Pressures from those we hold close can keep us in a box built of their
expectations; they have a certain perception of us and we have learned
to live up to it.
Jesus experienced this; He wasn't accepted as a
prophet in His own home town, but He didn't let that stop Him from
being who God created Him to be. In fact, his contemporaries chatted
amongst themselves, saying "Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph and
Mary? Who does he think He is, trying to break out of the box we've
created for Him, calling Himself the Savior and healing people" and they
took offense and rejected Him (paraphrased from Matt 13:55). Note that
this didn't stop Jesus from bringing the goodness of God to them in the
form of wonder working, miraculous power, but it stopped them from
receiving the goodness of God through Him.
Jesus offered them
exactly what they needed, but perhaps they were expecting their
'breakthrough' to come from a different source. Perhaps they were the
type of people who thought the fishing was always better on the other
shore so they wouldn't cast their lines close by. God stretched out His
hand to bring relief and freedom to them through 'one of their own' but
they wanted it from a stranger whom they didn't know. It was easier to
receive from someone they didn't have to see as an everyday human -
someone they didn't get irritated with as a child, or someone they
weren't jealous of while growing up.
It has been said that
'familiarity breeds contempt,' and this certainly seems to be the case
with Jesus in Matthew 13, however, we also know that love covers a
multitude of sins. We cannot choose how (or if) people will receive the
love of God - but we can choose to be a carrier and take it where He
directs us. We can choose to step out of the limitations and
expectations that others put on us and live as the recreated and
powerful person who God has called each of us to be. If we are rejected
by those who have known us, so be it - they are rejecting the goodness
and power of God. Let that be a sign to you that you have truly come in
the power and character of God, for just as they rejected Him, they
rejected you.
But don't let that stop you from bringing His
goodness to 'your own hometown!' Don't let it be a platform for offense
so that their expectations of you are fulfilled. They may say that "you
haven't changed one bit," but don't get your back up and respond with a
few choice words of condemnation - speak love and life to them and be
patient! How you act in the rejection of your message may be the very
thing that turns their hearts to God!
We are accepted in the
beloved - brought into the loving arms of God and embraced with tender
affection (Eph 1:6)! So don't prize the acceptance of others so much
that it dictates who you are and suppresses the potential you've been
given by God. Let your desire, (as well as your words and actions) be to
bring others into that same embrace of God through your loving, patient
example. But NEVER live up to the expectations of those around you when
God is calling you to a higher plane of living in Him - that would be
the same as rejecting God, the very thing which Jesus contemporaries did
to Him!
If it's darkness, it needs Light: it's
probably that simple. It's the answer to the question "should
Christians be involved in politics, or speak up about injustices in the
world or have the voice of Light in this 'present darkness?'"
If your child were caught in the middle of that darkness would you want
to shine a light into it and expose its evil? If the darkness directly
affected you, would you want someone to shine into your situation and
loose the bonds of wickedness?
This world is imprisoned in
darkness, drowning in its own misery and filth and blinded by the dark
god of this age. Unfortunately, darkness doesn't go away on its own...it
grows...and the only remedy for darkness is light. Since we are the
Light, we are the remedy for darkness! The job of a light is to shine:
so find some darkness and shine into it! It might be political darkness
or religious darkness or educational darkness, but whatever the form of
darkness, the remedy is the same: the LIGHT of God's Truth, love and
power.
"Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.
That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it"
(John 1:4-5, HCSB)
There’s much talk and buzz in the Christian world about the movie “50
Shades of Grey.” To be sure, it’s a form of pornography pedaled to
people in a pleasant package of emotions and wealth. This movie (and
book) has the potential to make life extremely tortuous in many ways for
people who are drawn into its line of thinking, and it has blown away
the weak borders that kept us from accepting full blown immorality and
lewdness in the daylight of everyday life.
While we
may look at other cultures and disdain their use and abuse of women,
this movie promotes the same behaviors with a cloud of niceties over
it. The immorality of this movie includes the devaluing and twisting of
a godly relationship between a man and woman, and the pornographic and
violent use of people for our own (and the enemy’s) pleasure. But
because it’s presented with passion, wealth,and the mutual agreement of
the two main characters, it’s a shade of gray lighter than the outright
vicious and violent abuse we condemn in other societies.
This
is how the enemy works (and he is a master at it): he presents a
lighter, more palatable shade of gray, mixing the boundaries of good and
bad before he darkens our world one more shade. He’s been doing this
for centuries (darkening the minds and lives of society’s members) and
we have obliviously allowed ourselves to boil in this slow process. In
fact, we have fed the entertainment industry with billions of dollars
and elevated disturbed and twisted individuals to positions of authority
and fame, all the while pointing our fingers at other cultures who live
‘below’ our moral standards.
