Night Vision Goggles

We’ve all seem images captured through night vision goggles. They magnify ordinarily unperceivable light to show the wearer things that exist in the darkness. Christians are like persons given night vision goggles.

Like people walking at night, Christians must make their way through a world that appears dark, but that actually has some of God’s light present at all times and in all places. We can’t always see that light on our own and if we try to deal with things purely in our own strength, we sometimes stumble, disoriented and discouraged. But like night vision goggles, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to perceive God’s light in a situation, allowing us to better deal with it.

There is another other parallel. Night vision goggles only help if they are put on, requiring the wearer to make the effort to avail himself of their benefits. Likewise, we only benefit from the Spirit’s guidance if we seek His help. He doesn’t impose His self on us; we have to be open to/seek out His help. Like someone who won't use the goggles offered him, we stay in the dark if we try to make it through on our own.

(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.

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.)

Gardening for God: Pornography is Like an Invasive Plant

Most experienced gardeners have had to deal with invasive plants at one time or another. They're not usually recognized as a problem at first; to the contrary, they may initially appear to be beneficial. But soon they start to spread, crowding out other, indisputably fruitful, plants. And not only do they cause the loss of the good plants’ productivity, they also deplete the nutrients of the underlying soil.

Many Christian men have had similar experiences with pornography. It too looks good at first, seeming to add a little spice to life. But it rarely stays under control. Instead, it consumes energy and attention that should be used for productive purposes and depletes our spiritual strength.

That is not a recent phenomenon; scripture confirms that lust—the power behind pornography—has always had those effects. The book of Proverbs, written thousands of years ago, attests that illicit sexual matters initially appear attractive, Proverbs 5:3, 7:16-18, but eventually get beyond our control. Proverbs 6:27-29. It also describes how, left unchecked, they consume us, Proverbs 5:9-11, with tragic results. Proverbs 5:4-5; 7:21-23. Jesus confirmed those dynamics, Matthew 5:28-30. The delivery system has changed, but the stuff being delivered is still the same.

So what do we do about it?

Experienced gardeners know that there are two primary countermeasures to invasive plants. The first is to seal their gardens off; they are careful to prevent those plants from getting into their gardens in the first place, and failing that, to completely weed them out as soon as they appear. Half way measures don’t work; if the plants are present in any quantity the gardener must spend time and effort on containment that is needed to nurture other plants and will likely fail no matter how hard he tries. The second is to make the legitimate crops as strong as possible so they are more resistant to those invasive plants that appear in spite of his best efforts to keep them out.

Scripture and experience confirm that the same is true with regard to pornography. The best approach is to avoid it altogether, to stay away from areas, virtual or otherwise, where tempting materials are likely to be found, Proverbs 5:8, 7:24-25, c.f. Proverbs 7:7-8, and to completely eliminate them if they are present. Matthew 5:29-30. And like a gardener tending to his bona fide crops, scripture instructs us to strengthen legitimate outlets for our energies so we can better deal with those instances where sexual temptation enters our lives, as it inevitably will in spite of our best efforts. Proverbs 5:18-23, 7:1-5. See also Matthew 5:31-32.

(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.

Other images based on gardening themes are collected at Gardening For God.)

Savoring God's Grace In The Midst Of The Mundane

The other morning I was waiting for the bus and, between passing cars, heard birds singing. There was nothing unique about their songs, but they provided a taste of nature in a quasi-urban environment and considerably improved my mood. That was something hadn’t happened before, even though I’ve waited at that stop hundreds of times and birds had doubtless been singing during some of those waits.

But I did hear it then and the more I focused on them the more interesting they became, converting the otherwise empty wait into a pleasant experience. Perhaps more importantly, it put me in a good mood that lasted throughout the morning. You might call it a “two for.”

That taught me something about God’s grace. It’s present in the midst of the mundane, but most of the time we’re oblivious to it and hence miss its full benefits. However, if we make an effort to savor those aspects we do notice, however small they are, we are blessed not only by those particular things, but in other ways as well.

