Galatians 5:22-23
But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One day last fall, I cut open an apple, and the seeds inside had sprouted. I wondered what would happen if I planted them, so I carefully saved the sprouts and put them in a bucket of potting soil. I fertilized and watered the soil, and soon, a tiny shoot emerged through the dirt. All winter I tended this seedling… and now it is several feet high. I have no clue whether this seedling will ever bear fruit… but I continue to nurture it with the anticipation of someday having a beautiful apple tree in my back yard!
Had I planted this sprout in the soil and covered the bucket with a lid, the results would have been far different. The sprout would still have been there. Technically, there would still be potential for an apple tree. But without the nurturing gifts of water, sunlight, and air, the tree would not have the necessary components to flourish and grow.
It seems that a lot of Christians get things half right. They focus on their salvation experience… they make the critical decision to acknowledge that Jesus died for their sins… and they invite Him to become LORD of their life. But far too many Christians stop at this decision and never cultivate any further relationship with Jesus. They never even acknowledge His Holy Spirit… much less allow Him to work in and through their heart. It’s as if they planted the sprout and then put a lid on the bucket!
So we end up with a lot of Christians who see the glass as half-empty. They are cynical and skeptical of their fellow man and many circumstances. Our great-nephew Nathan entered the world this morning – a full 6 pounds 13 ounces of perfection. But as he grows, many will look at him and fail to see what we lovingly see…just as we Christians fail to see the beautiful child of God in each of our fellow humans. We are too busy judging their skin color, sexual orientation, political leaning, denominational allegiance, or even the size and shape of their noses!
We get angry at every little comment… we only encourage those who encourage us… we miss the holiness of a few minutes spent silently worshipping God while listening to our favorite hymn or contemporary Christian song - or sitting on the back porch in a rocking chair listening to the birds. And we are anything but calm and serene. We effectually put a lid on the bucket of God’s gifts through His Holy Spirit… and we miss out on so much in the process.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can start today to invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts – and to manifest Himself in and through our very being. We can start paying closer attention and calling on Him more to help us with every aspect of our day. And we can begin to experience the true joy and serenity that comes from living God’s way.
I want to be a glass-more-than-half-full kind of Christian. I want to receive every gift God extends… and to be a good steward of them all. I want the peace and calm that God’s Holy Spirit offers… the love and compassion, patience and self-control that He stands ready to grant each of His believers. I’m ready to operate in the energy of the Holy Spirit and to feel His steady hand pointing me in the right direction. What about you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment