My house is full of little things, some useful, some not so useful; some things are meaningful and some appear meaningless.  The interesting thing about most of these objects is that sometimes they offer insight into my spiritual condition.  So God had invited me to take a closer look at them.  And I’m extending the invitation to you!  I found my inspiration in the kitchen this week.
            My kitchen sponge doesn’t look like much when it sits by my sink, but without it, dishwashing might truly become a chore.  As we all know, sponges are particularly good at absorbing water and water based solutions and if they have one of those handy “scrubby” sides, food is no match against them with a little elbow grease.  I recently learned that the kitchen sponge is usually made from cellulose wood fibers or foamed plastic polymers, the sound of which almost makes you not want to touch one again!  Because cellulose sponges are primarily made of wood fiber they are susceptible to bacterial growth if they remain wet between uses.  But research done at the University of Florida showed that sponges which were heated in the microwave for 2 minutes after each use were virtually bacteria free.
            Unlike a sponge with unwanted bacteria, the process of soaking up God’s Word and keeping it in my heart is a good thing according to Scripture.  Psalm 1 tells me that a person who has absorbed God’s Word by meditating on it day and night is like a well-watered tree which produces a bountiful harvest of fruit.  This image is also pictured in Ps. 92:12-14 where the psalmist declares that a righteous man will flourish like the cedars of Lebanon that once grew abundantly on the hillsides of northern Israel and still grow in Lebanon today.  The prophet Jeremiah also compares the righteous and wicked in the same manner (Jer. 17:7-8).  The righteous are prosperous because they trust the Lord to provide for them like a tree whose roots reach beneath the surface to the water table to find water, whereas the wicked trust only in their own strength and ability.  According to Jeremiah the wicked will never produce fruit even though they may seem to prosper at times.  In the heat of the desert, the wicked will soon perish because their resources will dry up.
            In Israel, where this psalm is originally set, Acacia trees are known for having the ability to send tap roots down hundreds of feet to get to a water source.  Jesus also used this imagery when He told the disciples the He was the Vine and they were the branches (Jn. 15:1-11).  Jesus said that those who are connected to His commandments and are committed to keep them, are just like fruit bearing branches (vv.4-5).  A vinedresser prunes fruit bearing branches in order to keep them healthy, but branches which do not bear fruit are cut completely off and thrown away (v.6).  Why?  It is because they are draining nutrients away from the fruit-bearing branches.  By remaining tapped into Jesus, The Word (vv.7-10), we as His branches will not just produce fruit, but produce it abundantly (v.11).  When you have really taken God’s Word to heart, and absorbed it so that it is at the forefront of your mind, will and emotions, the storms and trials of life don’t hit you as hard.  Your roots and strength come from a source well beneath the surface of day to day life (Jer. 17:8).
            In a similar fashion Jesus used the analogy of building a house in the sand as opposed to building on rock (Mt. 7:23-27; Lk. 6:45-49).  Like a branch that is not connected to a water source, building in the sand is shaky.  With no foundation to speak of any flash flood can sweep through and overwhelm the house.  But like a vine that is tapped into water, a house built on rock is solid and can withstand the storms of life.  The tap root brings up nutrients from its deep water source.  The house embedded in rock has a sure foundation that the strongest storms cannot shake.  Jesus said that anyone who believes in Him is connected to a deep water source (Jn. 7:37-38) rather than a stagnant one.  Stagnant water is often algae-laden and undrinkable.  But living water has movement and a plethora of health benefits.  It is obvious which one I want my sponge to soak up!
            So this week I will take my spiritual cue from the sponge.  Instead of collecting bacteria, I want to soak up God’s Word (Ps. 119:9-16) and that’s something I’ll be thinking about every time I wash the dishes.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            As I sit down to write this installment of Ready for the Road Ahead the XXIII Winter Olympiad is underway.  Some of the winter sports, such as curling, are intriguing to me.  But I must confess I don’t watch those competitions as much as I do the more flamboyant and artistic competitions like snowboarding and ice skating.  Last night’s competitions are probably the reason why.  While the Pairs ice skating competition featured daring throws and lifts, the snowboarders did their own soaring in a 6 mile half pipe with their own amazing flips and twists.  This year the heights they achieve are being measured by electronic devices strapped onto the outside of their snow suits at their calves.  Some of the  stunts were being recorded at 16 to 17 feet high.  That’s over twice the amount of the height from your floor to your ceiling!  These devices assist the judges in making accurate scores for each trick and the result was a very dramatic and exciting race to the medal podium.
