Beyond Us

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)

The night sky on a clear night can be truly amazing to gaze upon. The light from the stars and planets provide wonderful beauty. When you allow your mind to wander, you are able to see shapes and images by combining various points of light. Ancient people did exactly this which led to the signs of the zodiac and other concepts of astrology. There is a scene in Disney’s Lion King when Mufasa is speaking with Simba on a star-filled night as they overlook the pride land. Mufasa tells Simba to look at the stars. He says they are the kings who have come before them and will guide them, including Simba, in being king. Later in the movie, Simba looks to the stars and sees Mufasa who guided him in reclaiming the prideland. By looking beyond one’s self and current situation, we can be guided in life.

When we look at the letter to the Colossians, we find this passage which calls us to look beyond ourselves. Here we are told that we have been raised into a new life by Christ. Now our focus should be and what God desires in our lives. We have died to our old way of living because our life is now found in Christ. When Christ appears before us then we will join in his glory. This takes us from our present way of living to a new life focused on the Lord.

Sitting and looking at the stars transports us from our current situation to a place where we can imagine and dream. By placing our focus on Christ to guide us in this new life, our thoughts and actions can be transformed. We can imagine the glory-filled day when we stand before the Lord. As Christ’s glory envelopes us, we see the fullness of our new life. Being in Christ, our daily living can now be guided by him.

Live as one who has been given new life in Christ. Look to the Lord to imagine and be guided in this new life.

The Blessings

25 “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. 26 I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. 27 The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. 28 They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. 29 I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. 31 You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Ezekiel 34:25-31 (NIV)

At times it can be easy to miss the obvious. We can become so accustomed to the everyday details in our lives that we do not even notice them. There are aspects of our lives which seem to naturally occur without us even giving any thought to them. A good example is our breathing. Stop for a moment and focus on your breathing. Notice each inhale and each exhale. This occurs over and over without our conscious thought. A blessing which keeps us alive but goes unnoticed most of the time.

The passage from Ezekiel talks about the blessings which God plans to bestow on the Israelites. God promises the Israelites that there will be a covenant of peace. God will remove all dangers from them. They will be given showers to provide them crops and fruit. The yoke of oppression will be removed. They will be kept in safety. The land given will provide abundantly. This will show them that God is with them and they are God’s people. Over time, the Israelites will begin to take all of this for granted. In the Bible this is referred to as forgetting their God.

Sadly, we can be like the Israelites when it comes to taking God and the blessings which God provides for granted. As creator of all things, God blesses us with everything surrounding us and even our life itself. How often do we stop to take notice of these blessings which God provides. Just as the breathing exercise above, if we are not deliberate in noticing the everyday blessings, they will not be apparent to us. Ezekiel reminds us that these blessings alert us of the presence of God and that we are God’s people.  So take time to notice and remember your Lord.

The Sacrifice

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Luke 9:23-26

There is a scene in the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when Indiana Jones tries to save Elsa from falling to her death in a large crevice. In order to save her, she must quit her attempt at recovering the Holy Grail from a ledge in the crevice and give her other hand to Indiana. She chooses to continue her attempt and falls. Then Indiana is faced with the same dilemma and his dad, who is trying to save him, tells him to let the grail go and give his dad the other hand. Indiana listens to his dad and is pulled to safety but the Holy Grail is lost. A tough decision faced both characters. Do they do whatever it takes to retrieve the grail and the fame and riches which will accompany it, or save their life by letting the grail go?

Jesus places a choice before the people of his time and us. Jesus says that to be his disciple one must deny self, take up the cross, and follow. Only by being willing to lose one’s life can one be saved. The life which Jesus offers requires sacrificing self interest for the interest of others as Jesus does.  A disciple follows in the footsteps of the one they follow and proudly proclaims that in their lives.

Jesus’s choices are a bit reversed from the scene in the movie but the underlying condition is the same. We are faced with a choice. Do we cling to the lives we have constructed or are we willing to sacrifice those lives for the one Jesus offers? Our lives often are based on achieving goals which benefits us. These benefits may include financial excess, notoriety, or status. The focus in this situation is ourselves and our desires. Jesus indicates we must be willing to give these up if necessary, acknowledge Jesus as Lord of our lives, and follow his example of making choices which are not self-centered but focused on the benefit of others. Will we be willing to place our self desires on the cross to follow him?

