The breathtaking beauty of a four-part choir creates amazing harmony inviting the listener to experience the emotion of the musical piece. When the four-parts are not well aligned and a section struggles to find its place in the choral arrangement, there is dissonance and disorder that interrupts the beauty.
Our lives are very similar. When we are attuned to God’s plan through our surrendered life and obedience, there is harmony to our lives. There is order and discipline. When we are outside of God’s plan for our lives, we discover disorder and chaos as we no longer have the richness of our relationship with God keeping our lives in harmony.
In Romans 5:10-11 Paul writes, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” In our sin and disobedience, we become enemies to God and God’s plan for our lives. In our own power we cannot save ourselves from our sins. We cannot make ourselves right. We are reconciled to God through the death of Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 we read, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespass against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” Reconciliation is defined as restoration of friendship or harmony. In Christ, our lives are harmonious as we daily experience his leadership of our lives. When we are outside of Christ, there is no harmony and there is a need to be reconciled to return to rest or peace.
As we experience this reconciliation, there is “rejoicing in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our reconciliation fills our hearts with joy that is proclaimed through the harmony of our lives as we daily live in Jesus and for Jesus.
As we approach Holy Week, we remember Jesus’ last week before his crucifixion. We rehearse the interactions and teachings as we approach the cross of Christ with Jesus. Is your life in harmony or is there dissonance and disorder? In Christ, we are reconciled back to harmony as we surrender to Jesus and we are saved by his life.
Prayer: Lord, when life is filled with dissonance and disorder, reconcile me and restore the harmony of your plan in my life. As we approach Holy Week, remind me of those last experiences and the cross. Teach me and renew me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.