Get Out Of His Way
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” –John 14:6
The sooner we get out of God’s way do we allow His will to be done. Can we really know His will? According to His Word and certain obvious things you've likely known about yourself for a good while now, I believe we can without question. Worth a try as many of us have tried any and everything else. His will is to give us a future and a hope. Not "feeling" hope doesn't take away its presence. Before you make a rash decision if life and hope don't seem real, read on.
"For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” –Jeremiah 29:11
Not many, including the skeptic, will argue that a peace of mind is vastly more important than a “piece of the pie” as it is currently and culturally defined. If we’re painfully honest, we know that a certain level of education, a certain title, a certain position, and the perfect romantic relationship has left us all feeling a bit if not a lot empty. We somehow know that only perfect love makes way for the perfect relationship by getting fear out of the way.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” -1 John 4:18
Fear dominates our natural human instincts and causes us to use them in some pretty twisted ways. So, when we want to feel better and do so without personally accepting and knowing “Perfect Love” (Jesus Christ), we hurriedly make capricious purchases, pop a pill, greedily gamble, sleep with the prospect lacking perspective, or try to control the uncontrollable.
“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” –Colossians 3:14
By the way, about 90 percent of what we often “worry” about we cannot control. And here is the kicker! Worry knows no God, but is its own little god. And we all know that an autocrat has no place for an autopilot or co-pilot, for that matter, in his cockpit. Ghastly! “Someone greater than me running the show?” the autocrat grumbles. The autocrat demands control of everything and everybody, and never realizes (too busy being in control) that the very things he clings to will eventually escape his grasp.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” - Colossians 3:2
Actually, the control freak is aware that he can’t keep what he thinks he must not only have, but own. More sadly, he can’t fully enjoy life with the reality that he will one day lose it.
“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” -Philippians 3:7
Can you relate? Have you ever seen a “For Sale” sign on a casket including the corpse? Me neither and I doubt any of us will anytime soon! But who am I to say when Christ will return to claim what is rightfully His. God is like that. He wants the copyright and patent on what He has so dearly paid. It cost Him more than each homeowner’s mortgage in Montana. It cost God His only Son’s life. (John 3:16) There is hope for the control freak, but he must surrender it – control that is. What ever we seek first will flat have us last and you can mark this down!
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” –Matthew 6:33
We all want the truth, but are scared to death that who we really are will be revealed. Let me spare you the suspense. Most of those who really know you (certainly family) got your number a long time ago. And if they’ve already got your number, can you imagine the names that they might be calling you? Don’t despair. It doesn’t really matter what color socks you have on anyway. That’s what my friend’s little girl says when questioned about her dress code. Purple socks just don’t go well with a red dress. The little girl will likely give in to conformity, but for now she’s carefree and that’s how we want to be, isn’t it? Those blasted details are what wrap us around the axle and we can easily get stuck in cruise control, thinking folks aren’t paying attention to who we are – hopefully just what we have on! You won’t find a more happy-go-lucky little gal than this! Free to do as she pleases and so are we if only we would.
“But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.” - Romans 7:6
Is it because we can’t or that familiarity breeds dreadful contempt? Could it be we’ve grown more familiar with contempt than a compelling desire to become, at any cost, content? And to think it’s free to beat all. Ask the little girl with purple socks on, and she’ll find our rigidity plumb stupidity. “God gave you joy, and you want to pay Him back with an unauthentic appearance?” she’d muse.
She’d go further. “Lighten up and laugh! You look like a walking rock with eyelids for the goodness’ sake!” with a lilt in her little voice and a grin that got your goat.
She’s right and we know it. A rather despicable spot to be in as a believer. Kind of begs the question of what we believe in, not Who we rely upon? If God came down from Heaven and told us that we had permission to be disciples at peace – without the wasteful worry, the furrowed brow of doubt, or our rightful place in the elusive “Hall of Perfection”, would we take Him up on it? Peace? Contentment? Joy? Kindness? Patience? Self-control? Laughter? Love? More mirth in what has become this so terribly mundane business of life?
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23
What a misguided guise. Playing the fool to an innocuously invisible front because we fear no one has our back. God does, but who’d know it? We’re not sure we do. We’ve been found out, but it wasn’t as significant as the prophet Nathan catching David asleep at the wheel regarding his yet to be confessed sin with Bathsheba. God sent Nathan then, but we have Jesus Christ now and we don’t quite know what to do with Him. This freedom seems too surreal! We’d like to believe Him at His word, but that’s easier said than done, right? Again, just ask the little girl whose dress code we find awful, but whose freedom to conduct herself like we could if only we would we find delightfully liberating. She’s too young to know about black clothes and bandanas. She’s not trying to be a non-conformist, she’s just being who God made her to be – FREE!
"Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." –Mark 10:15
Do you want we she has? I do and I don’t think I have to dress in or out of style to get it. I’ve had it since I asked Christ to come into my life. As a believer, you’ve got it as well. To the non-believer, if you don’t have it just come to Christ just as you are -- purple socks, red dress, blue jeans, black eye, black outs from booze, poor reputation, few friends, no credit line, but soon your sin debt will be paid in full. You’ll be storing up riches in Heaven and God Himself is ensuring that your real rewards remain there. Don’t hesitate. The Devil tells us there is no God, there is no heaven, and that there is no hurry. My friend’s little girl is only six year’s old and has her whole life ahead of her. So do you despite your age. In the backdrop of time without end, this decision will make earthly life worth living, and eternity as God’s own warmly attractive.
“We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” -2 Corinthians 5:8
Tired of the front? So am I. I wonder if God ever kind of tires of watching us play the court jester for no extra pay? A silly side-job anyway, don’t you think? What’s the pay-off? A good image? Similar to a beautifully polished mint ’57 Chevy without an engine, we’ve got the gospel but fear letting go of it. “Let’s go for a ride,” a friend asks. “I would if I could be I can’t.” we lament. Guess what? We don’t keep very well what we’re afraid to share. Many of us wouldn’t even shout it on a mountain in the middle of no where. Imagine sharing it in the office, on the 9th hole, or even in a dark drafty spot that serves beer for the sake of cheer. Shhhhhhh. Tired of the deafening silence?
Tired of holding on to earthly things that will rot, and the gospel that will not?
Me too and so I have a choice today as we all do. It’s not a hard one, but a choice nonetheless. God doesn’t expect me to leap off church pews as this is merely mirrors and lights to the disheartened disbeliever. God is no respecter of men, and talking in tongues may do much for insecure egos, but it says nothing to the desperately desperate man or woman who would love to hear about some Good News in plain English. And if English was never your subject, when you start to speak of God to someone else, He’ll be sure you speak the King’s English. God works that way and many ways I have no clue about. His ways are, not surprisingly, much higher than mine and much better as well. Not shocked, are you? (Smile)
So with excuses aside, share what you have that others really do want that will never ever fade away!
B. Jett (c) 2003