            There are a number of things in my home that help keep measurements straight.  Rulers, yard sticks, measuring cups and spoons, gauges on the hot water heater and the electric meter outside all keep track of what we’re using or the length, width and height of something.  Perhaps the most versatile and handy measuring tool we own is the retractable tape measure.  Jeff has pulled that out for numerous “fix-it” jobs and I’ve used it on occasion for hanging things on the wall and calculating whether or not I can rearrange the furniture the way I’d like to.  In Biblical times the most important measures concerned weight because prior to a specific coin that designated value, how much something weighed determined its cost.  Weights were often suspect because a dishonest merchant could tamper with them.  Passages such as Mic. 6:11 condemn such practices.
            While heights and value can be measured in tangible increments like inches and dollars, the success of  a person’s life is measured differently.  In our culture it would appear that the measuring sticks of success are wealth, popularity, talent and power.  But Jesus presents an altogether different measuring stick in Mark 4:1-32.  The chapter begins with the well-known Parable of the Sower (Mk. 4:1-9).  Most often this parable is interpreted as an illustration of the effect of spreading God’s Word (i. e. evangelism).  But I would contend that if one is carefully reading Jesus’ words you’ll see that the thrust of this parable is the soil.  Each seed takes root, but not all of them are “successful”.  After the parable’s introduction to His followers at large, Jesus explains it to a smaller group of His followers including the disciples.  He tells them the seed is the Word of God and describes several scenarios where the seed takes root (vv. 10-20).  It seems somewhat confusing that Jesus follows this explanation with two apparently random quotes about bringing a lamp into a dark room and discernment about what one hears.  But think about it.  If seeds must fall in useful soil, that is, if God’s Word must take root in the fertile soil of your life, then God’s light must not be hidden and what you listen to impacts the fruitfulness of God’s word (vv. 21-25).  Mark follows these sayings with two more of Jesus’ parables: the Parable of the Seed (vv.26-29) and the Parable of the Mustard Seed (vv. 30-32).  The first describes a farmer who recognizes the seed has taken root, matured and is ready to be harvested.  The second proclaims that the mustard seed, though small at first, grows to a large tree which is beneficial to its environment.  Each of these parables supports the theme of the first- proper soil produces a fruitful harvest.
            One commentator in summarizing this section of Mark’s Gospel wrote, “The parable recorded in verses 26-29 appears only in Mark’s Gospel.  It reveals that spiritual growth is a continual, gradual process that is finally consummated in a harvest of spiritual maturity.  We can understand the process of spiritual growth by comparing it to the slow but certain growth of a plant.”  God has equipped us with everything we need to grow into spiritual maturity just like a farmer makes sure his plants have everything they need to produce a harvest (Eph. 4:11-16).  The question for us is, are we allowing the seed to fall in good soil?  Are we bringing a lamp into a dark room and sticking it under a pot?  Are we listening to things which nurture the seed or are we choking it out with weeds?  Paul exhorted the Ephesians to “be careful how you walk” and to understand the Lord’s will (Eph. 5:15-17) meaning the things that we do, the words that we say, and the activities we allow to take up our time all have an effect on how well the seed grows in our lives.  Spiritual growth is a continual process but its ultimate goal is to make us more like Christ (Col. 2:6-8; 1 Pet. 2:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:17-18; 1 Jn. 3:1-2).  How is your seed doing?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
 

            Jeff has a few quirky habits in the kitchen.  Take the way he uses coffee mugs for example.  In Jeff’s world they are not just for coffee (he only uses his travel mug for that!).  He uses them for juice, ice cream and as a substitute for a measuring cup.  And those long-handled mixing spoons most of us use for stirring soup in an extra large pot?  Jeff likes to use them for mixing oatmeal in the smallest pot in my kitchen.  I tried to correct him one day.   “Look,” I said pointing to the obvious, “the handle of this spoon is way too long for this pot.  One of these days you’ll bump into it and there’ll be oatmeal all over the kitchen!”  But he didn’t change his ways.  So, I buried the long-handled spoons in one of my kitchen drawers in order to force him to use the right length spoon!  Of course, now he’s discovered the soup ladle (which won’t fit in the drawer)!  Tools, the kitchen kind or otherwise are designed for a specific purpose.  Sometimes you can use them in other ways, but in reality it’s not what they were meant to do.
