Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 - Baptism of Jesus
15 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.
16 John answered them all, saying, "I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire.
...
21 After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened
22 and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
-------
Welcome to Ordinary Time for 2010. We begin with the baptism of Christ. SIDE NOTE: This is one of three times in the Gospels where God the Father speaks from heaven. The other two times are at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13), and at the close of Christ's ministry immediately before the Passion (John 12:23-32).
John the Baptist had acquired a significant following. He continued his ministry after Jesus was baptised, but from that point on, he submitted completely to Christ. As John says, he -- who Christ said was the greatest of the prophets -- was not fit to loosen his sandals. We see this in
John 3:
25 Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings.
26 So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him."
27 John answered and said, "No one can receive anything except what has been given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said (that) I am not the Messiah, but that I was sent before him.
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.
30 He must increase; I must decrease."
He must increase, I must decrease. That applies to anyone who wishes to put the flesh to death and live a life in the spirit. If we want to live the abundant life that Christ came to give us (John 10:10), we must lay ourselves down, and take on Christ. We need to do it over and over, as Christ shows us pieces of our life that we cling to and won't surrender.
I remember the first time I truly offered myself up to Christ, and meant it. I was scared and nervous, for myself, my own future, and for that of my family. I was scared of what I might have to give up to follow Him. I was scared of what God might do to me if I truly gave myself to Him.
I'd be lying if I said that those temptations have completely gone away. In fact, it seems that every time I learn of a new thing that I have to give up, they return to at least a small degree. What I can say, though, is that every time I have given something up for God, I have been rewarded in some manner or another, and that the reward has always exceeded whatever little sacrifice I might have made.
He must increase, I must decrease.
Showing posts with label - Giving up Control. Show all posts
Showing posts with label - Giving up Control. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Daily - 4/8/09
John 13:1-15 (Holy Thursday gospel)
1 Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
2 The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper,
3 fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
4 he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later."
8 Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."
9 Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well."
10 Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all."
11 For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."
12 So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?
13 You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am.
14 If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.
15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
--------------------
v15: "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."
Between yesterday's passage from the Song of the Suffering Servant and this passage that is so cherished by all of us, we have a very concise description of the model that Christ gives us to follow:
- Give up control completely to God
- Listen to Him and understand His will
- Rely on Him completely, and ask His help in everything we do
- Serve others with humility
As my grad school advisor used to say, "Piece of cake. Now get to work!"
1 Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
2 The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper,
3 fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
4 he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Master, are you going to wash my feet?"
7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later."
8 Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."
9 Simon Peter said to him, "Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well."
10 Jesus said to him, "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all."
11 For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."
12 So when he had washed their feet (and) put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?
13 You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am.
14 If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.
15 I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.
--------------------
v15: "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."
Between yesterday's passage from the Song of the Suffering Servant and this passage that is so cherished by all of us, we have a very concise description of the model that Christ gives us to follow:
- Give up control completely to God
- Listen to Him and understand His will
- Rely on Him completely, and ask His help in everything we do
- Serve others with humility
As my grad school advisor used to say, "Piece of cake. Now get to work!"
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Daily - 4/7/09
Isaiah 50:4-9a (Wednesday's First Reading)
4 The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear;
5 And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.
6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
7 The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me.
9 See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
------------------
This was also the first reading on Palm Sunday.
The Suffering Servant describes His relationship with God. He is fully aware of that his gifts come completely from God. His mission is one of teaching, healing, and humility. He knows he will face extreme challenges, and he does so without complaining, and without letting his pride control his actions. He relies on the Lord, and only the Lord, for help.
As v4 says, the Servant relies on God every morning to open his ear that He may hear. This is the model for us. If we are willing to give up control and rely on God completely, He will take care of us. How many of us ask God every day to open our ears that we may hear, and ask Him to give us a well-trained tongue so we can comfort the weary?
Here's the trick, though. We must come to God in humility. It is when we are weak, that we are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). How many of us can even approach Christ's example of humility? Not many, but I do know this for certain: we are called to try. If we submit our pride to God, he will transform us over time. God makes all of this possible for us.
4 The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear;
5 And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.
6 I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.
7 The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
8 He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me.
9 See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?
------------------
This was also the first reading on Palm Sunday.
The Suffering Servant describes His relationship with God. He is fully aware of that his gifts come completely from God. His mission is one of teaching, healing, and humility. He knows he will face extreme challenges, and he does so without complaining, and without letting his pride control his actions. He relies on the Lord, and only the Lord, for help.
