The scene above is very similar to the setting that I find myself in every morning. My husband and I wake up about the same time, enjoy some fresh coffee and read God’s Word together. Often you find a custom pottery piece (made by us) filled with a clean, just poured candle. As I write this blog, I am sitting in this place with my coffee and one of our candles. The Bibles in our morning room come from several places. Several are the well-loved Bibles used by our parents who are gone ahead of us to heaven. Others are gifts we have given to each other while others are study Bibles or chronological study Bibles. Needless to say this is one of our intentional every day patterns.
My earliest memories are from watching my Mom and Dad study their Bibles. Mom was careful to teach me how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She taught me to read my Bible and apply it to my own life. So often we communicate God’s truth with the words “you” and “we.” Practice using “I” to unpack directives more personally.
I never answer the question that asks me to select my favorite scripture passage. Who can do that? I have tried. I can’t. However, two of my favorite chapters in the Bible are found in Galatians. The companion podcast to this blog will allow you to hear what I hear every morning as my husband Tim reads a passage out loud from the Bible. (For these chapters read in their entirety, go to the end of the companion podcast.) If you have ever wanted to hear God speak out loud to you, it is easy. Read the Bible out loud. Let’s focus briefly on one of the richest sections of the Bible located in Galatians 5 and 6. As you are reading this blog, pause to read your own copy of God’s Word, read or listen to it on line or join me for a listen on the podcast.
This passage is bursting with perpetual truths. I want the wisdom promised me to permeate my every day. To absorb daily wisdom, I read my Bible every day. As my mother taught me, I am going to unpack these verses in the first person. Here are a few nuggets of truth that stand out for me:
- vs 5:1 – I am completely and wonderfully free. I must cherish this truth. When would I have not been free? My prior bondage would have come from being under the mastery of my sin nature and eternal damnation of my soul. My eternal destination is my choice. The author of this book, Paul, is stating that I should stubbornly refuse to go back to this bondage. Once saved, why would I fall back into slavery? If you know anything about this Paul, you know that he is a loyal, zealous, passionate man. This feels like something between a warning and a fatherly pleading.
- vs 5:8 – Don’t you know that when you allow even a little lie into your heart, it can permeate your entire belief system? Yep. Call it toxic thinking. Call it letting your guard down. Call it living without intention. One example that demonstrates the risk of this carelessness is this illustration: Imagine that we are going to make brownies together. Think of warm, chewy brownies topped with homemade vanilla ice cream. Imagine that back during the mixing step, one small teaspoon of dog poop was added. That’s right. It is just a small amount. Would this change your willingness to indulge in this tasty treat? Emphatically yes? This is the wisdom in this verse. A small lie that sneaks in can permeate your entire belief system. Contamination of all of your worldview is the risk. Destruction of your entire life is the result. The domino effect is a law of nature as we know action and consequences to be true.
- vs 5:13 – God has called us to a life of freedom which is not to be understood as freedom to sin. The NLT states that we are not to view this an an opportunity to set up a base of operations in the natural realm. Freedom means that we become so completely free of self-indulgence that we become servants of one another, expressing love in all we do. If I bite and devour others, I will be consumed by others. This is easy to understand. Self-indulgence is always a natural tendency. It takes management of my thoughts and my words to avoid biting and devouring others. Discretion and avoidance of gossip in exchange for life-giving words requires self discipline.
- vs 5:14-15 – Demonstrate love to my neighbor, even as I care for and love for myself. If I criticize and come against others over minor issues, I am acting like a wild beast trying to destroy. I will be consumed or destroyed. This sort of behavior is so common that it might be identified as just a bad habit. It is, but more than that it is the seed of destruction in our lives, our relationships with others and our future potential.
- vs 5:16-17 – Embrace the dynamic spiritual life enabled by the Holy Spirit. Abandon the cravings of my self-life which craves things that offend God and hinder Him from living in me. The things not of God are obvious. Craving God will keep me from craving these intense old self habits. A life lived with God is incompatible with a the self-life. Understandably, many wear a mask while the decay of sinful indulgences poisons like terminites below the visible surface.
- 5:19-21 What are the cravings of a self-life? They are obvious: sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, pornography, moral impurity, promiscuity, sorcery, chasing after things instead of God, manipulating others, hatred of those who get in your way, senseless arguments, resentment when others are favored, envy, temper tantrums, angry quarrels, only thinking of myself, being in love with my own opinions, being envious of the blessings of others, murder, uncontrolled addictions, drunkenness, wild parties, carousing and all other similar behavior. God’s words, not mine.
- vs 5:22-23 In contrast to the evidence of the self-life, the fruit or output of a Christ follower is divine love in all of it varied expressions: JOY that overflows, PEACE that subdues, PATIENCE that endures, KINDNESS in action, a life full of VIRTUE, FAITH that prevails, GENTLENESS of heart, STRENGTH of spirit. According to God’s Word, the outcome of these qualities is limitless.
- vs 5: 26 I am an original. (Who am I? What is My True Identity?)
- vs 6: 1 -6 If I see a fellow believer overtaken by a sin, I must respond with an overflow of God’s spirit in me. If I am consumed with my self-life, my response would be a natural one such as gossip, pride that I am not struggling with this sin and a sense of disdain. However, the opposite is directed in Galatians. Win him over with gentle words which will open his heart to me. Speaking kind words forces me to feel more compassion, empathy or sorrow instead of pride. Don’t be judgmental and proud. Love empowers me. If I think that I am too important or too good to stoop down to help another, I am living in deception. Ultimately, every Christ follower is responsible for his own conscience.
- vs 6: 7-10 Make no mistake about it, God will never be mocked. What I plant, I will harvest. The harvest that I reap reveals what I have planted. If I plant the corrupt seeds of self-life, I can expect a harvest of corruption. If I plant the beautiful, life-giving seeds of the Spirit-life, I will reap the beautiful fruits promised. Don’t be disheartened in planting good seeds. ( I sigh every time I read this. I often feel discouraged.) Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others… especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith.
The nuggets expressed above are just a few from this passage. God’s Word is new every morning. His desire is that you and I would live our best version of ourself. His desire is for you and me to hold tightly to the truth of who I am in Him. His desire is for you and me to daily desire a cozy, sit down with our Father God who conveys bitesize truth for our every day.
The audible Word of God is available for you and for me anytime we desire to hear it. Truthfully, I read my Bible out loud even when I am with myself so that I can use more of my senses to fully take in His truths. So often when I read, I am overwhelmed by God’s love for me as well as His power as Creator of this physical world that I live in daily. Our Father God designed me and you for relationship with Him. The great void in our spirit when we are not intimately connected to Him is satisfied when we just allow God’s audible voice to fill us!
This is something you can easily emulate. Grab your copy of God’s Word. Grab a notebook and pen. Grab your favorite drink. Indulge in the everyday power of the audible voice of God. Join me for a audible conversation on this topic at Embrace Your Everyday podcast.
More on FAITH, FAMILY and HOME:
Who am I? What is My Identity?
Books on HOME and FAMILY:
Hum of the Home: Routines and Rhythms of Homemaking
Nurturing My Nest: Intentional Home Building and Custom Built Education
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