Corona Devo 340

Have you ever daydreamed about finding/vacationing/moving-to/living-in a utopia? It seems like a fantasy topic that children might chatter about while secluded in a treehouse, but I wish I had a quarter for each time this type-of-topic has surfaced lately in conversation. Whether it's musings of moving to a tropical location, the prospect of states seceding, or analyzing the probability and possibility of procuring a private jet...it seems to me that leaving is on people's minds lately.

But the funny thing about a "utopian" place is that it doesn't exist. And even in our most fired-up and heated conversations, the truth is: a utopia cannot exist. Utopia is defined as "a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions" (Merriam-Webster dictionary).  Those of us that are desiring a more-perfect-union or more-ideal-place may have to unpack the suitcase.  The place we are daydreaming of does not exist, that is until that day we knock at Heaven's door.  

Right here exists.  Right now exists.  Where we are and how we deal with right here and right now is how we are existing.  Swallowing the reality that a utopia (or more-perfect-society) is not happening is the first step in breathing normally again.  

Many of us need to stop hyper-ventilating about the world and start deep-breathing God and His word.  

We don't need to leave, we need to cleave to Christ.

(13) Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. (14) “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (15) Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.” (16) When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

(17) “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply completely amazed them. ~Mark 12:13-17

The Pharisees knew that Jesus preached of a "more-perfect-union" (His Father's Kingdom!) to the people of Israel. They knew that the authority of Jesus did not support or "align" with many of the existing principles of the ruling government. And so, they tried to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested (Mark 12:13).

(Sometimes I fear that one day soon the same tricks may await us and our words as Christ-followers.)

But even though Jesus came down from Heaven (the true Utopia), He was not disillusioned about the reality of society, people and sin on Earth. Right here exists.  Right now exists.  Jesus knew that there was a balance and awareness necessary between aspiring to Heaven while in the meantime living-within-the-boundaries of the right-here/right-now life.  We need to figure out that balance too.

If we are sick of society's moral decline, tragic stories, the news media, or who's-in-authority: consider this...many before us were probably thinking the same things!  I remember my Papa sitting in his La-Z-Boy chair watching the news 20 years ago and repeating the same phrase (daily) as the stories spilled across the screen, "Terrible, terrible, terrible."   As I live and breathe in the mess of today's world, I find it ironic that he coined my thoughts 20 years before I was thinking them.  We need to figure out the balance of "terrible" and "today".  There is one...  God gives us the balance.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” ~Mark 12:17

Besides people talking of travel/relocation, another main idea that I hear resurfacing is the phrase, "It is what it is." Shallow, yet deep, this phrase can cover a lot of ground and topics. I feel like it runs parallel with the advice that Jesus gave about taxes and Caesar. The current world situations and leaders are what they are, but/and give to God what belongs to God. We belong to God. Our hearts belong to God. Our attitudes belong to God. Our opinions/side conversations/frustrations belong to God.

Today, let's give Him all of those things. Let's give to God what belongs to God: us.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/


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