Secular Christmas

Christmas is celebrated all round the world. Christmas is not a religious holiday for most people. This secular version of Christmas promotes values of love, compassion, generosity, giving, family, hope, peace, and joy. These good values originated with the Christian celebrations of Christmas, but the main point of Christmas, from which these values derive their meaning, is Jesus Christ coming to Earth and being born so that we might have life in him.

I find it interesting that people of other faiths have their version of Christmas. Many Buddhists, Jewish people, Muslims and even atheists celebrate Christmas in some form. They have some of their own traditions but for many of these celebrations what binds them to the secular Christmas is Santa Claus, because many of these celebrations have Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is the icon of the secular Christmas. Folklore of his story has been developed over the last 200 years to what it is today. First, there was a historical person called Saint Nicholas who really did exist and was born about 280 A.D. He was a generous Christian Bishop. Today’s Santa Claus story is very different from the historical story of Saint Nicholas but Saint Nicholas provided the origins from which Santa Claus developed. The Dutch with their Sinterklaas tradition and the English with their Father Christmas tradition were blended together to create the Santa Claus tradition. In 1823, an anonymous author (likely Clement Clarke Moore) penned a poem called “A Visit from St. Nicholas”, which is also known as “Twas the Night before Christmas”. I believe that poem created the foundation for the Santa Claus tradition. From that poem, the story of Santa Claus developed into what it is today.

Secular Christmas is fun and promotes some good values, however it is missing the historical importance of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is meant to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus. God, the Father, gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, to us to restore us back to himself and to give us life in him (John 3:16). God in Jesus humbled himself and was born human (Philippians 2:5-8) so that he could live the perfect life we could not (Hebrews 4:15) and to pay the price for our sins by dying on a cross (Colossians 2:13-14) and then rising again 3 days later. Jesus gave himself so that we might have life in him. By the power of the Holy Spirit we have real life. That is the real story of why we celebrate Christmas.

The Christmas story can be found in Luke 2:1-20 and in Matthew 1:18-2:12. This Christmas let us remember the birth of Jesus who is our Lord and Savior.

PS This year I discovered the ancient “O Antiphons” which are short chants that cover 7 days (December 17-23) of Advent, right before Christmas. The hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” incorporates the 7 antiphons into its verses. I am using a devotional based on the antiphons this year from 1517.org.

Saints Past

Photo of crepuscular rays by Peter Hostermann

There are several definitions of the word “saint”, however the biblical definition is simply one who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior, so we who believe in Jesus Christ are saints. November 1st is known as All Saints Day, among other names. On this day we remember those saints who have gone before us. I think of the many Christians that have influenced me over the years. Many of them have passed on, though many are still here today providing encouragement and support. I am thankful for all they have taught me.

I think especially of my parents, Erwin and Irene. Their Christian example made a huge difference in my life. I owe so much to them. They were not perfect, so there are a couple things that I am having to unlearn, but they ended up shaping my life for the good. I am very appreciative of their influence in my life. I see a lot of their influence in how I act and behave. I thank God for their good influence.

It is not just those who over the years I have had some contact with but it is also those saints from days long gone who influenced others who then influenced a later generation who then influenced the next generation. There is a chain of saints from centuries past that have had an influence on me. I am thankful for them also.

It is somewhat mysterious the way saints from the past, saints today, and saints in the future are all interconnected to form the Body of Christ, the Church. We are not all the same and yet we each bring something needed to the Body. And saints from the past encourage us to live lives of faith. The writer of Hebrews in chapter 11 encourages us with a list of saints of faith that had looked forward to the coming Messiah and a future where everything would be made right. He ends the list with this encouragement.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

So let us be encouraged to live that good life of faith for Jesus because we are surrounded by a great cloud of saints who have lived a life of faith before us. And let us encourage others in the Faith to also stand firm for Jesus. I am thankful for all the saints past, present and in the future who make up the Body of Christ.

As we remember those who had gone on before us, I am reminded of the hymn “For All the Saints”. Here is a version you can sing along with.

Is Forgiveness Counter-Cultural?

Recently, Charlie Kirk was assassinated by a shooter, and at the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service, Charlie’s wife Erika Kirk said,

“I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.” And she said, “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love.”

