The good news therefore begins, not with any form of human need, but with the free gift of God’s grace, which is nothing less than God Himself.

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In my early childhood – I was about five years old – we moved into a new house. Most of these houses in South Africa had big back yards and these made ideal playgrounds for small boys. We called it a ‘yard’ instead of a garden because it wasn’t really a neatly kept garden – it was more like a large enclosure. On the day we moved in I noticed something very tempting: the neighbour had a small orchard of mango trees in his back yard … and I loved mangoes. My dad must have read my thoughts because at the moment I noticed these trees, he said to me: “Don’t even think of going into the neighbour’s yard – there is a vicious dog guarding the trees”. That was a very disappointing piece of information as through the days and weeks that followed I witnessed the mango fruit ripening.

I often played in the back yard in the afternoons and felt terribly tempted by the ripe mangoes over the fence, however my fear of the vicious dog prevented me from even attempting to pick a mango. One afternoon, while playing, I became desperately ‘hungry’ and the fruit seemed particularly inviting. I nervously sneaked onto the fence at the far end of the yard to have a better look at the dog, but I couldn’t see the dog anywhere. I took my chance and jumped over the fence, grabbed a couple of mangoes and jumped back into my own yard. They were delicious!

It did not take me long to realise that there was no dog! The moral of the story is not about temptation or repentance or anything deeply spiritual like that. The point is simply that my experience of hunger was real, my experience of fear was real, but these real experiences were based on the lie that I believed regarding a vicious dog. The moment I realised that there was no dog the fear disappeared … and as a consequence so did the hunger. How many of our real experiences are based on lies? How different would our experiences be, if we believed differently?

The truth that Jesus introduces us to is of a much higher authority than our experience – it is a truth that is able to transform our experience. He wants to introduce us to a truth much broader than our narrow experiences.

“… my judgement would be true because I wouldn’t make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father.”(John 8:16 MSG). If Jesus considered his own experience as narrow compared to a much greater reality, then we too might have to re-evaluate the importance we attach to personal experience.

In the same way as our personal experiences are to narrow to reveal our true identity, so too is our culture too narrow; our language too narrow; our society too narrow; our race too narrow; even our relationships, no matter how precious, are too narrow. He reveals that all the measures we’ve used to measure ourselves with are completely inadequate. “but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” He shatters our illusions, but at that very moment He also brings to light the truth of our design. We are eternal beings, which means that anything temporal will not do justice to God’s estimation of our worth and He invites us to see ourselves from His point of view.

Lets first look at the Hebrew word for glory (kaw-bode’, kaw-bode’) It comes from the word that simply means weight. What on earth has weight got to do with glory!
Let’s find out:
The root word weight is neutral, but then develops into two distinct directions; the one very negative and the other very positive.
On the negative side we find: burdensome, grievous, affliction.
On the positive side: honour, praise, glory.

Enough of the technical analysis; what does it mean in plain English?
Well, if I say something bad about you, something so weighty that it hurts you inside, then I’ve grieved you. Grief is the intense (weighty) sorrow caused by the loss of a loved one. On the positive side: When I say something so good about you, something that carries such weight and substance that it lifts your spirit, then I’ve honoured you. It is an honour that connects the giver and receiver in an intimate way.

Let’s look at how this glory or honour is exchanged between God and us. In the Old Testament, the glory was often manifested as a cloud. (Ex 16:10) The glory of God is His very essence, it is His absolute goodness. It’s a goodness that is so good that ‘badness’ cannot exist in its presence. This is why God hid Himself in a cloud in the O.T. – to protect the people He loved. But to say that His glory is His goodness is far too vague; let’s drill down a bit deeper.

What makes God so good? The first record we have of man experiencing the goodness of God is in Gen. 1:28 (See ‘The ultimate experience’)
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them.. The word blessed (baw-rak) is defined as an act of adoration such as kneeling.

