Hike up that skirt and run!

You have probably heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words." While this is very true in life, there are times we 'discount' the actions of another - especially if we don't think those actions line up with what we expected or what we believe. I think Jesus must have encountered more than one or two of such individuals in his ministry on earth - somewhat resistant to his love and hope just because his actions didn't 'line up' with what they believed would be the actions of their "Messiah" (deliverer).

Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.  John 6:35 MSG

They had seen him in action - watched firsthand his healing touch transform lives and observed at close proximity his incredible knowledge of the prophesies of old. Yet, they didn't believe. I have heard some say, "If I had been alive when Jesus was walking this earth, there is no way I wouldn't have believed!" While we'd all like to believe this of ourselves, let me assure you some of us still wouldn't have changed our minds about Jesus! Why? He didn't fit the picture they had in their minds and maybe he wouldn't have fit that picture for us either.

Look at what he says next - eventually we will come running to him. Nothing really speaks louder about our actions than those that result in us making a run toward Jesus with all we have within! Nothing speaks louder about his actions than that he makes the way clear for us so we don't get tripped up along the way! He holds on and he doesn't let go! See that - listen to it - let it penetrate your heart. You are on a mission toward 'home' - when you finally make it there - wow!

We might think we need to see overwhelming evidence of him in every realm of our world before we could possibly trust him with our lives, but seeing isn't always believing! Some of us would do well to just believe and then we will begin to see what has been right there in front of us all along - his overwhelming, realer-than-real love! In Old Testament times, the 'proper' in society would run anywhere - much less into waiting arms! When Jesus says we will run to him, he isn't asking us to be 'proper' in our faith - he is asking us to abandon ourselves to him.

We might think abandon is a little over the top for us - because it means we lay down our control and let another take over. Yet, it is in abandon - in running toward him - that we find our true selves. We are not going to recognize him fully, appreciate all of his grace, or understand all of his love as long as we stand resistant to his invitation. As soon as we recognize he is discovered in abandon, we might just admit we really did not know what we were missing! Just sayin!

Abandon this

There are probably more than a few things in life we'd do well to just 'abandon' - because they are not meant for us to be carrying, working toward, or engaged in. The moment we abandon something, we leave it where it belongs - in the past. It isn't there to niggle at our time in the present. It cannot make demands of us any longer - because it isn't in the present! We don't 'occupy' a new space until that space is readied for that occupation. We prepare the space because it is important to do so before we move all manner of stuff into it. After the stuff is moved in, we might realize that we moved in a little bit too much stuff - leaving us with a sense of clutter and disorder. To 're-occupy' that space means we de-clutter and re-order. Occupation means we abandon something we may not have needed to "bring in".

When GOD, your God, ushers you into the land he promised through your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give you, you’re going to walk into large, bustling cities you didn’t build, well-furnished houses you didn’t buy, come upon wells you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive orchards you didn’t plant. When you take it all in and settle down, pleased and content, make sure you don’t forget how you got there – GOD brought you out of slavery in Egypt. Deeply respect GOD, your God. Serve and worship him exclusively. Carefully keep the commands of GOD, your God, all the requirements and regulation she gave you. Do what is right, do what is good in GOD’S sight so you’ll live a good life and be able to march in and take this pleasant land that GOD so solemnly promised through your ancestors, throwing out your enemies left and right – exactly as GOD said. (Deuteronomy 6: 10-12, 14-19)

As Israel was called to enter into the Promised Land, they were told to not do so in their own effort, or in a timid way. They were told to do so in the power and authority of the God they served – standing upon the firm foundation of his character. They were to enter and to occupy. Entering into a new space suggests a changing of position and the potential of going into something we might not be all that familiar with because we haven't experienced it before. Entry suggests making a new beginning – with the intention of taking possession of something new. It also carries the idea of being an active participant in that which God is doing - not just passively watching as others enjoy what God has provided for us to enjoy ourselves.

Occupying carries a slightly different meaning – it implies that we take ownership of that which we enter into. Occupation requires an engagement of our attention to that which we seek the ownership of – owners are more than onlookers – they actually enter into the experience of that which they own.
It is necessary to see the method of ownership that we enjoy as a follower of Christ – it is that of being “ushered into” possession of that which was once occupied, but has gone through a change of ownership, allowing for a new 'occupant' to enter in. God goes before – he is the forerunner who graciously escorts us into realms unknown – in spirit, emotion, and in physical experience. Since it is an occupied territory that we enter into – a change of ownership must occur. It is a dispossessing work – dispossessing sin and all that goes along with it; dispossessing ego and its demands. It is more than just “experiencing” for a period of time – it is a complete change of possession that is promised, begun, and completed. Look at all we enjoy – that which we did not prepare; that which we did not build; and that which we did not harvest.

