Above all else

Thomas a Kempis was an inspired man. In one of his writings he wrote these words:

"Above all else, and in everything,
my soul must rest in God.
Let me, O Living Jesus, rest in you,
above every created thing,
above health and beauty,
above glory and honour,
above power and dignity,
above wisdom and cunning,
above riches and arts,
above joy and gladness,
above fame and praise,
above pleasure and comfort,
above hope and promise,
above things earned and things desired,
above gifts and favours,
above mirth and merrymaking."

May we trust in Jesus today, above all else.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Two places

In his defence of the Christian faith, Justin Martyr proclaimed that "Christians live on earth, but are citizens of heaven." We get to spend our days living for God, here on planet earth, but one day we will take up residence in our 'real' home - heaven. Although Justin never described 'heaven' as being in the sky, there was a sense in which early Christians saw their eternal home has being 'upwards and out of the mess of earth!'

Matthew 14:19 - And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

How do you feel about that? Are you perhaps experiencing a little heaven on earth today?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Love at home

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do ... but how much love we put in that action." - Mother Teresa

Our love for family, and others who are close to us, needs to be sincere. It is not just about getting the job done, but to remember to do the action with LOVE. Jesus didn't just wash his disciple feet to get the job done - he deeply loved them as he washed the dirt off their feet.

Who can we love today? What's stopping us from loving with devotion and sincerity?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Good Service

We are so used to bad service in South Africa, that when we encounter 'good service' we are left feeling elated. I feel that we complain about the inefficiency we experience (and rightly so), but we seldom say thank you when things run smoothly. I want to pass on 2 'good service' stories.

A few weeks ago I had a problem with the car. It just wouldn't start the one morning and so I decided to call my Insurance company - what made me phone them first I can't explain, but I did. They confirmed that I was covered for breakdowns, even at home, and within 20 minutes someone was at my gate and fixed the problem. This cost me nothing. I was gobsmacked, but totally grateful.

On Wednesday I had to hand in some marriage documents at Home Affairs. As you can imagine, I headed off there with much despondency, expecting a long morning. As I arrived I discovered that they were renovating and that the marriage department had moved across the hall. No problem, I thought, this will be OK. As I walked along the corridor I saw queues of people and in the back of a crowded room was the lady I needed to hand my forms to. My heart sank. I realised I would be there all day waiting for one signature.

At this point I was disappointed I hadn't worn my clerical collar (as it can work miracles some times). There I was, just a plain clothed civilian desperate to jump the queue. Trying to be proactive I introduced myself to the security guard and without blinking an eye, she took me to the lady concerned. I handed over my documents, got the signature and was gone. I was so grateful to that amazing lady. She made my day.

So, I just want to continue this theme and say a massive THANK YOU to all of you who bother to read my ramblings. Your many comments via email, inspire me to write more. May God bless you this day.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Faith in the fast lane

In reading a chapter entitled 'Faith in the Fast lane', my eyes were drawn to these words:

"Keep in mind that usually problems can wait a few minutes while you put first things first." - Blaine Smith

This is exactly the opposite of what we tend to do. When we face a difficult problem our human reaction is to sort it out before we take it to God. Blaine Smith challenges me to 'put God first' (i.e. pray about things) and then see how God helps to sort out the situation.

Worth thinking about? You tell me...

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Too busy?

In an interesting article on "Why people leave the Church?" the following statistic comes up.

"Thousands of people are leaving the Church every month because they are too busy!" Many of these people have no issues with Jesus, the Church or even the Pastor, but they are simply too exhausted to attend Church on Sundays. I found this article to be very challenging and if I am honest there are some weeks where I can relate 100% - life is hectic!

The difficulty I have with this 'fact' is what it says about our priorities and our growth in the Faith. Sure, we don't have to be in Church 52 weeks a year to grow in our Christian journey, but being part of the 'body of Christ' means connecting with other believers - 'iron sharpens iron', as they say.

The other thing that troubles me is what it says about how we view God. Perhaps we have softened our image of God to allow ourselves to believe that He will understand if I am too tired to go to Church - He loves me all the same. While, God's love for us is unquestionable, we mustn't think that God is a fool. Jesus was often challenging people to 'count the cost' of being a disciple. God does forgive us and God doesn't want our faith to become 'religious' (like the Pharisees), but Jesus would also challenge us about our priorities.

If I say I am too tired for Church, but I have energy for everything else, what am I subtly saying about my relationship with Jesus? If we applied the same principle with our families, we wouldn't get away with it (well, I wouldn't!) - What if I said to Kim or the kids?: "I'd love to chat with you or catch up, but I am too tired after working a long week!" This response clearly shows what has my great attention.

What do you feel about being too tired to go to Church? I'd love to know your thoughts?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Which one?

Referring again to the parable of the sower (Matthew 13), I wonder which category we would fall into today? If the seed of God's truth fell onto our lives, where would it land? Perhaps it's worth a read and then a quick self-diagnosis...

These are the options:
1. On the footpath
2. On the rocky soil
3. Among the thorns
4. On the good soil

Each has a consequence. What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3