Seeking the edges

Laurie Beth Jones writes in her delightful book Jesus in Blue Jeans, about how Jesus was able to see life from a totally different perspective from us and how he was always willing to engage with people on the fringes of society. She writes:

"A wise person does not fear the edges and fringes but studies them. Indeed, he or she is often in them - working to make change happen." 

Jesus spoke to his followers about being their shepherd, but also indicating something radically new. Jesus said: "I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd." (John 10:16)

May God teach us to see those who are living on the fringes of society and to love them with the love of Christ.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

End or beginning?

"What the caterpillar calls the end of life, the master calls a butterfly." - Richard Bach

This lovely quote reminds me of the different view on life that God gives to us. The resurrection may have seemed the end to all the disciples, but to the Father it was just the beginning of the greatest miracle ever! I am challenged to view my life from the stand point of the Master and not from the world. What the world may call the end, God could be shouting 'let us begin!'

Job 8:7 - Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.

Living in Grace

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No more work!

I think that if we had to say to everyone in world, "you don't need to work anymore, but you will still get paid," most people would say, "Oh yes please!"

Of course this is never going to happen, but it does open up a question concerning how we view our work and how we spend our days.

• If you asked a teenager - they would prefer not to do any work.
• If you asked a busy person, they would argue that they work too hard. 
• And then there are the pensioners who would love to still be at work in some kind of way. 
• And of course, there are those who are struggling to find work - they would love to have a job.

Solomon's word to us today reminds me that we should be grateful for the work we have and that we should honour the Lord with the work of our hands.

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Paul said something similar in Colossians 3:23: 

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters"

Sam Ewing wrote: "Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."

Living in Grace

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A new perspective

I was bemoaning standing in a long queue this morning, as I waited to renew my car license, when suddenly I felt a little prompting to 'Be Thankful.' The more I thought about it, the more I realised that if I was able to renew a license that I was one of the fortunate folk who owns a car. That in itself makes me one of a small percentage of South Africans who have that privilege - about 30% of South African households own a vehichle between the members of that house. So, in the end, I waited out the rest of my 'penance' with a renewed peace and a spirit of thankfulness.  

Sometimes we just need a little prompting to change the way we see things. Perspective is a great way to change the way we see the world.

"So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective." - Colossians 3:12 (Message)

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Not as it seems

Things are not always as they seem.
This word 'seem' very simply means 'to give the impression of being a certain way' and it can be used in all kinds of different contexts. The important thing for me, is that when I look at a particular object or scenario, it may 'seem' in a certain way to me, but I could be wrong. Let me give you a few examples:

The world may seem to be flat if I look at it from the perspective of a few hundred meters. However, when I look at it from outer space, then I realise that it is far from being flat.

The earth may seem to be stable and not moving at all. However, we know that in fact our planet is constantly moving around the sun and also rotating around it's own axis.

Lockdown may seem to be going on for eternity, but in truth it has only been 50 days!

The writer of Proverbs says it like this:

"There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death."-  Proverbs 14:12

In following Jesus, we can't always see the bigger picture, but I believe that it is important for us to trust in God's ways and plans. Even if things seem to a mess, we must believe in Jesus' willingness to guide us into the path of peace and righteousness.

Phaedrus - "Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many."

Living in Grace
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Power of perspective

“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.” - Anon.

We always think that things are bad for us and the temptation is to get caught up in our own troubles. However, perspective is an important thing for us all to grasp. Just like in the above quote, we seldom think what others may be experiencing, before we open our mouths to complain about our woes.

As John Ortberg reminds us, "It could be worse!"

As we start a new week, can I encourage us to take stock of all the things we ought to be grateful for. 

Colossians 3:2 - "See things from his perspective."

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or we can rejoice because thorns have Roses." - Abraham Lincoln

Living in Grace

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Financial stress

People struggle with their finances all the time and the present economic climate doesn't help at all. There often seems to be such a big divide between the end of the money and the end of the month! What I find helpful in times like this is a dose of reality - I know this may not help the cash flow, but it does get me thinking. I reflect on how people survive on the minimum wage - which in South Africa is just over R 2500 per month. After my initial shock, I then think about how blessed indeed I am and how much of what I spend is really necessary.

“Worry, like a rocking chair will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere.” – Vance Havner

Paul reminds us to be content in whatever situation we find ourselves. This is easier said than done, but he wrote it none the less:

Philippians 4:11-13 - "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Living in Grace
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Making a change

Sometimes the smallest change can make a big difference. We decided to move my office desk around (Kim thought it was a cool idea - and I didn't argue :) So now my desk faces in the opposite direction from the way it has faced for years. This may not seem radical at all (and it's not), but it makes the office feel totally different. Although it will take some time getting used to the idea, I actually think I like it.

