The Ultimate Christmas Present

“In Him, in bodily form, lives divinity in all its fullness, and in Him you too find your own fulfillment, in the one who is the head of every sovereignty and ruling force.”

Colossians 2:9-10 (New Jerusalem Bible)

Shrink Wrapped to God: Philippians 2:5-7

We’ve all seen shrink wrapping. The wrap is made to conform to an object by creating a vacuum between it and the object. Sometimes the result is near perfect, other times there are wrinkles, but either way the wrap adheres to the object wrapped, giving the wrap a shape, purpose, and foundation it would otherwise lack.

God call us to be shrink wrapped to Him. Philippians 2:5-7 tells us that we should follow Jesus’ example; He “emptied himself” by completely conforming to the Father’s will (New Jerusalem Bible). There was a perfect vacuum between Jesus and the Father becuase Jesus did nothing apart from the Father. See John 5:19, 30, 8:28-29, 10:30. Indeed, Jesus was so closely conformed to the Father that He could truthfully say that we see the Father when we see Him. John 14:8-10.

Following that instruction is difficult but essential. Nature abhors a vacuum and human nature abhors giving up “rights” to conform to God’s general precepts and specific plans. And unlike Jesus, we will not be able to perfectly conform to those precepts and plans. But we will come closer to God if we ask for His help and that is always better than the alternative—being a thin membrane attached to nothing of consequence.

(Images about conforming/yielding to God were posted September 12a, 18a, 18b, 18d, and 23; October 3 and 3a, November 6; and 21, December 8, 12, and 15, 2004 and January 10d, February 18, May 11, June 18 and 27; August 21 and 27; and October 3, 2005.)

Prayer Request

I am entering a very demanding period in my work and family life that is likely to last several months. I would be very grateful for your prayers, including, especially, prayers that I and the others involved in those situations respond in the spirit of Philippians 2:3-5:

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…"

Thank You.

Effective Christians are Like Good Snowballs

Effective Christians share two characteristics with good snowballs.

First, they have to be shaped. You can’t throw a handful of snow very far or very accurately. Instead, you must shape it into some semblance of a ball to have any prospects of reaching the target.

The same is true with us. God has to the scrape off things in our lives that make us unstable projectiles and form us into new shapes to put us on target. We have to yield to His shaping to get where He wants us to go; otherwise we fall short of the mark.

Second, good snowballs must be squeezed. A loosely formed snowball has little impact because it’s mostly air. But when pressure is applied, that air is removed and the same amount of snow will make a much greater impression. That increased impact can only come through pressure.

Once again, the same is true of us. God has to let us go through some tough situations to squeeze the fluff from our lives. It’s not easy, but it must be done if we are to have the impact He wants.

(Images dealing with winter related themes were posted September 12a, November 27 and December 12, 2004.

Images about conforming/yielding to God were posted September 12a, 18a, 18b, 18d, and 23; October 3 and 3a, November 6; and 21, December 8, 12, and 15, 2004 and January 10d, February 18, May 11, June 18 and 27; August 21 and 27; and October 3, 2005.)

A Gardener's Prayer

(God, through scripture, repeatedly analogizes His people to a garden or plant He hopes will produce pleasing fruit. See e.g. Isaiah 5:1-2; Matthew 21:33-34; John 15:1-8 and the notes thereto. The following is a prayer inspired by those analogies and a lot of time in vegetable gardens.)

Father, conform me to Your garden plan so that I am used to the fullest, with no wasted space, to produce what You want. Your plan is perfect; help me to remember and accept that, even when I don’t understand the details.

Give me all I need to produce the crops You want and help me to use those things to the fullest, with no waste.

Help me to yield exactly the crop You want, precisely the quality and quantity You are looking for. Help me generate fruit so pleasing that You can't help but smile.

Protect me from anything that would interfere with that result; keep those things away from me, but if I must be exposed to them, cleanse and heal me from their adverse effects.

