But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (I Peter 3:15-16 NIV).
Recently I have been sharing the following phrase with people: "Our lives become a paradox that gives rise to a question that creates an invitation." What I mean by that is that our joyfully upside down lives, so upside down from those who don't live in intimacy with God, are a mysterious paradox for those who don't live this way. And this paradoxical way of living inevitably, in my opinion, gives birth to questions in the hearts of our observers. This then may give opportunity for an invitation to consider a different way. This, of course, is the essence of what Peter is writing in the verse quoted above. Our loving, joyful, hope-filled lives become the best possible "witness" to the kindness of God.
There are many passages that suggest how this upside down life unfolds, of course. I Corinthians 13 comes to mind, but I want to focus on another passage that has become increasingly a reality for me and has given life to my joyful upside-downness. It's Philippians 4:8 where Paul says, “To the extent that you are able, sort out your thoughts so that you let your mind dwell on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.” Now in a world that gravitates towards the opposites of these things, having God shape our thoughts to the extent we spend most of our time focusing on such things is upside down for sure.
When most people read Paul's words here they start to imagine how they can force their minds to focus on such things, and it soon becomes an impossible concept. But what if, since we have the mind of Christ, we are already predisposed to think this way as believers? What if the secret is not "mind-control" but "life surrender and God-inundation"? What if learning to allow God's Spirit and His word to saturate us gives birth to this kind of thinking? Indeed, who can be God-blinded and not think this way! When we see the world as Jesus saw it, "God-bathed and God-permeated" as Dallas Willard suggests, how can we not begin to find ourselves seeing goodness and beauty everywhere? Just a thought. :-)
And where does this kind of wholesome thinking focus? I suggest the following. First, we begin to discover ourselves thinking more and more like this when we think of God. What? You already always do think this way about Him? You might just want to check that. Ask the Holy Spirit to monitor and expose what you really think about God and you may be surprised.
Second, we begin to discover ourselves thinking this way about our circumstances. Yep, it's possible to do that in the most barren circumstances, but by surrender, not by trying harder. Third, we discover ourselves thinking more and more these kinds of thoughts about ourselves. This is wonderful news, I think, since so many folks seem unable to escape the negativity of things said to them in their past. But Papa has a way of reshaping our thoughts to such an extent that we begin to believe what He says about us! Then finally, as our thoughts about God and circumstances and self begin to line up with God's reality, we also think that way about others. Amazing how that works.
Can't do any of this on your own, though. Find brothers and sisters who will walk with you in this by encouraging you, and invite Father God to inundate you with His life and lead you into His word in fresh ways. You will soon find yourself living upside down (or more accurately, right side up in an upside down world!).
Just a few thoughts from your truly upside down brother.
Tom, one of Abba's little boys
1 comment:
Hi, Tom,
Thanks.
The world is abnormal and not normal according to God's standard. The Lord through the process of Spirit led discipleship is returning us to normal as He transforms our lives to become like Him, conformed into His image by His Spirit who dwells in us.
It cannot be done through self-effort and can only be done as we surrender our lives to Him and yield to Him, His will and plan for our lives thinking and speaking what He calls us to do, in other words, simply obeying all He calls us to do.
You cannot talk about the surrendered life enough, so often people think they are surrendered and are not even though they say, "I'm doing all I can, and everything I know to do" not realizing they are doing it through self-effort.
I told you the story about my wife, I discerned she was un-surrendered even though she was doing all she could from self-effort. She had a divine encounter with God and He change all that from a constant experience to the very occassional experience like all who are led by the Holy Spirit may occassionally fall and yet not live in it. Now she is able to hear from the Lord personally and prophetically receiving visions, pictures, and words from the Lord.
It is sad how millions of believers live in a constant state of being un-surrendered to the Lord. They have never learn the blessedness of living the surrendered life and entering His rest living life loved and joyfully unside right by returning to normal!
Keep pointing the way to the surrendered life. Yield, yield, yield, yield, and yield some more to the Lord.
Stay lost and resting in His love!
His nothing,
Jeff
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