Everything that has breath praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:6
The sun, stars, and heavenly host all praise God. Even the ants on the ground and the fish in the ocean praise God. How do they praise God?
By being.
They are simply doing what God has called them to do – whether it’s providing light to the earth, digging tunnels in the ground, or swimming in the depths. The sun rises and sets, yet it’s praising God because the sun is fulfilling God’s purpose for it.
Whenever we are fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives we are praising Him.
Living in one city nine months and then a year in the next kept my family in limbo. I wanted to produce an income that could follow us around the world – no matter where we were…
So I started writing.
At first, I took projects from people and companies, yet found it easier and more pleasurable to produce work for myself – no revisions, no sardonic editors, and no tight deadlines.
But it’s been difficult. Just when I was on the cusp of giving up and going back to taking other projects that’s when the royalty checks started to flow – it was my confirmation that the journey is not in vain.
Since working for ‘myself’ I’ve tried to strengthen my work ethic in numerous ways. Recently, I decided to start tracking my time. I thought that I was working 25 or 30 hours a week (including weekends) but was shocked to find that I was only working about 10 hours a week.
I have plenty of excuses. I have a young child who I’m homeschooling which takes up a significant amount of time, and between caring for my child, husband and home, time easily slips away. I’ve always admired people who could juggle. I’m a little envious of the type-A who only needs five hours of sleep and is free of a Candy Crush addiction.
People with a strong work ethic who aren’t easily distracted go very, very far.
I recently read Michelle Obama’s biography and one of the things that struck me was her work ethic. She is one of many, many women who rose above the surface quickly and effortlessly because she wasn’t in love with sleep. When you couple a disdain for sleep with ambition, the result is a strong work ethic.
But there is a Biblical alternative that produces even better results. The secret to a great work ethic is in Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
It’s so simple and straightforward – work as if you are working for God – not for your boss or yourself. Because when you focus on Him, it strengthens your resolve and fills you with purpose. And people with purpose go even further than those who are ambitious and sleep-deprived.
My son is obsessed with a show called Transformers. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, the concept is simple – robots transform into cars, dinosaurs and other things to solve a problem that they are incapable of solving in their former state.
What does this have to do with Christianity?
Everything.
Christians are supposed to transform. Romans 12:2 commands us to do so.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2 isn’t a recommendation to those who’ve decided to follow Yeshua; it’s a command. When Paul wrote to the Romans telling them to transform – he was adhering to the technical definition – to make a thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance, and character. The assumption is that the person you were in your pre-Christian life is old news – yesterday’s history. You are a new creation.
While the world focuses on other types of transformations – Christians should be focused on transforming to look more like Christ.
And many Christians do transform, at least they appear to do so, but like the robots, they often go back to their previous state. The transformation isn’t permanent. The transformation is superficial – it’s shallow – it’s for the purposes of appearances – it hasn’t taken place in the mind.
The scripture is clear. You cannot transform unless your mind is renewed. How do you renew your mind?
1. Pray often. Pray for help. Pray for strength. Pray to be like Yeshua.
2. Read the word – often – and aloud if possible. Scripture is cleansing – it’s renewing. It’s powerful.
3. Sit and wait on God… literally. As you wait, the transformative work is taking place. Maybe you’ll feel something, maybe not. Wait anyway.
Change your spiritual and emotional diet, and change your mind. I love the quote Let thy food be thy medicine. Yeshua called himself the great physician. Don’t allow anything into your ears and eyes that Yeshua wouldn’t recommend. Ask yourself the next time you listen to a song or watch a movie… Is this doctor recommended?
Once you’ve transformed, don’t change back. Purposely choose to remain a new creation – dramatically different – the former you a mere shadow eclipsed by light.
And once you are new, direction comes. You’ll come to understand God’s will. Once you transform, you’ll not only have a real purpose, but you’ll know your purpose too.
When reading the Bible several weeks ago I happened upon Genesis 10:25, which states:
And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.
When I first read Genesis 10, I immediately thought of Pangea.
Scholars believe that this verse could indicate the division of the world physically. However, most theologians believe that it’s a social division.
There are three names mentioned in Genesis 10:25. Eber and his sons Peleg, and Joktan. Peleg means division which the verse clearly states. And Joktan means smallness. But what’s interesting is that Eber means the region beyond or it can mean ‘the region beyond the sea’.
The verse in and of itself tells a story of what’s happening during that time.
