The Walking Dead

“The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”  Romans 8:6

These days, zombies are all the rage.  In books, movies, and tv shows, we are inundated with the imaginary presence of the walking dead.  But zombies aren’t as bogus as you think.  In fact, they’re around us every day, lots of them—people whose hearts and minds have no life.  It might sound morbid, but I quote—“The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace”(Rom 8:6).

Though we know it’s true, digesting this reality is difficult.  It’s hard to consider the fun guy in the office, the nice neighbor down the street, or the quirky lady behind the counter as dead, but if they don’t know Jesus, they’re already in the morgue.  They might be breathing air, but they know nothing of “the life that is truly life”(1 Tim 6:19).

But here’s the good—no, the great—news.  We were once among the zombies, “dead in our trespasses and sins, but God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ”(Eph 2:1,5), and by His grace, those who believe will also be brought to life.  As we go through our days, we are to be witnesses to the walking dead.  Though they can only be revived by God, He chooses to use us to show them His way out of darkness.

So live like you’re alive!  Since “the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace”(Rom 8:3), your existence should exude vitality and radiate divine purpose.  You should trust when others fret, believe when others doubt, and display ceaseless gratitude and grace.  Your “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”(Gal 5:23) should leave the walking dead wondering “Why?” and “How?” and wanting to know the answer.

You can’t bring zombies to life, but you can show ‘em what real life looks like.                                    

Live fully alive—today!

Used To The View

I spent this past weekend at the beach, and it was lovely.  Sea oats swayed in the breeze.  Palm fronds rustled in the wind.  Grey-skinned dolphins nosed their way down shore while nervous crabs scampered into convenient holes.  All the while, aqua waves ceaselessly coiled onto the white, shelled sand.  In a word, spectacular.

As we stood gawking on the balcony, someone beside me wondered aloud if perhaps the locals grew so used to the view that they failed to always appreciate its beauty, and I answered, “Yes.”  I’m quite sure I was right because of much experience—not with scenes from Gulf front condos, but with stunning sunsets, good times with friends, my husband’s embrace, the laughter of my children, and God’s grace.  All are splendid treasures which should be admired and appreciated with awe, but since these things are commonplace in my life, I often get used to the view and take them for granted.

I think we all do—at different times, in different ways, with different things, and sometimes it takes a change in scenery or circumstance to jolt us into re-awareness of the magnificence around us.  A bomb explodes in Boston, and we hold our families tighter.  A trusted leader falls, and we’re grateful for forgiveness.  Three rainy days in a row make us long for the sun.  And we can hardly believe how easily we take these good gifts for granted.

The Israelites are the classic example.  For forty years they were led around the wilderness by a holy God shrouded in a cloud.  During daytime, the pillar of His presence was white.  At nightfall, it turned bright (with fire, no less).  Surely they could never grow accustomed to something so obvious, so out of place, so extraordinary, but they did. Though God was their night light, their day guide, provided manna every morning, and kept their clothes and shoes from wearing out, the Israelites repeatedly disobeyed, hesitated to trust, and couldn’t keep their hands and hearts away from heathen idols.   Why? Because they grew used to the view of grace.

You probably aren’t at the beach today so maybe the scenery isn’t something to get excited about, but take time to notice the place you are, the people you love, the blessings you’ve received, and the life you’ve been given.  Go ahead and gawk because the scene is spectacular.

When it comes to grace, we should never get used to the view.

In His Hands

“God holds in his hand your life and all your ways.”  Daniel 5:23

Today is a big day.  I stood in my driveway this morning and waved goodbye as my three girls headed off to school—together—alone.  Make sure you get what I said—my child is driving!!  How this madness happened so fast is beyond me, for it only seems like a few months ago we took the training wheels off her bike!  But days tumble into years, and she is now sixteen and behind the steering wheel.

It was a bit strange—seeing my three precious treasures disappearing down the road, venturing into the big, bad, beautiful world with smiles and excitement and a healthy dose of giddy awe. Thanks to the technological marvel of texting, I soon knew that my younger offspring had been deposited at their school and that the oldest had arrived safely at hers, so I was free from fret if I heard a siren screaming down the highway, but those moments in between brought the acute realization that this foray will require robust faith.