Give me patience to get through the times when You want me to develop roots, stems, or leaves instead of fruit, and through the times I must lay fallow.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(Images about gardening or soil related themes were posted October 3c, November 21, December 8, 2004 and February 28, June 11, 13 and 24, 2005.

Images about conforming/yielding to God were posted September 12a, 18a, 18b, 18d, and 23; October 3 and 3a, November 6; and 21, December 8, 12, and 15, 2004 and January 10d, February 18, May 11, June 18 and 27; August 21 and 27; and October 3, 2005.

Images about patience/waiting on God were posted October 1, November 21, December 8, 2004 and June 11, 18, and 24, 2005.

Images about the benefits of eliminating things that distract us from God/His purposes for us were posted September 18d, October 3a and 14, November 21, December 8, 2004 and February 28 and August 3, 2005.)

What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents: Seeing Our Behavior Through the Father’s Eyes

Children’s attitudes towards their parents can fall various places on a continuum, causing differing responses. Sometimes they are disobedient, triggering concern and annoyance. Other times they are obedient, but otherwise oblivious to them. But sometimes they are loving, showing affection with hugs, kisses, and words. Parents know how much joy that gives.

God, our heavenly Father, likely views and responds to our behavior in similar ways.

At times we are disobedient. We violate God’s general rules or disregard His instructions about particular situations. That must irritate and concern Him, just as our kids’ misconduct bothers us. But He doesn’t stop loving and caring for us, just as we don’t stop loving our kids when they mess up, even intentionally so. He just corrects us and, if we accept it the correction, we’re both happier.

Other times we are obedient but otherwise indifferent to God. We stay within the limits laid out in His word and go about doing what He’s called us to, but don’t give Him much thought. That’s probably less distressing than disobedience, but is probably emotionally neutral for God, just as our kids’ self absorbed, but otherwise appropriate, behavior is for us.

But those times we let God know how much love Him must be very pleasing to Him, just as our children’s outpourings of affection are to us. That’s called worship. It can take various forms: living in continual and grateful communication with Him, doing things specifically to please Him, offering loving words in prayer, heartfelt liturgical and musical praise. That's what we should strive for.

(Other images comparing our relationship with God with our relationship to our children can be found at What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents.

Images about forgiveness were posted on November 27 and December 2, 2004.

Images about the importance of exercising the spiritual disciplines were posted September 17a, 18a, and 18d, and October 3a, and 8, 2004 and January 10d and August 27, 2005.)

Christians as Strings of Christmas Lights

Christians are like strings of Christmas lights. God wants to string us in a dark world so His light will shine out in attractive ways.

But we inevitably get tangled and our bulbs burn out, diminishing, if not eliminating, our effectiveness. There is no avoiding those frustrating realities; they are inevitable and we remain darkened unless they are addressed.

But God can fix us if we acknowledge them. He will gladly straighten us out, replace our bulbs and put us to His use. It may not be easy, but it can be done and God is eager to do it.

(Images dealing with winter related themes were posted September 12a, November 27 and December 12, 2004.

Images of God’s grace in correcting us were posted on September 12, 23, October 14, 17, 2004.

Images about forgiveness were posted on November 27 and December 2, 2004.

Images about God providing things we need, but can’t provide for ourselves, were posted September 12a, 17a, and 18c, October 3a, 3b November 6, 10, 21 and 27, 2004 and January 2, 10b, and 10c, June 13 and 27, 2005.)

What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents: Knowing that We Don’t Know

A toddler can only understand a small part of her father’s life. She knows he loves her, enjoys being with her, and provides for her, but can’t fully understand the depth of those emotions or what is involved in making sure she has what she needs. Moreover, she has little understanding of what he does outside the home or of his life before she arrived. She catches glimpses of these things now and then, but they are mostly beyond her understanding. Sure, she’ll grasp more as she matures, but she’ll never fully comprehend them. But that doesn’t stop her from loving him or him from loving her.

