The very first test given a newborn, the Apgar score, occurs right after the baby is born.
As Christians, we exist to give life, i.e., life to life. Healthy Christians give birth to healthy Christians, healthy small groups give birth to healthy small groups, and healthy churches give birth to healthy churches. Perhaps we should immediately apply the Apgar test...
- Activity (muscle tone) - active, spontaneous movement. Rather than forced command, it is the power of love that moves us. We do not have to be conviced to move.
- Pulse - heart rate is normal. Our heart beats with God's heart. We love what He loves and hate what He hates. Our pulse is a symptom that our heart is beating with; it is in sync with His.
- Grimmace (reflex irritability) - reflexive response of sneezing, coughing, pulling away. When we come to life in Christ we reflexively grimmace from sin and the snare of the enemy to entangle us. Our life now is naturally different than our life before being born again
- Appearance (skin color) - normal color over the entire body. When are connected to God our countenance changes. We reflect joy and peace in all situations. We are content.
- Respiration - breathing. We breathe deeply the very breath of God and only with that life us, we have something to give away.
These thoughts prompted by Erwin McManus.
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