GET OUT OF JAIL FREE?
For some folks, life is just one big game. Consider the case of a Minnesota man who was arrested for a felony warrant. He actually presented the deputy a "Get out of jail free" card from a Monopoly game! He quickly discovered that the card doesn't work in real life. He went straight to jail and did NOT "Pass Go." Bail was set at $5,000. "We appreciate the humor," the sheriff's office posted on Facebook. "A for effort!"
Perhaps we're more like this fellow than we care to admit. In the midst of our anxious times, all we want is an easy fix to our struggles. Push a button, problem solved. Flash a Get-out-of-jail-free card and everything's OK. Just get rid of my difficulties, Lord. Hakuna matata. No worries, no troubles for the rest of my days.
But God wants so much more for us. His agenda is for me to become like Jesus. And He loves me enough to allow anxious situations to penetrate my "precious little world," smashing my idols and teaching me to depend on Him. These very struggles we wrestle to avoid are the fuel that propel us toward the image of Christ. In Philippians 3:8-10 Paul shares his goal in life: to "know Christ," discarding the comforts of this world as "dung." Then he states he wishes to "experience the sufferings of Jesus and share in his death." How many of us would embrace that? Yet it's exactly what we sign on for, as followers of Jesus.
Here's the underlying issue: my agenda and God's are vastly different. Face it. Most of us are addicted to comfort. We want what we want, when we want it, the way we want it. And if we don't get it...watch out! We regularly witnessed this while in quarantine on the Grand Princess and at Travis Air Force Base. The level of entitlement was thicker than frozen lard.
We work so hard to maintain our comfort. What if we surrendered our comfort and lived in a place of connection to Jesus? (John 15:5). We would experience a life far more fulfilling than chasing after comfort. We would know the joy of the Lord. We don't need to present a "Get out of jail free card" to our Father. He's already set us free. He just wants us to center on Him. He'll take care of the rest.
Principle: God allows us to experience anxious situations so we can become more like Jesus.
Promise: When we surrender our comfort, we experience a far more fulfilling life.
Ponder:
How can I learn to surrender my comfort and live in a place of connection to Jesus?
What step is God showing me to take today to "know Christ" more deeply?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess my tendency to desire a life of comfort. Take me to a higher level of living in connection with you, so I can experience more of your joy.
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Philippians 3:1-11.
Perceptions: Record any ideas God puts on your heart from today’s devotional.