Grammar

One of my favorite things that I have learned / am learning from The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges and Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick has to do with grammar. I ran across this first in Elyse Fitzpatrick's book last fall. The grammar part is this: An indicative statement tells what has already been indicated or declared about someone or something. An imperative statement is a command or a giving of directions. So what does this have to do with God's Word in my life? Mrs. Fitzpatrick points out that in God's Word, imperatives are paired with indicatives.

Here's an example:
Ephesians 5:1-2 "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. " I put the imperative in green and the indicative in yellow. God's commands for us are rooted in His great love for us. Notice also that it does not say, " be imitators of God so that you can be His beloved children." No, I am already dearly loved and just like my children seem to copy everything I do (because they know I love them and they want to be like me), so am I to imitate my heavenly Father (whose love is perfect and so much better than my love for my children could ever be).

You see, the indicative (what we know is true) motivates the imperative (the action). It is so helpful to me to meditate on the indicative statements about God's love for me. It's done. He loves me. period. Christ died for my sins. There's nothing that I can do to earn His love or to cause Him to love me less. That is motivation for me to do what He says and to want to be like Him. I find that when I focus on the indicatives, I'm much more likely to do the imperatives.

Heb 11

I have a ton of things that I need to be doing right now... groceries to be put away, dishes to be washed, meals to be cooked, rooms to be cleaned, emails to be written, the list goes on...

I almost just jumped in to start knocking things out but, as I try to do every day when Timothy goes down for a nap, I took a little time to read in God's Word.  Well, to be honest, I didn't sit down to read right away.  I did a few other things first.  Today, I was reading in Hebrews 11 - often known as the Faith Hall of Fame.  I hurried through so I could get on to what I really needed to be doing (why do I always fall into that way of thinking?!).  Verse 26 caught my attention, tho', when I read, "He [Moses] considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward."  Moses, and all the other Bible "greats" that are mentioned in Hebrews 11 had faith, not just in the fact that God exists, but in His promise to send a Savior, Christ Jesus!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."  Hebrews 12:1,2

May I remember today, as I work my way through my list, to look to Jesus.  I am so thankful that he endured the cross so that I don't have to live in condemnation.  I have hope of something far greater than a completed list or a clean house.