Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
No Left Turn
When I pick Jonathan up from school there is a direct road that leads to the car line where I wait for him. If I go that way, it's just a quick left turn and I'm there. Unfortunately, there's a little matter of a sign there that says, "No Left Turn". Being the rule keeper that I am, I drive around the block so I can turn right onto the same road, and obey the law. As I am sitting in line, I am always amazed at the number of people who turn left illegally. I guess I am not too surprised by some, but the ones that have their big "JESUS" bumper sticker or their Christian fish really get to me. The other day, when I was cut off by someone making an illegal left turn, right in front of me, after I had just spent valuable time and gas to drive around the block, I wanted to punch their lights out (in righteous indignation, of course.) I found myself up on my high horse, disgusted at the infidels all around me. Sounds so Holy, doesn't it? I mean, I fully expected God himself to be waiting at the end of the pick up line to pat me on the back, and give me a wink of approval, while those who have not followed in my perfect example get their just desserts of fire and brimstone raining down on their mobile billboard for God.
OK, by this time, I either have you laughing, or angry (depending on which car you might have been in), but I'm sure I have gotten a reaction. As a Christian, let me be the first one to say Christians can be so...annoying! No wonder there is a world out there that wants nothing to do with God. Look at his representatives. Sheesh. Don't get me wrong, I think it is right and good to follow rules. I believe obeying laws is something that God expects us to do. Even the so-called "little" rules, like FBI warnings against illegal CD copies, regardless of being "poor folk", or telling 349 of your closest friends "what's on your mind", on company time. (Thank goodness facebook wasn't around when I worked...I am sure I would have succumbed to THAT temptation once or twice!!) But here's the thing. Why do we feel so much pride when we do something right, and condemn others around us who are doing wrong? I mean, I really puffed myself up in that car there for a while, until God decided to burst my little bubble of pride. I guess we forget that all sin is equal in it's ability to separate us from God. Even disobedience. Even pride and self-righteousness. It's no wonder that life's snares and entanglements all boil down to three areas: "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." (1 John 2:16). Lust, more lust and pride.
When we become Christians, we suddenly become residents of glass houses, and you know what they say..."People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". Think about it...who are the WORST critics of smokers? Ex-Smokers! I know some people who have committed sins, and I'm talking some serious, heinous acts, and they are some of the most critical people, especially of the same exact sin that they once committed themselves. I am very grateful that the Lord has the ability to forgive (1 John 1:9) AND forget (Psalm 103:12) all of our sins when we ask for forgiveness and turn away from that sin. But, I am equally glad that He, in His infinite wisdom, has NOT given us the ability to forget our own sin. Not for the sake of beating ourselves up over and over again, but to always remember from the heights we have fallen, and of the mercy that God has extended to us. The Bible says that the person who has been forgiven much, shows much love. (Luke 7:47)
I admit that I choose to sit on the judgement throne way too often at times. I am thankful that the Lord is quick to point out to me that I am in the wrong seat, and usually I am quick to respond accordingly. Lord knows some people make it harder to respond than others, but that's all part of how God uses those around us to show us how imperfect our prideful hearts really are. The beauty of all the difficult experiences, the failures and the disappointments is that they clearly points us directly to the cross and our need for a Saviour. It's impossible to walk straight, when we our gaze is everywhere else but on the path that lies ahead. Jesus never called us to be the plumb line for humanity. That's a standard only He can raise. Our place is to represent Him well, and point people to Him.
OK, by this time, I either have you laughing, or angry (depending on which car you might have been in), but I'm sure I have gotten a reaction. As a Christian, let me be the first one to say Christians can be so...annoying! No wonder there is a world out there that wants nothing to do with God. Look at his representatives. Sheesh. Don't get me wrong, I think it is right and good to follow rules. I believe obeying laws is something that God expects us to do. Even the so-called "little" rules, like FBI warnings against illegal CD copies, regardless of being "poor folk", or telling 349 of your closest friends "what's on your mind", on company time. (Thank goodness facebook wasn't around when I worked...I am sure I would have succumbed to THAT temptation once or twice!!) But here's the thing. Why do we feel so much pride when we do something right, and condemn others around us who are doing wrong? I mean, I really puffed myself up in that car there for a while, until God decided to burst my little bubble of pride. I guess we forget that all sin is equal in it's ability to separate us from God. Even disobedience. Even pride and self-righteousness. It's no wonder that life's snares and entanglements all boil down to three areas: "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." (1 John 2:16). Lust, more lust and pride.
