Stay Grounded

"The farther I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I am able to hear the voice that calls me the Beloved, and the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world."  - Henry J. M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son

Many of us spend a great portion of our lives looking for love, happiness, and acceptance. This should come as no surprise. For instance, we might buy into the latest fad, or purchase whatever gadget that will supposedly make us more beautiful, youthful, slimmer, or trendy. Cars, houses, and clothes easily become status symbols used to preen around in front of others.

Don't misunderstand me. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with these things. In fact, they can enhance, or improve our quality of life if used sensibly. It's when they become "life" itself that things tend to take a wrong turn. They can lull us into a false sense of control where in actuality it is "us" that is being used.

How can we stay grounded when we are surrounded by so many tempting fruits? Eve couldn't do it. She caved in to the big lie of wanting to be just like God. Remember how King Saul thought he knew better than God and disobeyed Him? Game, Set, and Match to God! What do these few tragic examples from Scripture have in common? They turned away from the voice of God, and followed the siren call of their own hearts instead.

Living in this world is difficult. Every day of our lives we are besieged by various enticements. In many cases, resistance can indeed be futile. The landscape is littered with those who were seduced, used up, and tossed aside by their own self-serving desires, and pretentiousness.

Even the strongest, most seasoned believers must constantly remain ardent and vigilant (Deuteronomy 31:6). There is no down time for a true follower of Christ. We can't ease up on our guard for an instant. Fortunately, God's voice is always there to guide us (Exodus 13:21). He is there to offer His strength when we need it most (Psalm 31:24).

God doesn't want to deprive us of the joys of life. There is so much to be enjoyed in this big beautiful creation of His. We just need to remain mindful, respectful, and thankful of the Creator himself. Worshiping "things" of this world instead of Him nullifies this (Exodus 20:3).

I will simply close this message with a quote from Scripture: "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

Scripture: Hebrews 13:5; Isaiah 37:19; Isaiah 44:17; Psalm 96:5; Hosea 8:4

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me keep my focus not on things of this temporal world, but on Your promise of salvation and eternal life with You. Amen.

God bless you,

Ellen