Listening to: The Django soundtrack with music by Luis Bacalov. Such a cool movie.
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| They were so excited to see Santa that they passed right out. |
The girls are seven weeks old today. They're very healthy as far as we can tell. They fuss a lot, and I worry about where all their gassiness comes from. But maybe that's normal.
It's Tara I'm more concerned about. She's going to see a neurologist this week to try and find out why she's still dizzy so often. She's able to drive a car now, but we need her totally healthy!
We get to enjoy Christmas by ourselves this weekend, just the four of us, and we're pretty happy about it. Tara's family, among others, will be visiting us the following week.
Thoughts
No one ever told me how much effort a husband might need to make in order to love his family in the first weeks after childbirth. Maybe more effort is required for parents of twins. My wife is still the wonderful lady I married, but lack of sleep and frequent baby-screaming is hard on a family. We've had lots of support from family and friends, including plenty of prayer, and I believe that's the only way we've gotten through this. If not for our faith, I fear how much worse it could have been. I believe the darkest days are behind us now, though, thank God!
Today's Scripture
Romans 6:1-14 (NKJV)
Key verse: (3) "...Do you not know that that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?"
Reflection
Funny that this point that Paul brought to the Romans' attention is still not emphasized that much in our churches today. I think most of our church members understand that when we come to Christ, we leave our old ways of doing things behind and allow Him to give us new life. But how often do we truly associate ourselves with His death? Do I fully realize that my old self was crucified with Him? As Paul told the Galatians in a parallel passage, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).
And in this chapter in Romans, he says that "we have been united together in the likeness of His death" (verse 5) and "our old man was crucified with Him" (verse 6). Why? So that we'll "be in the likeness of His resurrection" (verse 5) and "that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (verse 6)!
I was discussing this chapter of Romans with some friends recently. We were trying to figure out what was most important to Paul when he was trying to explain these somewhat difficult concepts to his audience. Why was it important to him that we understand that we were baptized into Christ's death? I think it's because he wanted us to realize how much lies in store for us if we'll only shake off the shackles of our old life of sin. "Those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires," he told the Galatians (5:24). I think what Christ wants for us is what Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free." To do this, we must "not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Apparently getting entangled is easy to do. Have you experienced this?
But why is it so easy? If we have indeed been crucified with Him and baptized into His death, why should someone even need to tell us to "not let sin reign in your mortal body" (Romans 6:12) and to "cast off the works of darkness" (Romans 13:12)? Why do we even need all the encouragement the New Testament letters give us if our old selves are dead and we've been given new life in Christ?
For one thing, as long as we are in the world, we are surrounded by lies. Paul told Timothy that "some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy" (1 Timothy 4:1-2). And as Paul tells us later in Romans 6, our human flesh is still weak, still waiting for the Resurrection of the Saints. "I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh," he says (verse 19).
As a husband and father who dearly loves his family, I find that I need to remind myself of my role and that I need to actively show them love every day. It's not something that always comes naturally, even though I always love them deep in my heart. Similarly, Paul needs to remind us that we who have died with Christ have been freed from sin (verse 7). We need his reminder to "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (verse 11)." We need it because it doesn't come naturally, even for us who have been crucified with him. It's like we need to remind ourselves that we came back from the dead with Him!
I like that word "reckon". Sure it makes me think of cowboys in the movies, but in this context it means to "think of yourself as", to "consider yourself". Paul is telling us to think of ourselves as what we really are—dead to sin and alive in Christ! We're still trapped in these dying bodies with their old habits, but we have new life inside. It's easy to forget somehow, but we need to remember it!
Prayer
Lord, as I am surrounded by lies and so easily entangled, please remind me each day of who I am—a child adopted by You, crucified with Your Son and made alive again with Him in His resurrection. Thank you for the Gospel and all that it means and provides. May I take it with me everywhere I go. Thank you for the gift of Your Son. In His mighty name I pray.
Final Thoughts
I can't get over how much He's blessed me. So it's amazing how easily I can feel sorry for myself! In fact, it's sinful. He's given me everything, and every time I need something, I ask and receive. Praise God from whom all blessings flow, and may He forgive me when I show myself needless, senseless pity. Things are getting better every day, and now I can just look back and remember how hard it was and how much easier it is now! What a gift!
Merry Christmas!
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