(Other images about savoring God’s blessings were posted May 16 and 20, July 7, and 15, 2005.)

Gardening For God: Cutting Back the Grasses

This is the time of year when ornamental grasses have be cut back; last year’s foliage must make way for this year’s growth. That requires removal of the fruits of a year’s efforts, as satisfying as they may be, and that the plants be reduced to stubs. Things look a bare, but there’s no other way; it has to happen if the grasses are to provide the shade and privacy expected during the coming seasons.

Jesus addressed that dynamic—that we must give up what we have to get the best God has to offer—several times during his earthly ministry. In the course of commissioning the apostles, effectively calling them to abandon their prior lives, He told them that “those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39. He later taught the same truth, when, shortly after He first revealed His coming passion, He said that “those who want to save their life will lose it.” Luke 9:24, Mark 8:35. John’s gospel also records Jesus, in describing His own death, saying that “unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24. Bringing the matter into sharper focus for purposes of this post, Jesus’ taught in the parable of the vine that deadwood must be trimmed from fruitful plants if they are to “bear more fruit.” John 15:2.

We see the same thing in our lives. We spend a lot of time and effort on something, and it’s pretty good, but we have to let it go to produce other things God wants from us. It usually doesn’t seem like a good trade at first, but it always ends up being worthwhile if we submit to God’s will. We simply have to make that change if we are to be as fruitful as God wants us to be.

Let me give you an example. My wife and I had been married for 15 years and had a very comfortable life; we both had good jobs and, with no kids, time to enjoy the income that came with them. But God had different plans: He wanted us to adopt a child.

I was resistant, to say the least. Why should I give up my “good life” for one that would require us to, by the world’s standard, reduce our standard of living and give up any semblence of free time? It seemed like the epitome of a bad deal.

You can’t win an argument with God, so I gave in and am I ever glad I did. Our daughter brings joy—both to us and others—that we could never have imagined. Our marriage is more rewarding than it ever was before and we have experienced blessings that we could not have conceived of. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and it took some time to see those rewards, but they came and have exponentially exceeded that difficulty.

But none if that would have happened if I hadn’t been willing to let go of my old life. Just like the my grasses, it had to be cut back to make room for new growth. Looking back, I now realize that if I hadn’t given it up, my old life life would have ended up like grasses that aren’t cut back: with no potential for growth and with what was already there becoming increasingly tatered and decreasingly satisfying. God had a much better idea for my life and I’m glad He cut me back so I could receive it.

(Other images about conforming/yielding to God were posted at on 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.

Other images about the process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted on October 3a and 17, 2004; May 11, June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27; and October 3 2005.

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

Other images about the lessons we can learn from parenthood are posted at What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents.

Other images based on gardening themes are collected at Gardening For God.)

Gardening For God: Planning the Garden

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly…”Romans 12:6a

We can learn a lot about our spiritual gifts from our vegetable gardens: how to maximize our individual fruitfulness and how to best coordinate our gifts with others.’

Maximizing Individual Fruitfulness

Experienced gardeners know that particular plants are more fruitful in some circumstances than others. Cool season crops thrive at the beginning and end of the growing season, while warm season crops grow best during the hot months in between; you get a disappointing crop if you plant either at the wrong time. Similar results follow placing a full sun plant in a shaded spot.

We see the same dynamics in our Christian walk. Scripture confirms what we sense, that God gives different Christians different gifts. Each of us is better at some things and in some circumstances than others and that mix varies from person to person. See Romans 12:6a; I Corinthians 12:8-10, 30. Although we can do some good in our own strength, it is far less than we produce when we operate in the gifts God gives us. The difference is similar to what you’d see when a cool season crop is planted too late or a full sun plant is grown in the shade: some fruit is produced, but both the quality and quantity are noticeably less than they could be.

