Scripture Sunday: How to Live

Last month, our pastor brought forward a verse that I hadn't heard before. I instantly fell in love with it:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,And don’t take yourself too seriously — take God seriously.

This is something I've been trying to do for the past few years and it was SO good to be reminded how simple (in principle) it should be to live for the Lord.

And then, last week, it hit me how far I've fallen short.The topic was facing suffering and the subject, Job. We were challenged to place ourselves in the text and the result was intense. I'm going to quote some verses with my name in place of Job's:

***

Dspence was honest inside and out, a woman of her word, who was totally devoted to God and hated evil with a passion.

Dspence would get up early in the morning and sacrifice a burnt offering for each of her children


(In the course of a single moment, Job lost his family, his home, and his possessions.) 
Dspence got to her feet, ripped her robe, shaved her head, then fell to the ground and worshiped:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth.
God gives, God takes.
    God’s name be ever blessed.

 ***

 
Talk about being hit right between the eyes! Can I honestly say these things about myself? Am I fully devoted to God inside and out? Do I hate evil - all evil - with a passion? Do I make time with God a priority? Do I pray daily for my children? When bad things happen, is my default response one of worship? Do I praise the Lord in all things, whether I see them as good or bad?

I want to... But I know that I don't. Ouch.

I would like to wrap up with this passage. I want this perspective to be evident in every moment, good or bad; that, no matter what life throws at me, my default response would be to be worship and thanks for everything I have in Christ:
 
By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
 
There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!