Galatians 5:15-25

“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.” vss. 22-23

Once we recognize that we have been set free from the law, two distinct possibilities for living await us. In Paul’s terms, one option is to allow the desires and passions of the flesh determine what we will say and do. It’s a tempting alternative! Our desires are close at hand and offer their own form of gratification…but such a life will never give us an experience of Christ-like living. The other option is to allow the Holy Spirit to be our guide and director and walk in the way of Jesus. Paul’s description of the fruits resulting from such a life deserves to be memorized and engraved on our hearts, not as some sort of new legalism, but as a description of the beautiful life. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…these are the attributes that are seen in us when our Christ-light begins to shine. They don’t happen because we will them…fruits can never be forced. Rather, they flow naturally out of the love relationship we have with God through Jesus. If they’re not present it’s because we’ve somehow allowed the cares of the world to intrude and obscure the Christ who dwells within. When by grace God’s healing comes, our light begins to shine once more and those precious fruits will abound.

Thought for the Day: Which fruits of the Spirit are most obvious in me?

Galatians 5: 1, 13-15

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.” vs. 13

Freedom was huge for Paul. He believed with all his heart that in Christ the Galatians had been set free and he couldn’t understand how they could be seduced by charlatan preachers and submit once again to the slavery of the law. They had been called to freedom, but should not see their freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence. It’s this tendency that has continued to be a challenge for the people of God. Again and again followers of Jesus have abused the gift of freedom by doing whatever they please with no restrictions. Some have abandoned every vestige of morality under the guise of living freely. Nothing could be further from Christ-like living. We should know that the guiding principle of life in Christ is love, the love that God has for us and the love we are called to show for others. Paul says that in Christ, having been set free from the slavery of the shoulds, we are to freely become love-slaves to one another. That’s what true love does, it binds us to our neighbor with cords that cannot be broken. This is the love we see in the cross of Jesus, it’s a self-giving love that could even mean dying for the other. What a blessing it is to be a part of such a loving faith community! It’s the true family of God, a bulwark of stability and caring in our often cut-throat world.

Thought for the Day: What do love-slaves do for one another?

Psalm 16:7-11

“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” vs. 11

The Lord was not a stranger to the psalmist…they had a connection that had begun with the breath of the Spirit in creation and that had continued throughout his life. Not a day passed without a prayer of thanksgiving and songs of praise. Many of us have come to know that Divine Presence as the Christ and use the psalmist’s language to express the joy we feel in the intimacy of that relationship. By looking to the Christ and making Jesus our guide we discover the path of life and learn how to navigate the treacherous twists and turns of daily existence. In the shelter of that guiding presence we experience the fullness of joy and the amazing contentment that faith can bring. Of course there will be challenges…we only need a brief look at the life of Jesus to know that a cross-centered life will bring suffering and pain. Those who follow in his steps can expect the same…it’s what happens when love captures us and we begin to live for others. But the benefits are enormous…the psalmist reports that in the Lord (who is the Christ) there will be pleasures forevermore. As another psalmist wrote, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.” 

Thought for the Day: What pleasures has the Christ-life brought me? 

Psalm 16:1-6

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” vs. 6

Many followers of Jesus end up with more possessions than they ever dreamed that they would have. They live in large comfortable homes and drive luxurious vehicles. They go on cruises to exotic places and take vacations trips to distant parts of the world. Their retirement funds have been well invested and their lives will be secure for as long as they live. It’s not unusual in such circumstances to have regular feelings of guilt, particularly when we see the large numbers of people in our world who live in poverty with none of the material comforts that we hold dear. How is it that we have so much when others have so little? We know it’s not because of our hard work…many poor people work much harder than we do. Mostly it’s because we live in the richest country in the world and have had the benefit of wonderful education and work opportunities. So how shall we deal with our affluence? The psalmist would simply give thanks to God…the boundary lines had fallen for him in pleasant places and he had a goodly heritage. The same is true for us. Feeling guilty about our prosperity serves no purpose at all. Instead we should rejoice in the fact that we have the opportunity to be unbelievably generous! We can give away enormous amounts of money and goods, more than we ever dreamed, and we can do enormous good for the hurting people of the world. And so we will!

Thought for the Day: How much is enough?

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21

“He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.” vs. 21

Elijah needed a successor, someone to follow him for a time and then take over his position as prophet in Israel. Guided by the Spirit he threw his mantle over Elisha as he was out in the field plowing. Thrilled by his nomination Elisha asked only to be able to say good-bye to his parents…and Elijah sent him away. More was required. Elisha had to make a complete break with the past…and he did. He sacrificed his livelihood and became Elijah’s servant. Sometimes that’s how it works when the Spirit blows through our lives. We feel called in a new direction and get excited about the prospects. We forget that pursuing newness will often mean sacrifice and massive change. And we won’t be able to move forward until we’ve broken the yoke of the past and dealt with all the required endings. Our actions may not be as graphic as those required of Elisha but that shouldn’t minimize their importance. The good news is that when the call is truly the work of the Spirit our new life as servants of Christ will be a blessing to the world…and bring satisfaction to our souls.

Thought for the Day: What do I need to give up in order to move ahead?

