What do Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus all have in common? I learned after attending a seminar that just mentioning one of their names in a blog will increase the attention you get on the web. I didn’t, however, learn who they are because I belong to the secret society of the ‘uncool’, which prevents all members from knowing anything about what is cool. It is kind of a “bizzaro world” to find I am the opposite of today’s cool young pastors. But happily I am part of the church, which is the family of God where we are all loved and accepted.
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are Jew or Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Colossians 3:10-11
Have you intentionally put on your new nature today? I remember when I was a football player we had a cowboy on our team who used to put his pants on two legs at a time. I asked him once why he did such an odd thing and he responded, “Well, right now the other teams coach is telling his players not to worry about us, we put our pants on one leg at a time. I am proving to them that they need to worry about me.”
Putting clothes on is an intentional act. Have you ever tried to dress a two year old? They squirm – they run away. In fact, I think they would rather be naked like some vestige left from the Adam and Eve linage from the Garden of Eden.
Putting on our “new Christ like nature” clothing is also purposeful. We clothe ourselves with tenderheartedness, mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We make allowance for each other’s faults. And above all else we clothe ourselves with Christ’s love. Just like we decide what we are going to wear for the day every morning, we need to make the choice to put on a Christ like nature.
For some of us it is slipping on a cross necklace everyday. For others it is kneeling at the foot of our bed to dedicate the day to Jesus before we tackle the challenges ahead of us. There are so many ways to make that choice ranging from daily devotions to verse memorization to quiet time in prayer to many other practices. What purposeful steps are you taking to dedicate each and everyday to filling your life with Christ?
There are so many different ways, find the one that centers your heart on Christ. Be willing to change up your routine if your heart isn’t following your actions. And remember you are not alone in pursuing a deeper relationship with Christ, your church family (the same one that accepts my uncoolness) is there to encourage and support you.
Your friend for the rest of my life,
Pastor Tim White
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypBccI8YBH8
This life of meekness that Jesus teaches is not easily attained, nor are we born with it. It comes from our willingness to humbly submit ourselves to God’s authority and say yes to the ways of Jesus. Easier said, than done, right? I’m with you! But thankfully, we have something called grace on our side. When the bull in us decides to romp around the china shop leaving a wake of bad choices, hurtful actions and one big mess; we have God’s grace to lean on. Where would we be without the God’s grace and mercy?
A couple years back, I read a fascinating book by Dr. Henry Cloud called, Changes That Heal. In it, he speaks to the notion that one cannot be a healthy person without the presence of both Truth and Grace. He states that without truth and grace being lived out on a daily basis a person cannot be emotionally healthy.
Picture a small child who has been given a kitten to hold. We tell them “be gentle” as their tendency would be to squeeze and maybe get scratched in the process. It is by extra effort that gentleness is managed.