“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.” (Hebrews 12:14-16)
Such practical, specific instructions – live at peace, don’t let bitterness take root, guard against sexual immorality. As I read them in the peace of this 5 am devotion in my room at this lovely resort, they seem obvious and easy. And I know that in the crush of life these three are significant fruits of God’s Holy Spirit at work in the life of the believer. I want my life to continue to be an open book, in which I live transparently and exemplary as a follower of Christ. With every ounce of my being I reject any form of pretense or pretending to be religious. I believe this will further the cause of Christ through my ministry.
The next generation values authenticity. It is often in short supply in the church. I am reading You Lost Me, by David Kinnaman in which he describes the journey of many young adults who grew up in the church and are no longer part of a faith community. His thesis is that there are things that the church does which “loses” individuals in their teens and twenties. I am looking forward to digesting the thoughts of this book, and also participating tomorrow in a book study with pastors at Ridgecrest.
Guide me today Lord as I make every effort to live at peace with everyone and to be holy. From the role of pastoring a wonderful and large church in Springfield, guide me as I seek your face and lead by following in your steps.
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