Flipped Over

For me, there are certain beliefs to which I hold, and they are simple truth. There isn't confusion about them, and I do not worry about or wonder whether or not they'll ever be challenged or changed. I know they are. Jesus is my Savior. His death and resurrection mean I (and you and everyone) have the opportunity for abundant and eternal life. Some things I believe are truth. Sometimes, I can understand them and learn to apply them in new ways; I hope those fundamental truths never stop adjusting, impacting and moving my reality and the way I show up in the world. In my opinion, even when it comes to basic, fundamental truth, there is always more to learn, more insight to be gained and more world to be changed.

Okay, so, category one down... Then there is category two... sticky, strange and ever-changing category two...

I suppose the best and most accurate name for these things is "assumptions." There are certain things that I guess I mostly just take for granted. Many of them are things that I've unconsciously chosen to believe over time, mostly acquired just through acclimation. Some of them are adopted from our secular culture. Many of them, in my life, have been adopted from the culture within the church. I learned at a certain point in my journey that I knew a LOT about what different churches taught, and knew almost nothing about what the Bible said. That was a startling revelation, and as I've worked (and continue to work) to change that, there have been a lot of beliefs that have been changed in me.

Some of these beliefs are sort of just passively hanging out in my head; but some of them really have and really do fuel actions and behaviors on my part. I think the latter of these is more dangerous in the immediacy of life, but the former has potent potential for danger too.

So, my goal is to make sure that I'm always clear on which beliefs are which. The beliefs that fall into category one are, really, very few and far between. But I live like a lot of the column two beliefs are part of category one. Now, my experience is that I can't force things into my own consciousness; that, at the end of it all, is the Holy Spirit's job. But, I can stay willing to have them brought into my awareness, and not just in a passive way. Spending time in prayer, and spending time in the word are primary ways in which I demonstrate my willingness for God to speak to me. And He helps me separate the truth from the rest. I also have to intentionally stay open to having some of my favorite assumptions flipped on their head.

If I cling to any of those without willingness to have my mind and my heart changed, I have refused to yield. And, for me, in the deep dark trenches of it, yielding is the essence of being a follower of Jesus. So, I have to stay in a somewhat active state of seeking...seeking to have my whole world turned upside down, or at least a little tiny part of it. This, I think, pleases Him. We pray all the time for Him to change us and grow us and teach us... My guess is that I'm not the only one who prays for teaching and then gets frustrated when God tries to get me to learn something new.

So, in closing, I will invite you to do what I plan to do for awhile today: spend time with God just asking for Him to open your eyes, and be willing to let go of any assumption He wants to remove from your path. He knows what He's doing; trust Him.