Luke 8:35-39

“Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.” vs. 35

Luke makes an interesting observation in recounting the story of the Gerasene demoniac. He says that when the demons departed the man was left in his “right mind.” In other words,he had become once more the person God had created him to be. We don’t know when or why the demons had taken control…if our own experience is any guide, we can get messed at any number of places on life’s journey. We do know that when our crisis occurs, it doesn’t take long for the demons to move in and mask our true being. From that point on we are restrained and bound in our interactions and relationships…it’s like being imprisoned. If we sense what has happened (not all people do) we can spend a lot of time and energy trying to break the chains. The problem is that demons are remarkably resilient But they do have a weakness! They’re helpless in the presence of the powerful grace and compassion of the Christ. Through the centuries Jesus has come again and again to bring release and healing. He speaks words of love to the light that dwells within and we are restored. The demons flee and we are set free. In our right minds once more, our light shines forth and we’re filled with joy and peace.

Thought for the Day: What demons have I had to deal with?

Luke 8:26-34

“When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’–” vs. 28

According to our sources, whenever Jesus encountered people possessed by demons, the evil spirits recognized him instantly and saw in him a power that was greater than their own. Sometimes they called him by name, an effort to control the situation. Jesus in turn named them, the first step in bringing healing to those possessed. His tactic continues to be effective as we struggle to deal with the massive numbers of people dealing with psychological and emotional issues in our society. They’re all around us, some wandering the streets talking to themselves and asking for money, others doing their best to mask symptoms as they move through the day. Before we can do anything to help anyone, we have to name the demon. Most of the time our preference is to do nothing. We ignore the folks on the street corners with their cardboard signs. We cover up the addictions and stress disorders of those close to us, hoping they’ll just spontaneously heal. Jesus had compassion on such persons, called out the demons, and brought peace to troubled souls. We may consider ourselves too sophisticated to even believe in demons, but evidence of their existence is all around us. Keeping silent is really no solution when so many people are hurting!

Thought for the Day: What do I believe about demons?

Galatians 3:27-29

“There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is ecstatic at the good news he has for the Galatians. They’d long been bound by restrictions and limitations…from birth they had learned to categorize people and make distinctions. There was a rigid hierarchy and not much wiggle room…once a person was labelled an outsider, that’s where they remained. Paul says, “No more! All are one in Christ Jesus!” Because his insight cuts across the grain of our human inclinations, the Church has had a dickens of a time living into the new reality that Paul describes. We’ve seen that in recent years as we’ve done battle over the issue of human sexuality in our denominations. So many absolutely refuse to acknowledge that gay persons belong to the unity that is ours in Christ Jesus. But not everyone feels that way! There are those among us who believe that we are all children of God and that the Christ does not distinguish between gay or straight. We see them speaking the truth boldly and putting their convictions into action. As a result thousands of gay persons are finding communities of faith where they can put their amazing Spiritual gifts to work. What a blessing it is to rub shoulders with all God’s children under the mantle of Christ! Those who were rejected have become the cornerstone!

Thought for the Day: What special gifts do gay people have to share?

Galatians 3:23-26

“Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.” vs. 24

The coming of the Christ into the lives of the disciples marked a massive transition. No longer would they be controlled by the external demands of the law. Instead the Spirit of Christ dwelling in their hearts would guide them on a journey marked by love and compassion. Many of us know what that feels like. Even though we haven’t lived by the tenets of Judaism or been subject to ancient traditions we do know what it’s like to live under the law. It starts early! From the time we’re toddlers we’re told how to live and what we should and shouldn’t do. We’re warned again and again that our acceptance is dependent on our behavior. Some of us even learn that love itself is contingent on our actions, that unless we “measure up” we’re pretty much unlovable. It’s an awful way to live, almost like being in prison! But then comes the day when faith reveals the presence of the indwelling Christ and our inner selves hear the message of unconditional love and freedom that is the essence of the gospel. What a blessing that sweet story brings! The prison doors are flung open and we can celebrate freely the new life that is ours. Bit by bit the Christ light at our core begins to shine brightly and everyone around us is warmed by God’s love.

Thought for the Day: When did the prison doors open for me?

Psalm 22:24-29

“The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!” vs. 26

When all was said and done, the psalmist had deep and profound hope for the future. In spite of all evidence to the contrary, despite his feelings of despair and alienation, he believed that the Lord would satisfy the deepest longings of all hurting people. Even the poor, those whom the world so often ignores and marginalizes, would eat and be filled. We might wonder a bit at the psalmist’s optimism. Often it seems as though things are moving in the wrong direction for our beautiful earth. Nations war against nations and tensions are rising. There are more refugees now than ever before in human history. Leaders escalate preparations and seem to delight in the prospects of war…and no one seems to be learning from past mistakes. And the poor quite obviously aren’t prospering! What we have to remember is that the psalmist wasn’t banking on the goodness of tyrants and the benevolence of despots. His hope was based solely on his conviction that the Lord is good…and one day the Lord’s will would be done. If we open our eyes we can see signs that even now goodness is showing its face in surprising places, even when it doesn’t get top billing. The psalmist would advise us to “hang in there” in our despair…dominion after all, belongs to the Lord!

Thought for the Day: Where do I see goodness showing its face?