Promised Land

God freed the Israelites from Egyptian slavery but they asked to go back when things got tough. It's a scary thing when slavery becomes more familiar than freedom. We decline the Lord's dinner invitation by the lake for the predictability of three rations per day.

Sometimes we choose the predictability of slavery only because it's all we know. Sadly, the routine of life in prison becomes a comfort to us. Fear becomes normal. Depression. Lust. Addiction. Anger. Opinions of people. All these things can start to become normal and routine. 

But deliverance only comes after leaving the false comforts of slavery. We must get fed up - at some point we must wake up to the truth of our calling - the truth of who we are - the truth of who we were created to be - the truth of how much we are loved. At some point our desire for freedom must overshadow the false comforts of slavery - even when the road to freedom seems a little unpredictable. If we don't trust that God is able to part the Red Sea we will never arrive in the Promised Land.

Uniquely

Each of my children are made in my image yet they have unique needs and personalities. One is prone to fear and negativity. One is prone to unkind words and distractions. The other is very sensitive and prone to poor nutrition. Likewise, each of them have unique talents and giftings.
Because of their unique needs and different personalities I parent them each differently. One requires a firm voice and learns best through the stories I tell. One requires lots of hugs and encouragement. The other requires a gentle voice and buckets of creativity.

Sometimes one of my children will become jealous when they notice the different ways I parent their siblings. They will see me giving more hugs to one, a gift to another and yet an encouragement to the other and wonder why they do not receive those same things in equal proportion. At times they will lose sight of the special, unique relationship we share and instead compare themselves with how I interact with the others.

During those moments I need to remind them who they are and the special, unique ways in which they are different from the others. I remind them of the ways in which they are wired, what sets them apart from the others and why I love them uniquely.

But unless they come to me with their concerns I can't deal with it. They need to tell me how they are feeling and why they are feeling that way so I can remind them who they are and get them back on track. Unless they come to me they tend to become bitter - hard - and lose sight of my incredible love for them.

As children of God we each possess amazing, unique differences which serve to highlight the brilliant, colorful mind of an infinite Creator.

But comparison robs us of our identity. We begin to focus on and celebrate certain giftings over the others. We see the other ways in which our Father is parenting His other children and we become jealous. Distracted. Insecure. We forget about the special moments we have shared with our Father, the words He has spoken to us and why He loves us so much.

Sometimes we can go days, weeks, months, years without bringing these concerns to our Father. We get caught in cycles of distractions, jealousy, insecurity - all without ever letting Him know how we are feeling so He can alleviate our concerns, so He can tell us who we are and get us back on track.
He's always there though. He meets us in that place. Blessed are the brokenhearted. Blessed are the meek. Something powerful happens when we open up to our Father. A divine transfer takes place.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

May we learn to rest in the the unique ways in which our Father has wired us. May we learn to cherish the unique rhythms of grace He breathes into each of us. May we rest and trust in the many ways He loves each of us uniquely.

All Things New

God's not calling us to do what He says. He's calling us to be who He says. He doesn't offer us a new set of behaviors, He offers us a new nature. He doesn't offer us new branches, He offers us new roots. He doesn't offer us more will power, He offers us new hearts.

He doesn't loligag around with rehab, support groups or the occasional feel-good Sunday sermon. If that was the case Jesus could have stayed in heaven. He kills us and starts over. We have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) and born again (John 3) into a living hope (1 Peter 1:3) as a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). 

There is no short cut. There is no starter package. Your old self is not a fixer-upper, it's a tear down.
You want to live? Then die. You want to save your life? Lose it. Take up your cross. Sink into the baptismal waters as a slave and rise up as a son.

Intimacy

God offered direct relationship - intimacy - with the people on Mount Sinai, but they refused and instead Moses descended the mountain with a heavy list of commands.

Rules and commands are never needed when there is intimacy. Intimacy, a true inner knowing of someone, eliminates the need for externals - eliminates all the distrust of legal contracts and commands. Good marriages don't need a list of do's and don'ts, they are based on mutual love. A formal marriage contract is unneeded, irrelevant. It's of the heart, not the pen. I don't know any couples who need to hang marriage contracts on the wall of their home as a reminder of what they are supposed to do as husband and wife. Likewise, divorce papers - externals - are never drafted until after love - intimacy - is lost.

Today, 3500 years later, people still debate the validity of Old Covenant law - ancient externals - in light of Jesus Christ breathing His Spirit - present day internals - into our hearts. The answer is simple.

Have you accepted God's offer of intimacy, or not? If not, you will always feel condemned by the externals. If yes, then get out from under the slavery of those heavy stone tablets and descend the mountain as a son.

"But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." - Gal. 4:4-7