March 18, 2010
“We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long-haul — not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.” Colossians 1:11-12 The Message
The Call of the Spilled-Ones
It really is incredible when you stop .. really stop to think about .. and soak in the resurrection fact that God wants your life to spill over” with His Life … moving and breathing in you. You don’t have to try extra hard to make it visible. It just is visible … joy-visible … thanks-giving visible. Truthfully .. and Sadly … it is us .. Followers of Jesus … Believers .. In-Christ-Ones … Christians .. who so often display the least capacity to live a life filled with love. We run on yesterday’s supply .. or last month’s .. or some fossilized memory of the last time we felt truly alive and filled with the love of God. It is always easy to blame the outside forces of living in a fallen world for not being able to “imitate” God’s glory-strength-living for today. Our strength is teeth-gritting and teeth-grinding that last just barely enough before we collapse. God’s strength is described as something so real and great that it can “endure the unendurable” trials of everyday living. It not only endures but it spills over into joy. That’s the life that God’s Spirit wants you to have today. That’s the life the Spirit of Christ wants to live in you in the most ordinary places. That’s the life the Holy Spirit is shaping in you .. a Life that doesn’t take God for granted but forms in you a way of life the spills over with the life of Christ … resurrection life … JesusLife. Can you imagine praying this prayer over those closest to you and imagining their lives spilling over with the joy of Christ? And doing it tomorrow .. and tomorrow .. and tomorrow because you have such space in your life for God’s glory-strength to spill out of you. God is fashioning His saints (that’s you) for the long-haul journey of taking part in everything that points back to Him. Anything less just leaves you gritting your teeth and finding someone or some-thing to blame. You can begin now .. You don’t have to go back inside and try to clean it all up by yourself .. You can just begin with Christ .. and it only takes a moment …
“Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted”. Ephesians 4:30 The Message
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Glory-Spilled-Ones following Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)