As v4 says, the Servant relies on God every morning to open his ear that He may hear. This is the model for us. If we are willing to give up control and rely on God completely, He will take care of us. How many of us ask God every day to open our ears that we may hear, and ask Him to give us a well-trained tongue so we can comfort the weary?
Here's the trick, though. We must come to God in humility. It is when we are weak, that we are strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). How many of us can even approach Christ's example of humility? Not many, but I do know this for certain: we are called to try. If we submit our pride to God, he will transform us over time. God makes all of this possible for us.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Daily - 1/19/09
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
James 4:7-8
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Psalm 46:8-11
9 Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
10 Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;
11 Who says: "Be still and confess that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth."
---------------------------
In my opinion submitting to God is the ultimate fork in the road, particularly for men. We don’t want to give up control. But over and over and over again, throughout the old and new testament, God tells us to do exactly that. So … what does it mean to submit to God? It means a lot of things, but the first step is obedience. Submitting to God means saying that you will no longer make your rules, and that you will submit to His:
John 8:31-32
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
When Christ calls us to remain in his word, he is calling us to obedience. Once we are faced with the Word, we have a choice to make – belief and submittal to it, or not. If we believe but we do not obey, we are caught in a kind of spiritual limbo. This happens to a lot of people. In my opinion, for men the reasons come from two places – either fear of the unknown (ie, what will happen to me, what do I have to do, what will be taken from me), or a prideful refusal to give up control.
Yet if we remain in the word (ie, obey), Christ promises us the truth, and that the truth will set us free. Some people spend years studying the word before finally coming to this point. I was one of those people. Finally I woke up and realized that the call to obedience was firm. Once I responded to this call and submitted to Christ’s authority, I was able to understand a lot more about the concept of the pursuit of spiritual maturity and the surpassing joy that can come from that pursuit.
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
7 Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.
James 4:7-8
7 So submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Psalm 46:8-11
9 Come and see the works of the LORD, who has done fearsome deeds on earth;
10 Who stops wars to the ends of the earth, breaks the bow, splinters the spear, and burns the shields with fire;
11 Who says: "Be still and confess that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth."
---------------------------
In my opinion submitting to God is the ultimate fork in the road, particularly for men. We don’t want to give up control. But over and over and over again, throughout the old and new testament, God tells us to do exactly that. So … what does it mean to submit to God? It means a lot of things, but the first step is obedience. Submitting to God means saying that you will no longer make your rules, and that you will submit to His:
John 8:31-32
31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
When Christ calls us to remain in his word, he is calling us to obedience. Once we are faced with the Word, we have a choice to make – belief and submittal to it, or not. If we believe but we do not obey, we are caught in a kind of spiritual limbo. This happens to a lot of people. In my opinion, for men the reasons come from two places – either fear of the unknown (ie, what will happen to me, what do I have to do, what will be taken from me), or a prideful refusal to give up control.
Yet if we remain in the word (ie, obey), Christ promises us the truth, and that the truth will set us free. Some people spend years studying the word before finally coming to this point. I was one of those people. Finally I woke up and realized that the call to obedience was firm. Once I responded to this call and submitted to Christ’s authority, I was able to understand a lot more about the concept of the pursuit of spiritual maturity and the surpassing joy that can come from that pursuit.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Daily - 1/14/09
Psalm 142
1 A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
2 With full voice I cry to the LORD; with full voice I beseech the LORD.
3 Before God I pour out my complaint, lay bare my distress.
4 My spirit is faint within me, but you know my path. Along the way I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
5 I look to my right hand, but no friend is there. There is no escape for me; no one cares for me.
6 I cry out to you, LORD, I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
7 Listen to my cry for help, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.
8 Lead me out of my prison, that I may give thanks to your name. Then the just shall gather around me because you have been good to me.
-----------------------
That’s a pretty powerful prayer life.
Here we have the King of Israel pouring out his heart and laying it bare before God. David feels that his spirit is faint, but he knows that the Lord knows his path. God is David’s refuge, his “portion in the land of the living.” He asks God for deliverance – to rescue him from his pursuers because they are too strong for him.
It’s one thing to ask for help. It’s quite another thing to submit completely to God, lay yourself bare, and pour out your heart to Him. David does this with the confidence that Lord is indeed his refuge, and with the Lord on his side, he will not be defeated.
