People from the South measure distance in “tads” and measure time in “directlys.” As in, “Scoot over a tad,” or, “I’ll be over to your house directly.”
People from the South know that a state of readiness is required to enter any action, so we’ll let you know when we’re “fixin’” to do something.
Southerners know that it makes no sense for the plural of “you” to be “you.” Every other language differentiates between the second-person singular and the second-person plural, so English should, too. “Y’all” solves the deficiency here. (By the way, the best indicator that a Hollywood actor has no idea how to imitate a Southerner is when he uses “y’all” to refer to only one person. Yankee, please.)
But there’s one Southern word that can help you grow in holiness: “Reckon.”
On a pretty day, a Southern man might ask his friend, “You reckon we can take off early today and go fishing?” It’s an invitation to imagine a scenario worth responding to. Likewise, Paul wrote, “Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11, NKJV).
Here’s how this word can develop you as a disciple: When we’re tempted to let the old sinful impulses take over, we must “reckon” life as if it were otherwise. In Romans 6:11, Paul was saying, “Imagine what you would do if your old sinful life was really dead—consider that scenario and then live accordingly.”
The pursuit of holiness is not a self-improvement process. If you think in these terms, it will lead either to pride or despair, depending on our success or failure. It’s better to think of the pursuit of holiness as getting aligned with the status Christ has achieved for us. United to him, we’ve already died to sin. Spiritual growth means acting in consistency with that mental image.
Embrace this great truth. You’ll find it like sweet iced tea for your soul.
Tom
Tom Goodman serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter. If someone forwarded this email newsletter to you, sign up here to receive Tom’s weekly devotional in your email inbox.