Tuesday, January 06, 2004
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (PHL 4:4-7)
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What wise counsel this passage brings to me! Today was one of the days that this passage was written for. Today I lost a great job, a job that I loved. I worked with wonderful people -- which includes the person responsible for my job loss. However, I was surprised by my first reaction to this news. I would not have been surprised if I had become upset or dejected, but I was remarkably nonplussed. As I left the meeting, I reflected on my emotional state and then remembered the above passage. I found myself rejoicing, giving thanks to God, and left with a sense of peace. How happy it is to discover that you are spontaneously fulfilling commands of Scripture, as if it was your very nature to do so! And isn't that the way that it is supposed to be? We are new creations in Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin but belong to Righteousness. I have now experienced the truth of the saying that freedom is not being able to do whatever you want whenever you want but that it is found in being able to follow Jesus.
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May God grant me True Freedom, that I might be able to obey him and follow him in his ways!
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†
What wise counsel this passage brings to me! Today was one of the days that this passage was written for. Today I lost a great job, a job that I loved. I worked with wonderful people -- which includes the person responsible for my job loss. However, I was surprised by my first reaction to this news. I would not have been surprised if I had become upset or dejected, but I was remarkably nonplussed. As I left the meeting, I reflected on my emotional state and then remembered the above passage. I found myself rejoicing, giving thanks to God, and left with a sense of peace. How happy it is to discover that you are spontaneously fulfilling commands of Scripture, as if it was your very nature to do so! And isn't that the way that it is supposed to be? We are new creations in Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin but belong to Righteousness. I have now experienced the truth of the saying that freedom is not being able to do whatever you want whenever you want but that it is found in being able to follow Jesus.
†
May God grant me True Freedom, that I might be able to obey him and follow him in his ways!
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