As we rightly order our lives and begin to respond to him in obedient reverence, we are commanded to love the Lord with all we’ve got. This is not a partial commitment to give some of ourselves to him, but a commitment of our entire being to live in such a way that all we do, say and think is a manifestation of having him central in our lives. Love with every emotion we have, surrendered in abandoned adoration to him. Abandon really signifies a change of heart that is evident in our no longer trying to perform a certain way – it implies that we will be given to him in such a way that we give ourselves over to his governance unrestrained. Love him with all our soul – with every part of our being that makes us who or what we are. Love him with all our strength – all that we have capacity for, with every effort we can make, with unreserved service and adoration. Love him with whole-hearted commitment that dedicates the will to the fulfilling of the will of another.

We are then to live as examples to all who surround us – first to our families, then to those we contact in our communities each day. The dedication or occupation of our lives is to impact others. They are not to just “hear about” Christ, but they are to see him modeled in us. The riches of a child of God are never earned or self-constructed – they are a provision from a loving God in response to our dedication to his gracious love. Life in Christ is not a system of works – things done to gain approval or right-standing. Rather, it is a heartfelt response to an intensely gracious love that draws us in, wraps us in its presence, and relishes its effects in the inner core of our being. There is a vulnerability, or openness to possibilities beyond our imagining, that occurs when we are willing to lay it all down before him. Let us not be bound to our own efforts to live righteously– the possibilities contained within abandonment far outweigh the limitations of our abilities to live right. Living right is a natural outcome to abandoning our hearts to the one who creates that righteousness in us as his love is allowed to deeply affect the center of all we are. Just abandoning!

Not just a night light

Some of humankind hated the light. They scampered hurriedly back into the darkness where vices thrive and wickedness flourishes. Those who abandon deceit and embrace what is true, they will enter into the light where it will be clear that all their deeds come from God.  (John 3:20-21 VOICE)

As a child, some of us absolutely hated the dark. We wanted nightlights left on, the door to our rooms to remain open, and some even would not fall asleep unless the radio was lightly playing in the background. Why? Light dismissed some of the shadows of darkness. An open door assured us we weren't totally alone as someone was readily within calling distance. The noise on the radio masked those noises of night we all hear from time to time, like the creaking of a house settling, the noise the furnace makes when it comes on, etc. All in all, it was still nighttime; it was still dark. We just did thing that made it seem "less dark" and "less fearful". Truth be known, we cannot change darkness - we only do things to make it "less dark" in our lives.

In the realm of our spiritual life, we can take a number of measures to ensure we have some light in our life. Perhaps we go to church on Sundays, hear a good sermon, and even nod in agreement with the speaker. We get exposed to a little light at that moment in time, but unless we take that sermon into our hearts and minds, allowing it to change the way we live out our lives, it was merely a glimpse into the light. We can even take a little time each day to read the Bible, take a few notes, and even memorize a verse or two. Yet, we can still live with a whole lot of "dark places" in and around our lives which begin to have an effect on us. I think we must go back to our passage and remember how it is we actually find ourselves "in the light" rather than dabbling in the darkness with no clear way of out. We find ourselves immersed in light because we abandon darkness, not that we just try to deal with it!

Most of us work hard to deal with darkness in our lives - then we wonder why we still get a little overwhelmed by it at times. It is hard not to stub your toe when we have to navigate things in the dark! Jesus described a "two step process" to his followers: Abandon and Embrace.  To abandon means we leave something so completely that it is deserted - our leaving is final. There is no turning back. Most importantly, this idea of abandon means that we give up completely - we surrender the darkness to whom it belongs (Satan) and never look back.  To embrace means that we take something so eagerly, pulling it close, making sure it makes a heart connection. When I embrace my grandsons, it isn't just a quick wrap of my arm around their shoulders. It is a pulling of them close to my heart, holding them tight for even just a moment. 

Embracing light happens when we get our hearts close enough to the light to have them totally affected by the light. Light carries a sense of warmth - because there is an exchange of energy. In using the term "embrace", Jesus is describing this process of giving ourselves over to the pull which brings us closer and closer to God's heart as we do. My grandsons give good hugs. They know how to come up to us, wrap their arms around us tightly and then just squeeze us a little. Why do they squeeze us as part of their hugs? I think it might just be a little more than letting us know they are making "contact", but they are ensuring we know they are committed to that contact - that connection is important to them and they want us to sense just how important it is. 

I have no doubt many of us want to abandon the darkness in our lives, but we lack a sense of how to do it. The truth is, until sunrise, we all deal with "managing the darkness". At the point of sunrise, the atmosphere in the entire room changes, doesn't it? The things hidden become apparent; the noises that haunted us just hours earlier don't seem to matter. As the light dawns, there is an overwhelming sense of peace - because light embraces us and gives us that "little squeeze" that shows us how much we can count on God to be there in our lives. We don't force light into our lives - it comes in a gentle and reassuring way. It could be that some of us are just beginning to sense the dawn in areas of our lives that have been in the dark for way too long. Don't dread abandoning that darkness, but allow the light to pull you into the position where a heart connection is made with the one who is responsible for the light in the first place. Just sayin!