Where do blessings come from?

I have recently been reminded by a sister in Christ of how beautiful an attitude of trust in the Lord can be - and how much freedom and peace can be gained from such an attitude. So often we lose sight of the ways in which God is making us holy. Imagine that - we are being made holy! That can't be an easy process. So when difficult times rear their ugly heads, like death-dealing dragons, I can ask several questions.
Often the question is: Why? or Why me? But if I am living in trust (in faith), then I can ask a different question and see the real reality of life with the King of kings. I can ask: What is God going to do with this? Not "What is He 'able' to do with this." He IS able. And when we look back, hindsight makes everything perfectly clear. So why not look ahead in faith?
Matthew shares Jesus' words with us about this kind of faith when he talks of being blessed (see Matthew 5:1-12). Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who weep. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst. Blessed are those who are persecuted. These are not pleasant things that happen - they are times of struggle. And in times of struggle we are shaped and formed, like clay in the potter's hands.
So when my life gets difficult (and even when it all seems to be going so well), I can look for the blessings and ask: "Okay, Lord, what are you going to show me now?" Blessings come in all shapes and sizes, but we can easily miss them if we do not open our eyes and see as God sees.
This past month has been a mixed bag as far as 'good' and 'bad' days. But the blessings have been there every day. We are still looking at what God is going to do with some things - like our sister-in-Christ who is sick, or another sister struggling with fear or worry in her life. But I have learned to expect mighty things from our mighty Master.
We are thankful for the blessing of being able to sing together. We are blessed by the distance that separates us from our children, because we still get to talk to them weekly. We are blessed with days of meeting with and talking to many different people - people who are looking for the Lord in their lives and people who challenge us to look for the Lord in our lives.
How is God blessing you today?

Saint Scott

I know – it sounds weird, right? And no, I am not being arrogant or demeaning or rude. I am trying to be clear and honest with myself and others. Because this is the reality: if we are in Christ, we are holy (being made holy). And that has some pretty important consequences for me and for everyone else in my life – and I mean everyone.

Why should I be nice to my neighbor? Why should I be polite to the person in the street – even when they are not polite to me? Why should I stop to help someone who has some trouble? Why should I go out of my way to help someone who I have never met? Why should I be good for someone I know – even after they have hurt me more than once?

Is it because I am human and that’s what humans do? Well... that is not what I see daily. And if it were what we see daily, then simply asking the question would not hold any interest or raise any eyebrows.

Is it because I am a ‘good’ person and if people were just good, then society would be better and we would all have a wonderful life? Well... I do hear this a lot. But no one seems to want to explain what ‘good’ is and these same ‘good’ people will say ‘no’ to some of the questions above because there is no reason to do it.

And this is where holiness enters the room. But remember – as I have mentioned before – our concept of ‘holy’ has been distorted. We look for people who are as perfect as we can imagine in some way – people who do more than any other in trying to follow God. But God tells me – and you – that WE are to be holy.

Holy is not reserved for the few who are really trying, are really good. The rest of us will never attain to that height of goodness and we should not expect to, we say. But God tells us:  “Just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”  1 Peter 1:15-16

And this impacts how I view everyone around me. God, who is holy, brought His holiness to me. He approached me. He made it possible for me to come to Him. He cleansed me in Jesus Christ. How then should I see other people? The things God touches become holy – set apart for His use. He has touched me and wants to use me. And when I accept people around me, when I am kind, polite, good – as my Father is to me – then I am bringing His holiness into this world. Not because I am holy in myself, but because I am allowing His holiness to live through me.

How I view others – everyone around me – must be based on how God views them. And God wants to save every one of them, as He did me. He loves them with a love that cannot fail. Other nations, other races, other socio-economic levels – these are things that separate. God is the one who is breaking down walls. He does this in Jesus Christ and He does this daily by working through me (and you) in our daily interactions with the people around us.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. ... In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  Ephesians 2:17-18, 21

To Be Holy – Doing good

It hasn’t really been that long that people can watch an uplifting video online. Now of course we not only can watch cats do all sorts of things, we are flooded with video’s that constantly warn in the title that we will need all the tissues in the world if we watch.

