No Neutral Ground

"He who is not with me is against me,

and he who does not gather with me, scatters.

When an evil spirit comes out of a man,

it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.'

When it arrives,

 it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits

more wicked than itself,

and they go in and live there.

And the final condition of that man

is worse than the first."

Luke 11:23-26

Sweden has long been known as a neutral country, refusing to take one side or the other but simply staying out of any conflicts or wars.  Today this philosophy is spilling over into the social realm as many Swedes are pushing for a gender-neutral government and society.  This year they have added a new pronoun into their official online version of the National Encyclopedia to be used as a gender-neutral replacement for "he" or "she."  "Hen" is now the preferred pronoun to be used to refer to a person without specifying their gender.  

While these progressive Swedes have deceived themselves into thinking gender does not matter, their foolishness does not change the Truth. God created man in His own image and made a distinction between males and females.  To God, gender does matter.  (Genesis 1:27)

This is how God operates.  There is truth and then there is falsehood.  There is right and there is wrong.  There is male and there is female.  While the world likes to try to convince us that there is a neutral ground or a gray area, God says otherwise.  Either I am working with Jesus, or I am working against Him.  I'm on His side, or I'm on the Enemy's.  I'm furthering the Kingdom of God, or I'm hampering His work.

I don't like to think of myself as working against God, but there are several ways in which I do just that.

Clean it Up

A friend of mine is trying to quit smoking.  She is finding out that there are a lot of different programs, treatments and methods available to help her stop this destructive and unhealthy habit.  While she wants to quit, she knows from past experience that it is virtually impossible to expect success from anything that resembles cutting out the nicotine cold-turkey:  It is beyond her own strength and ability to withstand the resulting side-effects.

It's like this with any bad habit or routine.  I may have the desire to stop cursing and resolve to never again utter a four-letter word, but the moment I'm weak and temptation strikes, I'm prone to going back to my old ways.

My attempts to try to clean up my act and behave more "Christian-like" work against what God wants to do in my heart.  He wants to transform my thinking and soften my heart, making it more sensitive to sin.  If, instead of surrendering to God, I try to sweep myself clean of everything evil and sinful in my own effort, my "house" will be empty and vulnerable to attack from the Enemy of my soul.

I am not saved by works, nor can I ever think to rescue my own self from the influence that sin has over me.  Instead, I must rely on the power that comes through my faith in the blood of Jesus which fills me with His Spirit.  (Romans 7:24-25)

Nineteenth-Century missionary Andrew Murray recognized his own helplessness against sin.  He said, "Remember the great need you have of the grace and assistance of God.  You should never lose sight of him--not for a moment."

I am made right with God through faith in Jesus. (Romans 1:16-17)  And this gift of grace is what opens up a relationship with a holy God who finishes what He started when He first called me.  He doesn't leave me as I was when I first began to call Him "Father."  No!  He begins His work in me from the moment I accept Jesus as my Savior and submit myself to Him as my Lord, and He doesn't quit until He's finished.  (Philippians 1:6)  As my friend likes to say, "Be patient with me, I'm under construction."

I am called to live a holy, pure life.  This process of sanctification, however, is not a job I can take on myself.  Instead, it is the result of God's hand in my life as I surrender myself to Him and exchange my will for His.  (1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)

When I try to clean up my own act in my own effort, I work against God and what He wants to do in His power, for His glory.

Fake it

I have heard it said that we should, "fake it 'til we make it, " meaning that with a positive attitude I can make anything happen.  Do I want to have the confidence of a rock start?  Pretend like I do until it comes naturally.  Have I always visualized myself as a novelist?  Tell myself I am and soon I'll be writing like the pros.  Am I up against a devastating bout with cancer?  All I need is optimism and everything will turn out alright.

Unfortunately, there is only so far a positive attitude will take me if there's nothing to back it up.  It reminds me of a movie set where it looks like I'm seeing a real city landscape, but when I walk around to the backside of the storefronts, I find out it was all a facade: there are no real businesses to back up the claim of a town.

Does this translate to my walk with Christ?  Can I fake a humble heart until it actually exists?  I don't think so.  A sense of humility comes from recognizing my weakness and inability to do anything good in and of myself.  It also acknowledges that God is big enough to use me even if I can't see myself able to do anything for Him.  In other words, humility is the ability to take myself out of the equation and focus completely on God and His glory.  

