(Editor’s note: On this day of Pentecost, which according to Acts 2 was the birthday of the Church, we remember the work of the Holy Spirit and we reflect on the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.)
Today we feel the wind beneath our wings
Today the hidden fountain flows and plays
Today the church draws breath at last and sings
As every flame becomes a Tongue of praise.
This is the feast of fire, air, and water
Poured out and breathed and kindled into earth.
The earth herself awakens to her maker
And is translated out of death to birth.
The right words come today in their right order
And every word spells freedom and release
Today the gospel crosses every border
All tongues are loosened by the Prince of Peace
Today the lost are found in His translation.
Whose mother tongue is Love in every nation.
–Malcolm Guite
Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love… No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy… I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical… I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace… I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience… I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness… I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I choose goodness… I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
I choose faithfulness… Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love.
I choose gentleness… Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
I choose self-control… I am a spiritual being. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
–Max Lucado
Recent Comments