you be nice to your sister!
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you be nice to your sister! |
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[The book is mostly divided into "Lessons" and "Missions" -- things to think about, and then practical things to do as a ninja gentleman. Here is the first
lesson about Affirmation, which basically means appreciating your sister's God-given pricelessness and helping her appreciate it too. Even if your sister hears
a lot of "you're special in your own special way" stuff, it's tremendous when she actually sees the truth in the way the Christian brotherhood treats her.]
The Art and Science of Finishing Last, Sample Lesson AFFIRM -- LESSON 1. HER STORY "the only reason to make a fuss over a bad man is because he is not good....you cannot say if a shot hit or missed, until you know what the target was." -- Jakeb Brasee's "High Definition" (I sound so much more reputable in quotes) This is the story of your sister-in-Christ... Before the creation of the world, God invented her and thought she was a wonderful idea -- good enough to create, good enough to die for and adopt. He designed her perfectly, saw everything that she would become, and decided to make her. So He drew up the blueprints and said "This is what she is." Then at the right time, He went to work, knitting her together and creating a brand new person -- fearfully, wonderfully unique. Able to praise Him like no other. But His work was ruined immediately, not by any mistake of His, but because your sister's sinful parents were involved in her creation. She inherited their wicked ways. Sin took hold right away and broke God's beautiful work. Or had it? He still had the blueprints -- and if you look at them closely you'll see that the original design included a great rescue mission! The cross of Christ was in God's mind all along. He knew this would happen when He made your sister. He knew that she would become something even greater than a perfect creature. She was to be a redeemed creature. And so she was redeemed, as God intended. She freely trusted in Jesus Christ, who forgave her and saved her. The Father accepted her. The Spirit moved in and started transforming her. She is no longer who she once was -- no longer a spiritual rebel, no longer an enemy of God. She is not a slave to sin. She is no longer hopelessly depraved. She is an unfinished work, but she is absolutely lovely. She is God's masterpiece, and He can always point to her as an example of His great mercy and generous lovingkindness. Those blueprints define her, now. God sees what she is going to be -- the masterpiece is complete in His mind's eye. He looks at her through the lens of Jesus Christ and sees her as pure and spotless, white as snow. Darkness is not part of her definition, it is only the thing that obscures her definition. So if you want to know, "My sister, who is she, really?"...then go back to those blueprints. Ask God for a glimpse of them. Maybe He will let you see them too, let you understand what a dazzling, precious and astounding thing He did on the day He made her. Maybe you will see a vision of the finished product, in all her righteousness and purity of spirit. At the very least, you will see that she is becoming such. And so I plead with you, as I would plead with our sister herself -- study her story and learn it very well. Every time you think of her, know that she is God's daughter, the product of His creativity and power and wonderful love. Know that she is made in His image and reflects His glory and houses His Spirit. When you really know her story, and when you are able to tell it back to her by the way you love her -- well then, you are affirmative. |