The same is true of our understanding of God. We sense that He loves us, enjoys fellowship with us, and provides for us, but we only perceive a small, small, part of those realities. We have only a vague awareness of what He’s doing in other parts of His creation and only a limited conception of what He was up to before that creation came into being. Although we will learn more the longer we walk with Him, we are inherently incapable of fully understanding Him. But as is the case with us and our children, our inability to fully comprehend God doesn’t limit His love for us.

(Other images comparing our relationship with God with our relationship to our children can be found at What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents.)

Becoming Good Soil in God's Garden: The Process of Becoming Fruitful

The process God uses to make a fruitful Christian is a lot like the process for making a fruitful garden. Both involve significant change and both take time.

Making a fruitful garden

There are a number of separate steps involved in creating a fruitful garden.

First, the gardener dedicates the space to that purpose, moving what is there to make room. This can be big project it its own right, depending on how the space was used, but it must be done because crops can’t grow with something else in the way.

Then the gardener must work the soil, turning it over and breaking it down to a workable texture. This can be a very difficult process, depending on how thick the existing vegetation was and how compacted the soil had become, but there is no getting around this step either.

After that, he must remove things in the soil that will hinder the crop’s ability to put down roots, things like rocks and other junk buried over the years. They’re invisible until the soil has been turned and tilled, but they must be removed if the garden is to reach full potential.

Once that’s done, the gardener must add things for the soil to produce at the desired level. This can be all manner of things, from compost, to various kinds of fertilizers, to manure, depending on the state of the soil and what the gardener wants to grow. Soil rarely can produce as expected without these amendments.

Then time must pass. An experienced gardener prepares his ground in the fall, allowing time for the amendments to add their benefits into the soil as the long winter months creep by. Once spring arrives, soil and air temperatures must reach the right levels before seeds can be planted with any prospect for success. And after that, it takes time for the seeds to germinate, and even more time for the plants to mature to fruit bearing.

Making a fruitful Christian

God usually puts us through the same steps.

First, He takes action to dedicate us to the tasks He has in mind, which almost always requires that other things be cleared away. Those things may be relatively minor, or they may take a lot of time and effort to get rid of, but either way they have to go make room for God’s purposes.

Then He starts to dig into our lives, breaking up our thought and behavior patterns, tilling us into the right texture to receive the things necessary for a good crop, and removing the subtle, but harmful, things that hinder growth. This definitely isn’t easy, but we can’t produce to God’s level if we remain compacted or have rocks where roots must grow.

God also adds the things we need, but lack, to produce what He’s looking for. Sometimes that’s pleasant, like the rich humus of His word, good teaching, and Christian fellowship. But sometimes—in fact most times—we also need the spiritual equivalent of manure. What ever they are, we can be sure we’re better off with than without them, no matter how unpleasant they might seem at first.

And as with a garden, it takes time for things develop into fruitfulness. That can’t be rushed, but can only happen when conditions are right. Fortunately, He always knows when that is, and it’s always worth the wait.

(Images about gardening or soil related themes were posted October 3c, November 21, December 8, 2004 and February 28, June 11, 13 and 24, 2005.

Images about conforming/yielding to God were posted September 12a, 18a, 18b, 18d, and 23; October 3 and 3a, November 6; and 21, December 8, 12, and 15, 2004 and January 10d, February 18, May 11, June 18 and 27; August 21 and 27; and October 3, 2005.

Images about patience/waiting on God were posted October 1, November 21, December 8, 2004 and June 11, 18, and 24, 2005.

Images about the benefits of eliminating things that distract us from God/His purposes for us were posted September 18d, October 3a and 14, November 21, December 8, 2004 and February 28 and August 3, 2005.

Images about God providing things we need, but can’t provide for ourselves, were posted September 12a, 17a, and 18c, October 3a, 3b November 6, 10, 21 and 27, 2004 and January 2, 10b, and 10c, June 13 and 27, 2005.)

Drinking a Milkshake Through a Straw: A Loose Paraphrase of James 1:16-17, 19-21

Absorbing God’s word is like drinking a perfect milkshake. It’s the richest, most flavorful, and most nutritious drink you will ever consume, and it will never go bad. It'll always be like that.

