I Am Going to Love God
“Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I
love.” Oops. Now, I am going to love God.
In the animated movie Up
there is a running gag of dogs being distracted by squirrels…even the word is
enough to get them off track. Funny as
it is in the movie and often a way of laughing off our own foibles it is still
off track.
There seem to be spiritual squirrels among us. Dedicated to the things of God and moving
forward when suddenly…squirrel, and
then days later from the tall weeds we look up and see we aren’t on the path
any longer. Have you ever…squirrel?
Headed for the Land of Promise When…Squirrel
The people of Israel were on their way to the land of
promise, but they had opposition. The
issue was how to keep the people from achieving the goals and success God had
in store for them. Balaam was hired to
curse the people. That didn’t work. He was offered big money if he would do
something about the people of God. He
came up with a plan. Distraction.
Have the folks be
friendly and welcoming to the people of Israel.
Invite them to a wonderful dinner.
After being on the road for so long and eating manna a dinner invitation
sounded good. God had warned them about
this, but we all know how much attention is given to those warnings. They ate food offered to other gods. They were involved in worshiping Baal. Part of the worship was sexual. Those who participated were all in. Thousands died as a result.
When Jesus examined the church He mentions a similar issue
taking place.
“But I have a
few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like
that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught
them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.” Revelation
2:14 (NLT)
Jesus had something better for the people in the church of
Pergamum, but they were allowing distraction to keep them from Him and all He
had for them. Notice Jesus’ was not only
opposed to the sin of those participating in idol worship and sexual sin, but that
people in the church were tolerant of those practices.
Loving God, following Jesus, seeking His Kingdom are to be
first things. Distractions that
interfere with first things and substitute lesser things are a huge
problem. Staying on track and enjoying
the fullness of life offered by the Lord is entering the “land flowing with
milk and honey.”
Squirrel Spotting
The distractions are all around us. Have you ever been sitting at a nice dinner
with some friends and family when all of a sudden the buzz of a cell phone
takes…squirrel…precedence? Our walk with the Lord or our times with the
Lord can have similar interruptions. The
Apostle John notes some squirrels we can watch for.
Do not love this world nor the things it offers you,
for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For
the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything
we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the
Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along
with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will
live forever. 1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)
A craving for physical pleasure. That can be a distraction. Food.
Thinking about food. Eating too
much food. Eating the wrong kinds of food. Comfort.
Health conscious to the point of distraction. Exercise to the point of exaltation. Being controlled by sex. Physical pleasure God’s way is wonderful, but
pursuing a craving for physical pleasure is not God’s way and those things
become a…squirrel…distraction.
As a side note that is one of the reasons for practicing
fasting as an exercise in combating the craving for physical pleasure and
focusing on the Lord.
There is a tendency to be
going along fine when all of a sudden something we see gets our attention and
bam we are all about it. SQUIRREL. It could be we just notice something and
after a moment of acknowledging it we are back at what God would have us
do. But there is the craving for
everything we see. That craving gets in
deep. It is the kind of thing that can
keep a person up nights or make them dissatisfied with their lives, their jobs,
their car, their spouse, their God. If a
person has a tendency toward this craving they are always comparing how others
have something they don’t and they want it.
Scripture offers this insight: Yet
true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 1 Timothy 6:6 (NLT)
Trusting God is crucial
for those of us wanting to stay on track with the Lord. We look to Him for what we need. We find our fulfillment as His masterpiece in
His work and provision in our lives. To
be driven to get and to be bothered when we don’t have is to be caught up in
the world. Trusting God’s way will bring
us plenty.
Did you know that we can
be our own distraction? It’s the “Hey,
look at me!” “Look what I did!” “Look at what I have!” “See what I can do!” syndrome.
Pride. Not sensible, healthy pride,
but puffed up, looking down on others, I’m better than you kind of pride. Pride can stick to us like cockle burrs. We can be following Christ and then pick up
some pride here and there about some accomplishment, and before long we are all
about ME. My talent. My accomplishment. My way.
My stuff. My looks. My ideas.
My, my, my…squirrel.
Think about the things we
seek and pray for. A job for
instance. Being out of work can be
stressful. Bills pile up. Self-image tanks. A solemn looking to the Lord can ensue. Asking others to pray for the job. Then the Lord grants the job. A good job.
The bills are paid. Self-image
rises. After a while remembering the
Lord had anything to do with providing the job is lost in the swelling sense of
pride in one’s own accomplishments and busyness at the job which takes them
away from the Lord. Squirrel.
What about the winning
team? The trophy? The awards we cherish? The bank accounts we count on? Should we even pray that someone get the big
win or become the big deal if pride could be such a problem? Probably not.
But we are to submit the “bigs” under the Lordship of Christ and if they
come our way rejoice and humbly enjoy whatever comes our way. Whatever
you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)
Squirrel Free
It may seem that squirrel
free living is impossible. Not so. We will all be squirrely from time to time,
but there is a way to stay focused and follow the Lord with fewer off path
treks. Take a look at this.
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then
you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Galatians 5:16 (NLT)
Knowing us as He does the
Lord graciously sent the Holy Spirit to us to help us with our squirrel
problem. With the empowering presence of
the Holy Spirit and His effectual guidance we can follow the Lord and flow in
the abundance of life He desires for us.
This is a real
thing. There is the idea in the
Christian community that the Holy Spirit is a nice thought. That He is an
influence in helping me realize when I mess up, but really it’s just me
striving by my will power to be a good person that is making things
happen. The Holy Spirit is a cute
concept, a placebo, a sugar pill that doesn’t really do anything but make me
think something is happening. Wow. If you have those ideas, we need to
talk. The Holy Spirit is freaking
awesome! He is real. He is effective at what He does. He is ready to work in all those who let Him
do what He does.
Quick Holy Spirit reminders:
God wants you to know the
Holy Spirit is a great gift and you can even ask God the Father and He will
give Him to you.
“So if you sinful people
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly
Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:13 (NLT)
The Holy Spirit comes
along when we come to Christ. He
regenerates us. Luke who recorded Jesus’
words here knows that. To apply this “asking”
think of this. There are times when I
seem far from God, separated from the Holy Spirit both of which are impossible
since God is omnipresent (everywhere present).
But I can turn to Him and ask Him to come and show up and help which He
graciously does. So it is here. Ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. God the Father will give Him to you. Enjoy.
Even though we as
regenerated followers of Jesus have the Holy Spirit we can block the Holy
Spirit’s work. He is pictured as a flame
in Acts 2 and we are told that we can quench the Spirit. Like putting the flame of a candle out.
Do not quench the Spirit 1
Thessalonians 5:19 (NASB)
This can happen when we don’t acknowledge what
He is doing on our behalf, we can reject the spiritual manifestations He is
using and then we miss out by putting out the fire.
This is an aspect of unbelief and not spiritually healthy.
Another way to block the
Holy Spirit’s work is to grieve Him.
This is more akin to rebellion.
Just doing what feels right.
Doing and saying what seems right to me.
The Holy Spirit is directing one way and we choose to go another.
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 (NASB)
The Holy Spirit is
available. God wants us to enjoy
Him. To fellowship with Him.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of
God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. 2 Corinthians
13:14 (NASB)
To be squirrel free
requires the mighty assistance of the Holy Spirit Who is willing and able to do
amazing work on our behalf.
So
I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your
sinful nature craves. Galatians 5:16 (NLT)
Spiritually focused and
not prone to wander from God is a good life.
An abundant life. A life approved by
God.
