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How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Psalms 133:1
I love watching sports and will often cheer for the underdog, unless my team is playing of course. After a big game, sportscasters will often interview coaches and star players to get their take on the win.
In all the post-game shows I’ve watched, I’ve yet to hear a player say something like, “I’m amazing. You know, the guys all know they can’t win without me on their side. I’m truly a hero!”
The old cliché, ‘there is no I in team’ is true. Each person plays their part. In fact, sometimes the winning team may have less talent than the team they beat but pulled off the win because of tenacity and teamwork.
David begins Psalm 133 with praise for teamwork. He calls it harmony, but harmony is really about working together as a team, whether it be in a family, the workplace, the playing field or church. Harmony brings victory, division brings discord and defeat.
There are four things living in harmony can do for us. First of all, living in harmony shows strength in Solidarity. Harmony provides strength that becomes a source of hope for everyone involved. It helps us to believe that challenges can be overcome and goals and dreams can be achieved together.
Secondly, living in harmony distributes the weight of the burden and lightens the load. Shared responsibility makes the journey we are on easier to bear because we know we have mutual support.
The third thing living in harmony can offer us is connection. Harmony provides a source of encouragement and a sense of belonging. The bonds that form through harmony reinforce our sense of value. We realize we aren’t alone.
Lastly, living in harmony can be a source of inspiration an motivation. When we know we have a team behind us we can be motivated to perform above the level of our ability. We begin to believe in ourselves and each other.
The early Christian church was devoted to one another. They operated in harmony and changed the world. Think of ways you can join with others to make a difference for Jesus.
Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Ephesians 6:7
Let’s be honest. Even if you love your job, we all have those days when we just want to quit and retire to some deserted island.
This is especially true for those of us blessed with the opportunity to work with people. I say that with all sincerity. I love people. I love to hear their stories. I love when I can see a light in their eyes that says ‘they get it’, that I’ve made a difference.
But if you work with people, or even just live with people, I think you will agree that sometimes we can all be, well, difficult! People can be critical of our most sincere efforts if those efforts don’t meet their expectations. People can throw you under the bus when they want to protect themselves. People can scrutinize your words when they doubt your integrity.
Charlie Brown, the great philosopher in Charles Schultz’s ‘Peanuts Comic Strip’ is accused by his nemesis Lucy of hating mankind. Charlie replies by saying, “I love mankind, IT’S PEOPLE I CAN’T STAND!” I think we can all relate.
Some of us have been stomped on, misrepresented, criticized when we’ve done our best and taken advantage of. Sometimes, sad to say, this is all done in the name of Jesus!
So, how do we get beyond the feelings of rejection leveled against us? Paul gives us an idea. When we ‘work with people’ in whatever capacity we are subject to their opinions and standards.
The attitude we each must take is to remember we work ‘with’ people but we work ‘for’ Jesus. When we work for Jesus it’s a different story. He’s the one that created you. He’s the one that empowers you through His Holy Spirit. He’s the one that gave His life so you could live yours.
So, let me suggest that starting today you quit working for people and start working for Jesus. His expectations of you are that you will fail even on your best days. His requirements are to love Him. His promise is to never leave you hanging. And He’ll never throw you under the next bus!
The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Psalms 27:4
Growing up, my uncle had a ‘cabin’ on a lake a couple hours north of where we lived. I use the word ‘cabin’ in quotes because what my uncle referred to as the cabin was not what I would think of a cabin.
It wasn’t some rustic building with few amenities on a small, obscure lake. His cabin had five bedrooms, a game room, a deck overlooking a huge, popular lake and a boathouse for the two boats he had. His ‘cabin’ was a mansion! We loved going there to visit because it was so beautiful and fun!
David writes of his love to visit the Lord’s house, In David’s day, the ‘Lord’s House’ was a building made of stone with altars and gold columns. It was big. I was impressive. It was the place where He could go and have communion with God.
Today, when we talk about going to ‘the Lord’s house’ we are referring to a church. A building where we go to worship God corporately, in community.
While this was true in Old Testament times, Paul teaches something different, something exciting, something new and profound. Paul teaches us that God no longer lives in a building of brick and wood. Because of Jesus, God has taken up residence in a building of flesh and blood!
When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior God takes up residence in you through His Holy Spirit. You are His house. You are His Temple. You are His dwelling place. You carry him with you, or should I say, He carries you?
When I listen to negative talk about me, whether that comes from others or myself, I receive negative talk about God. I’m His house! Don’t knock my dad’s house.
Meeting together for worship as a body of believers is crucial to for each member of the body to grow and encourage each other, but don’t forget true worship comes from within, through God’s Holy Spirit living in you.
The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Song of Songs 2:13
Each spring I notice a rather interesting activity in the north country where I live. People are out walking! Now, you may say, what’s interesting about that? Just this. As spring turns into summer the numbers dwindle, there may be a slight uptick in the fall, but most of the time the number of walkers in spring is more than any other time of year?
Why, you may ask? Because winters are long, cold and dark. But when spring comes we can smell the freshness of new life. The air is full of the aroma of flowers. The birds sing in each morning with gusto. The winter is over. The time of new life and warmth is here!
As the year wears on, the heat increases and schedules get busier, somehow we fail to find time to walk, to enjoy the season we are in, to bask in the warmth of the sun.
Song of Songs is thought to be a love poem written between two lovers, but with pictures of our relationship with Jesus. In Song of Songs 2:13 the writer implores his lover to join him in a walk of sorts. To get up and smell the roses. To enjoy the new season before them.
Each new season is filled with challenges. Each new season is filled with the unknown. But this verse urges us to see the positive in each situation. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we walk with someone who loves us, protects us and longs to see us succeed.
Enjoy the ‘walk’ of this new year. Bask in the warmth of the SON. Enjoy the intimate fellowship of one who loves you more than you can imagine.
The Father and I are one. John 10:30
If you want to know what God is like, see Jesus.
Throughout history there has been an effort to define God. If you read through the Old Testament, and believe it to be the word of God, you may be inclined to see a God of anger and wrath, a God that warns that disobedience will bring swift and deadly consequences.
Yet if you read deeper into those passages you see that the times of ‘God’s wrath’ were natural consequences of human behavior or the refusal to heed God’s warnings.
Jesus not only came to die for our sins, he came to show us the Father. Jesus makes the statement in John 10:30 that he and the Father are one. Not that they are the same person, but the same in essence and purpose.
Want to see what God is like?
He’s the good shepherd that seeks you out when you have wandered off.
He’s the one person you can count on to get down in the dirt with you when you’ve been caught in adultery (or any other sin).
He’s the one that will reach out and touch you when society rejects you (as he did with the lepers of his day).
He’s the one that calls you to himself with the storm is raging around you, and lifts you up when the walk across the water is too much.
Want to see God? See Jesus!
What other pictures of the Father do you see in the life of Jesus?
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 