Christ Leads The Way

“Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 3:13-14

Happy Saturday, good people! It’s a blessing to be on this side of life once again. Many thanks to you for your show of love and support. As always: I appreciate you!

I just want to make a note about my last article. To be clear: I never want to give the impression that I think I know everything or that I am somehow self-righteous. I don’t count myself to have arrived in any way. But I keep pressing forward. And I just want to encourage others to do the same.

“I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ.” – Colossians 2:2

The only righteousness (or rightness) that I get comes in being made right with God the Father through the blood of Christ. If my writing ever comes across that way, then it is in no way intentional. I only speak or write what the Bible says.

“My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.” -Psalm 119:172

Not to be repetitive, but I just wanted to make sure that it was clear what the mystery of God and Christ is. It was once a mystery (or hidden), but now it has been made known. And the Bible explicitly states what that mystery is in 1 Timothy 3:16.

“And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great:

He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.” – 1 Timothy 3:16

That’s the gospel of Jesus Christ right there – the mystery (once hidden but now known).

I try to write in a way that everyone can understand. The kids in the family sometimes say that I use big words or words that no one knows. It’s really all subjective (that is, it’s based on opinions) and relative to a person’s own perspective (or, viewpoint). They seem like regular words to me.

Part of me says that people should just use context clues for words that might be new to them, but the other part knows that most people don’t want to do that. People want everything laid out for them. I like to be able to expand my vocabulary. Maybe that’s just me, though.

I was in a few Spelling Bees in my elementary days (and won, too). That required learning words, studying them, and looking up their meanings. That kind of became a part of me to where I still do it in adulthood. (Which shows me how what you learn and practice as a child stays with you. That’s why it’s important for parents to spend quality time with their children, instilling in them the Word of God, morals, and how to treat people right.) So, I hope my writing does not come across as pretentious (that is, showing off, or capping, as I think they say nowadays).

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:5-7

I think it’s important to understand your audience, or who it is you’re talking or writing to. We don’t talk to our closest family and friends in the same way that we would in a meeting or presentation with upper-level management. People are obviously more relaxed in their speech with specific individuals and more formal when speaking or writing formally.

Anyway, it’s just my goal to encourage everyone to treat one another with love, kindness, and respect. That’s the way of Christ. There’s no one like the Lord. So, I hope that you will follow His way and His teachings.

“So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.” – Romans 14:19

I challenge you to build someone up today. Like, really lift someone up. Encourage them. Comfort them. Say something kind and intentionally respectful to honor someone else. And while you’re at it, be intentional to not be disrespectful, to not dishonor, and to not be unkind or unloving. Will that be hard for you to do? I hope not.

Let’s stop tearing one another down. If we’re going to grow, if we’re going to progress, and if we’re going to create any kind of real change, it has to be together – and it has to be in loving one another.

Let’s go be kind, and enjoy the weekend.

“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” – Ephesians 4:32

“Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” – Romans 2:4

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