As a boy, I, along with my not-so-wise friends attempted to start a fire in the woods so we could be Daniel Boone or just real woodsmen. We carefully moved the deep layer of leaves away from a spot and encircled the spot with rocks. In our attempt to be good, wise stewards of fire and the forest, we ignorantly did not include a source of water or a shovel for smothering the fire with dirt in case things got out of hand. Well, they did get out of hand and quickly. A gusty wind blew the sparks into the dry leaves just outside the circle of rocks and in minutes the area around the campfires was ablaze. We stomped and made things worse. Suddenly we saw some neighborhood men running our way and heard sirens blaring, approaching our location.
When we started the day we were happily making our campfire, then we became fearful as the sparks blew - shocked that the fire got out of control so quickly - desperate for help from anybody or anywhere - comforted to know men who knew what to do were now at our side - anxious to know that the authorities were now coming - relieved that the fire was out and that we were not going to jail - anxious again imagining the reaction of our parents, and at peace that night as we slept in our own beds (not in jail) with the knowledge that the damage we'd done was minor. We came close to burning down our favorite source of childhood adventure... the woods behind my house.
Do you agree that we are in trouble in our country, in your country, in your state/province, in your county or parish, and on down to the neighbors around you. I now believe more strongly than ever that "as goes the family, so goes the nation". But in most places I have traveled in the world, marriage and the family are "on fire", not a helpful controlled-burn but an out-of-control raging inferno that is leaving charred ruins in its path.
Recently my thoughts about what is happening in our world have turned to the idea of "control". When you and I attempt to answer the question: "Who controls my life?", we get to the heart of the issue. As the reality of God's love and power slip from our individual consciousness and eventually our national world-view, many other entities spring into the void left in our "control center".
Some actually believe they don't need God at all; they attempt self-regulation without the influence of the God who made them. That is about as foolish a conclusion as one can reach. Does anyone, who has been still long enough to appreciate the beautifully complex simplicity of the natural world or of human relationships, actually believe that all of this was accidental. From what I have studied and observed, I feel that many citizens of this world have thrown out the notion of a loving God Who powerfully controls the universe and authors life and eternity. The conclusion they reach may be due to the combination of lonely, loveless lives mixed with a sin nature that tries very hard to live life without being under authority, especially God's.
Our aloneness from Genesis 2:18 and our sin nature described in Genesis 3 make a potentially explosive mixture capable of either our own destruction or for great impact in the world. Fire can be good or bad, right? So, you can prevent a person from freezing or you can burn down his home with the same fire. It all depends. Is the fire under control or not?
Think of your own life as we apply the "fire under control" or "fire out of control" idea. Have you felt the sting of being lonely or ever felt unloved? With what did you combine your Genesis 2 aloneness to deal with the pain of rejection or lack of acceptance? Did you run to God for help and ask for His solution? Did you take matters into your own hands and with Genesis 3-motivation determine to be happy no matter what? Even if you have had a story-book life, you are not exempt from making bad decisions to maintain your own sense of happiness or control. Remember Genesis 3 fallen-ness has tainted us all.
On the other hand, did you move into an era of faith trusting God for His blessed outcome or did you stumble into the next weeks and months only to discover your chosen solution was no solution at all? Some choose another relationship to fill the lonely void inside, some choose a substance to abuse, some spend money, some borrow against their future with deep debt in order to feel they are still in control, some dive into business and busy-ness, and others get very religious in an attempt to "make a deal" with God or their version of god. Some give up altogether and give in to live completely out-of-control lives with little thought of who got or will get burned by their chosen course.
The description above illustrates how we, as a nation have come to our current concept of God-less self-control, because a nation is simply a collection of individuals. Can you see why many husbands and wives have chosen divorce rather than finding another way to resolve differences? Can you see why some parents have delegated, intentionally or not, their father- or mother-roles to others in the schools, churches, youth organizations, day-care centers, and even law enforcement? How many family legacies have been corrupted by our attempts to fill a lonely soul with a God-free resource that left the lonely soul even lonelier than before and left others hurting in the wake? How many newly created lonely souls will be tempted to do the same thing in the coming generations? How will it end? Who will save us from this tsunami of cultural pain and an out-of-control raging firestorm?
Though my answer is simple, it is the only answer worth pursuing. Jesus IS the Way and the Truth and the Life. Jesus does answer the questions of a lonely soul and a sinful nature. His great love for each of us available to each of us answers the Genesis 2 problem of "aloneness", and His great sacrifice in payment for our horrible sin along with His powerful resurrection fills the void of our Genesis 3 dilemma.
What if husbands turned to Jesus in faith for the power to love even when the wife does not? What if wives gave control of their fears to Christ Jesus rather than take the cultural "out" of divorce or affairs to try to satisfy their own need for security? What if parents assumed the roles and prayed together for the wisdom and power to love and appropriately discipline their children? We will discovering that God, the Perfect Father, has great ideas about discipline that start with love and include multiple forms of correction, not just "the rod" as some believe.
What if loneliness/aloneness in life was joined with faith so that God's resources and solutions could be discovered and implemented? What if a legacy of loving faith were the exact outcome God designed us to experience? Does this mean everything works out with ease and comfort? Certainly not. But more would see purpose and healthy outcomes if the fires of life were controlled by the One Who created fire in the first place and even built us to contain it, control it, and use if for great purposes to purify, warm, heal, and give light rather than steal, kill, and destroy?
Both the Genesis 2 and Genesis 3 dilemmas, though potentially destructive, can be turned to great joy and do great good when placed in the capable control of the God of the Universe Who knew all along that this was going to happen, but loved us so much He was willing to sacrifice His only Son Jesus so the fires of pain and guilt would result in a purified life made in His own image and full of His own love.
I have asked tons of questions in this blog post, I know. Have you noticed or can you remember specific ways you have misused the fire or allowed it to get out of control thinking you could control it yourself? The God of the Universe offers a partnership with you to lead you into the fires of life and carry you through them, allowing only those things to burned away that should be burned away, all the while keeping you safe by His power? Romans 8:29 makes it clear that all that is not of Christ in us will be burned in this purifying process.
Do you see any connection between the forest fire my friends and I started and the fires of life you have started in the past? Who did God send to rescue you from your choice? Have you expressed gratitude to them or to God for His faithful care over you? I think I will right now.
No comments:
Post a Comment