living by faith

Fully Known & Fully Loved

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

“I’m fine.”

It’s likely we have received or offered this generic line many times when responding to the classic question, “How are you?” Many of us spend a great deal of time and energy seeking to be (or at least appear) self-sufficient in the eyes of those around us. The reason for this attitude differs- pride at our own ability to handle things, a genuine desire to not worry others, or even our unawareness of our own needs.

One of our greatest desires as human beings is to be able to share experiences and to relate to those around us. We have witnessed this when small children go off to school, when we travel abroad, or when seniors move into a new retirement community. In the midst of new and potentially overwhelming situations, we long to find a person with who we can relate to and share our discomfort. One true friend, a helpful local who speaks our language, or a friendly face to welcome us serve as blessings that give us the strength to keep going in tough moments.

On the other hand, one of our great fears lies in the idea that if people really knew us, they would not love us, care for us, or help us. This mindset can have long and lasting negative results. Such an attitude can cause us to avoid engaging with others to seem strong and competent. Sometimes the impact is relatively small like when we refuse to ask for help in a store or resist asking for directions in driving- we may be delayed and frustrated, but we are more inconvenienced than hurt. Other situations, like denying help for addiction or struggling alone with anxiety or depression, can have life-changing impact if we are not able to overcome fear and to receive the support we need.

To be human is to be made of dust and to be made of dust is to be vulnerable, and yet many of us spend a great deal of time and effort seeking to convince those around us we are fine just as we are and do not need help from anyone.

In our relationship with God, we do not have to fear being known. He already knows us fully, and He loves us completely. He appreciates all that we are and all that we try to be, and He also sees the darkness that many of us seek to avoid dealing with by pushing it deeper to the corners of our lives.

We constantly strive to build up our own defenses even as our loving Father offers not stronger defenses against our worst impulses but divinely-empowered deliverance from them.

One attribute God possesses that we do not is the ability to know the entirety of a situation. As people, we may downplay, mislead, or intentionally lie about when we are struggling and dealing with conflict and trials, but there is no hiding the needs of our hearts from God. He already knows, and He welcomes us, broken as we all are, to come to Him.

We all long to be more fully known and yet we fear that if we are completely honest, we will not be loved.

Thankfully, God’s love is not based on our perfection, but in His nature.

The great blessing comes when we cease to struggle against this love, and rather gratefully accept it and live our lives out of its reality. In Christ, we are called to not only accept His gracious love for us but to receive it gladly then to turn and extend it to others.

Accepting this loving reality of relationship forever alters our answer to the question, “How are you?”

“I am loved.”

Words That Build Up

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

We build some structures in our lives understanding that they will be temporary. Children enthusiastically build snowmen in the winter and enjoy constructing sandcastles at the beach. We may be thoughtful in putting up a tent for the night or building a duck blind for a season, but we recognize that the nature of such shelters is fleeting. Because of the limited uses and short lifespan of such projects, we invest in them differently than a home, a church building, or a historic structure.

The words we speak are more permeant than we often admit. When it comes to building others up, we must realize that our words today have the potential to make a difference that will echo in eternity.

Believers should never be guilty of flippantly using cutting phrases, sharp criticisms, or demeaning language toward others. Genuine compliments and encouragement should be the mark of Christian conversation while bitterness, vulgarity, and profanity must be banished from our lips. Words have the power to hurt deeply, and their impact lingers long after the exchange is over. Harsh words can knock down the work of years in a moment, and we as believers are to be builders not bulldozers when it comes to our interactions with others.

The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:29, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

In speaking into the lives of others, we must look to remove corrupt communication from our lives. While this certainly includes overt profanity and lewd language, it also includes more subtle ways our speech can be used to erode the spirits of others. Gossip, boasting, half-truths, and mocking jokes made at others’ expense are just a sampling of ways our words can hurt.

As believers, we must appreciate that people are not punchlines and that even passing comments leave a lasting impact. Even after decades, we can remember how being teased as a child, mocked as a teenager, or chewed out by our first boss made us feel. We cannot control the words of others, but we can recognize that the words we release into the world are not simply a temporary venting of frustration but have the potential to impact lives far beyond the moment. Rather than being thoughtless or cruel, we should seek “necessary edification”- choosing to build up those around us with intentionally grace-filled speech.