It’s interesting that people want to know that there is good – and they want to see it - even if they cannot settle on what ‘good’ is. Somehow we all understand that we should be ‘good’ people and we say things like, “He was a good man.” But why? Why should I be good? And what is ‘good’?

This is the very question that we should ask. If I can decide what ‘good’ is – and so may you – then ‘good’ will continue to change. It will never be the same for anyone. Even if we say that ‘society’ decides what ‘good’ is, we are basically saying that each person determines it – they just all get together about it for a little while.

But is that good? If it is, then why are people upset about what others did in the past? Why would we be upset about how people kept slaves or fought wars or conquered peoples? If those people at that time decided that these actions were ‘good’, and the idea of ‘good’ is determined by society at the time – then there’s no problem, right?

And yet we all seem to know that there IS a problem. This is because we feel that there is a standard of ‘good’. There are basic ideas which are ‘good’ and other ideas which are ‘bad’ (or evil). Of course it only bothers us when someone does something to me that I do not like.

But ‘good’ isn’t about me. That is the whole problem. I do good, because it is good – whether it is ‘good’ (beneficial) for me or not. In fact, good is more about the other than about me. It is centered in, focused on, built upon God. God says, “Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) When I want to know what is ‘good’, I look at Jesus’ example and teaching.

So, why worry about making sure that things are correct with my taxes, or worry about that small bit of cheating? Yes, of course I will never cheat on my wife when we get married, but if we know we are going to get married very soon, why would it be ‘not good’ (wrong) to give ourselves physically to one another now? Yes, I know that stealing is not ‘good’, but these little bits from my company – nobody will notice and it is not really stealing.

It’s not really lying. It’s not really being disobedient. It’s not really .... Holiness helps us to understand what ‘good’ is. God is holy. He is good (the very definition). I do good (or try) because He has re-made me, because I am being made holy. And the beautiful thing about this is – it really is possible!

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  Romans 12:2

Holy – Giving my best

When I was young, I was taught to always do my best. It didn’t matter what I was doing, I was to do my very best, try my hardest. So when I played little league baseball - even when I didn’t get to play – I did my very best. I encouraged my fellow team mates and murmeled “heeey batta, batta, batta” from the bench when the opposing team was up to bat. And what did it get me? I still didn’t get to play (this was before the PC police tried to make sure everyone got equal playing time).

At school things were different. I could study just before a test and cram things pretty well into my head just long enough to do well on the test. But I got good grades – so that was my best, wasn’t it?

Is it worth it to give your very best? Why should I? Do I give my best because I will receive more if I do? Or because people will like me better? Well, actually, people may like you less if you give your best. Workers who do not work as well as you (or do not want to work as hard as you) will not be happy with the attention your hard work brings to their shoddy work. And mightn’t it just happen that you get more work because you have shown that you can handle the load?

But I am missing the point if I think giving my best is for me – although it does have benefits for me. I give my best because God gives His best and I am His child. All the way through the Old Testament – and then repeated in the New – God tells us: Be holy, for I am holy. (Check out Leviticus and 1 Peter 1:15-16)

Can you imagine where I would be if God had only given just enough to get by? Just enough for whom? To get by what?

God sent us His only begotten Son who then gave His life for us to redeem us for all eternity. And He has sent His Holy Spirit to live in us and continually sanctify us (make us holy). It is therefore in my (new) nature to give my very best in all that I do. I am holy, because He is holy and living in (and through) me.

And this is making a difference in the world and in eternity. If I allow God’s holiness to live in me, He can reach many others through me. His holiness and grace can be clearly seen and He can be glorified. That is why I give my very best: at my work, in my studies, in my relationships, even in my sports activities. It is a part of who I am – a child of the King – every day.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24