2024-04-13 A Meditation on Vitality

“4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Php 4:4-9 ESV)

Rather the opposite of frazzled, there is some no worse for the wear vitality in man and woman’s expose. In their outlook. In their mindset. The world punishes on some undescribed, unbelieved, unaccepted level called Persecution, and we, no worse for the wear because the Holy Spirit coaches and builds up, remain angular and positive, ready and willing, able and True. The tired prophet is a dynamo Alive and with alacrity, rightly seeing life for what and how it plays out. Properly contributing his or her bold word of Faith, Encouragement, Positivity, worldly-wizened Wisdom.

For the game, the Call, the Moment we live into, is one of choice: choice between a flatlined alternate call, or a mainline Christian and soldiering Call. The latter being our rightful inheritance as those fulfilling some Great Commission, some ancestral or neighborly passed-down Awareness and Readiness. The mainline Christian and Soldiering Call makes of us not fools but still those accused of foolhardiness, of lack of calculating wisdom, or lack of sinister greed, let’s be honest.

The longing, then; the thirst; the dream puzzled over or incriminating, as to how and what spiritual evasions and unholy outlays do trouble us: these things are moot in light of a repentance-based turn to the Cross. These things are moot if we dare lance forth with the certainty of Forgiveness being needful and being too available, on tap, at the ready, longing for our touch, longing for Christ’s touch.

That is, we fear to be blunted or worn down, if too much we put forth Cruciform radical faith. We fear to have our sportsmanship and our presence, our relevance and our unique insights, hated and cause for personal belittlement, lessening our self-assurance, our confidence, our Purpose assigned, drafted to Serve, Gifted to share. But no, we are no worse for the wear; we are those survivors of rampant War. We are those suckling lambs post Assault. We are those nursing habitats, motherly love for Child, fatherly coaching and patience, love for Child. We are right to boast of a sharp tack, an angularity, a post-going-all-the-way Rectitude. Rightness, rightful estate, righteous indignation and bravery. The call to Serve is the Call to remain vulnerable and exposed, on display in a way some would veer away from out of embarrassment or caution.

But we are not embarrassed nor cautious to be bold about what is True, what has Shaped us, what has Formed us and grown us, weaned us and taught us. We are forward and front and center because He has a life post-death. He has a life gifted and bequeathed, a behest Beauteous and Calling, fruitful and ready, eager and patient, needful and composed.