Much more than an arm and leg

 What does it cost to get to the top?  What does it take to get the A+, make the promotion, or get your dream home?  I think maybe it costs much more than time or efforts to get all the physical things we ever wanted, especially if it is at the price of our spiritual goals.  Your joy, peace, patience, and self-control are just a few things that will take a hit if you choose to pursue the riches of this life over heavenly riches.

 Luke 12 shows a powerful illustration of this concept when talking about the man who hoards all his riches and builds bigger barns to store his grains, only to die within the night.  The key to the balance between having possessions and remaining humble in Christ is this:  All of our physical possessions are blessings from God for us to steward and to use for His glory, not rewards that we gain.  Proverbs 3:9 reminds us that our spiritual health is never to take a backseat to worldly riches, stating, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce”. (ESV)  Again it’s OK to have things, but they mustn’t have you! ~ Sophia Wise

Sanctity of Human Life

Sanctity of Life ~ Naomi Knight

The phrase ‘Sanctity of Life’ has become commonplace in recent decades.  The phrase itself refers to the idea that human life is sacred, holy, precious, and is argued in debates over such problematic issues as abortion, contraception, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, and the "right to die."  Many people put the phrase ‘the sanctity of life’ to issues such as abortion and euthanasia, and, while it definitely applies to those issues, it applies to much more.

Every human being, at all stages of life, with every kind of experience and relationship, are included in the meaning of ‘sanctity of life.’  Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children.”  Society has not done well for its children; it teaches them life doesn’t really have a worth, it is something that can be easily thrown away, as evident in abortion, human trafficking, domestic abuse, and many other evils; in quests to satisfy their own selfish desires. 

People do not realize how important and valuable life is, that humanity has an immeasurable worth, (Matthew 10:41, Romans 5:8) indicating every human being has a value that goes beyond any human attempt to measure.  Humankind was designed in the likeness of God (Genesis 1:27) and set apart from the rest of creation, but because of the fall of man, anything innately holy in man vanished as humanity turned towards dark ways.  God’s image is still present in humankind and this likeness should always be given its due respect, because humanity is far more sacred than the rest of creation.  This is what we ought to mean when we speak of the worth of sanctity of life.  “The real question today is not when human life begins, but, what is the value of human life?” – Ronald Reagan

I.D., Please!

Having to prove our identity has become a crucial part of living in our society.  We are asked to present our identification often.  Driver’s Licenses and Social Security Numbers are just a couple ways of making sure we are who we say we are.  We are also identified on a regular basis in a less concrete way.  We are given identity in the crowd we run with.  Everyone seems to have some kind of stereotype.  Are you the brawny-but-brainless jock, or the puny nerd?  Everyone identifies with something.  Our hobbies, jobs, musical taste, ideas, and ideals all give us personality.  They help us “identify” ourselves.  However, as Christians we’re called to identify with Christ.  Ephesians 4:24 says, “And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (NIV)  So our nature, our identity, is to be conforming to Christ if we are in Him, right?  Then it doesn’t matter the stereotype, or the jobs we have, and the clothes we wear.  
See, in Christ we are given a new name, and a new identification.  We are children of the Most High God, and although one may be homeless or a slave in this life, we must cling to our heavenly identification above all others.  However, when we try to identify with the hobbies we have, or the car we drive, there will be problems.  We were never meant to have a name for ourselves, but to further Christ’s name.  John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (ESV)  When we identify with the identities of this world, we say that we must increase.  We say that my career, my lifestyle, my hobbies are more important than Christ living through me.  This is an extremely dangerous statement, because God is a jealous God, and doesn’t do well with idols. (Exodus 34:14)  Something will go amiss with those identities, and then the world will come crashing down.  We won’t know who we are unless we find our identity in Christ, the constant, Everlasting One.  In Him we’re no longer basketball players, novel writers, and grocery store clerks.  We are the body of Christ and we claim that name over our identities in this world.  “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28, NIV) ~ Sophia Wise

The Groaning

 

 “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Rom. 8:22 NIV) This is such a beautiful and powerful verse. The word “groaning,” though a strong term, still doesn’t capture the intense longing of creation for the Creator. I see it in autumn, when the feeble leaves fall away. I see it in the ocean, when the waves reach for, but never quite hold onto the shore. Of course, most of all, I see it in people.

    

St. Augustine once wrote in his famous Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” It’s true. Until we find satisfaction in the creator of our soul we will long without reward and groan with no relief. Even when people attempt to fill the God-sized hole in our soul, they show evidence of a need for a savior. In the words of the band Needtobreathe “It’s clear enough to me, the ugliness I see is evidence of whom I need.” So, the next time there is unrest, remember that it is our nature searching for peace that only God gives. ~ Sophia Wise

The Wonder of His Love

The Wonder of His Love

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” – Jonathan Edwards.

Read Sophia's weekly challenge here

I think that most Christians today would agree with this quote.  If they’ve been taught solid doctrine, most people notice that it is by grace we receive salvation, not by works.  (Ephesians 2:8)  But I think that most Christians, in another sense, struggle with what this quote truly means.  I think that we can unconsciously slip into false concepts, just as someone might slip into a habit without realizing it. 

The concept of ‘by grace through faith’ can sometimes take a backseat to our fleshly nature that wants to drive us toward a stone wall of regret and dissatisfaction.  We can say “Jesus has forgiven me, I am saved by grace, because of His love,” until we’re blue in the face, but until our heart latches onto those words, they are merely words. 

It is not until the incredible restoring power of Christ’s redemptive love gives us spiritual life, that we will truly grasp what He did on the cross. 

Sometimes concepts like God’s incomprehensible love become incomprehensible in a way that separates us from God.  However, what the incomprehensibility of God’s love should be doing in our lives is causing wonder.  The very fact that you cannot ever, ever be separated from His love, whether you are alive or dead, (Rom 8:38-39) is amazing! 

His love is beyond our imagination, and that should enchant His children.  His love should move us to action and bring us peace in the same moment.  It both leads us to repentance by convicting us (Rom. 2:4), but also comforts us because we are no longer separated from Him by sin.  So let us be enchanted, moved, and inspired by His love.  Let us feel His forgiveness and love in ways we have never felt before. ~ Sophia Wise