My second favorite hymn (that I can recall) is "Take my life and let it be." It catalogs the parts of a persons life and the dedication of their use to the Lord's service. Life is consecrated. Song sung for the Lord. Hands moving at love's impulse. The song reminds me that each limb and muscle that I've been given has a holy purpose, if I should choose to use them as such.
In an effort to be more healthy and green, I've encouraged myself to ditch the car and use the bike or walk when I can. My friend Jean gravitates more towards walking, justifying her opinion by saying "that's what the body was made to do: walk." So I decided to walk home from a friends: 4.5 miles. As I left her air conditioned living room, I lamented about my decision to make the trek, knowing the July heat would surely cause me to melt. Kristin's response: "Yeah, it can be uncomfortable...but then it's walking. You can keep walking."
A wise observation. A stop here and there to rehydrate, I kept walking, one foot in front of the other, until I reached home with just the balls of my feet slightly perturbed (they're now fine 45 mins later).
Going out on another limb (pun definitely intended), I have become frustrated with a lack of prayer. Of course, my frustration quickly falls on those around me. "No one wants to pray. They don't want talk to God. If I don't initiate, no one will. Fine, no one wants to join, then I'm not going to do it." That is a hypocritical argument. In the end, I will talk with Christ about what I did, not what I intended to do, and certainly not receive a pass when I attempt to blame others for my lack of follow thru.
The epistle Titus, chapter 2, encouraged me to shift my vantage point. So often I read the Bible and think, "Aha, so-and-so could use that verse." But the mercy of Christ prevailed, and He gently turned the microscope to my heart. Am I living a life that reflects the integrity and seriousness of the teaching of which I am so quick to preach? Am I seeking to live humbly, peacefully, and loving others? Am I living in this world with righteousness, wisdom, and devotion to God, all the while holding onto a hope of His final redemption of all creation? Am I encouraging others by setting an example? Or am I turning "whole families" from the Kingdom by pointing out the sin in them, that is also in me?
My hands do not move at the impulse of Thy love, but at the outburst of my own frustration.
But my hands were made to help, to heal, the hold. So as my feet learned that they could walk the streets of Pittsburgh in the heat, may my hands relearn their purpose. To touch the "untouchables" and hold the "unholy". May I pray for those hurt, bless those who curse. And may I pray forgiveness for myself, that "I will chide no breather in the world but myself, against whom I know most faults."
2 comments:
It is always much more difficult to evaluate ourselves and our motives than to evaluate the behavior of others and to image what motivates them. The first step forward is to recognize a need for personal change. The next step is having the courage to attempt to change. I admire your personal reflections and self-evaluations in addition to your desire to become more Christ-like. We should all be so motivated.
Thank you for such encouragement. I agree with your first statement, and it remind me of the lyric from a Jon Foreman song: "A mirror is much harder to hold."
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