Creative Best

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

From Galatians 6:4-5, The Message

There is so much wisdom in these two verses. Some notes on this:

Make a careful exploration of who you are
Make a careful exploration of the work you have been given
Sink yourself into the work you have been given (by God) -- this work is related to who you are (the unique set of gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit)

I think we experience a lot of peace and contentment when we are doing what God created us to do in His service; however, there are some things that can pop up to cause us to doubt and not be content. Things that rob us of joy and contentment are mentioned next in these verses:

Don't be impressed with yourself (pride)
Don't compare yourself with others (jealousy; envy)

Finally, in these verses we are told to take responsibility for our life and doing our "creative best" which causes me to think there is a lot of freedom in "sinking myself" into what God wants me to do.

Completeness

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE EQUATION FOR WHOLENESS

1 Timothy 6:9
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction

In his book The Sensation of Being Somebody , Maurice Wagner expresses a false belief in simple equations we tend to accept. He says we mistakenly think that good appearance plus the admiration it brings equals a whole person. Or we feel that star performance plus accomplishments equals a whole person. Or we believe that a certain amount of status plus the recognition we accumulate equals a whole person. Not so. These equations are no more correct than two plus two equals six. Wagner says: "Try as we might by our appearance, performance, or social status to find self-verification for a sense of being somebody, we always come short of satisfaction. Whatever pinnacle of self-identity we achieve soon crumbles under the pressure of hostile rejection or criticism, introspection or guilt, fear or anxiety. We cannot do anything to qualify for the by-product of being loved unconditionally and voluntarily" (Maurice Wagner, The Sensation of Being Somebody , Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975, p. 163).

If these equations could work for anyone, they would have worked for King Solomon. He was the king of Israel during the greatest years in her history. If a meaningful life is the result of appearance, admiration, performance, accomplishments, status, or recognition, Solomon would have been the most together man who ever lived.

But God also gave the king an extra dose of wisdom to interpret his achievements. What was his commentary on it all? "Meaningless! Meaningless! . . . Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless" (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV ). Take the advice of the wise king: All the stuff and status you can acquire don't add up to personal wholeness. Millions of people climb those ladders to success, only to discover when they reach the top that they are leaning against the wrong wall! The only identity equation that works in God's kingdom is you plus Christ equals wholeness and meaning.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I affirm that nothing in this world can make me more complete than I already am in Christ.

Jesus Loves Us

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:


They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.


None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Romans 8: 31-39, The Message

Character Development

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE PRIMARY LABORATORY

Colossians 3:18-21
Wives, be subject to your husbands . . . Husbands, love your wives . . . Fathers, do not exasperate your children

God works in our lives primarily through committed relationships. Your family is the primary laboratory for your character development. This is precisely the order of Scripture: Establish your identity in Christ, then focus on living out who you are at home. Notice the order in Colossians 3:10-25;

God's great goal for His children is that we conform to His image: "Put on the new self" (verse 10). Our identity is no longer in racial, religious, cultural or social ties: "There is no distinction . . . but Christ is all and in all" (verse 11). Character is the focus of development once identity is established: "Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (verse 12). Character is developed in the context of relational living: "Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other" (verse 13). Love is the highest level of character development: "Beyond all these things put on love" (verse 14). The means by which all this is accomplished is Christ in you: "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you" (verses 15, 16). The primary setting for character development is the home: "Wives, be subject to your husbands . . . Husbands, love your wives . . . Children, be obedient to your parents . . . Fathers, do not exasperate your children" (verses 18-21).

As a parent, you are not just shaping your child's behavior, you are developing his character. Training a child means discipling him to be Christlike. Don't be a phony at home; your spouse and children will see right through it. You can't model perfection, but you can model growth.

Prayer:

Lord, help me be the spouse and parent You want me to be by remaining committed to be a growing child of God.

Resurrection Letters II

I don't know if you like Andrew Peterson, but we were introduced to his music through "Behold the Lamb of God" Christmas tour which we saw in Augusta last year.

His latest album, Resurrection Letters Volume II, releases October 21.