In seeking to build others up, we should look for genuine strengths in the lives of those around us. We live in a social media, cable-news-saturated world that daily attempts to remind us of all the dangers and darkness swirling close by. When it comes to those we are interacting with face-to-face, we can cut through the noise and notice the blessings our family, friends, and neighbors bring into our lives. In conversation, we can choose to be thankful, positive, and kind thereby building a foundation of honoring God and imitating Christ in all our relationships.

We who experience life in Christ are blessed with His presence now and the confidence of joy in eternity, and yet sadly we can often be surly, standoffish, and suspicious. We dare not be known as cynical, critical, and crude in our interactions with others. While no one perfectly tames the tongue in this life (James 3), we cannot allow corrupting speech to become the default pattern of our conversations.

Our words matter, and we must use them as tools to build rather than weapons to wound as we live out our faith each day.

Snow Day Stillness

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

Earlier this month, all of Weakley County lay under a generous blanket of snow. At one point, every county in Tennessee closed schools as the Volunteer State was inundated with winter weather from Memphis to Mountain City. While students received an extended break, workers braved the weather to keep power on, animals fed, and roads as clear as possible. The snow seemed to cast an almost eerie quiet over our community.

While the work of some increases in icy conditions, many of us find ourselves asked to stay home and off the roads in such weather. We live in a culture that loves to be on the go, and so we can find it challenging when forced to slow down. In the 1950s, researchers theorized that technological advances over the next few decades would make future America a land of increased ease and recreation, vastly reduced work hours, and longer, unstressed lifespans. While technology has certainly impacted and improved our lives in many ways, I don’t think we can honestly say it has helped us to slow down or lead far less hurried lives. In fact, many of us have allowed our increased options in travel, technology, and entertainment to turn us into people who cannot seem to enjoy the restful time we do have.

At least for a few days, the snow stopped or at least slowed down our pace.

Did you enjoy this change?

If social media is any indication, folks cooked, baked, read, worked puzzles, and watch movies. Despite the bitter cold, some people hunted or enjoyed playing outside with children and grandchildren. Some of us found ourselves with a little more time to check in on neighbors, to call up old friends, or to send those cards we had been intending to mail.

The Bible speaks repeatedly of the importance of stillness. Psalm 46:10 which opens with “Be still, and know that I am God,” holds within it the idea of ceasing our striving and realizing God’s ultimate control and assured victory. The gospels record Jesus commanding a physical storm to still resulting in “a great calm” (Mt 8:26; Mk 4:39; Lk 8:24). Whether our hearts are quieted by the assurance of God’s role in the world or we bear witness to His power to calm the upheaval in our lives, countless believers through the ages have experienced the truth of these passages.

Peace comes not through the absence of conflict but through the reality of God’s powerful presence.

Too often in the busyness of daily life, we forget that God is near to us. Because we do not stop in stillness, we lose touch with the knowledge of God’s true character. We find ourselves seeking more and more, and we neglect to pay attention to either our own souls or the needs of others (Lk 12:13-21). When we fail to withdraw to stillness, the pressures of family, work, community, and even church life grow heavier upon us. If we will not choose stillness, the grind of the always urgent press of our days will drain away the reserves of spiritual strength we can refill only in His presence (Mk 1:35-39). When this happens, we do not hear from God- we don’t have the time, and we are instead at the mercy of those who always seem to need or want our attention.

I pray stillness will not scare us, but that we can all aspire to be more intentional about seeking quiet moments with God. If we are willing to turn down the outside distractions, we become more attuned to what God longs to share with us in His presence- no snow required.

FRAGILE: Handle with care

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

Ann Marie recently received a set of lamps as a Christmas gift. After the holiday, I decided to unbox the lamps and set them up. The process was straightforward- remove the lamps from packaging, perform minimal assembly, put in the bulbs, plug into the outlet, and the light would shine.

Only when I began my project did I notice how heavily wrapped and tightly secured the lamps were inside layers of protective packing materials. All over the box was the warning: FRAGILE: HANDLE WITH CARE. Rather than forcibly breaking into the boxes, I followed the advice and carefully cut away the outer wrappings. The delicate vase-like base of each lamp was still intact, and due to the helpful warning, I was able to appreciate the need for extra care as I assembled the lamps.

When we handle precious, breakable, or valuable objects, we understand it is worth being careful to prevent loss and avoid unnecessary damage. What is a more valuable combination than the Word of God applied to a human soul?

