"To some, love is a word
That they can fall into
But when they're falling out
Keeping that word is hard to do"
from Love Is Not A Fight performed by Warren Barfield
Keeping that word is hard to do, because it goes against our very human nature. As humans, we have a natural tendency to roam aimlessly, seeking to satisfy ourselves with the temporary and the fleeting. But it's nothing more than that--temporary and fleeting. Sure, we can say we fall in love, and are sincere in saying so. Of course, it's easy to say that when the sky is bright and the seas are calm. But about when the times when you've forgotten what the sun looks like, and the days when it seems that sea's sole intention is to provide you with a watery grave? It's in those times, that we truly see what love is. When that temporary feeling of infatuation left long ago, finding other fools to abide in its presence and lust after it. It's absence causes us to realize that we were not really in love with "the lover." We were in love with the idea of loving them. This simply means that it wasn't truly them that we cared for, it was the thought of being able to love someone that captured our consciousness.
Does this happen a lot with our spiritual walks? When God showers blessings upon us, is it not easy to say that we love God? It's tough to say that our love can be proved amidst blessings, because we can easily shift our love from the Giver to the gifts themselves. Our devotion really cannot be proved until those gifts are gone, whether it be walking away from them all or having them taken. I can honestly say that I have always claimed to love God and constantly trust Him to lead me step by step. But why is it that when I fall, that I suddenly lose sight of Him? Do I follow God by faith, always following His calling of my name, or do I instead follow a trail of gifts he leaves behind? Many times I see myself as a spiritual Hansel. Rather than rest in faith, I instead choose a lesser method of finding my way: Relying on my own independence, and only believing the bread crumbs that I see. Needless to say, this method has proved inadequate again and again, and only leaves me frustrated and embittered.
Many times when I put myself in Job's situation, I can't honestly say that I could experience his situation will maintaining a blameless attitude. Or in David's situation, and still call myself a man after God's own heart. Which in my mind, proves that I've been worshiping the gifts more than the creator rather than worshiping the creator with the gifts. These gifts are in no way evil, neigh they are gifts from our Creator. Though if we begin to use our gifts for our benefit and our benefit alone, they begin to become the centers of lives. This is why we become really frustrated and embittered during these times. We use the gifts for purposes that they were not created for: serving ourselves. When we no longer use our gifts for the Kingdom, we lose sight of where we are and what our purpose is.
This frustration and bitterness does little for my benefit. I begin to blame God for cutting off the trail of presents. So I, in essence, become ignorant to His call. Though this breaks His heart, His marvelous love for us allows us to make our own choices, no matter how stupid some of them may be. So when I've lost my ability to judge where I am, due to the loss of the physical (outpouring of gifts and blessings) and the spiritual (my ignorance towards God) I become lost. Absolutely and unequivocally lost. It is during this disorientation, that I am susceptible to turn to lesser means to seek out a way. The Deceiver knows my faults well, and often has a worldly, attractive offer for me. Much like the candy house in the story of Hansel and Gretel, this offer entices me greatly by allowing me to indulge in my sinful nature. Though this offer looks great on the outside, from the inside, its true nature is revealed. The deceiver has carefully hidden himself inside, waiting to see if I will take the bait. And If I do (which happens much too often) I become subservient to that sin, much like the children became enslaved to the witch. Though I may no longer be a slave to sin after I became a believer and receiver of Christ's sufficiency, I still fall prey to its earthiness. This means that I still am susceptible to it's ability to render my ministry ineffective, figuratively killing my ministry. This is similar to the Witch's desire to kill the children and devour them. The deceiver finds great joy in being able to devour our ministries through sin (Ted Haggard anyone?). Unlike the children, I am not able to escape on my own based on my own ingenuity and resourcefulness. It took Christ's sacrifice to free from my sin prison. So it is our realization that Christ has already conquered sin that is able to free us once again from the prison cell of sin. It is in this moment that we once again realize where we are, and that our Creator never left our side and is ready to lead us on, once again.