Here are the songs on the album:

1. All Things New
2. Hosanna
3. All You'll Ever Need
4. Invisible God
5. Hosea
6. Love is a Good Thing
7. Don't Give Up on Me
8. Rocket
9. Windows in the World
10. I've God News
11. The Good Confession (I Believe)

Peterson is now with Centricity Music, and they have an online jukebox where you can stream the entire CD for free!

One Issue

Excerpts from One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society by John Piper

Investigating dog life in Minnesota has solidified my decision to vote against those who endorse the right to abortion. So then what is my response to the charge of being a one-issue voter?

No endorsement of any single issue qualifies a person to hold public office. Being pro-life does not make a person a good governor, mayor, or president. But there are numerous single issues that disqualify a person from public office. ...

...

So it is with politics. You have to decide what those issues are for you. What do you think disqualifies a person from holding public office? I believe that the endorsement of the right to kill unborn children disqualifies a person from any position of public office. It's simply the same as saying that the endorsement of racism, fraud, or bribery would disqualify him—except that child-killing is more serious than those.

When we bought our dog at the Humane Society, I picked up a brochure on the laws of Minnesota concerning animals. Statute 343.2, subdivision 1 says, "No person shall . . . unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate or kill any animal." Subdivision 7 says, "No person shall willfully instigate or in any way further any act of cruelty to any animal." The penalty: "A person who fails to comply with any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor."

Now this set me to pondering the rights of the unborn. An eight-week-old human fetus has a beating heart, an EKG, brain waves, thumb-sucking, pain sensitivity, finger-grasping, and genetic humanity, but under our present laws is not a human person with rights under the 14th Amendment, which says that "no state shall deprive any person of life . . . without due process of law." Well, I wondered, if the unborn do not qualify as persons, it seems that they could at least qualify as animals, say a dog, or at least a cat. Could we not at least charge abortion clinics with cruelty to animals under Statute 343.2, subdivision 7? Why is it legal to "maim, mutilate and kill" a pain-sensitive unborn human being but not an animal?

...

Gospel

The Gospel Works post by Mark Batterson

I'm continuing to process the things that really impacted me at Catalyst. Several years ago I got tired of going to conferences, getting really inspired, and forgetting everything I heard within three days. I try to go back over my notes the next week. And I try to come up with one or two or three action points.

One of the speakers at Catalyst was Franklin Graham. Spitting image of his dad! So forthright. One thing he said really stuck me: "You don't have to help the gospel." He said, "The gospel works." Such a profound reminder.

I feel like all of us could do a better job of consistently communicating the simple gospel message. I'm thinking and rethinking how we help people cross the line of faith. As a dad, one of my roles is to engineer experiences that create memories. The end result is a defining moment.

In the same sense, as a pastor, I want to set up God encounters. I'm obviously not suggesting we can or try to man-u-facture anything. But I need to be more intentional about helping people create spiritual memories.

Just thinking out loud.

Holy Spirit Leading

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

CHANGING CHRISTIAN PRACTICES

Matthew 6:7
When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words

Jesus taught that Christian practices should be consistent with the inward condition of the heart. Holding to external practices which no longer correlate with the heart is repugnant to God. Jesus railed against praying in vain repetitions and putting on a gloomy face while fasting. Consistency cries for an affirmative answer to the question, "Is it real?" The Christian community searches for truth while the world searches for reality. These are large, overlapping circles, but I'm convinced that we must be real in order to be right. Change is most needed when Christians sit stoically week after week reciting endless creeds in utter hypocrisy.

Tragically, those who are coming to a church simply to fulfill a religious obligation are the most resistant to change. They have resisted the need to change under the instruction of the Word and are in a state of carnality. They are not coming to the changeless Christ and saying, "Change me so I may be like You." Time-honored faith and long-established practices often become intertwined in their thinking. When you advocate a different practice, they think you are tinkering with their faith!

Paradoxically, the ones who have a real Christian experience are the ones who are free to change their Christian practices. They are committed to the substance of their faith, not the form. Form always follows function, but people have a tendency to fixate on the form.

Organizational renewal will not bring spiritual renewal. When the spiritual tide is out, every little tadpole wants his own little tide pool to swim in. When the spiritual tide is in, the fish swim in one big ocean where someone is synchronizing every move. When the Holy Spirit is leading, almost any organization will work. But when He isn't, it doesn't matter how good the program and organization is, it won't work.

