Sight Beyond the Surface

12.10.22

In review of the day’s events, specific interactions mentally linger upon realizing how impressionable people are.  The experience of recall seems to prominently stream from the emotional realm, causing me to consider; what kind of impression am I leaving on others?

impression: 

1. a strong effect produced on the intellect, feelings, conscience, etc.

2. the first and immediate effect of an experience or perception upon the mind; sensation.

3. the effect produced by an agency or influence.

4. a notion, remembrance, belief, etc., often of a vague or indistinct nature

When the people in my life think of me and the transactional encounters we’ve exchanged, do they know Jesus more deeply, or do they recognize the darkness of self all of mankind shares apart from Christ?  Sadly, I suspect the latter more than I’d like to confront (although here I am, doing so publicly).  Our personhood has a flavor if you will.  We carry something strong enough to form another’s thoughts about who we are and what we bring to their lives, impacting the choices they make concerning relational investments.

People don’t need who we are.  They need who God is through us.

12.11.22

5 am

Thanks be to God, our ever-present King, whose mercy grants us another day to acknowledge Him in all our ways and make much of the instructions He’s given us through His Word to know Him, thus enabling our capacity to put on the character of Christ and honor those we encounter as the precious people for whom He has given His life for.

A good friend’s voice rings within as I recall her reminding me, “This is the day the LORD has made!”

Col 3:12-17 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. ¹⁴ In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

2 Cor 5:14-17 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose on their behalf.

¹⁶ Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh; even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.