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Imitators

Today’s reading is 1 Thessalonians 1.

Our small group leader and Bible Journal writer, David LaFrance, is currently leading our group through the “Life As We Know It” booklet published by Spread Truth Ministries. The booklet is an exercise where each person writes about their beginning, obstacles, hope, and future. It’s really neat to hear each person’s story and how their story fits into God’s story. One of the things that stuck out to me in writing my personal story was the impact others have had on my life, especially my family and older mentors in the beginning stage.

A few years ago, I read The Resolution for Men which I really feel is a must read for all men (there is also a version for women). One topic the book discussed was that many of us many come from a background where our parents and family have a generational history of addiction, abuse, shunning God or other bad habits, but it just takes one person to be a “chain breaker” to set future generations on the right path to follow God and his will for our lives. Someone must step up. Paul discusses in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 how the Thessalonians became “imitators.” Who is a “chain breaker” or another mentor who’s impacted you that your should give thanks to God for as Paul does in 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3?

As I reflect on this question, I’m extremely grateful for both of my grandfathers who were “chain breakers.” My grandfather on my mom’s side was one of six kids. His dad left him and his siblings at a young age and to our knowledge they did not attend church growing up. He became one of the kindest, gentlest men I’ve ever known and was an amazing father and husband. He established a foundation in his family rooted in faith and the Word who would attend church not once, but three times per week. As a side note, I’ve always wondered and would like to thank the person who invited him to church or asked him if he had a relationship with Jesus. My grandfather on my Dad’s side had a father who was only really present in the physical form. He was abusive and left my grandfather to work for even his basic needs as a young boy after my great grandmother passed, despite having the financial resources. My grandfather essentially raised himself, obtained his degree, and was a great husband and father who raised my dad and uncle in a Christian household. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention my grandmothers who deserve a lot of credit for not only helping them get on the right path, but who were also strong in faith and a spiritual rock for their spouses and my parents growing up. Behind every great man is a great woman.

Because of their choices to be great husbands, fathers, wives, and mothers rooted in a foundation of faith in God, my mom and dad chose to follow their example and do the same for my brother and me. For that, I’m extremely grateful to them and our parents. I pray that my niece and nephews and Shannon and my children will stay close to God and continue this relationship with Jesus in their lives and their kids’ lives impacting generations to come.

Let us only thank those who have helped us, but let us not forget that there will be “imitators” of us which Paul mentions in 1 Thessalonians 1:6. These “imitators” may not only be our family as I have discussed, but also could be neighbors, co-workers, or others we mentor by design or default. We must ask ourselves if we are being a good example in our daily lives, and are we inviting them to have a relationship with Jesus? It will not only impact their lives, but also the lives of their friends and family for generations to come!

“For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere…..” 1 Thessalonians 1:8

Stand firm in your faith

We have the opportunity to hear from Paul again in 1 Thessalonians. As we have been reading along, it amazes me as to how many different audiences, followers and non-believers Paul tried to touch in his preaching and his writings. A few posts ago, I wrote about how meek Paul was in person yet Bold in his writings. We have another chance to see Paul in action. Here, he is on his second missionary journey and faced opposition right away from Jews and Gentiles, yet still managed to teach the young people to stand firm in their faith.

As background, Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia. Thessalonica was a seaport along a trade route between Rome and Asia Minor. A wide variety of religions and cultures existed and the believers were struggling to survive under the pressures of others in the community, including stoning and other forms of torture. These young believers were taught by Paul to be tough, to stand firm in their faith. This introduction does not sound that much different than living in today’s world. People are persecuted for their beliefs and yet they stand firm. We are all standing firm in our faith, living through many different and difficult circumstances.

As we begin to read 1 Thessalonians, we see Paul’s message being one of encouragement, comfort and strength for the church. Paul wants us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He props up his group, reminding them of the second coming of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

As we read on, Paul left earlier than planned due to the duress of being there. Eventually, he could stand it no long and sent Timothy back to check in and to continue bolstering the believers. While no apostle or leader was present, the believers bonded together and kept their faith. They were one in community of Christ. Paul went on to encourage them to continue their grow in their faith through his letters. He also presented them with something to look forward to in the future: the second coming of Christ.

I look forward to reading these messages as this book already appears to relevant to us every day.

