Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 143; Isaiah 58:1-5; Matthew 11:1-15; Galatians 5:19-26; Psalm 112
One of the defining characteristics of modern day Americans is our pervading sense of cynicism. We often spend time and energy building people up, for instance, only to begin the process of immediately tearing them down. How sad this process is. So how do we overcome such thinking? Well, today’s passage from Galatians gives us a suggestion. Radical things start happening when we start doing what Eugene Peterson paraphrases in Galatians 5:22 as living God’s way (the NIV translates this as enjoying the fruits of the spirit). What kind of things? “We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people” (Galatians 5:22-23 – The Message). Radical things indeed! The key point here is that all of these amazing things come about not from seeking OUR desire or OUR will but God’s. The next time you find yourself in a negative and/or destructive head space – expecting the worst or thinking the worst about someone or something - stop and ask yourself a basic question: am I living my way or God’s way. This centering question might help you get back on tract. Til next time…
One of the defining characteristics of modern day Americans is our pervading sense of cynicism. We often spend time and energy building people up, for instance, only to begin the process of immediately tearing them down. How sad this process is. So how do we overcome such thinking? Well, today’s passage from Galatians gives us a suggestion. Radical things start happening when we start doing what Eugene Peterson paraphrases in Galatians 5:22 as living God’s way (the NIV translates this as enjoying the fruits of the spirit). What kind of things? “We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people” (Galatians 5:22-23 – The Message). Radical things indeed! The key point here is that all of these amazing things come about not from seeking OUR desire or OUR will but God’s. The next time you find yourself in a negative and/or destructive head space – expecting the worst or thinking the worst about someone or something - stop and ask yourself a basic question: am I living my way or God’s way. This centering question might help you get back on tract. Til next time…
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