Stand as an Example

Do we stand in life before others,
representing what Christ stood for on earth?
Can others learn from us about Christ's life:
the miracle of His birth;
His teachings; His loving; His way of forgiving;
His death; His resurrection?
Do we seek to learn more about His Word?
Do we strive to grow toward perfection?
Are we near, to be a good counselor?
Are we near, to be a good friend?
Do we stand firm in our convictions,
faithful to the end?
Do others see in us an example
of what God would have us to be?
In each of our lives have been those we looked up to;
in them, what did we see?
Don't we pattern ourselves after those we admire?
Don't we have the strong leaders we follow?
And mixed with the joy of victory over death
is a personal sadness, a sorrow,
as a leader meet his Maker,
as a follower of Christ leaves to claim his reward,
as we lose a strong Christian pillar,
as person to whom so many looked toward.
We must ask ourselves what we've learned.
What testimony do we have to offer?
Are we living a life that stands strong, faithful, and true?
What example do we proffer?
For someone is looking to each of us
to be the example we've known.
Are our lives reflections of what we've been taught--
reflections of the example we've been shown?

"For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." John 13:15

Toward the Son

As I was leaving work one day, I noticed that all the clover leaves in the grass were tilted up toward the setting sun. Upon approaching, I could see the deep green shadows underneath each tilted clover head, but as I glanced back at them, I could see a warmer, richer green as the top sides were bathed in the sunlight. The next morning I made a point to take notice of them again, and sure enough, all the little clover heads had turned their faces toward the rising sun in the east.

The laws of nature are so simple, and yet I am forever amazed at how God's creations go about doing what come naturally and is best for them. As I looked upon the bed of clover, each leaf turned expectantly toward the sun, I thought about God's family and how natural it should be for us to turn our faces toward the Son. Like the clover, we should look to the ultimate source of warmth in our lives, knowing that our needs will be supplied and that we will grow accordingly.

David expresses the same conviction in Psalm 84: "Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.... Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed... For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee." (Verses 5, 9, 11, and 12)

Are we forever looking to God for our strength? Do we depend upon Him daily to guide us and nourish us that we might grow in His ways? Let us look to the lowly clover to see how we should trust in the Lord.

Peace or Stagnation?

How can we discern a peaceful life from a stagnant one?

Throughout the Bible, God tells us that true peace is a desirable state of heart and mind that can only be found in knowing Him. (Philippians 4:7, Romans 5:1,Ephesians 2: 14). The dictionary defines peace as "a state of tranquility or quiet.... freedom from disquieting or oppressive emotions," and John 14:27 tells us, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." Peace is a wonderful, healthy asset in life. It is always in company with other positive attributes also:

• Romans 8:6 "The mind of sinful men is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.
• Romans 14:17 "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
• Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Stagnation means being inactive or motionless. A stagnant body of water is quiet and tranquil, but its also without a current or flow; it is not troubled. It is without disruption. It is also without life.

Too often we mistake stagnation for peace. We are inclined to be satisfied with a life that is motionless, as long as it is quiet and tranquil. Instead we should have "peace like a river," a life that is in a constant state of forward motion. Flowing. Useful. Moving toward a greater source.

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18.

Filled to the Brim

Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast is a beautiful example of the changes God makes.

"Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said unto them, 'Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.' And they took it to him. And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had now become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, 'Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now." John 2:6-10

Before Christ used the waterpots to meet needs and display his power, He instructed that they be filled to the brim. It's probably also significant that the waterpots were for purification. They already held 20 to 30 gallons each, but for Christ's purposes they needed to be full. How does this reflect the way God works in our lives as well?

If we are Christians, we have partaken of the living water, and indeed, the living water... the Holy Spirit... is within us. However, God's Word tells us that we, too, should be filled in order for God to use us as He wills. Ephesians 5:18 tells us, "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."

Why did Paul contrast getting drunk on wine against being filled with the Spirit? Perhaps because in both situations or conditions something else besides ourselves is in control of our behavior. Both conditions can produce a boldness. In every instance that someone in the Bible was "filled with the Spirit," they were speaking out for God and were bold in their efforts.