Coordinating Our Gifts

A successful gardener takes the differing nature of individual crops into account when planning his garden, coordinating them to maximize the garden’s overall productivity. He considers which types of cool season crops to plant, picking those that’ll mature before it’s too late to successfully plant follow on warm season crops. He considers the height and relative location of crops planted at the same time so they don’t block each other’s sun. He takes the dynamic of companion planting—the effect that causes some plants to thrive when placed close by certain other types of plants but causes yet others to be stunted if grown in the same place—into account by placing complementary plants beside each other and separating antagonistic crops.

Scripture tells us that we should similarly analyze each others’ gifts to maximize our common effectiveness. Paul taught that we should look beyond our individual gifts to see how their interaction with others’ hurts or helps our collective fruitfulness. He explained that certain combinations are either ineffective or downright counter productive, I Corinthians 14:1-17, 23, while others dramatically enhance our overall fruitfulness. I Corinthians 14:24-33.

***

Just as each plant and garden is different, no array of spiritual gifts, either individual or collective, are the same. Nonetheless, they all have one thing in common—their fruitfulness is dramatically increased if we take the time to analyze how to best match what God has given us to the situation at hand.

(Other images about conforming/yielding to God were posted on 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.

Other images about the need for connecting/working with other believers were posted on September 18c, 18d , October 3a and 8, 2004.

Other images about God providing things we need, but can’t provide for ourselves, were posted on 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.

Other images based on gardening themes are collected at Gardening For God.)

Gardening for God: Weeds

“Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out.”Luke 8:7

Gardeners are familiar with the dynamic described in Luke 8:7, part of Jesus’ parable of the sower. They plant seeds hoping for a crop, those seeds sprout and grow, but so do the weeds. If they’re not pulled they overtake the crop, block out the sun, and so stunt the good plants that there’s no crop.

But gardeners also know there are ways to prevent that. Sheet mulch not only makes it harder for weeds to sprout, but also provides extra nutrients that speeds the crop’s growth, making it less likely that whatever weeds do sprout can overtake them. They also make a conscious, and continuing, effort to look for and pull any weeds that come up.

That same dynamic is present in our lives. We lose our fruitfulness if we let ourselves be surrounded by distractions from God and the things He’d have us do. Those “weeds” take different forms—excessive emphasis on career, status, or material things; too much time spent on hobbies; too much media—but they have a common effect: they divert energy God intends for fruitfulness to other purposes. Instead of producing fruit they produce thorns.

Fortunately, the same measures that work in the garden work in our lives. We can put down the spiritual equivalent of sheet mulch by building time with God—prayer and time in the Word—into our daily routine; they both make it harder for the weeds just described to take root and nourish us for greater fruitfulness. And like a gardener regularly checks for weeds, we can engage in regular self examination to find weeds that need pulled from our lives.

(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 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.

Other images based on gardening themes are collected at Gardening For God.)

What We Can Learn About God From Being Parents: Climbing onto the Father’s Lap

I’m usually up when my three year old daughter wakes up in the morning. She sometimes says little then, but instead just climbs onto my lap to be held. That sends an unspoken message of love far stronger than anything she could express verbally. And because of how well I know her, I understand what she needs then without her saying anything.

I wonder if the same thing isn’t true between us and God, if our coming to Him and quietly abiding in His presence—the spiritual equivalent of silently climbing onto His lap—doesn’t trigger the same feelings toward us that I feel toward my daughter. And just as I know my daughter’s needs without her explaining them, God knows what we need without our having to describe them in great detail.

Scripture supports that parallel. Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 and Matthew 6:7-8 explicitly tell us that we shouldn’t go on and on in our prayers, but instead should just come to God and trust that he knows our needs without our spelling them out in detail. The same concept is inherent in Matthew 6:31-33 and 7:9-11, which both tell us we can trust God to know, and meet, our needs if we simply seek him out. Indeed, Romans 8:26-27 makes it clear that God will understand and respond to our prayers even when we “do not know how to pray as we should,” making it clear that effective prayer is more a matter of relationship than rhetoric.