Prayer:

Lord, I will not rest my faith on my Christian practice, but I will base my faith and practice on the truth of Your Word.

Be Gracious

Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don't miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

Colossians 4: 5-6, The Message

Much of Christ - Little of Ourselves

Excerpts from John Was Not the Light, But a Witness to the Light by John Piper

[John 1]

...

Look at verses 6-7: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light.” In fact, fourteen times in this Gospel the word witness (martureo, martus, martureia) is connected with John.¹

...

So verses 6-8 and verse 15 are pressed into the flow of this opening section in a way that almost everyone feels is jarring. So I assume John the author felt it that way too. And I assume that he knew what he was doing. And I assume he had his reasons. (You can call that the Golden Rule of Hermeneutics: Do unto authors as you would have them do unto you.)

Our job is not to improve John’s literary art by telling him he should have written more smoothly. Our job is to penetrate his literary purposes—and by doing that, to penetrate to his theological purposes and his spiritual purposes and his evangelistic purposes—and any other purposes he has by God’s inspiration, so that by hearing and understanding, we might believe on Jesus, the Son of God, and have life in his name. We are not playing literary games. Salvation and damnation hang on whether we hear what the inspired author really meant to say. “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

What I have found in thinking about verses 6-8 and 15 and the wider context is amazingly relevant for today. I have found it very sobering for my own life and ministry, and I think you will find it so for yourself. It has to do with the way pastors and evangelists and religious leaders and TV preachers and conference speakers and Christian musicians—and any other public Christians who represent Christ—speak of Christ and the way they represent themselves. And it was the second of these that sobered me—the way we public witnesses represent ourselves.

If you have ever been bothered by the seemingly self-serving, self-excusing, self-protecting, self-exalting words of public Christian figures, you should be, and you will be all the more bothered by the time we are done. I hope that one of the effects of this message is that it will have a humbling effect on me first, and then on you and any others who hear it, so that we who are called to be witnesses for Christ (namely, all of us) will see that this not only means making much of Christ, but it also means making little of ourselves.

To help you remember what I am saying, I am going to hang all I say on two pegs. One is: “Our witness is a great necessity.” And the other is: “Our witness is a great not.” I know that’s not clear. But it will be. And the awkwardness of it just may help you remember it. Our witness is a great not as well as a great necessity.

...

Nouns to Verbs

Three Translations Post by Mark Batterson at Evotional

...

There are three ways to translate the Bible. You can translate it with 1) your mind 2) your heart and 3) your life.

I think a lot of us settle for the mental translation. But the end result is information. And what happens is this: we learn more, do less, and think we're growing spiritually. But not if that's the only translation.

The second translation is emotional. And the emotional translation may seem more subjective than intellectual translation. But that is when our hearts break for the things that break the heart of God. It’s not just information. It’s transformation. For the record, I think one person with one deeply held conviction will make more of a difference than someone with a hundred good ideas.

Finally, there is the life translation. That is when we become a “living epistle.” That is when the noun turns into a verb. And that is how we change the world. At the end of the day, Jesus isn't going to say, "Well thought good and faithful servant." He's going to say, "Well done good and faithful servant."

Imagine a church filled with people who are translating the Bible with their lives!

Rulers

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

CHRIST, OUR RULER

Ephesians 2:1, 2
You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air

We live in a world which is under the authority of an evil ruler. Originally God created Adam and his family to rule over creation. But Adam forfeited his position of authority through sin, and Satan became the rebel holder of authority to whom Jesus referred as "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). During Jesus' temptation, the devil offered Him "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matthew 4:8) in exchange for His worship. Satan's claim that the earth "has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish" (Luke 4:6) was no lie. He took authority when Adam abdicated the throne of rulership over God's creation at the fall. Satan ruled from Adam until the cross. The death, resurrection and ascension of Christ secured forever the final authority for Jesus Himself (Matthew 28:18). That authority was extended to all believers in the Great Commission so that we may continue His work of destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

All of us were born spiritually dead and subject to the ruler that Paul called "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). But when we received Christ, God "delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13). Our citizenship was changed from earth to heaven (Philippians 3:20). Satan is the ruler of this world, but he is no longer our ruler, for Christ is our ruler.

