To whom are you giving your remote, Jesus or “relational stuff”? Ah, but I get ahead of myself.
Every day “relational stuff” - that is jealousy, envy,
anger, bitterness, hurt, unforgiveness and the like - tries to beat down the
door to your life, sit in your chair and run the remote that controls your
love, thoughts, actions and soul.
Every day Jesus waits close by gently knocking,
asking to be in that chair.
Every day we must make the choice who sits in that
chair with remote in hand. Not as easy a
choice as you might think.
“Relational stuff” KILLS us. Not just metaphorically, but in honest to
goodness truth. And it kills us EVERY
TIME.
If you think that is hyperbole or extreme you are
wrong. “Relational stuff” is a slow,
deliberate killer, taking its time to pull us down the winding path to certain
death, exacting pain every step of the way.
It kills our hearts by numbing us, handcuffing our God
placed ability to make emotional connection with others. Given time it creates calluses that harden
our hearts, making us unable to even love those we WANT to love.
It kills our minds, freezing our ability to think
clearly. The seed of relational angst continually distracts at the most
inconvenient times, fills our minds with detrimental thoughts and finally
hi-jacks our ability to see reality and choose to love as we should.
It kills our bodies. There are many well documented
studies that cite the years that relational issues carve off of our life spans,
and negatively impact the quality of our lives while we breathe.
Worst of all, it kills our souls. It is literally impossible to have life in
our souls and death in our relationships.
Jesus will not venture where relational stuff rules. Thus our souls are too full of the relational
stuff to which we cling to allow God to love us or love to flow through us.
One danger is in letting relational angst in for
any length of time. The longer allowed
to sit in your chair, control the remote and your appetites, the harder it is
to kick out and welcome Jesus in.
Another danger is to downplay, dismiss or ignore
its presence. Which I notice is what so
many western Christians do. We pretend
we love each other while allowing “relational stuff” to rule and Jesus to wait
in the rain. When we do, we die another
day.
STOP IT!!
If there is any “relational stuff” in your chair
today, KICK IT OUT, mash it to a pulp and bury it. Forgive, let hurt go, reconcile with “that”
person, set aside anger... whatever you have to do to get Jesus in the chair! Then
hand Him the remote and the snack tray so He will in charge of your life. You will be amazed as LIFE pours into you.
13Bear with each other and forgive whatever
grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And
over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect
unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians
3:13–15 (NIV)
Boldly, Herb
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