Righteousness and Lord of The Rings

Lean not on your own understanding, but trust in the lord......

This is hard, even harder if you grow up in the church, or any form of religion. The lord God of Israel calls us to an obedience that puts its power in trust. The reason this is so hard for me is the fact that I want to earn everything I do. I want to make "my' faith "my own." What a misunderstood concept this has been for me.  For many of us it describes a change that occurs in the formative years of early adulthood, but the language is completely miss leading. There is a spirit of understanding there that knows the desire of the father for us to be brought in closer to his heart, but to use the language of "my own" has proven destructive and dangerous in my life.

The constant foothold of the enemy, the space known as "my own"

"Its mine, my own... my precious" as Gullum puts it. The ring, the ring of power, is just that. It was made by the enemy, can only be used by him and never gives us what we want. The reason being: It is an object designed for private use.

Here is righteousness at work in a very real way. Say what you want about Gullum but in the end he's just like the best of us. When the ring goes into the hands of our friend mister Frodo Gullum does all sorts of things for the good guy's side. Say what you want, but Gullum is never an intensional instrument of the enemy, Sauron. 

"But Gullum is on his own side!" we might say. Well, exactly. For a long time that has been my lot in life. I may not be a follower of the enemy, but his designs are fulfilled in my actions when my actions are made for my own fulfillment. Look at the scripture above in this light. It's what i've tried to do for the past couple months. This is what it comes down to for me: I stated it in a previous blog "I'm Not Jesus" but maybe put in a better line of thought in this scripture. "Lean not on your OWN _______ but trust in the lord." Just fill in the blank because the place you put your understanding effects every decision you make.

Here let me give this a try:

Josh,

Lean not on your own understanding

lean not on your own ability

lean not on your own resources

lean not on your own love

lean not on your own forgiveness

lean not on your own grace

lean not on your own plan

lean not on our own visions for the future.................ugggggh here comes the big one

lean not on your own.... righteousness,

That last one really gets it wrapped up! lean not on my own righteousness or, lean not on my on efforts to make me right with God and people. Holy father thats hard! 

How do most religious people come to a faith, and not just budism but christianity as well?

If the world is filled with any one remotely like me than they come to religion in hopes of filling their existance with justification for their share in this place called life. Ok, maybe in the western world of insurance and abundant provisions at least, this might be the case. (thank God for the poor and needy!)

Ok, heres what I'm getting at: I've spent a lot of my life trying to earn the identity that christianity bestows on its followers. I've been trying to figure out, ok so now what do I do to be that person. Right, I know it doesn't sound all that much likee Gullum yet, just give me a second. When the lord God called me to his throne and asked me to kneel at the feet of his laws he did not do so expecting me to fulfill his wishes to a "T" He wants me to, as the path of life was given to us through his instructions, but he never wanted me to fulfill this path. I had to ask myself why? Heres what i've come up with. SO THAT THE PATH OF LIFE IS NOT MINE. 

If I could find and make life on my OWN, how could I be a created thing. It comes down the the basic fundamental understanding of what I am as a human being. I am not God and he has not asked me to be him. I am not the path of life and the lord has not asked me to fulfill it, he already did. In the first act of creation, by taking nothing and making something God has set himself apart and in control. In the second creation built upon the cross he put himself under everything and was thus exalted so that no one could boast. He is the alpha and the omega, he is the begining and end. To seek life by my own design is not only foolish, but impossible. Jesus lived the life that is life. Jesus chose the way that is the way. Jesus was the light that is the light. Being both man and God....well what i'm getting to is not something to be taught, only learned. So I pray that the spirit lead us to that end.

So...

Lean not on your own plan, to make you right with God today. Know that Jesus did that, and there is nothing that you can do to earn the father's love for you, or his salvation!

And if you desire righteousness this day, you're going to have to do it the way Jesus did, with a cross. Because he already set the path. You can't make one just as good, you can't make one that works better for you. If you want righteousness your going to have to let Jesus in and shape your time, shape you descisions, and shape your mind. In Phillipians chapter 2 Paul asks the church to "be of the same mind" he doesn't mean "What ever you do, in word or deed do it with the same goal and reason" he means "be of the same mind as christ" and remember the rest of the chapter? Here comes one of the most quoted verses in scripture:

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

 12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.