Which Way Do You Lean?
“It’s never been more divided!”~ President Biden
In today’s America, there seems to be a lot of alienation happening. It seems like every news article and every piece of media is so focused on either being liberal or conservative. They push conflicting viewpoints on the same event and make our country seem divided like we have no middle ground. This kind of mindset has even bled into the religious world. “So and so believes this about scriptures, they are liberal/conservative”. Our culture would want us to see each other as one label or another, before seeing each other as fellow souls needing Christ. So this “us versus them” mindset is pushed relentlessly. Everywhere we turn we are faced with this question:
Which way do you lean? As Christians, we don't (or shouldn't) lean. We stand. We stand firm on the everlasting Word of God. “Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.” (1 Corinthians 15:1). We need to stop being a conservative first, or a liberal first, or an American first, and put God first. Proverbs 3:6 says this, “In everything you do, put God first”. Be a Christian before any other label. Because, the lens by which we should see everything else isn't the news, it is Scripture, And our middle ground isn't the ballet box, it is Christ and our need for him.
Identity
“Who are you?”
“How do you identify?”
In today’s world, there is a massive focus on our identity. The world would have us believe that our skin color, race, nationality, gender, hair color, etc. are the only things that compose us. The world says we as people are just a combination of our attributes and our feelings. While these attributes and feelings certainly do have their place in our identity, it is paramount that we remember that we are more than just what our bodies are, our earthly tents (2 Cor. 5:1). We have a soul breathed out by our God and Creator (Gen.2:7). That we are known and loved by God before we are even born (Jer. 1:5). Not only that but the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” We have been sold and bought - purchased. We are no longer our own...we don't belong to ourselves. Rather we belong and are owned by our God, who loved us enough to leave heaven, put on flesh, and die for us sinners. Romans 6:22 echoes this sentiment “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” We as Christians should first find our identity in our LORD. We are God's children, we are a part of the body of Christ, we are a royal priesthood, we are Christians, we are loved, and we are HIS. That is how we identify. We need to try and do our best to let the World know their true worth, their actual value comes from Jesus Christ, and in him, they should place their identity
Run Tall
There is an expression in the track world that says “Run Tall”. What people mean by this is to imagine a balloon filled with helium attached to your head that pulls you up, straightens your spine, keeps your chin up, and fixes your eyes on the horizon. When someone tells you to run tall, they are telling you to correct your posture, refocus, and fix your eyes. What's more in basketball when you are being taught how to shoot for the first time you are told to look at the square on the backboard and not the net, otherwise you might miss your shot. Finally, when we are learning to drive, the advice everyone gives us from our parents to random people at church is “Keep your eyes on the road!!!”
Some of you might be saying “Okay Jacob what does running, cars, and basketball have to do with Christianity?”
Because all three pieces of advice (regardless of the activities they are applied to) are essentially the same. They teach us that it matters where our focus is, it matters where we look.
Proverbs 4:25-27 says this “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you, ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
That sounds familiar, doesn't it? The above-mentioned advice doesn't come from track, driving, or basketball. It comes from GOD and His understanding of human nature.
The Bible says: “Stay focused or you're gonna swerve”, “Stay focused or you will miss the shot, your shot”, “Stay focused or you will trip”.
Are we missing our shots? Are we swerving? Are we tripping? Where is our focus?