Day 21: Wake up and recover your life!
Scripture focus: The old plan was only a hint of the good things in the new plan. Since that old "law plan" wasn't complete in itself, it couldn't complete those who followed it. No matter how many sacrifices were offered year after year, they never added up to a complete solution. If they had, the worshipers would have gone merrily on their way, no longer dragged down by their sins. But instead of removing awareness of sin, when those animal sacrifices were repeated over and over they actually heightened awareness and guilt. The plain fact is that bull and goat blood can't get rid of sin. That is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ: You don't want sacrifices and offerings year after year; you've prepared a body for me for a sacrifice. It's not fragrance and smoke from the altar that whet your appetite. So I said, "I'm here to do it your way, O God, the way it's described in your Book." When he said, "You don't want sacrifices and offerings," he was referring to practices according to the old plan. When he added, "I'm here to do it your way," he set aside the first in order to enact the new plan—God's way—by which we are made fit for God by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 10:1-10 (The Message)
I have a friend who loves God and loves to live by the book. He doesn't like it that I, a woman, preach on Sundays. He thinks I should be more seen than heard. He is not intending to hurt me in any way when he writes and emails and sometimes calls to share this sentiment. He's trying to help me stay out of trouble. I can appreciate that. But recently he caught me on a Monday morning after one of those Sunday experiences that filled my spirit with a certain kind of other-worldly awareness that I was living right where God wants me. Sunday's message presentation had disappointed me. I wasn't happy with my delivery. But before those few minutes of messaging, and after the hoorah of the morning worship was complete, there were several very beautiful God moments. Moments that helped me see that I wasn't the point AND I was a small part of something very special. So when the call came that yet again sought to set me straight, I felt that this conversation needed to be more a dialogue than simply digesting his advice. I asked my friend if he knew what his core values were. What were his non-negotiables? He replied, "No women preachers!"
"But you aren't a woman. That can't possibly be God's core value for you. What's your mission? What's your purpose? What's your grand epic adventure?" He offered no response. Sometimes we grow up and become rigid and controlling because we're afraid to let go of rules and ideologies. We fear letting go of our preconceived notion of "right" because we may not have truly assimilated into our heart the big point, the core values, the bottom line of loving like God loves. Without these core values, we flounder in a sea of do's and don'ts. Learning how to adapt will help us recover our lives. If we don't learn how to dance with God, we may go around thinking that our job is to get other people to adopt our rules. Maybe one day I'll regret not sitting down and shutting up. But for right now, I'm trying to dance with God, adapt to his way in this current world, hear his voice and follow him. May we all recover our life – the one God dreamed for us to be lived out in our culture – not isolated from it.
Recommended reading: Romans 4 - 6
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