So, as I get older I am finding out that I am forgetting more and more of what I have learned. Maybe this is due to the fact that I don't exactly have an area of specific interest(I just kinda soak up information), nevertheless, its frustrating. Its especially frustrating to watch people now. It seems to me that people "entertain" things that, if given a fair amount of thinking, they would realize are, not only wrong, but actually aid in a degressive lifestyle. At the center of all of this, and the biggest blind spot for our friends, is Jesus. Im noticing that we allow things to inhabit portions of our minds, and our hearts. People who experience reality on a daily basis are aware of one thing ... EVIL! Evil, as I define it, is the departure from good. God and His righteousness are the measuring stick by which all things are measured. We only know evil because we first knew good. All of that was to say that we are oblivious to the degree that sin has rooted itself into every aspect of life, and we need to walk in the reality that things are NOT the way they should be ... in fact, thats why Jesus died. The question I am asking is "How much of myself do I give to Jesus?"
I walk into a local sporting goods store in my hometown to visit a friend and I see life sized posters of professional athletes wearing the latest in sports apparel whilst he explodes through a wall of ice. The add is terribly misleading on a few levels. I realize that these sorts of ads are geared toward a certain mindset in society, they have to be. I simply refuse to believe that all of society could be this blinded by such things, I am a prime example. Companies like these seek to capitalize on children, but instead they find the honey pot! They have found that most "adults" still hold on to their childhood idols, in fact they add to or replace them as the years progress, and in fact still view the world, in regards to sports(I could argue that this is only the beginning of a futile mindset), through the eyes of a child. In fact, you see a trend in society through all of this I think. If you were to walk into a sports bar you will find men and women who can pour out sports statistics, names, and various other sports related information at the drop of a hat. Its discouraging on the grounds that its pretty anti-climactic. After all, your seeing this person portray a void in themselves that they have temporarily filled with futile things, and ways of think. There is no time for the things that truly matter because that part of the brain is being entertained by something else. To them, this is deliverance.
I walk into a local pub to enjoy the company of old friends, and old friends I find. After enjoying the company and meeting new faces I start to quiet down, watch, and listen. What I perceive is a charm. I see that people are charmed by things that bear the image of something, and if the association is drawn, a "someone". Im noticing that more and more people in society are drawing conclusions in general, if not anthropologically, that certain things are "intellectual", "classy", and(continuing through this vein of thought) "necessary", especially if one is seeking to establish themselves within that scene. Being friends with people for a lengthy amount of time really aids in the clarity that all of this relays for me. People do things, and seek the comfort of things, to fit an image. The hard part in all of this is identifying the certain image that one is trying to portray. After some conversing a friend taught me that drinking wasn't "acceptable" to Christians but as I am a Christian and see no problem with having a drink I could not quite make the same assumption. But, given time I saw the "unacceptable" avail itself. Drinking, for this friend, started off as a means of rebellion ... but when simply "having a drink" lost its shock factor it then manifested itself into more extreme versions of drinking. At one point in the evening I saw this friend throw their arms up and demand that the bartender make them whatever they suggested, "You pick" they demanded. At this point I realized a sense of reckless abandonment in my friends attempts to rebel ... but ultimately it was just attempt to associate one's self with another association. My friend, God wants this portion of you more than you know!
In the sporting goods store the association is drawn that if we can dress like professionals we can be perceived as professionals. And if not to that extent, we notice a social and financial projection take root. Now, its not so much about "being" professional(which is childish to assume that dressing the part automatically entitles you to certain abilities! Remember, Nike's will make you run faster) but rather, looking like a professional. The latter seems to be the mindset that most opt out in favor of. In the bar you see people draw the conclusion that drinking alcohol is for adults and "thats what we are" ... adults by beverage of choice, children by our futile thinking. Pubs are not the only the places this sort of thing happens, another example is the coffee shop. Talk about a place where people go to "be" intellectual, rather, appear intellectual but without actually gaining any intellect ... I give you "the coffee shop".
All of this to say ... STOP seeking the image of finite, and futile things! It will only amplify your finiteness, and stress your futility. The sad part about entertaining these sorts of things is that is blinds people from the one who has been bearing our image since the foundation of creation(and before that even). I think the hardest part for most people to grasp when they get the point I am trying to make is that the world isn't nice, and it isn't magical ... its a BATTLEFIELD! Your lack of perception to the relativity of all of this is really what is laying the foundation for the slaughter. The question you need to ask yourself is "Will you focus on the things unseen?" Will you in fact be part of the battle? Will you protect yourself from the things that blind us from seeing Jesus face to face?
To answer my opening question ...
The kingdom of God is at hand! It is a reality, a lifestyle ... it is a MINDSET! I urge you, friends, to stop portioning your heart and minds out to things other than Christ. After all, he wants every bit of it and He is worthy and faithful! Paul actually writes a portion on idolatry in 1 Corinthians 10. He sums it all up by saying in verse 31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or WHATEVER YOU DO, do all to the glory of God"
Amen!
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