The story is told about a woman who called her husband on his car phone as he was on his way home from work and she said, “Honey, you need to be careful. I just saw on the news that there’s some nut driving the wrong way on the Interstate.” Her husband said, “There’s not just one nut, there’s hundreds of them!”
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like trying to do God’s will makes you go the wrong way down the road? All the traffic’s coming the other way. Have you ever thought, “If everybody’s going this way, it’s so hard to go against the flow. Would God really mind if I just turned around for a little while?”
An article in The London Times a couple of years ago reported that there are currently about 200 million Christians in over 60 countries who are being persecuted for their faith. Because we have freedom in the United States to worship God, those of us who live here sometimes we forget just how many people in this world live under oppression – by Communist authorities or Muslim authorities, or authorities who simply oppose God and the people who follow God.
And even if you don’t face governmental oppression, there are no doubt many of you who live with oppression – in your home, in your workplace or at your school – oppressed by a family member or boss or teacher who makes it difficult on you as a Christian. More and more, we all are living in an anti-God culture. We live in an environment that makes it difficult at times for us to stand up for God.
We must remember the words of Paul: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
No matter which way the crowd around you is flowing, may you have the courage to travel the direction that God would have you to travel.
Allan, the example you gave about going against the flow did not quite fully illustrate your point. The husband was supposedly the nut who the wife was talking about. He was the one who was driving the wrong way! He was going the wrong way but thought that the rest of the people were. It is the kind of self-centredness of how sometimes each religion thinks of the others. Pointing fingers at religions instead of reflecting on our own personal walk with Jesus.Judging others while we shouldn't is wrong. It is God's PLACE to figure things and judge for himself.
ReplyDeleteI think a better illustration would have been one of a fish STOPPING midway,to think and to reflect,on his own direction,instead of turning around and instantly swimming the opposite way.Unless in the picture was a high tide or a BIG WHALE which other fishes were overlooking but swimming towards it or with the flow,then this illustration would make sense..
I pray to discern in every moment,to do what is riGht by God.
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Tomorrow I will be seperated by work from husband for a few months. My heart does not want to go but my head knows I should. I prayed for guidance and the first message I got was "God knows his sheep" so I know he is listening and guiding me where I need to be. The second message I got came when I read "have the courage to travel the direction that God would have you travel." So I go! May the spirit guide you where you need to be too.
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ReplyDeleteYou are quite right in noting that not all aspects of the illustration matched the point I was making. Your point is noted, but I also am reminded that Jesus often used parables that didn't fully match the point he was making either (there was, for example, the dishonest steward and the comparison of Jesus to a thief in the night). His parables were intended to bring out one main point (in the parables above, for example, we are to be wise in our use of spiritual things, and Jesus will come unexpectedly). I also was trying to make only one point -- we sometimes travel in a direction opposite of everyone else. I'm sorry if that point was lost in the aspects of the illustration that didn't match.
Second anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou describe a difficult situation (one faced often by our military families here in Fayetteville). May God keep both you and your husband safe while you are apart, and may you both remain close to Him.
In reguard to GOING AGAINST THE FLOW , the scriptures teach we should be going in the same direction. If we arent, it is because we havnt yet learned the right way and more study should solve that problem. possibly both are not in the right way--but if there is a difference, both cant be right. I pray that we all continue to study and change to be closer to the scriptures. Our goal is Heaven,
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