Two Truths

I sit here in a coffee shop in Auburn waiting on my conference to begin. I read and pray. And two great truths keep coming to my mind and both are good news for you and for me.

The first – My identity is in Christ, determined by Christ, encouraged by Christ, sealed by Christ. No one can take it away or modify it. No one. But we need the community of the church, of other Christians, whether in a Sunday service or small group or a weekly get together to remind us of that truth. Alone and away from such community, we forget far too easily who we really are and how we are designed to love and live and walk in joyful faith. We must have that community to remind us of this basic truth of our identity in Christ.

The second – Surrounded by that great cloud of community, we are encouraged and find more faith to throw off the weight and sin that so closely cling. (Heb12:1)  A large part of that weight and sin is being too concerned about the opinions of others. No one gives identity to Christians but Jesus and he has said to those whose trust is in him that they are loved, and named, and forgiven, and kept, and rejoiced over… and that they are his.

That’s good news. 

Relax 

...and rejoice.

A Beagle Kind of Faith

Have you seen the TV commercial* with the beagle that lives inside a tube?  It’s a commercial advertising heartworm medicine and makes the advertising claim that the best way to protect your dog from fleas and heartworms is to either live in a sealed bubble-like tube, insulated from the world or give your dog their daily meds. Strange isn’t it that a dog would live in a plastic tube! In fact it’s downright preposterous! Dogs, especially beagles, aren’t designed to live in a plastic tube. They are designed to chase rabbits through brambles, dig under fences, wake the neighborhood while they howl at the moon and lick the chocolate off their human’s face.

Dogs aren’t designed to live in a bubble and neither are Christians. Yet so often I see Christians hide in plastic bubbles to keep from interacting with the world.  I’ve done it myself and cringe at my foolishness and lack of love and faith.  Sometimes Christians even build these insulating tubes to keep from being tarnished by each other. If it wasn’t so sad, it would be just ridiculously funny. Christian, we follow a God that left the “bubble” of heaven to live among his creation, to sleep without a pillow or a house to call his own, to live with those that would hate him, to love on those that would kill him, to die that we would live. Doesn’t that seem a long way from the bubbles that we create? Do we really believe that someone that does not trust Jesus would want to step into our sterile bubbles? Jesus didn’t come to live in a bubble. He came to live with man. And he calls us to follow him. Follow. Jesus.

Christian, go chase rabbits, dig dirt, wake the neighbors and lick the chocolate! (maybe scratch that last one ;) )  Get out of your bubble and live life as God has designed you to live it – in the world.

By grace,

Harrison

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeTGb3a7n1U