Letting Go...Leaning back

Just. Let. Go. Those were the words repeated over and over to me the first time I went rappelling. I had always wanted to rappel, yet while standing over the edge, I couldn't seem to stop holding onto the bar that was anchored into the side of the cliff. Finally, after a few minutes, I conquered that fear. I was free to finally descend the 200 foot cliff....or so I thought. Then the next instructions were given. Just. Lean. Back. "Are You Kidding?!" I thought. However, little did I know, one must lean back on the rope to be able to descend correctly. This minimizes the risk of slamming face first into the mountain side...which I have learned by watching George of the Jungle, is not an experience you want to have. Once I leaned back, it wasn't as bad as I had first thought. I quickly bounced backwards until reaching the bottom. If I could sum up the experience into a word...Amazing! For the record, I would do it all over again. My time on that rope ignited an excitement for anything that involves ropes and cliffs.

As I look back on those instructions given by the guide, I realize that God is often times calling us to LET GO and LEAN BACK. What is your anchor, so to speak? What is keeping you from leaning back and trusting in God? I know the feeling of fear and reservations that many may have when presented with those questions. I too, deal with those questions quite often in my own walk with Christ. Guess what? We aren't alone in this struggle of life.

Gideon...just hearing this name probably evokes thoughts of cowardice and an overall puny attitude. He was visited by The Angel of the LORD and told, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." (Judges 6:12) This was his instruction to Let Go. Yet he responded with doubts and fears. (This story is found in Judges 6-8.) Finally after reluctantly giving into God's calling, he was instructed to Lean Back. (Judges 7:2-3) This presented itself in the form of whittling down his army of around 32,000 men to a mere 300. Along the way, Gideon was fearful and hesitant at every turn. It seems that with every command he was given, he had a test for God, just to make sure he was heard correctly. Yet, somehow he learned to trust in God. The sissy we see at the beginning of chapter 6 has grown into his role and has progressed in extraordinary ways. The story of a coward was turned into one of a hero, etched into the eternal pages of God's Word.

Another example of this topic is, of course, Jesus. All through his ministry, Jesus knew that everything would end up at a crucial crossroad...His death. Without a doubt, His biggest test was the cross. Matthew 26:39 portrays a gruesome and fearful moment in Jesus' life, "...My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will. " With His submission, He effectively taught us that letting go and leaning back into God's will is the scariest and possibly the most painful thing we may have to endure. Once He made the decision, He never looked back and questioned if it was the right choice or not. He plunged over the edge, so to speak. His decision to trust was one that has changed the outcome and empowered generation upon generation from that moment forward.

Again I ask, what is holding you back from making the decision to fully trust in God? Is it because you have slowly reasoned your way out of pursuing God's calling? Or maybe, you are simply scared of what others around you would say...or is it what people around you are advising you not to do? All throughout the Bible we see clear examples of people at different cliffs in their lives. Some take the plunge, others hold back. Notice though, the ones that hold back and don't fully obey God, stay in their comfort zone. Nevertheless, they are slowly destroyed. Their lives wither away into nothingness. They have a miserable existence.

It is easy to see those in the Bible that do decide to trust in God have a more difficult road ahead of them, compared to those who don't trust. However, through the difficulties they encounter, a passion is stirred within them. It is a passion that propels them on to fall more deeply in love with God. It is a passion that can only be experienced when one lets go of all reason and logic, just to lean back and trust that God will be all you need.

My generation is known for its zeal and fervor. Imagine, if we were to finally let go of all that anchors us in and throw ourselves into the unknown. Despite the pain. Despite the fear. Despite the loneliness that may accompany this decision. At least we would be living in dedication to the One who set the example for us. I guarantee it wouldn't be our last decision to lean back. In fact we would be driven by a hunger to see Him move in every area of our being.

We would be unstoppable.

Loyalty

Loyal: as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is the following:

1. Unswerving in allegiance: as

a. faithful in allegiance to one's lawful sovereign or government

b. faithful to a private person to whom fidelity is due

c. faithful to a cause, ideal, custom, institution, or product

Loyalty...When this word is mentioned, what comes to mind? For me, I think of the thousands of loyal fans that paid thousands of dollars per ticket (tickets for Superbowl XLV ranged anywhere from around $2k to $23k and higher), to see a championship game in which a pigskin is thrown around by a bunch of oversized men running around in tights.

Of course, we should bring it a little closer to home, since I will assume that not many got a chance to be at the game and spend exorbitant amounts of money. Maybe your loyalty lies in a T.V. show. Hours every week are spent in front of a Magic Box, which for an undetermined amount of time, allows us to sit back and forget our problems and live in a world that seems so much better than our own. Maybe your loyalty is the bar. How many hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, were spent in the bar this past month? What about watching porn every night? Forget the obvious things mentioned above, are you loyal enough to wake up at 4 a.m. to get an early start on your day so you can hit the slopes or go fishing?

Faithful...that was the key word in the definitions provided above. No matter where you are in life, there is something you are loyal too, besides God (if God is even in the picture at all). You are human. Its only natural to have things to which you fill your time with, right? I hope that the previous paragraphs hit home for you in one way or another. If not, stop reading right now, and think about something you faithfully do. Maybe its getting on Facebook every single day, playing Xbox, or staying up all night to study. What, in your life, do you show faithful devotion to?

Whatever the case might be, notice how easy our loyalty to these things is bought. Now think about this. How hard is it, for you, to be loyal to God? When your in church, and the pastor is bringing up ministry opportunities, how often do you say, "I don't have time for this, therefore I am not going to get involved." Moreover, what if God gives you a vision, but you don't see how you can accomplish the goal, leading you to give up before you started.

Let me be more forthcoming. It boggles my mind that we have to BEG Christians to do anything! Its as if their time is on loan to God. Therefore the Church has to bribe "volunteers" by providing free lunches, comfortable working conditions, or special recognition in front of the whole congregation. It is absolutely absurd! Notice how you don't have to beg a drunk to go serve his god every day. Do you think you have to plead with a sports fan to stand up and show a little enthusiasm while his/her team is winning? Yet during worship time we are hardly awake, as if the fact that we have been rescued from certain death means nothing to us!

It is thrilling for hunting enthusiasts to wake up at 4 in the morning to prepare for a long day of stealth-fully stalking prey. Yet for Christians, 4 a.m. is time for essential sleep, not seeking His face for the trials that lie ahead. Then again, when in our busy lives do we ever have time for God. Once in a while, when we have a moment of boredom in our lives filled with unnecessary noise, we might spend five minutes in prayer. God-forbid we carve out a time between running children to soccer practice and work to just stand still and acknowledge His presence.

Loyalty...Its something that needs to be awakened in our lives. Loyalty like Abraham, who at the cost of all logic and hope of obtaining the promise of God, obeyed anyway and put Isaac on the altar. Loyalty like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Even though being faced with the threat of burning to death, they answered by saying the following,

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

(Daniel 3:17-18)

Loyalty, like Jesus, which drove Him to the cross. Loyalty like Felicitatis who suffered persecution under Marcus Aurelius in A.D. 162. She refused to deny Christ, as did her sons. For that, her sons were executed one by one (by various means of torture). Finally Felicitatis was beheaded with the same sword that killed 3 of her sons.

If you gave all for Satan, there is no option for us, we better give all for God. If only God could find people who are loyal enough to serve Him, He will use us mightily. Yes, it is a scary step. Yes, it is uncomfortable. Yes, it will cost us everything we have.

Yet it is the least we can offer.