Satan is called “the accuser of the brethren.” When it comes to me, I happen to agree with many of his accusations. He accuses me of being a sinner. I agree. He points his finger at me and screams “Prideful. Arrogant. Lustful. Selfish.” I reply “Guilty, as charged.”
The Bible says that we are to confess our sins. One of the definitions of confession is “to agree.” So maybe it’s proper that I concur with Satan’s charges.
Agreeing with Satan in matters that could lead to very serious consequences might be considered dangerous. But I can do that, because in addition to having an accuser, I also have an advocate with the Father. My advocate is Jesus. Since I have no defense for myself, Jesus defends me. And as He is the Son of the Judge, and has already fulfilled my punishment, my case is won.
That’s good news.
I recently attended a marketing seminar. The speaker – a consultant to advertising agencies – said that people today define themselves by the brands they buy. This is really not that deep a revelation. It’s pretty obvious that, depending on our age and other demographic factors, many of us relate to a certain brand of sneakers, watch, car, computer, etc.
Jesus, on the other hand, said that a person’s life does not consist of their possessions. In fact, depending on the Bible translation you read, He said that this is true even when a person has an abundance.
What, then, I wonder, defines me?
Christian bookstores are full of titles telling how to build the Kingdom of God. Jesus, on the other hand, wasn’t so certain. He said – “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”
Since Jesus’ day, science has taught us that there are certain natural forces and physical laws at work that cause the seed to grow. Still, do we really know how growth happens?
Likewise, God is the keeper of the secrets of spiritual growth. While many spiritual teachers would agree to this point, most of them would now add “All we can do is _________________.” As soon as we fill in the blank, we’ve contradicted scripture, which, talking about how the kingdom grows, clearly says of the man who scattered the seed: “he does not know how.”
How does the kingdom of God grow? Beats me.
Sail boaters like to tell stories that show how they’re superior to power boaters. Vice versa. The story below is written from the sailing perspective. It draws a good metaphor to the spiritual life.
Some people were out on a sailboat – quiet and serene – when a power boat roared up alongside. “Where are you going?” the captain of the power boat shouted over. To which the sail boaters replied “We’re already there.” The message is that power boaters have to be going to a destination, but sail boaters just love to go sailing.
Being a performance oriented type, I sometimes get focused on progress, or lack of progress. I think God would prefer that I just enjoy myself where I am. When I cry out “God, where am I going?” He replies “You’re already there.”
Maybe next decade I’ll be somewhere else, but for now… I’m a sailboat. I’m there.
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