40 Days Closer to Christ

What if they decided to hold a concert and every member of the orchestra showed up with their instruments tuned anyway they wanted? I’ve been to a few middle school concerts and I have to tell you that it wouldn’t be good. There must be some standard to which all the instruments are tuned, or else you end up with a cacophony. But not only do the instruments need to be tuned, but they need to be tuned to a Master note.

In my house I have three guitars. (Actually since my kids played rock star with one of them only two are playable, but for illustration purposes lets suppose all three can be played.) If I tune one of them to with a pitch pipe or with an electronic tuner than I am pretty sure that it is conditioned for optimal performance. Now I can go to the second guitar and tune it by the first one. And I can get around to tuning the third one by using the second. Theoretically, all three should be tuned up just right. But if I strum a note on the third one, and check it with the tuner, more than likely it will be a little flat or a little sharp. It is just not quite in tune. No matter how good my ear is, a little variation sneaks in as they get tuned down the line. All three guitars have different tones and pitches but if they are all tuned with the electronic tuner and to the same standard then they sound good together.

It is the same way with us. We can get pretty close to where we should be in our spirituality, in our righteousness, and in our walk with God by sharpening ourselves against each other, but we will always be a little off. We need to go back to the Master to make sure that we are where we need to be. It is Christ alone who is the standard by which we measure ourselves. And it is by Him alone that we will be able to perform as we should. That is why we take forty days leading up to Easter and use it to draw closer to Christ and to reestablish our discipleship.

Forty days is the optimal period to form a new habit, to establish a new practice, and to change the pattern of your life. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an activity (we won’t use the word program) that can change your life.

Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. When God brings about change, the scriptures often represent a significant event as having a forty day duration. Noah’s world was changed forever in forty days. Moses saw God face to face and in forty days received the word which is still the basis for law and government. The city of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and turned away God’s wrath in the space of forty days. David became a hero after all Israel cowered under Goliath’s forty day challenge. Elijah lived by faith for forty days after God sustained him with one meal. The disciples were given the mysteries of the kingdom as they were taught by the Lord during an intensive forty day seminar after the resurrection. Jesus prepared with a forty day fast for a ministry which culminated in the salvation of mankind.

We can grow closer to the Savior as we study His life and His appearances throughout scripture. We become the people we should as we strive to lead a life of diligent discipleship. In these forty days we can review and renew the vital things that bring us to the Lord. We can refresh our memories and recall the eternal truths of who God is, who we are, and how we can have a close relationship with Him. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an opportunity to more fully develop that relationship, so that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Day 6 ~ Abba, Father (Romans 8:14)


When we are baptized we come into a family – we take upon us the family name: the name of Christ. As children of Christ we are to do the works of Christ. This is what families do. When we take upon us Christ's name, then we have to be sure that we represent Him rightly. There is an ancient story about a Greek boy who joined the armies of Alexander the Great. The boy in seeing his first battle became very afraid and turned and ran from the battlefield. The penalty for cowardice in Alexander's army, just as with most armies throughout history, was death. However, the boy's age caused his commanders to have pity on him, so an appeal was made to the great conqueror himself. Alexander looked at the boy for a moment then asked him, "What is your name, boy?" "My name is Alexander," the boy replied. The Conqueror scowled at this response. "What is your name?" He asked again. "Alexander, sir," came the reply. "Your name is Alexander?" roared the King. "Yes, it is Alexander, sir," the boy cowered. Alexander the Great in his great command voice said, "Soldier, I pardon you because of your age. But I order to either change your conduct or change your name." There are few things as precious as a good name. We need to bring honor and not shame to His holy name. It is our name, too.

One of the blessings of having Christ as our Father is that we know His great love because we have examined His life. We also know of Heavenly Father's great love for us through the example of Jesus. We know that as children we need not have fear to come into their presence. The scriptures tell us that we should come boldly unto the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) not fearing for "perfect love cast(s) out fear" (1 John 4:18). A child does not fear a parent. At least, they shouldn't. A child approaches with full confidence the father's chair, a child comes up and tugs upon mother's apron, as they boldly and in full expectation come and seek audience and communion with a parent. We expect them to - and we lovingly give them what they seek. As children of God we should also come in a childlike way "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, (and) willing to submit" (Mosiah 3:19) but in full expectation that He will receive as His own.

Sometimes, my daughter, Malyn, used to come and crawl up on my lap and tell me some little fact from her day, as she might reach out and twirl my hair. We would share a small moment before she got back down and went about her little busy life. She had that reassuring moment of love and closeness with me and her cup was refilled, her self-esteem renewed, and her sense of belonging and identity confirmed. She didn't realize what was going on - it had no deep meaning to her - she just came and spoke with daddy. But just the same it was another brick in the foundation of her self - for "Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land." She looked into my eyes and saw that I loved her. This is how a child develops who they are as they interact with their parents. Is it not the same with us and God? Paul says that by the spirit we can cry Abba (Galatians 4:6). Abba is an Aramaic word meaning not father but "daddy." Whether it be with Heavenly Father in prayer or with Christ in diligent discipleship, we go and commune with daddy. We walk with them in paths of righteousness. It is the closeness of the child with a parent. These are the spiritual foundations of what we are to become. 1 John 3:2 says that we are the children "of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him."

It is vital to us that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known. The world can never give us any real sense of who we are. The world's sense of what constitutes good self-worth and a good self-esteem is a house of cards at best. It is reflective glory in things that can fade and die and rust. It is much more important that we go and crawl up on Father's lap and spend time together with Him. Then we shall begin to find out who we are. True eternal self-esteem can only be found in the mirror of God's eyes upon us. We will begin to know ourselves when we see what we are in His eyes. We rightly teach our children to sing - I am a child of God. This is who we are.
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