This is a pivotal year for me. I'll be turning 33, the age that Christ fulfilled his role as the 'Son of Man'. Also, it comes at an interesting time, because my birthday will be 10/10/10 this year. That must mean something good.
Good living is relative to the person living it. It seems to me that it has taken too long for me to know so little already. I know little of the All of Christ, I know little of how I could improve more without major prodding. The thing I think of knowing the littlest about, is my sinfulness. But that is just the worrier in me, there is not much I can do for any of these things without God's gift of grace for the journey.
I can say with confidence that I am so happy to be older, but I realize I still must learn many lessons that Christ taught while on Earth. Lessons such as how to just be with people and still stand for morals and values in the face of utter disaster of the soul. Christ was with others most of the time, listening and hearing the call of the heart within them. He also was alone with God much of the time too. That private sojourn centered Him in the heart of love so that He could be illumination for others.
While many of us are far, far from illuminating lives, I believe it can be done in this life. You and I can reach for the grace we can only receive from Christ and his angels and share that kindness and goodness to others. I find it very hard to defeat myself with my stubborness and rationality that leads me away from kindness. But for all of us, contention with the nature of flesh is the true pathway of learning the right way of living.
Paul says we must "Take up the whole armor of God, that we may withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; with taking up the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Ephesians 6
It sounds so truthful in the way he terms it, but it is the same vigilance he speaks of that Christ compels us to in each of the parables. Thank goodness too for those parables, that we would all have something to go by, even if it takes some of us all our lives to understand.
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