We all have a rhythm. What’s yours? The next part of the Live LIGHT Manifesto reminds us we’re to live like Jesus did and not give lip service to loving Him. Here it is…
Living with His light burden is the rhythm I work from in the day-to-day of every day.
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
In John’s first letter he unpacks what it looks like to be living in the light as God is in the light. His encouragement for us to walk in the light reminds us to carry the light yoke that Jesus offer us in Matthew 11:30…at least it does for me.
How can we be a living light if we’re not living light?
The rhythm of a servant, a friend and a child
We are called a servant of God (2 Timothy 2:24), a friend of God (John 15:15) and a child of God (Romans 8:14).
A servant obeys (Colossians 3:22).
A friend abides (John 15:7-14).
A child keeps in step with the spirit (Romans 8:14).
You can’t abide and not obey. You can’t keep in step with the Spirit without abiding and obeying.
The good news is all three are the same rhythm. It’s the rhythm Jesus modelled when he was in the world.
Jesus' Rhythm of Rest
Jesus' rhythm can be tracked through the gospels...
Time with God from the world - Time to bring God to the world.
It’s how you obey.
You need to listen before you can obey. You need instruction from the Word before you can obey.
It’s how you abide.
You need to be alone in the presence before you can bring the Presence to others.
It’s how you keep in step with the Spirit.
Time with God from the world - Time to bring God to the world.
Do you follow that rhythm in your own walk? I can help you live out the rhythm.
I don’t hold it as an idea in my head or sentiment in my heart, but work out its implications in every detail of my life.
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:25
Paul tells the Galatians they need to follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of their lives. He goes on to describe how that looks like.
In the North American church we are really good at teaching knowledge and really lousy at living out wisdom.
We’ve got to stop agreeing with something intellectually and then not letting it change our lives.
To the ancient Hebrews the “heart” was the seat of the emotions, yes…but it was also the seat of the decision and the seat of the action. To be whole-hearted means we not only agree something is true, we do something about it and feel something for it.
Being whole-hearted is the exact opposite of holding something as an idea in our head or sentiment in our heart but not working it out its implications in every detail of our lives.
We need to be whole-hearted when we follow the Spirit. Holy Spirit is God and we’re to love God with our whole heart. So make the decision to follow Holy Spirit, take the action to follow what He tells you to do, and feel the joy in knowing you’re keeping in step with the Spirit. Let me help you do that.
#liveLIGHT
