seek God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being.

Far beyond our thinking and planning abilities, God created the world with boundaries that kept each created thing within it’s assigned role. Boundaries give our world and our lives order, safety and freedom.

Boundaries keep the oceans and seas within their allotted space. They keep the stars in the sky. The sun was made for day – the moon for night. Those boundaries keep them in their place and keep them within their designated role.

God created Adam and Eve and placed them within the walls of the Garden of Eden. While the walls of the Garden defined their dwelling place, they had freedom. God also gave them boundaries of eating. They could eat from every tree but one. Those boundaries kept them in perfect communion with God. Boundaries gave their world order and protected them from whatever was outside the Garden.

Paul was a man who knew the loss of freedom. His imprisonment created new challenges to his God-given ministry. Paul did not bemoan the loss of what he could no longer do. He did not become so discouraged by his inability to speak face-to-face with the churches that he sat within the walls of his confinement idle and immobilized, longing for the days of freedom he once enjoyed. He did what was in front him. He focused on what he could do which was to write letters to the churches and send them by way of faithful messengers. While he could not see them he could still speak to them.

The voice of God, through his servant, was not silenced. Paul’s imprisonment was the avenue by which God brought to the world the New Testament books Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Phileman. Prison walls could not stop the gospel. God had planned Paul’s confinement for the purpose of spreading the gospel and encouraging the saints not only for the first century believers but for believers thousands of years in the future. Though Paul had a specific place in time, his letters to the churches were eternal. Did Paul know the significance of his time in prison? Was he aware of the magnitude of the work that God was doing while he was incarcerated? Could he possibly have imagined the eternal weight of glory brought through his inability to carry out his calling in typical ways?

While we are not Paul, we too, have a designated space and time in history. The Lord, lovingly and faithfully, has chosen our circumstances. God has placed us where he wants us and given us resources. These resources may not be the ones we would choose but they are the ones God has chosen for us. He is most magnified and glorified in them.

The year 2020 is one that the world will not soon forget. It has brought with it boundaries that limit our contact with people and yet it is God’s good pleasure to allow them to be imposed. These boundaries challenge the way we think and do ministry. These boundaries confront our idols and expose our heart’s true loves.

So here we are, we still have breath; in Him we live and breathe and have our being (Acts 17:28a). How are we to proceed within the walls of our current boundaries? Are we able to acknowledge the privilege of living in this space and time and run the race that was marked out for us? The trail markers may have changed but the race is still the same and our inheritance it beautiful!

The gospel of Jesus knows no bounds!

Life Is Difficult – Thank You M. Scott Peck

As we are about the business of recreating a better “me” through self awareness and the power of best practices, God is about the business of transforming; creating a new person in Christ, by the power of His Word and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.

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Life is difficult. Most of us muddle our way through trying to escape the difficulties, patch up the wounds and fight against the things that continue to cause us discomfort and pain. Often times the running and kicking back only causes more distress and deepens our discouragement. We are left battle weary and no more trouble free than when we began.

Perhaps, we have imagined life differently; an easier and smoother ride. Matthew 6:34 reminds us that there is always hardship and each day has it’s own trouble. Just as the changing seasons bringing their own blessings and problems, our daily circumstances may change but life is never trouble free. There is always something we would love to avoid, deny or escape.

I read M. Scott Peck’s book, The Road Less Traveled, back in the early 80’s. Just as he was on a spiritual journey of making sense of life and people and God, I was on my own similar trek. I struggled to understand the purposes of life, relationships, love, difficulties and pain; the connection between God, myself and real life. I was torn between outwardly pretending that life wasn’t difficult and internally weeping under the weight of it. As a twenty-something, separated and nearly divorced Christian woman who didn’t know her Bible well, this book was revolutionary. It had given me new perspective.

He had me with the first two paragraghs of chapter one.

“Life is difficult.”

“This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”

I found truth in these few sentences. Reading on, he highlights the necessity of suffering and the value of experiencing pain. He lays out disciplines for experiencing pain and meeting it head on rather than avoiding it. These personal practices were good, wise and helpful. Who would disagree with taking responsibility for your choices or delaying gratification? These are choices that differentiate the proverbial children from adults. My need to grow up, face difficulties head on and do hard things became clear.

And now some 40 years later with many trials and difficulties behind me and a fuller knowledge of the Word of God, I can see that while The Road Less Traveled may have set me on a better track of thinking, the ability to actually walk it well was made possible only by the grace of God. I have seen his hand in even the most painful of times. His love for me has transcended pampering and moved toward perfecting. 