Watchful & Thankful

I’m not sure why, but when I was younger, I was in the (admittedly awesome) habit of praying one verse before I went anywhere or hung out with anyone. Big or small – an event or a trip to the grocery store – I, for some reason, would always remind myself to pray the verse, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer,” beforehand (Psalm 19:4). I can’t help but be reminded of that verse and that habit when I read Colossians 4. Colossians 4:2-6 says,

²Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

What my junior high heart probably didn’t quite realize when I would pray that verse was that I was asking for God’s help to make Colossians 4:5-6 come true in my life that day. As a follower of Jesus, I deeply desire to make the most out of every opportunity I have in this life and to glorify God with each opportunity. I want to be known as someone who lifts others up in conversation and someone who is known for her gracious words. I might not pray for that as often as I used to or as often as I should, but I so deeply want those things for my life.

Yet, so often, my conversation is NOT full of grace and I let opportunities slip through the cracks. I fall short because I am a broken human being, and I know that I will continue to mess up. You likely know this about yourself, too.

Thank goodness, we serve a God who is infinitely more gracious towards us than we often are to ourselves. Whereas I tend to beat myself up for the ways that I fail, my God sees me through the lens of Jesus and He just asks me to come to Him and ask for help… and Colossians 4:2 tells us how. That verse says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” That’s it. No “try harder” or “work more” or even a simply “be better” is found in those verses. Just an encouragement to PRAYER. I love that. Prayer truly can allow us to watch for those opportunities and remind us to watch our tongues, and no amount of our striving or our effort can match the power of devoted prayer.

Today, I want to encourage you to start your day with some prayer time and ask God to help you as you go about your day. I’ll be praying Psalm 19:14 over my conversations and interactions today, along with those first few verses of Colossians 4. Perhaps you’ll do the same.

Heaven

Today’s reading is Col 3

I need to start this post with a little window into my world today as I borrow my daughter’s laptop to write. My family was on a 10 day trip out of the country last week. It was a fabulous trip, but about halfway through the trip, my mom texted that my almost 97 year old grandma had gone to heaven early that morning. While I had been asking God to take her for over a month because her mind and body were failing so much that she was unable to enjoy any of the things that she had loved in her life, the news that that she was gone was so hard to hear. My gram was one of the most faithful prayers I have ever known and she was one of the most interested visitors you could ever have a conversation with. She loved to find out about you, what you were interested in and what your hopes and dreams were. Then she would trap that information and pray faithfully accordingly. I will miss that faithful prayer coverage in my and my families lives.

Before we left on our trip, we learned that my dad’s only sister in law, had gotten the news that she was full of an aggressive lung cancer and maybe had weeks to live. We were back and forth trying to decide whether we make the 7 hour trip up to see her before we go or if there would be time to see her when we got back. We are currently in the car heading up to Michigan to spend a few days with my Aunt, and say goodbye.

My heart is heavy and feels broken as I try to tackle this post. I’m having a hard time thinking about anything besides my pain. I open my Bible to Col 3 and the first 4 verses are:

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

While I know there is a much broader meaning in these verses for all of us, this few sentences feels deeply personal to me. It seems as though God is speaking directly to me and my situation. “Tracy, instead of dwelling on your losses and pain, set your sights on the realities of heaven. Think about the things of heaven, not this earth.” I have been comforted since Gram died knowing that she is whole today in heaven. Her mind is back to full function and her body is able to work, run, laugh and visit again. All the things she loved to do on this earth but lost the capacity to do, she is able to do now. The part that is even more beautiful than being whole after a long time of decline on this earth, is that she is with Jesus. She doesn’t have to bow her head and pray to connect with God, she is WITH Him! She is able to lift her lovely soprano voice in praise to Him right in front of Him. Really, can you imagine? When I think through these things, my heart turns from pain and loss to joy and hope.

