Battling against the blustery wind of worldliness
Our life is fragile and what is more we err by doing foolish things, thus putting it in jeopardy. Often excess is the only dress we wear. To various degrees this applies to us all. Misfortune visits everyone's door. Sometimes it happens early in life like when we run away from the protective influence of our parents.
Every day the fool says in his heart I want to create a life of leisure for myself. Every day he prays for a balmy spring day in which he can saunter off, without considering his duties to others, to do or see what he regards as indispensable. His life consists of selfishly and stubbornly watching and doing what he idolizes!
Always full of vim and vitality we find him tanked up full of testosterone ready to overuse his vocal chords! Once upon a time he hid his opinions behind the huge protective helmets of his parents. Now no one can stop his blabber. Life isn't easy for him as he lives on a desert island called Selfishness where lasting friends are hard to come by. Displaying respect towards others is still to be properly learnt.
To his credit He is a trier. His heart pounds to hear the true beat of hope. Listen as he belts out "I'll walk on, I'll walk on with hope in my heart." It is clear that efforts in the trying mode don't abate all traces of loneliness. Despite pledging to never walk alone he walks pretty much alone. Is it possible to find true hope? Is their a great Friend who encourages and comforts us, so that we will never walk alone? Am I a hooligan, he asks himself? Is my heart jam packed with wickedness?
Do I give everyone an earful when things don't go my way? In pondering the answer to these questions fear ran up and down his spine. Am I better than a skinhead kicking and punching out at another non-provocative skinhead? Haven't I also violated God's holy laws? Haven't I also prized souls as disgracefully low as someone physically kicking out at a defenceless skull? Why hadn't I volunteered my services as a policeman? Why hadn't I offered a helpful protective hand to the helpless?
Yes! I am a hooligan, I confessed. I am no more than an undisciplined hooligan. Look at me I'm clothed outwardly in respectable clothes, but clothed inwardly with a heart that is prone to disrespecting my fellow man. Outwardly, before man, I don't perpetrate grotesque violence often, but inwardly I do. Totally at a loss to understand what was happening within me I determined never again to go to treat my neighbour so unthoughtfully; lest I too became a victim to someone else's bizarre behavior.
Overall I sensed that I was in need of a good teacher. I needed to be told off and not just for using bad language. I needed someone to teach me gently but firmly without felling me with blows from behind. I needed to learn that the enemy, the spirit of wickedness, deserves to be powerfully punched out of our lives. The spirit of wickedness is a dangerous enemy. We mustn't wine and dine it unless we are keen to be strangled by it! Unless we fight against it and totally hate its appearance in our lives and our neighbour lives it will go for our throat to steal our air supply. As you catch up on me I am lying about like a dazed corpse. My air supply is almost spent. I think you will be as curious to see what will happen to me as I am. Is my predicament unjust? Hadn't I also strangled my fellow neighbour by my continual lack of interest in them?
Hadn't I pushed hard and shoved them around, failing in my duty before God almighty to love them as myself. Why does uncouth, obnoxious,and excessively violent verbal behavior spring up? It was only as I became a victim of my own lack of understanding that I knew the answer to this question. It was time to come home to the home of holiness. It was time to come home to My holy, merciful Father, the God of heaven and earth who I had totally ignored. But, firstly, I had to pray for more air lest I lack the necessities of life. As God found me somewhat slouched and somewhat slovenly looking on the seat of my pants I wasn't a picture of strength. He told me that He did not see anything too wrong with me except my rebellious heart. I didn't know where He was exactly. He could have been standing less than a palm's width from me. A sense of being increasingly comforted came into my heart.
As I abided in His Word His love began to overshadow me like a band of lovely spring weather bringing confidence-catching colour to my eyes until it seemed like there was a richly compassionate Comforter in the living room of my soul. It was clear to me that beautiful healing power was flowing from His holy heart.
In loving me so profoundly, with such beautiful compassion, My Creator demonstrated how seriously He was taking my need for restoration! How beauty You are My mighty, majestical Maker. Although I am fragile like a candle You are teaching me triumphantly to understand that I am a beautiful God-blessed, consecrated light, dedicated to be poured out in loving service to my neighbour, in order to assist You in changing darkness to light.
Now that I have sufficient air to breathe in the sweet aroma of Jesus Christ I understand that my mission involves staying out of the blustery wind! Our mission, as the holy God obedient, involves encouraging our family and fellow neighbour not to live their lives without hope in the Author of hope, Jesus Christ, like unconsecrated candles living in the blustery wind of worldliness.