Monday, March 1, 2010

Romans 10:9

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved."

What strikes me most today

This sounds selfish, but I am starting a week of call. This is always very busy (day and night) and very stressful. Just the last four words "you shall be saved" make up one of those phrases that make it seem like everything will be OK... and it will! No matter what happens this week, I can offer it up to Jesus. And I know He is Lord, and I know that God raised Him from the dead. Knowing this... everything is going to be OK!

What strikes you most today?

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Sunday, February 28, 2010

Romans 8:35,37

35What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

What strikes me most today

My thoughts and prayers have been with the Chileans who are suffering from the earthquake and its aftermath, and especially for friends in Hawaii who have been at risk for a tsunami. My thoughts and prayers have been especially directed toward a fellow Pauline Cooperator named Easter Almuena and her family. Today's passage is the one I planned to post today anyway, but it is so appropriate while thinking about and praying for Easter and her family. Easter is a role model for me - an awesome parent, a Catholic publisher, and someone unafraid to let the world know of her love for Jesus, the Divine Master, Way, Truth and Life. She is certainly St. Paul to me and many others in the world today. As nervous as I have been for Easter and her family, the thought came to me that "what shall separate us from the love of Christ?" For Easter, even the world's biggest tsunami couldn't come close to touching her faith!

God Bless Easter and her family, and all the other members of the Pauline Family in Hawaii, all the family members of Pauline Family members, and everyone who may be in harms way. I picture God keeping the Hawaiian Islands safe in the hollow of His hand!

Any thoughts or prayers you would like to post,

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| IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? |

Romans 8:31-32

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Romans 8:31-32

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

What strikes me most today

Today instead of writing a lot, I am using a different medium by putting in a cartoon video to represent today's passage.

Friday, February 26, 2010

St. Augustine

Romans 8:29-30

29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What strikes me most today

The word "predestined." Predestination has always fascinated me. The Catholic Church, following St. Augustine, accepts predestination of the elect to heaven, but also affirms the freedom of the human will, thus staking out a position distinct from Calvinism. Predestination to hell, in Catholicism, always involves man's free will, and foreseen sins, so that man is ultimately responsible for his own damnation, not God. The more I have read about it, the better I feel about not understanding, there are so many schools of thoughts even within this Catholic teaching of Predestination. The way that seems to make the most sense to me at this point is that God wants us all and invites us all to Heaven - but we still have free will - we can reject that invitation. The "predestined" part seems more to do with God being outside of time and, therefore, knowing who will wind up in Heaven and who won't. The take-home message for me is that no one is sure how easy it is to lose Heaven, but it is possible, so I need to do my best in this short life on Earth to let God know I accept His invitation, along with all my family and friends!

What strikes you most today?

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Edward and Charlotte Kunz, St. Louis, 1930's

Romans 8:28

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

This passage reminds me of my mom's mom - Grandma Kunz - with my Grandpa Kunz in the photo above. Grandma grew up in the Soulard area of St. Louis. Her father died when she was a baby, and she was fairly poor all her life. I remember her telling me the story of how every year that would go to a fair. She loved watching men and women all dressed up go for a "fancy ride on a big beautiful boat across the lake." One year when she was about twelve she decided she would save money over the next year so she could ride that fancy boat the following year. She worked odd jobs for people and saved every penny she could over the next year. When the day came that they went to the fair the following year, she stood patiently in line with the others. Just as it was her turn to purchase her ticket and board the boat, she was told the boat was full. It was the last ride of the day, and she would have to come back the next day to try again. But her family had to return to St. Louis that evening. She sat on the edge of the lake and cried as she watched the boat sail across the lake. She asked God why He would allow this to happen to her, after all her hard work and daily dreaming of this boat ride. God remained silent.

Then she heard a screams coming from the shore. The boat was far into the lake, but it was very quickly sinking. Grandma told me not many people knew how to swim back then, and she could not swim. Nearly everyone on that boat drowned. Grandma said she knows she would never have survived. She said her relationship with God changed after that - and she thanked God for all the good and bad that came to her the rest of her life, knowing that God alway had her best interest at heart.

Grandma had one of the most beautiful deaths you can imagine. She made her final Confession, received Viaticum, received the Last Rites, closed her eyes, and took her last breath just as a huge smile came across her face.

If Grandma had been on that boat, her death would have not been nearly this peaceful, and my mom and brothers and sisters would never have been born. I believe many similar stories occur every day, many of which we won't realize in this life. It makes me want to read Romans 8:28 again and reminds me to thank God for all I encounter in the gift of this life He is allowing me to live.

What strikes you most today?

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Romans 8:26

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

What strikes me most today

I love Eucharistic Adoration, but I often get the feeling I'm not doing it as well as I should. I usually bring a really good book - usually a Saint biography or Spirituality book - but when I read I start to feel guilty - as if I'm ignoring Christ. He is as present there as I am. I feel like when I visited my grandparents when they were still alive - I never would have read a book while I was visiting them - I would have talked to them and given them my undivided attention. But then I remind myself - this is God - I need Him much more than He needs me, so He can enlighten me or instill grace into me however He wants. I have had times when reading has taken on a new dimension when done before the Blessed Sacrament, so I know it can be good.

I have even felt guilty praying the Rosary - like maybe I should save that for other times.

I'm trying not to ignore the Savior in the room!

I think the hardest thing for me to do is just be present to the Lord. In the quiet of the Adoration Chapel I have no choice but to be honest and vulnerable before God. He knows my sins. He knows my weaknesses. But something happens when I kneel before that monstrance - I can only describe it as healing. As humbling as it is for me to initially raise my eyes to gaze upon the Divine Master, by the time my hour is up and the next person on the Adoration list arrives, I don't want to leave.

I still don't always feel like I know exactly what I should be doing during Adoration, if I shouldn't be "doing" anything, or how I "ought to pray." But today's passage from Romans has taught me why it always works out, because "the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

What strikes you most today?

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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Romans 8:24-25

"Who hopes for what one sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance."

What strikes me most today

I can't help wonder what Heaven looks like. I know it's better than anything I can imagine; but I still wonder. I wonder about details of what exactly happens after we die - do our souls automatically know where to head? When I am with someone dying, I can't help wonder these things.

For now, I just need to work on getting to Heaven. Today's passage reminds me of Eternity because if we make it to Heaven, we will finally see God and the Paradise He has prepared for us. When I meditate on the goal of Eternity in Heaven, it's hard to remember any other goals I have in life (except for the goal of everyone else getting into Heaven also).

I felt the child-like colors and illustration best represented Heaven to me, because I know the image of Heaven I have in my mind is much more childish in comparison to the reality that waits those destined for Heaven.

What strikes you most today?

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Romans 8:23

23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

What strikes me most today

"we wait eagerly for our adoption" - This makes me think about wanting to belong. We are all so different - we come from different countries, our lives are very different, many of us don't speak the same language - but we all have a desire to belong. The ultimate belonging, of course, is to be adopted sons and daughters of God. As social beings we can't help but want to be adopted by God, but we also want our family and friends to be adopted by God. That's why we don't want anyone to be lost for Eternity - we are like siblings and friends in an orphanage who would love for all of us to be adopted by the same loving Father.

What strikes you most today?

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Romans 8:19-21

19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

What strikes me most today

"the glorious freedom of the children of God." This made me think of a book I am currently reading - Making Peace with Yourself: 15 Steps to Spiritual Healing. by Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes, fsp. I just completed the first of three sections (1st 5 chapters). I love this book. I was intrigued by the title, and I really like everything I've read by Sr. Kathryn. This book seemed like a self-help book that I didn't think I needed - until I started reading it! WOW! As I've read each chapter, I have found analysis, recommendations, and exercises that have made a difference in my spiritual life in every section. I have to admit I was not expecting such a substantial change in my relationship with God in a small, easy-to-read, book. I am trying to slow down reading it, to appreciate every word - and that kind of richness is there. Also, the poetry by Sr. Bernadette Reis, fsp, is the type of poetry that affects the soul in a subtle yet profound way. In fact, right now I'm logging off to start Part 2 "Healing," Part 2 "Choosing Directions."

What strikes you most today?

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Friday, February 19th and Saturday, February 20th, 2010

Romans 8:18

"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us."

What strikes me most today

Many of these passages seem to hit right at the appropriate time in my life. The photo above is my brother Greg and his wife Sherry at Christmas. Not long after Christmas, Sherry was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer (it had already spread to her brain and adrenal glands at the time she was diagnosed). She has completed radiation and is preparing to start chemo Monday, but she is requiring home oxygen, unable to eat, and requiring quite a bit of pain medication. Her sons are 18 and 16, and, needless to say, this is devastating to the whole family.

But when I was at their house last night, I was impressed by the faith and hope I see in all of them. Sherry has always been a Christian, but last night celebrated the Sacraments and joined in full Communion with the Catholic Church, to the great delight of her husband and sons. She chose the name Gabrielle as her Confirmation name. They believe Romans 8:18 totally and completely, which comforts them tremendously as they see Sherry's suffering.

And their faith and hope has prompted them to not be afraid to pray for the intercession of Venerable Mother Thecla Merlo to intercede for full and complete healing for Sherry.

I'm thinking Romans 8:18 is one of those I should write down keep in mind frequently!

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Benedict XVI calls for justice in his Lenten message

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Romans 8:16-17

16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

What strikes me most today

The video above is perfect for the beginning of Lent and for today's passage. We see the sufferings of those around us, especially children. What I give up during Lent seems like such small suffering compared to the daily struggle of many in this world. We are all co-heirs in Christ. I need to pray and sacrifice more for my brothers and sisters who struggle for survival on a daily basis. My thought today is that I am proud to be part of Christ's Church; I love that the Pope would draw the world's attention to the poor and marginalized today.

What strikes you most today?

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Wendesday, February 17, 2010

Romans 8:15

15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

What strikes me most today

OK, it's Ash Wednesday. Instead of ashes on a forehead, I have a picture of Tim Tebow (watch me put this one together...)

FYI - the black band-aids under Tim Tebow's eyes say John 3:16 ---> you have to admire someone willing to evangelize with band-aids on the face for the world to see and know he is a Christian. (See, black band-aids are similar to ashes).

How does it fit in with Romans 8:15? We received the Spirit of sonship - we have life thanks be to God. Tim Tebow became the son of his parents because they chose life. And now look at the awesome Christian man who resulted from this "sonship!"

(...see, told you I could pull this all together!)

What strikes you most today?

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Romans 8:13-14

"For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."

What strikes me most today

We must "put to death the misdeeds of the body." So much about Romans has to do with life and death - but here we see death as a way of overcoming sin. It sounds easy and makes sense, but I know it is very difficult to do. I know I can't do it alone, so I continue to pray for the grace to overcome sin and even the temptation to sin and the near occasion of sin. I need to drop the St. Augustine addendum of "well, maybe not just yet" that I am so good at adding!

What strikes you most today?

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Romans 8:12

12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature

What strikes me most today

Saying we have an obligation - it sounds like the old Mission Impossible - "should you choose to accept it..." The "mission" sounds easy - "DON'T SIN!" I need to replay that message over and over in my head (I just hope the tape doesn't self-destruct or I'll have smoke coming out of my ears!)

What strikes you most today?

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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Romans 8:11

11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

What strikes me most today

He "will also give life to your mortal bodies." I can't help think about Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian Olympian who died during a luge run. When a young, healthy person dies so tragically and unexpectedly, we realize our own mortality. How awesome for us that we have hope in the same "Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead." We pray for the salvation of Nodar Kumaritashvili and for all, that that Spirit is alive in us all.

What strikes you most today?

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Saturday, February 13, 2010

Romans 8:9

"But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him."

What strikes me most today

St. Damien - when my son told me he had decided to take the name "Damien" for his Confirmation name, I began reading more about him. He is a great example of someone we can clearly see "the Spirit of Christ" dwelling in him. The picture above is a younger picture of St. Damien. How awesome that this young man was willing to sacrifice his life for others. He spoke often of his love for Jesus in the Eucharist because the Blessed Sacrament was the source of his strength and perseverance. I especially like what my friend Easter Almuena wrote me when I told her of John's choice of Confirmation name:

"St. Damien was a doctor of the afflicted in Molokai, both in body and soul.

What a blessing, a big blessing, that your son has taken St. Damien's name for Confirmation! It is a confirmation of God's life, love, compassion and power to heal and restore. I recommend the book "Holy Man" by Gavan Daws for reading and reflection of his life."

So there's also a recommendation for a great book from someone whose opinion I trust greatly! (And I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find this book at Pauline Books and Media).

What strikes you most today?

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Romans 8:6

"The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace."

What strikes me most today

Cabo San Lucas! Why? During Holy Week, many boys from my oldest son's class of 18 year-old seniors (and "coincidentally" many girls from a local Catholic girls' high school) will be going on Spring Break to Cabo San Lucas for 5 days. I will be going as a chaperone. This could be stressful, or it could be peaceful. I am looking for peace! I know the all-you-can-eat-and-drink resort will not be a temptation for me to eat too much and drink too much (Yeah, right!) But I should keep today's verse in mind while I'm there - eating and drinking too much is the concern of the flesh, which is death (I need the 18 year-olds to hear that too!) The concern of the spirit is life and peace. I do hope to have time to sit out and look over the view of God's creation and talk to God and spend quiet time in peace and relaxation (even if just in short periods between searching for pre-college young adults bar-hopping in a foreign country)! But I am going to find some moments of peace and prayer while I'm there - and this may be the best example I can give to others while we are there.

What strikes you most today?

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Romans 8:5

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit."

What strikes me most today

Flesh and Spirit - this is what confused me about Theology of the Body. I thought flesh=body=bad and spirit=soul=good. Instead, flesh refers to our basest actions and tendencies based on original sin and selfish desires, while spirit refers to our loftiest and highest ideals based on love of God and others. Both refer to who we are - body and soul. Some translations use the term "nature" rather than "flesh." But what it is not saying is body bad - that interpretation was my bad!

What strikes you most today?

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Romans 8:3-4

3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

What strikes me most today

The idea that God sent "His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering." I was taught this when I was a son. Now that I'm a father, I see this a whole different way. I try to imagine loving someone enough that I would send one of my sons to be a sin offering, knowing he would be brutally tortured and murdered in one of the cruelest ways ever invented. How could I love someone that much that I would allow Jeff Jr or John or Tom to suffer that unthinkable degree of suffering.

But that is exactly what God did for me. It is exactly what God did for you. It is almost beyond my comprehension how much God loves each and every one of us!

What strikes you most today?

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Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Romans 8:1

Life Through the Spirit

1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

What strikes me most today

The picture has a slightly different translation than the Bible I copied the translation from. Sometimes a subtlety in one translation strikes me more than another. In this case it is the phrase "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." I like this because it gives more of an action feel and an ongoing process notion to life in Christ. It is not a one time deal - every minute of every day I have to make a choice - to choose God or to choose sin. When I just typed that, I thought it sounded overly simplified - but it's really not that far from the truth. From my words to my actions to choices about what to eat and drink (and how much to eat and drink), to what I do with my free time, whom I want to spend time with, how much I pray or pursue good books and other good media - how I spend my time - it matters. So now I'm going to log off the internet and go pray!

What strikes you most today? Click on "COMMENTS" to share your thoughts.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Romans 7:24-25

24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

What strikes me most today

"this body of death" - maybe it's just me, but more and more I read reminds me of Theology of the Body. Before I would have read this as meaning our souls would be plucked from these terrible bodies we are trapped in. But now that I am trying to learn Theology of the Body, it seems to me St. Paul is more talking about rescuing our human body and human soul from this mortal life, and perfecting us (body and soul) for eternity in Heaven. After all, we don't just have a body, we are a body - and a soul. This makes more sense with St. Paul's preaching about the resurrection of the body (which many of his day were not too happy to hear). So today he is telling us that, through Jesus Christ our Lord, we will be rescued and resurrected, body and soul, for eternity.

As I said, I am just trying to learn Theology of the Body. After struggling for quite some time, my understanding was jump-started in one hour by a lecture I was fortunate enough to hear by Sr. Helena Burns, fsp. If you are at all interested in Theology of the Body (i.e. if you are interested at all in this life and/or what's going to happen to you in eternity), I would recommend listening to what Sr. Helena has to say; she has certainly evangelized me! She is very mediavailable (I think I just coined a new term for "media available") at her blog (www.hellburns.blogspot.com - easiest blog address for me to remember), on facebook she has a Theology of the Body Online Study Course, and she twitters and does movie reviews for the Chicago Catholic newspaper, also on her blog).

What strikes you most today?

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Sunday, February 7, 2010

Romans 7:18-20

18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

What strikes me most today

This seems like the direct opposite of Galatians 2:20 where our goal is "no longer I, but Christ lives in me." We don't usually think of sin as a person, but I have heard sin described as a parody of the Holy Spirit, able to dwell within us because of original sin. This is why we need to avoid sin and live Jesus Christ, Way, Truth, and Life, totally and completely. Then it is Christ living in us, not sin.

What strikes you most today?