That’s not to say that we should hesitate to tell God our concerns; the Psalms and other portions of scripture encourage us to cast our burdens on God, Psalm 55:22, to “pour out” our hearts before Him, Psalm 68:2, and to bring “everything” to God in prayer, Philippians 4:6. See also Luke 11:5-8 and 18: 1-8, I Peter 5:6-7, Hebrews 4:16, James 1:5. God is able to "get it" whether we spell it out in detail or simply climb onto His lap.

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

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. )

Cleaning the Kick Plate

“And all of us, with our unveiled faces like mirrors reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the image that we reflect in brighter and brighter glory; this is the working of the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 (New Jerusalem Bible)

Several years ago I decided to clean the tarnished brass kick plate on the front door of my house. I applied some brass polish, and that took some of the tarnish off without any real effort, but most of it only went away through the application of steel wool and elbow grease over what seemed to be an inordinate period of time. The more I rubbed, the more reflective the kick plate became. It ended up much better than it started, but never became perfectly reflective.

It strikes me that God works the same way in getting us to better reflect His image. We are each tarnished by the junk in the world and need cleaning in order to reflect His nature. Through His grace, some of the tarnish comes off easily, like the initial layer of crud that came off my kick plate simply as a result initially applying the polish. But most of it only goes away as the result of His persistent scrubbing. The more time we spend in his presence, and the more we let Him work on us, the more reflective we become. And although we’ll never become perfectly reflective of His perfect nature, we’ll become more and more reflective over time, even though it sometimes seems to be taking much longer than we’d like.

(Other 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.

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

Other images about the process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted October 3a and 17, 2004; May 11, June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27; and October 3 2005.

Other images about the benefits of eliminating things that get between us from and 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.)

Gardening for God—there’s usually more there than meets the eye

“Accumulation little by little is the way to riches.”
Proverbs 13:11b (New Jerusalem Bible)

A few years ago I decided to maximize my garden’s pepper production and did all I knew to achieve that goal. I amended and tilled the soil in the fall so it would be fertile and loose in the spring. I covered it with black plastic so I wouldn’t be held up by wet, cold, soil or low ambient air temperatures. I was ready to plant as early as possible and did so.

But then it was hurry up and wait. Although I did everything right and had good weather, it seemed for weeks like nothing was happening. The plants didn’t appear to grow, and I had no choice but to wait for things to develop at their own pace.

It turns out that I had no reason for concern. Although they were mostly unobservable, things were happening. Most of my plants’ growth during those early weeks was underground, and hence invisible, because they were developing the root systems necessary to produce peppers later on. At the same time, the organic material added to the soil the previous fall was breaking down into useable nutrients, something that couldn’t happen over the winter. Further, because I was checking my plants so often, I didn’t notice the above ground growth that was occurring, growth that would have been apparent if measured less frequently. There was literally more going on than met the eye, and I ended up with a bumper crop.

Serious disciples usually experience the same dynamic. We want to bear maximum fruit for God, and we try to do what we can to bring it forth. We do what we can to prepare ourselves and optimize our circumstances and continually check for growth, yet things seem to poke along with no, or at least not enough (from our perspective), progress.

But although we don’t see it, God is getting preparing for a good crop. He’s helping us grow the spiritual and practical equivalents of roots and arranging things so we’ll have the resources we’ll need for maximum productivity once those roots are grown. Those things usually can’t be seen and we miss the perceptible growth that is occurring because, although it’s significant, it’s mostly too gradual to notice from day to day.

The point is that God moves in His own time and in His own ways, even if we can’t see it. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do all we can to increase our productivity because, although we can’t get ahead of God’s timing, we can impair His plans (for example, my pepper crop would have been smaller without my extra efforts.). But the ultimate truth is that we can never reach our maximum productivity ahead of God’s schedule and without His help.

(Other gardening or soil related images can be found at Gardening For God.

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 process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted October 3a and 17, 2004; May 11, June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27; and October 3 2005.)