What a great example for all of us.
1 A maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.
2 With full voice I cry to the LORD; with full voice I beseech the LORD.
3 Before God I pour out my complaint, lay bare my distress.
4 My spirit is faint within me, but you know my path. Along the way I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
5 I look to my right hand, but no friend is there. There is no escape for me; no one cares for me.
6 I cry out to you, LORD, I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
7 Listen to my cry for help, for I am brought very low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.
8 Lead me out of my prison, that I may give thanks to your name. Then the just shall gather around me because you have been good to me.
-----------------------
That’s a pretty powerful prayer life.
Here we have the King of Israel pouring out his heart and laying it bare before God. David feels that his spirit is faint, but he knows that the Lord knows his path. God is David’s refuge, his “portion in the land of the living.” He asks God for deliverance – to rescue him from his pursuers because they are too strong for him.
It’s one thing to ask for help. It’s quite another thing to submit completely to God, lay yourself bare, and pour out your heart to Him. David does this with the confidence that Lord is indeed his refuge, and with the Lord on his side, he will not be defeated.
What a great example for all of us.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Daily - 1/12/09
Isaiah 55:1-3
1 All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!
2 Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare.
3 Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
---------------------
God invites us to come to him, to lay our burdens at his feet, and to give over control of our lives to him. As verse 2 says, we spend so much time fighting that – spending our time, money, and effort on things that fail to satisfy. In reality, all we need is Christ. Check the end of verse 2: if we heed Him (ie, remain in him), we will eat well, and delight in rich fare.
We are to come heedfully, and listen, that we may have life. Father Martin did a great job describing this image in his homily this weekend. We can lay down our burdens – anxiety, fear, stress … ANYTHING – at Christ’s feet. He will accept the burden. If we can just as individuals trust God enough to give over control to Him, our paths become so much straighter. Here’s a little more Scripture to reinforce the point.
-------------
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
6 In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
1 All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk!
2 Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare.
3 Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David.
---------------------
God invites us to come to him, to lay our burdens at his feet, and to give over control of our lives to him. As verse 2 says, we spend so much time fighting that – spending our time, money, and effort on things that fail to satisfy. In reality, all we need is Christ. Check the end of verse 2: if we heed Him (ie, remain in him), we will eat well, and delight in rich fare.
We are to come heedfully, and listen, that we may have life. Father Martin did a great job describing this image in his homily this weekend. We can lay down our burdens – anxiety, fear, stress … ANYTHING – at Christ’s feet. He will accept the burden. If we can just as individuals trust God enough to give over control to Him, our paths become so much straighter. Here’s a little more Scripture to reinforce the point.
-------------
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
6 In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."
Monday, October 20, 2008
Daily - 10/20/08
Psalm 69:1-6
1 In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your justice rescue and deliver me; listen to me and save me!
3 Be my rock and refuge, my secure stronghold; for you are my rock and fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of the violent.
5 You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth.
6 On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers.
What a relationship David had with God. He wasn’t perfect, but he was always faithful. He gave praise to God in good times and bad. God was his strength, his refuge, and his friend. In my opinion, truly seeing God as your refuge and protector is a result of spiritual maturity, of completely giving control over to God, and completely trusting in him.
Guys by nature are fixers. We want to “be the man,” be the protector and ruler of our own kingdoms. It’s difficult for us to completely trust God and turn over control to Him. And yet that’s exactly what God wants us to do. For me, giving over control to God doesn’t come natural at all.
One thing that has worked with me is to begin with little things. If something is bothering you, and if it’s something you truly can’t control, just give it over to God and stop worrying about it. Keep track of it, then after a while take a look and see what happened. The times I’ve done this, I’ve demonstrated to myself that I’ve lost nothing, and in many cases have gained, by giving up control to God. I’m a scientist, and I need to see the data.
In the last few months I’ve been doing this more and more, with bigger and bigger issues. And my experience is that when I give up control to God, I am always protected, and I am usually rewarded – often in a way that I couldn’t have expected.
1 In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your justice rescue and deliver me; listen to me and save me!
3 Be my rock and refuge, my secure stronghold; for you are my rock and fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of the violent.
5 You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth.
6 On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers.
What a relationship David had with God. He wasn’t perfect, but he was always faithful. He gave praise to God in good times and bad. God was his strength, his refuge, and his friend. In my opinion, truly seeing God as your refuge and protector is a result of spiritual maturity, of completely giving control over to God, and completely trusting in him.
