Focus on Joy

July 5, 2017

Day 181: Dying To Self As Christ Died For Us:

“When we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.” Romans 6:7

“There is no CPR for a life lived apart from God. Without Jesus, we are all destined to die spiritually.” So says Anderson. This kind of statement used to mean so much more to me than it does at this moment. It used to fill me with awe at the blessing I knew I had received when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and fear for all of those who had not yet done so. But, as I sit here reading it today, I don’t feel much of anything. I suppose if I feel anything, it is slight irritation because, yet again, fear is used as a motivator. If you don’t know Jesus, you’re going to Hell. You don’t want that now, do you? That is really what Anderson is saying. The whole thing makes me tired.  The scripture itself should be empowering. When we died with Christ we were set free. Sin has no power over us. However, Christianity, as it is too often presented today, doesn’t resonate with freedom. I can see why people turn to other philosophies; ones that encourage a sense of connectedness: a connectedness to each other and to the earth and to the universe...and ultimately to the Creator of the universe. With Christianity there seems to be a pervasive us vs. them mentality. I’m so over it. 

Day 182: A Map That Is Never Outdated:

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” —Psalm 16:11

Today’s lesson is all about trusting God’s Word (the Bible). Anderson says, “Everything I wanted to know about life was contained in those sixty-six books, bound into a single volume.” I used to believe that for myself, but I don’t anymore. I used to fear looking outside of the Bible for answers. I felt that if I did I would be straying from the path and I would lose my salvation. Though I still believe that the Bible can be used to guide us, I’ve lost the belief that it is the end all be all of God’s communication with us. I think there is more to our existence and to His than what the Bible can express. It’s a good starting point, but I don’t think it ends there. 

Day 183: Approaching The Throne Of The Omnipotent:

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." —James 1:5

Why on earth would God rebuke someone for asking for wisdom?  Of course he wouldn't.  That was my first thought upon reading Day 183's scripture. Today's another one of those days where I woke up feeling ill at ease. Just sort of "GRRR" inside. To combat that feeling I meditated for 10 minutes and then made a plan for my day. In all actuality writing this entry was not on my plan, but I figured why not catch up on what Anderson had to say before I go for a bike ride and pick up my last check from A&J Antiques.  I closed my booth over a week ago in preparation for our move to Canada. Because it was in the middle of a pay period and we were leaving for a trip to Chattanooga, I had to wait until we got back to pick it up. My kid is going to drive me up to Fort Collins today to get it and say my goodbyes.  Yes, he has started driving. Has his official driver's license and all. It's a scary thing when your baby starts driving... but I digress.

Back to Anderson.. In today's lesson he shares the connection he saw between The Wizard of Oz characters' relationships and our relationship with God. "Each character in the show is broken. The Cowardly Lion needs courage. The Tin Man needs a heart, and the Scarecrow needs a brain. But without Dorothy to escort them to the Emerald City, they would have remained forever stuck right where they were. They needed Dorothy to approach the great wizard on their behalf. They needed her to intercede for them."  

It was easy to see where Anderson was going with his tale. Jesus is our Dorothy, only better. "We have God's own Son interceding on our behalf before the Father. Because Jesus is our advocate, we can submit our requests to the all-powerful God of the universe with confidence."  

I appreciate the fact that Jesus intercedes for us and I know that we are broken, but why is our brokenness always such a strong focus? Is it because if we don't admit we have a problem how can we even begin to fix it?  How many times must we admit we have a problem or that we are a problem? Every day, every moment? I say all of this and in my head I hear the old "that's pride talking" speeches of my past. It's not that I don't want to admit that I am sinful and in need of Jesus. I know that I am. I just wonder when will it be enough? I can't imagine my own child waking up everyday telling me how broken and unworthy he is of my love and grace and yada yada, and how much he appreciates my patience, care and guidance.  I'd rather have him recognize his worth and have his appreciation shine through all that he says and does. I feel as if many of Anderson's lessons and nearly all the lessons I have heard in the past have this sort of "we're so unworthy" tone that undercuts the joy of salvation.  Joy is not the focus.  

I want JOY to be mine.