After Erika, President Trump spoke and said,

“[Charlie Kirk] did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them, I’m sorry,”

Now I think President Trump’s attitude is not that uncommon today. Forgiveness is an unnatural act. We want vengeance. We may want to call it justice, but many times what we really want is vengeance. We want to hate those who hate us or even those who just oppose us. Jesus has a better way of love and forgiveness.

Hatred and vengeance divides people. Love and forgiveness brings people together. People are reconciled when forgiveness is given and accepted. It is not easy to love and forgive but with the help of the Holy Spirit we are able. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-48), and he also says “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). He does not say to hate them. Rather we are to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21), and “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless” (1 Peter 6:9). It is not easy, but Christians are called to be different, to be counter-cultural.

The culture today sees the world in terms of power. Many times it is expressed in terms of oppression. This view is also divisive. It divides the world into us versus them. They have and we want. They are in control and we are not. This view feeds the hatred and vengeance that was expressed by President Trump. Christians see the world differently. We view the world through the lens of God’s amazing love. Christians are counter-cultural and one way we show our difference and our love is by forgiving people.

So why do we forgive? Because God has forgiven us so very much, and so out of gratitude we forgive others (Matthew 18:21-35). God did not wait until we got our act together. No, he loved us while we were still broken ungodly sinners (Romans 5:6-8). We all are broken sinners (Romans 3:23) from the worst of us to the best. There is no difference. There is no us versus them. We are all in need of the Savior. In response to God’s saving love, we love and forgive others as we imitate God (Ephesians 5:1-2). That is why we forgive and in doing so we are counter-cultural.

So instead of being divisive, we Christians need work to reconcile and unite. Let us love those we disagree with. Let us be kind to those who hate us. And let us forgive those who attack us. Let us work to reconcile people to God and to each other. This is what we have been called to do. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:16-21). And from the little I know about Charlie Kirk, this appears to have been his goal too. Let us reach out in love and forgiveness and share that Gospel message of love.

Transhumanism to Posthuman

Some people today envision a future where human beings will have evolved beyond our bodies to a super artificially intelligent posthuman that may or may not inhabit a body (biological or robotic). They see the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) as a dream come true and they want to encourage and support AI so that AI can free us from our biological constraints and usher in a utopia. Others, transhumanists, see AI as a tool for us to enhance our human limitations and incorporate AI into a cyborg-like utopian future. These transhumanists also want to encourage and support AI with a utopian future in mind. And many others see AI as only an important tool for business and other uses. How should we see and deal with AI in our lives today?

Transhumans or cyborgs are here today. People today with pacemakers, advanced prosthetics, cochlear implants, or other technological implants can be considered real-live cyborgs. They may not be like the Six Million Dollar Man from that old TV show who had superhuman capabilities, but they do have technological enhancements. And I also would argue that it is not much different than the basic tools we use today. Smart phones seem to almost be body parts for some people, but even a simple lever enhances our capabilities. So in some ways, we have been enhancing our abilities since Adam and Eve, and God started the technology enhancements with the technology of clothing (Genesis 3:21).

Today’s hype is all about enhancing our brain power with AI. Will that make us all cyborgs? Will that lead us to “evolve” beyond our biological selves to this posthuman future? Technology has always changed society. Unfortunately we do not always see the downsides of new technology. Social media is here to stay and it can be a good way to stay in contact with people. However, social media is also addictive and can create echo chambers of like thinking. AI has already been shown to be addictive when it becomes a companion. We need to evaluate the new technology, like AI, to make certain it is a good tool for us. You need to figure out what the cost of this new technology is.

Technology has a tendency to isolate, so does this technology help or hinder social relationships?
In making life easier in one part of your life, does this technology make another part of your life more difficult?
Does this technology make life easier for one segment of society at a cost to another segment of society?
Does this technology satisfy a felt need while costing you some real needs?

You need to evaluate any new technology. One may need to not use this technology if the cost is too high, or to limit its use to prevent addictions and harm to others. What is the cost of AI today? What will be the cost tomorrow when AI is much more powerful? How will it change society? How for the better and how for the worse? These are questions to ask and to decide what we can do and whether this is a technology that is good to use or not.