Jesus is the picture of humility.  He is God.  He has every right to be treated with respect, honor and glory.  He should be exalted.  Even though He knew all of these things, He chose to lower himself to the position of a mere man out of obedience to His Father.  He didn't demand to be treated as He deserved, but instead took the treatment He was unjustifiably given.  Jesus was all about His Father's will, not His own position or rights.

This kind of attitude cannot be faked.  It comes through a process God takes me through as I admit my weakness and need for Him.  He guides me through struggles, presents difficulties into my life and serves us a generous portion of suffering, using these as tools to humble me.

When I try to fake it till I make it, I work against a God who knows how to humble a man or woman.  (Daniel 4:37)

Work

My husband has always been a hard worker and admires anyone who holds a high work ethic.  If you want to impress him, put your nose to the grindstone and get the job done!

It's easy to transfer this attitude that hard work pays off into my walk with Christ.  I like to think that I can impress God with all the labor I'm putting in for him.  I gladly volunteer in any capacity within the church when help is needed.  I cheerfully take on projects that no one else will do.  I pitch in whenever a call for assistance is placed.  

When I work for God, I'm the one in control of what I do, when I do it and who I work with.  I'm not following His lead, but running ahead, desperately trying to get His attention.  If I want Him to notice me, all I need to do is sit down and acknowledge His presence. (Psalm 46:10 , Jeremiah 29:13)  When I focus on my relationship with Him, it gives Him the opportunity to show me what He wants me to do. He changes the way I think as I spend time with Him, allowing me to see things more from His perspective.  (Romans 12:1-2)

Waiting is hard.  Pausing and letting God take the lead means that I'm admitting I'm not in control.  Trusting God does not come naturally.  When I'm unsure how I'll pay the bills, faith is resting in His provision despite what my checking account tells me.  When I'm living a nightmare that seems to never end, faith is leaning on His protection regardless of how vulnerable I feel.  When I'm tired of fighting the good fight, faith carries on in the face of fatigue.

Letting God work for me is not without it's rewards.  Isaiah so eloquently penned these words so long ago, but they still ring true today: ". . .they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31 KJV)

When I try to work for God I'm working against Him and soon run out of steam; but if I wait for Him and follow His lead, I'll never grow weary.

In God's kingdom there is no neutral ground:  Either I'm working with Jesus or against Him.  I don't intend to oppose Him, but I do just that when I attempt to clean myself up, fake the fruit of the Spirit, and work for God in my own strength.  It is my desire to instead work alongside Jesus to gather the harvest to which He has called me.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can firmly plant my feet on Jesus' side.

How do I try to clean my outside up while inside I'm still as dirty as can be?

When do I try to fake humility and which people in my life know the "real me?"

Itty Bitty Faith

"Then the disciples came to Jesus

in private and asked,

'Why couldn't we drive it (the demon) out?'

He replied,

'Because you have so little faith.

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain,

Move from here to there

and it will move.

Nothing will be impossible for you.'"

Matthew 17:20

Without faith, it's impossible to please God.  Why?  Because, I must believe that He exists and know that He rewards those who wholeheartedly seek Him if I'll ever have a chance of bringing pleasure to Him.  (Paraphrase of Hebrews 11:6)

Faith is knowing without a doubt that the promises of God will come to pass.  Faith is trusting in what I cannot see despite what my eyes are telling me.  Faith is giving God a chance to work when I feel desperate for answers.  Faith is getting up when I feel like staying down on the ground where I fell.  Faith is believing that the unfeasible dream, impractical desire and hopeless mission is possible.  Faith is believing that with God, all things are possible. (Luke 1:37)

Take a moment to listen to What Faith Can Do  by Kutless and meditate on the words.  What can a little bit of faith do in my life?  

Believe

"All it takes is faith and trust. . . and a little bit of pixie dust."  Peter tells Wendy, Michael and John as he gave them their flying lesson.  Soon they were flying off to Neverland.

While the only place I can fly is in my dreams, faith does give me the ability to believe in impossible things.  