I am so thankful for this beautiful gift of scripture today. While these first few verses fill my heart and redirect my thoughts, there is so much more to consider in the rest of this passage. Paul directs us to consider how we continue to live on this earth with our hearts and minds set on heaven. What does that look like? Paul gives us a few direct lists of what we should be doing and what we shouldn’t be doing to help keep our hearts focused on heaven. He says to put to death the earthly things that are lurking within us. If I am serious about changing the way I think and the things that motivate me, what will I do to help myself? Would it be worth taking 10 minutes today to get out a piece of paper and write out the two lists of instructions that Paul gives us? Make a list of the Do’s and Don’ts. Sometimes writing things on paper, helps embed them in my mind. Tuck the list somewhere in your house where it will surface again. I know that by the time my list shows up again, I will need the reminder of this list to continue reorienting my mind to heaven instead of the stuff of this earth.

Colossians 2

Last night, I was cleaning out some old books and journals, and I came across a prayer journal that I had purchased but never really used. I had thought it would “work” for me – I even filled out a few pages – but it just didn’t. Nonetheless, I saved it, thinking that of course I would use it “someday”. Well, someday came and went, and I haven’t used it. But as I flipped through the pages last evening, I noticed a section I had missed before. For each month, the author had put together a list of daily prayer points. And for one month, the list was based on the book of Colossians. The list is titled “Seeing the Lord: Personal Prayers From Colossians”.* Several of the prayers are based on Colossians 2, our text for today.

I read through those prayers quietly, and I remembered all over again why Colossians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I love how the Lord led me to hose prayers last night, as He knew that I would be writing this devotion today. The prayer that resonated with me the most on this list is based on Colossians 2:7. The prayer reads, “Cause me to be firmly established in You, with a heart of gratitude.” This seems to be a central verse in this chapter. Paul begins by stating that he desperately desires that the followers of Christ would be strengthened in their faith. He says “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you…” (Colossians 2:1). Paul continues, explaining why he wants their faith to be strong. He knows that when our faith is strong, our “hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love” with the “full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.” (Colossians 2:2-3) With the strengthening of faith comes encouragement, love, understanding and knowledge. What an amazing gift!

Paul also knows that our strengthened faith enables us to stand firm when we are faced with the temptations of the world. Clearly, worldly temptations existed when Paul lived, just as they do today, and Paul knew how difficult it can be to discern truth from falsehood. Paul says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition…and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) When our faith is rooted firmly in Christ, we can discern God’s voice from among the other voices clamoring for our attention. When we are strong in our faith, we can stand strong in our world. We will stand firm for what Christ stands for.

My prayer for us this week is this: “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)

May we be both rooted and thankful today.

* “Personal Prayers From Colossians” by Terry Gooding

Good Report

Today’ Reading: Colossians 1

Daily we receive reports from everyone that we encounter. We receive morning reports at work. We receive updates and memorandums from co-workers. We receive traffic reports on the road. We receive and give daily reports to our spouses. Our kids report their school or camp activities. Reports are an essential part of our life and one way to understand our surroundings.

I can recall many reports that had been given on my account from growing up. I was raised in a small community in Dallas, TX. In this community everybody knew everybody else and their entire family. All of the children of the community of approximately 200 families went to the same elementary school. The school was in the center of the neighborhood, which was approximately a mile from the farthest house in the neighborhood. On one particular day in the third grade, I had to go to a friend’s house afterschool that was about half a mile away, which was off a busy street. As with most third grade boys, I had to test the boundaries and play too close to the edge of the curb. I didn’t notice the cars that were too close to my friends and me. I continued to finish my journey proceed to my friends house. As I walked inside the house I was greeted with some consequences to my previous actions. Unbeknownst to me (this is the era of pre-cellular communication), one of the cars that past by me, made a U-turn and went to my friend’s house and informed the parents of my behavior and that I was acting in an unsafe manner. Even though it has been almost 30 years, since this incident, I have not forgotten the impact of my actions and I know that there is always someone reporting on our behalf.

This brings us to Colossians, and the introduction that we receive in this first chapter. This is amazing book, this is a church that Paul has never visited, and he has only been given a report by Epaphras. Wow, this is epistle of the apostle Paul that is part of our canon the Bible and it is a reflection of how important the REPORT of our interactions have profound affects on, not only our lives, but to those that are impacted. Can we image the impact of the report that would be given on our account? How would Epaphras report our dealings with each other? How would the report be on our households? Our worships and hardships? Our comings and goings? Then how would the report be received and responded to? Paul writes a beautiful introduction here to the church as though he had established the church and stayed in Colossae for years. When I read the first verses I am overcome with a sense of connection and reverence:

Colossian 1:3-6, 9-12

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— ⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^[e] ¹⁰so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹²and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you^[f] to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

Being on the receiving side of this letter, I can only image the connection and communion the Colossians experienced. It is letter from someone that has never met you, but has so much love and affection for you. It is almost like receiving a letter from a distant relative that has the affection of a supportive parent. I pray that we are able to present ourselves in a manner that the REPORT of our lives is pleasing the our Heavenly Father.

