Love Makes You Committed

Jesus died on the cross while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), so we can be sure that his gift of peace is just like his gift of eternal life: free. The trouble with gifts is that they need to be accepted in order to be used, enjoyed, or experienced. Jesus offers us his peace through the gift of the Holy Spirit, but if we don’t accept his gift, we will never experience his peace. This is why so many Christians aren’t living in peace, but are instead mirroring the dissension, anxiety, and chaos of the world. They may have come up out of the waters of baptism declaring themselves a new creation in Christ, but they haven’t turned their focus away from the world and onto Christ. While his peace isn’t dependent upon our working for it, our experience of his peace is dependent upon our turning toward it. How do we turn toward Christ’s gift of peace? Philippians 4:4-6 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (NIV). Because of what Jesus has done, we can turn and rejoice in him always. We can give everything to God in prayer and petition and we can have a genuine heart of thankfulness. When we take this posture of submission to Jesus in the midst of our circumstances, we fully receive his peace that “transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).  Reflection/Discussion Question: How can you rejoice in the Lord in the midst of your current circumstances?

We live in a world that values production over connection. This is obvious when we look at the economic growth of our country and the simultaneous decline of the marriage and family unit. While correlation is not causation, this connection doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. We are so obsessed with production, wealth, and success that we miss out on the connection we were made for. Our families may have become disconnected roommates, but at least we have money, a well-decorated house, and a manicured lawn. If this is the reality of many families, it’s no wonder so many teenagers leave the church. If connection with Jesus was never a priority in their home, they may be less likely to pursue a connection to the vine. It feels less productive to sit down and read the Bible than it does to do a load of laundry, but reading the Bible connects us to the one True Vine. It feels less important to pray with our children than it does to help them finish their homework, but praying helps us and our children connect to the one True Vine. In light of eternity, connection to the Vine is more productive than any of the fleeting work we pursue on this earth. The more we willingly choose connection over production, the more we will see steady fruit grow in our lives. Choosing connection is an act of trust in God. To deny ourselves production is to tell ourselves that what we accomplish is not as important as fostering connection with Jesus. When we choose connection over production, we are reminding ourselves that we aren’t as important as we think we are. Connection is an act of rest in Jesus’s finished work on the cross.  Reflection/Discussion Question: How can you start to practice connection over production in your life?