Validity

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Last week, Father provided for me a job. It is wonderful - exactly what I asked Him for. I was scheduled to be at work at 9am, and Amanda and I agreed to hold one another accountable to waking up at 6am to spend time in the Word and prayer. I woke up at 6 alright, but somewhere around 6:30 I crawled back up to my pillow and slept until 8. I woke up frustrated with myself and feeling exasperated. Why can't I be disciplined? As I dressed and drove to work, the Lord reminded me of grace. He reminded me that I was trying to achieve again and that I had time after work to devote to time with Him.

After a good day at work (There's just a great feeling of accomplishment in a day's work), I was driving home and listening to the radio. As each song came on, I found myself thinking of ways that the lyrics did or didn't apply to me - then I stopped. Why couldn't I just worship with abandon and sing the words I knew to be true? Instead of being annoyed that I can't relate to the story in a song, why couldn't I pray for someone who it did apply to? I realized my selfish perspective.

I have heard it said that we often read the Bible like a self-help book "lite" version, only seeking what "applies" to us, rather than seeking to know Father and His glory and His love story written for mankind. I find I do this more often than I'd like to admit. The results, in my life at least, are a portrayal of God in my heart and actions that show Him to be weak, narrow-minded, and about me. As a man's identity should not be in the woman he pursues, the Father's definition does not lie in the existence of men. We are his pursuit, not His identity.

In social situations, we walk into a room wondering how we are perceived, who we will be most comfortable talking to, and gravitate towards those most like us. As our day carries on, we check off our to-do lists, finding ourselves sufficient. Again and again we find ourselves falling short and in despair in consequence. When life changes, when we change, we look to ourselves and roam in endless circles wondering How did I become this way? Who am I now?

Look for yourself and you will find loneliness and despair, but look for Christ and you will find Him and everything else."

-C.S. Lewis

The Word, (and C.S. Lewis) says that this is the death of us. We will never find sufficiency and fulfillment in ourselves. It is impossible. Instead of looking to see where we fit into a story, song, social situation, environment, let us look instead to see where the Father is in it and pursue being a part of that. He has called us to it and given us the abilities and gifts to partake in the story he determined before the foundations of the earth were laid. May we lean hard into our Creator, depend on Him, and walk in His grace. May our gaze turn upward, rather than inward and may He be glorified in the results. Let us run hard after Him, the one who redeemed us from the fall, who called us out of darkness into marvelous light. May our love for Him ever increase - to His glory and for His fame.