God’s Shower Gel

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NLT)

Have you ever showered with one of those aromatherapy shower gels? I’ve seen scents that claim to relax you, make you more alert, and even increase your sensuality. Regardless of the benefit marked on the label, there is yet very noticeable evidence that you used THAT particular product. Anyone who comes anywhere near you can easily identify what you showered with. The aroma is strong, unique, and usually pleasant.

This is the picture I thought of when I read the verse above this morning. The top three ingredients in ‘God’s shower gel’ are kindness, wisdom, and understanding. When we have accepted His free gift of salvation & patterned our lives after His Son…His riches spill over onto us. I guess you could say that we get to use God’s shower gel……consequently smelling like Him. The end result would be that people we come in close contact with would enjoy our aroma…and that it would in turn remind them of God’s sweet Spirit in us!

Of all the things that we could potentially smell like this week, may you take on the aroma of the Creator.

Bringing ‘Light’ to your Life

I’ve got quite a task set before me this week. I’m taking the week to update my L.A.M.P. (Life And Ministry Plan). I wrote my first L.A.M.P. almost a year ago while we were still living in Washington State. I recently took a look at it and realized that much of it no longer applies to my life or ministry. It’s time for an update!

Proverbs 16:9 tells us that ‘We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.’ God honors planning ahead & being prepared. He also requires a certain level of flexibility of us with regards to those plans. So, I’ll be prayerfully planning for the next year, and then asking His Spirit to guide my steps to be in His will.

Whether you are in ministry or not, I would encourage you consider writing your own Life Plan. Put down on paper answers to questions like these…

- In what areas of my life do I want to grow?

- What improvements can I influence in my marriage/family?

- Are there financial adjustments that I need to make in my budget?

- How do I want my spiritual life to look a year from now?

After answering these, develop a plan of attack. Write it down and put a time-frame on each item. Then, simply revisit this document every couple of months to see how things are going. You might also want to ask someone whom you respect to be a mentor or accountability partner. Share your Life Plan with them, and ask them to help you stay on track.

When FAITH Is No Longer Required

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

I was reading more in ‘Seizing Your Devine Moment’ today. McManus made what I thought to be a very profound spiritual claim after referencing the passage above. He said, “Once something is a certainty, it no longer requires faith. Do not be surprised that what God asked of you yesterday is insufficient for your journey of faith today.” Now, I don’t know about you, but this has proven to be so true in my life. I can’t begin to tell you how many things in my past took immense steps of faith for me. And as I discovered this morning…the vast majority of those ‘leaps of faith’ would not be challenging for me today. I think it’s kind of like riding roller coasters. In general, you may enjoy them…but what if you had the chance to ride the largest & fastest roller coaster in the country? You may experience some nervousness, some anxiety as you approach the boarding area. In fact, the thought of saying, “forget this” might even come to mind more than once. The more you are exposed to enduring that particular roller coaster, however, the more familiar (certain) you become of the experience & the outcome.

Our willingness to walk with Jesus is quite similar in comparison. There will be times when He says, “Come on, get on this ride with me” and we reply with “Are you nuts?”

Today, ask yourself this question. Does my life today require faith…or am I just cruising in what is certain? If you are going to be certain of anything this week, be certain of this. God is a God of growth & challenge. Step out into where you have never been before. It will enrich your life, and God will bless others through you!

McManus, Erwin. Seizing Your Divine Moment. Nelson Books, 2002. 85-86