Tuesday, March 21, 2017

D.E.W.REFRESHMENT CALL: JUST KEEP GOING



"Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings" ~Psalm 17:8


 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

~Psalm 139-14


 "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom..." ~Isaiah 40:11


"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

~1 Peter 2:9-10


Those passages really come in handy when and if, for whatever reason, you're not exactly feeling good about yourself or doubting yourself. Maybe you're questioning your effectiveness, value, accomplishments, or abilities because of what someone else said or did.

Maybe you're feeling like you've been abandoned, rejected or dropped. 


"Dropped". 
It's so harsh, abrupt and sometimes, negative and insensitive. 
"Drop". It's so deliberate. 
Drop the ball. 
Drop out of school. 
Drop kick. 
Drop a dime. 
Drop a bomb. 
Tear drop.  
Either way something fell, failed, or was released from its place; it hit bottom, or was discarded. 
It went from height to depth. 

Something was handled carelessly, and perhaps damaged in a way that it couldn't be repaired.  
Something or someone was let go. 
Something was considered no longer useful or appealing; no longer able to stay or be sustained or supported where it was. 
Once something is dropped, it experiences potentially drastic change-- unless it is flexible, invincible, resourceful, unbreakable. 

"You've been dropped". Ouch. "I'm dropping you". Double ouch. They're not nice phrases to hear, but hearing them doesn't jump start Armageddon either. It's not the end of civilization. 
What you ought not, should not, will not do, is stop. Don't drop yourself.

(You do know it's not always your own stuff that can negatively impact you and cause you to be detached from vital connections. Sometimes we absorb stuff. We go around picking up crosses that aren't ours to carry.)

I've been dropped before in more ways than one. But I'm still here to either tell about it if I want, or testify just by my existence that I survived--and that I don't look like what I've experienced.  


I was chatting a while back with a music industry friend who shared that a number of recording artists had been "dropped" from their record labels. The reason given was the rather  disappointing sales of their projects. 
"The project was great", he said of one artist," but they only sold 5,000 units!" (He said it with such disdain, it only multiplied the notion that everything good is not necessarily financially profitable.) 
It is puzzling that even though 5,000 people willingly spent money to acquire music and actually liked it, that meant nothing to a certain segment of the population that values revenue more than people. Somewhere 5,000 consumers were perhaps, being encouraged, blessed, edified, even entertained. 
In the music industry, 5000 may as well have been 2.

His words made me consider that we have to learn to disconnect our self-worth from certain things, so that when the thing ends or is discarded, we don't see ourselves as useless, worthless, or ineffective--so much so, that we stop trying. So many have paralyzed themselves, quit, and given up when there's so much more in them to share.


It's funny how numbers can be great or small depending on the situation:

Five thousand dollars. I could use that right now, and it would handle a multitude of things!

Five thousand free minutes was a big deal before the advent of unlimited data.

Five thousand shares of stock. Who wouldn't want that if the company was profitable?

Five thousand square feet. I read somewhere that a couple turned a 5000 sq. ft. barn into a dream home! That's a lot of  space!

Five thousand miles. That's a long way that makes you thank God for commercial aviation!

Five thousand years. That's a long, long time!

Five thousand seats. That's a very nice audience!

Five thousand troops. That should put a little fear into an enemy.

Five thousand screaming fans. That would make a celebrity happy!

Five thousand casualties. The thought of that sends everyone into mourning-- even if they didn't personally lose anyone.

Five thousand units of blood. The Red Cross would be so grateful!

Five thousand units of affordable housing. Think of the difference that would make in the fight against homelessness!

Five thousand fabulous pairs of shoes. Okay, can we just get a "Woo hoo!" for the thought of that


But In the music industry, however, the number 5,000 of anything shipped and or sold has no shock value. It's kind of embarrassing, actually. It's nothing to applaud. 
Five thousand, contrary to what every 5 year old thinks, is suddenly not a large number. Five thousand has no significance. Five thousand, spells failure and a poor investment. It's just not good enough and can get a performer--even a good one-- dropped like a hot potato.


There is one other place, however, where 5,000 is a big deal. Five thousand is forever etched in our minds as the number of hungry men, who sufficiently dined in a desert, after Jesus said grace. 
Read the 6th chapter of Mark.
The number of people was great, but it's what Jesus had to work with that makes for such an amazing story. 
What one child had to offer, placed in the right, capable, caring, competent hands, satisfied a multitude. 