Our love affair with the transient and the physical leads to nowhere but the grave. Our ministries have little value when we busy ourselves indulging in what the world offers us. I exhort you (and myself as well) to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1b-3 (NIV)
Let Christ reign in your life and find your fulfillment in Him and not the transient. For as much as the transient is fleeting, so much more is God eternal. So let's use our transient to serve the eternal.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)
Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Mark 4:16-17 (NIV)
That they can fall into
But when they're falling out
Keeping that word is hard to do"
from Love Is Not A Fight performed by Warren Barfield
Keeping that word is hard to do, because it goes against our very human nature. As humans, we have a natural tendency to roam aimlessly, seeking to satisfy ourselves with the temporary and the fleeting. But it's nothing more than that--temporary and fleeting. Sure, we can say we fall in love, and are sincere in saying so. Of course, it's easy to say that when the sky is bright and the seas are calm. But about when the times when you've forgotten what the sun looks like, and the days when it seems that sea's sole intention is to provide you with a watery grave? It's in those times, that we truly see what love is. When that temporary feeling of infatuation left long ago, finding other fools to abide in its presence and lust after it. It's absence causes us to realize that we were not really in love with "the lover." We were in love with the idea of loving them. This simply means that it wasn't truly them that we cared for, it was the thought of being able to love someone that captured our consciousness.
Does this happen a lot with our spiritual walks? When God showers blessings upon us, is it not easy to say that we love God? It's tough to say that our love can be proved amidst blessings, because we can easily shift our love from the Giver to the gifts themselves. Our devotion really cannot be proved until those gifts are gone, whether it be walking away from them all or having them taken. I can honestly say that I have always claimed to love God and constantly trust Him to lead me step by step. But why is it that when I fall, that I suddenly lose sight of Him? Do I follow God by faith, always following His calling of my name, or do I instead follow a trail of gifts he leaves behind? Many times I see myself as a spiritual Hansel. Rather than rest in faith, I instead choose a lesser method of finding my way: Relying on my own independence, and only believing the bread crumbs that I see. Needless to say, this method has proved inadequate again and again, and only leaves me frustrated and embittered.
Many times when I put myself in Job's situation, I can't honestly say that I could experience his situation will maintaining a blameless attitude. Or in David's situation, and still call myself a man after God's own heart. Which in my mind, proves that I've been worshiping the gifts more than the creator rather than worshiping the creator with the gifts. These gifts are in no way evil, neigh they are gifts from our Creator. Though if we begin to use our gifts for our benefit and our benefit alone, they begin to become the centers of lives. This is why we become really frustrated and embittered during these times. We use the gifts for purposes that they were not created for: serving ourselves. When we no longer use our gifts for the Kingdom, we lose sight of where we are and what our purpose is.
This frustration and bitterness does little for my benefit. I begin to blame God for cutting off the trail of presents. So I, in essence, become ignorant to His call. Though this breaks His heart, His marvelous love for us allows us to make our own choices, no matter how stupid some of them may be. So when I've lost my ability to judge where I am, due to the loss of the physical (outpouring of gifts and blessings) and the spiritual (my ignorance towards God) I become lost. Absolutely and unequivocally lost. It is during this disorientation, that I am susceptible to turn to lesser means to seek out a way. The Deceiver knows my faults well, and often has a worldly, attractive offer for me. Much like the candy house in the story of Hansel and Gretel, this offer entices me greatly by allowing me to indulge in my sinful nature. Though this offer looks great on the outside, from the inside, its true nature is revealed. The deceiver has carefully hidden himself inside, waiting to see if I will take the bait. And If I do (which happens much too often) I become subservient to that sin, much like the children became enslaved to the witch. Though I may no longer be a slave to sin after I became a believer and receiver of Christ's sufficiency, I still fall prey to its earthiness. This means that I still am susceptible to it's ability to render my ministry ineffective, figuratively killing my ministry. This is similar to the Witch's desire to kill the children and devour them. The deceiver finds great joy in being able to devour our ministries through sin (Ted Haggard anyone?). Unlike the children, I am not able to escape on my own based on my own ingenuity and resourcefulness. It took Christ's sacrifice to free from my sin prison. So it is our realization that Christ has already conquered sin that is able to free us once again from the prison cell of sin. It is in this moment that we once again realize where we are, and that our Creator never left our side and is ready to lead us on, once again.
Our love affair with the transient and the physical leads to nowhere but the grave. Our ministries have little value when we busy ourselves indulging in what the world offers us. I exhort you (and myself as well) to "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1b-3 (NIV)
Let Christ reign in your life and find your fulfillment in Him and not the transient. For as much as the transient is fleeting, so much more is God eternal. So let's use our transient to serve the eternal.
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)
Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Mark 4:16-17 (NIV)
