pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: spectrum


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Spirit Guidance

Reading: Galatians 5:16-21

Galatians 5:16 – “I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires.”

At the end of chapter 5 Paul contrasts two ways of living. On one end of the spectrum Paul offers what it looks like to live for self. In the other end he offers what it looks like to live for God. The reality is that our life is seldom one or the other – we almost always live somewhere in between focusing on self and focusing on God. Paul begins the passage for today with these words of wisdom: “I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires.” This is so because our selfish desires are, in fact, “set against the Spirit,” and vice versa. The selfish and Spirit are “opposed” to each other.

In those times when we allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit, we do not do whatever we want. Although not under the Law, the Spirit does guide and lead us. (And it convicts and redirects at times.) The Spirit provides what I once heard described as “guardrails.” We bump up against the Spirit once in a while, but it can generally keep us in our journey of faith. Yes, our selfish desires do rise up, even winning out now and then.

Verses 19-21 contain a lengthy list of the actions we can take that are produced by “selfish motives.” At first read I thought I’d just pick out a few of the most common of these 17 actions but now I am struggling to pick a few that rise to the top. These 17 are all part of our current culture and are all therefore potential sins for us all. Yes, how we need the Holy Spirit to ever guide us. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, the divine in us and the human in us are often opposed to each other. They do pull in opposite directions. As we invest in our faith – study, prayer, worship, fellowship, service… – may you build up the divine within each of us. What we “feed” will grow stronger. Guide and bless our daily walk with you, ever leading our journey of faith. Amen.


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Generous and Hospitable

Reading: 3rd John

3rd John 1:11 – “Don’t imitate what is bad but what is good. Whoever practices what is good belongs to God.”

3rd John addresses two ways that one can live as a part of the community of faith. Unfortunately, good and evil can exist within the church. Like many other institutions, a church is a group of imperfect people. So, at times, people in a church can cause harm to one another or to the mission of Christ.

In this short letter the elder contrasts the actions and attitudes of Gaius and Diotrephes. The elder is “overjoyed” by what he heard about Gaius. He is living “according to the truth,” caring well for the brothers and sisters who are on missionary journeys. Diotrephes, on the other hand, is one who “likes to put himself first.” He does not welcome these itinerant missionaries. And, not only that, he’s slandering the elder and his companions. And Diotrephes is expelling people from the church if they help these missionaries.

The elder writes to Gaius, “Don’t imitate what is bad but what is good. Whoever practices what is good belongs to God.” Those who practice what is bad or evil have “not seen God.” This is a simple letter about being generous and hospitable. It calls us to consider where our actions and behaviors fall along this spectrum. If we are more like Gaius, then we are seeking to live according to the truth of Christ. If we are more self-centered, then we have some work to do.

Prayer: Lord God, lead us to truly reflect on how generous and hospitable we are to those who are doing your work and who pass through our doors or lives. May we strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ, the one who welcomed and engaged one and all in love. Amen.


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Both… And

Reading: John 3: 19-21

Verse 19: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness”.

Today’s verses from John 3 speak of light and darkness. John uses the analogy that has been used since the creation story found in Genesis 1. From the dark and chaotic God brought forth light and called it “good”. Since the beginning, light has stood for God and goodness, dark for Satan and evil. Often in scripture this tension is represented as an either/or proposition. Our reality is that it is both/and.

In verse nineteen John writes, “This is the verdict”. There is an implied choice here. Choices have been weighed on a balance. John observes that men prefer the darkness. Humanity is by nature selfish, concerned with success and pleasure. If left without God it is hard to imagine what the world and humanity would degenerate into. We are not left without God. At the very minimum, all are born with the spark of the divine within. In some folks that is snuffed out and in others it us pushed so far down that it appears to be non-existent. In most of humanity the light of God remains present. And in most of us, the light of God is ever competing with the darkness of the world. This is the both/and reality that Christians live in.

In the season of Lent we are invited to look within, to see and root out the darkness in our hearts and in our lives. We are called to bring the sinful or evil parts into the light. There we see ourselves as we truly are. Depending on where we are on the light-darkness spectrum we either drag them into Christ’s presence and we seek to die to self or we quietly slide that part of us back into a dark corner so that the flesh can visit it again.

Light and dark exist in all of us. Deepening our faith and our connection to God draws us increasingly into the light. This is the hopeful final destination of our journey of faith. As we continue to seek to be in the light may we rejoice in verse 21. May we each “see plainly that what has been done has been done through God”. All that we are in Christ has and will be done through God alone. It is not through our own efforts or by our works. Faith is a gift from God. Thanks be to God for this gift.

Prayer: Lord God, each day we find ourselves at places along the spectrum of light and darkness. At times pride or some other manifestation of self rises up, drawing me towards the darkness. In those times, send the Spirit of truth, calling me back towards the light. Help me to walk each day more in the light. Amen.