In Christ, we have been blessed with “exceedingly great and precious promises” in Christ (2 Pet 1:4). Because these gifts come from God and are essential in carrying His message to the wider world, we must take care in how we use and handle these blessings. If we do not live out of a grounding in the reality of God’s promises, we quickly drift from His will for us. It is our living out of the Christian message, not our words in isolation, that ultimately influences others for Christ.

Sometimes when meeting a person for the first time, the topic of faith arises. Often, people noticeably shift and even bristle when belief and church life are shared as positives. Sadly, abuse cover-ups, financial corruption, moral scandals, and general mean-spiritedness are associated by many people with the label of Christian. While we might feel that such analysis is not fair, we would be foolish as believers not to acknowledge and admit the many well-known cases of those who have publicly presented Christ violating the trust and breaking the faith with large numbers of people. We know that on a smaller scale, local churches, families, and individuals at times have used the name of Christ as cover for great wrongs.

When it comes to handling the richness of the gospel, our words and actions must be considered with care. In the words of Jesus, we must be “wise as serpents and as harmless as doves” (Mt 10:16). As Paul wrote we must, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col 4:6). We should seek to adopt the manner of Jesus who, while upsetting the corrupt and abusive religious practices of His day, also displayed a compassion for individual souls that allowed it to be poetically said that He would not break a fragile spirit or snuff out the smallest flame of faith (Mt 12:20). In sharing the message of Jesus, we must be able to convey that apart from Him we have no hope, yet speak in a way that does not despair but points to God’s grace.

This week, may we remember that the good news we hold is precious, and we must steward it faithfully. May we also realize that many people around us are fragile and have been broken by the hardships of life and have become disillusioned with faith. As we seek to offer God’s precious message to broken and bruised people, may we lean on the example of Jesus and speak the truth in a way that draws the hurting to Him.

Can You Be More Specific?

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

With the arrival of the new year, many of us are seeking to form new habits or renew practices to strengthen our walk with Christ. For the believer, prayer forms an important aspect not only of communication but deeper communion with God. Despite our acknowledging the essential nature of prayer, we often struggle to pray consistently.

What reminders can we apply in prayer to reengage when our prayer life has drifted to the dry or stagnant?

When we cannot seem to move beyond the laundry list of needs we often bring to God, it is powerful to stop and rejoice over the many blessings we already experience. Far too often, we give thanks in generalities. While we are indeed grateful for “all our many blessings,” we would grow in gratitude if we approached God at times with no other motive in prayer other than to say “thank you” for the blessings we now have. Rather giving thanks in summary before quickly moving to our remaining needs, I believe it would humble us to count, as the old hymn says, our many blessings, name them one by one, and see what God has done.

In addition to specific thanks, specific requests are vital as we enter God’s presence in prayer. While we certainly appreciate the reality that God knows our needs, the intimacy and comfort found in coming to God is increased when we are not content to pray in the abstract. While we understand the need to for broader, shotgun-like prayers in public settings (“We pray for all those grieving this week.”), our personal, private prayers can be filled with rifle-focused requests (“Lord, I lift up Mary from my high school class who lost her husband of 52 years last week after a long period of poor health. Strengthen her in her grief and in this new reality she is facing.”)

Not only does this specificity connect us more deeply to the people we pray for, but in praying this way, we come to see opportunities to add direct action to our prayers. Remembering people in more specific prayer naturally brings their needs to mind and may lead us to send a card, make a call, pay a visit, or perform a kindness.

Abstraction creates distance. If we pray for “the poor in our community,” we can keep struggling folks at arms-length. If I sit down and begin praying for Mrs. Smith who I know lost her son and is dealing with unexpected funeral expenses, I am much more likely to reach out to help. Both government and large-scale charity organizations are useful for the sizeable problems in our world, but the followers of Jesus must not turn away from praying for and seeking to serve our neighbors.

If we keep people in impersonal categories (the poor, the hypocrites, the liberals, the foreigners, etc.), it makes us much less likely to genuinely pray for or sincerely seek to serve them. The tendency to judge and generalize others is ancient, and it proves to be a damaging and destructive mindset for the people of God in every generation. Intentional prayer that leads us to serve breaks down these barriers and helps us imitate Christ in caring for individual souls rather than faceless crowds.

If we want to give ourselves to prayer in 2024, we make a good start by being more specific- both in the blessings we celebrate and the requests we offer to God.