Man’s first experience was the overwhelming display of God’s favour and adoration! The desire within man to worship God was birthed by this experience of God’s adoration – the only appropriate response is to reflect back the adoration He gives.’

God is love and His love for us is so weighty; carries such substance that it is the greatest honour we could ever receive.

‘This sounds like God is honouring us! Should we not be honouring Him?’ are the questions many may ask.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
- Our love is our response to the love He gives us.
- Our honouring Him is our response to the honour He gives us!
- Our praising Him is our response to the praise He gives us!

The only appropriate praise, honour and love we can give Him, is reflecting the praise, honour and love He gives us!
Now lets look at the New Testament word for glory namely doxa:
Thayer Definition:
1) opinion, judgment, view
2) opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone
2a) in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory

Let us re-read a few scriptures with this in mind:
Joh 17:22 And the glory(the good opinion, praise and honour) which thou hast given me I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory (the good opinion, praise and honour) of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from (a lower degree of ) glory to (to a higher degree of) glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

2Co 4:6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory (the good opinion, praise and honour) of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The good news is that God favours you! He has done everything necessary in Christ to have a good opinion of you; to demonstrate His love towards you without hindrance. Glory! God no longer tries to hide this glory from us; on the contrary, He wants as to look straight into it. His opinion of you is the weightiest issue of life. No matter what you thought or think of yourself, His opinion is more valid; carries more weight and His opinion of you is good!

There might be many issues in your life that contradicts this good opinion; you might experience many things that tries to disqualify you, and emphasise your need for change, but beholding His opinion(glory) has the power to transform you and your experiences.

As you continue to look into His face; beholding His glory; you will soon start reflecting that same favour back to Him … and to others.

By Andre Rabe

Paul found a motivation greater than being driven to impress God! That motivation is the realisation that God is already impressed with you!
I am convinced that our experience of His fullness, our grasp on the love that surpasses knowledge has everything to do with simply being aware of what He achieved on our behalf. Fruit is not an effort for a fruit tree – it is the natural and spontaneous product when the life within the tree is too abundant for simple survival – it overflows in fruit. Draw upon the reality of His indwelling – there is more in you than what you know.

There is a ‘place’ where we experience the peace, the fountain of life. The question is how do we ‘abide’ in this place, rather than visit it from time to time.
I read Rom 6:6-11 again – so encouraging:
We know that our old self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin.
For when a man dies, he is freed (loosed, delivered) from [the power of] sin.
Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him.
For by the death He died, He died to sin [ending His relation to it] once for all; and the life that He lives, He is living to God [in unbroken fellowship with Him].Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.

I’m exited about that phrase: living in unbroken fellowship with Him. So much of the religious teachings I heard were about ‘dying to sin/old self’ … whatever they called it, it came down to some sort of effort from my side to achieve or reach this place of fellowship. What struck me in these verses is that the death we die to sin is a singular event – ‘once and for all’! It is not supposed to be a continual struggle. And the way I finally put to death the old man is by ‘consider / calculate / come to this conclusion: I died with Him! …. I was also raised with Him to a new life. My life is now consumed by new realities. I no longer live to attain anything, but because of what He attained on my behalf.

I am convinced that the ‘old man’ – the flesh – thrives of whatever attention we give it. It shrivels to its appointed place of insignificance when we place all our attention on Christ – who He is and who we are because of who He is.

Ps 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, in thy likeness.
To ‘wake up’ requires no conscious effort – it is simply the point at which my mind’s attention shifts from unreal imaginations to seeing reality.

I don’t see Matthew 6:25 as a how-to-stress-less teaching. But, more importantly, a beautiful lesson in the care of God and a reminder of just how valuable we are to Him.
“Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. ”
…how much more are you worth!

You see, how do you not worry about tomorrow? It’s only when you are convinced that the One who is your life, is already there. There is nothing in tomorrow, or any other day for that matter, that could in any way subtract from your value before God. And if He loves you, He is most certainly going to care for you.