Placing Trust

5 This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
    in a salt land where no one lives.

7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV)

Rain is vital for the sustainability of the earth. While there are desert sections of our world, much of the habitat areas of land require rain. Precipitation is necessary for most plant and animal growth. The oceans and waterways require moisture in some form to replenish and sustain life. When we experience periods of drought, the effects can be devastating to all forms of life. The dust bowl in the United States during the early 1930s shows what life changing impact draughts can have on the land, animals, humans, and economy. Simply put, we need rain and snow in order for us to live a comfortable and productive life.

The prophet Jeremiah has a message from God which he is sharing with the people. He tells them that they should not place their trust in humanity and turn their backs on the Lord. When one places trust for their lives in human power, they will come to suffer and be disappointed. Hardships and difficulties await those who rely on humanity completely. Instead, Jeremiah says that we are to trust in the Lord. When one does so, they will receive everything which they need to sustain their lives. Their lives will be productive. They will be able to withstand the difficulties which arise.

Relying upon one’s self or completely on the abilities of humans, leads to disappointment and even disaster. While God uses humans to achieve God’s work, humanity itself is not capable of providing everything. Humans have a limited perspective. The skill set of only one human or a small group of humans has limited effectiveness. God sees the whole picture and knows how to put together combinations which will produce effective and sustaining results. In partnership with humanity, the Lord does wondrous things.

Trust not in self or humanity. Trust in the Lord. When you do, the Lord will become a partner and you will have all which you need.

Addicted to the Lord

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)

Addictions are serious and usually destructive illnesses which can devastate lives and relationships. An addiction is an illness which requires the individual to alter their life in a way which will prevent a relapse once the addiction is subdued. Whatever the addiction, drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, or sex, the illness is never cured but the person learns to live in a way which does not give the addiction power over life choices and actions. The craving can surface at any point and especially is present during times of stress. Support groups and supportive friends and family can assist the individual but managing the addiction is solely a personal responsibility.

The writer of our passage from 1 Peter speaks of a beneficial addiction. The passage begins by telling the reader listener to rid self of behaviors which have negative impacts upon others. Then the instruction is given to become like babies who crave milk. In this situation, it is spiritual milk. Those things which feed one’s spirit such as: fellowship with other believers, reading of God’s word, time spent in prayer, contemplation of God’s magnificence in nature, engaged in worship and music, and anything else which feeds the soul in a positive manner. This feeding assists in preparing the soul to experience the promised salvation. Once one has experienced the Lord in these activities, the person will be addicted to the goodness of the Lord.

Generally addictions are a bad aspect of one’s life. However, the writer of 1 Peter makes clear that an addiction, craving, of the Lord in your life is a positive one. It is true that once you have experienced the goodness of the Lord, you desire more. The connection is strong. A desire to know more about the Lord grows in a greater way. The hunger for feeling the Lord’s presence and becoming more aware of that presence increases.

The message from 1 Peter is to get hooked on the Lord; become addicted!

Love Undergirds

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Have you ever watched a bridge under construction? The process takes time and can be very interesting to watch. It is good that it takes time because the safety of those using the bridge is important. The process begins by laying a foundation at the base of the support pillars. Then the pillars are put in place. This is followed by ensuring the pillar top is properly cut for the bridge deck. Once those are in place, the ramps for entering and exiting the bridge are constructed followed by the placing of the decking. This is a simplified overview but you get the idea. The main point is that what undergirds the bridge is important for the safety, trustworthiness and usefulness of the bridge.

Paul writes to the believers in Corinth. His goal in what he writes is to stress the importance of love. This passage is often chosen as one of the readings used in a wedding service because it describes love in the context of relationships. However, Paul’s intent was to describe love in a context of corporate relationships. He is telling the believers how they are to love one another as members of a group of Christ followers. Paul says that whatever the believers do or say should have the undergirding of love. It is love which provides safety, trustworthiness, and usefulness within the relationships with each other.

As readers today, Paul’s words ring true for us. Since God is love, it seems natural that love should undergird our lives and relationships. Striving to live into Paul’s definition of love here is akin to living into the likeness of Christ. Every day we must strive for the attributes Paul lists: kindness, without envy or boasting, honoring others, selfless, without anger, not holding grudges, rejoicing in truth, rejecting evil, protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering. The promise which Paul lifts up here is that love never fails.

Acceptance

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.”

10 Again, it says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again, Isaiah says,

“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:7-13 (NIV)

Frequently in life there develops an “in” group and an “out” group. Those within the special group achieve their membership based upon a defined set of criteria. This criteria can be items such as athletic ability, physical attributes, wealth, or even who the person knows. Sometimes being included may even be based on ancestry. Being part of the “in” group affords a person special knowledge, privileges, and treatment. If a person is a member of the “out” group, animosity and resentment can arise towards the members of the other group. There can be emotional and psychological pain experienced by those on the out. Trying to build acceptance among the groups can be a true challenge.

