January 10, 2024

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4.1-6)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

COMPLETELY: This is a frightening word. It speaks to us of a sense of 100%, totality, without question, fully. I love it when I hear an encourager of others declare “Come on, let’s give 150%.” It is easy to look at that challenge and think “Give everything; leave nothing behind.” And there are times when we think that, we shake our heads and go “I can’t do that.” The gospel reflects such a conversation between Jesus and a certain rich young ruler. The world was his oyster. He had money, power, influence, opportunities and an uncertain future. We might reread that story and consider “He wanted everything he and except the uncertain future. He wanted it all and a certain future.” What did the young man ask of Jesus? He said “What must I do to gain/have/inherit eternal life?” He knew, at least, that he didn’t have everything. His life wasn’t complete. What about us? Is our life complete? Do we have it all? Are we giving 100%? 50%? 10%? 1%? What are we giving? Of ourselves? A token? A good thought? A well wish? It seems that in this world there is a greater focused on diminished returns because of limited investments. The challenge of others who desire what we have for themselves is “give it all….to me.”

But, what was Jesus’ answer? “Go and sell all that you ‘have,’ give it to the poor and come follow Me.” As the declared “way, truth and life” Jesus not only had it all, was it all but was willing to give it all to the poor. And poverty is not limited to a fiscal reality. The “poverty” line moves only because the “consumer line” rises up exponentially. Does it really “cost” this much for things or have we been convinced that “my need” is greater than yours; “my wants” are more valuable than yours. They would easily say “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine, too.” Sure, let’s raise the minimum wage 10% and the cost 20 or 30 or 50%! The problem is not money but the want of money, the desire of money and the lack of trust in the One who can provide us more sufficiently than anything this world can afford. And how do we have it? Release our hold on what we are in order to embrace the hold on whose we are. So, as we are challenged to be completely humble and gentle, it is a challenge not of resources and that 100% of all we are supposed to be potentially. It is a challenge to give the 100% of who we are at the time believing that in time we will reach our potential. What is that potential? Well, there are a lot of “those” experts in the field who think they know. Some are closer to the truth when they look at the equation holistically: body, mind, spirit.

We certainly can’t put a dollar amount on some things and eternal life for us is priceless. But, there was a price paid for our salvation and for the gift of eternal life presented in place of the limited earthly life we are born with. Regardless of our “cents” of ourselves, the promise is that is we give 100% of what we have the increase upon return of that investment will exceed our expectation. So, if in reality my 100% in the moment is only 30% of my potential, then I have 70% more to cultivate. I can’t give 70% of what I have not realized in myself. But, I can endeavor to stretch myself more by giving 150%, let’s say, and find out more about who, what and whose I am. Even that, however, may be too great a challenge to accomplish on our own. With that in mind, Jesus proposes a “shared yoke” approach to reaching our potential. He invites us to take His yoke upon our shoulders. It is perfectly formed and fashioned to fit each of us with Him. He gives Himself completely to others and their lives increase. When they believe in Him as Lord and Savior, it is their belief not His that increases. As their belief increases so too do the opportunities to experience the goodness of God which never changes. We have not fully seen or measured the totality of God. 1 Corinthians 2.9-10 says this “‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.’ God has revealed those things to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, especially the deep things of God.”

The invitation, mighty ones of God, to walk in the fullness of our potential comes in striving to be completely humble and gentle as an ox to the shared yoke which pulls the plow or wagon to complete its task. Humility means obedience to the call and the task. Gentleness infers submission in trust that all things work together for God. The course and the accomplishment is determined by the one with the reins. Even Jesus understood that His course was in the hands of His Heavenly Father whose “rein” on Him was completely humble and gentle. Jesus never asks us to do what He Himself was never willing to do. Let us be “complete” by completely trusting in Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit spoke us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.