Thankful Thursday

 

 

God's grace...

 

A supportive and encouraging boss...

 

Friends who walk through life's ups and downs with me...

 

The beauty of springtime and the evidence of new growth; a reminder of the new life God offers

 

My children...

 

A wonderful wife--the evidence of God's favor...

 

The invitation to cast my burdens on the Lord...

 

Opportunities to serve others...

 

The peace of God which surpasses all comprehension...

 

Did I mention God's grace?

Gentleness

     I've had some lessons in gentleness over the past couple weeks.  I've always thought that character quality and being male didn't line up very well, but God has been teaching me otherwise.  There is no doubt that I have experienced God's gentleness toward me, and as I have pondered His gentleness recently, He has been calling me to a greater degree of it in my own life. One of the passages He is using is Eph. 4:1-3 where we read, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
     Since gentleness is a part of God's character, and He invites me to be an imitator of Himself, part of my calling is to be gentle.  Gal. 6:1,2 says, "Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted."  There are multiple layers to explore in this verse, but for our current topic, I am given clear instruction to exercise gentleness in my communication with others with the purpose of restoration in mind.  That's God's heart coming through.  He delights in reconciling people to Himself. (Col. 1:19,20)  He doesn't deal with me as my sin deserves (Ps. 103:8-14), but invites me to come with my burdens, to come with my insufficiencies and receive from His generosity. (Matt. 11:28-30; James 1:5)  And His promise is that He won't roll His eyes and express frustration or find fault with me, but He will teach me and give me what I need.  I really need to learn His ways!  So often my response is more in line with sledge hammer remodeling, trying to shame certain behavior out of people.  And usually it drives people away and causes them to not feel safe sharing their struggles with me, rather than opening a door to promote restoration and healing.
     Along this same line, Paul's instruction to Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:24-26 says, And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." God has rescued me out of captivity into the freedom of His glorious light, and now invites me to be a rescuer.  In order to participate, I need to practice gentleness.
     There have been tears along the way, but I think I am learning.  And I want to continue to learn, to grow in my conformity to Christ, to be the man God desires in my dealings with others.    

Thankful Thursday

 

So, my daughter, Allison, encouraged me to join her in taking time out on Thursdays to be thankful.  I think it's her way of rebelling against society and the throwback Thursday trend.  I thought it was a great idea since God encourages us to be thankful always.  Here goes:

The List

God's word

Men who stand in the gap with me

My family

Simple pleasures

New life--both physical evidenced in the springtime growth and spiritual given freely to all who believe in Jesus

opportunities to serve

encouraging words spoken to me by others--I need to learn from their example!

forgiveness

Goodness

     I've been studying the fruit of the Spirit for a class I teach.  Due to various circumstances, the lesson on goodness has been delayed for about a month.  It has given me quite a bit of time to ponder this fruit.  As I have looked at scriptural passages that refer to goodness, one thing has stood out.  As the opening line of the song Forever Reign states, "You are good, You are good, when there's nothing good in me..."; goodness is not found in people; only God is good.  Ps. 53:1-3 puts it this way,
      "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God,' they are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustices; there is no one who does good.  God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God.  Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."
     I see the evidence of this in my own life so often.  Although I would never say, "There is no God," I recognize there are days when I live like it.  I'm cruising along in my own strength, doing my own thing, as though I need no help from God.  In reality, I desperately need Him to intervene in my life, to impart His goodness through His Spirit.  Otherwise I become self-centered in what I do and say, practicing corruption and injustice.  By nature, I am a sinner. 
     Thankfully, God is not like me.  He is all good.  Ps. 25:8 says, "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way." And in Ps. 130:3,4 we read, "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared."  God knows my shortcomings, He sees my brokenness, and He offers grace and forgiveness to me as a free gift.  He lifts me out of the pit of despair; He calls me out of darkness into His glorious light.
     So the hope for goodness comes not from within myself.  I have no standing on my own.  But because of God's good work in me, He now invites me to walk by His Spirit and follow His example; to be an imitator of Him and walk as a child of light. 
     "for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)" Eph. 5:8,9.  As I seek to understand Him, His goodness will fill me and flow through me.  Any goodness that others see in me is merely a reflection of God; His Spirit living in me, flowing through me.
     I want that fruit to be produced in my life.  I want to leave behind the path of foolishness and walk in the light, enjoying fellowship with God, the author of goodness and righteousness and truth.