Reading from the letter to the Roman believers, we can see that there has developed a division among them. This division is based on ancestry and history. The Jews had always been considered as God’s chosen people since the time of Abraham and Sarah. This delineation was due to the events regarding Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael was sent away and Isaac became the chosen one to carry forward God’s promises to Abraham. This would begin the lineage of the

Jews, the “in” group. Those who are not part of the lineage were referred to as Gentiles and were on the outside. Paul points out that God did not intend this to be a permanent separation. In Jesus Christ, this division has been eliminated. The believers in Rome are to understand this as part of their belief in Christ and accept one another. Belief in Jesus Christ unites those who used to be divided.

This type of division still exists today in a different way. Too often today the “in” group is considered to be members of the Church. The “out” group are those who are not a part of the fellowship. There is an attitude of being special among those who worship God together. A special set of words and ritual behaviors have been established among this group. A set of criteria has been adopted which must be met to be allowed in the group. There is even an us versus them mentality. 

Like the believers in Rome, we must learn to accept one another and break through the walls which divide us; no longer in/out or us/them but an attitude and behavior of we. Those who are believers must lead the way by reaching out to those who are not currently part of the fellowship. Going outside the walls of a building or the barriers we have constructed through rules and rituals. Accepting people where they are just as Christ accepted us where we were.

Love In Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:9-21 (NIV)

” You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter.”

Nicolas Sparks

Nicolas Sparks is an American novelist who was born in Omaha, NE. He is probably best known for two of his twenty-one novels, “The Notebook” and “Message In a Bottle.” What Sparks says here is a sentiment which has been communicated in a variety of ways over thousands of years. The idea is that people can say all types of endearing words but only if their actions support those words can they be trusted and believed.

Paul is speaking to the believers in Rome regarding love. Paul instructs the people on how to live out love. He gives a list of behaviors which show love to be sincere. All of the behaviors focus on the good, caring for others and avoiding a revenge mentality.

Most of us have become accustomed to not trusting what we are told. Experiences with politicians, advertisements, telemarketers and leaders have caused us to be skeptical almost all the time. When we are told that we are loved, we struggle to truly believe it and are waiting for the catch. Only by seeing these words in action do we begin to believe them at all.

As believers in Christ, we are commissioned to share God’s love with others. The problem that arises is when we try to communicate the message of God’s love using only words. The skepticism mentioned above makes those words ineffective. We must live out the love of God in our lives. What Paul shares with the Romans are examples of how we can live out the love.

Lamenting With Hope

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)

There had been a lot of suffering in our nation, and the world, over the last year. The pandemic has been a significant cause of suffering and death. The social unrest related to racial differences have brought to the surface long-existing suffering. The very contentious political environment has led to growing division and suffering within communities and families. The afflictions when one is experiencing them can be so strong that it feels like they are drowning one’s spirit.

Lamentations is a crying out to God. The words are considered to be from the time when Israel was in exile. The Israelites had experienced many hardships including separation from family, destruction of their homes, and being brought to a foreign land to live as servants. They easily felt overwhelmed by their afflictions. Yet there is hope in the words we read today. The writer acknowledges the feeling of being consumed by afflictions except for the fact of the Lord’s love preventing a total consumption. The compassion and faithfulness of the Lord is seen as unfailing and renewed daily. Waiting for the Lord to remove the afflictions speaks to a confidence that the Lord will and a belief that the Lord provides what is required to endure until then.

In the midst of our afflictions recently, we may feel like crying out to the Lord as we see in Lamentations. In fact, we hopefully have done just that. However, it is important to keep in mind that because we are loved by God, our troubles will not totally overcome us. The compassion and faithfulness of the Lord is never ending. We are to wait and be confident that the Lord will walk us through whatever we are experiencing.

Your Longing

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

The psalmist here speaks of a longing for God that engulfs the whole being. A longing which finds its fulfillment only in God. Looking to God as the only way to fill an emptiness within a person’s spirit. Seeing God as the only One who can provide what the soul needs to be sustained.

Listen to this song by Michael W. Smith, Breathe

Does your soul long for the Lord?

How does the Lord provide what you need to sustain your soul?

What came to mind as you listened to the words of the song?

May you find what your soul longs for in the Lord.