Disagreement... The Original Trick of the Enemy

Recently, FlowRivers got a great comment/question from one of the readers. I thought it was such a great question that I wanted to devote an entire post to it. One of the things that is so evident is the enemy's first and most consistent trick, which is to separate humanity from God. One of the methods that he uses frequently is disagreement. He introduced just enough doubt in the mind of Eve that she chose to move in a manner that absolutely opposed God given instructions. Because much of what the Kingdom of God is built upon is love, unity and agreement, the enemy consistently moves in areas of disagreement. By creating and perpetuating variance and incongruity among believers with not only the Word of God and its application, but also with our interaction with each other and God, we are held back from truly coming together as one (John 17:20-23). If I can isolate you and get you to stand firmly in a fragmented and disorganized place, then you will not ever come together as one body of Christ. It is our hope that this question prompts all of us to deep thought about what it really means to be a Christian today. Feel free to comment...

"Yes I am a Christian but what does that really mean today as so many fundamental ideologies have changed in the church's viewpoint of right and wrong?"

~Anonymous

Hello Anonymous,

Your admission of being a Christian is a great place to begin. Being a Christian believer means that you have made a choice to submit your life to God. In doing that, we must allow Him to guide our daily walk and lifestyle. You are correct in your assertion that there are many fundamental ideologies that have changed over time. Humans will often have varying points of view and/or interpretations of the bible which are at times diametrically opposed. In light of that fact, it is our responsibility as believers to pray and ask the Lord to help establish a few non-negotiable tenets or foundational beliefs of our faith that are in line with scripture. There is always plenty of room for discussion about specific issues relative to lifestyle but there is much less wiggle room when we are talking about the life that Jesus lived and asks all Christian believers to exemplify. We must all work through the interpretations of what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century through the lens of the first church of the New Testament. We find that there were many occasions even back then, where there were disagreements about how to live a life that is pleasing to God. In short, we have to really practice to not major on the minor points of contention in our understanding of God’s plan. Ultimately the church’s varying viewpoints of right and wrong cannot be used in our defense on judgment day. God will most certainly be concerned with how well we lived our lives in accordance to what we ABSOLUTELY knew He required. By working on being consistent with the things that seem basic or primary such as establishing a prayer life daily and studying the word of God, I know that whatever side of the argument you land on will be a safe place. Be encouraged anonymous, you have made a great decision to live a life of submission to God! You may grow frustrated with the church’s inability at times to come together, but you will never regret the decision to connect and develop a true relationship with the Lord. Be Blessed!

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

One More Minute

Recently I had to undergo a MRI scan for my back. I have had this done before on another area of my body with no issues.  This history, coupled with the fact that I did not have an issue with tight spaces, eliminated any fear moving forward with the procedure. Upon my arrival I was given a brief synopsis of the procedure and informed that I would need to lie completely still for about 30 minutes. If I was unable to lie still for the duration of the scan, I would have to repeat the entire procedure. Essentially, any movement would negate all of my initial investment of time and we would have to restart the clock and begin again. As a precautionary measure, in the event of an emergency or if I needed additional assistance I was given a call button. Now having what I believed at the time was adequate knowledge, I was ready to complete the MRI scan. I positioned myself on my back in what I thought was the most comfortable position and shortly thereafter the technician began to operate the machinery. I was lying on the table with approximately 85% of my body in the MRI scanner. No sooner than the technician informed me that she was starting, I realized that this position was not only incorrect, but additionally, it was quite painful. Now I immediately began to pray asking the Lord for the strength to endure this process. I did not want to have to begin again since I already was pushing the limits of my pain and endurance threshold in this first go-round. I closed my eyes and attempted to disassociate myself from the pain by "singing" worship songs in my mind, then I started a new conversation with the Lord about how far He has brought me and how I wanted to totally depend on Him to see me through this hard time I was presently having. Now I knew that I was deep into the scanning process by this time and I desperately wanted to avoid a do-over, but my pain exceeded my desire and I found myself pushing that call button at the height of my suffering. It was then that I expressed what I thought was my utter inability to complete the scan. The technician responded to my cry for relief by informing that I only had one more minute until completion of the scan. That bit of information all but eliminated what seemed to be insurmountable pain and I completed the exam with no movement. Now during that last minute, I started to feel some guilt about pushing the button and not “allowing” God to bring me through the situation. That feeling of guilt was quickly overcome with thanksgiving. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see the truth of the situation - I came through that difficult and painful time with VICTORY! Scripture tells us that in all of our getting we must get an understanding (Proverbs 4:7). I thought that I had clearly surmised my situation but it wasn't until I came to the end of myself and reached out for help in the form of a call button that I realized how close I really was to a victorious result. What I am saying is, if you are in the midst of a difficult, trying or even painful situation, hang in there, don't move and please don't quit. Reach out in another way and allow the Holy Spirit through whomever or whatever to show you the truth of the entire matter. It may be that the only thing between you and your next victory is one more minute!