Guys by nature are fixers. We want to “be the man,” be the protector and ruler of our own kingdoms. It’s difficult for us to completely trust God and turn over control to Him. And yet that’s exactly what God wants us to do. For me, giving over control to God doesn’t come natural at all.
One thing that has worked with me is to begin with little things. If something is bothering you, and if it’s something you truly can’t control, just give it over to God and stop worrying about it. Keep track of it, then after a while take a look and see what happened. The times I’ve done this, I’ve demonstrated to myself that I’ve lost nothing, and in many cases have gained, by giving up control to God. I’m a scientist, and I need to see the data.
In the last few months I’ve been doing this more and more, with bigger and bigger issues. And my experience is that when I give up control to God, I am always protected, and I am usually rewarded – often in a way that I couldn’t have expected.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Daily - 9/8/08
Mark 8:1-10
1 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, he summoned the disciples and said,
2 "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.
3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance."
4 His disciples answered him, "Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?"
5 Still he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" "Seven," they replied.
6 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd.
7 They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also.
8 They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over--seven baskets.
9 There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them
10 and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
------------
Christ did the "loaves and fishes thing" twice. On one occasion four thousand were fed, with seven baskets left over. On the other occasion five thousand were fed, with twelve baskets left over. There are people out there who think of these and other miracles of Christ as symbolic or figurative.
My answer to that is … why do people seem so willing to put bounds on what Christ can do? There are so many out there who can accept some of Christ’s teachings, but when it gets to demonstrations of divinity (ie, the miracles), they just can’t accept it, and look for other semi-plausible explanations.
Christ’s teachings are like that. There are many, many things that people just can’t accept, and they either look away or they try to turn his teachings into something they can accept. Doing so is trying to draw a box around God, and trying to keep him within the confines of what you are willing to accept. I think to some extent many of us do that in our lives. I know I did until I finally looked up one Sunday and told God I wasn’t afraid, and that I was giving myself completely to Him.
All I can say is that great, great things have happened since I’ve taken that step.
1 In those days when there again was a great crowd without anything to eat, he summoned the disciples and said,
2 "My heart is moved with pity for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat.
3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will collapse on the way, and some of them have come a great distance."
4 His disciples answered him, "Where can anyone get enough bread to satisfy them here in this deserted place?"
5 Still he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" "Seven," they replied.
6 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then, taking the seven loaves he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples to distribute, and they distributed them to the crowd.
7 They also had a few fish. He said the blessing over them and ordered them distributed also.
8 They ate and were satisfied. They picked up the fragments left over--seven baskets.
9 There were about four thousand people. He dismissed them
10 and got into the boat with his disciples and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
------------
Christ did the "loaves and fishes thing" twice. On one occasion four thousand were fed, with seven baskets left over. On the other occasion five thousand were fed, with twelve baskets left over. There are people out there who think of these and other miracles of Christ as symbolic or figurative.
My answer to that is … why do people seem so willing to put bounds on what Christ can do? There are so many out there who can accept some of Christ’s teachings, but when it gets to demonstrations of divinity (ie, the miracles), they just can’t accept it, and look for other semi-plausible explanations.
Christ’s teachings are like that. There are many, many things that people just can’t accept, and they either look away or they try to turn his teachings into something they can accept. Doing so is trying to draw a box around God, and trying to keep him within the confines of what you are willing to accept. I think to some extent many of us do that in our lives. I know I did until I finally looked up one Sunday and told God I wasn’t afraid, and that I was giving myself completely to Him.
All I can say is that great, great things have happened since I’ve taken that step.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Daily - 9/2/08
Romans 12:1-2
1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
-----------------
This was the second reading at Sunday’s mass. I’ve sent this out before, but I thought it was worth repeating.
Verse 2 describes discerning God's will. This is a key element in spiritual development -- to be able to understand what God is asking us to do. How do we go about doing that?
Verse 2 says that to discern the will of God, we must allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewal of mind. OK, how do I go about doing that?
I submit that part of the answer is verse 1 - submit our bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and pleasing to God.
OK, how do I do that?
In my opinion, this means several things:
- Put sin to death as best we can by committing to obedience and remaining in Christ. Why? We know that sin is offensive to God, and if I don't make that commitment, I don't think I can be a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
- Receive the sacraments of eucharist. There is no better way to transform ourselves than by inviting the Lord to transform our bodies.
