I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yoke-fellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.

Philippians 4:2-3

Maybe you know Euodia and Syntyche. Maybe you know two sisters in Christ…or two brothers in Christ…or two groups in Christ…that have taken a hard line of disagreement. Feelings are hurt. Frustration is real. Judgments are made. Anger is clearly present or just barely kept under a tight mask of calm…or self-righteousness.

What are we to do? Well, if we’re Euodia and Syntyche—or Earl and Sam—we need to get over ourselves really quickly. We need to humble ourselves before Jesus. We need to give up all pride, stubborness, self-righteousness, self-indignation and that horrible death-bringing attitude of needing to be right…and believing we always are! 

What are we to do if we’re the sisters and brothers in Christ and watching this disagreement in the Body of Christ? We also need to get over ourselves really quickly. We, too, need to humble ourselves before Jesus. And we need to stand with Jesus—stand in His grace, stand in His truth, stand in His love, stand in His wisdom—as we listen, talk and encourage healing and unity within the Body of Christ.

It is for all of us—whether we are in the midst of the disagreement or we are the observers—we all must fully focus on Jesus. Fully focus on what is really of eternal value and what is our Lord’s desire in all we do.

Like Paul, who pleads for unity, humility and focusing on Jesus—so do I. First, for myself and within all of my relationships—asking God to move me from pride and stubbornness…constantly and continually…so that my energy and my efforts will not be spent in self-focused attitudes and actions but rather passionately contending for the gospel of Christ which offers us life, love, grace, truth and peace.

May we each invite God…and obey God…to keep us humble and living in peace with all our brothers and sisters in Christ for the sake of His glory and for us to reflect Him beautifully and truly to those who do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior. May we each as members of the Body of Christ live like the Body of Christ!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as the enemies of the cross of Christ. Philippians 3:18

Wow. Thinking of others who live as enemies of the cross of Christ filled the Apostle Paul with tears. With tears? Not with rage or frustration? Not with self-righteous indignation or judgment? But tears?

Yes, tears. Tears for all the lost and broken lives of people—the enemies of the cross of Christ—who  will not choose to receive the love and salvation of Jesus Christ. Tears for all the people who allow their pride to keep them shut off from the power of humbling themselves before God. Tears for all the people who refuse to acknowledge their need for forgivenss and the sacrifice of Jesus that made it possible for all of us to receive that perfect, holy forgiveness through His death on the cross. Tears for all the people who choose death instead of life–who choose destruction rather than the full, free and purposeful life now and eternally in the presence of our loving ABBA, our Holy God.

We each should be passionately moved to tears and compassionately moved to action—to praying, to sharing our faith, to sharing our lives for the glory of Jesus—as we think about and interact with all those who are still living as enemies of the cross of Christ. God loves all of us. And wants all of us to know His love and salvation poured out on the cross of Christ!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

“You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world.” 

Matthew 5:13, 14

Jesus is telling His followers that we are called to be the salt of the earth…that we are called to be the light of the world! Oh, LORD, help us to be that! Help me to be that!

Do you and I as followers of Jesus live and act as His salt and light to those around us.

As the salt of the earth—Do my words and actions help to preserve and protect God’s image as reflected through me? Do my words and actions help to preserve and protect the dignity of those around me who were also made in the image of God? Do my words and actions leave people with a good and flavorful “taste in their mouths” about who Jesus is…and how I represent him? Or do my words and actions leave people with a sour or bitter taste?

As the light of the world—Do my words and actions reveal and shed light on the love—the unfailing, faithful, passionate, grace-filled, forgiving, transforming love—of God to others? Do my words and actions reveal and shed light on an attitude of thanksgiving, humility and joy for all that Jesus has done to give me—and to offer to all people—His eternal salvation? Do my words and actions point the spot-light on Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords? Or do I attempt to keep grabbing the spot-light and the close-up shots?

Lord, You have called us to be Your salt and light. You want us, as Your people, to be Your love, Your healing, Your hope in this world. Help us to want what You want. Help us to truly be more and more Your pure salt and light to everyone with whom we interact…in every relationship…in every circumstance…and even in the briefest encounters we may have. Teach us and shape us to be Your preserving, protecting, revealing, brilliant vessels—all for Your glory and for the salvation and transformation of many, many lives through the love and power of You, our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

Psalm 125:1

The mountain of the LORD—the eternal Mount Zion—cannot be shaken. Because our LORD cannot be shaken.

And here, this scripture verse is telling us that we—who place our trust in the LORD—cannot be shaken either. Really?? Really.

When our trust is in the LORD and in His unconditional love, unlimited grace and unfailing truth—then nothing can truly shake us. Because we are eternally, passionately and tenaciously held in the loving, intimate and sovereign care of the LORD Almighty.

Our hearts will break with the depth of sorrow at losing those we love through death…or divorce…or even rejection. But nothing can shake us out of God’s loving hold on our lives.

Our heads will spin with the insecurity of jobs and finances, health and strength. But nothing can shake us out of God’s loving hold on our lives.

When we trust in the LORD we cannot be shaken! Because nothing shakes God!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stand guard in vain.

