Here's the Plan, Part 2

Independence Day.   In a country which prides itself on independence…it’s pretty easy to see the United States continue to attempt to become more and more independent from God, become its own boss and chart a new course.  Some celebrate that change.  Others, like me, are saddened by it.

If God is our father, we are his children.  Children are wired to be…dependent.  In thinking about this…I think when he says we’re his children…I don’t think God is meaning 12 year olds…or even 10 year olds.  I think the most mature Christian will never pass the “toddler” stage in God's family. 

So,we will never achieve “independence” from God and I Thank God for this.  I Love Being His Child.  I Love the fact that he’s happy to establish that kind of relationship with me, and announce to all creation that I’m part of His family...that He's committed himself to me.

If I consider carefully the words of the song…"Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the Children of God"…that God gladly signed and sealed  my adoption papers, bringing me into His Family…not as servant or slave, but as a true child with all the full rights and privileges as if I was born as his own.   He sealed that deal at the cross and on His word which He Never breaks, we have been given this new committed family relationship with Him and it can Never Ever be revoked. 

He says He wants to be my Dad for eternity.  It’s the Best Deal I’ll ever get.  I’m taking it.  I’m real real glad to be his toddler, since He not only knows How To Love…but He IS Love.

So when God says “Follow me,” I’m not thinking about straining behind that big ranger dude, I’m thinking about my powerful Dad with the wonderful, loving, encouraging, nurturing, excited, happy expression, backing up slowly across the kitchen floor…and all I have to do is follow Him, knowing that when I slip…and I will slip a lot…that He’ll catch me and put me back up and we’ll repeat the routine.

It’s the safest environment ever.  Who wouldn’t want to follow that kind of a dad?  I would follow that father anywhere.  Why not?

The trick is…isn’t it…that I get distracted, and get my eyes off God and start to focus on the problems of life.  And just like the disciple Peter on the Lake, he found that as he took his eyes off his God, Peter began to sink.  Is that not exactly what happens in life?  If I start considering the problem and dealing with the “what if” scenarios…I’m scared, I’m intimidated, I lose hope, I lose perseverance, I lose peace, I lose joy.  I lose.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times this has happened to me.  It’s the story of my fear-based life.  I can run through “what if” scenarios…and they’re all pretty much worst-case…and I stop and my heart races and I lose hope.  Maybe this is why I can’t get my spiritual sports car out of first gear…I forget about God and quit on God.  F & Q…forgit and quit.  I should get the tattoo.

However, God says perfect love casts out fear.  I don’t have perfect love, but…News Flash…He does!  So now I come to a spiritual fork in the road. 

When I come to a Problem….(Smart people call them “issues.”  But I never seem to have issues, only “problems.”)…here’s the deal.  I need to figure out which is more real…the problem, or God.  I need to figure out which is closer to me, the problem…or God.  I need to figure out which is more powerful…the problem or God. 

If the problem is more real than God, closer than God and stronger than God, then I need to ignore God and focus on the problem since He can’t help me anyway.  And I look in my little anti-problem toolbox and it’s pretty much empty and now this Problem becomes a BIG Problem and it’s a steam roller and I prepare to get flattened.  Again.

But…and this is a Big But…(can Christians say “Big But?”) If God is closer to me than the problem, and if God is more real than the problem and if God is more powerful than the problem, I’m free to acknowledge the problem and then thank God for handling it, and then just focus on God and not the problem.

Chelsie Smith of City Church, Kirkland, WA (those Smiths just seem to keep elbowing their way into this blog) encourages us to acknowledge the problem for what it is, and then turn to God to solve it.  In her words, give the problem a Glance…and then return your Stare to God.  Let God “work the problem out” as He “works Himself In.”

The key question is “How?”  Honestly, I don’t know for sure.   May I remind you of the title of this blog?  If I knew, I wouldn't be trying to figure it out on the fly.

But (finally) here’s my plan.  I call it the Spiritual Loser's Operations Plan.  (That's S.L.O.P. for short.)  This is what I plan to put into effect in my life as best as I can....and I’ll report back to you faithfully (unless I forget or quit) from time to time and let you know how or if it’s working.

THE PLAN

     

1.     Every time I think of it, I will pray to God as sincerely as I can for faith…that God will fill me with as much faith as He would and that I could stand firmly in that faith.

2.      Then I will pray as much as I can that He would fill me with his Holy Spirit abundantly as much as He can and that His Spirit would grow me and guide me.

OK, here are my thoughts on 1 & 2.  First, no “rules” here.  No metrics.  I’m going to ask as much as I remember to ask.  I’ll stick a note on my computer at work and will try to put one in my car as well.  We can't relate to God by formulas and strategies.  I mean, I’ve tried.  But we relate to God just like you’d relate with anyone else.  Talking, doing things together, etc.
 

Will God answer these prayers?  I think so.   I think these prayers will bless His heart…that his child wants a better and closer relationship with him?  In the book of Matthew, Jesus told us that if a child asked his parent for bread or a fish, a good parent wouldn’t serve up a rock or a snake instead.  And God the father is a much much better parent than any one of us could aspire to. So yes, I think He will respond positively to this.

3.      I want to put myself into that kitchen scene…with me being a toddler and looking up into God’s face, the best I can, and see his love, affection, affirmation, excitement, kindness and patience, etc, God saying “Follow me,” and let myself be drawn to him, not focusing on other things, but just his face. 

4.      Then, I’m just going to interact with God as best I can. I don’t see him, and I don’t feel him or hear him…but I’m going to use the faith and the Holy Spirit He just gave me to talk to him, to listen to him, to plan with him, to get a sense of where he is and try to understand where he wants me to go and what he wants me to do.

That's the whole S.L.O.P.  And with this plan, I'll just try it and evaluate it using the format of Testing Real Outcomes Using God's Help.  (That's T.R.O.U.G.H. for short.)  Of course we'll need to use the formal "Progression In God" (P.I.G.) scale for final endorsement. 

Really, I'm aiming for the Heart Of God.  I'd call that the H.O.G., but while aiming for a cute punchline...I'm dead serious about the message.  I want to be close to his heart...it's the best thing in life.

I want to try this and see if I've got it right...or wrong.

I’ve got a few more thoughts on the “whys,” but I’ll leave it at that for now and fill in a few blanks next time.  But on Independence Day, I’ll run this much up the flagpole and see if any angels salute.