Since the apostles got the ingredients for the feast from a kid, we have to assume there were women and children who weren't counted. 
Even after the meal was served there were 12 baskets of leftovers- maybe the precursor of the Happy Meal-- for the apostles who never would have witnessed the miracle had they gotten their way. 

They had been working and maybe they were hot, tired, and hungry. They wanted Jesus to get rid of the crowd that was following him. 
Maybe they thought they'd already done too much work. Maybe they felt that too little attention was being paid to their needs. Well-intentioned or not, they had their share of out-of-order moments, especially when they were trying to get Jesus--the biggest people person of all time--to get rid of people. (I guess if you're hanging out with Jesus you might be a little selfish and over-protective and want to keep all that anointing to yourself- but that would be YOUR plan- not his. 
Removing his plan from any equation is a sure sign of impending failure. It's vitally important to operate according to his principles, stick to the vision He gives, and not get confused and attempt to assimilate our agendas into His.)


Knowing, acknowledging, and recognizing who Jesus was, and who sent Him was the difference between life and death, healing and sickness, freedom and bondage, forgiveness and condemnation for so many people. Imagine the weight of remorse of those near the cross when it finally occurred to them who they'd just murdered. 
"This man really was the Son of God. Look how we treated him". Some folk really didn't comprehend who He was quickly enough. They were too busy with their own plans to know who they had in their presence. Some were too wrapped up in their own importance. Others were too fixed on how they could profit. Yet others were bent on manipulating him.

He was despised for no good reason.

WHY can't we see that we have an advocate who genuinely understands what we deal with?

When Jesus didn't conform, and meant to be about the task God assigned him, people turned on him--- including those closest to him. Had they really known who he was, they wouldn't have tried to trip him up with religious nonsense. They wouldn't have insulted his intelligence and omniscience. They wouldn't have tried to turn him into someone he wasn't, paint him in an unfavorable light, or diminish his power. They wouldn't have  hoped he'd be pompous and arrogant like an earthly king so they could have an excuse to be pompous, too. They wouldn't have tried to misuse his gifts for material gain, or turn his ministry into a circus.


The enemy wanted Jesus to perform tricks. 
The thief on the cross wanted him to put on a show. 
The rich young ruler thought Jesus would be impressed with his considerable wealth. 
Had they really known who he was, and what he was about, they wouldn't have tried to hurt him, get rid of him, discredit him, or slander him. Had they known, they wouldn't have killed him.
 
Therein lies the irony of the Gospel. Somebody had to die so everybody else could live. Somebody had to be dropped. Somebody had to be rejected so everybody else could be accepted. Somebody had to be let go so others could be elevated. Somebody had to be made an example. 
Jesus asked God to forgive the very people who used, abused, and despised him. The very people who praised Him in an impromptu parade one week, and cheered him like he was a rock star? Those same people insisted on his death the very next week.


Wow. 
If you've been rejected, dumped, dropped, kicked to the curb or any of the other euphemisms associated with the end of relationships, be encouraged. IT DOES NOT DIMINISH WHO YOU ARE! It doesn't abort your purpose! KEEP GOING!!!! Forget the naysayers! Forget the numbers! Remember what God says about you!


Understanding your place in Christ is vital. In the 2nd chapter of his first letter, Peter was trying hard to encourage some folk who were really down in the dumps. He wasn't blowing smoke. He really wanted them to know who they were. 
Self-worth and personal identity can be boosted by the opinions and attitudes of others, but they cannot be established and maintained by others. Inadequacy, doubt, and a host of other destructive attitudes are right around the corner if one's sense of self and purpose is entangled in the thoughts and impressions, acceptance or rejection of other people.


 Christ was never confused about who he was, or what his purpose was. Your circumstance is undoubtedly a far cry from being falsely accused, blindfolded, spat upon, whipped all night long, emaciated, or nailed to a cross. Depending on the situation, it may feel like the same thing for a while, but keep looking up. God won't let you fall. He's got you. He is still very much alive, awake, well, in control, and still opening doors. 
Keep going...: )


"He protects His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them in the fold of His garment." ~Isaiah 40:11


"For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." ~Zephaniah 3:17

(The Lord sings!!!!!! How cool is that? )


#JustKeepGoing

#DEW4U

 

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