How far am I willing to go?

"... I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you —" Gal. 4:19

I often ask myself...is how I'm living out my faith (my life in Christ) even making a difference? I look at my family and I think ... am I being intentional about pouring out my life into my boys and my wife. Am I doing what I do because I think I have to...its what a pastor is supposed to do. Or do I really want the Christ in me becoming the Christ in them. Paul is writing here to the Galatians who have been caught up in living out a "legalistic Christianity" (they had wrong beliefs but right living.) Basically they were "doing what they do" for all the wrong reasons. They had come to believe that they had to "earn" God's love and forgiveness! They had come to believe that Gods approval of them was based on what they can do for him! And this is so far from the truth! Man how liberating it is to know that God's love for me has never been nor ever will be tied to what I can do for him. And I pray that my wife and boys will know & experience that kind of love from me as well.

Okay so back to Paul... And so Paul writes..."I am again in labor..." It's as though Paul is saying ...once again we are back at square one! I mean Paul is watching these people in his life struggle...those that he loved are taking 1 step forwards and 3 steps back. And I know he had to ask himself ... "Are you kidding me? Again...when are you going to get it?" "How many times do I have to remind you and tell you..." But that's not what he says here...he says in essence ...I am not letting you go! Get up, lets do this life thing together... I'm not quitting on you ...I want you to know that I am committed to you until one thing happens ... that Christ in me becomes formed in you! What an amazing love and passion he had for Christ and for others! Is that not what Christ has called us to do and be ... to Love God and to Love People?

Listen Paul could have just focused on simply transferring knowledge...but knowledge alone doesn't change lives! Life on Life does! One life rubbing up against another life! Listen it is not going to be easy! Its not clean...its messy and there is going to be a lot of bumps and bruises along the way. But the reward is worth it...Christ being formed in the lives of those God has entrusted to me! What a blessing! And so the question is ... when is it enough? How long do I go? How much do I invest into this relationship? And that is where I am encouraged today by Paul. Because he had a singular passion in life... to endure whatever pain, failure or frustration he must endure, so that Christ might be formed in those God has entrusted to his life! So my prayer today is that I would do whatever it takes, that I would give whatever I have, that I would go through whatever I have to go through in order that Christ Jesus would be formed in those God has entrusted to my life! Especially my wife and my boys!

Father I thank you that you never ever gave up on me! Thank you that you are a God of second chances! And I pray today that you would create in me a deep passion to be sacrificially poured out into the lives of those you have entrusted to me.


Not Ashamed...Bill