Deeper Still by phil mccallum

Scripture
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.  For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared,  He saved us…. Titus 3:1-5

Observation
Behind the rusting Iron Curtain of the Cold War, a peasant farmer and his wife kept their faith in God through intense persecution. Their son John told me the story of a police raid on their property. A truck loaded with workmen pulled up to the farmhouse. The workers clambered up onto the roof of the little house. As a reprisal for their stubborn faith in Christ, the farmer and his wife would lose the roof of their house that day. The tiles would be removed one by one and they would be left open to the elements. Around lunchtime the old farmer sang out to the men on the roof, “Boys, come on down. Mama has fixed you some lunch.” John told me that the workers put all the tiles back in place and drove away.

Obedient and ready to spring to action that describes the motive of the Christian. When treated unfairly we are to not talk badly of others but to be peaceable and gentle.  No matter how much our point of view may not be considered, we are to consider the perspective of others, even if that means feeding a work crew that is tearing down your own house.

If Paul’s words stopped at verse 1, it would all be hard to take and impossible to do. But thankfully he adds a few more verses. He reminds us that there was a time in life that we supposed that rebellion is the way to authority. But then kindness appeared and that changed everything. It is impossible to watch the injustice of the cross and not to be moved by the tenderness of Christ. He died not for himself but for us. He forgave those who killed him. He showed mercy to his mother and to thieves. He refused anaesthetic so that he could be fully awake to love us.

Application
In the face of Christ’s kindness, of the Father’s kindness, it is hard to live selfishly. This intention of Jesus lubricates our stiff joints into action when we are asked to do what we don’t want to do. My call is not just to do good, but to do good for the right motive and to package it with the tenderness that Christ gave to his suffering. The only way we can surrender rights in that way is to have full trust in God our Saviour. What we release he will bless. He just might give us our roof back.

Prayer
Father, help me to live the Jesus life. Jesus live through me. Amen.

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Press the arrow to listen to “Your Love Never Fails” with Chris Quilala from Jesusculture.org.

Scripture
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5

Observation
Some people greet with sandpaper. Their life is gritty and abrasive that makes for friction. They start every relationship on the offense. They will hurt others before they can be hurt. Their lives are sprinkled with the grit of harshness, impatience, selfishness, exactness, inconsideration, unreasonableness. Rarely does one person have all of that abrasive sand stuck on one personality, but even just a grain or two can make it feel as if they are working against others rather than with them.

There are sandpaper days for all of us. Maybe we were irritated by someone else on the way in and so on the way out we rub others the wrong way. Or the grit can be more deeply imbedded into our personality. Some past season of hurt has left us with a rough surface that grinds at the worst possible moment.

How can we change? One simple thing: just remember that Jesus is watching and listening. That changes everything. I read about the president of a great company who was hiring new executives. He was intentionally late to test the applicants. One high-powered hot-shot, belittled the secretary in the front office no matter how kind she was to him. When the president later arrived and the interview was in full swing, the secretary stepped into the office and the boss introduced her. “Have you met my wife?” He didn’t hire the young man that day.

If some people greet with sandpaper, then others come with velvet. The “gentle spirit” described here is a rich word that takes a paragraph to explain. Here is the bullet-point list:

patient
unselfish
forbearing
reasonable
considerate
on the side of others
seeing life from their point of view
working with them and not against them
not enforcing rights
refraining and restraining
extending deadlines
stretching due dates

This gentleness implies more than being nice, it means taking another person’s side and making life fit them well.

Application
Meekness is a vulnerable way to live. It is not that we might be taken advantage of, we will be. But because the Lord is near there are rewards that no human being can ever give. When I want to wear a suit of sandpaper, may I dress in velvet. May others who brush up against me feel the softness of grace.

Prayer
Jesus, you are gentle of heart and so others find rest for their souls near you. Let me be a rest-stop in a rush hour world. Wrap me up in velvet and turn me loose today. Amen.