The Book of Colossians

Welcome to the Book of Colossians! Here is a little background as to who wrote this book and why was it written…

Most commentators agree that this book was written by Paul while he was imprisoned in Rome.

Several hundred years before Paul was born, Colossae had been a leading city. But, by the first century a.d. Colossae had become a second-rate market town, and the surrounding towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis had gained power and importance.

The Church of Colassae gained New Testament importance during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus. Epaphras, a distinguished leader and probably the founder of the Colossians church, came to Paul in Rome with good news and bad news about the church. The good news was that the gospel had flourished among the Colossians who were continuing in their faith in Christ and in love for their fellow believers. The bad news was the Colossians were being troubled by a new teaching that was contrary to the gospel which Epaphras had been preaching to them. This young church became the target of heretical attack (heretical = of, relating to, or characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards (Merriam-Webster)).

Paul never directly states the heresy that is happening in Colossae, but, according to Bible Study Tools, the heresy was diverse in nature.

There were 6 areas of heresy happening in Colossae:

1. Ceremonialism – strict rules about the kinds of permissible food and drink, religious festivals (2:16-17) and circumcision (2:11;3:11)
2. Asceticim – “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (2:21;2:23)
3. Angel Worship (2:18)
4. Depreciation of Christ. This is implied in Paul’s emphasis on the supremacy of Christ (1:15-20; 2:2-3,9).
5. Secret knowledge. The Gnostics boasted of this (2:18, 2:2-3)
6. Reliance on human wisdom and tradition (2:4,8).

Paul’s purpose of this book is to refute the heresies stated above.

Paul refutes this heresy by exalting Christ as:

*the very image of God (1:15),

*the Creator (1:16),

*the preexistent sustainer of all things (1:17),

*the head of the church (1:18),

*the first to be resurrected (1:18),

*the fullness of deity in bodily form (1:19, 2:9) and

*the reconciler (1:20-22).

These are all proof that Christ is completely adequate. Chapter 2 verse 10 states that we “have been given fullness in christ”.

These verses prove that the Colossian heresy was altogether inadequate. It was inadequate and deceptive philosophy (2:8).

How does the book of Colossians apply to our life? Just like this Church, we are easily misled to depart from our beliefs. Bottom line – Colossians is all about who we are in Christ! When we find our security and significance in Him we find that He is really all we need. When we know that He is ALL we need, we want others to have what He’s given us – a personal relationship with Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Feeling Anxious?

Today’s reading: Philippians 4

If you’ve ever thought the Bible was dated and not overly applicable to the 21^st century, I hope you walked away after reading the forth chapter of Philippians today with a different opinion. I found Paul’s closing words to the church in Philippi powerful and very pertinent. Let’s start with the first half of verse 6:

… do not be anxious about anything…

The Oxford English Dictionary defines anxiety as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome. Sound vaguely familiar to feelings you’ve experienced before? Let’s take it a step further, anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness because they involve excessive fear or anxiety. Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common of type of mental disorders and affect nearly 30 percent of adults at some point in their lives (www.Psychiatry.org)? As adapted from the Harvard Law School urban legend, think about it this way – look to the person sitting on your left, now look to the person sitting on your right, one of you will struggle with an anxiety disorder some time in your adult life. Oh boy, I’m not sure I like those odds. Fortunately, Paul follows this statement with some really practical advice for us.

…but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

What is the opposite of anxiety, fear, nervousness or uneasiness? Peace. Not the absence of conflict, positive thinking, or simply feeling calm. The peace Paul is talking about in verse 7 is the confident assurance that God works all things together according to his divine plan, a comfort that he has every situation under control.

Do you remember our study of John 14 last Christmas? In this chapter, Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for life without him. These men had left EVERYTHING to follow Jesus. To say they had anxiety about him taking off and leaving them on their own was probably an understatement. I find Jesus’ words every bit as comforting today as they were to his disciples in the first century.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Rise, let us go from here (John 14:27-31).

