A Verse to Chew On

As my mother used to say when I was little, "I have a hundred and one things to do and not forever and a day to do them in!"...wasn't sure what in the world that meant when I was 8 years old...at 48 I am totally feelin' it! :-)

In spite of my extremely busy day and my hangover* [a hangover not due to imbibing lest you question my integrity - but a hangover from trying to keep up with my teenage daughters this weekend ;-)] I just couldn't let today go by without posting a  verse for us to chew on this week.

I found the address of this portion of scripture on a post-it note (my life is on post-it notes at this point) on my cluttered desk this morning as I was trying to sort through and make some sense of my day.  It was in my handwriting but I had no recollection of when or why I jotted it down.  So I plugged it into my laptop on Bible Resources and had it pop-up in several translations.

The one that really jumped out at me and even created a visual image in my mind's eye [see below] was out of The Message and actually encompassed 3 verses instead of the usual 1 that I like to camp on.  When you read it I think you will see why...

So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives.  Don't lazily step back into those old groves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing.  You didn't know any better then; you do now.  As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness.  God said, "I am holy; you be holy."

1 Peter 1:13-16

Did this image pop into your head as well?  When I thought of this image of a determined looking woman with her sleeves rolled up I didn't realize that it contained this perfect 'speech-bubble' caption as well.  This portion of scripture is a mouth full to chew on...it's a warning, challenge and encouragement that may seem too much for us...and if we are trying to flesh in out in our mere human abilities we will fall short.  But we can do it if we seek the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

The more busy we are the more likely we are to become lazy or rather complacent in our spiritual lives...and this can lead us on a path to a destination we really don't want to reach.  Perhaps that is why I came across the post-it note this morning.  As I zip through my busy life, trying to get done those 101 things I mentioned before, I need to make sure that I am not just rolling up my sleeves to get those jobs done, but that I need to roll up my spiritual sleeves first and foremost so that my life really counts and is 'shaped by God'.

I would love to hear what you get out of our verses as you chew on them today! :-)

Serving Him and you,
~Michelle...ApronGirl