Corona Devo 779
What are we under the influence of?
To be more specific, what is our faith under the influence of?
We all have people, traditions, teachings, upbringings and even dysfunction that has influenced our faith. And even if someone/something was a part of our lives years ago, often we can still be under the influence of it today.
But it's time for us to be under the full influence of what God says, instead of anything or anyone else.
~~~~
Somewhere slumbering deep in my soul is a buried belief that true faith and the authentic following-after-of-Christ should be painful and self-sacrificing in (almost every) way. That we must be actively-experiencing-denial of some (or all) pleasures in order to be living close to Christ.
The main (spiritual) problem with this notion is that...God never said that and Jesus never taught that. And actually--Jesus breathes the opposite concept into us as His children: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10 NIV). Or, to put it another way: My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10 NLT).
The beautiful thing about The Bible is that it speaks directly into our lives if we will open it and allow it to.
As I read God's Word lately, He keeps reminding me (and you!) that He loves us enough to reveal embedded errors in our faith, and to correct the unhealthy influences that our faith is under, like the idea that we shouldn't enjoy "the good life" if we know Christ.
He wants us to enjoy Him and enjoy life.
~~~
While reading about King Solomon's efforts in building a Temple to honor the Lord, my soul gazes in awe of a righteous person like Solomon fully dedicating his time, talents and resources to the Lord in that way.
And then there's us.
But on the heels of the verses about Solomon's palace-"offering" to the Lord comes a detailed description of a palace that Solomon built for himself.
Solomon also built a palace for himself…(3) The hall had a cedar roof. Above the beams on the pillars were forty-five side rooms, arranged in three tiers of fifteen each…
(6) Solomon also built the Hall of Pillars... There was a porch in front, along with a canopy supported by pillars.
(7 )Solomon also built the throne room, known as the Hall of Justice, where he sat to hear legal matters. It was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. (8) Solomon’s living quarters surrounded a courtyard behind this hall, and they were constructed the same way.
(9) From foundation to eaves, all these buildings were built from huge blocks of high-quality stone, cut with saws and trimmed to exact measure on all sides. (10) Some of the huge foundation stones were 15 feet long, and some were 12 feet long. (11) The blocks of high-quality stone used in the walls were also cut to measure, and cedar beams were also used. ~I Kings 7:1, 3, 6-11
Solomon's house was no "house", he built a palace for himself.
My spiritual (under-the-influence-of-denying-ourselves-all-pleasure) self wants to wag a finger at Solomon. Wants to give him a Bible verse about feeding the poor and "taking up his cross", in order to spiritually correct him. Because deep down I don't feel that "living similarly" would be acceptable to the Lord.
But didn't Solomon do those (good) things also? Didn't he offer himself and his resources into God's service? Yes, he did.
And while I want to judge Solomon for spoiling himself with a home like that, God didn't.
I can find no Biblical proof of God chastising Solomon for enjoying life and building a fine home to do it in. All I uncover is an errant and inherent shame within myself for doing/ wanting anything similar.
Shame on me.
And Jesus came to take that shame off of us. Jesus came so that (like Solomon) we can live and serve Him with our lives, but we can also have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10 NIV).
It's a radical concept for some of us.
He did not come so that we would save ourselves. Or so that we would beat ourselves up over every mistake or perform self-flagellation (punishment) for every flaw. Or so that we would withdraw or abstain from every joy and luxury of life.
That's not at all why Christ came. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10 NIV)
Solomon's house was gorgeous, by all Biblical accounts. Fine cedar, stone, and bronze filled his palace, and God never yelled at him once for wanting it or having it. God never told him he should deny himself the finer things, or the pleasure/leisure of wanting them.
May we be (scripturally) reminded today that God is with us. And he is for us and for our enjoyment and embellishment of life. He absolutely wants us to honor Him with our gifts, talents, and resources. We should build him a temple with our lives! But even if we feel we're not worthy of good things, God has made us worthy through the blood of His Son.
The idea of denying ourselves all enjoyment, pleasure, and expense in life is simply not what God is saying to us today. At least if you're reading the verses I am.
My guilty soul wants to live in shame. The shame of today's mistakes and (still) in the shame of yesterday's mistakes--voiding myself of any "deserving-of-satisfaction" today.
But God did not come to inflict spiritual spankings on the world, He came to save the world, and to give those who receive Him a full, rich, satisfying life (John 3:17). It's okay to accept that.
Solomon loved the Lord and he built (an expensive) palace for God , and one for himself too. And it was okay with God.
If we need permission to enjoy abundance today instead of denying ourselves (again)--receive it!
Accept God's mercy on your life today. Live in His grace. Treat yourself to an ice cream sundae, or the marble countertops you've been eyeing. (Solomon had fine stone too!) God never said we couldn't.
It's time for us to be under the full influence of what God says and doesn't say, instead of anything else.
Comments
Post a Comment