Temporary Caretakers

“Take care of this grapevine that you yourself have planted, this son you have raised for yourself.” (Psalm 80:15 NLT)

In our area, tomatoes are not ready for harvest until late in the growing season. They require consistent water all through the summer. Our neighbor tends to his tomatoes carefully--planting them in different spots every year, protecting the young plants against pests, supporting the vines in sturdy cages, fertilizing their garden with compost, checking their rain gauge, and watering the plants as needed. Every July, this neighbor goes to visit his relatives down South. He asks me to look after his tomato plants while he is on vacation. I take this responsibility seriously. I know how much care these plants have received already. I dutifully water them daily, even when there are no visible fruits. When my neighbor gets back from vacation, I am glad to hand back these responsibilities. He is a much better gardener than I am. In late summer, when the tomatoes ripen, my neighbor shares his crop with me. I am pleased that I got to play a small part in all of this, but I don’t have any illusions about who grew those tomatoes!

As parents, we get to take care of our children for a short while. While this is a serious responsibility, we must remind ourselves that God is the one who tenderly planted and raised our children. We can trustingly hand them back to the Lord. He is a much better caretaker than we can ever be.  God allows us to share in the joy of parenting, but let us not have any illusions about who has raised our kids thus far! The Lord is a dependable teacher, guide, and mentor. Let us continually surrender all our concerns to Him.

Dealing with Limitations

“Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” (2 Corinthians 12:11 MSG)

Major races like the Boston Marathon have Adaptive Programs for runners who possess permanent physical, intellectual, or visual impairments that impact their ability to run. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon usually requires a fast time at another certified race. Even those in the Adaptive Programs have to qualify for the race--but they are given a modified time standard based on their impairment type. During the race, visually-impaired runners have guides who provide them with verbal cues and navigational support. The sighted guides will tell the runners where to turn, warn them of road hazards, and help them get water at aid stations.  Thus, Adaptive Programs allow people with limitations to participate in the marathon experience.

Limitations can come in all different forms--physical, intellectual, emotional, temperamental, financial, relational, geographical, technological--the list is unlimited. Whether they are long-term or temporary, dealing with impairments requires a shift in perspective. Because of our shortcomings, we qualify for special assistance from God. As long as we are fixated on our inabilities, we cannot focus on our Guide. Our lack of power, energy, and influence allows us to rely on Him. The better we follow, the more He leads. When we let Christ take over, our limitations become launching pads for miracles.  

Intercessory Prayer

“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.” (1 Timothy 2:1 MSG)

We live in a rural area and the closest grocery store is 15 miles away. My neighborhood friends and I have developed a practice of texting each other when we get to the store: “I’m at Walmart; do you need anything?” These texts seem to come at just the right time--on hectic days when you just don’t have the time to drive into town to pick up a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk.

Similarly, it is nice when a friend offers to pray for us. It’s not that we can’t pray for ourselves, but when we feel unsettled or overwhelmed, it is difficult to focus. This is when an intercessor can be helpful. Next time you are in a prayerful zone, reach out and ask others if they need anything. Then take their requests and concerns to the Lord faithfully, expectantly.

“When faith goes to market, it always takes a basket.” (L.B. Cowman)

Spiritual CPR

“Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22 NLT)

I can imagine Jesus bending down, breathing upon a spiritually unconscious person, and resuscitating him. The Holy Spirit is the breath of God. It is the eternal source of life, goodness, and wisdom. It is possible to sleepwalk through our time on earth, functioning in the physical domain, while remaining oblivious to the metaphysical realm. We don’t know what we are missing when we have never experienced anything more.

“Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing.” (1 Corinthians 2:15 MSG)

The Divine breath revives us from our temporal stupor, animating our souls. We are no longer paralyzed by sensuality and ego.  When our intentions and thoughts are aligned with God’s, trust becomes natural. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God’s Spirit is doing. We take part in the sacred. Infused with the Spirit of Truth, we become conscious and discerning. The sanctifying energy of the Holy Spirit fills us, empowering us to experience the transcendent vitality of God.

“Breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!” (Psalm 80:18 MSG)

Tethered to the Spirit

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” (Colossians 3:16 CEV)

These days, most of us connect to the internet wirelessly. We use our mobile devices to access WiFi or have a dedicated data plan through our cellular carriers. The prevalence and convenience of WiFi has made us forget the benefits of a wired connection. An ethernet cable attached directly to a modem provides a more consistent, high-quality signal. There is less interference, lag, and background noise from other networks.

Spiritual wisdom cannot be accessed as conveniently as worldly data. Interference from worries, lag from wanting our own way, and background noise from the voices around us severely limit sacred discernment.  Access to the Holy Spirit requires a tethered connection. We must allow the Spirit of Truth to completely fill our lives, flowing uninterruptedly through us to others.

An atmosphere of praise and thankfulness amplifies holy signals and strengthens our ability to receive the Holy Spirit. It clears the air of all other competing noises clamoring for our attention. It extends our senses, allowing us to experience the overwhelming Spirit of God. The indwelling grace of God connects with the Spirit, and we become partakers in the sacred communion.

Demolishing Barriers

“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 MSG)

Home renovation shows often feature a segment on demolishing the old to make space for the new. They tear down walls between living rooms, dining areas, and kitchens. These open-concept plans allow for more natural light, visual flow, a sense of togetherness, and ease of communication.

A life steeped in worldliness is like an old house with compartmentalized rooms. These walls enable us to manage the separate areas of our identity. However, it blocks the flow of the Spirit. Tearing down barriers against truth is a prerequisite to enlightenment. Unless we demolish the strongholds of self-defeating attitudes and behavior, our lives remain dark, cramped, and musty. Just as remodeling an old house exposes wiring, plumbing, and ductwork--renovating our spiritual lives reveals many loose thoughts, emotions, and impulses. All of these must be fitted properly into the new structure of a God-shaped life. Once the renovation is complete, the new space looks and feels completely different.  Light floods in. There is openness and communion. There is no separation between us and God.

How to Handle Detractors

“I hear that I’m being painted as cringing and wishy-washy when I’m with you, but harsh and demanding when at a safe distance writing letters.” (2 Corinthians 10:1 MSG)

St. Paul shows us how to handle supporters as well as detractors. He faced criticism about his writing, his preaching, his credentials as an Apostle, his leadership, his personality, and his past. Most of us would cave into our feelings of insecurity and decide we must have misheard our calling. St. Paul confronts his critics head on. When his detractors tell him that he is not impressive, he responds: You’re right, I’m not, but-- “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NLT)

There will always be detractors who question our motives, style, substance, credentials, intelligence, or ability. We can either feel insecure and back down, we can boldly continue to pursue our calling. If we rely on our own talents to do our assignment, criticism will tear us down. However, when we depend completely on God’s power--we are unfazed by challengers. Our confidence comes from the Lord’s sufficiency, not our own.

“None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing--nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable--absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (Romans 8:37-39 MSG)