Assertive Faith

When I first became a Christian all those many years ago, I thought I didn’t need to do anything else. I knew we can’t earn our salvation so I thought all the hard work was done. I was a shy little thing with mostly non-Christian friends so I also told myself I didn’t need to share my faith. My life didn’t change at all except that I quietly believed.

But then I learned something remarkable and wonderful: our Christian faith is not a passive thing. Our faith is not meant to be contained. It is not meant to be hidden or quiet. We are made alive in our faith and so we are called to live that life.

And that requires action.

When we live fully and openly in God, our lives are enriched in ways we could not have imagined. We are called to be no less than holy so only our best efforts will do. We no longer need to drift aimlessly through life. We no longer need to pretend we are our own masters. We can shout out God’s praises with joy and be proud of our membership in His Family.

This is a gift from God. Let us live that gift.
 

The Song in our Hearts

I love Christmas carols. I love listening to them in the car or when I’m cleaning the house. Anytime really. They put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. There is a danger, however, when we hear them so often. We can sometimes forget the meaning behind the words. We can enjoy the music, but forget the message.

Silent night. Holy night. Let’s not forget the hush of awe that night holds for us. Our Lord and God came to earth as a mere babe. He experienced the pain and ugliness of life for us. He wept for us. He gave us hope when we had none.

Let our praise for our Lord be the song that sings in our hearts – not just in this season, but always.

May you all have a blessed Christmas.

What’s your favourite Christmas Carol?

A Spring in My Step

There’s a spring in my step

When the blossoms bud like jewels

And the world embraces renewals.

It reminds me of Christ

And the promises He made

So I no longer need to be afraid.

There’s a spring in my step

Because my Saviour’s blood did spill

So my underserved life will be fulfilled.

A plan set out by God

Conceived from the start

To speak to my trembling heart.

There’s a spring in my step

Because my Lord did inspire

A spark that became a fire.

I wrote this to celebrate the first day of Spring here in Australia. The photo is my rosemary bush in flower.

The End of Winter

This is my last post before the end of winter here in Australia. It’s been the coldest winter we’ve had in a long time. I’ve enjoyed more stews and soups than I can remember. I’ve snuggled down under thick blankets and worn heavy clothing. But the cold is coming to an end. The days are beginning to grow warmer.

Personally I love winter and I’m a little sad that it’s passing. But, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven Ecclesiastes 3:1(NIV). And so I’m looking forward to longer days, warmth and sunlight. I’m looking forward to ice in my drinks again and fresh summer salads. I’m looking forward to my tomatoes ripening and my herbs growing.

Our Lord gives us these things to celebrate His presence in our lives. He gives us these things to appreciate with joy. For us, change is inevitable. We can fight it and miss out on the gifts God gives us, or we can embrace change and make the most of every moment.

What are some things you’ve enjoyed most about the season that is about to pass and the season that is to come?

Feasting and Fasting

Occasionally I listen to the podcasts from Mars Hill Church. They are always so full of teaching and the Word of God. I do recommend them because they are always fresh.

One such podcast was on feasting and fasting and what they truly mean to us. In the abbreviated form:

Fasting is taking the thing away that’s a barrier to God – it doesn’t always have to be food. It can be technology, a sport, a hobby, any distraction.

Feasting is transforming that very thing that could distract us from God, into that which takes us to God – we don’t have to feast on food alone either. We can feast on our sight and appreciate the world God created. We can feast on our hearing and praise His mighty Name. We can feast on the little things. We can even feast on our very breath. Feasting is finding gratitude toward God and knowing He loves us and wants us to experience joy.

I love the different perspective on these definitions. We can worship God through both.

Our Constant

Do you remember Bobby McFerrin’s song, “Don’t worry, be happy”? It was a catchy fun song of the 80’s that quickly turned into a real groaner. I think this happened because it lacked any real truth behind it. It rang of falseness because we all know that no one can be happy all of the time. We face inevitable failure if we try.

A very real part of life is the ups and downs of our emotions. We will feel agony, pain, devastation, misery. We will feel happiness, elation, delight.

But God is our constant.

He is our peace through the hardships, the mood swings and the challenges.

He is our joy through the chaos that life so often brings us.

My prayer to you today is from Romans 15:13 (NIV): May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Can you think of other verses that express God’s constancy in your life?