Deep.
So, my friend goes to a commencement and listens to a speaker giving his advice to the graduates. The speaker offers this analogy to the kids going out into the world to live their dream: The tsunami....there were videos of the different types of reactions when the water in the ocean drew back before it hit, leaving a suddenly waterless coastline. Some people walked out into the ocean bed - definitely the wrong direction. Some people walked away from the strange occurrence, perhaps scratching their heads or following their gut instinct, but not really knowing what was happening. They were walking in the right direction. Some people knew what was happening, they believed there was danger and they ran and climbed with all abandon away from the ocean...they ran in the right direction. Of course, these are largely the only survivors.
The speaker gave his conclusion: sometimes it doesn't matter if you're walking in the wrong direction or walking in the right direction, the result could be the same. He encouraged his audience to run in the direction they believe in.
So. Janey relayed this story to me and my mind hasn't quit ever since. The first thing I thought, the first light bulb that went off was Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. I've stumbled over this verse a few times thinking how can God blame me for being lukewarm? It's my personality, it's just how I react. Would my reaction to an imminent tsunami be lukewarm? If I knew that a tsunami was coming and I knew what a tsunami could do, would I be walking away from it or would I be screamin' for the hills? I'D BE SCREAMING FOR THE HILLS! There's no possible way a person 'in the know' could walk away from a tsunami. And I finally get Revelation 3:16 - there's no possible way that a Christian who knows who God is and who understands His sovereignty could be lukewarm...there's no possible way to know God and walk toward Him. So, the verse isn't about my personality, it's about His. If I know Him, then I could not be lukewarm. If I'm lukewarm, I don't know Him, the Great I Am.
I can and have applied that tsunami analogy to so many things in the last 72 hours. It's like I'm going through the Rolodex of my mind asking why am I walking toward this, how come I'm not running toward that? I've questioned myself, if I knew something to be right or really believed that something is right, what would keep me from running to it and abandoning all else? I think I've only actually done that once or twice in my life! What keeps me from running with abandonment toward the right is having to totally abandon the wrong. It's as simple as that.
What do you think...about tsunamis...and walking in the wrong direction, walking in the right direction and running in the right direction? Deep, huh?
The speaker gave his conclusion: sometimes it doesn't matter if you're walking in the wrong direction or walking in the right direction, the result could be the same. He encouraged his audience to run in the direction they believe in.
So. Janey relayed this story to me and my mind hasn't quit ever since. The first thing I thought, the first light bulb that went off was Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. I've stumbled over this verse a few times thinking how can God blame me for being lukewarm? It's my personality, it's just how I react. Would my reaction to an imminent tsunami be lukewarm? If I knew that a tsunami was coming and I knew what a tsunami could do, would I be walking away from it or would I be screamin' for the hills? I'D BE SCREAMING FOR THE HILLS! There's no possible way a person 'in the know' could walk away from a tsunami. And I finally get Revelation 3:16 - there's no possible way that a Christian who knows who God is and who understands His sovereignty could be lukewarm...there's no possible way to know God and walk toward Him. So, the verse isn't about my personality, it's about His. If I know Him, then I could not be lukewarm. If I'm lukewarm, I don't know Him, the Great I Am.
I can and have applied that tsunami analogy to so many things in the last 72 hours. It's like I'm going through the Rolodex of my mind asking why am I walking toward this, how come I'm not running toward that? I've questioned myself, if I knew something to be right or really believed that something is right, what would keep me from running to it and abandoning all else? I think I've only actually done that once or twice in my life! What keeps me from running with abandonment toward the right is having to totally abandon the wrong. It's as simple as that.
What do you think...about tsunamis...and walking in the wrong direction, walking in the right direction and running in the right direction? Deep, huh?
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