But as long as we live on the earth, we are still on Satan's turf. He will try to rule our lives by deceiving us into believing that we still belong to him. As aliens in a foreign, hostile kingdom, we need protection from this evil, deceptive, hurtful tyrant. Christ has not only provided protection from and authority over Satan, but He has equipped us with the Spirit of truth, the indwelling Holy Spirit, to guide us into all truth and help us discern the evil one's schemes (John 16:13).

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I affirm that You are my Lord today. I choose to be a bond servant to Christ and to no other.

Mystery Worshippers

Excerpt from The Mystery Worshipper by Alexandra Alter -- WSJ Friday, October 10

"Department stores hire mystery shoppers. Restaurant chains bring in undercover diners to rate their food and service. Churches enlist Thomas Harrison, a former pastor from Tulsa, Okla., and a professional mystery worshipper.

Mr. Harrison -- a meticulous inspector who often uses the phrase "I was horrified" to register his disapproval of dust bunnies and rude congregants -- poses as a first-time churchgoer and covertly evaluates everything from the cleanliness of the bathrooms to the strength of the sermon. This summer, Mr. Harrison scoured a megachurch in Cedar Hill, Texas, and jotted down a laundry list of imperfections: a water stain on the ceiling, a "stuffy odor" in the children's area, a stray plastic bucket under the bathroom sink and a sullen greeter who failed to say good morning before the worship service. "I am a stickler for light bulbs and bathrooms," he says.

Mr. Harrison belongs to a new breed of church consultants aiming to equip pastors with modern marketing practices. Pastors say mystery worshippers like Mr. Harrison offer insight into how newcomers judge churches -- a critical measure at a time when mainline denominations continue to shed members and nearly half of American adults switch religious affiliations. In an increasingly diverse and fluid religious landscape, churches competing for souls are turning to corporate marketing strategies such as focus groups, customer-satisfaction surveys and product giveaways."

...

Eight Catalysts

Excerpts from The Ironic Faith of Emergents by Scot McKnight | Christianity Today

...

Evangelical thinkers such as D. A. Carson, R. Scott Smith, John MacArthur, and Kevin DeYoung and Ted Cluck (authors of Why We're Not Emergent) warn of the dangers of emergents' theological drift and draw lines in the sand. The emergents I know are numb to both the warnings and the lines; they have heard those warnings and they have crossed those lines. They are surprised by neither and are not likely to turn back. Instead, they are building a new theology that "emerges" from the story they find themselves in—namely, the shift from modernity to postmodernity.

The origins of ironic faith among evangelicals can be found in at least eight catalysts. These catalysts move disaffected evangelicals from an ironic faith within evangelicalism to a fork in the road: Either abandon traditional evangelicalism for an emergent form of post-evangelical Christianity, or abandon Christianity altogether.

First, emergents believe the epistemic foundation of conservative evangelicalism, the doctrine of Scripture's inerrancy, does not sufficiently express the truth about the Bible. ...

Second, emergents believe that the gospel they heard as children or were exposed to as teenagers is a caricature of Paul's teaching—what McLaren sometimes calls "Paulianity." The discovery of Jesus, the Gospels, and his kingdom vision creates an irony: "If we are followers of Jesus, why don't we preach his message?" Emergents I know are sometimes wearied or put off by Paul, yet enthusiastic about Jesus and the Gospels. ...

Third, exposure to science in public education, universities, and personal study has led emergents to disown the traditional conclusion that when science and the Bible conflict, science must move aside. ...

Fourth, emergents were burned by the lack of integrity among popular evangelical media figures. ...

Fifth, public schools drilled the messages of multiculturalism and pluralism into emergents' heads and hearts, while their churches were teaching them that all those without explicit faith in Christ were doomed. Possessing both a faith that is particular and an intimate knowledge of religious pluralism produced a tension that was nearly intolerable. ...

Sixth, emergents sometimes exercise a deconstructive critique of the Bible's view of God. ...

Seventh, homosexuality. Emergents are not so much pro-gay or pro-lesbian as they are convinced that sexuality is more complex than many acknowledge. ...