God knows our hearts, but putting our thoughts into specifics helps us to know ourselves and those we would bless more fully.

All I Want for Christmas

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

Christmas is almost here, and many children are sharing in the holiday rituals of class parties, baking cookies, and sending letters off to Santa Claus. While we expect our children and teenagers to look forward to the exciting gifts that fill this season, what if we adults came to remember and appreciate the anticipation of Christmas?

If you could have whatever you wanted this Christmas, what would you ask for?

Peace on earth. While it has almost become a cliché, one of the hopes that has marked the Christmas season for generations is the longing for peace. Whether wars and conflicts around the world or the strains and stresses of the relationships in our own homes, we recognize that not all is as it should be in this life. Near and far, people of good will long for peace- peace that comes when we lay down not only the weapons of violence but the fear, anger, pride, and greed that drive conflicts great and small.

In this longing, we reflect the same hopes of our spiritual ancestors. The coming Messiah was foreseen as the Prince of Peace, and Jesus’ arrival was as heralded as the coming of the Christ, the Savior, and the Lord, yet the ministry of Jesus was met with resistance, ridicule, and violence. As followers of Jesus, we commit to constantly seeking the path of peace even in a world that often confuses brute strength with true power.

Presence of those we miss. In a time so often centered on community and kin, many long to be united with loved ones once again. We each have those we care for whose absence is especially hard during this season of togetherness. There are different reasons for our divisions- physical distance keeps many of us apart while discord keeps some from being able to simply drive across town and say, “Hello.” Depression often isolates, disease can drain us, and divorce can lead to withdrawal and bitterness.

Ultimately, death deprives us of each other’s physical presence, and as the years pass, we come to recognize this more and more. We each reach a certain point where more people we love are absent than present. How we long for reunion when all things are made whole and painful absence is replaced with constant presence! We take comfort that such sorrow is known to God, and that He too longs for His children to be reconciled and present with Him.

Possibilities of better things to come. Not all of our longings are based in what we lack. The arrival of Christmas also marks the passing of one season and the coming of a new year. As believers, we are not to be only mourners of what is lost, but to live as celebrants of the new life to come. We believe that the best is yet to come, and that God is even now working things together for the good of His people and the glory of His name. We lean toward the fullness of this better, living way that is already present but not yet fully realized in us. We desire that the kingdom of light Christ entered our world to bring and sacrificed His life to birth be brought more and more fully into our world and our own lives in the coming year.

As a fellow grown-up, I urge us not to leave Christmas longings to the kids and grandkids. May we claim a share of this season’s spirit of anticipation for ourselves, and allow our thoughts, words, and actions to be shaped by the reality of Christ’s presence among us.

No rules, just right (?)

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

You may remember an advertising slogan adopted by Outback Steakhouse over a decade ago. Playing up the casual, Australian-influenced vibe of the restaurant chain, the company coined the catchphrase- “No rules, just right.”

The aim of the ad was to convince you to have a nice meal in a causal atmosphere and that, despite being based in Tampa, FL, it was exotic and edgy to head to the Outback for dinner.

Occasionally, I hear someone say, “Don’t you wish you could just say what you really think? We need to let people know we aren’t going to stand for what they are doing!”

This statement is usually implying that the unwritten rules of society or politeness prevent us from saying and doing what we really want. We seem to wish that a place could exist where there would be no rules and it would be just right for us. In reality, we might be forced to admit that in a world full of imperfect people, we do in fact need rules, whether laws or manners, that help to provide guidance and structure to our society.

The best rules are not intended primarily to limit personal freedom, but to provide protection and fairness to the larger whole. The Christian life calls us to freedom in Christ, but in the same verse we are warned not to use our grace-bought salvation as a covering to continue in our personal vices (Gal 5:13). Paul reminds us that in Christ “no one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself” (Rom 14:7).

Our lives in this world, and especially within the body of Christ, are mutually dependent. While the law of the Spirit has set us free, we are not to use our liberty to judge or abuse others who have not yet accepted or understood this gift of God. Rather than embracing an aggressive, haughty spirit in regard to our rights, we are cautioned again and again not to focus on our own interests, but to be concerned about interests of others (Phil 2:4). Spiritually, freedom is not a license to sin and live as we want, but is a calling to serve and to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Rom 6:1-4; Eph 5:21).

We all need guidance in this life, we need structure, we need guardrails.

