Love From A Full Tank

Romans 12:9-21

For all the times in life when we feel like we are running on fumes, Apostle Paul reminds us of the remedy. Stay fueled! (“Love from the center of who you are…Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Verses 9, 11 The Message) The energy, love, and wisdom we need come out of the overflow of what we are filled with daily: the spirit of the living God! It’s this lifestyle of daily filling that enables us to live out life from a full tank!   

We Are An Offering (The Joy of Re-Learning How To Do Life)

Romans 12:1-8

Finding the joy of being in God’s presence, and knowing that God finds joy in us, is one of many realities of worship. This is the ‘offering’ that Apostle Paul describes in Romans 12. As we offer our selves, our everyday dealings in life, to God, to sit at his feet, listening to the spirit direct us in life’s details, we can bring delight to our heavenly father, and we can share the delight. Keeping God’s personal instruction in mind, literally in mind, allows us to be re-formed in our thinking. Our thinking is so programmed by our culture-of-origin, from all the unwritten rules of conduct that we gathered in our first few formative years, that a life-time of listening at the feet of our heavenly father is necessary to re-program us for kingdom of God living. What a joyful offering of worship!

Under Warranty

Romans 11

Ever wish life came with a warranty? Actually, it does! As far as our ability to have a relationship with God, that promise is under full warranty. God guarantees us that if we want a relationship with him, that we are welcome to ‘come to the table’ anytime. The call to live in this goodness is never revoked, even when we walk away! He’s always ready to plug us back into the vine, to get continual nourishment from the root of life, the author of our salvation. This is the true source of life- the spiritual food placed before us as we live in God’s presence. This is the life-giving daily bread. Thank God that life comes with an unconditional guarantee of the goodness of our heavenly father!

It is Still God Who Sets Things Right

Romans 10:5-15

Apostle Paul (one more time!) reminds us how easy it is to forget who it is who sets things right. He sees how we can set up religious shop and go about all kinds of potentially godly stuff, but miss out on who it is at work. There is plenty of work for us to do as followers of Christ, but all the salvation, redemption, and every other way of absolutely everything being set right is the work of our Lord, and him alone. Once we stop stressing about who is really in charge, we can more joyfully be followers of Christ, released from the false impression that it all depends upon us.

(Getting Past) Sorrow Over A Calling Missed

Romans 9

Apostle Paul saw how his own spiritual family of origin got so caught up in the spiritual ‘projects’ that they missed their calling of seeing the God behind it all. He also grieved at his newly developing spiritual family, Christians, the heir of his spiritual heritage, also ‘missed it’ in that they took pride in seeing that the old group missed out. Today we run the danger of doing the same thing as either of these two groups if our energy is focused on how others miss out. The joy that lifts us up out of our sorrow of others missing out comes as we look beyond the ‘old’ or ‘new’ of the method, and give primary focus to God, the God whose hand is at work among us, and who is among us!