If ever there were one who could rightly respond to every “why” with “because I said so” it is God. But he doesn’t! Not only has God revealed what is required of us he has also revealed himself. We can have confidence that behind every command of God are the attributes and actions of God that assure us that, even when we don’t understand the “what”, we know we can trust his “why”.

In an account from the book of Luke, we have Jesus visiting the home of sisters Mary and Martha. A crowd must have assembled and Jesus was teaching. Anticipating a need to feed and serve the group gathered in her living room, Martha set about preparations. Verse 10:40 says that she was distracted by all the preparations. That sounds like someone who was anxious.

A trip out west was calling us, so after several weeks of planning and preparations, Paul and the kids and I arrived at the Charlotte Douglas airport ready for our early morning flight to Phoenix. As first-time fliers, all three of our children wanted a window seat and took turns watching as the land became smaller and smaller while we rose higher and higher.  

Am I striving to be my best in order to make the most of what God has given me—or because I want to impress others and be at the top of the heap? Those are two very different questions.

I read a story recently about a man so wealthy that he had a basketball court on the deck of his yacht. But that wasn’t all. He had a staff that would follow his yacht out to sea in smaller boats, and whenever he missed a shot, they would retrieve the ball from the ocean, and he would try again. That is some candy!

Have you ever considered that life as we know it is living between two perfect gardens? The Bible begins and ends with a garden. In Genesis, Adam and Eve are created by God and placed in the Garden of Eden, in perfection. And in Revelation 22, we see Eden restored. Finally, we will return to the garden with its tree of life and where there is no more curse (Rev. 22:1-5).

To walk with the Spirit means to keep in step with the Spirit -not to run ahead or lag behind. I must remember that fruit is produced to be eaten; not to be admired or put on display. People around us are starving for love, joy, peace, and all the other fruits of the Spirit. When they find them in our lives, they recognize something they lack. We do not bear fruit for our own consumption; we bear fruit that others might be fed and that Christ might be glorified. The flesh may manufacture “results” that bring praise to us, but the flesh cannot bear fruit that brings glory to God. It takes patience, the Spirit, the seed of the Word of God, and a sincere desire to honor Christ to do that. 

In the same way, the Holy Spirit is not bound by our biology. The Holy Spirit shows us God’s trustworthiness, which becomes the foundation of our transformation. The Holy Spirit plants the promises of God’s word like seeds into our hearts giving us confidence in Him that blossoms into the fruit of self-control in our lives.

This world proudly celebrates the removal of all restraint as what’s best. But scripture paints a better picture of freedom. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). And in Galatians 5, the Spirit of the Lord is at work in those who have been set free by the gospel producing fruit in contrast to the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-24). 

The Christian walk is not meant to be a stroll of ease, comfort, and treats. Rather, it is a battle. We are told to “Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ”, to “put on the full armor of God”, and to “stand firm”. Paul adds “I beat my body and make it my slave”. These are fighting words!  

Several years ago I was asked to perform a worship dance at a Christian women’s conference. And while I wasn’t in the best physical form after much time away from formal dance training, my spiritual form was in pretty good shape. Life events and challenges had drawn me into a deeper study of the Word, and prayer had strengthened my relationship with the Lord. Yet, I struggled to let Him fully lead my steps…in life and in dance.

Your name is awesome and holy. You are faithful and just, my only hope for restoration and peace. Please help me to honor and revere Your name. Grow me in wisdom and fuel me with Your Spirit to live in responsive awe of Your greatness and your gospel.

If you’re like me, after reading the first few books in the Old Testament, you may feel a bit surprised at the stories God included. Most of us would likely hide the stories of the “black sheep” in our families if we were writing our stories. And yet, the Bible is filled with imperfect people: real people, with real faith, as broken and imperfect as they were.

If you are an online shopper, you are certainly familiar with the phrase, “add to cart”.  We’ve all been told to “add to cart”.  It is simply the seller telling us that we are not finished shopping; something else must be done to obtain the desired product 

Throughout the New Testament, many varied descriptions of the gospel are given. Depending on the particular context, the imagery shifts in order to emphasize a certain aspect of what God has done for us. Within Galatians itself, we see the gospel described in terms of deliverance (1:4), sacrifice (2:20), and freedom (5:1). And in Galatians 4, a particularly pregnant phrase is used to emphasize that the coming of Jesus marks a monumental shift in the experience of God’s people. The coming of Christ is the turning point of salvation history.

What if we were as willing to advertise and advocate for Jesus as we are for our favorite politician or sports team or charitable cause? What if we focused less on the identities that divide us and more on the one that unites us? What if we followed Paul’s instruction regarding the formation of our own identities? We’d only need one bumper sticker. But I would miss the funny ones…

I have to admit I am a lot like Martha. Maybe you are too? The tasks and details and distractions of life tend to consume each moment and I easily forget that my Father just wants me to draw close…to sit at His feet. He longs to protect me, to hold me close, to speak softly into my ear because He knows me like no one else does. And He wants all of that for you too. God always desires to bless us, and His blessings are everlasting.

I've sometimes called Facebook the cesspool of ideological fodder to bait unsuspecting and often well-intentioned people into endless debates. I'm no longer on social media and have no interest in rejoining unless it is strictly business related. It's exhausting to be called every name under the sun for holding some secondary view others may hold as primary. Social media has, in my opinion, cheapened the art of debate - all in the name of proving oneself right. Reading Galatians 3:1-9 almost sounds like any rant you may encounter online.