I recognize that the issues and solutions presented in Peck’s book were centered on self and although the idea of grace, a greater power, and God were present, they were not prominent and foremost in his philosophy. These are good personal practices but they are not the embodiment of freedom, pain management, or transformative living. What seemed sensical lacked the fullness of truth and the power to transform the one who was broken by life’s difficulties or battered and bruised by their own poor choices. Though acceptance and surrender are a part of Peck’s spiritual equation, surrender to God is the only solid solution for the human condition.

As we are about the business of recreating a better “me” through self awareness and the power of best practices, God is about the business of transforming; creating a new person in Christ, by the power of His Word and the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Pain, difficulties and disappointments are His tools, by which He shapes and forms us into the likeness of Jesus. How we process difficulties determines the condition of our heart toward God, others and ourselves as well as our ability to surrender to God and be changed into the image of Christ.

Yes! Life is difficult. Life’s difficulties are not without purpose.

Romans 5:3-5  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love have been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

James 1:2-4  Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17  So we do not lose heart . Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

Facing trials head on, accepting circumstances as they are and not as we have hoped them to be is a lesser traveled road. Surrendering our lives, our circumstances, our will and our control to our Loving Father who keeps us sheltered under His wing is the pathway to peace, contentment, joy, renewal and a transformed life.  We will never be as we once were. We will be tempered and humbled.

Life is difficult. There is eternal purpose in our difficulties.

The last line of an interview printed in Psychology Today, quotes M. Scott Peck as saying, “I’m somebody who often, like so many people, preaches what he needs to learn.”

I echo your words, Mr. Peck!

Just a Little Salt, Please

As salt influences both the food and the consumer so our words affect both the conversation and the hearer.

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Words have consequences and just as too much salt can ruin a good recipe, careless words can ruin a conversation, relationship, reputation or an opportunity for the gospel. As salt cannot be extracted once it has permeated food so words cannot be taken back once heard by the hearing ear or seen on the written page.

I am a huge fan of salt. I salt everything; meat, fish, eggs, cooked vegetables, salad, green apples and raw rhubarb, pizza, ketchup etc. I salt food before I taste it. There is almost nothing on my plate that escapes the shaker. Salt enhances my eating experience.

I am particularly fond of the combination of salt and sweet. My favorite breakfast is french toast with link sausage drowning in maple syrup. There is nothing quite like salty sausage and syrup. And let us not forget salted caramel in any form or recipe. Is there anything better than a big salted caramel ice cream cone or sundae? I think not!

If you are a baker you know that most sweet/dessert recipes call for a small amount of salt; a dash, a pinch, or perhaps a teaspoon. It’s not a lot. Have you ever wondered, why salt in a sweet recipe? The amount is so small. Would it really matter if you used no salt at all?

Bakers would tell you that salt is essential to color, texture, aroma and flavor. Science tells us that salt affects the consumer by suppressing the bitterness receptors making other flavors stronger and more balanced. Salt changes our food and changes the way the body perceives our food.

A little salt goes a long ways. I have on occasion over salted my food. It turned something yummy into something…else. While I ate it I didn’t really enjoy it. Too much salt ruins the pleasureable experience. And for the record, while salt can be added to anything to enhance the flavor, it cannot be removed, extracted or eliminated once it permeates the food. While salted is good salty is not.

Colossians 4:3-6 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Seasoned with salt is good. A little salt makes it better. Too much salt is the ruin of a good recipe as well as a good conversation. Salty speech is offensive and angry leaving no one wanting a second discussion. This salt Paul speaks of is salty and sweet. Our words should be gracious, clear and well thought out, opening doors for the gospel. They should be wise and winsome, leaving people wanting to hear more, in the same way a bite of a perfectly salted meal increases our desire for another bite.

As salt influences both the food and the consumer so our words affect both the conversation and the hearer.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat their fruit.

Just as salt impact our food, words have consequences. Careless words can ruin a conversation, relationship, reputation or an opportunity for the gospel. Precious to the hearer are life-giving words of hope that turn our hearts toward God.

In this life I have spoken many salty, careless words; words that affected people and situations that can never be taken back and some that can never be made right. Looking back I can see that God has redeemed those situations and used them as a tool of sanctification in my life. I am forever changed, not by my regret of careless words but by the power of the Holy Spirit who used those circumstances to bring me to my knees before the throne of Grace. God, who is merciful and abounding in steadfast love, uses everything for our good and His glory.