When we become Christians, we suddenly become residents of glass houses, and you know what they say..."People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones". Think about it...who are the WORST critics of smokers? Ex-Smokers! I know some people who have committed sins, and I'm talking some serious, heinous acts, and they are some of the most critical people, especially of the same exact sin that they once committed themselves. I am very grateful that the Lord has the ability to forgive (1 John 1:9) AND forget (Psalm 103:12) all of our sins when we ask for forgiveness and turn away from that sin. But, I am equally glad that He, in His infinite wisdom, has NOT given us the ability to forget our own sin. Not for the sake of beating ourselves up over and over again, but to always remember from the heights we have fallen, and of the mercy that God has extended to us. The Bible says that the person who has been forgiven much, shows much love. (Luke 7:47)
I admit that I choose to sit on the judgement throne way too often at times. I am thankful that the Lord is quick to point out to me that I am in the wrong seat, and usually I am quick to respond accordingly. Lord knows some people make it harder to respond than others, but that's all part of how God uses those around us to show us how imperfect our prideful hearts really are. The beauty of all the difficult experiences, the failures and the disappointments is that they clearly points us directly to the cross and our need for a Saviour. It's impossible to walk straight, when we our gaze is everywhere else but on the path that lies ahead. Jesus never called us to be the plumb line for humanity. That's a standard only He can raise. Our place is to represent Him well, and point people to Him.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Pathfinders
As far back as I can remember, I have been a worry-wart. I remember worrying about my parents dying, getting into an accident. I remember worrying about being called on at school to answer a question, missing the bus, dropping my lunch in the cafeteria and being laughed at. I had fears about calling people on the telephone and the dreaded class presentations. I was afraid of the dark, water, and dogs. You name it, and I could wrap a fear around it in a blink of an eye. I think it is partly because I have always been a "what-if" kind of person. I assume that's why science and forensics captivate me even to this day. I love to "master the possibilities", however most of my anticipation of the possibilities ended in a gripping fear of the worst possible case scenario. As I grew, I traded my foolish, childhood fears for larger, more mature ones. Fear of leaving home to go to college...staying in a bad relationship in my teens and early twenties out of the fear of being single forever. Fear of not being a success in life. I think you get my point.
God tells us in His word that He has not "given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7). He tells us again in Romans 8:15 that we "did not receive a spirit that makes [us] a slave again to fear, but the Spirit of sonship." These passages reveal two important truths to me. First, that fear is a spirit. I am not talking like Casper the friendly ghost kind of spirit, but a real atmosphere that attached itself wherever it is received. The second truth is that the spirit of fear did not come from, and never will come from God.
One day, right after I finished college, my life came to a crashing halt. Everything I had planned, dreamed and counted on was ripped out of my grasp. As you can imagine, the complete loss of control over the details of one's life would send any fear-riddled soul into an unrecoverable, downward spiral. I felt as though my fears stood straight up in front of my eyes, mocking me in a victory dance. I was overcome with grief, anger, and irrational thoughts. My sweet Mother did all that she knew to do, and, sensing the urgency of my situation, prayed and interceded for my very life. I was a walking zombie for the next couple of days, then something happened. Something awoke on the inside of me. Something sparked hope in a bleak, dark time, that should have engulfed me into a state of insanity. For the first time ever, I saw that there were two paths in front of me. The first was where I found myself standing. It was an easy path, with bright lights, and neon signs, and plenty of space to walk. People as far as the eye could see, walking beside me, in front of me and behind. All the obstacles had been removed, all the hills made flat and the valleys lifted. The twists and turns had been eliminated and I could see for miles and miles without even straining. It was the obvious, logical path, and for someone with as many fears as I had, it was the path where I could maintain complete control of where I was going at all times. The bright lights and neon signs were so captivating and appealing, that my senses were full to the brim. My path was so inviting and so perfect to me, that I could walk it with my eyes closed, and many times, I did. I'm sure I had my eyes closed on the day that I was so rudely thrown to the ground by what I call, "The Screeching Halt".
It's hard to say exactly what caused this abrupt halt, because there weren't any warning signs. Not that I saw, at least. I mean, there was no slowing traffic, no yellow caution lights, everything flowing right along schedule. Tick tock...chop chop. Or so it seemed. But that's the thing about this path on which I was a traveller. The warnings are camouflaged by the big, the bold and the beautiful. Yes, I could pinpoint the obvious contributing factors that threw my perfect little world out of orbit, but it was as if those details were merely the result of a greater force at work. Suddenly my rocked world caused me to shift my glance. This other path was one I really never notice before. I guess my steps were just so comfortable, so effortless, that I never questioned the existence of another path. Once I laid eyes on it, I instantly knew it had actually been there all along. This other path, at times, is very difficult to travel, dimly lit, and filled with twists, turns, hills and valleys. Sometimes it's a quiet path, where you walk alone for miles, wondering if anyone else is even there. Once I took the leap from the old path to the new one, I immediately knew I was not the same anymore. I felt free. I felt strong, and brave. Not any words I would have ever used to describe myself before. So I kept on that path, and I learned several things. I learned that the path I chose leads to my destiny, my peace, the divine. Over the years, it has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, think outside the walls of my own understanding, and place complete faith in something I can't see, or touch. In a world searching for purpose, only to find the blind leading the blind, I have been given a wonderful gift of a Lamp to light my path.
Do I still have fears? Sure, at times. Especially when I take my eyes off of God and try to work in my own limited knowledge and strength. Is life perfect? Not a chance, but my peace is perfect, even in the storms, even in the trials, even when I fail. It is because my peace is not something I conjured up myself, but has been given to me by Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace. Do I ever regret leaving my first path for the second? Never.
