Spring Cleaning

What is it about a mild day in March that ignites a cleaning frenzy in a woman's heart? Perhaps it's the fact that we're tired of our winter clothes and are antsy to find something springy to wear. Or maybe it's the feeling of accomplishment that comes when you plop down on the couch and know your cabinets are clean and organized.

In my case, it's the looming clothing giveaway at church. This is a great time to clean out the closets and find clothes that are seasonally appropriate that someone else can use. Then I can assess what is needed and the hunt begins. In other words, the cleaning precedes the shopping. Motivation and end game.

So, I just wanted to throw up a picture of what I did on Monday and encourage you all to think about doing the same. The clothing giveaway is in April, but it's never too late to start that spring cleaning. Start in your closet, move to your husband's and then tackle the children's. It's a great way to be the hands of Christ to the needy and remember, with a little extra space, a trip to the mall is right around the corner.

Okay, you got me - I staged the picture. I really don't clean in high heels, but they looked so good with the dress...

See you in the morning...

Prison Ministry

Genesis is full of firsts and this past week we saw another "first" - we saw the first prison ministry. Yes, it was through a prisoner himself, but it was a ministry nonetheless. Joseph, while serving in an overseer role in the king's prison, reached out to two dejected and frightened inmates. He saw the distress on their faces and he bothered to ask them what was wrong. And when they shared their dreams with him, he pointed them to the Lord.

Can you see it? The beginning of prison ministries...

I am struck today at how Joseph displayed the character qualities that are in our memory work. In Colossians 3:12 we are instructed to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. These are five qualities that were not only ingrained in the life of our Savior, but also in the life of our protagonist, Joseph. In reaching out to his suffering inmates, he showed compassion and kindness. In pointing them to God, he exampled humility. In quietly defending himself, he showed a gentleness rather than anger and bitterness. And throughout the whole ordeal, he patiently waited for Jehovah's salvation.

Well, we don't have to go to a prison to minister to prisoners, gals. They are all around us. People enslaved to sin, bound by their very nature to a desperate and hopeless future. The distress is on their faces and their destructive choices are ruining their lives.

The question before us then is this: are we willing to have a prison ministry?

Are we willing to reach out in compassion and kindness and ask people what is wrong? Are we able to humble ourselves and meet these people at their level, sometimes even getting our hands dirty to reach out to them, and point them to the Lord? Can we gently and patiently come alongside the lost and give them hope and a future?

Prison ministry.

When Jesus said we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth, He was referring to prison ministry. Every day the prisoners of this world pass before us, and though we are free and know the Way to freedom, we cast our eyes to the ground and go about our business.

If Joseph had simply cast his eyes away from the baker and cupbearer and went about his business, would he ever have been brought before the king? By engaging in prison ministry, Joseph's whole life changed.

So, let me ask it again: are you willing to have a prison ministry?

Chosen of God

We all remember that anxious feeling. You're on the playground, standing in a line, and the two captains are hand selecting their teams. More than anything you want to be quickly placed on a team and as you see the teams forming, you definitely know which team you want to join. One by one names are called out and relief floods your soul when you hear your name and it's on the team where your best friend has already been placed. You scurry behind your new leader, stand next to your friend and wait to see who is left at the end. Actually, you know who it will be because it's always the same kid, but you are relieved that it's not you and hope that it will never be you.

Or maybe it was you.

When the discussion of God's choice in salvation is raised, emotions flare once again, because of this very scenario discussed above. The picture in the average person's mind is this: People standing in a line, hopeful faces, hands raised and even waving, hoping God will choose them, but He passes them by and picks only a select few. The assumption is made that man wants a relationship with God. But this image of God sovereignly choosing and not allowing man to choose for himself paints an inaccurate picture of God and the actual process.

We are not standing in line, hoping to be chosen.

We are not desiring to be on His team.

In fact, scripture actually tells us that in our sinful state, we are enemies of God. We want nothing to do with Him and the thought of being on His team is far from our minds.

"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:6-10

Enemies are not standing in line, raising their hands to be chosen.

In John 6:44 Jesus tells us that, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him..." That word "draws" sounds effortless, but in truth, it means "drags." That's because our very nature is repelled by the presence of God. Like the polar opposites of a magnet, we push away from righteousness and holiness. We run the opposite direction.

But God drags us to Himself.

It's His work.

It's His strength.

It's His effort.

Instead of walking past a line of hopeful children, it's more like He grabbed a child sitting in the middle of the busy highway, playing with a loaded gun, completely oblivious to the imminent danger, kicking and screaming.

Yeah, that's a better picture.

In our verse for this week, we are reminded that we are chosen by God: "So, as those who have been CHOSEN OF GOD, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12) It is interesting that the very things we are instructed to put on are the things God displayed in the dragging process. He had compassion on our dreadful state and in kindness, humbled Himself to the point of death for an enemy, gently bringing us into an eternal relationship with Him, with great patience and I would add love.

When we read of God's choice in scripture, and trust me, folks, it's everywhere, let's have the proper perspective of our sin and our condition. May we fall on our faces in gratitude for a loving Father who chose to reveal His character to us through His actions and calls us to a life of imitation. His choice brought salvation, not rejection. His choice brought life, not death. We must take responsibility where responsibility lies and give gratitude where grace has been extended.