“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.”
~Ephesians 2:1-2
Death. The American culture seems, at times, to value and be so fixated upon the concept of death and dying. We watch things and people blow up in movies and television shows. Tabloids fixate upon conflict and drama and are eager to pay tribute to the fallen celebrities while digging up the ‘dirt’ each of them had in their humanity. As a people, we spend billions each year to cover up the effects of our aging.
Our culture goes so out of its way to remind us of our own mortality and impending death that it fails to highlight what it really means to be alive. Mortal joy is equated with participation in the material, the carnal, the destructive, and other things which distract us from the spiritual joy into which God is beckoning us; the ‘living life to the full’ that Jesus said he came to provide.
The NASB captures the idea of how we ‘used to live’ by saying this was the way ‘in which [we] formerly walked according to the course of this world.’ The pattern of sin and death is to move with the world, and to move in accord the Enemy who influences it. The pattern of joy and life is to walk with the Trinity, discovering and exploring the Treasure Map of Blessing.
I think of it as this: Each of us has a special seat within an orchestra, and each of us has a unique instrument to play according to our uniquely crafted gifts and talents. We have collectively been gifted with the opportunity to be in concert with one another and with the God of the universe. Our beginning point is to be in tune, and our leading force is the conductor we choose to follow. Our free will allows us to choose our point of attention; God, or any one of the lesser baton wavers in our lives that distract us from the true song of beauty we are invited to participate in. When we are in tune and in alignment with the the Redeemer, our song is made perfect in harmony and our joy flourishes in our play. This Song has plenty of room for solos… I believe that God encourages us to bring our unique selves to the Song for our glory and for His Glory (note the different cases for the letter 'g').
When we choose our own song or choose to follow a different conductor, it may sound sound good to our ears or to those around us (the audience of our choosing and/or making), but it falls away from all that it could have been and could yet be. We are out of tune. It is one thing to mistakenly or distractedly leave the Song by losing sight of the Conductor, but it is quite another to willfully reject the Spirit of the Conductor and Its leading, or to deny the Sovereign power and beauty of this Conductor and His Song to embrace cacophony over symphony.
Life. The message of the Trinity is life, and a life-long walk with the Trinity as our guide and rescuer, giver and redeemer, blesser and blessing.
Let’s go for a walk, and let us sing a new song as we follow the tune that is made alive in Him.
When do you
know that you are tempted to follow a different song than the one God is leading you in?
- This is an important question. It is about many of the things we've addressed in this devotional so far: desire, fear, gifts, and blessings.
- So much of our life is habit—experts estimate as much as 40%—that it makes sense to examine our lives for how we 'go through the motions' or how we willingly follow the lead of another.
- How intentional are you to seek out the lead of God, versus any number of lesser 'others' in your life?
This week in your prayer time, ask that God would help you to identify in yourself more of the you-portion that gets in the way of becoming who He is leading you to become.
Remember: God offers us a life worth living. Sin offers us the death of disconnection and a life unrealized.