            It is popular right now to “discover your destiny”.  That is to say, to find that ONE thing in life that you were meant to do.  For some it is a benevolent destiny which leads them to a service organization that helps others.  For others it is an entrepreneurial endeavor and it brings about a business that flourishes and provides financial security.  And for some it is meeting that one person your life would not be complete without thanks to some internet dating service or a friend that says, “So and so would be just perfect for you!”  No matter what the circumstances we all desire to know that we have some sort of purpose here and that we will make an impact somewhere or on someone.  Just like those long-handled spoons we want to know that we are being used the right way and for the right job.
            It has often been said that believers are tools in God’s hands.  He has put us here on this earth to do His work and each one of us is designed for a specific purpose within the Church.  That point is humorously illustrated in 1 Cor.             12:12-27 when Paul depicts different parts of the human body refusing to function in their various roles.  It is ludicrous for a foot to desire to be a nose and an eye to be an ear.  It is equally ridiculous for these particular parts to say they no longer belong to the body because they are not what they want to be (vv. 14-19).  And refusing to acknowledge a certain part, like the foot, because you no longer want it is also absurd (v. 21).  Each part is designed to benefit the whole, even the least auspicious of them.  This point was made so clear to me when my mother had to have several bones in her foot removed.  The operation though necessary, made it impossible for her to stand without braces form that point on.  No matter what the part you play in the body, it is necessary even if it is just a small part.
            The Bible does not look at our “destiny” in the same way our culture does.  Through the ages men of faith have endeavored to verbalize “the meaning of life”.  One of the great documents of the Christian faith, The Westminster Confession, proclaims, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever”.  I’m not sure you’ll find that exact wording in Scripture but it is true that Scripture encourages us to glorify God (Mt. 5:16) and that the grand story of Scripture is to restore the relationship that was broken in Eden (Gen. 3:22-24) at the end of time (1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 21:1-4).  But there are also a number of “purposes” we are to fulfill in the meantime.
            A brief survey of the writings of Paul, John, Peter and the author of Hebrews reveals a list of high aspirations.  We are created for good works, (Eph. 2:10), to shine like stars in a world darkened by sin (Phil. 2:12-15), and more importantly relate to one another as a body (1 Cor. 12:27; Rom. 12:10, 16; 13:18; 14:13, 19; 15: 5, 7, 14; 16:16; 1 Cor. 12:25; 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; Gal. 5:13; 6:2; Eph. 4:2, 25, 32; 5:19, 21; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3: 9, 13, 16; 1 Thes. 4: 9, 18; 5:11, 13, 15; Heb. 3: 13; 10: 24-25; Js. 4:11; 5:9, 16;  1Pet. 1:22; 4: 8-10; 5:5, 14; 1 Jn. 3: 11, 23; 4: 7, 11-12; 2 Jn. 1:5).  We are equipped to do this by the Holy Spirit Who is at work in us (Phil. 1:6) and is evidenced in our lives by His fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).  The Holy Spirit dwells in us from the moment we profess faith in Jesus and endows each believer with a specific gift to strengthen and build up the body of Christ (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).  So just like my long-handled spoon which is designed for stirring something good in a large pot, you are designed by the Holy Spirit for a specific role in the church.  Are you living up to your/God’s purpose for your life? (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:4-10)
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Does your home have a junk drawer?  In our house it’s not a drawer but an old coffee can.  It contains an assortment of odd screws and other hardware from things I’ve had to put together through the years- a stool, bookshelves and a shelf with pegs for hanging jackets.  It also has a collection of chains, nails, brads, washers, Allen wrenches (designed specifically for those aforementioned projects), thumbtacks, Velcro dots and picture hooks along with a number of parts that I no longer remember what they came from or go to!  I forget I have these bits and bobs most of the time since the coffee can is relegated to a shelf behind my brooms and mops.
