Stumbling around in the dark...

1 John 1:5-7 "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

When Joan and I were first married, I worked swing shift at Douglas Aircraft Co. so we could  both finish our senior year of college and graduate together.  I would get off work at 1:00 a.m., ride my bike home, and enter our tiny one-bedroom apartment as quietly as possible so as not to wake her.  I didn't turn the light on, and occasionally that proved to be a painful mistake.  You see, Joan likes to rearrange furniture and as I tiptoed across the living room, I would bang my shin into something that wasn't there when I left for work 8 hours earlier.

It's like that in my spiritual life.  There have been times when I was so full of myself, focused on what I wanted, confident of where I was going, that I didn't take time to seek God's counsel.  I assumed that He was leading me when, in fact, I was walking my own path.  Before long I became disoriented, bumping into things, stumbling around in the dark.

How I thank God that, although I was lost, He knew where I was all along.  You see, He had implanted His personal GPS in my heart - the Holy Spirit - and although I had wandered off track, I was never off His "radar".  All I had to do was acknowledge my stubbornness and follow the Voice  back to Him.

Dear Lord,  thank You for being patient and persistent with me over the years. You know that my heart's desire is to follow You, to honor You, to make You proud of me.  You also know how easily I lose focus and become sidetracked.  Please help me to listen closely to You, to discern Your will, and stay on Your path today.   Amen.

Avoiding spiritual autopilot...

Philemon 1:6  "and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become energized through the true knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake."

I once asked a friend how his week had gone.  His monotone, deadpan reply was, "Same old thing, miracle after miracle."  While his response produced a chuckle, it also got me to thinking about the illogical contrast in those two phrases.  Shouldn't one contradict the other?

Have you ever let your mind drift while driving down the freeway and then suddenly "awake" to find that you have travelled several miles on "auto pilot"?  It's like that for me in my spiritual  life sometimes.  At bedtime, as I review the tape of the day's events,  the Holy Spirit reveals lapses of concentration, missed opportunities.  I had been so focused on tasks and schedules that I wasn't aware of the people God intended for me to touch.  How can I avoid going into "spiritual autopilot"?

Paul's prayer for his friend Philemon provides some insight.  If I understand his words correctly, a key to staying alert is for me to exercise my spiritual gifts.  The word translated "true knowledge" has to do with putting one's knowledge into action, transforming understanding into experience.  I am not only to be aware of,thankful for, the gifts (the "good thing") with which God has blessed me.  I am to use them under the direction of the Holy Spirit and, in so doing, my faith will become dynamically energized.

Lord, as I peruse my schedule for the day, all I can see is a list of appointments.  I can't yet visualize the opportunities for ministry You have planned.  Please set Your "alerts" in my calendar and help me to utilize my spiritual gifts so that tonight as I review the day, I'll rejoice to see all of the encounters You penciled in.  No auto pilot for me today!  Amen.

5 Words I'll Never Say...

Ephesians 6:24  "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love."

We live in a "throw-away" society.  Almost everything is disposable.  If you don't like it or you get tired of it, sell it in a garage sale, donate it to charity, or throw it away.    And it's not just "things" we throw away.   Sadly, "disposable" also applies to relationships.

Our culture's vocabulary has evolved to the point that the word "commitment" has been replaced with  "convenient".  We see it in the 50+% divorce rate.  Unwritten, but commonly understood, in the wedding vows is the disclaimer, "as long as I am in love with you."

Paul describes a Christian's love, both towards Christ and towards each other, as "incorruptible".  It is the opposite of perishable, and it carries with it the wonderful security of permanence.   How can that be?  How can I commit myself to love someone, whether it be God or my wife, forever?  What if I "fall out of love"?

Fortunately, it doesn't depend on me or my emotions.  God's Holy Spirit lives in me and promises to produce that "forever" love in and through me.  It is God's nature to love, and He is in the process of reproducing His love in my heart and in my relationships.  Because of Who He is, there are 5 words that will never come out of my mouth: "I don't love you anymore."

Dear Lord, I am so thankful that in our "throw-away" culture, I find permanence in You.  ThankYou for Your immutability, Your "unchangeableness".  Thank  You that because of Your Holy Spirit, my love for You and for my wife continues to grow, deepen, mature.  Please help me to express it better today.  Amen.

Speaking Freely...

Ephesians 6:19-20 "Pray also on my behalf, that to me may be given a word in the opening of my mouth, in freedom, to make known the secret of the Gospel, for which I am an ambassador in a chain, that in it I may speak freely -- as I ought to speak."

Paul was a gifted speaker, so much so that the Greeks in Lystra called him "Mercury", after the mythological orator. He never seemed to be at a loss for words. How is it, then, that he asks for prayer in regards to what he would say?

I try to imagine Paul's circumstance. He was under house arrest in Rome, chained to a Roman soldier 24/7. Although he was the prisoner, Paul had a captive audience! God had given him a rare opportunity to infiltrate the ranks of the elite Praetorian guard, and he recognized that his wisdom was insufficient. He needed God's words, and he needed the confidence to speak freely.

Although I haven't shared Paul's identical circumstance, I often find myself in situations where I sense the opportunity to share the Good News with someone who needs it. Ashamedly, I haven't always taken advantage of the opportunity, not knowing what to say or not wanting to interrupt my schedule. There have been times, however, when I was sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompts, when I was open to His leading, and I shared the Gospel appropriately and effectively. Afterwards, I realized that the words weren't mine, but His. What an exhilarating feeling!

Lord, thank you for Your promise to give us the words to speak when we need them. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for constantly leading me into opportunities to share the Word. Please help me today to listen to You, to respond to Your nudges, and to speak Your words (not mine!) freely. I want to be Your ambassador. Amen.

The Holy Spirit and Smart Phones...

Ephesians 6:18 - 19   "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints; and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel..."

I bought an iPhone a couple of months ago.  It is my first "smart" phone, and I am amazed at how dependent on it I have become.  It wakes me in the morning, starts my day with a worship song, opens the Word of God along with multiple study tools,  tells me what the weather will be like, warns me of traffic on my commute, directs me when I'm not sure of my route, answers my queries throughout the day, constantly updates my email, and instantaneously sends and receives  messages.  And, if I so choose, I can talk to people with it.

The Holy Spirit is kind of like my iPhone.  In wrapping  up his description of our spiritual armor, Paul spoke of the importance of constant communication with our Commander in Chief.  He said we are to be in continual contact with Him by means of the Holy Spirit.  We are to be ever alert, listening for His direction, fervently praying for our fellow-soldiers.  As we do that, the Spirit guides us, warns us, encourages us, gives us discernment and wisdom, brings God's Word to mind and helps us to use it effectively.   He sees the "big picture" and is able to direct each of His soldiers to function in concert with each other.

Dear Lord, I am so thankful that You desire to communicate with me.  Thank You for the Holy Spirit, my "spiritual smartphone", Who facilitates our conversations and constantly sends updates  of Your plans for me.  Please help me today to listen for His prompts.  Keep me vigilant in my prayers for my fellow-soldiers.  Help me to  keep my "phone" turned on and charged up, ready to hear Your voice.  Amen!