Note I only explored the posthuman future from an AI superintelligence viewpoint. Others see the posthuman future with biologically modified humans to be like elves, dwarves, dog-people, cat-people, vampires, and the like. This view also aims to free us from our biological constraints by modifying them.

As Christians, we know who we are and whose we are (Galatians 2:20). We have a God who loves us (1John 4:19), became human for us (John 1:1,14), and died for us (Romans 5:6-8). We are sons and daughters of the Heavenly King (2 Corinthians 6:18). We are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), so we are not constrained by our biology, because it is God who formed us (Psalm 139:13-16). We are who we are in order to serve him by serving others (Ephesians 2:10). Transhumanism and Posthumanism is all about using technology to become like God (Genesis 11:4). We are not God.

Let me leave you with this quote from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from a podcast (found in this AP article). “When people in the tech industry talk about building this one true AI, it’s almost as if they think they’re creating God or something.”

This post was inspired in part by the article “Resisting a Posthuman Future” by C. Ben Mitchell, found in the Summer 2025 edition of the Concordia Journal on page 21.

The Lord’s Prayer

The “Lord’s Prayer” or “Our Father” (Pater Noster) is a model prayer or a prototype that Jesus taught his disciples (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) when they asked him to teach them how to pray. It is not meant to be words that are recited to receive a blessing. It is good to intentionally pray it with sincerity and meaning, or to use it to fashion your own prayer.

In my praying of the Lord’s Prayer, I am going to use the version of the Lord’s Prayer that is commonly used in LCMS churches. It is based on the Matthew passage. This prayer was taken from the Book of Common Prayer (either the 1892 version or the 1928 version) when the LCMS was producing the 1941 hymnal which was in English and not German. I believe this English version of this Lord’s Prayer actually dates back to before the King James Bible, perhaps all the way back to Tyndale.

Our Father, who art in heaven. Heavenly Father, we thank you that because of Jesus, our high priest, you allow us to approach you and come before you (Hebrews 4:14-16). You are not a distant God but one who wants to be in relationship with us. Thank you!

Hallowed be thy name. Lord, you are holy and we are not. We sin. We ask that by our thoughts, actions and words we may live holy and pure lives for you (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). Make your name be holy in our lives and throughout the world. Strengthen us, because you alone are worthy of praise. May our lives exhibit that praise.

Thy kingdom come. Father, we ask that by your Spirit your kingdom would come to us and among us. You are reigning now (Psalm 103:19). Help us to see your reign. We wait for Jesus’ return when the fullness of the kingdom will be ushered in (1 Timothy 6:14-16).

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, your good and gracious will is being done, but we ask that it would be done among us also. Hinder the devil, the influences of the world, and our own sinful nature so that we may live our lives for you. Help us to know your will (Romans 12:1-2).

Give us this day our daily bread. Father God, we thank you for your provision. We thank you for allowing us to come to you with our needs and with our wants. In your gracious provision, you do supply everything we need (Psalm 145:15-16). We thank you! We ask that you continue to supply our needs, the food, the shelter, the peaceful environment, our faith, family, and so much more.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lord God, we sin daily. We are broken and corrupt and do not realize how thoroughly broken we are (Psalm 130:3-4). In your mercy, forgive us, renew us, and restore us, so that we may delight in you and walk in your ways. Remind us how so very much we have been forgiven so to help us to forgive others. We thank you, Jesus, for your death and resurrection so that by the Spirit we may have this new life.

And lead us not into temptation. Lord, we are asking that you would hinder the devil, the influences of the world, and our own sinful nature from leading us into sin, harmful behavior, false beliefs, and the like (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). Lord, you have freed us and so out of gratitude we desire to live life for you.

But deliver us from evil. Save us, Lord, from the evil in this world, especially protect us “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Praise to you, Triune God, for your great love! You reign! You are above all. No one can even closely compare to you. So all honor and glory and blessing are yours (Psalm 145:1-3; Revelation 5:12). It is all yours! (This last phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is not found in many manuscripts.)