Do you see Jesus’ words of peace? – “…for the prince of this world is coming…he has no hold over me…” Knowing that Jesus has power over Satan, the root of all evil, is how we can be confident he has every situation under control. Turning our cares over to Jesus is the antidote for anxiety. He is our peace.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever (Philippians 4:19-20).

Worthy of imitation?

After a quick transition to a new job in a new state with a new company along with plans to eventually move overseas, this last month has given me a lot to look forward to, and it has also inspired me to pause and reflect. Today’s reading is on Philippians 3 and this verse stood out in particular in reflection of the spiritual mentors/influencers in my life:

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Philippians 3:17)

Since I was a kid, my mom prayed for me to have friends, mentors, guides and role models influencing my spiritual journey in a positive way. As a result, whenever this prayer is answered, I praise God for what he’s done and thank him for my mom and her countless prayers and dedication.

Many of us have people we look up to or consider heroes in this life. I’m a sports fan, not a fanatic, so while I respect and admire those at the top – I don’t really follow these people and I’d never consider purchasing a jersey with someone else’s name on it. Famous actors/actresses, and even musicians are not that exciting to me… I’ll enjoy the contributions to the arts, but I won’t seek to imitate or follow these folks closely, if at all.

Those who do inspire me are the strong, bold, influential, successful, yet humble and self-aware leaders who live out their faith both outside and inside the workplace. The ones whose priorities are in the right order and encourage/support others to prioritize the same; loving God and loving people. My friend Duane exemplifies all of these attributes and is worthy of imitation through his imitation and submission to Jesus Christ. While I’ve tried to verbally share with him the impact he’s had on my life, he certainly doesn’t know the depth. Thank you Duane!

I challenge our readers to consider the following by thinking of those who have influenced your spiritual journey for the better:

There are people observing our behavior and we likely have far more influence than we realize. What can or should we do about this? Are we living a life worthy of our calling?
Who are the most spiritually influential people in your life? Have you thanked them properly? Do they have any idea how much they mean to you or of the fruitful results of their actions?
What are the behaviors (known or unknown to others) that should not be imitated and are we seeking repentance? Can we, like Paul suggest that people imitate us?

Father God, thank you for putting people in our lives who pray for us, who lead by example and who boldly proclaim the gospel of salvation through your son Jesus. May our eyes be opened and affixed firmly on you to recognize your work, your plans, your will, and your ways. We repent for acting as though our ways are better. Give us the courage like Paul states (in Philippians 3:14) to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Amen.

Onesimus Has To Face The Music

Philemon 2 is a story about forgiveness. I think we can all relate and think of a time where we did something before we knew Christ, only to be saved and now have to face the problem you created. Onesimus had to do that very thing in this story.

The chapter starts off with Paul writing to someone named Philemon. We learned in Chapter 1 that Philemon was a guy that Paul brought to know the faith and it changed his life. Philemon went back to where he lived to tell others about the gospel and he grew to be a major part of the church. Now chapter 2 we find out that Philemon had a bondservant named Onesimus. Onesimus did something to Philemon, the passage hints toward him stealing something because Paul offers to put Onesimus’s debt on his “tab.”

Onesimus, after stealing from Philemon, runs off to Rome and happens to meet Paul. Paul teaches him the gospel and he becomes a Christ Follower. Now the story could have ended right there. Paul could have used Onesimus to help him out with ministry in Rome, but check out what he does!

I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.

Do you see the maturity in this passage? Paul is good friends with Philemon and as he got to know Onesimus he found out that he was one of Philemon’s bondservants. He could have just sent him a letter and kept Onesimus, or not even have written a letter to him BUT he didn’t. He chose to get his friend’s consent. Have you ever done something behind someone’s back thinking they would never find out…. and they did? Paul is so mature in his faith that he wants to make things right with Philemon and Onesimus rather than selfishly keeping him for his own intentions. Even though his intentions were good.

I think the moral of the story is think about the decisions you make and how they affect not only yourself but others. Also be willing to forgive someone who has wronged you, especially if they didn’t know Christ at the time that they wronged you. Have a great Thursday everyone!