Tonight finished up the end of my Christmas busyness!! It was a crazy week, but I'm glad that's it's all over now and I can enjoy the rest of the season. It's so ironic that we spend so much time doing "Christmas" things and yet we sometimes forget why we're even doing them. The same can be true with the Christian life in general. If we're not careful, we can end up becoming religious like the Pharisees and missing out on what God wanted to do in their midst. Take some time to remind yourself when you're out running around, shopping, and fighting for a parking spot that we're celebrating the unveiling of God's unique plan to redeem the world. Christmas is more than gifts and stress; it's a celebration of the hope we have in Christ for all eternity.
I have been spending a long time in Proverbs lately. Honestly, I have spent the last week in 10 verses of Proverbs. I'm not staying there because I'm so holy and I'm digging in deep; I'm staying there because I'm having a hard time learning the lesson. My hope is that if I pray more and keep focused on this simple lesson, something will start to change. This morning I wrote a specific verse in my journal: "A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul," (Proverbs 18:7, ESV). My words can get me into trouble because I talk too much sometimes. I think that's the Christian sin that we like to avoid saying is actually a sin. But I'm convinced that it is. Something struck me a few weeks ago: I pray for wisdom in every decision-making area of my life except when it comes to the words I choose to say on a daily basis. Sure, if I have an important meeting or something I pray that God will give me wise words, but I don't pray that on a daily basis. My prayers are changing from here on out, though. I want my words to be wise. I don't want to blather like the fool whose words become a snare to his soul. So I give you permission to challenge me if you hear me say something that is foolish. Hold me accountable; I need it!
Hey, everybody! I hope you like the new look of sethbartal.com. I decided that it was time to give things a bit of an update. You might notice that the cityscape at the top is a view of Recife, the city where Kari and I are planning to plant a church. Check back soon, as I will be sharing the story of how we came to this decision of moving to Brazil right here on the blog!