Stopping The Slide

Let revival start in my heart and let it spread!

 

“It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us,

 think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message!”

 I Peter 4:17 MSG

 

When the sub-normal becomes the new normal, the old normal is viewed as abnormal.

OK, here’s a little exercise for you. Consider ‘normal’ from God’s perspective. It would include His ideas of morality, marital relationships, business practices, truth telling, contentment (with lack of envy), responsibility for our behavior and social propriety.

Those things (and many others) would set the bar for God’s expectations for the way we live our lives. Let the top of this page represent that God-purposed ‘normal’ for us. Now, consider how much ‘slippage’ has occurred to his goals for humankind. How far down the page would we need to go to draw the ‘new normal?’

From our ‘don’t-look-at-me, I’m-not-responsible’ to our broken promises and fractured relationships. From our empty words and big heads. From our moral free fall that’s not only tolerated and accepted but defended and accelerated. From our full garages and storage units to our empty lives.

We have indeed, come a long way, baby. And it’s primarily been a downhill trip.

How much have we as Christians either contributed to the slide or at least provided some serious friction? You see, the scraping sound that our culture should be hearing is the resistance caused by those of us who should know better. And although our resistance is vital it shouldn’t come across like mean screeching. God’s Spirit, who wants everyone to enjoy the good life of the ‘old normal’ seldom shrieks. Instead, He often whispers softly yet powerfully. I really believe we are on the verge of a major outpouring of God’s intervention to the morass we are presently in. His Spirit will come with mercy and the offer of a new life to those who will respond.

But, He will judge evil.

Let’s join  God in showing the road back up by the way we live our lives obediently … daily. Let the comparison between God’s Way and the ‘new normal’ be the quiet voice of reason that draws instead of repels. Your obedience to God can be the most compelling call to righteous living.

 

[With the passage by Congress of the Equality Act last week, I have been convicted as a minister who has had a voice since my first  year in ministry in 1966. I’ve written and spoken ‘booksful of words’ but wonder what I’ve done to stop the slide. As the Body of Christ tasked with establishing outposts of Christ-followers in this world, we have allowed the enemy to claim much ground while producing very little friction through our sloppy belief systems, willingness to ‘look the other way,’ rationalize our nation’s slip toward the abyss. And I suspect that our infrequent and lazy praying has not been much of a factor either. I post this devotional (from February 26 in Fresh Heart For A New Day – Vol 2) to remind us of consequences to our lackadaisical commitment to spiritual warfare. May God challenge and convict any of us who have not really ‘been in the fight.’]

Tags: , , ,

One Response to “Stopping The Slide”

  1. WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.