What Inspires Me Today - The Narrow Road

 Finding The Narrow Road

In my personal "Quiet Times" over the past couple of weeks I've been focusing and thinking about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7. As a 50+ year old adult who has moved away from the evangelical church to focus more on my personal faith walk and less on organized religious exercises, revisiting these passages has been so fascinating. They definitely take on new meaning and reveal a lot of insights I missed in the try to conform and be "Christian" periods of my life.

Verses 13 and 14 of this section deal with Christ's message to the crowds to enter through the narrow gate... that the wide gate is broad, through which many people enter and fall into destruction.

Back in the day I saw that as a crystal clear direction that Christ was the narrow path and "the world" was the wide path. This gave me - and I'd say many members of my various churches - a sense of haughty-ness... we were clearly choosing the more difficult, less travelled, Christ's chosen ones route.

Of course that's how we felt.
A quick glance at how many of these "Christians" see themselves and the rest of the "fallen" world makes it very clear that any approval to feel better-than because of your faith is like candy.

But today... my inspiration when it comes to these verses is quite different and applies so much more personally for me - and I think for anyone regardless of faith structure.

Work on yourself.

It's easy to follow where the masses go... to follow the media... to follow our leaders... to listen to whatever trend is trending and whoever is holding court in the public spheres, or in your own circle. That pathway is wide... and so many times we see the destruction it causes. From the limited effects of personal self esteem and worth issues to the larger issues of Mob Mentality, Dumbing Down, and Fascism/Dictatorship/Etc.

Work on yourself.

The narrow path is the one you tread alone, or perhaps with your closest of friends/loved ones/partners.

The narrow path is work.
The narrow path is about your journey.
The narrow path is about your own self discovery. 
And to stay on the Biblical Theme... the narrow path is about God's walk with you, about you, and for you.

Work on yourself.

The rest of the world will be there and you'll be stronger to face it if you..

Work on yourself.

First Things: Look in front of you

I think about this blog a lot - like just about every day.

I started it as a way to boost my daily levels of inspiration. I believe that taking a moment to reflect before diving into the tasks of the day is a healthy, powerful choice.

Yet so often inspiration evades me.

I think about what inspires me and a draw a blank. Cheesy things come to mind - love, happiness, joy of others. While these are valuable, they are also Velveeta, and in that circumstance, forced.

Today however, I was inspired by a concept from my daily spiritual devotional, Our Daily Bread. The verse they used for today's message was Revelation 3:1-6. Revelation? Yeah - that one.

"I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God."

I am inspired today by the idea of waking up to strengthen what remains.  At times we lose heart. We miss opportunities. We feel defeated or overwhelmed. But we only need to wake up and look.

What is before you?

Right now?

Seize it.

Do not worry about what lies beyond or what lies behind. Look to what remains in front of you and make that work.

Being spiritual about it: The Lord (The universe, The force?) has placed you in this moment for this moment with what is at your feet right now. Embrace that moment and dive into it. 

Today my inspiration comes from the what can be of something that hasn't yet become.

First Things: Betterment or Detriment

Last night, as Ian and I were driving home from visiting a friend downriver, we were talking about the HBO Documentary Tickle.  If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend it. It's seriously messed up and completely fascinating.

Without spoiling too much of the movie, it ends up centering around someone who has a tremendous amount of wealth and time and uses that very poorly.

And it struck me, almost to the point of tears, that to do such a thing with the valuable resources and time you are given seems to be to be more "sinful" than the poor person who turns to drugs or crime.

I'm sure that in some ways the socio-psychological conditions by which both the wealthy person and the poor person choose to waste their resources are similar... but for the person who has much to offer the world - to squander that wealth is far more reprehensible that the person without.

It sits with me then, that we have an obligation to be wise with what we have been given. To use the little or vast resources that we have at our disposal for betterment and not detriment. Do we use our words to build up or to tear down? Do we use our time to improve or to complain? Do we spend our energy celebrating another person or belittling them?

When I look at the legacies those who have gone before us left, the legacies of those who used their time, money, and efforts to tear down are rarely celebrated - perhaps in circles for a season, but then they are gone, tucked away as a part of history we learn to not repeat. But those who enrich the world, who stand as a force for positive change, their legacies last both in physical memorials of statues, statutes, laws and books - but in the hearts of lives changed for good.

We have a choice every day as to how we will spend our valuable resources.
For betterment or for detriment.

First Things: Redemption

This morning, my daily devotional talked about an old Christian Poem.

The poem was about the crucifixion of Christ - as told by the cross itself, the tree that was cut down to make the cross on which Christ was nailed. The poem reflects on the idea that Adam & Eve ate from a tree and in so doing condemned mankind, but this tree that became the cross would be the tree on which all mankind would be redeemed.

I get emotional when I think about the idea of redemption, especially when it comes to being an instrument or a vessel for good.  The Bible is full of parables and stories of how God uses imperfect people to accomplish great things. Jacob tricked his brother Esau, yet God chose Jacob to build the Hebrew nation. Zachheaus (sp?) was a tax collector who defrauded people out of money, but the story of his hospitality to Christ is sung throughout Sunday schools around the world. Peter denied Christ and then became the rock of the Christian Church - and Paul killed many Christians before he was called by God to be a part of the foundations of faith. And there are many many more stories.

The Biblical message is clear - no matter what you have done in your past, no matter what your history, redemption is real. You can make a choice for a positive impact, you can change the world. If you feel that you are worthless, so have countless others before you.  If you feel that your baggage is too heavy, it is no more than what others have born. If you feel powerless, you have the power to change the future.

Redemption is freely available if you choose to take hold of its open hand.