Who Can Disagree with a Life Like This?

I was reading this in The Message this morning and found a fresh perspective on a well known chunk of writing from Paul. I find this translation doesn't take away from the original but adds depth to the timeless truths in our vernacular.


Let this word to the Thessalonians speak for itself for it is at the centre of community in Jesus.






The Way He Wants You to Live
And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!




Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other's nerves you don't snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.




Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.




Don't suppress the Spirit, and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don't be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what's good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.




Now, this all sounds pretty good but it sure sounds impossible, right?




It sure is, at least out of my experience with myself and others. We are quite messy people given our fleshly (human) natures. In spite of all the good things we can do and those moments of good behaviour we express, we all fall short. Paul's words look darn near impossible to live up to at most times; even at our humanly best.


The point is we can't sustain living in this quality in our flesh. Jesus tells us that "apart from {Him}, we can do nothing". It is His live dwelling in us through the Spirit that enables us to with a catch; we need to let Him work in us. That can be the hardest part especially when our old ways and patterns try to take over.



In fact, we are most likely to fail when we look at life like this as a discipline, holding fast to an idea of God and what His propositions are for us. It is easy to extract lists of do's and dont's from the text.



Honestly, most of us do and try to live like this in our own power and apart from intimacy and communion with the Father. The fear of this intimacy keeps us from letting Him live through us and leaves us with the grand proposition; trying to do this out of our own innate goodness.



So why is it that we fear initmacy with the Father? Do we really know that we are His Children? Is it our sins (new and old) that keep us from Him? Do we feel that we are not worthy to come boldly to Him?



All of these questions are answered in the work Jesus did for us all once and for all on the cross. None of those are real issues if we truly have received Him (acknowledged what He did, who is IS, loves Him and His words). That is our part.



His part begins when He and The Father love us and move right into our neighborhood and indwell us! That is where He begins the good work in us that only He can complete. All He wants in return is an intimate relationship with us.



This is not any ordinary relationship; we are His Children, joint Kingdom heirs with Christ, and best of all; -- He calls us Friends.



Now who wouldn't want to be in an intimate love relationship with the Creator and Lord of all?



Amen?