Here is the link to a recent podcast where I was invited to share my story.
I was recently invited to join our pastor on his Up and to the Right Podcast. I wanted to share it with my followers.
Many of you read my blog faithfully. This podcast will give you a deeper look into my heart and part of my life.
Are there certain behaviors in your life that are there just to impress others? There is freedom when you chose to live a spirit-led life only working to be more like Christ.
Since most of the readers or followers of this blog know me, most of you know that I recently retired from a leadership position in education. In that role, there was an expected dress code. Many days I needed to wear a suit; professional dress was always expected where I worked. I must admit, part of my identity was tied to how I dressed for work every day. People could recognize “my style” or who I was by what I wore. I dressed to maintain a certain image. However in my new role, I no longer find myself living under those requirements.
This reminds me of the dilemma the Jews faced after Christ’s resurrection. For many generations they were controlled by the law. There were set expectations and requirements they had to follow. Just as with my professional dress requirement, their identity was wrapped around this way of life. It separated them and identified them as God’s chosen people. This was a problem for the Jews when they no longer needed to live by the law because they had redemption through their faith in Christ’s resurrection not through their obligation to follow the law.
Galatians 3:24-27 tells us, “The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.”
Not only was it a drastic change in how they lived. It took away an identity that promoted them above others.
I fear we do the same thing today. We establish self-imposed requirements in our lives just to establish an identity so people see us in a certain way. If your motive for a particular behavior is to distinguish yourself from others, this isn’t necessary. This is the same as following a law that is no longer required. We cannot get caught up in self-promoting actions to show others who we are or to prove to Christ we are worthy. Our actions should be reflective of God’s nature, abundant with love, and the other fruits of the spirit all while becoming more like Christ. This is the evidence that will identify us as a child of God, the identity we desire.
This was made clear to me when my late husband first became ill. I can remember thinking that we had followed all of the rules, We had been faithful in every way possible. How could bad things happen to us? I had to realize, following the rules isn’t what God truly wanted, and following the rules doesn’t protect us. God wants our heart and wants us to live a Spirit-led life.
Speaking of a spirit-led life, Just because I am no longer required to dress in an executive professional manner, doesn’t mean I can go to my new job dressed however I want. It would not be in my best interest if I showed up in my pajamas. Likewise, just because we are not sanctified by the law, and we have been released from that covenant, doesn’t mean we can throw all caution to the wind and live however we desire.
God’s word and the Spirit gives us guidance for how to live a healthy, abundant, Christ-centered life. Romans 7:6 speaks to this, “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit,”
When we are living in the Spirit, we are constantly seeking the Spirit’s guidance to direct our steps and provide wisdom for our decisions. Romans 8:13 tells us it is “through the power of the spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature.”
I don’t have to wear suits any more. There is a new way to dress. Likewise, there is a new way to live. We live in the Spirit. The Spirit guides us and directs us. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature desires. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is the opposite of what the Spirit wants.” Galatians 5:16.
Don’t let your self-imposed standard be your identity. Live in the Spirit, follow his direction and be free.
Just as a tree produces fruit to reproduce, so should we.
Scott and I have a crabapple tree in our back yard that provides beautiful pink blooms in the spring and deep dark foliage in the summer and fall. It is a beautiful tree except for the fruit that falls off of it each year. These little round balls of mess get on the dog’s feet leaving pink stains everywhere. There is also a blanket of seeds around the tree that get chunked across the yard by the mower. Worst of all, you guessed it, more trees growing all over the yard. Little science lesson here, the main role fruit plays other than a tasty snack is to spread seeds. This is referred to as seed dispersal, and allows the plant to reproduce.
In John 15:16 Jesus tells his disciples, “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” We are to bear/produce fruit. How do we do that? Two steps. First, earlier in John 15, Jesus says, “abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.” We have to abide, linger, remain, dwell, with God to produce fruit. We have to spend time with Him daily to produce fruit. Secondly, Galatians 5:16-23 instructs us to walk in the spirit, not in the flesh. It then explains that when we are full of the Spirit, we produce fruit. The fruit here is listed as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” God clearly desires that we produce fruit.
I want to circle back around to the purpose of fruit – to reproduce. Jesus didn’t command the disciples to produce fruit to look good. He also didn’t command them to compare how much fruit they could produce. They were to produce fruit to glorify God and spread his love and faithfulness to others. We are to do the same.
I don’t just ask you if you are producing fruit. While that is necessary, the question for today is are you sharing your fruit and planting seeds? Are you loving others? Do you model patience and kindness with the people who cross your path? How are you share your fruit and plant seeds?
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