The Mark of Maturity.

It is a mark of Christian maturity that when you fall (and oh how we will fall!), you run TO God, not FROM God. This conveys an understanding that God, out of His great love for us, does not give up on His own. While he is perfecting us (Hebrews 12:1-2), honesty of heart tells us and Him that we are not perfect yet. There is further to be run. So when Christ calls us to confess our sin to one another, it's not to simply to show how great our need is, but also to show how great of a savior He is!

Honesty of heart that manifests itself in confession of sin builds community in so many ways. Here are just a few:

• Confession allows others to see that we are professing to be sinners saved by grace. 
• Confession reminds our community that they are not alone in their personal struggles with sin. 
• Confession helps us to see believers further along than us that we may learn from who have similarly struggled. 
• Confession offers us the opportunity to encourage and pray for those who are struggling.  

I've been thinking a good deal about this lately, as I see individuals trying to act independently of one another, yet still claim to be in the same group. The body of Christ removes the need for competition and instead brings about freedom to encourage and build-up one another when they find unity in confession and forgiveness. The outside world will only see us as the body of Christ, when we act in unity.

Mother's Day

Preparing for Sunday's message, I have been thinking a good deal about how difficult it is to be a mother. As a father, I have roles, duties, and expectations that are placed on me from a variety of sources. It's helpful to wade into the waters of those sources and test them against Scripture, but often, the waters are murky and difficult to navigate. As I see mothers beating themselves up, looking back and asking hard questions like, "Was I good mom?" and "Did I fail them?" or "Did I love them enough?". Few professions or careers require or inspire this kind of introspection later in life.

In the book, Mom Enough, the reader finds an assortment of mothers from all walks of life writing on the beauty, frustration, and sanctifying role of being a Christian mother. I highly recommend it for mothers and for fathers. For fresh water to the mothers and understanding for the fathers. Here's a section written by Rachel Jankovic that hit home to me:

“There is a good old saying that distance adds intrigue. It is certainly true—just think back to anything that has ever been distant from you that is now near. Your driver’s license. Marriage. Children. Things that used to seem so fascinating, but as they drew near become less mystical and more, well, real. This same principle also applies to mission fields. The closer you get to home, the less intriguing the work of sacrifice seems. As another good old saying goes, “Everyone wants to save the world, but no one wants to help Mom with the dishes.” When you are a mother at home with your children, the church is not clamoring for monthly ministry updates. When you talk to other believers, they don’t communicate awe about what you are sacrificing for the gospel. People do not press you for needs they can fill for you, or how they can pray for you. Your life does not feel intriguing, or glamorous. Your work is normal, because you are as close to home as you can possibly be. You have actually gone so far as to become home.” 

Truly, godly mothers always feel like home, no matter where they are. Happy Mother's Day to you and yours.