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Press the arrow to listen to Hillsong Church sing “The Deep of Your Grace” while reading today’s journal about grace.

Scripture
This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:2

Observation
There is so much of my life that is guided by by three painful sentences:
I ought to.
I should have.
I must do.

When I try to live up to any of these sentences, my life becomes ugly. Those around me are made to feel resentful or restless. They will join me in trying to do more to be more.

I may have learned these sentences from my parents, my teachers, my bosses, my critics and anyone else who made me live up to expectations. Legalism isn’t something learned in Sunday School; it is the stuff that life is marinated in. Until we experience love in Jesus, we all try to do something to feel better about ourselves. That is the ugly side of using rules to feel more valuable.

Legalism repels the Holy Spirit. When I live that way he can’t come near. He doesn’t want to be near. But when I let Christ love me without trying to improve myself or to live up to expectations the power of the Holy Spirit flows through my life.

Application
Legalism is sneaky. I feel it creeping up on me when smile brighter to impress or drive faster so as not to disappoint. When those moments come I feel the Holy Spirit depart. But when I let Christ take me just as I am, power flows. I want to live there.

Prayer
Father, would you run a u-v light over my life and show me the traces of legalism that crop up. Help me to live by grace so others around me stand a chance to live by grace too. Amen.

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Press the arrow to hear a different song than I normally post. It comes from a Celtic band called Ceili Rain. The song is called “You Then Me” was also recorded by Rebecca St. James. I couldn’t find her version so this one will do. The lyrics perfectly describe today’s devotion about rights.

Scripture
Yet I have never used any of these rights. 1 Corinthians 9:15

Observation
That’s not fair!
That’s not my job!
I didn’t make that mess!
I was here first!
These are the words of rights. These words spare us from doing what we don’t want to do and force others to work for us out of resentment.

The problem with the rights words is that we can be so right that we are wrong. The principle we are applying may be correct, but the heart it comes from is not.

There is something disarming about those whose words are full of grace.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Please.
Would you mind?
That’s okay, I’ll take care of it.
Here let me help.
You have a lot on your plate….
These words disarm, because they create a safe place for word weapons to drop and for hearts to change.

We need to live not by our rights but to the left of our rights, by not using all of them, all of the time. We we chose not to live by our rights we change the climate where we are to one of grace. Our attitude becomes contagious. Not only are others kinder to one another, but in time we will find kindness extending even to ourselves.

Application
I want to live in a zone of grace, so I must become a use less of the rights words. This is what gives room for God to do his work. My human fear is that I will be walked over. But in fact, the Father promises to lift me up.

Prayer
Father, can you please alert me to the moment before I want to use my rights and direct me in another way. Help me to live to the left of right. Amen.

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Press the arrow to listen to “Kindness” by Chris Tomlin as you read today’s devotion on well-seasoned words.

Scripture
Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:6

Observation
Ungarnished popcorn won’t travel far. But sprinkle it with salt and butter and it will go by the handful. Seasoning is everything not just with food but also with our words.

Paul made a promise for us: If we take time to craft our words well, God will teach us what to say next. Our seasoning is grace. We could prattle off definition of grace: love we don’t deserve. But what does grace sound like in a speech bubble?

It is focused on others and not on itself.
It forgives slights and slices.
It is unquenchably cheerful.
It feels what others hurt and heals.
It understands and then is understood.
It finds a spark and blows on it.
It uses the punctuation of thankfulness.
It gives what is not deserved.

The bottom line is this: those who have experienced grace, speak graciously.

Gracious people are used by God because he can trust them with the script he writes into daily conversation. When we take time to season our words with grace God will give us what to say next.

Application
All too often, my words leave the kitchen of my heart preparation without the sprinkling of grace. Anyone can be well behaved in public words, but what about those to the people closest to us?  I need to travel with salt and use it liberally.

Prayer
Father, help me to remember to keep seasoning every bite. Amen.

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