For citizens to be faithful in interceding for all leaders of the new administration
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone� for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
�I Timothy 2:1-2
Glorious God, You are awesome and mighty, lifting up those who You desire to lift up and putting down those You desire to put down. You love it when Your people come to You with longing for righteousness and godliness. You love it when Your people come to You in prayer.
Lord, we do that now on behalf of all the leaders in the new presidential administration. Regardless of their leanings or alliances, Lord help us to put our political agendas aside to pray fervently for all those in authority, knowing that You have placed them there. They were chosen by You to lead for such as time as this, and they are worthy of our intercessions. Enable us, O precious God, to be faithful in our calling to pray. In Jesus� name we pray, amen.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. Verse 2
Galatians 5:16-17,19-23
At first, this passage may seem contradictory. Paul tells the Galatians, "Live freely." But then he lists a veritable plethora of actions/attitudes that are at odds with "living freely."
The condition, however, to living freely, is to be "animated and motivated by God's Spirit." Living in a way that panders to our sinful self-interests is at odds with living freely.
Here is the description that Paul gives of a life that comes from "trying to get your own way all the time."
Repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for hapiness;trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community.
Anyone else feel like crawling into a hole??
I swear, I know someone (including myself) that fits every single one of these descriptions. And every one of them (us) is a professing Christian!
That, my friends, is very sobering. I guess what it all boils down to is that we all need to "live freely," not being concerned about getting our own way all the time. We also all need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and get our butts up and start living for God. Maybe I have an addiction of one sort or another. Some of the others who read this do, as well. I can either stay stuck in the mire of that addiction, having a pity party ("Oh, oh, poor, pitiful me, I can't stop *insert whatever it is here*) or I can "live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit" and allow him to pull me out of the mire.
Lest any of my readers get offended, please be aware that I am speaking more to myself, here.
Paul then gives a list of opposites...what happens when we live God's way.
Affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity, a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshall and direct our enereties wisely.
Then Paul gives a very important warning to close this out: "Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way." So this is not a list of "dos and don'ts." It's a list of consequences. The first list is what happens when we are selfish, ignoring how God wants us to act. The second list is what can happen when we submit and live in his freedom.
Which list sounds better? Maybe the answer isn't all that simple. Maybe repetitive, loveless, cheap sex sounds good. But if it does, then I have a serious problem that needs to be dealt with immediately.
So we have in front of us two ways of life. Self-focus and God-focus. They negate each other. Each one shuts out the other. "The first is empowered by the idea that we must get what we want when we want it. The second is empowered by a faithful, fruitful love for God."
This reminds me of a song by one of my favorite Christian groups, The 77s. The song is called "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes, and the Pride of Life."
Well, I feel like I have to feel
Something good all of the time
With most of life I cannot deal
But a good feeling I can feel
Even though it may not be real
And if a person, place or thing can deliver
I will quiver with delight
But will it last me for all my life
Or just one more lonely nightThe lust, the flesh, the eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of meWell, I see something and I want it
Bam! Right now!
No questions asked
Don't worry how much it costs me now or later
I want it and I want it fast
I'll go to any length
Sacrifice all that I already have
And all that I might get
Just to get
Something more that I don't need
And Lord, please don't ask me what forThe lust, the flesh, the eyes
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of meAnd I love when folks
Look right at me
And what I'm doing
Or have done
And lay it on about
How groovy I am
And that I'm looking grand
And every single word
Makes me think I'll live forever
Never knowing that they probably
Won't remember what they said tomorrow
Tomorrow I could be deadThe lust, the flesh, the eyes,
And the pride of life
Drain the life
Right out of me
� 1986 Fools Of The World, LTD. (ASCAP)
Depressing song, isn't it? But that's what life is like when we are self-focused, always trying to get our own way. I remember when this song first came out...I also remember people returning the album to the local Christian book store because they couldn't handle the lyrics. More likely, they weren't willing to face up to their true selves.
This is the way we are when we don't focus on God! We "quiver with delight" if "a person place or thing can deliver" whatever it is we are looking for at that moment.
I am oh so familiar with the feeling of anticipation and dread at the same time (words can't even begin to describe it) that flooded through my being when I was on my way to feed an addiction. Anticipation because I wanted it. Dread because I knew it was wrong on so many levels. Dread because I knew how I would feel afterwards. Dread because I WAS HURTING PEOPLE I LOVED!! But it didn't matter. Because I was self-focused!
But GOD... (still my two favorite words in the whole Bible, people)
BUT GOD...
But God had other plans. Yes, he allowed me to smoulder in my sin. He allowed me to pursue that addiction. He allowed me to hurt people I loved. But he didn't take those things away from me (even though I deserved to lose it all). He rescued me. He pulled me out. I cried out to him and he rescued me. Just like the writers of the Psalms say over and over again. I cried out to him and he rescued me. Again and again, actually, because sometimes, I don't like to stay rescued.
Thank God for his patience. Thank God for his mercy! Oh, thank God, praise God for his mercy! I have not gotten what I deserved, because I deserved death. I deserved worse, even.
I thank you and praise you, however, for your great mercy and grace! The fact that you rescue us is wonderful. But it's made even more wonderful because of your amazing patience! You will keep rescuing, as long as I keep crying out. So I will continue to cry out to you whenever I get down; whenever I let old habits come back to haunt me.
May you be continuously glorified in my life. May I be an ongoing advertisement for your grace and mercy. Let me be your "mercy poster boy."
I love you, Lord. Thank you.
Grace and peace, friends.