Let your speech be seasoned with salt..

Contagious

While we’ve been encouraged to use reasonable care in preventing the spread of an infectious virus that is highly contagious, it seems that the virus is not the only contagion that has spread rapidly.

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Infectious and contagious are words we’ve become very familiar with in the past few months. While we’ve been encouraged to use reasonable care in preventing the spread of an infectious virus that is highly contagious, it seems that the virus is not the only contagion that has spread rapidly. Fear and anxiety have overwhelmed the world as we watch the numbers of cases rise and the elderly succumb.

The rumblings of discontentment can be heard and felt across the world but especially across America where we proudly sing, “let freedom ring.” We are a country that was founded on protecting the freedom of individuals and now we are under new constraints. Discontentment rises as the people become weary of want.

Discontentment is defined as the deep dissatisfaction and overall disappointment and restlessness of spirit. It always makes itself known in words and deeds. Discontentment expresses itself outwardly in annoyance, joylessness, worry, gloom and anger. And like a virus that is spread by human contact and interaction, dissatisfaction is contagious. It infects those around us.

What’s the cure for this disposition of the heart? And how do we stop the spread of this contagious condition? Like every virus stopping it begins with finding the antidote. What we need is a solid dose of acceptance brought about by our faith and trust in God who has written a love story for his people. As believers, we can look the to the past in the Word of God to find the answer for the present and we don’t worry about the future.

In 2 Corinthians 11 & 12 Paul writes of hardship, sacrifice, dangers and suffering endured as a man proclaiming the gospel. In the middle of that he carried the weighty pressure of the responsibility of the church which caused him great anxiety. Most of us have never know this degree of suffering, hardship and anxiety.

And in the midst of this difficulty God spoke to Paul saying, “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s response? “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness so that the power of God may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak then I am strong.”

“When I am weak;” when my options and resources are limited, when I am isolated, when my freedom of choice is temporarily inhibited, I will boast all the more gladly of my situation so that the power of God may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, I am content in all theses things because when I am weak then I am strong.

Paul says in Philippians 4:11, Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content.

Paul had plenty of reasons to be discontent in his circumstances and yet he was not. He learned contentment which means he didn’t already know how to be content in every situation. He was schooled by the Lord through what he experienced. Paul learned contentment through what he suffered and endured. He learned it. He was just a man who believed in Jesus as His Lord and Savior. His hardships were a vehicle for growth not an obstacle to it. His response to his difficulties was written for our benefit that we might learn to be content in our circumstances just as he learned from his. He has passed on the secret of contentment to us.

God has proven himself faithful and trustworthy throughout the pages of history. He loves us, as adopted children, with an everlasting love. He beckons us to himself and holds us fast in his arms. In that there is comfort for the weary, discontented soul. Because of this we can accept and surrender to circumstances orchestrated by God, with the assurance that it is for our sanctification and His glory. His work in us through hard things produces Christ-like character and maturity.

We are contagious to those around us. Today we can choose which we will pass on; discontentment or contentment. Both are contagious, infecting others. One is a joy and soul-killing virus and the other peace-giving, life-breathing soul reviver. We decide whether we will fight against our circumstances or be changed into the image of Christ through our circumstances.

And by our choices others are brought low or raised up because we are contagious.

…there is Liberty.

Quarantine is not about your freedoms being taken away. It’s about liberty. Liberty says that I am free as long as my actions do not infringe upon or take away the freedom of others.

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We’re doing a new thing. It’s called self-quarantine. We’ve no context for what this means for our future. We’ve never experienced anything globally such as this. We have never experienced anything in our country, our state, our community such as this. The closest my family has come to self-quarantine was the Chickenpox and those quarantined were under 4 feet tall with no drivers’ license, job or responsibility other than making their own bed and picking up their toys.

The Chickenpox was a bit of an inconvenience but nothing more. My kids were itchy and have a few faded scars but other than that our life as a family returned to normal very quickly.

Today we are self-quarantined. Many people are under a mandatory quarantine; only permitted to leave their homes for the necessities of food and medical needs. It seems our state may be heading, very quickly, in that direction. Americans have never known this type of constraint of freedom on a large scale. We, Americans, pride ourselves on our freedoms. We live in a “Free country.” We are free to make our own choices and we resist the government telling us what we can and cannot do with our money, speech, bodies, time etc. We are free to choose. Our state motto is “Live Free or Die.” The idea of quarantine stirs up the perception of loss of Constitutional freedom and produces an inclination to defy the heavy hand of government and defend freedoms.

