The 30-Second Rule

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.”

‭‭                                                              1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬, ‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Wow! What a passage. It’s like the synopsis on Christian Living 101.  We believers carry quite a torch in this dark world. 

It reminds me of the 30-second rule - have you heard of it?  Simply stated, when interacting with a stranger, it should take them about 30 seconds to surmise that you are a follower of Christ. 

No profession of faith, no sermon, no Jesus tee shirt. 

They will know it because of your love.  

I should clarify that I am not perfect at this rule, but maturity in the Lord has helped. It’s an exercise in faith, really. The Spirit and Presence of the Lord was mostly represented by a flame in the Bible….. just how “on fire” would you consider yourself to be? 

Just like someone wearing a ball cap with their favorite football team, or donning a purse of a certain brand, we “wear what we believe” almost all of the time! When a Christian walks away from the grocery checkout or the dentist chair, it should feel different. 

The interaction- genuine. The conversation- pleasant. Why? Christ’s love is present, because “He has given us of His Spirit.”

I have learned from a few mentors along the way……

First, a former pastor of ours used to say that our reactions tell the world a lot about us. He would say, “Slow traffic, long lines, & lost luggage should not unravel us”.  Isn’t that profound? Daily inconveniences shouldn’t make the worst automatically seep out! For when the world sees how easily or how often rage makes it to the surface, it also sees how shallow our faith truly is. An umpire’s bad call or a whiny toddler from the next table over shouldn’t collapse our testimony in Christ. The love of Christ should outshine our feelings every single time.  He is our standard of living, and with His help, His way can become our lifestyle.

Second, a college roommate of mine used to make it her aim to create a smile on the cafeteria cashier’s face daily. She was all of 18 years old, throwing love and humor out there just because she could. I hope that could describe us all in our interactions daily. No schmoozing or inappropriate jokes- just the joy of the Lord lighting up a moment.

And if the love of Jesus is in our hearts, it should always be on our minds and on our lips. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19) This love should be life-changing for us and life-changing for those we interact with!

I hope the scripture above rekindled your torch as you read it today. It did mine. May you usher God’s love wherever you go. 💕

Photo by Eduardo Soares on Unsplash

The Richest Way to Live

Just lately, the word ‘content’ has been on my mind. I guess I have been wrestling with whether or not this truly wonderful word could describe me.

Honestly, a post about living in contentment won’t be the most riveting thing you could read today. It’s just not the way of this world.  Many would say that being content means remaining stagnant or living in status quo.

How often do you purposefully step back to assess how content you are with your life’s current circumstances? For myself? Not often enough. I may be genuinely thankful and even say so in my prayers, but to live a life of contentment hasn’t always been a goal until recently. 

The adjective ‘content’, according to Merriam-Webster, means “pleased or satisfied with what one has or is.”  I also researched to see if this word has ever been declared a “Word of the Year.” It hasn’t. 🫤

We can’t be too surprised by that.  After all, most influencers are swaying us to redo our kitchens or shop the newest trend in wardrobes and reinvent ourselves in many ways.  Your friends are posting their beautiful, tropical vacation photos, and every accolade in their children’s sports journeys.  

It may be tougher than ever to sit in contentment!

My unpopular opinion is this: A content spirit is the richest way to live, and proves your trust in God.

Contentment.

It’s a resting in the provision of God, our gratitude abounding.

It’s knowing that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us.  

It’s looking at the world through a more mature, wiser filter… and peace is its byproduct!

There’s a number of verses in scripture that point to these truths.

“Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”  Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬ ‭

“I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭

“Peace of mind makes the body healthy, but jealousy is like a cancer.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭30‬ ‭

“Instead, I am content and at peace. As a child lies quietly in its mother's arms, so my heart is quiet within me.” Psalm‬ ‭131‬:‭2‬ ‭

Likely, the above verses were written in war, from jail, and during persecution, and yet, contentment even in those circumstances is possible! Comfort is not equal to contentment.

I observed my own sister this past summer. She was a near-perfect example of living in contentment. Just 2 days in to her North Carolina vacation, she had a mishap on the steps of the beach house, and found herself in the ER with some nasty fractures to her right tibia and fibula. Not long after, surgery came, and as she was in the process of healing (with lots of hardware now affixed inside), summer was rolling by. It was months of rest and no weight bearing. She couldn’t drive. Her adventurous spirit was now bound by the immobility of this leg. But, each time we chatted, she was not in the frame of mind to complain. She accepted the damage and prayed for healing. She was patient and her spirit was content in the circumstance. This is not to say she wasn’t frustrated or didn’t have bad days. I admired her steadfastness in the whole process.

It’s true- life doesn’t stop coming, whether it’s illness or injury, grief or disappointment, parenting or aging parents. 

So, Christians, let’s appreciate the privilege of being human. Giving thanks for the sneakers on our feet, the stars of a night time sky and everything in between.  Isn’t it true that we can find ourselves content just about anywhere we choose to be?

Right now, the heat has kicked on in our home.  The dishwasher is humming. My family is safe, dogs included- as they are both snuggled tight against me.

I hope you, friend, find yourself content in many moments today, tomorrow, & always. Maybe this truly wonderful word can describe you, too. Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁

 Photo by Michał Franczak on Unsplash

God’s Sweet Autumn