Finally, ironic faith grows out of emergents' realization that language plays a large role in our faith and our claims to know the truth. ... Emergents reason that theology is language-bound; language has its limits; the Bible is in language; that means the Bible, too, has the limits of language. ...

...

Control

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Monday, October 13, 2008 - Confessions of a Control Freak

I have to confess that I am–or I can be–a control freak!

What is a control freak?

The dictionary defines a freak as “a person who has withdrawn from normal, rational behavior and activities to pursue one interest or obsession.” So when we talk about a control freak, we’re talking about a person who has gone beyond the normal rational desire of most people to have some control in their lives.

Another definition is: ”Control freaks are people who care more than you do about something and won’t stop at being pushy to get their way.”

You may not be a control freak in every area of your life, but only in certain areas where you care more about something than others do. It may be the way your scrambled eggs are prepared, the way someone answers the phone at work, the way you line your shoes up in the closet–anything you can imagine. If you care more than others do about that thing and you’re willing to be pushy and obstinate and vocal about it, then you’re a control freak. You know, if you think of it that way, most everybody is a Control Freak some of the time.

A certified control freak–one who cares about everything more than others do and wants to be in control of everything and everyone–can be a scary person! This person is not happy until and unless she feels that she has her life under her control in every area.

So, on the continuum of control freaks, a person can go from very mild/very seldom to very severe/all the time! Where do you think you are on this spectrum? I probably skew toward the severe end, but having recognized these tendencies, I’ve begun praying about them. As Christians, our goal should be to be a control freak–but one who is controlled by God’s Spirit in every area of our lives.

Are you the right kind of control freak?

Success

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ


GOD'S GOAL FOR YOU

2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV
Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love

A good summary of God's goal for you is found in 2 Peter 1:3-10. Your primary role is to diligently adopt God's character goals--goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love--and apply them to your life. Focusing on God's goals will lead to ultimate success: success in God's terms. Peter promises that, as these qualities increase in your life through practice, you will be useful and fruitful, and you will never stumble. That's success!

Notice also that there is no mention in this list of talents, intelligence or gifts which are not equally distributed to all believers. Your worth isn't determined by those God-given traits. Your worth is based on your identity in Christ and your growth in character, both of which are equally applicable to every Christian. Those who are not committed to God's goals for character will never fulfill their primary purpose for being here. According to Peter, they have forgotten who they are. They are out of touch with their true identity and purpose in Christ.

God loves you and will never leave you. You are forgiven by God and are His child. You have established your identity in Christ and live today in union with God. You are becoming increasingly characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. If you really believed everything that is true about you, would you be successful? Would you feel good about yourself? Should you feel good about yourself? Of course! God has not called you to be a failure, so follow His scriptural formula and be the success He has called you to be.

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, that I can do all things today through Your Son, Jesus, who strengthens me.

Bible Reading

Excerpt from Live From Catalyst: McKnight on Bad Bible Reading by Skye Jethani | Out of Ur

...

McKnight outlined five flawed ways many people read the Bible:

1. The Morsels of Law Approach
These people search the Bible and extract ever commandment. They see Scripture as fundamentally a book of rules to be obeyed. The problem, says McKnight, is that no one really obeys—or even tries to obey—every commandment. And we’re not just talking about some obscure stuff in Leviticus. Scot mentioned a number of New Testament commands that many Christians dismiss as well. We are all selective.

2. The Morsels of Blessing Approach
McKnight says publishers are always sending him daily calendars that have a different promise or blessing from the Bible printed on each day. It’s a nice way to start the morning, he notes, but it gives people a skewed view of Scripture. The Bible is a lot more than warm thoughts from our Creator to carry us through our day. Finally fed up with these calendars, McKnight wrote to one of the publishers offering to write a daily calendar with nothing but passage about God’s wrath.

3. The Rorschach Approach
Most people are familiar with the Rorschach Ink Blot test often used by psychologists. Patients are asked what they “see” when looking at symmetrical ink patterns. Because the blots don’t really resemble anything, the patient’s answer tells the therapist more about the patient than the image. Similarly, McKnight notes that many people see in Scripture what they want to see, not what’s really there. For example, political conservatives see justification for capitalism. Liberals see justification for a welfare state.

