Healing from Bias

We all have an inherent vehicle designed to take care of ourselves. This desire that has been placed within us to see our walk of life sought out and fulfilled in the most that it can be. However, we all have a propensity and opportunity to choose fear and selfishness over love and selflessness. These two things go a long way and characterize the exact person Peter describes in the first parts of his second letter. Someone who functions in brotherly love will have virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, and brotherly love. There are great lengths the enemy goes to try to corrupt this image that came out of the mind of God, and as with all lists that have a foundation to continue growing, he will attack the first thing on the list. If you look at the world we live in you will see that virtue is something very few people truly possess and most will argue is pliable to the specific situation that you're living in. This is the exact corruption that we all see yet no one has half a mind to do anything about except say things like the post markers in front of abortion clinics, the intercessors in their prayer closet, those idea throwers on college campus. This, in and of itself, is a corruption of the virtue and integrity the Lord would have us walk in. This is the bias that we allow ourselves to live with though. That we accept and seem to even take in pride that we have done enough, that the work we were created to do doesn't require that much honesty, that the conversation we know we need to have with that person can wait until they figure it out on their own.

This angers the heart of God. If you can't even walk in integrity, do you really expect him to expand your territory? And you know what the crazy thing about praying to the Lord is? He is gentle enough that He will answer your prayer even though you don't deserve it! As proof that He is Lord, and that He is loving and kind. That by no means insinuates that he is unrighteous or isn't counting the sins that you've made against him, but He knows that putting more responsibility on you will be the fastest way to make you grow. The pressure of a leadership position is the most complete and fastest way for you to finally decide what you believe in. It is also the single position that forces you to decide to acknowledge your own inherent bias from culture, family, age, and language. Husbands, Managers, people who consider themselves leaders of a group even if you don't have the official title, you are being watched. Act like it.

We are fatigued and grieved to see people not walking in the authority and integrity a high-demand leadership job demands! If you truly hoped to lead people into success and realization of their authority, you really ought to check yourself on your selfishness. Too scared to see the vision that God has for your life? Grow up! You're not going to be fed milk forever, and if you are you will only have one flavor. If you haven't outgrown your pastor, you really need to prioritize growing and learning. You need to make being the best leader you can be your mission. In fact, the reason you are sinning and failing is that you haven't even bothered trying to experience what walking by the spirit means. If you've never experienced the rod of a loving father on your back, I pray that you will. That you would be led into the discipline of the life of Jesus, and that you would DARE to ask Him the same thing that James and John did. I pray that like them, you would be willing to be baptized in the way He was baptized and to drink from the same cup He did. Pray a dangerous prayer. Give up your life to Him. Abandon everything. Everything else is rubbish in comparison to knowing Him and His sufferings intimately.

Meeting God where He's at

If I were to tell you "I meet people where they're at." Would you agree with that statement? Not 'believe' but agree with. It doesn't matter whether you believe most of the statements I make or utter, what matters is whether you agree with the Holy Spirit inside of me, and inside of your fellow brothers and sisters. Those who are called Sons of the Most High. It ought to make you shudder, honestly, the thought that we are called Sons of Almighty God, Prince of Peace, the Lord her Righteousness. Do you agree with that? In the systems that have been created to adjure legal sanctification before the Lord, do you know how important agreement is? If you're a study of the Bible you will recall that there are multiple places that say "where there are two or more witnesses there is righteous blame or cause." However, there are also many times when people falsely witness, and usually, these can be found out by checking details of the stories. This is a concept we must understand as believers though. How often do we "agree with" the Spirit inside of us? This indwelling treasure that the Lord placed within us that just gets it. If you don't have a theology that allows you to speak with the Holy Spirit, then you best change that or stop reading now, because it is not by bread that we live by, but by every word that is breathed out by the Lord. It is our job to listen to the words that are spoken so that we can live. Life. Literally, the thing that has no concept, or philosophy, or any amount of logical thought one could think to have it figured out.

So that's why I titled this post "Meeting God where He's at." Because for one, it is our responsibility to meet non-believers and young believers alike where they are, but it is also just as much our job to go to where God is and urge others to follow us into His presence and sit before his throne. We must agree with His voice when the Holy Spirit whispers "come here. be with me, as I am with you." God is SO used to meeting us where we're at. He just does it! He does it graciously, with your counselor or with your mentor. With your neighbor or coworker. With your friends. With your job. He DOES! It's like unbelievable how good He is at it, and you know what? He desires to. He wants to come and meet you where you are at because you are His son. It's such a cool thing. Part of our walk with Him is the fact that we understand that He does everything with hope and desire that we choose to follow His example. It is one thing to follow His example regarding others, but it is an entirely different choice to turn it around and use His tactics on Him. Hah! To think that our puny selves could even effect the Lord in such a way, but you know what? The Lord asked me to pray for Him not long ago. I was flabbergasted, words escaped my tongue. I started with "Well, Jesus I... how do I pray for you?" Hah! It brings me such joy to be in such a relationship. I am dumbfounded because the Lord asked me to meet Him where He's at, and the grace, mercy, faithfulness.... just amazing Love he has to even invite an ant into His arms.

I'm still trying to figure out how to pray for the Lord. I'll let you know when I understand that, but I get the sense that it is something that's happening inside of me, that is growing and slowly ever so slowly dropping nuggets of His wisdom into my soul. I am blessed. I am loved, and I often find myself grinning with giddy and joy when I know and realize that I am His. That I belong to someone, and to be wanted and feel wanted is a joy I cannot even begin to describe. I am so lucky. I am His beloved! I am His son!