Smoking or Non-Smoking

I took part in an interesting Facebook discussion recently. My friend and singing partner, Susie-Q, posted a wonderful call to choose Christ, ending with the words "Smoking or Non-Smoking?" referring to Hell or Heaven as your eternal destination. One to the responders seemed to take the words a little more literally, saying he wouldn't mind a smoke now and then, but didn't want to burn forever for just making a bad choice. He wanted someone to explain why a person could be doomed eternally for one minor "infraction", and what kind of God could be so harsh. I posted a note back (thanks Susie!) that if it came down to "infractions" we were all toast! The choice was between having Christ come down to heal our hearts and be with us, in spite of the infractions, or having to live eternally without His love and healing.

A fairly simple answer at first look, but the implications are so deep. It's so easy to look at Christianity as a set of rules for living right. Do this, this and this, not that, that and that. But if we start trying to justify our salvation like that, trying to prove we're worth the salvation Christ has given us, we'll go belly up in a hurry. No one is righteous enough to "earn" Heaven . Even the Bible says "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". So lets begin with the understanding that when it comes to "Do this, not that", it's a Pass/Fail course, and we ALL fail. Kinda puts all humankind on the same level, doesn't it?

Now, since we are all the aforementioned "toast", what hope does that leave us? In ourselves...nada, zilch, the big goose egg. Nothing. The only one capable of restoring the God/man relationship is the the one that has been offended, God. And since there was no way any of us could reach up to His level, He came down to ours. We tend to think of salvation in terms of forgiving sin, and it is that, but that is really a byproduct of the main thing. You see, when Adam sinned that first sin, what happened was that the relationship between God and man was broken. When Christ offers salvation, He says, "I've missed you. I desire you. I long to be with you, together, eternally, as brother to brother/sister. Please, please come to me, all you that are weary, burdened down, and I will give you rest."

Now, if the things we do are not going to give us salvation, but only accepting Christ, then is it ok to party like it's 1999? Not so fast there! If you've finally come upon the one true love of your life, you're going to do everything possible to make yourself better for your lover, not slack off. But even though we know that we will fail, His love is greater than our failures. Pretty cool, huh? So, "smoking or non-smoking" is about our choice to live with His constant, surrounding, never ending love for eternity, or without that love for eternity. And rather than force that decision upon us, like slaves, He allows us to say "No." How that must tear at His loving heart, yet He abides by our decision. We should never take that Love for granted.

Setting Your Mind

I've been reading a lot lately that speaks of joy. Not a joy that comes after we die, or even at some future time. This joy is a joy that is for now, and not just a little but abundantly! This seems really out there to me, unreachable. Yeah, that would be great, but this is the real world, and that just doesn't happen. Maybe a little rest from the never-ending battle now and then would be good, but joy? Even if it were true, I don't have the time to let myself experience it.

But it is there. JOY. And somehow, we're supposed to have it. Need to have it.

The joy of the LORD is your strength. (Neh. 8:10)

You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. (Ps. 4:7)

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

(John 15:11)

There it is, in black and white and red. The Christian life is to be a life of joy. Joy, even in the middle of suffering. Joy, even when there seems to be nothing to hold on to. Joy, even when I can cry out, and it seems all I hear are echoes in a vast wasteland. And deep inside I know that when I don't feel joy, it is not because He is not supplying, but because I'm too busy to receive. I've got that type of personality that says go and go and go until you break down, and that's when God wants you to rest. Trouble is, I don't really believe that. I really do believe that God wants us to rest, and take joy in being with Him, but when I try to rest, I find a dozen different "godley" things that I can be doing, and I substitute doing for Him with being with Him. Now this is not all the time, but it happens a lot more than I would like. Stillness is hard for me. Sometimes, I get stillness when my health acts up and I am forced to be quiet, yet even then I anxiously await being able to get back to "doing".

For me, it's really about breaking the habit of busyness, and learning how to rest in Him. Because that joy comes from Him, and the only way we receive his joy is in intimacy with Him. His plan of redemption was not only for the defeat of satan's hold on us, the defeat of sin. Don't get me wrong, Christ did come to defeat what satan did in the garden of Eden, but another part of that plan was to re-establish that relationship God shared with Adam and Eve in the garden, that intimacy. And that can be scary, because it means, just like Adam and Eve, we will be naked before Him, faults and all. So we refuse the joy we could have, so that we can hide behind our fig leaves, hoping He won't see.

Something I read today may help in getting me to be still a little more. It's in Phillippians.

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Imagine if our minds were taken up with these things more often than the normal day to day thought process we have. I really think the things that are inconsequential would begin to drop away, clearing our time up to actually spend time being with and listening to God. And then maybe our joy can be complete. I press on to that goal, often falling, but getting back up again, dusting myself off, and starting again. Will you journey with me?

Light and Dark

What is it about light that fascinates us? If someone shines a flashlight on a wall, someone's hand will immediately form a bird or dog shadow. When someone goes on a astage, a spotlight shines down to announce their presence. When you see a sunrise, even in the gloomiest of settings, somehow your heart lifts into the sky along with the sun. We just feel that, as long as the sun still rises, we still have some hope in this world. Not everything can be dampened by the cares of this world.

As Christians, we see Christ as the "Light of the World". On top of that, we are told to "walk in the Light, as He is in the Light.". Does that mean that all trouble will disappear? No more dark clouds, or pain, or heartache? No, but it does mean that we have something stronger than what the world throws out. Light is stronger than darkness. You walk outside at night, flashlight in hand, and the darkness will move aside for as far as that light will reach. Darkness cannot overcome it. For us in Christ, we walk in His Light, and even with the pain and despair all around, we are safe.

It strikes me as odd, now that I'm on the other side, the people that prefer darkness to Light. It's as if since pain and sorrow are all they've known, they are afraid of what the Light might show them. So many of us are like that, we'd rather go with something familiar, even if painful or sad, rather than take a step out into the unknown. Still others are afraid of what the Light might reveal of them, and they don't want their own darkness revealed. Well, the sins and wounds in our hearts will be revealed, but that is so they can be destroyed. The Light can overcome any darkness, especially that darkness inside of us, no matter what. Let me say that again...NO MATTER WHAT.

I think there are three choices available to us. We can stay in total darkness, and embrace the pain and sadness as our friend. We can shine a flashlight on the wall, but then the joys that we experience are still just shadow images on the wall. Or we take a deep breath, open the door, step outside and look to the sky, and rise with the Son. What do you choose?