May the mumbling commence!
What a change! We go from the Proverbs-like James to the thick theology of Paul in Romans. It is a good thing that we are only looking at chapters five through eight. Time to settle in for thirty days! There is a lot to unpack, so it will be a full ride.
For today, I want to reflect on gifts. I have been thinking about gifts a lot these past few years – for a number of reasons. Spiritual gifts have been the focus of the church where I minister for quite a while. I have been thinking about the gifts of the Body of Christ and how we can best utilize them.
And, in the past couple of years, I have become involved in community theatre. I have been sharing my gifts of acting, learning to know people in the broader community, and developing friendships with people of all ages and walks of life. It is a great gift. And I get to have fun! I truly am looking forward to being in The Hobbit cast… and my growing beard shows it. (All thanks to such a mild summer in Kansas!)
And, my son and I will be celebrating landmark birthdays this year. Micah, my son, will be five-years-old in nine days. It is hard for me to believe. My little bundle of joy will be starting his public school career in a couple of weeks with the adventure of Kindergarten. May it not be too hard on him (or on me)! How do we choose gifts for him in this new chapter of his life?
Yes, I am also approaching a landmark birthday. I am living out my last few weeks as a thirty something. I will be turning forty in September (the ninth not the twenty-second for you fans of Bilbo and Frodo). This is another reason for me to be reflecting on personal gifts and how I can best share them for the benefit of the people that surround me and that I love so much.
May I not transgress in the sharing of my God-given gifts! Because of this time of reflecting on gifts, I was drawn to these words from Romans chapter five (NIV):
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Verses 15-19)
Just like Adam, my sin can and does affect much more than just me. It radiates out from me just like the ripples in the lake when a small stone breaks its surface. That is why you and I must take great care in how we live our lives. Our actions and words affect our children, the children of our brothers and sisters in Christ, the people that we work with, the people that we play with, and many others besides.
All of this makes the gift given to us through the life, the Way, the teachings, the death, and the resurrection of Christ all the more remarkable. His one act of complete righteousness, complete obedience opened the way for our being considered justified in the eyes of a righteous God.
Praise God! May we use our God-given gifts to free other people to praise our Lord and Maker!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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