Rise Up part 3
When you're stuck in a rut--which we know is just a grave with the ends kicked out--it can feel like you're never going to be able to get out of it. It can feel like a hampster wheel where no matter how fast you go, or how hard you try, you never get anywhere. And the truth of the matter is, that's exactly the trap that religion keeps you in. In religion there's a carrot, but every time you reach for it the stick moves it just a little further out of reach. Mark 10:21-22 says it like this, "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." Now let me clarify before we get into this: The problem was not that the rich young ruler had "stuff." God promised to make Abraham rich. Poverty is not a sign of holiness. The problem was the the rich young ruler's "stuff" had him. He was unwilling to part with it. It was--as everything is, when you get to the bottom of it--a heart issue. You can have stuff, as long as your stuff doesn't have you. God blesses us to be a blessing. You can't give what you don't have, right? So if God wants us to be generous--and He does--He first needs to provide us with something that we can share. But the point I want to illustrate today is that even though the man had a heart issue... Jesus looked at him and loved him. Even though the man was unwilling to part with his stuff, Jesus couldn't stop being God in the flesh. God loves because that's who He is. And it has nothing to do with what we do. It has everything to do with who we are, and who He is. The man was looking for something that he thought he didn't have. And he was held back by what he did have. He couldn't rise up because he didn't know the light was already shining. He was trying to make something happen, but he wasn't willing to get out of the rut he was in. He wanted something new, but wasn't willing to let go of the old. Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before we can start going upward and God-ward. Sometimes we have to lose everything, before we can do anything. And sometimes we hurt ourselves more by holding on than by letting go. Sometimes we rob ourselves of what's available to us because we're afraid to move out of our comfort zone. But let me say it like this: If you never go out on a limb, you'll never get the fruit. Now let me caution you. I'm not saying you should turn your whole life upside down at the drop of a hat. If you want something different... do something different. Unless you're building something. In which case, stay the course. Rome wasn't built in a day. Things of value often take time. But if God tells you to move... move! Be sensitive to the Spirit. Remember the Amplified Bible says, "Rise out of spiritual depression." Spiritual stagnation. Rise above what's holding you down. Let it go. Let it flow. The glory of the Lord IS risen upon you. There's nothing you could ever need that your heavenly Father hasn't already provided for you. So don't be afraid to walk in NEWNESS of life. Don't be afraid to give what you've got away. To share it. To experience it!