Pushing back

“All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

What does it mean to live in the 'authority' of Christ? It is both the ability to use God's power and the 'permission' to use it. We might believe we are given permission to use his power, but we might feel very 'unable' to do so. This is nothing but a lie from the pits of hell, my friends! We are given both - the ability and the 'authority' or 'permission' to tap into, live within, and use his power. To live 'powerless' lives is never the will of the Father - his will is for us to have ALL authority.

Did Jesus encounter times, places, and people who questioned his authority? Absolutely! Demons didn't want to submit to his authority, but a bunch of pig farmers lost their entire herd to one command to 'come out'! Sickness, crippling disease, and all manner of 'uncleanness' might have left many as outcasts from society for a long, long time, but none of these stood a chance when they encountered his authority! Insecure religious leaders who thought they had 'arrived' in the realm of their knowledge and power were left dumbfounded when he spoke with the power and authority of the Father who sent him. 

We oftentimes 'operate' far below our potential as children of God, choosing a 'powerless' position in the face of our enemy's opposition. When we do, he wins! The power and authority of God Almighty resides within each of us - his presence is always with us - even when we might not feel or 'sense' it. God doesn't abandon his children - he commissions them, gives them both the POWER and the AUTHORITY to use it! If someone gave you the keys to the biggest box store, telling you that you could enter at will, take whatever you needed, and reorder all that was necessary for your life without any payment required, would you use them? Well, God gave us the keys to the Kingdom, and we might just hesitate to use them!

The authority we are given is 'backed' by the power of God. Authority without power to back it up is really nothing more than wishful thinking. If we have such 'powerful backing', isn't it time we started to use it to push back the forces of darkness in and around our lives? Just askin!

A person of great privilege

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (Romans 5:1-2)

We don't 'get right' with God - we are 'made right' with him. This work is accomplished by faith, never by our works. All that was needed to make us right with God was done by Christ Jesus. One of the things we may miss in this passage is this 'place of undeserved privilege' we each enjoy as a result of Christ's finished work on the cross. We might think a person of 'privilege' enjoys extreme wealth, social standing, and easy access to things they want or need. We wouldn't be far off with this definition, except for that part about 'social standing'. Being a Christian doesn't always elevate us to the top of the social charts, does it? In fact, there may even be a 'slippage' in our 'social standing' with friends or family just because we make the choice to be a follower of Christ.

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now,
for in due time you will laugh. What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. (Luke 6:20-23)

Will the followers of Christ choose him for the wealth and fame, or for some other reason? I believe it is the latter, for in choosing Christ, we make a choice to live a life of service, not one of being served. Am I saying a believer will not have earthly wealth? Not at all, but they will not be motivated by it, or live for the accumulation of that wealth. Am I saying the believer will not have 'easy access' to the things they need? Absolutely not - for Christ cares for each of our needs as though they were his own. What I am saying is that a believer is not seeking more from this world, but they are seeking to enjoy more of God's goodness and grace in their lives. Their focus is not on what the world affords them in the way of fame, wealth, or enjoyment, but rather on the peace, love, and hope God brings as we press into him.

We actually enjoy an 'undeserved privilege' right here and now, but we live far below that privilege in Christ Jesus. Why? We seek what the world offers us before we seek to enjoy more of this privilege. It all comes down to where it is we find our fulfillment - joy, peace, and hope. If it is in the things of this world, we will live very disappointed lives. If it is in Christ, we shall soar high above whatever this world affords. Just sayin!

No dime store provisions here

Then he said to all, “Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close to me! Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it, but whoever insists on keeping his life will lose it; and what profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’s self? (Luke 9:23-25 TLB)

A few years ago, I had the privilege of being given access to some very expensive tools through an estate sale situation. Prior to this offering, I had a couple of power tools inherited from dad, or some that I had picked up along the way when the need arose. They were inexpensive ones and 'did the job' such as drilling a hole or sanding a rough spot out of some wood, but they were definitely not high quality tools. My neighbor was a professional woodworker, having both a small shop in his backyard and a much larger one for his business venture in town. The chance to pick up some very nice tools at a ridiculously low price was amazing and I jumped on the opportunity. You might have guessed it - those 'inferior' tools from my earlier acquisitions paled in comparison to the Dewalt or Rigid tool brands he had acquired and were now becoming mine. I no longer had a use for the older tools and soon parted with them - because I had something of a much higher quality at my disposal! I wonder if we hold onto things from our past lives that are inferior in quality just because we are unwilling to part with them? If we would just realize the 'caliber' of life we have been given, I think we might be less likely to 'hold on so tightly' to those habits, behaviors, and desires that aren't quite of the same "caliber'!