But, because of our humanness, we are limited in how much we can absorb, like someone drinking a milkshake through a straw. Just as one can’t drink if he's blowing into his straw, we can’t receive that rich goodness when we are talking instead of listening. And just as junk in a straw will clog it, reducing or even stopping the flow, anger and other impurities in our lives limit how much of that wonderful milkshake we can take in.

(Images about prayer were posted September 17, 17a, and 17b; October 8 and 17, November 13 and 19, 2004 and May 27, 2005.)

What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents: Dealing with "Meltdowns"

Those who have parented a toddler have experienced “meltdowns”: tantrums where even a wonderfully mannered, well behaved, child becomes inconsolable and almost uncontrollable. The cause is usually trivial by objective standards, but terribly upsetting to the child.

The effect is similarly upsetting; the parent can forget about whatever was planned because the normal dynamics of the parent-child relationship are temporarily suspended. Instead, the focus shifts to “damage control,” limiting the disruption and making sure that the toddler doesn’t hurt herself. It’s very frustrating because even if there is a real problem, the child’s reaction only hinders the parent’s ability to address it.

I wonder if there isn't a similar dynamic between adults and our heavenly Father. Things come into our lives that are inconsequential from an eternal perspective, but we react terribly because they are terribly disturbing from our limited point of view. That at least temporarily interferes with whatever plans God has for us, and I bet that God, in his perfect love, shifts into the damage control mode to get us through it. And just as a child’s meltdown complicates the task of dealing with the underlying problem, our frenzy adds to the mess God must clean up.

So how do we prevent, or at least limit, meltdowns?

We should do what we would like our kids to do: tell our Father what’s bothering us and trust Him will deal with it. That’s not easy, but just as we are eager to soothe our kids’ agitated emotions in the midst of their meltdowns, God is eager to calm us in ours. And just as the parent is better able to deal with the underlying problem than the child, God can solve our problems far better than we can—if we will just get out of the way and let him.

(Other images comparing our relationship with God with our relationship to our children can be found at What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents.

Images about prayer were posted September 17, 17a, and 17b; October 8 and 17, November 13 and 19, 2004 and May 27, 2005.

Images about trusting God amidst the unexpected/difficult/incomprehensible were posted November 7, and 15, 2004, and April 25, July 11b, and August 9, 2005.)

What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents: Effective Prayer

“In your prayers do not babble…”

Matthew 6:7 (New Jerusalem Bible)

Anyone who has spent time with a toddler has experienced “babbling,” the repetition of the same phrase or request over and over again just for the sake of saying it. It’s not meant to annoy, and usually doesn’t; it just becomes background noise. We hear it, but that’s about it. It’s not effective communication, even though it feels good to the child.

But then there are the times when the toddler focuses and tries to convey a specific message. It may not be perfectly stated, but it stands in noticeable contrast to the chattering, or anything else going on right then, and gets your attention. And that’s true even if it’s something she’s said in the same words many times, like “I love you,” “daddy help me” or “me want milk.” Those focused communications stand out and get a response, even if they’re in garbled form, precisely becuase of their focused nature.

Our prayers fall into the same pattern. Some are mindlessly repeated without any real attention to what we’re saying. They can take the form of liturgy, song, or even private prayers. On the other hand, there are focused prayers intended to convey specific, individualized, thoughts that are real communication, even if we’ve said the same thing, in the same way, many times before (as in liturgy, song, or our private prayers) or if they're akwardly stated. It’s the focused, intentional, thought behind the words that makes all the difference.

(Images addressing what we can learn about God from being parents were posted September 17b, 17b, and 17c; November 13, 15, and 24; December 2, 2004 and January 2, February 18, April 25, August 9 and October 3 2005.

Images about prayer were posted September 17, 17a, and 17b; October 8 and 17, November 13 and 19, 2004 and May 27, 2005.)