Woot Woot, Fall is finally here. Give it up for a few days when the temperature is not ninety bazillion degrees. And what was that falling from the sky? -yes rain! I actually put on a jacket this weekend, and had some hot tea this morning with breakfast, It’s finally Autumn. Yes I am sure we will have Indian Summer, Dogwood Summer, Pumpkin Summer and all of those other warm fronts that we have before Winter, but wow, isn’t Autumn a welcome reprieve from the heat.
So here is something to get you going on a Monday morning. Using some motivation you see in the transformation in the world around you, remember to transform yourself each day to the person who are striving to be.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Woot, woot! Man, I have so many things to be pumped about today. We had a great relaxing soccer filled weekend as a family. We explored the Sequatchie Valley on a beautiful day on Saturday. The Mountaineers won, my fantasy team won ( as a matter of fact, my bench alone almost beat my opponent). It’s just so great. But you know what really makes today great. It’s the fact that I have been given another day to delight in what the Lord has provided. More than the wins, more than the sun, more than the weekend. Check it in the first Psalm:
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.Psalm 1 (NIV)
It’s being rooted by a source of food and energy that has me excited today. Like a tree by a stream, His law provides the nutrients for us to produce fruit. Let’s be rooted in Him. Watch the fruit the we will produce.
I love Facebook. Now its not because I want to see what people had for dinner last night. It’s because in between in the “I’m Bored” and the “I just had the best vacation in the world, eat it sucker!” posts, you can find the heart of people. Last night, one of my college friends posted a link to a video, that I highly recommend that you watch:
This guy Nick Vujicic was born with no arms and no legs, but yet has a love for life that’s absolutely incredible. I found myself last night and this morning watching his talks on You Tube in amazement. How could someone with that bad of life get back up? Well, as he tells in his video’s and on his website, it wasn’t easy. But once we realized that God had a plan for him and that God was going to use his brokenness to reach people for Him, his life turned around.
God is using his brokenness to reach others that are broken and to turn them around, and to provide hope. What’s amazing is that’s how He seems to work. He brings messages of hope and peace from the lowliest places.
Mr Vujicic sells a shirt on his site with this quote from St. Francis of Assisi
“Let me sow LOVE where there is HATRED.”
“Let me be HOPE where there is DESPAIR.”
So today, let this man with a broken body inspire you. Let him remind you that God will use you, when you let him. Let him take your brokenness and turn it into a mighty work! Reach out and impact those around you today.
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37
“finally Friday, free again, got my motor running for a wild weekend”. Nothing like starting off the morning with a little George Jones, and yes it Friday! The rest of the song does leave a little to be desired! But yes its Friday, the end of the week, and for a lot of people, a seemingly lighter work load. ( not me – con calls 8-4 straight!)
Since its Friday, and since my mind is still sort of stuck in Philippians 3–today is garbage day at my house, so I have been thinking about the whole concept of a spiritual garbage day, and what needs to go go go! (Man that sentence got away from me). Anyway, since its Friday, here is a little lighter thought, from just a page over in Philippians to help set your mind up as you head off in the weekend ( by the may, if Saturday is the end of the week, and Sunday is the start of the week, why is it not called the weekends, like bookends.) And to represent the two days of the weekend here are two versions
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)
8-9Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Philippians 4:8, The Message)
Think on those things, and see how that changes your day!
I am sure you could guess that yesterday’s post was only half a thought, because I don’t think that when Jesus says “sell all” and “give” that he is only referring to material things. I think he is referring to our complete selves. This is the thought that I have been struggling with all week, because its such hard thing to do. Even this morning as I prepare for the work day and recount activities from yesterday, I find myself frustrated about events, when upon closer examination that frustration is more about my point of view or the may I felt I was treated. If I have sold out to the Christ, then my take on that situation is so totally different. Yeah, sure, maybe somethings are not the way they should be, and maybe some people are not being completely open and truthful, but hey, my sold out response will be much kinder, and full of mercy, because I will be focused on what truly matters.
So what I am really taking about. Well, its in found in Philippians 3:8:
8Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ (CEV)
Paul says he considers everything else as garbage! Some translation say rubbish, dung, or worthless. WOW! I read that verse and I say “yeah, but what about my…..”. It’s tough. It’s one of those stumper verses. HOW?
Now you see where my mind has been this week. It’s not really about T-shirts, although that’s a symptom. It’s about knowing Christ and understanding how much better that is then anything else in the world, and then living that way.
You should read the whole of Philippians 3, but take a look at this broader context:
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I am just like Paul, I have not taken hold of this yet, however this thought has captivated my mind. And since I am pretty visual this little mini-movie brings this home as well. Take a moment some time today to view this video:
Ponder this today. What do you own, what do you do, what do you think about that is better the knowing Christ. Can you count it as garbage? Will you help me to?
