To Bring Him Glory!

As I stared out at the brilliant October Glory Maple in the back yard, I noticed the different colors of leaves moving in the breeze. Some of its leaves held on tightly to their late summer green. Others had adopted the vibrant orange that gained this tree its name. While others still, had yellow tips with green at the stem. 

Variegated. Diverse. Not every leaf at equal stages. 

And I thought about every individual's journey with (or without) Jesus. No two people are in exactly the same place with regard to their relationship with Christ. Some will, in this life, never bow the knee to Him. Others haven't yet, but --praise God! --one day will. Those who have, those who do bow the knee are each learning and experiencing something new with regard to serving Him, obeying Him, worshiping Him, and proclaiming Him. I would imagine there are countless variables that come into play with regard to timing and transformation; but together, as the body of Christ, we are trained and equipped to bring Him glory with our lives, as one body. How critical it is that we pray for and encourage one another, showing one another grace as we go through the process. Like this tree with marvelous colors I admire year after year, the difference in stages and hues bringing to mind the diversity of Christ's Church, it is that very diversity that is not only part of its transformation, but a wonder to behold!

Only one day later, however, my husband awakened to an orange glow pouring through the windows of our kitchen. The variegated tree I'd so admired the previous afternoon was now covered with vibrant orange leaves. Few remained that had not been fully transformed. This fiery ambassador of autumn had shed almost every vestige of hesitancy or ineptitude in a matter of hours! It had become fully as it was meant to be in this season!

Integrated. Kindred. Every leaf moving toward the same goal.

And I thought again about every individual's journey with (or without) Jesus. Without our Standard, Jesus Christ, there is no goal to which one can move. Those without Christ will never find the wholeness and integration --as individuals or as a group --that is found in Christ alone. Pray for them. Those who have not yet believed unto salvation will --praise God! --one day stand before the throne of our King, whole and perfect, unique persons, but parts of the whole and perfect Bride of Christ. Like the single leaves of a mighty tree unite to proclaim the glory of their Creator, all God's children will be uniquely created individuals, joined in partnership for the purposes of worshipping the One True and Living King; each one dearly loved and highly favored by Him. As His body, we are called to be of one mind; the mind of Christ possessed among many, that He may be fully and perfectly served, receiving the glory He is due, and proclaimed with one accord! But much like the whole tree thrives when its parts are healthy, singlemindedness in the body of Christ is not something we, as a group, can achieve unless we, as individuals, have personally committed to seeking integrity and Christlikeness on our own. 

Someone once said, "Though I value...integrity, I'm not so wild about the costs that sometimes go along with it." Those costs can mean that "leaves" like us can constantly rub up against other leaves; forced to exist on the same tiny branch as leaves that are still fighting to remain in a past season, or leaves that may not be as bright and brilliant as we think we are, or leaves that might be showing signs of some sort of ailment. But integrity, wholeness, purity, moral soundness is worth all of the rubbing. And if we and those "leaves" around us have, as individuals, surrendered to the Holy Spirit's work in us, something beautiful and magnificent and glorious will greet us one day. After all, look at the trees.