I once wrote a post and called it
About Me, even though No. 17 would have been a better
title. In it, I explained the power of
words. It’s true, isn’t it? That words have power… Because they do, ya’ know. You believe it too, if you’re part of this,
the “being redeemed.” That yes, Christ
has power, the cross has power, Christ on
the cross has power. And yet, the
Word also says, that the message of the cross…that is, the gospel, has power.
We must think truth.
I think I started this post no
less than three times. Trying to find
just the right beginning – because first impressions matter and so do
intentions.
Like you, I’m a bit
fractured. Broken. But Light can only get into broken
things.
I’m soul-weary too. But even soul-weary
doesn’t come close to the heaviness of heart that I feel. Maybe you either?
There are times when I feel so
minuscule compared to the magnitude of the problem.
Watching hurting people hurt
people. Watching them lead others
astray. Drowning in lies, missteps, and
hatred. Watching them self-destruct and literally destroying everyone and
everything around them. Leaving nothing
but a desolate crater in their wake.
Listening to the words and flattery that they say, knowing words are
maybe a quarter of the battle but deed - the greater portion. It’s cliché but it’s true, isn’t it…that
actions speak louder than words.
…Volumes, actually.
And what do we know? Hurting
people are often desperate people. And desperation
is a dangerous place to be. It’s a sure
pathway to ruin.
Watching people bleed out for
those who are hauling them away. One by
one. Targeting, manipulating, and
picking them off. Wolves, sneaking into
these homes, left vulnerable and without protection.
There is no communicating. No reasoning.
No rational thinking.
Sometimes, godlessness is
obvious. But sometimes it’s far more
conniving. As Christ-followers, we have
an obligation to think truth. Not
groupthink.
But in a loud, chaotic world, certainty
is what sells. People love the hawkers,
big talkers…the folks with flattery on their lips.
Turn up the news. See what’s trending now. Clickable headlines and people with caps lock
to make a must-be-yelling, ALL CAPS point - and what people are shopping for is
certainty. Because far too often, we
forego critical thinking. We assume the
noisiest wins the day…they must have the corner on the market…because, after
all, that’s what matters in the war of buying and selling certainty. That is, just how loud one can be.
And certainty sells because we
can package it. Tie it up with ribbons
and bows. Compartmentalize people,
places, and things in this world into nice boxes. Boxes we can manage and sit neatly on a
shelf. Because what people are shopping
for is certainty. And in a loud, chaotic
world, what people are most truly after is certainty about who is who, and what
is what.
TRUTH.
But here’s the amazing thing
about truth. It isn’t found in nice,
neat, manageable boxes. It’s not usually
found in the loudest salesman or the best pitchperson. Truth is found, in abundance, in the person
of Christ. In the infallibility of His
Word. In the integrity of the
gospel. In the fullness of His grace and
the certainty of His supremacy.
In the walk of the being-redeemed,
we are not called to carry trite boxes.
We are called to carry crosses. Cross
carriers are about sacrifice, surrender, and sincerity. They are, in a word, about love. Love, not in flattery of speech or in feigned
acts of concern. But the kind of love
that comes with life as its price. A
life of service to God with their whole heart and willing mind. They are largely unmoved by circumstances and
don’t easily fall prey to the manipulation of the merchants outside. And what of those merchants outside? Pride harbors lies. Lots of them.
And it’s hard, and sad, and gut-wrenching to watch when they’re carried
away by lies.
Sometimes it seems like those
times when our burdens are stacked higher than the dirty laundry is, that those times are just that…bad. Overwhelming and dirty. But the truth is, just like laundry needs
washing, we need cleansing. And it’s in
and through those challenges that we gain a deeper insight into the heart, the
ways, and the certainty of God. Because
Christ-followers don’t have certainty for sell but instead, have The Certainty who
saves.
When the world gets loud and
chaotic and you get all worked up – whisper.
Because no one can hear if everyone’s yelling. Whisper.
And when you stand at the edge of
something mighty, you can feel it in the quiet.
From the Fullness of His Grace,
Lacey
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!
Psalm 91:1-2
Lacey- I love that you've followed God's prompting to share these words. I am reminded of all the examples God gives us in nature of how stress -and even what looks like total destruction- fortifies and strengthens. The destruction we've witnessed is heart-breaking, soul-wearing, faith-challenging and not likely to be over. Your last words, "when you stand on the edge of something mighty, you can feel it in the quiet," endorses my hope that God will use this sorrow to build something great, mighty. That we'll come back fortified and strengthened for our stresses; wiser and more focused for our lessons; chastened and unified for our suffering. I'm praying for softened hearts, open ears and closed mouths. Love ya!
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