Standing in the Gap

Read: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

“Our new life in Christ is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. – 2 Corinthians 5:18

One of Paul’s favorite topics is God’s message of forgiveness and the ministry of reconciliation. The word reconcile in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 is the Greek word, “katallage”, which means to restore to divine favor. In other words, reconciliation means to transition an enemy to a friend. While sinners, we are God’s enemy; but through Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary’s cross He makes us consecrated friends with God (James 2:23). Then, God entrusted us with the ministry of reconciling others to Him.

The eternal destiny of every soul depends on whether or not he/she is reconciled with God. This should stir us to eagerly take part in this ministry of reconciliation with everyone we meet. This is not a difficult task. We simply tell people, “God took Christ, who knew no sin, to represent our sin and to receive the punishment due for our sin in His death on the cross. So that we, who were enemies, alienated from God by our own sin, might be reconciled back to God!” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21).

We see a pattern for reconciliation in the story of the Prodigal Son. His rebellion against the Father leads to his ruin. Then his repentance leads both to his reconciliation with his father and also the restoration of his position in the family (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus’ sacrifice paid our debt, reconciled us to God and brought to us the restoration of our position in God’s family. Jesus made peace between God and mankind through His blood, which He shed on the cross (Colossians 1:19-20).

Another aspect in our ministry of reconciliation is that we settle differences with our friends, relatives, associates and neighbors as well as with God. If someone has something against us, or if we are harboring an offense against someone else, then God wants us to reconcile with that person (Matthew 5:23-24). We do this by asking forgiveness for our misbehavior against them, and by forgiving them for their transgressions against us (Matthew 6:14-15). When we reconcile, we remove the wedge Satan planted between us to prevent us from loving one another as Christ commands us to do (Matthew 22:37-40).

A third aspect of reconciliation is that even Creation is eagerly waiting for the restoration of all things that will take place once the sons of God are revealed Right now, Creation is subjected to frustration because of the choices made by Adam and Eve on that fatal day in Paradise. Creation is groaning in pain, such as women experience in childbirth. All Creation waits for its liberation from bondage to decay; so that it also can once again experience the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:19-22). We do not realize how much we and Creation lost with Adam’s sin. However, because of Calvary, we have the confidence that everything Satan stole in Genesis, Jesus will restore to us and Creation at His revelation with His Bride in the end times.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, Your death on the cross opened the door for all mankind to be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. We thank you for Your transforming love that heals our wounds, which divide us from one another and for forgiving our sins that separated us from You. We recognize the power of Your grace and mercy in our lives and we come to You in humility, presenting ourselves to You as a living sacrifice. Give us the humility to reconcile with our family, friends, neighbors and associates. Then use us according to Your will to bring reconciliation between them and You, so we may all enjoy eternity in Your presence together.

Thought for the Day:

As flawed humanity, if we place our faith in God, He freely forgives our sin and reconciles us to Himself.

 

 

Healthy Sense of Self for Christians - Part 2, Led By the Spirit

Human beings are the result of all of the nature and nurture that God provided for us in our lifetime. He intended that we have the parents, the environment and the genes that we have in order to be the person He needs us to be. This way He can use us to help others with our unique skills and talents. But we do not have to indiscriminately help everyone who needs our help.

Love does not mean giving people what they want, it is following the Spirit’s leading in everything we do and say. Reaching a balance in the area of ministry is both basic and simple. If God does not give you peace to comply with someone’s request or a need that they may have, then do not get involved. God teaches us to develop healthy boundaries based on the Holy Spirit’s direction. This is crucial for creating a safe place - a home base - for the authentic person whom God created us to be, as we follow His will throughout our day.

Many of the ministry needs that we try to respond to may appear Biblical on the surface. The issue is legitimate and the person is in real need. However, serving others without Spirit-led boundaries eventually starts to feel like slavery and bondage, and may even cause us to grow more and more resentful and angry in our soul. If the Holy Spirit does not direct us to get involved and we do so anyway, this can have an oppressive effect on us, because it becomes a “works” brand of Christianity.

Let me give you one example from Jesus’ life. He walked among the multitude of sick people beside the pool of Bethesda (John 5: 1-18). They all needed His help, but He only healed one of them. He could have spoken a word and healed them all at once; or He could have sat there the whole day and ministered to each one individually. However, He followed His Father’s directions instead of humanisticly responding to all of the needs (John 5:19). Jesus set boundaries, and He gave us an example of how to set them too.

If we do not set limits on our activities as the Holy Spirit directs us to do, then our responses to other people come merely from the complex network of carnal thoughts and emotions in our soul. We may have a nagging sense of doubt and shame because of our past; therefore, we are driven to help by the fear of rejection. We may fear that God disapproves of us when we meet our own basic needs, so we spend all of our time caring for others instead.