And so we live in a growing culture of fear. Fear of contracting Covid-19. Fear of spreading the virus. Fear of losing our jobs. Fear of economic crash. Fear of losing control. Fear of losing our freedom.

Dictionary.com defines Fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by a belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or threat and defines Freedom as the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Liberty is not exactly the same as freedom though we use the words interchangeably. Liberty is a type or a subset of freedom that carries with it responsibility and duty. It’s the responsible use of freedom; a freedom with boundaries that are considerate of the freedom of others. It does not act selfishly but for the good of others.

Let us turn our focus to Liberty.

This is true liberty:

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good but the good of his neighbor.

Quarantine is not about your freedoms being taken away. It’s about liberty. Liberty says that I am free as long as my actions do not infringe upon or take away the freedom of others. Can we look at this through the eyes of Liberty and with that freedom, love and consider others before and above ourselves?

Let us willingly, fearlessly, obey the strong suggestions, requests and orders of our leaders. Romans 13 says we all must obey those who rule over us. Those in authority serve God. It’s a conscious, humble act of submission to authority. God did not offer this up as an option. It’s a command. Honor God by honoring those in authority. Romans 13 goes on to remind us to love our neighbor as ourselves and that love does no harm to his neighbor. Can our love be identified in our obedience?

As men and women, brothers and sister in Christ, I encourage you to open the hand that clutches tightly to the fears that so easily overwhelm us and grab hold of Jesus, the anchor of our soul and our hope. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have said these things so that you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Now the Lord is Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Cor. 3:17

Where the Spirit of the Lord is…

Get Dressed

While we may be attentive to clothing the outer person, God is most concerned with the dressing of the inner person. God calls us to dress according to our identity not our activity.

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Everyday it’s the same routine. We get out of bed, remove whatever we slept in, jump into the shower and then get dressed. Women probably spend more time choosing their wardrobe than men. Women not only carefully choose their wardrobe but also their accessories (i.e. earrings, necklace, scarf, shoes, etc.). If we don’t spend a lot of time pondering outer adornments, at the very least, we think about what we’ll be doing for the day and dress for that. We dress appropriately for the task at hand. Since God clothed Adam and Eve in the Garden we have been putting on something to cover the body.

One can easily recognize a person’s vocation or who that person represents by the way he or she is dressed. Police officers are identified by their uniforms. Healthcare professionals are known by their scrubs. A firefighter is recognized by his/her PPE. I know the difference between the FedEx driver and the UPS man not by his face but by his uniform.

They are dressed to be known and recognized before they ever utter a word.

While we may be attentive to clothing the outer person, God is most concerned with the dressing of the inner person.

Colossians 3:12-13 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

The Word of God uses the same language for physical dressing as for spiritual dressing. Everyday we cover the body with outer garments that are determined by the activities of the day. Not so for spiritual dressing. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing for the day. The spiritual dressing is for every day, every activity, every moment. God calls us to dress according to our identity not our activity.

He reminds us the we are:

  • Salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16)
  • Image Bearers (Genesis 1:27; Colossians 3:9)
  • Individual members of the body of Christ (1 Cor .12:27)
  • Chosen (1 Peter 2:9)
  • Adopted as Sons, Children of God (Ephesians 1:6; 1 John 3:1-2)
  • New Creations (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • Debtors (Romans 8:12-13)
  • Ambassadors-One who represents the sender in character and authority. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

And in Christ we: Ephesians 1

  • Are blessed with every spiritual blessing
  • Have redemption through the Blood
  • Have forgiveness of trespasses according to the riches of His grace
  • Have wisdom and insight
  • Have obtained an inheritance
  • Have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit

Who we are in Christ determines what we put on! That identity establishes our wardrobe. It looks nothing like the self-centered garments of the old man (Ephesians 4:22). We, who are in Christ, must chose to live and dress like the One we represent. We must, with great thought and intention, put on our new garments. We are not the same. We were bought with a price and covered by the blood of Jesus. We are a new creation. Our behaviors, responses and pursuits should match our identity.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with the beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Everyday you choose what spiritual garments you will wear. Remind yourself who you are in Christ. The new man, holy and beloved, puts on garments of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Wear them with joy, as they are a gift from the one who covered you with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness.

Get dressed!