Daily Devotional for Friday, January 17

The Rebirth

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you;' Galatians 4:19, 20.

In my first assignment as pastor, I was shepherd to a saintly mother of nine children. She used to say, "Children, when they are small, are on your feet, but when they are older, they're on your heart." What she understood all too well is that bringing children into the world is not the end of the parent's responsibility. The parent's desire is to see the child grow into maturity, and alovingparent willbe satisfied withnothing less. Such is the flavor of Paul's words to the Galatians. Paul addressed them as a loving mother would her dear children, calling them "my little children." They had received Christ by faith and spiritual life was formed within them; yet, because of the false doctrine of legalism, they had failed to grow into the life, character, and virtues of Christ. In his words, Christ

was not yet "formed in them."

Paul wanted for them the sweet fruit of spiritual maturity, and he knew that nothing short of the pure, unaltered, gospel could produce such. Yet, the task was not a simple one, as the process of spiritual growth is painful and strenuous, hence the "travail" about which he speaks.

In practical terms, the forming of Christ in us is often harsh and painful. A great artist once stood by a statue of a majestic lion he was finishing. An admirer admired his work and asked, "How do you do it? It's magnificent!" He answered with wit and wisdom, "It's simple. I take a block of stone, and then chisel away everything that doesn't look like a lion." In similar fashion, God wants to chisel away from your life everything that does not look like Jesus; as Paul put it, "till Christ be formed in you."

CONSIDER THIS

Each family has recognizable traits. Does your life bear the family resemblance of God?

John Nations