4. The Systematic Theology Approach
Some folks, the particularly left-brained and anal retentive (my perception, not McKnight’s), believe that God has scattered facts throughout the Bible. These snippets of truth need to be located, rather like an Easter egg hunt, and categorized into buckets. Finally, the pieces are assembled into a systematic theology without ambiguity or mystery to explain God, humanity, creation, and history. The fatal error in this approach, says McKnight, is that large portions of Scripture are never included because they refuse to fit into our neat systems.

5. The Maestro Approach
McKnight shared about his love of Italian food—particularly risotto. The best risotto he ever had was prepared by a chef in Italy while on vacation. Since then he’s compared every other risotto dish with that one. We all have favorites; someone we consider the maestro, the master, we compare all others with. So it is with the Bible. Some people have a master book of the Bible—Exodus for Liberation Theologians, or Romans for Reformed pastors—and then they force every other part of the Bible to fit that book’s framework. Some favor the Gospels and Jesus’ focus on the Kingdom, but they don’t read about the Kingdom in Paul’s writing. So they force the Epistles to submit to the Gospels. The opposite also happens when Jesus is only read through Paul.

These five approaches, says McKnight, are all very common, and all very flawed. His solution? We must read the Bible as a story. But it’s not just a story that we read, it is a story that we live. “We must let the Bible’s story become our story,” he said, “so that it becomes us, and we become it.”

...

Real Life

So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith—this is no new doctrine! And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: "Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law."

The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that's the real life." Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them."

Galatians 3:9-12, The Message

Meals

"Settings of hospitality, especially in connection with meals, are the most accessible and natural occasions for cultivating the focal practice of the Eucharist in our daily lives. Our continuing witness to and fear-of-the-Lord participation in the work of salvation is formed eucharistically around our kitchen tables. Daily meals with family, friends, and guests, acts of hospitality every one, are the most natural and frequent settings for working out the personal and social implications of salvation.

But there is a problem. The practice of hospitality has fallen on bad times. Fewer and fewer families sit down to a meal together. The meal, which used to be a gathering place for families, neighbors, and "the stranger at the gate, is on its way out. Given the prominence of the Supper in our worshiping lives, the prominence of meals in the Jesus work of salvation, it is surprising how little notice is given among us to the relationship between the Meal and our meals. Our surprise develops into a sense of urgency when we recognize that a primary, maybe the primary, venue for evangelism in Jesus' life was the meal. Is Jesus' preferred setting for playing out the work of salvation on this field of history only marginally available to us? By marginalizing meals of hospitality in our daily lives have we inadvertently diminished the work of evangelism? And is there anything to be done about it?"

Eugene Peterson

Emotionally Honest

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

BEING EMOTIONALLY HONEST

Ephesians 4:15
Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ

You can guard your intimate relationships by monitoring how you verbally express your emotions to them. For example, you're having a terrible day at the office, so you call home and say to your wife, "Honey, I'm having a bear of a day. I won't be home until about 6:00 p.m. and I have a meeting at church at 7:00. Could you have dinner ready when I get home?"

When you hit the front door you discover that your wife doesn't have dinner ready as you'd hoped. "For crying out loud," you blaze at her, "I wanted dinner ready at six o'clock! That's why I called you!" Is your wife really the cause of your emotional outburst? Not really. You had a terrible day and you're tired, hungry and stressed out. It's not her fault. Anything could have set you off. You could have just as easily kicked the dog.

Rather than level your wife, why not be emotionally honest? When it comes to acknowledging emotions with your inner circle, honesty is the best policy. But be sure to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

Another important guideline for acknowledging and expressing your emotions is to know your limitations. Be aware that if you're on the edge emotionally--angry, tense, anxious, depressed--it's not a good time to make decisions on important issues. Your emotions may push you to resolve what you're struggling with, but you may regret your resolution if you push too hard. You're going to say things you'll later regret. Somebody's going to get hurt. You're far better off to recognize your emotional limits and say, "If we keep talking I'm going to get angry. May we continue this discussion at another time?"

Being emotionally honest lets others off the hook. When you honestly convey how you feel, others know you are not primarily mad at them and that the problem is not their fault. They can also love you better by meeting the needs you express.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, enable me to be an honest and real person today, speaking the truth in love in all my relationships.