Affirming People

Two women talking (Christina@wocintechchat)

Today’s culture is all about affirming people. You tell them they are good just as they are, or that they are better than good. “You are the best” is an affirmation that we all want to hear. It is good to encourage people, especially people with low self esteem, but are we being truthful when we affirm someone? Reality is we are not all hot stuff. In fact, none of us are hot stuff. We are all broken people in need of fixing.

Affirming someone means you validate, support, and/or encourage their identity, experiences, or beliefs and by doing so culture says you are recognizing their worth and value. It is good to treat everyone with dignity and respect, because everyone is of great value and worth, no matter how broken they are. God loves everyone, just as they are, but God also wants to move us to a better place, to restore us and to fix our brokenness. Why? It is because he loves us.

However, today’s culture sees everyone as naturally good, and affirming them is telling them they are okay and whatever problems they have are due to society. It is not their fault. People say “You just be you because you are the best”. Unfortunately, to some extent, it is their fault, and not society’s fault. We all are broken and sinful. It is our fault. Yes, society has its problems but it is because we are broken self-centered people. The problem is us. Each and every one of us are inclined to do evil. We are not naturally good. It is wrong to affirm harmful behavior. It is wrong to ignore our brokenness.

Over the centuries we have tried to solve this problem of our brokenness. Educating people did not change people’s behavior much. Enforcing many laws also did not change people’s behavior very much. Punishing people did not change people. Trying to change society did not fix the problem. And affirming everyone does not solve the problem and change people. All these are external actions. The real problem is internal. Deep down inside of us we are selfish self-centered people. Each and every one of us has this problem. We want things our way and we would also like to have the advantage. Because the problem is internal to each and every one of us, everytime we try to fix the issue we fail, because we can not fix it ourselves.

Fortunately, God loves us even in our brokenness, and he sent Jesus to provide a solution for our brokenness. God in Jesus took on human form, lived that perfect life free from sin and then went to the cross to pay our debt. He died on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, all who trust in him become children of God. The Holy Spirit is at work in us who believe, restoring us to become more like Jesus. Because of our internal change (which is a work in process), we can work for a better world. We can affirm God and his love because of all he has done for us.

So, affirming one another without recognizing our brokenness is harmful. This does not mean we cannot praise or encourage people for well done actions or thoughts. We can and we should, but we need to recognize that we are all still broken people. We cannot affirm people for the harmful actions and ideas that go against God’s holy standards. God’s standards are good for us. It may be kind to affirm someone with a harmful lifestyle, but that would not be the loving thing to do.

Yet, there is one way we can “affirm” everyone, no matter where they are at. It is by telling them “God loves you”. It is a truth that everyone needs to know. We just cannot affirm bad actions or bad ideas. Instead, culture today wants you to affirm everyone no matter what, but we cannot affirm bad behavior. Out of love, we need to address those harmful actions or ideas. Let us be affirming of all God has done, and let us share his love to everyone around us.

Love and Kindness

People today seem to want to replace the word love with the word kindness. I can understand since the English word love has a broad set of meanings and in society today the focus is on the romantic meaning of love, but though the words are similar they are also very different. To be kind is a good thing. In fact it is one of the nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. Love is another attribute. Love wants the best for the other person. Kindness does not necessarily have that motivation.

Being kind means you are friendly, generous, and considerate. Showing love (agape love) means the love is unconditional, sacrificial, and is an act of the will. Love is not a feeling, rather love acts with regard for the other person’s best interest. I like this definition from the book “God Space” (by Doug Pollock, p. 92): “Love is a commitment you make to act in someone else’s best interest. True love can only be known by the actions that it prompts.”

To illustrate the difference, suppose a grandmother was making dinner and her grandkids come up and want to have some cookies from the cookie jar. She would be kind if she handed them the cookie jar, but the loving thing to do would be to say no and say to wait until after dinner. Love puts the best interest of the other first. Being kind may not always be the best thing for the other person.

Another illustration shows that kindness is not demanding but love is. Suppose you give $10 to a homeless person. That is a kind act, but love would not give the $10 if you smelled alcohol on his breath. Instead in love you would volunteer to take him to a detox center. Love is demanding. With love you cannot keep the person at arm’s length like you can with kindness, rather you care and show concern with their best interests in mind.

