Welcome to another podcast of Struggling Well. we hope that you are doing well, but Jimmy has a couple of things he wants to share this morning. Typically, well, let me back up and say that my son-in-law recently said that I have been talking too much on the podcast. Guess what position he just dropped to? I have three son-in-laws. Guess what position you're in now? Don't want to say it, but anyway.
Wow.
I know. I know. It's I'm kidding. I'm kidding. He knows I love him.
Yeah. so, if you're listening to this when the podcast actually drops the day Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. So, happy Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving. Oh gosh, Thanksgiving.
I know it. We hope that it's a celebration of things to give thanks for. But that leads kind of into what I want to say and that is this. I we listen I listen we both do on a regular basis to a thing called Lectio 365. It's a devotional prayer time out of England. And it's been something that has been a part of our world for the last couple years anyway. And one of the phrases that they use as they lead you into prayer fairly regularly is the idea that we should reflect the radiance of Christ. And that phrase has stuck with me to reflect the radiance of Christ because I don't know that I necessarily think of him in those terms. I know the words that I use, but I don't know that I use those terms. And that is I think something that is desperately needed because here's the danger for me and maybe it is for you too. I want to talk about the relationship I have with the Lord and believe that it's the relationship that is ma what matters. But it can become very transactional when I have things in my life that I desire to see God step in and correct or step in and change or step in and do something with and when he doesn't do it in a manner that I think it should. should be done or a time frame that I think it would be nice to be done. Then I realize that what I'm really looking for is it relationship or is it a transactional thing that gets him to deliver on what I need. John says in the first chapter of John that the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we've seen his glory as the only son from the father full of grace and full of truth. That's Christ. And when I see him in all that radiance is that enough for me?
But wait a minute, you re go over that part in the beginning of what it says unleio that we are to
reflect the radiance of Christ.
So when you're asking is that enough for me? There are two parts here, aren't there?
I don't know. Go ahead.
Well, reflecting the radiance is one thing. It being enough for me is another thing.
Okay.
Like and you need to help me here. desperately help me.
Okay. well, I think that reflecting the radiance speaks to the relational aspect of who Christ is for me. It's not that I reflect what he's done for me. It's that I reflect who he is. So, so there's a difference there in my mind. Can I reflect the goodness and the glory of who God is for that alone? Or does it have to be that he has to come through in the things that I need him to do? I understand that.
I think it's the question that when Satan and Job had their sparring match or whatever you want to call it in the opening chapters of Job, Satan basically said the only reason Job worships you, honors you, lives for you is because of what you've given him and what you've done for him. No one will ever love you for just you alone. And so that's that idea brought forward to us today in my mind. Do I reflect his radiance, his beauty, his power, his majesty, all those things for just who he is, regardless of whether he comes through the way I think he should in this broken, fallen world.
Okay, I'm still bouncing that around in my head. So, I'm to reflect who he is. And how would you see that? Like, what would you see in me if I was reflecting his radiance?
I think the thing things that scripture talks about in the fruit of the spirit,
in the way that we treat other people,
in our desire to live in ways that are countercultural. And again, when I say countercultural, I'm not talking about typically about exterior things. I'm talking about the way we treat each other.
Yeah.
So, when I show forgiveness or when I show the desire for justice or when I show compassion, things that are there that reflect him. I think that's where I reflect his radiance to this world.
So I'm reflecting his character.
Yeah.
Not and not based on because he's done something. So if I'm reflecting the fruit of the spirit, I'm reflecting his radiance, his character. Right. Okay.
Yeah. Okay.
I think that's where so often we talk about in Christ. And I'm not saying this isn't true. You know, we're to be salt and light in this world. I know that. And that means there are some things I abstain from. There's some things that I participate in terms of activities and things like that. But so much of it to me is seen in my attitudes and my behaviors towards other people. Then I think that gets lost sometimes where I can say, well, I have every reason. I have every right to feel this way. Well, I don't know that's reflecting his beauty.
This is interesting. I'm really trying to turn this over in my mind because this is not I don't know. I'm maybe those of you that are listening are also wrestling with this. It's read again in John because maybe that'll help.
It's just we the word became flesh and dwelt among you and we have seen his glory as of the only son from the father. And then here's the phrase full of grace and full of truth. And two verses later, he says, "For from his fullness, we have received grace upon grace." So full of grace and full of truth. So we're where Moses gave us the law, right?
Mhm.
Christ brought us grace and truth. There's truth is still there, but it's both.
So it's internal, not just external.
Yeah.
Okay. Because the problem with the law was that was
they turned it into external
external
right and that's what the Pharisees did that's what people have done to this day
legalists turn everything into behavior and there's a danger not always but there's a danger of separating the heart from behavior and not worrying about the heart just worrying about behavior whereas what I think Jesus called us to is to examine our hearts and to bring forth what's in our hearts into our behaviors This feels much deeper than just being a good person caring for people in an external way. It feels it's an internal work that has to happen as I allow the Holy Spirit to control more and more of my life that I'll reflect more and more of him.
Yeah.
And not my personality or my generosity of giving things to people or helping people, but what the position of my heart.
Yeah, I think does that make sense?
It does make sense. And I think that's
Do we need to call Tim in?
I don't know. He's over here shaking his head, so I don't know what we do. No, but I think that's been I think that's been true for forever with mankind is that God's intention was always for our hearts to be soft and pliable and are reflecting our hearts and our behavior. We made we took it to where it was easier to handle. where we just worried about behavior.
Yeah.
You know, that's why Jesus says in the sermon on the mount, you've heard it said, "But I tell you over and over again." And the but I tell you was connecting the heart to the behavior. You know, and the world, you've heard me say this, the world I grew up in wasn't a world of behavior-driven Christianity. As long as I did certain things or I didn't do certain things, then I was considered okay. And people didn't take the time to probe down into what was going on in my heart.
Yeah.
And I think that's still a danger we have. And that's when I say we can turn this relational truth of our relationship with Christ into this transactional thing of I need you to do certain things, God. And it's not about relationship then it becomes about transactions.
Yeah, this is some interesting stuff. I feel like I'm going to have to think and ponder this and what I'm hearing you saying too is that in order to do this. Not it's not like a how-to, but I need to know the character of God and then to ask him to work that into my life and me accept that.
Let the spirit convict me and challenge me and move me so that then what I reflect and what I give off is the aroma of Christ, not of myself.
Right? And it's a two-sided thing. It's not an eitheror. It's a both end. because he was full of truth and grace. So I don't toss out truth.
No.
But I also don't toss out grace. As I reflect him and my heart is open to the spirit of God prompting me and challenging me and moving me, then I think I have the ability to reflect the radiance of who Christ is.
For those of you that are listening to us, we hope that you wrestle with the same stuff that we wrestle with. I don't mean the same stuff, but that you are willing to wrestle and look at the word and let it permeate your heart and not just be a an transactional Christian, but to be a relational Christian and to have it change the way you think, the way you speak, the that the internal should be expressed externally, not just the external being a part of your life as what as how somebody might call you a Christian. this has been a good time, babe. I've enjoyed your thoughts and I hope that those of you that are listening are maybe a little perplexed like I am, but perplexed in a good way to go search the word. So, thank you for joining us and we'll see you or here you'll hear from us next week.