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Forsake the delusions of the world's pollutants for the grace and peace of God’s vigor…
Have you recently experienced a special occasion that should’ve been celebratory but instead was reduced to another bad memory? Seasons and events that are designated for love and gratefulness should not be diminished to distasteful and destructive happenings. Holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, as well as birthdays and anniversaries should be fun, intimate, and restorative.
Unfortunately, many times human error tends to get in the way of what should happen during these celebrations. When we don’t see eye to eye, we miss out on the intimate details of what it takes to live sacrificially synched lives with one another. Whether it be between relatives, friends, work associates or strangers, we owe it to ourselves and others to remain unbiased and aware of each other's appropriate needs and desires.
When we are properly tuned into what others need, a beneficial exchange occurs that serves both parties involved. If we all work towards learning the true intent of those around us, being intentional and consistent in appropriately attending to their suitable “asks” and expectations, then we will by default, develop a culture of profitable service.
The Stupor of Human Nature
Reflecting back over this month of February, I recall many blatant issues in our community. On a larger scale, this country’s current value system is corrosive at best. Science and religion are either at each other's throats or in cahoots with nonsensical ideals. God is being portrayed by the foolish to be a heartless monster due to His biblical establishment of order and love.
Perceived by the irreverent as being detrimental to humanity, those who oppose God’s sense of morality wish to establish themselves as gods. These “lords” of perversion, only seek to discredit God’s Truth so that they can live as they please, without the conviction of a higher power looming over their unnatural travesties. All humans have their mini-god complexes, rejecting what ought to bring them life for what only earns them the wages of death.
Within ourselves, there is nothing that gives virtuous perpetuity but the Holy Spirit, by which we must accept through belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Only through redemption by way of the Blood of Christ, are we delivered with such hope that any immortal soul should cling to. Otherwise, we are powerless to even begin to know what morality and truth are, outside the scope of God’s established authority.
The Stupor of Brokenness
Why do things go wrong, even when we try our best to get them right? There are too many reasons to count but we can start with how we perceive ourselves in relation to others. Relationship is a powerful tool, one that can build wholesome communities or topple broken nations. Our relationship with Jesus Christ should be the centerpiece of how we relate to others. Jesus commands those who love Him to obey His commands in extending the love He lavishes us in with others.
When we fail to effectively love our brothers and sisters in Christ the way we should, we do a disservice to Christ, ourselves, and those we are sent to minister to. It is apparent from those who would rather argue than apologize, or run rather than repent, that pride and stupor are infectious pathogens making the church body ill. The cure is the love of Christ.
It takes two to tango but it only takes one to start or stop the contagion. Refuse to take on offense. Love when you want to hate. Forgive when you want to avenge. There is blessing in the joy and peace of loving God's way but a curse in the resentment and hostility of man’s hatred. Don’t allow offense to darken the condition of your heart, making you dull to sensibility.
Physical and emotional damage can cause a person to become closed off or disconnected. Even when attempting to connect with others, that unhealed hurt and resentment can completely alter the lens by which we receive information. At times we can be triggered by an action, event, or tone of voice that was not malicious but caused us to react to a personally associated trauma.
When we are triggered, we may blame the person as the trigger but most likely, we are not reacting to another person’s true and innocent intent but the unresolved issues within ourselves. In this way, we may truly believe that what we are doing is correct or misinterpreted as wrong. We may say that we have done nothing wrong to elicit such a negative reaction from others.
However, the truth is that even when others do intentionally offend us, it is our responsibility alone to wholly submit our trauma and triggers to God for Him to redeem us in His love, joy, and peace. When we are obedient in submitting our inner conflicts to the Lord, He is faithful to heal us completely so that we can mature and maintain healthy relationships with others.
Sensible Vigor
2 Peter 1:2 (NIV) says, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” This scripture is a fixed point that we can anchor our sensibility to when stupor is attempting to rule over the governing Spirit of the Lord in our lives. Stupor suspends our sensibilities in the tormented imaginations of our trauma, ego, confusion, and fear. Stupor inflicts us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually with an absent sense of rational and truthful perception of the stimulating factors we encounter.
There is no grace and peace in stupor. Stupor robs us of clear-sighted perspectives. It’s almost as if the broken lens of trauma prevents us from recognizing the truth by leaving us suspended in the animations of our painful recollections. God has not called us to be a slave to brokenness. He has not abandoned us to the pettiness of carnal affections, conditional love, and retreating faith.
The abundance of God’s grace and peace is readily available for us to acquire and apply. Our spiritual well-being converts every aspect of our natural well-being. No matter what state our circumstances may be in, having an intimate understanding of the truth of God our Father and Jesus Christ our Savior empowers us to live godly lives full of love, joy, and peace. This is dwelling in sensible vigor.
Sensible vigor allows us to properly interpret how we are being approached by others. We are emotionally healthy and practically available to respond to any behavior with clarity and love. When we “read the room” we won’t filter our perceptions through fear, worry, offense, and doubt. The mind of Christ will give us righteous confidence and virtuous humility. We can accept a rebuke without lashing out as well as offer a rebuke with gentleness and understanding.
The wise and constructively enthusiastic sensibility of a healthy soul is a powerful agent of change. Marriages thrive, friendships endure, and the gospel exceeds when the knowledge of God takes precedence over our worldly responses to offense. The grace, peace, and mercy God wishes to extend to mankind through us, His imagers, is a beautiful remedy to this world’s broken sense of love, morale, and faith.
Let us cast aside our diminished responsiveness to truth, submitting to the Lord our impaired consciousness. Let’s no longer walk in offense but truly love with the love of Christ. Joy and laughter should echo now at family gatherings. Holidays should no longer end in divisive disdain. Shine brightly as the light of the world, not hidden by the darkness of past pain. Salt the earth with flavorful behaviors that season the Gospel you preach with the life you live.
Scripture Reference:
2 Peter 1:2 (NIV)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Thank You and God Bless!
Thank you for reading this blog. Your support and contribution is treasured here. Please continue to share this content so that God may work through us to be a benefit to others. I invite you to leave a comment and stay tuned in for the next blog. I pray that this blesses you and honor’s God. Let’s continue growing together as Kingdom Citizens in Christ. Show love, be kind, and trust in God. Thank you and God bless.
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