our yard. The kids joined me a while as we watched a butterfly sipping on some nectar. The kids were fascinated by it's little "straw" it drank through. It was such a
refreshing moment, just to take in His creation, His beauty, His peace. It
really refreshed me in a way that I have missed so often. Just to sit full
of wonder at something so simple yet so divinely complex and intricate. A
butterfly on a flower. It occurred to me that they have such purpose and
they know and fulfill their purpose with such quiet dignity and grace.
Something may come at them - a gust of wind for instance - but they reset
their course and keep on flying, seemingly unscathed by the blast of air
that tries to push them off course. They seek out a patch of flowers and get back to their purpose.
So often we step from a peaceful garden into the rushhour of "life" - busy,
polluted, and loud. We allow our joy and peace to slowly be stripped away
from our grasp, our purpose to become clouded. All sorts of voices work to
deceive and lure us into believing lies - about ourselves, about God, about
life. The voices work to distract us from worship, from community, from
purpose. The moment we make a poor choice, the voices begin highlighting our
failure, suggesting the improbability that His grace could cover us,
reminding us of our history of screw ups. Then, in shame, we run from
freedom and into prison cells. Sometimes, it's someone else's mistake that
pushes into the prison - the vehicle delivering us there is called
unforgiveness.
Either way, prison is not the place for children of God to
dwell. It is not the intended lifestyle we were created to have. No - we
were created for freedom, for abundant life, for love and for great purpose.
Nevertheless, we end up duped into the life of bondage and numb ourselves to
the pain and grief we feel at our separation from our Father. We imagine Him
angry and "over us", our mistakes too much for Him to handle - again. But
He hasn't changed - we have. Out of pride or disbelief or blindness or
apathy, we often sit imprisoned in a web of lies and hopelessness, rather
than planting our two feet firmly on His foundation and accepting His
forgiveness and grace and promises. Do we believe the Word of God or don't
we?
He says that "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our
transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12) Let's take that to heart! He also
says, "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:39) When we experience "separation" or distance from God, don't
look at Him as the culprit. Look no further than a mirror. We have to be
responsible with what He's given us. 2 Tim 1:14 says, "Guard the good
deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit
who lives in us." He has given us grace, mercy, love, purpose, and an
inheritance. He has commissioned us to go out and share the Good News, make
disciples, and heal those who haven't received from Him yet. We have what
it takes and are equipped with all we need. "For this reason I remind you
to fan into flame the gift of God…" (2 Tim 1:6)
I'm speaking to my own spirit, body and soul as I write this. It's time to
wake up! To fully engage in what God has in front of me right now. It may
not be the final position or place He has me in, but it's where I am now.
It's where I have authority and influence right now. Not tomorrow when I
get it all together. Not tomorrow when this or that lines up. Not when I
have more time. No - now. Lives are at stake all around us, souls bent on
destruction rather than salvation that need to hear from the Lord. He so
desires to partner with us in His work. His Spirit beckons us…let's respond
with a resounding YES, Lord!
"Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today', so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end…'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.'" (Hebrews 3:13-15)
Kerri Barfield
8/14/12
No comments:
Post a Comment