What Difference Does it Make?

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Let the Word of Christ..."richly inhabit your lives." (Colossians 3:16, The Voice)

While going about what was an otherwise normal day at work not long ago, writing business-related articles about people and processes and achievements, there was an earthquake.

Over a word choice.

What I thought was a harmless and actually very appropriate word to describe someone’s positive contribution to a situation wound up offending that person and a colleague.

Their email made me go “whaaaat?” A change in word choice was expected.

And because it’s what humans tend to do when they go on the defensive,

I was ready for an all-too-familiar reflex:

To dig in, to defend myself, to be offended by their offense.

Which never goes anywhere good.

To my surprise, I didn’t go there

This time.

“What is this strange feeling I’m feeling?”

And I realized that the word that came to mind to describe this person’s admirable quality was a word prominently found in the Gospels.

All from that reading, both because “you need to” and because you want to,

But sometimes, wondering “what difference does it make, practically?”

Until I also realized that the word that rolled out of my brain and into type that day was a natural reflex,

A "richly inhabit"

An overflow of that which was now living within me from “all that reading” and through the mysterious power of the Spirit...

“For the Word of God is alive and powerful…”

—Hebrews 4:12, NLT

...And on this day, that same Word didn’t get hung up on words.

Instead, it took the temptation to be defensive and turned it on its head:

Humility. Grace.

(What the world needs now.)

“No offense intended, I’ll make the change.”

Which was met by grace—and, as a result, peace—in return.

It is always a good thing to pray, as you head out the door, things like:

“Lord, help me to carry Your light into work today”

But while we may be thinking some really big things

Often, it is the little things God uses to answer that prayer that carry the biggest light—for others, and especially for your own encouragement on this Journey.

It’s not always pleasant or full of acceptance,

But this Word, these Words, make a difference.

And these Words of life that will come out of your pores from all that reading

Matter.

And will change you, bit by bit.

This Life is not stuck in a Book.

This Life is practical and for real, and fully meant to be lived…

Way beyond Sunday.

Selah

“Sometimes, we are called to experience rejection for the Son of God living in us. When we carry the cross of Christ, the world and even our families sometimes look at us as though we have a few marbles out of place. A miracle [salvation] often has a cost. But it is the seed for something imperishable. It is the seed of Eternity in our hearts.”—Os Hillman

When the Details Don't Really Matter

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“Now gather the scraps,” Jesus told His disciples, “so that nothing is wasted.” And 12 baskets were filled with leftovers.”—John 6:14, Living Bible

While reading this story, for the gazillionth time, of the multitudes being fed with a few fishes and loaves of bread, I remembered watching the ‘90s movie “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves,” and instead of focusing on the plot got tripped up wondering where all those fancy ropes came from that suddenly appeared in the forest outpost of Robin and his merry men....

Wait, so where did those 12 baskets come from?

Did 12 kind ladies (or gentlemen) provide them, or did the disciples go up to the crowd and ask “Hey, who has some baskets we can use to pick up these crumbs?”

And when they were filled, then what?

Were they left there? 

Did people in the crowd of 5,000 each take some of it for the journey home?

Did the disciples “get it” in real-time?

Did they look at each other, shrug their shoulders, and wonder what was going on?

Did they take the leftovers and chow down, because they were hungry, too?

Did they take them with them when on their ensuing journey across the lake?

(Maybe that helps explain why their boat was so difficult to maneuver on the wind-driven waters?)

For centuries, Bible scholars have offered helpful theories and tons of possible explanations for it all.

The fact is,

No one really knows.

And ultimately, just as with the awesome ropes that appeared out of nowhere in that movie, the props of 12 baskets are simply a means of telling a larger, more important story.

It doesn’t mean that wanting to know doesn’t matter because we are told time and again to search the scriptures for ourselves, and to seek diligently and inquire of the Lord on every step of the journey.

Seeking wisdom is good. Asking questions is really good.

But demanding answers for every single detail and basket and move of God is eliminating the most important thing of all:

Trust.

God is God and I am not.

His ways are higher than mine and His thoughts are way higher.

No one has ever known the mind of the Lord, and no one has ever been His advisor.

No one has entirely figured Him out or known His every move.

And if I could and if I did, then He wouldn’t be any different than any other.

But He is altogether lovely and altogether worthy.

He is Lord of heaven and earth.

In the beginning, God. Period.

And so maybe 12 baskets of leftovers are simply supposed to represent an everlasting monument and reminder to our weary souls and weak-kneed faith that God’s provision in our time of need or when the task seems overwhelming—His promises, His answers to feeble, desperate prayers—can always be trusted and are always more than enough.

Just like all those ropes in the movie.

And not just a general provision, either, one that we can nod our head at as being true for maybe everyone else;

But personal—“one basket each, guys, just for you, with your name on it.”

With my name on it?

“Trust Me. I have never lied and I never will."

“Blessed with spiritual security is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord

And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.

“For he will be nourished like a tree planted by the waters,

That spreads out its roots by the river;

And will not fear the heat when it comes;

But its leaves will be green and moist.

And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought

Nor stop bearing fruit.”

—Jeremiah 17:7-8 Amplified

Proverb For a New Day

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“Little is much when God is in it…”—from hymn by Kittie L. Suffield

It is good to be able to memorize lots of Bible verses for future use.

It is better to live out loud the few you know today.

It is good to read that Word of goodness every single day this week.

It is better to let the Truth you remember today come out your pores.

It is good to want to be a beam of Light that shines for all to see

It is better to be a ray of Hope for that person on your path today who desperately needs it.

It is good to want to see the big picture of what God is doing in your life and in the world

It is better to let the Word be a lamp unto your feet as you head out the door today, and start there.

It is good, always good, to want to go deeper, higher and stronger in your Walk

It is better, always better, to step into today with what little you think you have, and say:

“Speak, Lord. I am Your servant, and I am listening.”

—1 Samuel 3:10, New Century Version

“Here's what you need to keep in mind. You no longer have yesterday. You do not yet have tomorrow. You have only today. This is the day the Lord has made. Live in it.”—Max Lucado