Sleep on This | March 24
Good evening friend!
How is your soul this night? Breathe deeply even as you answer this question for yourself. Breathe and invite the Holy Spirit to come in and fill you anew. As you breathe out, exhale fear, anxiety, discouragement.
In Philippians 1:27, Paul exhorts his readers: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you…”
One of my singular privileges during this season of lock-down is to experience the witness of my wife and partner, Cyndi. She has always been bold; coronavirus has made her bolder still. Her words to me last night were, “What did Jesus say about denying us before the Father if we deny him before humanity? If ever there were a time when we ought to be confessing Christ to people, it is now. What do we have to lose?”
And boy, has she. Her texts, emails and Facebook posts have been boldly invitational, often including links to our worship services. Even her interactions with strangers have become bolder. We were at Bartell’s yesterday and overheard a woman saying she could not find sugar anywhere. Cyndi said, “I have sugar!” She gave her our address and when she showed up, Cyndi was standing out there with a baggie of sugar AND a package of toilet paper. (I am now being rationed to so many squares per visit!)
We don’t know who this woman is; we don’t expect to hear from her again. But in that moment, Cyndi loved her neighbor in way that inspired me…and, by the way, inspired the people standing around us at the cash register (…six feet distant.)
“…let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Now, more than ever. And Cyndi put it, what do you have to lose?
Lord, as I lay me down to sleep, I ask your Spirit to make MY manner of life worthy of your gospel. Help me to speak with kind boldness, take courageous initiative and be generous even with strangers, that the bold, courageous and generous Jesus whom I serve might be exalted. Amen.