From One to One

From One to One

Genesis 2: ²¹ And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. ²² Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

²³ And Adam said:

“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

²⁵ And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

 

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Permanence is what I think of when I read this passage. When GOD made Adam, HE fashioned his ribcage with twenty-four ribs. To get that rib, GOD had to surgically remove it, so HE put Adam into a deep sleep. HE then closed up the flesh as if nothing happened.

 

My Observations:

• GOD planned a special creation for man and woman.
• GOD may have also planned multiple races when HE made humans.
• GOD used the material that was created from HIS breath to create woman.

 

All of the beasts, insects and creeping things were made from the earth. So was Adam. But the woman was created special. Equally intelligent, yet different in anatomy. GOD made a wife for Adam. Now he had someone “comparable” to him. A helper.

 

I can’t help thinking that Moses interjects with an observation. An out of place statement leads me to believe that Moses had an “aha” moment as if to say, “Oh, that’s why a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they become one flesh.” Because GOD had one bone to make a second person, but they would be able to join together sexually, as well as work together in harmony, tending to the garden and naming the animals.

 

There was perfect harmony when the woman was made. Both were naked and shame was unknown. No disease. No problems. Just GOD, man and woman.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD give Moses the quote from Adam?
• Have you ever dreamed of a time when there was perfect harmony?
• What does harmony amongst humans and GOD look like to you?

 

Glue of Peace

Glue of Peace

Ephesians 4: ³ Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as there is one hope to which God has called you. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ there is one God and Father of all people, who is Lord of all, works through all, and is in all.

 

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Seeking to “win”, we met as a team. One group was doing things different than the way we expected. We met to counter what they were doing and came up with a plan. None of us slept well when that plan failed. We were tired of the battle.

 

• I thought “I” could be right as long as I was on the winning side.
• I figured something was “wrong” with them because a group of us saw things a certain way.
• I was ready to “fight” and lost sleep because I was trying to do my part to control other people.

 

Paul urges everyone to “preserve the unity” which is given by the HOLY SPIRIT. He then explains what that looks like, just in case people were seeking a relative truth. He points to the only winning side, namely to follow CHRIST.

 

• There is one body and one SPIRIT and one hope that GOD has called me to.
• There is one LORD, one faith and one baptism to which I base my life.
• There is one GOD and FATHER of all people who is LORD of all, works through all and is in all, even a sinner like me.

 

Peace is what the HOLY SPIRIT uses to bind all of us together. I mean, when I am at peace, problems seem smaller, aches seem to go away faster and the future seems brighter. But when I feel discontent, people are a problem, circumstances seem to linger forever, I lose sleep and aches and pains nag at me.

 

Discontent seems to be the enemy of peace. This can breed in me the feeling that I need to fight or control or “lose.” BUT GOD wants me bound together with HIS family. HE knows how messy my life can be and wants me to have peace anyway so I can be unified with other messy people. I am glad GOD gives me “one” path

 

Challenge

• What “unity” is the writer speaking of?
• Have you ever looked at other people as being the cause of your problems?
• What accountability is GOD calling you to?
• Will you take “blame” or “discontent” or “rage” from your first actions and replace it with “unity” by means of “peace” from the HOLY SPIRIT today?

Fine Just As You Are

1 Corinthians 12: ¹⁴ For the body itself is not made up of only one part, but of many parts. ¹⁵ If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear were to say, “Because I am not an eye, I don't belong to the body,” that would not keep it from being a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were just an eye, how could it hear? And if it were only an ear, how could it smell? ¹⁸ As it is, however, God put every different part in the body just as he wanted it to be. ¹⁹ There would not be a body if it were all only one part! ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts but one body.

 

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After being talked about by many people, I wondered if I was broken beyond repair. Too skinny, too poor, too messy, too out of fashion were the many insults hurled at me. The world had placed negative labels on me that I wondered if they were true.

 

• I started to doubt my value.
• I wondered if I could amount to anything.
• I sometimes felt useless.

 

Paul explains that looking at someone else’s gifts and talents may cause a person to doubt the value of their own. He used an analogy of feet, ears and eyes to illustrate how necessary each person is to the body of CHRIST.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to value other people’s gifts and talents.
• GOD wants me to also value my gifts and talents.
• GOD wants me to understand that no one is inferior or superior.

 

Feeling “less than” is a serious problem. I mean, making someone feel less than their gifts and talents GOD has given them is a serious offense. But also, envying someone because of their gifts and talents can cause problems as well. What is the remedy? Be thankful.

 

When I am thankful for my gifts as well as other people’s gifts, I can broaden my world to more than me. My life becomes abundant when I praise GOD for others and for how HE made me. I am glad HE says “I saved you in the middle of your sins.” This shows me HE loves me just as I am.

 

Challenge

• What does this passage say about the “body?”
• What value do you place on your gifts and talents? How about other people’s gift?
• Will you seek to value how GOD made you and how HE made other people different for HIS purpose?

