Dot to Dot
I have always loved to color. I’m not a “real” artist: I can’t draw freehand. I do get enthusiastic about being creative. I thrive on decorating, rubber stamping, scrap-booking, occasional sewing or crafting, styling outfits, photography… I just like playing with color. When I was small, I liked finding dot to dot pictures in my coloring books. You know, those pictures that had just one element surrounded by a bunch of dots with numbers. The goal was to create a finished picture by starting on the dot labeled with the number one and then connect each sequential dot with a line until the picture was complete. It was so fun to see what the picture would turn out to be. It was as close to drawing freehand as I could get. I enjoyed the combination of being creative and figuring out a puzzle of sorts. I especially enjoyed the ones where you couldn’t tell what the picture was until you were nearly done! The other morning as I spent time with Jesus, he gave me a dot-to-dot adventure.
I tend to read various portions of scripture each morning. They aren’t passages necessarily designed to be read together, so often there is no obvious correlation between the different verses I read. On this particular morning I began by reading Philippians 2:1-11. Paul is writing to the Philippians, encouraging them to be more unified. He begins with reminding them of benefits they receive because they are believers in Jesus Christ. He moves on to challenge them with the idea that since God is so generous to them, they need to be focused on working together to tell more people of God’s goodness and plan of salvation. He clinches his argument by giving the example of Jesus, who is in fact God’s son with all power and divinity, and yet he chose to be as humble as the lowest servant and gave up his very life so that man could have a relationship with God the Father. Paul reminds the Philippians that the goal is to have everyone acknowledge Jesus is Lord. That’s a good goal, I can go with that.
What grabbed my immediate attention though were the items Paul first mentioned in Philippians 2. Because I am a Christ follower I have been given gifts that fill color in my life: 1.) I get to be encouraged; I have encouragement always available to me because of Christ, who He is and what He’s done for me; 2.) I am loved; 3.) That love provides comfort; calm, soothing, warming to my soul; 4.) I have fellowship. I have a constant companion, a sweet relationship, a friend, someone to always hangout with. Bonus: this friend is none other than God Almighty; 5.) I have been given and continue to receive mercy. I am accepted for who I am and I am forgiven. Wow! That list is amazing! It’s like Christmas every day!
And it does make sense that if God is going to be so generous to me, shouldn’t I want to be as generous to those around me so that more could know Jesus as Lord and cash in on those same gifts? I admit that when I begin to think about what Paul admonishes in verse 3, “…each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.” my selfish inner diva takes a giant step forward in protest. It’s tough stuff having the same attitude as Jesus.
On that same morning I also read Psalm 31:1-5. The Psalmist seems to be having a tough day, tough week, tough year in the beginning of this Psalm. He’s begging God for vindication, to be rescued, delivered quickly! He acknowledges that God is his protector, refuge and stronghold. He trusts God with His life because God is faithful. My initial reaction to the Psalm was a basic warm fuzzy; when I am in desperate need, God will be my safety net. God wouldn’t let me stick with that. He prompted me to take a second look and verses 3 and 4 became more prominent.
“For you are my high ridge and my stronghold; for the sake of your own reputation you lead and guide me. You will free me from the net they hid for me, for you are my place of refuge.”
This is where God began to draw some dots and number them so that I could follow where He was leading me, and grasp the picture He was sketching. Dot #1: God gently asked me “what net are you becoming entangled in?” I began to think about Philippians 2 and my selfish inner diva. Dot #2: God really cut at my diva-syndrome because he pointed out that He would free me from the net, FOR THE SAKE OF HIS OWN REPUTATION. It wasn’t about me. Dot #3: My mind went back to Philippians 2 and the benefits I receive because I’m a Christ follower. God is gracious to give me encouragement, acceptance, fellowship, comfort and forgiveness because that’s who He is. He is my refuge. Dot #4: Since Christ is freeing me, since my life is about His reputation, since God is continuously generous to me, since I claim Him as my refuge and stronghold, I am to choose to not do anything out of selfish ambition and look to the interests of others. That’s who I am to be as a Christ follower. Dot #5: This nothing out of selfish ambition life is summed up in the phrase “Have the same attitude as Jesus.” The very life that God calls me to, is the very life He gives to me. Dot #6: I can trust God to enable and equip me because He is faithful.
My heart and mind are still striving to keep track of the dots and grasp the truth God revealed to me. As in with most dot-to-dot pictures, you end where you began. God is faithful. He is faithful to encourage me as I submit to being united with the very person of Jesus. His love will comfort me when I struggle with the cost of having the same attitude as Jesus, and as I continue to commit to squashing my inner diva for the honor and glory of his reputation. I don’t have to walk this journey alone, God delights in fellowship with me. And the truth that Jesus loves me and has forgiven me provides a firm foundation that anchors me.
I anxiously wait to see which colors God chooses to fill in the picture He is creating. The picture known as me.
