Color Between the Lines

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

When our children were little, just like any parent, there were times where we would sit around the kitchen table, pull out the coloring books, and teach them to color. And what did we try to teach them first? We taught them to outline the object they were going to color and we taught them to color between the lines. Of course neither was done well in the beginning, and yet we’d say good job and give them words of encouragement. Now in reality, they would initially try to outline for about ten seconds before resorting back to scribbling all over their paper.
When we sat down to teach them, we knew it would be a patient process of learning. We also knew we’d encourage them all along the way. There would be times when we took them out to a restaurant and they were given coloring sheets and crayons. We’d see improvement come little by little.

A good parent has enough instincts―even with their first child, to know that patience is required in learning. You give them a plan. You teach them how to execute that plan. And then you are patient as they learn and grow in that plan. That is what the entire education program is built upon.

As I’ve said in the three previous Fresh Manna devotionals, God has got a plan for our life. God revealed in Jeremiah 29:11 that it is a good plan for our life. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“

God has a perfect will for your life. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, acceptable, and perfect will.”

In this verse, “good” means something that is beneficial. “Acceptable” means that there is wide agreement that it’s an acceptable and good thing. “Perfect” refers to something that produces growth and moral character helping one to become mature and complete. Everyone does things on occasion and hopefully with frequency that are good. But a person can do good things while still having much of their life out of the will of God. For example, many young couples live together and have a sexual life thinking its okay – even Christians! Are these people capable of doing good things or acceptable things? Of course they are and most likely do. But are they in the perfect will of God? No they are not. This would be living a life that contains a pattern of fornication and is not within the perfect will of God.

God wants us to learn how to live a godly life and pursue it the best we can. As a new reader of the Bible begins to study the New Testament and see the patterns for godly living that are given, their first attempts might be like the child learning to outline and color between the lines. They may have brief moments similar to a child tantrum― “I can’t do this.” But they can and they will get it if they keep it up. And God is no more condemning them in their efforts than you would yell at a child learning to color between the lines. The Holy Spirit has the character of the perfect parent, full of mercy, compassion, and grace, and patient to help and encourage. The Holy Spirit knows that if, out of your love for Jesus, you work to “color in the lines,” ― pursue the perfect will of God, that your life will align with God’s and from there He can guide you into God’s plan for your life.

It doesn’t mean that if you follow it perfectly, that everything in your life will be perfect, or seamless or without problems. The great godly Bible characters that we often study still experienced plenty of hardship. The perfect will of God is not measured by a lack of hardship or by the accumulation of resources. It is measured only by your judging yourself with the Holy Spirit’s guidance. It is measured by a self evaluation and ongoing discussion between you and the Holy Spirit as to whether your life is following the direction that God has and continues to give you. And you should know this; in your self evaluation, the Holy Spirit NEVER condemns you. He will chastise or correct you through God’s Word, but in a loving way that encourages you to try again and again. Any voice you hear that is condemning is the voice of the enemy.

So, God has a plan for your life. You begin to discover that plan by aligning your life with the perfect will of God. You continually seek Him for how He wants you to live your life and as you do, you’ll learn to color between the lines. As you do, your life begins to be like an overlay over His perfect will.

Tomorrow, more on how to find that plan for your life…

Romans 12:2 “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, acceptable, and perfect will.”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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