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Saturday, February 6, 2010

Romans 7:15

15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

What strikes me most today

I hate to admit it, but this is one of the Bible verses I can most relate to. I don't think many people think, "I want to sin; I want to be a sinner." It doesn't take many years to realize the emptiness with which sin leaves us. So why? Why do we choose sin? Why not sin? It's not just the immediate guilt - I think it has more to do with knowing that we decided to say No to God and Yes to sin. Some sins are habits - I need to break those habits. The restlessness and stress that make me more prone to sin are actually a desire for the complete and eternal joy that only God can fulfill. And still I sin.

But then we have the sacrament of Reconciliation. If I picture my relationship with God as a sheet - God holding onto one end and me the other. Each time I sin I purposefully take a knife and cut the sheet. However, each time I confess my sins and receive absolution, the ends of the sheet are tied back together - SHORTENING the sheet and actually drawing me CLOSER to God. It's not a good excuse to sin, but it does give me hope - hope in Divine Mercy!

What strikes you most today?

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Friday, February 5, 2010

Romans 7:11

11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

What strikes me most today

Pride. That is the first thing I thought after reading this passage. If we are strong enough to avoid sin, we are doing the will of the Father. However, what if we are able to overcome (such as gluttony, my favorite example), and we are really proud of ourselves. We become so good at it, it bothers us to see others who have not overcome it; we even look down our noses at them - we are certainly better Christians since we have overcome this tough sin. Then we have used the avoidance of sin to commit a different sin. That's what came to my mind.

In the picture above, is Jesus putting a white coat and inviting a humble sinner into the Wedding Banquet? Or is he removing a white coat from someone who thought they were certainly invited because they are so good?

I am probably reading too much into it; I remind myself that God is the God of Mercy. But still, it's not a bad idea to be on guard against pride.

What strikes you most today?

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Thursday, February 4, 2010

Romans 7:4-6

⁴So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. ⁵For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. ⁶But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

What strikes me most today

The idea that dying to the old law and living in Christ would allow us to bear fruit was always difficult to understand. The best way I have learned to think about it is a twig or branch that really isn't doing much being grafted onto a big, healthy tree. We are the twig and Jesus is the big healthy tree of life. We must be willing to be cut from our roots, having faith that in this death to self we may have the fullness of life in Christ. As time goes on, the life of the tree (Jesus) flows through the grafted twig (me), so it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me!

What strikes you most today?

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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Romans 6:23

²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What strikes me most today

I remember the first time I thought about this verse: my college roommate in Kansas City had a brother, Moises, who had a gray t-shirt that read "Raise the wages of sin." Moises was an older brother, very cool (he was 21 before we were), and so I wondered why this verse was important enough to him that he would wear it for the world to see. I think at the time it had to do with raising taxes on cigarettes (ironic since his brother later became a Pulmonologist, fighting to prevent tobacco-related morbidity and mortality - but that's another story). The phrase "wages of sin" intrigued me. So I went to the Bible to look up Romans 6:23. It took me a while to think it over, but I eventually understood it, and it's been important to me for over 25 years now. Sin leading to death is described as "the wages of sin;" it's what we deserve. However, eternal life is not "owed" to us and certainly not what we deserve or have "earned" like wages - it is a gift of God. Sure, we need good works so we are divided with the sheep and not with the goats, but we know it is through the grace of God that we even have a chance of reaching Eternity in Heaven with Christ.

I don't know if Moises ever knew that he performed a great work of evangelization with this act of witness, and I wonder how many others were touched by it. He actually motivated a college student living away from home to open his Bible! Perhaps small actions or choices each of us makes positively affect others in ways we can't even imagine until the next life. I do know that I am eternally grateful for the strong witness of faith and family that Moises and his brothers and parents have been for me in my life (I'll save other great examples for future blogs!)

God knows what He's doing when He sends families like that into our lives!

What strikes you most today?

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Romans 6:17-18

¹⁷But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

What strikes me most today

The term "slave" certainly has a negative connotation whenever we hear it. Being a slave to sin is especially hard to hear, because there are times when we willingly obey sin, or even seek it out. That is why the term "slave to righteousness" does not have that same negative connotation - in fact, it seems to reverse it for me. It is beginning to make more sense to me that when we willingly become slaves of righteousness, we freely offer our entire selves at the feet of God. We become more like Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life - and Christ living in us is what sets us free, allowing us to share in the abundant freedom of God. As a practical matter, I can look for ways throughout my day today to find small sacrifices or ways of denying myself and avoiding sin, to offer these acts of humility to Jesus Master and become more and more a "slave of righteousness."

What strikes you most today?

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