What needs to shift in our faith at the moment? What needs a little change in direction? It may not mean getting rid of something (I still use the same desk), but maybe there is something that should be altered, so that we can get another perspective.

What do you think about this? What things are you challenge to shift?

Matthew 18:3 - "And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Isaiah 42:9 - "See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare."

Living in Grace
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Returning with changed hearts

After the Shepherds had encountered the Messiah, their lives were changed forever. Even the way they viewed their 'work' and 'normal lives' changed. Luke records how they returned to their everyday lives:

"The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen." - Luke 2:20

As people around the world start to return to the 'normal' routines of school and work, may we return with the joy of Christ in our hearts. This is not to say that there will be difficulties ahead of us, but rather that our attitudes have been challenged by the birth of Jesus.

May God bless you as you settle into the new year. May your routine be filled with the joy and peace of Jesus.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

From the right angle

We had the privilege of stopping in at the Mandela Capture site on the midlands, this last weekend. It is indeed a wonderful piece of architecture. Of course, when you look at it from an angle or a distance, it just looks like a mess of steel poles. However, when you get up close to it and stand in the right spot, Mandela's face comes into full focus. It is a wow moment!

Sometimes, our faith is a little like this. If we look at our lives (and faith) from a random place, it may seem as if things are a mess, but in truth they may not be. When we look at our lives with God's eyes we may be overwhelmed with the image it projects.

God is always looking to make something awesome out of our lives. Let's trust in Him to show us the true picture.

May God's grace be with you

Living in Grace
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Upside down tree

Josh and Kim were travelling to school the other morning when he asked her, "Mommy, why are those trees upside down?" Kim was a little confused and asked him to show her which trees he was referring to. When she saw the trees she noticed that they were not upside down, but that they had just shed all their leaves. They looked upside down, but it was merely the bare branches showing.

Sometimes things may look upside down, but perhaps they are not. Perhaps they are the right way up, but just look a little different from our perception.

Any thoughts?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Tilt

This morning I was driving from Petrol station to Petrol station trying to fill up with petrol. I eventually managed to find one that had unleaded petrol, but I was getting worried for a moment. While I was driving around something made me tilt my head left and look at the petrol gauge from a side view - it definitely looked a lot better. The gauge showed I had a quarter of a tank. However, when I carried on with my experiment and tilted my head 'right' the gauge was in the red. Both were inaccurate - the truth lay somewhere in the middle.

When you are facing a situation, which way are you looking at it? If our perspective is tilted to much to the one side we may panic unnecessarily. However, if our perspective is at the opposite extreme, we may think all is fine, when we need to be preparing for action.

Let's seek the balance.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Your word?

It is quite en vogue to have a particular ‘word’ that means a lot to you. Some people have chosen a ‘word’ for 2011; others have tried to find a sentence that describes their plans for the year.

If you were going to choose a word for this coming week, what would it be?

Life
Procrastinate
Choice
Free
Patience
Hope
Fear
Do
Sleep
Initiate
Wisdom
Faith

What would your word be? Let me know...

May we all be conscious of God’s presence with us this week – be blessed.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

God's viewpoint

When the small things in life bug you and you start to take everything personally, perhaps it's time to get God's viewpoint on things. Take a step back, breathe deeply and ask the Holy Spirit to restore your perspective.

Another helpful way to look at this is to ask yourself, "Will this thing I am stressing about, actually matter in 5 (or 10, 25) years from now?" If it has eternal value then it is worth pursuing! If not, then quickly get things back into true perspective.

2 Corinthians 4:18 - "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Right Perspective

I have to confess something....
...it is sad to say, but there are not many times when I get amped by singing Hymns (that is bad for a minister to confess - pray for my soul). So yesterday, it came as a great surprise to me that God spoke clearly to me, whilst singing a Hymn in the morning service. The Hymn is a very well known one (Crown Him Lord of All) and I must have sung it loads of times, but it was two lines in verse 5 that really spoke to me...
"Go, spread your trophies at his feet,
And Crown Him Lord of all." (Edward Perronet)

The message is clear in these few words - what we gain in this life (trophies, material gains, recognition etc) all count for zero when put in the proper perspective. This is the whole 'casting crowns' idea (which is also from a Hymn by the way - wow). When we place these things before God they are dwarfed by His Glory and Awesomeness.

So, go and spread your trophies at His feet - let's get our perspective right today.

God, your Grace stops you laughing at my feeble attempts at Glory - my tiny trophies are nothing compared to your incomparable riches, yet you still call me 'your Child.'

Grace blows me away again!
D3LM3