There was no length, breadth, width or height that could keep God from redeeming you and I. There was nothing that could withhold Him from loving us…not even death.
No matter what comes your way, He is never going to think differently about you or stop loving you.
” What is man that You are mindful of Him?” Heb 2:6 His mind is filled with thoughts concerning you! We need to allow ourselves to be consumed with His thoughts.

Understanding your value, has everything to do with understanding His thoughts concerning you – partaking of His knowledge.

What does He know about you?
That you are redeemed, fully reconciled to Him, raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places…

Colossians 3:1-3
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
The message says it this way:
So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life.

Focus on that which is above…this is our life and our true abode.

Matt 6:19 speaks of storing up for yourselves treasures in heaven…and where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I believe that your greatest treasure is understanding – the greatest stockpile of wealth cannot compare to the understanding of the treasure that lies within you.
Your heart will be at rest and content in the understanding of who you are in Christ, and just who He is in you!

The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure…Prov 10:14

…turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding,

and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure, Prov 2:2-4
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,

for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold. Prov 3:13,14

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, Prov 8:10
How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! Prov16:16

With me(wisdom) are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity. Prov 8:18

Prov 3:13
You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom, when you make friends with Madame Insight. She’s worth far more than money in the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary. Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth; nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her. With one hand she gives long life, with the other she confers recognition. Her manner is beautiful, her life wonderfully complete. She’s the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her. Hold her tight—and be blessed!

The value of investing your thoughts and attention on the things which are above is eternal, but the benefits of peace, joy and contentment will be enjoyed by you now.
You can begin to live careless in the Father’s care.

(by Mary-Anne Rabe)

Over the past 18 months there has been a major drive to promote worry and fear. The credit crisis, the instability of the world economy, major companies failing, and thousands of people losing their jobs, seem to daily fill the headlines. The consistency with which these messages are communicated have fed worry and for many, this has turned into more than just a niggling worry – it has become fear: fear of an uncertain future; fear of losing a job, or fear of losing one’s life savings. Our sense of value determines to what extent fear has access to us.

Hope and faith works almost exactly like worry and fear. Hope is an expectation that something pleasant or beneficial is going to happen. Hope is faith in incubation. People also don’t hope about the past – they don’t hope to pay bills that were paid yesterday! Like hope, faith is also an expectation, but in its strongest form, namely a conviction of the reality of what was hoped for.

Let’s look again at what Jesus said about these concepts of value, worry, fear and faith:

19-21“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

22-23“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

24“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

25-26“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

27-29“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

30-33“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6 MSG

Imagine two dogs – one being fit and muscular, the other a skeleton of a dog, at the point of death because of starvation. Worry is an animal that needs to be habitually nourished to grow strong. The very attention we give to certain subjects, is the substance that feeds our fear. For many fear has become a strong guard dog, patrolling the perimeter of their thinking, and faith has become the scroungy skeleton dog – at the point of starvation. What is needed is a way of taking away the nourishment from the one and giving it to the other.

Value:

Placing value where value belongs is a key ingredient to placing our attention where our attention belongs. If God is intimately involved with providing for birds, how much more concerned is He about His very own offspring? Recognising the value He places on us; recognising our inherent value apart from money, clothes or any external possession frees us from irrational worry and giving our attention to stuff that is not worthy our attention. Once we realise that we have a value beyond the reach of decay; a consistent value because it is derived from the consistent love that the Father has for us, then we can relax; then we can stop being “preoccupied with getting, so we can respond to God’s giving“. In order to starve fear and feed faith you need to ‘give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.’ I want to challenge you to consider what God is doing right now – ask him to reveal this to you. Not long ago I was challenged by this statement – I spoke to God and asked for understanding regarding what occupied Him at that moment. I became aware of matters that dwarfed my worries into insignificance; matters in which He wants to involve us; matters that not only reveals the insignificance of our worries, but provides for all our needs as a consequence of us placing our attention where it belongs – Him.

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