Which story?

My sister wrote another wonderful blog post (go read it) that made me think.  Love that her writing always challenges me…makes me think…makes me laugh. 

I wrote a response…and then it got deleted. 

Whimper!!

Then I wrote it again…

Here it is:

Mythology.  Fairytales.  Epic love stories.  Evil being defeated by Good.  I think there’s a reason why these stories are burned so deeply in our hearts.  A reason why we love reading, watching, listening to them.  I think it is the mark of the longing deep in our souls for our ultimate rescue from this broken world by our ultimate Love. 

I think you’re right that the devil has become a scapegoat.  I think too often we get stuck on the ideas of the devil made me do it and original sin (I was born like this) and dismiss the fact that we are new creations.  God has given us new hearts.  He has covered us with His righteousness.  What shall we say then?  Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound?

OR

Should we be transformed?  Should we take up our armor and stand against the brokenness?  I’m not sure it matters whether our stand is against the devil who prowls around like a lion (2 Peter 5:8) or the thief (whether that’s the devil or death) who comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) or check other.  The point is that the world is broken.  And when we focus on the origin of the brokenness we have a tendency to lose sight of our responsibility today.  It’s like I often hear from the boys: “Well, so and so did such and such which is what started this whole mess.”  My response to them is: “I don’t want to hear what someone else did, I want to know what YOU are doing NOW.”  So I guess I need to turn that question on myself. 

I don’t want to hear who started this whole, broken mess.

What am I doing about it today?

Jesus said: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  (John 20:21)

SO

How did the Father send Him?

“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captive and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Is 61:1-3)

That’s a tall order!  And I’m not very good at it.  It’s so easy to forget to speak life when I’m covered in spit up.  To show love when the house is a mess.  To give comfort when I’m in the middle of so much stress.  Good thing the outcome of the ultimate war isn’t up to me and my forgetfulness. 

I think you’re right that it’s a false narrative to say that we are just helpless little pawns.  I am definitely helpless in many ways.  I can’t die to save myself.  I can’t defeat death and brokenness.  But I am more than a conqueror!  I am powerful because of the One who loves me.   Maybe I need to know that my struggle is against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark work and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms in order to remember to speak life.  Maybe I need to be mindful of my calling to bind up the broken as I hold out life (Phil 2:6).  Maybe thinking of my story as part of a greater Love story where the outcome has already been determined, but the daily battles are mine to fight (with the help of the One who is Mighty to Save) helps me get through the all too often HARD every day. 

I don’t think it matters what story we prefer.  Whether we prefer to think we’re fighting the devil or fighting death.  I think what matters is what we are doing about the NOW.  We have been ransomed from the power of the grave. (Hos 13:14) Why do we live like we’re still bound to it?  Why do we give power to what has been defeated?  Death.  The Devil.  Brokenness.  Why aren’t we focusing on what we can do today to bind up brokenness?  To love with actions and truth? (I John 3:18)

And to wrap this up like John:

Dear children…

Keepyourselvesfromidols.