When God says He loves me even though I'm His enemy because of my sin, I can swallow that truth and take it into my being, allowing His love to transform me.  (Romans 5:8 and 10)  

When God says that He made me on purpose in His own image, giving me all my traits and characteristics, even placing me in my particular family; faith allows me to accept His Word as truth, granting me a new sense of value and worth.  (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-16)

When God says He will provide for all my needs and that He knows what I require to live, I can believe that He will take care of me.  (Philippians 4:19  Matthew 6:31-34 )

While Peter Pan asked his students to "just believe,"  God does not ask us to do that.  It is hard to consider something as truth without a source of power to back it up.  In what or whom do I believe?    Thankfully, we live in a world where God rules with sovereignty, and I can count on Him to do exactly as He says He will.  God is more than able to back up what He says.

As Augustine reminds me, "Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe."  Believing I am now a friend of God through faith in Jesus means I no longer need to fight Him on every trial, tribulation or difficulty He brings into my life as my Refiner.  Believing I have great worth means I will guard my heart against all the temptations that surround me every moment.  Believing I have a Father who is my Provider means I am free to pursue His Kingdom work without restraint.

Faith in God enables me to believe that God is who He says He is.

Trust

Soften a heart hardened by pain and disappointment

Forgive a friend who inflicted a deep wound

Love a callous, cold neighbor

Live victoriously over sin

Kick an unhealthy habit

Honor God with my thoughts, words and actions

These are all examples of hard things.  Even though I couldn't imagine that a hard heart could be softened, I can trust God to accomplish this.  My hurt may seem beyond repair, but God can give me the strength to forgive as He forgave.  The angry, cutting words from across the fence seems to strengthen the barrier, but I can trust God to love him through me.  It may seem difficult if not impossible to live a life to please God instead of my flesh, but I can trust Him to back me up with His power when I choose His way.  

Once I believe that God is who He says He is, it's time to put that faith into action.  If I say I have faith in a chair to hold my weight but refuse to actually lower my body down to rest on it's structure, my faith is empty.  What difference do my words make if I'm unwilling to back it up with action?  

It's the same with my faith in God;  I can say I believe in Him but if I act like the rich man who went away sad because Jesus instructed him to go and sell all he had, then my faith means nothing.  (Mark 10:21-22)  As early 20th Century American Quaker author Elton Trueblood said, "Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation."

If I trust God, I'll act on the promises He has declared, knowing that He will enable me to do hard things.

Wait

"Hurry up and wait" is the unofficial motto of the U.S. Army.  My husband spent many-an-hour on a hot tarmac waiting to fulfill a mission.  As an Airborne soldier, he learned that an early call time didn't necessarily mean the assignment would actually be carried out early.  Rather, in order to make sure everyone and everything was in order before beginning an exercise, soldiers were expected to be ready.

I would not do well with this scenario because it's hard for me to wait when I don't know what the hold-up is.  I'd rather see action;  tasks being accomplished, headway being made and progress being detected.  Hanging around and killing time until everything is ready to proceed is difficult.

Even though God does want us to wait on Him (Isaiah 40:31-32), it is not so much that I need to sit around waiting for action, as it is that I continue in what He has called me to do while I let Him do the work of preaching, teaching and changing hearts.  

Oswald Chambers described the idea of waiting on God in this way.  He said, "If when God said 'Go,' you stayed because you were so concerned about your people at home, you robbed them of the teaching and preaching of Jesus Christ Himself. When you obeyed and left all consequences to God, the Lord went into your city to teach; as long as you would not obey, you were in the way.  To wait is not to sit with folded hands, but to learn to do what we are told."

Where am I in the way of God's work because I refuse to wait on Him?  In my need to see action, results and fruit, I am blocking God's voice from being heard.  I am becoming a stumbling block because I am too concerned with my mission instead of God's.  Anything done apart from Jesus means nothing; even if I do it in His name. (John 15:5)

Faith allows me to wait on God, even if I don't see the purpose or understand the reason.

Jesus said it only takes a little bit of faith to move mountains.  That itty-bitty faith allows me to believe that God is who He says He is, to put that faith into action by trusting Him to do hard things through me, and to wait on Him to do the real work.   It's not the size of my faith that matters, but the magnitude of the One in whom I place my faith that makes all the difference!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can take my little faith and place it in God's mighty hands.

How do I fail to trust God to do what I consider to be impossible?

When do I put my plan into action instead of waiting on God to initiate His?