What We Can Learn About God from Being (Adoptive) Parents: Romans 8:14-16

“All who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God…you received the spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself joins with our spirit to bear witness that we are children of God.” Romans 8:14-16 (New Jerusalem Bible)

My wife and I were privileged to adopt a new born girl three and a half years ago, and she’s since developed definite behavior patterns. They include traits we can easily identify as “ours.” Given the lack of biological connection between us , that’s obviously not genetic.

So how did it occur? There seem to be two keys, both of which also show how we adults can pick up traits from our Heavenly Father.

Time Together

First and foremost is lots of time together. My wife is a stay at home mom, my job rarely requires me to work evenings or weekends, and I spend most of my free time with our daughter. The result is that she is almost always with one or both of us. And that is “quality time” in the sense that it’s relaxed and open, with us talking, playing, or otherwise interacting. Our daughter can’t help but absorb our ways because she's saturated with our presence.

That same dynamic is key to our taking on God's personality traits. Time with Him is crucial; the more time we consciously spend in His presence, the more of His characteristics we’ll pick up.

Scripture repeatly stresses the importance of continual interaction with God. It instructed the Israelites to create physical prompts to refocus them on God in the midst of their daily activities, Numbers 15:37-41; Deuteronomy 6:8-9, and describes the blessings that come from keeping God in mind. See Psalm 1:1-2 (New Jerusalem Bible)(“How blessed is anyone who…murmurs [God’s] law day and night”) and Psalm 119:97. Luke 18:1 recounts that Jesus taught the disciples about “their need for constant prayer.” Paul repeatedly stressed the importance of continual prayer in his general instructions to the churches. Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, and I Thessalonians 15:16-18.

Paying Attention

Almost as important is our daughter's perceptiveness of what’s going on in her relationship with us. Although she knows she's unconditionally loved, she’s quick to sense that we're sometimes less than pleased with her behavior and that other conduct makes us happy, proud, etc. In other words, she pays attention to the results of her conduct.

We likewise benefit by paying active attention to the consequences of our actions. We can learn a lot by considering which general behavioral patterns and specfic actions produce godly results and which do not. That analysis, if acted upon, can greatly aid our growth in the Lord.

Scripture commends such analysis. Proverbs 2:2 instructs that we should be “tune[d]…to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” Proverbs 4:1 (New Jerusalem Bible) tells us to “pay attention, and learn what understanding is.” Similar instruction is found in Proverbs 4:20, 13:1, 15:31-32, and 22:17.

***

In sum, we can take on the ways of our adoptive Father through the same process my adoptive daughter is taking on my wife and I’s ways, by spending a lot of time together and paying close attention to the results of our actions. That helps His Spirit “join[] with our spirit[s] to bear witness that we are children of God.” Romans 8:15 (New Jerusalem Bible).

(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 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, 2005.

Images about the process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted October 3a and 17, 2004; June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27, 2005.)

Hurricanes Rita and Katrina: We Must Humble Ourselves Before God

This sequence of extraordinarily powerful storms is unprecedented, making the words of Joel seem right on point: “Listen to this…everybody in the country, attend! Has anything like this ever happened in your day, or in your ancestors’ days?” Joel 1:2 (New Jerusalem Bible). Equally relevant is his direction for responding to such events; we must humble ourselves before God, focusing on Him. See Joel 1:13-15 and 2:15-17.

God is trying to tell us something and we should be listening. We need to be on our faces before Him praying for His mercy and that we get, and properly respond to, what He is trying to show us. His Spirit will help us with such prayers, as promised in Romans 8:26, but that will only happen if we humble ourselves before Him, both individually and as a nation.

How to Pray For and Help Those Affected by Hurricane Katrina

It is obvious that we should pray for those whose lives have been, or will be, disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. What is sometimes less obvious is how to do so. Here are some suggestions:

The Direct Victims

- For protection, strength, provision, and rescue for those still trapped/stranded.

- For comfort, patience, strength, provision, and special grace for those in shelters and for the amelioration of conditions there.

- For comfort, peace, patience, strength, provision, and special grace for those who are now homeless.

-For the elderly, young, sick, injured, orphaned, poor, and others who are particularly vulnerable.

