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Saturday, April 23, 2005
Getting ready to play a baseball game was somewhat of a ritual of preparation for me...mentally and physically.
I'd sit in front of my locker and "get rid" of all the stuff from the day. The disagreement with teachers; the funny stuff that happened with friends; the phone call I forgot to make to my mom; the kiss I got from my girlfriend a few minutes ago. I'd make the choice to "lay it aside." (see yesterday's entry)
Then, I'd start to focus on the tasks at hand. I'd "pick them up." I'd put on a cassette tape (they were things that came between albums and CD's that involved a magnetic piece of tape that recorded sounds and there were special machines we had in our cars and lockers to replay those recorded sounds) of Iron Maiden and I'd start to focus on the pitcher we were facing that day and the speed of their defense or the type of hitters they had, while I was taping my ankle or whatever. I'd put on my uniform very meticulously and, lastly, I'd make sure I had my stuff in my bag to take to the dugout that had gloves, batting gloves, sunflower seeds...the whole deal. The new stuff had been picked up and my game face was on.
That's the next step after laying aside the encumberances from verses 5--11, is to put on something, described in verses 12--17:
"And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indded you were called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And, whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
After laying aside things like anger, we're supposed to make a conscious choice to be moved with care for others.
We're to simply choose to be kind to each other.
We're supposed to choose to be humble. To be gentle. To be patient.
Notice that they're all about how we treat other people. We're supposed to treat other people better than as if we were not laying aside all the garbage. Christ sees relationships as very important...and that's the most important reality: Making a choice to treat others.
Above all that, we're supposed to put on our game face of love. We're to be loving people (check out 1 Corinthians 13: 4--8) to see what that "looks" like.
And then we're to "let" peace rule in our hearts...which comes from Christ.
We're to "let" the word live in us in abundance in us.
We're to have widsom to teach each other and admonish each other.
We're to encourage each other.
It results in joy and thankfulness.
It's really pretty simple today: Do you have your game face of love for others on?
But if you want to discuss something in the "comments," how do you "let" peace and the word rule in you?
Brent 7:39 AM
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