We must come to appreciate that the rule of Christ in our lives is actually the source of true liberty and lasting freedom as we experience forgiveness and hope in Him.

Under the Old Covenant, the people of God lived with a set of commandments that touched each aspect of their lives. As we often still do today, these ancient believers added customs and traditions to this already detailed code of life. While its words were the truth of God, the spirit of legalism that sprang up around the Law became a burden rather than a blessing. This system of legal codes plus customs became more complex and convoluted over the centuries.

When challenged to rank these commandments, Jesus declared that love for God and love for neighbor are the two great commands that lie behind all others (Mark 12:28-34). For disciples of Jesus, such love ultimately serves as the overarching rule of life. If we are led by love, we will not insist on our own way, but will submit our lives in worship and service. In reality, the rule of love does not restrain our freedom but leads us toward genuine relationship with God and with others.

Love is the one rule, but it’s just right.

Power in Gratitude

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

In recent years, our society has come to appreciate more and more the power of our attitudes, thoughts, and perspectives to shape our lives. We are not simply a mathematical-like result of the things that have happened to us- we are greatly shaped by the way we understand and relate internally to life’s events. We see firsthand how attitude can impact a classroom, a workplace, or a sports team.

One path to a stronger inner life is cultivating a greater sense of gratitude.

Of all the gratitude we might offer in this life, I believe the intentional decision to give thanks to God should be our starting point. I include the phrase “intentional decision” because far too often our thanksgiving to God can become unfocused and generic. While we are certainly thankful for “all our many blessings,” it will powerfully change the mental/spiritual impact of our gratitude when we make offering specific thanks to God a part of every day.

Was the sunrise beautiful this morning? Offer thanksgiving in that moment.

Did a friend receive good news about a health scare? Pause and give thanks.

Has your wayward adult child expressed a desire to return to Christ? Let your heart exalt in thanksgiving then and there.

Did the meeting at work go well with all parties leaving satisfied? Lift a word of thanks for that blessing.

In reality, it is not that we lack things to be thankful for, but that we are often not paying attention and fail to acknowledge God as the source of the good in our lives. Deciding to see His blessings and to speak thanks to Him changes our perspective for the better.

While God is to be thanked for every good gift, it is also vital that we freely offer thanks to the people around us. In the busyness of daily life, it can be easy to take for granted the presence and sacrifices of parents, spouse, children, or coworkers. We do not need special occasions to thank those who have shaped us into who we are.

Showing gratitude to those nearest to us is sometimes difficult not due to distance or lack of opportunity, but simply because we do not intentionally think about it or because it seems odd to offer thanks for what we expect from certain people. Even routine actions that we might have taken for granted at work or around the house present occasions for gratitude and thanks.

Grace and gratitude naturally work to bond people and to diffuse potential conflict. Much tension in our personal relationships could be resolved if we thanked more and criticized less.

In perhaps an odd turn, I also mention that we should offer thanks to those who oppose us. When people disagree with us or our views, we can respond with grateful appreciation for the reminder to examine our position and make any needed corrections. Even if we are in the right, such opposition provides us with more opportunities to offer grace to others. It is hard to see that sometimes the very thing that seems to harm us in the moment is an avenue to greater blessing and influence. Growth comes not from opposition itself, but from our response and our choice to see challenges as potential channels of blessing.

Living our days in a mindset that actively seeks to be thankful will change how we perceive and respond in our relationships and in the circumstances of our lives.

Gratitude possesses great spiritual power, and when we intentionally look for blessings and seek opportunities to give thanks, we will always find more of both.

Called to ministry?

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

Are you called to ministry?

While not every believer is gifted for missionary service or for a vocational livelihood within the church, all those who follow the path of Christ are called to ministry in its most fundamental sense- sacrificial service offered to God through service to others.

Perhaps a limited definition of ministry and an often hyper-specific concept of calling have contributed to the framing that unintentionally creates two classes of disciples- some as “professionals” and others as “just everyday Christians.”

Many of us may have been raised as believers by believers, and our personal narratives may lack the moments of coming to ourselves in the gutter or having a specific Damascus Road-style encounter. We don’t need a dramatic testimony of our personal brokenness to equip to minister to others- we simply need the realization that the best moralist and the most public sinner are both in desperate need of salvation in Christ.

In 1 Peter 2, Scripture reminds us that all believers are given roles and functions in building up the spiritual house of God. Paul notes in Romans 12, as well as in 1 Cor 12, that believers are to give their lives as living sacrifices through diverse ministries including preaching, giving, encouraging, leading, and showing mercy.

