From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God. Self cannot satisfy self. We must hunger for God.
This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God. Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.
“A direct experience of union or deep intimacy may be beautiful beyond words, but it also requires a certain sacrifice of our self-image as separate and distinct. We become vulnerable, less in control. We can no longer maintain the illusion that we are the master of our destiny.” —Gerald G. May
Day 15: Fasting Spiritual Self-Shielding
Do you ever think about the emotions Jesus must have been feeling as he rode through the crowds toward Jerusalem where he would die for you and me? We should never dismiss the emotional realm and reality of our Savior, because he was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus, as our Creator, would know all thing, yet as our brother he would feel all the things we would feel. Those real feelings did not stop Jesus from pressing on to bring well-being or wholeness to others.
As finite human beings, we may try social isolation from people around us who we know have and may continue to emotionally misuse, abuse, or reject us. A time of isolation may be necessary for our emotional well-being. We may try to shield ourselves from further emotional upheaval, but is that method of self-shielding going to be effective for long? I believe the answer is “no,” because the world hates believers. The people who are not led by the Spirit can knowingly and unknowingly become spiritual hosts who follow the lies of Satan to destroy others (Jo 10:10). We cannot control such things, but God can, so it must become his battle.
Jesus looked across the crowds of people cheering and celebrating his arrival and salvation and he knew all too soon they would act based on feelings of hatred toward him. The world hates Jesus, because he is the Truth of Life with God. He knew if not this crowd another crowd would act the same, because he came to defeat the work of our enemy, Satan.
The disciples scattered as a way to isolate themselves from the looming hate. The world will hate us as disciples, because we are carriers of Jesus. So, we will never really be able to insulate or shield ourselves from everyone who will emotionally drain our tanks. For this reason, Jesus sent the Spirit to keep us filled and moving toward the Kingdom goal—righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit.
Today, we will fast the habit of self-shielding that is unhealthy. If we spend all our energy isolating ourselves from people who cause us emotional suffering, we will never grow and develop the spiritual strength of Christ. In the midst of some suffering, we must learn to stay in a place of hope and love. May the Spirit of God convict us when we shrink away from reaching for Christ’s strength to trust when we actually feel vulnerable, because no weapon formed against us will prosper.
John 15:18-16:4 NLT The World’s Hatred
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20 Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 21 They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 22 They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. 24 If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. 25 This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures [laws]: ‘They hated me without cause.’
26 “But I will send you the Advocate [Comforter, Counselor, Encourager]—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
John 16:1-4 NLT 1“I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
Prayer: Lord, please help us to hold onto our faith when it comes to loving people who despitefully use, persecute, even plan evil against us, because your strength and grace will always be enough to endure no matter what comes our way. We know the very people who hurt us are the people who need you. Help us remember you are our Strength and our Shield when we are tempted to fixate on shielding ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.