On His Most Excellent Harmonies

Philippians 4:6-9  (MSG)  Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.  8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Colossians 3:12-14 (Phillips)  As, therefore, God’s picked representatives of the new humanity, purified and beloved of God himself, be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind. Accept life, and be most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive if you have a difference with anyone. Forgive as freely as the Lord has forgiven you. And, above everything else, be truly loving, for love is the golden chain of all the virtues.

Observation

We may think we have these scriptures down, that we have experienced the truth in them enough times to embrace it all fully, that we have overcome in this area.  More fools we!!  I am amazed at how quickly I can tumble down from a place of loving patience, tolerance and forgiveness where I thought was securely anchored into a heap of mully-grubby discontent just because circumstances were not optimal or convenient or suited what I thought I “deserved.”  We often underestimated the power of the Enemy and the sway of our flesh, and how we can be so smoothly and expertly manipulated using our human nature so we find ourselves making decisions and choices based on selfish motives rather than on the Word and Love (“the golden chain of all the virtues”). 

I know that our enemy doesn’t care whether we sin overtly or covertly – whether I sin through an action which can be seen by others or through self-righteous judgment, criticism or condemnation of another’s choices or actions that I have seen.  Both are sin and indications that we have wandered from the footsteps of Christ placed before us, the pathway of commitment, sacrifice and obedience we as followers of Christ desire to follow.  They are indications of how we have wandered from “meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly.”  We are not to condone sin but we are to remember to confront it with love, grace and redemption. I am always shocked and ashamed to recognize how quickly I can let it become all about me rather than what the Lord would have me be about, about correcting others rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to work correction in me. 

Impact on Me

So, I am committed to relearn the lesson about self-sacrifice, obedience, contentment and not letting my light be darkness.  I am ashamed to say this is not the first time I have done this.  I fully understand Paul’s description in Romans of his internal war between his sin nature and his redeemed nature.  He knows what is best to do but ends up letting his human nature make the choice anyway – whether it’s for a pity party, or taking control out of God’s hands, or setting aside gratitude for the sacrifice made for us and forgetting whose we are and whom we serve, or any other foolish choice we allow our flesh to make because it seems good, selfishly profitable or okay at the time. 

So often the choice to sin is rationalized by our pride, questioning God’s wisdom on how or where He has assigned us – I don’t deserve this or I deserve more or why me or why not me or who do they think they are to treat me like this.  While Jesus did ask in the Garden if the sacrifice of the Cross could be bypassed, He was willingly, completely, gladly submitted to do as the Father requested because He could see past the sacrifice to the glorious redeeming result – the cost was worth the benefit. I want this same perspective – willingly obedient because my trust in my Father is absolute, content in faithfulness regardless of my circumstances or current assignment, trusting that He who “makes everything work together, will work (me) into his most excellent harmonies.”

Prayer

Lord God, Father of Mercy, Teacher, Healer and Faithful Life Companion, I praise and thank You for caring for me.  When I begin to wander, pull me back on track.  Soak my perspective in “things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly.”  May my all of my life “be merciful in action, kindly in heart, humble in mind… most patient and tolerant with one another, always ready to forgive.”  Lord, I want to be worked into Your most excellent harmonies.  Make it so, in Jesus’ name.