Whether we come to Christ through a dramatic turnaround or a more slowly developing movement toward embracing Christ’s will, all who come to share in Christ’s family are likewise called to use our lives in service to build and extend His kingdom.

We are told to use whatever we have for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph 4:12). For some, it may be advanced academic training in theology- after all, we need Bible translators, apologetics experts, and Christian professors. For others, the lessons of Christianity will be experienced less in a classroom and more in the streets- whether as people in recovery, people in the helping professions, or both.

We need believers who possess a deeper knowledge of God’s Word, and we need believers who have experienced those timeless truths directly in their own lives. No single disciple and no single body of believers will be a perfect blend of every attribute, but together we unite to form a worshipping community that can better display the fullness of Christ to the watching world.

 We need believing farmers, school teachers, factory workers, salesmen, bankers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and stay-at-home parents. We need wealthy believers who use their financial blessings for good, and we need to recognize our brothers and sisters among the most poor and marginalized folks in our communities. We need believers who focus on offering more Christ-centered teaching, and we need believers who share in serving and seeking justice for the most vulnerable people who stand in need of the hope of Jesus and the healing relationships found most fully in Christ’s church.

As we read about earliest Christians, we can appreciate that Paul and Peter, Mary and Martha, Barnabas and Stephen, Lydia and Timothy were all faithful to the Lord, but each one was faithful using his/her own particular gifts and talents. Like them, our own stories are not identical as we work out the ministries God has placed before us.

No two people have the same exact skills and gifts, but we must come to see that the gospel’s call to salvation in Christ is always accompanied by the call to serve in Christ’s kingdom.

Love lightens the burden

/ Will N. / Leave a comment

Photo by Timur Kozmenko – Pexels

At some point in life, we each experience a shift in perspective that changes our minds.

Perhaps we thought big vacations were overhyped until we saw the expression on our granddaughter’s face as she saw Cinderella’s castle for the first time. Perhaps we never liked a particular band until hearing a certain song that reminded us of a specific moment our childhood. Perhaps we could only see another school in a harsh spirit of rivalry until the students held a fundraiser for a personal friend who had been suddenly stricken with cancer.

There is a common thread tying together such changes of mind: when we are personally connected to a place, person, or community, we come away with a different perspective than we could ever experience only as unattached onlookers or observers. When our affections are impacted, our thoughts are reshaped as well.

Jesus spoke of His yoke being easy and His burden being light (Mt 11:28-30). When we think about the commands of Jesus- to love enemies, to forgive repeat offenders, to serve the poor and suffering, and so forth- it is easy to believe Jesus is sharing an ideal of discipleship rather than the reality most of us actually experience. How can doing the “impossible” tasks Jesus commands be in any way easy or light?

When loving relationships are placed at the center of our lives, this focus dramatically alters our response to the will of God.

As long as we see God’s will as a tax and weight upon our own desires and dreams for our lives, we will struggle to live by faith. If our obedience to God is motivated only by fear or the hope of earning greater blessing, we will not be able to sustain conformity to God’s will over time.

If, however, we accept the grace-filled gift of God’s love and seek to live in faithful response to that love, the overflow of our love serves to open our lives more and more to His will. If I am guided by obligation or fear, my actions will betray my lack of deep commitment or affection for whatever work I am involved in. No matter how faithful my actions are outwardly, the inner war of forcing myself to obey will reveal itself in my attitude, my tone, my words, and eventually my actions.

Compulsion and duty may push me to serve for a time, but my heart will not be truly invested in my discipleship. Frustration, anger, and burnout are the overflow of a heart that day by day must force itself to do what is right without the underlying motivation of genuine love and compassion. While going through the motions may keep us outwardly faithful for a season, without love for God and love for others our actions are just so much activity and noise that can never satisfy us nor please God (1 Cor 13:1-3).

When we love a job, even the hardest work seems less burdensome. When we love a person, no sacrifice seems too great to bring about their happiness. If we love our country or a cause deeply, no call of duty can come that we would not accept. In an even greater way when we come to love God, His commands become more and more a source of delight rather than dread.

When love is present, His call to serve becomes an added source of blessing rather than another burden. Such unburdened rest is found not in the absence of activity but in our daily submission as we offer Christ our brokenness and open our hearts to His blessing.