Prior to Opening

It has been a long time that we’ve endured the stay-at-home orders over covid 19. I’ve written in previous blogs about obeying those orders; how God tells us in Romans 13 that we are to obey the government authorities over us. The stay-at-home orders were within the Federal and State government’s God-given authority since it was about protecting the citizens. As long as those orders are administered fairly and without discrimination and for the purpose of protecting us they fall under proper Godly authority. That said, I’m sure we are all looking forward to the end of those stay-at-home orders.

In this blog I would like to consider what we’ve learned and how we should move forward as things do begin to open. On our three blogs I’ve said much about dealing with isolation, particularly on our Celebrate Recovery blog. When dealing with any kind of addictive practice or habit, isolation is a breeding ground for increased dependency and trouble. We also know that addictions take many forms. It’s not just alcohol or drugs, but also anger, resentment, gossip, laziness, gluttony, lust, porn, materialism, etc. Any selfishly motivated activities, communications, thoughts and/or desires are addictive and can become idols, leading us down the path of addiction. That path is full of indulgence, infatuation, betrayal and slavery with painful consequences for ourselves and those around us. Over the past six weeks or so we’ve all had plenty of opportunity to isolate, hide and pursue selfish indulgences. Our times of being together for mutual encouragement, strengthening and accountability have been limited to on-line communication and phone calls; they are a poor substitute for actual face-to-face gatherings. Perhaps, as we head toward a reopening in the coming days and weeks, this is a time when we should be yielding to something I refer to as “Holy Spirit led self-examination.”

The Bible often talks about letting God reveal truth to us about ourselves. Selfishness deceives us into a false reality; the Holy Spirit and the Word of God reveal truth and peal away the layers of deception from the world, from spiritual forces of evil, and from our own thoughts and desires. Consider some Biblical statements we use often in Recovery Step 4, including Psalm 26:2, “Examine me, O Lord, try my mind and my heart.” Another is Lamentations 3:40, “Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord.” Then there is 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 which gives instructions about taking the ordinance of the Lord’s Communion saying, “but let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup, for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” There are many more but let me lastly give you 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you are disqualified?”

I have repeatedly said that anytime you open and read the Word of God it is a time of examination; you cannot look into the perfect Word of Truth and not be challenged, unless you’ve totally hardened your heart against the truth. As the Bible says, it’s like looking into a mirror (see 2 Corinthians 3:18 and James 1:23). In a mirror you see a reflection of what you really look like. We’ve all had the experience of looking into a mirror and being surprised by what you saw. Maybe you still had some remnant of lunch on your face you didn’t know about, or maybe your hair was terribly out of place. Maybe you noticed a new wrinkle or that your necklace was missing. The mirror speaks truth about your appearance and sometimes it surprises you. If you are like me, you seldom (or never) look in the mirror and think, “Wow, I look better than I thought I did!” We tend to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; Romans 12:3 warns us of that very thing. Thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think is part of the deceived self-perception we all have. Looking into the mirror of perfect Truth that is the Word of God reveals who we actually are. Not just who we appear to be on the outside; it reveals truth about our motives, desires and attitudes. I personally believe that is the biggest reason reading the Bible is neglected by so many Christians; we don’t like our perceptions of ourselves to be challenged by the Truth, at least not too much.

It often seems easier to just go on in our self-deceived state of existence, believing we are who and whatever we think we are. But that’s not the truth. Go back to the times before the covid stay-at-home thing, back when you could leave your house and pretty much do whatever you needed or wanted to do. If you just got out of bed, got dressed and walked out the door without ever looking in the mirror, but assumed you looked your best, do you think you might get some strange looks or be embarrassed when you return home and look in the mirror to see that you actually look like you still just rolled out of bed? Yikes! Let’s face it, this isn’t a Hollywood movie where everyone wakes up looking like they just stepped out of the hair and makeup artist’s chair! That’s not real! I’ve heard on various TV and radio broadcasts that people are putting jeans or work clothes back on after weeks at home in sweats and suddenly realize those clothes have gotten pretty tight! Is it not better to check the mirror to make sure your actual appearance matches what you think you look like? Well, it’s the same thing with the Word of God. It is better to let the Holy Spirit reveal to you truth the about yourself, to look into the mirror of what is on the inside. If you don’t, you are living a lie.

So we’re coming to the end of a time when we’ve been pretty isolated. Maybe, some things have gotten away from you, maybe even some thoughts, desires or attitudes. It’s time to let the Spirit examine you as you read the Word of God. Now let me say that it is possible to read the Bible and not open yourself to its truth; you can harden your heart. You can have the mindset that some things about you are off limits to God and shut yourself off, but let me warn you, that leads to a hard heart which is spiritually dangerous. Instead of that, open yourself to the God who loves you and say to Him, “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

May the Lord watch over you, protect you, and fill your heart and mind with peace as you yield you Him.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Mark