Through and through

The reality test of discipleship: Living out in your daily life exactly what Jesus tells us. All the world is into the fad of reality shows. At every turn of the day, new ideas for reality shows spring up - everything from being marooned on an island to trudging across country without anything at all to your name, dancing with famous people (whether you have rhythm or not), or making an absolute fool of yourself in the name of entertainment. These shows often push the envelope and exhibit the basest of human nature - it is truly "no hold barred" as far as they are concerned. People eat it up! Why? Perhaps because we are living "posthumously" through those on the screen - not really wanting our life's calamities portrayed for all to see, but associating with the ones we see up on that screen. Maybe we want validation that we are not any worse than others. Regardless the reason, the shows are prospering - they are big business these days. Not all that makes it in 'big business' is really all that refreshing or rewarding, though.

Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you." Surprised, they said, "But we're descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, 'The truth will free you'?" Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. (John 8:31-35)

There is one "reality test" that would never make it to the top reality show ideas, though - the test of walking daily as a disciple of Christ. I imagine some would see this as too "tame" for the widescreen. Still others might see it as too "ordinary" or "mundane". I feel sorry for those who would make that judgment without ever experiencing the reality of the walk. In fact, they'd discover that there is nothing "ordinary" about a walk with Christ. It is challenging at every turn. There is more dedication required in one simple act of obedience than all the challenges of the reality show realm could combine! There is more 'test of the will' in each step of transparent truth about one's self than any journey on these shows. This walk is not for the weak of heart - it requires determination, commitment, and endurance - all the things our hearts have more than a little trouble with. The neat thing is that if we lack any of these, Jesus provides what we need!

The result of discipleship: We will experience the truth. As with the reality show programs, there is an end result - something that is desired as an end result. The disciple of Christ is to be transformed into the image of Christ. There is to be an exchange of nature - resulting in the revelation of Christ through us. Truth is freeing - even when we don't know we are bound! The Pharisees were questioning Jesus about the reality of his ministry when he spoke these words about being free or bound. He was called upon to explain who he was, what he was all about and what he was doing on this earth. In response, he challenges them toward discipleship and reminds them that they need to be free of their bonds of sin. Now, if you know anything about the Pharisees, you probably know that this did not sit well with them!

You see, we don't realize the benefits of the "result" until we have a revelation of the "resistance" put up to keep us from ever realizing those results. Sin is resistance - we are resisting the control of God in our lives, choosing our own way over his. In turn, we get all bound up in sin. At every turn there is "resistance" in our lives. If we experience enough resistance, we often reach out for different "results". Jesus promises the result that really matters - being set free from all that brings resistance into our lives. The reward of discipleship is that the truth will make us free. As with the reality shows of the widescreen, there is a reward to those who choose the path of discipleship. The truth makes us free! If you are struggling with the walk of a disciple today, I challenge you to see that the reality is that you lack nothing to enjoy both the results and rewards of discipleship. Everything you need is revealed in Jesus - he is the truth that will set you free. Just sayin!

Pushed or pulled?

Hold the high ground - it is the best and most successful position!  Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "If you would lift me up, you must be on higher ground."  He had something there, don't ya think?  For someone to lift another, they have to have a position which allows them to pull, not push another!  Think about it - you can only push or boost another up when you are at a point lower than they are.  If you are at a point higher, you can pull.  To push really means you are putting pressure against - so as to move what seems to be immovable.  To pull means you draw toward - so as to bring closer to where you are.  I think there is something to be said for being pulled, rather than always having to be pushed!

All of you, slave and free both, were once held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom. So please don’t, out of old habit, slip back into being or doing what everyone else tells you. Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side.  (I Corinthians 7:23-24 MSG)

Old habits die hard, don't they?  In fact, we might find they never really "die".  There is some niggling memory of every old habit we might have had - it may no longer have any appeal to us, even seeming a little repulsive to us now, but there is a hint of memory which reminds us of its existence.  Since we have memory of the old, it might just be easier to "slip back" into the old than we realize.  Usually this "slippage" is not on purpose, but rather is because we weren't paying close enough attention to what was going on around us.  This is probably why God cautions us to "consider" our ways.  To consider means we contemplate, meditate upon - in other words, think things through over and over again.  Once he helps us break our ties with the past, he doesn't want us to remunerate the past memories, but to think on the new over and over.  In replacing the old with the new, we break the ties with the old.

There is a danger in receiving counsel without comparing it to the source of all counsel - God himself.  God gives us counsel in his Word on almost every topic you can imagine - those he doesn't speak to plainly, we can usually simply use the principles taught in scripture to know whether the counsel is good or not so worthy of our attention.  There will always be those who give counsel freely - not really considering what their "opinions" will add to the confusion some may experience in their own minds already.  These "opinionated" counselors are doing nothing more than lending confusion to the mix.  As Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, he was giving them wisdom - to keep them on the higher ground.  Why?  Slippage is easy - staying in a position where you can lift another is harder, but it is the place of advantage!

Look at his counsel - it is out of old habit we slip back into being what we don't want to be, or doing what all the others are doing.  We stop considering the best and just go with the easiest.  Habit is almost involuntary - it doesn't take much thought.  I think Paul is challenging believers to put thought into their actions - to determine to live on purpose, not by some involuntary motions.  Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do."  So, true!  What is almost more important, and I think what Paul may actually be driving at here, is that what we repeat gets repeated by others.  I affect more than me, you affect more than you.  

I don't often quote Warren Buffett, but he did say something I found quite profound:  "Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken."  Think on this one - too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.  Since Paul is dealing with our ties to the past, he is reminding us of how easy it is to become enslaved again to the things we have been freed from, simply because we don't realize the binding force until it is often too late.  As I opened today, I considered two positions - being pulled and being pushed.  Going back to those two, I want to focus a moment on being pushed.  You see, there was something in the definition which I don't want to gloss over.  The idea of being pushed is related to being immovable.  We have dug in and are content to be where we are.  Sometimes we need a little push, especially when we have become immovable - stalled in some rut.  The tendency to remain in a rut is too great, so we need some pushing at times.  

I think Paul may have been dealing with both those of us who need a little push at times, and those of us with the capacity to do a little pulling, by our example, words, and faith.  If you have found "higher ground" than some, you are in a position to pull - to elevate, to draw toward.  If you are struggling in some rut, you have the capacity to be pushed, but guess what?  Someone has to be behind you to push!  So, even being in a position of being pushed is really being on a little higher ground than another!  Just sayin!