What keeps me calm in this craziness are the words Daniel spoke to Belshazzar after a heavenly hand wrote on a Babylonian wall.  Our God “holds in his hand your life and all your ways”(Daniel 5:23).  Though a harsh rebuke to an arrogant king, this truth brings great comfort and assurance to those who gladly trust that a Sovereign God maintains complete control.  Since by God’s grace my girls belong to Jesus, they will always be held closely and securely in His hand for He has promised that “no one can snatch them out”(Jn 10:28), and each day I can be certain that the God who places kings and presidents in power(Dan 4:17), controls the clouds(Ps 148:8), and knows every sparrow that flies and falls(Matt 10:29) is well aware that my daughters are on the road.  And I can trust them to His sovereign will.

When my girls were young, one of their favorite songs was “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands.”  If I had sung it this morning as they drove away, I would have changed only one word—“He’s Got My Whole World In His Hands.”

And on days like today, I’m especially so glad.

Easter People

“We were buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”  Romans 6:4

It’s the Wednesday past Easter.  Leftover ham has been sliced for sandwiches.  Eggs that weren’t consumed or crushed have been deviled or discarded.  Pastel tablecloths are packed away for next year, and we’re starting to focus on summer.  But I can’t get Sunday’s sermon off my mind.

In short, here’s what my pastor said:  Don’t just die as Easter people—live as Easter people.  “He is risen!” was God’s exclamation point of acceptance on Christ’s payment for our sin, and because He has been victorious, we are assured of a place with Him then but also purpose and power now. So live like it!  “We were buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life”(Rom 6:4).

This life is not focused on us but on Jesus.  This life is not lived for us but for Jesus.  His glory is our desire and our delight.  All of life—“whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do”—is transformed into an endless opportunity to show off the greatness and grace of God(1 Cor 10:31). Because Jesus is “Lord of all”(Acts 10:36), we have been “rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son”(Col 1:13).  No more just getting by.  No more just passing time.  The truth of our redemption and Christ’s resurrection burst into our world in real space, real time, real history, with real people, and it brings real life—victorious life.

The empty tomb matters for eternity, and the empty tomb matters for every day. 

Live as Easter people!

The View of Victory

“An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled back the stone and sat on it.”  Matthew 28:2

If I could see Easter on a View-Master (remember those plastic binocular-like contraptions into which you inserted white paper disks rimmed with pictures that sequenced a story or showed scenes from lovely places like Yosemite or Yellowstone ?), I know which scene would be my favorite.  There would be fourteen photos in all (because View-Master disks have fourteen films), and they would go something like this.

A Palm Sunday scene would get it started, setting the stage for what was to come. A broken alabaster box would illustrate Mary’s crazy love and devoted sacrifice. The highlight of the Last Supper would be broken bread and a cup of wine, revealing God’s new covenant with His people.  Judas’ betraying kiss—a head shaking reminder of our deep depravity—would follow Christ’s earnest prayer in Gethsemane.  I would include a slide of Jesus, compassionate even in crisis, healing the sliced-off ear of Malchus, the high priest’s servant.  A picture of Jesus talking with Pilate, a shot of him beaten and bruised wearing the crown of thorns, and then the scene of the angry mob screaming, “Crucify!” would roll through next.  We would see Him stumble under the weight of His own cross and then stare as He hangs suspended between heaven and earth—lifted up to be seen and to save.  The next film would be black—as the darkness of our sin extinguished the Light of the World, and the somber scene of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapping Jesus’ body for burial would leave us silent with sorrow.  But God saved the best till last, and the final film would be my favorite.

 It’s the picture of an angel sitting on a stone, but not just any stone—the stone!  The stone, described by Matthew as big, which Joseph “rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb”(Matt 27:60).  The stone which Pilate’s soldiers sealed and guarded as security against anyone getting in.  But no puny strength of earth could keep Jesus from coming out, so after He burst forth from the grave in might and majesty, “an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled back the stone and sat on it”(Matt 28:2). (Jesus didn’t need the stone removed so He could get out; the stone was rolled away so we could see in—and see that the tomb was empty!)  So the angel, after clearing the entrance and causing the guards to faint, simply sat down on the stone, crossed his legs, and smiled smugly.

 It’s my favorite, “Oh yeah, God’s got this!” moment. It’s a fist-pumping, “What you think is a big deal is no big deal to the Lord of all,” statement.  The angel sat on the stone to show that the finality of death had been defeated, and we have nothing left to fear. Only Someone left to love.

View-Master or not, the scenes of our redemption are real.  Because of Christ’s death and His life, we are held in love, we stand in grace, we walk in truth, and we can sit in triumph—and smile.