As we continue our thoughts on this past Sunday's sermon, let's consider the two main passages Pastor Joy spoke on (Matthew 5 and Galatians 5). In them are contained two famous New Testament scriptures: The Beatitudes and the listing of the "fruit of the Spirit". (If you're not familiar with them, please take a few minutes to read Matthew 5:1-11 and Galatians 5:22-23.)
Those of us who have been attending Sunday School and church for a long time probably memorized these verses somewhere along the way. But, memorizing it and living it out are two different things! How do we make these verses a reality in our daily lives?
Maybe we should "un-memorize" this stuff and read it as if we'd never seen it before. One of the dangers of rote memorization is that the words are nothing more than words, nothing more than a laundry list filed in our brains with all the other laundry lists. So, let's just look at two examples with new eyes.
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Can you embrace the notion that, outside of the presence and power of God working in us, we have nothing to offer?
What does the fruit of joy look like? Can you demonstrate a joyful demeanor even as you experience the deepest grief and sorrow? In other words, do you have the joy of the Lord in you, or is your joy solely contingent on your current circumstances?
I'd encourage you, as you read and re-read these two passages, to slow down and ask yourself hard questions: "Does my life reflect this? Is my life giving people a glimpse of how things work in the kingdom of God? If 'Christian' means Christ-like, does my life fit the bill?"
Lord, help us to be Your agents in the world.
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