- Receive the sacrament of reconciliation frequently. It is the tried and true process for putting sin to death. As we become more aware of our sins and confess them to God's minister we put sin to death in our lives. The process of confession, absolution, and penance separates us from sin and opens us up to the Spirit.
- Give control of our lives over to God. Paul tells us to offer ourselves as a sacrifice, which means we are transferring "ownership" to God. If you're unwilling to make this step, you're never going to be able to be transformed the way Paul is describing.
In my opinion, understanding these points are key to moving toward the abundant life that Christ offers to us.
1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.
2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
-----------------
This was the second reading at Sunday’s mass. I’ve sent this out before, but I thought it was worth repeating.
Verse 2 describes discerning God's will. This is a key element in spiritual development -- to be able to understand what God is asking us to do. How do we go about doing that?
Verse 2 says that to discern the will of God, we must allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewal of mind. OK, how do I go about doing that?
I submit that part of the answer is verse 1 - submit our bodies as a living sacrifice, wholly and pleasing to God.
OK, how do I do that?
In my opinion, this means several things:
- Put sin to death as best we can by committing to obedience and remaining in Christ. Why? We know that sin is offensive to God, and if I don't make that commitment, I don't think I can be a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
- Receive the sacraments of eucharist. There is no better way to transform ourselves than by inviting the Lord to transform our bodies.
- Receive the sacrament of reconciliation frequently. It is the tried and true process for putting sin to death. As we become more aware of our sins and confess them to God's minister we put sin to death in our lives. The process of confession, absolution, and penance separates us from sin and opens us up to the Spirit.
- Give control of our lives over to God. Paul tells us to offer ourselves as a sacrifice, which means we are transferring "ownership" to God. If you're unwilling to make this step, you're never going to be able to be transformed the way Paul is describing.
In my opinion, understanding these points are key to moving toward the abundant life that Christ offers to us.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Daily - 7/8/06
Ephesians 4:17-24
17 So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;
18 darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart,
19 they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess.
20 That is not how you learned Christ,
21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus,
22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.
---------------------------
I probably sound like a broken record on this, but I was 32 years old before I really understood this message, and for the past 7 years I’ve gone through spurts of trying to put this into practice. It is indeed difficult to divorce yourself from the "old self" – ie, the one consumed with worldly things – jobs, responsibilities, professional and personal goals, hopes, dreams, fears, whatever. The "old self" is defined by these things, and is very easily consumed by them.
The "new self" puts God and his will in front of all those things. This can be a scary proposition. I’ve spent a lot of time tripping over that step, holding myself back out of fear that my life will change so severely that I won’t be able to handle it. The worldly things were too dear, and I didn’t want to give them up. The "old self" didn’t want to be put away.
It’s only relatively recently that I’ve finally stood up and told God that I’m not afraid, and that I’m ready to do whatever he needs me to do, and have truly tried to put him first. You know what? He didn’t take my stuff away. I still live in the same house, drive the same car, and have the same job. And yet I feel like I’m starting to put it all in perspective.
In Matthew 6 we are told:
30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given you besides.
34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
I can testify that this is in fact true. My life is far more peaceful than it used to be. What used to be a crisis is now not such a big deal. Faith grows through experience, and the more faith I’ve put in God, the more strength he has given me, and the more rewards he has given me. One of those rewards has been to write these daily messages. It has allowed me to put together a personal study of God’s word, and to take the time to write what I’ve learned down and try to string it together in some kind of cohesive thought.
17 So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds;
18 darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance, because of their hardness of heart,
19 they have become callous and have handed themselves over to licentiousness for the practice of every kind of impurity to excess.
20 That is not how you learned Christ,
21 assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus,
22 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth.
---------------------------
I probably sound like a broken record on this, but I was 32 years old before I really understood this message, and for the past 7 years I’ve gone through spurts of trying to put this into practice. It is indeed difficult to divorce yourself from the "old self" – ie, the one consumed with worldly things – jobs, responsibilities, professional and personal goals, hopes, dreams, fears, whatever. The "old self" is defined by these things, and is very easily consumed by them.
