The Pathway Blog

Reality Check

I had a dream recently that I was Iron Man.  It was AWESOME!  Complete with full body armor, I flew through the sky with ease and swooped down into a city skyline, flying around tall buildings and eventually landing on top of a skyscraper.  When I woke up, I was so jazzed I could hardly go to sleep again!

 

I’ve always had a fascination with flying, and have often dreamt and even day dreamed of great adventures flying through the air.  As a child I read comic books that featured flying superheroes, and as an adult I find myself engrossed in those types of movies – it seems so real.  But as seriously as I would like to fly and as often as I have wanted to try flying, there is one irrevocable truth that has kept me from ever trying; gravity.  The reality is, if I go to the top of a building and jump I am going to discover the truth very, very soon.  And the truth is I can’t fly!

The line of truth seems to be continually blurring in our world these days.  People seem to think truth is somehow linked to their opinions or how they feel about the issues of the day.  If homosexuality makes me happy, then it must be okay.  If I’m no longer happy in my marriage, then it must be okay to end it.  If I don’t believe in a heaven or hell, then there must not be one.  Sounds great, but truth is not based on what I think, feel or want it to be.  Truth comes from God, the Creator and Designer; the One whom we will ultimately stand before and give an account for our actions.  And when we stand before this Judge, He will not be swayed by political correctness nor will He care one way or another about what “everybody else” was doing or what a group of irrelevant legislators have declared is right or wrong; He will judge on truth.

I know what you’re thinking; the Bible is old-fashioned and out-dated.  It speaks to a different culture.  We have evolved and progressed into a people that doesn’t need to pay attention to the writings of a few ancient, intolerant men.  Well, let me break it to you gently.  You can’t fly.  Generations before you have tried and failed.  The best advice I can give is to honestly and earnestly get into the Designer’s handbook (the Bible) and see what He has to say.  You might be surprised to find He actually loves you, and the last thing He wants is for you to think you can fly and find out too late you can’t.

A Lesson from an Indian Flute

    When our mission team to the Rosebud Reservation asked Danny to come and play the Indian Flute, we had no idea he would also teach us a valuable lesson! 

   As he held the flute in his hands, he began looking around the room and told us that there was something keeping him from playing music that day.  There was something coming between himself and his flute; his gum.  Following the traditions of his ancestors, he began to thoughtfully relay an important lesson as he looked for a place to put his gum.  He told us the gum would not allow him to play the flute at its highest potential; he said that it actually had the potential to ruin his instrument so he had to get rid of it before he played any music. 

   Then he turned the corner and said, “You know, my gum is just like sin in our lives.  When we have sin in our lives it comes between us and God and we need to get rid of it in order to receive the blessings God wants to send our way.”  He had a great point!  How often to we stubbornly hold on to sin in our lives while at the same time foster a relationship with God?  How often do we expect some kind of incredible spiritual experience or unimaginable answer to prayer, when all along we are living in rebellion?

   Is there anything coming between you and God these days?  Any sin in your life that you are trying to hang on to?  This would be a great time to get rid of it!  I think Jesus said it best when He was talking to a woman who had been accused of sin in her life.  He offered her forgiveness and said, "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:11).  That's not a bad idea for the rest of us too!