Broken Mirror

 Broken Mirror

1 Corinthians 12 ¹² Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. ¹³ In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptized into the one body by the same Spirit, and we have all been given the one Spirit to drink.

 

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When I was moving, I threw a hand mirror in a box with books and other hard items. While unpacking I noticed it was cracked. I could still use the mirror, but it just wasn’t the same.

 

• I am part of larger group.
• I am a broken piece of a whole mirror.
• I am part of the entire body of CHRIST, but I need other broken pieces.

 

“Let us make man in OUR image” was the creation of the mirror. But when Adam sinned, the entire mirror was broken. It could no longer reflect GOD as a whole. Each piece could reflect a tiny portion, but not the whole being.

 

My Observation

• GOD wants me to know I am part of CHRIST, but only a part.
• GOD wants me to understand that I need other pieces of the mirror to reflect HIM properly.
• GOD wants me to seek the other broken pieces to put the mirror back together.

 

Knowing one part of the mirror is not more important than another part is the beginning. I mean, when I move a piece of the mirror to the eye or the ear, it reflects what is shown. BUT GOD wants an entire reflection. HE wants all the pieces put back together.

 

But what happens when they are all together? Wouldn’t there still be a crack? Yes. But somehow the HOLY SPIRIT removes the crack when we are “baptized into the one body” by HIM. HE guides us to see we all need each other to truly reflect GOD. I am glad I need other pieces.

 

Challenge

• What are your observations about the differences spoken here?
• What do you notice about the HOLY SPIRIT?
• Do you feel you are a part of something much bigger?
• Will you seek CHRIST and be added into the body today?

Oneness

Oneness

1 Corinthians 10: ¹⁴ So then, my dear friends, keep away from the worship of idols. ¹⁵ I speak to you as sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶ The cup we use in the Lord's Supper and for which we give thanks to God: when we drink from it, we are sharing in the blood of Christ. And the bread we break: when we eat it, we are sharing in the body of Christ. ¹⁷ Because there is the one loaf of bread, all of us, though many, are one body, for we all share the same loaf.

 

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We were told to get in the pool and splash around. After a while the instructor said “Stop.” Nothing happened. But when we were told to move together in a circle, something happened, the water began to move in the same circular direction and momentum picked up. Soon the force of the water was difficult to stop.

 

• I see that being one is powerful.
• I see that being one is unstoppable.
• I see that being one is incredible beyond belief.

 

Paul uses a common practice to point at something new. He spoke of the LORD’s supper as something that could be used to thank GOD for JESUS volunteering to die a bloody death. He also explains that though there are many people, we all share one loaf because we are one body.

 

• GOD wants me to desire unity.
• GOD wants me to want HIS way not my individual way.
• GOD wants me to be unified under HIM through JESUS who died for “our” sins.

 

Believing in JESUS is not enough for HIM. I mean it saves me, but what about everyone else? GOD wants all of HIS creations to be saved. HE does not take this lightly. There is nothing more important to HIM than collecting all of HIS creations.

 

Unfortunately, there is an enemy who tries to steal this message of love away and twist it into a strange message, not heard by those deafened by him. BUT GOD says “Give thanks” because a thankful heart can hear. I gladly heed the warning to stay away from idols and give GOD thanks for all HE provides.

 

• What are you thankful for?
• Do you thank JESUS for dying for your sins?
• Will you seek unity under JESUS today by surrendering your life to HIM?

Broken Mirror

Broken Mirror

Romans 12: ⁴ We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. ⁵ In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. ⁶ So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; ⁷ if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.

 

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Preserving some of my junk in the move, I wrapped a mirror in newspaper to protect it. I placed the mirror in a box with books because it seemed like a perfect fit. Somewhere in transport, the mirror broke. Since it was still in the frame, I used it. I learned how to navigate the cracks for different purposes.

 

• There have been many times when I pondered my purpose.
• There have been many times when I wondered if I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.
• There have been many times when I questioned my purpose compared to another person’s purpose.

 

Paul tries to convince everyone to use their gifts and talents for the LORD. He eludes to the fact that some people are gifted one way and others are gifted another. Each person has a gift that they can do extremely well and it should be used for GOD.

 

• GOD wants me to use the gifts and talents HE gave me to serve HIM.
• GOD wants me to know I am not gifted in all ways, so I need other people.
• GOD wants me to be in union with others so together, we can make one body, which is CHRIST.

 

When the first human sinned, every human fell to GOD’s discipline. Every human became a sinner. We used to be made in GOD’s perfect image but fell to pieces, individually reflecting GOD, one tiny fragment at a time. My reflection is only part of one huge mirror that attempts to show GOD.

 

My fragment is no more or less important that another. It takes GOD to pick up the broken mirror and put it together to make something that can reflect HIM. HE fuses the broken pieces together so the entirety can be used. I am grateful GOD takes my tiny faith and connects it to other broken people.

 

• Do you think your gift is not valuable?
• Do you feel less than other people?
• Will you stop looking at other people and allow GOD to show you your gift and talent so you can use it to glorify HIM today?