Bed Time

"Resistance is futile." Not only is this true of the Borg in Star Trek (for all you nerds that can track on me with that one), but resistance is futile when it comes to God.

I was reminded of this last night, as all of the nightly duties of putting young kids/crazed monkeys to bed was. I was strolling down the hall, trying to think of a way to both get out of doing the dishes whilst not bathing, tooth-brushing, reading, praying, singing, leg-massaging, coaxing, pleading and begging my children for the love of my earthly sanity to just go to sleep!

It's around this time in our nightly routine (after the begging bit) that they ask me to get a glass of ice water from downstairs. I ask if water from upstairs would work. Of course not, it has to be ice water from downstairs. So like a grizzled and hardened mountain climber, I set my jaw and produce one last herculean effort, just to see them take one swig, roll over and go to sleep. Kids, you've got to hate them sometimes, even if you love them.

Well, imagine this, last night I was very, very hesitant to ask God to give me willingness to help in this whole circus we call putting the kids to bed. Since he's really been answering prayers these days, I really didn't want to ask. But I did, with sort of a soul cringe.

Not my will, but yours be done... So I asked, and guess what, he got me through, with minimal brain-trauma I might add.

And then after I had crawled, wishing I had one of those harness things that super-obese people use to swing myself into bed, I read this line out of "The Valley of Vision" (a book full of Puritan prayers): "Let angels sing for sinners repenting, prodigals restored, backsliders reclaimed, Satan's captives released, blind eyes opened, broken hearts bound up, the despondent cheered, the self-righteous stripped, the formalist driven from a refuge of lies, the ignorant enlightened, and saints built up in their holy faith. I ask great things of a great God."

And you know I'm thinking, "Amen."

Casket Man

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" - Jesus

"Because I'm a ridiculous sinner Jesus!"- Me

Sometimes I really don't like reading my Bible. And I don't believe it's always because I'm interpreting it wrong. Though I know that has to plays in a lot. But the Gospel doesn't fit into my worldview, I fit into its.

Sometimes I just don't want to hear it. Why can't the life of following Jesus resemble me kicking back into my easy chair. That's what I'm talking about.

But Jesus knows I don't do what I tell him. He knows that I build my house on sand. He knows that I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to power-tools and building. To mix metaphors, he knows that the power-tool of his word has gone off again in my hand and shot a nail in my eye.

It's in these very passages we're forced to cling to Jesus. They're impossible. And as I've said before (I've said it enough times now that I don't need to site whoever I stole it from), the Gospel is about making the impossible possible.

I have a friend who doesn't truck with the Gospel. All this sacrificing your son and whatnot. It's just so violent and crazy to him.

But if it wasn't violent and crazy, it couldn't speak to the real sin that locks us in, defines us and determines our lives. We have free-will without Christ. Free-will to sin, sin and sin some more!

My friend does a ton of good stuff. He does more than I do. Common grace is astounding and confusing. But he doesn't have Jesus. Or maybe he does and doesn't even know what to call him yet. The Spirit moves in mysterious ways.

As Jesus moves in us we actually do good. I know it sounds crazy. But we can't even help it now. His grace compels us. I'm not saying it's easy. I have a really hard time obeying. As my Grandma says, "The Old Man is dead, but he keeps sitting up in the casket." Que picture above. Mine doesn't look like Elvis, but hey, it's a really cool picture.

But obedience brings so much joy. And here I'm trying to talk myself into it... It brings the only real joy. Believe it Phil.

My pastor says that many of us have it backwards. We think that we have to have the right motives to do the right thing. We don't. Sometimes doing the right thing, following Jesus, will bring the right motive of dependance and understanding. In fact, for the believer, that's a promise.

Would that I'd believe this more. Then I'd cry "Lord, Lord" when I see my feeble attempts at obedience frustrated by my Old Man. This cry, far from being hypocritical, is the very cry Jesus is waiting to hear.