Keep in step with the Spirit

You might remember different times in your childhood when you were paired together with a family member, schoolmate or friend for one of the quintessential competitions included in picnics, family reunions and end of the school year celebrations - the 'three-legged race.'

The three-legged race was not usually won by the fastest, best, biggest or the most evenly matched team, but instead by the team that could figure out how to run in rhythm with each other. It was won by the team that figured out when to move which legs: tied legs, free legs, tied, free, tied ... The team that got in sync almost always won. (The exception of course was when one of the team members just carried the other person.)

The race was won by working together. Teammates moving in unison. No longer just two people tied together, but instead they become one giant three legged person.

The Apostle Paul talked about moving in this kind of rhythm, teamwork and oneness with the Holy Spirit.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 NIV

Keeping in step with the Spirit: Moving when He moves; Resting when He rests; Struggling when He struggles; Coasting when He coasts; Speaking when He speaks; Silence when He hasn't spoken; Keeping in step with the Spirit.

The three-legged race is not the fastest event at the family picnic. No Olympic records will be broken. But there is a beauty in watching two people as they grasp the rhythm of three legs working together.

We can move, rest, struggle, coast, speak and be silent on our own, but there is a splendor in sensing the movement of the Holy Spirit and in perfect cadence, 'keeping instep with the Spirit.' This kind of life activity is what often gets referred to as 'God moments.'

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 NIV

Be Quick to Listen

Even though we’ve each been given two ears and one mouth it is much harder to listen than it should be. 2000 years ago James wrote to the Jewish followers of Jesus regarding listening. He wrote:

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19 NLT)

Quick to listen … slow to speak.??? That would be different.

Outside of the Scriptures there is a tremendous amount that has been written about listening. One of the great quotes is from Albert Einstein.

If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut. Albert Einstein

If you don’t get it here it is written out: A=Success
X+Y+Z=A

Work+Play+Keeping your mouth shut = Success

These words are powerful when it comes to everyday life but how much more when the practice of listening is applied to prayer and my spiritual life.

Here are the questions that I think of about my prayer times when I read about and think about listening. Am I quick to listen, slow to speak when it comes to prayer?
Do I listen twice as much as I talk?
Is my prayer a practice of asking and doing all of the talking or do I take time to quiet my soul and listen to what the Holy Spirit might be saying to me?

Tuning in to God, which we’ve been talking about, is in truth about listening … listening hard … listening intently.

Be quick to listen … slow to speak.

'Myselfing' it or Holding God's Hand?

Our family recently hiked up Mount Pilchuck, outside of Granite Falls. It is about a 6 mile hike that climbs roughly 2500 feet to an old fire lookout tower. We had an awesome day!

Our granddaughter who is 5 and our grandson who is 1½ went on the hike with us. For a portion of the hike, I carried our granddaughter. Most of the hike she wanted to walk and did great.

There were some patches of the hike that were difficult. If I wasn’t carrying her, I held her hand so as to help her through the difficult patch. The majority of the time she was OK with me holding her hand. There were moments though where she pulled away because she wanted to do it ‘myself.’ A couple of those times the ‘myself’ ended up tripping or falling. A few times when she was ‘myselfing’ it, I reached out and grabbed her as she started to go down. After tripping or falling she was amenable to me helping her.

This interaction through a 6 mile hike painted a picture for me of how we often are with God. God is trying to get us to hold His hand so that we can make it through a rough patch. He wants to help us and assure us that we can make it through the difficult seasons in life.

But we tend to pull away and let God know through our actions and attitudes that “I want to do it myself!” He doesn’t force us to hold His hand. He doesn’t force Himself upon us when we don’t want it – mostly.

As I look back, there have been times where I was ‘myselfing’ it and sure enough, just as I was on my way down, God reached out and grabbed me. Sometimes I still stumbled or fell but the stumble, or even the fall, was not nearly what it could have been if God hadn’t been there watching over me.

Praying is partially about admitting to God, others and ourselves that we need Him to hold our hand. We are going through a challenge and we can’t make it alone.

Are you in a tough patch right now? Don’t get caught ‘myselfing’ it! God is waiting for an invitation to engage with you and change you.

Matt

Tuning in to God

This would be a great series for you to invite someone to join you. There are a handful of times during the year that people, who are not in the habit of attending worship services, are open to invitations to gather with others. These are times when non-church goers are thinking about making church part of their routine. Invite someone to join you!

As Jesus talked about prayer, He referred to good prayers and bad prayers. (See Luke 18) The interesting part of Jesus’ discussion surrounding these prayers is who prayed the good prayer, and who prayed the bad prayer. People are of the opinion that ‘good’ people pray good prayers and that ‘bad’ people pray bad prayers. This isn’t what Jesus taught.

In Jesus’ parable in Luke 18, He painted a picture of the ‘good’ person praying a bad prayer and the ‘bad’ person praying a good prayer. Go figure!

If we saw these two people praying, we would quickly make the assumption that Jesus heard and approved of the prayer of the ‘good’ guy and that he would have ignored and rejected the prayer of the ‘bad’ guy.

The good prayer by the bad guy was made up of only a few words, but it included a very powerful idea. He prayed: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The word used for mercy in this prayer is not the normal word that is used for mercy. The word used here has the idea of atonement or paying for a debt. The bad man in Jesus’ parable was praying: “God, atone for me” or “God, pay my debt off for me.”

I can’t pay off my debt of the sin in my life. It is not possible. Not in this lifetime and not in a thousand lifetimes! I need a savior who will pay off my debt! That is the front end of the message of the Gospel.

The back end of the Gospel message is that Jesus is my debt payer. Through His life, death, burial and resurrection, He paid off my debt and your debt and their debt.

Which is better? A good person praying bad prayers or a bad person praying good prayers? Can a good person pray good prayers?

Something to chew on.