Correction, confrontation, a nudge in the right direction. Why are we so quick to run from the gentle art of correcting? Solomon said that the heart of a wise soul will receive correction, so if we at all want a soul that penetrates wisdom then we better begin to soften our hearts when a correcting brother is stirred by the Holy Spirit to guide us.
I’m sure many of you have at least once been in the position to board a plane. It brings an exciting rush of adrenaline (well for me anyway). You’ve waited, you’ve planned, you’ve packed, and now you’re ready to depart to embark on the mysteries of your holiday destination. But what’s not so exciting is when you’re told that you have too much luggage for the plane- that either one of your bags must stay behind or be sent out on a later flight because the plane cannot carry the weight of extra luggage.
Yes, it’s a nuisance, but these baggage limits are in place so that the plane can gracefully and smoothly sail through the air. After some complaining, shouting and arguing I’m sure, we begin to cooperate with the airline staff. We don’t like that we’re not allowed to take our extra luggage onboard, but we understand why these precautions are in place.
If we look at life in the same way, we begin to filter the content that we feed our souls and minds with. Have you ever stopped and asked yourself? What should we board life’s journey with and what’s best left at the gates? What no longer supports us and our God-given destiny.
In order to fly you need to let go of what holds you captive to the ground. Hebrews 12:1 says “Let us strip off every weight that holds us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” You can’t run the race with endurance when something is weighing you down. “Keep your eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith”, continues the verse. Just like a trainer trains an athlete to win, Jesus is training us for this race called life. And that involves leaving things at the gate. This mission won’t be easy, and so He needs our full attention- every piece of our heart.
God’s relentless and unfathomable love that He has for you means that each and every day, He is chasing to have all of you. He doesn’t just want the listening, note-taking you on a Sunday morning- He wants all of you. Your whole core being. Your leaning in, surrendering soul. As we submit our inferior selves to Him- fully, by stripping off the hinderances- our trust in Him wildly anchors deep, and we begin to see Him move within us. We begin to see Him shake our neighbourhoods. Raise leaders. Rescue wandering, lost souls. Change culture.
There are many unoccupied avenues which God has yet to send us. As this verse reveals, God has set before us all a race that needs to be run. Let us, as Christians, not be anxious about God’s loving correction, but actually ask for it. Be excited by His change. Let’s strip off the things that no longer do us or our mission any good and boldly enter a new season dominated by a fierce unshakable faith. Not be swamped by the cultural happenings. God’s correction is our hope for a better life, so let’s ask for more of it.
By Lisa Grace Walden