Breath of Life

Our youngest missed the first three days of school this week. His asthma, which is rarely active, was acting up in full force.  He had a cold/sinus infection, plus an ear infection.  He did breathing treatments, we used essential oils in the diffuser, cough medicine, allergy/cold oils and meds, then finally resorted to going in to the doctor for a prescription.  It had been a long time since he had to have prednisone for his breathing, but when you're having a hard time breathing, you are willing to take the nasty stuff!  You have to!

I was thinking yesterday how that, for those who don't ever struggle to breath, it's hard for them to imagine.  I understand the struggle because I have it, myself, but some of my family member's children have it and the mommas can't understand it because they don't have asthma.  It makes it much harder for them, though they do the best they can to help their child.

The breath of life is important for our physical well-being, but the breath of life....THE breath of life...in our spiritual lives is even more important.  And maybe, just like in the physical sense, someone may understand the importance of it a little more, but the reality is that it's just as important to those who don't.

When humankind was created, God gave him life. "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being,"  Genesis 2:7.  Our very breath came from the Lord.  But it's even more than that.

The word soul in Hebrew is nephesh, meaning “an animated, breathing, conscious, and living being.” Man did not become a living soul until God breathed life into him. As a physical, animate, rational, and spiritual being, man is unique among all living things upon the earth.  No other living thing has those qualities.  God did that!  We are uniquely made!

Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it. Isaiah 42:5

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

The breath of God is the life and power of God, given to man to animate him. The Hebrew word for spirit is ruach, which means “wind, breath, air, spirit.” Our physical bodies will die.  That physical breathing will end, but the soul, the spirit, will live on for eternity.  The question will be - where will you spend it?  That's what matters.

Are You Working Properly?

For the past few weeks, I've been pretty sick.  It started with a sinus infection, then went to bronchitis, and the doctor thinks maybe pneumonia, though by the time I had a chest x-ray, it didn't show it.  It's been a long ordeal, and I've felt horrible.  But, I think I could have gotten better sooner if I had realized that my breathing machine wasn't working properly earlier.  I didn't figure that out until Saturday!  I cleaned it in vinegar and it worked - twice - really well!  It was so great to get oxygen throughout my body.  A little weird feeling, too, actually!

So all of those many, many treatments I had done didn't help at all!  But then it stopped working again.  I cleaned it again. Nothing helped. :(

I was a little aggravated at myself for not noticing the problem with the machine before, but the motor was running, vapors were coming out....it appeared to be working great.  But it wasn't.  I knew they weren't helping much, but didn't realize what was really causing the problem.  With the holiday Monday, I wasn't able to get a new "kit" for the breathing machine until Tuesday.  That first treatment, when it was working so great, was

This problem made me think about our spiritual lives.  Often we go through the motions, checking off an invisible list. For example:

Attended worship: CHECK!
Gave some money: CHECK!
Sang the songs: CHECK!
Bowed my head in prayer: CHECK!
Took the Lord's Supper: CHECK!
Listened to the sermon: CHECK!
I'm done - YAY!!  CHECK!  Clear for a week (or until Sun. night or Wed. night)

Do I look like a Christian or religious person.  Yes.  Am I a really following Jesus?  Maybe. Maybe not.  From time to time I need to do some soul-searching, some heart-checking.  I need to really examine my life to make sure it's not just looking like like everything is okay when it really isn't.

Here are some questions to ask myself:

Do I spend time each day in God's Word?

Do I pray and stay connected with God?  He said to pray continually, so am I constantly in a prayerful state of mind....thankful and content with my thoughts?

Am I putting others first, or myself?

Am I a true servant?

Am I striving to be more like Him each and every day?

Am I concerned about sin in my life, or do I act as if there is none?

Do I repent of sin, knowing the blood of Jesus covers it and God forgives, or do I pretend it's not there?

Am I seeking to save the lost as Jesus said to do?

Am a a true disciple or am I just a pew sitter?

Am I doing all that I can do to further the Kingdom of God?

Am I truly committed to Him?

Do I consider it a chore to worship or am I excited?

You may think of other questions to ask yourself.  But, let's all make sure we're not just running motors and blowing vapors, bur actually producing "fruit" as our Heavenly Father and Savior asked us to do.  Otherwise, we're just not working properly....just like that breathing machine.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory,that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:1-8