Renew Your Spirit

Do you have days that simply wear you out? Do you experience physically or mentally draining days that leave you exhausted? Have you noticed that as you get older you can no longer do what you used to do, or at least not as fast? How is your soul on those days?

We all have those days that just don’t seem to end. They wear us down to the nub. Our nerves are frazzled. Our bodies are tired, needing sleep. Yet, there are days when we are so tired we cannot sleep. Those kinds of days are exhausting, and it can take us a few days to recover.

When we have those tiring days, we may also suffer spiritually. But we don’t have to. The Apostle Paul says that though they were wasting away physically, they were being renewed spiritually. Though we do not know how they were wasting away. Perhaps they were short on food. Maybe they were weary from travelling. He might have simply been referring to the normal degradation of our physical bodies. Regardless, they were being renewed spiritually by God every day.

We, too, can be renewed each day. Our renewal comes through the work of the Holy Spirit. We can request renewal in prayer. As we become more in tune with the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened by him. As we rely on God to provide for our needs, we grow to trust him more, thereby renewing our spirit. We learn to tap into the endless power of God the more we experience him.

I pray we all experience God. I pray we become in tune with the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us learn to rely more on God, tap into his endless power, and renew our spirit each day. Experience God. Be in tune with the Holy Spirit. Rely on God. Tap into God’s endless power. Renew your spirit each day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

Same Spirit of Faith

Have you thought about what you have in common with others? Do you look like your Mom or Dad? Do you hang out with friends who like the same things? Do you and your siblings share similar tendencies? Have you thought you have more in common with people than you think?

We have a lot in common with one another. We have the same physical needs. We all need food, water, clothing, and shelter. Emotionally, we all need to feel loved. We are all human and generally have the same physical attributes—arms, legs, hands, feet, torso, and head.

For those of us who follow Jesus Christ, we all have the spirit of faith. Our faith is in Him. The Spirit we received came from God (and is God). We may express our faith in different ways, but our faith is the same. Having the Holy Spirit living in us, we should all agree on who our faith is in—Jesus Christ.

Not only should we agree in our faith, but we should also agree that all of us will be raised just as He was raised. Since we all will live together for eternity, we might want to start learning to live together now. Will it make a difference in eternity? Probably not. However, it will please God to see his followers getting along in agreement in the here and now.

How do we learn to get along? We begin with what we have in common. We remember the physical and emotional needs we have. We remember the similarities of our physical bodies. But most of all, we remember we all have the same Holy Spirit living inside us. God has truly given us amazing blessings and we can show our appreciation to God by living in harmony.

I pray we all recognize the things we have in common. I pray we know we have the same Spirit living within us. I pray each one of us will seek to please God by living in harmony. See the commonalities. Know that God has blessed you. Seek to please God. Live in harmony. You have the same spirit of faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13-14 But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.

Rejecting God

Have you felt rejected? Who was it that rejected you? Was it a family member? Was it someone you considered to be a good friend? Was it a group of people you were teaching or presenting information to? Does your rejection help you understand how God feels when people reject him?

Rejection is tough. It doesn’t matter if it is family, friends, or a bunch of strangers. When we are rejected, it stings. It can feel as though a stake has been driven into our heart. The pain of being rejected can last for a long time. It can even stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Samuel did not like it when the Israelites came to him and asked him to anoint a king for them. They had not had a king to that point. The judges, rabbi’s, priests, and prophets had provided Israel with guidance and direction. They were representatives of God. They received messages from God periodically and provided them to the people.

Yet, when Samuel had grown old, not having much time left in his life, the people asked for a king. His sons had been disobedient. The people saw other nations who had kings and they wanted to be like those other nations. God tells Samuel it is not him they are rejecting. They are rejecting God.

When we seek to be like everyone else in the world, we are rejecting God, just as the Israelites did. God called Israel and he calls us to be different than the world. It breaks God’s heart when we reject him, just like it breaks our heart when we are rejected. Rather than rejecting God, let’s all choose to accept him and follow his ways.

I pray we all stop conforming to this world. I pray we stop rejecting God. I pray each one of us chooses to accept God and follow his commands for the rest of our lives. Do not reject God. Stop conforming to the world. Choose to accept God. Choose to follow God’s commands.

1 Samuel 8:6b-7 Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”

Life Through Death

For most of us, life and death are opposites. That is the case in natural beings. We either live or we die. Yet, in Christ, we are to die in order to live. What a paradox?! To mere mortal minds, it doesn’t make much sense.

The Apostle Paul tells us that by dying to self and living in the death of Jesus Christ; meaning the grace, mercy, and forgiveness granted us through His death, we live. This is no common nor average life. It is an abundant life, as Jesus promised in John 10:10.

We wonder how this can be so. Because of the overwhelming messages of our culture stating we are to live for today, we cannot comprehend what it means to die to ourselves so that we may truly live. We struggle understanding what it means to live in the death of Christ so that we live as He desires us to live.

