Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mome raths outgrabe.

So begins Jabberwocky1 by Lewis Carroll (whose related prior work2 was a tale of a lost girl, white rabbit, Cheshire cat, and tea party with a very odd hatter). The poem is about a beamish boy who takes his vorpal sword in hand and slays the dragon Jabberwock.

This is Nonsense Poetry, mixing actual and made-up words to create a vague feeling rather than clear description. As Alice says, “It seems very pretty, but it’s rather hard to understand!…it seems to fill my head with ideas–only I don’t exactly know what they are!”

The Mark of God is far beyond some vague feeling.

Paul wrote that we are marked with the Holy Spirit.3 This Spirit is one of power, love, and self-discipline.4 And while this Mark is invisible, the evidence it exists is clear-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 5

Jesus said a good person, drawing from the good treasure in his heart, does what is good.6 Since only God is good7, we know this person, treasure, and use must be “of God.” A person of God…drawing from the treasure of God…does what is of God.

This “good” affirms the Mark of God on our lives. And that Mark is not so much for us, but those around us. For we are to boldly shine the Light living within us so all will see, know, and understand that what we do is of God and they will glorify Him. 8

We cannot leave others uncertain of what they see in us.

What about you? Do others expect kindness in your actions and gentleness when you speak? Do they see patience in your troubles and faithfulness when you struggle? Do they find the Mark of God on your life? Or are they left with vague feelings, never certain of what they think they see?

How God chooses to reveal Himself to the world can seem a bit odd-love to defeat evil, peace to change hatred, kindness to replace cruelty. Even who He chooses-the foolish of this world, the weak, the lowly, the despised. 9

For anyone to stake his life on such a plan…why, he’d have to be as mad as a hatter. And fortunately…I am. Welcome to the party.

Take care & be God’s,

 

Chuck

 

Chuck Graham is Founder and Executive Director of Ciloa , an international ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement and teaching others how to “encourage one another as long as it is called Today!” He is also an author, speaker, teacher, and encourager. Chuck and his wife, Beverly, live in Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA. You can learn more about Chuck and Ciloa at www.Ciloa.org .

1. In Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (1872)
2. Alice in Wonderland (1865) by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll
3. See Ephesians 1:13b
4. See 2 Timothy 1:7
5. See Galatians 5:22-23
6. See Luke 6:45
7. See Mark 10:18
8. See Matthew 5:16
9. See 1 Corinthians 1:27-28

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