            We collect an assortment of experiences throughout life.  Many of them are useful and positive but so many are like the odd collection of hardware in my coffee can.  They are really not useful and just take up space in my memory, so why do I keep hanging on to them?  I find it an odd characteristic of human behavior in general that we don’t hang on to the more positive experiences we’ve had, but instead the negative ones which chip away at our self-esteem and replay our failures over and over again.  It is a challenge to forget those negative experiences and dwell on the positive.  But I know I am not alone.  The same scenario is addressed in Scripture.
            When Paul was writing to the Philippian church he was writing to people who faced the same challenge in life and noted that he faced it as well.  He likened this aspect of the Christian life to a race.  Reflecting on his own life he wrote “,3 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 4 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14).  It’s hard to think of Paul as a man of failure, but reading through the ups and downs of his ministry in the Book of Acts reveals he was well-acquainted with it.  However, in the Philippian passage it becomes apparent that Paul has found a way to overcome the failures and focus on what God has in store for him.
            First Paul says that he does not “regard” the goal as something he’s reached.  This word has mathematical nuances in that it means to count, to add up in one’s mind, to occupy oneself with calculations (Rom. 14:14; 2 Cor. 11:5; Phil. 3:13).  Paul can reflect on the things that have happened in his life, both good and bad, but they are not what contribute to his reaching the goal.  Just what is that goal?  It is mentioned a few verses earlier and that is to know Christ, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His suffering and to be conformed to Him in life and death (Phil. 3:10).  The ultimate reward is to be united with Christ and to be like Him.  This goal is not accomplished through outward circumstances but by what happens inside.  It is how you deal with the outward on the inside. 
            In order to do this Paul mentions three actions.  He “forgets” what lies behind, “reaches forward” to what lies ahead, and “presses on” toward the goal.  The imagery here comes from the ancient Olympic sport of foot racing.  Once the runner left the starting block they only looked ahead.  Glancing backwards or taking in the surroundings would slow a runner down and therefore cost him the race.  Instead their focus was set on what was before them, not only where they were immediately running but also on the finish line.  In forgetting Paul relegates the unnecessary experiences and negativity to the junk drawer.  In reaching forward he is leaning into the race like runners who stretch out their body to gain an advantage over their competitors.  And by pressing on he is diligently running the race;  not letting up until he crosses the finish line and receives the prize (Rom. 9:30-31; 12”13; 14:19; 1 Cor. 14:1; Phil. 3:12, 14; 1 Thes. 5:15; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:11).
            That prize is a heavenly reward, the upward call as Paul calls it.  The direction is not lateral, nor down, but specifically related to a higher place (Acts 2:19; Rev. 5:3) and here in Phil. 3:14 it is equivalent to that spoken of in Heb. 3:1.  Not only is this a goal, it is a call.  This Greek word (klesis) is often used to designate an invitation.  Metaphorically speaking it refers to an invitation to enter the kingdom of God with all its privileges (Rom. 11:29: Eph. 1:18; Phil. 3:14; 2 Thes. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 3:1; 2 Pet. 1:10).  God’s invitation to receive all the benefits of salvation is what this calling is all about.  It is a prize-package worth more than any game show could ever offer.  But for many of us, we’re more interested in sorting through the junk drawer.  I think I shall go get that coffee can of experiences and throw away all those little odds and ends.  The projects (negative experiences) are done.  I don’t need them anymore.  I’d rather run my race free of those encumbrances.  How about you?  Are you ready to empty the junk drawer too?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            L. K. entered the restaurant and joined her friends.  They noticed her unusual ensemble but didn’t draw attention to it.  Nothing seemed to match and the colors weren’t coordinated.  She also seemed to be a bit overdressed with several layers of sweaters and scarves.  And as an added curiosity she carried a bag with her that seemed to be brimming with more sweaters and accessories!  None of this made sense until after the meal when the ladies’ group turned its attention to a particular Bible passage.  L. K. stood and began to relate her unusual garb to the old and new self.  Piece by piece, each symbolizing the old nature before Christ, was removed (as modesty dictated!) and piece by piece a new outfit was put on representing Christ’s work in our hearts.  It was a creative but effective demonstration of Ephesians 4:22-24.  The only thing that might have helped was a few hangers for all those sweaters and scarves!