It is by giving up our desires and preferences, our yearnings and misunderstandings, that we can truly see what Jesus desires. We can only follow what we can see. Without seeing Him as He truly is, without seeing His teachings for what they truly are, we cannot fully follow Him.

Paul knew what it meant to risk his life to live for Jesus. Rarely are any of us ever put in danger for our belief. Thankfully, we live in a country that allows us to follow our beliefs without fear of death. Yet, we often face persecution in other ways, and that may hinder us from truly living.

I pray we all seek to live in the death of Jesus. I pray we die to ourselves to live the abundant life Jesus promised. I pray each one of us will deepen our faith in Jesus and let it be a light into the world. Die to yourself. Give up your selfish desires. Live the abundant life in Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:11 For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

Serve in Jesus’ Name

Who do you serve? Do you serve yourself, your family, your friends? Do you serve at all? Or do you expect to be served? What is your perception of servants? Do you view them as valuable people? Or do you view them as underlings, a lower class of people?

Our view of servants will depend largely on our view of Jesus. Our culture views servants as lower-class citizens. The first thing that will come to mind our waitresses and waiters. Yet, servants are far more than that. There are servants in our midst that we don’t recognize.

Allow me to list some servant jobs. Take time to think about them. Cashiers, stock persons, doctors, nurses, military, police, fire and rescue, paramedics, bus drivers, taxi drivers, pastors, lay people. There are far more than those listed. But have you thought of these people as servants? Even CEO’s and presidents can be servants. It is all about attitude.

I can remember working in IT and telling those who worked with me and for me that we provided a service. We were not in charge but performing a service for a client. That didn’t mean we did not attempt to educate our client on what was possible and what was not. Yet, we ultimately were required to provide what they asked for to the best of our ability.

We are to be servants of Jesus and others. We serve others as Jesus would serve them. Our primary mission from Jesus is to proclaim Him to others. Think that isn’t a service? What better service to others than to proclaim the only way to eternal life? Being a servant does not mean being a doormat. It means having the best in mind for others and serving them in a way that encourages them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I pray we all view ourselves as servants of Jesus. I pray we proclaim Jesus to others. I pray each one of us will have an attitude of servanthood, serving others in the name of Jesus Christ. Serve Jesus. Have a servant attitude. Serve others. Proclaim Jesus. Serve in Jesus’ name.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.

Good or Harm

Do you like being put on the spot with a challenging question? How do you answer a question that will expose your negative attitude? How have you heard others answer such questions? Did you marvel at their answer or loath their answer?

Being put on the spot to answer a challenging question can expose our hardened heart. We may decide not to answer the question at all. We may storm out of the room. Having your negative attitude exposed before a group of people can be embarrassing.

Traditions can be both good and bad. Generally speaking, traditions are often started with good intentions and based on sound principles. Yet, when the sound principles and the original reasons are forgotten, they can become onerous and bad. This is what Jesus was pointing out to the Jewish religious leaders on a sabbath.

A man who had a shriveled hand, one that was useless, came into the synagogue (think church). It is very likely they were in the middle of a worship service. Jesus stops the service to bring the man forward. The leaders are appalled! There was a traditional rule against working on the sabbath. Going against the tradition, Jesus heals the man. The leaders are now outraged.

Jesus challenges them with an exposing question before healing the man. They refuse to answer, remaining silent. As soon as Jesus heals the man, the leaders storm out of the synagogue and plot to kill Him. Jesus knew their hearts and He knows ours. He often asks us the same question. Is it right to do good or do harm? How are we going to react to His question?

We face that question many times. Unfortunately, we react the same way the Jewish religious leaders did more than we should. The subject may not be healing a man with a shriveled hand, but the question is the same. Will we do good or do harm? The next time that question is asked of us, we might remember how Jesus answered His own question.

I pray we all think about the question Jesus asks us. I pray we remember how He answered His own question. I pray each one of us will choose to do good rather than to do harm. Be prepared to answer Jesus’ question. Choose to do good. Choose principle over tradition. Choose to follow Jesus.

Mark 3:4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.

Sabbath

What is the sabbath to you? Do you observe a sabbath? What is Sunday to you? Do you take time to make it to church? Is Sunday like any other day? Do you work on Sunday? If you do, what other day do you have to rest? Have you considered the purpose of a sabbath?

We do not use the word sabbath in our culture much. However, we use the word sabbatical. Both words mean the same thing—taking time to rest. The Sabbath was the day of rest God had designated for his people. It was a day to worship God and rejuvenate for the next week.

The Jewish Sabbath was and is a Saturday on our calendar. As Christians, we worship on Sunday. Sometimes, we get upset when people do not make it to worship services due to having to work. However, notice Jesus’ words in today’s passage—the sabbath (a time for rest) was made for humankind, not the other way around.

As a pastor, Sunday is a workday. Personally, I try to take a sabbath day on Friday. Yet, some Fridays and Saturdays are workdays. There are funerals, special events, and conferences. When that occurs, we work on those days. We set aside the sabbath to care for people. This is Jesus’ point. We may not take a sabbath every week. We may need to take care of others.

