It seems to me that Christian life involves some level of living in the tension between two seemingly contradictory things. The problem is that it is easy to fall into one extreme or the other, instead of keeping them in balance. Let me give you an example.
On the one hand, God is all-powerful. We are called to a proper fear of the Lord, to recognize and respect his awesomeness and power, and to humbly acknowledge our created nature in light of his power and might. On the other hand, he is father. He is loving, gentle, and kind. He wants us to approach him in love.
Let’s look at the extremes of these two seemingly opposing concepts. First, the ancient Israelites are a good example of living in an extreme fear of the Lord. Remember when they were living at the base of Mount Sinai? They were invited up the mountain to fellowship with God, but when they saw the lightning and heard the thunder, they chose to stay at the base of the mountain. They asked Moses to be their mediator. Exodus 19:10-25, 20:18-21. They had a proper fear of the Lord, but they took it to an extreme, and they lost the opportunity to enter into fellowship with their creator.
Second, there is also an extreme of living an overly casual relationship with him. There is a difference between bringing God down to our level and recognizing him with us in all of his power and might. When we do the former we denude him of his power and might. We lack a proper and respectful fear of the Lord. We make him like a created being, one who is not so powerful. We can also see this extreme in people who rationalize God’s love for them. They stress they are ok, and God loves them where they are. The problem with this position is that they tend to want to stay where they are, but God wants more for them. In both situations, he wants to use his power and might to transform them into a new life. He wants to reveal himself to them in deeper and more personal ways. Their casual relationship causes them to miss out on all the “more” God has in store for them.
So, what does a life lived in a proper tension between these extremes look like? I am sure there are many ways of describing this; however, as I pondered this question, I had an image of a child’s proper respect of parental power and authority. The child was sitting on the parent’s lap. They played and hung out together. However, the child was always in awareness of the parent’s authority and power. They were not equal, but there was a gentleness and proper respect between them.
Spend some time with the Holy Spirit pondering your own relationship with him. Be open to him showing you where you are failing to live in the proper tension between these two extremes. It is his job to convict you of sin and lead you to all truth. Jn 16:8, 13. It is one of the ways in which he leads us to the more he has in store for us. As you pray, watch for images, memories, thoughts, and words. These are typical vehicles by which he speaks to us. However, scripture regularly reminds us that a mature spirituality understands the need to continuously discern his voice to ensure that we are not being led astray. [Examples: 1 Jn 4:1, Rom 12:2, 1 Thess 5:21, 2 Cor 11:13-15, and 1 Tim 4:1]
Close your prayer asking him to show you how you can better live in balance between these extremes, and thank him for helping you grow in your personal relationship with him. Maybe spend a few moments pondering how you might put into action all that you learned in prayer.
In Him,
dw
© 2024 Debra Weldon
thoughtsofacrazywoman.blog 