“I was talking with a neighbor the other night,” Stan commented one morning, “about the impact the trinity can and does have on our faith walks, and how important it is to focus on the right one.”
“Right one?” I replied. “What’s that mean?”
“There’s all sorts of trinities,” Stan said, “and it’s essential for me and my faith walk that I focus on the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“As contrasted to what?” I asked.
“Let me give you a couple of examples,” Stan replied. “There’s the trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil. As well, how about the trinity of me, myself, and I?”
“Oh,” I said, “I can see that if a person focuses on one or both of those trinities, it could be kind of hard to also focus on the Holy Trinity.”
“Could be kind of hard?” Stan asked with a smile. “How about it being definitely hard, maybe even impossible, if I let them — or anything —overshadow my focus on the Holy Trinity.”
“You know,” I responded, “that sounds kind of like what Jesus said when He was telling people about what they needed to do to be a disciple.”
“In what way?” Stan asked.
“Well,” I replied, “didn’t Jesus say something about denying myself if I’m going to be a disciple? Wouldn’t denying myself be kind of like not focusing on the trinity of me, myself, and I?”
“Could be,” Stan replied. “And then what?”
“How about if I take up what God has for me to take up,” I replied, “rather than taking up the trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil?”
“Sounds to me like you might be on to something!” Stan replied with a smile. “And that ‘something’ looks like the way to focus on the right trinity!”
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Bible verses to consider:
And I (Jesus) will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. John 14:16-17.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:24-25.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited it he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?” Luke 9:23-25.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for the Holy Trinity of you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It is all that I need in order to know I will spend eternity in your presence when it’s time, along with all I need to be yours on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I give too much attention to the “trinity” of me, myself, and I, along with the “trinity” of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Please forgive the foolishness of focusing on anything other than you and what you have for me. Please help me in following every step of your lead so I do, in fact, rely totally and unashamedly on you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for every aspect of my life. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: The Father gave the Son so that all who believe will have life eternally with Him when it’s time. In addition, the Son asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to help us live the life we are intended to live on this side of eternity. How are you doing with any and all of that? Have you accepted what Jesus accomplished for you by going to the cross and, as a result, do you have the Holy Spirit living in you? If no, why would you not have accepted what God has provided? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in being committed only to the Holy Trinity and not being sidetracked by any other “trinity”? If you sense the need for change, how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 