Adulting

Psalm 143:7-8

Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

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My second granddaughter is working on the transition from teen to adult. She is working on adulting.  She is doing quite well in spite of society's rules and regulations making it much harder than when I or her parents made the transition. I first heard this term "adulting" when her older sister was making that transition into adulthood. I laughed as I thought that she had made it up. But, I checked the Urban Dictionary and it appears to be a word that is being used today. Adulting is when a young person begins to take on things that would be considered adult-like. These might be things as simple as getting out of bed on time to go to school or work without anyone having to wake them up or filling out a job application without assistance or trying to apply for a credit card so they can actually work on a credit score which in this day and age is required to do a whole lot of things including renting a place to live. 

Of course, this transition is a process; and, the training of a young person to make this transition should actually begin at birth. But, that jump from teen to adult is not always easy even for those who have been adulting (bearing the responsibilities of an adult) for many years.

The psalmist prayed that the Lord would teach him the way that he should go. This is my prayer for all of our young people. That the Lord would be with them; guiding them in His Way as they learn how to be mature and fruitful adults. It is not easy to make that transition from teen to adult. Aging is a process that cannot be stopped. Prayerfully, as we all age, we will also all grow and mature in Christ. May God be with our young people as they learn to follow in the way that He would have them go.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Whatever Happens; God Is With You

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 NRSV) 

Growing in Christ does mean that we will face trials. There was a time when I could actually smile at those trials that I would face, knowing that it would be a learning and growing experience. Then, I would just get to it. Today, I am more likely to find myself weary of facing one trial after the next. Maybe, it's more like I've learned to simply endure them. I look out into the world and see all the trials that people endure simply because of our sinful natures, I get tired of seeing so much unnecessary suffering. I know that trials produce endurance so that we might mature and grow in Christ. However, it saddens me to know that those trials are often born out of disrespect for the world; for the people around us; and, for God.

Sadly; to live in this world, we do need endurance and endurance comes from facing and overcoming trials. But, we are not alone. We are never alone. God is with us and we will prevail. We will grow  and mature in Christ. We can rejoice in that knowledge.

God grant that we should have joyful spirits as we face the trials before us, in the knowledge that God is with us and for us. 

God's Peace - Pr. J

One Body

"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph 4:4-6)

We may be many; yet, we are one in Christ. We are united in His Body as we abide in him and he in us. We, who are members of this Body of Christ have been called and equipped for service in order that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Do you see what that means? Although our good works contributes nothing toward our salvation; we are called to serve the whole body according to the gifts that have been given to us as individuals for the edification and growth of the body of Christ, who is the Church, who is Jesus the Christ. (Eph 4:12-13)

We must all serve in unity, according to the will of God, with the mind of Christ, who is our head, in order for this maturity to happen. What I've witnessed all too often is that when one person tries to do it all nothing much gets accomplished. Too many frying pans in the fire at one time being handled by one person and something is liable to get left undone or burned. Many congregations and even denominations are like that. We equip only a few for service and growth. If there is any growth, is slow. 

Consider the times that you may have injured an arm or a leg, maybe you had a lung infection or other illness that affected one part of your body. Did that one member of your body not slow you down; maybe, even stop you from doing anything? 

We are all members of one body, meant to work in unity and unison so that the whole body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge and Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

So lets get with it and equip all of the saints! Train the members of the body so that together we might grow in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Discernment By The Holy Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

                                                                                                                1 Cor 2:6-10 NIV

Others may not have a clue to the mysteries that the followers of Jesus comprehend and sometimes we may forget that they don't. We expect them to understand what we might even call "common sense." But, it is not common sense that leads us to follow Jesus and to discern God's will for us. It is the Spirit of God who does this.

By the Spirit of God we are united in Christ. We are one. We who are of the Body of Christ have the mind of Christ. He is our head. Is it any wonder that we should be able to discern the things that come from God?

My constant prayer is that God would open eyes, ears, hearts, and minds of all whom we love so that all people might discern God's gracious and loving will for them and for the world around them.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jesus Is The One We Proclaim

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Col 1:28 NIV

Is he? Is Jesus the one we proclaim as the Christ? We cannot have any other gods. We cannot lift up anyone or anything else above him. As a church; as members of the Body of Christ, we can proclaim only Jesus as our savior. No one and nothing else can save us from ourselves or from any other power that comes to deceive and destroy us. Without the Messiah, we are lost.

It is only in Christ that we have real life. May God help us to teach and to learn with all due diligence and wisdom so that together we may fully mature in Christ.

Put away your teachings of false gods so that everyone may grow into the fullness of Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J