Landscaping

“So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.” (James 1:21)

As a person who is captivated by words and word-pictures, I find myself drawn to The Message paraphrase of this verse which likens God to a gardener who will landscape in me a salvation garden. In order to sow some things into my salvation-garden and have them put down firm roots, the Father has to pull other things out of my salvation-garden by the roots. It is not possible for righteousness and wickedness to dwell side by side in my life and have righteousness succeed. Something’s got to give and many things probably have to go. I probably have to take out the trash and fall to my knees. Perhaps it’s time to clean up my yard yet again.

What does it look like for me to accept the word of God with simple humility? To be frank, meekness is not a quality or virtue I hear discussed very much in my day to day life. When I talk to my friends, I typically don’t talk to them about how we are doing with the meekness factor.

Many people in modern society like the idea of being bold, determined, and independent.; people in modern society have a difficult time being submissive, accommodating, adaptable, and self-effacing. Thoughts of God as the gardener in my life bring to mind the phrase, “Surrender don’t come natural to me.” And indeed it doesn’t.

Humble acceptance of who God is and what His word teaches is a growth sequence in my life and the pattern of growth is not always easily measurable or predictable. Some seeds which are planted in me will bear fruit soon after planting has taken place; other seeds may not mature as quickly or may require more nurture before they come to life in any meaningful way.

I like the idea of being pliable, willing, and useful to the Master, but I’m not able to master any of these qualities in my own strength. I need make good use of the strength God provides and approach Him with a child-like faith which trusts Him to complete in me that which I cannot complete in myself.

Laughter

I’m really glad I had a few minutes to just let go and laugh yesterday. Laughter is a good way to cast my daily burdens aside, even if I have to pick them up again later. This earthly life will never be without its burdens in some way, shape, or form; in the middle of our burden bearing, I vote we leave plenty of time for life, love, laughter, and the gifts we have which don’t need wrapping paper.

As long as I’m not laughing in a way which brings pain or causes hurt to someone else, I treasure moments when I am free enough to really laugh at some of the absurdities I notice around and within me. I appreciate the people in my life who have laughed along with me over some things which are truly funny; I appreciate the people in my life who have laughed with me over things which are not funny outside of a given event or moment in time. I’m grateful for both “had to be there” moments and timeless memories which will stir a chuckle at every retelling.

In all the hustle and bustle of our society, amidst all the serious and often scary events of our changing yet unchanging world, I wish you quiet moments in which you can pause, reflect, pray, and meditate. I also wish you some great moments of laughter in which you are free to celebrate, be light-hearted, and just let loose in the company of those who will love you regardless. Not every moment in life is necessarily full of profound meaning and reason; there is also space for the release which comes through finding humor and joy in the middle of the mundane, stressful, and ordinary.

There is a time for every purpose under heaven…

Greatness

“Down in a lowly manger, the humble Christ was born;

Our God brought us salvation that blessed Christmas morn.”

Oh my friends, what a gift is mine! I have the privilege and blessing of thinking upon a humble Christ. As I think about Christ being born into humble circumstances, I am reminded of verses in Hebrews which teach of our High Priest:  “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”(Hebrews 4:15)

As I present Christ to others and reflect upon my witness, I am able to present Him as a person and Savior who is not out of touch with human realities. He knows about testing, weakness, frailty, and temptation. He knows everything but sin. He is able to identify with and understand humanity because He has lived within a human frame. Though He has not experienced everything I’ve experienced, He is not unfamiliar with what it is like to be me. He is the God who put on human flesh; He chose, out of His gracious mercy, to draw near.

As I present Christ to others and reflect upon my witness, I am able to present Him as the One who brings us salvation. As a result of His sinless human life before Father God, He qualified to be the atoning sacrifice and lift the curse which all of the rest us were born under and struggle against. He rescues us, and this is more than good news; this is great news!

I have great news of a Great King! He shows Himself great while all the while showing Himself humble. His is the kind of news and story I must be, could be, and should be sharing all year long until eternity dawns…May He forgive me my timidity and laziness in not sharing His story more boldly and with more frequency than I do. In the days ahead, may He grant me what I need to be both going and telling…Through His Spirit, may He grant me sufficient grace to be living Him out…

Choices

“Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.” (James 1:20).

