Today is my second born's 30th birthday...
A jolly little fellow wasn't he! His name--Matthew--came to me two weeks before he was born. It means "Gift of God", and I can say that he was and continues to be so. He was somewhat shy and an easy child--even his birth was easy--but only until he turned 15. Once his older brother left for college, he stepped out of the shadows and exerted his true personality. It's a wonderful personality! But, I wasn't prepared for the metamorphosis that seemed to take place overnight. Who was this young man-to-be I thought I knew? Needless to say, I had a lot of adjusting to do and it took a while for us to come to understand each other.
Like his brothers we gave him my maiden name as his second middle name. His first middle name is Kenneth, after his Dad, because they are both a second son of a second son. He has lived up to the meaning of Kenneth, too: Handsome...
 |
| Matthew's & Paola's engagement photo |
Living up to our names takes on a whole new meaning when the name is "Christian" (of, relating to, or professing Christianity or its teachings). As followers of Christ we profess that we believe He is our Saviour because we need saving from our sins. When we make this profession we receive the Holy Spirit which is confirmed by the evidence of our changed lives. Scripture refers to this evidence as the Fruit of the Spirit...
The list sounds like an impossibility! That is, until you realize it is not you that is producing this fruit but the Holy Spirit in you. It took me years and years to grasp this. I was constantly on one self-improvement kick after another. It was only when I started reading my Bible and came to understand all I need do is surrender my will to God and the Holy Spirit would then be free to live His life through me. It's His life in me that is bearing the fruit, not I, me, myself. That's so I can't take credit and become conceited. Ha! I assure you, the ego will try to take credit whenever it can. But, God, in His infinite Grace, provides opportunities for me to be humbled so that I once again realize that in and of myself I will always fail in being perfect because God's kind of perfect means complete. To be complete in Christ means that whenever I allow the Holy Spirit freedom I will always love, always experience joy and peace, always be patient, kind, gentle, good and have self-control. Yes, even the have faith I have is imparted to me by the Holy Spirit.
Our metamorphosis takes place when we die to self and live for Christ. We become one with Christ as He is one with the Father. Christ was perfect (complete) and so can we be.
Father, You are the completer of my faith. I need only give myself over to You so that my faith can grow into the fruit that the Holy Spirit in me produces.
Link to Scripture: Hebrews 12:2
Take action: The Work of the Holy Spirit
No comments:
Post a Comment