Okay, so this blogging thing is not as easy as I thought. When do people have time to blog? Ha ha. Now I'm going to make time because I have this urge to share my thoughts. :)
I've been reading through the Bible chronologically. I was in Numbers and I ran across the following verses: Numbers 15: 37-41. In this scripture God is giving Moses a command for he and the Israelites and for generations to come. He commands them to make tassels for the corners of their garments with a blue cord on each tassel. These tassels were to serve as reminders of the commands of the Lord so that they would obey them and not "prostitute themselves by going after the lusts of their own hearts and eyes". So at this I began to wonder what exactly serves as my tassels?
I could actually sew blue cords and tassels on my clothes and this would likely lead to some interesting conversations. Some of the tassels in my life may include the numerous bible verses written on my mirror and shower, index cards in my car, and on the refrigerator. I have accountability through friends and family who also follow Jesus. I go to church on Sundays and Tuesdays. I go to a bible study every Monday night. I pray often and spend time with the Lord every morning. Yet I still forget! I lose focus! My mind turns to worldly things that pale in comparison to following my Lord God, my Adonai. I forget what sacrifice he has made for me and how pitiful my flesh is compared to his glorious and holy existence. I forget that this life isn't about me.
Yet I think it is way more than doing these things. In Hebrews 10:16 God proclaims that his laws will be in our hearts and written on our minds and this is through the Holy Spirit that lives in us. Yet he also calls us in Ephesians 6 to put on the armor of God and go to war against the devil's schemes. In verse 12 it says for our "struggle", our struggle, not our safe, comfortable, soft, cozy, latte drinking, hot tubing, vacationing, self-involved lives! Life as a follower of Christ calls for more action than what many of us have been willing to put forth. This includes myself. I know this is true and I feel the conviction in my heart...so why do I keep turning back to the chocolate cake that is staring at me telling me that I need that piece of cake and that I just need one more bite, and then one more piece. And by the way, I love lattes and I want a hot tub! Also a vacation to Italy.
It is not wrong to want these things or to enjoy them. I'm just trying to make the point that this struggle against flesh is not easy. We need reminders. We need tassels and lots of them. We may have to be tacky at this point in the struggle. We have got to look different from the crowd and "shine as stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life". Philippians 2:15-16. We can't let "resting in his grace" be our excuse for continuing in a sin. We can't allow "resting in his grace" to be our excuse for not fighting or taking action against the devil's schemes. There is an unrest inside of me when my focus changes from the Lord to worldly things I feel like Paul when he describes his flesh. "I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing." Romans 7:18. However, later in the passage he praises the Lord for sending Christ who has redeemed us from this flesh and sin. Praise the Lord for rescuing me from this body of death! This is where our tassel comes in. We must continue striving towards the Lord, working out our salvation, and putting on the armor of God every day. So let's get tacky and put on those tassels. Lord, help me to remember how you have redeemed me and where you have brought me from. Lord, don't let us forget!