If we do not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we run the risk of getting worn out and of distancing our self from God, which will cause us to lose our spiritual anchor. Anything that affects our spiritual, mental and emotional well-being also affects our physical well-being. Hospitals and doctors offices are full of people with psychosomatic (mentally induced) illnesses.

God has a much richer plan for us, in which learning to love ourselves is vitally tied to learning to love our neighbor. Having a solid, healthy sense of who we are in Christ, and of our God-inspired, unique individuality, goes hand-in-hand with being able to enter into loving “interdependent” relationships with our family, our church and our community.

When you feel overwhelmed, take a time out and hide beneath the shadow of the Almighty. Seek refuge under His wings. This keeps out unwanted intruders of doubt, insecurity, fear and obligation, and provides a safe place where you can grow and develop as an individual. The sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit during these times does a complete work in our body, soul and spirit. He renews our strength and He equips us to perform the works that God calls us to achieve. 

This “home base” provides a place to gather our authentic thoughts and feelings, as well as gives us the time needed to decide whom we are in Christ – without the fear of being shamed or verbally attacked by well-meaning brethren. This is a secret place where we can honestly face the realities of our life. We can also ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance and ask God for the strength to be able to step aside and to allow Christ to accomplish His will through our life.

God's plan for our self-development involves a building up of our selves in a grace-filled, restorative experience of Christ in us, which is our hope of glory. This way, we can live less like Martha who frantically rushed around serving others – and more like Mary who allowed herself to sit at Jesus' feet first (Luke 10:38-42). From this passage, it is clear that God does not want us to give out of obligation. He wants our giving to flow from our genuine desire to serve Him and from our choice to obey the leading of His Spirit.

Being able to choose the boundaries we feel comfortable with is a key step in being able to give genuinely, rather than under compulsion. As we spend time with Him, and receive His grace and care for us, there is a natural overflow of this love, grace and caring outwards to others. Allowing one's “self” to be built up in Christ's love makes it possible for us to serve others out of love, rather than out of coercion or codependence.

How do we know where to draw our boundaries? How do we know how much giving is too little or too much? No two people have the same boundaries. To answer this we need to listen to our own soul – our mind, will and emotions - and to the leading of the Holy Spirit within us. Service without boundaries easily leads to resentment and anger. It is not the amount we are giving that counts, but the process – serving from a cheerful heart – that really matters. If God does not give you peace to comply with a request or a need, then do not get involved.

Giving of one's “self” as an overflow of the grace we have experienced may not always come easily or without difficulty or pain, as Jesus showed by his life and death. God wants to put His hands around our tiny "sparks" of genuine giving and to nurture them gradually into a torch blazing with agape love. Our light will then shine like a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:14). With God's hands sheltering our obedience to His Spirit from the winds of guilt, shame and perfectionistic expectations, our love can grow – step by little step – into a flame of genuine caring and nurture. This allows God to minister through us only to those to whom He leads us.
 
Allowing God to build up our feelings of self-worth and to help us to develop secure boundaries is a spiritual priority. Allowing God to teach us to say "No" is more important to our spiritual growth than saying "Yes" to yet another "spiritual" activity. We do not always need to have a clearly articulated or spiritual-sounding reason for saying, "No." If God is not leading you to say, “Yes,” then by all means, please say, “No.”

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, prompt us to take time to just sit at Your feet like Mary did and to soak up God's grace until we are filled with Your Spirit. Then, help us to serve others from a place free of resentment. If we do find ourselves not feeling genuinely led to give, help us not to force ourselves, but to obey the Spirit who leads us by His peace from within.

Thought for the Day:

Our giving comes from a genuine desire and freedom to serve God. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:7

An Antiquated Book

Read: 2 Timothy 3: 16-17

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." ~ Psalm 119:105

I have no idea how I could survive in this insecure world without the solid footing provided to me by God's Word. The Bible contains a complete library bound into one book. Although multiple authors penned it years ago and years apart, the message is relevant throughout the ages. From Genesis to Revelation, we sit entranced as we read of the amazing adventures of human beings just like us.

The Word also tells us that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and to provide us with Eternal Life. The Bible is important for us today because it shares relevant wisdom to give us the skill to live successful lives. It is a road map through the uncharted world in which we live, giving us hope in troubled times.

God did not create us and then abandon us on this earth. He gave us His Word to instruct us in how to live in the present at the same time that it encourages us to look to a future in His loving presence. God does not leave us in the dark. His prophecies give us clues about His plans and ignite our hope about His imminent return.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word that offers us hope, enlightenment, instruction and encouragement. Thank You for fulfilling many of its prophecies already and for allowing us to live in this age where Your prophecies are fulfilled almost on a daily basis.

Thought for the Day:

A Bible that is falling apart belongs to an owner that is getting it together.