Snakes and Ladders

In case you picked up on some non-graceness in the quote from my last blog, let me explain that it was the love of Jesus that got me and broke my heart, not all the other stuff which can sometimes throw you for a loop.

Anyway, was reading He Loves Me, by Wayne Jacobson the other night, when something aka Holy Spirit really stuck me on a little passage on obedience. Wayne was saying that if God merely wanted obedience from us, then he would have been a lot more careful to relay to Adam and Even exactly what the repercussions of eating from the tree of Knowledge would have been. But He didn't. He only told them that they would die, and of course crafty serpent twisted His words to trick Eve. Wayne went on to say that if God had explained it all to them, then Adam and Eves motivation for not eating from that particular tree would have been totally self centred, rather than pure and simple trust in God.

So, I thought. Is not obedience one of the biggest idols in most Christian circles (in a whole variety of ways) today?! Really! It is huge! It is one HUGE reason why I couldn't bring myself to send my kids to a 'christian' school. I just didn't want to deal with my child being inundated with nonsense like 'God wants you to be good.' And all sorts of other stuff related to action oriented appeasing of God in order make Him happy (aka give Him Glory). It is all about 'How to be good' How to be a good wife. How to be a good Christian. How to be a good follower. How to be submissive.

Oh man oh man, I could just cry. WHAT IS THE FOCUS HERE boys and girls?! It is so often primarily focused on what 'I' can do for God. And the 'I' comes before God. Oh I should. . . Oh I can't. . . Oh I must. . . Oh how sadly deceived many people are. Thank God that there is a WAY out of all that muck and nonsense. Whenever i start I-ing I can tell there is something seriously wrong with my thinking. Look up to Him the lifter of our Heads. Them snakes swirling about our feet need no focus. As He told the people through Moses to look to the serpent on the stick lifted high, so He tells us today. Lift up your eyes to the One Who saves rather than the ones who destroy. You can't get yourself out of the cesspool of snakes. You can do nothing, but lift your head to see your Saviour. It is that simple and it is that difficult. Who do we trust? In what do we put our faith? I just want to know the one who saves me from all the striving so much more. I want to be undone by His love day after day, so that my sight is set on Him alone whilst traversing this "dangerous" terrain (dangerous only if you give it focus). . .

So obedience. . . Ah yes, a natural response from one who knows their Saviour. Nothing contrived when you are compelled by Love.