God tells us in His word that He has not "given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7). He tells us again in Romans 8:15 that we "did not receive a spirit that makes [us] a slave again to fear, but the Spirit of sonship." These passages reveal two important truths to me. First, that fear is a spirit. I am not talking like Casper the friendly ghost kind of spirit, but a real atmosphere that attached itself wherever it is received. The second truth is that the spirit of fear did not come from, and never will come from God.
One day, right after I finished college, my life came to a crashing halt. Everything I had planned, dreamed and counted on was ripped out of my grasp. As you can imagine, the complete loss of control over the details of one's life would send any fear-riddled soul into an unrecoverable, downward spiral. I felt as though my fears stood straight up in front of my eyes, mocking me in a victory dance. I was overcome with grief, anger, and irrational thoughts. My sweet Mother did all that she knew to do, and, sensing the urgency of my situation, prayed and interceded for my very life. I was a walking zombie for the next couple of days, then something happened. Something awoke on the inside of me. Something sparked hope in a bleak, dark time, that should have engulfed me into a state of insanity. For the first time ever, I saw that there were two paths in front of me. The first was where I found myself standing. It was an easy path, with bright lights, and neon signs, and plenty of space to walk. People as far as the eye could see, walking beside me, in front of me and behind. All the obstacles had been removed, all the hills made flat and the valleys lifted. The twists and turns had been eliminated and I could see for miles and miles without even straining. It was the obvious, logical path, and for someone with as many fears as I had, it was the path where I could maintain complete control of where I was going at all times. The bright lights and neon signs were so captivating and appealing, that my senses were full to the brim. My path was so inviting and so perfect to me, that I could walk it with my eyes closed, and many times, I did. I'm sure I had my eyes closed on the day that I was so rudely thrown to the ground by what I call, "The Screeching Halt".
It's hard to say exactly what caused this abrupt halt, because there weren't any warning signs. Not that I saw, at least. I mean, there was no slowing traffic, no yellow caution lights, everything flowing right along schedule. Tick tock...chop chop. Or so it seemed. But that's the thing about this path on which I was a traveller. The warnings are camouflaged by the big, the bold and the beautiful. Yes, I could pinpoint the obvious contributing factors that threw my perfect little world out of orbit, but it was as if those details were merely the result of a greater force at work. Suddenly my rocked world caused me to shift my glance. This other path was one I really never notice before. I guess my steps were just so comfortable, so effortless, that I never questioned the existence of another path. Once I laid eyes on it, I instantly knew it had actually been there all along. This other path, at times, is very difficult to travel, dimly lit, and filled with twists, turns, hills and valleys. Sometimes it's a quiet path, where you walk alone for miles, wondering if anyone else is even there. Once I took the leap from the old path to the new one, I immediately knew I was not the same anymore. I felt free. I felt strong, and brave. Not any words I would have ever used to describe myself before. So I kept on that path, and I learned several things. I learned that the path I chose leads to my destiny, my peace, the divine. Over the years, it has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, think outside the walls of my own understanding, and place complete faith in something I can't see, or touch. In a world searching for purpose, only to find the blind leading the blind, I have been given a wonderful gift of a Lamp to light my path.
Do I still have fears? Sure, at times. Especially when I take my eyes off of God and try to work in my own limited knowledge and strength. Is life perfect? Not a chance, but my peace is perfect, even in the storms, even in the trials, even when I fail. It is because my peace is not something I conjured up myself, but has been given to me by Jesus, who is the Prince of Peace. Do I ever regret leaving my first path for the second? Never.
~
Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate
and broad is the road
that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.
But small is the gate
and narrow the road
that leads to life,
and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13 (NIV)
For wide is the gate
and broad is the road
that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.
But small is the gate
and narrow the road
that leads to life,
and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13 (NIV)
~
If, on the day that I was presented with the choice of the two paths, I would have chosen according to my fears, I would probably still be on that other path to this day. Fear is the polar opposite of faith, and it is what keeps many of us bound and blind. As cliché as it may sound, I have found a freedom that I never knew when I strolled along the other path. It's ironic how having the freedom to do whatever you want-whatever feels right at the time, ends up doing nothing more than placing us in chains. We live in regret from all the horrible choices we've made that didn't quite turn out exactly as we had planned. Even more ironic is how, when we choose to place ourselves under the submission of God, His rules and His ways, we end up with a freedom we never knew existed.~
My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
“The rain and snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
and the trees of the field will clap their hands!
Isaiah 55:8-12 (NLT)
~
So, if I asked you today, what path you are on, what would you tell me? Maybe you don't even know. Maybe you have never even thought about it before. Equally important, do you know why you choose to stay on the path you are on, regardless of which one it is? We should walk with purpose, wherever we are walking. We can have such drive and purpose, running full steam ahead, on a path that is completely wrong, and all we will be doing is getting nowhere, fast. We can also be on the right path, but only walking halfheartedly, never reaching our intended goal. My prayer is that each one of us walks on the right path, with great purpose and a heart that wants everything God has in His plan for us. There is, after all, no greater life than that.
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