The "new self" puts God and his will in front of all those things. This can be a scary proposition. I’ve spent a lot of time tripping over that step, holding myself back out of fear that my life will change so severely that I won’t be able to handle it. The worldly things were too dear, and I didn’t want to give them up. The "old self" didn’t want to be put away.
It’s only relatively recently that I’ve finally stood up and told God that I’m not afraid, and that I’m ready to do whatever he needs me to do, and have truly tried to put him first. You know what? He didn’t take my stuff away. I still live in the same house, drive the same car, and have the same job. And yet I feel like I’m starting to put it all in perspective.
In Matthew 6 we are told:
30 If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?'
32 All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
33 But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given you besides.
34 Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
I can testify that this is in fact true. My life is far more peaceful than it used to be. What used to be a crisis is now not such a big deal. Faith grows through experience, and the more faith I’ve put in God, the more strength he has given me, and the more rewards he has given me. One of those rewards has been to write these daily messages. It has allowed me to put together a personal study of God’s word, and to take the time to write what I’ve learned down and try to string it together in some kind of cohesive thought.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Daily - 5/1/08
For those who don’t know me, I’m a Nebraska football fan.
One day I was lucky enough to have lunch with Turner Gill, who was an All-American QB at Nebraska. He was the QB when Nebraska failed on a last minute two-point conversion in the 1984 Orange Bowl against Miami. They lost the game and Miami won the national title. That play is shown to this day on sports highlight shows talking about “best ever” games.
One day I had lunch with him and among other things, got to ask him about that moment. I was shocked at what he had to say – which was that missing that conversion and losing the national championship was the best thing that ever happened to him. He said that he did a lot of soul searching in the months after that play, and it all led him to Christ. He was very eloquent in how he talked about how prideful he’d been, and how he’d realized that he couldn’t do everything himself, and that he needed to turn over control to God.
Think of that – a former All-American QB thinks losing the national title, and everything he’d worked for and been focused on for most of his life leading to that point. And he says it’s the best thing to ever happen to him, because it led him closer to God.
When he signs autographs, he also adds “Proverbs 3:5-6,” which he focuses on almost daily:
-----------
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
6 In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.
--------------
Impressive guy. He’s the head coach at Buffalo University now, and was MAC coach of the year last year. I’d send my kid to play for him any day.
One day I was lucky enough to have lunch with Turner Gill, who was an All-American QB at Nebraska. He was the QB when Nebraska failed on a last minute two-point conversion in the 1984 Orange Bowl against Miami. They lost the game and Miami won the national title. That play is shown to this day on sports highlight shows talking about “best ever” games.
One day I had lunch with him and among other things, got to ask him about that moment. I was shocked at what he had to say – which was that missing that conversion and losing the national championship was the best thing that ever happened to him. He said that he did a lot of soul searching in the months after that play, and it all led him to Christ. He was very eloquent in how he talked about how prideful he’d been, and how he’d realized that he couldn’t do everything himself, and that he needed to turn over control to God.
Think of that – a former All-American QB thinks losing the national title, and everything he’d worked for and been focused on for most of his life leading to that point. And he says it’s the best thing to ever happen to him, because it led him closer to God.
When he signs autographs, he also adds “Proverbs 3:5-6,” which he focuses on almost daily:
-----------
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not;
6 In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths.
--------------
Impressive guy. He’s the head coach at Buffalo University now, and was MAC coach of the year last year. I’d send my kid to play for him any day.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Daily - 4/25/08
Psalm 31:1-6
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
2 In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice deliver me;
3 incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.
4 You are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead and guide me.
5 Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, faithful God.
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
2 In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice deliver me;
3 incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.
4 You are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead and guide me.
5 Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, faithful God.
-------------------------
FYI - In Luke’s gospel, Jesus repeats verse 6 with his dying words (Luke 23:46).
In my opinion, truly seeing God as your refuge and protector is a result of spiritual maturity, of completely giving control over to God, and completely trusting in him. I’d love to say that I have reached that level of maturity, but I’m definitely not there yet. Mostly I put my trust in myself or other men. Sometimes that works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.
The most faithful people I know -- they guys that I want to be like -- have full trust in God. I want to be like that. It's hard though. Guys by nature are fixers. We want to "be the man," be the protector and ruler of our own kingdoms. It’s difficult for me to completely trust God and turn over control to Him. And yet that’s exactly what God wants me to do. I’ve found that in this case, it doesn’t come natural at all. I’ve had to just do it. I need to do it more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)