Yesterday was a fantastic day! Cindy and I spent most of the day at my brother’s house with family. On the way there, my mom and dad called so we were able to talk for a bit before losing our AT&T cell signal (only Verizon in that part of town). Christmas is such a special time of the year for so many reasons but, most importantly, because we celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world. It is this truth – the acceptance of this truth, this faith – that binds our family in ways that are much deeper than “family relationship.”
It is unfortunate that Christianity in America now includes so many “add ons” to faith. One of the main reasons Jesus was born as a baby in genuine human flesh was to demonstrate to all of us that humanity is capable of displaying the Divine. Being a Christ-follower simply means accepting the death of Jesus as our own sacrifice for the things we do that stand between us and a relationship with God. If we approach the Christian life in a mechanical way, simply trying to imitate what we’ve read of Jesus in the Bible, we will inevitably fail. It is about accepting His death for us and through that acceptance, we change at the core of who we are – and we are able to “display the Divine” in our own lives. We are called to discover a life that is instinctive to us as “new creations.” Christ becomes our pathway to forgiveness, the source of true fulfillment. God wants us to know that Christ works in us, through us, and alongside us as a result of being spiritually joined to him. Having Christ live through us begins with knowing that, as a result of believing, His life resides in us. And in this process, He has no desire to erase our uniqueness and turn us into “Jesus clones.” Each of us is gloriously designed and He considers our hobbies, interests, and sense of humor. He wants to work through these individual characteristics in us to express Himself. As a result of our faith, we are made for expression of Him.
As 2014 nears closer, it is my desire that my life will express the Divine – in my relationships, my attitudes, my actions, and the way I love people.