Consider our society’s
progression of immorality in movies, books and other entertainment from
50 years ago until now: in 1950 two of the most popular movies in the
USA were Rio Grande and Harvey (Imbd.com). These
were innocent and fun forms of entertainment compared to 50 Shades. In
2014, we are inundated with immoral and violent television series such
as Hannibal as well as ‘on demand’ porn available on the internet and
pay for view television. All of this is set before us in prime time for
our entertainment, as though we are simply watching birds on a feeder
outside of someone’s kitchen window. If there’s a little excitement, a
little romance or a life of luxury mixed in with the immorality and
porn, we accept the various shades of gray with open arms.
“50
Shades…” is appropriately named: it’s the perfect picture of a paint
sample in various shades and intensities of lewd and lascivious gray.
But it’s also a wake-up call for Christians, a time to realize just how
far off base we have gone and how deeply we have become enmeshed in a
society that presents varying degrees and shades of immorality for us to
participate in. As long as we’re not on the dark end of the shade
spectrum we might consider ourselves to be upright, moral, and in good
standing with God. But God’s plumb line is not the lesser shade of gray
that society sees as upright, it’s His word and His heart! He has shed
His blood that we might be washed and clothed in garments as white as
snow.
I could go on and on about the terrible effects
of this movie and the immoral condition of society, and we might likely
agree on those points. But the question I am asking myself, and
prompting you to ask yourself, is ‘what shade am I?’ What shade have I
become as I’ve been immersed in society and surrounded by its ‘soft’
forms of immorality, lewdness and violence? Do I see that I’m betrothed
to Jesus Christ, and is my heart and mind single on Him and the holy
beauty of our relationship? Or am I enticed by other‘lovers’ who take
my mind and affections off of my Beloved, just as they did with the
Israelites in the Old Testament? May God help us to reflect on these
questions and come to a conclusion which draws us deeper into
relationship with Him!
Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]!Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself. She
has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and
white--for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness
(the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right
standing with God) of the saints (God's holy people) [Rev 19:7-8 AMP].
Some
things are worth perpetuating! We add fuel to a campfire to keep it
going for warmth and pleasure, and continued fuel to the fire of the
Word and Holy Spirit increases the temperature of our walk with God. But adding fuel to an ungodly fire is synonymous with participating in the work of the enemy.
When we give input into things that don't glorify God, or keep one foot
in the door of an ungodly activity or situation, we are encouraging and
participating in the work of the enemy. If there's something inside of
us that dwells on these things and even occasionally puts a log on
their unholy fire, we've become divided in our alliances, trying to
serve both God and the enemy.
Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu,
served up unholy fire before God in Leviticus 1 and they were destroyed
because of it. God had indicated the type of fire they were to offer as
priests who were to be holy unto him. He had specifically ordained the
fuel source for this fire and given them direction on how they were to
offer it, but they chose to go the way of unholiness and suffered the
consequences. I'm not saying that we are going to die physically for
this type of activity, but there is a spiritual lesson in these verses.
God has ordained the way we are to use our mouths and the blessings
He's given us, and continually adding fuel to an ungodly fire will have
its consequences - we will reap what is sown.
Put a stop to
words and actions and participation in things that are not God inspired.
Refuse to keep the fire of gossip and condemnation and judgment going -
put the water of the word on it - extinguish the fire.
This
may require a solid stand before people with whom you've previously
allied. It may require that you look into their eyes and say "I love
you, but I cannot participate in this any longer. I have repented
before God for this activity and cannot go back into it." Then shut the
door and throw away the key, never to return to that path again! Move
forward and keep away from the 'bunny trails' that have been set as
traps by the enemy. Refuse to take the bait if it's offered up to you:
don't let it draw you away from God and weaken His power in your life.
We are not those who offer unholy fire, and add fuel to the
fires of the enemy, we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
dedicated nation, [God's] own purchased, special people, that we may set
forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of
Him Who called us of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet 2:9
paraphrased).
Denying reality is not faith. Faith stands in the face of distressing realities and says "But God..."
Denial of reality may be a reflection of inner fear and it may keep you from moving forward under God's direction,
especially if you are concerned that others will judge you or see your
problem. Most things don't go away by ignoring or denying them, but
acknowledging that you are facing something (without making that thing
your focus) can be the starting point for your victorious testimony at a
later time.
The way we walk through struggles is just as
important as overcoming them...it's not just about getting a desired end
result. We learn and grow when we go through things; not that God
brings them on us, but He will use them to sharpen us and strengthen our
walk with Him, imparting wisdom in the process.
So
acknowledge the problem without giving it your physical, emotional and
spiritual health, and let God work it out in, through, and for you as
you submit and trust. Don't allow your mind and emotions to dwell on the
problem when you should be dwelling on the Answer - this is where faith
gets manipulated by the enemy and replaced with doubt. Acknowledging
something and dwelling on it are two different things - one will open
the door for God to work, the other will open the door to fear!
"I Have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect]
peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and
distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be
confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have
deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you]" (John
16:33, AMP).
