A Reflection for Sunday, March 9 by Rev. Julia Styles
Lectionary reading for the first Sunday of Lent: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13
Selected passage for reflection: Romans 10:4-13, The Message
Read
Romans 10:4-13, The Message
4-10 The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it’s not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story—no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.
It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!”
11-13 Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
Reflect
How many of us set our alarms and wake up each morning with good intentions to behave like ideal versions of ourselves? How many of us rely on our own efforts to be a good family member, friend, citizen and follower of Christ? Like the Israelites mentioned in this passage, I am tempted to “use the law code to live right before God.” I try to live up to a perfect ideal and then inevitably fail–I yell at my kids, I avoid a difficult conversation with a friend, I don’t do enough to fight for democracy, and I act selfishly multiple times a day. I want to be a good person. I want to be righteous in God’s eyes, and the eyes of my neighbors. But I fail, and that makes me discouraged and anxious and tired.
The good news is that we don’t have to rely on our own efforts to become the person God has created us to be. It says in Romans 10:13, that “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.” Throughout history, humans have been tempted to create a bunch of rules about who can access God or who is worthy of Salvation. Some people will claim salvation is gained through behavior, others will claim that salvation is gained through beliefs and proclamation. Paul says, Salvation is not about our own efforts, but comes from the righteous and generous character of God. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
The words that stand out to me in the verse above is "say the welcoming word to God." By saying "Jesus is Master" we are embracing God’s restorative and redemptive power to work in our lives. This isn’t a once and done proclamation of “Jesus is Lord”, but a continual invitation to let Jesus rule in our hearts, so that slowly, throughout our lives we become more and more like Christ--loving, kind, compassionate, patient, self-controlled, gentle, slow to anger, and quick to serve others. In other words, “You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting God to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!”
So what does this look like in my own life? It means the next time I catch myself trying to replicate some ideal version of a “good mom” or a “good Christian” or a “good citizen” I pause. I take a deep breath. I notice my emotions. I give thanks to God, and I ask God to take my anxiety or fear or self condemnation. When I make a mistake, I recognize God’s compassion and patience, and I resolve to have compassion and patience for myself, understanding that transformation is not something that happens immediately but throughout my life, it’s not something that happens through my own efforts, but through the grace of God. And then I tell myself that I am loved by God just as I am. “God has set everything right between him and me!”
Respond
Paul believes that what we say out loud shapes how we understand our relationship with God. Consider adding a mantra or proclamation during Lent. Proclaim each day, “God has set everything right between him and me!” or “I am loved by God.” or “God will help me in my time of need.”
Spend a few moments praying or journaling. What words or phrases are an encouragement for you in this Lenten season? Is there a proclamation or mantra that would remind you God has set everything right between you and God?
Rest
God, too often when I don’t meet up to an ideal standard, I feel ashamed and anxious. Help me to remember that you have already set everything right between you and me, and there is nothing I need to do to win your approval. You already love me, you are already working in my life. Help me to “let go and let God” do the work within me to become the person You have created me to be. Amen.
About the Author
Julia Styles is a writer, spiritual director, and mother living in Atlanta, GA. She is passionate about empowering women and helping people connect with God in their everyday lives. Writing and editing Prayerful Reflections is a spiritual practice that continues to re-connect her with God, creativity, and the greater Christian community. As a spiritual director, she meets with people online one-on-one for prayer, discernment, lament and encouragement. If you want a safe and sacred space to reflect on how God is at work in your life, sign up for a free spiritual direction session here.
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