The halfbaked Bard

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He, who

He made Him, who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor:5:21 He made - God purposed Him- Jesus Who knew no sin - Absolutely holy To be sin - bore all the sin of the world and it's punishment. On our behalf - I was supposed to face that wrath So that - because of love We might - God was mindful of me Become the righteousness of God - His righteousness was imputed upon me In Him - all through Jesus. Image credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/cross-with-nails-crown-of-thorns-and-hammer-gm469233876-61451210

Compels us

2 Cor:5:14 Christ's love controls us. Christ's love compels us. It pushes us to obey radically, illogically (in world's eye view). There are people who forsake a lucrative career and prospective of earning tonnes, to go out to the unreached. There are people who forsake scholarships to Oxford and Yale and high scores in competitive exams, just to obey what their Father has told them. I know such people personally. But did they gain something (in accordance to the standards of the world)? Nothing. They have only lost. But they go back, contented, satisfied, knowing fully that they obeyed what their Father has told them to do, in His wonderful and perfect plan. Because this God's love compels them. In the middle of joint pains and frustrations, if you have been available for your brother. In the middle of your prospective career growth, if you are taking an off route, because you felt called to do something different. When others are running in on...

Endure

2 Cor:4:18 For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. Unless we live with this perspective, there is no hope, there is no strength to endure, there is no sap left to hold on. For endurance depends on your ability to look beyond the physical to the spiritual, beyond the present to the eternal and beyond the visible to the invisible. It is not imaginary. But a reality into which we place our trust. Therefore our afflictions though may appear heavy when we face it, it is in reality light and momentary, for the glory awaiting is much more heavy - far beyond any comparison. So look forward. Look beyond. Focus on eternal things. Store up treasures in heaven and not here in this earth. Set your heart in treasures above. That will help you to face your afflictions here on this side of eternity. That will help you to have faith and put your trust in the One who called you. He will not leave you half way. He who has taken care of your et...

Strength

2 Cor:4:16 But though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. Though you are physically getting old, with the mental and emotional turmoil you are going through, your inner man is getting strengthened day by day. Because you are created for a greater glory, created with a purpose and God is in the process of taking you there. That transformation is happening day by day. As God is on work in you, it's a process. He will not leave it undone. My responsibility is just to take efforts to develop this forming inner man. Make him strong. Develop spiritual muscles. Work out. Spend time with word and prayer. Feed the inner man with the right things. So that your trust would increase. Your faith would increase. Your intimacy with God would increase. And your worldliness would decrease. Image courtesy: https://www.moneycontrol.com/health-and-fitness/build-muscles-naturally-improve-recovery-boost-energy-with-these-7-foods-in-your-daily-diet-photo-...

Malleable

We are afflicted in everyway, but not crushed Perplexed but not despairing Persecuted but not forsaken Struck down but not destroyed. 2 Cor:4:8 We will not be crushed beyond our malleability. Not stretched beyond our tensile strength. So much so that we will break. God knows our being. He allows these stretching exercises to strengthen us. Not to destroy us. Have faith in God because - * He loves us. * He is powerful. * He intends good for us and He is a good God. * And He knows us. Image credit: https://livingtreeconnections.com/2018/07/31/brittle-flexible-malleable-strength-change/

It's a process

Are being transformed from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Cor:3:18 The purpose of our existence is transformation. We have been called into salvation into one glory. From one glory to another we are being transformed. From fallenness we have been made children until the ultimate glory. It is not a one time event - the transformation into the final glory or the ultimate glorification. Salvation is. But transformation is a process. You are definitely better than yesterday. You are definitely a little bit more like Jesus than yesterday. You are improving. Though you may fall, your graph is rising. Trust the process. He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion untill the day of coming of Christ Jesus. Phil:1:6 You have to trust Him in what He is doing. Do not lose heart. Keep trusting. Image credit: https://blog.softexpert.com/en/process-management-key-issues-and-how-to-solve-them/