- For those who are particularly isolated.

- For John and Robin DeLamatre, their friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, and colleagues.

- For Greg Eiden’s daughter and her friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances, and colleagues.

- For all those who have been, or will be, unemployed as a result of the storm.

- For those who are unable to get a hold of friends and loved ones.

- For those whose educations have been, or will be, disrupted.

- For those who are, or have family members, on active duty with the military or who are otherwise unavoidably away from home.

- For all the churches, para-church organizations, their staff members, their members, and clergy affected by the storm and it’s aftermath.

- For those in rural areas.

- For all those who work in agriculture, the energy industry, fishing, tourism, hospitality.

- That disease not spread.

- That levies, pumps, utilities, communications and transportation systems be preserved or repaired as soon as possible.

Those Involved in Rescue and Recovery Efforts

For wisdom, strength, energy, compassion, and endurance for:

- All civilian federal, state, county, and local officials/employees and their families.

- All those serving in the active duty military, national guard or reserves, law enforcement, and public safety organizations and their families.

- All those working in non-profit groups like the Red Cross and their families.

- All Christians working to help others, that they may truly be “Jesus with skin on.”

- All those in the medical professions and their families.

- All those that work for or with utilities and their families.

- All those working in sewage treatment or disposal, waste treatment and disposal and other sanitation related areas and their families.

- All those working in funeral homes, mortuaries, morgues and related areas and their families.

- All those in construction and their families.

- All those in transportation and their families.

- All those working for the relief organizations listed below.

All of Us

- That we learn what God wants us to learn from this catastrophe.

- That the adverse enviornmental, economic, and social impacts be minimal.

-That we each do what we can to help.

Material Support

We can also give material support through The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Lutheran World Relief, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Baptist Disaster Relief, Episcopal Relief, and United Methodist Disaster Relief Fund.

(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 the fact that God blesses us in order for us to bless others were posted September 12b, 18c, and 18d, 2004 and August 27, 2005.)

Mature Christians Are Like Well Worn Blue Jeans—The Process of Achieving "Holeyness"

So how do Christians get to the state described in the previous post? By being used for their intended purposes and being cleaned.

Being Used

Jeans become supple by being worn—a lot. They're put between their wearer and rough, sometimes dirty, conditions, absorbing sweat from the inside and grime from the outside. That’s what changes them from rigid to conforming; the more that happens the more they get broken in.

It’s the same with Christians. We mature when we let God use us for the things He designed us for. That’s often difficult; it puts us between God and tough situations, feeling pressure from both sides. But that’s what takes us from stiff to supple. Just like jeans, we can’t get there if we’re sitting on the shelf.

Being Cleaned

Another way jeans get broken in is by being washed. That grit and grime must be removed periodically and the process of doing so itself fades their original colors.

The same thing happens to maturing Christians; we must regularly get into God’s Word and conversation with Him. That not only cleans us for our next use, but each session takes out a little more of our original, sinfull, nature, making it less and less prominent.

(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 the process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted October 3a and 17, 2004; June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27; and October 3 2005.

Images about diligence/perseverance in doing God’s will were posted on October 1, 3a, 8, and 17 and November 7, 2004 and January 10c, June 11, 13, and 18; July 15 and August 27, 2005.

Images about the fact that God blesses us in order for us to bless others were posted September 12b, 18c, and 18d, 2004 and August 27, 2005.

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.)

Mature Christians Are Like Well Worn Blue Jeans—Aspiring to "Holeyness"

Mature Christians are a lot like blue jeans. Most started out stiff and deeply dyed. As they walked with God they were broken in; they became softer, more conformed to His shape, and their original colors became less pronounced. Eventually, they got thinner and thinner, so that folks saw more and more of God, just as one sees more of the wearer of a threadbare, and ultimately holey, pair of jeans.

(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 the process of growing/maturing in our walk with God were posted October 3a and 17, 2004; June 11 and 18; July 20, August 21 and 27; and October 3 2005.)