Are we wondering why God isn't using us in a might way to exhibit His glory and power? Perhaps we need to ask to be filled! Are we clean? Are we almost empty? What a joy to present ourselves to God as waterpots to be filled and transformed and used to meet a need for God's glory!

Mother's Knees

When I was a young mom, a friend once asked me if I had experienced the symptoms of "mother's knees" yet. She laughed and explained to me that "mother's knees" were dry, red, sore knees, resulting from kneeling over the bathtub every night to bathe children! I began to think of all the kneeling that a mother does for her children throughout the years, and I came up with quite a list. Among the bathing, trying shoes, picking up toys, and other daily tasks of a Christian mother, is praying for her children. I've heard many mothers speak of the time they've spent on their knees in prayer for their children, and it seems that the less time is spent attending to their needs, the more time is spent in prayer for children as they grow. Now that our children are pretty much grown, I'm convinced of it!

I know that many mothers spend more time in prayer for their children who are teenagers and are becoming more independent. I also know that "mother's knees" is a condition that continues even after the children leave home and are no longer under their mother's care. I once knew a great-grandmother who bought a new mattress and two well worn spots were discovered on the edge of her old one when family members replaced it. The spots were worn out by her elbows, she explained, as she knelt by her bed each night to pray for her children, who were then grandparents!

For years now, I have participated with a group of friends who take turns offering a daily prayer via email for our children. When the recent fatal shooting took place in a Knoxville high school, a few of my friends' children were directly affected by the trauma. One mother remarked that our daily prayers meant so much in the midst of that event, knowing that other moms were praying specifically for her kids.

We never know who is praying for us, or what our lives would be like if others were not praying for us. Kneeling in prayer is not the sole responsibility of mothers for their children. I've heard of neighbors who pray for the teenagers living nearby as they hear the car leave in the evenings, and how they thank God for their safe return when they come home. Having Christian parents who have prayed for us is something wonderful to be thankful for, and we should take time to return thanks for them and others who have prayed for us. We should become aware of the rewards of "mother's knees" and consider the amount of time that we spend praying for our children and others.

Pretty Feet

Do you have pretty feet?

That's a strange question to be asking! I never seriously considered the beauty of anyone's feet and certainly never thought God did either, until I paid attention to Romans 10:15... "...How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news."

We've all been in situations where we were so appreciative of someone or something that we exclaimed, "That's a beautiful sight!" Perhaps it was the first glimpse of home after a long and tiring trip, or maybe it was seeing someone bringing out an iced drink when we were hot and thirsty. Perhaps it was the appearance of someone returning home when he's been late and we were worried. My grandmother would have exclaimed, "Now, there's a sight for sore eyes!" Whatever the circumstances, the beauty we saw was a direct result of the need we felt.

The verses preceding the statement about beautiful feet are these,"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet..."

Our world desperately needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, and each of us has been commissioned by God to go and tell others. Folks within our community are weary, thirsty, and tired, and may are anxious for the beautiful sight of someone bringing good news of God's Word. They won't know peace unless they know God; they won't know God unless they hear the Word. They won't hear the Word unless we share it with them.

Are our feet beautiful in God's eyes?

A Mighty Wind

In September of 1990, I saw the effects of a mighty wind as it came through my community, and I believe we were all in awe of its power. In just a few moments, huge trees were uprooted or broken like sticks, cars were moved, roofs were displaced, and homes were damaged. A we surveyed the results, we asked ourselves, "How can something we can't even see be so powerful?"

In God's word, the Holy Spirit is often represented as a mighty wind. Acts 2:2-4 says, "And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance."

When we think of what the Holy Spirit can do in our lives, we easily see the comparison. Like the mighty wind snapped the trees, the Holy Spirit can break and uproot stubborn habits and attitudes in our lives that have been growing there so long and seem so invincible. Like the cars that were tossed about, the Holy Spirit can lift even the heaviest of burdens or move obstacles that distract us from doing God's will. Like the roofs that were peeled back, exposing the beams and items beneath them, the Holy Spirit can bring rushing winds through our hearts and reveal the foundations and contents of our beings.

Although they have changed their instructions in preparing for the mighty winds of a twister, the experts once told us to open the windows and lesson the resistence. Perhaps we should open the windows of our hearts that the Holy Spirit might do a mighty work in our lives!