There are indeed desires best left behind as we step into this life with Jesus - but there are others we just don't realize are 'inferior' until we really take time to get to know what he has provided for our enjoyment in this new life with him. We have to actually take time to get to know him and understand how he works - seeing what he offers in light of what we once possessed. As we begin to appreciate the magnificence of what he offers, the desires we once held so dear begin to pale in comparison! We find ourselves actually considering letting go of those things which 'served a purpose', but are no longer of the same importance to us because we have been given something of a much higher 'caliber' in place of those things. When I first acquired all those tools, I parted them out between my two children and kept some for myself. I had no workshop and limited garage space, so incorporating a whole workshop of tools into my 'space' was difficult. In fact, I didn't even know some of the things those tools would do until now! They occupied space in my shed, but now they are available to me because I have made a space for them in a workshop. Oftentimes we need to 'make space' for the things Christ has provided for our use and enjoyment in life. We have to discover their value - but it isn't apparent to us until we actually make that space for them!

Making space for these things Christ has prepared for us is something we do over time. We don't know the half of what he has provided, but as we begin to open those treasures, we find there are indeed huge treasures of much more value than we once thought possible in our lives. We might not even fully appreciate their value when we first discover their presence - but when we allow those provisions to be put into use, we begin to appreciate how much life is enriched because we have these provisions at our disposal. Provisions such as immeasurable peace in the midst of all manner of anguish and hardship. Or that of unlimited grace that helps us be kind even when the natural desire to respond kindly wouldn't be there. We don't possess these things outside of Christ, but we oftentimes don't appreciate their presence in our lives until we make space for these provisions to be put into full use. To make space, we eliminate what once we held onto as those things by which we 'made do' in life. Those habits and behaviors that helped us 'get by', but which really lacked the same quality or caliber of excellence as the privilege and provision he makes available might have served us well at one time, but they won't serve us well over the long haul. We need to embrace what Christ offers, but to do so, we lay down what once we held onto and embrace what he has provided. Just sayin!

Privileged life, but principled, too

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. (Dwight D. Eisenhower) 

Have you seen the Facebook post of a nice log cabin in the woods, surrounded by stately, lush trees and a rather picturesque view of the surroundings, with the little caption that asks: "You have to stay in this cabin for one month, with no access to internet, cell phones, or TV. On the last day, you received $100,000. Would you do it?" Most of us would have to consider that one very, very carefully because we are kind of "connected" via our cells, internet, and media outlets! We almost freak out just thinking about being "disconnected"! I wonder if God asked us a similar question, like if we'd want to gain all the treasures of heaven and his kingdom, would we "disconnect" from where we have put our treasure on this earth, would we do it?

Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it. (Proverbs 22:5 NLT)

We have indeed become a society that values its privileges - almost taking it for granted they will always be there. When a power outage affects our town during monsoon storm or hurricane force gales, we find out just how "connected" we have become and how truly difficult it is for us to manage without those things we take for granted in our lives. We can almost hear the protests of the kiddos who have to find a way to occupy themselves without internet or TV.  We see the deer-in-the-headlights look of people who actually have to chat "live" with one another rather than send texts from one room of the house to the other! What we might not realize is just how much we "treasure" the things that keep us from valuing the things God has prepared for us that will live on in our lives way into eternity.

Privilege and principle are two entirely different things - one is assured because we live by the other. There is no "entitlement" for privilege - regardless of what some may think to the contrary! Privilege has a way of "corrupting" us - maybe not immediately, but in the course of time, we begin to take for granted what we have come to count on as "our right" or "ours". As a single parent, raising two children, I had to take many a moment of grief from my kiddos when they'd complain about buying "generic" jeans instead of the most popular name brand ones. The running shoes were likely bought at a big box store and not some sports store in the mall - despite their protests. The cars they got when they were old enough to endanger other lives on the road were second or third hand, but they ran. It was sometimes hard living by the principles I believe in - living debt free, not always having to keep up with the guy next door, and the belief that God didn't look so much at the outside as he did the inside. On the other hand, the love I always gave to my kiddos and received from them was much more valuable than enduring those protests from the kiddos, though! Despite their protests, they knew deep down that I loved them more than any words could describe.

Despite our protests, do we know deep down that we love God more than these things we call "privileges" that we have come to take for granted in our lives? Do we know deep down that he loves us enough to sometimes disturb our sense of "privilege" in order to keep us walking a "principled" life? I hope so! If not, it is time for us to disconnect a little from what we have come to count on more than making that connection with him. It is that connection with him that matters more than the privileges we enjoy - it is that connection that gives us the principles by which we make right choices, live in right relationship with others, and enjoy right-standing as citizens of his kingdom. Just sayin!