            I don’t know if this happens in your house, but whenever I need an extra hanger, I can’t seem to find one.  But if I don’t need an extra one, I have too many of them cluttering up my closet.  L. K.’s great demonstration and my hanger situation got me to wondering if anyone was credited with inventing this handy contraption.  Wikipedia reports that some historians believe that Thomas Jefferson invented a forerunner of the wooden hanger but the most common kind today, the shoulder-shaped wire hanger, was inspired by a coat hook invented in 1869 by O. A. North of New Britain CT.  Another version is attributed to Albert J. Parkhouse of Jackson MI.  The story goes that one morning in 1903 he arrived at work and found all the coat hooks taken.  Bothered by the inconvenience, he took a piece of wire, bent it into the shape we recognize today and hung up his coat.  Who knew hangers had such an interesting history?
            History and illustrations aside, hangers are handy for the coats and other garments we change in and out of throughout the day.  Wouldn’t it be nice if changing the old and new self was just as easy?  Ephesians 4:22-24 challenges the believer to lay aside the former or “old” self.   It seems obvious but is worth highlighting that the word “old” here is distinctly referring to something in the past and stands in contrast to the “new” of verse 24 which not only refers to something new chronologically but also qualitatively, that is it is better than what was before as well.  Like a product that boasts it is “new and improved” so is the new self in Christ.  It is a far better condition than the one we were in before.  We also tend to define “self” as something intangible, the inner person.  But in this passage it distinctly refers both to the actual person and to the person they are inside. This generic term is used to distinguish the former “man” (meaning any human male or female) who by their very nature was in opposition to God with an unrenewed disposition of heart.  The new man’s disposition or attitude is created and developed by Christ who gives the believer a new nature (Rom. 6:6: Eph. 2:15; 4:22, 24; Col. 3:9).
            While changing our wardrobe usually takes place in our bedroom, the place where the old self is changed for the new takes place in the mind (v. 23).  The mind is our organ for mental perception and understanding.  It is where we take in information and form a judgment.  Paul’s use of the word speaks of the mind in two settings.  The first is in the flesh (sarx in Greek) and the second is in the Spirit (pneuma) (Rom. 7:21-25).  There is a constant battle that takes place in the mind between the flesh and the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:14-15, 19) but just as the mind can be dragged down by the flesh, it can also be reformed and regenerated by the Spirit (Rom. 8:6; Eph. 4:23).  The Spirit is the Divine influence by which the temperament and disposition of the mind in the Christian is affected.  The Spirit corrects, elevates, and fills the mind with peace and joy because it does not indulge in the depraved behavior of the physical nature-the flesh (Rom. 8:2, 4-6; 9:13).  The Spirit influences us to be like Christ (Gal. 5:16-18, 22, 25; 6:8).
            The change which takes place in our nature/mind is not instantaneous like that which takes place when you pour boiling water over Ramen noodles.  It’s a slow process because it involves the work of the Spirit and our participation with Him (Rom. 6:12-13. 17-19; Eph. 5:15-18; Col. 1:21-22; 3:1-2).  But the result of putting off the old self and its ways (Eph. 4:17-19; Col. 3:5-11) and putting on the new (Eph. 4:24-32; Col. 3:12-14) is a transformation that is just as appealing as a mismatched ensemble being changed to an aesthetically pleasing one.  Your old self is a heavy, unappealing garment.  Take it off and put it on a hanger in the back of your closet today.  Replace it with the garment of Christ’s Spirit in you by the renewal of your mind (Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:24).
Ann H.LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre