Hope for the Journey

Well, we are back from home now and in the process of shifting our family schedule to the summer routine. The Lord has given us the opportunity to invest in the lives of three young people from our church on a daily basis now that school is out, so our little house is being stretched with lots of people and activity! For the count, at this point, throughout the day, we have 17 individuals in a 1300 sq. ft. house :) But the Lord has gifted Mama with an amazing ability of organization and delegation for a large crowd and both giftings are being put to good use right now! As for the rest of us, I am reminded of three lists in the Bible:

1) The Fruits of the Spirit being Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance. (Galatians 6:22-23) If we're walking in the Spirit and the Spirit dwells within us, we don't have to produce these attributes. They Just Grow! But, oh, how often I, in my own selfish pride, decide to walk in my own way and forget that I am supposed to die to my carnal nature, therefore quenching the Spirit and hindering God's work in my life to mold me and shape me into the image of His precious Son, Jesus Christ! That's where I need Him to live through me, letting His light shine in my life, so I can overflow to those around me!      

2) The Wisdom from Above which is first Pure, then Peaceable, Easy to be Intreated, Full of Mercy and Good Fruits, Without Partiality and Without Hypocrisy. (James 3:17) This list is not any easier to fulfill then the one above because we can't be muster up this kind of wisdom on our own; we can only ask that God pour His life and light into our hearts so He can live this through us. But it does take effort on our part to be a clean vessel that God can pour His wisdom into and through, to others.     

3)  then The "Additives" found in 1 Peter 1:5-8 says this: "And besides this, giving all diligence add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (emphases added) So here it is required that we do something in order to become fruitful in the knowledge of Christ. But every one of these attributes seem impossible to achieve! How then can I fulfill this command if I don't have the capability to carry out these characteristics? Aha! "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work within you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6) I can be sure that, since I am saved, God will continue working on be to make me what I ought to be, and that is in the likeness of His Son Who has all these characteristics and attributes that have been listed above down to perfection! All I need to do is let Him work in my life and He will do the rest. What a comfort to know that I don't have to fret about not being perfect. I just need to be a humble child, asking with an open heart that Christ may be glorified in my life!

     ~ Anna*