The following truisms were received over the past few years by the Burwell family from Grandmother Virginia Burwell:
For God’s People:
1. The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not cover you.
2. God speaks to each of us every day. It is our choice to listen. The gift of free will we possess, allows us to make the decision to follow His direction or not.
3. Whenever we work close to another person, whether in an office or home, small offenses can become the source of great conflict. Resentment and irritability soon follow. God brings these “offenses” into our lives to develop character qualities in us. He uses individuals in our lives to accomplish His goal of making us more Christ-like. So the next time you complain or resist a habit or action from someone close to you, ask God if it has been placed there to develop some quality in you.
4. Pride is the root source of the need to change another person. A man’s wisdom gives him patience to let go of little offenses. This is where spiritual maturity is seen in the day-to-day activity of life. Is there someone close to you who has some habit you really desire to change? Give up that desire to the Lord. Who knows, He may even change it after you let go of the need to change it. Proverbs 19:11
5. “Genetic Predisposition”
Illustration: Aspen trees have a root system that is invasive, “traveling” underground and “popping up”, becoming new Aspen trees. Left to themselves they will crowd out other plants in the garden and dominate the space. There are two ways to control: “Kill the parent” or chop off the roots coming from the “parent”. The latter will have to be done consistently until they no longer affect the “garden”.
God wants us to apply this illustration to ourselves. All of us have genetic predispositions (the sins of the fathers). When I “heard” the two words above while in the bathtub this AM, I was reminded of words I got in January of 2007…..“To avoid the consequences, COMMIT to being CONSISTENT”
6. There are many disciplines that are needed to be learned and experienced to produce the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Here are a few examples:
- Disciplines in relationships (God, family, friends)
- Disciplines in environment (church, home, school, etc)
- Disciplines in care for physical body (food, habits, cleanliness, etc)
You can probably list many more.
Tulip planting illustration: Tulips need cold to bloom (40 degrees or below) and to be planted in the Fall, 6 inches deep in the soil, in order for them to bloom in the Spring. Their “disciplines” seem harsh by our standards, but that is what it takes for them to produce strong, upright, colorful blooms, to be what God intended to be.
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