STICKY NOTES! They are one of the things I find to be most useful in my life. When I was in seminary my textbooks were filled with them. A fellow student called me “the sticky note queen” but they sure came in handy when I needed to find information quickly. The original yellow color was not planned. It just happened to be the color of the scrap paper which was available the first time they were printed! Sticky notes come in a variety of colors and designs now, but no matter the color I’m using, they are helpful tools when it comes to reminding me of what needs to be done, information I might need to know or even a little dose of encouragement throughout the day.
Sometimes I think of the Bible as God’s grand sticky note to me. It is full of reminders, information and encouragement. In the New Testament He spoke through His Son (Heb. 1:1-2), His disciples and particularly through the writings of Paul which comprise half of all the New Testament books. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome saying, “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness and filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again because of the grace God gave me.” (Rom. 15:14-15). It is in the same spirit I share a list of “sticky notes” that I spent some time compiling here with you. Although this list is by no means exhaustive, it has some gems that have been very meaningful to me on my journey of faith.
Rom. 12:9-21 is a list of actions every believer should aspire to do: love without hypocrisy, abhorring evil, clinging to good, devoted to and giving preference to other believers, and more! It’s a tall order, but worth the effort. 1 Cor. 13 is perhaps one of the most well-known New Testament passages which exhorts every believer to demonstrate a higher love which reflects the love Christ demonstrated toward us. In 2 Cor. 13:5 Paul instructs the believers to “examine themselves” to see if they are in the faith. If the spirit of compromise is present, they are forgetting that Christ is in them and this should be evident in their lifestyle. Gal. 5:16, 22-26 features the tell-tale evidence that a believer is “walking by the Spirit”. When you look at a tree full of apples, you know it’s an apple tree. When someone looks at your life and sees love, joy, peace, patience and the other fruit of the Spirit, they know you are Christ’s. Eph. 4:25-32 contains instructions on living which include: laying aside falsehood, speaking the truth, dealing with anger, and being kind and tender-hearted. Phil. 3:14; 4:4-6, 9 admonishes us to press on toward the goal of Christ by placing our thoughts on things which are right, true and several other virtues. We are not to be anxious about worldly concerns as these distract us from the goal. Col. 3: 5-10 is all about putting on the “new self” and shedding the “old” which is tangled in immorality and impurity. New life in Christ is free from those heavy weights of sin. 1Thes. 5:14-22 concerns the way we deal with one another when we find sin present in our lives. Examining oneself is the start of that process. 2Thes. 2:3 informs us that we are not immune from deception, so it is wise to be alert about what we hear and see. 1Tim. 6:11-12 contains Paul’s instructions to his young protégé Timothy. “Fight the good fight of faith” Paul writes along with a command to pursue a number of attributes pleasing to God. 2 Tim. 2:15 stresses the importance of being a diligent servant in all we say and do for the Lord, particularly in understanding His Word. Tit. 3:9 contains a stern warning to “avoid foolish controversies” as they are “unprofitable and worthless” and Phile. 1:5-6 encourages the demonstration of love, faith and forgiveness toward those who have sinned against us.
Five other writers, James, Peter, John, Jude and the unknown author of Hebrews also have some “sticky notes” to share. Jam. 5:13-18 speaks of the power of prayer. 1 Pet. 1:13-16 reminds us to prepare our minds for action and to be holy while 2 Pet. 1:1-11 commands us to live by high standards above and beyond worldly ones. 1 Jn. 2:15-17 also tells us to “love not the world” while 1 Jn. 4:1-3 instructs us to “test every spirit” so that we will stay true to the Lord. 2 Jn. 1:6-7 encourages us to “walk in love” and 3 Jn. 1:11 challenges us to do good and not to imitate evil. Jude 1:20-23 is another list of action verbs concerning the out-working of our faith: build, love, wait anxiously, have mercy and save those trapped in sin. Heb. 11:1-12:2 extols faith and cites examples of those who live by it.
Take some time this week to go through some of these passages. You will be challenged, strengthened and inspired by them! And, if one particularly strikes you- write it on a sticky note and put it up somewhere where you will see it every day!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
Sometimes I think of the Bible as God’s grand sticky note to me. It is full of reminders, information and encouragement. In the New Testament He spoke through His Son (Heb. 1:1-2), His disciples and particularly through the writings of Paul which comprise half of all the New Testament books. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome saying, “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness and filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again because of the grace God gave me.” (Rom. 15:14-15). It is in the same spirit I share a list of “sticky notes” that I spent some time compiling here with you. Although this list is by no means exhaustive, it has some gems that have been very meaningful to me on my journey of faith.
Rom. 12:9-21 is a list of actions every believer should aspire to do: love without hypocrisy, abhorring evil, clinging to good, devoted to and giving preference to other believers, and more! It’s a tall order, but worth the effort. 1 Cor. 13 is perhaps one of the most well-known New Testament passages which exhorts every believer to demonstrate a higher love which reflects the love Christ demonstrated toward us. In 2 Cor. 13:5 Paul instructs the believers to “examine themselves” to see if they are in the faith. If the spirit of compromise is present, they are forgetting that Christ is in them and this should be evident in their lifestyle. Gal. 5:16, 22-26 features the tell-tale evidence that a believer is “walking by the Spirit”. When you look at a tree full of apples, you know it’s an apple tree. When someone looks at your life and sees love, joy, peace, patience and the other fruit of the Spirit, they know you are Christ’s. Eph. 4:25-32 contains instructions on living which include: laying aside falsehood, speaking the truth, dealing with anger, and being kind and tender-hearted. Phil. 3:14; 4:4-6, 9 admonishes us to press on toward the goal of Christ by placing our thoughts on things which are right, true and several other virtues. We are not to be anxious about worldly concerns as these distract us from the goal. Col. 3: 5-10 is all about putting on the “new self” and shedding the “old” which is tangled in immorality and impurity. New life in Christ is free from those heavy weights of sin. 1Thes. 5:14-22 concerns the way we deal with one another when we find sin present in our lives. Examining oneself is the start of that process. 2Thes. 2:3 informs us that we are not immune from deception, so it is wise to be alert about what we hear and see. 1Tim. 6:11-12 contains Paul’s instructions to his young protégé Timothy. “Fight the good fight of faith” Paul writes along with a command to pursue a number of attributes pleasing to God. 2 Tim. 2:15 stresses the importance of being a diligent servant in all we say and do for the Lord, particularly in understanding His Word. Tit. 3:9 contains a stern warning to “avoid foolish controversies” as they are “unprofitable and worthless” and Phile. 1:5-6 encourages the demonstration of love, faith and forgiveness toward those who have sinned against us.
Five other writers, James, Peter, John, Jude and the unknown author of Hebrews also have some “sticky notes” to share. Jam. 5:13-18 speaks of the power of prayer. 1 Pet. 1:13-16 reminds us to prepare our minds for action and to be holy while 2 Pet. 1:1-11 commands us to live by high standards above and beyond worldly ones. 1 Jn. 2:15-17 also tells us to “love not the world” while 1 Jn. 4:1-3 instructs us to “test every spirit” so that we will stay true to the Lord. 2 Jn. 1:6-7 encourages us to “walk in love” and 3 Jn. 1:11 challenges us to do good and not to imitate evil. Jude 1:20-23 is another list of action verbs concerning the out-working of our faith: build, love, wait anxiously, have mercy and save those trapped in sin. Heb. 11:1-12:2 extols faith and cites examples of those who live by it.
Take some time this week to go through some of these passages. You will be challenged, strengthened and inspired by them! And, if one particularly strikes you- write it on a sticky note and put it up somewhere where you will see it every day!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
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