Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Something has to die!

Starting today, for at least 30 weeks, I will be praying for an hour everyday! I'm sure it will go on after the 30 weeks are over, but I'm acting like there is a start and an end date to it so I don't freak out about it. The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is an exercise that was set up to be done in 30 day's or 4 weeks. During one day there are 5 one hour prayer times... Yeah, a little hard to do this this day and age, not impossible, but hard. So we are taking the 30 days and doing it in 30 weeks, which will still be a challenge, but seems a little more doable!


I wanted to share something else that I came away with when the Vessels for the Lord were here. Before a resurrection, something has to die. Think about that for a minute...Not just in Jesus terms, but in your own life. Before you can experience a resurrection, in your life, something, in your life, has to die. This is where I think the whole dying to self comes into play, along with those who want to be first, must be last. 


It's hard to die to self isn't? Have you ever done it? As someone who is been striving to walk closer to the Lord, I'm sure I have only begun to scratch the surface of the whole dying thing. I have to admit, I would rather not have to go through any of this. There are tons of folks who don't do it, why do I have to be one that does it? Oh yeah, cuz I want an encounter with God! That makes it a little easier to die when you know why your having to do it. It's not that I have to do it either...it's a choice. It always comes down to making the decision to hold on or let go. 


Holding on is what we know, it's safe and it makes since. Our whole life has been about putting ourselves first, looking out for #1 and pushing our way to the front of the line. Have you gone to a potluck at your church lately? Who are the first people in line? All the kids!! Why? Cuz it's all about them! I won't get into the parenting issues I have with this right now, but suffice it to say that kids are #1 in their own minds and they want to make sure you fall in line behind them. 


Letting go is crazy, unsafe, scary, uncontrolled, uncertain and most of all, dropped out of our hands. We do not know how to do it! Most of the times when you ask a kid to let go of something, 9 times out of 10, you have to take it away from them. It's a choice to open our hands and let go of whatever is being held on to. Our pew, our place at the front of the line, our way or the highway, our parking spot, our way of worship. It's saying Yes to whatever God wants you to let go of. 


We have to be shown how to do this or frankly, it doesn't happen. This is one of the reason I think Sunday school classes need to be about a study and not about ages, cuz the older can show the younger what it looks like to let go. Other wise you got the same age group holding on to what they know and not letting go. You've got huge chunks of churches that say they want an encounter with God, knowing that something has to die before there is a resurrection, a new life, yet no one is showing anyone how to let go.


Have you let anything go in your life? Have you let something die so that you might gain new life? I have. A career in the worlds largest privately owned corporation, a hog farm, being the executive director of Manna, kids, a failed marriage, a real identity in what I do. What I got in return... Christ, a new identity as the Beloved, a man that loves me day in day out, Hope, Healing, insight, the desire to know Him more and me less, gratitude!


See, Preacher man and I had to give up our lives to be where we are, doing what we're doing right now. At times, it's the dumbest, craziest thing we have ever done. But mostly it's all about resurrection, our resurrection into what God is calling us to be, and who He is calling us to be! Do you need to have someone show you how? Then you need to ask.
            

2 comments:

Preacher man said...

Good insights. Maybe we should quit calling ourselves a child of God and focus more on being a man or woman of God? That will preach...I got to put that one in the bag!

Kimer said...

Thanks for the comment and the thought...I like it!