This verse seems like such a common sense verse. It seems to be stating that which already should be obvious.  One of the difficulties with human anger is that it’s prone to make people let go of common sense. When I begin to think less than straight, the upright life and attitude which God desires for me to have has the opportunity to fly right out the window. I definitely do not show my prettiest, most attractive, face when I allow myself to get or stay angry.  

Thinking honestly about anger and righteousness prompts me to think about another verse of Scripture:  “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”(Philippians 4:8). What would my life look like, practically speaking, if I made it a personal goal to focus on the lovely instead of the unlovely?

 There are enough unlovely things in the world without my adding anything more to them. I know pursuing what is commendable and proper frequently seems more difficult than choosing that which is mean or evil; I need to be reminded daily that I do have choices.

In the heat of the moment, when I am stressed out, I do have a choice.

When somebody upsets me and I want to lash out, I do have a choice.

Before I let go and let all of my frustrations come tumbling out, I do have a choice.

This is where the slow part of slow to become angry finds its hands and feet, its true to life application.

There are positive things to be said of the person who truly knows what it is to practice restraint. There are positive things to be said of the person who knows what it looks like to hit the pause button rather than the fast forward or rewind.

I know I have a pause button, but I am not always successful at employing it when I should be. Here’s a good point for me to ponder and look toward applying before I hit the boiling point again next time: A little more restraint exercised wisely today may lead to fewer regrets expressed tomorrow.

Attentiveness

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” (James 1:19).

“The great talker is rarely a great listener, and never is the ear more firmly closed than when anger takes over.” (borrowed quote from www.bible.org)

Many times in past months I have been challenged in the area of my listening. I have been challenged to go beyond myself and consider others. It has been sobering to consider just how willing I am to put other people’s agendas ahead of my own. Just this morning, I was challenged anew: How willing am I really to remain silent while another person fully states their feelings, arguments, struggles and problems? I admit I frequently jump the gun in conversations either with my tongue or with my thoughts. I want to interject, resolve, defend or cut off, but those actions quite possibly aren’t the most prudent.

I cannot fully attend to a person in the moment if my thoughts are already advancing to what my response should be. There are definitely times when I need the reminder to cool my jets and keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to be half-hearted, lazy, or overly judgmental in my attentiveness. I need patience so that things might be seen through to their rightful conclusions. I need to realize that not everybody needs to think like me in order to be right. If I find myself jumping to conclusions or making false assumptions, I may end up dead wrong. Few people will be willing to follow a leader who makes illogical choices based upon first impressions or educated guesses. I need to follow-through and make sure I have my facts straight if I am to serve people well.

I need to work on and toward affording people the dignity of being undistracted when it comes to building or nurturing my relationships with them. There’s still so much of myself that impedes upon my relationships with others. There’s still a great deal of myself I bring into my relationship with Him.

Things are not all good in terms of my attention span. Things still need work in terms of my obedience too.

Cultivation of the wise and listening life takes time and I need it. It is to my advantage if one step forward and two steps back is still progress.

Grace

“He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.” (James 1:18)

Here is the good news which will help keep me faithful to Christ in spite of my trials, temptations, doubts, and inherent sinfulness.

The Father has made me His prized possession in Jesus Christ and He wills that I would live in recognition of the new life and acclaimed status which His grace affords me.

The life and status I have gained in Christ has not been issued to me so that I might become prideful. The heart of the Christian life is not pride; the heart of the Christian life is grace, gratitude, and glory. I was guilty; God was gracious. I am grateful; He is glorified.

Guilty

Gracious

Grateful

Glorified

No more words are needed…just a life which humbly, willingly, faithfully, and authentically, backs them up….

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can he say than to you He hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

I have been given a firm foundation indeed! My prayer now is that I will live up to what I have already attained and continue to build my relationship with Jesus week by week, day by day, and even moment by moment.