There is a meme that states “Kindness is everything” and another meme that states “Just be kind”. These campaigns to be kind are good but they are lacking. They equate love and kindness, or they see kindness as love in action. By being kind you cannot use tough love. Kindness means you need to affirm and lift up the person. Sometimes you need to point out to the person some hard truths, like their actions are really destructive behavior. That would be the loving thing to do and it would not be kind.

Showing kindness is a good thing to do, but let us let our kind acts also be acts of love to show we truly care and are concerned for them. Kindness without love is empty.

Ancient Words

Ancient words ever true; Changing me, and changing you. We have come with open hearts; Oh let the ancient words impart. (Ancient Words by Michael W. Smith; songwriter is Lynn Deshazo)

The Bible is unique. It has been around for about 2000 to 3500 years and was written in 3 languages by about 40 different authors over about 1500 years. The Bible is estimated to have sold 5-7 billion copies and is the most popular book in the world for all time. It has staying power. For 2000 years it has been changing lives. The words found in the Bible are God’s words to a broken world. The story of the Bible is one of God, out of love, rescuing us and giving us a full life. The Bible is different from other religious texts. Other religious texts talk about what we have to do to get right with God or the world. The Bible tells us what God has done to make us right with him.

We know that this world is not as it should be and we desire an utopia where we all can live in peace and harmony. Through the centuries we have tried to create utopias but for every attempt we have failed. We have failed because we are all self-centered and selfish. We live lives centered on ourselves. We are broken. We cannot save ourselves from ourselves. Our self-centered brokenness corrupts everything we try. We need an outside power to save us from ourselves.

Thank you, God, for coming to save us from ourselves. God loves us so very much that he came to earth in Jesus to rescue us and restore that relationship. God saves us and gives us a new life in him. We are not there yet but God is at work in our broken lives, changing us to be more like Jesus. Today, we still many times fail to follow God’s standards even though they are good for us. Fortunately, God’s forgiveness is there for us to allow us to start afresh. He wants the best for us. One day, Jesus will return and that desire for a peaceful utopia will become a reality. In the Bible, God gives us hope and life. The Bible is about his story of restoration for us.

This is why the Bible is the best selling book in the world for all time. A good summary of the main theme of the Bible can be found in the introduction to “The Jesus Storybook Bible”. “The Story and the Song” is a video of the introduction of the book. Yes, the book is aimed at kids, but the introduction points out what the Bible is not and what is the main theme of the Bible. It is all about Jesus. These ancient words are always true and life changing.

Inductive/Deductive Bible Study

How do we read the Bible? We can read it with an inductive reasoning mindset or a deductive reasoning mindset. When you read inductively, you read a passage and from the details you derive some general life principles. It is a bottom up approach. When you read deductively, you start with a premise or a theory and you look at a passage to verify (or not) the premise. It is a top down approach. There are valid reasons to use both approaches, and there are potential problems with each approach.

When you read the Bible, context is everything. You can avoid a lot of problems if you put the passage in context. The Bible is a library of 66 books, written about 2000 to 3500 years ago by about 40 human authors. Though the Bible was written for us to read, it was written to the people of that time and place. How did the original hearers understand it? So there are several questions to ask. What is the historical context of the passage? What is the cultural context? Is it a historical document, a letter, poetry or something else? What is the context in regard to the surrounding passages? What is the context to other passages (and books) of the same time period? And what is the context in relation to the overarching story of Jesus and his work here? Context is very important!

To understand how those who originally understood it, we also need to know how life was different between then and modern day. What things are important today that were not important back then, and what are the things important back then that are not important today? This applies to the cultural context. One example is today we are very individualistic and back then they were much more family and community oriented.

This sounds overwhelming. Do not worry. There are resources available to help you read and study the Bible. Study Bibles, study guides, and many Christian books are good resources to help you interpret the Bible. I do make use of them. They are helpful. That is why it is good to also learn how Christians in the past have interpreted the Bible for the Holy Spirit has enlightened Christians in the past as he continues to do so today. The Christian faith, though personal, is a faith that is found in community. Therefore the biblical understanding of Christians in the past and the present, under careful scrutiny of Holy Scripture, can be a guide to help you interpret the Bible. Let us get back to inductive and deductive reasoning.