Process Over The Product

I read an interview recently of a famous actress, and during the interview she mentioned that the general public is far more concerned with “embracing the image over the artistry”.  Per usual, this took me off into a massive brainstorm about all of the areas of life in which we are consumed by what I would describe as the product rather than the process, or our expectations over His creation.  It seems that when we are reminded or initially informed about the promises of God, whether it is during our time of prayer or in the written Word of God, we get fixated on making it to the “promised land.”  There is an immediate push to get "there" quickly, without any of life’s inconvenient postponements.  Oftentimes I have found that I will linger on my shortcomings, because I view them as a delay of my promise rather than a teaching tool or an indispensable part of my formation.  I have been taught for many years to praise God in advance, and to be in expectation of all that He has for me, yet, I must have missed the instruction on how to enjoy and praise God for His process while I am still presently in it.  When I think about viewing a life from God’s perspective, I can imagine that He takes great pleasure in watching every segment of our life’s progression and potential growth.  Inasmuch as He knows the end from the beginning, it must certainly be gratifying for Him to recognize his handiwork as we  live out our purpose.  Paul touches on this in Romans when he wrote “…all things work together for good...”(Rom. 8:28)  Whenever I read this scripture in times past, I got excited about the good and didn’t spend adequate time thinking about the “working together” part.  Our relationship with God has already been set up for greatness. We know that we have an eternity spent with Him to look forward to.  The church has done a great job in recent years of moving from a focus on the great "by and by" and retooling our minds to look for the promise of God right here on earth (cue the background music for “Heaven on Earth”).  I am simply saying, let’s take this thing a step further and really acknowledge the fact that today, in fact this very moment, is all a part of my promise!  Easier said than done, yes, but I submit that this will not be an additional burden in our lives, but will prompt many believers to a level of freedom and “abundant life” that for a time has only been an ideal found in the pages of John’s gospel. (John 10:10) 

 

For example, the accident that produced excruciating pain in my body, formed an increased level of sensitivity (on top of what I thought I had) to not only sympathize but identify and speak directly to the pain in someone else’s life.  Now most critical minds would rebuff this thought by saying,  “Meghan, why in the world would God have to inflict pain in order to change your mindset, couldn’t he just do it during your time of prayer or better yet just change your mind on His own?”  Well, I must admit that I would have responded to my thesis in like manner, but thank God, I now understand that this is the way that the Lord allows us to actively participate in our own development.  It is still our choice to become better!  I shared this truth with a family member of mine. After some time passed, they sent me a text message saying that they are actively working on enjoying the process! It was so poignant the way they described life before making the decision to extol the process more than the promise. “It was like I was holding my breath waiting for something to happen and it already is!”  Can I encourage you today by reminding you that God’s hand is presently on your life and he wants to actively engage with you on the way to your next victory!

  I am concerned that if we do not take the time to not just praise God, but participate with Him in our respective development, that we will find ourselves guilty of what is described in Hosea 13:6, “…but when they had grazed, they became full, they were (ful)filled, and their hearts were lifted up; therefore they forgot about me.” It is a distinct possibility that if we don’t get involved in the process of our lives and become active and grateful participants with God in our development that we could potentially be found working against our greatest Advocate and Helper. A gift’s value and subsequent appreciation is greatly diminished without any understanding of the efforts made to provide it.   

There must be a decision made to consistently acknowledge and appreciation God's creative work in our lives.  I challenge each of us to think about all of the ways that we have lessened the value of where we are presently, and begin to praise God for the process over the final product!

2013- Laid Bare...

2013 thus far has been the perfect illustration of me at both my best and my worst as a writer; one terrific and terrible run-on sentence.  What I really mean is that I blew open the door to this year with a frantic trip to the emergency room that would lead to 2 procedures, a surgery, a car accident, some residual scars, a neck brace and a whole lot of pain coupled with an entirely reworked diet consisting mostly of pureed fruits and veggies.  Needless to say right about now it would be a delight to be consumed by the love and presence of God.  I know that it is only in that secret place that this sense of emptiness that I am experiencing would be trumped and completely overshadowed by the purpose of God in all of this. With that being said, I cannot say that I am completely unraveling or even disturbed presently, but I have over time allowed compliance and complacency to take root in my heart and I know better than to trust Meghan most days.  There is an unspoken sense of indifference that I strongly war against because I also have an unswerving faith and trust in my Best Friend.  I guess my neglect of the incomparable relationship as I knew it, left me feeling dejected and even aloof.  These feelings of disconnection have only been heightened by the solitude that I have both cultivated and perfected over time.  Because I have secluded myself so thoroughly, I have at times also excluded myself from the only true safe space I have ever found. My communication with God has become one-sided to the extent that I don’t purposely seek out a meeting place or a set-aside time of prayer.  My communication with God has become centered on myself, certainly due to circumstance and definitely due to pain.  Because of this, my prayer life that I once loved, has been relegated to a kind of stream of consciousness, unspoken, and at times unintentional communication.  On countless occasions the Holy Spirit has impressed upon my spirit to get quiet(er), or to make new entries in my journal and I have elected to blatantly disobey for a myriad of reasons ranging from physical pain to mental fatigue and decided to just do NOTHING.  Nothing has become my consistent place, so much so, that in the past 4 months my response to 75% of the inquiries I have received has been “nothing.”  “What are you doing?” ‘NOTHING.’  “What do you want to eat?”  ‘NOTHING.’  “What did the doctor say?”  ‘A whole bunch of NOTHING!’  The list of incomplete and unfinished projects and books are innumerable and this fact has become an unwelcome guest in the place that my character dwells.  To be complete, to reach fulfillment, or even to experience a belly that is full have all effectively escaped my grasp in 2013.  I have painstakingly laid bare the shortcomings of this self-professed over-achiever, and I must begin to conclude this brief writing with the thread that has been present throughout all of this.  Simply put, God was there with me, God is here with me, and God has gone before me.  What I really mean is this; it is and has all been necessary for my formation.  My hyper-sensitivity, the awareness of my shortcomings, and even in the midst of my deep sea of NOTHING, I have affirmed the truth that both within and outside of my being, my anchor, sustainment and yes even my hope is in God. So if the cost of the misery that has been 2013 was to solidify this fact for me, I would gladly do it all over again.  My prayer and hope for this unfiltered and transparent submission, is to unhook anyone chained to guilt as a result of seemingly losing fervor and spiritual vitality in any hard place. I believe with all of my heart that we will come out of this thing BETTER!    

As usual the bible says it so much better than I ever could… check out Philippians 3:7-11

^7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

^10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. (MSG)