Henry Vogel- 2015

When I was 15 my essentials were a good pair of soccer cleats and a nice pair of jeans. When I was 25 the essentials became enough money to feed the family and pay the bills for another week. In my late 30’s my essentials became holding up the letter of the law and digging my feet in to make sure to hold to these challenges without compromise. I laugh at myself today.

In Tim Keller’s book, Marriage, he shares that during a lifetime of a marriage relationship you are in reality married to five different people. I agree, as this has been true of me. In life we learn and grow. We see how God and our experiences mold us as we adapt and grow over time. On an airplane trip many years ago I came across a quote that stated this, “between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.”

I was so struck by this statement and to this day it hangs in my office. We have an essential that does not change– it is our Heavenly father, the creator of the universe. He loves us so much that he sent His only Son to come and live among us. Christ gave his life, His innocent blood, to pay the price for our sins. It is not by anything we do, but solely by the grace of our Savior– Jesus Christ.

In this Easter season, reflect on your response to this knowledge– is our response the one that leads to the true growth and happiness that only the Spirit of Christ can give? In Psalm 25:16-21 we read: Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me! Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope Lord is in you.

Did you ever get upset over someone cutting you off on the road, stealing a parking spot, having the last slice of apple pie or generally intruding on your space? I have and it usually generates a reaction of which I am not proud. Capturing the true essence of an event and the spontaneous response often tell of our ability to process events. In this Easter season and in all we should think back to that response Christ had for us. Tim Keller shares the following “The Gospel says you are more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, but more accepted and loved than you ever dared hoped.” This is so true – we are sinners at heart and deserve so little – but by Grace alone we are saved and share in that precious blood.

Liberty in Non-essential, Unity in essentials, Charity in all