Psalm 127:1

Unless the LORD…

Quite a phrase to make me stop and think. Unless the LORD is the builder and protector, anything—everything I do really is in vain. It’s temporal and eventually completely unimportant.

Unless the LORD is the builder and protector of my life, I live my life in vain. This goes for everything I do and every relationship I have. This goes for any place and any person I put my heart, mind, energy, gifts, time, talents and finances into without the LORD being the builder and protector.

Unless the LORD is the builder and protector of all that I do and every relationship that I have, they are lacking in the eternal love, grace, truth and value that only the LORD can give.

Yet! When the LORD is the builder and protector of what I do and the relationships I have—Oh! The joy, the peace, the purpose, the hope, the strength they hold because of the love, grace, truth and value that our LORD has given to them.

Is the LORD the builder and protector of your life? Of ALL of your life? May we each invite the LORD to be so in every area and in every realationship of our lives!

Because in the LORD alone is eternity, eternal value and our eternal life!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 124:8

Who do you call out to when you need help? Do you call out to your husband? To your wife? To your closest friends? To your mom? To your dad? To your pastor? To your church family? To your co-workers? To your neighbors?

All these are all good. And if we do have these trusted people in our lives, how amazingly and abundantly blessed we are!!

Yet, we need to realize that there is no One who loves us like the LORD! There is no One who knows us more intimately than our Maker! And the LORD wants us to call out to Him for the help that only He can offer…only He can give.

The LORD’s help offered to us is generous beyond our imagination. The LORD’s help is sure. His love, His grace, His truth, His peace, His wisdom, His strength, His Spirit, His Word, His eternal salvation and His transformation power are always and limitlessly available to His children.

Let’s choose to call out to our LORD when we call out: HELP! For it is in the name of the LORD—our Lord Jesus Christ—that ALL of our help truly, intimately and intensely comes for every area, circumstance and relationship in our lives!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD. Psalm 107:43

The author of Psalm 107 asks us as the readers (hearers, singers) to heed all the things written before this last summary verse of this Psalm. Heeding these things would prove us wise. The entire psalm is encouraging us to praise the LORD our God for His incredible, unfailing love to us who call to Him. It is out of the LORD’s great love for us that He hears and answers our prayers…it is out of the LORD’s great love for us that we are saved out of disaster and oppression.

God’s people are called to acknowledge what the LORD does for us—in all His saving, rescuing ways—and to heed God’s call for righteousness and placing our full trust in Him alone!

All of God’s works on our behalf have come out of the LORD’s great love for us! Consider that! It is wisdom…and it is great reason to rejoice! Amen!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

Thank You, Holy Lord Jesus!! The book, CONVINCED! – by Sylane Mack is available to order on line!

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Our God is not telling women (I, being one of them!) not to take care of our outward beauty. Our God made us with a heart that seeks and enjoys beauty and loves to be beautiful. This inner wiring in us is reflective of our God’s heart and mind. God Himself takes great pleasure in creating and displaying beauty! Just look around you at the wonders of nature from tiniest of flowers to the majesty of the greatest mountains to the unfathomable depth of the seas to the incomprehensible expanse of the stars and galaxies that make up our universe.

Our God is the designer and revealer of beauty that moves us to get a glimpse of His greatness.

And that is exactly what our beauty should be all about—letting others get a glimpse of God’s greatness! Make-up, jewelry, good hair days, nice clothing—all good…not bad in themselves in any way.

God just wants to make sure that our deepest concern and the lasting beauty that people truly see in us—the beauty that comes from us—is deep and eternal and grounded in the beautiful love of…and trust in the Living God, our Lord Jesus Christ!

That full knowledge that we are loved unconditionally and that God is trustworthy in all things gives all of us—men and women—a beautiful spirit that is gentle and quiet…powerful and confident in our God!

And this beauty of spirit is beautiful in God’s sight…and will give others a glimpse of God’s greatness! Amen!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

John 10:17-18

Jesus Christ, in His intimate oneness and love relationship with the Father, has been given the command to lay down His life AND to take it up again for the salvation of His sheep.

It is the passionate love of the Father that commands Jesus, His Beloved Son, to do this. It is the passionate love of the Father for His lost and dying sheep that commands the death and resurrection of His One and Only Son so that unity will be restored between mankind and Himself, the Holy and Righteous God, the LORD of all creation.

It is through obedience to the Father’s command that Jesus reveals His full love for the Father and for His sheep. Jesus willingly gave up His life by His own authority AND Jesus victoriously took His life back by His own authority.  All in obedience to the Father.

The Father’s full love for His Son was always…is always…and will always be unconditional—the Father and the Son are ONE. Yet it is through the interweaving of the Son’s obedience to the Father’s command—through the outrageous sacrifice Jesus made and the ultimate victory Jesus accomplished—that the love relationship between the Father and the Son can be fully revealed.  

And we, the sheep of the LORD Most High, are the benefactors of this benevolent, unconditional love.

May we, like our Lord Jesus Christ, choose full obedience to our Father’s commands and know His love ever more intimately, passionately and powerfully in our own lives! Amen!

In love, peace and purposeful passion,                                                               Sylane