Avoiding Spiritual Nose Dives
You'll never believe the silly bird antics I witnessed at our backyard feeder yesterday. I'm still chuckling over this one!
So there I was, heading outside to check if spring had finally sprung, when I spotted this large starling stuck head-first inside the birdfeeder. Somehow, he had wedged his plump body through the tiny opening at the top and gotten stuck. Yup, rather than just pecking at the food from the sides like the other birds, old chunky cheeks got the brilliant idea to nose-dive straight in after a snack!
I did a double take at the bird standing on its head as the poor thing flailed around, feathers flying, trying in vain to work himself back out. His scrawny tail feathers kept getting caught on the feeder’s lip every time he backed up. You could tell the foolish bird had absolutely no plan for extracting himself from that self-imposed trap.
Losing Our Edge
Did you know a dull knife can be more dangerous than a sharp one? It's true! Without that razor edge, you apply more pressure and risk slipping as the blade catches. Who knew?
Similarly, spiritually dull Christians pose hazards, too, often without realizing it. Now, I'm not suggesting we go around stabbing people with convictions, but lukewarm faith does subtle damage.
When passion cools and vision blurs, we drift along numbly. Rather than piercing darkness, our words and witness lose edge. We fear ruffling feathers with truth. But Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” meaning caring rebuke holds more value than mute passivity.
Stirring Up the Soul
There's nothing quite like the smell of a big pot of soup or chilli simmering on the stove during these chilly winter months. The savoury aroma fills the kitchen, bringing comfort and warmth on cold days. I don't know about you, but something about stirring a steaming pot of soup feels soothing to the soul.
As I stand over the pot, swirling the wooden spoon around and around, I'm reminded of what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:6-7:
“6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Channeling Your Inner Superhero
Lately, I've been dreaming about being a superhero. Wouldn't it be amazing to fly through the sky or lift a bus over our heads? To run faster than a speeding bullet or be invisible? Or to read an entire novel in the blink of an eye? Who wouldn't want superpowers like that?
While we may not be able to shoot laser beams from our eyes or scale tall buildings, we can still be superheroes in our everyday lives. No, I'm not talking about building your secret base or wearing your underwear on the outside of your tights. I'm not even talking about donning a mask. Instead, I'm referring to using the gifts God has given us to make a difference and spread His love.
Lukewarm Faith
As you can see, Jesus had nothing good to say about the church of the Laodiceans. Even the way he addressed the letter showed his disapproval. With every other church, their letters were addressed to the "church of [insert city]" or "the church in [insert city]." This time, the letter was addressed to the church of the Laodiceans. In other words, the church of the people. The Lord recognized how the people there viewed the church as "theirs" rather than "God's". No wonder this church made Him sick!
That being said, can you imagine Jesus saying He wants to spit you out of His mouth? That's some tough love right there! But the Laodicean church was just going through the motions. They showed up on Sundays but had no passion or zeal for God. Their faith was like a cup of tea that's been sitting out too long—not hot enough to be soothing and not cold enough to be refreshing. In a word, yuck!