My parents say I broke a lot of hangers when I was a child. My mother would lay out my clothes for me, but I wanted to choose my own clothes. I would go to the closet and pull down what I wanted to wear. The resulting fashion sense looked like this...
The point is, from an early age I was a fairly independent dude. That wasn't always a good thing. When I was about two or three, my parents say we were on a family vacation and headed to the hotel swimming pool when I ran out in front and jumped right in the deep end. As you can imagine I wasn't much of a swimmer. My desire to do everything myself put me in serious danger as I began to sink. Because I am writing this blog, it is obvious I did not drown that day. Fortunately, my dad jumped in to save me.
I think this is what it looks like when we try to define good and evil for ourselves. Isn't that the story in Genesis when Adam and Eve are convinced that the fruit will make them as smart as God. They eat the fruit and there are consequences. Evil enters into the world and Adam and Eve are banished from the garden (Genesis 3). This scenario plays out over and over again throughout the Old Testament when people try to live independently from God. Even today when we try to define good and evil for ourselves and seek happiness outside of God we find ourselves drowning in the deep end (Romans 6:23).
The truth is we live in a broken world. We live in the deep end and the only way to get out is to be rescued. But, how many people around us don't even realize they are drowning? In his book "The Invisible War", Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote, "The Church was not left in this world to perfume the dung-heap of fallen humanity, but to take out, one by one, those who will be saved from the coming destruction.”
There is a lot of wisdom in the quote. So, how do we "take out" those will be saved? The answer is pretty simple: we point to Jesus, the one who came to rescue us. That's what it means to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16).
I remember singing "This Little Light of Mine" as a child. The second verse is, "Hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine." That is an eternal truth, not just a song for children.
You see, we as Christians are called to live in the world, but not of the world. The church is in the world to call others to the savior. But, we are instructed to not be conformed to it (Romans 12:2). That means we are to look to Jesus to define us; our definition of good and evil and our sense of happiness.
I'm on the left in those sweet L.A. Gears
On the left again, in the floral print shorts
This killer fashion sense carried over to my college years and beyond...
Who doesn't wear athletic shorts with their tie and blazer?
Rocking the orange faux alligator skin shoes at Newscenter 25 in Victoria, Tex.
The point is, from an early age I was a fairly independent dude. That wasn't always a good thing. When I was about two or three, my parents say we were on a family vacation and headed to the hotel swimming pool when I ran out in front and jumped right in the deep end. As you can imagine I wasn't much of a swimmer. My desire to do everything myself put me in serious danger as I began to sink. Because I am writing this blog, it is obvious I did not drown that day. Fortunately, my dad jumped in to save me.
I think this is what it looks like when we try to define good and evil for ourselves. Isn't that the story in Genesis when Adam and Eve are convinced that the fruit will make them as smart as God. They eat the fruit and there are consequences. Evil enters into the world and Adam and Eve are banished from the garden (Genesis 3). This scenario plays out over and over again throughout the Old Testament when people try to live independently from God. Even today when we try to define good and evil for ourselves and seek happiness outside of God we find ourselves drowning in the deep end (Romans 6:23).
The truth is we live in a broken world. We live in the deep end and the only way to get out is to be rescued. But, how many people around us don't even realize they are drowning? In his book "The Invisible War", Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote, "The Church was not left in this world to perfume the dung-heap of fallen humanity, but to take out, one by one, those who will be saved from the coming destruction.”
There is a lot of wisdom in the quote. So, how do we "take out" those will be saved? The answer is pretty simple: we point to Jesus, the one who came to rescue us. That's what it means to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16).
I remember singing "This Little Light of Mine" as a child. The second verse is, "Hide it under a bushel? NO! I'm gonna let it shine." That is an eternal truth, not just a song for children.
You see, we as Christians are called to live in the world, but not of the world. The church is in the world to call others to the savior. But, we are instructed to not be conformed to it (Romans 12:2). That means we are to look to Jesus to define us; our definition of good and evil and our sense of happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment