Taking God for granted?
I plead guilty!
Thank you, Lord, for the daily details, the tedious tasks, the repetitious routines — for
. . .
coffee beans
electricity
windshield wipers
direct deposit
supermarkets
pots and pans
toothpaste
pillow and blanket
. . .
“. . . gratitude, like hope,
is a force powerful enough
to penetrate even the deep pit
of depression.”
Kathleen Norris
The Quotidian Mysteries
John 14:1 (ESV)
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.
And be grateful.
Psalm 19:14 (ESV)
Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight, O LORD,
my rock and my redeemer.
As noted yesterday, a grateful heart gleefully puddle-jumps through life. A resentful heart is like quicksand, pulling me further down with each step. A worried heart makes for a hard walk, breaking a path through knee-deep snow. An apathetic heart drags through hot desert sand, bored and thirsty. A hateful heart is a lava flow, first burning me, then cooling into lock-stepped stone.
Guess which heart rates God’s approving smile–
Quick! What are the last three things you thanked God for?
If you had to think awhile before you answered, you may be trudging through life with an ungrateful heart.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Don’t slog through mud and muck. Pull on your happy boots and puddle-jump through your day. Go ahead, splash some gratitude on your nearest and dearest. It will bless their souls–and yours!
We find balance in Scripture. The Bible exposes us to a kaleidoscope of views on the elements of daily life. It exposes us to divine sense.
Take parenting, for example:
Proverbs 13:24
Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children,
but those who are quick to correct them show true love.
Colossians 3:21
Don’t infuriate your children, so their hearts won’t harbor resentment and become discouraged.
Our Father God parents us with sóphronizó, this divine sense — neither overbearing nor over-indulgent. 
[sóphronizó, “living in divine moderation”]
2017 aspirations: divine sense, blessed balance
Here’s some 17th Century wisdom to help–
“. . . our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for GOD’s sake, which we commonly do for our own.”
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God
Whatever you do, do it for God’s sake.
Lord, grant me the common sense to seek out divine sense. Guide me into your blessed balance:
work & recreation
solitude & relationships
prayer & deeds
thrift & generosity
action & rest
the present & the eternal
Martha’s well-run household & Mary’s spiritual devotion
More sóphronizó, I pray!
[sóphronizó, “living in divine moderation”]
We talk about common sense. What is it?
If only common sense were more common!
If only divine sense were more common: sóphronizó, “living in divine moderation.” We find that word in Paul’s instructions to Titus, advice about older men and women passing their wisdom to the next generation. The word is translated many ways: train, teach, admonish, encourage, urge. Perhaps the VOICE says it best:
Titus 2:4
Be a positive example, showing them . . .
Resolved for 2017: Seek divine sense, be a positive example, sóphronizó.
2016 is almost over.Used up. Finished.
2017 awaits. Unstained. Full of hope.
John 19:30 (NIV)
Jesus said, “It is finished.”
With that, he bowed his head
and gave up his spirit.
The old is gone. New life, unstained, full of hope lies ahead.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
the new creation has come
The old has gone, the new is here!