If you are using the inductive reasoning approach then you need to decide what general theological principles are found in the passage. Once you have determined the potential theological principles then you need to find other passages to prove that it is a valid theological principle. (There should also be one passage in the New Testament validating your principle.) Once validated then you need to put it into practice. One needs to be careful not to a priori determine the principle or principles.

If you are using the deductive reasoning approach then you need to determine whether the passage fits the premise or topic that you had a priori determined. Again, are there other passages that fit your topic? (And again there should be one in the New Testament.) Many times with a deductive Bible study, the topic has been determined by others and you are in a topical Bible study where you are reading a list of passages that should support the topic. All the passages in context should support the topic. You need to be careful of the context and your own biases.

If you want to find something in the Bible to prove your point, there is a good chance that you can find it, but it will most likely not be in context of the surrounding verses or of the Bible in general. For an extreme example. Charles Manson used the book of Revelation, in particular chapter 9, to promote his violent vision of the future and his use of the Beatles songs. (The locusts were the Beatles.) Charles Manson looked at the Bible to authenticate his violent vision. He found what he was looking for, and by his reasoning deduced his proof. The problem was that he set out to use the Bible to authenticate his beliefs, and not to discover what the Bible had to say. His proof passages were out of context and his vision did not fit with the rest of the Bible. We need to be careful to keep things in context and to be careful to let our reasoning, desires, and feelings not bias how we read the Bible. There are many other examples of people using the Bible to authenticate their beliefs or viewpoints. Avoid doing it.

Sometimes people allow tradition, a person’s writings, cultural beliefs, certain moral values, science, or even reason to have the same or higher authority than the Bible. I believe the Bible is the true and only real authority. Do not discount or water down what the Bible says. Again, so when studying the Bible, context is important and be aware of your biases. And have other Christians confirm your interpretation.

For more information on studying the Bible, check out “Read, Mark, Learn, and Inwardly Digest” and “Is the Bible Wicked?”.

Coasting

A question I am asking myself is “Am I coasting?” If I am coasting through life then I am not striving for something. When I am coasting, I am going downhill. I need to be intentional (and disciplined) in living my life. When I coast, I just live and react, and let my desires and the influences of the culture determine my response. Instead I should be living for God and responding to life’s issues in a God-pleasing way. That takes intentionality.

We live in a very self-centered culture. Today’s culture does not help us live a life for God. Comfort and convenience for oneself are promoted. There is nothing wrong with convenience or comfort, but we need to make certain that it is not self-centered desires driving our life. If I coast, I tend to let my desires as well as cultural influences determine my actions. While coasting I tend to let convenience and comfort dictate my actions. That is not good or altogether healthy. I need a plan, a “rule of life” (a pattern of habits), to live by to help me counteract my selfish desires and the cultural influences.

I set up a “rule of life” two years ago, and I found that to be quite helpful but I do not always follow it and end up coasting through life instead of being intentional. The good news is the “rule of life” has created some habits so when I am coasting many of those good habits from the “rule of life” are still active. However, when I am coasting I miss opportunities to serve God and others.

My motivation for the “rule of life” is not to do something to earn the name of Christian or to even become a “better Christian”, rather I am motivated to serve God for his glory out of love and gratitude for what he has done for me. Jesus came to earth to take the punishment I deserve. He saved me and gave me a full life. As I rest in his love, mercy and grace, how can I not seek to give him thanks and show him love by living a life he desires. Fortunately, I am empowered by his Spirit to live this full life. So all praise and honor belong to him.

I am committed to serve Jesus Christ. The “rule of life” needs more than only good intentions. It also needs discipline to do and build the habits found in the “rule of life”. And so with the help of the Holy Spirit I strive to live a life that pleases him. I fail more times than I wish, but God is a work in me to make me more Christ-like. It is with that hope or expectation I move forward. I feel my “rule of life” is a helpful tool for me.

Maybe creating your own “rule of life” would be helpful for you. I would encourage you to give it a try. It has helped me to avoid coasting through life.