Friday’s Freelance: FAMILY

Note to readers:
A new blog feature for weekends will be a brief freelance piece. As with all posts, the emphasis will continue to be edifying Christ’s people—Building His Body.

I love to travel.

The best part of travel is meeting other Christians. I attended a Christian writer’s conference two weeks ago and met the influential (Allen Arnold, Sue Brower) and the unknown (Karen Ingle, Kay Mabry), authors both famous (Angela Hunt, John Olson) and not yet famous (Golden Keyes Parsons, Paul Robertson). Each of them touched my life in a way I will not forget.

There were some whose lives I touched. Sharon Ewell Foster and I worshiped together in a powerful way. Christa Allan and I prayed together before an editor appointment. There are at least a couple dozen more people I would include who are likely to bore most of you but who hold great significance to me.

They are significant not because they are well known (some are, some aren’t), but because each of them is a beloved family member I can’t wait to see again. They are my sisters and my brothers in Christ, connected by a very real blood tie.

All eight of my natural siblings are far from me. One is already in heaven. One doesn’t want to go there. I love and miss all eight of them enough to bring tears to my eyes as they now come to mind.

God has graciously surrounded me with other siblings, everywhere I go. When we connect briefly and then part company, I sometimes tell people I’m unlikely to see again this side of heaven, "I’ll see you soon." As we then go our separate ways, I take comfort in knowing that we really won’t be separated for all that long.

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DO'S AND DONT'S (today's devotion piece)

"And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. I will not drive them out from before thee in one year: lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou art fruitful, and possess the land." (Exodus 23:28-30 Darby)

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there."
(Matthew 12:43-45 NKJV)

"But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ... And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise." (Luke 6:27-28,31 NKJV)

If we stop doing anything, it was more likely crowded out than pushed out. Consciously attempting to push something out leaves a void most easily filled by whatever conforms to its shape. But putting new things into our lives naturally crowds out whatever fails to hold our attention. The principle works with both good and bad fillers.

The Law of Moses already provides plenty of thou-shall-not's to address actions. When Jesus says "do not," He speaks against fear, false beliefs, sinful attitudes and words—and emulating the proud behavior of the religious elite. His teachings rarely (if ever) say "do not" to forbid sinful actions. Jesus' words are filled with all the things to DO.

As right attitude—fruit of the Spirit—fills our lives with right actions, all the wrong DO NOT's that we've failed to push out are crowded out. It's too bad that "What would Jesus do?" has become cliché. Its principle is far more effective than prohibition.

Lord Jesus, You are the greatest Teacher the world has known, because You Yourself are Love, Truth, Goodness. Please turn our eyes away from all we should not be, and help us keep our attention on You, Your Word, and what You would do unto others.


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Copyright 2008, Anne Lang Bundy