Monday: Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. Ephesians 2:1-3 (NLT) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul— not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us. Colossians 1:12 (MES) Reflection: Human beings are creatures of choice. Sure, nature and nurture have their say, but what sets us apart from the animals is that we are MORE than nature and nurture. We are choosers. Our choices (the good, the bad and the ugly) have a tremendous impact in our lives, and the lives of those around us. Last weekend we talked about the two different operating systems that humans can choose to run their lives on. Today we are going to take a second look at this concept in terms of economies. We exist in the environment of an earthly economy, made by man, and subject to the fears and desires of the human race. In this economy, supply determines demand. The scarcity mentality reminds us that resources are finite and precious. If we would have our share, we must do so in competition with the natural world and with each other. Our gain may have to be achieved at the expense of others because realistically, supply will run out. It is the strongest that survive and prosper. Force and coercion are tools used by the powerful. Those who make demands and take advantage will be rewarded with a greater share. It is eat or be eaten in the earthly economy. But this economy takes its toll on relationships. Somehow it is hard to establish rapport and partnership while demanding our rights, taking our fair share, or resorting to intimidation and coercion. This realization, combined with the human drive for connection, requires a great deal of strategy and effort to have what we require and still be in relationships. Education and laws encourage us to pass for civilized, at least until people get their lives and resources so tangled up with ours that they find it too costly to untangle themselves. It’s like walking a tightrope, this existence driven by our needs and impulses and desires. But there is a higher economy, a heavenly economy, the economy of the Kingdom of Heaven, where His Spirit nourishes and rewards a different way of life. When we plant the seeds of doing life God’s way, we grow a harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. It is the opposite result of living in the world’s economy which produces individualism, distrust, worry, force, hardness, scarcity, selfishness, coercion and demanding. It cultivates a different kind of strength, the kind that comes from connection and trust, not from gritting our teeth and pushing forward. It’s an economy based on the choice to believe that the power of love and wholeness and commitment to what’s sacred is stronger than the power of force and coercion and competition. Did you ever see the second Indiana Jones movie? There is a fountain that if one drinks from it with the Holy Grail then that person will live forever. But there are lots of grails in the cave... the villain is told to choose wisely because a wrong choice will lead to the opposite of what he seeks (turns out he’ll go from human to zombie to dust in the space of about 15 seconds). I’ll never forget the words of the keeper of the Holy Grail after the villain picks the wrong cup, drinks and dies a spectacular and gruesome death. He chose... poorly. A similar choice sits before you today. Both of the economies that we’ve been talking about are available to us. And we will reap the results of whichever economy we choose to cultivate in our lives. One is all around us, demanding our attention, insisting that we will lose if we do not fight for what we want and need. The other sits quietly, just outside of the human line of vision, waiting for us to give it a chance and see what God’s reward might be. What will be your choice? I hope you choose wisely... not poorly. Prayer: Father, today I want to choose wisely. Teach me what it means to live “by the Spirit”. Remind me when I switch over to the operating system of my sinful nature. I want to develop the character of Jesus. Show me what that means. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 07:00:32 +0000
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