I've been trying to read straight through the New Testament now for a year and a half. I'm half way through Matthew. As in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John- as in half way through the first book of of the New Testament. Before you judge my reading speed, wait until I tell you a few things.
-I have four kids
- I work part of part time
- That's all I've got
Seriously though, I love the Word of God. I have read parts of the Bible over and over. I love the Psalms and Proverbs, Isaiah, Ruth, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Peter, Romans. I tend to get stuck in those books (I guess it is a good stuck) but this last year our church here in CO gave us the challenge of reading through the Old and New Testament together. Here's how it went down for me: I sailed from Genesis to Ruth, started losing steam in Chronicles, got re-energized in the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah and totally lost my groove by the time I got to Nahum and Habakkuk. I tried to finish strong and lost my way by the time Malachi came around. But alas, this living, breathing, life giving, Holy book draws me back and I try again. 2016 will be my year. I hope.
I'm so glad that my life doesn't depend on my ability to complete a task. I'm the person who will be watching a show on TV, folding laundry, throwing dishes in the dishwasher and talking to my sister on the phone. I actually vacuumed up a kleenex mess while talking to a friend on the phone yesterday. (Sorry, Taffy- that was weird) I'll go back the next day and see that I never started the dryer, the dishes didn't actually go through their cycle and my sister thinks I might have a little attention issue. I do lack attention to detail. I have enough drive to get a lot of things done in a partial manner. I'm a "that's good enough" kind of gal.
Here's where that can be a problem: when I'm setting out on task that is really important, when my spiritual and emotional health depend on it, spending time in prayer (really praying and seeking the Lord for hard, important things) and spending time in the Word- the only Book that sustains and guides me. The old me would have said, "I'm a failure and I can't be good at all things-so I give up". The newer, 38 year old me is making some progress and sees how a long obedience in the same direction can save my life. Fortunately, my salvation does NOT depend on how well I do these things but my identity does. When I circle back around to those hard who am I, do I matter, can God help me with this situation kind of questions- my feet need to be firmly planted in the truth of who I was before I knew Jesus and who I am now. He is my before and after.
We are in the book of Ephesians for this series on Identity- a book of the New Testament that Paul wrote from prison in about 60 A.D. This letter is a life line for me over 2,000 years later. He is talking to us about his faith in Christ, a Man he walked and talked with- and saw his life changing message in the flesh. Through the mystery of time he wants us to know that "in Christ Jesus (we who were) far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For He himself is our peace.....and through Him we both (Jews and Gentiles) have access to the Father by one Spirit." (Eph 2:14,18)
If you, like me, feel scattered or overwhelmed, go back to the love letter that will remind you that, "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved....in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus." (Eph 2:4,7)
In close proximity to each other or across the land of the internet, we can remind ourselves that our identity is not scattered or disorganized. We are one in the body of Christ- we need each other to say, "This is who I was- this is who I am now, He has done great things in me. Keep on, friend."
Keep on, friend.