50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Verve!

But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem. What will happen to me there I do not know, except that in one city after another the Holy Spirit has been warning me that imprisonment and hardships await me. Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20: 22-24)

Easter Day #45: Verve!

VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action... Except it is a noun! Here’s the definition from dictionary.com:

verve [vurv] noun: enthusiasm or vigor, as in literary or artistic work; spirit: Her latest novel lacks verve. Vivaciousness; liveliness; animation: I like a teacher with plenty of verve. Archaic: Talent.

May I make the case that a noun can sometimes be a verb? If VERVE is vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, and someone uses these words to describe YOU, then VERVE is an adjective, right? So, if YOU act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent, then your action becomes “verb-like”, hence you act with vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and even talent. Granted, I don’t know what I am talking about, and English teachers, and proper students everywhere are cringing right about now, but I think I am on to something here!

Sure, I can’t “write” VERVE as a verb (i.e. My faith VERVES for God.), but I can see that it is the VERVE that makes the faith grow into measurable progress and action. Without VERVE, the Apostle Paul gives up, and the early Church collapses! Without VERVE, Mother Theresa of Calcutta, doesn’t even enter the religious life, and millions die on the streets alone with no dignity and no knowledge of God’s love for them! Without VERVE, your faith is nothing but an opinion on what makes you feel good about yourself and the things you like to think about!

My “dumb” thought today is based in the truth of what a “verb” is supposed to be; an action word! And no matter what form of speech it is, VERVE is something that needs to be a part of all of our actions in this life. We need more vigor, spirit, vivaciousness, liveliness, and talents! We need the Holy Spirit to send us the strength to see our commitments through to the bitter end! Just like the Apostle Paul, we too need courage to finish the course and the ministry that we have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the Gospel of God’s grace.

So I’ll say it again: VERVE is the verb that turns faith into action. May our faith VERVE with God’s many blessings and His Holy Spirit!

50 Ways to Get Through Easter... Liveliness!

Jesus said to his disciples: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15: 12-13)

Easter Day #34: Liveliness!

This week I have been reflecting on the concept of infusing “something” into “another something” to help make it more than the “something” that it was. I’ve always understood “synergy” to mean just that: The whole is greater than the sum of the parts! I’ve reflected on the heart, and the motivating high spirits that comes with encouragement. I’ve suggested that one should allow for the “impulse” to lead the way, and that grace and salvation seek out the individual to make them whole.

Today it is love that brings a sense of LIVELINESS to another. It is the commitment of friendship that shows true sacrifice. “To lay down one’s life” is to infuse a willingness and a care into the being of another person. It’s more than the words “I Love You!”, it is the act of love that brings another to life! When we love, we share God’s love! When we live for the other guy, or “lay down our life”, we instill a sense of LIVELINESS and purpose in that person, so that they can in turn love and lay down their life for someone else.

So ultimately, discipleship is about infusion; putting “something” into the lives of others so that they (and you) are greater than ever before! Give it a shot!