Give Thanks- "I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him." Verse 3.
Step One: Tell Him Thanks.
Step Two: Thank Others.
Step Three: Get Over Yourself.
Today, I laughed. I laughed from the inside, at a joke. The joke was between me and a one year old, but it was funny, and I laughed. He got it too, and he giggled all over, showing brand new teeth. No one taught him about humor, he doesn't need anyone to tell him how funny his Lala is (that's me, in case you didn't catch on). We don't have kids sit around and discuss the whys, hows and whens of laughter. They simply know when to do it, how to do it and why to do it. They get it. Stuff's funny.
Why, then, do we sit and discuss Christianity-- the whys, the hows, the whens.... instead of doing it? Shouldn't it come naturally, from deep within our soul, like a good laugh?
I read this verse this morning out of Luke 6:9, "But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss.”
The foolish man built his house upon the sand...
The foolish man built his house upon the sand...
The foolish man built his house upon the sand...
And the rains came tumblin down...
The rains came down... and the floods came up...
The rains came down and the floods came up...
The rains came down and the floods came up...
And the foolish man's house went.... SPLAT!
Did you ever sing that song in Sunday School? The splat part was always my favorite. Talk about giggles from kids. It's about as bad as "... and if the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack." That one was sure to render chaos.
Know what's scary? "SPLAT!" is about to happen to us. Because the rains will come, there's no doubt about that. Things happen all the time that rattle your faith, ruffle your feathers, and shake your foundation.
What is the point of knowing verses and all the right answers, if we aren't going to act? If I can accept that God is the good within me, then at some point I've got to trust Him. Playing it safe in bible studies isn't what was intended. If God's goodness is given to me, then it should be natural to use the words of Jesus effortlessly, like laughing with a child.
The thing is though, it's not. It's hard. My Romans 12 Project is about presenting my life as an offering to God. I'd like to add characteristics to my life that unfortunately don't come naturally. I get what Jesus is saying in Luke. We can't just talk. We've got to walk.
This Valentine's evening I had the pleasure of laughing with two of my sweet little cousins. I'm thankful for them-- their preciousness. They laugh from the inside, the way I want to live my life-- like the wise man... whose house didn't go "SPLAT". I'd like to be a child of God who walks in the light instead of talking about it in the dark.
The wise man built his house upon the rock...
The wise man built his house upon the rock...
The wise man built his house upon the rock...
And the rains came tumblin down...
The rains came down, and the floods came up...
The rains came down, and the floods came up...
The rains came down, and the floods came up...
And the wise man's house stood firm.
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