Maybe the verse isn’t just about social division, but also a physical division of the earth. What could have compelled Eber’s parents to give him such a name other than some earthly physical division that had already taken place? In congruence, Eber names his son Peleg, which further means division and what precedes division is Joktan – which makes perfect sense because division often creates smallness.
When people are united with one mind and heart, they grow larger, and they can do great things. However, division brings pettiness, strife, anger, frustration and all the things that make a person small.
Reading what the Bible says about unity provides a better understanding of the consequences and effects of division. The Bible says a lot about unity, but when it speaks about unity it’s usually in the New Testament in the context of the Church.
We are told in Philippians 2; Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. And the apostle Peter tells the church to have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tender heart and a humble mind. But before he tells the followers of The Way to have sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart and humble mind, he tells them to have unity.
Peter understands that unity of mind will make the church great.
Unity is what we need in the body of Christ, and it’s something that I pray for all the time. I didn’t understand the importance of such a prayer until I put it in the context of Genesis 10:25.
Live in unity with one another, love each other deeply from the heart. Pursue peace, and when you find it impossible to live in peace with someone, pray for them. Love them and pray that there would be reconciliation and unity.
Catholics will tell you that they do not worship Mary, and perhaps they don’t. But they won’t deny that they pay the highest respect and honor to Mary – respect that exceeds that of any other great man or woman of God in the Bible. In Catholicism, are Mary and Yeshua on equal footing?
When Yeshua pushed through the crowds, a woman cries out “Blessed is the woman who gave you birth and nursed you” Yeshua’s reply is so interesting. Instead of confirming the woman’s words and saying “Yes, my mother is blessed!” Instead, he says,
“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
In a previous passage, we read that all generations would call His mother blessed. But this passage teaches that there are a people even more blessed or as equally blessed as Mary herself. And those people are the disciples of Yeshua – people who hear the word of God and obey it.
Out of the mouth of two or three witnesses, a thing is established. In the second witness, Yeshua talks about kinship.
Again, Yeshua is talking to a crowd. His mother and brothers are standing outside waiting to speak with Him. Someone tells Him “Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.” But Yeshua’s reply is again deeply interesting. His reply is…
“Who is my mother and who are my brothers – pointing to His disciples – He says here are my mother and brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother, sister and mother.”
Usually people put the most important names first, but in this passage, brother and sister come before mother. Mother is last. Yeshua is again making a point about who is truly blessed.
All generations may call Mary blessed, but there are those who are just as blessed – those who follow Yeshua.
When people ask me why I didn’t move to Los Angeles, the answer is simple… earthquakes.
And while I’m still technically perched on the ring of fire, it’s just something about LA – the city seems more overdue for a quake and more vulnerable than other parts of the West Coast… even if it’s technically not.
I remember the first time I was in an earthquake.
The bed began to sway during the middle of REM, and I incorporated the movement into my dreams. I woke just enough to wonder who was shaking the bed, but I was too sleepy to assume that it was anything other than my husband. When I awoke the next morning, I learned that there was a mild earthquake during the night.
The problem with living in an earthquake zone is that there is no sure foundation. Nothing is anchored because everything reacts to plate tectonics. It is the uncertainty of knowing when a quake will happen coupled with the certainty of knowing that it will eventually happen that makes me feel a little helpless.
Do we not live in a society where many Christians feel helpless? A society where the culture is shaken by lust, greed, and hatred – the moral foundations are crumbling beneath us. What can the righteous do if the foundations are destroyed?
There is only one thing to do… pray.
Pray that God will repair the breach and build up the church. Pray that God continues to be your Rock so that even in the midst of a crumbling world, you can stand firm, knowing that you haven’t built your spiritual life on sand.
My former pastor in Chicago married a woman from South America and once explained (during a sermon) she had the opportunity to enter America illegally. But her obedience to God permeated every area of her life, including her desire to live in the U.S.
She did eventually come to the States, but legally.
At the heart of the immigration debate are people who are both confused and angry. There is a fight against bigotry pitted against defensiveness of governmental laws.
I’m not naive to think that love alone is the “answer” for immigration although it’s a good start.
I think the answer for immigration is to duplicate what God has done for us. In the Old Testament, He gave us the Law. In the New Testament, He gave us Love. But love didn’t demolish the law, it fulfilled it.
My thought on immigration is quite simplistic: When people come into the country (legally) respecting the law, we have a duty to love them. And when people come into the country (illegally) disrespecting the law, we still have a duty to love them.
BOHO + THEO 