Does this mean we should always be busy? No. We all need a time for rest. Depending on our work schedule, we may need to make a different day of the week our day of rest. In our busy world, taking time to rest can be a challenge. Yet, we all need the rest. If we did not, God would not have commanded a rest for his people. That rest may be physical or mental rest. It may be both. We need the rest to be rejuvenated to carry out the work God has set before us.

I pray we all take time to rest. I pray we take a “down day” to recuperate and rejuvenate ourselves. I pray each one of us will consciously set aside a day to rest for our own health. Obey God’s command. Set aside time to rest. Recuperate. Rejuvenate. Rest for your health.

Mark 2:27-28 Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

Miracles of God

Have you lost the mysteriousness of God? Do you explain his actions away with science or logic? Are you blind to the miracles he performs? Are you willing to be amazed once again? Will you ask God to open your eyes again to see his majesty through his works?

God has done and continues to do amazing things. Miracles occur every day. Yet, we often explain them away through scientific explanations or by using our own logic. By doing so, we can explain away any need to believe in God. We are no longer amazed.

King David knew better than to try to explain away God’s miracles. Instead, he highlighted God’s miracle of life. Through science, we explain the mother’s egg is fertilized by the father. The cell splits, then splits again, and again until a fully formed baby has developed in the mother’s womb. We think we know why that entire process happens.

But who put in motion the egg being produced by the mother? Who instituted the process of cells splitting? Who set the limit on the number of times cells split? Who created the genetics that define the physical make up of a human? God is the only explanation. He put in motion the miracle of life and our ability for us to procreate.

We may be able to explain many things with science. Yet, we cannot explain how the very first life began. We cannot explain how dirt was created, even as scientists try to explain the forming of the earth by rock and other matter colliding and sticking together. Where did the rocks originally come from? How were they created? We might be better off to simply be amazed at God’s creation and the miracle of life he created.

I pray we all give God the credit for the miracles he performs. I pray we realize it was God who created all things. I pray each one of us are amazed at God’s creation and thank him for making each one of us. Be amazed at God’s miracles. Know that God created all things. Give God the credit due him. Thank God for creating you.

Psalm 139:13

For it was you who formed my inward parts; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

God Knows

Who knows you better than anyone else? Is it your spouse? Is it a parent? Is it a friend? Who do you know best? How well can you know someone else or someone else know you? Are there things you never tell anyone? Are there things you have done you do not talk about?

All of us have someone who knows us very well and someone we know very well. Yet, there are always some things about us they do not know and some things about them we do not know. No one can know everything about someone else, no matter how close they are.

God knows us better than anyone. He may even know us better than we know ourselves. We have a perception of ourselves and may not admit our own faults to ourselves. God sees us without a human perception. He sees us objectively and sees everything about us. God not only sees our actions but knows every thought that passes through our minds.

Knowing that God knows everything about us, even the tiniest bit that we may not admit about ourselves, can be both freeing and terrifying. When we are thinking things we shouldn’t, we can be terrified that God knows it. On the other hand, it can free us to know that God knows all our thoughts so that when we ask for forgiveness, we know he forgives it all. It can also relieve us of the desire to hide our thoughts from him and ask him to change our thinking.

I pray we all know that God knows us—inside and out. I pray we open ourselves up before God. I pray each one of us relinquish the thought of hiding from God and live in freedom. Know that God knows. Know that he knows your thoughts. Stop trying to hide. Be set free. Ask God to change your thinking.

Psalm 139:1-2

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; 

you discern my thoughts from far away.

Listen for God’s Call

Have you ever mistaken who was calling out to you? Have you heard a child yell, “Mom!” and thought they were calling to you? Have you heard someone in a crowd call out your name only to find out they were calling someone else with the same name?

Hearing your name called out can be exhilarating, bewildering, heartbreaking, or worrisome. The situation dictates how we react to our name being called. Hearing a child call our name in the midst of a large crowd can cause immediate worry, if not panic.

Have we missed God calling our name at some point during our lives? Maybe we have. Samuel missed God calling him twice. He thought Eli, the priest he was apprenticing to, had called him. Finally, the third time God called Samuel, he found out it was God. Samuel discovered it only because Eli had told him that if it happens a third time, it is God.

Can you imagine being a young child being called by God? Samuel must have been anxious. After all, God had not called prophets in several years. It was not common for anyone to hear from God, even the priests. Yet, a young boy is being called. There is no way Samuel could have been prepared for a call from God. We are often not prepared for God’s call either.

God calls out to us from time-to-time. He doesn’t typically call out in an audible voice. It is the quiet voice from inside. The Holy Spirit whispers to us. Or we might hear someone else who calling us for God. We simply need to pay attention. We need to keep our hearts and minds open to hear God calling us. As we become more attentive, we will hear God leading us more.

I pray we all hear God calling us. I pray we open our hearts and minds to hear God. I pray each one of us listen for the whisper of the Holy Spirit coming from within to lead us. Know that God calls you. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Be attentive. Open your heart and mind. Answer God’s call.

1 Samuel 3:4-5 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he said, “Here I am!” and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.”