The Humility of the Trinity

Have you ever thought about the fact that neither the Father God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit draw attention to themselves? In the Bible we don't read one of the members of the Trinity saying, "Praise me!" Or, "Look how great I am!"

In some places God may seem to draw attention to himself, but this is God as a Trinity, a holy community of love, and it's for our good that we recognize and appreciate the reality of God's goodness and beauty.

The New Testament unfolds for us some of the glorious mystery of the Three in the One and how they shine a spotlight on one another...

The Father thunders from heaven for all to hear: "Jesus is my beloved son and in him I am well pleased!"

The Son proclaims in public: "The Father is greater than all!" And is protective of the Holy Spirit, not himself, "It's okay if you blaspheme me, but don't ever blaspheme the Holy Spirit!"

And the Holy Spirit cries out from the heart and out the lips of every Christian: "Abba Father!" "Jesus is Lord!"

And on top of this, "The Lord stoops down to make you and I great!" (Psalm 18:35) The Father adopts us as his beloved children! Jesus goes to the cross to die for us! The Holy Spirit makes our bodies his temple!

Knowing God like this inspires our admiration for his true greatness, our trust in his love, and our ability to love others with humble generosity.

A Friend who Sticks Closer than a Brother

The Wisdom of Solomon says, "A person with many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). Do you have a friend like this?

The best and most faithful friend we could have is Jesus. The most important thing we can do in life is to cultivate our relationship with him. There are many ways to do this. Perhaps the most needed in our culture is to set aside a block of time simply to "hang out" with Jesus, just like you would with a friend.

"Jesus, what shall we do together today?" This is how I begin my Sabbath day, which is usually on Fridays.

Last Friday, Jesus and I went back to the ocean. We talked about many things as we walked on the beach and on the bluffs above. We sat together on a rock surrounded by water.

I prayed Psalm 131. I meditated on it and journaled from it. I imagined going to the Lord like a child just as David describes in the Psalm. I remembered Jesus saying, "Bring the little children to me" and I brought the boy in me to Jesus! I journaled from it. I sang it to the One I love. 100's of times over the course of the day I prayed a line I adapted from it: "Jesus, you are enough for me!"

Jesus wants to be our Friend! And he restores our soul when we spend time together as friends.

How do you cultivate friendship with Jesus?

Father's Day

What was Father's Day like for you?

I was blessed to be with all three of my teenage kids and to be appreciated by them. The highlight of my day was my 16-year old daughter taking me on a 6 mile hike in the hills and celebrating by sharing a smoothie afterward. She suggested this because she knows how much I enjoy hiking in nature and praying. We talked about many things ranging from teenage boys to the scenery to God.

It's a special thing for a parent when your child takes initiative to say "I love you!"

I did this for my father by having him over for a meal and affirming him before my family with a number of examples of how he has blessed me in my life. (This is a tradition in our family for birthdays and other celebrations. My wife or I get the ball rolling by saying, "Let's all say something we appreciate about ________." Or, "What have you noticed about __________ that you admire.")

For you this may have been a hard day due to hurts with your father or disappointments with children.

But all of us have the same Heavenly Father and he loves us perfectly! Sadly, it's easy for us to overlook our Father God and neglect to bless him with words of appreciation, taking initiative to spend time with him , doing a special kindness for him.

I've found that God likes it when I smile and call him my "Abba" - and I like it too!

God's Love is Oceanic!

I spent the last week at the ocean, celebrating my 23rd wedding anniversary with Kristi.

I love the ocean! Water as far as I can see and merging into the sky at the horizon. Wave after wave in rhythm - they never stop coming ashore and sounding in my soul.

God's love is oceanic! It's everywhere. It's the rhythm of life. It's our source of life. It sings in our soul - if we let it.

I love to be still before the ocean and breathe in deep... To listen... To feel... To pray... To be immersed in God's love...

If you don't live near the ocean go to a lake or a river, a mountain or meadow. Open your soul to God and smile in the sanctuary of his Spirit.